Underrated Pokemon

[AccursedMuffin]

What are some great underrated pokemon that you've discovered and what makes them so good?

Particularly Mons you can get early on that can stay good far into the game.

[Z..]

Back when you could get A-Grimer in the early game in v12 it was a great pokemon that helped me in a ton of fights.

[Nishtala]

Prefacing this with saying that I play in a noitems style run, cause that alone can change a lot in terms of strategy.

 

Anyways for 13.5 new save I went for a bit of a different team than my usual mons, and I found Eldegoss and a Banette being absolutely vital in So. Many. Goddamn. Bossfights. Like, whenever I know a boss fight is coming, I explicitly take them out of the PC before heading there.

 

I think a large part of it is 13.5 boss mechanics making crippling bosses quite unreliable; since so many bosses downright completely recover their stats/heal from status effects upon breaking a shield, Curse and Leech Seed being the two passive damage that STAYS across shields really mattered - not to mention the passive speed drain from Eldegoss is always useful because apparently bosses outspeed crobat now (granted, its nature is adamant... but still.)

 

And yes, I'm looking at you Rift Chandelure. I had to hardcore cripple its first shield and somehow set up 6 quiver dances on a lv 55 FROSMOTH of all things to get through that ridiculous special attack and speed.

Don't get me wrong, Frosmoth is one of my fav mons and is a regular member of my party, but setting it up against a FIRE type special attacker took some really convoluted strategies.

[Blontary]

Here's a couple I've found pretty reliable in every fangame:

- Swalot: definitely on the tank side, access to poison and sleep thanks to yawn, gulpin and swalot got me through so much boss battles, they can usually tank 1 hit from almost everything and guarantee a status condition, definitely useful until level 55/60

- The rock. You know who I'm talking about, that 3 stage rock type Evo you usually get in random mountains/ volcanoes. May that be golem, gigalith or colossal, they usually are a great defensive wall and can bring in some heavy hits (also, some of them have access to sturdy, which is a plus) 

- Speaking of rocks, Crustle. Great defense, sturdy and access to shell smash (which is guaranteed by sturdy) is a real game changer. 

- Swinub is a bit hard to train, but mamoswine hits hard and has priority through ice shard. 

- Meowstic. Prankster. That's enough right? 

- Bronzong comes in handy later in the game, but is usually available pretty early. Great defensive Mon, with some tricks under its... Bell

 

[Sodsire]

A pokemon that forever impresses me (In both Reborn and Rejuv) is physically bulky Dedenee. I'm about vouch so hard for my boi here.

 

First of all, it's learnset is superb.
Having access to either Nuzzle or Thunder Wave (nuzzle is taunt proof, but thunder wave doesn't make contact and it's easier to use when catching wild pokemon.)
Charm is essential to curbing physical threats and navigating boss battles without using an intimidate mon.
Dedenee's strongest tool is Parabolic Charge which hits all adjacent pokemon on the field healing for 50% of the damage done. This move is disgusting in double battles when utilized to its fullest potential- letting you bait out the AI into thinking that it can take down Dedenee before healing.
Finally, Dedenee naturally learns Volt Switch which further supports your team overall.
All of these moves are obtained by level 30.

Dedenee's rare typing lends it to being a great tank too:
Resists: Electric, Fighting, Flying, Bug, Dark
Weaknesses: Poison, Ground
Immunities: Dragon

To top that off it has access to two strong abilities being Pickup and Cheek Pouch.

Considering the late game I have not tested out...

Spoiler

Dedenee's Crest nor Mr. Luck's Technique Contract

...to see what Dedenee's additional options are with those.

Here's a pickup Dedenee with minorly scuffed EV training that I'm rocking with. I have just defeated the fourth gym leader and its spot on my team is irreplaceable so far. While stat-wise Dedenee will fall off later into the game,- I think that Dedenee still has a lot of unexplored potential.

[AlphaJay]

I'm using Dedenne as well! I opted for a full SpA investment, but maybe I'll give your version a try, too! Just made it past the fourth gym as well. Funnily enough, my Dedenne also carries the magnetic lure and serves as my catching-support Mon with Nuzzle.

[Sodsire]

51 minutes ago, AlphaJay said:

I'm using Dedenne as well! I opted for a full SpA investment, but maybe I'll give your version a try, too! Just made it past the fourth gym as well. Funnily enough, my Dedenne also carries the magnetic lure and serves as my catching-support Mon with Nuzzle.

Heyyyyy Dedenee gang let's go! I want look at other unique ways at using Dedenee too... One day BiggieCheese will solo sweep :D

[Asnaeb]

Gourgeist. trick-or-treat = opponents lose their stab and with shadow sneak and pretty good bulk, it is one of the most enjoyable pokemon to use.

[Glynda]

I was honestly never a big fan of Indeedee, but during my new playthrough it proved to be invaluable. Psychic Field on switch-in + Expanding Force hits HARD.

[Techos]

For me an insane mon that always magically gets on my team is Arbok. The early evolution along with intimidate for pivoting make it run through a lot of the early game, but in my playthrough it has been SO good in boss fights. I've been running something like Glare, Acid Spray, Screech, Sludge bomb to just debuff big threaths.
 

Probably not underrated but I've been loving using the new dragon Leavanny. It's design is soooo sick, but I've been running Fell Stinger for the boost, and then Baton Passing it onto another teammate for some cool combos,

[Asnaeb]

For rejuv. Shadow Sudowoodoo(bonsly) When purified, it learns accelerock and shift gear!

[Mrmrbridges]

Seviper has been a big help in majority of fights for me so far.

 

also maractus has surprisingly been amazing, leech seed, synthesis and acupressure to stall and then if i get lucky with boosts just sweep with petal dance

[SoulN7]

I'm not sure how people talked about it, but Hariyama, to me, was a nice Pokèmon during early/mid game: it immediatly has access to Fake Out and Knock Off, useful in doubles, evolves right after catching Makuhita, overall is a bulky mon and pretty much helps with Marianette's fight. Maybe, thanks to V13.5, Gothitelle with her crest is good to mess up with enemy's AI, since it change type before everyone can attack.

[Sodsire]

My favorite Pokemon to lead for Marianette's fight is Koffing because you can just spam clear smog and sludge

Spoiler

until her Delcatty switches out- completely nullifying the baton pass strategy!

 

2 hours ago, SoulN7 said:

I'm not sure how people talked about it, but Hariyama, to me, was a nice Pokèmon during early/mid game: it immediatly has access to Fake Out and Knock Off, useful in doubles, evolves right after catching Makuhita, overall is a bulky mon and pretty much helps with Marianette's fight. Maybe, thanks to V13.5, Gothitelle with her crest is good to mess up with enemy's AI, since it change type before everyone can attack.

Hariyama's bulk + access to fake out makes it like doubles hero of the early/mid game! In my current playthrough I've only used a hariyama once

Spoiler

and that was for Angie's Battle because of its thick fat ability