I'm so angry that this is called "dive cat" when it clearly should've been called cat fishing

Dude who discovered this had to be some sort of anime supervillain because this is just evil.

I'm still mad about how they nerfed dark void. They made it so no one but darkrai can use it but also nerfed the accuracy. But darkrai has pretty much NEVER been allowed in vgc tournaments. So all this really did was make darkrai in singles ubers incredibly pathetic and use hypnosis instead of his signature move

Don't forget the singles version, RoarCats. Since hazards see a lot more use in Singles due to the greater frequency of switching, getting Roar in a positive priority state was _insanely_ busted, as you could just rake your opponent's entire team over stealth rocks and spikes while they were rendered entirely unable to act as being forcibly switched _entirely cancels your turn_ if you had not yet moved, this being the reason Roar and related moves are negative priority to begin with.

Purrloin was such a threat not only because of the Dive Cat strategy but because it was sitting like a normal cat, so they had to make it stand on two legs when Pokémon moved to 3D in X and Y

"Dark Void is supposed to be Darkrai's signature move. But in VGC it's Smeargle's signature move." Truer words have never been spoken

Prankster Assist is such a devastating combo that they would make Purrloin and Liepard borderline unkillable in gen 9 while taking advantage of Revival Blessing.

Damn, I’m hyped that I’ve seen enough competitive Pokémon to see the strat emerge with the reveal of dive. I immediately thought “if only there was a way to guarantee that the dive moved second on the other turn…” and ofc there is, in the form of atrocious items I never knew existed

the liepard and houndoom combo was so cool, it truly seems like the real life equivalent of ingo and emmet

I'm starting to think that Game Feak has a vendetta against cat Pokemon

I dont play competitive pokemon, but its still a lot of fun to hear about all the little tricks and strategies people have come up with over the years.

Surf bypasses the semi-invulnerable turn of Dive and deals double damage to boot. Surf is also way more common in doubles for its spread damage compared to the overall dominance of Scald and Hydro Pump in singles. I think there's a high chance you'd run into it using this team, which really hurts its consistency.

If Purrloin with Dive breaks the game then we're lucky that cats hate water, or they'd take over the world

As soon as you mentioned the Lagging Tail, it immediately clicked and I thought "Oh God, this is scary"

Liepard and Houndoom are probably my favorite pokemon, warms my heart to see them obliterate opponents

This reminds me of the Normalium Z Nature Power Whimsicott team that saw some play in Gen 7. Nature Power was considered a status move that got priority improved by prankster, and had the typing of whatever terrain you used, with misty terrain it was moonblast, with grassy terrain energy ball, and thunderbolt with lightning terrain. Normalium Z allowed you to access powerful Z moves in three different typings at priority, making the whimsicott able to 100% pokemon like garchomp or tapu fini.

I love hearing about strats like this. it's so cool how people come up with this, assist with prankster makes sense, but then to go for an invulnerability move and use lagging tail is genius.

Fishious Rend would be extremely broken for the sheer fact that it's second effect doubles the damage if you move first

I remember watching WeedleTwinneedle do this with a prankster Riolu in singles. They lead with a sturdy Skarmory and used fly, then used copycat to use fly. It was pretty hilarious

Purrloin is one of my favorites so I'm glad it got this spotlight

There’s also an even more gimmicky version in singles with roar over dive, all it needed was one form of permanent passive damage and it could just win

Strategies like these are always so interesting to me. A simple concept that's extremely easy to counter, 'n' yet is completely unbeatable if you're unprepared.

Always love the cat pokemon for their tricky uses and adorable natures, like real cats. haha

After watching this it makes me think: did the developers know about these exploits? Saying to themselves ‘I wonder if the gamers will figure THIS out!’ Or did they just set parameters they thought would work, and the gamers found game breaking mistakes the developers made? I’ll accept either answer, it certainly is very interesting! 👍🏻👍🏻 great video!

I only really figured out what Assist did a year ago, and thought "there has to be a crazy was to use this'... Well, Divecats certainly went beyond my expectation! It's also good to know about the nerfs that developed. While they do their job, where else is a change so specific than those made for Assist and Dark Void?

Purrloin was terrifying in every type of battle, each in more horrifying ways than the last. Doubles and Multi were covered in this video, but Singles had Swag Play. Saying that Swagger/Thunder Wave/Substitute/Foul Play is evil would be a massive understatement.

4:02 when you said dive my mind was immediately: "dive makes a pokemon immune to all attacks until it hits the next turn. Prankster makes it hit first so you won't take damage that turn and because the priority just makes the pokemon use the move first, but the attack after the use is determined by the pokemon speed it will hit last. Not dig cause flying is Immune to ground. That ecentelly makes you hit and is immune to all attacks" I did not heard what he would said but that's my prediction

Back in Gen 5, I think you could have countered the strategy with surf and have a water absorb or storm drain pokemon in the other slot, or just take the hit. You'd be able to get two surfs off before the cats can do damage to you.

I really love how the video is structured. The picture of the crazy combo gets slowly revealed to us and once you get it you're like "oh dear. I see".

Hey Wolfey, just wanted to let you know that I’m really digging the new, late 2010 era game-theory video-style you’ve been working with recently

I havent been into competitive since gen 6 but one of my favorite things was seeing the crazy combos people made. This one really shines xD

And now revivecats got natdex AG thanos snapped. History truly repeats itself

Wolfe I was so confused when you said you were playing competitive for over a decade - then I realized 2011 was 11 years ago. Thanks for the shock and horror on this fine day. Glad to have watched you for so long! EDIT: I got the number of years wrong because I’m dumb sorry lmao

A similar thing is very rarely used in singles. You get a sturdy Pokémon, like that turtle from gen 5, and it’s level 1. Then you give it a sticky barb. It uses dive turn 1, and it the opponent hits you down to sturdy, you die from barb after you use dive. Then you use riolu with the same item and copycat. Very niche but it’s a similar idea.

9:20 "a bit of a weird beast"

The moment he brought up Prankster I knew what change he was talking about. It's nice to know the story of what brought about this change though, thanks for the vid Wolfey.

Hey Wolfey, I think a good topic would be why Doubles remains the standard of Pokemon competitive and how things would change if it was triples.

I honestly expected the move to be Roar/Whirlwind in combination with hazards, which I'm pretty sure was a strategy used with Riolu when using Copycat back in the day

While it is a bit more luck-based, I personally enjoy using "Assist" to call upon "Beat-Up" while holding the "Kings-Rock" item. Since "Beat-Up" offers Purrloin and Liepard "STAB" while also a +1 priority, more often than not, this will result in flinching the opponent. The probability to prevent the enemy from moving could be increased all the more with paralysis, confusion, or simply "Encore"/"Taunt". But even with just one Purrloin or Liepard using "Beat-Up + Kings-Rock", you have a 56% chance of flinching the target. In a double-battle, if both members of your team use "Beat-Up + Kings-Rock" on the same target, then the probability that the opponent won't flinch is an abysmal 28%. In other words, the probability the opponent gets to move is less likely than hitting with "Fissure"! This is obviously not a guaranteed strategy, but it is very entertaining one watch the opponent get helplessly beat-up by your entire party repeatedly without being able to attack back. When "RNG" favors you, this strategy can wipe-out entire parties without using anything other than Purrloin or Liepard; even when the opponent uses types that are resistant to "Dark".

Generation 5 has a huge place in my heart, it's the generation where I started my journey

There was another version of Voidcats during VGC 2016. You'd use Liepard with a wide lens and bring mega Mewtwo X and/or Mega Lucario to one-hit kill all the sleeping enemies with Focus Punch. (Liepard, Lucario, Mewtwo, Smeargle, Ditto and one more, I forgot). The team had some absolute bollocks tech, like putting "Me first" on Mewtwo to prevent safeguard, Quick Guard to prevent prankster+taunt and my absolute favorite: Feint to break wide guard. All of these incredibly specific moves were unassist'able so they worked. The team never made it out of battlespot, but it was probably the only way to run mewtwo at all. You even had unnerve, if you got the shiny event mewtwo.

Man you put so much effort gathering the information, footage, sprites and editing. On top of that, you are a pokemon legend! So much respect.

Wow! I gotta say it’s probably been a good 5 years since I’ve seen your content, and the progress you’ve made is INCREDIBLE!!! Amazing humor, creative writing, great animation, good stuff, Wolf 👍🏻

A few thoughts from this video: - This is a fantastic description of a wildly hilarious problem. - I really enjoyed being called a "beloved viewer" - I loved the Exodia reference

I love hearing about these stories, didn't expect Purrloin to be that much of a menace.

Imagine if you wanted to be awake, but smeargle said no

Love the amount of work that went into editing! Very entertaining!

My favorite interaction with Liepard in the current gen is one that was used around the beginning of Gen 8 over a year ago: using Copycat to get priority Trick Room. With Dynamax, Trick Room turns into Max Guard, but Copycat still sees Trick Room, so you max your Trick Room user, Max Guard, then get a priority Trick Room set up . It's a nice way to work around Taunt, but it usually suboptimal, which doesn't mean it's not fun!

1:26 "You wouldn't ever do this" You underestimate the smoothness of my brain

This was actually crazy to watch, nice job.

I really enjoyed this video, especially seeing obscure Pokémon getting a spotlight. …Now I want to hop back into the series and actually finish Shield

I'm sure it's already been said a million times, but just wanted to say congrats on the top 8 in regionals. Been great being able to watch the live competitions again and can't wait to see what you and your Aarons bring to the table for worlds!

If I'm not mistaken, a similar strat could still be used in singles, but with riolu. If you have a pokemon with dive/fly/dig, you go for it and let your pokemon die before the move ends (like with sticky barb), then you can go into a lagging tail riolu and use prankster-boosted copycat. It has loads of problems, but it definitely can work!

I loved this video. As someone who plays for fun, it always blows my mind all the cool things like this that VGC trainers figure out. I’d love more videos like these of VGC history and tricks from over the years

well put together video, my thoughts on this is that this kinda seems like it's just a cheese strategy that once you see it once, you'll never fall for it again. I find it hard to believe that any serious team would have trouble with this after the first tournament or two that it popped up since thundurus and, to a lesser extent, tornadus were so prevalent in gen5

I love when strategies become so broken, that decs have to intervene

Purrloin is one of those underrated Pokémon I've always loved while others preffer Liepard

Man I haven't checked in in a while and this editing is insane!! Really enjoying how this video is looking! This format is great :D

Man. After all these months with you providing all this pokémon content without even realized I was subbed. I don't even play pokémon at all, I just find it really entertaining. Keep up the good work! Definitely worth a sub

it was actually pretty brutal in smogon singles as well. There are a couple of mons that could actually run half way decent move sets of all moves that couldn't be called by assist, so the goal wasn't so much for Liepard to kill 6 mons as it was for Liepard to chunk enough of your opponent's team that you're playing a 5v4 or 5v3, assuming they's eventually find some way to kill it. Pretty sure I remember Shadow Force being the move of choice as opposed tor dive in that particular context.

Love these as always, such an amazing professional explaining things that I never knew, and this stuff helps me learn old and new stuff about Competitive Pokémon that makes me want to learn even more to participate in a big event one day

This is incredible and the presentation was delightful. As a previously frustrated but stubborn Emerald Delcatty user, proud that Assist ended up broken for a time.

With how incredible this topic is, the best part of the video is the storytelling

1:33 ah yes my favorite strategy, helping hand into protect.

This video idea was AWESOME. I was entertained from start to finish! Please please please upload more videos like this! 😃

More please. Funny stories like this are always welcome. Can’t believe people don’t sub to you instantly

I was thoroughly entertained throughout this video and I even learned about something I did not know about previously. Good video.

Damn I was so confused when I saw Wolfey talking about Purrloin, I thought this was another one of Freezai's little cup videos for a second

1:52 love how my boy just shakes.

I really like the informational and history sort of videos you do!!

Subscribed. First ever video of yours I watched and you are effortlessly funny and your 1% transition was the most entertaining version of it I saw. Kudos

Therapist: "Terrakiuckle isn't real, he can't hurt you" Terrakiuckle:

I was fully expecting a Stealth Rocks/Focus Sash Foretress, followed by a Roar/Whirlwind team. This would keep your item slot on the cats open for something like leftovers for that bit of extra bulk, safety goggles (did those exist in gen 5?) to prevent weather damage, leppa berry for more pp, or a choice scarf to potentially beat out any other priority moves like quick attack.

Its stories like this that makes my obsession with competitive pokemon battles worth it, like a pokemon isnt just its type and some even with bad stats may surprise you, this is the first time im hearing this story honestly its a bit sad i dont see more stuff like this though

Loved the JoJos music/hats for multibattles. Informative competitive strategies and helpful ways to actually use Pokemon is getting me to sub. Much love

The Shuckl-ion is a beast that will probably hunt my weak mind forever.

In OU there was the same thing but stealth rocks would be set up and Liepard would use Assist to get priority Roar

Always a good watch. Man you know yours stuff. Subscribed and keep it up👍

Yo this video is super jam packed with all the info I didn't know, making me want to dig deeper into Pokémon. I only ever play legit, not abusing stuff. Either way I'm subscribed.

Time to take down the video because it uses my footage. Jk, cool video and it’s an honour for my footage to be used for something like this!

I did not predict it, but as soon as you said it I was like "oooooooooooh", abusing the difference in priority between the first and second part of the attack is indeed sick.

I really enjoyed this format of video. It was very informative, and also your squished photoshopped face in a Doug Dimmadome hat was icing on top of the cake.

Woah this was a really good video. I'll check out some others! Great work!

I would LOVE more videos like this, covering competitive Pokemon history and weird strategys

I double checked my subscription status at your request wolfey lol. I am still subscribed. enjoyed the video as well 😁

The editing in this video was absolutely on point! DIOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

This was my first video I watched on your channel. This was great! I subscribed

Fun little stories like this are always entertaining. I never knew something like this happened and I wonder how many other events like this occurred.

Liked and subscribed because that edit of Liepard swimming in the ocean made for the BEST dumb laugh.

I would love more videos like these bro you killed it

If anything else, I really appreciate the backing music, especially the Jotaro and Mustard themes 👌🏾

this is the best editing i've ever seen for a pokemon video. nice job!

This was actually the most entertaining video I've watched in weeks. I love hearing about weird strats.

4:13 using Will Smith at the Grammys to smack Charizard LMAOOO I fckin died 💀💀💀😂😂😂😭

Abusing this in Battlespot Singles and Spore from Amoongus with Sub, Nasty Plot and Dank Pulse with finally leftovers for the cherry on top is just hilarious

Doug Dimmadome, owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome is my favorite Jojo character personally. Also also, have to say, Dive cats feels like one of those gimmicks that could've shifted a whole meta for a year had it been discovered sooner. Great vid! Learned a lot :)

Gotta say the editing has become noticeably better and better over the last year, the work shows and its absolutely great

I am always pleased to hear tales of a niche, or gimmick strategy winning over whatever standard flavor of the month builds dominate metas.

I honestly thought this was another abuse case with priority roar/whirlwind, I'd forgotten completely about dodge cats. One thing not mentioned that I think is an important weakness and a reason to pick Dive specifically. Most variants of dive (phantom/shadow force being the exceptions) will be hit and take double damage from very specific moves. For dig it's magnitude and earthquake, for fly it's thunder and for dive itself it's surf. None of those are particularly common or useless moves (except magnitude), but surf teams would probably double as rain teams with thunder. Dig is vulnerable to what I would expect to be the most common move and blocked by the most common immunity.

I love these hilarious and specific gimmicks. Been really loving the type of videos you've put out!