Type: Fairy
Ability: Fairy Aura
Base Stats: 126 / 131 / 95 / 131 / 98 / 99
Level-Up Movepool
Lv<50 - Heal Pulse
Lv<50 - Aromatherapy
Lv<50 - Ingrain
Lv<50 - Take Down
Lv<50 - Light Screen
Lv<50 - Aurora Beam
Lv<50 - Gravity
Lv<50 - Geomancy
Lv<50 - Moonblast
Lv<50 - Megahorn
Lv51 - Night Slash
Lv55 - Horn Leech
Lv59 - Psych Up
Lv63 - Misty Terrain
Lv80 - Close Combat
Lv88 - Giga Impact
Lv93 - Outrage
TM & HM Compatibility
TM03 - Psyshock
TM04 - Calm Mind
TM06 - Toxic
TM10 - Hidden Power
TM17 - Protect
TM21 - Frustration
TM24 - Thunderbolt
TM27 - Return
TM32 - Double Team
TM42 - Facade
TM44 - Rest
TM52 - Focus Blast
TM70 - Flash
TM73 - Thunder Wave
TM86 - Grass Knot
TM88 - Sleep Talk
TM96 - Nature Power
TM99 - Dazzling Gleam
TM100 - Confide
HM01 - Cut
Xerneas is one of the title legendaries introduced this generation. I'd like to point out straight away that per the forum rules, we are not allowed to discuss whether it will be banned or not.
The main attraction of Xerneas so far is it's signature move, Geomancy. This move grants a +2 boost to Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defense. It has a charge turn that can be eliminated by using Power Herb. Combined with powerful moves such as Fairy Aura-boosted STAB, 95 BP Moonblast, Focus Blast, and Thunderbolt, Xerneas is shaping up to be one of the most feared sweepers in all of Gen 6.
Unfortunately, Xerneas proves to be easily prepared for and simple to wall with Pokemon like Ho-Oh, Aegislash, Arceus, Metagross, and Bronzong. You DO have to prepare for it on any Ubers team, but if it is prepared for it is not a problem since it only gets one chance to sweep.
Despite this, pure Fairy is a great typing, and Xerneas can check many Ubers effectively.
With base attacking stats of 131/131/99, Xerneas falls just short of speed tying Palkia, but does outspeed many other powerful Pokémon such as Dialga, Rayquazza, and ties Genesect. It sports solid bulk at 126/95/98 (just short of Kyurem-B's bulk, for comparison).
Possible Sets:
Choice Scarf:
Xerneas @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
-Moonblast
-Focus Blast
-Hidden Power Fire
-Psyshock
Scarf Xerneas is probably its best bet of succeeding in the Pokebank Ubers metagame. With a Timid Nature and a Scarf equipped, it can outspeed the whole unboosted metagame bar Deo-S and speed tie Scarf Genesect. Thanks to it's Fighting and Dark resists and Dragon immunity, it is capable of revenge killing and checking a large variety of threats including Yvetal, Darkrai, Mewtwo (all formes), Arceus-Fight, Palkia, Dialga, Giratina(-O), Zekrom, Resharim, and sometimes Blaziken and Rayquazza.
This set is more easily countered, with Ho-Oh and most steel-types tanking Xerneas's attacks with ease. Psyshock is used to hit Ho-Óh, Blissey, and Arceus-Poison while Hidden Power Fire, though weak, can hit Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Scizor for good damage.
Geomancy:
Xerneas @ Power Herb
EVs: 176 HP/ 252 SpAtk/ 76 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
-Geomancy
-Moonblast
-Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire
-Psyshock / Thunderbolt
Xerneas can easily set up a one-turn Geomancy due to its bulk and Dragon immunity. From there, Xereneas becomes a terrifying sweeper that is difficult to revenge kill. Moonblast is boosted by Fairy Aura and STAB and hits nearly everything for massive damage. Thunderbolt allows neutral coverage on fire-types such as Ho-oh and Heatran, and Focus Blast allows Xerneas to hit Steel-types. Hidden Power Fire is useful over Focus Blast to deal 60% minimum to 252/0 Aegislash while still OHKOing Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory at +2 if you can get rid of the rain. Psyshock may be even better than Thunderbolt, allowing Xerneas to get past Blissey, Ho-oh, and Poison-Arceus
The given EVs allow Xerneas to outspeed Deoxys-S and by extension all scarfers at Garchomp's base 102 or slower. You can add a few more EVs to outspeed Scarf Terrakion, Excadrill in sand, and Scarf Mewtwo if so desired.
The problem with this set is that it can only set up once. You get one chance to sweep and if a Lugia or Arceus manages to tank a hit and phaze you then you are essentially dead weight the rest of the match.
RestTalk Cleric
Xerneas @ Leftovers
252 HP / 252 SpDef / 4 Def
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Moonblast
-Aromatherapy
On stall teams in need of a Cleric, Xerneas is a great mon for the job. With above-average bulk and key resists, it is able to check Darkrai, Palkia, Giratina-O, and Yvetal, all of whom threaten common stall team archetypes.
Rest and Sleep Talk combine for semi-reliable recovery. Aromatherapy wakes you up if you hit it, so it isn't wasted during sleep turns. Moonblast has great coverage in Ubers and hits all the Dragons and Dark-types reasonably hard even when uninvested.
Status Spreader
Xerneas Leftovers / Pixie Plate
252 HP / some investment in all your defenses and maybe enough Speed to beat Modest Kyogre? Idk
-Thunder Wave
-Toxic
-Moonblast
-Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast / Aromatherapy / Roar
Xerneas can lure in its usual checks like Ho-Oh and Lugia and cripple them with status. Thunder Wave and Toxic can cripple offensive mons, while Xerneas has great coverage to hit Steel-types with HP Fire and its signature STAB Fairy Aura Moonblast. Roar and Aromatherapy are also excellent team support options.
All-Out Attacker:
Xerneas @ Life Orb
100 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 156 SpAtk
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpDef)
-Moonblast
-Close Combat
-Psyshock / HP Fire
-Rock Slide
With a Life Orb and it's great Special Attack, Xerneas can deal heavy damage and be tough to wall. It suffers from the same problems as the Geomancy set, but the higher initial power means that this Xerneas set can hit its counters harder than they were expecting, since 2 LO boosted attacks are much stronger than one +2 unboosted attack.
Rock Slide wrecks Ho-Oh, Close Combat slaughters pink blobs, Moonblast hits obscenely hard, and Psyshock gets Amoonguss. Also you can run HP Fire for Scizor. The attack EVs guarantee a KO against 252 HP Ho-Oh without SR.
SubCM
Xerneas @ Leftovers
252 HP/ 252 Spe
-Calm Mind
-Substitute
-Moonblast
-Psyshock / Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
Although it is outclassed by Fairy Arceus, Xerneas makes a decent SubCM user for any team that needs to use another Arceus forme. Calm Mind and Substitute combine to allow Xerneas to set up against offensive Pokémon it forces out as well as defensive Pokémon that lack roar or Gyro Ball.
Checks and Counters:
As said above, the major problem with the Geomancy set is that it can only set up once. Once forced out, it becomes an average Pokémon with no item. Checks to the Geomancy set include Scizor, who can't take a +2 Focus Blast but can deal heavy damage with CB Bullet Punch after rocks. Scizor's Mega Forme can take a hit with some SpDef investment and easily 2HKO. Specially Defensive Poison Arceus and Ho-oh can both take a hit and retaliate with super-effective attacks or phazing. Extremespeed from Rayquazza and Arceus-Normal can together take down a weakened Xerneas. Sturdy Forretress can take one hit, survive with 1 HP, and retaliate with STAB Gyro Ball. Aegislash can survive any attack and KO with Iron Head and Shadow Sneak. Lugia totally walls Xerneas if Multiscale is intact, and even if it isn't, the big bird can "revenge" by tanking a hit and phazing. Specially Defensive Kyogre can take any attack and phaze with Roar. Amoongus can take anything except Psyshock and Spore, allowing a physical attacker or phazer to switch in and take Xerneas out.
The Life Orb set has more checks such as Iron Head Genesect, Steel Arceus, and Flash Cannon Dialga, although Xerneas can beat nearly all its counters with the correct move
The Scarf set is the easiest to counter. Heatran, Ho-Oh, and Lugia all do admirably against it, but the former two fear Focus Blast and Rock Slide respectively.
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