RicePigeon

*As Hikari sees Raina fly off to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she becomes more concerned. She turns her attention to Meimu, who is about to attack Maribel* "Does a youkai create a time paradox that will result in more damage than keeping her here will do? Because that's what you're about to do..." *Hikari then walks over to Maribel* "If you want to know the reason why she wants you to leave so badly, I suggest you come with me." Meanwhile, at the Scarlet Devil Masion: *Remilia notices Meiling practicing styles of martial arts that she hasn't seen her do before. She finds this odd seeing as she would normally be dozing off.* "China just what are you doing?" "Practicing M'lady. Sensei will be proud when she comes here later." "Sensei? China, what are you rambling about?" "Oh my, isnt it obvious? It seems like someone has taken her under their wing to train her I would guess.." *she hides her smirk with her fan.

*Hikari stands still, not even making an effort to dodge Yuuka's danmaku. Instead she simply extends her hand, extending her folding fan like a shield, which seems to block most of the danmaku. Those that do manage to hit her cause her to wince in pain, but she maintains her ground.* "I see..." *she sighs to herself* "... If that's your plan, then do what you will, but do not expect any reaction from me."

*Hikari folds her arms, holding her folding fan down and has a rather disappointed look* ("Why must everything here be solved through violence?") *Meimu and the rest can tell that this is bothering Hikari, as she doesn't wish to fight.*

*Hikari holds her hand out* "Now just hold on a minute... I think it's best if Maribel decides for herself if she wants to go back or not. What do you say Merry?"

"Im not sure where you two have met but I hope this isn't a precursor to why you want to fight us.." *Hikari proceeds to step forward in front of Reimu* "Do what you came to do then Lily..."

*Hikari notices Lily and Maribel approaching* "Good to see Maribel is in safe hands... but, it can't possibly be that time to fight now, can it?

*Hikari looks at Meimu with a more serious tone in her voice* "We both know that you don't really want to do that."

Someone asked me if the 252 Defense in the OU tank set was a typo. It isn't. Unlike UU and RU, where tank Rhyperior can afford to invest in Special Defense, tank Rhyperior in OU wants to be as physically bulky as possible in order to check Birdspam reliably. Also the ranks aren't decided by me, but are taken from the various viability ranking topics on the Smogon forums. But just in case there's any confusion, here's a general breakdown of the different viability rankings: S Rank S Rank is reserved for Pokemon that are simply amazing in a given metagame, and are usually low-risk, high-reward. They are either very flexible by running a variety of different movesets, or excel at performing a single role. These Pokemon require little to no support from teammates, and are considered the top threats to prepare for. A+, A, and A- Ranks The A ranks are reserved for Pokemon that are fantastic, and are able to sweep, wall, or support a significant portion of a particular metagame. They usually require some degree of support to be effective, but their positive traits still far outweigh their flaws B+, B, and B- Ranks The B ranks are reserved for Pokemon that are generally good in a metagame. They have some more noticeable flaws that affect how they function, and require a bit more team support than the S and A ranks, but their positive qualities still outweigh their negatives. C+, C, and C- Ranks The C ranks are reserved for Pokemon that have notable niches in a metagame, but have enough flaws to effectively counteract their positives. They can still be effective, but require significant support to do so. Pokemon found in these ranks tend to find alot more competition from Pokemon in the higher ranks, and some may be partially outclassed as a result, but still have unique traits that allow them to fulfill specific needs for a team. D Rank Pokemon found in the D rank are mediocre in a particular metagame, but are just barely viable enough to be used in a given metagame. Pokemon in this rank have a number of notable crippling flaws that outweigh their positive traits, sometimes causing them to be completely outclassed as a result. Pokemon in this rank are either useable but have no real niche, or are only capable of performing a specific task and fail at doing anything else. F Rank The F rank (E rank on Smogon) consists of everything else not in the upper ranks that isn't explicitly banned from a particular metagame. Pokemon in this rank are completely unviable and should never see any use on serious teams for that metagame. Banned Pokemon that have been either been explicitly banned from a particular metagame, or are banned from a particular metagame as a result of belonging to a higher tier. For example, all OU and BL Pokemon are banned from UU, RU, NU, and PU. EDIT: I forgot to put this into the Rhyperior PotW, but Rhyperior can also check non-specs Raikou and Mega Manectric, two popular Volt Switch users found on Hyper Offense teams in OU, while OHKOing both of them in return (even after an intimidate from Mega Manectric). Just to demonstrate: Defensive Calcs: 252 SpA Mega Manectric Hidden Power Ice vs. 212 HP / 0 SpD Solid Rock Rhyperior: 163-193 (38.4 - 45.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery 252 SpA Raikou Hidden Power Ice vs. 212 HP / 0 SpD Solid Rock Rhyperior: 145-172 (34.1 - 40.5%) -- 97.1% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery +1 252 SpA Raikou Hidden Power Ice vs. 212 HP / 0 SpD Solid Rock Rhyperior: 219-258 (51.6 - 60.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery Offensive Calcs: -1 44+ Atk Rhyperior Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Mega Manectric: 260-308 (92.5 - 109.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock 44+ Atk Rhyperior Earthquake vs. 32 HP / 0 Def Raikou: 416-492 (126.4 - 149.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

*Hikari seems to be lost in thought, which Reimu and Raina both notice. Nevertheless, she seems to be performing some stretches* "You know... I really wish we didn't have to fight Lily... There has to be another way."

Welp, Rhyperior won the vote it seems, and so the PotW: Rhyperior Current Tiers: Singles: RU Doubles: DOU Tier Metagame Viability (Singles): Ubers: F (Unviable/Unranked) OU: B UU: B+ RU: A+ NU: Banned PU: Banned Tier Metagame Viability (Doubles): DUbers: F (Unviable/Unranked) DOU: C DUU: Banned General Overview (Singles) Rhyperior is another example of a lower tiered Pokemon that can hold its own in the upper tiers. It has the classic stat distribution common to most rock types, consisting of high HP and physical stats, but poor special stats and speed. For Rhyperior, however, its physical bulk and offensive presence, coupled with its semi-exclusive ability Solid Rock, allows it to function as a physical tank in almost any tier where it is usable. OU Overview Rhyperior is a good check to Birdspam teams, a common playstyle in the OU format. Coupled with Solid Rock, Rhyperior can tank any hit thrown at it by the most common members of Birdspam teams; a +2 Close Combat from Mega Pinsir, for example, cannot OHKO while Rhyperior OHKOs back with Stone Edge or Rock Blast. Outside of Birdspam teams, Rhyperior can also check other threats, including any Mega Charizard X that lacks Will-o-Wisp, and Dragonite. While it may be tempting to slap an Assault Vest onto a Rhyperior on an OU team, Rhyperior prefers having Leftovers as it gets worn down from repeatedly switching into the Pokemon it's supposed to check. Additionally, Assault Vest prevents Rhyperior from using Stealth Rock, of which Rhyperior is a great user of due to the number of switches that it forces, and provides support to the team outside of tanking hits and checking Birdspam, allowing Rhyperior to be of use even when not facing these kinds of teams. Sample Moveset: Adamant / Solid Rock / @Leftovers 212 HP / 44 Attack / 252 Defense Stealth Rock / Earthquake / Stone Edge or Rock Blast / Ice Punch or Toxic Recommended Teammates: Azumarill, Keldeo, Rotom-Wash, Mega Venusaur, Breloom, Mega Scizor, Tyranitar, Mega Tyranitar, Zapdos, Skarmory UU Overview In UU, Rhyperior can perform a similar function as in OU as a tank, but now has more options available to it. Its UU tank set is very similar to its OU set, but it can now run Megahorn, Toxic, Roar, or Dragon Tail as its 4th move, the latter two allowing Rhyperior to force switches and rack up entry hazard damage, while Megahorn allows it to check Celebi and Umbreon. Rhyperior now also has the option of running a Choice Band set, allowing it to perform as a wallbreaker, demolishing bulky threats such as 2HKOing Suicune, and functions well in UU especially on Trick Room teams. Sample Moveset (Tank): Adamant / Solid Rock / @Leftovers 248 HP / 16 Attack / 244 Special Defense Stealth Rock / Stone Edge or Rock Blast / Earthquake / Toxic, Megahorn, Roar, or Dragon Tail Sample Moveset (Wallbreaker): Adamant / Solid Rock / @Choice Band 172 HP / 252 Attack / 84 Speed Stone Edge / Megahorn / Earthquake / Aqua Tail or Rock Blast Recommended Teammates: Tank: Roserade, Rotom-Heat, Sableye Wallbreaker: Blissey, Alomomola, Aromatisse, Porygon2 RU Overview A former S-rank Pokemon, Rhyperior is still a monster in the RU metagame even at A+. Its Tank set from UU is just as viable here as it is in UU, though Dragon Tail is now much more viable, and Rhyperior can now EV itself to guarantee a 2HKO on Doublade. Unlike the upper tiers, Rock Blast is preferred over Stone Edge due to its ability to dismantle threats with Focus Sash and/or Substitute, such as Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary. Its wallbreaker set functions such as in UU, hitting hard while being hard to take down itself, and can also demolish threats such as Virizion and Gligar with Ice Punch. One option that is now open to Rhyperior in RU, however, is its Sweeper set with Rock Polish, which boosts its speed to a respectable level, as Rhyperior already possesses a large attack stat that can demolish teams after a boost from Weakness Policy, which Rhyperior can easily abuse with Solid Rock. Sample Moveset (Tank): Adamant / Solid Rock / @Leftovers 248 HP / 16 Attack / 244 Special Defense -OR- 248 HP / 92 Attack / 168 Special Defense Stealth Rock / Rock Blast or Stone Edge / Earthquake / Dragon Tail Sample Moveset (Wallbreaker): Adamant / Solid Rock / @Choice Band 172 HP / 252 Attack / 84 Speed Stone Edge / Megahorn / Earthquake / Ice Punch Sample Moveset (Sweeper): Jolly / Solid Rock / Weakness Policy or Life Orb 252 Attack / 4 Special Defense / 252 Speed Rock Polish / Stone Edge / Earthquake / Ice Punch or Megahorn Recommended Teammates: Tank: Roselia, Sharpedo, Slowking, Aromatisse, Virizion, any Spikes or Toxic Spikes user Wallbreaker: Sharpedo, Virizion, Slowking, Kabutops, Cobalion Sweeper: Roselia, Slowking, Amoongus, any Stealth Rock/Spikes/Toxic Spikes user General Overview (Doubles) Unlike Singles, where Rhyperior can survive in pretty much every tier where its allowed aside from ubers, Rhyperior struggles to perform in Doubles despite its placement in DOU. DOU Overview Rhyperior is used as a late game sweeper, however, it struggles in DOU as it is easily prone to top tier threats such as Rotom-Wash, Mega Charizard Y, and grass types such as Amoongus and Shaymin-Sky. Additionally, its attacking potential as a physical attacker is hindered by the presence of Intimidate and Will-o-wisp, which are almost everywhere due to the presence of threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Mawile. The majority of Rhyperior's damage output relies on its spread moves Earthquake and Rock Slide, which leaves it prone to Wide Guard users such as Hitmontop and Aegislash. Due to its low speed, Rhyperior is often dead weight outside of Trick Room teams and it outclassed by other bulky Pokemon otherwise. Sample Moveset: Brave / Solid Rock / Life Orb or Sitrus Berry 252 HP / 252 Attack / 4 Special Defense Earthquake / Rock Slide or Stone Edge / Ice Punch / Protect Recommended Teammates: Any Trick Room user*, Cresselia, Amoongus, Trevenant, Gourgeist (any) (* indicates mandatory teammate) External Link(s): Smogon Analysis (OU) Smogon Analysis (UU) Smogon Analysis (RU) Smogon Analysis (DOU)

So that explains why you didnt accept my challenge afterward :p Wanted to use another team that I was working on but oh well.

He suffers from 4 Moveslot syndrome as a result. While it's not noticable in UU, its definitely an issue in OU (not to mention hes frail and slow). Btw, nominations for the next PotW start now until monday. So far people have nominated Rhyperior, Meloetta, and Crobat.

Hydreigon is actually at A+ now. The sole S rank Pokemon in UU is Lucario now. EDIT: It seems that Victini and Togekiss have been banned from UU and have now moved up to BL. I'll edit the first post to reflect the changes. EDIT2: Geomancy is now banned in UU as well, and Smeargle is currently undergoing a suspect test. EDIT3: Smeargle is also banned from UU, but its being suspect tested to see if it will be allowed back in now that Geomancy is banned.

You wont be seeing Mummy or Simple Beam any time soon in OU, and Moonlight is redundant when Clefable has access to Softboiled (albeit Softboiled is illegal with Unaware, but since you're running Magic Guard that's not an issue). If Clefable wants a boosting move to use, it's going to want Calm Mind.

"Oh I wasn't talking about the human... I meant that "youkai" claiming to be a blood relative of mine. If she wants to be a human, then you can teach her how she can die like one." "I don't, actually. But if I had to guess, it was some kind of traumatic experience you suffered from."

*Hikari follows the sound of Reimu's voice, giving her a friendly smile* "Thanks Reimu..." *she returns her attention back to Lilly* "I know you dont trust me, but we can handle Maribel." *Hikari turns back to Reimu* "I dislike fighting, but I suppose we don't have a choice. She IS offering her help after all."

*Hikari gives chase to Lilly, being quite athletic and mobile despite her clothing* "Think about what you're doing for a moment... Even if she does become Yukari, right now she's an innocent person. You can't just punish an innocent person for a crime that hasn't been committed yet. You abduct her now, and your actions will cause just as much damage as any time paradox that will result from the two of them meeting each other."

"Oh my how insulting..." *Yukari then covers her mouth with her fan, smirking a bit* "If you truly believe yourself to be a youkai, then you know it is a youkai's duty to attack humans. In similar vein, a youkai that acts human is not a youkai. Do you see where I'm getting at with this?"

OU Kabutops wants as much wrecking power as possible, so Life Orb is the item of choice. Kabutops is just too frail, even with Assault Vest. As a sweeper, it wants to be fast and hard hitting. Swift Swim allows it to do that. Its actually the way Smogon's tiering process works: It starts with determining which Pokemon are OU from the ones that arent. From the Pokemon that aren't, the process is repeated with just those Pokemon to determine the UU Pokemon, then the same for RU, NU, and PU. In Kabutops's case, his placement in NU wasn't based on his usage in the OU environment, but his usage in the RU environment, which allowed him in based on his usage in the UU environment. It's a trickle down process. Granted, if Kabutops were to ever make 3.41% usage in the OU environment, then this would mean he would jump from NU all the way to OU. But if he ever fell below that number, he would become UU instead of falling back to NU. Speaking of Pokemon viability, some OU viability ranking updates: : C ---> C- Hydreigon has no niche in the OU metagame currently. It's not a bad Pokemon by itself, is unique, and it isn't useless, but it just fails to have an impact especially when other Pokemon can do the exact same thing it can. : C ---> C- Rotom-Heat is a similar case to Hydreigon, where it has no real niche to make itself stand out, especially when its outclassed by its Wash forme as a pivot due to Stealth Rock weakness and Overheat forcing it out. : B+ ---> B Quagsire is not as useful as it once was, with the rise of Mega Gardevoir, Mega Heracross, and Mega Medicham, which only makes its less than stellar bulk much more noticeable. It has no use outside of stall teams, which prefer to use Slowbro for its ability to handle Keldeo and Mega Medicham, or Alomomola for its ability to pass huge Wishes to keep the team healthy, both of which also have better physical bulk and longevity with Regenerator. : B- ---> B Rhyperior is a good and consistent birdspam check that can stomach anything thrown at it, even Close Combat from +2 Mega Pinsir and Staraptor, while still providing an offensive presence even with minimal attack investment, and supporting the team with Stealth Rock and its wide coverage moves. : B ---> B+ Jirachi has only gotten better and better with Aegislash and Mega Mawile being banned. It serves as a nice check to Mega Gardevoir, Clefable, Latios, Latias, and Greninja, and has been seeing alot of use on Stall/Defensive teams due to how hostile the metagame is to that playstyle right now. Jirachi can be used either offensively or defensively, ranging from its Choice Scarf set to Specially Defensive to even SubToxic, while also providing Wish support if necessary. : C- ---> C Empoleon has a unique typing, both offensively and defensively, which allows it to take on threats such as Azumarill, Suicune, Kabutops without Low Kick, and Sub+Dragondance Gyarados. It can run an offensive Choice Specs set, which allows it to beat Clefable, or a Specially Defensive set that can be tailored for either hazard removal (Defog) or hazard setup (Stealth Rock), though it should not be using both on the same moveset as Skarmory outclasses it in that role. Empoleon can also Roar away setup sweepers, fish for burns with Scald, or cripples common switch-ins with Toxic. : B ---> B- As a Defogger, Zapdos is only subpar, being weak to the very same Stealth Rocks that it's meant to remove. It gets worn down easily with its subpar bulk, and relies too much on its typing to be effective defensively. It also suffers from 4 Moveslot Syndrome: Roost, Defog, and Thunderbolt are all mandatory. It wants Heat Wave so it can KO Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, but cannot beat common Stealth Rock setters barring Ferrothorn unless it runs HP Ice, and becomes bait to common switch ins and setup sweepers if it doesn't run Toxic. It hates Sand Offense and Terrakion, and none of the Mega wallbreakers (Mega Gardevoir, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross) make its life any easier. As a birdspam check, it can still take on Mega Pinsir rather well, but Staraptor and Talonflame give it issues, something that other Birdspam checks, both offensive and defensive, can handle better than Zapdos. : D ---> Unranked Umbreon's only use in OU was as a cleric, which is outclassed by cleric Sylveon, which is in turn outclassed by cleric Clefable. Unviable. Potential future Rank change(s): : C+ ---> B- While Sylveon is outclassed as a cleric by Clefable, who sports better defensive abilities in Unaware and Magic Guard while giving Steel types a difficult time switching in with Flamethrower, Sylveon has been gaining some popularity lately as a Choice Specs nuke, capable of firing off a powerful Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice. Any Pokemon that isn't hit for at least neutral damage by Hyper Voice is met with either Psyshock or Hidden Power Ground/Fire. Additionally, Specs Sylveon can function as a pivot with Baton Pass, despite the fact that it won't be passing any stat boosts, allowing it to maintain momentum which works great in tandem with Pokemon such as Magnezone, who traps common switch-ins to Sylveon such as Mega Scizor, and Mega Charizard Y, who has good type synergy with Sylveon while also being a powerful nuke itself.

*Lilly is taken by surprise when she sees Hikari standing behind her* "I'm already well aware of Maribel and Yukari's connection. While I, much like yourself, would prefer if Maribel were to stay as the person she currently is, it saddens me that we both cannot interfere with her fate running it's course..." *She looks down with a concerned face, as if something were seriously bothering her." "Yes, you go do that..." *Before Meimu leaves, Yukari goes deep in thought.* ("She seems to be youkai, but sympathizes with humans too much. She rejects fear, and instead embraces love. If she's going to be here, then she needs to learn the basic tenets of the relationship between humans and youkai. That much is certain. But to associate herself with me... I simply cannot allow that to happen.") "Actually, Meimu... let me ask you, do you consider yourself to be more human or more youkai?"

http://online.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-agrees-to-acquire-creator-of-minecraft-1410786190

*Hikari turns to notice Cirian* "Oh hey.. we meet again." *She gives Cirian a pleasant smile*

"We're cousins, actually, though I'm sure she's aware of it too. It's a long story, so I won't bore you with the details. Still, I appreciate your not holding me in the same contempt as her." "In a sense, yes. There's too much at risk by allowing her to stay here. However, I am more concerned about that other gap youkai claiming to be my cousin."

"You're overstepping your bounds, Meimu. Solving crises isn't your job at this point. Causing them, however, is." *Hikari extends her gloved hand toward Maribel* "Hikari Tannenbaum. Pleased to make your acquaintance." *Hikari notices Reimu looking at her scrupulously, suspecting Hikari of some kind of foul play. Although Reimu doesn't need to say a word, Hikari already knows Reimu thinks she's Yukari*

*Yukari notices Meimu giving chase to her* "My my you're persistent aren't you?" *Meanwhile, Hikari sees Reimu, Raina, and Maribel exiting from a gap near her* "Oh hey... Back so soon?" *Hikari takes a closer look and notices Reimu and Maribel* *gulp* ("What are those two doing here? This isn't good. Maribel shouldn't be here. I was trying to avoid this situation, but god only knows what irreparable damage has been done now.")