*GASP* AN ADV ZU VR UPDATE???
First, I want to announce our two newest council members, missangelic and Scizornite. We're happy to have both of you on the team and cannot wait for the future. Speaking of, our newest VR update has finally landed. This update includes all the metagame development since Gold Rush, ZU Classic, and ZU Open. Below, I've shared a screenshot of the rises and drops. I will not take the time to go into detail on all of them, but I will discuss the more substantial shifts in VR. Our sample teams are also being updated and will be completed soon.
A ---> S
Mightyena was initially touted as a decent physically defensive wall and dug in a niche despite facing competition from Tropius. Its access to Heal Bell made it our only physically defensive Heal Bell user, pivotal in a metagame mainly consisting of physical attackers. Then, people started experimenting with more physical variants such as Choice Band, max Attack, special attacking, etc. This all led to perhaps Mightyena's most significant set, Howl. In conjunction with Heal Bell, Howl allows Mightyena excellent staying power against slower Pokemon. Mightyena is bulky enough to use Howl once or twice and strong enough to 2HKO most physically defensive Pokemon. This set has found a home on almost every team archetype. Mightyena has solidified itself as one of the best Pokemon in the metagame.
C ---> B-
Onix was thrown away after previously proving itself to be a solid check to Flaaffy and Aipom. Then, during the later rounds of Gold Rush, it regained momentum, demonstrating its usefulness as an attacker and Normal-type resist. With access to excellent STAB, Explosion, and base 70 Speed, it seems like the perfect A tier. However, its poor base attack means Onix struggles to use all its tools efficiently. Onix requires a moderate amount of chip damage on more physically defensive Pokemon like Koffing or Mightyena to remove them with Explosion. Moreover, it drops to most special and mixed attackers thanks to the abundant use of Hidden Power Grass.
B- ---> C
When sleep was banned, Butterfree lost considerable viability. However, it could hang onto its position in the Bs because of its Sub Petaya sweeper set and its access to Stun Spore. Unfortunately, Butterfree struggles to find any opportune times to set up. It's too weak to force any switches and too slow to reliably clean. It's wholly outclassed as a pinch-berry user. Butterfree's one saving grace is its access to Stun Spore and Morning Sun, which allows it to function on Paraspam teams.
Spoink no longer has any conceivable use in ADV ZU. It loses to Ponyta, gets crippled with Toxic by Quilava, its bulk is subpar, and so is its speed. It all boils down to just using Abra instead.
Let's Talk About Clamperl
I'd like to start by saying that these are my own opinions and do not reflect those of the council as a whole. Clamperl is certainly not broken, unhealthy, or suspect-worthy. When I see this Pokemon, it reminds me of Frozen ZU Wailmer. It was the king of trading with your opponent. If you're lucky or have a solid MU, you might even claim another Pokemon. It seemed like a crazy advantage and cemented itself as an excellent lead. Clamperl, on the other hand, is the same way. Except it does not have to use Self-Destruct to claim two Pokemon. This sounds pretty broken on paper, and it may seem overwhelming in practice. However, Clamperl can only function to its highest degree on ParaSpam teams. It needs some setup to succeed, and it can struggle to find this setup, thanks to the popularity of Heal Bell. Additionally, its poor speed, HP, and special defense make it easy for special attackers to remove it. Clamperl is so good because it has no safe counters, and the meta leans more heavily into Physical Attackers. I do not see Clamperl as encompassing, unbeatable, or warping. I think it's just strong.
