Pokemusings, week 47

Water Spout is a fantastic initial move, but its effectiveness diminishes as a battle rages on, making it a poor primary attack. When planning a move set, Water Spout requires some strong complementary offense. Using Water Spout is actually one of the rare cases where it's a good idea to have another move of the same type (either Surf or Waterfall). At the very least, the Pokemon using the move should have a way of restoring hit points in order to maximize its power.

Gyro Ball is a pretty funky move that's a boon for slower Pokemon. Numerous Pokemon can learn this move via level up, but it can also be taught with TM74. This Steel-type move is based on the Attack stat. Its damage is based on the speed differential between the user and its opponents. Keep in mind that the maximum damage is capped at base 150.