Electrolyte
Wouldn't Wanna Know
approved by Elevator Music
Meowth that's right
Meowth that's right
QC approvals: [3/3] [iss, Hawkstar, blarajan]
GP approvals: [2/2] [Oglemi, Yonko7]
~Holy shit the old analysis is so outdated
~It really got nothing from BW2- other than Covet, which deserves a mention, as it hits for decent power and can steal the Eviolites of walls
~The set itself looks good to me, but its descriptions need some beefing up, which I'll work on
[Overview]
<p>Most people can name Meowth by just looking at its sprite, but like Pikachu, Meowth's fame is not because of its ability to shine competitively. In fact, Meowth's niche in competitive Pokemon is not only small, but also outclassed by other Pokemon, making Meowth a rare sight in today's metagame. However, it does possess a few traits that make it stand out; most notably, its ability Technician, which boosts the power of its relatively weak attacks so that it can suffice as a physical attacker. Its above average Speed does give Meowth a leg up stat wise even when its other stats don't, letting it function as a hit and run attacker with Fake Out and U-turn. The transition into BW2 also gave Meowth Covet, which is a useful move that can be used to steal the Eviolite off of opponents and 'cripple' them for the rest of the match. However, Meowth is lacking or outclassed in almost every other regard. It is extremely frail, weak to priority, and its low Attack really isn't anything to bet on, even with the Technician boost. Even within its niche, Meowth faces tough competition—other Fake Out users such as Mienfoo or Croagunk possess greater power and bulk, making them more ideal hit and run pivots. The competition is especially tough with Aipom, which can Fake Out and U-turn relatively quickly with greater power as well, and only lacks Covet and Bite. Despite all this, its strong Fake Out and high Speed make Meowth a useful pivot and revenge killer with a unique niche move in Covet.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Covet / Return
move 4: Bite
item: Normal Gem / Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Jolly
evs: 236 Atk / 76 Def / 192 Spe
ivs: 0 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Technician is what makes Meowth's low Attack usable by boosting the power of its attacks. Technician-boosted Fake Out is what makes this set shine, hitting a solid 135 Base Power when boosted by STAB, Technician, and Normal Gem, or a good 117 Base Power with Life Orb. U-turn comes next, letting Meowth pivot out after using its Fake Out. This embodies the hit-and-run strategy, as Meowth can often escape unscratched thanks to its high Speed. The next two moves are dependent on what Meowth is set out to do. Covet is the optimal choice for Meowth as it hits for a fair amount of damage and also steals the opponent's item after Fake Out burns Meowth's Normal Gem. It's also almost as powerful as Return, which is another attack Meowth can use in the second slot. Return doesn't have any secondary effects, but it's a lot more powerful than Covet, especially when boosted by Life Orb, which should be used if it is not necessary for Meowth to lose its item. Bite is used in the last slot to hit Ghost-types, and gets Technician-boosted to a Base Power of 90, which is enough to OHKO or 2HKO many Ghost- and Psychic-types found in LC, such as Misdreavus or Abra.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs are spread out to give Meowth as much offensive presence as possible. They first concentrate on Meowth's Speed, as Meowth needs to be able to outspeed as many opponents as possible so it can avoid attacks as it pivots with U-turn. Then, the EVs are invested in Attack to maximize Meowth's meager power. The remaining EVs go into Defense so Meowth can take weak hits when necessary.</p>
<p>Taunt is another option for Meowth, as it can be used to prevent opposing Pokemon from setting up. Meowth's item depends on which moves it uses. If you choose to use Return, a Life Orb is recommended, as it provides Meowth with a sizable boost in power. If you do use a Life Orb, 0 HP IVs are also recommended because it lowers Life Orb recoil to only 1 HP. If you choose to use Covet, a Normal Gem should be used, as it lets Meowth "get rid of" its item so it can steal an opponent's with Covet while also boosting the power of its first Fake Out.</p>
<p>Because of the hit-and-run playstyle, it enjoys the accompaniment of entry hazards and other more defensive pivots, as well as Pokemon that can take down Steel-, Rock-, and bulky Ghost-type walls. Magnemite gets a mention as it can form a VoltTurn core with Meowth and trap Steel-types that wall and are baited by Meowth. It can also hit Rock-types hard with Flash Cannon. Meowth in turn can steal the Eviolite of special walls to help Magnemite have an easier time getting past them. Larvesta is also a good partner, as it can sponge Fighting-type moves for Meowth, pivot with U-turn, and tackle Steel-types with Flare Blitz. Fighting-types are often great partners as well, as they can remove Steel- and Rock-types with their Fighting-type STAB. Mienfoo is especially good when paired with Meowth as it can sponge some Fighting-type moves, form a dual pivoting and Fake Out core to annoy the opponent, and take out the aforementioned Steel- and Rock-types that wall Meowth. Ground-types are also often great partners; Drilbur and Hippopotas can both set Stealth Rock and hit Rock- and Steel-types super effectively with Earthquake. Drilbur and Baltoy can also spin away entry hazards that annoy Meowth's pivoting process.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Meowth's barren movepool does not give it many other options. It does get Hypnosis, which it can use over a coverage move, but the low accuracy is unappealing, especially because a miss can often mean death due to Meowth's paper thin defenses. Hone Claws is also usable, and can boost the accuracy of Hypnosis, but Meowth's defenses are in no way bulky enough to buy it much time for setup, and it lacks coverage to be able to sweep. A Nasty Plot set with moves such as Swift or a 60 Base Power Hidden Power could also work, but would not work very well, as, again, Meowth's defenses are not solid enough for it to setup.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Because of Meowth's tendency to U-turn a lot, it could be hard to fully trap and take it down, but its weak attacks mean that it is relatively easy to wall. Steel-, Rock-, and bulky Ghost-types are Meowth's worst nightmare. None of them really care about Fake Out or Meowth's Normal-type STAB and can often hit it for a lot of damage due to Meowth's frailty. Ferroseed is a great counter to Meowth. Not only does it resist Meowth's Normal-type STAB, but it can also punish Meowth's attacks with Iron Barbs, as well as set up entry hazards to damage Meowth every time it switches in. Magnemite is a good check as well; it easily sponges Meowth's attacks and can hit it hard with powerful special attacks. It can also pivot in the face of a U-turn switch-in and grab momentum for its team. Bronzor is a good answer too, as it can hit Meowth hard with Gyro Ball, but it doesn't like getting its item taken away. Bulky Ghost-types such as Frillish or Misdreavus are good checks because they can sponge a Bite or two and reply by crippling Meowth, or just hitting it hard. Pokemon that are bulky and faster, such as Murkrow and Ponyta, can outspeed Meowth and take it down before it U-turns. Finally, Pokemon with priority Fighting-type STAB, such as Timburr and Croagunk, can hit Meowth super effectively and take it down in one swift move.</p>
GP approvals: [2/2] [Oglemi, Yonko7]
~Holy shit the old analysis is so outdated
~It really got nothing from BW2- other than Covet, which deserves a mention, as it hits for decent power and can steal the Eviolites of walls
~The set itself looks good to me, but its descriptions need some beefing up, which I'll work on
[Overview]
<p>Most people can name Meowth by just looking at its sprite, but like Pikachu, Meowth's fame is not because of its ability to shine competitively. In fact, Meowth's niche in competitive Pokemon is not only small, but also outclassed by other Pokemon, making Meowth a rare sight in today's metagame. However, it does possess a few traits that make it stand out; most notably, its ability Technician, which boosts the power of its relatively weak attacks so that it can suffice as a physical attacker. Its above average Speed does give Meowth a leg up stat wise even when its other stats don't, letting it function as a hit and run attacker with Fake Out and U-turn. The transition into BW2 also gave Meowth Covet, which is a useful move that can be used to steal the Eviolite off of opponents and 'cripple' them for the rest of the match. However, Meowth is lacking or outclassed in almost every other regard. It is extremely frail, weak to priority, and its low Attack really isn't anything to bet on, even with the Technician boost. Even within its niche, Meowth faces tough competition—other Fake Out users such as Mienfoo or Croagunk possess greater power and bulk, making them more ideal hit and run pivots. The competition is especially tough with Aipom, which can Fake Out and U-turn relatively quickly with greater power as well, and only lacks Covet and Bite. Despite all this, its strong Fake Out and high Speed make Meowth a useful pivot and revenge killer with a unique niche move in Covet.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Covet / Return
move 4: Bite
item: Normal Gem / Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Jolly
evs: 236 Atk / 76 Def / 192 Spe
ivs: 0 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Technician is what makes Meowth's low Attack usable by boosting the power of its attacks. Technician-boosted Fake Out is what makes this set shine, hitting a solid 135 Base Power when boosted by STAB, Technician, and Normal Gem, or a good 117 Base Power with Life Orb. U-turn comes next, letting Meowth pivot out after using its Fake Out. This embodies the hit-and-run strategy, as Meowth can often escape unscratched thanks to its high Speed. The next two moves are dependent on what Meowth is set out to do. Covet is the optimal choice for Meowth as it hits for a fair amount of damage and also steals the opponent's item after Fake Out burns Meowth's Normal Gem. It's also almost as powerful as Return, which is another attack Meowth can use in the second slot. Return doesn't have any secondary effects, but it's a lot more powerful than Covet, especially when boosted by Life Orb, which should be used if it is not necessary for Meowth to lose its item. Bite is used in the last slot to hit Ghost-types, and gets Technician-boosted to a Base Power of 90, which is enough to OHKO or 2HKO many Ghost- and Psychic-types found in LC, such as Misdreavus or Abra.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs are spread out to give Meowth as much offensive presence as possible. They first concentrate on Meowth's Speed, as Meowth needs to be able to outspeed as many opponents as possible so it can avoid attacks as it pivots with U-turn. Then, the EVs are invested in Attack to maximize Meowth's meager power. The remaining EVs go into Defense so Meowth can take weak hits when necessary.</p>
<p>Taunt is another option for Meowth, as it can be used to prevent opposing Pokemon from setting up. Meowth's item depends on which moves it uses. If you choose to use Return, a Life Orb is recommended, as it provides Meowth with a sizable boost in power. If you do use a Life Orb, 0 HP IVs are also recommended because it lowers Life Orb recoil to only 1 HP. If you choose to use Covet, a Normal Gem should be used, as it lets Meowth "get rid of" its item so it can steal an opponent's with Covet while also boosting the power of its first Fake Out.</p>
<p>Because of the hit-and-run playstyle, it enjoys the accompaniment of entry hazards and other more defensive pivots, as well as Pokemon that can take down Steel-, Rock-, and bulky Ghost-type walls. Magnemite gets a mention as it can form a VoltTurn core with Meowth and trap Steel-types that wall and are baited by Meowth. It can also hit Rock-types hard with Flash Cannon. Meowth in turn can steal the Eviolite of special walls to help Magnemite have an easier time getting past them. Larvesta is also a good partner, as it can sponge Fighting-type moves for Meowth, pivot with U-turn, and tackle Steel-types with Flare Blitz. Fighting-types are often great partners as well, as they can remove Steel- and Rock-types with their Fighting-type STAB. Mienfoo is especially good when paired with Meowth as it can sponge some Fighting-type moves, form a dual pivoting and Fake Out core to annoy the opponent, and take out the aforementioned Steel- and Rock-types that wall Meowth. Ground-types are also often great partners; Drilbur and Hippopotas can both set Stealth Rock and hit Rock- and Steel-types super effectively with Earthquake. Drilbur and Baltoy can also spin away entry hazards that annoy Meowth's pivoting process.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Meowth's barren movepool does not give it many other options. It does get Hypnosis, which it can use over a coverage move, but the low accuracy is unappealing, especially because a miss can often mean death due to Meowth's paper thin defenses. Hone Claws is also usable, and can boost the accuracy of Hypnosis, but Meowth's defenses are in no way bulky enough to buy it much time for setup, and it lacks coverage to be able to sweep. A Nasty Plot set with moves such as Swift or a 60 Base Power Hidden Power could also work, but would not work very well, as, again, Meowth's defenses are not solid enough for it to setup.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Because of Meowth's tendency to U-turn a lot, it could be hard to fully trap and take it down, but its weak attacks mean that it is relatively easy to wall. Steel-, Rock-, and bulky Ghost-types are Meowth's worst nightmare. None of them really care about Fake Out or Meowth's Normal-type STAB and can often hit it for a lot of damage due to Meowth's frailty. Ferroseed is a great counter to Meowth. Not only does it resist Meowth's Normal-type STAB, but it can also punish Meowth's attacks with Iron Barbs, as well as set up entry hazards to damage Meowth every time it switches in. Magnemite is a good check as well; it easily sponges Meowth's attacks and can hit it hard with powerful special attacks. It can also pivot in the face of a U-turn switch-in and grab momentum for its team. Bronzor is a good answer too, as it can hit Meowth hard with Gyro Ball, but it doesn't like getting its item taken away. Bulky Ghost-types such as Frillish or Misdreavus are good checks because they can sponge a Bite or two and reply by crippling Meowth, or just hitting it hard. Pokemon that are bulky and faster, such as Murkrow and Ponyta, can outspeed Meowth and take it down before it U-turns. Finally, Pokemon with priority Fighting-type STAB, such as Timburr and Croagunk, can hit Meowth super effectively and take it down in one swift move.</p>