Liberal Perception – Parasect Analysis for Moon Series (VGC 2019)

 

OVERVIEW

 

The OG member of the Pokemon fungal community, Parasect has largely been an afterthought in VGC history. This is most commonly attributed to Parasect’s horrible defensive synergy, having two 4x Weaknesses (to Fire Type and Flying Type moves), lacklustre coverage, and barely passable Base Stats. Yet, this Mushroom Pokemon boasts of an exclusive skillset that is rather useful in a metagame dominated by Rain.

As the only Pokemon (bar Smeargle) with access to all three of Spore, Rage Powder, and Wide Guard, Parasect is capable of accomplishing most of Amoonguss’ functions. These would include spreading Sleep on underprepared teams and redirecting moves through Rage Powder. Instead of checking Xerneas through the likes of Clear Smog, however, it nullifies the likes of Water Spout, Origin Pulse, and Hydro Vortex with a combination of Wide Guard and Dry Skin.

As long as players can adequately protect Parasect from the likes of Tornadus Incarnate, Yveltal, and Incineroar, the Mushroom Pokemon performs surprisingly well as an answer to both Rain and Trick Room. In this article, we will be exploring ways to construct an optimal Parasect set for Moon Series. This will be done through analyzing its best moves, Hold Item compatibility, and EV benchmarks to make the Fruit Pokemon more efficient at its job.

 

MOVES

 

Slot 1

The threat of Rage Powder forces opponents to think twice before unleashing Hydro Vortex and can double as a makeshift safeguard for its partner against moves that would otherwise OHKO. While best paired with Wide Guard to ramp up the mind games, Rage Powder is capable of functioning just as well on its own.

 

Slot 2

Despite the introduction of Electric Terrain and Misty Terrain, Spore remains an invaluable asset on Parasect’s toolkit, simply because of the guaranteed turn of incapacitation that it offers to the player. Due to the Terrain mechanisms, however, it has also become one of the two moves that players are recommended to drop if they wish to carry Protect.

 

Slot 3

Wide Guard completes the aforementioned trifecta, and is especially useful at denying Water Spout and Origin Pulse, bar Feint. However, with Z Moves becoming one of the main outlets of damage, Wide Guard may see its effectiveness diminish over time as the metagame develops, possibly in preparation for the upcoming Ultra Series. Hence, it is the other recommended move to drop if players wish to run Protect instead.

 

Slot 4

To prevent Parasect from being complete Taunt bait and deadweight, players are strongly advised to pack a STAB option in the Mushroom Pokemon’s final move slot. This would usually be in the form of either Leech Life or X Scissor, though Bug Bite gets an honorable mention for its capability to rid its target of its held Pinch Berry. Running a Bug Type STAB is great for dealing with common Kyogre partners like Ludicolo and Tsareena, arguably better than the less powerful Seed Bomb (as compared to Grass Knot) against Kyogre and Groudon.

 

HOLD ITEM

 

While Moon Series made Z Crystals available for use once again, Parasect isn’t likely to benefit from it, considering that its role as a support isn’t affected directly by the Z Move mechanics. As such, it is most likely going to carry the same Hold Item as before.

 

Focus Sash

 

Parasect @ Focus Sash
Ability: Dry Skin
Level: 50
EVs: 196 Atk
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
– Leech Life / X Scissor / Bug Bite
– Rage Powder
– Spore / Protect
– Wide Guard / Protect

 

Basic Parasect set for the purposes of Moon Series. The EVs given are the minimum for Parasect to OHKO 4 HP Ludicolo with STAB Leech Life or X Scissor. Because of Parasect’s low Base Speed and abysmal overall bulk, Focus Sash becomes an extremely important asset to ensure that Parasect stays alive on the field to maintain its support for the team.

 

EV BENCHMARKS

 

Speed

NONE

 

Defense

252+ Atk Groudon Precipice Blades vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Parasect: 28-33 (20.7 – 24.4%) — guaranteed 5HKO

252 Atk Kartana Sacred Sword vs. 4 HP / 20 Def Parasect: 38-45 (27.9 – 33%) — guaranteed 4HKO

252+ Atk Stakataka Rock Slide vs. 44 HP / 52 Def Parasect: 116-140 (82.2 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

-1 252 Atk Dark Aura Yveltal Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 108 Def Parasect: 57-67 (42.2 – 49.6%) — guaranteed 3HKO

4 Atk Incineroar U Turn vs. 12 HP / 212 Def Parasect: 56-68 (40.8 – 49.6%) — guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Lunala Psyshock vs. 188 HP / 220 Def Parasect: 67-79 (42.1 – 49.6%) — guaranteed 3HKO

 

252+ SpA Ludicolo Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Parasect: 106-126 (78.5 – 93.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 12 HP / 100 SpD Parasect: 115-136 (83.9 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Kyogre Ice Beam vs. 76 HP / 188 SpD Parasect: 122-144 (84.1 – 99.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO

 

Offense

0 Atk Parasect Seed Bomb vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Kyogre: 96-114 (54.5 – 64.7%) — guaranteed 2HKO

0 Atk Parasect Leech Life vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Lurantis: 96-114 (54.2 – 64.4%) — guaranteed 2HKO

0 Atk Parasect Leech Life vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Tsareena: 90-108 (50.2 – 60.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO

116 Atk Parasect Cross Poison vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tapu Lele: 74-88 (50.6 – 60.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

124+ Atk Parasect Cross Poison vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 74-88 (50.6 – 60.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

196+ Atk Parasect Leech Life vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Ludicolo: 156-186 (100 – 119.2%) — guaranteed OHKO

 

28 SpA Parasect Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Groudon: 104-126 (50.2 – 60.8%) — guaranteed 2HKO

 

CHECKS AND COUNTERS

 

Tornadus Incarnate

 

Prankster Taunt can shut down Parasect immediately, which the opponent can do instead of achieving the instant OHKO with STAB Hurricane to not provide the chance of a free switch in. The Mushroom Pokemon is, however, capable of redirecting at least a Taunt thanks to Rage Powder, for a teammate like Xerneas to set up.

 

Yveltal

 

The best chance Parasect has against Yveltal to catch it on the switch in with Spore, lest it crumbles to STAB Oblivion Wing. That said, Parasect can help absorb a Dark Type move for its partner through Rage Powder, or block Snarl with Wide Guard. Focus Sash goes a long way in helping the Mushroom Pokemon survive to the following turn, so players are advised to preserve that well.

 

Incineroar

 

Intimidate cuts into Parasect’s already mediocre damage output, and Dry Skin makes the Mushroom Pokemon an enormous bait for Flare Blitz. Opponents can even go for the U Turn instead to break Parasect’s Focus Sash (or finish it off) and bring in a teammate relatively freely as long as they can nullify Spore.

 

TEAMMATES

 

Kyogre

 

Kyogre provides the passive recovery for Parasect to ward off chip damage, which is crucial for keeping Focus Sash intact. While Rain isn’t that much of a help in mitigating Parasect’s 4x Weakness to Fire Type moves, due to the Mushroom Pokemon’s abysmal bulk, it is fantastic at providing Kyogre with the firepower it needs to eliminate Incineroar. The Sea Basin Pokemon can also utilize Thunder, with perfect accuracy under Rain, to hit the Flying Type threats like Tornadus Incarnate and Yveltal.

 

Groudon

 

While Drought messes with the combination of Dry Skin and Focus Sash, the Continent Pokemon greatly appreciates Parasect’s efficiency at countering Kyogre. While the Mushroom Pokemon isn’t as immediately useful as Venusaur, knowing that Spore won’t miss is a lot more reassuring, and players can operate either with or against Trick Room more efficiently. Groudon’s Ground Type STAB is also invaluable against the Steel Type foes that resist both of Parasect’s STAB options.

 

Nihilego

 

With Parasect being extremely vulnerable to Fire and Flying Type moves, a logical thought process would feature utilizing a Rock Type Pokemon as a countermeasure. Enter Nihilego, a Rock Type Pokemon that not only has a similar thematic motif, but is also fast enough to cover most of the threats to Parasect. The Mushroom Pokemon returns the favor by shielding the Ultra Beast from Water Spout, Origin Pulse, Scald, Precipice Blades, Stomping Tantrum, Hydro Vortex, and Tectonic Rage through a combination of Wide Guard and Rage Powder.

Fun Gal – Shiinotic Analysis for Moon Series (VGC 2019)

 

OVERVIEW

 

Game Freak has a tradition of introducing a mushroom based evolution family for each odd numbered Generation, and Generation VII is no exception. Despite being classified as a counterpart to Parasect, Shiinotic is arguably a discount mixture of Breloom and Amoonguss, with a decent Base Special Attack to complement its usable bulk. It may not be at the levels of the Restricted Legendaries or the traditional heavyweights of VGC, but the Illuminating Pokemon is still capable of some tricks of its own.

It is the only Pokemon with the Grass and Fairy Type combination with a non-gimmicky Fairy Type STAB, and it is surprisingly able to threaten the OHKO on frailer Yveltal builds with Life Orb powered STAB Moonblast. Its Grass Knot is a lot more threatening than Amoonguss’. On the supportive spectrum, the Illuminating Pokemon retains access to Spore, as well as a rather interesting move in Spotlight, at the expense of Rage Powder.

The availability of Z Crystals in Moon Series has given Shiinotic a better chance at performing as a niche attacker. In this article, we will be exploring ways to construct an optimal Shiinotic set for Moon Series. This will be done through analyzing its best moves, Hold Item compatibility, and EV benchmarks to make the Fruit Pokemon more efficient at its job.

 

MOVES

 

Slot 1

Offensive variants of Shiinotic start off with Grass Knot, a popular answer to Kyogre and Groudon. It is actually rather useful on Shiinotic, considering that it shares the same Base Special Attack as Ludicolo. Players looking to pilot a more supportive Shiinotic build can opt for Spotlight instead. This move, one that has very limited access, is rather useful to counter redirection, and can be considered the antithesis to Rage Powder. It also nullifies Lightningrod, Storm Drain, and Ally Switch, which can be useful for helping Shiinotic’s partner strike its target as intended.

 

Slot 2

Moonblast serves as an efficient secondary STAB option for Shiinotic, which helps out against the likes of Palkia and Yveltal. However, if players already have enough answers to the aforementioned threats, they can opt to run Hidden Power [Fire] instead to catch Kartana, and better manage opposing Ferrothorn. On the supporting end, Spore is a useful option to have to incapacitate the opponent, especially if Trick Room is active.

 

Slot 3

After You is a niche move that finds itself a spot on Shiinotic’s moveset regardless of which orientation the player has trained it in. It acts as a makeshift measure for Trick Room by allowing its ally to move immediately after, as exemplified by the name. On the battlefield, players can use it to keep a faster partner like Choice Scarf Kyogre’s Speed advantage in spite of the undesirable field condition. Else, players could fill up this slot with any of the moves listed above.

 

Slot 4

Protect is, as per usual, an automatic shoo-in for most Pokemon in the VGC metagame, and Shiinotic is no different. Barring a gimmicky Choice Specs set, players are recommended to carry Protect on Shiinotic to scout for the opponent’s reaction to the Illuminating Pokemon.

 

HOLD ITEM

 

Shiinotic’s Hold Item choice is largely dependent on what role it is expected to play on the team. Three different options are listed here: Type Resist Berry, Expert Belt, and Z Crystal.

 

Type Resist Berry

 

Shiinotic @ Babiri Berry / Occa Berry
Ability: Effect Spore
Level: 50
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
– Grass Knot / Moonblast
– Hidden Power [Fire]
– Spore / Protect / After You
– Spotlight / Protect / After You

 

A supportive Shiinotic set for the purposes of VGC 2019. Babiri Berry helps Shiinotic survive a Smart Strike from Kartana so as to retaliate with Hidden Power [Fire], which is enough to OHKO variants that are not armed with Assault Vest. Against bulkier Steel Type foes, players can use the Babiri Berry to buy itself the breathing space it needs to land a Spore. Players could also run Occa Berry instead to survive a hit from Incineroar, an ever present force in the metagame. In combination with Effect Spore, players could turn Incineroar’s hit against itself and cripple it.

 

Expert Belt / Z Crystal

 

Shiinotic @ Expert Belt / Fairium Z
Ability: Effect Spore
Level: 50
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
– Grass Knot
– Hidden Power [Fire]
– Moonblast
– Protect / After You

 

Running Expert Belt gives Shiinotic the power boost necessary to deal proper damage in the context of VGC 2019. Otherwise, this is a rather straightforward set that players can adopt to surprise the opponent. For more immediate power to secure certain OHKOs, players can consider running a Life Orb instead. On the other hand, players are free to give Shiinotic a Z Crystal to punch through the bulkier Restricted Legendaries. The recommended option would be Fairium Z, giving Shiinotic the firepower necessary to land the OHKO on Yveltal, bulkier variants with a bit of support or chip.

 

EV BENCHMARKS

 

Speed

NONE

 

Defense

252+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (31 BP) vs. 12 HP / 0 Def Shiinotic: 56-68 (40.8 – 49.6%) — guaranteed 3HKO

-1 252 Atk Kartana Smart Strike vs. 0 HP / 68 Def Shiinotic: 114-134 (84.4 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Stakataka Gyro Ball (54 BP) vs. 0 HP / 68 Def Shiinotic: 114-134 (84.4 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

-1 4 Atk Incineroar Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 76 Def Shiinotic: 114-134 (84.4 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

-1 252+ Atk Groudon Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 92 Def Shiinotic in Sun: 112-134 (82.9 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Lunala Psyshock vs. 188 HP / 220 Def Shiinotic: 67-79 (42.1 – 49.6%) — guaranteed 3HKO

 

252+ SpA Tapu Koko Gigavolt Havoc (185 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Shiinotic in Electric Terrain: 105-124 (77.7 – 91.8%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 12 HP / 36 SpD Shiinotic: 115-136 (83.9 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Yveltal Oblivion Wing vs. 140 HP / 68 SpD Shiinotic: 128-152 (83.6 – 99.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Kyogre Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 236 SpD Shiinotic in Rain: 70-83 (41.9 – 49.7%) — guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Lunala Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Shiinotic: 141-166 (84.4 – 99.4%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Kyogre Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 132+ SpD Shiinotic in Rain: 70-83 (41.9 – 49.7%) — guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Lunala Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom vs. 204 HP / 180+ SpD Shiinotic: 135-160 (83.8 – 99.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Tornadus Hurricane vs. 188 HP / 236+ SpD Shiinotic: 134-158 (84.2 – 99.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO

 

Offense

0 SpA Shiinotic Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyogre: 96-114 (54.5 – 64.7%) — guaranteed 2HKO

140+ SpA Expert Belt Shiinotic Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Groudon: 209-247 (100.9 – 119.3%) — guaranteed OHKO

180+ SpA Life Orb Shiinotic Hidden Power Fire vs. 68 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 146-172 (102 – 120.2%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Shiinotic Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyogre: 174-205 (98.8 – 116.4%) — 87.5% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Shiinotic Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 36+ SpD Ferrothorn: 120-146 (66.2 – 80.6%) — guaranteed 2HKO

 

0 SpA Shiinotic Twinkle Tackle (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Palkia: 206-246 (104.5 – 124.8%) — guaranteed OHKO

0+ SpA Shiinotic Twinkle Tackle (175 BP) vs. 4 HP / 4 SpD Yveltal: 204-240 (100.9 – 118.8%) — guaranteed OHKO

 

CHECKS AND COUNTERS

 

Amoonguss

 

Shiinotic particularly detests having to face its fungal brethren, simply because Amoonguss’s Poison Type STAB hurts the Illuminating Pokemon badly. Clear Smog is an easy 2HKO on most Shiinotic builds, while Amoonguss can comfortably take any countermeasure easily.

 

Yveltal

 

The Destruction Pokemon can use STAB Oblivion Wing to mess up the damage calculation of STAB Moonblast. Barring Trick Room, Shiinotic is too slow to finish off Yveltal before the latter lands the crushing blow. Yveltal is also great against most of the Trick Room setters, bar Stakataka, that can help Shiinotic move before its foes.

 

Incineroar

 

Fire Type STAB against a Grass Type Pokemon that has no obvious way to retaliate is more than enough of an indicator of a bad match up. Shiinotic, being naturally slower than Incineroar, would rely rather heavily on Trick Room to function, especially if players are running an offensive build. Unfortunately, Incineroar enjoys the same strengths against popular Trick Room setters.

 

TEAMMATES

 

Groudon

 

As a Ground Type Pokemon, Groudon works fantastically against the Poison Type foes that greatly threaten Shiinotic through its STAB Precipice Blades. For Moon Series, it can make use of Groundium Z to land the OHKO on bulky Steel Type foes that cause similar problems for the Illuminating Pokemon. In return, Shiinotic helps offer some form of coverage against Kyogre switch ins and opposing Groudon. While Choice Band can help Stomping Tantrum land the immediate KO on Incineroar through Intimidate, players will need to take note that the Sun that Groudon sets up compounds Shiinotic’s weakness to Fire Type moves.

 

Dusk Mane Necrozma

 

Dusk Mane Necrozma switches in freely on any incoming Poison Type hit, can retaliate with STAB Photon Geyser, and is capable of setting up Trick Room for Shiinotic. The Illuminating Pokemon can, through Spotlight, ensure that Sunsteel Strike hits Xerneas through Ally Switch, Follow Me, and Rage Powder. Shiinotic can also manage both Kyogre and Groudon with Trick Room active.

 

Stakataka

 

Stakataka serves as one of the few Trick Room setters that are not immediately weak to Yveltal and Incineroar, with its Rock Type STAB capable of inflicting massive damage on the Dark Type duo. Players can even run Rockium Z on Stakataka to land the OHKO on the aforementioned threats. The Ultra Beast is also capable of covering Xerneas through STAB Gyro Ball.

Puff Post – Pelipper Analysis for Moon Series (VGC 2019)

 

OVERVIEW

 

Kyogre’s availability in VGC 2019 has resulted in the plummeting of Pelipper usage, and for good reason. The Sea Basin Pokemon exerts a lot more offensive pressure through its Base Special Attack and access to Water Spout; as well as being fast enough to be useful with a Choice Scarf. With Thunder, it is also much better poised at handling a variety of other threats, including a mirror match.

This is not to say that Pelipper is utterly useless in VGC 2019, however. In Moon Series, it is one of the only Weather setters to have access to a proper form of Speed control (Tailwind). As a Flying Type, it can switch in easily on Groudon’s Precipice Blades, or a Grass Knot from Ludicolo, Venusaur, and Amoonguss. Through STAB Hurricane, Pelipper can even exert offensive pressure on Grass Type foes that work well against Kyogre.

As a result, Pelipper is best employed as a secondary Rain setter on one’s team for some added assurance in a Weather War. In this article, we will be exploring ways to construct an optimal Pelipper set for Moon Series. This will be done through analyzing its best moves, Hold Item compatibility, and EV benchmarks to make the Water Bird Pokemon more efficient at its job.

 

MOVES

 

Slot 1

One of the primary reasons to use Pelipper in an oversaturated metagame like VGC 2019 lies in its access to Tailwind, which gives the team a very useful Speed boost for better pivoting and reducing the reliance on Hold Items like Choice Scarf and/or Adrenaline Orb.

 

Slot 2

Hurricane serves as Pelipper’s main form of damage and is especially valuable for dealing with the aforementioned Grass Type foes. It benefits from an accuracy boost while Rain is active, making it a reliable option once Tailwind has been activated.

 

Slot 3

Brine has largely been the mainstay of this slot during the previous two seasons, owing to its great utility against significantly weakened foes. Considering Pelipper’s Base Special Attack pales in comparison to the ridiculously tanky Restricted Legendaries, players might need that extra power boost in order to finish off the target. Hydro Pump serves as a useful alternative that offers a lot more power up front, at the cost of precious accuracy. For Moon Series, two additional moves can be considered over a Water Type coverage, especially if the team already has teammates like Ludicolo and Kyogre. Decent options would include Wide Guard, which completely shields the team from spread moves like Precipice Blades bar Feint, or Soak, which is better used in tandem with an ally like Tapu Koko or Kartana to make bulky foes easier to handle.

 

Slot 4

Protect is an absolute must on Pelipper, considering that it is relatively slow and frail as compared to the rest of the metagame. This allows players to ward off Protect, or bide a turn to scout for the opponent’s intentions.

 

HOLD ITEM

 

There is only one useful Hold Item for Pelipper, one that has stayed so since the Water Bird Pokemon gained access to Drizzle in Generation VII: Focus Sash. However, players are more than welcome to experiment with different Hold Items like a Z Crystal on Pelipper to better suit their teams’ needs.

 

Focus Sash

 

Pelipper @ Focus Sash / Flyinium Z
Ability: Drizzle
Level: 50
IVs: 0 Atk
– Brine / Hydro Pump
– Hurricane
– Protect
– Tailwind

 

The Pelipper set that has stayed largely intact since VGC 2017, with every aspect of it self-explanatory. Here, Flyinium Z is offered as a possible alternative to Focus Sash, if the latter is taken by a teammate, if players want to guarantee the setting up of Tailwind, or if Supersonic Skystrike is necessary to land the OHKO on bulkier targets.

 

EV BENCHMARKS

 

Speed

124 Spe EVs -> Outspeed Timid/Jolly Tapu Koko after Tailwind

172 Spe EVs -> Outspeed Modest Choice Scarf Kyogre after Tailwind

188 Spe EVs -> Underspeed 0 Spe Groudon by 1

204 Spe EVs -> Outspeed Modest Choice Scarf Tapu Lele after Tailwind

 

Defense

-1 252+ Atk Groudon Rock Slide vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Pelipper: 52-62 (38.5 – 45.9%) — guaranteed 3HKO

252+ Atk Dusk Mane Necrozma Sunsteel Strike vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Pelipper: 54-63 (40 – 46.6%) — guaranteed 3HKO

252 Atk Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Pelipper: 99-117 (73.3 – 86.6%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Tapu Lele Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Pelipper in Psychic Terrain: 103-123 (76.2 – 91.1%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Stakataka Rock Slide vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Pelipper: 108-128 (80 – 94.8%) — guaranteed 2HKO

 

252 SpA Lunala Moongeist Beam vs. 12 HP / 20 SpD Pelipper: 115-136 (83.9 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Dark Aura Yveltal Dark Pulse vs. 12 HP / 36 SpD Pelipper: 115-136 (83.9 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 12 HP / 180 SpD Pelipper: 115-136 (83.9 – 99.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO

 

Offense

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Ludicolo: 168-198 (107.6 – 126.9%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Venusaur: 168-198 (107.6 – 126.9%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kommo-o: 162-192 (107.2 – 127.1%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Lurantis: 182-216 (102.8 – 122%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Groudon in Rain: 212-252 (102.4 – 121.7%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Hydro Pump vs. 236 HP / 236+ SpD Incineroar in Rain: 198-234 (99 – 117%) — 93.8% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tsareena: 170-204 (94.9 – 113.9%) — 75% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 236 HP / 180+ SpD Amoonguss: 150-176 (68.4 – 80.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO after Pinch Berry recovery

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 148 HP / 244 SpD Assault Vest Toxicroak: 116-138 (65.5 – 77.9%) — guaranteed 2HKO after Dry Skin recovery

252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 68 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 81-96 (56.6 – 67.1%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Brine (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Dusk Mane Necrozma in Rain: 136-162 (66.6 – 79.4%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Pelipper Brine (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Groudon in Sun: 104-126 (50.2 – 60.8%) — guaranteed OHKO

 

 

CHECKS AND COUNTERS

 

Dialga

 

Dialga, through its resistance to both of Pelipper’s STAB moves, serves as a rather effective antithesis to Pelipper, since there is not much that the Water Bird can do to stop it from setting up Trick Room. It should be noted that not many popular Trick Room abusers like dealing with Pelipper though, since most of them are either Grass Type Pokemon like Amoonguss, or sitting at the congested Base Speed tier of 90, which Pelipper outspeeds when Trick Room is active.

 

Xerneas

 

Xerneas can ignore Pelipper’s Tailwind through setting up Geomancy or punch a hole straight through the Water Bird Pokemon with regular Moonblast. Players are recommended to sacrifice Pelipper once its job has been done to bring in their team’s dedicated answer to Xerneas in for free, unless there is a need to recycle Drizzle and/or Tailwind in the mid to late game.

 

Tapu Koko

 

Tapu Koko is naturally faster, and even Choice Scarf can’t allow Pelipper to achieve the immediate outspeed. This opens the Water Bird Pokemon up to a Volt Switch, which leaves it vulnerable to any stray follow up hit. As such, it is highly possible that players end up losing Pelipper before it can set up Tailwind for the team.

 

TEAMMATES

 

Ludicolo

 

Swift Swim plus Fake Out turns Ludicolo into one of the fastest Fake Out users available in the metagame, which helps to buy Pelipper the breathing space it needs to set up Tailwind. Ludicolo’s Grass Type STAB helps manage opposing Water Type Pokemon like Kyogre, while Pelipper returns the favor by threatening a powerful Hurricane against Grass Type foes. Running Pelipper as a secondary Rain setter also means that players can provide Ludicolo with the Rain it needs to get going without risking Kyogre unnecessarily.

 

Raichu

 

Raichu is fast enough on its own to fire off Fake Out before most foes, and can support Pelipper through Lightningrod, which works great at mitigating the Water Bird Pokemon’s Achilles’ heel. Encore can be used to punish Protect plays, while Volt Switch can be used to bring in a teammate for better board positioning.

 

Amoonguss

 

Amoonguss’ Rage Powder is rather useful at keeping Pelipper safe while it sets up Tailwind. In return, Pelipper helps reduce the damage that Amoonguss would take from Fire Type moves, as well as punish Fire Type switch-ins with its Water Type STAB. Hurricane is also useful against foes like Ferrothorn and Kartana, two threats that Amoonguss struggles badly against without tech. Amoonguss is also useful against Xerneas, with Clear Smog a fantastic answer to Geomancy.