Community POTW #149

[Serebii]

Time for the next Pokémon and this week we go back to Kanto!

It's Gyarados!

https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sm/130.shtml

Go nuts

 

[Mestorn]

Gyarados, the perennial poster boy for hard work does pay off, Gyarados has been a staple for the highest tiers of play for several generations. And Gen VII has been kind to Gyarados, giving it a one time nuke in the rarely resisted Flynium Z Bounce on top of its Mega Evolution from its previous generation, giving Gyarados many options to keep your opponent guessing.

Dweller of Dream's Deep
Gyarados
Ability: Intimidate
Item: Gyaradosite
-Waterfall/Crunch
-Dragon Dance
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
Nature: Adamant (+ATK, -SATK) or Jolly (+SPE,-SATK)
EVs: 252 HP/252 ATK/4 SDEF OR 252 HP/120 SDEF/136 DEF

RestTalk Mega Gyarados, as Gyarados is respectably bulky after Mega Evolving. Rest gives Mega Gyarados longevity and prevents any Toxic/Burn/Paralysis from shutting it down. Dragon Dance is for boosting to truly terrifying levels of offense or to make up for the fact that its offenses are uninvested. Waterfall is the preferred STAB of choice, as it is STAB in both normal and Mega forms, allowing to make use of which form is more beneficial at the moment, though Crunch is perfectly viable as well. Mono-attacking STAB is not a problem as Mold Breaker prevents Water Absorb/Storm Drain from negating Gyarados' only offense and Mega Gyarados can Dragon Dance to the point it will roll over nearly any resist thrown its way.

Also, while Let's Go OU doesn't get much attention, Mega Gyarados is especially valuable there as one of the two best Dark types in the game (the other being Alolan Muk)

Other Options
Earthquake -Mold Breaker and Earthquake have great synergy, with Earthquake negating Levitate, allowing Gyarados to slam Rotom-Wash very hard, a rarity for Water types.
Taunt -Gyarados has a respectable speed tier and Taunt prevents phazing or counter setting up attempts.

 

[XaelOstigian]

Magikarp is absurdly weak, so weak in fact that some of the dex entries are equal parts sad and hilarious. It even has its own song:

But for those of us who had the time and patience to raise one to level 20 were richly rewarded with a monstrous sea serpent that destroys everything.

In truth, Gyarados did not fully come into its power until the gen 4 physical/special split, and when it did, well...let's just say getting 6-0'ed by Gyarados was a thing. The metagame has changed a lot since then, but Gyarados has remained a top tier threat regardless of the power creep, so don't take this serpentine Charybdis so lightly.

Sea Dragon's Rage
Ability: Intimidate/Moxie. MEGA: Mold Breaker
Item: Life Orb\Gyaradosite
Nature: Jolly/Adamant
EV's: HP: 4. Attack: 252. Speed: 252.

Moves:
Dragon Dance
Waterfall
Earthquake
Bounce/Ice Fang. Crunch (MEGA)

Set Details:
Set up with Dragon Dance to boost Attack and Speed, Waterfall is a consistent STAB with a nifty 30% flinch rate and Earthquake is grounding control for Electric types that will rush in to take advantage of your 4x weakness. The last slot is for coverage against various threats. Bounce is the only Flying STAB Gyarados has access to, and while two-turn charge up moves ( Even the semi-invincable ones) are usually a bad competitive option because they telegraph your next attack, the 30% paralysis chance with Bounce can potentially ruin the opponents switching in. Ice Fang is another option for dealing with Grass and Dragon types (Especially the 4x weak Dragons). If you want to run Mega Gyarados then give it Crunch instead to capitalize of the new STAB. Both of its abilities are great, so choose the one that best fits your play style. Intimidate lowers the opponent's attack on arrival allowing you to set up Dragon Dance more easily, and Moxie boosts your own attack each time you score a knock-out. If you're the type who switches constantly then go with Intimidate. If you prefer to stay in and hold your ground then stick to Moxie. Life Orb is your held item to boost your attack even further.