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[Overview]
<p>With above-average offensive stats and immense speed, Elekid is a potent offensive threat in the LC metagame. With 20 Speed, Elekid is tied as the fastest non-boosted Pokemon and also outspeeds a variety of key threats, including Gligar, Misdreavus, and Murkrow. Combined with this high Speed is great offensive coverage, which allows Elekid to hit many threats super effectively. Elekid even has a decent ability in Static, which potentially cripples faster Pokemon. Despite these traits, there are a few things that hold Elekid back. With the advent of Eviolite, Elekid just cannot hit hard enough, even with a buff in Wild Charge. The inability to OHKO many Pokemon is compounded by Elekid's frailty—it is OHKOed by nearly any neutral STAB attack. Despite the fact that it is not one of the top threats in the metagame, Elekid is still a great Pokemon capable of being used on any offensive team.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Wild Charge / ThunderPunch
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Cross Chop
move 4: Substitute / Fire Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Static
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 236 Spe
ivs: 0 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With 16 Attack, 20 Speed, and great coverage, Elekid is a great physical attacker. Wild Charge is a powerful STAB attack, but ThunderPunch is a viable alternative if the recoil is unappealing. However, keep in mind that ThunderPunch has a significantly lower damage output. Cross Chop 2HKOes Scraggy and makes it wary of switching in. Ice Punch hits Gligar and other Ground-types hard and also hits Grass-types super effectively. Substitute eases prediction and also supplies more offensive pressure, as most Pokemon cannot take two hits from Elekid. Alternatively, Fire Punch is useful to hit Snover or Ferroseed, both of which can otherwise easily take advantage of Elekid.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs maximize both Attack and Speed, and 0 HP IVs minimize Life Orb recoil. Elekid can run Focus Punch over Cross Chop, but since Cross Chop is much more reliable and not dependent on Substitute, Focus Punch is an inferior option.</p>
<p>Elekid is at its best on on offensive Spikestacking teams, as entry hazard support allows Elekid to OHKO many of its checks, such as Scraggy, Eviolite Gligar, and Munchlax. Good partners therefore include Ferroseed, Bronzor, and Dwebble, who can set up Stealth Rock and Spikes respectively. Bronzor also has good synergy with Elekid, as it is able to take the Earthquakes aimed at Elekid and can set up Stealth Rock for it.</p>
<p>Although Elekid has such immense Speed, its power and bulk are quite lacking, making any Pokemon who can take a hit from Elekid, such as Scraggy, Misdreavus, and Mienfoo, great checks to it. To alleviate its lack of power, one can run Gligar or Mienfoo to pass a Swords Dance boost to it, as a boosted Elekid is incredibly difficult to handle.</p>
[SET]
name: MixKid
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Cross Chop
move 4: Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Static
nature: Naive
evs: 96 Atk / 160 SpA / 240 Spe
ivs: 1 HP / 30 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>MixKid, a staple of DPP LC, functions the same as before by utilizing its great mixed attacking stats and access to the excellent special STAB Thunderbolt. In comparison to the physically offensive Elekid, MixKid functions better as a wallbreaker and still easily fits on an offensive team.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt is the main STAB attack as it packs great power and no recoil, while Hidden Power Ice hits many Ground-types on their weaker defensive stat. The pseudo-BoltBeam combo allows Elekid to OHKO or 2HKO some of the top threats in the metagame, such as Gligar, Murkrow, and Staryu. Cross Chop allows Elekid to hit both Scraggy and Ferroseed for a 2HKO, stopping them from setting up Dragon Dance and Spikes respectively. Substitute is a great buffer against attacks from opponents, and simultaneously eases prediction and causes more switches.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Elekid's Speed is maximized as the ability to tie or outspeed all unboosted threats in the metagame is too significant to forgo. The remaining EVs give it a mix between both Attack and Special Attack by maximizing both stats, while the 1 HP IV reduces Life Orb damage. Fire Punch can be used over Substitute to hit Bronzor, Ferroseed, and Snover harder, but Substitute's utility is typically preferred.</p>
<p>Due to the amount of switches Elekid causes, entry hazard support from Dwebble or Ferroseed is appreciated. Because MixKid is splitting its Attack and Special Attack investment, it hits relatively weakly, and therefore has more checks. Pokemon such as Munchlax, Misdreavus, and Mienfoo can easily take a hit and OHKO back with their respective STAB attacks, but they will lose if Elekid is behind a Substitute. Dragon Dance Scraggy is a great teammate because it is able to come in on many Pokemon who can check Elekid, namely Porygon and Munchlax, and either KO or set up on them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Elekid has a variety of other options, but they are either niche or just worse overall. A special attacking set can be used, but Elekid's poor special movepool consists of only Electric attacks and Hidden Power. Elekid can run Volt Switch to keep the momentum, but Chinchou can easily come in and prevent Elekid from switching out, while Substitute would prevent that. Hidden Power Grass can hit Chinchou, who otherwise walls Elekid completely, but it has no other use. Discharge or Charge Beam can replace Thunderbolt, but on a glass cannon such as Elekid, the greater damage output from Thunderbolt is superior. A Choice Scarf set lets Elekid outspeed most Shell Smash users and Speed tie with +2 Scraggy, but Elekid is quite weak without Life Orb and fails to even OHKO Scraggy.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Despite Elekid's great coverage and Speed, its low power makes it surprisingly easy to counter. Thanks to its great bulk and immunity to Elekid's STAB moves, Chinchou is a top-notch counter to Elekid; it easily takes any hit and OHKOes with its own Hydro Pump. Bronzor is another great counter who, with its immense bulk, can easily tank a Life Orb Wild Charge or two and KO back with Earthquake. Bulky Pokemon such as Eviolite Misdreavus and Scraggy are great checks, because even super effective coverage moves will not OHKO them, allowing them to easily take advantage of Elekid's low bulk and OHKO it in return.</p>
<p>Anything faster than Elekid is a threat to it. In sand, Drilbur is a great counter as it outspeeds Elekid and can dispatch it with STAB super effective Earthquake. Choice Scarf users such as Mienfoo, Misdreavus, and Snover can come in either on a predicted attack or for a revenge kill and instantly threaten Elekid with their powerful STAB attacks. Priority users such as Murkrow and Tirtouga also wreck Elekid, as it is at best 2HKOed by all forms of priority and fails to OHKO Tirtouga due to Sturdy and Murkrow if holding an Eviolite. Fake Out and Sucker Punch from Mienfoo and Croagunk are both dangerous to Elekid, but Elekid has an easier time playing around them.</p>