
Gigigear
Gigigear is the final form of one of the first new Pokemon to be revealed for the fifth generation. It boasts good Attack and Defense, and is fast compared to other defensively-focused Pokemon. The biggest draw for using this Pokemon is its boosting move, "Gear Change," which boosts its Attack one stage and its Speed two stages!
Code:
[B]#601 Gigigear[/B]
Typing: Steel
Ability 1:
Plus
Pokemon's Special Attack raises 50% when ally has Minus.
Ability 2:
Minus
Pokemon's Special Attack raises 50% when ally has Plus.
Ability 3: (Dream World)
[B]Clear Body[/B]
Pokemon's stats can't be reduced by other Pokemon.
[B]Base Stats:[/B]
HP: 60
Atk: 100
Def: 115
SpA: 70
SpD: 85
Spe: 90
[B]Movepool (notable moves bolded):[/B]
[B]Pre-Evo Moves:[/B]
-
[B]Level-Up Moves:[/B]
Lv1: Vicegrip
Lv1: Charge
Lv1: ThunderShock
Lv1: Gear Saucer
Lv6: Charge
Lv11: ThunderShock
[B]Lv16: Gear Saucer[/B]
Lv21: Bind
Lv25: Charge Beam
Lv31: Body Purge
Lv36: Mirror Shot
Lv40: Screech
Lv44: Discharge
Lv48: Metal Sound
[B]Lv54: Gear Change[/B]
Lv60: Lock-On
Lv66: Zap Cannon
Lv72: Hyper Beam
Gear Saucer: Steel Physical PP: 15 / Power: 50 / Accuracy: 85
Hits twice.
Body Purge: Steel Other PP: 15 / Power: --- / Accuracy: ---
Raises Speed 2 stages.
Gear Change: Steel Other PP: 10 / Power: --- / Accuracy: ---
Raises Attack 1 stage and Speed 2 stages.
[B]TM Moves:[/B]
[B]TM06 - Toxic[/B]
TM10 - Hidden Power
TM15 - Hyper Beam
TM17 - Protect
[B]TM21 - Frustration
TM24 - Thunderbolt
TM25 - Thunder
TM27 - Return[/B]
TM32 - Double Team
TM37 - Sandstorm
TM42 - Facade
TM44 - Rest
TM48 - Troll
TM57 - Charge Beam
TM68 - Giga Impact
TM69 - Rock Polish
[B]TM72 - Volt Change[/B]
[B]TM73 - Thunder Wave[/B]
TM87 - Swagger
TM90 - Substitute
TM91 - Flash Cannon
TM92 - Trick Room
TM94 - Rock Smash
Troll: Normal Special PP: 15 / Power: 60 / Accuracy: 100
Raises Base Power the more Pokemon you have with the attack.
Volt Change: Electric Special Power: 70 / Accuracy: 100
Switch with ally.
- Gigigear's signature move Gear Change is one of the best boosting moves out there, raising Attack one stage and Speed two stages. It's like Dragon Dance on speed. It also has the stats to use it (Base 100 Attack and 90 Speed). After one use, Gigigear can outspeed base 145 Pokemon with a neutral nature and no speed investment. Investing in speed allows it to outspeed Choice Scarfed base 115 Pokemon, making it difficult to revenge kill with natural speed alone. Priority is still a problem though, as Gigigear is weak to Mach Punch.
- Its best STAB move Gear Saucer resembles Meteor Mash except that it trades in the possibility of attack boosting for the ability to damage through Substitutes (clarification - it accomplishes this by hitting twice like Ambipom's Double Hit).
- If it is accessible in the Dream World, the Clear Body ability is the only one of use, but it is still valuable by blocking Intimidate. Plus and Minus force it to be paired with other Pokemon equally vulnerable to Earthquake.
- Its physical bulk is comparable to Bronzong. It could try a physical walling set that takes advantage of its steel typing and its high natural speed for a defensive Pokemon. As mentioned above, the Earthquake weakness is a downer.
- Volt Change allows it to escape Magnet Pull Pokemon. In particular, Magnezone is a Pokemon Gigigear has a hard time damaging.
- However, Gigigear's movepool is virtually barren except for the above mentioned options, severely limiting what it can do. It is this fact that keeps Gigigear from being a likely contender in high tiers.
Name: Gear Change Abuse
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
252 Atk / 124 Spe / 132 SpA
Nature: Naughty (+Atk, -SpD)
- Gear Change
- Gear Saucer
- Return/Thunderbolt
- Thunderbolt/Hidden Power (Ground)/Volt Change
Gear Saucer and Return are the only good (or even remotely decent) physical attacks to use alongside the +1 Attack/+2 Speed Gear Change. Thunderbolt gives Skarmory a run for its money, 2HKOing even specially-defensive variants with the given EVs and Life Orb, while Life Orb Hidden Power Ground with the same EVs OHKOs typical Magnezones that may try to trap it. Volt Change is another option for escaping Magnet Pullers for those who do not want to invest in Special Attack (even if you have to lose any boosts you already had). You could always wait until Magnezone is removed before attempting to use Gigigear, but it has nothing else noteworthy in its movepool you'd really want to use instead. The speed EVs given allow Gigigear to outspeed +1 Base 100 Speed Pokemon after a Gear Change.
Name: Support Gear
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SpA)
- Gear Saucer
- Toxic
- Thunder Wave
- Volt Change
This is an attempt to use Gigigear's respectable Defense stat. Double status is about the best it can do defensively, and Volt Change is even more important without a good way to harm Magnet Pullers. The EVs could possibly be refined to take weak special hits or to take advantage of its good speed for a wall, but the set as a whole is probably a waste of Gigigear's potential without its best boosting move.
Countering Gigigear:
Gigigear has few options to get around other Steels, and Magnet Pull Pokemon are even worse. Without Hidden Power Ground (or to a lesser extent Volt Change), it fears Magnezone.
Once it's sped up, priority can put a damper on its sweep, as its Steel typing gives it a weakness to Mach Punch, and it has no priority of its own.
Most special attackers that can take a hit from it can attack it on its weaker Special Defense and take it out easily.
Conclusion:
Despite its terrible movepool, I'm geared up to try out the sets it can use. Gear Change gives Gigigear plenty of potential, but I think its movepool is going to let it down and keep it from joining the high tiers.