Strategy Analysis: Wish

What Does It Do?

Like Recover, Wish is a 50% healing move. On the turn it is used,the user "makes a wish" with no immediate effect. At the end of the next end, the wishing player's active pokemon regains half it's max HP.

Why Use It?

Sure, recovering HP is always nice, but waiting an extra turn for that recovery to take place may not be immediately appealing. As an example, let's say you were to switch your Milotic into a weakened Swampert's Earthquake and attempt to Recover while your opponent switches. But wait, you have to stay around another turn for that Recover! Your opponent switches to Raikou, and you don't want Milotic to take a Thunderbolt, but if you switch out Milotic will remain damaged. After repeating similar situations a number of times, it might end up too weakened to actually switch into anything in the first place. But Wish has an obvious advantage over the instantaneous Recover. After a pokemon wishes, it can switch out, and the new active pokemon switched in will recover it's HP. This is obviously very useful support for any team, particularly for pokemon that can't heal themselves. If a player relies on Swampert to stop DDTar, it will eventually become worn down from switching into earthquakes or attacks from other pokemon, and no longer be available as a counter. However, if Swampert can switch in while recovering HP in the process it can stick around notably longer. So, Wish is useful as support for pokemon that will do a lot of switching in but can't heal themselves. But the problem remains that if your opponent switches in a counter to the wisher while it wishes, it can be forced to switch out and eventually wind up in the same situation as the aforementioned Swampert. Of course, it will generally have at least some oppurtunities to take advantage of it's own healing, but unless you want to have 2 wishers healing each other in tandem keeping the wisher itself alive will be important.

Wish + Protect

A fairly obvious combo, this allows Wish to act like Recover in that the user can stay in and heal without having to take a hit the next turn. However, Protect is somewhat of a waste of a moveslot otherwise, and watch out for setup moves.

Wish + Baton Pass

Vaporeon and Umbreon are pretty much the only pokes that can take advantage of this. By BPing the turn after wishing, the recipient will be healed but won't have to take a hit in the process since the slower BPer moves second. Useful for weakened pokes that want healing but can't afford the switch in.

What Learns It?

Pikachu, Raichu, Clefable, Wigglytuff, Farfetch'd, Hypno, Exeggutor, Lickitung, Kangaskhan, Jynx, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Togetic, Xatu, Espeon, Umbreon, Girafarig, Smeragle, Blissey, Gardevoir, Delcatty, Plusle, Minun, Illumise, Spinda, Absol, Salamence, Latias, Jirachi

As you can see, quite a few of these pokes are UU/NU and just plain ineffective in standard play. I'll consider a few of the more usable UU pokes, although not every potential wisher.

Jirachi@Leftovers
Wish
Psychic
Thunderbolt/Thunder/Thunder Wave
Calm Mind/Reflect/Light Screen

Perhaps the most obvious (and useful) wisher, Jirachi's typing allows it to switch into some CB hits such as a Return from Tauros, a Rock Slide from Aerodactyl, or even occasionally a Meteor Mash from Metagross and set up a Wish. Weaker special attackers can also be pressured into switching for a free heal by the threat of this pokemon setting up. Expect to see faces such as Swampert, Tyranitar, Metagross and Celebi switch in, so don't get poised for a sweep right away. Once it's counters can be dealt with and Jirachi gets a chance to set up some Calm Minds, it can use Wish to keep itself alive while taking repeated special attacks. Thunder Wave (or Thunder if you're feeling risky) and Reflect/Light Screen work well for a team support role as a wisher. Immunity to sandstream also helps as it keeps leftovers recovery for itself even when it can't take advantage of it's own wishing. Just watch out for Dugtrio.

Vaporeon@Leftovers
Wish
Surf
Substitute/Ice Beam
Baton Pass/Filler

Another of the more common wishers, Vap is also notable for it's ability to pass 101+ HP substitutes. Blissey won't have a chance to paralyze it while it subs and heals, and after something gets slept it also gets free wishes against Milotic (or any other Surf/Ice Beam water). Snorlax will probably be a common switch, so if you aren't passing subs you could try stalling it with Charm. Otherwise Toxic will let it actually do something to Milotic and force Suicune to rest. It can generally stay alive for a while, but sandstream hurts as it robs Vap of that juicy lefties recovery.

Blissey@Leftovers
Wish
Seismic Toss
Thunder Wave
Ice Beam/Filler

It's the same old Blissey, except it heals your other pokemon now. AT/Heal Bell is illegal with Wish... It has an easy oppurtunity to get in and Wish against special pokes, but it's still becoming more and more outdated.

Jolteon@Leftovers
Wish
Thunderbolt
Hidden Power Grass/Ice
Thunder Wave/Baton Pass

Jolteon will cause switches well enough, but chances are it's not going to switch in to heal against much besides something like Zapdos.

Espeon@Leftovers
Wish
Calm Mind
Psychic
Baton Pass

Espyjump minus the Substitute. Again it's not really the kind of poke that you're going to want to switch in repeatedly to wall things, so it's not exactly the most reliable wisher in a pinch.

Umbreon@Leftovers
Wish
Mean Look
Baton Pass
Taunt

To be honest I've never actually used Umbreon before, although it certainly has the defenses to Wish effectively.

Gardevoir@Leftovers
Wish
Calm Mind
Psychic
Thunderbolt

Eh. It might switch into a special attack once in a while, but as a wisher it's defenses don't compare to Jirachi.

Salamence@Leftovers
Wish
Dragon Claw
Fire Blast
Brick Break

A set I've personally taken a liking too. It's a good fighting counter as long as you don't mispredict and end up taking Rock Slides, so setting up wishes on Heracross is fairly easy, and the general randomness of Flameclaw Mence can work for it in some cases.

Exeggutor@Leftovers
Wish
Sleep Powder
Leech Seed
Psychic/HP Grass

No idea. Random defensive Eggy that I just made up for the sake of this guide. You can get a Wish in after sleeping, although after that there's probably not much it can switch into to set up against besides random earthquakes and maybe Blissey.

Raichu@Leftovers
Wish
Encore
Thunderbolt
Focus Punch

Not exactly something you see outside of UU teams all the time, but a fun set to use at least. It can Encore something like a Lax Curse or Celebi Recover and then set up a Wish, but it's defenses to too frail to take a hit from much of anything. Complete Dugtrio bait though.

Jynx@Leftovers
Wish
Lovely Kiss
Calm Mind
Ice Beam

Kind of an oddball in this category since it attempts to set up and sweep, not wall things and support a team. Most likely you'll never get the chance to pull off a Wish with this.

Hypno@Leftovers
Wish
Thunder Wave
Seismic Toss
Reflect/Hypnosis

Nothing more than a bad Blissey in standard play, but this is incredibly common on UU teams. With it's special defense and Wish it doesn't have much problem taking on popular UU special attackers like Typhlosion and Electabuzz.

Kangaskhan@Leftovers
Wish
Return/Double-Edge
Focus Punch/Earthquake
Substitute/Shadow Ball

This could be workable on a UU team, it can get up 101 hp subs on Hypno and has normal STAB with good attack to take stuff on, although it's not a particularly defensive poke in general.

Clefable@Leftovers
Wish
Calm Mind
Thunderbolt
Ice Beam

With decent defenses and Calm Mind this isn't too bad, Clefable has a great movepool so it could throw in something like Encore too.

Xatu@Leftover
Wish
Thunder Wave
Reflect/Light Screen
Psychic/Night Shade

It can switch into CB Fighting hits, but otherwise it's defenses aren't especially stellar for this role.

My first analysis, so post comments, suggestions and whatnot.
 

obi

formerly david stone
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
I use Wish Exeggutor in ubers.

Exeggutor (F) @ Lum Berry ** Hmm, that's odd
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 18 HP / 240 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Sleep Powder
- Solar Beam
- Wish

(Speed to beat Salaced Smeargle)

This is paired with a Groudon to get massive speed. Sleep Powder buys me the turn I need to get in a Wish with frail Exeggutor. The reason this is so helpful is because I like to use CBers on my uber teams. In fact, this team has 3 of them: Groudon, Metagross, and Rayquaza. Wish is also nice if Deoxys-L had to take a few tough hits to bring down a tough customer, and is too weak to get in a recover. The only other things I would consider for that slot anyway are Stun Spore, Explosion, or Psychic for Kyogre switch-ins.
 
Latias (F) @ Soul Dew
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 20 HP / 216 Spd / 176 SAtk / 96 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Wish
- Thunder Wave
- Dragon Claw

It was on the dex so I guess it works.

Latias (F) @ Soul Dew
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 20 HP / 216 Spd / 176 SAtk / 96 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Psych Up
- Wish
- Roar
- Dragon Claw

Got it from Mekkah.

Latias (F) @ Soul Dew
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 20 HP / 216 Spd / 176 SAtk / 96 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Dragon Claw
- Light Screen
- Thunder Wave/Roar/Psych Up//Thunder/Ice Beam
- Wish

Random support set with Light Screen, T-Wave for PAR, Roar for getting rid of shit, Psych Up for getting CM's after you have a LS up, Thunder and IB for other attack options.

Latias should be added as a potential wisher for the uber metagame, Eggy Wishes ok in uber to but Obi posted about that already.

edit: don't worry about the EV's i just put something I thought was decent for Wish :/, 352 Special Defense, 300 Special Attack, 310 speed, rest in HP.
 
i like the following sexy umbreon set simply b/c it can switch in to virtually anything, trap/stall it, and just wait for it to die. works miracles on ubers and shits all over calm mind.

Umbreon @ leftovers
~toxic
~wish
~protect
~mean look
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top