Underrated/Underused LC Pokemon

Brambane

protect the wetlands
is a Contributor Alumnus
Basically, this thread is for Pokemon that are either underrated or rarely seen. There are all sorts of Pokemon like this, which are either underrated or underused since teams are becoming very bog standard, and seeing the same Pokemon over and over again is not uncommon *cough*Snover*cough*.

One of the best examples of a Pokemon like this is Ledyba. Ledyba has an astounding support movepool, and can function as many different roles. Here are some examples of sets:

Ledyba @ Oran Berry
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 196 HP/36 Def/236 Spd/36 SDef
Jolly nature
- Encore
- U-turn
- Light Screen
- Reflect​


Ledyba has the amazing move Encore, and access to Screens makes it probably the second best Encorer in Little Cup (after Wynaut, of course).
U-turn is great for scouting switches, and Early Bird allows Ledyba to switch in on something like Paras easier. One of Ledyba's best options.​


Ledyba @ Oran Berry/Pinch Berry
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 196 HP/36 Def/236 Spd/36 SDef
Timid nature
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Agility/Swords Dance
- Encore​


Ledyba also is a great passer, since it can Encore boosts or Ground-type attacks, and set up a Sub. With access to both Swords Dance and Agility, Ledyba is a great teammate for any physical sweeper.​


Ledyba @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 36 Def/236 Spd/196 SAtk/36 SDef
Timid nature
- Agility
- Bug Buzz
- Substitute
Baton Pass/HP Ground/Mach Punch

Ledyba can also act as a strong Special Sweeper. Ledyba functions like AgiliPetaya Empleon in OU, but with a bonus. Ledyba can pass its boosts when it has met its match. HP Ground provides coverage with Swarm-boosted Bug Buzz, and Mach Punch acts as priority.​


Ledyba @ Oran Berry/Life Orb
Ability: Swarm/Early Bird
EVs: 36 HP/196 Atk/36 Def/236 Spd
Jolly nature
- Bug Bite
- Swords Dance
- Ice Punch/Thunderpunch
- Mach Punch​


Even with a pathetic base 20 Attack, Ledyba can dish out some damage with a Swords Dance under its belt. Bug Bite acts as the main STAB an can allow you to steal Oran Berries from the opponent. Ice Punch can hit Gligar and Dragons for super-effective damage, while Thunderpunch hits Mantyke hard. Mach Punch hurts Ice-types and Steels, and acts as priority.​

As it can be seen, Ledyba is one of the versatile, yet underrated and underused Pokemon in Little Cup.​

Feel free to post any others; that is what this thread is for!​
 
My blog on LCF used to look pretty similar to this, but most of the Pokemon were popularized soon after I posted them....so yea. Ledyba seems like a pretty useful Pokemon actually.

I do have some left though:

Chimchar (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP/52 Atk/4 Def/188 Spd/212 SAtk/4 SDef
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Stealth Rock
- Vacuum Wave
- Fake Out
- Fire Blast
---

Chimchar is the only Pokemon with Fake Out + Stealth Rock. It never leaves you with a big disadvantage regardless of your opponents lead. With the advantages of Fake Out, without the disadvantages against Protect leads, Chimchar is definitely worth a try.

Swinub (M) @ Focus Sash / Oran Berry
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 196 Atk/196 Spe (196 HP/196 Atk /116 Def with Oran)
Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Endeavour / Earthquake (With Oran)
- Ice Shard
- Protect
---

This is quite similar to Phanpy, but it can actually deal a ton more damage with Ice Shard. However Swinub can use it's awesome Bronzor luring in power, and surprise KO it with Endeavor (well bring it 1 HP anyway). This really helps sweepers like Taillow and Machop. It's basically the same as Phanpy with an Oran Berry, though it has a slightly weaker Earthquake and is mildly less bulky, however it has the much needed STAB on Ice Shard (giving it the ability to OHKO Gligar, unlike Phanpy).

Numel (M) @ Life Orb/Oran Berry/Expert Belt
Ability: Simple
EVs: 36 HP/200 Atk/236 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Fire Blast
- Rock Slide
---

Simple is awesome. This thing doesn't need Speed EVs, because from just one Agility it gets +4 Speed (30 Speed). If you pass it a Swords Dance or Nasty Plot on top of this, then you basically OHKO whatever you want, with +4 for every SD/NP you get off. Works well with Dual Screen + Gligar, or Dual Screen + Aipom. Life Orb hits hardest if you don't want to pass Swords Dance or Nasty Plot, however the bulk from Oran Berry lets you sweep through priority as well. Expert Belt is there for an in-between item.


Goldeen (M) @ Oran Berry
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 156 HP/220 Atk/36 Def/92 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Waterfall
- Megahorn
- Return
---

Bulky Rain Dancer, it hits like a truck and can take a hit or two. Being able to KO all of the nemesis of Rain Dance teams (snover, Hippo, paras, gunk) makes Goldeen a great mid-game sweeper. This Goldeen can also use a Life Orb and have its HP EVs moved to Defense, and lowered to 19 via IVs. Goldeen needs some more love.

Doduo (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 236 Atk/236 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Quick Attack
- Frustration
---

While it looks like a lesser Eevee, Roost and 17 are not to be overlooked. Roost actually allows Doduo to beat some Bronzor (ones without Psychic). Brave Bird OHKOes Munchlax, and hurts everything that doesn't resist, QA hurts too. Early Bird is useful in a metagame with no Sleep Talkers, and it's Speed helps it pull off sweeps. Honestly, how many Sweepers can stall out Bronzor?
 

Seven Deadly Sins

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Speaking of Numel...

Bidoof (M) @ Oran Berry
Ability: Simple
EVs: 236 Atk/36 Def/28 Spd/196 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Curse
- Quick Attack
- Aqua Tail
- Pluck

DOOF DOOF DOOF

Okay, in all seriousness this set is pretty cool. After a Curse, it picks up 22/22/13 defenses, and has a STAB Quick Attack off of 30 Attack to play with. Aqua Tail makes a great secondary attack, while Pluck can steal berries from stuff and hit Grass-types hard should they switch in. Substitute is also viable in the last slot, as it can scout to an extent and give you a free curse. While the speed EVs do seem kinda silly, they give you the chance to Curse up before Bronzor can attack, and outspeed some additional paralyzed opponents after one or two curses.
 
Chimchar is really not great, you are sacing a mon for what? getting SR up and doing piss to opponent with FO. Stuff like phanpy is much better as you will still pretty much always get SR up and break sashes with your powerful moves

An underrated lead though isssss:

Glameow @ Life Orb
Jolly
236 Atk / 20 Def / 236 Spe
Limber
HP Ivs = 0
~Fake Out
~Sucker Punch
~U Turn
~Quick Attack / Shadow Claw / Hypnosis

Glameow may not get techinician, but it gets higher speed and triple priority, each doing good damage to nearly all sweepers. Glameow can safely Fake Turn out and continue to pick of weakened mons throughout the course of the match. Unlike Meowth, it can even KO things that arent beat by Fake Out by its other priority moves easily

Try it out! you wont be dissapointed
 

Brambane

protect the wetlands
is a Contributor Alumnus
Okay, I'm going to keep this thread alive, since all my other ones are dying!



Slugma @ Light Clay
Careful nature
196 HP / 196 Def / 118 SpDef
Flame Body
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Memento
-Selfdestruct / Yawn / Pain Split

Even with Slugma's medicore defenses, this set can be completely devastating. If you are going to be a frail set up sweeper, than this is the #1 Pokemon i recommend.

Light Screen and Reflect start off by halving all the damage your team takes for 8 turns, thanks to Light Clay. Memento is the bread and butter of this set, though. With Memento, you make whatever Pokemon your opponent has out do only ONE FOURTH of the damage they would normally be doing! Plus, it provides a free and safe switch in for something like Nasty Plot Houndour or Bellywag.

The last move slot is filler. Selfdestruct allows you to take down something if you don't want to use memento for some reason (like, if you are facing Hyper Cutter Krabby or lol Beldum). Yawn is useful for forcing some switches, allowing you more time to set up screens. Pain Split is for healing, if you want to save Slugma for later.

The main problem with this set is Slugma doesn't scare that many things into switching, meaning setting up screens can be difficult. However, with all the Scarf Snovers on the rise, Slugma can easily switch into Energy Ball or Blizzard, and set up Reflect or Light Screen. Yawn can help with switches, too. All in all, Slugma is a fantastic underated Pokemon.
 
As I've said before on IRC, what's the point of using Slugma? There is a difference between a gimmick or underrated Pokemon that a Pokemon that is just plain shitty.

Why not use Abra, or <insert other Pokemon with Dual Screens + Memento>? They all have much better stats. If Slugma didn't really fail in the stat department, it would be decent....but it does.
 

Brambane

protect the wetlands
is a Contributor Alumnus
The only other Pokemon that gets both Dual Screens and Memento is Ralts, who has much worse stats than Slugma in every stat except for Speed. Although, Ralts does have Trace, which provides more switch ins, Slugma has better defenses. Flame Body is also pretty cool, since its's like Static for burn. And, trust me, it activates much more often then you would believe >_> Abra can also set up screens, but cannot use Memento, which is the most important move on this set, since it almost always garauntees a switch. Abra can set screens and use Encore. the team, sure, but if it encores something like Quick Attack or Pursuit, he's not going to be happy. While I'm not trying to say Slugma outclasses Abra in every possible way, I'm just saying the set is surprisingly good. I suggest you test it for yourself, if you haven't.
 
The only other Pokemon that gets both Dual Screens and Memento is Ralts, who has much worse stats than Slugma in every stat except for Speed. Although, Ralts does have Trace, which provides more switch ins, Slugma has better defenses. Flame Body is also pretty cool, since its's like Static for burn. And, trust me, it activates much more often then you would believe >_> Abra can also set up screens, but cannot use Memento, which is the most important move on this set, since it almost always garauntees a switch. Abra can set screens and use Encore. the team, sure, but if it encores something like Quick Attack or Pursuit, he's not going to be happy. While I'm not trying to say Slugma outclasses Abra in every possible way, I'm just saying the set is surprisingly good. I suggest you test it for yourself, if you haven't.
Encore is much better than Memento, especially in Little Cup. If you Encore something and suicide, you can set something up much more safely while with Memento, Pokemon like Misdreavus can still fuck you over with Will-O-Wisp. Abra can also actually get screens up before it dies....20 Speed is slow and 40 defenses means Slugma will only be able to stupidly weak resisted attacks. Even things like Magby Fire Blast or Flare Blitz will still 2HKO Slugma without Oran Berry:

17 Atk vs 13 Def & 23 HP (120 Base Power): 11 - 13 (47.83% - 56.52%)

so if it can't set up on resisted hits, what can it set up on except something like a set up move Encored by Wynaut (in which case you'd be better off with another screener, or just setting up immediately anyway)?
 

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