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Description

The Grooving Gorilla of Galar, Rillaboom!

Rillaboom is the fully evolved version of Grookey, inhabiting the region of Galar. It is an ape that carries a tree stump and branches to drum with. By drumming, Rillaboom can tap into the power of its special tree stump. The roots of the stump follow the direction of drumming in battle. A Rillaboom with the best drumming technique can become the leader of its troop. Due to its kind disposition, it values harmony within the group and is very sensitive towards discord that could threaten the group's harmony, so it keeps a strict watch for such actions. And due to its strong sense of unity, it will ferociously defend its allies from trouble. And now, we get to wonder how he could've jammed out and bring the beat onto the Project AT battlefield. So to start things off, Rillaboom is a heavyweight fighter (Having a near-exact weight value of Donkey Kong), he has 2 jumps and has no additional movement options.

Basic Attacks

Starting things off with his jab, it's a rapid jab that has it rapidly flail his drumsticks then end it in an uppercut. His dash attack has him thrust his drumsticks forwards then swings them outwards, this dash attack is rather interesting as the first hit locks foes in place while the second hit launches foes away, deals moderate damage and knockback. His side tilt is a 2-hit combo that has him do a bonk followed by an elbow jab, with the second hit being able to slightly move him forwards; his up tilt has him do a rising hook punch, this can only really hit in front of Rillaboom but it hits fairly hard and his down tilt has him stab forwards with his drumsticks, referencing the move Branch Poke, it comes out rather quick and can even trip foes at lower percents.

For his side smash, Rillaboom uses Wood Hammer, where he charges up solar energy in his drum and slams it onto the ground, this is a deadly move, having a lot of power, being rather big, and being pretty fast, the main drawback being that the move does recoil damage of 1.5% and it does have a lot of end lag; his up smash has him use Uproar, this has Rillaboom unleash a mighty roar that deals rapid multi-hitting damage to anyone and a ton of shield damage, however it does have the most amount of end lag by far, and his down smash has him use Razor Leaf, imbuing his drumsticks with solar energy to form blades as he slashes on both sides, this is rather weak but it has great frame data, making it nifty for tech-chasing.

For his N-air, it spins with its arms outwards, it has a long-lasting hitbox but it can only hit foes once and has a little bit of endlag; his F-air has him do a swing with one of his drumsticks from high to low; his B-air has him do a hammer arm from behind himself, this attack is capable of spiking foes if it sweetspots; his U-air has him do a double alternating uppercut with each drumstick, this is a move that should best be used as a combo finisher and his D-air has him do a punch with both of his drumsticks, straight downwards, this is rather precise but it hits hard and is capable of spiking foes if it sweetspots.

Grabs

Rillaboom grabs with one arm and pummels by slapping the foe. His forward throw has him shove the foe away, slightly referencing the move Knock off; his back throw has him spin then toss the foe backwards; his up throw has him uppercut the foe to the air and the down throw has him tap into his plant-like powers and roar to the sky, calling vines to appear from underneath the foe and drag them into the ground, burying them.

Special Attacks & Fighter Ability: Overgrow

Now getting into Rillaboom’s special attacks, these are the attacks that can really allow for you to help you whenever you’re in a pinch. In the Pokémon game, Rillaboom has an ability that allows his grass type moves to be powered up whenever his HP is low. And for Project AT, I took that idea and repurposed it a little, with the fighter ability simply titled ‘Overgrow’. Whenever Rillaboom is in a percent deficit of 30% behind his opponent, he’ll gain a faint green aura around his body, indicating that he has entered Overgrow mode. In this state, all his specials can be cancelled in order to perform a unique variation of his special attack that I’m calling Solars, gaining even more power in exchange for longer end lag that can make him wide open for punishment, so this effectively turns Rillaboom into a rekka-oriented fighter.

For Rillaboom’s neutral special, it makes use of its signature move, Drum Beating! Rillaboom brings out its drum and sticks and gathers up energy with a drum roll. Then as soon as you finish the charge or press the button early, it unleashes in two different ways, whether you’re grounded or airborne. If grounded, the roots shoot out straight forwards, dealing multiple hits of damage and travelling at around the third of Battlefield, but if used in the air, the drum flips halfway and the vines shoot straight downwards at the height of the center platform in Battlefield. But when he enters Overgrow, he can cancel the charge of this move to his Neutral Solar, Solar Blade! Channelling energy from his drumsticks to release a massive blade of energy that reaches high, all before slamming it down onto the ground with heavy knockback. While powerful and an excellent anti-air option, it also leaves Rillaboom incredibly susceptible to punishment should the attack miss, and the aerial version of Solar Blade never goes past Rillaboom’s elevation on top of Rillaboom going into freefall afterwards.

His side special has him use TR65, Energy Ball! This is a projectile attack that has Rillaboom conjure solar energy and then fire a stationary projectile, it deals pretty poor damage but does a deceptive amount of knockback. Now despite being fairly simple with its limited range, there’s quite a bit of versatility with this move. This projectile attack in particular lingers far longer than other projectiles in the game and has a deceptive amount of priority, managing to withstand against quite a handful of projectiles outside of those with trample properties, effectively acting like a makeshift wall, and if used in the air, Rillaboom launches the projectile at a diagonal angle as opposed to straight forwards, just like with Ness’ PK Fire. But it can become an incredibly powerful tool in the form of Rillaboom’s Side Solar, Solar Beam! With this, the energy ball soon dississipitates into a beam of solar energy that travels diagonally upwards, and if used in the air, is fired diagonally downwards. While this move is hard to hit with, it deals incredible damage on top of massive knockback!

Next, for Rillaboom’s up special, he makes use of the normal-type move, Boomburst! Normally, this is a move that deals tremendous damage to anyone, but for Project AT, it instead has Rillaboom bring out it's drum and sticks then strike the drum with enough force to create a burst of sound beneath him and propel him upwards, this move can be charged up to allow for Rillaboom to propel him further and faster. But if you think you might not have enough horizontal recovery, then look no further than Rillaboom’s Up Solar, Grassy Glide! This has Rillaboom dash straight forwards while using his drum as a makeshift skateboard, smashing through anything in his way, this Solar can be used at any point before he reaches his peak height of the Up Special but keep in mind that he only gains horizontal distance, and doesn’t gain any vertical distance whatsoever.

And finally, for Rillaboom’s down special, this has him use a strange but versatile tool in his arsenal, Grassy Terrain. In the home games, Grassy Terrain was a move that healed Pokémon and increased the power of Grass-type Pokémon and moves. For Project AT, it will do a similar thing, Rillaboom plays a musical riff and if you’re standing on the ground, it places a small patch of grass, this patch allows for Rillaboom to heal 0.5% of his damage should he be using any of his special attacks, much like a fully charged Wii Fit Trainer’s Sun Salutation. But what’s more useful is a move that can damage and heal at the same time in the form of his Down Solar, Giga Drain! Rillaboom will slam his drumsticks onto the ground, causing two tree branches to grow out and encircle around him, and if any foe gets caught, they will be stuck in place and deal a chunk of damage, draining away their energy, while Rillaboom also heals himself for a chunk of his percent. But be sure that this move connects, cause it’s incredibly unsafe if whiffed.

Overall, Rillaboom’s fighting style is meant to be like that of a music conductor, having a ton of versatility and utility, along with some extras to really help you out if you’re at a disadvantage, which could be enough to really allow for you to turn the tide in battle.

Final Smash: G-Max Drum Solo

For Rillaboom’s final smash, he transforms into Gigantamax Rillaboom and performs the signature G-Max move, G-Max Drum Solo! This has Rillaboom grow into massive size and looms in the background in his G-Max form. Then it starts drumming on his drums and unleashes a massive column of trees and thorns to grow from where he activated his Final Smash, dealing massive damage and knockback to any foe! Afterwards, he reverts back to normal to resume the fight.

Miscellaneous

For colors, they all make references to other Grass-type Pokémon in the Galar region. His first alt gives him red hair and cyan fur, referencing the Flowering Pokémon, Gossifleur; the second alt gives him white hair and green fur, referencing the Cotton Bloom Pokémon, Eldegoss; the third alt gives it yellow hair and green fur, referencing the Applin, Flapple and the Appletun; the fourth alt gives it black hair and grey fur, referencing the Mythical Rogue Monkey Pokémon, Zarude; the fifth alt gives it dull green hair and white fur, referencing the King Pokémon, Calyrex; the sixth alt breaks the mold of grass-type and gives him violet hair and pink fur, referencing the Legendary Gigantic Pokémon, Eternatus, and the final alt gives it its shiny colors.

For taunts, its first has it raise its arm up, as if it were hyping up a crowd, referencing its idle animation; its second has it beat its chest much like a typical gorilla (because of course) and his final has him play on his drum in a “ba dum tss” fashion (because it's kinda obligatory).

And finally, for victory animations, its first has it twirl its drumsticks in the air, then gives a thumbs up, followed up with a smirk; its second has it jam onto his drum and then throw it up to the air to catch it with one of his feet as he poses in a handstand and his final has him do a countdown then plays a single note on his drum with vines emerging out of the ground, then does the same pose seen from the jacket art of the Maximizers.

And that is what Rillaboom could've been like in Project AT! Now I have never ever played Pokémon Sword and Shield, but from a design, Rillaboom definitely felt the most unique and almost gave me vibes to Taishi Ci surprisingly enough and to be fair, that is the main inspiration of his moveset. So, If you wish to see more of Project AT and some cut content, follow on me Reddit, and if you have any questions on the moveset, then leave them down below. I’ll see you next time for the next cut content!

Description

The Grooving Gorilla of Galar, Rillaboom!

Rillaboom is the fully evolved version of Grookey, inhabiting the region of Galar. It is an ape that carries a tree stump and branches to drum with. By drumming, Rillaboom can tap into the power of its special tree stump. The roots of the stump follow the direction of drumming in battle. A Rillaboom with the best drumming technique can become the leader of its troop. Due to its kind disposition, it values harmony within the group and is very sensitive towards discord that could threaten the group's harmony, so it keeps a strict watch for such actions. And due to its strong sense of unity, it will ferociously defend its allies from trouble. And now, we get to wonder how he could've jammed out and bring the beat onto the Project AT battlefield. So to start things off, Rillaboom is a heavyweight fighter (Having a near-exact weight value of Donkey Kong), he has 2 jumps and has no additional movement options.

Basic Attacks

Starting things off with his jab, it's a rapid jab that has it rapidly flail his drumsticks then end it in an uppercut. His dash attack has him thrust his drumsticks forwards then swings them outwards, this dash attack is rather interesting as the first hit locks foes in place while the second hit launches foes away, deals moderate damage and knockback. His side tilt is a 2-hit combo that has him do a bonk followed by an elbow jab, with the second hit being able to slightly move him forwards; his up tilt has him do a rising hook punch, this can only really hit in front of Rillaboom but it hits fairly hard and his down tilt has him stab forwards with his drumsticks, referencing the move Branch Poke, it comes out rather quick and can even trip foes at lower percents.

For his side smash, Rillaboom uses Wood Hammer, where he charges up solar energy in his drum and slams it onto the ground, this is a deadly move, having a lot of power, being rather big, and being pretty fast, the main drawback being that the move does recoil damage of 1.5% and it does have a lot of end lag; his up smash has him use Uproar, this has Rillaboom unleash a mighty roar that deals rapid multi-hitting damage to anyone and a ton of shield damage, however it does have the most amount of end lag by far, and his down smash has him use Razor Leaf, imbuing his drumsticks with solar energy to form blades as he slashes on both sides, this is rather weak but it has great frame data, making it nifty for tech-chasing.

For his N-air, it spins with its arms outwards, it has a long-lasting hitbox but it can only hit foes once and has a little bit of endlag; his F-air has him do a swing with one of his drumsticks from high to low; his B-air has him do a hammer arm from behind himself, this attack is capable of spiking foes if it sweetspots; his U-air has him do a double alternating uppercut with each drumstick, this is a move that should best be used as a combo finisher and his D-air has him do a punch with both of his drumsticks, straight downwards, this is rather precise but it hits hard and is capable of spiking foes if it sweetspots.

Grabs

Rillaboom grabs with one arm and pummels by slapping the foe. His forward throw has him shove the foe away, slightly referencing the move Knock off; his back throw has him spin then toss the foe backwards; his up throw has him uppercut the foe to the air and the down throw has him tap into his plant-like powers and roar to the sky, calling vines to appear from underneath the foe and drag them into the ground, burying them.

Special Attacks & Fighter Ability: Overgrow

Now getting into Rillaboom’s special attacks, these are the attacks that can really allow for you to help you whenever you’re in a pinch. In the Pokémon game, Rillaboom has an ability that allows his grass type moves to be powered up whenever his HP is low. And for Project AT, I took that idea and repurposed it a little, with the fighter ability simply titled ‘Overgrow’. Whenever Rillaboom is in a percent deficit of 30% behind his opponent, he’ll gain a faint green aura around his body, indicating that he has entered Overgrow mode. In this state, all his specials can be cancelled in order to perform a unique variation of his special attack that I’m calling Solars, gaining even more power in exchange for longer end lag that can make him wide open for punishment, so this effectively turns Rillaboom into a rekka-oriented fighter.

For Rillaboom’s neutral special, it makes use of its signature move, Drum Beating! Rillaboom brings out its drum and sticks and gathers up energy with a drum roll. Then as soon as you finish the charge or press the button early, it unleashes in two different ways, whether you’re grounded or airborne. If grounded, the roots shoot out straight forwards, dealing multiple hits of damage and travelling at around the third of Battlefield, but if used in the air, the drum flips halfway and the vines shoot straight downwards at the height of the center platform in Battlefield. But when he enters Overgrow, he can cancel the charge of this move to his Neutral Solar, Solar Blade! Channelling energy from his drumsticks to release a massive blade of energy that reaches high, all before slamming it down onto the ground with heavy knockback. While powerful and an excellent anti-air option, it also leaves Rillaboom incredibly susceptible to punishment should the attack miss, and the aerial version of Solar Blade never goes past Rillaboom’s elevation on top of Rillaboom going into freefall afterwards.

His side special has him use TR65, Energy Ball! This is a projectile attack that has Rillaboom conjure solar energy and then fire a stationary projectile, it deals pretty poor damage but does a deceptive amount of knockback. Now despite being fairly simple with its limited range, there’s quite a bit of versatility with this move. This projectile attack in particular lingers far longer than other projectiles in the game and has a deceptive amount of priority, managing to withstand against quite a handful of projectiles outside of those with trample properties, effectively acting like a makeshift wall, and if used in the air, Rillaboom launches the projectile at a diagonal angle as opposed to straight forwards, just like with Ness’ PK Fire. But it can become an incredibly powerful tool in the form of Rillaboom’s Side Solar, Solar Beam! With this, the energy ball soon dississipitates into a beam of solar energy that travels diagonally upwards, and if used in the air, is fired diagonally downwards. While this move is hard to hit with, it deals incredible damage on top of massive knockback!

Next, for Rillaboom’s up special, he makes use of the normal-type move, Boomburst! Normally, this is a move that deals tremendous damage to anyone, but for Project AT, it instead has Rillaboom bring out it's drum and sticks then strike the drum with enough force to create a burst of sound beneath him and propel him upwards, this move can be charged up to allow for Rillaboom to propel him further and faster. But if you think you might not have enough horizontal recovery, then look no further than Rillaboom’s Up Solar, Grassy Glide! This has Rillaboom dash straight forwards while using his drum as a makeshift skateboard, smashing through anything in his way, this Solar can be used at any point before he reaches his peak height of the Up Special but keep in mind that he only gains horizontal distance, and doesn’t gain any vertical distance whatsoever.

And finally, for Rillaboom’s down special, this has him use a strange but versatile tool in his arsenal, Grassy Terrain. In the home games, Grassy Terrain was a move that healed Pokémon and increased the power of Grass-type Pokémon and moves. For Project AT, it will do a similar thing, Rillaboom plays a musical riff and if you’re standing on the ground, it places a small patch of grass, this patch allows for Rillaboom to heal 0.5% of his damage should he be using any of his special attacks, much like a fully charged Wii Fit Trainer’s Sun Salutation. But what’s more useful is a move that can damage and heal at the same time in the form of his Down Solar, Giga Drain! Rillaboom will slam his drumsticks onto the ground, causing two tree branches to grow out and encircle around him, and if any foe gets caught, they will be stuck in place and deal a chunk of damage, draining away their energy, while Rillaboom also heals himself for a chunk of his percent. But be sure that this move connects, cause it’s incredibly unsafe if whiffed.

Overall, Rillaboom’s fighting style is meant to be like that of a music conductor, having a ton of versatility and utility, along with some extras to really help you out if you’re at a disadvantage, which could be enough to really allow for you to turn the tide in battle.

Final Smash: G-Max Drum Solo

For Rillaboom’s final smash, he transforms into Gigantamax Rillaboom and performs the signature G-Max move, G-Max Drum Solo! This has Rillaboom grow into massive size and looms in the background in his G-Max form. Then it starts drumming on his drums and unleashes a massive column of trees and thorns to grow from where he activated his Final Smash, dealing massive damage and knockback to any foe! Afterwards, he reverts back to normal to resume the fight.

Miscellaneous

For colors, they all make references to other Grass-type Pokémon in the Galar region. His first alt gives him red hair and cyan fur, referencing the Flowering Pokémon, Gossifleur; the second alt gives him white hair and green fur, referencing the Cotton Bloom Pokémon, Eldegoss; the third alt gives it yellow hair and green fur, referencing the Applin, Flapple and the Appletun; the fourth alt gives it black hair and grey fur, referencing the Mythical Rogue Monkey Pokémon, Zarude; the fifth alt gives it dull green hair and white fur, referencing the King Pokémon, Calyrex; the sixth alt breaks the mold of grass-type and gives him violet hair and pink fur, referencing the Legendary Gigantic Pokémon, Eternatus, and the final alt gives it its shiny colors.

For taunts, its first has it raise its arm up, as if it were hyping up a crowd, referencing its idle animation; its second has it beat its chest much like a typical gorilla (because of course) and his final has him play on his drum in a “ba dum tss” fashion (because it's kinda obligatory).

And finally, for victory animations, its first has it twirl its drumsticks in the air, then gives a thumbs up, followed up with a smirk; its second has it jam onto his drum and then throw it up to the air to catch it with one of his feet as he poses in a handstand and his final has him do a countdown then plays a single note on his drum with vines emerging out of the ground, then does the same pose seen from the jacket art of the Maximizers.

And that is what Rillaboom could've been like in Project AT! Now I have never ever played Pokémon Sword and Shield, but from a design, Rillaboom definitely felt the most unique and almost gave me vibes to Taishi Ci surprisingly enough and to be fair, that is the main inspiration of his moveset. So, If you wish to see more of Project AT and some cut content, follow on me Reddit, and if you have any questions on the moveset, then leave them down below. I’ll see you next time for the next cut content!