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Serene Grace
- This Pokémon's secondary effect chances are doubled.
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Level 50 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
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Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
100
|
- |
175 |
207 |
- |
| Atk |
100
|
108 |
120 |
152 |
167 |
| Def |
100
|
108 |
120 |
152 |
167 |
| SpA |
100
|
108 |
120 |
152 |
167 |
| SpD |
100
|
108 |
120 |
152 |
167 |
| Spe |
100
|
108 |
120 |
152 |
167 |
Overview
Jirachi graces the Ubers environment as a great supporting Pokemon. With its solid base 100/100/100 defenses and resistance to common Dragon-type moves, it can take on powerful Dragons with ease and use its large support movepool to simultaneously cripple opponents and aid its teammates. An immunity to Poison also helps in prolonging Jirachi's lifespan, as it is unaffected by Toxic Spikes and Toxic itself, both of which are very common in the Ubers tier. On top of all this, it can also deal reasonable damage with its base 100 attacking stats. However, Jirachi’s average Attack stat prevents it from dealing great damage to bulky Physical Walls. It does, however, make a decent revenge killer with its wide arsenal of moves and Serene Grace.
Jirachi can fill the role of a great supporter for any team; its excellent typing allows it to take powerful Dragon-type attacks, and its great support movepool becomes an asset to Jirachi's teammates. The combination of Wish and Protect serves as Jirachi's means of recovery, along with Leftovers, and Wish can be passed to heal its teammates as well. Jirachi may also support its team with paralysis. Thunder Wave is guaranteed to paralyze anything that isn't a Ground-type, while Body Slam has a nifty 60% paralysis rate due to Serene Grace, and hits everything but Ghost-types; the ability to somewhat-reliably paralyze Ground-types is one not many Pokemon have. U-turn allows Jirachi to scout the opponent's team, and is an effective way to provide recovery to a teammate with Wish. Stealth Rock is another support option if your team lacks a designated Stealth Rock user.
The choice between Protect and Iron Head should be determined on whether you want Jirachi to survive the next turn for certain, or whether you want to have a reliable STAB move with a 60% chance of flinching the opposing Pokemon. Iron Head can make it very difficult for the opponent to move if they get paralyzed; while immobilized, Jirachi can simply chip away at the opposing Pokemon's health to eventually take it down. This works especially well on foes such as Latias, Giratina-O, Latios, Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and Darkrai, Pokemon that are usually fast, but not as bulky.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Kyogre, Groudon, Palkia, Dialga, Giratina, and Garchomp are all solid counters and checks to Jirachi as it lacks the raw power to deal significant damage to them. These Pokemon can easily wait for a turn when they're not fully paralyzed or flinched, as they take minimal damage from Iron Head, then proceed to KO Jirachi. Groudon and Garchomp are immune to Thunder Wave and can KO Jirachi with Earthquake, but they must be wary of Body Slam.
Latias is a good teammate to switch into Kyogre and Groudon, and she can 2HKO either with Grass Knot. Latias can also switch into Palkia's Surf and Garchomp's Earthquake, outspeed and OHKO them with Dragon Pulse, or force them to switch if they are Scarfed. Be wary of Dragon-type attacks though. Specially defensive Groudon may be used to take an attack from Dialga, then maim it with Earthquake.
Toxic can be used to cripple bulky switch-ins, particularly Groudon and Lugia. Jirachi can also run Light Screen and Reflect in the last two slots in order to support a frail sweeper. Jirachi may also run extra Speed to outrun offensive variants of Pokemon, such as Groudon and Kyogre, but it doesn't gain much by doing this. Ice Punch may also be used to deal heavy damage to Rayquaza and Garchomp, and Fire Punch to deal heavy damage to Forretress and Scizor. Finally, Jirachi can also utilize Thunder with rain support for a powerful attack and a 60% chance to paralyze the opponent, thanks to Serene Grace.
When it comes to revenge killing, Jirachi is often overlooked in favor of more powerful Pokemon such as Garchomp, Palkia, or Dialga. Even though Jirachi lacks the raw power that they have, it does boast many qualities that they can only wish for; Jirachi's long list of resistances, most notably to Dragon-type moves, allow it to switch into the likes of Latios, Latias, and Rayquaza easily. Due to Jirachi's resistance to ExtremeSpeed and greater base 100 Speed, Jirachi is one of the few Pokemon that can revenge kill both Swords Dance and Dragon Dance Rayquaza, something only Choice Scarf Gengar and Garchomp can do otherwise. Finally, unlike other Choice Scarfers, Jirachi is remarkably difficult to trap with Wobbuffet as Jirachi can cripple it with Trick, escape its shadowy clutches via U-turn, or simply get lucky and flinch it to death with Iron Head.
Iron Head is the bread-and-butter of this set, as with the Speed boost from Choice Scarf, Jirachi will have an extremely easy time outspeeding most Pokemon you are likely to encounter, greatly increasing the number of Pokemon it can repeatedly flinch with Iron Head. It is also Jirachi's strongest reliable physical attack - that said, don't expect it to hit too hard coming off Jirachi's only decent offensive stats. Fortunately, this is more than offset by its incredibly high chance to flinch; Jirachi is capable of chaining a few flinches now and then to actually inflict a great deal of damage. U-turn is a great move for maintaining the momentum on your side of the battle, and it allows Jirachi to scout for potential switch-ins as well as leaving quite a dent on the likes of Mewtwo, Latias, and Latios. Ice Punch is the preferred option on the third moveslot as it can easily dispatch Rayquaza, Garchomp, and Shaymin-S, though the former two require a bit of residual damage to be knocked out by it. Fire Punch can be used to cook Forretress, Scizor, and Lucario, as all three can otherwise wall the set. Finally, Trick is great for crippling targets after Jirachi's job is done; however, be warned that Tricking too early in the match forfeits Jirachi's role as a revenge killer, and furthermore, it will completely fail to work against Giratina-O, Arceus, and does essentially nothing against other Choice Scarfers, so use it with extreme care.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are relatively simple; maximizing Attack allows Jirachi to deal as much damage as possible—this is particularly important as its offensive prowess is rather lackluster—and maximum Speed allows Jirachi to speed tie with Dragon Dance Salamence. Even with no investment, Jirachi's natural bulk, coupled with its resistances, allows it to absorb most resisted hits with ease.
Jirachi is best fitted on a team that requires the use of all of its qualities, which are revenge killing both Swords Dance and Dragon Dance Rayquaza, Nasty Plot Darkrai, Calm Mind Mewtwo, and most variants of Latias and Latios. Jirachi should not have a team built around it, but it will appreciate the partnership of several Pokemon. Stealth Rock support is almost required so that it can land a clean OHKO on Rayquaza with Ice Punch, as well as 2HKO Darkrai with Iron Head. Groudon, Tyranitar, and Deoxys-S are all excellent choices for that role. Spikes support is highly appreciated as well, and it works extremely well in tandem with U-turn; Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Skarmory can provide this. The last two examples are great Dragon resists in their own right, as this Jirachi set lacks recovery and power, and thus cannot be entirely relied on to take more powerful blows.
As Jirachi fulfills the role of a revenge killer, as well as a Steel-type, it makes Latias and Latios easier to fit on your team. Either of these Pokemon covers up all of Jirachi's weaknesses, while Jirachi resists their Dragon- and Ice- type weaknesses. Giratina-O is in a similar boat; Choice Scarf Jirachi can often land a U-turn on the likes of Mewtwo, Latias, and Latios as they fire attacks that threaten it, only to have Giratina-O absorb the ineffective hit instead. Giratina-O can then finish off the remains of their HP with Shadow Sneak. For this tactic to have the most success, however, entry hazards are a necessity, and Giratina-O can conveniently preserve them thanks to its immunity to Rapid Spin. You will have to run Hidden Power Fire on it though, or it will do little to the bagworm.
As mentioned before, Choice Scarf Jirachi lacks recovery and power, and repeated Dragon-type attacks from the likes of Dialga and Palkia will quickly wear it down. Furthermore, Jirachi's weakness to Fire-type attacks means it can be OHKOed if your opponent predicts the switch-in. A backup Steel-type Pokemon is appreciated due to this. Heatran in particular gets a nod as it can absorb Fire-type attacks that are aimed at Jirachi. Skarmory will have troubles with Mewtwo, Latias, and Latios, which Jirachi can cover to an extent, while Skarmory's immunity to Earthquake allows it to handle Garchomp and Groudon. Although Tyranitar is not a Steel-type, its resistance to Fire-type attacks and boosted Special Defense grants it the ability to take on specially offensive Dragon-type attacks with moderate ease.
Jirachi's infamous set of OU happens to have great potential in Ubers. Its excellent typing allows it to take on many special threats such as Latias, Latios, Giratina-O, Mewtwo, and Darkrai. Jirachi can also take a range of Dragon-type attacks from Choiced Pokemon such as Palkia, Dialga, Garchomp, and Rayquaza due to its Steel typing. Keep in mind, though, that if they aren't Choiced, they will usually be carrying a move capable of doing major damage to Jirachi. After taking the attack, Jirachi may proceed to use either Substitute to scout the switch and protect it from status, or use Thunder Wave on the opposing Pokemon. Due to the largely Speed-oriented metagame, Thunder Wave can cripple many fast sweepers. Jirachi can then begin the infuriating Para-Flinch strategy with Iron Head. This strategy is very useful for taking hits from frail but fast sweepers, crippling them, then taking them down.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs allow Jirachi to make 101 HP Substitutes, which means it takes two of Blissey's Seismic Toss to break. The Special Defense EVs provide Jirachi with some extra bulk, allowing it to take powerful special attacks more easily; the rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack to deal more damage. With Serene Grace, Iron Head provides a reliable STAB move with a 60% flinch rate. Combined with paralysis, there is only a 30% chance for the opponent to attack while Jirachi chips away at their health with Iron Head. Jirachi's last move depends on its team, as well as a matter of personal preference. Ice Punch can be used to finish off Pokemon such as Giratina-O, Latias, and Lugia to avoid having to risk another turn of banking on a flinch. Body Slam allows Jirachi to deal cheap damage as well as having a 60% chance of paralysis. Body Slam can also paralyze Groudon and Garchomp, which Thunder Wave cannot. Body Slam may also be used to deal with frail Substitute users so that they either lose 25% of their HP each turn or face a 60% chance to get paralyzed. This is also effective against Taunt users, most notably Mewtwo. Fire Punch is effective to surprise Steel-types such as Scizor and Forretress. Keep in mind though that Fire Punch will not be of much use if Kyogre is on your team, as Fire Punch's power would be halved.
Wish may be used for self recovery, which, when combined with Iron Head, provides a degree of invincibility. Thunder also has a 60% paralysis rate with Serene Grace, but can only really be used in the rain for its higher accuracy. U-turn is a great scouting move, especially when Groudon and Kyogre switch in; it also deals decent damage to Psychic-types while switching out.
Other Options
Jirachi's wide movepool provides it with many other moves. Fire Punch allows it to take down the common Forretress, Scizor, and Skarmory switch-ins but cannot be used in the rain effectively. Thunder can deal reasonable damage to Kyogre and has a 60% paralysis rate thanks to Serene Grace. Toxic can cripple common switch-ins to Jirachi, such as Groudon, Kyogre, and Lugia; while Jirachi still cannot deal anything back, it will be able to quickly wear them down. Jirachi can also run a dual screen set which can aid in sweeping or to add extra defenses to the team.
Checks and Counters
Jirachi has many counters; Kyogre won't take much damage from any of its attacks, save for Thunder, and can retaliate with Surf which will at least 2HKO it. Groudon is immune to Thunder Wave and will easily KO Jirachi with Earthquake. Any Steel-type can easily switch into Jirachi's attacks and completely wall it, unless it runs Fire Punch. Any Pokemon faster than Jirachi with Taunt or Substitute can easily set up on it while Jirachi does little damage back; this is especially true for Mewtwo. Bulkier Pokemon and those who resist Jirachi's STAB can easily switch in and take minimal damage, then proceed to attack or cripple it with status; examples include Giratina, Ho-Oh, Palkia, Dialga, Garchomp, and Manaphy, the last one is also immune to status in the rain. Jirachi also hates to be burned as Iron Head will be severely weakened and will only deal around 14% damage to Pokemon such as Latias. Jirachi also hates paralysis as it ruins its attempt to combine its own paralysis and Iron Head.
