Worst Users Of Every Power

[Imaginym]

Pokémon with Follow Me (Lucario for example) for Social Influencing. Literally all it does is make the opponent attack the user. This is useless outside of group fights.

Wouldn't a species be disqualified if they have other stuff through Social Influencing?

Also, is it SI?

Newest official description of the move in the mainline games:

The user draws attention to itself, making all opposing Pokémon take aim only at the user.

 

[That_moron2]

Wouldn't a species be disqualified if they have other stuff through Social Influencing?

Also, is it SI?

Newest official description of the move in the mainline games:

The user draws attention to itself, making all opposing Pokémon take aim only at the user.

Yeah it’s social influencing.

 

[Armorchompy]

I feel like if follow me counts as SI so do moves like growl and whatever, which are actually decent even in a 1v1.

 

[Imaginym]

I feel like if follow me counts as SI so do moves like growl and whatever, which are actually decent even in a 1v1.

I would assume Empathic Manipulation.

Also, just in case, reminder that the Pokemon move Growl is not really the thing an angry dog does:

"The user growls in an endearing way, making opposing Pokémon less wary. This lowers their Attack stats."

 

[Flashlight237]

Update: Phix has a profile now.

Bump

 

[Armorchompy]

I mean it seems like uses it to attack and has a decent degree of control over it. As a side note that profile definitely needs a few more scans. Like as someone who doesn't know the game I have zero way to understand what "can fire particles of polarity" really entails beyond going and looking up a walkthrough. He's also missing SPC

 

[GlaceonGamez471]

I feel Princess Elise the Third might be a contender for summoning. Her summoning is involuntary, caused by her dying or expressing despair. Even in the latter case, she is almost certainly going to die anyways.
Why does she even have a profile?

 

[Armorchompy]

Yeah that's pretty hard to top. Dunno if worse or better than the Punished but them also having mildly useful Summoning makes me think she should be on the list over them.

 

[CrackerVolley]

May I please have Milo Murphy added for Probability Manipulation as I’ve requested before.

 

[CloverDragon03]

I'm not sure how bad these immortality abilities can get, but I'm nominating Blades in Xenoblade for Type 4 Immortality because it's entirely dependent on a Driver resonating with their Core Crystal - meaning if no one resonates with them, they just can't come back. This is also just completely inapplicable to a VS match, not to mention that Blades that come back via this method have absolutely no memories of their previous life

 

[Armorchompy]

Honestly I don't know how exactly to list Immortality given it's like 8 abilities rolled up into one, but yeah that sounds pretty bad

 

[Lou_change]

List all of them separately?

 

[Armorchompy]

i guess that works when we get another submitted

 

[Imaginym]

• Empathic Manipulation

Who has Empathic Manipulation?

(Also, I wonder if potential candidates -If they had profiles- would be

Spoiler: Spoilers for One Piece

Those who've consumed defective Smile Fruits, as, IIRC, these not only make the affected unable to swim & weakened by Sea Prism, but also they lose their ability to express emotion other than smiling & laughter; Even when sad, angry or otherwise, they can only smile & laugh.

Also, if not for Xavier or the Hunter Slugcat, I wonder about Hold'em Up Boldema from One Piece, since IIRC, his lion from his Artificial "Smile" Devil Fruit is just a lion's head & forelegs on his stomach, with said lion having its own mind, hating him, & IIRC, often attempting to steal his food, & attack him in his lower bodily areas, despite that it & he share pain. But it's also helped like by holding foes in its jaws or shooting fireballs, IIRC.
Presumably for Animal Manipulation &/or Multiple Selves, but yeah.

 

[Imaginym]

• Fragrance Manipulation - The Accused (FLEAUX!) - Can make a target smell of manure until next dawn. This has basically no use and there's a decent bit of danger involved in casting Sorceries at all given it can make casting future spells harder and eventually cause Chaos Revenge.

Tsareena

Tsareena is a Grass-type Pokémon, introduced in Generation VII. It evolves from Steenee when levelled up while knowing Stomp, and is the final evolution of Bounsweet. Tsareena is a queen-like, yet aggressive, Pokémon that is known for its ‘well-shaped legs’ and the brutal kicks that come from...

vsbattles.fandom.com

If it had a key on the page for the species it's from the evolutionary line of -Seriously, where's the rest of the evolutionary stages?!-, I'd nominate Bounsweet for Fragrance Manipulation.

Sun	A delectable aroma pours from its body. They are often swallowed whole by Toucannon lured by that wafting deliciousness.
Moon	Although it's too sugary for human consumption, Bounsweet's sweat can be watered down into a juice with just the right amount of sweetness.
Ultra Sun	Because of its sweet, delicious aroma, bird Pokémon are always after it, but it's not intelligent enough to care.
Ultra Moon	It tries to resist being swallowed by a bird Pokémon by spinning the sepals on its head. It's usually a fruitless attempt.

Sword	Its body gives off a sweet, fruity scent that is extremely appetizing to bird Pokémon.
Shield	When under attack, it secretes a sweet and delicious sweat. The scent only calls more enemies to it.

Scarlet	Its sweat is sweet, like syrup made from boiled-down fruit. Because of this, Bounsweet was highly valued in the past, when sweeteners were scarce.
Violet	A Greedent drawn in by the sweet scent of these Pokémon will tuck the Bounsweet in among the berries in its tail and carry them all away.

Put briefly, Bounsweet's sweet fragrance has lead it to be valued by humans for making juice -It's too sugary unless watered down, though- & in the past, for otherwise rare sweeteners. In practice, it makes Bounsweet smell delicious, which results in it being swalled whole by Toucannon, attracting bird Pokemon (Which it will likely have a type disadvantage against.), & getting mistaken for another Berry by Greedent, which will as such, tuck Bounsweet into its tail.

Bounsweet is noted to not be intelligent enough to care that its aroma makes bird Pokemon go after it.

Bounsweet also uses said Fragrance Manipulation when under attack... which calls more enemies to it.


Incompetent usage can help one qualify for this, no?

To its credit, Bounsweet can also learn Sweet Scent (Useful for initiating wild Pokemon battles in gameplay, but seems to be the problem in lore. In battle, lowers Evasion of all opponents, but not allies, by 1 stage.) & by Egg Move, Aromatic Mist, which raises Sp. Def by 1 stage... for one target ALLY of Bounsweet's, & only that ally.
No, it cannot learn Aromatherapy. Somehow.

 

[Armorchompy]

It's very weird that it doesn't have a key. Not sure I can put it on the list without one, but it'd definitely qualify

 

[LordGriffin1000]

Irma Lair and Cornelia Hale could be contenders for Breaking the Fourth Wall as their only display of it was Cornelia waving away Irma's mind bubble and Irma commented on it. They never used it for any other time to my knowledge and it's not for anything combat related.

 

[Imaginym]

Irma Lair and Cornelia Hale could be contenders for Breaking the Fourth Wall as their only display of it was Cornelia waving away Irma's mind bubble and Irma commented on it. They never used it for any other time to my knowledge and it's not for anything combat related.

I don't know of other candidates, but this COULD be useful.

If there's a character who can be like an "audience" to perceive stuff like an audience perceives Breaking the Fourth Wall things, being able to wave away someone's mind bubble could be a way of removing a view into potential information -Someone's interests, desires or current thoughts- from said "audience"-like being's access?

Admittedly, this is already a very niche corner case, but BtFW often already is that most of the time, no?

Are there not users of BtFW with less useful uses of it than ceasing potential information displays?

 

[LordGriffin1000]

I don't know of other candidates, but this COULD be useful.

If there's a character who can be like an "audience" to perceive stuff like an audience perceives Breaking the Fourth Wall things, being able to wave away someone's mind bubble could be a way of removing a view into potential information -Someone's interests, desires or current thoughts- from said "audience"-like being's access?

Admittedly, this is already a very niche corner case, but BtFW often already is that most of the time, no?

Are there not users of BtFW with less useful uses of it than ceasing potential information displays?

Yeah but they never use it like that, and this instance amounts to nothing so just because it can be a useful tool doesn't mean the characters utilize in that way.

Regardless, Randy Cunningham works better I guess given his only feat is looking at the audience briefly after the characters saying the name of the show.

 

[Imaginym]

Yeah but they never use it like that, and this instance amounts to nothing so just because it can be a useful tool doesn't mean the characters utilize in that way.

True. & arguably, not using it like that makes it worse, since it's a potential misuse, or negligence, lol.

 

[Azu777]

Healing: Susie Deltarune, takes 100% of your TP to get 1 point of healing

 

[Armorchompy]

She also has actually usable healing items, so idk. Shame cause she'd fit otherwise

 

[Imaginym]

• Power Nullification - The Soul Blazer (Soul Blazer) - Only works on magma attacks, and since it's cast by a light shone around the soul orbiting him, sufficiently fast ones still have a chance of reaching him.

I would like to propose a contender for a subtype. (Or 2.)

Cosmog (Pokémon)

bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net

It, along with its evolved form are technically unprofileed (Despite Cosmog having at least 2 feats & being a major character in a plot, & Cosmoem contributing to that.), despite its 2 final evolutionary stages both having profiles of their own:

Solgaleo

Solgaleo is a Psychic/Steel Legendary Pokémon native to the Alola region. Honored and feared as the "beast that devours the sun", Solgaleo is known for its incredible power and its striking mane that can light up the darkest of night skies. Tier: At least 3-C, likely High 3-A Name: Solgaleo...

vsbattles.fandom.com

Lunala

Lunala (Japanese: ルナアーラ Lunala) is a Psychic/Ghost-type Legendary Pokémon. Since ancient times, Lunala has been honored as an emissary of the moon. It is referred to with reverence as "the Beast that Calls the Moon". Lunala is constantly absorbing light and converting it into energy. With its...

vsbattles.fandom.com

Anyway, Cosmog's criteria:

Power Nullification of Statistics Amplification/Statistics Reduction.

Part of its criteria depends on how canon we consider Struggle, a move that's normally only used when a Pokemon runs out of PP.

Struggle (Japanese: わるあがき Vain Struggle)

Spoiler: Stuff about Struggle

Is it game mechanics that it's only used at that point? Behaviour? Something else?
Also, I'm not even sure if there ARE any games where Struggle's description can be seen without glitches. I do know it at least doesn't have description viewable in G/S.

Bulbapedia also notes: If a Pokémon is forced to use Struggle, it will not be able to Mega Evolve, Ultra Burst, use a Z-Move, Dynamax, or Terastallize on the same turn, as the menu from which this option would be selected never appears. If a Dynamax Pokémon is forced to use Struggle, it will not turn into a Max Move.

I've also read it has unused contest stats, being a Cool category move in R/S/E, & a Tough category move in OR/AS.

Anyway, the reason this is relevant is Cosmog gets the ability Unaware (Japanese: てんねん Airhead)

Spoiler: Stuff about Unaware

Its most recent official description is the misleading "When attacking, the Pokémon ignores the target's stat changes.".
In gameplay, it actually applies whenever the user is using a damaging move or is targeted & what it ignores is:

When the Unaware Pokemon is being targeted:
The accuracy stat stages of the attacker & the Attack & Special Attack stat stages of the attacker are ignored.

When the Unaware Pokemon is attacking:
The changes to the Evasion of the target(s) when attacking, & changes to the Defense & Special Defense stat stages of the target(s) are ignored.

The reason this is awful for Cosmog is the only moves it can get are Splash & Teleport, & other than a storm feat & the explosion from its teleport (Which breaks some wooden planks but the protagonist survives point blank.) in a cutscene it doesn't really have means of offense.


So ignoring an opponent's defensive changes doesn't help Cosmog, because its only means of offense are a move literally called Vain Struggle meant to be used when it has no other options &/or its stamina is depleted, weather manipulation, & a way of retreating that it only used in desperation to get it & someone else several KM away.

Ignoring an opponent's offensive changes does help slightly, in case the opponent can boost....
As do ignoring the opponent's buffs to their own Accuracy, however that works....

But Unaware means Cosmog also ignores its opponent's DEBUFFS.

& it's not like it's a defensive powerhouse either; In gameplay, it has a BST of 43/29/31/29/31/37 (200 total, a total also reached by Magikarp!). Its only way of healing with a move is requires a trainer who can use a Z-Move for Z-Teleport. (Heals 100% of user's HP.).

Lorewise, it's 0.1 kg in mass &....

Sun	Its body is gaseous and frail. It slowly grows as it collects dust from the atmosphere.

Ultra Sun	Even though its helpless, gaseous body can be blown away by the slightest breeze, it doesn't seem to care.

Sword	This Pokémon came from another universe. Its gaseous body is so light that even a gentle breeze can blow it away.*
Shield	Cosmog is very curious but not very cautious, often placing itself in danger. If things start to look dicey, it teleports away.*

*The Sword & Shield entries are only found in Pokemon Home.

Literally so frail it fails to a light breeze, & "very curous but not very cautious", if that has anything to do with it having the Unaware ability. (Despite it apparently having the sense to teleport, if things "start to look dicey".)


In summary - Cosmog is frail, dumb & can be blown away by "the slightest breeze" (albeit, uncaringly.), so Unaware letting it ignores its opponent's offensive buffs is mostly wasted on it, & letting it ignore the opponent's Defensive buffs is even worse because Cosmog has almost no means of offense, some of which is dubiously canon (Like Struggle) or is OoC, Environmental Destruction (& Portal Creation.) &/or used in desperation &/or not to attack. Also, Defensively, its only move-based means of Recovery requires a trainer to have it use Teleport as a Z-Move.
Oh & also Unaware means it ignores any offensive debuffs to whoever's attacking it, & any defensive debuffs to whoever Cosmog itself is attacking, if it ever does attack, effectively hindering it.

So how is that as a contender for "Worst User of Power Nullification of Statistics Amplification/Reduction"?

 

[CrackerVolley]

Spirit Jellyfish in Elden Ring glow red when they're ticked off, which is arguably just as useless as MoP's Light Manipulation.

 

[Armorchompy]

Yeah, I'd say those are on par. Dunno about Cosmog/Cosmoem since they're not really indexed.

 

[Tyranno223]

Have a contender for Age Manipulation. Ainur can keep maintain the youth of other beings forever. However, this doesn't stop them from "passing on" (not dying but functionally close enough) with enough time and is also useless for themselves since they are physically immortal. They can only give their opponent a half-baked form of eternal youth.

 

[Armorchompy]

Yeah that sounds pretty useless lol

 

[Livinmeme]

Have a contender for Age Manipulation. Ainur can keep maintain the youth of other beings forever. However, this doesn't stop them from "passing on" (not dying but functionally close enough) with enough time and is also useless for themselves since they are physically immortal. They can only give their opponent a half-baked form of eternal youth.

I don't know, dying of old age, whiles still looking like you are in your mid 20's, without having to deal with things like dementia, or the weakness an old body provides seems like a really good deal (some might even say it is an situational sidegrade to standard immortality type 1). But yes, it is more or less useless in combat

 

[Tyranno223]

I don't know, dying of old age, whiles still looking like you are in your mid 20's, without having to deal with things like dementia, or the weakness an old body provides seems like a really good deal (some might even say it is an situational sidegrade to standard immortality type 1). But yes, it is more or less useless in combat

True, I am putting this mostly for combat.

However, I will also add that the Ainur were doing this for the Elves (who aged ridiculously slowly and can't die from it), plants, and animals... though tbf, I kinda would have liked the last bit for my fish back in the day.

Also you don't die. You just kinda pass away. Death is different in LotR.

 

[Armorchompy]

It is good but like, compared to aging enemies to death or granting actual immortality (which are the usual applications i see for the power), yeah.

 

[Imaginym]

True, I am putting this mostly for combat.

However, I will also add that the Ainur were doing this for the Elves (who aged ridiculously slowly and can't die from it), plants, and animals... though tbf, I kinda would have liked the last bit for my fish back in the day.

Also you don't die. You just kinda pass away. Death is different in LotR.

How exactly are "die" & "pass away" not synonymous in LotR?

Does to pass away mean fade away, like, visually you'd go opaque, translucent then no longer visible?
Dissipating like dust on the breeze?
When your time comes, you just LITERALLY walk out of the living realm & into the afterlife, with a portal or not?

 

[Tyranno223]

Actually, on the topic of LotR, Elves have Immortality Type 5 but only for their soul and not their body. Even then, they can't do anything upon bodily dying so having an immortal soul is useless.

This might change in the future and is useful against attacks that kill the soul, but it's probably the worst example I know of for that form of immortality

How exactly are "die" & "pass away" not synonymous in LotR?

Does to pass away mean fade away, like, visually you'd go opaque, translucent then no longer visible?
Dissipating like dust on the breeze?
When your time comes, you just LITERALLY walk out of the living realm & into the afterlife, with a portal or not?

"And of course, since Aman was limited, some things must pass away, while a perennial balance of the whole was maintained. But this was not confused with “Death”"

Idk. We have very little explanation since it's only a footnote.

 

[AThe1412]

Nominating this gorilla for worst Pressure Points. He can make people feel pleasure from vomiting. That's weirdly all it does.

 

[Armorchompy]

i

see

 

[Imaginym]

• Size Manipulation

A contender for this from the OP's list, since it has no example, currently:

Randō (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Randō, also known as Shorin is the primary antagonist during the Disciple Selection Trials section of the Spirit Detective Arc. Tier: 9-A | Likely 8-C Key: Shorin | Randō Name: Shorin | Randō Origin: Yu Yu Hakusho Gender: Male Age: Hundreds of years Classification: Human disguise | Demon Powers...

vsbattles.fandom.com

• Shrinking Curse: After chanting, the target's body will decrease in size. However, he is open to attacks. This move was also stolen from a famous martial artist according to Genkai.

His page is underdetailed on how bad it is.

As YYH's Fandom Wiki page for him puts it:

"Amused by Rando's lack of understanding of his own stolen techniques, Genkai explains that any spoken chant has to be heard by the victim or it will result in the user being afflicted instead."

Said page page provides a more thorough explanation of the technique & its many flaws:

Spoiler: Lengthy explanation

Shrinking Curse (縮身の呪術, Shukushin no Jujutsu, translated as Curse Technique of Reducing Body): After a chant, the target's body will decrease in size. However, as any chant technique must be performed perfectly, the effect can be negated if the opponent doesn't hear the chant or if the user doesn't say it properly. If that happens, it will backfire and affect the caster. Genkai reveals that although quite formidable, the technique is surprisingly quite easy to avoid, as all the opponent has to do is cover his or her ears. Another weakness is that Shorin is open to attack while casting it, and has to rely on his opponent being unable to attack or being too stupid to realize the deadliness of this technique. This was stolen from a famous martial artist (Psychic in the English dub) according to Genkai. In the dub, Genkai claims this technique and the Circles of Inferno were invented by the same pair of psychics. As they were killed by Rando shortly after perfecting the chant, using this technique essentially blew Rando's cover. Yu Yu Hakusho, episode 13.

But yeah, IIRC, it involves the sound of the chant being transmitted through the target's brain.

So it's a chant, so it makes itself obvious by sound, it takes a long time, leaves the user vulnerable, must be performed perfectly without misspeaking it, & it will fail if the target doesn't hear it -Such as because they covered their ears-, & seemingly if the target even only doesn't hear part of it, then it backfires & takes effect on the user.

Notably, the affected are also seemingly weakened at their smaller size. Break the victim's bones with ease & all that.

& in fact, this is part of how the story goes! SPOILERS: Rando tries to use it on Yusuke, after Yusuke comes out of a swamp Rando dropped him into, but Yusuke doesn't hear it because he has seaweed -or something- in his ears. Thus, Rando shrinks himself, & Yusuke, who was too tired to fight, does a falling over elbow drop on the shrunken, weakened Rando, which defeats him. Rando didn't know about the hearing requirement -Genkai told him after his mistake- seemingly because he just learned the technique, then killed the martial artist who made it. Unclear if he knew about the other drawbacks, like needing perfect chanting.

So, how's that for a candidate?

 

[AThe1412]

Nominating humans such as Shinji and Misato from Neon Genesis Evangelion for worst Forcefield Creation. To explain, A.T Fields (or Absolute Terror Fields) are possessed by all living beings on NGE-Earth. However, only Angels (born from the First Angel Adam) and Eva Units can manifest them in the form of a corporeal forcefield that can be utilized both defensively and offensively such as in the form of shockwaves and optic blasts. While humans are born from The Second Angel Lilith which technically makes them Angels as well, their souls aren't strong enough to physically manifest their A.T Fields hence their only use is granting resistance to Mind and Soul Manipulation due to the A.T Field being the ego boundary that keeps a being's individuality and that protects the heart/soul from outside influence (It also like prevents their bodies from breaking down into what could only be described as primordial orange juice but they can apparently recover from that state if they choose to? I know jack about NGE lore. I'm just reading what's on the profiles)

 

[Imaginym]

• Size Manipulation - Randō (Yu Yu Hakusho) - Has an obvious, long-winded buildup and can be countered and reflects onto the user if it's not perfectly enunciated or not fully heard by the target.

Sorry for any bother, but I wonder: Should it be mentioned the weakening effects of it?

Like, Yusuke's comparable friend, Kuwabara, when affected, could get his bones broken & such just by Rando squeezing him.

Not all Size Manip does that. Do we call it Plot-Induced Stupidity? Misapplied appeal to reality?
Regardless, your own technique redirecting to you instead of your target that also severely weakens the affected is quite severe. (Even if it would weaken the intended target instead of one's self when used properly.)

 

[Armorchompy]

Nominating humans such as Shinji and Misato from Neon Genesis Evangelion for worst Forcefield Creation. To explain, A.T Fields (or Absolute Terror Fields) are possessed by all living beings on NGE-Earth. However, only Angels (born from the First Angel Adam) and Eva Units can manifest them in the form of a corporeal forcefield that can be utilized both defensively and offensively such as in the form of shockwaves and optic blasts. While humans are born from The Second Angel Lilith which technically makes them Angels as well, their souls aren't strong enough to physically manifest their A.T Fields hence their only use is granting resistance to Mind and Soul Manipulation due to the A.T Field being the ego boundary that keeps a being's individuality and that protects the heart/soul from outside influence (It also like prevents their bodies from breaking down into what could only be described as primordial orange juice but they can apparently recover from that state if they choose to? I know jack about NGE lore. I'm just reading what's on the profiles)

Does the Mind/Soul Resistance come from the forcefields or are they separate? If the former it's like, not that bad tbh

 

[AThe1412]

Does the Mind/Soul Resistance come from the forcefields or are they separate? If the former it's like, not that bad tbh

They seem to come with the forcefield but I'm no expert. Maybe try asking @Mr. Bambu or @Crabwhale about it? They're NGE supporters.

 

[Imaginym]

• Healing

Susie was previously rejected for this because although Ultimate Heal is bad, she can also heal well with items.

& there's other candidates, but Spamton, though....

His Healing, as evidenced by his dialogue saying "[Press F1 for] HELP" & actually requiring an F1 Key press from the player to work is pretty bad.

• Healing (Can heal his opponent once per fight)

& while the effect does appear to use his own powers, since it has a Spamton Cherub spawn for the move, & can't be used during 1 of his attacks (Only during the player's turn.) it's not like it spends anyone's turn to use. 50% of max HP (According to the Deltarune Fandom Wiki.) is a substantial heal in that game -Or in general.-, too.

Not to mention he doesn't seem to be in control of when it gets used, as it's activated by the PLAYER pressing F1 -Not any more directly in-universe action- & can be used in ANY Spamton Boss Battle, like Spamton NEO where he's fiercely oppositional & either wants to take the SOUL from Kris, or is opposing Kris so he can take the Fountain; In those circumstances, I doubt he would CHOOSE to heal Kris if he had any choice in the matter.

There's probably other candidates, even just in UT/DR alone.

Admittedly, others may have more commendably bad healing by how low the amount is... but Spamton's, besides seemingly being out of his control when it gets used, is also only once per battle. In the few circumstances where you'd want to heal someone else, let alone an opponent -Ex: Against undead which may be harmed by it.- you might want to be able to do so more than once.

(Also, I'm not sure if the "once per fight" is accurate; IDK if it can be used in the Alley & then later in a Spamton NEO battle later in that playthrough.)

EDIT: HealDeal exists, too, but that's an Act that Kris does, uses Kris's TP & turn, & heals Spamton. (& also HealDeal affects the "Deal" stuff involved in sparing him?)