Pokémon You Should Use in OU and Why: Part II

Introduction

Though the Pokémon in the OverUsed tier are supposed to be an accurate representation of the best Pokémon in the OU metagame, that is not always the case. There exist a myriad of Pokémon that do not hold the distinction of being OU but are plenty viable in the tier. This article will discuss some of the Pokémon that reside in UU or below, the sets that they should be running in OU, and why they are viable enough to deserve the OverUsed designation.

Mega Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite: Ability: Pressure; EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe; Jolly Nature; - Stone Edge; - Aerial Ace; - Aqua Tail; - Fire Fang / Taunt

Mega Aerodactyl is a pretty rare sight in a tier filled with powerful Mega Evolutions, such as Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, and Mega Diancie. However, while using Mega Aerodactyl comes with opportunity cost, it more than makes up for that with its ability to act as both an early-game wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner. A base 135 Attack stat backed by Tough Claws, base 150 Speed that allows it to outspeed almost the entire metagame, and the wide variety of coverage moves shown above make Mega Aerodactyl an underrated offensive powerhouse in the OU tier. It shows its wallbreaking and cleaning prowess in this WCoP match between Steve Angello and bro fist, where Steve Angello's Mega Aerodactyl swiftly took out bro fist's Talonflame and Starmie, leaving no chance of a comeback for bro fist.

While the listed set is the most common one, Mega Aerodactyl can fulfill a variety of other niches. It can use Hone Claws to be an excellent win condition. It can use Pursuit to trap and KO offensive threats such as Gengar, Starmie, Latios, and Latias. It can even use Defog to remove entry hazards if need be! Don't forget its other coverage options, either, such as Earthquake for Steel-types and Ice Fang for both Garchomp and Landorus-T. Due to Mega Aerodactyl's sheer power and versatility, it's clear to see why it deserves the OU designation.

Dragalge

Dragalge @ Draco Plate / Black Sludge: Ability: Adaptability; EVs: 228 HP / 252 SpA / 28 Spe; Modest Nature; - Draco Meteor; - Sludge Wave; - Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire; - Toxic Spikes

Why would you use Dragalge as an offensive Dragon-type in a tier where Latios and Latias roam free? That answer lies in three important attributes: insane defensive capabilities, Adaptability, and Toxic Spikes. Unlike its legendary brethren, Dragalge has a great defensive typing and more bulk, which net it a spot as a tank on several teams. That Poison typing and massive Special Defense make it a Dragon that can reliably beat Fairy-types, a feat that no other Dragon-types can boast! Thanks to Adaptability, its Draco Meteor is even more powerful than that of Life Orb Latios, making Dragalge the superior wallbreaker.

What makes Dragalge most unique, however, is its access to Toxic Spikes. The entry hazard was unheard of in XY, as Mega Venusaur, Tentacruel, airborne Pokémon, and entry hazard removers that are immune to Toxic Spikes were commonplace. With Flying-types and grounded Poison-types not as popular as they once were, Dragalge occupies a unique niche as a dedicated Toxic Spikes setter that can come in and set it up multiple times each game. An example of Toxic Spikes Dragalge in action is this WCoP match between -Tsunami- and daftmau5, where -Tsunami-'s Dragalge quickly eradicates daftmau5's Hippowdon and Keldeo with the combination of its wallbreaking and poison damage. Dragalge can even forgo Toxic Spikes completely for a Choice Specs set capable of OHKOing the likes of Mew, Zapdos, and Keldeo, making it a prime choice on a team of any archetype.

Feraligatr

Feraligatr @ Life Orb: Ability: Sheer Force; EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe; Jolly Nature; - Dragon Dance; - Waterfall; - Crunch / Ice Punch; - Superpower / Ice Punch

With Mega Charizard X and Mega Gyarados sitting tall among the kings of the OU tier, Feraligatr sometimes struggles to differentiate from them. Mega Charizard X has arguably better coverage than Feraligatr as well as a better defensive typing, granting it an easier time setting up a Dragon Dance and ultimately sweeping the opposing team. The same goes for Mega Gyarados; its titanic bulk, Intimidate before it Mega Evolves, and access to STAB Crunch afford it more opportunities to come in and attempt a sweep.

There's one problem with those two, however: both of them are Mega Evolutions. On balanced and bulky offense teams that have already filled their Mega slot, Feraligatr becomes an extremely viable alternative. Its STAB Waterfall actually hits harder than that of Mega Gyarados thanks to the additional boosts from Sheer Force and Life Orb. While Feraligatr isn't the bulkiest Pokémon, its Water typing still allows it to set up on a large portion of the metagame. [K-12] The Machine utilized Feraligatr well in his WCoP match against Nelson, taking out Nelson's Ferrothorn and Talonflame mid-game to allow his Mega Scizor to clean up. Although Feraligatr may not be the first choice when it comes to a mid- and late-game sweeper, it proves its worth with its sheer power and lack of opportunity cost.

Suicune

Suicune @ Leftovers: Ability: Pressure; EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA; Bold Nature; - Calm Mind; - Scald; - Rest; - Sleep Talk / Roar

Arguably, Clefable and Mega Slowbro have usurped Suicune's position as the prime Calm Mind user in the OU environment. With Clefable's access to Magic Guard, Unaware, and two reliable recovery moves in Wish and Soft-Boiled, as well as Mega Slowbro's gargantuan Defense and access to Slack Off, it's not hard to see why these two get more usage. Even Manaphy is an arguably better Calm Mind user, as it has better Special Attack and Speed, and it doesn't need to rely on RestTalk thanks to the combination of Rain Dance and Hydration. However, Suicune's flagship Calm Mind set is still just as effective as it has always been, and the emergence of Roar has given it a way to fend off Pokémon that wall it.

While Unaware Clefable is vulnerable to residual damage and Magic Guard Clefable fears boosted physical attacks, Suicune does not care about either one thanks to Rest keeping it clear of status ailments and Scald fending off physical sweepers. Suicune also has a much better defensive typing than Mega Slowbro does, meaning that Suicune can attempt to set up earlier in the game due to having fewer offensive checks. Suicune's bulk is also superior to that of Manaphy, and it isn't a sitting duck when rain is not active. Most importantly, Suicune can actually beat Pokémon that wall it thanks to Roar, as seen in this WCoP match between Sand Castle and Darkdevil. While the match was even for almost its entirety, Sand Castle's Suicune put Darkdevil in a checkmate position by phazing his Clefable. Don't think for a second that Suicune is not a good Calm Mind user—it has all it needs to set itself apart from Clefable, Mega Slowbro, and Manaphy.

Tangrowth

Tangrowth @ Assault Vest: Ability: Regenerator; EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD; Sassy Nature; - Leaf Storm; - Knock Off; - Earthquake; - Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice / Ancient Power / Rock Slide

Tangrowth might seem like a worse version of Mega Venusaur or Ferrothorn, and it's not difficult to see why, as its lack of a secondary defensive typing greatly reduces the number of Pokémon that it can check. Both Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn can switch into Bug-types, Poison-types, Ice-types, and Fairy-types much more easily than Tangrowth can; Mega Venusaur can also take on Fire-types while Ferrothorn can demolish Flying-types. Tangrowth also can't switch into Water-types as well as it would like because it uses physical moves, making a Scald burn potentially costly.

However, because Leaf Storm is a special attack, an untimely Scald burn is not the end of the world for Tangrowth. Moreover, with Assault Vest equipped, Tangrowth actually becomes more specially bulky than Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn, allowing it to act as a better check to Electric- and Water-types. It also doesn't kill your team's momentum when it needs to recover health; thanks to Regenerator, it can switch out at will to keep itself healthy and help you maintain offensive pressure against your opponent's team. Tangrowth's lack of a secondary typing also lets it check Ground-types very well, making it one of the best counters to sand offense. PDC showed this to good effect in his WCoP match against Kirigakure, with his Tangrowth beating Kirigakure's Excadrill with ease in addition to shutting down his opponent's Keldeo. Keep in mind that different teams need different attributes, so if you desire momentum and a sand check over a Pokémon with multiple resistances, Tangrowth may be exactly what you're looking for.

Conclusion

If you're building a team and cannot decide what Pokémon fits best on it, you might find the ideal member here in the lower tiers. OU is supposed to comprise the most viable Pokémon in the game, and although that's typically the case, there are just some Pokémon that don't get the usage that they deserve. The given examples are not the only underrated Pokémon, either—Hydreigon, Mamoswine, Reuniclus, Slowking, and Mega Beedrill are some other overlooked Pokémon that are viable enough for the OU designation. Get out there and put some of these lower tier Pokémon on your team; they will not disappoint.

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