Today, single battles are the most common type of pokemon battle, and double battles the second-most common. It is for this reason that Plusle is dismissed as among the weakest of pokemon. In ancient times, pokemon battles in Hoenn often took the form of massive melees, and it was here where Plusle's power of addition truly shone.
Although Plusle's form recalls simple addition, what they perform is better described as combination and redirection. When given time, space, and teammates, Plusle do far more than lend a simple Helping Hand; with a glow of their tail, three attacks can become one. The attack thus produced adds together all the qualities, good and bad, of the component techinques; it can become as wide-ranging as Blizzard, paralyze the foe like Thunder, or confuse all three users like Outrage. The type of the merged attack is chosen by the Plusle from the attacks used; even two Hydro Pumps with an Ember could become a fire-type technique. Because of this power, Plusle were a mainstay in the pokemon battles of old, one which shaped the tactics used and was often the first targeted by opponents.
Pokemon battles have changed from the days of six on six at once, but Plusle's legacy lives on. Hoenn was in ancient times also known as a center for mathematics, for a great deal of algebra and higher arithmetic derived from the study of Plusle in pokemon battles.