Meet CAP 24: Jumbao

By Airwind and snake_rattler.
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Pipotchi's Jumbao

Art by Pipotchi.

Introduction

Jumbao, the 24th product of the Create-A-Pokémon Project, brings sunshine and sandstorms to the CAP Metagame! This article will walk through the most recent CAP's process, providing short descriptions of the decisions that were reached in the competitive stages, the inspirations behind Jumbao's non-competitive aspects, and some movesets to try out on Pokémon Showdown! For those who don't know, CAP, or the Create-A-Pokémon Project, is Smogon forum-based project that uses a competitively minded process to create fan-made Pokémon for the CAP Metagame. Though the competitive decisions drive the process forward and are weighed first, many artists and other users participate in the flavor side and create awesome artwork, crafty names, insightful Pokédex entries, and stunning 3D models. Through a series of discussions and polls for both competitive and flavor aspects, the final product unfolds as its concept is fulfilled.

The competitive stages of CAP flow generally in this order: concept submissions, voting, and assessment, typing discussion and voting, threats discussion, primary ability discussion and voting, stats submissions and voting, secondary ability discussion and voting, and moveset submissions. Here are the highlights of some of these stages:

1. Concept Assessment

The first step in the CAP process was to determine what direction the process would take with a concept. After the Topic Leader picked a slate of concepts and a poll took place, the concept was discussed in the Concept Assessment stage. With Jumbao's concept of "Snow or Shine (or Sand)," we had to pick two weathers of hail, sun, and sand, as rain was already very viable. Hail, while more viable with Aurora Veil, was not chosen due to its poor existing setters like Abomasnow and attackers like Alolan Sandslash. Sun and sand were determined to be more usable, as sun had good Fire-type attackers like Volkraken and Heatran as well as marginally more viable Drought setters and Chlorophyll sweepers, and sand had a viable core of Tyranitar and Excadrill. It was also determined that we would fill in the missing pieces of sun and sand. For sun, that was keeping faster foes in check and setting sun. For sand, it was breaking through key defensive threats that walled Excadrill—Tomohawk and Landorus-T. Next, we determined that stall tactics were not a suitable way to fulfill this concept due to the finite turns of weather. Finally, concept assessment determined that CAP24 should have a niche outside of weather so that it would not be relegated to specific teams only. Overall, it was a smooth stage and kicked off the process very well.

2. Typing

When you think of sun and sand, you might think of Fire-, Rock-, Ground-, and Steel-types. So what's with the Grass / Fairy typing? Grass / Fairy brought about a few good advantages for sun cores and sand cores. For sun, running many Fire-types to take advantage of the boosted damage output means that Water-types like Toxapex and Arghonaut and Dragon-types like Pajantom and Mega Latios can be a challenge to break through. Jumbao's Grass typing allowed it to hit Water-types squarely, whereas its Fairy typing allowed it to tackle these Dragon-types easily. For sand, Excadrill has a difficult time sweeping if Tomohawk and Landorus-T are there to wall it, but Tomohawk now fears a STAB Moonblast from Jumbao, and Landorus-T cannot hit Jumbao very hard barring a Supersonic Skystrike. Both sun and sand now appreciate Jumbao's ability to break past common weather setters like Pelipper, Tyranitar, and Hippowdon with its STAB moves, depending on the team. Finally, Jumbao's Grass / Fairy typing now means that sun and sand teams are not stacking many weaknesses, bringing some important defensive synergy to frailer cores.

As for general metagame impact, a viable Grass / Fairy type has a huge impact in the CAP metagame. Existing Grass-types were very useful to check Pokémon like Ash-Greninja and Colossoil, but they lost all momentum to Tomohawk, which could Roost off any damage these Grass-types could deal, chip them down with Air Slash, and even spin away Leech Seed. However, Jumbao's Moonblast means that Tomohawk cannot reliably stay in on it, which opens teambuilding massively. The CAP metagame now has a Grass-type that does not act as a momentum sink against Tomohawk.

Of course, Grass / Fairy had some stiff competition in the polls, all of which could have fulfilled this concept very well. Two contenders were Rock / Dragon and Rock / Flying, which aimed to use the Special Defense boost from sand and Dragon and Flying's general neutral coverage to pair with Rock's good coverage. Others like Dragon / Fairy and Electric / Flying tried to beat down Tomohawk and Landorus-T more directly, though the combined resistances offered by Grass / Fairy were deemed more useful.

3. Ability

For CAP24, the ability discussion was a little different than previous processes. Rather than the usual order of Primary Ability Discussion, Stats Submissions, and Secondary Ability Discussion, because of the double-role nature of the concept, both abilities were discussed at the same time. For the primary ability, it soon boiled down into discussion on sun abilities. For most of the process, many people had Chlorophyll in mind for a sun-related ability, but soon Drought gained momentum in the conversation. Supporters of Chlorophyll argued that it fulfilled the concept better, as it directly took advantage of sun, while Drought supporters argued that it was difficult to take advantage of the sun with subpar Drought partners like Torkoal, Malaconda, and Mega Charizard Y, due to some combination of poor offensive presence or weakness to Stealth Rock. In the end, Drought won as the primary ability, with the reasoning that sun did not have the proper tools to have a dedicated sun team. Rain teams need a Drizzle setter and Swift Swim sweepers to function, but existing sun's Drought setters and Chlorophyll sweepers were subpar, and Jumbao's process could have fixed only one issue. With Drought, Jumbao could provide support for powerful Fire-types that can break apart balance teams.

Once the Primary Ability Poll ended, discussion focused on two parts of Concept Assessment: sand and the niche outside of weather. Discussion soon boiled down naturally to Sand Rush and Trace. Sand Rush was popular due to its direct interaction with sand and extreme usefulness under sand. Other sand abilities were not slated, as Sand Veil was deemed mostly uncompetitive, and Sand Force was deemed pretty useless because strong Rock-type and Ground-type coverage were not likely to be added to Jumbao's movepool due to the Jumbao's list of threats and checks. Trace, on the other hand, could copy many useful abilities, especially Landorus-T's Intimidate and Heatran's Flash Fire. Ultimately, Trace won barely by majority in poll 1 against other slated abilities like Sand Rush, Berserk, Competitive, and Poison Heal.

Overcoat, the flavor ability, was chosen due to relevance to the concept and relative uselessness in combination with Grass typing.

4. Stats

The stats stage went relatively swiftly. The stat spread was determined swiftly to show specially biased offense and to take relatively little from Heavy Slam users like Celesteela. While there were a few variations on the slated spreads, mostly trade-offs between Special Attack and Speed, G-Luke's balanced stat spread of 92 HP / 63 Atk / 97 Def / 124 SpA / 104 SpD / 96 Spe received the most votes.

With a Speed stat of 96, it can outpace key threats to sun and sand teams like Colossoil, Zygarde, Volkraken, Tomohawk, and Landorus while losing to some of its checks such as Volcarona and Greninja. The Special Attack stat brings Jumbao good offensive presence for its bulk, allowing it to OHKO Tomohawk with Life Orb Moonblast and Heatran with Z-Focus Blast. Its bulk allows it to stomach hits from standard Ash-Greninja, Landorus-T, Tomohawk, and non-Smart Strike Kartana. Finally, its Attack was set high enough to OHKO Heatran with a +2 Earthquake, but Growth was not added to the movepool, so its Attack stat is largely useless.

5. Moveset

Moveset discussion saw a few twists. The possibility of Growth was always present during the previous stages, but due to Jumbao's required coverage, Growth would cause Jumbao to break apart more defensive teams even worse than it would, so it was disallowed. As an alternative for a boosting move, Rototiller ended up on Jumbao's movepool. Powerful Fire-type coverage such as Flamethrower, Weather Ball (with Drought), and Overheat saw discussion, but in combination with Moonblast, Focus Blast, and Solar Beam, more powerful Fire-type coverage was deemed too strong, so the weaker Flame Burst was put up to the polls and was allowed on the movepool. Defog also saw a lot of discussion, as entry hazard removal would be useful for sun-based teams' Fire-type team members. Despite going to the polls, it was voted to be disallowed from full movepools.

How Jumbao's movepool ended up can be surprising, though. The very small pool of utility options present on Jumbao's movepool highlights it to its intended role: setting up Drought for its teammates while providing defensive synergy with Fire-type wallbreakers and dealing with annoying physical walls for Tyranitar and Excadrill. Light Screen and Healing Wish are easy to understand: offensive weather teams appreciate the reduced special damage from Light Screen, and Healing Wish is a great offensive momentum-gaining move. However, the presence of Synthesis, Shore Up, and Wish might seem contradictory to the concept assessment's decision not to use stall-based tactics, especially when Synthesis and Shore Up are powered up in their respective weathers. However, these two weather-based recovery moves allow Jumbao to be present throughout the match and encourage it to play in its respective weather, and Wish allows Jumbao to heal its teammates rather well. These moves ultimately allow Jumbao to act as a hard-hitting wallbreaker or team supporter rather than a standalone stall Pokémon.

Jumbao [Drought 3 Attacks + Synthesis]

Jumbao's offensive movepool, combined with its access to Drought and its good bulk and Speed, allows it to run a fantastic offensive set. Moonblast should be run always as a reliable STAB attack that hits Tomohawk and Arghonaut super effectively. Focus Blast hits Ferrothorn and Heatran with one move, and with Fightinium Z, it becomes an All-Out Pummeling that can OHKO Heatran with perfect accuracy. Jumbao can opt to run Flame Burst or Hidden Power Ground to hit its checks super effectively. Drought-boosted Flame Burst hits Mega Pinsir, Magearna, and Mega Scizor, while Hidden Power Ground hits Mega Crucibelle and Heatran. Solar Beam is a powerful STAB move that lets Jumbao muscle past a weakened Toxapex, especially in conjunction with Grassium Z. However, Solar Beam can be dropped for a weaker coverage move if a Grass-type STAB attack is not desired. Synthesis keeps Jumbao healthy, healing a whopping 66% of its HP while Drought is active. Life Orb is generally the best item for this set, as it grants a consistent boost to all of Jumbao's offensive moves; in particular, it powers up Focus Blast so that Heatran will be OHKOed with a little bit of chip damage (such as a Moonblast as it switches in). However, Fightinium Z + Focus Blast can give Jumbao better matchups against Steel-types, while Grassium Z + Solar Beam can give Jumbao a hard-hitting nuke that doesn't rely on weather, capable of OHKOing every viable non-sun weather setter.

Jumbao [Trace Wish Passing Pivot]

Jumbao's good defensive stats allow it to run a good pivot set, especially with Wish. Moonblast and Hidden Power Ground form near-perfect neutral coverage, meaning Jumbao will not give up much momentum while passing Wish. While this set does not necessarily have to be run on a sand team, Shore Up is preferred over Synthesis due to its higher PP. With maximum HP investment and 204 EVs allocated to Speed, Jumbao can bolster its natural bulk while also outspeeding non-Choice Scarf Heatran, and it can still hit hard with 52 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature. Trace is a very interesting ability, as Jumbao can copy Landorus-T's Intimidate or Toxapex's Regenerator and take advantage of these respective effects. Most notably though, Jumbao can switch into Heatran, Trace Flash Fire, absorb an incoming Magma Storm, and threaten out Heatran with Hidden Power Ground, leaving Heatran helpless unless it runs Toxic or Flash Cannon.

Jumbao [Choice Scarf]

Jumbao can run an effective Choice Scarf set with its Speed tier and good Special Attack stat, as it can outspeed Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Volkraken, and +1 Zygarde. Moonblast is a reliable, spammable STAB move that hits Mega Latios, Pajantom, and Greninja for super effective damage. Focus Blast covers Steel-types like Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Choice Scarf Magnezone. The high Base Power behind Solar Beam for Drought sets and Leaf Storm for Trace sets makes up for the lack of a boosting item for this set, allowing Jumbao to OHKO Tapu Koko after Stealth Rock damage. Healing Wish allows Jumbao to preserve momentum, potentially heal up a Fire-type teammate with a safe switch in and three turns of Sun if running Drought, and block Defog and Rapid Spin for a turn. Drought sets can opt for a sun-boosted Flame Burst instead of Grass-type STAB attack or Healing Wish, which has a chance to OHKO Mega Pinsir and will always OHKO Mega Scizor. The choice between abilities really depends on Jumbao's teammates; if none of Jumbao's teammates benefits from Drought, then Trace should be run. Do note that Hidden Power Ground is not very useful for Choice Scarf, as Jumbao enjoys the moves with higher Base Power, and Focus Blast covers Heatran fine.

In addition to the given sets, here are a few weather-based cores to begin the teambuilding process:

Jumbao Volkraken Mega Crucibelle Sample Sun Build
Jumbao Mega Tyranitar Excadrill Sample Sand Build
Jumbao Volkraken Mega Crucibelle

This build has been very common after Jumbao's introduction to the CAP Metagame. Volkraken and Mega Crucibelle benefit from Jumbao's Drought, as Volkraken's Fire Blast becomes insanely strong, and Mega Crucibelle takes advantage of the weakened water moves, actually surviving Ash-Greninja's Choice Specs-boosted Hydro Pump and Protean Greninja's Hydro Vortex at high health. Jumbao can also weaken bulky Water-types like Gastrodon and Toxapex and Dragon-types like Mega Latios and Pajantom for Volkraken, as well as Tomohawk, Landorus-T, and Ferrothorn for Mega Crucibelle. In return, Mega Crucibelle and Volkraken can give Jumbao safe opportunities to switch in with U-turn, Volkraken can roast Steel-types, and Crucibelle provides Stealth Rock for chip damage. Of course, this core needs hazard removal and a Mega Crucibelle check, but this is a solid start for a team.

Jumbao Mega Tyranitar Excadrill

One issue with sand teams is that it can be hard to wear down the opposing team for long enough while keeping Tyranitar healthy to continue setting sand for Excadrill. Enter Jumbao, which has extremely good defensive synergy with Tyranitar and Mega Tyranitar. In this case, Jumbao can pass Wish to Mega Tyranitar, which restores 48% of its HP, allowing it to continue wearing down the opposing team with sand and Toxic. Additionally, Jumbao having an almost guaranteed switch into Heatran means Mega Tyranitar does not have to run Earthquake to successfully lure it. In return, Tyranitar increases Jumbao's recovery from 50% to 60% with Shore Up when factoring in the residual damage from sand. Jumbao can also pass a Wish to Excadrill, healing 54% of its health, which could mitigate Life Orb damage or give it a relatively safe switch in.

Flavor stages begin after the CAP Process has made some decisions within the competitive stages. For example, Art Submissions starts after the Typing poll ends, and the rest of the flavor aspects like name and Pokédex entries begin during the Moveset Discussion. Below are some of the highlights of the flavor side of CAP, giving Jumbao a face rather than a set of numbers:

1. Art

Jumbao's design is based on the baobab tree, which Pipotchi cited as "the tree of life," as it can thrive in an arid climate. Given its hot and dry habitat, it pulls in the sun and sand aspects together quite nicely, and the Grass typing comes naturally because it is a tree. Because CAP24 was determined to be relatively heavy early in the process for tanking Heavy Slam from Celesteela, Pipotchi coupled the already heavy baobab tree with a sumo wrestler. As for the Fairy typing, Pipotchi explained that Jumbao exerts the feeling of mischief and mystical nature that other Fairy-types share. He also elaborated on the double purpose of the shimenawa belt, as it is supposed to be wrapped around trees that can host spirits as well as around the waists of sumo wrestlers. Finally, as seen from Pipotchi's supporting art, Jumbao has a sap cannon in its arms, allowing it to act as a special attacker.

[CONCEPT ART 1 // CONCEPT ART 2]

2. Name

The name "Jumbao" is a combination of Jumbo, Jumbay, and Baobab. The first word refers to the design's large size and weight. The second word is a reference to the Jumbay Tree, which is a type of tree that in 1970 and 1980 was known as "the miracle tree," which appeals to the Fairy typing. The final word refers to Baobab tree, which sports a unique pronunciation on its own. With the pronunciation of "JUM-bay-oh", Jumbao, submitted by user BaffleTome, won the name poll.

3. Pokédex Entries

User Reiga wrote out these Pokédex entries. Basing his entries off of the interactions between Jumbao and other Pokémon species and humans and the mystical deity-like aspects of the art design, Reiga won the poll with four interesting entries found below:

Sun
Jumbao use their sizable build to attack with sumo-like moves. They usually spar against each other but once in a while train with Hariyama.
Moon
The tighter the grip on its sash, the richer in vitality Jumbao is. When it perishes, the sash loosens away and flies into the wind.
Ultra Sun
From their arms, Jumbao pump out a sweet sap with enough force to dent a cruiser. It's apparently great for curing ailments, though.
Ultra Moon
Jumbao can live for over 1000 years, earning them the title as 'Beings of Life'. Many believe just being around one leaves one feeling revitalized.

4. Sprites

If there's one outlined stage in the CAP Process that typically goes under the radar, it's the Sprite Submission stage. This CAP, there were five sets of front and back Jumbao spites, both in regular colors and shiny colors. CAP Moderator Quanyails took the victory on this one, creating the sprites that you'll see on the Pokémon Showdown! teambuilder. Below are the sprites, in prime sumo fighting stance:

Jumbao's Sprites

5. 3D Modeling

3D Modeling isn't a proper stage in the CAP process. However, a self-led team of modelers worked tirelessly to finish Jumbao's 3D model in a timely manner. Clawed Nyasu's wireframe molded Jumbao into its shape, Zephias's rigging gave it a skeleton by which it could move, and QxC4eva's animations breathed life into the model. The combination of Pipotchi, who drew model sheets; Clawed Nyasu, who created UV maps; and Cresselia92, who made texture sheets, gave Jumbao its colorful skin. These five contributors, plus CAP Moderator Quanyails, each performed quality controls on each other, and QxC4eva finished the process off with the renders you'll see in battles on Pokémon Showdown! Below find Zephias's rig inside Clawed Nyasu's wireframe and the final products!

Modeling process Final product

Get out there!

Jumbao is making a huge splash in the CAP Metagame, with Drought and Trace, solid offensive coverage, good bulk coupled with a unique defensive typing, and Wish and Healing Wish support. Its process was not without its bumps and twists and turns, but under a solid topic leadership team, it was a relatively smooth process. At the writing of this article, Jumbao's pre-evolution is now in the works, which can be found on the Create-A-Pokémon subforum. If you'd like to participate in live discussion for Jumbao, the CAP metagame, and CAP art, do not hesitate to join the CAP Project chatroom on Pokémon Showdown! or the CAP Discord! Also, if the competitive side of the process isn't what's for you, look into some of the flavor stages and discussions on the aforementioned platforms; you might find a home with our friendly artists and modelers!

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