A primer to getting involved in CAP25

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Introduction

So you want to create a Pokémon? With Smogon's Create-A-Pokémon Project (CAP), you can! It's not as simple as you yourself making up a typing, some stats, and putting it on Pokémon Showdown. No, CAP is a community-based project, where we discuss every little aspect of a creation with excruciating detail. Throughout the process, we will build a Pokémon from the ground up. You can read all about how the Create-A-Pokémon Project operates in our CAP Newcomer's Guide. A final resource is this article, in which I'll guide you through some of the basics of the CAP process and the CAP metagame. Throughout this, I'll denote a few key Pokémon in the current metagame as they come up in conversation.

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The Process Of Creating a CAP

To best explain the CAP process, let me provide an example of how it all works. CAP24 began with the community voting on its leaders, who are users who nominate themselves for a leadership position. Drapionswing, a veteran contributor, was voted in as our Topic Leader (TL) back in February 4th of this year. The Topic Leader is responsible for making sure the project stays on task; we'll set our own goals, and it's the responsibility of the Topic Leader to make sure that overarching vision stays lodged in the community's mind as we create. The Topic Leadership Team is then voted on, again by the community, to serve as overseers to the four main aspects of a competitive Pokémon: Typing, Ability, Stats, and Movepool.

Once this is done, we then build concepts. A concept, to put it briefly, is a central idea or theme that drives the creation of our Pokémon. In the past, these have ranged from quite specific (Syclant was aimed to be a Garchomp counter in DPP) to intentionally vague (Tomohawk was built to test momentum in the BW metagame). CAP24 was no different; several concepts were created and voted upon by the community. Snorlax_in_the_way submitted a niche concept about a Pokémon that thrives on multiple resist Berries, while Zephias championed a concept that would trade away its own HP for more power. But in the end, Drew's concept of making a Pokémon that thrives in two different kinds of weather won out. CAP24 eventually went on to become a powerhouse in both sunlight and sand, in part due to its well-written concept.

Afterwards, through the combination of the community and the Topic Leadership Team, we spend months creating our Pokémon. For CAP24, we discussed the current state of the CAP metagame, the metagame for which we built CAP24. With lots of strong Fighting- and Dragon-type Pokémon running around, such as Tomohawk, Revenankh, and Zygarde, picking Grass / Fairy was a pretty safe bet. It got Drought, which allowed it to use the powerful Solar Beam and provide team support, and it could also use Trace shenanigans to comfortably switch into all variants of Heatran. Round it off with some Special Attack-biased stats and a supportive movepool featuring Wish and Shore Up, and CAP24 was almost ready to be published. With the help of our amazing flavor contributors, CAP24 evolved into Jumbao, a baobab-based "Tree of Life." It is now available to play on Pokémon Showdown!, complete with some beautiful sprites and 3D models.

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A Celebration is Afoot

Now, that's how we made CAP24, and there is a story to be told for every single CAP we've created. When we started this project back in November of 2007, there we hardly and rules and regulations for the CAP Project—the community essentially decided they wanted something to combat Garchomp back in Gen4, and the result was Syclant, the Ice / Bug terror with an ability that allowed it to switch into Stealth Rock and Rock-type moves to take no damage. However, the process for Syclant was often confusing and laden with questions about how to proceed. Should we decide all abilities before stats? Which moves can we presume when making calculations for stats?

Since then, we've implemented a plethora of guidelines to help streamline the process. For example, we always take the process in the same order of typing, abilities, stats, and movepool. We've added a Threats Discussion to help determine which Pokémon should threaten ours to make it balanced in the CAP metagame. There's a tool we've created called BSR (Base Stat Rating) lets you calculate our project's sweepiness and tankiness. We don't allow custom moves or abilities anymore, which has helped focus our discussions significantly by not allowing participants to go off-the-walls with crazy concepts. These regulations have guided us well for the past 24 CAPs, and we will continue to use them for CAP26.

However, CAP25 is going to be different. As with musical compositions, it is always interesting to the listener to provide a variation on your theme. In this particular case, CAP25 has been declared a Celebration CAP, meaning that we would go intentionally out of our way to break a few rules. Through the rules we've implemented, we've restricted ourselves to intentionally not explore every part of competitive Pokémon. For example, while Multitype Arceus is an iconic facet of Ubers, it would be a nightmare to handle a process in which we essentially create 18 different Pokemon.

But that's exactly the sort of thing we're allowing for CAP25, which is going on right now. Through the magic of Framework Submissions, users were able to outright pick which rules we should break for the creation of our Pokémon. Custom elements were allowed, switching the process of the project was allowed, and even minor flavor aspects were allowed. We then voted on all fifty submitted frameworks, and the following seven rose through the ranks:

• Base 255 Speed, a Pokémon built around having a blistering speed stat.
• Orb-Based Forme Change, a Pokémon that changes formes in a manner similar to Giratina.
• Terrain-Based Forme Change, a Pokémon with a custom ability that allowed it to change formes in different Terrains a la Castform with weather.
• UB C.A.P, a Pokémon that's created to resemble an Ultra Beast.
• Starter Trio CAPs, a set of three Pokémon that follow the competitive guidelines of Game Freak's Fire-, Water-, and Grass-type starters.
• Regional Forme, a Pokémon that is a variant of an existing CAP Pokémon based on region, similar to Alolan formes.
• Gourgeist Formes 2.0, a Pokémon with slight variations to its stats that give it an edge, like a competitive Gourgeist.

From there, we narrowed it down to three options: Terrain-Based Forme Change, UB CAP, and Starter Trio CAPs. And in an incredibly close final vote, the Starter Trio CAPs emerged victorious. Therefore, CAP will now be making not one, but three Pokémon for the CAP metagame.

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What Can You Do?

The project is underway! As a community, we selected reachzero to serve as our Topic Leader. Throughout the process, he will be providing his opinions and thoughts in a very public way; he is allowed to post frequently in all forum discussions. The Topic Leadership Team consists of four elected users that will help bring focus to the four main competitive aspects of a CAP. EpicUmbreon29, a well-known CAP Room Moderator on Pokémon Showdown!, is our Typing Leader and will help lead discussions on the secondary typings of our Fire-, Water-, and Grass-type starter trio. snake_rattler, who was the Topic Leader for Pajantom, will then take over and help focus in which abilities CAP25 will have to supplement Blaze, Torrent, and Overgrow. Afterwards, jas61292, the Topic Leader of Malaconda, will guide CAP25's stats with the community's help. Finally, we'll select our movepools for CAP25 with the help of Kerfluffle's Topic Leader, cbrevan.

All of these topic leaders don't really have any formal say in how our Pokémon is built. It's our job as the community to submit and vote on quality aspects for each Pokémon we create. For example, Pajantom wasn't just created by snake_rattler. It took the entire CAP community to determine its concept of trapping and all of its competitive features. That's where you can help out with CAP25!

As of the release of this article, Concept Submissions are currently closed. In this thread, anyone could submit a concept for our trio of Pokémon. A concept, again, is a goal that we set for our Pokémon at the start of the project, so we want to do a good job of creating and selecting one. What makes for a good concept? Well, that can vary. In general, a concept needs to be specific enough that we have some easily understood standards to uphold, but it should also be vague enough that it doesn't create the Pokémon for us entirely. Remember, concepts are solely competitive, so we don't take any flavor considerations at this time as well. Peruse the thread to get an idea of how to write and format a concept.

CAP25 is a little tricky because we're creating Pokémon with a framework, specially to make a set of starter Pokémon. Some guidelines set by reachzero and the TLT include:

• These Pokémon will be Fire-type, Water-type, and Grass-type. They may or may not have a secondary typing.
• These Pokémon will have Blaze, Torrent, and Overgrow as their primary ability.
• These Pokémon will probably have a BST somewhere between 525 and 535, like all other starter Pokémon.
  The highest single stat is Primarina's Special Attack of 126, while the lowest is Torterra's Speed of 56.
• These Pokémon will not have a custom signature move, but may have diverse movepools.

By breaking it down, there are a lot of commonalities to note between all starters. Think you know something else? Help us out in the creation process! Or better yet, join our Discord channel to jump into the conversation live with CAP regulars and veterans. We'd love to hear your thoughts about what you see for the future of CAP25.

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CAP Tournaments

While that's all I can give you on CAP25 right now, there is something else you can do: play the CAP metagame on Pokémon Showdown! Playing CAP is a ton of fun right now, as it leans slightly towards offensive playstyles. There are a lot of diverse Pokémon to choose from, since all 24 of our previously created CAPs are available for use. Something a lot of people don't realize is that CAP uses the same banlist as OU, meaning all of your OU teams are legal within the CAP metagame. Even more surprising is that most OU teams do quite well; I personally like to grab teams from the OU Bazaar and straight up use them on the ladder, no CAPs included. I may shift these teams around and add a CAP or two, but it is usually unwise to make a team of 6 CAPs entirely.

Think you've got what it takes? Sign up for CAP Team Tournament IV, the fourth iteration of our most popular tournament. There is no better way to learn a metagame than to practice it with regulars, and CAP is no different. Sign up to get drafted on to one of our six teams, led by veteran battlers in the community. Check out the entire CAP Metagame forum while you're there. You'll find Viability Rankings, guides to each CAP, RMTs, and threads about all things CAP Metagame. Finally, sign up for the CAP Tournament in the Tournaments Forum to show your skill against a host of battlers here.

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Check Out The Ladder!

A great way to get teams and good battles is to talk with the community. I've asked several CAP metagame veterans to provide their outlook and opinions on the CAP metagame right now. They've all included a team for you to try out on the ladder, if you'd like. Take it away, guys!

Jho - Necturna

In my opinion, the CAP metagame is currently in the best state it's been in since the updates last year, with almost all playstyles and team archetypes being viable as well as the majority of the CAP roster seeing regular usage on both ladder and tournament-caliber teams.

One CAP in particular that has risen greatly in usage due to the recent meta shifts is Necturna, a CAP with access to Sketch and therefore any move, with the drawback being it can only use one "Sketched" move. This CAP has resurfaced to be a potent sweeper, utilizing Sketched moves such as Shell Smash and Shift Gear alongside its powerful Ghost / Grass STAB combination that allows it to sweep through most of the meta currently. These sets are the most common, but since Necturna has access to Sketch, creativity is encouraged, and sets such as Geomancy sweeper and even Sticky Web support are not unheard of; it's incredibly flexible and rewards thought-out teambuilding greatly, which is why it is a favorite of mine currently. To showcase its power, here's a team featuring Necturna that has been used to great effect in CAP tournaments!

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G-Luke - Jumbao

The CAP Metagame is in a very balanced state right now, arguably the best it has been since the start of the generation. A lot of it is in thanks to the CAPs being updated.

Right now the newest CAP, Jumbao, is making a big splash in the metagame, thanks to its well-rounded bulk, good Speed tier, and great power. Jumbao is a CAP that is supposed to take advantage of two underutilized weathers, for which sun and sand were chosen. It can run a variety of sets, which range from bulky sets to offensive wallbreaking sets to even a decent Choice Scarf set. It's this versatility combined with recent metagame trends that make it a solid threat. Here is a team that showcases Jumbao and how well it can perform in the metagame.

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LucarioOfLegends - Mega Crucibelle

I think CAP has reached a point of really solid balance, where almost any playstyle or niche Pokémon choice could be used to great effect, except for a few truly unviable souls.

What makes CAP so great in my opinion is how much innovation you can see every time you go to play. While each tier is always in a state of evolution, I feel that CAP's evolution state is heavily accelerated, simply because of how often its updated with the introduction of a new Pokémon or something like CAP updates. And while there are a few staples on quite a few teams, such as Mega Crucibelle, Choice Scarf Volkraken, and Steelium Z Zygarde, you can also find some much less common stuff in play like Choice Victini, Mega Camerupt in Trick Room, Gastrodon, WishPass Kerfluffle, and so many more.

I don't make the most interesting teams out there, but here is a team testing a core between Mega Crucibelle and Tornadus-T. Mega Crucibelle is a very strong Pokémon thanks to its great offensive stats, and it's commonly known to be using Head Smash and Gunk Shot to deal massive amounts of damage to opposing foes. It can serve as a great Stealth Rock setter as well, since it can force a lot of switches. Tornadus-T, the 'mon that I paired it with, has shown itself recently as a really incredible Defogger and can form a pretty useful VoltTurn core with Mega Crucibelle. Tornadus-T serves as a great check for Grounds, which otherwise slaughter Mega Crucibelle, and can hit them with powerful Hurricanes while Mega Crucibelle can help deal with Electric-types like Tapu Koko. These two are 'mons I've really fallen in love with as of late, and it is a core that is certainly to be reckoned with.

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snake_rattler - Fidgit

One unique playstyle in CAP that's particularly effective is Trick Room. Fidgit's ability Persistent extends Trick Room by 2 whole turns, which might not sound that important, but two more turns for Trick Room attackers to punch holes in the opposing team is very significant. Setting up with Swords Dance Crawdaunt, Alolan Marowak, Mega Mawile, and Tapu Bulu is safer because you get more turns of boosted power. Add onto the fact that with this extra freedom, secondary setters like Magearna, Slowking, and Cyclohm are arguably better picks than Uxie and Cresselia. Additionally, it's viable to run a team with two setters and a Choice Scarf user, which can be more useful than a third setter in some cases. In any case, Trick Room becomes a flexible playstyle just with Fidgit on the team, but Fidgit is even more useful because it has access to both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, giving the team both speed control and hazard control in one bulky Pokemon.

Bulky Fidgit can take on most leads, tanking many super effective hits and activating Iapapa Berry for later. However, Slowking takes on strong Fire-types like Volkraken and Focus Blast. Slowking's Future Sight puts even more pressure on the opposing team, and Psychium Z can circumvent the lack of a consistent Psychic-type STAB attack otherwise. Tapu Bulu is a Ground-type check and weakens Earthquake with Grassy Terrain. Kartana usually sweeps after Slowking and Fidgit go down.

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Come and Join Us!

While this has been a pretty thorough guide to what's going on right now in the Create-A-Pokémon Project, I have still yet to highlight everything that is going on. We just finished our Playtest Tournament for CAP24, and Rat With Wings was the winner! Watch the replays here, and don't forget to sign up for the CAP Tournament to test your skills. We create our own pre-evolutions as well, and the process for Jumbao's pre-evolution is going on right now. You can help out the crew with making the models for these Pokémon in the the CAP 3D Modeling Project thread. We're always looking for ways to improve and grow, so find what you love about the Create-A-Pokémon Project and get out there!

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