The PvP Coordinator team has discussed some more changes to the Viability Rankings based on latest metagame trends and developments.
Rises:
Bisharp: A → A+
A staple on BO and HO teams, Bisharp pairs well with other offensive threats, like Mega Lopunny and Mega Pinsir, to overwhelm physically defensive Pokémon that it would otherwise struggle to overcome by itself, such as Zapdos and Skarmory. It is also a top-tier teammate for Pokémon that appreciate the removal of commonplace walls like Clefable, the Slow twins, Chansey, and more.
Zapdos: A → A+
In a metagame where it can check some of the most dangerous offensive threats, like Mega Lopunny, Bisharp, Tornadus-T, Mega Scizor, Mega Pinsir, and much more, Zapdos fits on many offensive, balanced, and defensive builds where it can provide much-needed Defog support, the possibility of chipping down physical assailants with Rocky Helmet, the chance to paralyze them with Static, and decent offensive pressure and momentum even without running HP Ice, thanks to Heat Wave, Hurricane, and Volt Switch.
Kyurem-B: A- → A
Kyurem-B is a strong wallbreaker with a lot of set diversity and the ability to blow past some would-be checks, like Clefable and Ferrothorn, thanks to Icium Z. While it certainly has its own drawbacks, like its lackluster speed and vulnerability to Stealth Rock, its bulk allows it to stomach a hit and retaliate even in an offensively leaning metagame.
Slowbro: B+ → A-
Slowbro finally joins its specially defensive twin in the A ranks as a strong answer to some of the most prevalent offensive Pokémon in the tier: Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, Keldeo, and more. Thanks to Rocky Helmet in conjunction with Teleport, it can swiftly switch into a hit then generate momentum and recover health back with Regenerator. This makes Slowbro an option on more teams than just defensive and balanced structures.
Breloom: B- → B
Breloom is a valuable member of specific HO builds that appreciate its priority and ability to incapacitate an opposing Pokémon thanks to Spore and the safety net of Focus Sash. It also performs well against other offensive staples, like Bisharp, Mega Lopunny, and Azumarill just to name a few.
Mega Pinsir: B- → B
Just like Breloom, Mega Pinsir finds home on some of the HO builds that heavily benefit from its unique offensive coverage, priority, and ability to overwhelm physical checks with the help of its teammates.
Cresselia: C → C+
Porygon2: C- → C+
Uxie: C- → C+
Trick Room carves itself a notable niche in an offensively oriented metagame where it can turn the speed of opposing HO teams into a disadvantage. The addition of Ursaluna also means that TR builds now gain another valuable member that appreciates common setters like Cresselia, Porygon2, and Uxie.
Drops:
Kyurem: S → A+
While Kyurem continues to be a force to be reckoned with in this metagame and can excel against specific team structures, it is decidedly less effective into most of the increasingly common offensive builds.
Mega Medicham: A- → B
Mega Medicham continues to struggle in this metagame because wallbreaking requires the widespread presence of walls it can effectively break with its coverage. However, it is quite prediction-reliant against structures that revolve around the likes of Clefable, Landorus-T, Zapdos, the Slow twins, etc. Mega Medicham also suffers from 4MSS (4 Moveslot Syndrome) and must pick between Zen Headbutt, Thunder Punch, and Bullet Punch to round out its coverage. Even then, it is left completely walled by Pokémon like Mega Sableye and Aegislash, the latter of which it can only severely damage with Fire Punch, which it simply cannot afford to run.
Pelipper: B+ → C+
Mega Swampert: B+ → C+
Kingdra: B- → C
In what is the steepest, longest overdue drop of this update, common Rain staples find themselves tumbling down the viability ranks for a multitude of reasons. Rain structures are not particularly effective against other offensive teams, like Breloom HO, Veil offense, or even Trick Room. Moreover, the matchup-fishy nature of this playstyle also makes it less reliable against Pokémon like Freeze-Dry Kyurem and Chilly Reception Slowking. The PvP Coordinator team believes that Rain has been ranked exceedingly generously for a while now, and this sudden drop seeks to correct a long-standing misperception.
Additions:
Gengar: Unranked → C+
Gengar has a decent match-up against offense, thanks to its 110 base speed tier, offensive coverage, and access to utility options in Taunt and Destiny Bond. It also fits well on offensive builds, where it can spam Shadow Ball pretty freely while being able to hit common Dark-type switch-ins with Focus Blast and taking advantage of Focus Sash to fire off another hit or use Destiny Bond before fainting.
The PvP Coordintor team continues to monitor the VR in lights of the release of new Pokémon, such as Arcanine-Hisui and Ursaluna, and the addition of moves that potentially affect the viability of the likes of Alomomola, the Lati twins, Mega Charizard Y, and Skarmory. However, due to the recency of those events, we are choosing to wait a bit longer before making any further adjustments to the list.