OVERVIEW]
Thanks to Pure Power, Medicham possesses the highest Attack stat in OU, and alongside a wide movepool and powerful STAB attacks, which allow it to deal serious damage to defensive teams. Although Medicham's frailty and subpar Speed hurt its effectiveness against offensive teams, it can still utilize powerful priority attacks in the form of Fake Out and Bullet Punch to wear down or knock out faster Pokemon. Despite Medicham's immense power, it faces competition with other Fighting-type Mega Evolutions, particularly Mega Gallade and Mega Lopunny, which have better coverage, Speed, and bulk. The high usage of Medicham's checks and counters, such as Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, and Reuniclus, isn't doing it any favors either. Despite all this, Medicham finds its place in the OU metagame as an immensely strong physical wallbreaker.
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: Zen Headbutt
move 3: Fake Out
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Medichamite
ability: Pure Power
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
High Jump Kick is Medicham's strongest attack, hitting most Pokemon that aren't immune to it for a sizable amount of damage. Zen Headbutt provides decent neutral coverage with High Jump Kick, hitting Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon incredibly hard. Fake Out grants Medicham a safe turn to Mega Evolve while also dealing chip damage and potentially picking off a weakened foe. Ice Punch is preferred in the last moveslot, as it gets the OHKO on bulky Garchomp, Gliscor, and offensive Landorus-T. Thunder Punch hits bulky Water-types such as Slowbro, Mega Slowbro, and Gyarados super effectively. It is best used alongside Substitute to dodge status ailments that bulky Water-types are notorious for dishing out. Substitute itself is a good option for easing prediction and dodging status, but Medicham will usually wish it had used an attacking move. Bullet Punch helps Medicham's matchup against more offensively oriented teams while having the added perk of being able to revenge kill Mega Diancie.
Set Details
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Pure Power is what makes Medicham unique, taking its Attack to unparalleled levels. A Jolly nature is preferred, as an Adamant nature does not help Medicham land any extra KOs and it lets Medicham Speed tie with opposing base positive-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon, such as Mega Gardevoir, Victini, and Mega Charizard Y. Maximum Attack and Speed investment allows Medicham to be as fast and strong as possible.
Usage Tips
========
Use High Jump Kick with caution, as if it fails to connect, Medicham will lose 50% of its HP; this means Medicham shouldn't use it when your opponent still has a Ghost-type on the field or if you're scouting for Protect on Pokemon such as Heatran and Ferrothorn. If Medicham is running Fake Out, it should typically use it on its first turn out to get off chip damage on the foe and Mega Evolve safely. Due to Medicham's poor bulk, getting it in on a free switch, such as after a slow Volt Switch or U-turn from a teammate, is crucial for its longevity.
Team Options
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Fairy-type special attackers, such as Sylveon and Clefable, make for amazing partners, as they can break past Mega Sableye and Mega Slowbro, which are two of the best responses to Medicham on bulkier teams. Pivots, particularly Landorus-T and Rotom-W, make for good partners, as they provide an answer to Talonflame and give a slow U-turn and Volt Switch, respectively, to get Medicham in safely. Strong special wallbreakers, such as Hydreigon and Thundurus, can take advantage of Medicham's ability to defeat special walls, such as Chansey. Late game-cleaners, such as Weavile and Dragonite, appreciate Medicham's ability to break down walls. Pursuit trappers, such as Bisharp, Weavile, and Tyranitar, can trap Ghost-types that prevent Medicham from using High Jump Kick safely.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Medicham can run a set with Bulk Up to boost its already stellar Attack while also boosting its Defense, but Medicham's lack of bulk makes it hard to find setup opportunities, and typically it can make better use of the moveslot. If Medicham is running Bulk Up, Drain Punch is a viable option, increasing Medicham's overall longevity.
Baton Pass allows Medicham to switch out to a teammate when predicting a check or counter to it coming out. Medicham can also use a set with both Substitute and Baton Pass to support its team while also maintaining momentum, but this role is performed better by Mega Lopunny, which isn't walled as easily as Medicham is without additional coverage moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Psychic-types**: Bulky Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Mega Slowbro, and Mew, resist Medicham's STAB attacks and beat Medicham one-on-one.
**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye deserves a special mention as a counter, as Sableye is immune to Medicham's STAB attacks and takes very little from its coverage moves while it can deal heavy damage to Medicham with a Foul Play or Shadow Ball.
**Flying-types**: Although they cannot safely switch in, Flying-types, such as Tornadus-Therian, Mega Pinsir, and Talonflame, can revenge kill Medicham with their STAB attacks.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types, such as Cofagrigus, Gourgeist-XL, and Gengar, can stop Medicham from using High Jump Kick out of fear of losing 50% of its health.
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