Hi C&C, taking this over for our long gone friend, Siegrin. Took me 3 days to write this up, and its finally ready!
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/spoink
[Overview]
<p>Spoink is slightly outclassed by Abra as a sweeping Psychic-type, as it has lesser Special Attack and Speed stats, arguably the most important stats for such a role. However, Spoink does have a lot more bulk compared to Abra, though it still isn't much, as well as access to a good ability in Thick Fat, which allows it to switch in much easier than Abra. To sum it up, Spoink is slightly outclassed by Abra, but has better defenses to make up for its lower Special Attack and Speed stats.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Psychic
item: Light Clay
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Timid
evs: 196 HP / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spoink is a great user of dual screens, and it is not outclassed by Abra thanks to its better bulk, which often allows it to set up dual screens more than once, something which Abra finds hard to do. While Abra has access to Encore, Spoink can cripple the opposing Pokemon with Thunder Wave. Reflect and Light Screen are self-explanatory, reducing any damage dealt onto Spoink and its teammates by half, allowing its teammates to easily set up without harm. Psychic is Spoink's only attack, gains STAB, and is its best option to hurt opposing Pokemon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature with maximum Speed is used so that Spoink may be more likely to set up dual screens before its opponent attacks, allowing it to reap that much more from it. Then, Spoink's HP stat is maximized to ensure it can take more hits, and the remaining EVs are put into Special Defense, increasing it by two points. Light Clay is the only viable item on the set, because it provides the dual screens with more longevity, allowing for more set-up from Spoink's teammates. Thick Fat is used to allow Spoink to absorb Ice- and Fire-type attacks easier.</p>
<p>Set-up sweepers greatly benefit from the dual screens that Spoink provides. Aron, Gligar, and Mantyke can all become deadly sweepers behind the dual screens, setting up with ease, and being able to plow through the opposing team with little effort. Gligar has the added benefit of having access to Baton Pass, which allows Gligar to pass Attack and Speed boosts to a Pokemon like Machop, that isn't able to boost its stats itself, in order to make it a deadly sweeper.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 116 HP / 200 SpA / 200 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Scarf, Spoink hits 24 Speed, which outspeeds all non-Choice Scarf users, as well as some slower Pokemon who hold Choice Scarf. If Spoink holds Choice Specs, it boosts Spoink's Special Attack stat to 24, hitting much harder with all its attacks. Psychic is Spoink's main attack, gaining STAB, and hitting opponents who don't resist it quite hard. Shadow Ball hits opposing Psychic-types who resist Spoink's main attack. The next slot is completely up to preference. If Aron is troublesome to the team, Hidden Power Fighting should be used, while Hidden Power Fire should be used if Bronzor is causing problems. The last moveslot should be Trick, which allows Spoink to cripple switch-ins such as Munchlax, who would otherwise switch in with ease, and dispose of Spoink with Pursuit.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The item choice depends on what your team needs. If your team is lacking a revenge killer, Spoink can fill the job with a Choice Scarf. If your team needs more hard hitters, Spoink can hold a Choice Specs, and devastate opponents with attacks that hit surprisingly hard. Thick Fat is used to allow Spoink to have more opportunities to switch in, as it is relatively frail without EV investment. A Timid nature allows Spoink to outspeed as many opponents as possible, while Modest can be used for more power. The EV spread maximizes Spoink's Special Attack and Speed stats, and increases it's HP stat by two. Thick Fat is especially important on this set, because Spoink will be switching in and out often, and being able to take less from certain attacks really helps it perform its job well.</p>
<p>Since Dark-type Pokemon with Pursuit are common switch-ins to Spoink, a Pokemon who can set up on those Dark-types is helpful. Common switch-ins include Stunky, who can checkmate Spoink with Pursuit. A good teammate is Aron, who doesn’t mind any of Stunky's attacks, and can proceed to set up Rock Polish. Other teammates include powerful Fighting-types such as Choice Scarf Mankey, who can switch in after Spoink, and either use Close Combat to knock out the Dark-type, or U-turn to gain momentum.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Shadow Ball / Substitute
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 200 SpA / 40 SpD / 200 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Calm Mind Spoink is a force to be reckoned with once it has set up. After just one Calm Mind boost, Spoink hits 24 Special Attack and 22 Special Defense, meaning it can hit quite hard, while also being able to withstand many special attacks with its above average Special Defense stat. Psychic is Spoink's main attack, gaining STAB, and hitting most opponents quite hard, especially after several Calm Mind boosts. The next slot is used to hit Steel-type Pokemon, who would otherwise wall this set, super effectively. Hidden Power Fighting has great neutral coverage with Psychic, hitting all Pokemon for at least neutral damage bar opposing Psychic-types, and OHKOes Aron, who could otherwise set up a Rock Polish before taking Spoink out with Head Smash. Hidden Power Fire is also an option to hit Steel-types, and hits Bronzor, who does not have much to fear from any of Spoink's other attacks, particularly hard. Finally, Shadow Ball allows Spoink to hit opposing Psychic-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Substitute is also an option instead of Shadow Ball, allowing Spoink to scout for opposing Pokemon, especially Pokemon faster than Spoink, who would otherwise be able to OHKO Spoink before it can switch out or attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Spoink has a plethora of items it can run. Oran Berry gives Spoink more longevity, and often allows it to set up another Calm Mind before putting the hurt on its opponents. Life Orb trades longevity for power, making Spoink much easier to knock out, but also much harder to wall. If Substitute is opted for the last slot, Salac Berry becomes an option. With Substitute, Spoink can safely activate Salac Berry, and proceed to outspeed Pokemon who are usually faster than it, and KO them with the appropriate move. However, at 25% health, Spoink becomes very easy to knock out by priority attacks, which are rife in the metagame, and so it is not recommended. The EV spread maximizes Spoink's Special Attack and Speed stats, and increases its HP and Special Defense by one point each. A Timid nature allows Spoink to hit 16 Speed, which is slightly above average. A Modest nature can also be used, trading the ability to outrun certain threats for more power, but is usually not worth it given the extremely fast-paced nature of Little Cup. Thick Fat is again used because being able to take Fire- and Ice-type attacks better are very important for Spoink.</p>
<p>If Spoink lacks Hidden Power Fire in its movepool, Bronzor will have an easy time against Spoink, so Magnemite then becomes a good teammate, thanks to Magnet Pull. Magnemite can trap Bronzor and take it out with a powerful STAB Thunderbolt. With Bronzor eliminated, Spoink will find it much easier to sweep. As an added bonus, Magnemite also resists all of Spoink's weaknesses. If Hidden Power Fire is absent, Aron will be able to set up a Rock Polish against Spoink, and eliminate it with a Head Smash. Therefore, a Bronzor of your own makes a fine teammate, resisting or being immune to any of Aron's attacks, and being able to dispose of Aron with Earthquake.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Spoink has many other options in its movepool, but most are not viable for good reasons. Mirror Coat allows Spoink to reflect any special attacks aimed at it, and thanks to Spoink's above average Special Defense, it can take a few hits and reflect them. However, without reliable recovery, Mirror Coat will usually end up being a one-time-use only move. Confuse Ray can be used to have a chance of preventing the opposing Pokemon from attacking, but Spoink's frail physical bulk is a problem. Spoink can make use of Charge Beam to boost its Special Attack, while also damaging the opposing Pokemon in the process. Heal Bell can be used to clear its entire team of status, but again, its poor Defense stat means it will not be able to constantly switch in and use it. Magic Coat and Taunt can be used to reflect and block any status moves, respectively, but in most cases, the opponent will be attacking Spoink right off the bat. Toxic can be used, as Spoink tends to lure in Munchlax and other special walls, and cripple them. However, Trick is a more effective way of crippling them. Spoink can make use of an anti-lead set consisting of Psychic, Trick, Magic Coat, and Taunt, along with a Choice Scarf, allowing Spoink to cripple bulky leads. Finally, Spoink can set up Trick Room, hitting 9 Speed with 0 Speed IVs and a Quiet nature. Unfortunately, Spoink is frail, and won't be able to use Trick Room many times before it gets knocked out.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Stunky is the biggest enemy to Spoink, being immune to Psychic, resisting Shadow Ball, and not being weak to any of Spoink's other attacks (bar Hidden Power Ground). In return, Stunky has a powerful Sucker Punch to knock out Spoink if it chooses to attack, while running the risk of getting KOed by Pursuit if it switches out. Houndour plays similar to Stunky, but has the risk of getting severely injured by Hidden Power Fighting. However, if Spoink runs Hidden Power Fire, Houndour can easily set up a Substitute before sending Spoink on its way. Munchlax can defeat the Calm Mind variant, switching in on a Calm Mind, and hitting it hard with STAB Return, while not getting 2HKOed by even Hidden Power Fighting when accounting for Oran Berry. Pokemon with U-turn can switch in on a move they resist, and either hurt Spoink badly, or gain momentum for your team. Common users of U-turn include Meowth and Choice Scarf Mankey.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/spoink
[Overview]
<p>Spoink is slightly outclassed by Abra as a sweeping Psychic-type, as it has lesser Special Attack and Speed stats, arguably the most important stats for such a role. However, Spoink does have a lot more bulk compared to Abra, though it still isn't much, as well as access to a good ability in Thick Fat, which allows it to switch in much easier than Abra. To sum it up, Spoink is slightly outclassed by Abra, but has better defenses to make up for its lower Special Attack and Speed stats.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Psychic
item: Light Clay
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Timid
evs: 196 HP / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spoink is a great user of dual screens, and it is not outclassed by Abra thanks to its better bulk, which often allows it to set up dual screens more than once, something which Abra finds hard to do. While Abra has access to Encore, Spoink can cripple the opposing Pokemon with Thunder Wave. Reflect and Light Screen are self-explanatory, reducing any damage dealt onto Spoink and its teammates by half, allowing its teammates to easily set up without harm. Psychic is Spoink's only attack, gains STAB, and is its best option to hurt opposing Pokemon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature with maximum Speed is used so that Spoink may be more likely to set up dual screens before its opponent attacks, allowing it to reap that much more from it. Then, Spoink's HP stat is maximized to ensure it can take more hits, and the remaining EVs are put into Special Defense, increasing it by two points. Light Clay is the only viable item on the set, because it provides the dual screens with more longevity, allowing for more set-up from Spoink's teammates. Thick Fat is used to allow Spoink to absorb Ice- and Fire-type attacks easier.</p>
<p>Set-up sweepers greatly benefit from the dual screens that Spoink provides. Aron, Gligar, and Mantyke can all become deadly sweepers behind the dual screens, setting up with ease, and being able to plow through the opposing team with little effort. Gligar has the added benefit of having access to Baton Pass, which allows Gligar to pass Attack and Speed boosts to a Pokemon like Machop, that isn't able to boost its stats itself, in order to make it a deadly sweeper.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 116 HP / 200 SpA / 200 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Scarf, Spoink hits 24 Speed, which outspeeds all non-Choice Scarf users, as well as some slower Pokemon who hold Choice Scarf. If Spoink holds Choice Specs, it boosts Spoink's Special Attack stat to 24, hitting much harder with all its attacks. Psychic is Spoink's main attack, gaining STAB, and hitting opponents who don't resist it quite hard. Shadow Ball hits opposing Psychic-types who resist Spoink's main attack. The next slot is completely up to preference. If Aron is troublesome to the team, Hidden Power Fighting should be used, while Hidden Power Fire should be used if Bronzor is causing problems. The last moveslot should be Trick, which allows Spoink to cripple switch-ins such as Munchlax, who would otherwise switch in with ease, and dispose of Spoink with Pursuit.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The item choice depends on what your team needs. If your team is lacking a revenge killer, Spoink can fill the job with a Choice Scarf. If your team needs more hard hitters, Spoink can hold a Choice Specs, and devastate opponents with attacks that hit surprisingly hard. Thick Fat is used to allow Spoink to have more opportunities to switch in, as it is relatively frail without EV investment. A Timid nature allows Spoink to outspeed as many opponents as possible, while Modest can be used for more power. The EV spread maximizes Spoink's Special Attack and Speed stats, and increases it's HP stat by two. Thick Fat is especially important on this set, because Spoink will be switching in and out often, and being able to take less from certain attacks really helps it perform its job well.</p>
<p>Since Dark-type Pokemon with Pursuit are common switch-ins to Spoink, a Pokemon who can set up on those Dark-types is helpful. Common switch-ins include Stunky, who can checkmate Spoink with Pursuit. A good teammate is Aron, who doesn’t mind any of Stunky's attacks, and can proceed to set up Rock Polish. Other teammates include powerful Fighting-types such as Choice Scarf Mankey, who can switch in after Spoink, and either use Close Combat to knock out the Dark-type, or U-turn to gain momentum.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Shadow Ball / Substitute
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 200 SpA / 40 SpD / 200 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Calm Mind Spoink is a force to be reckoned with once it has set up. After just one Calm Mind boost, Spoink hits 24 Special Attack and 22 Special Defense, meaning it can hit quite hard, while also being able to withstand many special attacks with its above average Special Defense stat. Psychic is Spoink's main attack, gaining STAB, and hitting most opponents quite hard, especially after several Calm Mind boosts. The next slot is used to hit Steel-type Pokemon, who would otherwise wall this set, super effectively. Hidden Power Fighting has great neutral coverage with Psychic, hitting all Pokemon for at least neutral damage bar opposing Psychic-types, and OHKOes Aron, who could otherwise set up a Rock Polish before taking Spoink out with Head Smash. Hidden Power Fire is also an option to hit Steel-types, and hits Bronzor, who does not have much to fear from any of Spoink's other attacks, particularly hard. Finally, Shadow Ball allows Spoink to hit opposing Psychic-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Substitute is also an option instead of Shadow Ball, allowing Spoink to scout for opposing Pokemon, especially Pokemon faster than Spoink, who would otherwise be able to OHKO Spoink before it can switch out or attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Spoink has a plethora of items it can run. Oran Berry gives Spoink more longevity, and often allows it to set up another Calm Mind before putting the hurt on its opponents. Life Orb trades longevity for power, making Spoink much easier to knock out, but also much harder to wall. If Substitute is opted for the last slot, Salac Berry becomes an option. With Substitute, Spoink can safely activate Salac Berry, and proceed to outspeed Pokemon who are usually faster than it, and KO them with the appropriate move. However, at 25% health, Spoink becomes very easy to knock out by priority attacks, which are rife in the metagame, and so it is not recommended. The EV spread maximizes Spoink's Special Attack and Speed stats, and increases its HP and Special Defense by one point each. A Timid nature allows Spoink to hit 16 Speed, which is slightly above average. A Modest nature can also be used, trading the ability to outrun certain threats for more power, but is usually not worth it given the extremely fast-paced nature of Little Cup. Thick Fat is again used because being able to take Fire- and Ice-type attacks better are very important for Spoink.</p>
<p>If Spoink lacks Hidden Power Fire in its movepool, Bronzor will have an easy time against Spoink, so Magnemite then becomes a good teammate, thanks to Magnet Pull. Magnemite can trap Bronzor and take it out with a powerful STAB Thunderbolt. With Bronzor eliminated, Spoink will find it much easier to sweep. As an added bonus, Magnemite also resists all of Spoink's weaknesses. If Hidden Power Fire is absent, Aron will be able to set up a Rock Polish against Spoink, and eliminate it with a Head Smash. Therefore, a Bronzor of your own makes a fine teammate, resisting or being immune to any of Aron's attacks, and being able to dispose of Aron with Earthquake.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Spoink has many other options in its movepool, but most are not viable for good reasons. Mirror Coat allows Spoink to reflect any special attacks aimed at it, and thanks to Spoink's above average Special Defense, it can take a few hits and reflect them. However, without reliable recovery, Mirror Coat will usually end up being a one-time-use only move. Confuse Ray can be used to have a chance of preventing the opposing Pokemon from attacking, but Spoink's frail physical bulk is a problem. Spoink can make use of Charge Beam to boost its Special Attack, while also damaging the opposing Pokemon in the process. Heal Bell can be used to clear its entire team of status, but again, its poor Defense stat means it will not be able to constantly switch in and use it. Magic Coat and Taunt can be used to reflect and block any status moves, respectively, but in most cases, the opponent will be attacking Spoink right off the bat. Toxic can be used, as Spoink tends to lure in Munchlax and other special walls, and cripple them. However, Trick is a more effective way of crippling them. Spoink can make use of an anti-lead set consisting of Psychic, Trick, Magic Coat, and Taunt, along with a Choice Scarf, allowing Spoink to cripple bulky leads. Finally, Spoink can set up Trick Room, hitting 9 Speed with 0 Speed IVs and a Quiet nature. Unfortunately, Spoink is frail, and won't be able to use Trick Room many times before it gets knocked out.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Stunky is the biggest enemy to Spoink, being immune to Psychic, resisting Shadow Ball, and not being weak to any of Spoink's other attacks (bar Hidden Power Ground). In return, Stunky has a powerful Sucker Punch to knock out Spoink if it chooses to attack, while running the risk of getting KOed by Pursuit if it switches out. Houndour plays similar to Stunky, but has the risk of getting severely injured by Hidden Power Fighting. However, if Spoink runs Hidden Power Fire, Houndour can easily set up a Substitute before sending Spoink on its way. Munchlax can defeat the Calm Mind variant, switching in on a Calm Mind, and hitting it hard with STAB Return, while not getting 2HKOed by even Hidden Power Fighting when accounting for Oran Berry. Pokemon with U-turn can switch in on a move they resist, and either hurt Spoink badly, or gain momentum for your team. Common users of U-turn include Meowth and Choice Scarf Mankey.</p>
