What if Shiftry was in RBY?
(This is part of a weekly series. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/stunfisk/comments/1hhy8d2/ksyons_rby_port_ideas_masterpost/) for information on my general methodology, links to previous entries, and a list of pokemon I plan to cover in the future. If you want to make suggestions for other pokemon you want me to cover, please make those suggestions on that post.)
**Shiftry**
*Grass type*
* HP: 80 * Attack: 100 * Defense: 60 * Speed: 80 * Special: 60
Moves:
* Bide * Harden * Growth * Explosion * Razor Wind * Swords Dance * Mega Kick * Toxic * Body Slam * Take Down * Double-Edge * Hyper Beam * Rage * Mega Drain * SolarBeam * Dig * Mimic * Double Team * Reflect * Selfdestruct * Swift * Skull Bash * Rest * Substitute * Cut * Strength
Shiftry was briefly mentioned in the comments of my [Ludicolo review](https://www.reddit.com/r/stunfisk/comments/1jlbqve/what_if_ludicolo_was_in_rby/), since the two are version counterparts of each other and the whole reason I gave Ludicolo 100 special instead of 90 was so that if I ever reviewed Shifty in the future, they could still have the same BST as each other, even though this works against Shiftry's favor by giving it only 60 base special instead of the 90 it could have had. Much like Ludicolo, Shiftry is a grass type that learns no status moves, which makes it very unusual compared to RBY's canon grass types, but not in a good way. It still suffersfrom all the same downsides of RBY grass types - STAB moves with awful power and horrid coverage - with none of the upsides. It doesn't even get Razor Leaf - that wasn't added to Shiftry's movepool until Gen IV, and even then, it was only available via the move relearner mechanic.
The one thing Shiftry does have going for it is the rare combination of Swords Dance and Explosion. In actual Gen I, the only pokemon that can learn both of these moves is Mew, who is restricted to Ubers only, and even in this series the only pokemon I've covered before now with the combination are [Lickilicky](https://www.reddit.com/r/stunfisk/comments/1kcepls/what_if_gen_iv_evolutions_of_gen_i_pokemon_were/) and [Landorus](https://www.reddit.com/r/stunfisk/comments/1mk3g6j/what_if_landorus_was_in_rby/), both absolute powerhouses in their own right. Shiftry gets to bring the SD+Boom combo to OU, and UU, and probably NU, and maybe even PU or ZU, and its grass typing is actually an asset in this role, as it makes it risky for rock types to switch into you trying to catch an Explosion (ghost types, however, are still a huge problem, and even Gastly hard counters Shiftry). The issue with running Swords Dance + Explosion is that it's inherently a 1-for-1 trade at best, and even if you trade Shiftry for something "move valuable" than it, you still had to use a teamslot that could have gone to a better pokemon instead. So in order to get real value out of Shiftry, you have to spread some damage or status on pokemon other than the one you go boom on, while also surviving long enough to still go boom, and in OU or even UU, this is much easier said than done. Chansey's Ice Beam 2HKOs Shiftry, which should give you an idea of just how easy it is for any decently strong pokemon with an Ice, Flying, or Fire type move to take out Shiftry in only a couple of turns, especially with STAB, and this is a problem for a pokemon that wants to survive *at least* 3 turns to get positive value out of it (one turn to SD, one turn to use any attack that is not setting up or exploding, and one turn to explode after forcing the pokemon you hit with the second attack to switch out somehow). It wouldn't be impossible to get value out of Shiftry in higher tiers - a +2 Explosion will *OHKO Cloyster*, so it's not hard to get at least that 1-for-1 trade so long as you can maneuver around Gengar/Rhydon - but it's hard to justify a teamslot for a pokemon that will in most games be unable to do anything *but* explode, and the tier where Shiftry would actually settle will be the tier in which it can survive more than a couple turns and be an appreciable threat *before* it blows up.