[Overview]
<p>The first thing you should know about Maractus is that it's absolutely adorable. The second thing you should know is that Maractus is largely outclassed by its fellow Grass-types, even in the depths of NU. Shiftry and Exeggutor are both better Chlorophyll sweepers, and Cacturne is the better choice for a Spikes user.</p>
<p>However, Maractus has one saving grace: it is the sole Pokemon in the game that has the Chlorophyll + Spikes combination, which gives it a unique niche as a supporting Spikes setter for sun teams. Also, Maractus may be outclassed, but it's not a bad Pokemon; it is still capable of running the same sets as its competition. Base 106 Special Attack gives its moves some punch, and its support movepool is full of useful stuff. Give Maractus a go next time you build a sun team; if its cuteness doesn't win you over, its support capabilities just might.</p>
[SET]
name: Sunny Spikes
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Giga Drain / Leech Seed
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Toxic
item: Heat Rock
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The Spikes and Chlorophyll combination is exclusive to Maractus, and this set aims to use it to the fullest. The gist of this set is to switch Maractus into something that can't harm it too badly and set up Sunny Day. With the help of Maractus's Heat Rock, your team will now have eight turns of sun to take advantage of. With its Chlorophyll-boosted Speed, Maractus should now attempt to get down as many layers of Spikes as it can. Your opponent will most likely seek to KO Maractus, after which you can bring in one of your Chlorophyll sweepers and go crazy. Giga Drain and Leech Seed can both keep the little cactus going by restoring HP, and both have their advantages. Giga Drain deals damage should you need to, and can put the pressure on Water-type foes that attempt to wall your Fire-types. Leech Seed is great for inflicting residual damage and can be pseudo-passed, which can alleviate the Stealth Rock damage that wracks your Fire-type Pokemon. For the last slot, Hidden Power Fire provides coverage with Giga Drain and is boosted by sun, while Toxic can get the drop on bulky Pokemon that hassle your team, such as Regirock, Flareon, Miltank, and Altaria.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature, Maractus hits 480 Speed in sun, and outspeeds even Timid Choice Scarf Jynx. In fact, the little cactus outspeeds the entire tier in sun, including Ninjask, Swellow, all of the common Choice Scarf users, and Shell Smash users. This means that it is almost guaranteed to get one layer of Spikes down at the very least. 252 EVs are allocated to HP to pad Maractus's bulk, and the leftover four are put in Special Attack to give its attacks a little boost. Synthesis is usable in the third slot if you want Maractus to be able to heal itself reliably, as it recovers 66% of its HP in sun. However, Giga Drain and Leech Seed both deal damage to opponents, which you might find more useful.</p>
<p>Pokemon that can take advantage of sun are the best teammates for Maractus; Choice Specs Exeggutor becomes an absolute terror in sun, as its bone-crushing power is now backed by 418 Speed, which makes the crazy coconut tree faster than the entire unboosted tier. Magmortar is another excellent choice, as its powerful Fire Blasts are boosted to unimaginable levels. Other Fire-types, such as Emboar, Rapidash, and Camerupt, also enjoy sun's benefits. There are plenty of other Chlorophyll abusers in NU, such as Victreebel, Shiftry, Jumpluff, and Leafeon, and all are great teammates for Maractus. Common Stealth Rock users, such as Golem, Regirock, and Miltank, pair well with Maractus, as the layers of entry hazards will really take their toll on the opponent's team, making it easier for your Pokemon to sweep. Golem, Regirock, and Miltank also resist Fire-type moves, which can come in handy. Rapid Spin users are a huge pain for Maractus, as they can blow its Spikes away, undoing all of its hard work. A spinblocker is hence recommended, and both Misdreavus and Haunter fit the bill.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Maractus can run a decent Chlorophyll sweeper set with the moves Giga Drain, Hidden Power Fire or Hidden Power Rock, Growth, and a fourth move, and a Life Orb and a Rash or Naive nature. Sadly, Maractus has no other special attacks to use, so you can opt for a physical attack such as Sucker Punch in the last slot. Maractus's second ability, Water Absorb, has its uses. Water Absorb Maractus makes a great switch-in to Water-types such as Quagsire and Wartortle, and can set up Spikes while they switch out. A set of Substitute, Giga Drain, Spikes, and Hidden Power Fire with 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature is quite good, and though it is outclassed by Cacturne, the scarecrow prefers to run physical sets. Maractus learns Leech Seed, but is too slow and frail to SubSeed well.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Maractus really has to watch out for Magmortar. Though Spikes do hurt Magmortar, it can switch into Maractus and force it out with the threat of a powerful Fire Blast. Taunt users such as Misdreavus can lock Maractus down, preventing it from using Sunny Day or Spikes. Foes with the Prankster ability, such as Murkrow and Cottonee, can Taunt Maractus after sun goes up. Maractus has to watch out for Ninjask, which at +1 can outspeed it and KO with X-Scissor or U-turn. Lickilicky is bulky enough to shrug off Maractus's attacks and can paralyze it with Thunder Wave or phaze it out with Dragon Tail. Priority users such as Gurdurr and Ice Shard Sneasel can dispatch Maractus, preventing it from setting up Spikes.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Maractus's Dream World ability is Storm Drain. The combination of Storm Drain and Spikes is, again, unique to Maractus, so it could run a Choice Specs or Choice Scarf set that simultaneously preys on Water-types and sets up Spikes.</p>
