The most popular questions on PokeBase are the 'What is a good moveset for...?' threads. They attract a significant amount of attention, and make a up good chunk of the site's total moderating burden. Due to this, the 'don't ask moveset questions' rule exists, discouraging people from posting more of these questions (which would lead to excess clutter and disorganisation).
The best way to characterise this rule is to say that all 'open-ended' moveset questions may only be posted with mod approval, so we can manage their presence. This means that you cannot:
- ask a question like 'What is a good moveset for Garchomp?' because that question already exists.
- ask a question like 'What is a good moveset for Corviknight?' because, even though that question doesn't exist yet, only moderators may post it.
- ask a question like 'What is a good moveset for Fennekin?' because, as outlined in the moveset guidelines, sets for Pokemon that aren't fully-evolved belong on their fully evolved form's page.
- ask a question like 'What is a good in-game moveset for Emboar in Gen 5?' because we want to have only one question per fully-evolved Pokemon, to prevent disorganisation.
- ask a question like 'What is a good moveset for a Relaxed Flygon?' because those movesets belong on the main moveset question for Flygon.
The above applies even if there are no movesets for Relaxed Flygon on the main Flygon page, and even though we don't allow in-game movesets on the main pages. Allowing these would cause us to have a ridiculous amount of moveset pages, and cause sets for the same Pokemon to appear on many different pages.
However, some people ask questions requesting advice for a pre-existing moveset. These questions are not 'open-ended' and don't overlap with other threads, which means they don't present the same organisational problem that the others do. This means you could, for example:
- ask whether you should include Ice Beam or Blizzard on your Alolan Ninetales moveset.
- ask whether your Salamence moveset would be viable on the Battle Spot.
- ask whether a physically defensive or specially defensive Ferrothorn moveset is better in Smogon OU.
- ask how to counter a particular moveset, or use it most effectively.
- ask other things I'm likely forgetting here.
The rules page could be worded better, since you could definitely interpret it as saying the latter bunch of examples wouldn't be allowed either. Apologies for that; hopefully this response makes it clearer for you.
