(Credit to Snaquaza for the original concept, jasprose for letting me take over the thread and continuing to lead this project, and in the hills for the artwork)
We're back! Welcome to Partners in Crime. This is a doubles-based metagame with the twist that you share your ability and moves with your active partner. This means that you are able to use any of the moves available to both of your active Pokemon, i.e. up to 8 moves will appear on the move select screen. Additionally, this means both of your active Pokemon will have each others' ability in addition to their own. For example, if you had both Cresselia and Heatran on the field, both of them would share Flash Fire and Levitate. If you were to then switch Cresselia out for Landorus, Heatran would lose Levitate and gain Sheer Force allowing for some very potent combinations.
I'd also like to take the time to specially mention Instruct for all the work he has put into this. For the longest time we believed this format could never return, and that it would basically be broken forever. He has miraculously found a way around the prior issues, and even fixed things that were previously broken when it last worked.
Banlist:
Pokemon: Calyrex-Ice, Calyrex-Shadow, Dialga, Eternatus, Giratina, Giratina-Origin, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Jirachi, Kyogre, Kyurem-White, Lugia, Lunala, Magearna, Marshadow, Melmetal, Mewtwo, Necrozma-Dawn-Wings, Necrozma-Dusk-Mane, Palkia, Rayquaza, Reshiram, Solgaleo, Urshifu-Base, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zacian, Zacian-Crowned, Zamazenta, Zamazenta-Crowned, Zekrom
Abilities: Contrary, Emergency Exit, Huge Power, Moody, Power Construct, Serene Grace, Shadow Tag, Wimp Out, Wonder Guard
Moves: Ally Switch, Bolt Beak, Fishious Rend, Shell Smash, Swagger
Clauses: Standard Doubles, Dynamax Clause
Strategy:
One of the most obvious ways to have Pokemon synergise together is the use of immunity abilities (e.g. Levitate, Flash Fire, Lightning Rod) being able to remove certain weaknesses that would otherwise cripple a Pokemon. A core you can expect to see in Partners in Crime looks like this:
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Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Calm Mind
- Moonlight
- Ice Beam
Genesect @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Download
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 104 Atk / 152 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
Heatran @ Charcoal
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Eruption
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Protect
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Calm Mind
- Moonlight
- Ice Beam
Genesect @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Download
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 104 Atk / 152 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
Heatran @ Charcoal
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Eruption
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Protect
What happens if Gastro Acid, Skill Swap, Entrainment or any similar move is used?
Since you don't actually have your partner's ability, your normal abilities will be taken into account. This means Skill Swap and Entrainment will swap the normal abilities of the user and the target and also change the shared ability for the partner, but Gastro Acid will suppress all abilities as per the nature of the move.
What if the two Pokemon have the same ability?
The ability won't stack, and thus nothing special will happen.
What happens if both Pokemon know the same move?
It will only appear once. PP reduction works as normal, only being deducted from the user's slot.
How does Mimic work?
Mimic will fail if not used by the Pokemon that originally learns it.
What happens when abilities overlap? (eg. Refrigerate and Pixilate)
Effects are applied in a random order.
What happens when your partner switches out?
You are able to use the move of a partner that is switching out as the movesets are updated at the start of the next turn. As speed and turn order are determined dynamically, whatever abilities are active on the field at the time the move would be used will be in effect. If you start the turn with a Prankster Pokemon such as Whimsicott on the field, and switch it out while the partner uses a status move, it does not gain priority. If Whimsicott were to switch in while the partner is using a status move, it does gain priority.
What happens with abilities that work upon switching in?
For entry effects, if the Pokemon that originally has the ability is on the field, the new Pokemon will gain that ability and it will activate. If the Pokemon that originally has the ability is entering the field, it activates first for the partner and then again for the original Pokemon if applicable.
What happens when your partner faints?
After your partner faints, it's abilities will be nullified, but you can still use its move if you chose to use a move of your partner that particular turn. Afterwards you can't use its moves anymore.
What happens when you only have one Pokemon left?
Then you'll only have one ability in effect and only be able to use your own moves.
How do choice items and Assault Vest work?
Unlike how this used to work, Instruct has been able to fix this interaction. Now the partner will not be locked into the same move as the choice-locked user, and will still have access to status moves even if the partner has an Assault Vest. Choice-locked Pokemon that use a partner's move can effectively break the choice-lock by having the partner switch to a replacement that does not have the move you are locked in to.
Trace, Imposter and Transform used to be banned, why aren't they anymore?
Thanks to Instruct, these are now fixed. Effectively only the Pokemon that originally has this ability will use it. Logically speaking, Trace will copy the opposing Pokemon's original ability, and then that will be shared with the partner. In the same vein, Imposter and Transform cause the user to transform into the opposing Pokemon, and will only take and share the original ability. As transforming also replaces your moveset with the target's, only this new moveset will be shared meaning you will not have 12 moves.
Why is there no Sleep Clause?
We feel there is more than adequate counterplay to a lot of the sleep ideas present in the game with a lot of the top Pokemon and some of the best teams all having more than enough to handle it. More information on this decision can be found here.
Since you don't actually have your partner's ability, your normal abilities will be taken into account. This means Skill Swap and Entrainment will swap the normal abilities of the user and the target and also change the shared ability for the partner, but Gastro Acid will suppress all abilities as per the nature of the move.
What if the two Pokemon have the same ability?
The ability won't stack, and thus nothing special will happen.
What happens if both Pokemon know the same move?
It will only appear once. PP reduction works as normal, only being deducted from the user's slot.
How does Mimic work?
Mimic will fail if not used by the Pokemon that originally learns it.
What happens when abilities overlap? (eg. Refrigerate and Pixilate)
Effects are applied in a random order.
What happens when your partner switches out?
You are able to use the move of a partner that is switching out as the movesets are updated at the start of the next turn. As speed and turn order are determined dynamically, whatever abilities are active on the field at the time the move would be used will be in effect. If you start the turn with a Prankster Pokemon such as Whimsicott on the field, and switch it out while the partner uses a status move, it does not gain priority. If Whimsicott were to switch in while the partner is using a status move, it does gain priority.
What happens with abilities that work upon switching in?
For entry effects, if the Pokemon that originally has the ability is on the field, the new Pokemon will gain that ability and it will activate. If the Pokemon that originally has the ability is entering the field, it activates first for the partner and then again for the original Pokemon if applicable.
What happens when your partner faints?
After your partner faints, it's abilities will be nullified, but you can still use its move if you chose to use a move of your partner that particular turn. Afterwards you can't use its moves anymore.
What happens when you only have one Pokemon left?
Then you'll only have one ability in effect and only be able to use your own moves.
How do choice items and Assault Vest work?
Unlike how this used to work, Instruct has been able to fix this interaction. Now the partner will not be locked into the same move as the choice-locked user, and will still have access to status moves even if the partner has an Assault Vest. Choice-locked Pokemon that use a partner's move can effectively break the choice-lock by having the partner switch to a replacement that does not have the move you are locked in to.
Trace, Imposter and Transform used to be banned, why aren't they anymore?
Thanks to Instruct, these are now fixed. Effectively only the Pokemon that originally has this ability will use it. Logically speaking, Trace will copy the opposing Pokemon's original ability, and then that will be shared with the partner. In the same vein, Imposter and Transform cause the user to transform into the opposing Pokemon, and will only take and share the original ability. As transforming also replaces your moveset with the target's, only this new moveset will be shared meaning you will not have 12 moves.
Why is there no Sleep Clause?
We feel there is more than adequate counterplay to a lot of the sleep ideas present in the game with a lot of the top Pokemon and some of the best teams all having more than enough to handle it. More information on this decision can be found here.
Join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/vVwwpk7hTa
Co-Leaders: yuki, jasprose
Council: dnagerbdager, Grandmas Cookin, Instruct
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