Pet Mod - VaporeMons - Randbats Set Submissions Open (2024)

MOVES:
Healing Stones: One of the moves I considered voting for but ultimately didn't just because I didn't have room, so I'm fine with it winning anyway. Not much to say about these at present except it's funny that Court Change will steal these and it might be best to avoid giving them to any Regenerator mons. Otherwise we'll see how they go I guess.

Sharpnel Shot: Easily the new move that I'm most wary of, though it "helps" that it's also the only attacking that won this Slate. Still, giving this to either Iron Treads or Scizor seems like asking for trouble even though it's not 100% consistent, especially since no one's probably using Damp as it currently is (especially since Bellibolt just lost that). At least Steel is still a rather poor attacking type though, so maybe I'm just worrying for nothing even with Loaded Dice existing.

Jungle Healing: That said, I'm far more confused why this won given how little it can probably be given too without becoming a bit obnoxious and given how neither example mon had lacking this move as their biggest issue, especially Zarude whose main problem even with Knock Off basically gone is still essentially having no ability in even a meta of Sun because current Leaf Guard sucks that much. This somehow feels even more wasted given two other winning moves that seem likely to have (far) more distribution also heal, but I guess at least it shouldn't break anything and at least Leafeon and Tropius might get something nice. Yay? (Too bad Annihilape's broken self exists since it would make sense for Primeape to get it too.)

Life Dew: While Waters hardly need more buffs, I voted for it just because a Wish alternative seems potentially nice in a meta where (widespread) Flip Turn and Teleport are dead and gone even if a least a few pokemon that get this are likely to also have Wish. Thankfully there's not that much overlap between them otherwise.

(Both Healing Stones and this version of Life Dew winning makes the suggested Disguse ability buff to Mimikyu far more appealing too, which is the only reason I didn't vote for it since I wanted to see if the latter might win first. Now I can forego resubbing Nightlight Ball.)

ITEMS:
Blunder Policy: Exists. At least it isn't that all or nothing now. I guess we'll see if that's ultimately a good thing though.

Baseball Bat: ...x1.25 seems like such a weird multiplier for an item, but I guess it's been on something before? Regardless, this is super rude to Ghosts and the rare Psychic that uses Shadow Ball (R.I.P. Hoopa), but not as much as the Cleanse Tag submission was. I guess it winning does at least help mitigate Sharpnel Shot potentially running amok...in theory. (In before Sneasler manages to abuse this too. Also a bit funny how Blissey breaks this for "free" even though she probably doesn't want to come in on any of its likely users; Zoroark-Hisui is better for that anyway.)

Punching Glove, Razor Fang, & Razor Claw: Very glad to see these won even if they're not "exciting" items since it's not like any of them were getting used before. I legitimately forgot Razor Claw even existed due to Scope Lens until Legends: Arceus reminded me. (Punching Glove not even having a sprite still on either the forum or PS is just as sad.)

Walkie-Talkie: Ugh. I'm easily far more wary of this than I am Baseball Bat (and it telling non-Zoroark-Hisui Ghosts to go to hell incidentally). There's at least a couple of Tera Shard Normal mons that in theory this is "funny" passing Boomburst too, but, uh, we'll see how that goes.

If anything, then this working with Torch Song is what worries me far more on top of just not caring for more pivoting stuff. I guess Parting Shot worries me too, now that I think about it, since while Parting Shot initially seemed amusingly subpar unless you had two Intimidate users, it currently seems like it's borderline absurd with weather and/or terrain setters. After all, you can bring them in with delayed Parting Shot, just have them up set whatever, have the setter use Parting Shot, and then switch out to an abuser. I'm unsure if we've made this even worse given the weather and terrain splitting abilities that just won, but either way, gods, Grimmsnarl alone is going to be even more obnoxious with this than it already is if it wants to forego Light Clay.

ABILITIES:
New Drives and new Protos: Very glad to see these won personally after it was made clear that they were all one entry instead of having to choose between the two (or vote on them in two different slots). This even though the changes might make teams that try to use these a bit "samey", even moreso than Sun and Electric Terrain teams can already feel, and even though Booster Energy makes them a bit redundant--though that was already the case. At least Sand (and Snow) finally get thrown some kind of bone though, and both Electric Terrain and Sun being taken down a peg is nice too even if Sun kept its arguably most dangerous Proto-mon. (Due to only two mons having Quark Drive now, I wonder if it's safe to buff Pincurchin or even to give Electric Surge to a stronger mon. Probably?)

Grass Pelt: Not much to say about this except that it's funny that of the example potential mons, both non-Gogoat mons probably would benefit more just because they were/are already good--poor Gogoat. At least Gogoat has a non-Sap Sipper ability that actually works now though.

Gale Wings: Similarly not much to say about this. We'll see how much use Talonflame gets with this "compromise". There's likely no saving Tropius even with this though. Sadness.

ADJUSTMENTS:
Bellibolt: I still can't unsee the side "bulbs" as its actual eyes, but maybe I'll get past that given this seems in theory OU-worthy now, especially with Rotom(-Wash) being Defog-less still at present. This probably isn't going to make waves, especially with the other things that won, but gaining three more resists with its bulk will definitely help it, especially with Volt Absorb to cover up being neutral to Electric now and only gaining one more weakness anyway. The only other thing to say is losing Damp at the same time that Sharpnel Shot won but quad-resisting it now anyway is kind of funny.

& Decidueye & Decidueye-Hisui: ...I feel like I've been monkey's paw'd as much as I complain about the lack of special Grass/Ghosts in general. At least Decidueye-Alola isn't nearly as innately fast as Serperior and has more weaknesses, so it's probably...fine (even with access to Tailwind and, more worryingly, Spirit Shackle). Similarly, at least Decidueye doesn't have Glare or even Stun Spore (or access to Hidden Power or even Tera Blast Fire presently). Decidueye-Hisui is what worries me more at present even with its even slower Speed yet not slow enough to instantly be "Trick Room: The Murder Mon" and even with Scrappy being a weird, borderline redundant ability to keep. I guess Scrappy does allow it to explode Zoroark-Hisui and block Intimidate now though.

In trying to look on the possible positive side, at least now Annihilape can stay banned since we really don't want two Ghost/Fighting mons given how difficult that STAB combination is to switch into. Gale Wings winning also helps combat these somewhat I guess. And at least Poltergeist is finally back on a couple of mons since for some reason Game Freak effectively removed it yet actually kept it around...just not on anything. (Gods Game Freak must hate Basculegion and Brambleghast.)

, , & Magnemite, Magneton, & Magnezone: For only getting two changes (from this Slate), it's extremely sad how much more worthwhile Magnezone and co.'s rather obsolete selves probably are now even with just something as basic as the Levitate ability they should have already had. Now they can actually do something other than try to trap a fellow Steel and fail and die like 80% of the time or succeed and then almost immediately become deadweight most of the other 20% of the time. Another Rapid Spinner and one that innately resists Stealth Rock as well is immune to Toxic Spikes even without Levitate is also rather nice too.