Castform

[Sheep]

In Hoenn games, you get a free Castform after saving the Weather Institute from its Team Aqua/Magma takeover.

Did anyone ever use this little guy? Seems like most people haven't, but I'm curious if anyone actually gave it thought lol. Did you ever try it out, even briefly? Maybe used it for a challenge run? Or did it go straight to the box?

 

[Devalue]

In a Hoenn game? Not really. Comes relatively late. Struggles to justify adding a Normal type then. Might have appeared in one wild battle to see Forecast, but probably not. Brought it to the Elite Four as a filler Pokemon. Recalls it still being level 25 in the Hall of Fame.

Used it in a solo run in X, though. Found that interesting, as far as solos go. Buys the weather TMs quite early (Lumiose).

 

[Zeostar]

I've never used it. Goes straight into the box each playthrough.

I don't like sitting through weather animations either, so I'll never ever even touch it in Gen 3.

 

[Rock_Salazar]

Everytime I get castform I box it and forget about it. Even in the remakes I did that because Castform just isn't good which is a shame. The most disappointing aspect about it is that there's only 2 places in Hoenn that have permanent weather, and only in 1 of those places does Castform transform. Having to design your team around a specific weather and pokemon in gen 3 is relatively difficult unless it is Sapphire or Ruby because only Groundon and Kyogre have permanent weather abilities before post game. In gen 6 you do have access to the ability drought earlier thanks to torkoal and ninetales, but by gen 6 weathers aren't permanent anymore and castform is even more powercrept by that time. Base 70 in all stats is terrible by gen 6, even in gen 3 those stats are rather weak. I want to love Castform because I love messing around with weathers, and castform should be good with how it is flexable with 3 out of the 4 weathers. Giving it thunder and hurricane seems good enough, but with those stats you're better off running something else. Gen 6 gave us Heliolisk, and that pokemon is a straight upgrade to castform because of STAB thunder and dry skin meshing well with rain dance/rain teams.

 

[Palamon]

I feel like in Hoenn, Castform was meant to only really be used in contests and pretty much nothing else since its stats aren't very good... I don't think I ever used it in the earlier gens. I've thought about it, but idk lol doesn't have much going for it in og Hoenn. Also, you don't get to nickname it when they give it to you which is very weird, if you ask me. Why was this the one exception to gift mons upon receiving it?

 

[Megan]

Never really used it. It comes too late and doesn't really learn any interesting moves that give me a reason to use it. The weather mechanic is cool, though. If only it had a sandstorm form, as well.

One minor nitpick I have is that you actually have to get it. Or else the game won't let you progress...

 

[ReKoil]

I already have a full team long before that point in Hoenn. Unless I severely dislike a Pokemon I'm not benching it, only exception being encountering a shiny of a Pokemon that I'm already using on my team.
I do remember trying it out in a couple fights and then just shrugging and boxing it.

I still feel like they should give it weather based evos, like how Goodra evolves only in the rain from level 50 onward. Just have it evolve from like level 30 onward. Level 30 + rain evolves into a Normal/Water evo, Level 30 + Sun = Normal/Fire evo and during hail = Normal/Ice evo. And add a Sandstorm form with a Normal/Rock evo while at it =P
It would become locked into that form so Forecast can be replaced by helpful abilities, like for example something to help the Normal/Ice & Normal/Rock versions deal with Fighting types.
Could also make a potential evo pure types I guess, but that's boring =P

 

[_confused_piplup_]

I like Castform. I'm not extremely in love with it, but honestly I like its design and I like the idea of its changing forms during weather and that's a key theme in Hoenn, so overall, it's a good concept for a pokemon, made at the right time, at least.
I used it not in a full run, but I used it in some battles and, especially, since I am having trouble with the Flying type gym, I tried to use its ice form against the gym leader. It doesn't perform too bad imo. It's semi-useful. In a long run, I am not sure if I'd use it.