Archen

[Sledge]

Aaken
55/112/45/74/45/70
Rock / Flying
Weak-kneed - Halves all stats when 50% hp or under

Level-up moves

Lv1: Quick Attack, Lv1: Leer, Lv1: Wing Attack, Lv5: Rock Throw, Lv8: Double Team, Lv11: Scary Face, Lv15: Pluck, Lv18: AncientPower, Lv21: Agility, Lv25: [M501], Lv28: [M512], Lv31: DragonBreath, Lv35: Crunch, Lv38: Endeavor, Lv41: U-turn, Lv45: Rock Slide, Lv48: Dragon Claw, Lv51: Thrash

Egg Moves

Steel Wing
Defog
Dragon Pulse
Head Smash
Knock Off
Earth Power
Bite

TMs

TM01 - Claw Sharpen, TM02 - Dragon Claw, TM05 - Roar, TM06 - Toxic, TM10 - Hidden Power, TM12 - Taunt, TM17 - Protect, TM21 - Frustration, TM23 - Strike Down, TM26 - Earthquake, TM27 - Return, TM28 - Dig, TM32 - Double Team, TM37 - Sandstorm, TM39 - Rock Tomb, TM40 - Aerial Ace, TM41 - Torment, TM42 - Facade, TM44 - Rest, TM45 - Attract, TM48 - Troll, TM62 - Acrobat, TM65 - Shadow Claw, TM69 - Rock Polish, TM71 - Stone Edge, TM78 - Smooth Over, TM80 - Rock Slide, TM87 - Swagger, TM88 - Pluck, TM89 - U-Turn, TM90 - Substitute, TM94 - Rock Smash, HM01 - Cut

With a massive attack stat of 22 with an Adamant nature, Aaken looks to be one of the most promising LC Pokemon of the 5th gen. 70 Speed is also fairly high, letting it sweep more easily with or without a boost. It also has a pretty good offensive movepool with moves like Stone Edge, Earthquake, Agility, U-turn, Pluck, and Head Smash. But, the glaring problem with Aaken is its ability weak-kneed. This will probably greatly shorten its longevity, making it dead weight after it gets below 50%. Anyways, here are some sets that I think will be very effective:

Aaken @ Oran Berry
EVs: 76 HP / 180 Atk / 196 Spe
Nature: Adamant
~Agility
~Stone Edge
~Earthquake
~Pluck / Head Smash

This is a pretty straight foreward set, Agility to boost your speed up to 32, outpacing all Pokemon includi ones holding Choice scarf, and then sweep. STAB Stone Edge will hit like a truck, putting major dents in pretty much everything. Earthquake will provide very good coverage, hitting most Pokemon at least neutrally. Pluck is to give it some recovery outside of Oran, helping it stay above 50%. Head Smash would just be more of a last-ditch effort to do some damage if Aaken gets below 50% or is about to be.

Aaken @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 76 HP / 180 Atk / 196 Spe
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
~U-turn
~Stone Edge
~Earthquake
~Pluck / Head Smash

This set looks very similar to the last one, but the idea of it would be very different. This would be more of a scout with U-turn, as well as a revenge killer. All the moves other than U-turn function pretty much the same as the last set. I anticipate that this set will be much less potent than the last one because it will be so much easier to stop. This is because it has no recovery outside of Pluck. Aaken is SR weak, which can build up quickly, because like most chioce users, it will probably be switching a lot. It is also very vulnerable proirity, resisting 0 proirity moves, and if it gets hit by Aqua Jet or Ice Shard, Aaken is pretty much done for.

 

[Brambane]

Why has nobody posted here? Aaken is easily one of the most promising Pokemon introduced this Gen. With 22 Attack and 32 Speed after an Agility boost, this thing can decimate teams. Weak-Kneed is much less of a problem thanks to Oran Berry and potential healing from Pluck. Head Smash will put a dent in just about anything, and unless they changed it, it will activate Oran and cancel out Weak-Kneed. 55 / 45 / 45 defenses are pretty much hit 'medicore' on the head, but they are well enough to allow it to survive unbooseted neutral attacks. And, thanks to it's Rock-typing, it can take hits better under Sandstorm.

Aaken has two problems though, and that's with Bronzor (or that Bug/Steel thing with the great Defense) and priority. Bronzor utterly walls Aaken left and right, unless it uses its decent SpA and runs HP Fire or something. Priority is whats going to really hurt. Aqua Jet and Ice Shard can activate Weak-Kneed if it already ate it's Berry.

Despite these faults, Aaken is probably going to be a common face in the metagame, and one we will certainly have to watch out for.

Also, little tidbit, it does resist two priority moves: Quick Attack and ExtremeSpeed.

 

[iss]

I don't like it: Priority will kill it.

Will expand on this later.

 

[Not Scicky]

@iss: Not alot to expand on, it's weak to Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch and neutral to everything else except extremespeed and quick attack.

That's pretty brutal.

That being said he'll be very threatening to anything not carrying priority, and he's easily one of my favorite pokemon (this gen or of all time) design wise.

 

[Kannon]

the main problem with aaken is it's terrible ability and the fact that it's SR weak. This doesn't bode well for anything using u-turn as one of it's support moves. Even if you have an agility up, you're likely taking 25% from sr on the switch in and you're getting hit by something that can take you attacks, such as Bronzor. After all of that happening, you have a 11 atk/8 spe pokemon with an agility boost or a 5-6 disadvantage. It could theoretically work but it would take so much effort that even setting up a Rock Polish Cranidos would be less trouble and much, much more worthwhile.

 

[Elevator Music]

It probably won't be all that good. It'd probably be "best" as a Choice Scarfer, but because its so frail, it probably won't be too difficult to get below 50% with priority. Being weak to SR also complicates things, and if you want to abuse Uturn on the scarf set you'll have to have a way to remove SR.... and its unfortunately walled by Bronzor so you'll probably have to remove SR multiple times.

It's just really frail.......

 

[Heysup]

I think Oran Agility would be pretty good. It keeps its health high while also boosting its already great Speed.

I'd actually consider a Choice Band set as well. CB U-turn does (40.00% - 48.00%) to 25/17 Bronzor, meaning something else can come in and threaten to KO it. It even has a fair chance to 3HKO with Oran Berry. CB Stone Edge does the same amount of damage, and Head Smash does (60.00% - 72.00%). You could U-turn out the first switch in, Pluck the second one, and then just KO it.

 

[TorchicBlaziken]

Wow, that is high attack for Little Cup.

 

[Lucindril]

Wow, that is high attack for Little Cup.

If Aaken's Attack gives you a fright, just look at Cranidos.

 

[lumpor]

You could try the first set, but instead of stone edge use head smash, and instead of pluck use acrobat (if it can learn it, I'm not that aware of little cup mechanics).

Either with head smash or just an enemy attack, you will most likely consume your oran berry quite quickly. Then acrobat and head smash everything that moves.

 

[Darkamber8828]

Slaking syndrome really hit this thing hard.

This thing will be a lot better if Juice gets banned, what with Plucking Oran Berries and all.

...I guess Claw Sharpen won't work at all?

 

[amphouse]

If it gets acrobat, then I would use the acrobat + sky gem combo.

"Confirmed Acrobat's power doubles if user is not holding an item. If the user is holding a Sky Jewel, it will be consumed first, and Acrobat will get the no-item boost in addition to the Sky Jewel boost. (Team Rocket Elite, #2)"

That is a lot of damage first turn, and you will be able to use acrobat at double power for the rest of the match.

 

[SupremeDirt]

Yeah, Acrobat is simply an amazing move. I mean, outside little cup, SD/Sleep Powder/Seed Bomb/Acrobat Jumpluff destroys things, so in Little Cup it will be doing massive amounts of damage. As far as I can see, it is Aaken's strongest non-Head Smash option.

 

[Niched]

The problem with weak kneed would be solved somewhat by oran berry, and the berry being gone would boost Aaken's Acrobat... Looks good. Not jumpluff good, but still good.

Just a note about stat jumps:
Aaken -> Aakeosu's Speed goes up 42 Points.
Zoroa -> Zoroark's SA goes up 60 points.
Shroomish -> Breloom's attack goes up 90 points!

 

[Darkamber8828]

If it gets acrobat, then I would use the acrobat + sky gem combo.

"Confirmed Acrobat's power doubles if user is not holding an item. If the user is holding a Sky Jewel, it will be consumed first, and Acrobat will get the no-item boost in addition to the Sky Jewel boost. (Team Rocket Elite, #2)"

That is a lot of damage first turn, and you will be able to use acrobat at double power for the rest of the match.

I disgree. You would be able to use full-power Acrobat for 0-1 more turns. Aaken really, really wants Oran Berry to deal with priority.

pokemon switched out!
pokemon2 was switched in!
Aaken used agility!
pokemon2 used priority attack!

Scenario 1:

Sky Jewel

Aaken took <50%!
Aaken used Acrobat
pokemon2 took 2X damage

or

Oran Berry

Aaken took <50%!
Aaken used other move
Pokemon took X damage

Aaken took more damage, oran activated
Aaken used move, pokemon took X damage

2x (or is it 1.5X?)=2x. Likely, a new pokemon will switch in, and you can take the hit and deal .5X more damage before dying, with Oran. Oran>Sky Jewel.

Scenario 2

Sky Jewel

Aaken took >50%!
Aaken used Acrobat
pokemon2 took X damage (or is it .75x damage?)
Pokemon2 either fainted, and you get revenged, or survived and killed you next turn.

or

Aaken took >50%!
Oran Berry activated
Aaken used Acrobat
pokemon2 took X damage
next turn, pokemon 2 took .5 damage

X<1.5X
Also, .75X<1.5X

Oran is still better.

And let's not talk about if the switch-in resists Acrobat.

Conclusion: Oran Berry is better.

 

[Destiny Warrior]

You can't spam Acrobat everywhere. Aaken needs a team built around it. Acrobat + Flight Jewel gives it a great option for hitting ojofuu on the predicted switch in before it can murder you.

 

[lazerfreak8]

Aaken @ Oran Berry
EVs: 76 HP / 180 Atk / 196 Spe
Nature: Adamant
~Agility
~Stone Edge
~Earthquake
~Pluck / Head Smash

This is a pretty straight foreward set, Agility to boost your speed up to 32, outpacing all Pokemon includi ones holding Choice scarf, and then sweep. STAB Stone Edge will hit like a truck, putting major dents in pretty much everything. Earthquake will provide very good coverage, hitting most Pokemon at least neutrally. Pluck is to give it some recovery outside of Oran, helping it stay above 50%. Head Smash would just be more of a last-ditch effort to do some damage if Aaken gets below 50% or is about to be.

why oran? sitrus heals twice as much!

 

[~Yadoking~]

^ Err... Sitrus heals 25%, in little cup 10 HP is like, 50%
soo...

 

[Banryu]

...hm. How viable is Wish in LC? I've never seen it, but... even with SR in play here, Wish has potential to keep it above the 50% mark, doesn't it?

 

[LudwiG]

It might not be the best option, but quick attack should at least be mentioned.

 

[TickingSeedotBomb]

Hmm... If Aaken got some form of better priority like Aqua Jet he'd be amazing! I mean he's in the water 3 egg group for Christ's sake!

 

[Green Thunder]

Hmm... If Aaken got some form of better priority like Aqua Jet he'd be amazing! I mean he's in the water 3 egg group for Christ's sake!

Errrr...are you sure your not thinking about the turtle...

@lazerfreak:sitrus berries only heal 30 in the mystery dungeon games(I think it's 30) the sitrus berry has always healed 25% in the main series...

 

[amphouse]

Sitrus restores all of your health in Pokemon mystery dungeon.

 

[tawp64]

Troll Freak....I'll let you off the hook if you give it DDance atleast by 6th gen. Or event. Either way, go work on that.

 

[TickingSeedotBomb]

Errrr...are you sure your not thinking about the turtle...

@lazerfreak:sitrus berries only heal 30 in the mystery dungeon games(I think it's 30) the sitrus berry has always healed 25% in the main series...

Nope. Aaken is in the Water 3 group also. unless serebii is wrong.