#and I can't really see him being allowed to learn Surf . . . that's exclusively Puka's territory i think

[sage-nebula]

I've felt myself driving slowly to insanity ever since I realized that all three of Cap's offensive moves are electric type. I get that this is an anime and so it doesn't play by the game rules exactly, but the fact that Cap has NO way to deal with types that have resistance or immunity to electricity is insane to me. Friede is supposed to be a genius professor, so how and why did he drop the ball THIS badly? (Especially since he didn't drop so badly with Char, albeit Steel Wing or Thunder Punch would be better fits than Dragon Claw given that Char doesn't get STAB with Dragon Claw either, and Steel Wing or Thunder Punch would both cover weaknesses.)

Having said that, I've tried to put together a better moveset for Cap. It is a bit challenging, considering his ability boosts his Special Attack, despite his signature move (Volt Tackle -> Rising Volt Tackle) requiring him to have a high Attack stat. Considering that the increase to his SpA would only matter when he tanks electric hits, I'm going to focus on a more physical build for him giving the necessity of keeping Volt Tackle, while also trying to give him better type coverage.

With that, my idea for a better Cap moveset is:

Volt Tackle — As mentioned, it's his signature move and he's required to keep it, because without it he can't use Rising Volt Tackle, and then what are we even doing here. So this one is a mandatory keep from his canon moveset.

Double Team — I'm also keeping Double Team, because he has used it to great effect in canon. Not to mention that increasing his evasion is also very helpful considering that I also want to give him . . .

Focus Punch — Focus Punch has a very high damage output (150) with the caveat that it will not work at all if the user is hit beforehand. But this works well for Cap, who has naturally high speed and knows Double Team to increase evasion. Using Double Team to throw off opponents before unleashing Focus Punch would work spectacularly. Additionally, Focus Punch would allow him to deal SE damage to Normal, Dark, Rock, Ice, and Steel, greatly increasing the number of opponents he's able to deal SE damage against. And while it doesn't do SE damage, it DOES hit Ground, which would give him a way to attack against a type he currently can't do any damage to at all.

Quick Attack — I know, I know, it's a basic choice. And to be honest, I'm torn between this and Feint, which is a little weaker but can get through Protect / Detect. Feint is a very special situation type of attack, however, while Quick Attack is more reliable, being both a little stronger and a priority move. Normal type moves are good for coverage as well (and this gives Cap something to use before the big finishers of Focus Punch or Volt Tackle), so I still think that it fits well here.

Obviously, Lightning Rod won't boost any of these attacks. If we wanted at least one attack that would be boosted, we could keep Thunderbolt instead of adding Quick Attack. But I really think that since Cap's signature move, the one we absolutely cannot get rid of, is a physical move, then we should focus on building his stats around that. In which case, Lightning Rod's utility is mainly going to be in doubles to draw electricity away from its partner (as seen when Friede and Spinel double battled).

We don't know Cap's nature for sure (do we ever learn the canonical natures of pokémon in the animated shows?), but if we look at his personality and try to decide on a nature from there, I would say that he does seem to have an Adamant nature, with the way he never gives up on things. This, too, would boost his Attack while actually lowering his Special Attack, which means that a physical build really is a better fit for him.

Lastly, I think it would behoove Cap to keep a Light Ball under his hat. Although the hat does get knocked off / thrown off a lot, so maybe he could wear it as a necklace instead. (Who am I kidding though, they don't even do mega stone accessories anymore . . . 😒 no way is Cap getting a necklace.) The Light Ball would increase his Attack further, truly making Cap into the sweeper that I feel he's destined to be.

Now, let me into the writers room so I can fix him, Horizons staff. I will do it for free, just please let me fix him.