Fallen Stars: The Decline of Once-Threats
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Introduction
They were great not too long ago, but as Generation 5 rolled along, they were left in the dust. Each of the featured Pokemon enjoyed high usage in the Generation 4 metagame, as they were top notch, but now their moment in the sun has passed. In this article we will analyze the cross-generational changes that took place, and ultimately sealed these Pokemon's fate.
Those Fallen Stars
Rotom-A
This guy used to be awesome. I could use him as a RestTalker, a Choice user, or a SubCharge user, to name a few options. But B/W changed everything. Rotom-A's handy Ghost typing is gone, so he can no longer serve as a spinblocker. Additionally, with most of the formes already outclassed, the better Rotom formes acquired bad typings. An exception to this may be Rotom-W, but this guy is little more than a stronger Lanturn, and with so many other options available, he is just not that useful. Typing is extremely important in Pokemon, and it goes to show that Rotom-A's Ghost typing was the true source of his greatness. Oh well, c'est la vie!
Infernape
I was particularly upset when I realized that one of the strongest wallbreakers was no longer useful. While there are many factors that contributed to the fire monkey's decline, the emergence of Blaziken and the proliferation of speedy Water-types played a major role. Blaziken, who was previously outclassed by Infernape, acquired a nifty new ability with the advent of B/W. With Speed Boost, Blaziken is able to automatically increase his Speed, and, with better attacking stats, he makes Infernape look obsolete. Thanks to the likes of Kerudio (the most prominent new Water-type), Infernape's unorthodox Speed tier is further populated by a foe who can easily OHKO it. With Kerudio likely to be extremely common, Infernape is going to have a tough time pulling off sweeps.
Snorlax
Back in the day, he was phat. Now, he can't keep up with the times. Curse Snorlax, Belly Drum Snorlax, and Choice Band Snorlax just don't pack the same punch. The new metagame is full of plenty of faster physical Fighting-types, who love to come in and set up on this guy. Roobushin, Meloetta, and their friends have come into the equation, and Snorlax is nonviable as a result. The big guy likes slower games so he can setup, as his Speed is abysmal. With B/W even faster-paced than DPP, it looks like the end for Snorlax. Maybe he'll be a good UU.
Flygon
He was already a late-bloomer in DPP. With Garchomp, Latias, and Salamence banished to Ubers, he finally enjoyed top-tier viability. Now, not only are these stronger dragons unbanned, but the 5th Generation has introduced many more vicious Dragon-types into the metagame. Say hello to Sazandora, Crimgan, and Kyurem. Flygon isn't unaccustomed to being overshadowed. His best bet to return to prominence is a mass banning of all the mentioned dragons. Until then, so long.
Swampert
Reliable no longer, Swampert is old news. B/W brought many new Pokemon who can set up against him, along with a plethora of viable Grass-types. A particularly troublesome foe is Nattorei, who can setup on, or OHKO, Swampert. Shandera is also a major threat, as with proper timing he can switch in and OHKO Swampert via Energy Ball, and Swampert is a sitting duck thanks to Shadow Tag. While Swampert can remedy this by running Shed Shell as his item of choice, the lack of Leftovers recovery significantly decreases his longevity. He can still be used, but there are better options.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Anyone thinking that the DPP success of these guys gave them an automatic ticket to B/W success is dead wrong. With a brand new metagame, everything is different, and people are finding out through empirical testing that the same old reliable standbys will no longer cut it. With a new generation waiting to be defined, only time will tell who the new leading OU Pokemon are. Unfortunately, the Pokemon in this article will be classified as being left behind.
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