>>38578153The idea seems to be that sandstorms aren't "weather" like sun, rain, or hail since it's more wind that kicks up debris than sand and dust falling from the sky. Not that I agree with that given that they still call it a *weather* condition and clear sky/Sunny day isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind with weather, either.
Realistically weather is something that's always happening no matter how hospitable or inhospitable conditions are outdoors. The wind alone should qualify it and turning rock type to get the special defense boost would make up for sand not boosting rock moves like weather ball would be, unlike sun and rain.
At the very least, I wouldn't say Castform is completely forgotten since they gave it hurricane in ORAS and used it with Totem Lurantis to surprise unfamiliar players in Sun and Moon. That's more than some other gimmick pokemon like Cherrim can boast.
Castform's not the worst for single player, as it's one of the most fun pokemon to use in ORAS and other post-gen 4 single player, since unlimited TMs makes it super customizable. I remember sweeping Drake with ice castform and running Rain Dance, Hurricane, Thunder, and Weather Ball in postgame. It wasn't the strongest pokemon, but knowing what was ahead and micromanaging castform to fit the challenge was a type of freedom that made me appreciate unlimited TMs even more. I probably wouldn't rely on it for a nuzlocke, but I loved using it in ORAS and unlocking the genie fight with a member of my actual party instead of dragging a pokemon i happened to have out of the PC also felt like my choice was justified, which was nice.
