Gyarados Moveset
I just traded my horrible shiny gyarados with a friend who also had a horrible shiny to try and boost our stats. It worked, I’ve now got a 84% shiny with dragon tail and hydro pump. His IV is 11a/13d/14s. Is it’s attack to low to Tm to waterfall for best move set or should I go for it since I don’t have Kyogre? Any reason to keep it as a novelty shiny with a legacy move?
Answers
Gyarados has high base attack, so its attack IV is a smaller proportion to the total value.
Waterfall has high base power, so breakpoints have smaller percentage increases in damage.
With only 11 atk IV, you may have to power up more to hit a specific breakpoint and you might miss a breakpoint in some situations, but it is not going to matter too much.
https://pokemongo.gamepress.gg/breakpoint-calculator#/
Check the breakpoint calculator to compare some raids you might use it against.
For example, Gyarados' Waterfall against Groudon:
No friendship bonus:
15 Atk IV: 13 damage at level 32.5
11 Atk IV: 13 damage at level 34.5
With best friend bonus:
15 Atk IV: 14 damage at level 30.5
11 Atk IV: 14 damage at level 32.5
15 Atk IV: 15 damage at level 40
So in the extreme case, with 15 atk IV and max friendship, Gyarados can hit one extra breakpoint against Groudon that 14 or lower atk IV can not hit. That is a 15/14=1.07 times increase in damage compared to lower atk IV. But those lower atk IVs are still 14/13=1.08 times as much damage as no friendship bonus.
If you have no other water attackers, this Gyarados will likely serve you very well until Kyogre makes another return to raids, whenever that is.