Monotype Pelipper (Water)

iLlama

Nothing personal, I protect my people
[OVERVIEW]

Water
========
* Pelipper's ability Drizzle is a staple on rain teams and offers rain Water an excellent weather setter.
* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper boasts an incredibly useful STAB typing that can hit major threats in the Grass matchup, such as Mega Venusaur, super effectively.
* Its Flying typing combined with STAB Hurricane and Drizzle allots Water a nice asset in the Bug and Fighting matchups.
* Pelipper's access to Roost heightens its potency as both a pivot and weather setter by increasing its longevity and capabilities to fill its roles throughout a match.
* Having U-turn brings a guaranteed pivot option beyond Eject Button; unlike how Eject Button is single use, U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot indefinitely throughout the match, which also lets rain teams keep the momentum in matches.
* Pelipper also has access to Defog, which can prove to be an excellent utility option.
* A downside to using Pelipper is its rather poor stats and bulk; it's fairly weak, so it won't be able to dish out incredible damage, nor take much.

[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane / Defog
move 4: U-turn / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Scald is a strong STAB move that has the chance of burning opponents, and it is Pelipper's main method of attacking.
* Roost provides a reliable recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, recurring presence throughout matches.
* Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB move of choice thanks to rain boosting its accuracy indefinitely and it providing a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. STAB Hurricane from Pelipper also has a high chance of 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, which is the bane of rain Water. There is the possibility of confusing as well thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy.
* U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely and safely into teammates without the need to hard switch Pokemon in or out.
* Defog lets Pelipper clear entry hazards, especially Sticky Webs, which could cripple rain Water's performance due to the drop in Speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users.
* As for what combination of Hurricane, U-turn, and Defog to use on Pelipper, the choice should be made based on what roles a team has yet to fill. All three variants can work well on Pelipper.

Set Details
========

* Near maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mixed bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats while also mitigating damage from entry hazards.
* Full investment in Defense with a Bold Nature lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily.
* Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting.
* Drizzle is mandatory, as it summons rain on switch-in, the backbone of rain Water.

Usage Tips
========

* Pelipper is most effective when summoning rain against passive Pokemon, making the possibility of Pelipper fainting and thus losing rain minimal.
* In general, Pelipper should act as the lead Pokemon, as rain is too vital to put off until later. However, if opposing teams have weather setters that happen to be slower than Pelipper, such as Hippowdon, Torkoal or Tyranitar, the lead Pokemon should be changed accordingly to better handle the opposition's lead. Also, it isn't wise to lead against Charizard, as the chance of it being Mega Charizard Y and ultimately eliminating rain with Drought is too risky for Pelipper.
* Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn.
* In order to keep Pelipper healthy, it is also important to avoid status at all costs because they will cripple Pelipper's capabilities throughout the match.
* Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check and for entry hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing entry hazards, and pivoting, so use it to its full potential.
* Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose. Additionally, while getting Scald burns and damage through Hurricane can be helpful, using U-turn sooner rather than later helps Pelipper be efficient at keeping rain on the field.

Team Options
========

* Kingdra is the best teammate and rain abuser that Water has access to and is an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in rain, even with a Modest Nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water moves under the rain. Its Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten what could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking.
* Seismitoad is also an excellent teammate and is almost mandatory for rain Water teams thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks. Seismitoad can also be used for setting hazards through Stealth Rock. It abuses the ability Swift Swim and should be run with maximum speed investment in order to outspeed even more Pokemon than Modest Kingdra. Seismitoad's access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric super effectively.
* Kabutops is another Pokemon that finds its viability in its ability Swift Swim as well as its STAB Rock coverage. Physical Swords Dance Kabutops can be a nice setup Pokemon to manage opposing walls, and it make great use of Pelipper's rain. Another great part of utilizing Kabutops is its access to Rapid Spin, which allows Pelipper to focus on setting weather and pivoting.
* Ludicolo can take advantage of rain thanks to Swift Swim while also providing Water with another Pokemon that is neutral to Grass. It also carries STAB Grass coverage, which can be incredibly helpful when facing opposing Water teams and for augmenting an already advantaged matchup against Ground.
* Greninja is already one of Water's best Pokemon, so pairing it with Pelipper, ultimately boosting its damage output, simply makes sense. Having coverage for nearly anything thanks to its diverse moveset coupled with Protean and an incredible Speed stat, Greninja is a must have for powerful rain teams. Most notably coverage-wise, Greninja is capable of running Ice Beam, which can handle Grass threats such as Cradily and Serperior, and Extrasensory, a great option for handling Mega Venusaur and Toxapex.
* Azumarill's role as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Whether its Choice Band, Belly Drum, or another variant, rain Water greatly appreciates the massive physical damage and priority that Azumarill brings to the table.
* Manaphy can be an asset on any rain team thanks to Z-Rain Dance and Tail Glow, making it a reliable weather setter and setup Pokemon. It also carries decent coverage moves in Energy Ball, which is nice for opposing Water teams, Psychic, another option for hitting Mega Venusaur and Toxapex, and Ice Beam, which can be used for managing Pokemon like Ferrothorn. If rain is already up due to Pelipper and Manaphy carries a Water STAB move, it can utilize Hydro Vortex as an incredibly powerful wallbreaking attack.
* Politoed may seem like an odd addition to rain teams, since Pelipper already acts as the main weather setter; however, its support as a secondary rain setter can relieve the stress put on Pelipper as the primary source of rain.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Water
--------
* Pelipper can work as a deterrent to some physical attackers; however, its poor bulk prevents it from being able to tank powerful STAB and super effective moves. It can, however, manage some Pokemon decently well, namely Garchomp and Mega Scizor.
* It could also act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Mega Alakazam and Magearna will still be able to break Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately rain Water would then be missing out on a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary role as either a pivot or entry hazard control. These roles would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon.
* Eject Button offers one possibility for a switch without needing to rely on U-turn; however, both Eject Button and U-turn should not be used on the same set, rather, use Defog on Eject Button Pelipper. Eject Button being single use can also be bothersome in the long run.

Checks and Counters
===================

Water
--------
**Wallbreakers**: With only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam, Kyurem-B, and Latios can easily take out Pelipper and shut down your rain team. Pelipper can't survive long if at all against these Pokemon and they essentially force unwanted switches and sacks.

**Magearna**: As a large portion of Magearna sets carry Electric coverage, Pelipper is at risk of not only be taken out but also providing Magearna with a special attack boost if it gets KOed, which can prove incredibly dangerous for an offensive playstyle in rain Water.

**Electric-types**: Electric-types can eliminate Pelipper's role on rain Water, as its 4x weakness to Electric and decent-at-best bulk can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks. Tapu Koko and Thundurus are a couple of Pokemon that can really cause problems for both Pelipper and Water.

**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have rain-boosted STAB Scald at its disposal, but that won't stop Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from revenge killing Pelipper.

**Opposing Weather Setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y, and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.

**Stealth Rock**: With Flying as its secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock, but because of its role as Water's weather setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage.

**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls such as Chansey, Cradily, and Toxapex beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling, and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon.

**Status**: Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle rain Water. Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and rain effectively can become a huge issue.
 
Last edited:
AM QC check coming through
[OVERVIEW]

Water
========
* Pelipper's new ability Drizzle has quickly made it a staple of Rain teams and offers Rain Water an upgrade from the previous weather-setter, Politoed. No mentioning past generations
* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper provides a great check to one of Rain Water's most feared matchups in Grass, while also giving access to an incredibly useful STAB typing. Giving access to? try just giving or smth
* Its Flying sub-typing also allows Pelipper to combine Drizzle with STAB Hurricane, allotting Water a powerful asset in different matchups.
* Access to Roost increases Pelipper's potency as both a pivot and weather-setter by increasing its longevity and capabilities to fill its roles throughout a match.
* Having U-turn brings a guaranteed pivot option beyond Eject Button, meaning there is no chance of losing a turn because of Knock Off or Sheer Force mechanics. Elaborate, this will be confusing to anyone unfamiliar with last gen rain, which is the opposite of the goal.
* As the first premier pivot weather-setter, Pelipper lets Rain team's keep momentum in matches without having to rely on Eject Button or manage switches nearly as much as before. No last generation, and stop acting as though they're familiar
* Defog is an excellent utility option for Pelipper, giving it the ability to fill multiple roles into one Pokemon.
* However, a downside to using Pelipper as a weather-setter over Politoed is giving up additional bulk and utility options, namely Perish Song. Fix this wording, I think I misunderstood
* Pelipper's stats aren't too remarkable either, with 100 in Defense being its peak. No need to mention stat values, just say they are poor.

[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: U-turn / Defog
item: Leftovers / Eject Button
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD Since Pelliper is rock weak, 248 is better unless you're sure that people will be able to keep them off the field.
Consider swapping u-turn and hurricane, as it's not really something you want to do without.


[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Scald is Pelipper's main form of attacking with a strong STAB that also has the chance of burning opponents. It carries no type immunities as well, making it a solid attack overall. Method, not form.
* Roost provides an active recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, recurring presence throughout matches.
* Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB of choice thanks to Rain boosting its accuracy indefinitely and its providing of a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. There is also the possibility of confusing thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy. Mention the 2hko on mvenu because its pretty much the only reason to use it.
* U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely while providing damage without the need to hard-switch Pokemon in or out.
* Defog lets Pelipper manage hazards, especially Sticky Webs which could cripple Rain Water's performance due to the drop in speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users.

Set Details
========

* Maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mix bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats.
* Full investment in Defense lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily. Include bold nature
* Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting.
* Eject Button offers one possibility for a switch without needing to rely on U-turn, however it being single use can be bothersome in the long run. Mention it's better if you don't have u-turn, like with defog.
* Drizzle is mandatory as it summons Rain on switch-in; the backbone of your Rain team. Without Drizzle, Pelipper is not a viable option for Water.

Usage Tips
========

* Pelipper is most effective when summoning Rain against non-wallbreakers, making the possibility of losing your main source of weather minimal. Non-wallbreakers is confusing, just way against passive pokemon
* Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to Rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn.
* Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check or for hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards and pivoting, so use it to its full potential.
* Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for Rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose.
* Having access to rain-boosted Hurricane is nothing to laugh at as it lets Pelipper better handle some of Water's more difficult matchups. This isn't really a usage tip.

Team Options
========

* Kingdra is the best teammate and Rain abuser that Water has access to as an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in Rain, even with a Modest Nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water. Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten would could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking. Ice Beam is another good option as it provides an answer to many Dragon, Grass, Ground and Flying-type Pokemon.
* Seismitoad is also an excellent teammate, and almost mandatory for Rain Water teams in wake of Mega Swampert's absence thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks. Seismitoad also abuses the ability Swift Swim and should be run with maximum speed investment in order to outspeed even more Pokemon than Kingdra. Access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric super-effectively. Stealth Rock also gives Seismitoad added viability as your team's hazard setter. Seismitoad can run a plethora of other moves depending on what type coverage is needed and can be used as an effective mixed attacker. Remove Mega Swampert's absence, that's mentioning past gens
* Kabutops is yet another Pokemon that finds its viability in its ability Swift Swim as well as its STAB Rock coverage. Physical Swords Dance Kabutops can be a nice set-up Pokemon to manage opposing walls and make great use of Rain. It also has access to Stealth Rock in case Seismitoad would prefer having a different 4th moveslot option.
* Ludicolo can take advantage of Rain thanks to Swift Swim while also providing Water with another Pokemon that is neutral to Grass. It also carries STAB Grass Coverage which can be incredibly helpful when facing opposing Water teams and for abusing an already advantaged matchup against Ground.
* Greninja is already one of Water's best Pokemon, so adding it to a Rain team, ultimately boosting its damage output, simply makes sense. Having coverage for nearly anything thanks to its diverse moveset paired with Protean, Greninja is a must have for powerful Rain teams.
* Azumarill's roll as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under Rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Whether its Choice Band, Belly Drum, or another variant, Rain Water greatly appreciates the massive physical damage and priority that Azumarill brings to the table.Role and Roll are very different
* Manaphy can be an asset on any Rain team thanks to Hydration making it a reliable set-up, Rest Pokemon under rain. Carrying decent coverage moves combined with Tail Glow makes it nothing to scoff at. Fix wording
* Rotom-Wash may seem a tad off on Rain teams, mainly because it is not as potent of an offensive threat as other Pokemon Water has access to, but it can work in tandem with Pelipper as a Specially Defensive pivot nicely. Thanks to its neutrality to Electric it can switch in to mitigate Electric-type attacks while providing some nice utility options in moves such as Will-o-Wisp and Pain Split. Rotom-Wash also has Volt Switch, giving Rain Water both Physically and Specially Defensive Utility pivots.
Cut down on all of this, this is bullets on good teammates, not a minianalysis; team options shouldn't be the better part of a page under most circumstances.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Water
--------
* Adding EVs into Speed could help with speed-creeping different Pokemon, such as Clefable and Skarmory, but ultimately this comes down to preference and if Pelipper can afford to have EVs in anything other than HP and Defense. Remove, don't mention speed creep in analyses
* Pelipper could act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to Rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Hoopa-U and Magearna will still be able to break Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately Rain Water would then be missing out a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary roll as either a pivot or hazard control. These rolls would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon.

Checks and Counters
===================

Water
--------
**Hazards**: With Flying as its secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock normally, but because of its role as Water's weather-setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage. Put this lower, as a) Pelliper gets defog, and B) Other things are more important

**Status**: Burn and Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning Rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle Rain Water. Burn isn't that big; yes, you lose lefties recovery, but eject button is a usable set so.

**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon. Put this lower

**Wallbreakers**: With only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Hoopa-U, Kyurem-B, and Latios can easily take out Pelipper and shut down your Rain team. Put this higher, mention how they basically require you to sack a pokemon.

**Stallbreakers**: Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and Rain effectively can become a huge issue. Put this in status or not at all.

**Magearna**: As a large portion of Magearna spreads carry Electric coverage, Pelipper is at risk of not only be taken out, but also providing Magearna with a special attack boost which can prove incredibly dangerous for an offensive play-style in Rain Water.

**Mega Venusaur**: Even though Synthesis's recovery is cut in half under Rain, uninvested Mega Venusaur has the capability of 2HKOing Pelipper with Sludge Bomb at full HP. There is also the chance of getting poisoned which further cripples Pelipper. Venuaur is a pretty poor counter, as hurricane shreds it. Venusaur would much rather hit the rest of pellipers team; remove outright or put lower.

**Electric-types**: Electric-types all but eliminate Pelipper's rolls of pivoting and managing hazards as its 4x weakness and decent bulk at best can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks. The drastic increase in viability of Offensive Electric in Sun and Moon only exacerbates this glaring weakness. Roles are different that rolls, and remove the crossed out sections for mentioning past gens.

**Grass-types**: Although neutral, Grass-type Pokemon can be prove to be a pain to handle thanks again to Pelipper's limited bulk as well as it losing its Flying-typing when using Roost. probably fold in mvenu here because they perform the same role versus pelliper. Also consider removing outright because pelliper has one of the best MU versus grass on a water team.

**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have Rain boosted STAB Water at its disposal, but that won't stop Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from taking Pelipper out, especially if it has been affected by Stealth Rock. Stealth rock doesn't matter?

**Opposing weather setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping Rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.
Overall, pretty good, but it definitely could use a checkthrough to http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/spelling-and-grammar-standards.3588427/
 
Last edited:

Dharma

komorebi
is a Top Artist
Amcheck.

Quite a bit of spacing issues between sentences as well. Fix them up before going to GP.

[OVERVIEW]

Water
========
* Pelipper's ability Drizzle has quickly made it a staple of rain teams and offers rain Water an upgrade from the previous weather-setter, Politoed. Don't mention generation shift.
* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper provides a great check to one of rain Water's most feared matchups in Grass, while also boasting an incredibly useful STAB typing.
* Its Flying sub-typing also allows Pelipper to combine Drizzle with STAB Hurricane, allotting Water a powerful asset in different matchups.
* Access to Roost heightens Pelipper's potency as both a pivot and weather-setter by increasing its longevity and capabilities to fill its roles throughout a match.
* Having U-turn brings a guaranteed pivot option beyond Eject Button. U-turn gives Pelipper pivoting capabilities multiple times throughout the match, while Eject Button is single use and it can be lost or ignored due to Knock Off or Sheer Force mechanics. Mentions generation shift, someone who hasn't played ORAS wouldnt know what you are talking about.
* As the first premier pivot weather-setter, Pelipper lets rain team's keep momentum in matches without having to rely on Eject Button or manage switches. Again, kind of hints at generation shift.
* Defog is an excellent utility option for Pelipper, giving it the ability to fill multiple roles into one Pokemon.
* A downside to using Pelipper as the main weather-setter, rather than Politoed, is giving up additional bulk and utility options. Pelipper has just a good bulk as politoed.
* Pelipper's stats aren't too remarkable either. Overall it is fairly lacking in regards of bulk.

[SET]
U-turn probably shouldn't be slashed with anything, its the main reason you're using pelipper in the first place.

name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: Scald / Defog
item: Leftovers / Eject Button Rocky Helmet
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rearrange these to fit slashes and move order
* Scald is Pelipper's main method of attacking with a strong STAB that also has the chance of burning opponents. It carries no type immunities as well, making it a solid attack overall.
* Roost provides an active recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, recurring presence throughout matches.
* Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB of choice thanks to rain boosting its accuracy indefinitely and its providing of a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. STAB Hurricane from Pelipper also has a high chance of 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, which is the bane of rain Water. There is the possibility of confusing as well thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy.
* U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely while providing damage without the need to hard-switch Pokemon in or out.
* Defog lets Pelipper manage hazards, especially Sticky Webs which could cripple rain Water's performance due to the drop in speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users.

Set Details
========

* Maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mix bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats.
* Full investment in Defense with a Bold Nature lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily.
* Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting.
* Eject Button offers one possibility for a switch without needing to rely on U-turn, however both Eject Button and U-turn should not be used on the same set, rather, use Defog on Eject Button Pelipper. Eject Button being single use can also be bothersome in the long run thanks to its being single use. Probably would never use eject button, but I'd listen to what QC has to say
* Drizzle is mandatory as it summons Rain on switch-in; the backbone of your rain team. Without Drizzle, Pelipper is not a viable option for Water.

Usage Tips
========

* Pelipper is most effective when summoning rain against passive Pokemon, making the possibility of losing your main source of weather minimal.
* Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn.
* Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check or for hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards and pivoting, so use it to its full potential.
* Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for Rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose.

Team Options
========

* Kingdra is the best teammate and rain abuser that Water has access to as an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in rain, even with a Modest Nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water. Give examples of what outspeed kingdra in rain. Excadrill in sand? Alolan raichu in terrain? Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten what could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking.
* Seismitoad is also an excellent teammate and almost mandatory for rain Water teams thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks. Seismitoad abuses the ability Swift Swim and should be run with maximum speed investment in order to outspeed even more Pokemon than Kingdra. Seismitoad doesn't outspeed more pokemon than kingdra. Access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric super effectively.
* Kabutops is yet another Pokemon that finds its viability in its ability Swift Swim as well as its STAB Rock coverage. Physical Swords Dance Kabutops can be a nice set-up Pokemon to manage opposing walls and make great use of Pelipper's Rain.
* Ludicolo can take advantage of Rain thanks to Swift Swim while also providing Water with another Pokemon that is neutral to Grass. It also carries STAB Grass coverage which can be incredibly helpful when facing opposing Water teams and for exacerbating an already advantaged matchup against Ground.
* Greninja is already one of Water's best Pokemon, so pairing it with Pelipper, ultimately boosting its damage output, simply makes sense. Having coverage for nearly anything thanks to its diverse moveset coupled with Protean, Greninja is a must have for powerful rain teams.
* Azumarill's role as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Whether its Choice Band, Belly Drum, or another variant, rain Water greatly appreciates the massive physical damage and priority that Azumarill brings to the table. Mention that it checks sand rush excadrill.
* Manaphy can be an asset on any rain team thanks to Hydration making it a reliable set-up, Rest Pokemon under rain. It also carries decent coverage moves as well as Tail Glow, making it nothing to scoff at.
* Rotom-W may seem a tad off on rain teams, mainly because it is not as potent of an offensive threat as other Pokemon Water has access to, but it can work in tandem with Pelipper as a specially defensive pivot nicely. Thanks to its neutrality to Electric it can switch in to mitigate Electric-type attacks while providing some nice utility options in moves such as Will-o-Wisp and Pain Split. Rotom-W also has Volt Switch, giving rain Water both physically and specially defensive utility pivots.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Water
--------
* Putting additional EVs into Speed could help with outspeeding neutral-natured base 60s and 70s, such as Clefable and Skarmory, but ultimately this comes down to preference and if Pelipper can afford to have EVs in anything other than health and defense.
* Pelipper could act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Hoopa-U and Magearna will still be able to break Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately rain Water would then be missing out a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary role as either a pivot or hazard control. These roles would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon.

Checks and Counters
===================

Water
--------
**Wallbreakers**: With only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Hoopa-U, Kyurem-B, and Latios can easily take out Pelipper and shut down your rain team. Pelipper can't survive long, if at all against these Pokemon and they essentially force unwanted switches and sacks.

**Status**: Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle rain Water. Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and rain effectively can become a huge issue.

**Magearna**: As a large portion of Magearna spreads carry Electric coverage, Pelipper is at risk of not only be taken out, but also providing Magearna with a special attack boost which can prove incredibly dangerous for an offensive play-style in rain Water. Add that it also gets Energy Ball, which may prevent Seismitoad from checking it.

**Electric-types**: Electric-types all but eliminate Pelipper's role on rain Water as its 4x weakness and mediocre bulk can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks.

**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have rain boosted STAB Water at its disposal, but that won't stop Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from taking Pelipper out.

**Opposing weather setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.

**Hazards**: With Flying as its secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock normally, but because of its role as Water's weather-setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage. It isn't affected 'normally', it is weak to rocks.

**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon.
 

iLlama

Nothing personal, I protect my people
Amcheck.

Quite a bit of spacing issues between sentences as well. Fix them up before going to GP.
So, except for the first note on hinting at the shift in generations, I disagree with almost all of your points. I'll pretty much just go in order as to why they aren't correct.
  • In Overview, at the discussion of U-turn, only facts are stated. There is no mention of generation shift at all.
  • The next point, there is no hint at generation shift beyond stating the fact that no other pivot weather-setter exists, which would imply that in generations before there hasn't been one. I'll leave that to QC for interpretation.
  • Pelipper actually has much less bulk than Politoed which has 30 higher base HP and 5 higher in one of the defenses.
  • The main reason for using Pelipper is not just because it has U-turn. As mentioned, it is able to fill multiple roles into one Pokemon, which is why it's so vital to rain Water. Scald and Roost, realistically, should come first no matter what. Whether Hurricane or U-turn are slashed with Defog is up to QC. Frankly I can see it going either way since both moves are pretty important.
  • Eject Button is still a great item for Pelipper in lieu of running U-turn. I'm not sure why you would run Rocky Helmet on a Pokemon that you need to keep alive in order to get good use out of it. It's not meant to be a wall so there's no point in using that item.
  • There is no point in mentioning Excadrill in sand outspeeding Kingdra, because it literally outspeeds anything on Water that isn't +2 and naturally faster. I'm not sure what the point of mentioning Alolan Raichu is for as it just goes under Electric-type threats since it outspeeds all of +2 boosted Water.
  • As I mentioned Modest Kingdra, and because that is the most common spread by far, max invest Seismitoad does outspeed Kingdra.
  • Again, there is no point in mentioning sand Excadrill, if anything this would fall under opposing weather which is already labeled as a threat.
  • Magearna, although it has Energy Ball as a move option, shouldn't be running it on either of its types unless it's meant to be incredibly niche. I also never said that Seismitoad checked it, because unboosted Fleur Cannon does upwards of 76%.
  • Not sure why you changed my word choice in regards to Pelipper's bulk.
  • I realize how you may have misunderstood what the sentence on hazards was saying, so I added a comma. It means Pelipper normally, is only affected by Stealth Rock, meaning it isn't pressured by other hazards. That changes if there are grounding effects in place, obviously.
 

Vid

Our life is what our thoughts make it
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Ok I guess I'll do QC over AM Checks
Comments in Blue anything that doesn't have Blue I'm fine with
[OVERVIEW]
Just a Minor compliant. Please say something before AM QC like "please do not implement anything yet until QC has went over this!" this makes qcing much eaiser and let's me give better feedback
Water
========
* Pelipper's new ability Drizzle has quickly made it a staple of Rain teams and offers Rain Water an upgrade from the previous weather-setter, Politoed. No mentioning past generations
* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper provides a great check to one of Rain Water's most feared matchups in Grass, while also giving access to an incredibly useful STAB typing. Giving access to? try just giving or smth I think the second sentence is the answer to the question. Maybe a better suggestion would be trying to merge the two points
* Its Flying sub-typing also allows Pelipper to combine Drizzle with STAB Hurricane, allotting Water a powerful asset in different matchups.
* Access to Roost increases Pelipper's potency as both a pivot and weather-setter by increasing its longevity and capabilities to fill its roles throughout a match.
* Having U-turn brings a guaranteed pivot option beyond Eject Button, meaning there is no chance of losing a turn because of Knock Off or Sheer Force mechanics. Elaborate, this will be confusing to anyone unfamiliar with last gen rain, which is the opposite of the goal.
* As the first premier pivot weather-setter, Pelipper lets Rain team's keep momentum in matches without having to rely on Eject Button or manage switches nearly as much as before.No last generation, and stop acting as though they're familiar
* Defog is an excellent utility option for Pelipper, giving it the ability to fill multiple roles into one Pokemon.
* However, a downside to using Pelipper as a weather-setter over Politoed is giving up additional bulk and utility options, namely Perish Song. Fix this wording, I think I misunderstood
* Pelipper's stats aren't too remarkable either, with 100 in Defense being its peak. No need to mention stat values, just say they are poor. Stat values are fine if it is written correctly but saying it has poor bulk is fine as well

[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: U-turn / Defog
item: Leftovers / Eject Button
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD Since Pelliper is rock weak, 248 is better unless you're sure that people will be able to keep them off the field. Try and be a bit more specific because it took me a good minute to figure out what this was
Consider swapping u-turn and hurricane, as it's not really something you want to do without. Please Bold Changes you make to set, so I know what's being changed. It's just better for reference


[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Scald is Pelipper's main form of attacking with a strong STAB that also has the chance of burning opponents. It carries no type immunities as well, making it a solid attack overall. Method, not form.
* Roost provides an active recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, recurring presence throughout matches.
* Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB of choice thanks to Rain boosting its accuracy indefinitely and its providing of a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. There is also the possibility of confusing thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy. Mention the 2hko on mvenu because its pretty much the only reason to use it.Saying it is only reason to use is incorrect it hits grass-types namely Mega Venusaur would be correct though
* U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely while providing damage without the need to hard-switch Pokemon in or out.
* Defog lets Pelipper manage hazards, especially Sticky Webs which could cripple Rain Water's performance due to the drop in speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users.

Set Details
========

* Maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mix bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats.
* Full investment in Defense lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily. Include bold nature
* Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting.
* Eject Button offers one possibility for a switch without needing to rely on U-turn, however it being single use can be bothersome in the long run. Mention it's better if you don't have u-turn, like with defog.
* Drizzle is mandatory as it summons Rain on switch-in; the backbone of your Rain team. Without Drizzle, Pelipper is not a viable option for Water.

Usage Tips
========

* Pelipper is most effective when summoning Rain against non-wallbreakers, making the possibility of losing your main source of weather minimal. Non-wallbreakers is confusing, just way against passive pokemon
* Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to Rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn.
* Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check or for hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards and pivoting, so use it to its full potential.
* Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for Rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose.
* Having access to rain-boosted Hurricane is nothing to laugh at as it lets Pelipper better handle some of Water's more difficult matchups. This isn't really a usage tip.

Team Options
========

* Kingdra is the best teammate and Rain abuser that Water has access to as an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in Rain, even with a Modest Nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water. Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten would could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking. Ice Beam is another good option as it provides an answer to many Dragon, Grass, Ground and Flying-type Pokemon.
* Seismitoad is also an excellent teammate, and almost mandatory for Rain Water teams in wake of Mega Swampert's absence thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks. Seismitoad also abuses the ability Swift Swim and should be run with maximum speed investment in order to outspeed even more Pokemon than Kingdra. Access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric super-effectively. Stealth Rock also gives Seismitoad added viability as your team's hazard setter. Seismitoad can run a plethora of other moves depending on what type coverage is needed and can be used as an effective mixed attacker. Remove Mega Swampert's absence, that's mentioning past gens
* Kabutops is yet another Pokemon that finds its viability in its ability Swift Swim as well as its STAB Rock coverage. Physical Swords Dance Kabutops can be a nice set-up Pokemon to manage opposing walls and make great use of Rain. It also has access to Stealth Rock in case Seismitoad would prefer having a different 4th moveslot option.
* Ludicolo can take advantage of Rain thanks to Swift Swim while also providing Water with another Pokemon that is neutral to Grass. It also carries STAB Grass Coverage which can be incredibly helpful when facing opposing Water teams and for abusing an already advantaged matchup against Ground.
* Greninja is already one of Water's best Pokemon, so adding it to a Rain team, ultimately boosting its damage output, simply makes sense. Having coverage for nearly anything thanks to its diverse moveset paired with Protean, Greninja is a must have for powerful Rain teams.
* Azumarill's roll as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under Rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Whether its Choice Band, Belly Drum, or another variant, Rain Water greatly appreciates the massive physical damage and priority that Azumarill brings to the table.Role and Roll are very different
* Manaphy can be an asset on any Rain team thanks to Hydration making it a reliable set-up, Rest Pokemon under rain. Carrying decent coverage moves combined with Tail Glow makes it nothing to scoff at. Fix wording
* Rotom-Wash may seem a tad off on Rain teams, mainly because it is not as potent of an offensive threat as other Pokemon Water has access to, but it can work in tandem with Pelipper as a Specially Defensive pivot nicely. Thanks to its neutrality to Electric it can switch in to mitigate Electric-type attacks while providing some nice utility options in moves such as Will-o-Wisp and Pain Split. Rotom-Wash also has Volt Switch, giving Rain Water both Physically and Specially Defensive Utility pivots.
Cut down on all of this, this is bullets on good teammates, not a minianalysis; team options shouldn't be the better part of a page under most circumstances.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Water
--------
* Adding EVs into Speed could help with speed-creeping different Pokemon, such as Clefable and Skarmory, but ultimately this comes down to preference and if Pelipper can afford to have EVs in anything other than HP and Defense. Remove, don't mention speed creep in analyses
* Pelipper could act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to Rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Hoopa-U and Magearna will still be able to break Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately Rain Water would then be missing out a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary roll as either a pivot or hazard control. These rolls would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon.

Checks and Counters
===================

Water
--------
**Hazards**: With Flying as its secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock normally, but because of its role as Water's weather-setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage. Put this lower, as a) Pelliper gets defog, and B) Other things are more important

**Status**: Burn and Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning Rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle Rain Water. Burn isn't that big; yes, you lose lefties recovery, but eject button is a usable set so. Complete thought here

**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon. Put this lower

**Wallbreakers**: With only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Hoopa-U, Kyurem-B, and Latios can easily take out Pelipper and shut down your Rain team. Put this higher, mention how they basically require you to sack a pokemon.

**Stallbreakers**: Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and Rain effectively can become a huge issue. Put this in status or not at all.

**Magearna**: As a large portion of Magearna spreads carry Electric coverage, Pelipper is at risk of not only be taken out, but also providing Magearna with a special attack boost which can prove incredibly dangerous for an offensive play-style in Rain Water.

**Mega Venusaur**: Even though Synthesis's recovery is cut in half under Rain, uninvested Mega Venusaur has the capability of 2HKOing Pelipper with Sludge Bomb at full HP. There is also the chance of getting poisoned which further cripples Pelipper. Venuaur is a pretty poor counter, as hurricane shreds it. Venusaur would much rather hit the rest of pellipers team; remove outright or put lower. Remove Mega Venusaur

**Electric-types**: Electric-types all but eliminate Pelipper's rolls of pivoting and managing hazards as its 4x weakness and decent bulk at best can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks. The drastic increase in viability of Offensive Electric in Sun and Moon only exacerbates this glaring weakness.Roles are different that rolls, and remove the crossed out sections for mentioning past gens.

**Grass-types**: Although neutral, Grass-type Pokemon can be prove to be a pain to handle thanks again to Pelipper's limited bulk as well as it losing its Flying-typing when using Roost. probably fold in mvenu here because they perform the same role versus pelliper. Also consider removing outright because pelliper has one of the best MU versus grass on a water team.

**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have Rain boosted STAB Water at its disposal, but that won't stop Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from taking Pelipper out, especially if it has been affected by Stealth Rock. Stealth rock doesn't matter?

**Opposing weather setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping Rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.
[OVERVIEW]
Just a Minor compliant please say something before AM QC like "please do not implement anything yet until QC has went over this!" this makes qcing much eaiser and let's me give better feedback
Water
========
* Pelipper's ability Drizzle has quickly made it a staple of rain teams and offers rain Water an upgrade from the previous weather-setter, Politoed. Don't mention generation shift.
* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper provides a great check to one of rain Water's most feared matchups in Grass, while also boasting an incredibly useful STAB typing.
* Its Flying sub-typing also allows Pelipper to combine Drizzle with STAB Hurricane, allotting Water a powerful asset in different matchups.
* Access to Roost heightens Pelipper's potency as both a pivot and weather-setter by increasing its longevity and capabilities to fill its roles throughout a match.
* Having U-turn brings a guaranteed pivot option beyond Eject Button. U-turn gives Pelipper pivoting capabilities multiple times throughout the match, while Eject Button is single use and it can be lost or ignored due to Knock Off or Sheer Force mechanics. Mentions generation shift, someone who hasn't played ORAS wouldnt know what you are talking about.
* As the first premier pivot weather-setter, Pelipper lets rain team's keep momentum in matches without having to rely on Eject Button or manage switches. Again, kind of hints at generation shift.
* Defog is an excellent utility option for Pelipper, giving it the ability to fill multiple roles into one Pokemon.
* A downside to using Pelipper as the main weather-setter, rather than Politoed, is giving up additional bulk and utility options. Pelipper has just a good bulk as politoed. Politoed has better bulk since higher base HP Higher Special Defense so the statement is true
* Pelipper's stats aren't too remarkable either. Overall it is fairly lacking in regards of bulk.

[SET]
U-turn probably shouldn't be slashed with anything, its the main reason you're using pelipper in the first place.

name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: Scald / Defog Scald is pretty much a must
item: Leftovers / Eject Button Rocky Helmet
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rearrange these to fit slashes and move order
* Scald is Pelipper's main method of attacking with a strong STAB that also has the chance of burning opponents. It carries no type immunities as well, making it a solid attack overall.
* Roost provides an active recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, recurring presence throughout matches.
* Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB of choice thanks to rain boosting its accuracy indefinitely and its providing of a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. STAB Hurricane from Pelipper also has a high chance of 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, which is the bane of rain Water. There is the possibility of confusing as well thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy.
* U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely while providing damage without the need to hard-switch Pokemon in or out.
* Defog lets Pelipper manage hazards, especially Sticky Webs which could cripple rain Water's performance due to the drop in speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users.

Set Details
========

* Maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mix bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats.
* Full investment in Defense with a Bold Nature lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily.
* Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting.
* Eject Button offers one possibility for a switch without needing to rely on U-turn, however both Eject Button and U-turn should not be used on the same set, rather, use Defog on Eject Button Pelipper. Eject Button being single use can also be bothersome in the long run thanks to its being single use. Probably would never use eject button, but I'd listen to what QC has to say. Eject Button is fine on non U-Turn variants
* Drizzle is mandatory as it summons Rain on switch-in; the backbone of your rain team. Without Drizzle, Pelipper is not a viable option for Water.

Usage Tips
========

* Pelipper is most effective when summoning rain against passive Pokemon, making the possibility of losing your main source of weather minimal.
* Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn.
* Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check or for hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards and pivoting, so use it to its full potential.
* Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for Rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose.

Team Options
========

* Kingdra is the best teammate and rain abuser that Water has access to as an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in rain, even with a Modest Nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water. Give examples of what outspeed kingdra in rain. Excadrill in sand? Alolan raichu in terrain? Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten what could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking.
* Seismitoad is also an excellent teammate and almost mandatory for rain Water teams thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks. Seismitoad abuses the ability Swift Swim and should be run with maximum speed investment in order to outspeed even more Pokemon than Kingdra. Seismitoad doesn't outspeed more pokemon than kingdra. Access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric super effectively.
* Kabutops is yet another Pokemon that finds its viability in its ability Swift Swim as well as its STAB Rock coverage. Physical Swords Dance Kabutops can be a nice set-up Pokemon to manage opposing walls and make great use of Pelipper's Rain.
* Ludicolo can take advantage of Rain thanks to Swift Swim while also providing Water with another Pokemon that is neutral to Grass. It also carries STAB Grass coverage which can be incredibly helpful when facing opposing Water teams and for exacerbating an already advantaged matchup against Ground.
* Greninja is already one of Water's best Pokemon, so pairing it with Pelipper, ultimately boosting its damage output, simply makes sense. Having coverage for nearly anything thanks to its diverse moveset coupled with Protean, Greninja is a must have for powerful rain teams.
* Azumarill's role as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Whether its Choice Band, Belly Drum, or another variant, rain Water greatly appreciates the massive physical damage and priority that Azumarill brings to the table. Mention that it checks sand rush excadrill. This example is very situational
* Manaphy can be an asset on any rain team thanks to Hydration making it a reliable set-up, Rest Pokemon under rain. It also carries decent coverage moves as well as Tail Glow, making it nothing to scoff at.
* Rotom-W may seem a tad off on rain teams, mainly because it is not as potent of an offensive threat as other Pokemon Water has access to, but it can work in tandem with Pelipper as a specially defensive pivot nicely. Thanks to its neutrality to Electric it can switch in to mitigate Electric-type attacks while providing some nice utility options in moves such as Will-o-Wisp and Pain Split. Rotom-W also has Volt Switch, giving rain Water both physically and specially defensive utility pivots.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Water
--------
* Putting additional EVs into Speed could help with outspeeding neutral-natured base 60s and 70s, such as Clefable and Skarmory, but ultimately this comes down to preference and if Pelipper can afford to have EVs in anything other than health and defense.
* Pelipper could act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Hoopa-U and Magearna will still be able to break Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately rain Water would then be missing out a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary role as either a pivot or hazard control. These roles would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon.

Checks and Counters
===================

Water
--------
**Wallbreakers**: With only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Hoopa-U, Kyurem-B, and Latios can easily take out Pelipper and shut down your rain team. Pelipper can't survive long, if at all against these Pokemon and they essentially force unwanted switches and sacks.

**Status**: Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle rain Water. Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and rain effectively can become a huge issue.

**Magearna**: As a large portion of Magearna spreads carry Electric coverage, Pelipper is at risk of not only be taken out, but also providing Magearna with a special attack boost which can prove incredibly dangerous for an offensive play-style in rain Water. Add that it also gets Energy Ball, which may prevent Seismitoad from checking it. If you mention Energy Ball then Thunderbolt needs to be mentioned because this isn't Seismitoad analysis

**Electric-types**: Electric-types all but eliminate Pelipper's role on rain Water as its 4x weakness and mediocre bulk can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks.

**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have rain boosted STAB Water at its disposal, but that won't stop Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from taking Pelipper out.

**Opposing weather setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.

**Hazards**: With Flying as its secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock normally, but because of its role as Water's weather-setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage. It isn't affected 'normally', it is weak to rocks.

**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon.
This my QC
[OVERVIEW]

Water
========
* Pelipper's ability Drizzle has quickly made it a staple of rain teams and offers rain Water an excellent weather-setter. Avoid using has just say it's a staple and try saying swift swim water over rain water
* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper provides a great check to one of rain Water's most feared matchups in Grass, while also boasting an incredibly useful STAB typing. Special mention Mega Venusaur
* Its Flying sub-typing also allows Pelipper to combine Drizzle with STAB Hurricane, allotting Water a powerful asset in different matchups. What matchups?
* Access to Roost heightens Pelipper's potency as both a pivot and weather-setter by increasing its longevity and capabilities to fill its roles throughout a match.
* Having U-turn brings a guaranteed pivot option beyond Eject Button. U-turn gives Pelipper pivoting capabilities multiple times throughout the match, while Eject Button is single use and it can be lost or ignored due to Knock Off or Sheer Force mechanics. This is very confusing
* As the first premier pivot weather-setter, Pelipper lets rain team's keep momentum in matches without having to rely on Eject Button or manage switches.
* Defog is an excellent utility option for Pelipper, giving it the ability to fill multiple roles into one Pokemon. This seems like it doesn't belong in overview maybe saying it has access to Defog would make it better
* A downside to using Pelipper as the main weather-setter, rather than Politoed, is giving up additional bulk and utility options.
* Pelipper's stats aren't too remarkable either. Overall it is fairly lacking in regards of bulk. Like I said above you could talk about it's stats but saying it has poor bulk is fine

[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane These slashes seem the most logcial since Hurricane is a must on Pelipper
move 4: U-turn / Defog

item: Leftovers / Eject Button
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Reorder Based on set changes above
* Scald is Pelipper's main method of attacking with a strong STAB that also has the chance of burning opponents. It carries no type immunities as well, making it a solid attack overall.Fluff
* Roost provides an active recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, recurring presence throughout matches.
* U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely while providing damage without the need to hard-switch Pokemon in or out.
* Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB of choice thanks to rain boosting its accuracy indefinitely and its providing of a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. STAB Hurricane from Pelipper also has a high chance of 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, which is the bane of rain Swift Swim Water. There is the possibility of confusing as well thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy. Swift Swim just sounds better than rain
* Defog lets Pelipper manage hazards, especially Sticky Webs which could cripple rain Water's performance due to the drop in speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users.

Set Details
========

* Maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mix bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats. Max HP EVs are not used in the set above
* Full investment in Defense with a Bold Nature lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily.
* Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting.
* Eject Button offers one possibility for a switch without needing to rely on U-turn, however both Eject Button and U-turn should not be used on the same set, rather, use Defog on Eject Button Pelipper. Eject Button being single use can also be bothersome in the long run thanks to its being single use. This is fine if you do set change above
* Drizzle is mandatory as it summons Rain on switch-in; the backbone of your Swift Swim team. Without Drizzle, Pelipper is not a viable option for Water.Fluff and avoid using your

Usage Tips
========

* Pelipper is most effective when summoning rain against passive Pokemon, making the possibility of losing your main source of weather minimal.
* Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn.
* Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check or for hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards and pivoting, so use it to its full potential.
* Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for Rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose.
* Avoid Status


Team Options
========

* Kingdra is the best teammate and rain abuser that Water has access to as an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in rain, even with a Modest Nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water. Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten what could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking.
* Seismitoad is also an excellent teammate and almost mandatory for rain Water teams thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks. Seismitoad abuses the ability Swift Swim and should be run with maximum speed investment in order to outspeed even more Pokemon than Kingdra. Access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric super effectively. Stealth Rock
* Kabutops is yet another Pokemon that finds its viability in its ability Swift Swim as well as its STAB Rock coverage. Physical Swords Dance Kabutops can be a nice set-up Pokemon to manage opposing walls and make great use of Pelipper's Rain. Rapid Spin?
* Ludicolo can take advantage of Rain thanks to Swift Swim while also providing Water with another Pokemon that is neutral to Grass. It also carries STAB Grass coverage which can be incredibly helpful when facing opposing Water teams and for exacerbating an already advantaged matchup against Ground.
* Greninja is already one of Water's best Pokemon, so pairing it with Pelipper, ultimately boosting its damage output, simply makes sense. Having coverage for nearly anything thanks to its diverse moveset coupled with Protean, Greninja is a must have for powerful rain teams. mention it's very fast
* Azumarill's role as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Whether its Choice Band, Belly Drum, or another variant, rain Water greatly appreciates the massive physical damage and priority that Azumarill brings to the table.
* Manaphy can be an asset on any rain team thanks to Hydration making it a reliable set-up, Rest Pokemon under rain. It also carries decent coverage moves as well as Tail Glow, making it nothing to scoff at.
* Rotom-W may seem a tad off on rain teams, mainly because it is not as potent of an offensive threat as other Pokemon Water has access to, but it can work in tandem with Pelipper as a specially defensive pivot nicely. Thanks to its neutrality to Electric it can switch in to mitigate Electric-type attacks while providing some nice utility options in moves such as Will-o-Wisp and Pain Split. Rotom-W also has Volt Switch, giving rain Water both physically and specially defensive utility pivots.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Water
--------
* Putting additional EVs into Speed could help with outspeeding neutral-natured base 60s and 70s, such as Clefable and Skarmory, but ultimately this comes down to preference and if Pelipper can afford to have EVs in anything other than health and defense. Take off the speed creep
* Pelipper could act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Hoopa-U and Magearna will still be able to break Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately rain Water would then be missing out a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary role as either a pivot or hazard control. These roles would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon.

Checks and Counters
===================

Water
--------
**Wallbreakers**: With only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Hoopa-U, Kyurem-B, and Latios can easily take out Pelipper and shut down your rain team. Pelipper can't survive long, if at all against these Pokemon and they essentially force unwanted switches and sacks.

**Status**: Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle rain Water. Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and rain effectively can become a huge issue.

**Magearna**: As a large portion of Magearna spreads carry Electric coverage, Pelipper is at risk of not only be taken out, but also providing Magearna with a special attack boost which can prove incredibly dangerous for an offensive play-style in rain Water.

**Electric-types**: Electric-types all but eliminate Pelipper's role on rain Water as its 4x weakness and decent-at-best bulk can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks.

**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have rain boosted STAB Scald at its disposal, but that won't stop Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from revenge killing Pelipper .

**Opposing weather setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.

**Hazards**: With Flying as its secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock, normally, but because of its role as Water's weather-setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage. normally is out of place confuses the reader

**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon. Examples?
Overall the content was fine but the AM QCs made it quite challenging to QC and give feedback to AM QCers, since some of it was implemented.
QC 1/3
 

iLlama

Nothing personal, I protect my people
Implemented.

Sorry for any of the confusion with QCing. I'll make sure to polish it up moving forward.
 
Overview:
- Something about these two lines needs to be changed a bit:

* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper provides a great check to one of rain Water's most feared matchups in Grass. It also boasts an incredibly useful STAB typing that can hit major threats in the Grass matchup, such as Mega Venusaur, super effectively.
* Its Flying sub-typing also allows Pelipper to combine Drizzle with STAB Hurricane, allotting Water a powerful asset in the Bug, Grass, and Fighting matchups.

The issue is Pelipper doesn't actually help that much against Grass teams. As I'll explain later, it's actually basically offensively useless against Grass. And defensively, well, it's not "a great check" it's a somewhat passable one but really nothing to write home about. Definitely keep that Hurricane hits Mega Venusaur and that it helps against Bug and Fighting, but it's just really not that great against Grass.

- I wouldn't talk about Eject Button unless you're talking about Politoed.
- I don't think Politoed even competes with Pelipper at all. It's either Pelipper + Politoed or just Pelipper. There's really no reason to use Politoed over Pelipper.

Set:
- Eject Button is a mention in Set Details at best, and I'd put some consideration into moving it to OO in fact. It's just not a good item because Pelipper literally has access to U-turn. It's only useful on Politoed because Politoed has no way of actually pivoting out.
- Going to add Defog as a slash behind Hurricane. There are a few motivations for this. First, Toxapex exists. Sure, you can 2HKO certain Mega Venusaur spreads, but you will never beat a Toxapex barring something like 4 confuse hits in a row. From here, Hurricane Pelipper only really helps against Grass teams, and well, you're still not going to beat a Cradily + Ferrothorn with Hurricane, so it doesn't even do that. Hurricane does force out Mega Venusaur, but it's just not as amazing as one would hope for.

At the same time, reliable entry hazard removal is almost exclusive to Pelipper for rain teams. Starmie was a pretty suboptimal bandaid last generation and Kabutops is sometimes difficult to find room for. So Defog should be slashed behind both, but not running Defog is of course still OK.

[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane / Defog
move 4: U-turn / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

Moves:
- U-turn damage is pretty much negligible unless like it's exactly Hoopa-U. U-turn's #1 benefit is bringing a teammate in safely.
- I think there should be a line about using Defog over Hurricane / U-turn, since it's not really clear right now.

Set Details:
- Just repeating that I don't really think Eject button is even worth mentioning here instead of OO. I'd rather just use U-turn.

Usage Tips:
- Add something along the lines of: while it's tempting to fish for Scald burns or use Hurricane for damage, Pelipper should U-turn as soon as it can safely do so in most cases in order to maximize the turns of rain.
- Two lines about setting weather should be added. First, Pelipper should often lead to set rain for obvious reasons. It's safe and rain is up immediately. However:
- Add a line about combatting opposing weather. Because Pelipper cannot underspeed Torkoal, Hippowdon, or Tyranitar, it should not lead in these matchups. Furthermore, due to Mega Evolution mechanics, Pelipper should not attempt to lead against Mega Charizard Y.

Team Options:
- Put Seismitoad's Stealth Rock access after the first sentence. Compressing a Stealth Rock user into an Electric-immune Swift Swim user is fantastic. That's the whole point of Seismitoad.
- Note that Greninja can run Extrasensory to take on both Toxapex and Mega Venusaur along with Ice Beam to beat Grass-types like Cradily.
- Manaphy's main set should always be Z-Rain Dance, Tail Glow, Surf, Coverage. Talk about using Manaphy's coverage option to support the team. Psychic beats Toxapex and Mega Venusaur, Energy Ball beats Water-types, and Ice Beam is its best option against Ferrothorn. Also, with Pelipper providing rain, Manaphy can more easily afford to use Hydro Vortex for wallbreaking power. Less about rain activating Hydration for a Rest set.
- Not convinced Rotom-W is good enough to be here, especially for rain teams, which rarely have the space to run it.
- Add Politoed. While it may seem odd to have Pelipper and Politoed, it's actually really good and having multiple rain setters takes tons of pressure off of them.

Other Options:
- Can you give examples of physical attackers that physically defensive Pelipper is wanted for?

Checks and Counters:
- Change Hazards to Stealth Rock. Keep the message.
- Status should go below walls.
- Add an example or two of Electric-types.

Nicely done QC 2/3
 

iLlama

Nothing personal, I protect my people
Implemented. Removed all mentions of Hoopa-U.
 
Last edited:

Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
I would like to make clear that there were a couple of times you said "Swift Swim teams" and "Swift Swim Water" instead of "rain Water teams". Please pick one or the other for consistency if both of these terms have the same meaning.

[OVERVIEW]

Water
========
* Pelipper's ability Drizzle is a staple of on rain teams and offers rain Water an excellent weather-(RH)setter.
* With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper boasts an incredibly useful STAB typing that can hit major threats in the Grass matchup, such as Mega Venusaur, super effectively.
* Its Flying sub-typing combines typing combined with STAB Hurricane with and Drizzle,(RC) allotting allots Water a nice asset in the Bug and Fighting matchups.
* Access Pelliper's access to Roost heightens Pelipper's its potency as both a pivot and weather-(RH)setter by increasing its longevity and capabilities to fill its roles throughout a match.
* Having U-turn brings a guaranteed pivot option beyond Eject Button;(add semicolon) unlike.(remove period) Unlike how Eject Button is single use, U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot indefinitely throughout the match,(AC) which.(remove period) This also lets rain teams keep the momentum in matches.
* Pelipper also has access to Defog, which can prove to be an excellent utility option.
* A downside to using Pelipper is its rather poor stats and bulk;(add semicolon) it's.(remove period) It's fairly weak, so it won't be able to dish out incredible damage, nor take much.

[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane / Defog
move 4: U-turn / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Scald is a strong STAB move that has the chance of burning opponents,(AC) and it is Pelipper's main method of attacking with a strong STAB that also has the chance of burning opponents. (flows better)
* Roost provides an active a reliable recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, recurring presence throughout matches.
* Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB move of choice thanks to rain boosting its accuracy indefinitely and its it providing of a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. STAB Hurricane from Pelipper also has a high chance of 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, which is the bane of Swift Swim Water. There is the possibility of confusing as well thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy.
* U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely and safely into teammates,(RC) without the need to hard-(RH)switch Pokemon in or out.
* Defog lets Pelipper manage clear entry hazards, especially Sticky Webs,(AC) which could cripple rain Water's performance due to the drop in speed Speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users.
* As for what combination of Hurricane, U-turn,(AC) and Defog to use on Pelipper, the choice is a tad difficult to make (you should explain that it's based on team requirements). All three variants can work well on Pelipper.(period),(RC) however, none of the spreads truly stand out as being greater than the others. (This wasn't really necessary since all of these moves are slashed in the set anyway, meaning they automatically work well)

Set Details
========

* Near maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mix mixed bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats while also mitigating damage from entry hazards.
* Full investment in Defense with a Bold Nature lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily.
* Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting.
* Drizzle is mandatory,(AC) as it summons Rain on switch-in;(remove semicolon),(AC) the backbone of Swift Swim teams.

Usage Tips
========

* Pelipper is most effective when summoning rain against passive Pokemon, making the possibility of Pelliper fainting and thus losing rain your main source of weather minimal. (Assuming this is what you meant, the wording was very strange)
* In general, Pelipper should act as the lead Pokemon, as rain is too vital to put off until later. However, if opposing teams have weather-(RH)setters that happen to be slower than Pelipper, such as Hippowdon, Torkoal or Tyranitar, the lead Pokemon should be changed accordingly to better handle the opposition's lead. Also, it isn't wise to lead against Charizard, as the chance of it being Mega Charizard Y and ultimately eliminating rain with Drought is too risky for Pelipper.
* Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn.
* In order to keep Pelipper healthy, it is also important to avoid status at all costs because they will cripple Pelipper's capabilties capabilities throughout the match.
* Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check or and for entry hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards,(AC) and pivoting, so use it to its full potential.
* Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for Rain rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose. Additionally, while getting Scald burns and damage through Hurricane can be helpful, using U-turn sooner rather than later helps Pelipper be efficient at keeping rain on the field.

Team Options
========

* Kingdra is the best teammate and rain abuser that Water has access to as and is an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in rain, even with a Modest Nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water moves under the rain. Its Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten what could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking.
* Seismitoad is also an excellent teammate and is almost mandatory for rain Water teams thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks. Seismitoad can also be used for setting hazards through Stealth Rock. It abuses the ability Swift Swim and should be run with maximum speed investment in order to outspeed even more Pokemon than Modest Kingdra. Access Seismitoad's access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric super effectively.
* Kabutops is yet another Pokemon that finds its viability in its ability Swift Swim as well as its STAB Rock coverage. Physical Swords Dance Kabutops can be a nice set-up setup Pokemon to manage opposing walls,(AC) and make it makes great use of Pelipper's Rain rain. Another great part of utilizing Kabutops is its access to Rapid Spin, which allows Pelipper to focus on setting weather and pivoting.
* Ludicolo can take advantage of Rain rain thanks to Swift Swim while also providing Water with another Pokemon that is neutral to Grass. It also carries STAB Grass coverage,(AC) which can be incredibly helpful when facing opposing Water teams and for exacerbating augmenting an already advantaged matchup against Ground (exacerbating is to make something worse. Ludicolo isn't making the matchup against Ground worse, it's making it better).
* Greninja is already one of Water's best Pokemon, so pairing it with Pelipper, ultimately boosting its damage output, simply makes sense. Having coverage for nearly anything thanks to its diverse moveset coupled with Protean and an incredible speed Speed stat, Greninja is a must have for powerful rain teams. Most notably coverage-(AH)wise, Greninja is capable of running Ice Beam, which can handle Grass threats such as Cradily and Serperior, and Extrasensory, a great option for handling Mega Venusaur and Toxapex.
* Azumarill's role as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Whether its Choice Band, Belly Drum, or another variant, rain Water greatly appreciates the massive physical damage and priority that Azumarill brings to the table.
* Manaphy can be an asset on any rain team thanks to Z-Rain Dance and Tail Glow,(AC) making it a reliable weather-(RH)setter and set-up setup Pokemon. It also carries decent coverage moves in Energy Ball, which is nice for opposing Water teams, Psychic, another option for hitting Mega Venusaur and Toxapex, and Ice Beam, which can be used for managing Pokemon like Ferrothorn. If rain is already up due to Pelipper and Manaphy carries a Water STAB move, it can utilize Hydro Vortex as an incredibly powerful wallbreaking attack. Combine these moves with Tail Glow boosting its damage output immensely, and Manaphy is nothing to scoff at. (not needed. I moved Tail Glow to the beginning since it seemed to fit there, but you can add it somewhere else)
* Politoed may seem as like an odd addition to rain teams,(AC) since Pelipper already acts as the main weather-(RH)setter,(RC);(add semicolon) however, its support as a secondary rain setter can relieve the stress being put on Pelipper as the primary source of rain.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Water
--------
* Pelipper can work as a deterrent to some physical attackers;(add semicolon),(RC) however,(AC) its poor bulk prevents it from being able to tank powerful STAB and super effective moves. It can,(AC) however,(AC) manage some Pokemon decently well, namely Garchomp and Mega Scizor.
* It could also act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Mega Alakazam and Magearna will still be able to break Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately rain Water would then be missing out on a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary role as either a pivot or entry hazard control. These roles would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon.
* Eject Button offers one possibility for a switch without needing to rely on U-turn;(add semicolon),(RC) however,(AC) both Eject Button and U-turn should not be used on the same set, rather, use Defog on Eject Button Pelipper. Eject Button being single use can also be bothersome in the long run.

Checks and Counters
===================

Water
--------
**Wallbreakers**: With only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam, Kyurem-B, and Latios can easily take out Pelipper and shut down your rain team. Pelipper can't survive long,(RC) if at all against these Pokemon and they essentially force unwanted switches and sacks.

**Magearna**: As a large portion of Magearna spreads sets (spread = EVs) carry Electric coverage, Pelipper is at risk of not only be taken out,(RC) but also providing Magearna with a special attack boost if it gets KOed,(AC) which can prove incredibly dangerous for an offensive play-style playstyle in rain Water.

**Electric-types**: Electric-types all but can eliminate Pelipper's role on rain Water,(AC) as its 4x weakness to Electric and decent-at-best bulk can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks. Tapu Koko and Thundurus are a couple of Pokemon that can really cause problems for both Pelipper and Water.

**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have rain-(AH)boosted STAB Scald at its disposal, but that won't stop Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from revenge killing Pelipper.

**Opposing weather setters Weather Setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y,(AC) and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.

**Stealth Rock**: With Flying as its secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock, but because of its role as Water's weather-(RH)setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage.

**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls such as Chansey, Cradily, and Toxapex beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling,(AC) and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon.

**Status**: Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle rain Water. Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and rain effectively can become a huge issue.
GP 1/1


Well done!
 

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