[Overview]
<p>Lickilicky doesn't look like an extremely intimidating Pokemon, but its great ability can certainly make up for its goofy looks. Cloud Nine gives Lickilicky a niche in the VGC 2012 metagame, allowing it to negate the effects of weather, which, with Tyranitar, Politoed, Hippowdon, Ninetales, and Abomasnow lurking about, can be a great help in winning a match. Its stats aren't much to show off, but with Base 110 HP, Lickilicky has the bulk to stay in the battle and mess around with your opponent's weather.</p>
[SET]
name: Cloud Nine
move 1: Return / Explosion
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb / Sitrus Berry
ability: Cloud Nine
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The move selection on Lickilicky might seem a little odd at first, especially to those expecting something a little less offensive. However, this set serves its purpose well. A Life Orb-backed Power Whip almost always OHKOs 252 HP Politoed, which certainly messes around with weather. Return provides a strong STAB attack, which can hit Abomasnow for high damage, something which Power Whip and Earthquake can't do. Earthquake hits Ninetales and Steel-types for high damage, although the reduction in power caused by hitting two Pokemon makes it much less powerful than expected. Explosion is another option instead of Return, although a Normal Gem would be useful in that case to make up for the lack of a Defense drop this generation along with the spread move power reduction. Protect is useful for stalling out your opponent and scouting for dangerous moves.</p>
<p>Lickilicky isn't anything too incredible. Its most reliable way of getting rid of Politoed, Tyranitar, and Hippowdon is Power Whip, which has a lacking 85% accuracy. Return is easy to use in simulator play, but in cartridge play, raising its happiness to the max is a long process and can be very tedious. Earthquake is weakened in doubles since it is a spread move and so it doesn't hit too hard, especially coming off of Lickilicky's base 85 attack stat. If using Explosion, be sure it will definitely KO what it needs to hit, as otherwise weather will return to normal without any benefits to your side. Without its ability, Lickilicky would probably never see much use.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Lickilicky is extremely slow, only having 50 Base Speed. Because of this, it appreciates Trick Room support. If using Lickilicky under Trick Room, a 0 Speed IV is recommended in order to be sure you can outrun common threats under Trick Room. Common Trick Room setters such as Cresselia and Musharna pair well with Lickilicky because they aren't hit by Earthquake and also provide Helping Hand support. In addition to that, they also resist Fighting-type moves and can hit back with super effective Psychic-type attacks. Pokemon like Togekiss and Zapdos can also be great partners because of their Fighting-type resistance and ability to hit back hard. Pokemon that hit Steel-types for super effective damage, such as Heatran, Hitmontop, Garchomp, and any other Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-types also serve as good partners. Setting up Trick Room can also counter weather as well, as weathers like rain and sun can be used to abuse Swift Swim and Chlorophyll, respectively.</p>
<p>Against hail and sand, Lickilicky appreciates partners that can aid it in countering the setters and abusers. Pokemon such as Bronzong fill that role well, with moves such as STAB Gyro Ball to take care of Tyranitar and Abomasnow. Lickilicky loves Helping Hand support to make up for its lacking attack power against common threats.</p>
<p>Lickilicky's best asset isn't a strong offense. Its niche in the VGC 2012 metagame is its ability: Cloud Nine. Lickilicky really just wants to stay alive and on the field for as long as possible to mess with your opponent's weather. If your team handles weather nicely, then it probably won't need Lickilicky's assistance. It serves a very specific role, and if your opponent doesn't run weather, you pretty much only have 5 other Pokemon to choose from because you won't want to be using Lickilicky.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Other options for held items are Normal Gem and Grass Gem. Normal Gem allows Return or Explosion to be boosted, while Grass Gem allows Lickilicky to always OHKO 252 HP Politoed, which is incredibly useful. Lickilicky can also make use of Body Slam as a solid STAB move over Return if getting to max happiness proves to be too difficult. Chople Berry is another option for a held item, as it weakens the blow of super effective Fighting-type attacks, which can certainly help Lickilicky in tough situations.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Lickilicky has a whole group of counters and checks because it really doesn't have any great stats or resistances to boast. Anything that lives its attacks and hits hard enough to weaken it or OHKO it can be a counter since Lickilicky really isn't capable of throwing out masses of damage consistently. Against well-played weather teams, Lickilicky will often be the first thing your opponent would want to remove, so it can end up just being a giant pink target, and can be taken down with ease.</p>
