Hi guys, girls, god of destruction and everything in-between!
Yup, this series has returned. Analysed is part of the things I prefered doing on this forum but for quality reasons, I forced myself to stop. For those who never experienced the good old days of… last year, Analysed was a series where I was picking a Pokémon and describing my feeling about it’s strengh, weaknesses and other things. Those, especially the first ones, were bad. Those were the good times though. Anyway, this time, I will base my analysis on the In-game content instead of the PvP content.
Also, spoiler warning for mid-late game. Am I clear enough?
EARLY-GAME
Magikarp can be obtained in most water pit on routes and such by fishing. You can obtain the Old Rod at route 2 and considering the level of nearby trainers is around 16-17, you can use a Gyarados pretty much right after being done with the School Tournament. However, I HIGHLY recommend you wait until you obtain your secret base. You can enter the safari of someone named “cmp150” in order to get some Magikarp that have good odds of having their hidden ability. This is important, as I feel like Moxie Gyarados is an integral part of it’s viability. Also, if you could have a Jolly Synchronise user in front of your party, that would be nice.
What I would recommend for early game is a sweeper set. That is pretty much what it will use for the rest of the game. Since it’s early game, I won’t address the EV spread yet.
Gyarados @ Sean Incense 1
Ability: Moxie/Intimidate
EVs: N/A
Jolly Nature
-Aqua Tail
-Ice Fang
-Custom Move [Flying / Electric] 2 / Bite
-Dragon Dance 3
You get Aqua Tail at level 35, which is around the Level Cap of Xavier. At least, you get your STAB at the right moment. Ice Fang gives you coverage against Grass and Dragon type. I do recommend the Custom Move, although Bite is still an option. Dragon Dance is the reason why Gyarados is good in the first place.
1: You get the Sea Incense at Koril Town, so that’s conveniant. Too bad you don’t get it before Xavier.
2: Custom Move can be accessed when you enter the Black Market for the first time. It is a kinda physical Hidden Power, but in better. It cost 5000$ to teach it to a Pokémon and can only be at one type. So, if three Pokémon have the custom move, changing the move type will makes it change for all three Pokémon. Gyarados is a fantastic Custom Move user, but Bite is an alternative. Electric gives you Bolt-Beam coverage alongside Aqua Tail but Flying still gives you nice coverage and you get a second STAB.
3: You won’t have Dragon Dance against Xavier unfortunately. Leer is your other optimal option at the time. Yikes.
MID-GAME
You get your Mega Ring. CoNgRaTs! You won’t be able to get Gyarados’s Mega Sone until you obtain Relic Song during the post-game, but you won’t need it anyway. I still think Gyarados is better without it’s mega than with during the playthrough.
My suggested set doesn’t change, probably the custom move does, but that’s not that big of a deal of it is your only Custom Move user. Honestly, it has some likelihood that it is the case.
Gyarados @ Sean Incense / Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Aqua Tail
-Ice Fang / Taunt1
-Custom Move [Flying / Grass]2
-Dragon Dance
1: Taunt has some utility during the mid-game. Such as against Nora in front of the Utira Library alongside Custom Mode Flying. That combo actually works very well. You first use Taunt on the Duablade, setup once or twice, than use Aqua Tail and the Custom move in conjonction to beat all of her Pokémon. As she will Mega Evolve Flygon, it will turn Bug/Dragon so Flying becomes super effective. Taunt is also Good against the Oracle in the library.
2: Custom Move Grass is better against Audrey 1 and 2.
Here, you will see the first use of Taunt + Dragon Dance. As stated early, it is very good in some matchups, where you lead with Gyarados, Taunt, Dragon Dance and wreak through everything. I suggest you use Custom Move Flying for Nora and probably switch for Grass for Audrey and Fire for Anastasia. I’ll explain.
Anastasia is a particularly difficult opponent. However, Aegislash and Metagross can be used as setup fodder. Nearly all of her Pokémon having Air Balloon is ultimately annoying as you can’t have Custom Move Ground, but Custom Move Grass can dispose of Rotom-W or Custom Move Fire can help against the Steels. As for Item, you can use Charcoal to give you an edge. Or, you know, good old Life Orb. Lookout for Aegislash, as Custom Move makes contact with King’s Shield. I suggest you rely on other Pokémon. Well, maybe a Choice Scarf set could be used on weakened Pokémon to bypass the setup trun.
LATE-GAME
Guess what? No big changes here until Taen 3! Unless using Crunch against Diana because honestly, who doesn’t? So instead, I’ll give you some advices.
Gyarados @ Sean Incense / Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Aqua Tail
-Ice Fang / Taunt
-Custom Move [Flying / Grass]
-Dragon Dance
- Don’t use Gyarados against Taen 2. Please.
- Against Zenith 1, carry Custom Move Ground. That way, you can hit Mega Vocaropod for supper effective damage.
- Against Percephone 1, I suggest you setup turn 1. Gyarados does have a nice special bulk: 252+ SpA Zoroark-Mega Night Daze vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados: 166-196 (50.1 - 59.2%) – guaranteed 2HKO.
[u]Dragon Ruin[u]
Dragon Ruin is a special case because it is a double battle. Here, Intimidate can actually give you more chances to shine. You might have two attacks coming right at you on the same turn, so dropping the attack of two physical attacker is a big deal. Unfortunately, it will only be relevant for Salamence, as Metagross carry Clear Body and its last two physical attackers are electric type. What you can do, is the bait stat. Use Gyarados’s intimidate, then switch for Zabstrika to activate Motor Drive or Lightning Rod. Then, Mega Evolve and do your rampage. As long as you get rid of Metagross first, you are in business. Reurka 1, it carry 3 weakness to Fairy and you wall Zekrom thanks to the Electric/Fairy typing. So yeah, the star of this episode is limited as a bait.
- Against Calreath, Gyarados won’t shine. I won’t recommend it.
- Setting up will be hard against Percephone 2, but Hydreigon is probably your best bet.
- You can Taunt Damian’s Deoxys and use it as setup fodder.
- Against Adam, you can use Taunt first turn hoping it doesn’t taunt you. If it make the mistake of using Spikes or Toxic Spikes, you have your setup fodder.
- With all the priorities Jaern uses, sweeping might be difficult.
And now, time for the real thing.
Forgotten One Nyx
As you know it, Nyx is infamous for being a nightmare for unprepared trainers. The battle is an inverted battle, all type affinity is reversed. You can thank me, I have what it takes to win in this case:
Gyarados @ Air Baloon
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Draco Jet
-Ice Fang
-Custom Move [Electric]
-Dragon Dance
I KNOW! I KNOW A FLYING TYPE WITH AIR BALLOON DOESN’T MAKES SENS BUT HEAR ME OUT!
Let’s look at the battle. You will lead:
- Her: Aurorus
- You: Gyarados
Her Aurorus has Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Hyper Voice and most importantly, Earth Power. This is inverted battle, you are resistant to Thunderbolt and weak to Earth Power. Now, Since you have the Air Balloon, you will keep your Ground Immunity for the first turn. It gives you enough time to use Dragon Dance then Ice Fang. Draco Jet will prevent Breloom from using a Super Effective Mach Punch on you, leaving you the time to defeat it before you get hit. You have Custom Move Electric for Garchomp and the Egg while Ice Fang will take care of the rest.
252+ SpA Aurorus Blizzard vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados: 163-193 (49.2 - 58.3%) – 98.4% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Parental Bond Kangaskhan-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Gyarados: 126-149 (38 - 45%) – approx. 3HKO
58+45=103
If Nyx get a max roll on all of her moves, then you will loose Gyarados. Gyarados also won’t do the OHKO on Kangaskan if my calls are alright, but being at +1 means you outspeed her. But more important, Nyx will have spent her Fake Out on Mega Kangaskan. Remember, youwill be down 5 to 5 without her biggest assets, the aforementioned Fake Out. Heck, she could also have sent Breloom or Garchomp early so it could be a 4 vs 5. You still have something to take care of the rest, like a Gengar and/or Choice Scarf Delta Gardevoir. Gyarados can probably not sweep all of this by itself, but it will put you on a great start. That is unless you get frozen by Blizzard.
The Elite 4
If you ever asked me for Elite 4 advices, you know what I think about Gyarados. I am positive, Gyarados is the best non-Uber Pokémon against the E4 in the game (so far). This is the Elite Breaker:
Gyarados @ Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Aqua Tail
-Taunt
-Custom Move [Grass]
-Dragon Dance
Alright, if you want to transform the Elite 4 into the Elite 2, then THIS IS YOUR MUST USE! The only way you can loose is by missing Aqua Tail. So, there you go.
- Moxie is mandatory in this case. If you have Intimidate, you strictly cannot pull this off.
- Life Orb is your best damage increase, however, you will likely be using Aqua Tail a LOT, so Mystic Water or Sea Incense is viable here.
- The spread lets you outspeed all opposing Pokémon at +1 except Eduard’s Sand Rush Excadrill, but since it carry Sandstorm instead of Rock Slide, you counter it with ease.
- Jolly nature is also mendatory because with 252 Speed investment and the +Speed nature, you will have barely enough speed to outspeed Kyla’s +1Spe Blaziken after a Dragon Dance.
- Dragon Dance is the reason why you are using Gyarados. After a boost, you outspeed any threat and you have very strong attacking power. Coupled with Moxie, your Gyarados will spiral out of controll after a K.O. This, lady, gentleman and non-binary people, is the textbook defintion of the snowball effect.
- Taunt is THE tool that allow you to take the advantage. Taunt will block Kyla’s Smeargle by itself and will also prevent Eduard’s Hippodown from hitting you as it has 3 status move + Earthquake.
- Aqua Tail is your main damaging option.
- Custom Move Grass will allow you to hit Kyla’s Slowbro and Eduard’s Rotom-W for super effective damages. This is your main way of dealing with them as they threaten to wall or K.O. you.
Against Kyla, it’s simple. You use Taunt, Dragon Dance once or twice, then you win. As long as you attack after that, you strictly cannot loose.
Against Eduard, the Rotom-W and Aegislash can be problematic. Lead with Gyarados and use Taunt on Hippodown. Turn 2, use Dragon Dance as Eduard switch for Rotom-W. During this battle, using Grass Gem is a good idea. Aegislash is also annoying because of the attack drop caused by King’s Shield. It’s maybe a 50/50, I don’t have enough experience to say what the AI will do at this moment. As long as you grab enough attack boost before Mega Cacturne, you will OHKO it due to it’s low defences.
Please, keep something in mind. I am most used to use that kind of set in Hard mode, where Eduard doesn’t pack Rotom-W. I do not know what spread room is using, so if you are at +1, you cannot OHKO Rotom-W even with the Custom Move. Having Power Whip like in Gen 8 would be greatly appreciated.
