Overview
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Wailmer's main appeal is its ability to effectively use Water Spout in tandem with Choice Scarf as a mid- or late-game cleaner. It can also make good use of its great base 130 HP with a bulkier Eviolite set. Wailmer's typing is a boon both offensively and defensively, as it grants Wailmer only two weaknesses and lets Wailmer hit top-tier threats such as Drilbur and Archen super effectively with Water-type STAB moves.
However, Wailmer's extremely poor defenses, inability to counter faster Pokemon, and lackluster movepool leave something to be desired. Water Spout also fails to OHKO some Eviolite users, leaving Wailmer vulnerable to taking hits and having Water Spout's Base Power lowered. Wailmer also faces competition from other Pokemon in both of its roles. Remoraid is faster, also has access to Water Spout, and has more coverage options. Munchlax is a stronger tank with better defenses and a larger movepool; it can wall many of the same Pokemon as Wailmer by virtue of Thick Fat. Wailmer functions as a middle ground between both Pokemon.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Hydro Pump / Scald / Surf
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
ability: Water Veil
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 36 HP / 76 Def / 200 SpA / 196 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Water Spout is Wailmer's main draw and hits 150 Base Power when Wailmer is at full health. Hydro Pump, Scald, and Surf are more reliable STAB moves with consistent Base Power, though none are as powerful as a fully powered Water Spout. Hydro Pump is extremely powerful but has low accuracy, Scald has a chance to burn but is much less powerful, and Surf has good Base Power as well as perfect accuracy. Ice Beam is super effective against the Grass- and Dragon-types that resist Wailmer's Water-type STAB moves. Finally, Hidden Power Grass makes sure that Wailmer is not walled by the Water-types which resist its other three moves. Hidden Power Fire can also be used to lure in and beat Ferroseed, but Wailmer will miss out on hitting Water-types. If Hidden Power Fire is chosen, an EV spread of 76 Def / 200 SpA / 200 Spe should be used.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Speed and Special Attack allows Wailmer to hit as fast and hard as possible. The remaining EVs are put into HP to increase all-around bulk and into Defense to lower the damage done by most priority moves, which bypass Choice Scarf's Speed boost. A Timid nature is preferred so that Wailmer is able to outspeed other boosted Pokemon, such as Jolly Scraggy after one Dragon Dance and Adamant Choice Scarf Cranidos, and Speed tie with boosted Pokemon such as Jolly Tirtouga after Shell Smash and Jolly Choice Scarf Bunnelby. A Choice Scarf is mandatory, as otherwise Wailmer will be hit too hard by faster threats to deal any decent damage with Water Spout. Finally, Water Veil is the only ability of any use, as it prevents burns, which slowly chip away at Wailmer's health and Water Spout's power. Wailmer's other abilities, Oblivious and Pressure, are useless for this set, as the former only prevents Taunt, which does not affect this set, and the latter is better used on bulky sets meant for PP stalling powerful moves.
Usage Tips
========
Wailmer is best brought in mid- or late-game to clean up the rest of the opponent's team once everything that could hamper a Water Spout sweep is gone. However, beware faster Choice Scarf Pokemon in your opponent's reserve. Send Wailmer out after one of your Pokemon has fainted, or bring it in after a Memento or slow U-turn. Wailmer is fairly easy to use, as most of the time you will want to use Water Spout. However, if Wailmer isn't healthy or the opponent still has a threat that could critically weaken it, use Wailmer's other Water-type STAB move or the appropriate coverage move for the situation.
Team Options
========
First and foremost, this set likes having Pokemon that resist Water Spout removed or crippled, especially Grass-types, which can hit back with super effective STAB moves. For this reason, Pokemon such as Foongus that resist those STAB moves and can hit back hard are good teammates for Wailmer. Wailmer also appreciates having entry hazards removed so that Water Spout is as powerful as possible. Thus, spinners such as Drilbur and Staryu and Defoggers such as Archen and Vullaby are great teammates. Drilbur and Archen get special mentions because they can set as well as remove hazards, helping Wailmer secure critical OHKOs, such as against Trubbish and Carvanha, and also check Croagunk, which is immune to Wailmer's STAB attacks thanks to Dry Skin. Wallbreakers such as Bunnelby and Darumaka, as well as Knock Off users such as Pawniard and Vullaby, are good teammates because they can soften up walls that can take Wailmer's Water Spout. Finally, a slow U-turn or Volt Switch from Pokemon such as Vullaby and bulky Mienfoo can bring Wailmer in safely and make sure Water Spout is as powerful as possible.
Tank
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name: Tank
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roar
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
ability: Oblivious / Pressure
item: Eviolite
evs: 36 HP / 236 Def / 36 SpA / 156 SpD / 36 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
========
Scald is a reliable Water-type STAB move with a decent chance to burn. Roar lets Wailmer phaze the opponent to rack up entry hazards damage or stop a threatening setup sweeper. Rest in tandem with Sleep Talk allows Wailmer to heal itself of status and recover stray damage while continuing to deal damage or phaze foes.
Set Details
========
The EVs maximize the potential of Eviolite by hitting even numbers in Wailmer's defenses. The leftover EVs are split equally between HP, Special Attack, and Speed so that Wailmer can take more hits, hit a little harder, outspeed defensive Fletchling, and Speed tie with defensive Mienfoo and Adamant Cubone, Larvesta, and Corphish. Eviolite increases Wailmer's already good 30 / 14 / 12 bulk. A Bold nature is preferred as most of the hits Wailmer will be taking are physical, but the Defense and Special Defense EVs can be switched and the nature changed to Calm for more special bulk. Oblivious is the preferred ability to prevent Wailmer from being Taunted, as then it can only switch out or use Scald. Pressure can be used instead to limit the number of times the opponent can use powerful low-PP moves such as Fire Blast and Gunk Shot, but Oblivious is generally more useful. Water Veil is useless on this set because Wailmer can simply Rest to rid itself of a burn, and all its moves are special so it does not care about the Attack drop.
Usage Tips
========
This set is best taken advantage of throughout the match with a wall in reserve that can take strong hits aimed at Wailmer. However, be wary of bringing Wailmer in too late in the game, as then it won't be able to phaze well or even phaze at all. Wailmer can also be brought in to tank neutral or resisted hits in critical situations and then either Rest off the damage or phaze away the threat. Wailmer is also a good sleep absorber, but try to avoid bringing it in on sleep inducers that are Grass-type, as they can deal serious damage to Wailmer with their STAB moves. Finally, make sure to keep track of the number of turns Wailmer has been asleep, as missing a Sleep Talk can cost you valuable damage or give the opponent a game-ending free turn.
Team Options
========
Wailmer's purpose is undermined if you choose not to run it with a entry hazard setter, as its phazing is then pointless. Thus, Pokemon such as Archen, Trubbish, and Ferroseed are great teammates. Wailmer also goes well with bulky sweepers such as Scraggy, Timburr, and Croagunk that appreciate the extra damage from Wailmer's phazing, which can secure key OHKOs and 2HKOs for them. In return, those Pokemon can check Pokemon such as Chinchou and Foongus, which threaten Wailmer with their super effective STAB moves.
Other Options
########
Wailmer doesn't have many other options, as its movepool is rather barren. Clear Smog can be used, but Roar usually offers more utility because it goes past Substitute and forces the opponent to take entry hazard damage as well. However, Clear Smog is somewhat useful if you use Pressure, as Taunt blocks Roar. Icy Wind is an option, but neither set really appreciates its benefits.
Wailmer's movepool contains many physical options, including Waterfall and Earthquake, and it has a decent Attack stat to use them with, but it is heavily outclassed as a physical Water-type sweeper by Carvanha, Corphish, and offensive Tirtouga. Wailmer also has a boosting option in Curse, but it cannot use Curse well because it needs RestTalk to prevent itself from being worn down. However, Wailmer will then only have one moveslot left for an attack, so it will be walled by many Pokemon. Wailmer can also use Choice Specs for a power boost, but it would rather have the increased Speed from Choice Scarf and is too frail without defensive investment to use Choice Specs properly. A suicide lead set using Rain Dance and Self-Destruct is possible but not feasible, as there are better, more durable Rain Dance leads, such as Mantyke, and Self-Destruct will usually fail to KO the opponent.
Checks & Counters
########
**Resistant Pokemon**: If not all Pokemon that resist Water Spout are off the field when Wailmer attempts to sweep with it, the opponent can switch in one of these Pokemon and end Wailmer's sweep. Additionally, because RestTalk Wailmer only has one move, Pokemon that resist Water-type moves can completely wall it and proceed to deal damage if Wailmer can't Roar them out. Moreover, many Pokemon that resist Water-type moves also have STAB moves that are super effective against Wailmer.
**Chinchou**: Chinchou is a reliable way to beat Wailmer because it resists not only Wailmer's STAB moves but also Ice Beam, meaning Wailmer must resort to the weak Hidden Power Grass. Meanwhile, Chinchou can hit Wailmer hard with STAB Electric-type attacks. Additionally, Choice Scarf Chinchou outspeeds Choice Scarf Wailmer.
**Dedicated Special Walls**: Specially bulky Pokemon such as Lickitung and Munchlax are able to avoid the 2HKO from Water Spout and hard wall Choice Scarf Wailmer.
**Croagunk**: Croagunk is immune to Wailmer's STAB attacks and uses them to replenish its health with its ability Dry Skin. It can gradually wear Wailmer down while keeping itself healthy.
**Eviolite Users**: Pokemon holding Eviolite, even those that don't resist Water-type moves, are annoying for Choice Scarf Wailmer to face, as they can usually take a Water Spout from full health and hit back to weaken Water Spout's power.
**Priority**: Priority users such as Fletchling and Pawniard can quickly put an end to a Water Spout sweep by dealing damage to Wailmer before it can attack, lowering Water Spout's Base Power.
**Status**: Choice Scarf Wailmer is helpless when statused. Paralysis effectively removes Wailmer's Choice Scarf and leaves it open to being revenge killed, sleep leaves it unable to act as the opponent hammers away at it, and poison whittles away at Water Spout's Base Power every turn. However, RestTalk Wailmer is fine with status, as long as it has an opportunity to use Rest and heal.
**Weather**: Save for rain, all forms of weather are detrimental to Wailmer. Hail slowly chips away at Wailmer's HP, while sand does the same and increases Rock-types' Special Defense, making them harder to break through. Sun halves the power of Wailmer's STAB moves and leaves it open to being revenge killed by Chlorophyll sweepers.
**Entry Hazards**: Wailmer is vulnerable to all entry hazards. Spikes and Stealth Rock weaken Water Spout while reducing Wailmer's overall durability. Toxic Spikes put a timer on Water Spout's usefulness, though RestTalk Wailmer doesn't care as much about status.
Overview
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+cute
+Water Spout is cool
+Good mid- or late-game cleaner with Water Spout and a Choice Scarf
+Can also do a RestTalk tank set to take advantage of its naturally high HP
+Good mono Water typing both offensively and defensively
+Great base 130 HP along with workable base 70 Special Attack and base 60 Speed
-Frail defenses
-No way to counter faster Pokemon/priority
-Almost no special coverage options
-Water Spout often fails to OHKO Eviolite holders, especially specially bulky ones, leaving Wailmer vulnerable to taking hits and having Water Spout's Base Power lowered
-Faces competition from Remoraid as a scarfed water spouter. Remoraid is faster and has more coverage options, while Wailmer is more powerful and has higher base HP
-Faces competition from Munchlax as a tank. Munchlax is stronger, has better defenses, has a larger movepool, and has Thick Fat which allows it to wall many of the same Pokemon as Wailmer, but Wailmer is faster and has a better STAB type
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Hydro Pump / Scald / Surf
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
ability: Water Veil
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 36 HP / 76 Def / 200 SpA / 196 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
nature: Timid
Moves
========
-Water Spout is a 150 Base Power STAB move when Wailmer is at full HP
-Hydro Pump, Scald, and Surf are more reliable STAB moves but none is as powerful as full health Water Spout. Pros and cons of each: Hydro Pump is extremely powerful at the cost of some accuracy, Scald has a chance to burn but is vastly less powerful, Surf is a little more powerful than Scald but has no chance to burn
-Ice Beam is coverage for the Grass- and Dragon-types that resist Wailmer's STAB moves
-Hidden Power Grass makes sure Wailmer isn't walled by Water-types, which resist its other three options (chosen over Electric because Chinchou)
-Hidden Power Fire can be used against Grass-types, mainly Ferroseed, but then Wailmer is walled by Water-types
Set Details
========
-EVs maximize Speed and Special Attack first then increase HP for all-around bulk and Defense to lower the damage done by priority
-Choice Scarf is basically mandatory as otherwise Wailmer will be hit too hard by relevant faster threats to do decent damage with Water Spout
-Timid is key to outspeed other boosted Pokemon
-You can go Modest for more power but then you're outsped by many relevant threats (examples: jolly scarf bunnelby/cranidos/axew, modest clamperl/jolly tirtouga after shell smash)
-Water Veil is the only ability of any use as it prevents the burns which lower Water Spout's Base Power every turn. Other abilities and why you shouldn't use them: Oblivious prevents Taunt, which this set doesn't care about, and Pressure is for PP stallers and more bulky sets, which this is definitely not.
Usage Tips
========
-Bring it in mid- or late-game to clean once everything that could hamper a Water Spout sweep is gone, but beware faster surprise scarfers
-Send it out after one of your Pokemon has fainted or after a Memento/slow U-turn/slow Volt Switch so Wailmer doesn't have to take damage
-Wailmer is pretty easy to use once it's out; most of the time you will be clicking Water Spout
-but only use Water Spout when Wailmer is relatively healthy and will stay that way; if it isn't, use your other Water-type STAB move or the appropriate coverage move
Team Options
========
-Appreciates having hazards removed, so a spinner like Drilbur or Staryu or a Defogger like Vullaby or Archen is a good teammate
-Drilbur and Archen get special mentions because they can also set hazards to break Sturdy/Sash and help Wailmer net crucial OHKOs. They can also check Croagunk, which is immune to Wailmer's STAB attacks thanks to its ability Dry Skin
-Wailmer also likes teammates that can remove or cripple Water-types and Grass-types, both of which resist Water Spout; especially Grass-types as they can hit Wailmer hard with their STAB moves. Examples: Foongus, which is decently bulky and can hit them hard with its STAB Grass-type moves and ability to put threats to sleep
-Wallbreakers such as Bunnelby and Darumaka are good teammates because they can soften up the opponent so Wailmer can sweep more easily
-Knock Off users such as Pawniard and Vullaby can cripple walls and more bulky Pokemon by removing their Eviolites, making it easier for Wailmer to sweep
-A slow U-Turn or Volt Switch can bring Wailmer in safely (examples: Vullaby, bulky Mienfoo)
RestTalk
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name: RestTalk
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roar
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
ability: Oblivious
item: Eviolite
evs: 36 HP / 236 Def / 36 SpA / 156 SpD / 36 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
========
-Scald is the obligatory reliable Water-type STAB move, with a nice chance to burn as well
-With hazards support Wailmer can phaze with Roar to rack up damage with hazards. Using Sleep Talk, it might even phaze before the opponent gets to move
-Rest allows Wailmer to heal its status and recover stray damage
-Sleep Talk takes advantage of Rest's two turns of sleep by allowing Wailmer to shuffle foes or deal decent damage with Scald or Surf
Set Details
========
-EVs maximize Wailmer's defenses, hitting even numbers to maximize Eviolite's potential (30/14/12 before Eviolite), and the leftover is put equally between HP, Special Attack, and Speed, so that Wailmer can take more hits, hit a little harder, and finally outspeed defensive Fletchling, and speed tie with defensive Mienfoo and Adamant Cubone, Larvesta, and Corphish.
-The Defense and Special Defense EVs can be switched and the nature changed to Calm for more special bulk instead, but most of the attacks Wailmer will be taking are physical
-Oblivious is used to avoid being Taunted, because then Wailmer can only switch out or use Scald. Pressure can be used instead to help stall the PP of powerful low-PP moves like Fire Blast or Gunk Shot, but Oblivious is mostly better. Water Veil is useless since Wailmer can just Rest off a burn, and all its moves are special anyway.
Usage Tips
========
-Best taken advantage of throughout the match
-If you bring it in too late though, it can't phaze properly, and especially Sleep Talk will have a 2/3 chance to do nothing against last-Pokemon setup sweepers and the like
-Can tank neutral or resisted hits in critical situations and Rest off the damage or phaze away the threat
-Also a good sleep absorber, but Pokemon that use Sleep Powder and Spore are mostly Grass-type so you don't want to bring it in on them
-Make sure to count the sleep turns as messing up a Sleep Talk can cost you valuable damage/phazing
Team Options
========
-Goes well with bulky sweepers such as Timburr that appreciate the extra damage from Wailmer's shuffling, which can secure key OHKOs and 2HKOs
-It especially likes those which can check Water- and Grass-type Pokemon that resist its sole attacking move and threaten it, such as Chinchou and Foongus
-Wants hazard support so it can rack up damage with its phazing (Ferroseed, Archen, Trubbish, etc.)
Other Options
########
-Clear Smog can be used over Roar on the RestTalk set, but Roar usually offers more utility as it goes through subs and forces the foe to take hazards damage as well; however, it is somewhat useful if you use Pressure over Oblivious because Taunt blocks Roar
-Wailmer has many physical options and decent Attack, but it is outclassed as a physical Water-type sweeper by Carvanha, Corphish, and offensive Tirtouga
-Wailmer has a boosting option in Curse but it can't use this effectively because it is then vulnerable to strong special attacks, many of which it's already weak to, and needs RestTalk for recovery otherwise it will get worn down; however, that leaves it with one moveslot for an attack, so it is still walled by many Pokemon
-Wailmer can use Choice Specs for boosts in power, but it would rather have the increased speed and is too frail without defensive investment to take many hits
-Suicide Rain Dance lead with Self-Destruct is possible but not feasible, as there are better, more durable Rain Dance leads and Self-Destruct will usually fail to KO the opponent as well
-Icy Wind is an option, but neither set really appreciates its benefits as they have better options
-Since Ferroseed
Checks & Counters
########
-Everything that resists Water-type moves is an absolute nightmare for Wailmer to face: Scarf set locked into Water Spout is forced to switch out racking up hazards damage when it comes back in, RestTalk only has Scald/Surf to deal damage and is forced to switch or Roar (however, it can PP stall some defensive Water-types such as Slowpoke and Frillish), and to top it off many common resists to Water-types also have STABs that are super effective against it.
-Chinchou is a really reliable way to beat Wailmer because it resists its STAB moves and Ice Beam, meaning Wailmer must resort to the weak Hidden Power Grass; meanwhile, Chinchou can hit it hard with STAB Electric-type attacks. Additionally, Choice Scarf Chinchou outspeeds Choice Scarf Wailmer.
-Pokemon holding Eviolite, even those that don't resist Water-type moves, are annoying for Choice Scarf Wailmer to face, as they can usually take a Water Spout if healthy, and hit back to weaken Water Spout's power.
-Croagunk is immune to Wailmer's STAB attacks and uses them to replenish its health, thanks to its ability Dry Skin. It can gradually wear Wailmer down while keeping itself healthy.
-Priority is troublesome for Scarf as it lowers Water Spout's power before Wailmer can attack. RestTalk also dislikes priority for the chip damage pre-Rest that can KO if Wailmer's low on health, but not as much as Scarf does
-Dedicated special walls such as Lickitung and Munchlax are able to avoid the 2HKO from Water Spout and hard wall the Scarf set
-Scarf Wailmer is helpless when statused, though RestTalk is fine as long as it has an opportunity to Rest
-Wailmer is exposed to all hazards and they are especially problematic for Choice Scarf Wailmer as they lower Water Spout's Base Power. RestTalk can heal off the damage but dislikes the chip damage caused by forced switches and sometimes can't heal enough at a time.
########
+cute
+Water Spout is cool
+Good mid- or late-game cleaner with Water Spout and a Choice Scarf
+Can also do a RestTalk tank set to take advantage of its naturally high HP
+Good mono Water typing both offensively and defensively
+Great base 130 HP along with workable base 70 Special Attack and base 60 Speed
-Frail defenses
-No way to counter faster Pokemon/priority
-Almost no special coverage options
-Water Spout often fails to OHKO Eviolite holders, especially specially bulky ones, leaving Wailmer vulnerable to taking hits and having Water Spout's Base Power lowered
-Faces competition from Remoraid as a scarfed water spouter. Remoraid is faster and has more coverage options, while Wailmer is more powerful and has higher base HP
-Faces competition from Munchlax as a tank. Munchlax is stronger, has better defenses, has a larger movepool, and has Thick Fat which allows it to wall many of the same Pokemon as Wailmer, but Wailmer is faster and has a better STAB type
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Hydro Pump / Scald / Surf
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
ability: Water Veil
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 36 HP / 76 Def / 200 SpA / 196 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
nature: Timid
Moves
========
-Water Spout is a 150 Base Power STAB move when Wailmer is at full HP
-Hydro Pump, Scald, and Surf are more reliable STAB moves but none is as powerful as full health Water Spout. Pros and cons of each: Hydro Pump is extremely powerful at the cost of some accuracy, Scald has a chance to burn but is vastly less powerful, Surf is a little more powerful than Scald but has no chance to burn
-Ice Beam is coverage for the Grass- and Dragon-types that resist Wailmer's STAB moves
-Hidden Power Grass makes sure Wailmer isn't walled by Water-types, which resist its other three options (chosen over Electric because Chinchou)
-Hidden Power Fire can be used against Grass-types, mainly Ferroseed, but then Wailmer is walled by Water-types
Set Details
========
-EVs maximize Speed and Special Attack first then increase HP for all-around bulk and Defense to lower the damage done by priority
-Choice Scarf is basically mandatory as otherwise Wailmer will be hit too hard by relevant faster threats to do decent damage with Water Spout
-Timid is key to outspeed other boosted Pokemon
-You can go Modest for more power but then you're outsped by many relevant threats (examples: jolly scarf bunnelby/cranidos/axew, modest clamperl/jolly tirtouga after shell smash)
-Water Veil is the only ability of any use as it prevents the burns which lower Water Spout's Base Power every turn. Other abilities and why you shouldn't use them: Oblivious prevents Taunt, which this set doesn't care about, and Pressure is for PP stallers and more bulky sets, which this is definitely not.
Usage Tips
========
-Bring it in mid- or late-game to clean once everything that could hamper a Water Spout sweep is gone, but beware faster surprise scarfers
-Send it out after one of your Pokemon has fainted or after a Memento/slow U-turn/slow Volt Switch so Wailmer doesn't have to take damage
-Wailmer is pretty easy to use once it's out; most of the time you will be clicking Water Spout
-but only use Water Spout when Wailmer is relatively healthy and will stay that way; if it isn't, use your other Water-type STAB move or the appropriate coverage move
Team Options
========
-Appreciates having hazards removed, so a spinner like Drilbur or Staryu or a Defogger like Vullaby or Archen is a good teammate
-Drilbur and Archen get special mentions because they can also set hazards to break Sturdy/Sash and help Wailmer net crucial OHKOs. They can also check Croagunk, which is immune to Wailmer's STAB attacks thanks to its ability Dry Skin
-Wailmer also likes teammates that can remove or cripple Water-types and Grass-types, both of which resist Water Spout; especially Grass-types as they can hit Wailmer hard with their STAB moves. Examples: Foongus, which is decently bulky and can hit them hard with its STAB Grass-type moves and ability to put threats to sleep
-Wallbreakers such as Bunnelby and Darumaka are good teammates because they can soften up the opponent so Wailmer can sweep more easily
-Knock Off users such as Pawniard and Vullaby can cripple walls and more bulky Pokemon by removing their Eviolites, making it easier for Wailmer to sweep
-A slow U-Turn or Volt Switch can bring Wailmer in safely (examples: Vullaby, bulky Mienfoo)
RestTalk
########
name: RestTalk
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roar
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
ability: Oblivious
item: Eviolite
evs: 36 HP / 236 Def / 36 SpA / 156 SpD / 36 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
========
-Scald is the obligatory reliable Water-type STAB move, with a nice chance to burn as well
-With hazards support Wailmer can phaze with Roar to rack up damage with hazards. Using Sleep Talk, it might even phaze before the opponent gets to move
-Rest allows Wailmer to heal its status and recover stray damage
-Sleep Talk takes advantage of Rest's two turns of sleep by allowing Wailmer to shuffle foes or deal decent damage with Scald or Surf
Set Details
========
-EVs maximize Wailmer's defenses, hitting even numbers to maximize Eviolite's potential (30/14/12 before Eviolite), and the leftover is put equally between HP, Special Attack, and Speed, so that Wailmer can take more hits, hit a little harder, and finally outspeed defensive Fletchling, and speed tie with defensive Mienfoo and Adamant Cubone, Larvesta, and Corphish.
-The Defense and Special Defense EVs can be switched and the nature changed to Calm for more special bulk instead, but most of the attacks Wailmer will be taking are physical
-Oblivious is used to avoid being Taunted, because then Wailmer can only switch out or use Scald. Pressure can be used instead to help stall the PP of powerful low-PP moves like Fire Blast or Gunk Shot, but Oblivious is mostly better. Water Veil is useless since Wailmer can just Rest off a burn, and all its moves are special anyway.
Usage Tips
========
-Best taken advantage of throughout the match
-If you bring it in too late though, it can't phaze properly, and especially Sleep Talk will have a 2/3 chance to do nothing against last-Pokemon setup sweepers and the like
-Can tank neutral or resisted hits in critical situations and Rest off the damage or phaze away the threat
-Also a good sleep absorber, but Pokemon that use Sleep Powder and Spore are mostly Grass-type so you don't want to bring it in on them
-Make sure to count the sleep turns as messing up a Sleep Talk can cost you valuable damage/phazing
Team Options
========
-Goes well with bulky sweepers such as Timburr that appreciate the extra damage from Wailmer's shuffling, which can secure key OHKOs and 2HKOs
-It especially likes those which can check Water- and Grass-type Pokemon that resist its sole attacking move and threaten it, such as Chinchou and Foongus
-Wants hazard support so it can rack up damage with its phazing (Ferroseed, Archen, Trubbish, etc.)
Other Options
########
-Clear Smog can be used over Roar on the RestTalk set, but Roar usually offers more utility as it goes through subs and forces the foe to take hazards damage as well; however, it is somewhat useful if you use Pressure over Oblivious because Taunt blocks Roar
-Wailmer has many physical options and decent Attack, but it is outclassed as a physical Water-type sweeper by Carvanha, Corphish, and offensive Tirtouga
-Wailmer has a boosting option in Curse but it can't use this effectively because it is then vulnerable to strong special attacks, many of which it's already weak to, and needs RestTalk for recovery otherwise it will get worn down; however, that leaves it with one moveslot for an attack, so it is still walled by many Pokemon
-Wailmer can use Choice Specs for boosts in power, but it would rather have the increased speed and is too frail without defensive investment to take many hits
-Suicide Rain Dance lead with Self-Destruct is possible but not feasible, as there are better, more durable Rain Dance leads and Self-Destruct will usually fail to KO the opponent as well
-Icy Wind is an option, but neither set really appreciates its benefits as they have better options
-Since Ferroseed
Checks & Counters
########
-Everything that resists Water-type moves is an absolute nightmare for Wailmer to face: Scarf set locked into Water Spout is forced to switch out racking up hazards damage when it comes back in, RestTalk only has Scald/Surf to deal damage and is forced to switch or Roar (however, it can PP stall some defensive Water-types such as Slowpoke and Frillish), and to top it off many common resists to Water-types also have STABs that are super effective against it.
-Chinchou is a really reliable way to beat Wailmer because it resists its STAB moves and Ice Beam, meaning Wailmer must resort to the weak Hidden Power Grass; meanwhile, Chinchou can hit it hard with STAB Electric-type attacks. Additionally, Choice Scarf Chinchou outspeeds Choice Scarf Wailmer.
-Pokemon holding Eviolite, even those that don't resist Water-type moves, are annoying for Choice Scarf Wailmer to face, as they can usually take a Water Spout if healthy, and hit back to weaken Water Spout's power.
-Croagunk is immune to Wailmer's STAB attacks and uses them to replenish its health, thanks to its ability Dry Skin. It can gradually wear Wailmer down while keeping itself healthy.
-Priority is troublesome for Scarf as it lowers Water Spout's power before Wailmer can attack. RestTalk also dislikes priority for the chip damage pre-Rest that can KO if Wailmer's low on health, but not as much as Scarf does
-Dedicated special walls such as Lickitung and Munchlax are able to avoid the 2HKO from Water Spout and hard wall the Scarf set
-Scarf Wailmer is helpless when statused, though RestTalk is fine as long as it has an opportunity to Rest
-Wailmer is exposed to all hazards and they are especially problematic for Choice Scarf Wailmer as they lower Water Spout's Base Power. RestTalk can heal off the damage but dislikes the chip damage caused by forced switches and sometimes can't heal enough at a time.
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