Pokemon Bootcamp Pt.19: Skarmory

Again, my apologies for being on hiatus for too long. There just have been a lot of things to do lately, and the house is being renovated (sort of). Anyways, rest assured that this blog will still continue to give you some tips and tricks of your favorite Pokemon. :) Now then, without further ado...

WELCOME TO POKEMON BOOTCAMP!

Subject No. 19
Name: Skarmory
Species: The Armor Bird Pokemon
Height: 5'07"
Weight: 111.3 lbs.
Type: Steel, Flying
Possible Abilities: Keen Eye, Sturdy,Weak Armor
Smogon Tier: OverUsed

Insights: Skarmory is well-known for its very hefty Defense stat; capable of withstanding many different attacks while dealing an outstanding amount of utility in the process. The most well-known tactic among Skarmory users is to first set-up Stealth Rock, and if it survives, spam Whirlwind to whittle down the enemy party, and pick off weaker foes with Brave Bird. Additionally, Roost keeps it healthy; making this one of the strongest Pokemons in the current meta in terms of defensive prowess.

Recommended Ability: Sturdy
This is simply a no-brainer; Sturdy is required for a successful set-up. In fact, this is an extremely powerful Ability that can allow you the turn the tide in your favor if utilized properly, specifically against high-powered opponents like Garchomp and Talonflame.

Recommended moves:
1. Brave Bird - basically the only STAB move you'll ever need for Skarmory. This attack has a very high damage that wrecks faces effortlessly. Also, an 80 base Attack for a defensive Pokemon is also a reason to use this. Heck, I even see NO reason not to use this!

2. Stealth Rock - the main event of the evening; Stealth Rock. This is absolutely the very move Skarmory needs to proclaim its use. Stealth Rock whittles down foes efficiently, and with Whirlwind, it can allow to tear down foes in a matter of time. What a gratifying feeling. :)

3. Roost - do you ever want your Skarmory to act like a total jerk in front of your foes? Just as you are about to take it down, it then uses a healing move to restore its health back. WHAAAAT?! OK, now that is just frustrating just thinking about it! However, the downside of Roost is that it loses its Ground immunity, making it susceptible to the ever popular Earthquake, but on the bright side, it will also lose its weakness to Electric attacks. Oh well! You win some, you lose some. :)

4. Whirlwind - (OwO) That cute yet menacing expression is what I feel after mauling foes down with Stealth Rocks. This is the perfect move to rack up residual damage against foes while avoiding their possibly dangerous attacks. It kinda reminds me of Taunt except it blows you away, literally.

5. Steel Wing - want to add more Defense to your already tough Pokemon? Then Steel Wing is just the move for you. This move can allow you to deal damage while having a chance of slightly increasing your defenses. A quite nifty move to have, especially if you want your Skarmory to survive that long.

Other recommended moves:
1. Spikes - adds more utility to Skarmory, but it also begs to become Taunt bait.

2. Fly -  a weaker alternative to Brave Bird. However, due to the predictability of the move, it's not really reliable at most. Don't use this unless you want to run Brave Bird.

3. Aerial Ace - the weakest alternative to Brave Bird, competitively. The good thing here is that it doesn't miss.

4. Sky Attack - the stronger alternative to Brave Bird. However, due to the defensive set-up of most Skarmory sets, there isn't really much to boast. And that charge time? Sheesh. Don't make me start my rant over that.

5. Curse - increases your Defense and Attack while sacrificing Speed. Quite a surprising decent move for a Flying Pokemon, to be honest.

6. Drill Peck - the best alternative to Brave Bird. It doesn't have that in-your-face kind of damage that Brave Bird provides, but at least you won't get that nasty recoil, either. A decent 80 damage and 100 accuracy makes it all worthwhile.

Recommended items:
1. Custap Berry - I have no idea why pros run this thing? Well, probably because it lets you act first when your HP is down??? Maybe? HA! Just kidding. That's exactly what this item does... and it makes wonders.

2. Power Herb - OK! If you're REEEEEEALLY decided for your Skarmory to go for broke, then perhaps this item may scratch that itch. Seriously, that Sky Attack + Power Herb combo is always outstanding... and THAT is the only reason to use this.

3. Rocky Helmet - an item that hurts even the nastiest of opponents. A very ideal item for a defensive Pokemon. I really can't recommend it more than enough.

4. Focus Sash - with Sturdy, it seems to be very redundant, but anything else, it's magical.

Recommended Nature: Bold or Impish
Defense is Skarmory's main arsenal. You just can't get enough to see those Talonflames and Mega Charizard Xs try to take you down with one hit with their Flare Blitzes. However, these two natures have their specific tweaks. Bold is recommended if you are the type of person who doesn't like Nasty Plot's nasty damage modifier. If you want, however, to wreck face while surviving tons of damage, then go for Impish. :)

Overall: There really isn't anything much to say about Skarmory other than it is simply a Flying-type Ferrothorn, sans the Iron Barbs. However, unlike Ferrothorn, Skarmory acts faster. Ummm... seriously. Nothing else...

--END TRANSMISSION--

Pokemon Bootcamp Pt.18: Salamence

Boo-yaaaaaa!!!!

It's start of another new year and I am pretty pumped to see what lies ahead! But of course, it doesn't mean that we are going out of commission just yet! In fact, we will try to soar higher this time! :D

WELCOME TO POKEMON BOOTCAMP!

Subject No. 18
Name: Salamence
Species: The Dragon Pokemon
Height: 4'11" (5'11" in Mega Form)
Weight: 226.2 lbs. (248.2 lbs. in Mega Form)
Type: Dragon, Flying
Possible Abilities: Intimidate, Moxie (Aerilate in Mega Form)
Smogon Tier: OU (Uber in Mega Form)

Insights: Salamence is known for its high Attack power and a massive array of physical attacks. However, there are some players (like I do) tend to play Salamence as a Special Attacker; spamming Hydro Pumps and Dragon Pulses every day of the week. So you might ask, if you know that Salamence has high physical damage output, why make Salamence something that's not even good at? Well, I really can't say that Salamence is a terrible physical damage dealer. Besides, Salamence is NOT the only one who can use Intimidate here, and an Intimidated Salamence is a lost cause. The 110 Special Attack stat is not all that bad, too. And now that ORAS is out, it can learn Hyper Voice, on if which combined with Mega Salamence's Aerilate will do decent damage.

Recommended Ability: Intimidate
Like I said a while ago, Salamence is not the only Intimidate user in this game. There are a variety of Pokemon that can also utilize Intimidate, and if they pitted it against Salamence, the Dragon Pokemon's offensive potential will wear down quickly like a rusty blade (not really, but you get the point). However, if you can use Intimidate while having a Special build on your dragon, that can mean some serious business. While you lower your opponent's Attack, you spam your attacks while tanking their hits (or if your opponent switches out, has the chance to miss their opportunity of slaying the dragon). It's just that BROKEN!

Recommended Moves:
1. Draco Meteor - Salamence's main special STAB move with a good amount of damage. However, the only main downside here is the recoil; reducing your Special Attack by two levels. The accuracy is manageable using the Wide Lens, but it sacrifices a lot of needed firepower.

2. Fire Blast - Salamence's main coverage move against those pesky Ice-types while also leaving your foes' burning. The accuracy for this move begs for a Wide Lens, but just like in Draco Meteor's case, you need to sacrifice your Mega Stone slot to do so.

3. Hyper Voice - one of Salamence's good special moves, dealing a good amount of damage to an enemy party. However, this move only shines when using on a Mega Salamence build; dealing additional damage and turning it to Flying-type.

4. Double-Edge - an excellent physical attack that can benefit Mega Salamence's use of Aerilate; making it a pseudo-Brave Bird Talonflame, without the Gale Wings. :P

5. Outrage - another good physical STAB attack. However, this will force Salamence to lock itself with one move, and it can be disastrous if your foe switches in a Fairy Pokemon.

Other recommended moves:
1. Dragon Pulse - a good substitute for Draco Meteor with perfect accuracy and no drawbacks, but with an even less firepower than Draco Meteor.

2. Flamethrower - in a similar vein to Dragon Pulse, but this time, it replaces Fire Blast on a similar degree. It has lower damage and burn chance than Fire Blast, but it has perfect accuracy.

3. Giga Impact - Mega Salamence uses a powerful desperation attack to deal massive damage to your foe, but it will force you to recharge. It can benefit from Aerilate really well, but stick to Double-Edge instead.

4. Hyper Beam - similar to Giga Impact, but goes down on the Special side. Only use this if you're sure that your foe will go down in one hit.

5. Dragon Claw - a substitute for Outrage. Well, that's it. Just a substitute. No additional effects whatsoever.

Recommended items:
1. Salamencite - the only reason you would want to use a Salamence in ORAS. It grants Salamence some needed boosts on its key stats; Attack and Speed. It also increases its Special Attack and defenses on a certain degree. This Mega Stone made Mega Salamence a monster in competitive play, and the reason why Smogon banned this freaking thing! (U mad, Smogon?)

2. Choice Scarf - this item boosts your Salamence's speed, but it will force you to stick to one move unless you switch out. My recommendation? Use it to someone else. Not because it's not viable for Salamence, but there are other better Scarfers out there (*cough*Garchomp*cough*)

3. Wide Lens - this can help Salamence a lot since most of its attacks have awful accuracy (provided that you followed the recommended moves above). It increases the accuracy of all of your moves by 10%. It may be not enough, but at least its better than having zero accuracy.

4. Choice Specs - if you want your special attacks to have that extra kick, use this. It will force you on one move, however, so be careful.

5. Life Orb - I am going to slap this in because this is an obvious choice if you are not taking the Mega route.

Recommended Natures: Naive or Jolly
Salamence must be purely emphasized on Speed; allowing it to outspeed even the most dangerous of Pokemon within its tier such as Dragon Dance Charizard X, Dragonite, and even Garchomp. The trade-off here, however, underlies within its not-so-good defenses. Practically the best way to go for Salamence is to destroy as much as you can, as fast as you can. It's not really worth boasting, but think about it, a Dragon Pokemon that can beat the crap out of other Pokemon can be very rewarding... sort of. Anyways, just max out the Speed IV's; no matter what the build you take.

Overall: Salamence is one of the stronger picks nowadays due to its balanced stats and a decent amount of moves, whether you run a physical or special build. The most interesting part in Salamence's viability is on how the Dragon Pokemon can dish out enormous amounts of damage while still being tanky enough to survive enough hits, despite its squishy stats. The bottom line? Salamence is a powerful Pokemon with an enormous amounts of potential, capable of standing the test of time.

--END TRANSMISSION--

Pokemon Bootcamp Pt.17: Empoleon

Get ready for another smashing edition of Pokemon Bootcamp!

There are many reasons to use this Pokemon: a unique typing, a decent stat distribution, and a flexible move pool. However, it cannot justify its sophistication and power from its higher-tier competitors. Regardless, this Pokemon has a lot of things going for.

WELCOME TO POKEMON BOOTCAMP!

Subject No. 17
Name: Empoleon
Species: The Emperor Pokemon
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 186.3 lbs.
Type: Water, Steel
Possible Abilities: Torrent, Defiant
Smogon Tier: UnderUsed

Insights: Empoleon has a very unique typing combination; Water and Steel. This can allow Empoleon to have ten different resistances while balancing it out with having certain weakness against the more common types in the metagame. Empoleon has solid stats, focusing on its Special Attack and overall defenses, that can go on par with other Pokemon on its tier. Additionally, Empoleon has a lot of synergy within team compositions focusing on bulky attackers and teams that is dedicated to Rain Dance.

Recommended Ability: Torrent
Torrent adds a little more consistency when it comes to competitive battles, but Defiant can allow Empoleon to wreck teams by becoming a sweeper. Ability choice depends on your team composition and overall synergy for your team's success. However, because Empoleon's Attack is mediocre, Torrent is a more suitable choice due to its high Special Attack and a more dedicated move set that aligns well with the mentioned stat. Honestly, I prefer my Empoleon as a physical sweeper nonetheless.

Recommended moves:
1. Hydro Pump - Empoleon's main special STAB move that can deal hefty damage in the rain. The only letdown here is its accuracy.

2. Flash Cannon - another special STAB that lowers the foe's Special Defense. A very nice debuff against those pesky walls that kicks you with status ailments all around the corner.

3. Ice Beam - good coverage move with decent power and it has a chance to freeze enemies in their tracks. It's also a good way to deal with Dragons.

4. Scald - burns foes while dealing decent STAB. It's a hot thing, I tell you!

Other recommended moves:
1. Waterfall - Empoleon's main physical STAB that flinches opponents and deals hefty damage. An indispensable move that focuses more on Defiant sets but can also work with Torrent's boosts.

2. Steel Wing - another physical STAB that raises the user's Defense. A quite decent attack.

3. Aqua Jet - when running a physical set, this is certainly a no-brainer. This priority move has good typing and it always strikes first. Seriously, who doesn't even want this move?

4. Swords Dance - increases Attack. Pretty good because Empoleon can resist certain attacks to allow the boosts to rack up.

5. Earthquake - the most unique move for a Physical Empoleon build. It wrecks teams with its powerful attack and perfect accuracy. It's THAT reliable!

Recommended items:
1. Splash Plate - one of Empoleon's main niche items that increases the damage output of its Water attacks. Usable on either physical or special sets.

2. Life Orb - sweeper Empoleon can wreck teams if used properly, and this item can does that exponentially well. The recoil can be a hassle, however.

3. Metal Coat - another solid niche item. Increases Steel moves in a pinch.

4. Assault Vest - a great choice for a tank build which increases its Special Defense exponentially. Also, in addition to an already durable Pokemon, it helps the mentioned Pokemon survive a lot.

Recommended nature: Adamant or Modest
There are only two natures that can be viable for the beloved Emperor Pokemon. It can either be a muscular penguin with high Attack or a powerful nuke that boasts its outstanding Special Attack. Nothing else. However, with a decent overall stat, it's not bad to experiment on other builds.

Overall: Empoleon has a decent niche... and it has a lot of potential in store for it. Now that Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire has been released, Empoleon has now gained access to some potentially powerful moves that can help the Emperor Pokemon gain the upper hand.

--END TRANSMISSION--

Pokemon Bootcamp Pt.16: Gyarados

Get your lifeboats ready and prepare to get washed away, as this next specimen has a violent sense of humor! Man, those things are hard to even get a brighter perspective with all the smashing and thrashing!

WELCOME TO POKEMON BOOTCAMP!

Subject No.16
Name: Gyarados
Species: The Atrocious Pokemon
Height: 21'4"
Weight: 518.1 lbs. (672.4 lbs in Mega form)
Type: Water, Flying (Water, Dark in Mega form)
Possible Abilities: Intimidate, Moxie
Mega Ability: Mold Breaker
Smogon Tier: OverUsed

Insights: After Magikarp gets enough rejection and bitterness, it evolves into a monstrosity like never before. As people exudes this jaw-dropping expression, this particular Pokemon stares at them with a menacing glare and starts to thrash the entire city into a living oblivion. Gyarados is infamously known for its pre-evolution that many considered to be the "weakest" of them all. Fortunately, Magikarp also has one of the easiest evolution curves to ever exist in a Pokemon, evolving at an early level of 20. In addition to a variety of move sets, Gyarados also possesses on of the best Abilities in the game, Intimidate.

Recommended Ability: Moxie
Moxie allows Gyarados to destroy as much as possible; gaining Attack every time it knocks out a Pokemon in battle. A very destructive and useful ability for something so abominable and terrifying. It's not saying that Intimadate is a less reliable Ability, though. Mold Breaker, on the other hand, is also a good Ability for its Mega form; stacking up extremely well with previous Moxie build-ups and Dragon Dances. Seriously, you really don't want to piss the dragon (a pseudo-dragon, in this case) off.

Recommended moves:
1. Waterfall - the only STAB move that you can ever need. It deals powerful damage while also flinches opponents. It is quite a nasty attack to begin with.

2. Dragon Dance - Gyarados' main boost move and for good reasons. Attack and Speed are Gyarados' key stats that must be maintained high to sustain offensive momentum and this Pokemon benefit from such a move. Additionally, Gyarados can naturally learn this move so it won't be even a chore to get one.

3. Earthquake - Gyarados' coverage move against certain types it is weak against (like Rock and Electric) and an overall reliable move due to its outstanding damage and perfect accuracy.

4. Ice Fang - another reliable coverage move for Gyarados. This is to help alleviate the case of the overwhelming amount of Dragons roaming around the metagame.

Other recommended moves:
1. Bounce - a good STAB move that paralyzes foes, but this move is so rare to get unless you get a Magikarp from an event during the Generation V boom.

2. Rock Smash - an odd choice due to its low attack, but it can also reduce the foe's Defenses which adds some momentum for the pseudo-dragon.

3. Crunch - a nice STAB for Mega Gyarados with decent damage and a chance to lower the foe's physical defenses which synergizes well with Gyarados' brutal prowess.

Recommended items:
1. Gyaradosite - it allows Gyarados to be a bulky Pokemon while still capable on dishing out enough damage. Additionally, its new typing can benefit Gyarados well since it will grant him some reduced damage against certain types while gaining new weaknesses to balance out its power.

2. Life Orb - it screams viciousness as the item racks up Gyarados' power into a whole new level; destroying foes with the Moxie boosts and the effects of Life Orb. Be warned: the cost is too much for anything, even the Atrocious Pokemon, to bear.

3. Splash Plate - just increases the power of Waterfall. Other than that, it's generally useless.

4. Icicle Plate - like the effects of Splash Plate, it only increases a handful of moves.

Recommended natures: Jolly
Gyarados' Attack is already high enough to the point that giving it a beneficial nature is pretty pointless. However, an Adamant nature grants it a better fighting chance to destroy foes with ease. On the other hand, a Jolly nature is recommended to gain enough Speed after a Dragon Dance; allowing it to outrun most Pokemon in its tier (except for scarfed variants) effortlessly.

Overall: Gyarados is practically a Pokemon that can be potentially included in any team composition due to its outstanding strength and versatility, However, like most Pokemon in its tier, it suffers greatly from a four-move set syndrome which can greatly affect a great Gyarados user from a terrible one so always watch out for your team's needs while predicting possible opponents.

--END TRANSMISSION--

Pokemon Bootcamp Pt.15: Sceptile

The wheels of destiny have finally taken its turn as the new Pokemon game goes center stage to unleash its awesomeness! However, this doesn't mean Pokemon Bootcamp will go on vacation just because of that! The bootcamp has still a lot of things to do and the never-ending quest to exploit every Pokemon's potential continues!

WELCOME TO POKEMON BOOTCAMP!

Subject No. 15
Name: Sceptile
Species: The Forest Pokemon
Height: 5'1" (6'3" in Mega form)
Weight: 115.1 lbs. (121.7 lbs. in Mega form)
Type: Grass (Grass, Dragon during Mega form)
Possible Abilities: Overgrow, Unburden
Mega Ability: Lightning Rod
Smogon Tier: NeverUsed

Insights: Sceptile is just... a mixed bag of sorts. It has this particular niche of being a special nuke while being fast enough to do so. Another unique trait of Sceptile is that it is the fastest non-legendary Grass-type to ever exist in the current meta, meaning to say that it can go par with Greninja except the latter is 2 points faster than Sceptile, but at least there's potential. In addition, Sceptile is also one of the lucky ones to ever receive a Mega Evolution; gaining a Dragon typing as it evolves. Man, talk about a feisty lizard!

Recommended Ability: Unburden
Simply put, Sceptile's best Ability to have. This Ability allows Sceptile to outrun even the fastest of Choice Scarf users in its tier, and for a gecko that has a powerful move pool, it deserves such an Ability in the first place. It gains Lightning Rod as it Mega evolves; which adds more power to its key stat, Special Attack, into even more dangerous levels.

Recommended moves:
1. Leaf Storm - Sceptile's main STAB move that deals a hefty amount of damage but lowers its Special Attack in the process. Best used with White Herb and Unburden.

2. Giga Drain - another STAB move that grants this Pokemon some form of sustain while still dealing hefty damage to opponents.

3. Focus Blast - basically a coverage move against Steels that can otherwise shrug off your attacks with ease. The accuracy of this move is detrimental to its offensive promise, however.

4. Dragon Breath - damages foes as well as paralyzing them. Not bad, especially if it Mega Evolves.

5. Leech Seed - Sceptile's main set-up move that grants it more sustain against some nasty opponents that has lots of Health.

Other recommended moves:
1. Leaf Blade - Sceptile's main physical STAB. It has a greater chance to unleash a critical hit and capable of slicing baddies like churned butter.

2. Pursuit - deals more damage the moment your foe switches out. A pesky move against Psychic-types, but the absence of STAB makes the move detrimental.

3. X-Scissor - another decent move that takes care of Dark and Psychic-types with ease.

4. Energy Ball - decent STAB that also lowers the foe's Special Defense. Pretty nice move since it will allow Sceptile to hit even harder.

5. Grass Knot - gets rid of heavy Pokemon for heavy damage.

6. Solar Beam - heavy damage with sunlight support. It's a monstrous move no matter how you put it.

7. Fling - throws away certain items with additional effects depending on the item you are holding. It activates Unburden.

Recommended items:
1. White Herb - heals recoil coming from Leaf Storm while also activating Unburden as well.

2. Lum Berry - heals the first status ailment that may affect Sceptile and it activates Unburden, but keep in mind that subsequent status ailments will cripple Sceptile considerably.

3. Assault Vest - increases the user's Special Defense significantly. Use it on an Overgrow build since Unburden won't be doing much about it unless the item is Knocked off.

4. Life Orb - deals additional damage while sacrificing the speed boosts from Unburden.

Recommended nature: Timid or Modest
Sceptile's move pool is so diverse that it can either go physical or special sweeper very well regardless of the role. However, most people will prefer it to be a special nuke due to its wide array of special attacks and coverage moves. Thus, Timid or Modest are the preferred choice since both of these natures boosts Sceptile's key stat; Speed and Special Attack, respectively. In addition, the Mega Evolution will boosts these key stats to even greater heights.

Overall: Sceptile screams speed and power over anything else and it is also capable of dealing tons of damage while being agile enough to outrun certain threats in the higher tiers. The main problem with Sceptile is its typing; pure Grass just begs to get annihilated by the common types in the metagame (most notably Fire) and it's also frail enough to even withstand a neutral hit. Nevertheless, Sceptile remains to have this particular potential which is only hindered by bad typing and low defenses. However, with a variety of move sets, who cares?

--END TRANSMISSION--

Pokemon Bootcamp Pt.14: Swampert

Today is another day for Pokemon Bootcamp, and because the much-awaited release of the Generation III remakes are finally here, this edition of Pokemon Bootcamp will feature one of the starters that will get some much-appropriate screen time in the near future. Who's that Pokemon? Find out and get yourselves dirty!

WELCOME TO POKEMON BOOTCAMP!

Subject No. 14
Name: Swampert
Species: The Mud Fish Pokemon
Height: 4'11" (6'3" in Mega Form)
Weight: 180.6 lbs (224.9 lbs in Mega Form)
Type: Water, Ground
Possible Abilities: Torrent, Damp
Mega Ability: Swift Swim
Smogon Tier: UnderUsed

Insights: Swampert is a beast that can be capable of unleashing brute force under that sea of blue skin. It's base stats are solid (sans Speed) and it has that perfect balance between physical nuke and special attacker. Also, with a very unique typing, Swampert is capable of withstanding the test of time (and a flurry of attacks) with little to no effort at all and being only 4x weak to Grass is such a nice pay-off for having decent resistances as well. :)

Recommended Ability: Torrent
It increases the power of all Water attacks when HP is severely low. Not a bad Ability for Swampert since it will be taking hits most of the time and with an extensive amount of move pool, Swampert can be both as strong and as versatile as it can be. Damp is useless outside Explosion and Aftermath so don't even dare and try to work this out, bub! :P

Recommended moves:
1. Earthquake - Swampert's main Ground STAB move for awesome reasons like strong power, perfect accuracy, and overall reliability. Man, it's just that useful.

2. Waterfall - main Water STAB of Swampert that also flinches the opponent. Way to go, you fish!

3. Avalanche - one of Swampert's reliable coverage move that forces Swampert to go last but doubles the power of the attack if it gets hit prior, Such a nasty move against those Dragon types that scattered throughout the metagame.

4. Counter/Mirror Coat - Swampert's natural bulkiness makes it a candidate of being a pseudo-Wobuffet without the Shadow Tag; allowing it to learn Counter and Mirror Coat at the same time via breeding.

Other recommended moves:
1. Ice Beam - a perfect substitute for Avalanche when taking the role of special nuke. Deals decent damage and it has perfect accuracy.

2. Muddy Water - good STAB move that lowers foes' accuracy. It's banned by Smogon so there really is no reason to use this.

3. Protect - good scouting move and it protects you from all forms of attacks, which is always a good thing.

4. Bulldoze - a weaker version of Earthquake but slows down the opponent. Handy.

5. Stone Edge - additional coverage and nice power. The accuracy is a letdown, though.

6. Surf - another great STAB move. Deals decent damage while being reliable overall.

7. Scald - good STAB that can burn foes. Now that's hot!

Recommended items:
1. Swampertite - this item can give Swampert some rock-hard abs as well as a power boost to its main stat; Attack. It also gives Swampert access to Swift Swim, a very devastating move to have under the rain. This can allow Swampert to build up strength naturally while relying on Swift Swim to give it some additional speed.

2. Choice Band - practically a niche item if you already have assigned someone else to take the Mega role. Boosts Attack but it sticks you to the last move you used. Not really that reliable in the long run.

3. Leftovers - Swampert's main source of sustain, and the only one at that. Swampert's defenses may be on-par but the 5% regen isn't enough to survive in the longer fights. Nevertheless, it's reliable in every possible way.

Recommended nature: Adamant
Swampert was meant to hit hard... EVEN TODAY! Adamant is the preferred choice since you'll be needing every attack boosts it need to be on top of the competition. In addition, you can also add some certain EV points on Defense or Special Defense, depending on what is Swampert's overall role in the team.

Overall: Swampert is a solid contender for the higher tiers but the problem with this particular Pokemon is that there are certain that can fill the role better than Swampert, but nevertheless, it has its strengths that made it stand out compared to its competitors. There's really nothing much to stay about this guy. It's just that TOUGH!

--END TRANSMISSION--

Pokemon Bootcamp Pt.13: Greninja

Splash in to the fun because its time for a new day for Pokemon Bootcamp!

Generation VI has defined the meta known as the "Mega" era,  where certain Pokemon gains a degree of viability after being blessed by a peculiar power known as Mega Evolutions. However, despite these modern mechanics, there lies a Pokemon lurking in the shadows; ready to take them down with one swift blow... ACK!

WELCOME TO POKEMON BOOTCAMP!

Subject No.13
Name: Greninja
Species: The Ninja Pokemon
Height: 4'11"
Weight: 88.2 lbs.
Type: Water, Dark
Possible Abilities: Torrent, Protean
Smogon Tier: OverUsed

Insights: Greninja is simply a beast gameplay-wise. It possesses one of the best (if not THE best) hidden Abilities in the game, Protean, which can allow this ninja to become of any type on the fly. It's simply a nasty and an infuriating Ability to begin with. You fire a Thunderbolt to destroy it? It turns Grass thanks to Grass Knot and Protean. Try to punch in a Fire Blast? Nope, because it becomes Water again. Hit it with Psystrike? Your argument becomes invalid because it turns Dark due to a move similar to it. See? It's pretty imbalanced and unfair to feel the unfairness of changing its Type, and that's what made Greninja ruthlessly strong.

Recommended Ability: Protean
This powerful Ability changes your Type depending on the last move you used. It's clearly what makes Greninja so popular. All of its moves benefits from STAB due to type changes while also dealing massive super-effective damage to any enemy that is weak from those attacks. Man, just hearing their cries of frustration shivers me to the bone.

Recommended moves:
1. Ice Beam - using Greninja is useless without it. It is the ninja's main STAB and coverage move against certain threats like Dragons and Grass Pokemon that litters everyone on the spot. While it does deal decent damage even without Protean, Ice Beam is coverage move that requires a lot of boosts to make it worth owning.

2. Dark Pulse - Greninja's Dark STAB and it deals a hefty amount of damage. Plus, it has a decent flinch rate.

3. Scald - one of Greninja's main Water STAB moves that deals decent damage while burning foes with intense temperature. So it's basically a Water-type Will-o-Wisp that also deals damage.

4. Grass Knot -  another helpful STAB that helps Greninja from getting fatally damaged by Electric Pokemon and it also deals a hefty amount of damage against heavy opponents.

5. Surf - this is a solid move for Greninja and it has a lot of promise, especially in Double and Triple battles. It has decent damage even without Protean and deals twice the damage against diving foes.

Other recommended moves:
1. Hydro Pump - a more powerful Water STAB move than Surf and Scald, but its usefulness becomes questionable due to its mediocre accuracy.

2. Extrasensory - with Protean, this can allow Greninja to go Psychic-type and to prevent foes from attacking this Pokemon by flinching them.

3. Mat Block - prevents attacks from connecting to Greninja as well as its partner Pokemon. Quite versatile for Double and Triple battles.

4. Shadow Sneak - a perfect coverage move... for a physical attacker build. It also strikes first which can be very helpful in defeating a variety of foes in the meta such as Gengar.

5. Water Shuriken - also viable in a physical build, this move is an increased-priority attack that strikes foes multiple times, but even with Protean, the damage can still be mitigated very easily.

6. Night Slash - a good coverage move for obvious reasons. It also has an increased critical-hit chance.

Recommended items:
1. Life Orb - the staple of every Greninja build that increases the power of their offensive moves by 30%. A very nasty item for an already nasty Pokemon which doesn't care for the recoil because it is meant to go down so easily anyway.

2. Expert Belt - with many super-effective coverage moves that Greninja can actually learn, this item is best if Trainers want their Greninja to hit too hard.

3. Splash Plate - Water is Greninja's primary Type so it's the more obvious choice than Dread Plate.

4. Choice items - don't even attempt to use every Choice item on this bad boy. This will limit Protean's utility severely. It's not listed here as a recommended item, but it is something to watch out.

Recommended nature: Timid or Jolly
Greninja's stellar 122 base speed is an eye-candy for anyone who will do whatever it takes to win even the most serious and senseless of battles. Timid is the preferred nature on Greninja which makes it one of the fastest Pokemon in its tier and for a good reason; its a ninja with a vicious attitude.

Overall: Greninja is a solid teammate suitable in any team environment. Whether it is used on casual play or in the competitive field, Greninja is capable of dealing enough damage to go on par with the many enemies it may encounter in the battlefield. Greninja, truly, is not just for show after all.

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