Cradily
[Overview]
<p>Cradily is a strong defensive Pokemon in the VGC 2012 metagame due to it's high base defenses and its Dream World ability, Storm Drain. Storm Drain allows Cradily to absorb any single-target Water-type attacks (from both allies and opponents) and raises Cradily's Special Attack when it is triggered. Storm Drain also provides Cradily an immunity to multi-target Water-type attacks such as Surf and Water Spout. Unfortunately, Cradily has rather poor offensive stats, so it must rely on Toxic or its partner to deal damage to opposing Pokemon.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Giga Drain / Grass Knot
move 3: Hidden Power Rock / Recover
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers / Chople Berry
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set allows Cradily to withstand multiple attacks while damaging the opponent with Toxic. As Toxic does not affect Poison or Steel-type Pokemon, Cradily must have another way of dealing with those types of Pokemon. Unfortunately, Cradily cannot legally obtain both Recover and Giga Drain when it has the Storm Drain ability, so Cradily must use Grass Knot instead of Giga Drain if you choose to have Recover. Hidden Power Rock is another option, although due to Cradily's weak offensive stats it will not deal much damage, even when it is super-effective. Leftovers are used to give Cradily more sustainability, or it can use a Chople Berry to help it survive one Fighting-type attack.<p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As stated before, Cradily's main form of damage is Toxic, which does not affect Poison or Steel-type Pokemon. As such, Pokemon that can deal effectively with those kinds of Pokemon make good teammates for Cradily. Some good examples include Garchomp and Landorus. One of the few types of attacks that can hit Cradily hard are Fighting-type attacks, so Pokemon that resist Fighting and/or have the Intimidate ability are useful teammates as well. Flying-type Pokemon also resist Bug, another weakness of Cradilys, so Gyarados and Salamence are particuarly strong teammates for Cradily. When using Gyarados or other Water-type Pokmeon, however, you should be aware that any single-target Water-type attack that you use will be redirected to Cradily and not deal any damage to your opponent.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Cradily does not have a vast movepool, but it has a few other reasonable options. Cradily learns both Gastro Acid and Worry Seed, if you want to nullify either an opponents or your partners ability. Pain Split and Rest are options for healing instead of Recover, but Recover is more reliable than Pain Split and can be spammed without much drawback unlike Rest. Stockpile increases Cradily's defenses, but takes up a valuable moveslot over something that would help it deal with threats to itself and its teammate. Ingrain gives Cradily another form of recovering health, but is much too slow to be consistently effective in double battles. Cradily has the ability to run a physical set due to sharing the same base stat in both Attack and Special Attack. However the only good physical moves that it has access to with Storm Drain are Rock Slide and Earthquake.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Pokemon that are immune to Toxic and can deal significant damage to Cradily are strong counters to it, such as Metagross and Toxicroak. Hitmontop, Terrakion, and other strong Fighting-Type Pokemon are not immune to Toxic, but can OHKO or 2HKO Cradily with Close Combat before they take significant damage from the poison. Nidoking does not fear Cradily's attacks, but is slow to kill Cradily itself, so it is more of a check to Cradily than a pure counter. Pokemon with the Magic Guard ability such as Reuniclus or Pokemon that desire to be inflicted with negative statuses, like those with the Guts ability, are also effective against Cradily.</p>
