Ability Review, Part 2: Clear Body - Dry Skin

Clear Body

Effect: Prevents all stat drops, except those self-inflicted.

How to use: In-game, Pokemon love stat-dropping moves. Love them. A Clear Body Pokemon is a way to go up against them without having to suffer through the drops or switch out. In more competitive battling, such stat-drops are rarely seen; however, the prevalence of what is considered one of the best abilities in the game, Intimidate, means a Clear Body Pokemon does not have to worry about that particular stat drop, which is huge. Also, stat drops are sometimes used as a way to "phaze" an opponent by encouraging them to switch; hence, the ability prevents that situation.

Users:

Only ability:
Metagross
Regirock
Regice
Registeel

Some competition:
Tentacruel (Liquid Ooze)

Overall: An awesome ability in-game, and a great ability in competitive battling too. Alas, its distribution is limited.

Cloud Nine

Effect: Same as Air Lock.

How to use: Disrupt weather.

Users:
Mild Competition: Golduck (Damp - more useful in 2 vs 2, whereas Cloud Nine is more useful in Single Battles)

Overall: It could have been useful, if it had only been distributed to some stronger Pokemon.

Color Change

Effect: Changes type to the type of the attack that last hit the Pokemon.

How to use: ... *shrug*

Users:
Only ability: Kecleon

Overall: Pure gimmick ability. That's all there is to it.

Compoundeyes

Effect: Increases accuracy by 30%.
Outside effect: Increases chances of finding Pokemon holding items if in lead position.

How to use: Mainly, 97.5%-accurate Sleep Powders. (And, for that matter, 97.5%-accurate Stun Spores and 100%-accurate Toxics.) That, and perhaps having a fainted one at the front of your party when hunting for item-holding Pokemon.

Users:
Only ability: Butterfree

Tracers:
It's rarely going to happen, but if Gardevoir pulls off a Trace on a Butterfree, then... congratulations, you now have 91%-accurate Focus Blasts!

Overall: If it were distributed more, this ability could potentially break a number of Pokemon. As it is, it is stuck on a Pokemon for whom the ability is really its only saving grace in competitive battling. However, Butterfree also likes this ability as an in-game utility Pokemon, either for putting enemies to sleep for capturing or for scouting out item-holding Pokemon.

Cute Charm

Effect: Infatuates an opposite-gendered Pokemon 30% of the time it attacks with a contact move.

How to use: Bring it in on an opposite-gendered Pokemon who uses contact moves, theoretically.

Users:
Only ability: Wigglytuff
Mild competition: Delcatty (Normalize)
Major competition: Lopunny (Klutz - usually the better ability, unless a Switcheroo plan isn't in effect)
Severe competition: Clefable (Magic Guard)

Tracers: Porygon2, being genderless, won't get use from it. Gardevoir can Trace an opposite-gendered Pokemon with the ability and possibly mess them up a bit, especially since Gardevoir won't be using contact moves him/herself.

Overall: Not the worst ability, but somewhat limited in its usefulness.

Damp

Effect: Prevents the use of Selfdestruct and Explosion from having any effect. (The move can be selected, but it will neither faint the user nor do damage.)

How to use: If the enemy might explode, bring a Damp-user on them. Especially effective in 2vs2. Great ability, and it'd be better if only...

Users:
Some competition: Golduck (Cloud Nine)
Serious competition: Poliwrath, Politoed, Quagsire (Water Absorb)

Overall: ...the Pokemon that got this ability were better, or didn't have one of the best abilities in the game. As such, its use is limited at the moment, though perhaps more prevalent in Double Battles where Explosion is far more common.

Download

Effect: Increases the users Attack if the opponent's Defense is lower than Special Defense, and increases Special Attack if the other way around.

How to use: The only Pokemon for whom the ability is really considered, Porygon-Z, uses it over Adaptability, when lacking Nasty Plot, by switching into Special Defense-weak Pokemon and then unloading any of its special attacks on the opponent (as opposed to just Tri Attack). It should be noted that a Download-boosted Tri Attack is actually more powerful than an Adaptability-boosted one, but only if no Nasty Plot or other Special Attack boosts are in effect. That, and the boost is somewhat unreliable.

Users:
Some competition: Porygon-Z (Adaptability)
Serious competition: Porygon2 (Trace)

Overall: A great ability by all means, but lack of good distribution hurts it.

Drizzle

Effect: Summons indefinite rain upon entering the field.

How to use: ...This would take way too long to cover. Basically, use Water attacks, use Swift Swimmers, and use Thunder.

Users:
Only ability: Kyogre

Overall: On one hand, yes, you will only find this ability in the world of Uber-battling. On the other hand, it is single-handedly responsible, not only for making Kyogre the most-used Pokemon in Ubers, but also for being half of what shapes the entire metagame in that environment: pretty much every team must either take advantage of the rain, or have a way to respond to it.

Drought

Effect: Summons indefinite sunlight upon entering the field.

How to use: Again, the details would take to long. Suffice it to say, use Fire attacks, and use moves and Pokemon that take advantage of sunlight.

Users:
Only ability: Groudon

Overall: While not quite as common as Kyogre, Groudon is still the second-most used Pokemon of Ubers, and is the other half of what shapes the Uber metagame, being to sunlight what Kyogre is to rain. Likewise, teams must be prepared either to take advantage of the sunlight, or otherwise have a way to deal with it, especially now that a certain Ho-oh has become more prevalent.

Dry Skin

Effect: Recovers 25% HP when hit by Water attacks, but takes an additional 25% damage from Fire attacks. Recovers 1/8 HP each turn during rain, but loses 1/8 HP each turn in strong sunlight.

How to use: Switch it into Water attacks, and use in rain. Avoid sunlight and Fire attacks.

Users:
Little competition:
Parasect (Effect Spore)
Toxicroak (Anticipation)

Overall: This ability is basically like Water Absorb, with a few little extra effects and drawbacks. Despite those drawbacks, though, it remains a great ability thanks to the fact that any free healing and immunities are very welcome on any Pokemon. The extra healing in Rain can be fun, too.

On a side note, a Dry Skin Parasect has the special distinction of being the Pokemon with the greatest possible weakness multiplier, being x5-weak to Fire. It gives a whole new meaning to the term Kill It With Fire...