This Shiftry is simply a means to end annoyances. It's not orthodox by any means, so it typically pulls of this set.
Moveset:
Fake Out
Sunny day
Protect
Explosion
Ability: Chlorophyll
Item: Focus Sash
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 atk, 252 spd, last 4 don't matter
First, Fake Out to break the opponent's sash or Protect if the opponent is also a Fake Out user (Mainly Ambipom).
The second move is dependent on the opposing pokemon and the rest of your team. Sunny day is a need-only basis. If you have a poke on your team who would benefit from Sunny Day, then by all means, set it up. Setting up Sunny Day does two things: 1) your opponent brings out their poke that benefits from sunny day And 2) Shiftry's speed is doubled due to Chlorophyll. So you will not only have your sash, you will also have your speed doubled, ready to blow up on anything.
If your team does not really need sunny day, then just explode off the bat, getting rid of those annoying Ambipoms and status spreaders right off the bat. If the Ambipom or Uxie uses U-Turn, then you have nothing to worry about (because of your sash) unless the opponent switches in something immune or incredibly resistant to your explosion. This rarely happens, again, due to the fact that you still have a full health Shiftry who is fully capable of hurting things, leading them to believe you will not explode immediately.
There are conditions for making this lead work. First, the explosion is powerful enough to destroy just about every lead save the occasional Spiritomb lead and the max physical bulky Uxie lead. Outside of that, the set is unconventional enough (as Shiftry is the only poke able to carry this set outside of Smeargle) that the opponent will likely not expect you to blow up immediately, leading them to lose fire type sweepers or lead annoyers (based on whether or not you used sunny day). This Shiftry has taken down an incredible number of Arcanines, Houndooms, and other Chlorophyll users, as well as less bulky Uxie leads and nearly every Ambipom lead.
Should the opponent be a spiritomb lead, simply switch out. It will not likely use pursuit (due to the dark typing of Shiftry), so you don't have to worry about losing your sash. Great partners in this instance are choice specs pokes. The tomb will likely WoW or trick a choice item, neither of which would be crippling to a choice specs user. Another good team mate for Shiftry is a spinner, just to preserve that sash to further insure your explosion.
Moveset:
Fake Out
Sunny day
Protect
Explosion
Ability: Chlorophyll
Item: Focus Sash
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 atk, 252 spd, last 4 don't matter
First, Fake Out to break the opponent's sash or Protect if the opponent is also a Fake Out user (Mainly Ambipom).
The second move is dependent on the opposing pokemon and the rest of your team. Sunny day is a need-only basis. If you have a poke on your team who would benefit from Sunny Day, then by all means, set it up. Setting up Sunny Day does two things: 1) your opponent brings out their poke that benefits from sunny day And 2) Shiftry's speed is doubled due to Chlorophyll. So you will not only have your sash, you will also have your speed doubled, ready to blow up on anything.
If your team does not really need sunny day, then just explode off the bat, getting rid of those annoying Ambipoms and status spreaders right off the bat. If the Ambipom or Uxie uses U-Turn, then you have nothing to worry about (because of your sash) unless the opponent switches in something immune or incredibly resistant to your explosion. This rarely happens, again, due to the fact that you still have a full health Shiftry who is fully capable of hurting things, leading them to believe you will not explode immediately.
There are conditions for making this lead work. First, the explosion is powerful enough to destroy just about every lead save the occasional Spiritomb lead and the max physical bulky Uxie lead. Outside of that, the set is unconventional enough (as Shiftry is the only poke able to carry this set outside of Smeargle) that the opponent will likely not expect you to blow up immediately, leading them to lose fire type sweepers or lead annoyers (based on whether or not you used sunny day). This Shiftry has taken down an incredible number of Arcanines, Houndooms, and other Chlorophyll users, as well as less bulky Uxie leads and nearly every Ambipom lead.
Should the opponent be a spiritomb lead, simply switch out. It will not likely use pursuit (due to the dark typing of Shiftry), so you don't have to worry about losing your sash. Great partners in this instance are choice specs pokes. The tomb will likely WoW or trick a choice item, neither of which would be crippling to a choice specs user. Another good team mate for Shiftry is a spinner, just to preserve that sash to further insure your explosion.
