I will make a series of post about the dark types of ZU tio check the pros and cons of each of them to see if they are (or will ever be) worth using in PU or not
Also sorry if the english is bad at some places it isn't my first language
Cacturn
This noctural cactus will be the first one to be covered in this series. Now, without further ado, lets check the pros and cons of Cactus Mccoy over here.
Pros:
1-Ability
Although cacturne has a banned ability called sand veil, it also has a hidden ability named water absorb. Even if it already resist water moves, being able to get no effect from them instead is even better. This makes pokemon like bruxish completely unable to hit cacturne with its STAB moves (without having to tera). It also prevents other water pokemons that, even if they would do not very effective, would still hit hard like floatzel, tauros-A, the already mentionned bruxish and kingdra by switching into them and regaining some HP by doing so.
2- movepool
You cannot deny that looking at cacturn's movepool can make any trainer daydream. It has good moves like knock off, trailblaze, dark pulse, nasty plot, sword dance, switcheroo, spikes, sucker punch, spiky shield, leech seed, giga drain, drain punch and taunt are the main examples. So many versatile set can be cooked on that pokemon with the right mind and the right imagination.
Now lets talk about the cons
1-stats
At first glance, his attack and special attack stats are good with both having 115. But here is the problem. It is very rare that a pokemon will use both attack and special attack moves in its set because it is better to just focus your evs on one of the two. Same for the defense and sepcial defense. Now, you might say that both being at 115 makes it versatile and that is true. The problem here is that we you choose one, the others becomes high for nothing. Then, you realise that cacturn has terrible speed and is not fat nor bulky at all. The only stat that goes higher than 60 is his HP with 70 (which isn't even that good either in the first place). Now, this brings me to his second con.
2-competitions
Let me start by saying that competition might be the worst con for a pokemon to have because no matter how good a pokemon is, if another pokemon does what it can do wayyyy better than it, then there is no reason to use it. Cacturne faces alot of competitons. Not only from other dark types, but mostly from other grass types. The likes of decidueye, rotom-mow, venusaur and wo-chien (which has the same dual type of cacturne), shaymin, sceptile, decidueye hisui, virizion and whimsicott are all wayyy better as grass types than cacturne. I did say that cacturne has many versatile sets that can be made, but pretty much all of the ones that you will make will have another pokemon that does the same but much better.
3- typing
This one is a bit of a nitpick and other pokemons that have the dual types grass/dark can still be good like Zarude. But, it is still worth mentionning that it has one the most weaknesses out of all dual types in the game. Again, not much, but still think it is worth the mention.
Conclusion?
Unfortunately, there is absolutly no reason to use cacturne. It is outclassed by way too much pokemons and his cons overcome his pros. I will also add that i don't think that cacturne will ever find a place in the gen 9 PU meta. All there is to do is wish good luck in the future generations to our favorite cactus.
Coming soon next up will not be honchcrow since i will finish with that freaking bird last as i have ALOT to say about it compared to the others. So, next up will then be houndoom!
Stay tuned!
Also sorry if the english is bad at some places it isn't my first language
Cacturn
This noctural cactus will be the first one to be covered in this series. Now, without further ado, lets check the pros and cons of Cactus Mccoy over here.
Pros:
1-Ability
Although cacturne has a banned ability called sand veil, it also has a hidden ability named water absorb. Even if it already resist water moves, being able to get no effect from them instead is even better. This makes pokemon like bruxish completely unable to hit cacturne with its STAB moves (without having to tera). It also prevents other water pokemons that, even if they would do not very effective, would still hit hard like floatzel, tauros-A, the already mentionned bruxish and kingdra by switching into them and regaining some HP by doing so.
2- movepool
You cannot deny that looking at cacturn's movepool can make any trainer daydream. It has good moves like knock off, trailblaze, dark pulse, nasty plot, sword dance, switcheroo, spikes, sucker punch, spiky shield, leech seed, giga drain, drain punch and taunt are the main examples. So many versatile set can be cooked on that pokemon with the right mind and the right imagination.
Now lets talk about the cons
1-stats
At first glance, his attack and special attack stats are good with both having 115. But here is the problem. It is very rare that a pokemon will use both attack and special attack moves in its set because it is better to just focus your evs on one of the two. Same for the defense and sepcial defense. Now, you might say that both being at 115 makes it versatile and that is true. The problem here is that we you choose one, the others becomes high for nothing. Then, you realise that cacturn has terrible speed and is not fat nor bulky at all. The only stat that goes higher than 60 is his HP with 70 (which isn't even that good either in the first place). Now, this brings me to his second con.
2-competitions
Let me start by saying that competition might be the worst con for a pokemon to have because no matter how good a pokemon is, if another pokemon does what it can do wayyyy better than it, then there is no reason to use it. Cacturne faces alot of competitons. Not only from other dark types, but mostly from other grass types. The likes of decidueye, rotom-mow, venusaur and wo-chien (which has the same dual type of cacturne), shaymin, sceptile, decidueye hisui, virizion and whimsicott are all wayyy better as grass types than cacturne. I did say that cacturne has many versatile sets that can be made, but pretty much all of the ones that you will make will have another pokemon that does the same but much better.
3- typing
This one is a bit of a nitpick and other pokemons that have the dual types grass/dark can still be good like Zarude. But, it is still worth mentionning that it has one the most weaknesses out of all dual types in the game. Again, not much, but still think it is worth the mention.
Conclusion?
Unfortunately, there is absolutly no reason to use cacturne. It is outclassed by way too much pokemons and his cons overcome his pros. I will also add that i don't think that cacturne will ever find a place in the gen 9 PU meta. All there is to do is wish good luck in the future generations to our favorite cactus.
Coming soon next up will not be honchcrow since i will finish with that freaking bird last as i have ALOT to say about it compared to the others. So, next up will then be houndoom!
Stay tuned!
