B+UP 6Writer: Fusion
Editor: Terradude
Art: Didge
Pokémon Pick: Ninjask
Baton Pass is one of the most useful support moves in the game. Not only does it allow you to switch out, any stat boosts you've obtained are given to the Pokémon you switch to. Combined with stat-boosting moves, abilities, and items, you can boost already-powerful teammates to unimaginable levels. Today we look at one of the best Baton Pass users in the game, Ninjask.
Typing: Bug/Flying is not a good typing right now, for reasons I've stated in the past. However, Ninjask is commonly used as a lead, which allows it to be out before Stealth Rock. If you're going to use it as support instead, make sure to partner it with something using Rapid Spin (Ninjask doesn't care about Spikes, so don't worry about that).
Stats: 160 base speed. One. Hundred. Sixty. Short of the Speed Forme of Deoxys, Ninjask is the fastest Pokémon available, and with its ability it quickly surpasses the aforementioned Deoxys. Ninjask also packs a respectable 90 attack, but all of its other stats are sacrificed for that speed.
Moves: Ninjask's primary role is to use Baton Pass to boost the rest of the team. Using Swords Dance, it fulfills this role admirably (with Speed Boost, Agility is redundant). Protect and/or Substitute can be used to delay the opponent and buy time to kick in Ninjask's ability. If you want to put some offensive capability on Ninjask for it to defend itself against Taunt, you have Slash, X-Scissor, and Aerial Ace.
Ability: Speed Boost is the only ability Ninjask has, but it's a pretty good one. Gaining a level of speed every turn makes it even more effective at using Baton Pass.
Summary: Ninjask is extremely reliable to send out as a lead, and also fulfills an effective support role.
Fail of the Week: Shedinja
It turns out there's a lot of ways to damage a Pokémon without directly attacking it. Status effects such as poison, burns, and confusion. Weather such as sand and hail. Spikes and Stealth Rock. Abilities such as Rough Skin and Aftermath.Of course, the one Pokémon that focuses solely on avoiding direct attacks as much as possible suffers for that.
Typing: Bug/Ghost is a unique typing, but it's not exactly a perfect one. The Bug partial typing leaves you vulnerable to Stealth Rock and Stone-Edge as well as Fire moves, while the Ghost partial typing leaves you vulnerable to common moves like Shadow Ball and Pursuit. Two immunities is nice, though.
Stats: Shedinja has the lowest total stats of any fully-evolved Pokémon, even lower than Smeargle's 250. The main culprit for this is the HP stat; it starts at one, ends at one, and permanently remains one. The other stats don't look too hot either; besides an attack of 90, none of Shedinja's stats break 50.
Moves: Even not factoring in Baton Pass, Shedinja's movepool still pales in comparison to Ninjask. It still gets X-Scissor, but requires a TM to get it (unlike Ninjask, which gets it naturally). For the Ghost side, you have Shadow Sneak, which gets past the issue of Shedinja's terrible speed, in addition to Sucker Punch. You also have Night Slash and Shadow Claw in case you want to try your luck with critical hits.
Ability: Wonder Guard seems good in theory, with its user unable to take damage from moves that aren't super-effective. Unfortunately, Wonder Guard doesn't take protect against anything that isn't a direct attack; status effects, entry hazards, and weather will go right through it. Clefable's Magic Guard protects against such things, and is a better ability in almost every way.
Summary: Shedinja has an interesting concept behind it, but it just doesn't work as well as it should in practice.
The List of Things That KO ShedinjaFire-type moves
Flying-type moves
Rock-type moves
Ghost-type moves
Dark-type moves
Any move other than Normal or Fighting-type used with Mold Breaker
Struggle
Destiny Bond
Future Sight
Doom Desire
Colesseum/XD Shadow moves
Poison damage
Burn damage
Self-inflicted damage from confusion
Leech Seed
Sandstorm damage
Hail damage
Spikes
Stealth Rock
Ghost-type Curse damage
Nightmare
Recoil damage
Aftermath
Rough Skin
Liquid Ooze
Bad Dreams
Next week, I look at an underrated Water dual-type from the GSC era (sorry Terra, it's not Qwilfish... yet), and one my initial enthusiasm for has waned.
