The Dark Side of OU

Introduction

Pokémon X and Y introduced a significant number of mechanic changes, such as Electric-types gaining an immunity to paralysis, Defog clearing entry hazards from both sides of the field, and the auto-weather summoning abilities no longer summoning permanent weather. Most of all, one of the more important changes was that Steel-types lost their resistances to Ghost- and Dark-type moves. It doesn't sound like much at first, since Steel-types still have a plethora of resistances, and they're still highly valued as defensive presences to this day, but Ghost- and Dark-types, as well as moves of these types, suddenly became much more viable, sparking a sharp rise in usage. Now one would think that Ghost- and Dark-types would be on equal footing because of this, but it's actually Dark-types that are the dominant type between the two for a number of reasons. For one, Dark-types are the only types in the game to resist opposing Ghost- and Dark-type moves, meaning they became more viable both offensively and defensively. Another reason was because an old move, Knock Off, received two buffs; first, its base power rose to 65, making it the go-to replacement for Night Slash, and secondly, its mechanics changed so that it becomes 50% stronger when the target is holding an item, making it almost as strong as Earthquake. In BW, there were Dark-types that already had potential, but needed just a little push to be viable in OU, and now they find a home there thanks in part to Knock Off. It's been a long road for Dark-types, as they didn't get the appreciation that Steel-types got for four generations in a row, but those times have changed, and Dark-types are all the hype when it comes to offense. Sure, there are other powerful offensive types, but Dark is one of those types that has reached a very high state of popularity, often being called the best offensive type in the game, and it's really hard to argue with that statement. But enough of this intro, it's time I show you the dark side of OU.

Bisharp

Typing: Dark / Steel
Stats: 65 / 125 / 100 / 60 / 70 / 70

We're gonna start this off with one of the bigger names of OU. Here we have Darth Bisharp, one of the most important Pokémon in the entire metagame that has many important niches and strengths. However, things weren't always like this. In Generation V, he really suffered from his lack of strong coverage moves, with the strongest viable one being Brick Break, and also lacked a significantly powerful STAB attack, with Sucker Punch and Iron Head being the strongest moves, both with a somewhat lacking 80 base power. His inability to hit Steel-types hard and lack of powerful STAB attacks were really what held him back during BW, and thus his place in OU was very limited. But he's received several buffs this generation, and is arguably the Pokémon that benefited the most when it came to mechanic buffs; everything about OU nowadays just seems like it falls in Bisharp's favor so perfectly that it's somewhat unsettling.

First off, he has Defiant, which previously was only used for punishing Intimidate Pokémon when they switched in, but now has much greater use in punishing those who use Defog. While Defog's main use is removing entry hazards, it also has the effect of lowering a target's evasion, which activates Defiant and shoots Bisharp up to +2 Attack; top that off with a possible Swords Dance or Choice Band boost, and you have an absolute wrecking ball on your hands. Another factor that led to Bisharp's rise in popularity was the Steel-type nerf. In the past, Steel-types were basically a hard counter to Bisharp, which drastically effected his viability in OU, and since most OU-viable Steel-types didn't take too much damage from his Brick Break, healed more damage than inflicted, or KOed him before they took a hit from him, they had relatively no trouble checking or even countering him. With Dark-type moves now hitting Steel-types neutrally, sweeping is no longer cut short by Scizor, Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and most Steel-types in general. Speaking of Steel-types, Bisharp is the only Steel-type in the metagame to not lose his resistances to Ghost- and Dark-type moves, since he himself is a Dark-type, giving him a niche over other offensive Steel-types. Finally, having two of the best physical Dark-type moves in the game greatly compliments his sweeping prowess, with Knock Off taking out bulkier foes and knocking off their item, and Sucker Punch taking out faster and frailer foes that would otherwise threaten Bisharp. With all of these factors, it easily checks and counters many dangerous foes such as Aegislash, Deoxys-S, Deoxys-D, Clefable, Tyranitar, Gengar, Kyurem-B, Latios, Latias, and Terrakion, with super effective moves, and can threaten Defog users such as Scizor, Mandibuzz, Skarmory, and Zapdos after a Defiant boost. His unique combination of traits can't be replicated by any other Pokémon, at least not to the degree that Bisharp is capable of, and this easily solidifies Bisharp as a top-tier threat.

So with all of this said, is Bisharp truly broken? Far from it, my friends. He unfortunately (in my case, fortunately) has a fair share of flaws that can easily hold him back in a battle. For one thing, Bisharp's low Speed will usually prevent him from consistently sweeping teams, as base 70 Speed is far from what almost any sensible person would call fast. Most sweepers have at the very least base 100 Speed, but just 70 leaves Bisharp outsped by a wide variety of OU threats including but not limited to: Mega Charizard X and Y, Deoxys-S, Landorus, Excadrill, Garchomp, Keldeo, Talonflame, Mega Venusaur, Heatran, Terrakion, Mamoswine, Rotom-W, and many, many more. It's true that he can use Sucker Punch to outspeed foes, but if the opponent doesn't attack, then you basically give them a free turn to do whatever they want, which can be a heavy price to pay when the enemy switches out, inflicts Bisharp with status, heals off damage, lays down entry hazards, or sets up with Swords Dance and such. Another fatal flaw is his Steel typing, as it leaves him with very common Fire- and Ground-type weaknesses, not to mention a devastating 4x weakness to Fighting-type moves. Players are also wise not to use Defog or switch in a Pokémon with Intimidate while Bisharp is still alive, so he finds himself battling without a useful ability more often than you'd think. Finally, his power can also be surprisingly lacking at times due to his reliance on attacks with middling power, with Knock Off going back to a somewhat lousy 65 base power after the enemy loses their item, and the rest of his attacks reaching no higher than 80 base power.

Bisharp's flaws are notable, but his combination of strengths easily makes him one of the most feared Pokémon in OU, and these are strengths that must always be considered when teambuilding.

Greninja

Typing: Water / Dark
Stats: 72 / 95 / 67 / 103 / 71 / 122

One of the most popular Pokémon that XY brought us, Greninja has made quite a splash OU. Having a superb ability in Protean that grants him STAB on all attacks, coverage in Extrasensory, Ice Beam, and Grass Knot, and a respectable base 103 Special Attack, it's easy to see just how threatening he can be in terms of offensive presence. His base 122 Speed is a godsend to Greninja, as he can outspeed many fast threats, such as Tornadus-T, Alakazam, Thundurus, Latios, and Keldeo, and is capable of hitting every one of them hard. His ability to change his type allows him to circumvent many checks and counters, such as Breloom, by altering his weaknesses and then choosing the right attack to KO back. Being one of the fastest Dark-types in the game is amazing, and his base 95 Attack is also usable, so he can surprise a foe by using physical attacks to hit special walls, though his Attack stat usually sees usage in U-turn and little else. He even works as an offensive user of (Toxic) Spikes, and Taunt, though these moves are usually used on rarely seen surprise sets, much like physically attacking sets.

Greninja has quite a lot going for him, but he has his fair share of flaws that hold him back in battle. First, his case of four-moveslot syndrome is rather frustrating to deal with: if he lacks Extrasensory, then Mega Venusaur has no issues with taking any hits from him; the absence of Grass Knot lets Azumarill switch in for free; and without Hidden Power Fire, Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn can easily set up on him. In fact, some people actually replace Dark Pulse with a coverage option, so sometimes Greninja isn't even a Dark-type at all! Sadly, no amount of coverage in the world can save him from Chansey and Clefable, two very bulky special walls, where the prior can sponge hits all day and paralyze with Thunder Wave, and the latter can set up with Calm Mind, heal off the damage, and KO with a powerful Moonblast. Greninja also doesn't really have the luxury of safe switches, as he loses so much health to even resisted hits, and when you consider Life Orb recoil and entry hazard damage, Greninja's lifespan is usually very short, especially when facing bulky offense.

While there are many foes that can easily defeat teams that use Greninja unwisely, there are just as many if not more foes that fall prey to our ninja star.

Gyarados (Mega)

Typing: Water / Dark
Stats: 95 / 155 / 109 / 70 / 130 / 81

Before obtaining his Mega Evolution, Gyarados was a rather underwhelming Pokémon in the first two generations he was in. His lack of a physical STAB attack left him with few options to threaten enemies with, and his Special Attack has never been that good, so mixed sets were of little use when compared to other, more viable Pokémon. When ADV came out, he obtained Taunt and Dragon Dance, which provided him a niche as a Dragon Dancer that could take on stall teams surprisingly well. But Gyarados was still lacking a physical STAB Attack outside of Hidden Power Flying to throw around, so he couldn't hit things as hard as he would have liked. Then DPPt came out, and that's when Gyarados truly started to shine. With the introduction of the physical / special split, Gyarados received a physical STAB attack in Waterfall to utilize, and his Dragon Dance set became much more effective as a result. When BW came out, Gyarados received one of the most powerful offensive abilities in the game in Moxie, which made offensive sets incredibly dangerous to face, as one couldn't sack a teammate to safely switch a Pokémon in, lest they wished to power Gyarados up further. With rain as the most dominant weather-based playstyle, it was easier to get Moxie boosts, thus have a snowball effect kicking in with absurdly powerful Waterfalls to sweep teams. When XY came along, Gyarados obtained what some people feared and others rejoiced over; a Mega Evolution.

Mega Gyarados is known as one of the bulkiest Dragon Dance sweepers in the entire game, and it's pretty easy to see why. With a great base 155 Attack backed by 95 / 109 / 130 defenses and a possible Intimidate before Mega Evolving, it can be surprisingly easy to set up when facing some top tier physical attackers in the game, such as Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, Excadrill, Garchomp, and Talonflame; after just one boost, he can outspeed (aside from Talonflame's Brave Bird and Dragonite's Extreme Speed) and OHKO all of these threats with the right move. Aside from stats, Mega Gyarados has two ways to set himself apart from his original form. First is his type change, which replaces his Flying typing with a Dark typing, which means that Mega Gyarados loses his Rock- and 4x Electric-type weaknesses and gains Dark- and Ghost-type resistances, as well as a Psychic-type immunity. While this type change makes Mega Gyarados weak to Fighting-, Bug-, Fairy-, and Grass-type moves, it can actually be used against your opponent. For example, say the enemy has a Lucario that wants to fire off a Close Combat predicting your Mega Evolution. You can simply hold off on Gyarados's Mega Evolution and retain the resistances that the Flying typing holds until you see fit, and then you can Mega Evolve after getting a Dragon Dance boost or two; not knowing if Gyarados will Mega Evolve can create mindgames for your opponent, as an incorrect guess will result in either a free turn to set up Dragon Dance or even a KO. The second differentiating trait Mega Gyarados has is Mold Breaker. At first glance, this ability doesn't really serve much use, as not many OU-viable Pokémon have Water-absorbing abilities; landing Earthquake on those with Levitate, such as Rotom-W and Gengar, come to mind immediately, but it does have its alternative uses. For example, Dragonite's Multiscale and Mega Venusaur's Thick Fat fall to Ice Fang, Magic Bounce Espeon can be hit by Taunt, and not even Sturdy nor Unaware can stop Mega Gyarados.

But as I've pointed out earlier, Mega Gyarados suffers somewhat due to his type change. What once were resistances to Fighting and Bug will become weaknesses, as Pokémon that Gyarados could once counter have the tables turned on him: (Mega) Scizor, Conkeldurr, Keldeo, Mega Medicham, and pretty much every other Bug- and Fighting-type in the game can threaten Mega Gyarados with their STAB attacks. Another flaw to Mega Gyarados is choosing when exactly to Mega Evolve, since, despite being able to play mindgames before Mega Evolving, Mega Evolution can actually work against you. Let's use that Lucario example again, where Mega Gyarados can hold off on Mega Evolving and get a Dragon Dance boost or two. If you choose not to Mega Evolve, Lucario can actually fire off a Stone Edge and deal lethal damage, and this is an especially hefty price to pay when considering Gyarados has to hold Gyaradosite and not Leftovers. Speaking of Mega Gyarados's defensive typing, it's borderline terrible, as it leaves him weak to Fighting-, Fairy-, Grass-, Electric-, and Bug-type moves, and trust me when I say this, you'll be hard pressed to find a team without one of these offensive types. Mold Breaker's usefulness is also limited, as you'll find Mega Gyarados to basically be without a useful ability more often than you'd think, which is a shame once you realize Gyarados loses Intimidate and Moxie after Mega Evolving. There are also some other Pokémon that give Mega Gyarados a hard time, such as Air Balloon Aegislash, who can use King's Shield to halve Mega Gyarados's Attack and Sacred Sword to easily 2HKO; Azumarill, who can tank a hit or two and fire off a powerful Play Rough; Mega Scizor, who can tank even a +2 Waterfall and proceed to OHKO with Bug Bite; and Breloom, who can take any hit thanks to Focus Sash and either use Spore or fire off a Bullet Seed or Mach Punch.

Mega Gyarados isn't exactly a flawless Pokémon, but he's certainly one of the most powerful sweepers in OU that you have to look out for.

Mandibuzz

Typing: Dark / Flying
Stats: 110 / 65 / 105 / 55 / 95 / 80

Mama Mandibuzz has been around since BW, but her presence in OU at the time wasn't exactly one worth fretting about. While her bulk was great and her access to Foul Play made her a wall that could hit back, she had very little else to offer that other walls couldn't already do. She was actually somewhat of a hindrance, as she had no means of taking on weather, couldn't really benefit from being on a weather team, and just didn't pose a threat to many Pokémon in general. Plus, she was absolutely defenseless against every Steel-type in the game, so Foul Play wasn't even that good of a weapon. But when XY came around, all of that changed, and it changed big time.

First off, her Dark typing is now coveted as a defensive typing, as it provides resistances to the Dark- and Ghost-type moves that are constantly seen these days, and these resistances to Dark- and Ghost-type moves are highly valued thanks to the Steel-type nerf. In fact, it's due to the Steel-type nerf that Mandibuzz remains the sole counter to Aegislash in OU, and that's one helluva niche if I've ever seen one. Next, her ability, Overcoat, now protects her from powder moves, meaning Breloom and Mega Venusaur can't put Mandibuzz to sleep with Spore and Sleep Powder, respectively. But the greatest buff to Mandibuzz is the one of Defog, which drastically improves her utility prowess, as she can rid your team of entry hazards without fear of being blocked by a Ghost-type, unlike Rapid Spinners. Because of all of these traits, Mandibuzz is capable of checking and even countering some of the most threatening sweepers in the entire game, including but not limited to Aegislash, Excadrill, Garchomp, Talonflame, Dragonite, Landorus-T, Breloom, and Diggersby, and with Foul Play, Mandibuzz can punish those that try to raise their Attack, such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Pinsir, Mega Scizor, and Scolipede. Knock Off is also a valued tool for a defensive Pokémon like Mandibuzz, as, while she won't be sweeping teams with it anytime soon, it acts as a great way to cripple your opponent, such as by removing Dragonite's Choice Band, Garchomp's Choice Scarf, or Heatran's Leftovers.

Sadly, our boney buzzard has her fair share of flaws that were present last generation, as well as new flaws this generation, that can really get in the way of walling. First off, Fairy-types are what Steel-types were last generation and then some for Mandibuzz, since not only do they resist Dark-type moves, but they also hit Dark-types supereffectively, so Azumarill and Mega Mawile are now capable of 2HKOing with Play Rough; in Mega Mawile's case, she can actually use Mandibuzz as setup bait with Swords Dance or Substitute. Special attackers in general have a pretty easy time with her, with powerful foes such as Thundurus, Clefable, Greninja, Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, Gengar, and Latios easily able to either set up in her face or flat-out 2HKO her. Foul Play sadly doesn't factor in the enemy's Special Attack stat, so it's generally useless against special attackers that aren't weak to Dark-type moves. Being vulnerable to every status bar sleep from Spore or Sleep Powder doesn't make her job any easier, and a Stealth Rock weakness is rather ironic for a Pokémon that's supposed to clear entry hazards, so her Defog support can be a little shaky at times. Slow Roosts also mean Mandibuzz is stuck with weaknesses to common Electric-, Ice-, and Rock-type moves most of the time, so walling can be difficult. Finally, competition from other physical walls and Defoggers is ever present, with Skarmory, Zapdos, and Latias being prime examples. Skarmory has an arguably better defensive typing despite the Steel nerf, Sturdy as a good fail-safe, an immunity to Toxic, and the ability to stack entry hazards. Zapdos can set up Light Screen and also has great Special Attack to hit foes with, more Speed, Volt Switch to carry offensive momentum, and Thunder Wave to cripple sweepers with. And Latias has much more Speed, high Special Attack, powerful STAB attacks to hit back hard with, and Healing Wish to support teammates.

Mandibuzz has her shortcomings, but the efficiency with which she can take on the Dark- and Ghost-types of the tier is no laughing matter.

Tyranitar

Typing: Rock / Dark
Stats: 100 / 134 / 110 / 95 / 100 / 61

Typing: Rock / Dark
Stats: 100 / 164 / 150 / 95 / 120 / 71

Tyranitar has been one of the defining forces of OU for every generation he's been in, and he will most likely stay that dominant for years to come. His debut in GSC instantly netted him fame and glory as the premier Gengar and Exeggutor killer thanks to Pursuit. His stats, typing, and movepool were crucial elements that aided his rise in popularity. Just when people thought Tyranitar couldn't get any better, ADV came out with all sorts of new toys for Tyranitar to play with. From Sand Stream to strip those not immune to the sand of their Leftovers recovery, Focus Punch to smash Blissey's face in, and Dragon Dance to pull off surprisingly easy sweeps with, Tyranitar was arguably called the best Pokémon in the ADV era. Once again, people started thinking Tyranitar couldn't get any better, but then DP came out, and Tyranitar received an unthinkable buff: Rock-types gained a 50% Special Defense increase when they were in the sand, so Sand Stream once again made Tyranitar an absolute monster in OU. As if that wasn't enough, this was also the generation where the physical / special split occurred, granting Tyranitar physical Crunch, Pursuit, Fire Punch, and Ice Punch. Factor in Tyranitar obtaining of Stealth Rock, Stone Edge and Aqua Tail, and items such as Choice Band and Choice Scarf, and his presence in OU was along the lines of demi-god status. However, when BW came out, people found their demi-god getting no buffs, and the competition around him got buffs of all kinds instead. In a weather-dominated metagame, Tyranitar had some serious competition against rain teams, as they naturally had a type advantage against Tyranitar, and maintaining the weather in a weather war was tough work. When it wasn't the weather at Tyranitar's throat, it was the plethora of Fighting-types swarming in OU, as Pokémon such as Conkeldurr, Lucario, Terrakion, Breloom, Toxicroak, Infernape, and Keldeo could easily OHKO him. But despite the competition, Tyranitar remained one of the best Pokémon in the entire tier and a top-tier threat. So when Generation VI was announced, people were wondering what the deal was gonna be with Tyranitar. Was he going to get buffed or nerfed? Some said he was going to get nerfed when the Fairy-type came around, so with the information given at that point, it was clear that he could have been knocked off of his throne. But when Game Freak announced that Tyranitar was to get a Mega Evolution, it removed any lack of faith people might have had in their once demi-god.

With 100 / 150 / 120 defenses and his Special Defense further boosted by the sand, Mega Tyranitar is easily the bulkiest Dragon Dancer in the entire game, no questions asked. To put Mega Tyranitar's improved bulk into perspective, not even Technician Breloom's Mach Punch can manage to land an OHKO, which truly shows how hard it is to revenge kill this monstrosity. His base 164 Attack is rather intimidating, even without an item to boost its power, and getting a Speed bump to 71 is also nice, letting him outspeed some more Pokémon. But what makes Mega Tyranitar so scary is the fact that regular Tyranitar is still viable, which means you shouldn't always assume that you're fighting Mega Tyranitar. Regular Tyranitar's classic sets are still viable this generation, so Choice Scarf, specially defensive, and Choice Band sets are great ways to surprise you opponent when they expect Mega Tyranitar. Regardless of how he is used, Tyranitar received a buff when Steel-types lost their resistance to Dark-type moves, so you no longer have to carry Earthquake for them and can instead use another coverage option, such as Aqua Tail, Ice Punch, or Fire Punch for the likes of Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Scizor, respectively. Tyranitar in general is capable of taking on some of the top-tier threats that loom in OU, such as Aegislash, Deoxys-D, Mega Mawile, Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Latias, Latios, Kyurem-B, and Scolipede, and can sponge a hit from most of them as well if he needs to set up a Dragon Dance. Between the numerous roles he can play and the effectiveness with which he can execute them, Tyranitar is truly a force to be reckoned with this generation.

But all is not well for Tyranitar, as there are a few obstacles that prevent him from being nigh unstoppable. First and foremost, his numerous weaknesses can get in the way of sweeping and ruin his excellent longevity; 2x weaknesses to Water-, Grass-, Steel-, Bug-, and Fairy-type moves and a 4x Fighting weakness can never be shaken off no matter how much bulk he has, and with old Fighting-types such as Breloom, Conkeldurr, and Terrakion still being rather prominent, Mega Tyranitar can have his sweeps cut short surprisingly easily. Needing a turn to set up Dragon Dance in order to sweep can be a bit of a drag, as threats such as Landorus, Garchomp, Mega Gyarados, Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, Hippowdon, Terrakion, Breloom, and Diggersby can either take him out as he sets up or avoid an OHKO after a boost and 2HKO back. Status is a one-way ticket to a dead setup sweeper unless you have Aromatherapy / Heal Bell support, and burns in particular are the bane of Mega Tyranitar's existence, so Rotom-W and Gengar can really cause headaches. As for walls that can take hits, Quagsire and Clefable quickly come to mind, as they have Unaware to ignore Dragon Dance buffs and can outheal the damage dealt to them. Other physical walls such as Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Heatran can Roar on the setup turn and can take a +1 attack if need be.

It's rough dealing with so many weaknesses, but if you need a bulky Dragon Dancer, Mega Tyranitar is as good as it gets, and you'll most likely be happy you made this choice.

Honorable Mentions

Absol

Typing: Dark
Stats: 65 / 130 / 60 / 75 / 60 / 75

Typing: Dark
Stats: 65 / 150 / 60 / 115 / 60 / 115

Absol has always been a fan favorite among Pokémon fans, and there were apparently enough fans to entice Game Freak into granting him a Mega Evolution. But if you look at Absol's stats and history throughout Pokémon history, you'll find that people liked Absol because he looked cool, not because of his battle worth. In his debut in ADV, Absol was simply awful compared to other Pokémon in the game, since his only usable stat was Attack, and everything else was complete garbage. What's worse, all of Absol's good attacks were special attacks, including his STAB moves, so his offensive capabilities were quite terrible. Then DP came around, and Absol gained physical STAB attacks, with Sucker Punch being a powerful new addition that made Absol a potent revenge killer. Sadly, even powerful priority couldn't save Absol from mediocrity in the higher tiers, and BW was no different. But once Absol received his Mega Evolution, he suddenly found some usefulness in OU. Mega Absol received a significant buff to his Special Attack and Speed, making him a fast mixed attacker that's capable of beating unprepared teams. With the addition of Play Rough in his arsenal combining well with Sucker Punch, Mega Absol obtained near-perfect neutral coverage, and special attacks like Flamethrower and Ice Beam also become a lot more useful. Plus, Mega Absol came with Magic Bounce, protecting him from Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Toxic, and every other status move in the game, which is a big niche over other sweepers. Sadly, Absol can't have Knock Off and Play Rough on the same set, and he also has to run Protect to get a safe opportunity to Mega Evolve, so he pretty much gets only one moveslot to run other moves such as Flamethrower and Sucker Punch, with a Dark-type STAB move and Play Rough being mandatory. Without Flamethrower, Mega Mawile literally craps all over Mega Absol, and without Sucker Punch, he can't get the jump on faster sweepers and Choice Scarf users. Forgoing Protect is not an option either; Mega Absol's terrible defenses become easily exploitable, especially since Sucker Punch alone usually won't KO an attacker unless they're weak to Dark-type moves or have bad defenses. All in all, Mega Absol is pretty good, but he has some major flaws that need serious team support.

Crawdaunt

Typing: Water / Dark
Stats: 63 / 120 / 85 / 90 / 55 / 55

Crawdaunt was a very similar case to Absol in ADV, minus the fan favorite part. His Speed was atrocious, but his Special Attack was usable, and he had a decent enough movepool to use it; nevertheless, Crawdaunt was always begging for a physical STAB attack to work with. Then came DP, and just like Absol, he got some old toys to become physical, but sadly didn't get any new noteworthy toys, so while he became a good wallbreaker in lower tiers, he had no hope of being viable in OU. In BW, he received Adaptability through Dream World, and his STAB attacks became incredibly powerful, which greatly improved wallbreaking, but it still wasn't enough to make him OU viable. When XY came out, he got Aqua Jet and an improved Knock Off, which was just what the doctor ordered. Crawdaunt's offensive power has skyrocketed thanks to Knock Off being a good Dark-type STAB attack and Aqua Jet taking on frail sweepers, and his wallbreaking prowess hasn't been deterred by much either. While Crawdaunt finally has a reason to be used in OU, he still has some major problems that require a good deal of team support. His bulk isn't that good, so he's going to get KOed pretty easily; his Speed is so bad that even most walls can outrun him and heal up before taking a hit, and his role as an Aqua Jet sweeper is taken care of already; Azumarill has actual bulk, a better defensive typing, and Belly Drum over Crawdaunt's Swords Dance, outclassing him overall. Crawdaunt's nuclear Crabhammers and powerful Aqua Jets are enough to earn him a niche in OU, but he just doesn't have enough to really stand out.

Hydreigon

Typing: Dark / Dragon
Stats: 92 / 105 / 90 / 125 / 90 / 98

Ah, poor Hydreigon. He used to be a really good Pokémon in the early days of BW, since he was such a powerful mixed attacker that had no safe switch-ins. His Choice Scarf set was initially among the most tenacious sets in the game for a team to take on, as he could take out every wall in the game with the right attack. However, then people found out that his Choice Scarf set wasn't that good and he faded away into mediocrity. He's been a rather mediocre Pokémon to use ever since his downfall, and despite Steel-types losing their resistance to Dark-type moves, the introduction of the Fairy-type placed the final nail in Hydreigon's coffin. With their resistance to Dark- and Fighting-type moves and their immunity to Dragon-type moves, Fairy-types single-handedly destroyed any chance for Hydreigon to be viable in OU. Sure, Mega Mawile is weak to Fire and doesn't resist Fighting, but she can actually live a Fire Blast and OHKO with Play Rough, so that argument is void. Other than that "exception," Sylveon, Togekiss, Azumarill, and Clefable are capable of taking any hit and easily OHKOing with a STAB Fairy-type move, though they can also spend a free turn setting up or healing up, so Hydreigon is unfortunately a momentum killer when used against teams with Fairy-types. Hydreigon could have been good, but Fairies exist, so any chance at being viable fell faster than a Braviary using Sky Drop on a Groudon with an Iron Ball... and that's saying something.

Weavile

Typing: Dark / Ice
Stats: 70 / 120 / 65 / 45 / 85 / 125

Weavile has always been a good Pokémon to use, even if she's BL right now. Her incredible Speed and Attack were amazing assets to have on a team, as they allowed Weavile to take on every Dragon-type in OU with relative ease, and even if they had a Choice Scarf or were at +1 Speed, she always had a powerful Ice Shard to pick off those that thought they could get the jump on her, which earned her the nickname "Dragon Slayer." If Weavile ever had any flaws, it was her lack of a strong STAB attack, her strongest being Ice Punch, as well as her pitiful defenses. But this generation, the former got changed in the form of Knock Off, becoming her go-to power move that doubled as utility. Unfortunately, her role as a Dragon Slayer has been threatened by Fairies... and I mean actual Fairies. Fairy-types can boast their immunity to Dragon-type moves and hit them super effectively, and even Weavile herself is also on their hitlist due to her Dark typing. She can still boast the right to be called a Dragon Slayer thanks to her excellent power and Speed, as well as her access to Ice Shard, though. There might be Fairy-types to take on Dragons, but there's no Pokémon quite like Weavile, as her uses in OU simply cannot be replicated.

Conclusion

Pokémon has gone through many changes during this generation shift, but none of those changes were quite as impactful as the Steel-type nerf. It made so many Pokémon viable and others unviable, but one thing's for certain: the dark side is nothing to scoff at, and it's an ever-looming force that must be watched out and prepared for.

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