Jirachi (Full Revamp) [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

Jukain

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I got this written, so it is ready for that last QC approval / any final concerns before GP.

I tried my best to be concise; the on-site analysis a bit overdone in some places.

AG EDIT: =(

EDIT: oh sorry man D:
 

AccidentalGreed

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I know you gotta go soon, so after you order the sets, just mention dual screens and Cosmic Power and Refresh in OO, since in theory those are okay strategies to use.
 

Jukain

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alright mentioned the OO stuff and changed the set order like we talked about on irc, so this is (finally) ready for GP!
 

Oglemi

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[Overview]

<p>Heralded as perhaps the most annoying Pokemon ever to bless the game of Pokemon, Jirachi is a tough competitor in the OU metagame. Its versatility is its main strength; Jirachi can run a variety of sets, from Calm Mind to specially defensive to revenge killer and everything in-between. Jirachi's best sets are SubCM and specially defensive, as the former is a highly potent sweeper and the latter is a good wall with a ton of utility and useful resistances. With its devastating paraflinch strategy, Jirachi can tear apart even the most threatening of Pokemon and cause its opponents to forfeit in sheer hatred. Not to mention, Jirachi fits in perfectly with rain teams, the best weather in OU. Unfortunately, it is vulnerable to common Ground-types in the metagame and is handicapped versus common sun threats. However, none of this is enough to knock Jirachi off its pedestal as one of the best Pokemon in the OU tier.</p>

[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Psyshock / Flash Cannon / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Substitute + Calm Mind Jirachi is a terror to behold, setting up frighteningly easily with its myriad of resistances. Especially in rain, Jirachi is practically untouchable on the special side after a Calm Mind or two. Defensive Pokemon that do not carry Perish Song or a phazing move, such as Ferrothorn and Blissey, provide numerous opportunities for Jirachi to set up, which brings up its slightly disappointing power at first to a more than acceptable level. Substitute is undeniably the crux of the set, as it makes revenge killing, status, and Leech Seed futile resistances against Jirachi.</p>

<p>The first attacking move of choice is Thunder, which obviously requires rain to be usable. Rain is a great asset for Jirachi due to the high paralysis chance and power of Thunder along with other bonuses. Rain does make Water-type attacks hurt, however, so there is merit to using Jirachi with other weathers, in which case Thunderbolt should be used. In any case, Thunder is crucial to hit bulky Water-types such as Jellicent hard. The second attacking move is a toss-up between three options. Psyshock provides a surefire win in Calm Mind wars and hits Blissey, Chansey, Toxicroak, and Breloom, while Flash Cannon has excellent neutral coverage, which Psyshock somewhat lacks. The other option is Water Pulse, which allows Jirachi to employ a devastating parafusion strategy. Just be sure to use it in rain so it hits hard enough.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread gives Jirachi a decent amount of bulk and enough Speed to outrun Modest Landorus. It is possible to maximize Speed in order to outspeed Nasty Plot Celebi and tie with Salamence, but it's really not that worth it. Another alternative is a spread of 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe with a Bold nature to allow Jirachi to handle Kyurem-B, Terrakion, Dugtrio, Salamence in rain, Choice Band Tyranitar, and other physical threats much better. It lacks the Speed to set up as effectively, however, so use discretion. As for alternative moves, Grass Knot is a good option, as it allows Jirachi to smack Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar hard. Psychic is also an option to hit bulky Ground-types, such as Hippowdon and Gliscor, harder than Psyshock.</p>

<p>A few teammates are needed with Jirachi. The first thing is rain support, as for numerous reasons mentioned above, Jirachi functions much better in the weather. Entry hazards are also pretty important, as they help wear down foes and prevent Pokemon with the Sturdy ability and Dragonite from messing up Jirachi's sweep. Landorus-T has good defensive synergy with Jirachi and can check Garchomp, a troublesome Pokemon for Jirachi, while Celebi can check Ground-types. Ferrothorn has the secondary use of providing Spikes and can tank the powerful Water-type attacks that Jirachi cannot, and Deoxys-D can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes with extreme reliability. Specially defensive Heatran can take pretty much any attack Jirachi throws at it and phaze it out, so a Pokemon such as Mamoswine or Terrakion is helpful to eliminate it. Terrakion can also punch through Celebi, Blissey, Chansey, and Gastrodon. Due to the massive benefits rain provides, Gothitelle or Dugtrio is a useful partner to eliminate opposing weather starters. Lastly, a cleaner such as Choice Scarf Keldeo is useful to have around just in case Jirachi dies before finishing its sweep. Keldeo is best because it helps Jirachi by softening up Blissey and Chansey and demolishing Heatran, while Jirachi can dispose of Jellicent, Tentacruel, and Latias fairly easily (aka all of Keldeo's counters).</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Body Slam / Thunder / Thunder Wave
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect / U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful / Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 236 SpD / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set is as good a wall as the previous set is a sweeper; its Jirachi's great typing, high Speed and defenses, ability to efficiently wear down foes, and the metric ton of support it provides all make it a great team player. This set utilizes rain around as well too, as it drastically lowers the damage done by weak Fire-type attacks and enables Jirachi to run Thunder, although it does make Hydro Pumps and Surfs hurt way more. Jirachi is a perfect counter to numerous common threats, including Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Kyurem-B. It also, of course, utilizes its notorious paraflinch strategy to do so, with the two attacking moves being used for that purpose. Body Slam works well in any weather and can paralyze Volt Absorb Pokemon and Ground-types, but Thunder packs much more of a punch. Thunder Wave can't hit Volt Absorb Pokemon and Ground-types, like Thunder, and does no damage and doesn't help against Substitute users, but it is the only option that paralyzes 100% of the time. As for Wish, it provides two significant benefits in providing Jirachi with semi-reliable recovery and supporting Jirachi's teammates. The last move is a bit of a toss-up; Protect is useful to scout, turn Wish into reliable recovery, and get an extra turn of Leftovers recovery, while U-turn can not only scout but also get a teammate in safely and maintain momentum. Stealth Rock is a good option if no other teammate can set it up, as Jirachi's numerous resistances make it easy to do so.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To start off, the only important thing to note about EVs is that they allow Jirachi to outrun Breloom and Magnezone. An alternative spread with all of the Special Defense EVs moved to Defense is viable to better take on physical Dragon-types, Dugtrio, Terrakion, and other physical threats, being just as useful as the listed spread. On the other hand, the moves are very customizable. Healing Wish is a good option to heal a teammate when Jirachi has extended past its usefulness. Fire Punch is a decent attacking option for non-rain teams in order to hit Ferrothorn and Forretress for a good amount of damage.</p>

<p>For partners, first off, rain support is helpful to mitigate Jirachi's Fire weakness, and is mandatory if running Thunder. A Pokemon that can take physical attacks well, mainly Earthquakes and Close Combats, is also helpful; Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Latias (only for the attacks mentioned) are good choices. Latias can also deal with two other threats to Jirachi&mdash;special Landorus and Nasty Plot Thundurus-T. Celebi is a good partner specifically to deal with Ground-types; other options include RestTalk Gyarados (who can also deal with Heatran and Volcarona) and Rotom-W (who can also deal with Heatran and benefits from Wish support). For Heatran and Volcarona are particularly bothersome for Jirachi, making Terrakion, Terrakion also makes a good partner.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: U-turn / Fire Punch
move 4: Trick / Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set deviates away from the previous two and acts as an excellent revenge killer, one that is particularly good at revenging Dragon-types. Jirachi is much bulkier than the average Choice Scarf user and has numerous resistances, which allows it to switch into a number of attacks. This Jirachi's set's biggest flaw is its lack of power; base 100 Attack simply doesn't always cut it, so Jirachi is easily walled and set up on. Regardless of its lack of power, Jirachi is still an amazing Choice Scarf user. Iron Head's high flinch chance allows Jirachi to hax its way past numerous opponents, and it is very useful for picking off weakened opponents. The first coverage move of choice is Ice Punch because it hits Celebi, Gliscor, Dragonite, and many others for super effective damage. The third slot is a choice between two options; U-turn allows Jirachi to scout to obtain better match-ups and Fire Punch hits Ferrothorn for good damage. The other choice on this set is which non-attacking move to use. Trick can cripple walls, most notably Ferrothorn, Skarmory, the blobs Chansey, Blissey, and bulky Water-types (such as Jellicent and Slowbro), and can mess up slower sweepers, such as offensive Trick Room Reuniclus. Crippling these Pokemon makes it easy for a teammate to set up. On the other hand, Healing Wish makes Jirachi an amazing supporter; once it has extended its usefulness, Jirachi can revitalize a crippled teammate, which gives this option tons of merit.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>For the nature, Jolly nature is preferred to tie with Choice Scarf Salamence and outrun +1 Jolly Haxorus, but Adamant brings some compelling power to the table. It really depends on whether your team can handle those aforementioned Pokemon. If some bulk is desired, less Speed EVs can be run, such as 128 (enough to outrun +1 Adamant Haxorus), but the lowest that should be gone this set should go is 96 (enough to outrun +1 Adamant Dragonite). Two other attacks can be run; namely, ThunderPunch to hit Gyarados and Keldeo and Zen Headbutt to hit various Fighting-types (though it is slightly inaccurate).</p>

<p>As for support, this Jirachi doesn't need much. Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Scizor are the most important Pokemon to get rid of for Jirachi; an offensive Landorus-T such as a Choice Band variant can take hits from many of these Pokemon due to Intimidate and steamroll through them. Magnezone is another good choice because it can efficiently trap and KO Ferrothorn and Scizor. Celebi is also a good partner because it can dispatch Jellicent. Swords Dance Scizor and Agility Thundurus-T can set up on Jirachi; Heatran can deal with the former and Mamoswine with the latter.</p>

[SET]
name: Wish + Calm Mind
move 1: Wish
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Psyshock / Flash Cannon / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While SubCM excels on more offensive teams, this set does best on more defensive, slower-paced teams. Jirachi will have some trouble against some powerful offensive Pokemon such as Landorus and its Therian counterpart Landorus-T, but that's a small price to pay for the ability to support and sweep. Wish, of course, is the move that makes this all possible, allowing Jirachi to heal itself and support its teammates; in fact, the latter is its focus until late-game. Depending on whether or not you run it in rain, Jirachi can even spread paralysis. These traits together allow this Jirachi to live practically forever if played correctly. The rest is standard fare for Calm Mind Jirachi. Use Thunder in rain and Thunderbolt outside it in order to hit bulky Water-types. Psyshock helps against an annoying Pokemon for defensive rain teams, Toxicroak, and helps against Calm Mind Latias. Flash Cannon has great coverage, and Water Pulse allows for parafusion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Jirachi some bulk to take on physical threats much more easily and outspeed Breloom and Magnezone. The same spread as SubCM&mdash;252 HP / 100 Def / 156 Spe with a Timid nature&mdash; An EV spread of 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 Spe with a Timid nature is also viable to outrun Modest Landorus and with it a plethora of others. Two other choices for the move in the last slot are Grass Knot to hit Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar, and Psychic to hit bulky Ground-types, such as Hippowdon and Gliscor, harder than Psyshock.</p>

<p>This set can't boost as easily as SubCM, so Jirachi is going to need some support. If you want run Thunder and / or Water Pulse, obviously bring a Politoed. Getting threats like Landorus, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Mamoswine out of the way is important, so Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and Gyarados are good partners. A hard hitter, such as Terrakion, is helpful to weaken teams for Jirachi; Terrakion is especially useful to demolish Heatran, Blissey, Chansey, and Gastrodon, and can punch huge holes into the opposing team. This set is geared toward balance and stall teams that need their Jirachi to support and sweep, as this set does. Other than rain, sand is a good weather to use with Jirachi because it helps wear down opposing Pokemon while Jirachi takes no damage from it. Stall teams always need some sort of attacker, and having one that doesn't sacrifice defensive synergy can be essential.</p>

[SET]
name: Superachi! (Offensive Calm Mind)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Flash Cannon
move 3: Grass Knot / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set, a mainstay from the fourth generation, is a full-out offensive Calm Mind sweeper. It only needs 1-2 boosts to sweep, which is a massive advantage over other Calm Mind sets, and has space for an extra coverage move. Honestly, all that's needed is to get a few Pokemon out of the way and then Jirachi can sweep. Because of this, it can be run on practically any offensive team. This set has two variants: one with Psychic, Grass Knot, and Hidden Power Fire, and one with Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt, and Hidden Power Ground. The first one boasts the hard-hitting Psychic to hit Fighting-types, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and a number of other threats hard, as well as the ability to break Gastrodon with Grass Knot. Grass Knot hits most other Water-types as well, including Jellicent, Slowbro, Gastrodon, and Starmie, as well as Tyranitar. Hidden Power Fire hits, naturally, Ferrothorn, Forretress, Skarmory, and other Steel-types. The second variant boasts the great neutral coverage of Flash Cannon and the ability to OHKO Heatran. Thunderbolt retains coverage on Jellicent, Slowbro, Starmie, Skarmory, and Forretress. Picking which variant to use is determined on what support you're willing to provide.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Modest is the preferred nature to give Jirachi some immediate power to work with, most notably guaranteeing the OHKO on Gliscor with +1 Life Orb-boosted Psychic. Timid is viable for isolated cases such as Jolly Haxorus and Kyurem-B, but those are only, well, isolated cases. As for the item, there are a bunch of choices. The ones listed are Life Orb, which provides more power, and Leftovers, which allows Jirachi to get more boosts and bluff other Calm Mind variants. Other options include Shuca Berry to take a Ground-type attack from foes such as Garchomp, Landorus, and Landorus-T, and Expert Belt to take advantage of this set's great super effective coverage. Lastly, since the second variant of this set can be run in rain, Thunder is a viable option for its paralysis chance and significant increase in power.</p>

<p>Support isn't really a big deal with this set; just get rid of most faster Pokemon so Jirachi can sweep securely, possibly leaving some foes such as Alakazam and Latios for Jirachi to set up on. The first variant of this set needs Heatran gone, which makes Landorus-T and Terrakion good partners (both can also provide Stealth Rock support), while the second needs Gastrodon gone, so Celebi is a good partner for it. The only other significant choice is Choice Band Tyranitar, as it nullifies the effects of rain and can Pursuit trap Celebi, which is a nuisance for unboosted Jirachi.</p>

[SET]
name: Substitute + Status
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Body Slam / Toxic
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 160 Atk / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set allows Jirachi to showcase its defensive, offensive, and supportive capabilities all at once, giving it the ability to function as a great pivot and wear down opponents with ease. Substitute and a status, as the set name implies, are vital to this set. Substitute provides a buffer against faster opponents and opposing status. The status is a choice between paralysis and Toxic. The former can cripple faster Pokemon, which helps slower teammates, and, with Iron Head, forms Jirachi's signature paraflinch strategy. The latter helps against walls, such as Hippowdon, Jellicent, Gastrodon, and Landorus-T, and works in tandem with Iron Head to wear down slower Pokemon quickly. Toxic helps many offensive Pokemon handle their worst nemeses. The last move is reserved for Fire Punch, which hits Ferrothorn and Forretress where it hurts.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs for this set allow it to fulfill its many duties, providing some bulk, power, and the ability to outspeed all Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Breloom, as well as Adamant Lucario. Running more Speed is a decent option to consider; good benchmarks include enough for Adamant Kyurem-B and defensive Ninetales. Zen Headbutt can be run over Fire Punch to hit Fighting-types hard, being boosted by STAB and having the same high flinch chance as Iron Head.</p>

<p>This Jirachi prefers to be in sandy weather, as facing or being on a rain or sun team proves detrimental in different ways. Rain weakens Fire Punch, while sun amplifies Jirachi's Fire weakness. Slower sweepers, such as Swords Dance Scizor, make great partners if Jirachi runs paralysis, while Pokemon that function great with certain walls removed, such as Keldeo, are best if Jirachi runs Toxic. If not running Toxic, make sure you have a Pokemon such as Thundurus-T or Celebi to eliminate Jellicent, Hippowdon, and other defensive behemoths. Another good partner for non-Toxic variants of this set is Kyurem-B, who benefits from paralysis support and, with the moves Fusion Bolt, Ice Beam, and Earth Power, can deal with most of the aforementioned walls. It can even get rid of Tentacruel and Zapdos, which is extremely helpful. If supporting Keldeo with Toxic to take down Jellicent and Latias, Gothitelle is a pretty useful partner to handily get rid of Tentacruel and Celebi.</p>

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Fire Punch / Ice Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Energy Ball
item: Expert Belt
nature: Naive
evs: 152 Atk / 200 SpA / 156 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>As is the case with many Pokemon that can run both physical and special options, Jirachi can run a mixed set effectively. Between the surprise factor of Expert Belt and great coverage, Jirachi can hit a variety of Pokemon hard. In addition, Jirachi's resistances and aforementioned coverage make it one of the best Shell Smash recipients in the game. The attacks are fairly straightforward; Iron Head is used because its flinch chance is just too good to pass up. It also hits Blissey, Chansey, Reuniclus, and Tyranitar hard. Fire Punch is the preferred Fire-type move so Jirachi can run Hidden Power, hitting Ferrothorn, Forretress, Lucario, and Celebi hard. Speaking of Hidden Power Ice, it is really essential to hit Dragon-types, such as Latios, Latias, Salamence, and Dragonite, and bulky Ground-types such as Gliscor, Landorus, and Landorus-T. Ice Punch is an option to hit Dragonite, Latios, and Latias and the Lati twins harder, and that allows Jirachi to run Hidden Power Fire, which hits Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory harder than Fire Punch. The last move is the indispensable Energy Ball for Water-types such as Starmie, Gastrodon, and Jellicent.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs allow Jirachi to outrun Modest Landorus and hit fairly hard. A Naive nature is chosen so Jirachi can take priority moves better, which is especially important if it is passed a Shell Smash. Speaking of being passed a Shell Smash, Drain Punch is standard in that situation over the Fire-type move to hit Terrakion, Blissey, Chansey, and some others hard while providing some recovery. It allows Jirachi to function well against rain teams and thus potentially utilize Thunder over Energy Ball. Zen Headbutt is another viable coverage option to hit Fighting-types super effectively, also boasting STAB and the same flinch chance as Iron Head.</p>

<p>As has been mentioned numerous times, this Jirachi is an amazing recipient of Shell Smash, which makes Gorebyss and Smeargle great partners. Entry hazards are also pretty helpful; Deoxys-D is particularly helpful because it can prevent opposing hazards from being laid down on your side of the field for the potential Smeargle partner. This set also enjoys Terrakion being partnered with it, as it can smash apart opponents. Using a Pokemon such as Rock Polish Landorus is another option to punch some holes early-game. Otherwise, this Jirachi is just fine on its own. It is great at luring in and eliminating pesky walls which helps teammates, examples being Gastrodon for Keldeo and Thundurus-T, Skarmory for Mamoswine and Terrakion, and Ferrothorn for Swords Dance Scizor that lack Superpower.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Despite its expansive movepool, there are only a few other sets Jirachi can run effectively. The first of these is a Choice Specs set with Doom Desire; even though Doom Desire has the turn delay, it hits very hard with Choice Specs backing it. Jirachi has a plethora of other coverage moves to incorporate into such a set. The second is a lead variant with Stealth Rock and Wish and heavy investment in HP and Speed. Another is a Gravity supporter, which is useful for, naturally, Gravity-based teams. Dual screens could work as well with Jirachi's great resistances, as could Cosmic Power to make Jirachi nearly impenetrable and Refresh to heal off status. However, at this point you might as well just use a a better Jirachi set.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>While it is impossible for any one Pokemon to counter every possible Jirachi, there a few that can handle most. Heatran is the foremost of them, being able to wall and phaze out almost all Calm Mind Jirachi and shut down the other sets. Calm Mind Latias can deal with certain variants depending on whether it runs Roar or Refresh, the former allowing it to beat all Calm Mind Jirachi and the latter allowing it to take on variants that aim to spread status. Gastrodon is another one, as bar the occasional Grass Knot or Energy Ball, it can wall Jirachi and wear it down with Earthquake and a Scald-induced burn. Yet another choice is specially defensive Swords Dance Scizor, who can deal with every Jirachi set that lacks a Fire-type move; Choice Band Scizor can deal with some sets but falters against boosted Jirachi. The final general purpose counter is Celebi, who can wall and Perish Song Calm Mind Jirachi as well as deal with most other variants.</p>

<p>Though it is fairly difficult to deal with most Jirachi in one Pokemon, there exist plenty of checks to certain sets. Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Landorus-T can deal with Calm Mind Jirachi that choose to run Psyshock. Ferrothorn can wall pretty much all Jirachi, even Hidden Power Fire variants in the rain, but also can do little in return other than set up Spikes. Forretress and Skarmory are in the same boat in that they cannot do much to Jirachi other than set up Spikes, though the latter can phaze it out in an emergency situation. Opposing Jirachi can also be a bit of a pain, as they each put the other stalemate position. Magnezone is an annoying foe for specially defensive Jirachi, as Jirachi can do practically nothing to Magnezone while it proceeds to 2HKO Jirachi with Choice Specs-boosted Hidden Power Fire (though it does take a few more hits and some prior damage in rain). Many bulky Water-types, including Jellicent, Tentacruel, RestTalk Gyarados, and specially defensive Rotom-W, can wall Choice Scarf and other physical Jirachi; Rotom-W can even deal with unboosted Calm Mind Jirachi fairly well, wearing it down with a burn from Will-O-Wisp. If all else fails, packing a strong Ground-type attacker, such as Landorus, Garchomp, or Mamoswine, will usually do the trick in KOing Jirachi.</p>


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AM check~

ADD REMOVE COMMENTS

[Overview]

<p>Heralded as perhaps the most annoying Pokemon ever to bless the game of Pokemon, Jirachi is a tough competitor in the OU metagame. Its versatility is its main strength; Jirachi can run a variety of sets, from Calm Mind, to specially defensive, to revenge killer, and everything in-between. Jirachi's best sets are SubCM and specially defensive, as the former is a highly potent sweeper, and while the latter is a good wall with a ton of ubiquitous utility and useful resistances. With its devastating paraflinch strategy, Jirachi can tear apart even the most threatening of Pokemon and cause its opponents to forfeit in sheer hatred. Not to mention, Jirachi fits in perfectly with rain teams, the best weather in OU. Unfortunately, it is vulnerable to common Ground-types in the metagame and is handicapped versus common sun threats. However, none of this is enough to knock Jirachi off its pedestal as one of the best Pokemon in the OU tier.</p>

[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Psyshock / Flash Cannon / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Substitute + Calm Mind Jirachi is a terror to behold, setting up frighteningly easily with its myriad of resistances. Especially in rain, Jirachi is practically untouchable on the special side after a Calm Mind or two. Defensive Pokemon that do not carry Perish Song or a phazing move, such as Ferrothorn and Blissey, provide numerous opportunities for Jirachi to set up, which brings up its slightly disappointing power at first to a more than acceptable level. Substitute is undeniably the crux of the set, as it makes revenge killing, status, and Leech Seed futile resistances against Jirachi.</p>

<p>The first attacking move of choice is Thunder, which obviously requires rain to be usable. Rain is a great asset for Jirachi due to the high paralysis chance and power of Thunder along with other bonuses. I think you listed all the merits of Thunder already, lol. Rain does make Water-type attacks hurt, however, so there is merit to using Jirachi with other weathers, in which case, Thunderbolt should be used. In any case, Thunder is crucial to hit bulky Water-types such as Jellicent hard. The second attacking move is a toss-up between three options. Psyshock provides a surefire win in Calm Mind wars and hits Blissey, Chansey, Toxicroak, and Breloom, while Flash Cannon has excellent neutral coverage, which Psyshock somewhat lacks. The other option is Water Pulse, which allows Jirachi to employ a devastating parafusion strategy. Just be sure to use it in rain so it hits hard enough.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The EV spread gives Jirachi a decent amount of bulk and enough Speed to outrun Modest Landorus. It is possible to maximize Speed in order to outspeed Nasty Plot Celebi and tie with Salamence, but it'sit really is not that worth it. Another alternative is a spread of 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe with a Bold nature to allow Jirachi to handle Kyurem-B, Terrakion, Dugtrio, Salamence in rain, Choice Band Tyranitar, and other physical threats much better. It lacks the Speed to set up as effectively, however, so use itdiscretion wisely. As for alternative moves, Grass Knot is a good option, as it allows Jirachi to smack Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar hard. Psychic is also an option to hit bulky Ground-types, such as Hippowdon and Gliscor, harder than Psyshock.



<p>A few teammates are needed with Jirachi. The first thing is rain support, as for numerous reasons mentioned above, Jirachi functions much better in the weather. Entry hazards are also pretty important, as they help wear down foes and prevent Pokemon with the Sturdy ability and Dragonite from messing up Jirachi's sweep. Landorus-T has good defensive synergy with Jirachi and can check Garchomp, a troublesome Pokemon for Jirachi, while Celebi can check Ground-types. Ferrothorn has the secondary use of providing Spikes and can tank the powerful Water-type attacks that Jirachi cannot, and Deoxys-D can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes with extreme reliability. Specially defensive Heatran can take pretty much any attack Jirachi throws at it and phaze it out, so a Pokemon such as Mamoswine or Terrakion is helpful to eliminate it. Terrakion can also punch through Celebi, Blissey, Chansey, and Gastrodon. Due to the massive benefits rain provides, Gothitelle or Dugtrio is a useful partner to eliminate opposing weather starters. Lastly, a cleaner such as Choice Scarf Keldeo is useful to have around just in case Jirachi dies before finishing its sweep. Keldeo is best because it helps Jirachi by softening up Blissey and Chansey and demolishing Heatran, while Jirachi can dispose of Jellicent, Tentacruel, and Latias fairly easily (aka all of Keldeo's counters).</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Body Slam / Thunder / Thunder Wave
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect / U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful / Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 236 SpD / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Jirachi's great typing, high Speed, and defenses, ability to efficiently wear down foes, and the metric ton of support it provides all make it a great team player. This set utilizes ran as well, as it drastically lowers the damage done by weak Fire-type attacks and enables Jirachi to run Thunder, although it does make Hydro Pumps and Surfs hurt way more. Jirachi is a perfect counter to numerous common threats, including Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Kyurem-B. It also, of course, utilizes its notorious paraflinch strategy to do so, with the two attacking moves being used for that purpose. Body Slam works well in any weather and can paralyze Volt Absorb Pokemon and Ground-types, but Thunder packs much more of a punch. Thunder Wave can't hit Volt Absorb Pokemon and Ground-types,. Like Thunder Wave, and does no damage and doesn't help against Substitute users, but it is the only option that paralyzes 100% of the time. Try not to use "and" more than once in a single sentence. As for Wish, it provides two significant benefits in providing Jirachi with semi-reliable recovery and supporting Jirachi's teammates. The last move is a bit of a toss-up; Protect is useful to scout, turns Wish into reliable recovery, and gets an extra turn of Leftovers recovery, while U-turn can not only scout, but also gets a teammate in safely, and thus maintaining momentum. Stealth Rock is a good option if no other teammate can set it up, as Jirachi's numerous resistances make it easy to do so.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To start off, the only important thing to note about EVs, is that they allow Jirachi to outrun Breloom and Magnezone. An alternative spread with all of the Special Defense EVs moved to Defense is viable to better take on physical Dragon-types, Dugtrio, Terrakion, and other physical threats, being just as useful as the listed spread. On the other hand, the moves are very customizable. Healing Wish is a good option to heal a teammate when Jirachi has extended past its usefulness. Fire Punch is a decent attacking option for non-rain teams in order to hit Ferrothorn and Forretress for a good amount of damage.</p>

<p>For partners, first off, rain support is helpful to mitigate Jirachi's Fire weakness, and is mandatory if running Thunder. A Pokemon that can take physical attacks well, mainly Earthquakes and Close Combats, is also helpful; Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Latias (only for the attacks mentioned) are good choices. Latias can also deal with two other threats to Jirachi&mdash;special Landorus and Nasty Plot Thundurus-T. Celebi is a good partner specifically to deal with Ground-types; other options include RestTalk Gyarados (who can also deal with Heatran and Volcarona) and Rotom-W (who can also deal with Heatran and benefits from Wish support). Heatran and Volcarona are particularly bothersome for Jirachi, making Terrakion a good partner.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: U-turn / Fire Punch
move 4: Trick / Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set acts as an excellent revenge killer, one that is particularly good at revenging Dragon-types. Jirachi is much bulkier than the average Choice Scarf user and has numerous resistances, which allows it to switch into a number of attacks. This set's biggest flaw, is its lack of power; base 100 Attack simply doesn't always cut it, so Jirachi is easily walled and set up on. Regardless of its lack of power, Jirachi is still an amazing Choice Scarf user. Iron Head's high flinch chance allows Jirachi to hax its way past numerous opponents, and it is very useful for picking off weakened opponents. The first coverage move of choice is Ice Punch because it hits Celebi, Gliscor, Dragonite, and many others for super effective damage. The third slot is a choice between two options; U-turn allows Jirachi to scout to obtain better match-ups and Fire Punch hits Ferrothorn for good damage. The other choice on this set is which non-attacking move to use. Trick can cripple walls, most notably Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Chansey, Blissey, and bulky Water-types (such as Jellicent and Slowbro), and can mess up slower sweepers, such as offensive Trick Room Reuniclus. Crippling these Pokemon makes it easy for a teammate to set up. On the other hand, Healing Wish makes Jirachi an amazing supporter; once it has extended its usefulness, Jirachi can revitalize a crippled teammate, which gives this option tons of merit.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>For the nature, Jolly is preferred to tie with Choice Scarf Salamence and outrun +1 Jolly Haxorus, but Adamant brings some compelling power to the table. It really depends on whether your team can handle those aforementioned Pokemon. If some bulk is desired, less Speed EVs can be run, such as 128 (enough to outrun +1 Adamant Haxorus), but the lowest this set should go is 96 (enough to outrun +1 Adamant Dragonite). Two other attacks can be run; namely, ThunderPunch to hit Gyarados and Keldeo and Zen Headbutt to hit various Fighting-types (though it is slightly inaccurate).</p>

<p>As for support, this Jirachi doesn't need much. Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Scizor are the most important Pokemon to get rid of for Jirachi; an offensive Landorus-T such as a Choice Band variant can take hits from many of these Pokemon due to Intimidate and steamroll through them. Magnezone is another good choice because it can efficiently trap and KO Ferrothorn and Scizor. Celebi is also a good partner because it can dispatch Jellicent. Swords Dance Scizor and Agility Thundurus-T can set up on Jirachi; Heatran can deal with the former and Mamoswine with the latter.</p>

[SET]
name: Wish + Calm Mind
move 1: Wish
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Psyshock / Flash Cannon / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While SubCM excels on more offensive teams, this set does best on more defensive, slower-paced teams. Jirachi will have some trouble against some powerful offensive Pokemon such as Landorus and Landorus-T, but that's a small price to pay for the ability to support and sweep. Wish, of course, is the move that makes this all possible, allowing Jirachi to heal itself and support its teammates; in fact, the latter is its focus until late-game. Depending on whether or not you run it in rain, Jirachi can even spread paralysis. These traits, together, allow this Jirachi to live practically forever if played correctly. The rest is standard fare for Calm Mind Jirachi. Use Thunder in rain and Thunderbolt outside of it in order to hit bulky Water-types. Psyshock helps against an annoying Pokemon for defensive rain teams, Toxicroak, and helps against Calm Mind Latias. Flash Cannon has great coverage, and Water Pulse allows for parafusion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Jirachi some bulk to take on physical threats much more easily and outspeed Breloom and Magnezone. An EV spread of 252 HP / 100 Def /156 Spe with a Timid nature is also viable to outrun Modest Landorus and with it a plethora of others. Two other choices for the move in the last slot are Grass Knot to hit Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar, and Psychic to hit bulky Ground-types, such as Hippowdon and Gliscor, harder than Psyshock.</p>

<p>This set can't boost as easily as SubCM, so Jirachi is going to need some support. If you want, run Thunder and / or Water Pulse, obviously bring a Politoed. Getting threats like Landorus, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Mamoswine out of the way is important, so Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and Gyarados are good partners. A hard hitter, such as Terrakion, is helpful to weaken teams for Jirachi; Terrakion is especially useful to demolish Heatran, Blissey, Chansey, and Gastrodon, and can punch huge holes into the opposing team. This set is geared toward balance and stall teams that need their Jirachi to support and sweep, as this set does. Other than rain, sand is a good weather to use with Jirachi because it helps wear down opposing Pokemon while Jirachi takes no damage from it. Stall teams always need some sort of attacker, and having one that doesn't sacrifice defensive synergy can be is essential.</p>

[SET]
name: Superachi! (Offensive Calm Mind)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Flash Cannon
move 3: Grass Knot / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set, a mainstay from the fourth generation, is a full-out offensive Calm Mind sweeper. It only needs 1-2 boosts to sweep, which is a massive advantage over other Calm Mind sets, and has space for an extra coverage move. Honestly, All that's needed is a few Pokemon out of the way and then Jirachi can sweep. Because of this, it can be run on practically any offensive team. This set has two variants: one with Psychic, Grass Knot, and Hidden Power Fire, and one with Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt, and Hidden Power Ground. The first one boasts the hard-hitting Psychic to hit Fighting-types, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and a number of other threats hard, as well as the ability to break Gastrodon with Grass Knot. Grass Knot hits most other Water-types as well, including Jellicent, Slowbro, Gastrodon, and Starmie, as well as Tyranitar. Hidden Power Fire hits, naturally, Ferrothorn, Forretress, Skarmory, and other Steel-types. The second variant boasts the great neutral coverage of Flash Cannon and the ability to OHKO Heatran. Thunderbolt retains coverage on Jellicent, Slowbro, Starmie, Skarmory, and Forretress. Picking which variant to use is determined on what support you're willing to provide.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Modest is the preferred nature to give Jirachi some immediate power to work with, most notably guaranteeing the OHKO on Gliscor with +1 Life Orb-boosted Psychic. Timid is viable for isolated cases such as Jolly Haxorus and Kyurem-B, but those are only, well, isolated cases. As for the item, there are a bunch of choices. The ones listed are Life Orb, which provides more power, and Leftovers, which allows Jirachi to get more boosts and bluff other Calm Mind variants. Other options include Shuca Berry to take a Ground-type attack from foes such as Garchomp, Landorus, and Landorus-T, and Expert Belt to take advantage of this set's great super effective coverage. Lastly, since the second variant of this set can be run in rain, Thunder is a viable option for its paralysis chance and significant increase in power.</p>

<p>Support isn't really a big deal with this set; just get rid of most faster Pokemon so Jirachi can sweep securely, possibly leaving some foes such as Alakazam and Latios for Jirachi to set up on. The first variant of this set needs Heatran gone, which makes Landorus-T and Terrakion good partners (both can also provide Stealth Rock support), while the second needs Gastrodon gone, so Celebi is a good partner for it. The only other significant choice is Choice Band Tyranitar, as it nullifies the effects of rain and can Pursuit trap Celebi, which is a nuisance for unboosted Jirachi.</p>

[SET]
name: Substitute + Status
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Body Slam / Toxic
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 160 Atk / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set allows Jirachi to showcase its defensive, offensive, and supportive capabilities all at once, giving it the ability to function as a great pivot and wear down opponents with ease. Substitute and a status, as the set name implies, are vital to this set. Substitute provides a buffer against faster opponents and opposing status. The status is a choice between paralysis and Toxic. The former can cripple faster Pokemon, which helps slower teammates, and, with Iron Head, forms Jirachi's signature paraflinch strategy. The latter helps against walls, such as Hippowdon, Jellicent, Gastrodon, and Landorus-T, and works in tandem with Iron Head to wear down slower Pokemon quickly. Toxic helps many offensive Pokemon handle their worst nemeses. The last move is reserved for Fire Punch, which hits Ferrothorn and Forretress where it hurts.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs for this set allow it to fulfill its many duties, providing some bulk, power, and the ability to outspeed all Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Breloom, as well as Adamant Lucario. Running more Speed is a decent option to consider; good benchmarks include enough for Adamant Kyurem-B and defensive Ninetales. Zen Headbutt can be run over Fire Punch to hit Fighting-types hard, being boosted by STAB, and having the same high flinch chance as Iron Head.</p>

<p>This Jirachi prefers to be in sandy weather, as facing or being on a rain or sun team proves detrimental in different ways. Rain weakens Fire Punch, while sun amplifies Jirachi's Fire weakness. Slower sweepers, such as Swords Dance Scizor, make great partners if Jirachi runs paralysis, while Pokemon that function great with certain walls removed, such as Keldeo, are best if Jirachi runs Toxic. If not running Toxic, make sure you have a Pokemon such as Thundurus-T or Celebi to eliminate Jellicent, Hippowdon, and other defensive behemoths. Another good partner for non-Toxic variants of this set is Kyurem-B, who benefits from paralysis support and, with the moves Fusion Bolt, Ice Beam, and Earth Power, can deal with most of the aforementioned walls. It can even get rid of Tentacruel and Zapdos, which is extremely helpful. If supporting Keldeo with Toxic to take down Jellicent and Latias, Gothitelle is a pretty useful partner to handily get rid of Tentacruel and Celebi.</p>

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Fire Punch / Ice Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Energy Ball
item: Expert Belt
nature: Naive
evs: 152 Atk / 200 SpA / 156 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>As is the case with many Pokemon that can run both physical and special options, Jirachi can run a mixed set effectively. Between the surprise factor of Expert Belt, and great coverage, Jirachi can hit a variety of Pokemon hard. In addition, Jirachi's resistances and aforementioned coverage make it one of the best Shell Smash recipients in the game. The attacks are fairly straightforward; Iron Head is used because its flinch chance is just too good to pass up. It also hits Blissey, Chansey, Reuniclus, and Tyranitar hard. Fire Punch is the preferred Fire-type move so Jirachi can run Hidden Power, hitting Ferrothorn, Forretress, Lucario, and Celebi hard. Speaking of Hidden Power Ice, it is really essential to hit Dragon-types, such as Latios, Latias, Salamence, and Dragonite, and bulky Ground-types such as Gliscor, Landorus, and Landorus-T. Ice Punch is an option to hit Dragonite, Latios, and Latias harder, and that allows Jirachi to run Hidden Power Fire, which hits Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory harder than Fire Punch. The last move is the indispensable Energy Ball for Water-types such as Starmie, Gastrodon, and Jellicent.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs allow Jirachi to outrun Modest Landorus and hit fairly hard. A Naive nature is chosen so Jirachi can take priority moves better, which is especially important if it is passed a Shell Smash. Speaking of being passed a Shell Smash, Drain Punch is standard in that situation over the Fire-type move to hit Terrakion, Blissey, Chansey, and some others hard while providing some recovery. It allows Jirachi to function well against rain teams and thus potentially utilize Thunder over Energy Ball. Zen Headbutt is another viable coverage option to hit Fighting-types super effectively, also boasting STAB and the same flinch chance as Iron Head.</p>

<p>As it has been mentioned numerous times, this Jirachi is an amazing recipient of Shell Smash, which makes Gorebyss and Smeargle great partners. Entry hazards are also pretty helpful; Deoxys-D is particularly helpful because it can prevent opposing hazards from being laid down on your side of the field for the potential Smeargle partner. This set also enjoys Terrakion being partnered with it, as it can smash apart opponents. Using a Pokemon such as Rock Polish Landorus is another option to punch some holes early-game. Otherwise, this Jirachi is just fine on its own. It is great at luring in and eliminating pesky walls which helps teammates, examples being Gastrodon for Keldeo and Thundurus-T, Skarmory for Mamoswine and Terrakion, and Ferrothorn for Swords Dance Scizor that lack Superpower.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Despite its expansive movepool, there are only a few other sets Jirachi can run effectively. The first of these is a Choice Specs set with Doom Desire; even though Doom Desire has the turn delay, it hits very hard with Choice Specs backing it. Jirachi has a plethora of other coverage moves to incorporate into such a set. The second is a lead variant with Stealth Rock and Wish and heavy investment in HP and Speed. Another is a Gravity supporter, which is useful for, naturally, Gravity-based teams. Dual screens could work as well with Jirachi's great resistances, as could Cosmic Power to make Jirachi nearly impenetrable and Refresh to heal off status. However, at this point you might as well just use a a better Jirachi set.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>While it is impossible for any one Pokemon to counter every possible Jirachi, there a few that can handle most. Heatran is the foremost of them, being able to wall and phaze out almost all Calm Mind Jirachi and shut down the other sets. Calm Mind Latias can deal with certain variants depending on whether it runs Roar or Refresh, the former allowing it to beat all Calm Mind Jirachi and the latter allowing it to take on variants that aim to spread status. Gastrodon is another one, as bar the occasional Grass Knot or Energy Ball, it can wall Jirachi and wear it down with Earthquake and a Scald-induced burn. Yet another choice is specially defensive Swords Dance Scizor, who can deal with every Jirachi set that lacks a Fire-type move; Choice Band Scizor can deal with some sets but falters against boosted Jirachi. The final general purpose counter is Celebi, who can wall and Perish Song Calm Mind Jirachi as well as deal with most other variants.</p>

<p>Though it is fairly difficult to deal with most Jirachi in one Pokemon, there exist plenty of checks to certain sets. Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Landorus-T can deal with Calm Mind Jirachi that choose to run Psyshock. Ferrothorn can wall pretty much all Jirachi, even Hidden Power Fire variants in the rain, but also can do little in return other than set up Spikes. Forretress and Skarmory are in the same boat in that they cannot do much to Jirachi other than set up Spikes, though the latter can phaze it out in an emergency situation. Opposing Jirachi can also be a bit of a pain, as they each put the other stalemate position. Magnezone is an annoying foe for specially defensive Jirachi, as Jirachi can do practically nothing to Magnezone while it proceeds to 2HKO Jirachi with Choice Specs-boosted Hidden Power Fire (though it does take a few more hits and some prior damage in rain). Many bulky Water-types, including Jellicent, Tentacruel, RestTalk Gyarados, and specially defensive Rotom-W, can wall Choice Scarf and other physical Jirachi; Rotom-W can even deal with unboosted Calm Mind Jirachi fairly well, wearing it down with a burn from Will-O-Wisp. If all else fails, packing a strong Ground-type attacker, such as Landorus, Garchomp, or Mamoswine, will usually do the trick in KOing Jirachi.</p>
 

Jukain

!_!
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hm I actually disagree with just about everything in that check; I only ended up implementing one change. here's the breakdown:

- Overview: Changing the third sentence makes it not grammatically correct. For changing "and" to "while," while is a word mainly for comparisons. That would be awkward usage of "ubiquitous."

- SubCM SC: Thunder gives Jirachi a guaranteed OHKO on Tornadus and lets Jirachi win vs. other Jirachi more reliably. "However" is used to show introduce the comparison of Thunder and Thunderbolt.

-SubCM AC: I worded the blurb about max Speed to say that it's not generally worth it, but it of course sometimes is. You don't use lowered Speed EVs wisely, you use discretion depending on how you prefer to play with it / need it to take hits from.

- SDef SC: I grouped the stats together; it's preference, but your change isn't technically "wrong." "And" can be used more than once in the same sentence. I changed up the list of Protect's benefits a bit, but not U-turn: it wasn't actually correct after the change.

- Wish CM SC: The "of" isn't necessarily needed, though that is again preference.

- Superachi SC: I made your change.

- Mixed Attacker AC: "It" is not necessary.

thanks for the check, anyway; I invite people to disagree with some of this.
 

Redew

κακκῶ σεαυτόν
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[Overview]

<p>Heralded as perhaps the most annoying Pokemon ever to bless the game of Pokemon, Jirachi is a tough competitor in the OU metagame. Its versatility is its main strength; Jirachi can run a variety of sets, from Calm Mind to specially defensive to revenge killer and everything in-between. Jirachi's best sets are SubCM and specially defensive, as the former is a highly potent sweeper and the latter is a good wall with a ton of utility and useful resistances. With its devastating paraflinch strategy, Jirachi can tear apart even the most threatening of Pokemon and cause its opponents to forfeit in sheer hatred. Not to mention, Jirachi fits in perfectly with rain teams, the best weather in OU. Unfortunately, it is vulnerable to common Ground-types in the metagame and is handicapped versus common sun threats. However, none of this is enough to knock Jirachi off its pedestal as one of the best Pokemon in the OU tier.</p>

[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Psyshock / Flash Cannon / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Substitute + Calm Mind Jirachi is a terror to behold, setting up frighteningly easily with its myriad of resistances. Especially in rain, Jirachi is practically untouchable on the special side after a Calm Mind or two. Defensive Pokemon that do not carry Perish Song or a phazing move, such as Ferrothorn and Blissey, provide numerous opportunities for Jirachi to set up, which brings up its slightly disappointing power at first to a more than acceptable level. Substitute is undeniably the crux of the set, as it makes revenge killing, status, and Leech Seed futile resistances against Jirachi.</p>

<p>The first attacking move of choice is Thunder, which obviously requires rain to be usable. Rain is a great asset for Jirachi due to the high paralysis chance and power of Thunder along with other bonuses (like?). Rain does make Water-type attacks hurt, however, so there is merit to using Jirachi with other weathers, in which case Thunderbolt should be used. In any case, Thunder is crucial to hit bulky Water-types such as Jellicent hard. The second attacking move is a toss-up between three options. (remove period) (add semi) ; Psyshock provides a surefire win in Calm Mind wars and hits Blissey, Chansey, Toxicroak, and Breloom, while Flash Cannon has excellent neutral coverage, which Psyshock somewhat lacks. The other option is Water Pulse, which allows Jirachi to employ a devastating parafusion strategy. Just be sure to use it in rain so it hits hard enough.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread gives Jirachi a decent amount of bulk and enough Speed to outrun Modest Landorus. It is possible to maximize Speed in order to outspeed Nasty Plot Celebi and tie with Salamence, but it's really not that worth it. Another alternative is a spread of 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe with a Bold nature to allow Jirachi to handle Kyurem-B, Terrakion, Dugtrio, Salamence in rain, Choice Band Tyranitar, and other physical threats much better. It lacks the Speed to set up as effectively, however, so use discretion. As for alternative moves, Grass Knot is a good option, as it allows Jirachi to smack Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar hard. Psychic is also an option to hit bulky Ground-types, such as Hippowdon and Gliscor, harder than Psyshock.</p>

<p>A few teammates are needed with Jirachi. The first thing is rain support, (remove comma) (add semi) ; as for numerous reasons mentioned above, Jirachi functions much better in the weather. Entry hazards are also pretty important, as they help wear down foes and prevent Pokemon with the Sturdy ability and Dragonite from messing up Jirachi's sweep. Landorus-T has good defensive synergy with Jirachi and can check Garchomp, (remove comma)&mdash;a troublesome Pokemon for Jirachi, (remove comma)&mdash;while Celebi can check Ground-types. (remove period) (add comma) , and Ferrothorn has the secondary use of providing Spikes and can tank the powerful Water-type attacks that Jirachi cannot, and Deoxys-D can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes with extreme reliability. Specially defensive Heatran can take pretty much any attack Jirachi throws at it and phaze it out, so a Pokemon such as Mamoswine or Terrakion is helpful to eliminate it. Terrakion can also punch through Celebi, Blissey, Chansey, and Gastrodon. Due to the massive benefits rain provides, Gothitelle or Dugtrio is a useful partner to eliminate opposing weather starters. Lastly, a cleaner such as Choice Scarf Keldeo is useful to have around just in case Jirachi dies before finishing its sweep. Keldeo is best because it helps Jirachi by softening up Blissey and Chansey and demolishing Heatran, while Jirachi can dispose of Jellicent, Tentacruel, and Latias fairly easily (aka all of Keldeo's counters).</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Body Slam / Thunder / Thunder Wave
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect / U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful / Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 236 SpD / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Jirachi's great typing, high Speed and defenses, ability to efficiently wear down foes, and the metric ton of support it provides all make it a great team player. This set utilizes rain (<-- added an 'i' in there) as well, as it drastically lowers the damage done by weak Fire-type attacks and enables Jirachi to run Thunder, although it does make Hydro Pumps and Surfs hurt way more. Jirachi is a perfect counter to numerous common threats, including Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Kyurem-B. It also, of course, utilizes its notorious paraflinch strategy to do so, with the two attacking moves being used for that purpose. Body Slam works well in any weather and can paralyze Volt Absorb Pokemon and Ground-types, but Thunder packs much more of a punch. Thunder Wave can't hit Volt Absorb Pokemon and Ground-types, like Thunder, and does no damage and doesn't help against Substitute users, but it is the only option that paralyzes 100% of the time. As for Wish, it provides two significant benefits in providing Jirachi with semi-reliable recovery and supporting Jirachi's teammates. The last move is a bit of a toss-up; Protect is useful to scout, turn Wish into reliable recovery, and get an extra turn of Leftovers recovery, while U-turn can not only scout but also get a teammate in safely and maintain momentum. Stealth Rock is a good option if no other teammate can set it up, as Jirachi's numerous resistances make it easy to do so.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To start off, the only important thing to note about EVs is that they allow Jirachi to outrun Breloom and Magnezone. An alternative spread with all of the Special Defense EVs moved to Defense is viable to better take on physical Dragon-types, Dugtrio, Terrakion, and other physical threats, being just as useful as the listed spread. On the other hand, the moves are very customizable. Healing Wish is a good option to heal a teammate when Jirachi has extended past its usefulness. Fire Punch is a decent attacking option for non-rain teams in order to hit Ferrothorn and Forretress for a good amount of damage.</p>

<p>For partners, first off, rain support is helpful to mitigate Jirachi's Fire weakness, and is mandatory if running Thunder. A Pokemon that can take physical attacks well, mainly Earthquakes and Close Combats, is also helpful; Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Latias (only for the attacks mentioned) are good choices. Latias can also deal with two other threats to Jirachi&mdash;special Landorus and Nasty Plot Thundurus-T. Celebi is a good partner specifically to deal with Ground-types; other options include RestTalk Gyarados (who can also deal with Heatran and Volcarona) and Rotom-W (who can also deal with Heatran and benefits from Wish support). Heatran and Volcarona are particularly bothersome for Jirachi, making Terrakion a good partner.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: U-turn / Fire Punch
move 4: Trick / Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set acts as an excellent revenge killer, one that is particularly good at revenging killing Dragon-types. Jirachi is much bulkier than the average Choice Scarf user and has numerous resistances, which allows it to switch into a number of attacks. This set's biggest flaw is its lack of power; base 100 Attack simply doesn't always cut it, so Jirachi is easily walled and set up on. Regardless of its lack of power, Jirachi is still an amazing Choice Scarf user. Iron Head's high flinch rate chance allows Jirachi to hax its way past numerous opponents, and it is very useful for picking off weakened opponents foes.The first coverage move of choice is Ice Punch because it hits Celebi, Gliscor, Dragonite, and many others for super effective damage. The third slot is a choice between two options; U-turn allows Jirachi to scout to obtain better match-ups and Fire Punch hits Ferrothorn for good damage. The other choice on this set is which non-attacking move to use. Trick can cripple walls, most notably Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Chansey, Blissey, and bulky Water-types (such as Jellicent and Slowbro), and can mess up slower sweepers, such as offensive Trick Room Reuniclus. Crippling these Pokemon makes it easy for a teammate to set up. On the other hand, Healing Wish makes Jirachi an amazing supporter; once it has extended its usefulness, Jirachi can revitalize a crippled teammate, which gives this option tons of merit.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>For the nature, Jolly is preferred to tie with Choice Scarf Salamence and outrun +1 Jolly Haxorus, but Adamant brings some compelling power to the table. It really depends on whether your team can handle those aforementioned Pokemon. If some bulk is desired, less Speed EVs can be run, such as 128 (enough to outrun +1 Adamant Haxorus), but the lowest this set should go is 96 (enough to outrun +1 Adamant Dragonite). Two other attacks can be run; namely, ThunderPunch to hit Gyarados and Keldeo and Zen Headbutt to hit various Fighting-types (though it is slightly inaccurate).</p>

<p>As for support, this Jirachi doesn't need much. Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Scizor are the most important Pokemon to get rid of for Jirachi; an offensive Landorus-T such as a Choice Band variant can take hits from many of these Pokemon due to Intimidate and is able to steamroll through them. Magnezone is another good choice because it can efficiently trap and KO Ferrothorn and Scizor. Celebi is also a good partner because it can dispatch Jellicent. Swords Dance Scizor and Agility Thundurus-T can set up on Jirachi; Heatran can deal with the former and Mamoswine with the latter.</p>

[SET]
name: Wish + Calm Mind
move 1: Wish
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Psyshock / Flash Cannon / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While SubCM excels on more offensively oriented teams, this set does best on more defensive, slower-paced teams. Jirachi will have some trouble against some powerful offensive Pokemon such as Landorus and Landorus-T, but that's a small price to pay for the ability to support and sweep. Wish, of course, is the move that makes this all possible, allowing Jirachi to heal itself and support its teammates; in fact, the latter is its focus until late-game. Depending on whether or not you run it in rain, Jirachi can even spread paralysis. TAll of these traits together allow this Jirachi it to live practically forever if played correctly. The rest is standard fare for Calm Mind Jirachi. Use Thunder in rain and Thunderbolt outside it in order to hit bulky Water-types. Psyshock helps against an annoying Pokemon for defensive rain teams, Toxicroak, and helps against Calm Mind Latias. Flash Cannon has great coverage, and Water Pulse allows for parafusion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Jirachi some bulk to take on physical threats much more easily and outspeed Breloom and Magnezone. An EV spread of 252 HP / 100 Def /156 Spe with a Timid nature is also viable to outrun Modest Landorus and with it a plethora good amount of others. Two other choices for the move in the last move slot are Grass Knot to hit Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar, and Psychic to hit bulky Ground-types, such as Hippowdon and Gliscor, harder than Psyshock.</p>

<p>This set can't boost as easily as SubCM, so Jirachi is going to need some support. If you want run Thunder and / or Water Pulse, obviously bring a Politoed. Getting threats like Landorus, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Mamoswine out of the way is important, so Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and Gyarados are good partners. A hard hitter, such as Terrakion, is helpful to weaken teams for Jirachi; Terrakion is especially useful to demolish Heatran, Blissey, Chansey, and Gastrodon, and can punch huge holes into the opposing team. This set is geared toward balance and stall teams that need their Jirachi to support and sweep, as this set does. Other than rain, sand is a good weather to use with Jirachi because it helps wear down opposing Pokemon while Jirachi takes no damage from it. Stall teams always need some sort of attacker, and having one that doesn't sacrifice defensive synergy can be essential.</p>

[SET]
name: Superachi! (Offensive Calm Mind)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Flash Cannon
move 3: Grass Knot / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set, a mainstay from the fourth generation, is a full-out offensive Calm Mind sweeper. It only needs 1-2 boosts to sweep, which is a massive advantage over other Calm Mind sets, and has space for an extra coverage move. Honestly, all that's needed is a few Pokemon out of the way and then Jirachi can sweep. Because of this, it can be run on practically any offensive team. This set has two variants: one with Psychic, Grass Knot, and Hidden Power Fire, and one with Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt, and Hidden Power Ground. The first one boasts the hard-hitting Psychic to hit Fighting-types, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and a number of other threats hard, as well as the ability to break Gastrodon with Grass Knot. Grass Knot hits most other Water-types as well, including Jellicent, Slowbro, Gastrodon, and Starmie, as well as Tyranitar. Hidden Power Fire hits, naturally, Ferrothorn, Forretress, Skarmory, and other Steel-types. The second variant boasts the great neutral coverage of Flash Cannon and the ability to OHKO Heatran. Thunderbolt retains coverage on Jellicent, Slowbro, Starmie, Skarmory, and Forretress. Picking which variant to use is determined on what support you're willing to provide.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Modest is the preferred nature to give Jirachi some immediate power to work with, most notably guaranteeing the OHKO on Gliscor with +1 Life Orb-boosted Psychic. Timid is viable for isolated cases such as Jolly Haxorus and Kyurem-B, but those are only, well, isolated cases. As for the item, there are a bunch of choices. The ones listed are Life Orb, which provides more power, and Leftovers, which allows Jirachi to get more boosts and bluff other Calm Mind variants. Other options include Shuca Berry to take a Ground-type attack from foes such as Garchomp, Landorus, and Landorus-T, and Expert Belt to take advantage of this set's great super effective coverage. Lastly, since the second variant of this set can be run in rain, Thunder is a viable option for its paralysis chance and significant increase in power.</p>

<p>Support isn't really a big deal with this set; just get rid of most faster Pokemon so Jirachi can sweep securely, possibly leaving some foes such as Alakazam and Latios for Jirachi to set up on. The first variant of this set needs Heatran gone, which makes Landorus-T and Terrakion good partners (both can also provide Stealth Rock support), while the second needs Gastrodon gone, so Celebi is a good partner for it. The only other significant choice is Choice Band Tyranitar, as it nullifies the effects of rain and can Pursuit trap Celebi, which is a nuisance for unboosted Jirachi.</p>

[SET]
name: Substitute + Status
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Body Slam / Toxic
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 160 Atk / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set allows Jirachi to showcase its defensive, offensive, and supportive capabilities all at once, giving it the ability to function as a great pivot and wear down opponents with ease. Substitute and a status, as the set name implies, are vital to this set. Substitute provides a buffer against faster opponents and opposing status. The status is a choice between paralysis and Toxic. The former can cripple faster Pokemon, which helps slower teammates, and, with Iron Head, forms Jirachi's signature paraflinch strategy. The latter helps against walls, such as Hippowdon, Jellicent, Gastrodon, and Landorus-T, and works in tandem with Iron Head to wear down slower Pokemon quickly. Toxic helps many offensive Pokemon handle their worst nemeses. The last move is reserved for Fire Punch, which hits Ferrothorn and Forretress where it hurts.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs for this set allow it to fulfill its many duties, providing some bulk, power, and the ability to outspeed all Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Breloom, as well as Adamant Lucario. Running more Speed is a decent option to consider; good benchmarks include enough for Adamant Kyurem-B and defensive Ninetales. Zen Headbutt can be run over Fire Punch to hit Fighting-types hard, being boosted by STAB and having the same high flinch chance as Iron Head.</p>

<p>This Jirachi prefers to be in sandy weather, as facing or being on a rain or sun team proves detrimental in different ways. Rain weakens Fire Punch, while sun amplifies Jirachi's Fire weakness. Slower sweepers, such as Swords Dance Scizor, make great partners if Jirachi runs paralysis, while Pokemon that function great with certain walls removed, such as Keldeo, are best if Jirachi runs Toxic. If not running Toxic, make sure you have a Pokemon such as Thundurus-T or Celebi to eliminate Jellicent, Hippowdon, and other defensive behemoths. Another good partner for non-Toxic variants of this set is Kyurem-B, who benefits from paralysis support and, with the moves Fusion Bolt, Ice Beam, and Earth Power, can deal with most of the aforementioned walls. It can even get rid of Tentacruel and Zapdos, which is extremely helpful. If supporting Keldeo with Toxic to take down Jellicent and Latias, Gothitelle is a pretty useful partner to handily get rid of Tentacruel and Celebi.</p>

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Fire Punch / Ice Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Energy Ball
item: Expert Belt
nature: Naive
evs: 152 Atk / 200 SpA / 156 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>As is the case with many Pokemon that can run both physical and special options, Jirachi can run a mixed set effectively. Between the surprise factor of Expert Belt and great coverage, Jirachi can hit a variety of Pokemon hard. In addition, Jirachi's resistances and aforementioned coverage make it one of the best Shell Smash recipients in the game. The attacks are fairly straightforward; Iron Head is used because its flinch chance is just too good to pass up. It also hits Blissey, Chansey, Reuniclus, and Tyranitar hard. Fire Punch is the preferred Fire-type move so Jirachi can run Hidden Power, hitting Ferrothorn, Forretress, Lucario, and Celebi hard. Speaking of Hidden Power Ice, it is really essential to hit Dragon-types, such as Latios, Latias, Salamence, and Dragonite, and bulky Ground-types such as Gliscor, Landorus, and Landorus-T. Ice Punch is an option to hit Dragonite, Latios, and Latias harder, and that allows Jirachi to run Hidden Power Fire, which hits Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory harder than Fire Punch. The last move is the indispensable Energy Ball for Water-types such as Starmie, Gastrodon, and Jellicent.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs allow Jirachi to outrun Modest Landorus and hit fairly hard. A Naive nature is chosen so Jirachi can take priority moves better, which is especially important if it is passed a Shell Smash. Speaking of being passed a Shell Smash, Drain Punch is standard in that situation over the Fire-type move to hit Terrakion, Blissey, Chansey, and some others hard while providing some recovery. It allows Jirachi to function well against rain teams and thus potentially utilize Thunder over Energy Ball. Zen Headbutt is another viable coverage option to hit Fighting-types super effectively, also boasting STAB and the same flinch chance as Iron Head.</p>

<p>As has been mentioned numerous times, this Jirachi is an amazing recipient of Shell Smash, which makes Gorebyss and Smeargle great partners. Entry hazards are also pretty helpful; Deoxys-D is particularly helpful because it can prevent opposing hazards from being laid down on your side of the field for the potential Smeargle partner. This set also enjoys Terrakion being partnered with it, as it can smash apart opponents. Using a Pokemon such as Rock Polish Landorus is another option to punch some holes early-game. Otherwise, this Jirachi is just fine on its own. It is great at luring in and eliminating pesky walls which helps teammates, examples being Gastrodon for Keldeo and Thundurus-T, Skarmory for Mamoswine and Terrakion, and Ferrothorn for Swords Dance Scizor that lack Superpower.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Despite its expansive movepool, there are only a few other sets Jirachi can run effectively. The first of these is a Choice Specs set with Doom Desire; even though Doom Desire has the turn delay, it hits very hard with Choice Specs backing it. Jirachi has a plethora number of other coverage moves to incorporate into such a set. The second is a lead variant with Stealth Rock and Wish and heavy investment in HP and Speed. Another is a Gravity supporter, which is useful for, naturally, Gravity-based teams. Dual screens could work as well with Jirachi's great resistances, as could Cosmic Power to make Jirachi nearly impenetrable and Refresh to heal off status. However, at this point you might as well just use a a better Jirachi set.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>While it is impossible for any one Pokemon to counter every possible Jirachi, there a few that can handle most. Heatran is the foremost of them, being able to wall and phaze out almost all Calm Mind Jirachi and shut down the other sets. Calm Mind Latias can deal with certain variants depending on whether it runs Roar or Refresh, the former allowing it to beat all Calm Mind Jirachi and the latter allowing it to take on variants that aim to spread status. Gastrodon is another one, as bar the occasional Grass Knot or Energy Ball, it can wall Jirachi and wear it down with Earthquake and a Scald-induced burn. Yet another choice is specially defensive Swords Dance Scizor, who can deal with every Jirachi set that lacks a Fire-type move; Choice Band Scizor can deal with some sets but falters against boosted Jirachi. The final general purpose counter is Celebi, who can wall and Perish Song Calm Mind Jirachi as well as deal with most other variants.</p>

<p>Though it is fairly difficult to deal with most Jirachi in one Pokemon, there exist plenty of checks to certain sets. Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Landorus-T can deal with Calm Mind Jirachi that choose to run Psyshock. Ferrothorn can wall pretty much all Jirachi, even Hidden Power Fire variants in the rain, but also can do little in return other than set up Spikes. Forretress and Skarmory are in the same boat in that they cannot do much to Jirachi other than set up Spikes, though the latter can phaze it out in an emergency situation. Opposing Jirachi can also be a bit of a pain, as they each put the other stalemate position. Magnezone is an annoying foe for specially defensive Jirachi, as Jirachi can do practically nothing to Magnezone while it proceeds to 2HKO Jirachi with Choice Specs-boosted Hidden Power Fire (though it does take a few more hits and some prior damage in rain). Many bulky Water-types, (remove comma) including Jellicent, Tentacruel, RestTalk Gyarados, and specially defensive Rotom-W, (remove comma) can wall Choice Scarf and other physical Jirachi; Rotom-W can even deal with unboosted Calm Mind Jirachi fairly well, wearing it down with a burn from Will-O-Wisp. If all else fails, packing a strong Ground-type attacker, such as Landorus, Garchomp, or Mamoswine, will usually do the trick in KOing Jirachi.</p>

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