Overview
########
Goldeen's ability Lightningrod alongside its Water typing lets it handle several Electric-types such as Magnemite, Chinchou, and Elekid incredibly well. It's one of the best Volt Switch stoppers in the metagame; not only is it immune to Volt Switch, but it also resists many common coverage moves carried by Electric-types and can threaten them back with Drill Run. Goldeen also has a wide variety of coverage options to take advantage of its good Attack and Speed with, such as Knock Off, Poison Jab, and Megahorn. However, Goldeen is prone to being worn down quickly by entry hazards, Life Orb recoil, and switching into resisted hits, limiting its time on the battlefield. Despite this, Goldeen is still a fairly effective hard stop to Volt Switch users.
Physical Attacker
########
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Drill Run
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Poison Jab / Megahorn
ability: Lightningrod
item: Life Orb / Eviolite
evs: 220 Atk / 36 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 9 HP
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Waterfall is a hard-hitting STAB move and is Goldeen's best option for breaking past bulky foes. Drill Run is a very important coverage move, as it threatens Electric-types such as Magnemite and Chinchou. Knock Off cripples bulky switch-ins to Goldeen, such as Foongus and Ferroseed. Poison Jab allows Goldeen to OHKO Cottonee and 2HKO Spritzee after Stealth Rock damage; however, Megahorn is an option to hit most Grass-types harder than Goldeen's other moves.
Set Details
========
Goldeen's Attack and Speed EVs are maximized, allowing it to hit as hard and fast as possible. A Jolly nature is used so that Goldeen can hit 17 Speed. The remaining EVs give Goldeen a point in Special Defense to let it check special attackers better, especially Electric-types such as Magnemite and Chinchou. A Life Orb is the preferred item to maximize Goldeen's damage output. Using 0 HP IVs lowers Goldeen's HP to 19, so it only takes 1 damage from Life Orb recoil. Eviolite can be used instead to boost Goldeen's defenses, giving it more bulk and opportunities to switch in at the cost of some firepower. If using Eviolite, the HP IVs can be set to 31. The ability, Lightningrod, is the main reason Goldeen has a niche; it turns Goldeen from just another mediocre Water-type to one of the best Electric-type counters in the metagame.
Usage Tips
========
Goldeen should be sent in on Electric-types, as it hard walls them thanks to Lightningrod. Goldeen can destroy most Electric-types one-on-one with Drill Run, but keep in mind that Electric-types without Hidden Power Grass are likely going to switch out of Goldeen anyway. Use this opportunity to predict the switch; Knock Off is a good catch-all move, removing the foe's item.
Team Options
========
Goldeen is quite prone to being worn down quickly due to the amount of switching it does, as well as Life Orb recoil. Therefore, teammates that can remove entry hazards, such as Archen and Vullaby, are appreciated. In turn, Goldeen can handle Electric-types for these Pokemon. Fire-types such as Ponyta, Larvesta, and Vulpix make for good teammates, as they can easily break through Grass-types for Goldeen. Any Pokemon that appreciates a solid switch-in for Electric-types will enjoy having Goldeen as a partner; this includes nearly all Flying- and Water-types. Be sure to have a solid answer to Grass-types if pairing Goldeen with another Water-type. Clerics such as Spritzee and Lickitung pair well with Goldeen, as Goldeen hates all forms of status and often risks being burned by switching into Chinchou's Scald.
Other Options
########
Aqua Tail is a more powerful option over Waterfall, giving Goldeen a better shot at muscling past bulkier foes, but it comes at the cost of some accuracy. Bounce, despite being easily played around, hits Fighting-types and Foongus harder than any of Goldeen's other moves and discourages them from switching into Goldeen. A mixed or special attacking set is an option to take advantage of Special Attack boosts from Lightningrod. For example, a +1 Ice Beam hits many Grass-types harder than Megahorn or Poison Jab. However, these sets tend to be over-reliant on receiving boosts due to Goldeen's measly base 35 Special Attack. Hidden Power Fire can be run to hit Ferroseed, which doesn't really care about any of Goldeen's other attacks. However, it's still an incredibly weak move, struggling to 2HKO without significant investment and a Special Attack boost from Lightningrod. A Swift Swim set is an option, but it's mostly outclassed by other Swift Swim users, and running Swift Swim means giving up Lightningrod, which is one of Goldeen's defining traits.
Checks & Counters
########
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Ferroseed and Foongus can easily tank most of Goldeen's attacks and threaten back with their STAB moves. Foongus risks being 2HKOed by a Life Orb-boosted Knock Off followed by Megahorn, however.
**Status**: Although Goldeen does sport a useful immunity to Thunder Wave, it is still quite vulnerable to other forms of status, such as burn, sleep, and paralysis from non-Electric-type attacks, as they will all severely hamper Goldeen's offensive presence.
**Residual Damage**: Goldeen tends to get worn down quickly from switching into attacks, and its lack of reliable recovery doesn't help. The presence of entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes can further reduce its longevity.
Last edited: