|
-
Inner Focus
- Prevents flinching.
-
Infiltrator
- The wielder bypasses the foe's Light Screen, Reflect, Mist, and Safeguard.
|
Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
40
|
- |
20 |
23 |
- |
| Atk |
45
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| Def |
35
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
| SpA |
30
|
8 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
| SpD |
40
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
| Spe |
55
|
10 |
12 |
15 |
16 |
Overview
Zubat is definitely an underappreciated threat in Little Cup, as with incredible STAB and a pretty good movepool, it can be quite an asset to its team. While there are several Flying-types that outclass it, this little guy has a high enough Attack stat that makes switching into its Brave Bird a tall task. Additionally, Zubat has a number of unique characteristics to its name, with its most useful attribute coming in the form of a 4x resistance to Fighting-type moves.
Zubat makes for a pretty good lead, starting the match and firing off immensely powerful Brave Birds with the added power of STAB and Choice Band. Steel Wing is mostly unused, but it helps to 2HKO the occasional Rock-type which switches into a predicted Brave Bird. The third slot provides more type coverage; Zubat can use a Dark-type move to damage opponents without resorting to Brave Bird. The last move is filler and should be chosen to best suit your team. Pursuit can still be used if you didn't choose it as your primary Dark-type move, although without Heat Wave, Steel-types wall this set cold. If you decide to run Heat Wave, a Naive or Hasty nature can be used. U-turn is also a great option to force offensive pressure on the opponent. If you don't mind the Brave Bird recoil, you can use it to hit Ghost-types for plenty of damage and forgo a Dark-type attack; this allows you to run both U-turn and Heat Wave.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Double-Edge or Facade can be used in the final slot, but they're pretty lackluster compared to the other good options available. Zubat's 4x resistance to Fighting-type attacks makes it an excellent counter to Fighting-types in Little Cup, giving it an easy switch-in to start firing off STAB Brave Birds. Ferroseed is the main Steel-type seen in Little Cup, but is still hit neutrally by Brave Bird because of its Grass / Steel typing, making Heat Wave less important. Choice Scarf Zubat is also great check to Dragon Dance Scraggy, a huge threat in Little Cup. Life Orb is also viable on this set, giving Zubat the freedom to switch moves.
Although stall is very uncommon in Little Cup, ignoring it would be a folly, as it can be a very successful strategy when done right. Zubat thus makes a good candidate for teams troubled by stall, as it can run a very effective stallbreaking set. With an Eviolite, most slower defensive Pokemon are not going to outdamage Zubat's Roost, and Taunt also stops them from setting up or inflicting status. Super Fang bypasses defenses and swiftly deals 50% to the opposing Pokemon. Even when you're not playing against stall, this set still functions as a decent bulky Pokemon capable of checking many Fighting-types. Zubat can deal a hefty amount of damage with STAB Brave Bird, even without many Attack EVs. Toxic can be used over Taunt, but it is down to personal preference.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
With Taunt and Roost, Zubat can switch into and defeat boosted Timburr. Any Pokemon slower than it can be hit with Super Fang and usually knocked out by a follow-up Brave Bird. Zubat also renders Ferroseed useless; not only does it break stall, but it can also do a decent job of stalling itself between Taunt, Roost, and its respectable bulk.
Other Options
Zubat can pull off a Nasty Plot set with Air Slash, Hidden Power Fighting, and a filler move, but its dreadful Special Attack stat renders this a poor choice. It also has an astonishing pool of viable support moves for any team's benefits. Whirlwind can prove useful if you can use it at the right time; just make sure you have entry hazards on the field. Zubat has access to Hypnosis, and although Platinum and subsequent games have cut down Hypnosis's accuracy, it is by no means unusable in this metagame. Though gimmicky, Zubat can make use of many other support moves such as Confuse Ray, Attract, and Captivate. Haze too can be used to stop Pokemon that attempt to set up.
Checks and Counters
Most Steel-types can give Zubat trouble, although there aren't many in this metagame. Magnemite isn't seen often, but it can switch into Brave Bird and threaten Zubat with its STAB Electric-type attacks. Chinchou and most other Electric-type Pokemon that resist Brave Bird can force it to switch out on most instances, increasing residual damage from Stealth Rock. Despite many Pokemon being able to switch in and threaten Zubat, nothing can safely switch into Super Fang except for Ghost-types, which are conveniently 2HKOed by Brave Bird. Choice Scarf Chinchou can switch in, but it is 2HKOed by Brave Bird or a Super Fang followed by Brave Bird.
