Overview
########
Cottonee's ability, Prankster, gives all of its status moves priority, making it an excellent supporter and pivot with moves such as Encore, Memento, Stun Spore, and Taunt. Cottonee also sports a useful Grass / Fairy typing, which gives it six resistances and one immunity, meaning it has ample opportunities to switch into a resisted hit and lock the foe into the move with Encore. However, Cottonee's typing also gives it quite a few weaknesses, including a nasty 4x weakness to Poison. Despite Cottonee's secondary Fairy typing, it's a shaky Fighting-type switch-in at best, as Timburr often runs Poison Jab, Pancham usually runs Gunk Shot, and Mienfoo can just U-turn out. It also can't do much to opposing Grass-types, such as Foongus and Ferroseed.
Utility
########
name: Utility
move 1: Encore
move 2: Memento
move 3: Taunt / Knock Off / Stun Spore
move 4: Dazzling Gleam / Giga Drain / Stun Spore
ability: Prankster
item: Eviolite
evs: 116 HP / 196 Def / 196 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
========
With +1 priority thanks to Prankster, Encore is incredibly useful, locking opposing Pokemon into resisted, support, or setup moves. Memento halves the foe's attacking stats, paving the way for a teammate to come in, set up easily, and sweep. Taunt is useful to prevent opposing Pokemon from setting up entry hazards. Despite Cottonee's low Attack, Knock Off is useful to remove a foe's item and is the only worthwhile option Cottonee has against Foongus, which is a common switch-in. Stun Spore is an option to cripple common switch-ins to Cottonee such as Ponyta and Pawniard. The move is also useful versus opposing setup sweepers; if you switch in and they opt not to boost, you can still cripple them with paralysis. Dazzling Gleam gives Cottonee a reliable STAB move and is helpful to check Fighting-types. Alternatively, Giga Drain lets Cottonee check Water- and Ground-types much better and provides it with some healing as well.
Set Details
========
The EV spread and nature let Cottonee hit even numbers in defenses, making the best use of the 1.5x boost that Eviolite provides. The rest of the EVs go in HP to improve Cottonee's bulk. Prankster gives all of Cottonee's status moves +1 priority, making great use of its support capabilities.
Usage Tips
========
Take advantage of Cottonee's many resistances to find a switch-in opportunity, then lock the foe into a resisted hit with Encore. Opposing support Pokemon or setup sweepers can easily be taken advantage of with Encore or Taunt. Be wary of Encoring Spikes, however, as this only leads to more entry hazards being set up on your side of the field. Cripple switch-ins with Knock Off or Stun Spore. Use Memento to cripple the foe when your team's setup sweeper has an opportunity to heavily damage the opposing team, or when Cottonee is running low on health. Be careful if your opponent has Pawniard, however, as Memento will boost its Attack due to Defiant.
Team Options
========
Powerful setup sweepers, namely Zigzagoon, but also Fletchling, Omanyte, and Scraggy, are Cottonee's best partners because they greatly enjoy Memento support, which lets them set up more easily. Pokemon that can handle Foongus for Cottonee, such as Vullaby and Ferroseed, make for good partners. Fire-types such as Ponyta and Larvesta make for good partners, as they can easily handle Grass- and Steel-types for Cottonee. Pokemon that can cover Cottonee's weaknesses, such as Pawniard, Chinchou, and Archen, also make for great teammates.
Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Dazzling Gleam / Giga Drain
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting / Giga Drain
move 3: Encore
move 4: Memento / Stun Spore / Taunt
ability: Prankster
item: Eviolite
evs: 224 SpA / 40 SpD / 232 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Dazzling Gleam is an excellent STAB move, hitting Fighting- and Dark-types quite hard. Giga Drain allows Cottonee to check Water- and Ground-types, such as Seel and Drilbur, respectively, much better and provides it with some much-needed healing. Hidden Power Fighting prevents Pawniard from getting a free switch-in, OHKOing non-Eviolite Pawniard and OHKOing standard Eviolite Pawniard after a Dazzling Gleam. Encore is a must on any Cottonee set, as it allows Cottonee to lock the foe into a non-damaging move and force a switch. Memento is useful to heavily cripple the foe and provide a teammate with a setup opportunity. Stun Spore lets Cottonee paralyze and cripple common switch-ins. Taunt prevents the foe from setting up entry hazards, using a status move, or setting up.
Set Details
========
The EVs and nature let Cottonee hit 17 Speed, allowing it to outspeed standard Eviolite Pawniard and hit it hard with Hidden Power Fighting. This also allows it to Encore certain priority users, such as Fletchling, without worrying about Acrobatics. The remaining EVs go in Special Attack to increase its damage output and Special Defense so that it hits even numbers for Eviolite. Prankster gives Encore, Memento, Stun Spore, and Taunt priority.
Usage Tips
========
Prankster Encore allows Cottonee to come in on a setup move or a resisted hit and lock the foe into it. Cottonee's 17 Speed gives it good revenge killing potential. With some prior damage, Cottonee can outspeed and KO several Fighting-types with Dazzling Gleam, Pawniard with Hidden Power Fighting, and Water-types such as Chinchou if Cottonee runs Giga Drain. Despite this set's offensive nature, Cottonee is still an effective team supporter thanks to Prankster and moves such as Memento and Stun Spore.
Team Options
========
Cottonee works well with teammates that can cover its weaknesses. Pawniard, for example, covers Cottonee's weaknesses to Flying, Poison, Ice, and Steel, while Cottonee in turn covers Pawniard's weaknesses to Fighting and Ground. Cottonee will likely be doing a good bit of switching in and out throughout the match, so entry hazard removal is beneficial to ensure it doesn't get worn down. Archen provides Defog support and does a particularly good job covering Cottonee's weaknesses, resisting Fire, Flying, and Poison, while Cottonee in turn covers Archen's Electric and Water weaknesses. Fire-types such as Ponyta and Larvesta make for good partners, as they can easily handle Grass- and Steel-types for Cottonee. If running Memento, a setup sweeper such as Zigzagoon makes for a good partner to take advantage of the setup opportunity.
Other Options
########
Leech Seed is an option to get chip damage and wear down the foe and can be used in tandem with Substitute or Protect to make Cottonee quite difficult to take down. Toxic is an option to wear down bulky foes such as Porygon. Switcheroo can be used alongside a Choice item to cripple an opposing wall permanently. Sunny Day can be used alongside Heat Rock and possibly Solar Beam, but Vulpix is usually a better sun setter. Tailwind is a support option, allowing a slow, powerful teammate a chance to sweep. Grass Whistle is an option to put the target to sleep, but its accuracy is awful. Cotton Guard boosts Cottonee's Defense by three stages, but Cottonee's lack of reliable recovery makes this a subpar option. Tickle, Fake Tears, and Cotton Spore are all options to lower a foe's stats, providing setup opportunities for teammates; however, this is usually done better by Memento to keep momentum on your team's side. Nature Power gets priority thanks to Prankster and can be used on the offensive set to pick off weakened priority users such as Fletchling. Life Orb is an option on the offensive set for additional power, but Eviolite's boost to defenses is usually preferred.
Checks and Counters
########
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Ferroseed and Foongus resist Cottonee's STAB combination, are immune to Stun Spore and Leech Seed, and can threaten to KO Cottonee with their Steel-type and Poison-type attacks, respectively.
**Flying-types**: Fletchling can deal heavy damage with Acrobatics, although it doesn't particularly enjoy switching into Stun Spore. Vullaby is immune to Stun Spore and can threaten Cottonee with Brave Bird, but it will take a good chunk of damage if it switches into Dazzling Gleam.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Gastly, Trubbish, and Stunky can easily force Cottonee out with their STAB attacks.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Pawniard and Magnemite fare quite well against Cottonee and can hit it hard with their Steel-type attacks. Pawniard gains a boost from Cottonee's Memento thanks to Defiant, and Magnemite is immune to Stun Spore thanks to its Electric typing.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Ponyta and Larvesta resist Cottonee's STAB combination and can threaten Cottonee with Flare Blitz, though they don't enjoy switching into Stun Spore. Larvesta can also opt to use U-turn and gain further momentum if Cottonee switches out.
**Spritzee**: Spritzee is too bulky for Cottonee to KO, doesn't mind Stun Spore thanks to Aromatherapy, and can't be Encored thanks to Aroma Veil.
Last edited:
