Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon

[BlackDragonSlayer]

Spoiler

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[SlowPokemon]

Can't stop laughing over this article

[WaluigiTime64]

Does This Need a Spoiler?

Woah, that Mega Evolution stuff is pretty messed up.

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[Nebbles]

https://richi3f.github.io/pokemon-team-planner/

Team builder. Obvious spoilers here.

[BlackDragonSlayer]

Pokedex entries getting brutally honest.

https://richi3f.github.io/pokemon-team-planner/

Team builder. Obvious spoilers here.

Currently have Decidueye, Raichu, Crobat, Passimian, Sandslash, and Ash-Greninja in the final lineup. Obviously might change as I actually play through the game, but I think this might work.

[Dekkadeci]

Some of my thoughts:

Story

Like several others, I was wrong--no human character is an Ultra Beast. In fact, Lusamine semi-fusing with UB-01 "Symbiont" a.k.a. Nihilego is as close as it gets. Guzma does report being possessed by an Ultra Beast at one point, though--I suspect he was either possessed by Nihilego (its flavour text reports that it possesses others to the point that it moves like a young girl) or UB-03 "Lightning" a.k.a. Xurkitree (i.e. the one that resembles him).

I'm now stuck making this theory for why so many people resemble Ultra Beasts: It's actually the other way around. People made themselves resemble Ultra Beasts. Gladion's heard his mother Lusamine spout her mouth off about them for long enough (although technically, the 'mon that Gladion took the shoulder spikes from, Necrozma, is not treated as an Ultra Beast). Lusamine's beauty-obsessed enough to make herself resemble UB-02 "Beauty" a.k.a. Pheromosa. Maybe that possession rubbed off on Guzma.

In the meantime, I don't know whether Lusamine was entirely motivated by a desire to bring her husband back (as Gladion rationalizes) or she got shot with euphoria drugs by Nihilego a long time ago. Given its flavour text in the post-storyline and its Rock/Poison typing, Nihilego looks like the Pokemon representation of drugs.

Interestingly, Cosmog evolutionary line confirmed, and that line is treated as an Ultra Beast by the Aether Foundation.

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Flavour Discussion

Seems like the Pokedex entries are more macabre this time around. They get to the point where I doubt that the Dragonite(s) treated this man well in this Pokedex entry:
"This Pokemon saved a shipwrecked man, taking him to a remote island--a paradise occupied solely by Dragonite."
For reference, this is Dragonite's other Pokedex entry:
"Incur the wrath of this normally calm Pokemon at your peril, because it will smash everything to smithereens before it's satisfied."

In the meantime, Golisopod is pretty hilarious. Wimpod runs away once it's injured hard enough, and then it evolves into Golisopod, a giant, macho sumo wrestler crustacean that...strategically retreats once it's injured just as hard.

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Competitive Discussion

Shame loads of move pools are shallow overall (although that might be expected). Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu don't get Play Rough despite being physical-leaning Fairies. Kommo-o's highest-powered physical Fighting move is Sky Uppercut. I'm hard-pressed to find Pokemon that have just enough coverage to take care of everything.

Silvally looks disappointingly weak with a 95-in-all-base-stats spread, but at least it gets Parting Shot and a wide move pool (for once).

The Guardian Deities have pretty good base stat spreads--they just don't necessarily have the move pools to back them up, as I've mentioned above. It does look like Tapu Lele has all she needs coverage-wise, though, with Focus Blast to go along with Moonblast and a Psychic attack.

The Ultra Beasts (and Necrozma) have pretty scary base stat spreads. Pheromosa has Deoxys-A-like stats and boosts its Speed with each KO. Just be thankful that they have holes in their coverage.

Marshadow has unresisted coverage in its Ghost/Fighting types alone, and it gets Technician STAB Shadow Sneak. It also has base 125 attack and speed. It's already scary. Imagine this getting another form in the next Gen 7 games...

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Pokemon Showdown

This is the first generation where I'm interested in trying out Pokemon Showdown--I want in on this new, high-powered meta. Something like this is likely the first team I'll be trying in OU (I lurk on Smogon regularly but have never played on Pokemon Showdown before):

Tapu Koko @ Life Orb
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Wild Charge
- Dazzling Gleam
- Work Up
- Roost
I am determined to make Tapu Koko work. He's got one of the best typings among Guardian Deities (he's notably neutral to Steel), and with Electric Surge automatically putting up Electric Terrain, his Electric attacks hit like mack trucks. I've read some calcs saying that even a special attacker Tapu Koko (his base special attack is 95, while his base attack is 115) has comparable power to Xurkitree, who has a base special attack of 173. Imagine how hard the physical variant can hit. I want him to be more of a set-up sweeper with Work Up and Roost.

Magearna @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Soul Heart
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Volt Switch
Magearna has just enough of a move pool to have All She Needs coverage-wise. Volt Switch lets her be more hit-and-run. Her Speed sucks the most, so a Choice Scarf should patch that up. ...No, I don't care how much Mega Mawile will probably be the better Steel/Fairy while it's legal.

Landorus-T @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 8 SpD / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Boring old defensive Landorus-T is going to be my main Ground resist immunity and SR setter. I'll be leaning on him pretty hard as a defensively synergistic pivot (because the two Fairies above are both weak to Ground), so I've put Leftovers on him instead of the standard Rocky Helmet.

Wishiwashi @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Schooling
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpA
Brave Nature
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- U-turn
At this point, I think I need a bulky Water just for the resists, and I'd rather not have a third Fairy. I'd try something like Manaphy, but given Wishiwashi School Form's base stat spread (45/140/130/140/135/30), it looks like Aegislash Returned to me. ...Except for not having to press King's Shield to get its good defences back and for sucking when at 25% health or below. I predict that the meta will be fast-paced enough that Leftovers will leave it in Solo Form for too long.

Decidueye @ Leftovers
Ability: Overgrow (Long Reach instead when it's available)
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Spirit Shackle
- Leaf Blade
- Roost
- U-turn
The Rowlet line is still my favourite starter evolutionary line of this generation (I like Rowlet the most), and this guy's goal is to lure Dark-types and U-turn into the two Fairies (and, hopefully, Tapu Koko can set up on the forced switch). It'll no doubt attract too many Normal-types, and it's stuck using Leaf Blade and U-turn against them, but at least Normal doesn't resist anything besides its Ghost immunity. I prefer it over the other Grass/Ghost Dhelmise, who has a Steel-type trapping move that nothing is immune to, because Decidueye should be better at luring Dark-types with its trapping move.

Latios @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Recover
- Defog
I'm running out of ideas for 6th 'mons, so I may as well get a Defogger that hits hard. Having another Ground immunity is nifty, and his Dark, Dragon, Bug, and Ice weaknesses are pretty well-covered.

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[Dude]

Regarding Primeape's entry

Once upon a time there was an angry Primeape.
He was so angry that he died.
The end.

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[WaluigiTime64]

Regarding Primeape's entry

Once upon a time there was an angry Primeape.
He was so angry that he died.
The end.

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That right there is a quality post.

[Dude]

Isn't that basically it!?!?

[WaluigiTime64]

That's what makes it quality.

[TheDreamingHawk]

NOA/TPCI took down the PP leaks so I can't find out what they said about myself (Braixen), my pet Articuno, and my god Spewpa...

[Dekkadeci]

NOA/TPCI took down the PP leaks so I can't find out what they said about myself (Braixen), my pet Articuno, and my god Spewpa...

Shoot, if I only knew what PP leaks were...

[Dude]

Shoot, if I only knew what PP leaks were...

hehe

Peepee leaks

[TheDreamingHawk]

Shoot, if I only knew what PP leaks were...

Project Pokemon

[E. Gadd Industries]

NOA/TPCI took down the PP leaks so I can't find out what they said about myself (Braixen), my pet Articuno, and my god Spewpa...

TheDreamingHawk is braixen1264??? Whaaaat???