[OVERVIEW]
Hitmonlee has a big presence in RU thanks to its solid 120 Attack stat and the great combination of Reckless and High Jump Kick as well as a bunch of cool moves including Knock Off and Rapid Spin. Hitmonlee also has another useful ability in Unburden along with two solid priority moves in Mach Punch and Sucker Punch, and a high Special Defense. However, Hitmonlee has an average 87 Speed and low HP and Defense, meaning that it can be easily stopped by common Pokemon such as Aromatisse, Togetic, Golbat, and Amoonguss.
[SET]
name: Reckless
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Mach Punch / Sucker Punch
move 4: Rapid Spin
ability: Reckless
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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High Jump Kick is Hitmonlee's best STAB move, OHKOing a lot of bulky Pokemon, such as Escavalier, thanks to the boosts from Reckless and Life Orb. Knock Off is a great coverage move that can deal with Ghost- and Psychic-types and also cripples a lot of Pokemon, such as Golbat and Togetic, by removing their items. Mach Punch is a nice STAB priority move that can revenge kill a weakened Cobalion or Tyrantrum, and Sucker Punch can be used to surprise threats, such as Meloetta, Fletchinder, and Delphox, alongside Knock Off. Rapid Spin removes entry hazards from Hitmonlee's side of the field. Alternatively, Stone Edge can be used to hit Golbat, while Poison Jab is an option to hit Fairy-types, such as Aromatisse and Togetic, on the switch.
Set Details
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With maximum Attack and Speed EVs, Hitmonlee hits hard and fast with the remaining 4 EVs put in Defense. An Adamant nature provides more power, specifically letting Hitmonlee always OHKO Druddigon and Escavalier, but Jolly can be used to outspeed Braviary, Kabutops, and Rotom-C, along with opposing Adamant Hitmonlee. Reckless powers up High Jump Kick and Life Orb lets Hitmonlee do more damage.
Usage Tips
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Beware of using High Jump Kick if the opponent has a Ghost-type or may have Protect, as Hitmonlee will lose 50% of its health in these cases, though you can safely spam High Jump Kick if they don't. You should try to use Knock Off on Ghost-types and Protect users, though it can be easily spammed in general to remove items and hurt Ghost-types, especially considering Hitmonlee's checks, such as Golbat, rely on their items. Rapid Spin can be used to remove hazards when needed, and Hitmonlee can be saved to revenge kill some Pokemon, such as Swords Dance Cobalion, with its priority moves.
Team Options
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Hitmonlee appreciates having entry hazard support because it forces a lot of switches, so Omastar, Accelgor, Crustle, and Qwilfish are nice teammates to have. Poison-types like Drapion and Steel-types such as Escavalier and Durant can be used to deal with Fairy-types such as Aromatisse and Togetic. Grass-types, such as Virizion and Tangrowth, can take on Alomomola, which can be a threatening check for Hitmonlee. Pokemon that appreciate having entry hazards removed by Hitmonlee's Rapid Spin are also nice teammates to have; some of these Pokemon include Fletchinder, Houndoom, and Mega Glalie.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Close Combat / Rapid Spin
ability: Reckless
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hitmonlee hits really hard with Reckless High Jump Kick. Knock Off hits Ghost- and Psychic-types that don't care about High Jump Kick and can be used to revenge kill some of them, such as Delphox, or to remove Golbat's Eviolite on the switch. Stone Edge deals with Golbat, which doesn't care much about the other two moves. Close Combat can be used to late-game clean safely without risking High Jump Kick's chance to miss, and Rapid Spin can be used to remove entry hazards, though you won't want to get locked into it very often.
Set Details
========
Choice Scarf boosts Hitmonlee's average Speed and outspeeds some fast Pokemon, such as Delphox and even Jolteon, even with an Adamant nature, allowing it to perform really well as a revenge killer. Jolly is used over Adamant to outspeed Choice Scarf Braviary and Rotom-C, but the power given by an Adamant nature can be appreciated, too.
Usage Tips
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This set lets Hitmonlee function as a revenge killer for threats such as Delphox and a late-game cleaner once the opposing team is weakened enough. Avoid using High Jump Kick if the opponent has a Ghost-type or may use Protect, as Hitmonlee will lose half of its HP along with a lot of momentum, so go with Knock Off if you predict a Ghost-type coming in. Also, don't use Rapid Spin unless you're facing something that Hitmonlee forces to switch out and the foe lacks a Ghost-type.
Team Options
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Omastar, Accelgor, Crustle, and Qwilfish can provide Hitmonlee with the entry hazard support that takes its switch-forcing game to the next level. Psychic-types including Delphox and Meloetta can take on Poison-types such as Golbat as well as Aromatisse, though Drapion and Skuntank are immune to Psychic-type attacks, so having a Ground-type on your team such as Rhyperior that can take on those is also a good idea. Having wallbreakers such as Life Orb Druddigon and Exploud is also cool, as they weaken the opposing team, allowing Hitmonlee to late-game clean more reliably.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Hitmonlee can run two Unburden sets; one takes advantage of Endure, Liechi Berry, and Reversal, and the second, albeit less useful, set uses Fake Out and a Normal Gem. Double-Edge can work well with Reckless to 2HKO Aromatisse and Amonguss after Stealth Rock, though the recoil wears down Hitmonlee too quickly. Earthquake hits some Poison-types such as Garbodor and Qwilfish, and Blaze Kick can be used for Amoonguss. Hitmonlee can also use a Choice Band, which lets it hit really hard; however, it won't be able to switch moves.
Checks and Counters
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**Fighting-type Resistances**: Pokemon that can reliably tank Hitmonlee's STAB moves and other attacks include Qwilfish, Aromatisse, Togetic, Granbull, Amoonguss, and Garbodor. However, Ghost-types, such as Jellicent, and NFE Pokemon that hold Eviolite, such as Togetic and Golbat, all detest Knock Off; the latter also dislikes Stealth Rock.
**Protect Users**: Protect Users can Protect against a predicted High Jump Kick and cause Hitmonlee to lose half of its HP; Alomomola is a great Protect user.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon, especially physical attackers, can easily revenge kill Hitmonlee because of its low Defense stat, though they should be wary of its priority moves and Choice Scarf set.
**Spiritomb**: Spiritomb is immune to High Jump Kick, Mach Punch, Reversal, and Rapid Spin, and it doesn't care about Knock Off much; it also threatens Hitmonlee with Will-O-Wisp.
**Priority**: Priority attacks such as Fletchinder's Acrobatics can take down Hitmonlee easily because of its low Defense stat.
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