Pikachu

Pikachu

[Overview]

<p>While Pikachu has never been a stellar Pokemon competitively, make no mistake: Pikachu is an incredibly powerful offensive threat. When utilizing its signature item Light Ball, its offensive stats rival those of Rayquaza and Deoxys. Combined with a sufficient movepool and good speed, it might be difficult to see why Pikachu is such a rare sight in the standard NU metagame. However, after a second look at its base stats, Pikachu's main downfall should be fairly obvious: its bulk is absolutely pathetic, even lower than the likes of Haunter or Kadabra. In fact, Pikachu is the frailest Pokemon ever given a competitive analysis on Smogon, bar Shedinja. While Pikachu can mitigate its fraility somewhat with Substitute, Encore, and its new Dream World ability, Lightningrod, its second downfall isn't as easy to overlook. The very Light Ball that makes Pikachu viable is also what makes it so limited; as Pikachu needs its Light Ball to not be complete dead weight, it is unable to use any other item, including Life Orb and all Choice items. Thus, Pikachu might not hit as hard as you might think it would: traditional powerhouses greatly depend on the boosts these items provide while Pikachu has to do without. Successfully using Pikachu will require massive amounts of team support and top-level prediction.</p>

[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Encore / Grass Knot
item: Light Ball
ability: Lightningrod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Pikachu's absolutely pathetic defenses make a Substitute set its best option. Thanks to its good speed, immunity to Electric-type attacks (including Thunder Wave), and access to Encore, Pikachu can find plenty of opportunities to set up a free Substitute. Substitute is an amazing move for Pikachu overall, as it not only eases prediction, but also allows Pikachu to dodge priority attacks while it hits the opposing Pokemon hard. Thunderbolt is Pikachu's main STAB move and is equivalent in power to a Thunderbolt from Life Orb Zapdos. Hidden Power Ice provides Pikachu with ever-reliable BoltBeam coverage, allowing it to get around Grass- and Dragon-types that would normally wall it. Encore is chosen in the final slot to give Pikachu a much easier time setting up Substitutes; by Encoring an Electric-type attack or a support move, such as Eelektross's Thunderbolt or Regirock's Stealth Rock, respectively, Pikachu can set up for free and begin pummeling the opponent with powerful attacks. However, Pikachu can forgo the use of Encore for a Substitute + 3 attacks set, using Grass Knot to OHKO Quagsire and 2HKO specially defensive Regirock. Grass Knot also hits Camerupt harder than any other move on this set.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A generic sweeper EV spread is used to maximize Pikachu's offensive potential; it is never taking a hit anyway. One can forgo Hidden Power Ice for Hidden Power Ground to annihilate Camerupt, Probopass, and Bastiodon. However, without Hidden Power Ice, Pikachu will be completely walled by Grass-types. Focus Punch is another option over Encore or Grass Knot to deal with specially defensive Normal-types and Probopass, but it's illegal with Lightningrod, so Pikachu will have to resort to the inferior Static. This set requires a lot of support; don't expect Pikachu to be sweeping teams on its own anytime soon. Pikachu greatly appreciates paralysis support from defensive Pokemon such as Mesprit and Lickilicky; while base 90 speed is fast for NU, it's still not enough to reliably deal with all of NU's offensive threats. In addition, something to lure in Electric type attacks—for example, Mantine or Braviary—can be effective if you really want to abuse Lightningrod, but it's not reliable against experienced players, especially with the existence of Team Preview. </p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Substitute / Encore
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Light Ball
ability: Lightningrod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Nasty Plot allows Pikachu to boost its already great Special Attack and go for a sweep. After a single Nasty Plot, Pikachu's Special Attack hits an astonishing 796. Pikachu can find opportunities to set up Nasty Plots by utilizing Substitute or Encore. Unfortunately Pikachu can only fit either Substitute or Encore on this set, not both. Each has their own merits and while Encore is arguably easier to use, Substitute is the primary slash as it prevents Pikachu from being revenge killed by faster Pokemon or slammed by priority, and also allows it to more reliably deal with Sucker Punch mindgames from Absol and Cacturne. Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice provide BoltBeam coverage as always, allowing Pikachu to hit the majority of Pokemon in the NU tier for insane damage after a boost, bar Unaware Quagsire.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>EVs are yet again a standard sweeper spread, as Pikachu is an all-out offensive threat. This set is best used late-game when Choice Scarf and priority users have been removed. As with the above set, Pikachu loves paralysis support. In addition, since this set is meant to swept weakened teams, it really appreciate entry hazard support. Cacturne is a great choice as it resists the Earthquakes that Pikachu attracts, and can use its offensive presence to throw up some Spikes. Quagsire is a massive problem for this set, as it not only takes little from Hidden Power Ice, but also completely ignores any Nasty Plot boosts Pikachu may have accumulated. Grass-types, such as Exeggutor and the previously mentioned Cacturne, are thus great partners.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Static is an inferior ability to Lightningrod, but it might have to be used in order to give Pikachu access to moves that are incompatible with its Dream World ability, such as Focus Punch. Volt Switch is a fantastic move for scouting, but it's generally better used by Choice users, such as Rotom-S and Raichu. Knock Off is a great move, especially with all of the Eviolite Pokemon that are popular in NU, but Pikachu generally doesn't have room for it. An Agility set can work, but Pikachu's power isn't as amazing as it might first seem, and Pikachu risks being OHKOed or statused by anything it can't immediately OHKO. A physical set with Volt Tackle, Pikachu's most powerful attack, sounds decent on paper, but Pikachu isn't going to last long, as it will quickly kill itself with that awful base 35 HP stat. Other options for a physical set include Brick Break and Quick Attack.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Pikachu is afraid of anything faster than it with a powerful STAB attack, such as Swellow or Choice Scarf users, including Magmortar and Sawk. Priority users, particularly Gurdurr and Linoone, can really hurt Pikachu if it isn't behind a Substitute. Sucker Punch is also a threat, but it's not usually a reliable way to kill Pikachu, as most tend to hide behind Substitutes or Encores. Due to its massive Special Defense, Probopass doesn't really care about an unboosted Pikachu's attacks, except for the rare Hidden Power Ground, and it can 2HKO Pikachu with Power Gem. Camerupt is in a similar situation, but both Pokemon must be wary of being Encored into the likes of Stealth Rock or Thunder Wave. Unaware Quagsire also completely walls any Pikachu that is not running Grass Knot.</p>

Mention Focus Punch in OO. It works with Sub (to an extent)

Edit: oh, i missed that, thanks Tennis

Focus Punch was mentioned but you have to use Static with it so its quite meh. Also HP Fighting should be at least slashed with Ice, if not the main option, not Grass Knot. Grass Knot doesn't do much to Quagsire at all really, HP Fighting beats Probopass and Regirock and stuff that will ruin your day. You lose to Grass-types though which is meh.

Grass Knot is a clean OHKO on most Quagsire unless the Smogon damage calc is bugged or something.

To 252/0 Quagsire: 140.1% - 165.5%
To 252/252+ Quagsire: 92.4% - 109.6%

Grass Knot also does a lot more to Regirock too. I'll still put in HP fighting as a secondary slash though because Probopass is a big problem for Pikachu.

Oh Quagsire is pretty heavy I guess... HP Fighting is a good slash though I agree.

Don't forget to mention that HP Fighting lowers your Speed IV, making it impossible to tie with other positively-natured base 90 Speed mons. Also mention that you could feasibly use Grass Knot over Encore on the first set, kind of like a Sub + 3 attacks set, since you won't always have a change to use Encore. Actually, just slash Grass Knot with Encore.

QC APPROVED (2/3)

I really question HP Fighting here. Pretty much the only thing it hits harder than Thunderbolt is Probopass. Grass Knot seems pretty cool, if only for hitting Regirock hard and nailing Camerupt and Quagsire.

:O

When did this thing come around?!? I wanted to do it!!! :(

In all seriousness, Pikachu is a boss in NU. An Agility set with Tbolt, HP Ice, and Grass Knot is underrated in terms of sweeping (especially with the Lightningrod boost!). Light Ball and the boost means Pikachu sits at an impressive 597 SpA (did i do my calcs rught?). But I understand what you mean by it being weaker than one might think; it definitely needs special walls weakened in order to smash through things. All in all, I'm glad Agility gets a mention.

No mention of volt switch at all? It's a good move, IMO.

you may want to merge the sets. something like this:

[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Encore / Nasty Plot / Grass Knot
item: Light Ball
ability: Lightningrod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

you neeeeeed Sub on each set (pikachu is already frail as fuck and it needs it to scout), Tbolt/HP are givens, so you have 1 slot of difference. Granted, encore plays a lot different from NP, but the sets still seem mergeable.

Volt Switch is kind of meh on Pikachu because he can't use Choice items and he doesn't necessarily want to switch out because he'll lose his sub/np boosts. Worth an OO mention though.

I thought about merging the sets earlier but I decided against it because it feels too cluttered, and there is a pretty massive difference in playstyle between Sub and NP. I would like to hear what a QC member thinks.

I'm also having second thoughts about HP Fighting because I forgot that it lowered a speed IV which is pretty terrible and the extra coverage it provides is a bit limited (pretty sure a STAB thunderbolt is more powerful than a 2x SE HP, right?)

Leave the sets separated. I hate slashitis, and they are played differently enough to each warrant an individual write-up.

Also, I'm gonna have to agree with Ice-eyes. I can't really see myself using HP Fighting over HP Ice, which has far superior coverage with Thunderbolt. Deslash it and mention it in the AC.

I also don't think HP Fighting is the right idea here

I don't see whats wrong with leaving it slashed but fine, I'm not going to argue that much.

Looks good.

I don't think anyone would mind if I butt in on the issue of Hidden Power here -- in my opinion, Hidden Power Ground here is better than Hidden Power Fighting, as HP Ground doesn't force you to lower your speed. It hits the same targets in Probopass and Bastiodon, and it hits Specially Defensive Camerupt harder than any attack Pikachu has access to. Regirock gets hit harder by both Thunderbolt and Grass Knot, with GK getting the 2HKO on even the most specially defensive Regirocks around. HP Fighting over HP Ground has... Cacturne, I guess? But if you're desperate to hit Cacturne, you should be running HP Ice, not HP Fighting. IDK but I think HP Fighting is a pretty pointless alternative, especially when Thunerbolt hits stuff like Lickilicky harder.

Oh, and if you're gonna mention Surf in OO, also mention that Surf is actually in fact illegal in Gen 5 as of now, until they release another event Surf Pikachu. (You can't transfer HM moves over generation gaps for BW)

Also, I'm glad that you do mention how Pikachu is not as strong as you might initially think it is. It's only as strong as Life Orb Zapdos, which isn't exactly a wrecking ball. For example, Pikachu can never OHKO Magmortar even after the SR damage -- we aren't even talking about a strong special wall here.

Oh, that sucks about Surf Pikachu. I removed the mention.

And yeah HP Ground sounds completely superior to Fighting, I changed that too.

I'll write this up later today hopefully.

[Overview]

<p>While Pikachu has never been a stellar Pokemon competitively, make no mistake: Pikachu is an incredibly powerful offensive threat. UWhen utilizing its signature item Light Ball, its offensive stats rival those of Rayquaza or Deoxys. Combined with a sufficient movepool and good speed, it mayight be difficult to see why Pikachu is such a rare sight in the standard NU metagame. However, after a second look at its base stats, Pikachu's main downfall should be fairly obvious: its bulk is absolutely pathetic, even lower than the likes of Haunter or Kadabra. In fact, Pikachu is the frailest Pokemon ever given a competitive analysis on Smogon bar Shedinja. While Pikachu can mitigate its fraility somewhat with Substitute, Encore, and hiits new Dream World ability Lightningrod, its second downfall isn't as easy to overlook. The very Light Ball that makes Pikachu viable is also what makes it so limited; as Pikachu needs its Light Ball to not be complete dead weight, it is unable to use any other item, including Life Orb and all Choice items. Thus, Pikachu might not hit as hard as you might think it would: traditional powerhouses greatly depend on the boosts these items provide while Pikachu has to do without. Successfully using Pikachu will require massive amounts of team support and top-level prediction.</p>

[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Encore / Grass Knot
item: Light Ball
ability: Lightningrod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Pikachu's absolutely pathetic defenses make a Substitute set its best option. UtilizingThanks to its good speed, immunity to Electric-type attacks (including Thunder Wave), and access to Encore, Pikachu can find plenty of opportunities to set up a free Substitute. Substitute is an amazing move for Pikachu overall, as it not only eases prediction, but also allows Pikachu to dodge priority attacks while it hits the opposing Pokemon hard. Thunderbolt is Pikachu's main STAB move and is equivalent in power to a Thunderbolt from a Life Orb Zapdos. Hidden Power Ice provides Pikachu with alwaysever-reliable BoltBeam coverage, allowing it to get around Grass- and Dragon-types that would normally wall it. Encore is chosen in the final slot to give Pikachu a much easier time setting up Substitutes; by Encoring an Electric-type attack from a slower opponent such as Eelektross or a useless support move like Stealth Rock from Regirockor a support move, such as Eelektross's Thunderbolt or Regirock's Stealth Rock respectively, Pikachu can set up for free and begin waipummeling on the oppositionnent with its powerful attacks. However, Pikachu can forgo the use of Encore for a Substitute + 3 attacks set, using Grass Knot to OHKO Quagsire and 2HKO specially defensive Regirock. Grass Knot also hits Camerupt harder than any other move on this set.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A generic sweeper EV spread is used to maximize Pikachu's offensive potential; it is never taking a hit anyway. One can forgo Hidden Power Ice for Hidden Power Ground to annihilate Camerupt, Probopass, and Bastiodon. However, without Hidden Power Ice, Pikachu will be completely walled by Grass types. Focus Punch is another option over Encore or Grass Knot to deal with specially defensive Normal-types and Probopass, but it's illegal with Lightningrod, so Pikachu will have to resort to the inferior Static. This set requires a lot of support; don't expect Pikachu to be sweeping teams on its own any time soon. Pikachu greatly appreciates Pparalysis support from the likes of defensive Pokemon likesuch as Grumpig or Lickilicky, as; while base 90 speed is fast for NU, it's still not enough to deal reliably deal with all of NU's offensive threats. In addition, something to lure in Electric type attacks like—for example, Mantine or Braviary —can be effective if you really want to abuse Lightningrod, but it's not reliable against experienced players, especially with the existence of Team Preview. </p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Substitute / Encore
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Light Ball
ability: Lightningrod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Nasty Plot allows Pikachu to boost its already great Special Attack and go for a sweep. After a single Nasty Plot, Pikachu's Special Attack hits an astonishing 796. Pikachu can find opportunities to set up Nasty Plots utilizing Substitute or Encore. Unfortunately Pikachu can only fit either Substitute or Encore on this set, not both. Each has their own merits and while Encore is arguably easier to use, Substitute is the primary slash as it prevents Pikachu from being revenge killed by faster Pokemon or slammed by priority, and also allows you to more reliably deal with a Sucker Punch mindgames from Absol or Cacturne. Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice provide BoltBeam coverage as always, allowing Pikachu to hit the majority of Pokemon in the NU tier for insane damage after a boost, bar Unaware Quagsire.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>EVs are yet again a standard sweeper spread as Pikachu is an all-out offensive threat. This set is best used late -game when Choice Scarf /and priority users have been killed offremoved. As with the above set, Pikachu loves Pparalysis support. In addition, as this set is meant to swept weakened teams, it really appreciate entry hazard support. Cacturne is a great choice as it resists the Earthquakes that Pikachu attracts, while using its offensive presence to throw up some sSpikes. Quagsire is a massive problem for this set, as it not only takes little from Hidden Power Ice, but also completely ignores any Nasty Plot boosts Pikachu may have accumulated. Grass-types, such as Exeggutor and the previously mentioned Cacturne, are thus great partners.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Static is an inferior ability to Lightningrod, but it mayight have to be used in order to give Pikachu access to some moves that are incompatible with its Dream World ability, such as Focus Punch. Volt Switch is a fantastic move for scouting, but it's generally used better used by Choice users, such as Rotom-S and Raichu. Knock Off is a great move, especially with all of the Eviolite Pokemon currently popular in NU, but Pikachu generally doesn't have room for it. An Agility set can work, but Pikachu's strengthpower isn't as amazing as it might first may seem, and Pikachu risks being OHKO'ed or statused by anything it can't OHKO itselfimmediately OHKO. A physical set with Volt Tackle, Pikachu's most powerful attack, sounds decent on paper, but Pikachu isn't going to last long as it will quickly kill itself with that awful 35 base 35 HP stat. Other options for a physical set include Brick Break and Quick Attack.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Pikachu is afraid of anything faster than it with a powerful STAB attack, such as Swellow or Choice Scarfed pokemon like users, including Magmortar orand Sawk. Priority users like, particularly Gurdurr orand Linoone, can really hurt Pikachu if it isn't behind a Substitute. Sucker Punch is also a threat, but it's not usually a reliable way to kill Pikachu as most tend to hide behind sSubstitutes or eEncores. Due to its massive Special Defense, Probopass doesn't really care about an unboosted Pikachu's attacks except for the rare Hidden Power Ground due to its massive special defense and, and it can 2HKO Pikachu with Power Gem. Camerupt is in a similar situation, althoughbut both Pokemon must be wary of being Encored into a useless movthe likes of Stealth Rock or Thunder Wave if Pikachu manages to switch in on itsafely. Unaware Quagsire also completely walls any Pikachu set not running Grass Knot.</p>

Click to expand...

1/2

Just for reference, here's what +2 Lightningrod Light Ball Pikachu does to Specially Defensive Shuckle: 81.55 - 96.31%. You may or may not want to include that calc to indicate how unwallable Pikachu is once it gets a boost. :p

GP Approved 2/2

Changes made. This is ready for upload

uploaded