Hi C&C, I am taking over this analysis for UltimateKirbyFan, who originally posted the analysis here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81235
It has already passed QC, so I got permission from him to write it up. His analysis can be moved to L&O.
Our convo on Skype (I replaced out real names with our Smogon usernames):
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/pichu
[Overview]
<p>Pichu is an extremely outclassed Pokemon; like its big brother Pikachu, Pichu has horrid stats at first glance, but it isn't completely useless. Its Speed reaches a stat of 16, allowing it to outspeed common Pokemon who sit at the 15 Speed stat benchmark. Don't be fooled by all its cuteness, Pichu is a Pokemon that an opponent should think twice about before reacting.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Volt Tackle
move 2: ThunderPunch / Toxic
move 3: Return
move 4: Iron Tail
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 118 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pichu is not very powerful, but this set attempts to remedy this problem by boosting Pichu's Attack stat with Choice Band. Volt Tackle is Pichu's most powerful STAB attack, and should be used early in the game to hit opponents hard, though the recoil damage is a turn-off. ThunderPunch is a reliable STAB attack with no recoil damage, though it is fairly weak. Toxic can be used instead of ThunderPunch to cripple an incoming wall such as Gligar, who would otherwise completely wall Pichu. Return provides good neutral coverage, and hits Pokemon who resist Electric hard. Iron Tail allows Pichu to hurt bulky Rock-type Pokemon such as Onix, but does not have much utility outside of that.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pichu greatly appreciates the extra power gained from Choice Band, which turns 3HKOs into 2HKOs. Pichu can also hold a Choice Scarf, boosting its Speed to 24, meaning it can outspeed all un-Scarfed Pokemon, as well as Scarfed Pokemon who sit at 15 Speed. While an Adamant nature is tempting to use, Pichu will almost always benefit more from the extra Speed that Jolly provides, allowing it to outspeed and get the all-important first strike on certain Pokemon such as Mantyke. The EV spread maximizes Pichu's most important stats, Attack and Speed, while the remaining EVs are dumped into HP, allowing Pichu to take more recoil damage, as well as increasing its bulk slightly.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Volt Tackle
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Return
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty
evs: 36 HP / 200 Atk / 76 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Life Orb, Pichu still receives the boost in power, while also retaining the freedom to switch moves. Volt Tackle is Pichu's most powerful STAB attack, with a downside of recoil damage. Thunderbolt is used over ThunderPunch due to its higher Base Power, and hits most Pokemon harder. Return provides decent neutral coverage, and is relatively powerful. Finally, Hidden Power Ice hits Ground- and Grass-types for super effective damage, who would otherwise easily switch in and force Pichu out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Volt Tackle is Pichu's strongest attack, it is also a physical move, therefore most of Pichu's EVs are invested into Attack, to allow Pichu to hit as hard as possible. However, EVs can be shifted as you see fit from Attack to Special Attack so that Pichu can hit harder with Thunderbolt and Hidden Power. Maximum Speed with a Hasty nature should always be used to outspeed common Pokemon who sit at 15 Speed and below.</p>
[SET]
name: Encore
move 1: Encore
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 236 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pichu is the only Electric-type in the tier who has access to Encore, and is one of the only support moves Pichu can make good use of. Encore allows Pichu to force switches and scout; Pichu can Encore a non-damaging move, then set up a Substitute as they switch, before hitting the switch-in with the correct move. Thunderbolt is Pichu's main attack, and will be hurting most Pokemon who don't resist it. Hidden Power Ice complements Thunderbolt well, forming the infamous BoltBeam combination, in which no Pokemon in the tier resists bar Magnemite and Chinchou.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Pichu's Special Attack and Speed stats, while increasing its HP by one point, allowing it to create four Substitutes. Pichu can utilize its Attack stat if you wish, opting for ThunderPunch and Return instead of Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice, though this is not recommended because it offers worse coverage and a weaker STAB attack. If a physical set is used, the EV spread should be 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe. Pichu greatly benefits from paralysis support, allowing it to come in on a non-damaging move from a Pokemon who would normally be faster than it and force them out. A good teammate is Nosepass, who has the bulk to spread paralysis throughout the opponent's team, while also being able to set up Stealth Rock, which is invaluable as Pichu will be forcing switches often. Note that both Pokemon are weak to Ground-type attacks, so a Pokemon such as Mantyke, who can switch in freely and fend off Ground-type Pokemon, will be helpful.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bronzor and Nosepass are good teammates who can greatly benefit Pichu, both being able to set up Stealth Rock, while the former is immune to Pichu's only weakness, and the latter can spread paralysis throughout the opposing team. Choice Scarf Gligar is also a good teammate, being able to comfortably switch into Earthquake, as well as scouting the opponent's switches with U-turn, thus gaining momentum for your team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Pichu doesn't have many other options, but a special set utilizing either Choice Specs or Nasty Plot could work. Unfortunately, Pichu would probably be knocked out by the opposing Pokemon before it even had a chance to Nasty Plot. Pichu can also work as a lead, with a set of Fake Out / Encore / Thunderbolt / Protect, it's able to break the Focus Sash of leads, as well as force switches by using Encore on support moves such as Stealth Rock, which many common leads carry.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Priority moves are Pichu's worse nightmare, allowing slower Pokemon to attack and often knock out Pichu before it has a chance to retaliate. Common users are Dratini who carry ExtremeSpeed and Croagunk who carry Fake Out, Sucker Punch, and Vacuum Wave. Chinchou is another good counter, gaining health from Electric-type attacks thanks to Volt Absorb, taking pitiful damage from Pichu's other attacks, while being able to set up Agility before defeating Pichu. Finally, any Pokemon who outspeeds Pichu can be considered a counter, Pichu is so frail that most attacks will take a good chunk away from its health. Pichu relies on outspeeding opponents, so when Pichu is slower, it will almost always lose.</p>
It has already passed QC, so I got permission from him to write it up. His analysis can be moved to L&O.
Our convo on Skype (I replaced out real names with our Smogon usernames):
[01/02/2011 9:54:48 AM] ShinyAzelf: And are you finishing Pichu?
[01/02/2011 9:54:55 AM] ShinyAzelf: I'll write it up for you if you're not working on it
[01/02/2011 10:00:45 AM] UltimateKirbyFan: no
[01/02/2011 10:00:54 AM] UltimateKirbyFan: you can write it
[01/02/2011 10:36:39 AM] ShinyAzelf: Oh okay
[01/02/2011 10:36:41 AM] ShinyAzelf: Thanks
[01/02/2011 9:54:55 AM] ShinyAzelf: I'll write it up for you if you're not working on it
[01/02/2011 10:00:45 AM] UltimateKirbyFan: no
[01/02/2011 10:00:54 AM] UltimateKirbyFan: you can write it
[01/02/2011 10:36:39 AM] ShinyAzelf: Oh okay
[01/02/2011 10:36:41 AM] ShinyAzelf: Thanks
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/pichu
[Overview]
<p>Pichu is an extremely outclassed Pokemon; like its big brother Pikachu, Pichu has horrid stats at first glance, but it isn't completely useless. Its Speed reaches a stat of 16, allowing it to outspeed common Pokemon who sit at the 15 Speed stat benchmark. Don't be fooled by all its cuteness, Pichu is a Pokemon that an opponent should think twice about before reacting.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Volt Tackle
move 2: ThunderPunch / Toxic
move 3: Return
move 4: Iron Tail
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 118 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pichu is not very powerful, but this set attempts to remedy this problem by boosting Pichu's Attack stat with Choice Band. Volt Tackle is Pichu's most powerful STAB attack, and should be used early in the game to hit opponents hard, though the recoil damage is a turn-off. ThunderPunch is a reliable STAB attack with no recoil damage, though it is fairly weak. Toxic can be used instead of ThunderPunch to cripple an incoming wall such as Gligar, who would otherwise completely wall Pichu. Return provides good neutral coverage, and hits Pokemon who resist Electric hard. Iron Tail allows Pichu to hurt bulky Rock-type Pokemon such as Onix, but does not have much utility outside of that.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pichu greatly appreciates the extra power gained from Choice Band, which turns 3HKOs into 2HKOs. Pichu can also hold a Choice Scarf, boosting its Speed to 24, meaning it can outspeed all un-Scarfed Pokemon, as well as Scarfed Pokemon who sit at 15 Speed. While an Adamant nature is tempting to use, Pichu will almost always benefit more from the extra Speed that Jolly provides, allowing it to outspeed and get the all-important first strike on certain Pokemon such as Mantyke. The EV spread maximizes Pichu's most important stats, Attack and Speed, while the remaining EVs are dumped into HP, allowing Pichu to take more recoil damage, as well as increasing its bulk slightly.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Volt Tackle
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Return
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty
evs: 36 HP / 200 Atk / 76 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Life Orb, Pichu still receives the boost in power, while also retaining the freedom to switch moves. Volt Tackle is Pichu's most powerful STAB attack, with a downside of recoil damage. Thunderbolt is used over ThunderPunch due to its higher Base Power, and hits most Pokemon harder. Return provides decent neutral coverage, and is relatively powerful. Finally, Hidden Power Ice hits Ground- and Grass-types for super effective damage, who would otherwise easily switch in and force Pichu out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Volt Tackle is Pichu's strongest attack, it is also a physical move, therefore most of Pichu's EVs are invested into Attack, to allow Pichu to hit as hard as possible. However, EVs can be shifted as you see fit from Attack to Special Attack so that Pichu can hit harder with Thunderbolt and Hidden Power. Maximum Speed with a Hasty nature should always be used to outspeed common Pokemon who sit at 15 Speed and below.</p>
[SET]
name: Encore
move 1: Encore
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 236 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pichu is the only Electric-type in the tier who has access to Encore, and is one of the only support moves Pichu can make good use of. Encore allows Pichu to force switches and scout; Pichu can Encore a non-damaging move, then set up a Substitute as they switch, before hitting the switch-in with the correct move. Thunderbolt is Pichu's main attack, and will be hurting most Pokemon who don't resist it. Hidden Power Ice complements Thunderbolt well, forming the infamous BoltBeam combination, in which no Pokemon in the tier resists bar Magnemite and Chinchou.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Pichu's Special Attack and Speed stats, while increasing its HP by one point, allowing it to create four Substitutes. Pichu can utilize its Attack stat if you wish, opting for ThunderPunch and Return instead of Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice, though this is not recommended because it offers worse coverage and a weaker STAB attack. If a physical set is used, the EV spread should be 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe. Pichu greatly benefits from paralysis support, allowing it to come in on a non-damaging move from a Pokemon who would normally be faster than it and force them out. A good teammate is Nosepass, who has the bulk to spread paralysis throughout the opponent's team, while also being able to set up Stealth Rock, which is invaluable as Pichu will be forcing switches often. Note that both Pokemon are weak to Ground-type attacks, so a Pokemon such as Mantyke, who can switch in freely and fend off Ground-type Pokemon, will be helpful.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bronzor and Nosepass are good teammates who can greatly benefit Pichu, both being able to set up Stealth Rock, while the former is immune to Pichu's only weakness, and the latter can spread paralysis throughout the opposing team. Choice Scarf Gligar is also a good teammate, being able to comfortably switch into Earthquake, as well as scouting the opponent's switches with U-turn, thus gaining momentum for your team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Pichu doesn't have many other options, but a special set utilizing either Choice Specs or Nasty Plot could work. Unfortunately, Pichu would probably be knocked out by the opposing Pokemon before it even had a chance to Nasty Plot. Pichu can also work as a lead, with a set of Fake Out / Encore / Thunderbolt / Protect, it's able to break the Focus Sash of leads, as well as force switches by using Encore on support moves such as Stealth Rock, which many common leads carry.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Priority moves are Pichu's worse nightmare, allowing slower Pokemon to attack and often knock out Pichu before it has a chance to retaliate. Common users are Dratini who carry ExtremeSpeed and Croagunk who carry Fake Out, Sucker Punch, and Vacuum Wave. Chinchou is another good counter, gaining health from Electric-type attacks thanks to Volt Absorb, taking pitiful damage from Pichu's other attacks, while being able to set up Agility before defeating Pichu. Finally, any Pokemon who outspeeds Pichu can be considered a counter, Pichu is so frail that most attacks will take a good chunk away from its health. Pichu relies on outspeeding opponents, so when Pichu is slower, it will almost always lose.</p>
