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.
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.
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