1. Pokemon using trapping moves seems to be a rare sight in the CAP Metagame. Why is it an underrepresented strategy?
The reasons I think trapping moves are underrepresented is because of the following:
-Moves that are able to trap the opponent while dealing damage have extremely base power and rather subpar accuracy. Any partial trapping move aside from Magma Storm has a base power of 35 or less, with base 85 accuracy. Magma Storm's accuracy is even shakier at 75, despite the raw base 100 power. In a meta where there is quite a bit of focus on applying pressure, moves with such low base power are unfavorable as they are only able to slowly chip the opponent down, rather than doing huge damage in one blow.
-The meta tends to be heavily reaction-based and it's easy for your opponent to switch out right when you are using a trapping move into a counter for the mon that used it, putting you in an unfavorable situation. This can be especially debilitating considering moves such as Block and Mean Look have only 8 PP, meaning that wasting PP on moves such as this are highly unfavorable.
-Very huge point: Pokemon that have access to U-Turn, Volt Switch or Parting Shot (and there are a lot of them) can switch out of any trapping move or ability. As a result of the popularity of moves of this type, trapping is basically pointless because all you're doing is chipping the enemy for a pretty negligible amount of damage if any at all.
-Pokemon that learn good trapping moves (such as Anchor Shot and Spirit Shackle) are generally not very capable in the CAP metagame. Dhelmise and Decidueye have multiple exploitable weaknesses, especially in CAP, and no other mons learn trapping moves that good. As a result, trapping moves are even less popular because there's no viable mon that can use the best of these.
-Lastly, Pokemon that can learn these moves generally would suffer from 4-moveslot syndrome if they did. Pokemon like the Zards and the Tapus for example would rather prefer a coverage move than a move that traps the opponent, and Pokemon such as Ferrothorn that are more defensive have to fulfill a role with every move they're given, such as Ferrothorn having to stack hazards, pressure opponents, stall, and not become Taunt bait by running an attacking move.
2. Trapping moves and trapping abilities function very differently. Why is this?
The reason trapping moves and trapping abilites function differently is that trapping abilities are always active against a mon that can be trapped, meaning that if a trapping ability mon switches in and the opponent doesn't switch, the opposing mon is already trapped by the trapper, putting your opponent into an unfavorable situation if the trapper can easily kill the other mon. Trapping abilities must actually land on an opponent in order to successfully trap them (if they even can considering their shaky accuracy) and can also be switched on to make the opponent create an unfavorable situation for the trapper. Also, like I mentioned before, trapping moves take up a precious moveslot that could better be used for something better.
3. What are the advantages of running trapping moves? What are the inherent disadvantages? Do all trapping moves share all of the same problems, or are there common problems between them?
The advantages of running trapping moves are that if you can successfully trap a target that the trapper can kill easily with another of its attacks, you basically have removed a major threat without worrying about your opponent switching to something else that can interrupt your kill. However, disadvantages are the fact that the opponent can easily switch out to a mon that can check or counter the trapper, and that using momentum moves such as VoltTurn and Parting Shot will always break the trapped mon out and let it escape. Trapping moves don't share all of the same problems; the problems that I mentioned just now are common problems, but depending on the move, they either are offensive attacks with lower power and accuracy that have a chip effect that can be overcome by most walls, or are a completely passive move with very low PP that makes a mon lose any offensive presence or blocks off the use of a move that would otherwise allow the mon to perform more effectively.
4. What kinds of moves pair well with trapping moves? What makes the trapping move worth running alongside those moves, rather than just not running said trapping move?
Definitely the best moves that pair well with trapping moves are moves that can choke away the trapped mon's health without worry. Toxic is the best example, as since the opponent is unable to switch out while trapped, Toxic's counter will not reset and the mon will keep taking damage until it's overwhelmed, not to mention the damage from the trapping move if it is a damaging trapping move. Another thing that could be run is a setup move; if you are able to trap a Pokemon that can barely harm you, you can basically use it for setup fodder, allowing you to prep yourself to run through the enemy team without fear of getting walled. However, this does depend on whether or not the opponent switches into a more favorable situation for themselves. It's also possible to run Taunt so you can chip down the health of a wall using a partial trapping move while preventing them from healing, taking them out. Healing moves would be necessary to ensure the wall can't eliminate you while you're burning it out.
The reasons I think trapping moves are underrepresented is because of the following:
-Moves that are able to trap the opponent while dealing damage have extremely base power and rather subpar accuracy. Any partial trapping move aside from Magma Storm has a base power of 35 or less, with base 85 accuracy. Magma Storm's accuracy is even shakier at 75, despite the raw base 100 power. In a meta where there is quite a bit of focus on applying pressure, moves with such low base power are unfavorable as they are only able to slowly chip the opponent down, rather than doing huge damage in one blow.
-The meta tends to be heavily reaction-based and it's easy for your opponent to switch out right when you are using a trapping move into a counter for the mon that used it, putting you in an unfavorable situation. This can be especially debilitating considering moves such as Block and Mean Look have only 8 PP, meaning that wasting PP on moves such as this are highly unfavorable.
-Very huge point: Pokemon that have access to U-Turn, Volt Switch or Parting Shot (and there are a lot of them) can switch out of any trapping move or ability. As a result of the popularity of moves of this type, trapping is basically pointless because all you're doing is chipping the enemy for a pretty negligible amount of damage if any at all.
-Pokemon that learn good trapping moves (such as Anchor Shot and Spirit Shackle) are generally not very capable in the CAP metagame. Dhelmise and Decidueye have multiple exploitable weaknesses, especially in CAP, and no other mons learn trapping moves that good. As a result, trapping moves are even less popular because there's no viable mon that can use the best of these.
-Lastly, Pokemon that can learn these moves generally would suffer from 4-moveslot syndrome if they did. Pokemon like the Zards and the Tapus for example would rather prefer a coverage move than a move that traps the opponent, and Pokemon such as Ferrothorn that are more defensive have to fulfill a role with every move they're given, such as Ferrothorn having to stack hazards, pressure opponents, stall, and not become Taunt bait by running an attacking move.
2. Trapping moves and trapping abilities function very differently. Why is this?
The reason trapping moves and trapping abilites function differently is that trapping abilities are always active against a mon that can be trapped, meaning that if a trapping ability mon switches in and the opponent doesn't switch, the opposing mon is already trapped by the trapper, putting your opponent into an unfavorable situation if the trapper can easily kill the other mon. Trapping abilities must actually land on an opponent in order to successfully trap them (if they even can considering their shaky accuracy) and can also be switched on to make the opponent create an unfavorable situation for the trapper. Also, like I mentioned before, trapping moves take up a precious moveslot that could better be used for something better.
3. What are the advantages of running trapping moves? What are the inherent disadvantages? Do all trapping moves share all of the same problems, or are there common problems between them?
The advantages of running trapping moves are that if you can successfully trap a target that the trapper can kill easily with another of its attacks, you basically have removed a major threat without worrying about your opponent switching to something else that can interrupt your kill. However, disadvantages are the fact that the opponent can easily switch out to a mon that can check or counter the trapper, and that using momentum moves such as VoltTurn and Parting Shot will always break the trapped mon out and let it escape. Trapping moves don't share all of the same problems; the problems that I mentioned just now are common problems, but depending on the move, they either are offensive attacks with lower power and accuracy that have a chip effect that can be overcome by most walls, or are a completely passive move with very low PP that makes a mon lose any offensive presence or blocks off the use of a move that would otherwise allow the mon to perform more effectively.
4. What kinds of moves pair well with trapping moves? What makes the trapping move worth running alongside those moves, rather than just not running said trapping move?
Definitely the best moves that pair well with trapping moves are moves that can choke away the trapped mon's health without worry. Toxic is the best example, as since the opponent is unable to switch out while trapped, Toxic's counter will not reset and the mon will keep taking damage until it's overwhelmed, not to mention the damage from the trapping move if it is a damaging trapping move. Another thing that could be run is a setup move; if you are able to trap a Pokemon that can barely harm you, you can basically use it for setup fodder, allowing you to prep yourself to run through the enemy team without fear of getting walled. However, this does depend on whether or not the opponent switches into a more favorable situation for themselves. It's also possible to run Taunt so you can chip down the health of a wall using a partial trapping move while preventing them from healing, taking them out. Healing moves would be necessary to ensure the wall can't eliminate you while you're burning it out.