Big Parasol – Darkness Ablaze Pokemon Review

Otaku

Big Parasol (SW – Darkness Ablaze 157/189, 199/189) is one of the recent Pokémon Tools added to the game.  As such, it has to worry about anti-Item plays (like Vikavolt V), anti-Tool tricks (like Tool Scrapper), and competing with other Tools since most Pokémon may only have one attached at a time.  Big Parasol’s actual effect is that, so long as the Pokémon to which it is attacked in your Active, it prevents all effects from the attacks of your opponent’s Pokémon which would be done to any and all of your Pokémon.  The text also clearly states that damage is not considered an effect, and that any attack effects already being applied to your Benched Pokémon remain.  Though you do not want to attach Big Parasol to Mew (SM – Unbroken Bonds 76/214; SM – Black Star Promos SM215), the two do form a solid combo.  Slap Big Parasol on whatever you’re keeping up front, and have Mew on your Bench.  Mew’s “Bench Barrier” Ability will protect your Benched Pokémon from damage, while Big Parasol will protection your Benched and your Active Pokémon from anything other than damage.  At least, when the source of the damage and effects is an attack by your opponent’s Pokémon.

Do I expect Big Parasol to become a staple in Standard or Expanded?  Not unless the metagame shifts accordingly.  There’s also still one thing I need cleared up about the effect; it may seem silly to not read the “all Pokémon” in its effect as literally meaning, for an effect to be blocked, it would have to apply to all of your Pokémon equally.  I am reading it as “any and all”, but that’s mostly just a hunch.  The way I read it, if an effect only worked on your Active, it is still getting blocked.  If it applies to your entire Bench, but not your Active, the effect is still blocked.  If your opponent gets to select three of their opponent’s (meaning your) Pokémon to apply an effect, then it gets blocked.  If it truly is “all or none”, then it is a very, very niche effect.  As for the Limited Format, why not?  You probably lack a different Tool to equip and have room in your deck.

Ratings

• Standard: 3/5
• Expanded: 2/5
• Limited: 3/5

Again, this assumes I’m understanding the effect correctly; drop each score to 1/5 if it only protects against your opponent’s attack effects that explicitly apply to every single one of your Pokémon.  If I am correct, though, it is a nice card to have kicking around the cardpool, even if you probably don’t need it at present.