A new main line for the majority Pokemon The game is a chance to fill up a Pokédex, battle your way through a series of gyms, and watch your band of monster friends rise to fame. For a minority, it’s a new dawn in a fiercely competitive scene, as the new Generation 9 Pokémon are tested to their worth in battle on the stage. And it seems Houndstone, the evolved form of it life-stealing good boy Greavardhas already found its way onto the blocked list.
It’s amazing how differently Pokémon battles are perceived by different players. For most, it’s a game of rock, paper, scissors, where you toss attacks back and forth until you hit the ferocious monster and move on. For those in the competitive scene, however, it is an extremely complicated and laborious endeavor where intricate details that everyone else overlooks can be crucial. And then there are the Pokemon that, when played a certain way, just ruin everything.
Alongside Houndstone in this crime, Flutter Mane, a so-called Paradox Pokémon, is an ancient relative of Misdreavus. As game rant reports, Flutter Mane is a Pokemon that just ticks far too many criteria to be a fair feature in battle. It’s Ghost and Fairy, which limits it to just two weaknesses – Ghost and Steel – Resistance to Bug and Immunity to Fighting, Dragon and Normal. To make matters worse (which is already plenty anyway), Flutter Mane is also stacked in Speed and Special Attack. It’s just too much fun to fight and the Smogon Academy
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However, Houndstone is even more extreme. While it offers impressive attack and defense, the problem lies with its signature move, Last Respects. According to Smogon, it’s a Pokemon they wouldn’t have given a second look, even considered for their “Overused” list of most played Pokemon, until Last Respects was noticed.
The strength of the suitably Morbid attack is based on how many other Pokémon in your party have already passed out, gaining 50 BP for each in addition to the initial 50. This means that as your last Pokemon on the team, it can bash enemies at an all-time high of 300 BP. Smogon describes this as “unmanageable,” adding, “Even if there are a few Pokemon left, it can still have a 200 or 250 BP STAB turn.”
That means it hits very, very hard, very fast, and there’s nothing that can really resist it. Due to its game-spoiling nature, it received the banhammer. Bad Dog. In your bed.
There is a repeat option. Should Last Respects become available for another Pokemon, as is apparently assumed, then the specific move is banned and Houndstone is let out of the kennel.
