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Rejected Set special attack IVs to 0 if the pokemon has no special attacks
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Unlike Foul Play, Power Split is not a widely viable move. In fact, I can't think of something that is viable with Power Split. Attack IVs are set to 0 because a vast range of Pokemon benefit from it because it means they will take less damage from Foul Play if they're a special attacker. Power Split is not an attacking move, so no Pokemon is immediately threatened by it. I personally don't think this does anything because Power Split is extremely rarely used and even when it is used, it is not viable; a case can be made for doubles, but you would most likely use that on your ally.
I mean, there's still no real reason not to lower your special attack. You're not using it anyway.
Do you have a reason besides "you're not using it"?
Power Split.
It's a net positive with no downside, however minuscule that positive may be.
It's not true that lowering Special Attack IVs for Power Split is best in some objective sense, because Power Split could have a wide variety of targets. For example, suppose I use Power Split in doubles on an ally - there, I would want higher Special Attack to pass additional points to my ally. Or suppose in singles, my opponent is using Power Split on my own Pokemon in order to weaken it, and then I switch out to avoid getting Power Split again. In that case, I would prefer my opponent to have a higher Special Attack so that when I switch my new special attacker in, it receives a handful more points to deal slightly more damage.
The assumption behind this suggestion is that Power Split is being used offensively to gain Sp. Atk, when in reality Power Split is almost always going to be used defensively to steal Attack / Sp. Atk from the opponent. In the defensive case in singles, it is therefore superior to have additional Special Attack so a subsequent Pokemon coming in has more stats to work with. The only reasonable offensive case of Power Split I can think of is with an ally in doubles play, though I could testify this would be pretty much worthless as a strategy; but again, in that case also, you'd want 31 Special Attack IVs.
As a result, I'd hardly call lowering Sp. Atk IVs to 0 on physical attackers to be better. Even if it were better, Power Split is so exceedingly rare to the point where I am certain players have not been intentionally lowering the IV to 0 like people did with Attack IVs for Foul Play, self-hit confusion, Strength Sap etc. that it would not be worth the implementation time.
The assumption behind this suggestion is that Power Split is being used offensively to gain Sp. Atk, when in reality Power Split is almost always going to be used defensively to steal Attack / Sp. Atk from the opponent. In the defensive case in singles, it is therefore superior to have additional Special Attack so a subsequent Pokemon coming in has more stats to work with. The only reasonable offensive case of Power Split I can think of is with an ally in doubles play, though I could testify this would be pretty much worthless as a strategy; but again, in that case also, you'd want 31 Special Attack IVs.
As a result, I'd hardly call lowering Sp. Atk IVs to 0 on physical attackers to be better. Even if it were better, Power Split is so exceedingly rare to the point where I am certain players have not been intentionally lowering the IV to 0 like people did with Attack IVs for Foul Play, self-hit confusion, Strength Sap etc. that it would not be worth the implementation time.
Yeah, that’s a fair point. I suppose this suggestion should be rejected then.