It is Year 2040. Generation 20 is upon us as Gamefreak releases Pokémon Red Charizard/Black Charizard. The starters are Magikarp Tier Water Type Shitmon with Slow Start, Slow Frail Mixed Attacker Grass Type Pokémon with Stakeout, and Fire Type Shillmon with True Protean, 150 ATK, 150 SP.ATK and 180 Speed plus a guaranteed critical hit 300 BP signature move that targets the opponent's weaker defense, making it the strongest True Protean user yet, outclassing the former generation's Water Type True Protean user that has meager 120/120/150 offensive stats. This incredible power creep has forced Greninja, Cinderace and Meowscarada into retirement as they're deemed unviable in any competitive format.
Outside of the starters, the power creep is incredible with the brand new Pokémon releasing with Generation 20, including a bird with permanent +3 priority on all moves, a pikaclone that always revive a KO'd party member, a waifumon with an ability that OHKOs all pokemon that switches in when it uses a status move, a gimmickmon with no guard and sheer cold, a critter with Battle Bond Boost, and a dragon that's just Garchomp but with Dragon Dance.
The exceptions to the power creep is the regional slow defensive attacker ice type pokemon with Truant and Wobbuffet's movepool, as well as the regional bug type pokemon with a signature ability that loses you the battle instantly when you send it out.
Despite being one of the box cover legendaries, Black Charizard is deemed too weak for competitive play, as its 250/250/250 bulk and Drought Power ability leaves it vulnerable to a Revenge Kill from the meta defining Kantonian Weedle. It becomes the first ever box cover legendary to be moved down to NU. The opposite is true of Red Charizard, as it gets banned from AG.
Pokémon Charizard/Black Charizard sells 69 million copies in the first hour of release.
And yet, despite all of this, fucking Toxapex is somehow STILL seeing usage in Pokémon Showdown.
