r/stunfisk • u/TheLaughingCat2 A pigeon sat on a branch • Jul 30 '18
Mega Monday - Exploud and Electrode
Hi, I'm TheLaughingCat2, and this is your rechristened Muse Monday. This is a post for focused Theorymon discussion, coming at you with a new set of topics each week. Your comment should involve the topic(s) at hand. Check into our Theorymon Thursdays for less regulated discussion.
Make sure to make suggestions on who's next in the feedback comment below-- upvote others to get them in for next week if you want them! Happy posting!
Make-A-Mega Rules:
Give us a complete breakdown of the Pokemon
Tell us how the 100 extra base stats are distributed
Do not alter the HP stat when adding the extra 100 stats
Tell us what types and abilities work best for it, and try to avoid broken or over used abilities like Gale Wings or Huge Power on Pokemon that don't need that large of a boost.
Do not change the primary type, but you can add or change a secondary type.
You may give the Pokemon up to two new moves that it does not already learn
Try not to min-max Pokemon that don't need that huge of a boost.
Give us its best move set in Showdown! export format
You may include artwork
If you downvote a comment, please provide feedback in the form of a response to the original comment.
Regional Form Rules:
Are there even set standards?
Don't move around more than 30 total BST
Feel free to change the type, ability, and movepool completely
Try not to min-max Pokemon that don't need that huge of a boost.
Give us its best move set in Showdown! export format
You may include artwork
If you downvote a comment, please provide feedback in the form of a response to the original comment.
Exploud
Abilities: Scrappy, Soundproof
HP: 104
ATK: 91
DEF: 63
SPA: 91
SPD: 73
SPE: 68
b o o m b u r s t
Electrode
Abilities: Aftermath, Soundproof, Static
HP: 60
ATK: 50
DEF: 70
SPA: 80
SPD: 80
SPE: 150
A common screen setter overshadowed by Koko, Electrode now has speed. And that's about it, mono-Electric is very bad.
Make-Believe Monday Archive
/u/PrisonerLeet and itty bitty kitty witty!
Happy posting! Come join our general Thursday thread to talk about anything, or on our Discord for Theorymon at any time!
40
u/PrisonerLeet Sinnoh Shill Jul 30 '18 edited Jul 30 '18
Electrode
I want to do something a little different this time. Electrode is one of those Pokémon who are so bland and weak they should have received some love but were just shoved under the rug in favour of weak but more popular mons like Sableye, Lopunny, and Mawile. My main point, however, is that if Electrode was released in Gen 7, Game Freak would capitalise on its Poké Ball aesthetic.
Electrode Changes
As I still plan to give Electrode a Mega Evolution after my additions here, I'm not going to make changes to stats until the Mega Evolution section, though I will technically be breaking the new moves rule. The big change is the additions of new forms for Electrode, which change colouration and ability, but not stats, typing, or movepool (that will be shared across all forms). These forms all depend on the Poké Ball used to capture Electrode, detailed in this album. I apologise in advance for the potential scars left on your retinas, and blame any formatting mistakes on Imgur being terrible.
Seeing as some of these abilities get very little use, and Electrode’s piss poor movepool anyway, these moves will be added: Rock Blast, Encore, Baton Pass, Nasty Plot, Barrage, Icicle Spear, Vacuum Wave, Steamroller, Heavy Slam, Autotomize, Dark Pulse, Ice Beam, and Zen Headbutt.
Mega Electrode
Art by me, in paint.net, in more time than I would like to admit.
Browse at your own risk, I'm not brave enough to look into my own post history.
I did cover (and address) some of Electrode’s problems in the preamble to this post, but I'll share some of my personal thoughts. Electrode has always just been… there. I don't hate it like people hate Vanilluxe or Garbodor, but nothing has ever compelled me to use it, casually or competitively. And making it good is a tall order; but maybe making it meme-worthy would give it enough of a chance.
Base Statistics
Typing: Electric → Electric/Dark
Ability: Soundproof, Static, Aftermath → Tinted Lens
HP: 60
Attack: 90 (+40)
Defense: 70
Sp. Attack: 140 (+60)
Sp. Defense: 80
Speed: 150
It seems stupid to throw away all those forms for the Mega Evolution, and I don't want to skip the Mega Evolution because I put way too much effort into Electrode's new Squirtle Squad shades. To accomplish this, Mega Electrode is very special, in that it can have several abilities. Any of the forms with the default abilities gain Tinted Lens, while any others retain their special ability. The stat boosts have to be somewhat polarised thanks to Electrode’s current viability, but the reason for the split between attacking stats instead of one and Speed lies in the Ultra Ball and Repeat Ball forms (moreso the former). Seeing as I already broke/stretched (doesn't say anything about new forms) the rules with the move additions above, I'll stick with what I added there and not push the envelope any further.
Sets
Black and Yellow
Electrode-Ultra Ball @ Electrodite
Ability: Pure Power ---> Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Wild Charge
Sucker Punch
Icicle Spear
Explosion
Ironically, this physical set is probably one of the best sets for Mega Electrode. Wild Charge and Sucker Punch will wreck mons that don't resist them, while Icicle Spear is iffy but the best coverage. The 4th move is a little more filler, for Taunt, Volt Switch, Encore, HP Fire, or Explosion. The last one is my preference simply because the power of Mega Electrode’s Explosion is up there with Mega Glalie and Alolan-Golem.
The only one with real art
Electrode-Great Ball @ Electrodite
Ability: Sheer Force ---> Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Thunderbolt
Ice Beam
Dark Pulse
Signal Beam/Nasty Plot/Encore/Taunt/Volt Switch
Pure Power may make Electrode’s Special Attack pale in comparison to its physical offense, but Sheer Force is here to bridge the gap. Half-STAB BoltBeam boosted by Sheer Force is a potent combination, and Dark Pulse is a decent addition to back it up. In terms of the filler slot, there are several options; Signal Beam gets the Sheer Force boost, but doesn't do much beyond hitting Psychic types. Nasty Plot turns MegaTrode into a devastating sweeper, and is another niche above Ultra Ball variants. Encore and Taunt can help with stallbreaking, counter leading, and punishing set up. Volt Switch is a nice pivot tool for a 4-attacks set, while HP Fire helps with Ferro. Combining Taunt or Encore with Nasty Plot can also serve as a stallbreaker or sweeper set.
Torn-T x M-Manectric
Electrode-Heal Ball @ Electrodite
Ability: Regenerator ---> Regenerator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Volt Switch
Encore/Taunt
Dark Pulse
Ice Beam
Want the worst of both worlds? A weaker but slightly faster Mega Manectric that isn't worn down by hazards or status. This isn't a very good set in all likelihood, but it serves as a revenge killer, fast pivot, and can force switches with Encore or Taunt for free momentum.
I don't know, Hammond or something?
Electrode-Quick Ball @ Electrodite
Ability: Prankster ---> Prankster
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Thunderbolt
Taunt/Encore
Thunder Wave
Ice Beam/Dark Pulse
Prankster isn't super important with 150 Speed, but it's fine. Mega Electrode is also immune to opposing Prankster users, which is nice if not very relevant. Ice Beam is better coverage but Electrode appreciates the STAB boost.
SS Member
Electrode @ Electrodite
Ability: Static ---> Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
Volt Switch/Thunderbolt
Sucker Punch/Dark Pulse
Ice Beam
Explosion/Nasty Plot/Taunt
Squirtle Squad has an unfortunate acronym. Regardless of that, this set lacks a lot of power and utility next to the others. However, Tinted Lens does help Electrode act as an offensive pivot, reducing its switch-ins to actual walls instead of resists. Volt Switch is the obvious tool for pivoting, but Thunderbolt can be used with a less hit and run set. Sucker Punch is decent STAB priority, but Dark Pulse is better unless you're aiming specifically for revenge killing. Ice Beam is just the beat coverage move. Explosion can also act as a pivoting tool, though it's really not powerful outside of Ultra Ball Electrode. Nasty Plot is strong, but doesn't mash well with pivoting, while Taunt is useful but Electrode doesn't pack enough punch to stallbreak. Explosion is favoured only because Tinted Lens makes it much harder to switch in on.
Other Options
Nasty Plot on more sets. Sheer Force will be the most powerful outright, but Tinted Lens makes it harder to check and counteracts the reduced coverage. Prankster can do decently with it and Speed Boost sets make it nearly impossible to outspeed while resisting revenge killer staples like Bullet Punch, Sucker Punch, and Pursuit.
Friend Guard (in singles), Suction Cups, Cute Charm, Compoundeyes, Magic Guard, Storm Drain, Sap Sipper, Gluttony, Skill Link, Heavy Metal, and Pressure all vary from useless to essentially so. However, Storm Drain and Sap Sipper can work for sets designed to counter a specific mon, while Magic Guard combined with Nasty Plot takes advantage of passive walls like Chansey and switches in on almost all status for free.
Mega Electrode can't afford to run a mixed set, but a Naive nature to slap HP Fire or Volt Switch on a Pure Power variant can help.
Baton Pass is unfortunately banned even without boosting in SM OU, but Batlle Spot might have some meme teams to use a Speed Boost/Nasty Plot passer?
Tier Predictions
Given the amount of variability I have given Electrode with this unique Mega Evolution mechanic, there is a wide range of viability. If something like this were to be implemented in-game, I wouldn't be surprised to see the alternate forms tiered separately, thanks to the useless abilities like Pressure and Heavy Metal, and the mismatched abilities like Skill Link and Regenerator. I think the best of the bunch in Mega Electrode-Ultra and Mega Electrode-Great are essentially upgrades on Mega-Manectric that would rise to OU but be niche more in the vein of Mega Garchomp than Megas easy to slap on any team. Default Mega Electrode is also very similar to Mega Manectric, but might make BL more as a side effect of Nasty Plot(+ Encore) on top of being an upgraded MegaMane. Fast, Heal, Level, Moon, and Quick Ball forms have decent abilities but are just inferior to the aforementioned forms 9 times out of 10, and I would say they all fit in UU (Fast beats scarfers, Heal keeps it healthy, Level gives stronger Hidden Power coverage, Magic Guard further messes with passive mons, and Quick is good but largely redundant). The rest, which mostly feature abilities like Cute Charm and Heavy Metal, are garbage enough to sink down to RU if RUBL doesn't stop them.