PAX Pokemon League

What are your thoughts on these new items:
absorb bulb
cell battery
red card
air balloon

The only one I think would be useful is perhaps a Cell Battery Gyarados, as a one time protection from his biggest weakness, and an attack boost, letting him counter the electric type with an earthquake. I can't seem to think of any other really good uses for them. Anyone have any ideas?

I don't think Cell Battery actually absorbs the attack - it just boosts [bnij]if[/bnij] you survive.

I really like the Air Balloon. It's basically a free levitate, and allows you to switch into ground moves.

As Heleor said, as far as I know, Absorb Bulb and Cell Battery do not prevent damage. I've never used either, just going off what I've read someone else say. In that case, it could be handy for something that resists already to boost on a switch-in if you can predict it right. For example, throwing an Absorb Bulb on a Ludicolo and switching to it when you think a Water move is coming. It takes little damage and gets a boost from the Bulb.

Red Card could possibly be a gimmick on a wall if you rely on entry hazard damage, I suppose.

Air Balloon can be nifty on anything that would like to avoid Ground-type moves, plus it will avoid Spikes and Toxic Spikes. I know someone talked about using one with their Excadrill on here. I've been tinkering with it on another Steel type and it does come in handy, forcing someone to use another attack, often times resisted, to get it on the ground.

Either way, getting a boost in attack from the cell battery would help a gyarados (provided it survived the attack). my question would be if a pokemon with motor drive held the cell battery, would it get both increases in speed and attack?

I believe not. From what I've read, it only gets the uses the item and gets the boost if it takes the hit from the attack.

I had an Air Balloon on my Terrakion. It turned out to be particularly useful in very specific (though surprisingly common) situations where basically I could play around Earthquake users by switching him in and then going to Lucario when they tried to break the Balloon and then getting a KO with HP Ice. Also it made Terrakion a perfect counter for Excadrill because he could Rock Polish then outspeed Excadrill safely.

Air Balloon-carrying Excadrills and Terrakions, amongst other Pokemon with large Ground weaknesses, outnumber those who do not carry a balloon. This is why Earthquake is not necessarily a safe move to use if you think you may be seeing a switch on that turn.

In other news, Waterfall > Excadrill.

Red card is amazing.

And the others from what I know do absorb the attack. Once. And cell batt is a spatk boost I thought? And it dosen't work with motor drive. The pokemon would have had to take damage for it to trigger, and iwth motor drive, that negates it. as with type immunitys.*it's great on a DD Gyra lead)