Rate That Pokemon B/W Day 4: Patrat/Watchog

[Venusaur]

Rules (adapted from Fire Emblem RTUs and shamelessly stolen and adapted from Knuckles/Folgore Blue/other previous names I can't remember):

- Votes need some explanation regarding their gameplay performance to be counted. If somebody else said what you want to already, quote them explicitly. You can a bit,

but no SEWADDLE HAS STRING SHOT 10/10.

- This RTU series is for Black and White, not Black 2 and White 2. Don't include anything about the latter.

* +/- ≤1 point extra regarding personality/appearance is encouraged, but no more. If you exercise your bias privileges, please do so explicitly.

- Votes are made out of 10. You cannot rate a Pokemon above 10 or below 0. Try to keep it easily calculable, for my sake.

- The rating topic will be updated whenever I can (or feel like), but I will try to allow at least 24 hours for each topic. If not enough votes are in, the current ranking continues on the the next day.

- A Pokemon being inferior relative to another Pokemon does not reduce their rating, though it may be mentioned. Just don't factor it into the rating itself, and give a reason why.

- HOWEVER, if it locks you out of the other choices (starters and fossils, mainly), up to one point may be deducted.

- If a vote is unacceptable (rule breaking, terrible reasoning, etc.) , I'll give you a chance to revise it, and explain why it was rejected.

- We are rating in-game performance only, up until the Elite 4 is beaten the first time. Trade evolutions are A-OK, as are in-game trades.

- Evolution lines get condensed, so treat, say, Snivy/Servine/Serperior all as one unit.

- An asterisk next to a name means that I messed up and didn't give enough time for redos. That asterisk means that the rating is subject to change whenever that vote comes in.

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Snivy/Servine/Serperior: 4.56

Oshawott/Dewott/Samurott: 8.3

Tepig/Pignite/Emboar*: 8.5

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It's a Normal type that's on the first route, and eventually learns Hyper Fang. Hmm, where have we seen this before? But unlike Rattata, it doesn't get Hyper Fang early, but in exchange it gets Crunch, which is probably not the best trade-off in the world. It's low bases even on its evolution hurt it a lot, too. At least with Super Fang and Hypnosis it makes a decent catching assistant... Oh, and you could always pull a Lenora and have it Retaliate.

I'll give it a 4.20/10, because just look at those eyes. Coming early does help!

Edited July 11, 2012 by Venusaur

[Icon of Sin]

Typical early game rodent. A movepool full of status moves and fang based techniques. It's helpful in catching more Pokémon at least, but it's doubtful that you'll use one of those in the later stages of the game, especially went Lillipup's family is much better as an offensive Normal type.

4/10.

[Melonhead]

It's kind of a "meh" filler pokemon in my opinion. It can help early on and put stuff to sleep, but really shouldn't see much use in mid-late game. Lillipup is much better.

3/10

[Venusaur]

Typical early game rodent. A movepool full of status moves and fang based techniques. It's helpful in catching more Pokémon at least, but it's doubtful that you'll use one of those in the later stages of the game, especially went Lillipup's family is much better as an offensive Normal type.

4/10.

It's kind of a "meh" filler pokemon in my opinion. It can help early on and put stuff to sleep, but really shouldn't see much use in mid-late game. Lillipup is much better.

3/10

I did modify that rule so that being inferior can be mentioned, but give a reason why it's inferior. I'll probably amend that in the rules, just so that it's a bit more clear. Fortunately, these don't look like the score's being deducted due to it, so it passes!

[Strawman]

You know, for as sucky(/average) as this thing's stats make it out to be, its super hellishly annoying when Lenora uses it against you. Anyways, its nothing special but its allowance of hypnosis/revenge/crunch/hyperfang/etc it can do some damage and be super annoying. Still, weak and just normal. So 3.5/10

[Momo]

I found the thing useful as hell the entire game, since it can halve any non-ghost's HP and put it to sleep whenever it wants. 8/10

[Smiley Jim]

Patrat is in many ways similar to Ratatta; joins early, can do some damage early on, but is wet, smelly elephant shit once better Pokemon do show up.

Compared to Ratatta, Patrat is SLIGHTLY bulkier with 45HP/39def/39spd, which upgrades to a still shitty 60/69/69. Granted, this is decent bulk early on, but once midgame hits, he becomes comparatively frail. Now, this wouldn't bug me so much if he had good offense, but alas, he doesn't. 85 atk with pure Normal typing really doesn't cut it later on(at least Ratatta got Hyper Fang at Lv13 in FRLG to make up for the power difference later on. Patrat doesn't get it until Lv28, assuming you leave him unevolved that long, at which point, you should probably go look for something less shitty.), and 77 spe leaves him outsped by a lot of things lategame(at least Raticate has 97 spd in a game where he can still outspeed most things.)

His level-up movepool reflects that of a support Pokemon, since he gets Hypnosis early on(Lv18), and learns Confuse Ray upon evolution. However, that sort of thing works best with Pokemon that are bulky or fast, and Watchog is neither. As for his attacking movepool, he gets Crunch at Lv16, which does supplement his offense by hitting ghosts; too bad there aren't that many ghosts early on. And as I've said before, he gets Hyper Fang, but he gets it at Lv32, by which point, most people would've given up on him.

My final gripe with Watchog is that unlike the Bidoof line, he doesn't get cool abilities to make up for his suckiness. Nor does he get Pickup like Zigzagoon does.

inb4shittyrating.

3.5

[Bluedoom]

Patrat is in many ways similar to Ratatta; joins early, can do some damage early on, but is wet, smelly elephant shit once better Pokemon do show up.

Compared to Ratatta, Patrat is SLIGHTLY bulkier with 45HP/39def/39spd, which upgrades to a still shitty 60/69/69. Granted, this is decent bulk early on, but once midgame hits, he becomes comparatively frail. Now, this wouldn't bug me so much if he had good offense, but alas, he doesn't. 85 atk with pure Normal typing really doesn't cut it later on(at least Ratatta got Hyper Fang at Lv13 in FRLG to make up for the power difference later on. Patrat doesn't get it until Lv28, assuming you leave him unevolved that long, at which point, you should probably go look for something less shitty.), and 77 spe leaves him outsped by a lot of things lategame(at least Raticate has 97 spd in a game where he can still outspeed most things.)

His level-up movepool reflects that of a support Pokemon, since he gets Hypnosis early on(Lv18), and learns Confuse Ray upon evolution. However, that sort of thing works best with Pokemon that are bulky or fast, and Watchog is neither. As for his attacking movepool, he gets Crunch at Lv16, which does supplement his offense by hitting ghosts; too bad there aren't that many ghosts early on. And as I've said before, he gets Hyper Fang, but he gets it at Lv32, by which point, most people would've given up on him.

My final gripe with Watchog is that unlike the Bidoof line, he doesn't get cool abilities to make up for his suckiness. Nor does he get Pickup like Zigzagoon does.

inb4shittyrating.

3.5

This, except 3 at base and then let's factor in bias.

2/10. Because I hate it popping up all the time- can screw your nuzlocke playthroughs.