Taking over from Berserker Lord, whose old thread can be found here.
I am just going to take the old analysis and re-write it; however, I am giving this the Quality Control tag since I want QC to have another look over this just in case.
Status: Need to rehaul this with the recent tier changes.
GP 2 / 2 - Moo [stamped Steven Snype's check], Snorlaxe [stamped TrollFreak's check]
[Overview]
<p>Raikou might no longer be the dominating force it once was in the ADV era, but it is still a major threat in the UU tier. It is not hard to see why, either: superb base 115 Special Attack and Speed stats, a wide enough offensive movepool with coverage options such as Aura Sphere, Extrasensory, and Hidden Power, and access to Calm Mind all contribute to make Raikou a dangerous, versatile sweeper which can tear apart teams if given the slightest leeway. 90 / 75 / 100 defensive stats are not shabby either, allowing Raikou to sponge the odd neutral hit or two while setting up. That is not to say that Raikou is without its faults, though—special walls such as Snorlax still wall it cold, and faster Ground-types such as Choice Scarf Flygon can switch into Thunderbolt and OHKO with Earthquake. Using the event moves also forces Raikou to be shiny and run a Rash nature, thereby reducing it to 329 Speed. Still, writing Raikou off on the basis of these shortcomings will be suicidal, as with the proper support, it can lay the smack-down on its opponents with consummate ease.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Extrasensory
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou's fantastic offensive stats lend themselves equally well to an offensive Calm Mind set which sacrifices the longevity and reliability of the SubCM set for more power and coverage. The method is simple: switch Raikou in on a Pokemon it threatens, such as Water-types, set up Calm Mind as they switch out, and hit the switch-in hard with a boosted move. Thunderbolt serves as a powerful, reliable STAB move, hitting a wide range of threats very hard. Hidden Power Ice and Grass are both excellent coverage options; the former nails common switch-ins such as Choice Scarf Flygon and gives Raikou pseudo-BoltBeam coverage, but the latter can be used to OHKO Swampert, which would otherwise wall Raikou cold and KO with Earthquake, while hitting Rhyperior harder. However, note that using Hidden Power Grass leaves Raikou walled by Grass-types. Extrasensory remedies this issue, dealing heavy damage to most Grass-types and OHKOing Roserade; it also wrecks Nidoqueen and Nidoking.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is a simple one: Special Attack and Speed are maximized to ensure optimum offensive ability. Life Orb is the preferred item for the offensive boost which it brings to the table. Aura Sphere is an option over Extrasensory to hit Snorlax hard after a Calm Mind, but it forces Raikou to run a Rash nature, allowing threats such as Cobalion and Azelf to outspeed and KO it. Raikou absolutely needs Snorlax out of the picture before it can start setting up; Fighting-types such as Machamp and Hitmontop are thus great offensive partners. Entry hazard support from the likes of Froslass and Roserade helps immensely too, softening up potential counters and turning several 2HKOs into OHKOs. Raikou also appreciates having entry hazards off its side of the field, as the residual damage in conjunction with Life Orb recoil shortens its sweep; Hitmontop in particular is a fantastic choice for providing Rapid Spin support, as it also has Fighting-type STAB to finish off Snorlax.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 128 HP / 76 Def / 52 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou's famous SubCM set returns for another round of pulverizing opponents in the BW UU metagame, and it is as good as ever. With Substitute, Raikou can set up Calm Mind multiple times with ease on weak attackers such as Ferroseed, eventually amassing a gigantic Special Attack stat. Once it has set up, Raikou can go to town with its access to a powerful STAB Thunderbolt and great secondary coverage option in Hidden Power Ice, the combination being walled only by Rotom-H, Swampert, Magneton, and Lanturn. Furthermore, the EV spread ensures that weak physical attacks, such as Jolly Flygon's U-turn, will not break Raikou's Substitute, making setting up all the more easier—special attacks are anyway covered by Raikou's boosted Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature serve very specific purposes: first, maximum investment in Speed and a Timid nature allow Raikou to outspeed special attackers such as Roserade and set up a Calm Mind or Substitute first. As mentioned earlier, 128 EVs in HP and 76 in Defense ensure that Jolly Flygon cannot break Raikou's Substitute with U-turn. The rest of the EVs are then simply dumped in Special Attack. Leftovers is the preferred item on this set as it gives Raikou a form of recovery, allowing it to heal off entry hazard damage and make more Substitutes.</p>
<p>Raikou can also use Air Balloon to obtain more Calm Mind boosts on Ground-types, but the loss of recovery will cut short its sweep. An offensive EV spread of 232 SpA / 24 SpD / 252 Spe is also an option; with this, Raikou can still keep its Substitute intact after a Calm Mind boost in the face of relatively weak special attacks, such as Surf from Slowbro lacking Special Attack investment. Aura Sphere might seem like a good alternative to Hidden Power Ice to hit Snorlax hard with, but it forces Raikou to run a Rash nature, meaning it loses the ability to outspeed and set up on fast special attackers such as Zapdos and Roserade. Once again, powerful Fighting-types such as Machamp, Heracross, and Hitmontop make great offensive partners, as they can KO Snorlax with ease. Packing a Grass-type teammate, such as Roserade or Shaymin, is advisable too as Swampert is a hard counter to this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Aura Sphere / Extrasensory
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Rash / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou is the perfect candidate for a Choice set with its Speed, power, and decent coverage. Both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs are perfectly viable: the former mows through offensive teams, while the latter helps break down defensive teams with its sheer power. Thunderbolt is the obligatory STAB, hitting anything that doesn't resist it hard. Hidden Power Ice complements Thunderbolt perfectly, KOing the Ground-types which pack an immunity to Raikou's STAB moves and providing near-perfect neutral coverage. The third move depends on the item used: Aura Sphere is preferred on Choice Scarf sets as Raikou will not mind the loss of Speed that much, hitting Steel- and Normal-types super effectively, while Extrasensory is the superior option on sets running Choice Specs as Raikou needs all the Speed it can get. Volt Switch rounds off the moveset, allowing Raikou to scout switches and maintain offensive pressure.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Once again, the EV spread is very simple, maximizing Raikou's Special Attack and Speed so that it can hit as hard and fast as possible. You can run Sleep Talk if your team needs a sleep absorber that badly, but since it picks a move randomly, it is highly unreliable on a Choice set, so use it at your own risk. This set works very well as a late-game cleaner, but it still needs some support to be effective. Regardless of the item which Raikou runs, it cannot get past its usual nemesis in Snorlax, so Fighting-types such as Machamp are good teammates as always. In general, offensive powerhouses such as Darmanitan pair well with Raikou, as they soften up the opposition sufficiently for Raikou to clean up the remains. Entry hazard support from Roserade and Froslass is highly appreciated as well, softening up the opponent; the former can also eliminate Swampert, making it a fantastic teammate.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Calm Mind / Roar
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A RestTalk set allows Raikou to function as a bulky cleaner once Ground-types are out of the picture. Raikou's naturally high Special Attack, useful resistances to Electric- and Flying-type attacks, and above-average defensive stats enable it to repeatedly take hits, hit back hard, and heal off the damage. Thunderbolt is Raikou's most powerful mono-attacking option, and though Ground-types now become hard counters, it puts quite a dent in most other threats. The last move depends on what role you want Raikou to perform. Calm Mind turns Raikou into a boosting tank, and once Ground-types are eliminated by its teammates, it can pull off a sweep very easily. On the other hand, Roar is preferred on stall teams to accumulate entry hazard damage; as an added plus, Sleep Talk bypasses Roar's negative priority, allowing Raikou to phaze opponents before they get to attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Raikou's HP and Speed, allowing it to sponge most neutral attacks with ease while still outspeeding a wide range of threats. Leftovers is a given for any bulky set, but Chesto Berry is also an option, freeing up a moveslot to run a coverage option such as Hidden Power Ice or Grass. This reduces the vulnerability of this set to physical setup sweepers, but Raikou will no longer be able to switch into and soak up Electric- and Flying-type attacks as easily. Proper support is vital to the success of this set, as Raikou is walled and OHKOed by Ground-types such as Rhyperior and Swampert. Grass- and Water-types such as Roserade and Azumarill help in packing off these threats; the former can also set up entry hazards, which complements Roar perfectly, making it a good teammate. Speaking of entry hazards, if Raikou is used on a stall team, Froslass makes a great partner as well, as it can block Rapid Spin, set up Spikes itself, and also deal heavy damage to Ground-types with STAB Ice Beam.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Raikou's movepool might not be gigantic, but it still provides some additional moves to consider. Shadow Ball might seem like a good coverage option to hit Psychic- and Ghost-types with, but most are hit hard enough by Thunderbolt anyway. Charge Beam can be used on the Choice set to give Raikou a way of boosting its stats, but it takes two boosts for it to hit harder than unboosted Thunderbolt, and even then special walls such as Snorlax stop Raikou comfortably. ExtremeSpeed can pick off frail or weakened opponents, but it won't be doing much otherwise with Raikou's poor Attack stat and also forces Raikou to sacrifice a nature that boosts Speed, one of its biggest assets. Signal Beam hits Shaymin harder than Hidden Power Ice and still 2HKOes Roserade, but it otherwise has redundant coverage with Raikou's other moves. Raikou can also help a teammate set up by running Reflect and Light Screen. Its movepool even includes Rain Dance and Sunny Day; Raikou can thus set up weather easily with its high Speed, though Uxie outclasses it with its superior bulk. It should be noted, however, that Raikou can exploit either weather very well thanks to its access to an accurate Thunder in the rain as well as Weather Ball. Finally, Thunder Wave and high Speed allow Raikou to spread paralysis, but this job is generally better left to bulkier teammates.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Despite Raikou's power, there are several reliable checks and counters to it. Sets lacking Hidden Power Grass are walled cold by Swampert: it is immune to Thunderbolt, sponges even boosted coverage attacks with ease, and OHKOes with Earthquake. Snorlax is able to take boosted Aura Spheres easily with its excellent Special Defense and can OHKO or 2HKO with Earthquake or Return, respectively. Fast Ground-types such as Choice Scarf Flygon make great checks to Raikou too, as they can switch into Thunderbolt and OHKO with Earthquake, although they will still get wrecked by Hidden Power Ice. Rhyperior can revenge kill it as well by surviving a boosted Hidden Power Ice at full health and OHKOing with Earthquake. The RestTalk set is walled by Ground-types, which will have no qualms about switching in and decimating Raikou with STAB Earthquake. Prankster Sableye can stop Raikou setting up with priority Taunt and burn it with Will-O-Wisp, but tread carefully, as it will get blown to bits if Raikou has already obtained a Calm Mind boost or two. Raikou is also vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards: Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes severely limit its ability to switch in, while Toxic Spikes can cut short its sweep.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Raikou receives an excellent ability from the Dream World: Volt Absorb. This enables it to switch into Electric-type attacks and heal off any damage taken from entry hazards, also handing it a nifty immunity to Thunder Wave. Though currently unreleased, Volt Absorb will be the ability of choice on all of Raikou's sets except for the SubCM set, which appreciates the ability to stall moves such as Stone Edge out of their meager PP in conjunction with Substitute. However, note that Raikou will be unable to use fourth generation moves such as Aura Sphere and Sleep Talk with Volt Absorb.</p>
I am just going to take the old analysis and re-write it; however, I am giving this the Quality Control tag since I want QC to have another look over this just in case.
Status: Need to rehaul this with the recent tier changes.
GP 2 / 2 - Moo [stamped Steven Snype's check], Snorlaxe [stamped TrollFreak's check]
[Overview]
<p>Raikou might no longer be the dominating force it once was in the ADV era, but it is still a major threat in the UU tier. It is not hard to see why, either: superb base 115 Special Attack and Speed stats, a wide enough offensive movepool with coverage options such as Aura Sphere, Extrasensory, and Hidden Power, and access to Calm Mind all contribute to make Raikou a dangerous, versatile sweeper which can tear apart teams if given the slightest leeway. 90 / 75 / 100 defensive stats are not shabby either, allowing Raikou to sponge the odd neutral hit or two while setting up. That is not to say that Raikou is without its faults, though—special walls such as Snorlax still wall it cold, and faster Ground-types such as Choice Scarf Flygon can switch into Thunderbolt and OHKO with Earthquake. Using the event moves also forces Raikou to be shiny and run a Rash nature, thereby reducing it to 329 Speed. Still, writing Raikou off on the basis of these shortcomings will be suicidal, as with the proper support, it can lay the smack-down on its opponents with consummate ease.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Extrasensory
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou's fantastic offensive stats lend themselves equally well to an offensive Calm Mind set which sacrifices the longevity and reliability of the SubCM set for more power and coverage. The method is simple: switch Raikou in on a Pokemon it threatens, such as Water-types, set up Calm Mind as they switch out, and hit the switch-in hard with a boosted move. Thunderbolt serves as a powerful, reliable STAB move, hitting a wide range of threats very hard. Hidden Power Ice and Grass are both excellent coverage options; the former nails common switch-ins such as Choice Scarf Flygon and gives Raikou pseudo-BoltBeam coverage, but the latter can be used to OHKO Swampert, which would otherwise wall Raikou cold and KO with Earthquake, while hitting Rhyperior harder. However, note that using Hidden Power Grass leaves Raikou walled by Grass-types. Extrasensory remedies this issue, dealing heavy damage to most Grass-types and OHKOing Roserade; it also wrecks Nidoqueen and Nidoking.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is a simple one: Special Attack and Speed are maximized to ensure optimum offensive ability. Life Orb is the preferred item for the offensive boost which it brings to the table. Aura Sphere is an option over Extrasensory to hit Snorlax hard after a Calm Mind, but it forces Raikou to run a Rash nature, allowing threats such as Cobalion and Azelf to outspeed and KO it. Raikou absolutely needs Snorlax out of the picture before it can start setting up; Fighting-types such as Machamp and Hitmontop are thus great offensive partners. Entry hazard support from the likes of Froslass and Roserade helps immensely too, softening up potential counters and turning several 2HKOs into OHKOs. Raikou also appreciates having entry hazards off its side of the field, as the residual damage in conjunction with Life Orb recoil shortens its sweep; Hitmontop in particular is a fantastic choice for providing Rapid Spin support, as it also has Fighting-type STAB to finish off Snorlax.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 128 HP / 76 Def / 52 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou's famous SubCM set returns for another round of pulverizing opponents in the BW UU metagame, and it is as good as ever. With Substitute, Raikou can set up Calm Mind multiple times with ease on weak attackers such as Ferroseed, eventually amassing a gigantic Special Attack stat. Once it has set up, Raikou can go to town with its access to a powerful STAB Thunderbolt and great secondary coverage option in Hidden Power Ice, the combination being walled only by Rotom-H, Swampert, Magneton, and Lanturn. Furthermore, the EV spread ensures that weak physical attacks, such as Jolly Flygon's U-turn, will not break Raikou's Substitute, making setting up all the more easier—special attacks are anyway covered by Raikou's boosted Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature serve very specific purposes: first, maximum investment in Speed and a Timid nature allow Raikou to outspeed special attackers such as Roserade and set up a Calm Mind or Substitute first. As mentioned earlier, 128 EVs in HP and 76 in Defense ensure that Jolly Flygon cannot break Raikou's Substitute with U-turn. The rest of the EVs are then simply dumped in Special Attack. Leftovers is the preferred item on this set as it gives Raikou a form of recovery, allowing it to heal off entry hazard damage and make more Substitutes.</p>
<p>Raikou can also use Air Balloon to obtain more Calm Mind boosts on Ground-types, but the loss of recovery will cut short its sweep. An offensive EV spread of 232 SpA / 24 SpD / 252 Spe is also an option; with this, Raikou can still keep its Substitute intact after a Calm Mind boost in the face of relatively weak special attacks, such as Surf from Slowbro lacking Special Attack investment. Aura Sphere might seem like a good alternative to Hidden Power Ice to hit Snorlax hard with, but it forces Raikou to run a Rash nature, meaning it loses the ability to outspeed and set up on fast special attackers such as Zapdos and Roserade. Once again, powerful Fighting-types such as Machamp, Heracross, and Hitmontop make great offensive partners, as they can KO Snorlax with ease. Packing a Grass-type teammate, such as Roserade or Shaymin, is advisable too as Swampert is a hard counter to this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Aura Sphere / Extrasensory
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Rash / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou is the perfect candidate for a Choice set with its Speed, power, and decent coverage. Both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs are perfectly viable: the former mows through offensive teams, while the latter helps break down defensive teams with its sheer power. Thunderbolt is the obligatory STAB, hitting anything that doesn't resist it hard. Hidden Power Ice complements Thunderbolt perfectly, KOing the Ground-types which pack an immunity to Raikou's STAB moves and providing near-perfect neutral coverage. The third move depends on the item used: Aura Sphere is preferred on Choice Scarf sets as Raikou will not mind the loss of Speed that much, hitting Steel- and Normal-types super effectively, while Extrasensory is the superior option on sets running Choice Specs as Raikou needs all the Speed it can get. Volt Switch rounds off the moveset, allowing Raikou to scout switches and maintain offensive pressure.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Once again, the EV spread is very simple, maximizing Raikou's Special Attack and Speed so that it can hit as hard and fast as possible. You can run Sleep Talk if your team needs a sleep absorber that badly, but since it picks a move randomly, it is highly unreliable on a Choice set, so use it at your own risk. This set works very well as a late-game cleaner, but it still needs some support to be effective. Regardless of the item which Raikou runs, it cannot get past its usual nemesis in Snorlax, so Fighting-types such as Machamp are good teammates as always. In general, offensive powerhouses such as Darmanitan pair well with Raikou, as they soften up the opposition sufficiently for Raikou to clean up the remains. Entry hazard support from Roserade and Froslass is highly appreciated as well, softening up the opponent; the former can also eliminate Swampert, making it a fantastic teammate.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Calm Mind / Roar
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A RestTalk set allows Raikou to function as a bulky cleaner once Ground-types are out of the picture. Raikou's naturally high Special Attack, useful resistances to Electric- and Flying-type attacks, and above-average defensive stats enable it to repeatedly take hits, hit back hard, and heal off the damage. Thunderbolt is Raikou's most powerful mono-attacking option, and though Ground-types now become hard counters, it puts quite a dent in most other threats. The last move depends on what role you want Raikou to perform. Calm Mind turns Raikou into a boosting tank, and once Ground-types are eliminated by its teammates, it can pull off a sweep very easily. On the other hand, Roar is preferred on stall teams to accumulate entry hazard damage; as an added plus, Sleep Talk bypasses Roar's negative priority, allowing Raikou to phaze opponents before they get to attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Raikou's HP and Speed, allowing it to sponge most neutral attacks with ease while still outspeeding a wide range of threats. Leftovers is a given for any bulky set, but Chesto Berry is also an option, freeing up a moveslot to run a coverage option such as Hidden Power Ice or Grass. This reduces the vulnerability of this set to physical setup sweepers, but Raikou will no longer be able to switch into and soak up Electric- and Flying-type attacks as easily. Proper support is vital to the success of this set, as Raikou is walled and OHKOed by Ground-types such as Rhyperior and Swampert. Grass- and Water-types such as Roserade and Azumarill help in packing off these threats; the former can also set up entry hazards, which complements Roar perfectly, making it a good teammate. Speaking of entry hazards, if Raikou is used on a stall team, Froslass makes a great partner as well, as it can block Rapid Spin, set up Spikes itself, and also deal heavy damage to Ground-types with STAB Ice Beam.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Raikou's movepool might not be gigantic, but it still provides some additional moves to consider. Shadow Ball might seem like a good coverage option to hit Psychic- and Ghost-types with, but most are hit hard enough by Thunderbolt anyway. Charge Beam can be used on the Choice set to give Raikou a way of boosting its stats, but it takes two boosts for it to hit harder than unboosted Thunderbolt, and even then special walls such as Snorlax stop Raikou comfortably. ExtremeSpeed can pick off frail or weakened opponents, but it won't be doing much otherwise with Raikou's poor Attack stat and also forces Raikou to sacrifice a nature that boosts Speed, one of its biggest assets. Signal Beam hits Shaymin harder than Hidden Power Ice and still 2HKOes Roserade, but it otherwise has redundant coverage with Raikou's other moves. Raikou can also help a teammate set up by running Reflect and Light Screen. Its movepool even includes Rain Dance and Sunny Day; Raikou can thus set up weather easily with its high Speed, though Uxie outclasses it with its superior bulk. It should be noted, however, that Raikou can exploit either weather very well thanks to its access to an accurate Thunder in the rain as well as Weather Ball. Finally, Thunder Wave and high Speed allow Raikou to spread paralysis, but this job is generally better left to bulkier teammates.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Despite Raikou's power, there are several reliable checks and counters to it. Sets lacking Hidden Power Grass are walled cold by Swampert: it is immune to Thunderbolt, sponges even boosted coverage attacks with ease, and OHKOes with Earthquake. Snorlax is able to take boosted Aura Spheres easily with its excellent Special Defense and can OHKO or 2HKO with Earthquake or Return, respectively. Fast Ground-types such as Choice Scarf Flygon make great checks to Raikou too, as they can switch into Thunderbolt and OHKO with Earthquake, although they will still get wrecked by Hidden Power Ice. Rhyperior can revenge kill it as well by surviving a boosted Hidden Power Ice at full health and OHKOing with Earthquake. The RestTalk set is walled by Ground-types, which will have no qualms about switching in and decimating Raikou with STAB Earthquake. Prankster Sableye can stop Raikou setting up with priority Taunt and burn it with Will-O-Wisp, but tread carefully, as it will get blown to bits if Raikou has already obtained a Calm Mind boost or two. Raikou is also vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards: Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes severely limit its ability to switch in, while Toxic Spikes can cut short its sweep.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Raikou receives an excellent ability from the Dream World: Volt Absorb. This enables it to switch into Electric-type attacks and heal off any damage taken from entry hazards, also handing it a nifty immunity to Thunder Wave. Though currently unreleased, Volt Absorb will be the ability of choice on all of Raikou's sets except for the SubCM set, which appreciates the ability to stall moves such as Stone Edge out of their meager PP in conjunction with Substitute. However, note that Raikou will be unable to use fourth generation moves such as Aura Sphere and Sleep Talk with Volt Absorb.</p>
