Theorem: Heatran is overused as a direct result of Heatran being overused. - A Fire Blast from Heatran is ridiculously powerful. Flygon, Kingdra, and Swampert, all of whom should 4x resist the attack, nonetheless get crippled by it. Blissey, Suicune, Thick Fat, and Flash Fire Pokemon are among the few who can stand against it safely. - Blissey can do little in return to Heatran. The only Thick Fat Pokemon that comes to mind is Snorlax, and his popularity is constantly decreasing. Suicune is very overused anyway. - Flash Fire is the best way to take a Heatran Fire Blast, as it not only negates the damage but boosts the user's power. - Among all the Flash Fire Pokemon, only one of them can do significant damage to Heatran. That Pokemon is Heatran. Therefore, Heatran is overused = Heatran is overused. Thanks to a continuous loop, Heatran creates more Heatrans, which means Heatran has the same properties as the Big Bang and probably created the universe, disproving the existence of Arceus. Furthermore, since Pokemon evolve, we can easily discount the theory of intelligent design (the theory that Dialga and Palkia were the first Pokemon, put on this planet by Arceus and responsible for the creation of time and space.) The entire religion of the Shinnoh region is a fraud. The current metagame disproves the existence of a higher power. Discuss. (Keep in mind this is unlikely to change in Generation 5, since, as the Technician's Postulate states, "Game Freak doesn't care about your puny metagame.") All credit for this research belongs to Dr. Pluto Charon and the Galactic Science Foundation.
Although it appears there might be a positive feedback loop from Heatran's usage, it seems to be rather unlikely. Also, you're mistaken in several key points. Flygon and Swampert do not 4x resist the attack, as ground does not resist fire. Flygon has terrible defenses anyway and Swampert is usually EV'd defensively, not special defensively (being one of the few checks to DD Salamence). Some damage calcs (252 EVs in SpA, Modest nature). Note that most heatran run Timid, so these are really worst-case damage calcs. Fire Blast vs. 0/0 Flygon: 42.9% - 50.8% (chance at 2KO, although this can be roosted off) Fire Blast with Flash Fire vs. 0/0 Flygon: 64.5% - 75.7% (2KO) Fire Blast vs. 252/0 Swampert: 29% - 34.2% (Tiny chance to 3KO) Fire Blast with Flash Fire vs. 252/0 Swampert: 43.6% - 51.2% (slight chance to 2ko) Fire Blast vs. 0/0 Kingdra: 18.9% - 22.7% (5KO) Fire Blast with Flash Fire vs. 0/0 Kingdra: 28.9% - 34% (tiny chance to 3KO) Fire Blast vs. 252/0 Blissey: 23.2% - 27.5% (4KO, easily Wish/Softboiled off and PP stalled) Fire Blast with Flash Fire vs. 252/0 Blissey: 34.9% - 41.2% (PP stalled with Wish + Protect, although a crit will happen 40% of the time in 8 uses of a move) Basically, do the obvious: don't be careless when you're throwing out fire moves. Blissey easily stalls out Fire Blast's PP with recovery moves. Without flash fire, it can alternate between healing and Stoss for a 4KO. Fire Blast also misses 15% of the time and only has 8 PP. Yeah, flash fire is easily the best way to take a heatran's fire blast. However, this does not mean that flash fire is the only way. The most common set run on heatran is scarftran, which means after the first attack prediction is really easy. Although heatran usage will increase as a result of salamence going uber, I feel a better check to heatran is just not letting it get the flash fire boost. Also, users of mach punch/vacuum wave check heatran, setup sweepers in particular. +2 Mach punch or vacuum wave from pokemon like lucario or infernape will ohko after SR damage, although lucario can't switch in on heatran.
Ah. Well the whole universe thing was the most important aspect of it. Also I totally spaced and forgot Ground wasn't resistant to fire. -.- Also I didn't really do any calcs to back this up so :P Still, the current metagame disproves the existence of Arceus. I maintain the belief that Arceus does not actually exist. You cannot prove otherwise! >:O
Arceus exists. And that's the bottom line, cos Prof Oak says so. Well, he exists in the Pokemon world.
...Professor Oak, I must say I'm disappointed. I thought you were a man of science, yet here you are letting your religious beliefs blind you to the truth! Or is this how you react to EVERY new discovery? If you had your way, would we still have 150 Pokemon? Would Pikachu still be considered an unevolved form? DO YOU STILL BELIEVE POKEMON GIVE BIRTH TO LIVE YOUNG, PROFESSOR?! Or, perhaps, this is your way of exacting revenge on your colleagues for refusing to believe in the existence of "Mew" until it was finally in captivity? Hm? Well, Oak. I'm accusing you of sending unqualified individuals to do your work for you. Yes, you heard me! And this is no small charge, either. You might recall how, just recently, Professor Birch lost his license after it was revealed that he was sending 10-year-old children to do his research for him... How's your grandson doing, Oak? And that Red child who you put your "full support" behind? The one who eventually became the Kanto Champion? I heard some nasty rumors that you might have had your own motives for doing so but I never really suspected anything... Not seriously, at least... Hm. Curious. Very curious indeed.
Kangaskhan have a baby in their pouch when they hatch from their egg. Explain that, dear sir. Ah Birch. The silly fool. The one Professor who never invited me to his home region. That was just stupid of him. I do not send 10-year-old children to do my research for me - How can the Pokedex give detailed information on a Pokemon if it hasn't been catalogued before? All 493 of them... and that includes Arceus. I would not make up items unless I was sure of it. Long ago, I believe that there was only 150 Pokemon. Then, I found out about Mew, taking it to 151. Then Elm calls, telling me about another 100 Pokemon he had discovered, taking it to 251. Then I have to develop my own National Pokedex when Professor Birch decides not to tell me about the extra 135 found in his region. My old friend Professor Rowan, however, told me about the 107 new Pokemon, taking it up to the 493 it currently is in the released version of the Pokedex. As information comes in from a mysterious female Professor whose (English) name is undisclosed at this time, I'm trying to upgrade the Pokedex with the new information. Believe me, most of my work has been done by myself. Any findings from the other Professors found to exploit children's research I have simply used after the fact, as is my right. I already covered the 150 Pokemon and Pikachu forms bit in the above paragraph. I am, indeed, a man of science. I am not a very religious man at all. I based those works upon my findings, which were based upon Professor Rowan's findings. He is the leading Professor in Pokemon mythology that I know of, and I would not doubt him as he is an old friend. I also received news about the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, finding an Arceus at the Shinjo Ruins (or whatever they are called now - I haven't done the event, so I don't know) that allowed the controller to create a Dialga, Palkia or Giratina. Being a former Champion myself, I know that a Champion's word is one to trust. When sightings of the Pokemon have been reported and catalogued (I believe a site called Serebii.net has pictures), you cannot deny the existance of Arceus. I don't like it, but I can't deny the facts. Gary is doing very well, thank you. He is currently in Viridian City, taking the role of Viridian City Gym Leader when he needs to. He also pops into the lab now and then to help with my research. As for the Ketchum kid... I haven't heard of him for a while. I keep getting the occasional Pokemon of his transported via the PC system to the lab as his party is full, but I last saw him heading to Sinnoh. That being said, there's also been reports of him being sighted at the peak of Mount Silver in Johto. I don't know. All I know is that I keep giving my full support. He is a talented young trainer, albeit a little sloppy. I often visit his mother, Delia, to keep her company and to get information on how he is doing. As for motives for giving him my support... Well, despite him showing up late to get his starter Pokemon (he would have chosen Squirtle, but Gary got it), and turning up in his pyjamas, I could see how well he was controlling Pikachu. So, it's not really that curious. Feel free to throw more theories out there though. I certainly enjoy a fellow scientist's point of view. (tl;dr, I like your posts, Hodou)
Well... Um... It's not actually a baby! Yes! It's a symbiotic organism that develops in the egg with the Kangaskhan and benefits from the nourishment that the so-called "mother" provides. I think. Was I right?! Whatever could you mean, Professor? You make it sound as if you know somebody who could possibly have CAPTURED an Arceus! But that's absurd... It's impossible! IF it exists, it would have to be an incredible, omnipotent being! (Then again I didn't believe Giratina existed until the Galactic Foundation released their official report, but... No, no, it's simply not true!) What? But that's not even... That makes no sense! CREATING a Giratina? I can only imagine what calamity would befall the world if more than one Giratina were to exist! The balance between the Distortion World and ours would be thrown off! We would all be destroyed...! Where is the Champion now? I need to confirm this... Well that's nice I'm glad you're all LYING! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU FOR A SECOND OAK! YOU HEAR ME? (yes they are awesome aren't they... wait, I mean yours are funny too.)
I feel that albeit heatrans create more heatrans, suicunes discourage the use of offensive heatran sets but then again jolteon discourages suicune but we all use all three anyways 0.0