prince of persian
[Overview]
<p>Unnerving as it may be, Persian doesn't receive much movepool-wise, but it still gets everything it needs to have to become a potent team player in VGC 2012. Such gifts are Fake Out and Unnerve, which is a combination unique to the Classy Cat, striking fear into the hearts of Pokemon like Yache Garchomp and Chople Tyranitar. Beyond this however, Persian fails to meet even the lowest of expectations with a base 70 Attack and 65 / 60 / 65 defenses that makes Pokemon like Whimsicott look like a brick wall in comparison. Keep this in the back of your mind, though, and play Persian to its strengths; it will surely dominate Berry-reliant Pokemon, making it a great addition to teams bothered by these threats.</p>
[SET]
name: Unnerve Lead
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: Night Slash / Feint / Charm
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
ability: Unnerve
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Persian sits at a great base 115 Speed stat, which outpaces many of the common Fake Outers, losing only to Weavile and the weather Fake Out users, namely Ludicolo and Shiftry. Protect keeps Persian alive for one turn (and more importantly, it keeps Unnerve active). The other two moves are mostly filler, and there is a lot Persian can do with the extra slots. Charm annoys physical Fighting-types in particular, and Feint removes enemy Protects, allowing you to gang up on whatever threatens you the most without worry. When running something over Night Slash, you must be careful not to let yourself get walled by Ghost-, Rock- or Steel-types, however.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Persian isn't the Pokemon that's going to sweep teams, pairing it up with Pokemon that can take advantage of Unnerve and Fake Out make great teammates. Mamoswine loves to KO Garchomp right through Yache Berry with an Ice Gem-boosted Ice Shard, and most teams appreciate the absence of Chople Tyranitar. Persian has a hard time dealing with Ghost-types, so Pokemon that can take care of them, such as Chandelure, Hydreigon, and Krookodile are good teammates too. Pokemon with Spore such as Amoonguss can help patch up Persian's Trick Room weakness, as Trick Room users usually depend on their Lum or Chesto Berries to stay awake, and Persian can Fake Out or Feint their supporters.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Persian unfortunately does not receive Icy Wind, Seed Bomb, Headbutt, or even Knock Off in conjunction with Unnerve. If you are in need of a Persian with any of those moves, you will have to stick with Technician or Limber, but keep in mind that Unnerve is the main reason to use Persian. Hypnosis goes well with Unnerve, bypassing status-removing Berries, but its accuracy is shaky to say the least. It is important to note that a Swagger-Persim Berry combination can be used with your teammate, as Unnerve does not affect your own roster. More Unnerve-compatible offensive options include U-turn, Aerial Ace, and Flail. Flail works well with Focus Sash, but hail and sandstorm, as well as priority moves make this an unreliable choice. U-turn can potentially get a teammate in safely, but Persian is better off staying where it is to Unnerve the opponent. Aerial Ace hits Fighting- and Grass-types super effectively, but it doesn't hit them hard enough to use it over Night Slash. Snatch can steal enemy Tailwinds and Substitutes, but it takes quite a bit of prediction to pull off.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Teams that don't rely on Berries don't have a problem facing Persian, but they will be annoyed by Fake Out and a potential Charm. Hitmontop and other Pokemon that pack Mach Punch make great counters to Persian given its mediocre defenses. As mentioned before, sets lacking Night Slash don't like Ghost-types, and leading with one can make Persian slightly more predictable. Trick Room can spell death for Persian because of its lack of powerful priority or good defenses. Metagross without an Occa or Shuca Berry can completely ignore Persian as even Charm gets blocked by Clear Body, but it must be wary of Hypnosis.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Unnerving as it may be, Persian doesn't receive much movepool-wise, but it still gets everything it needs to have to become a potent team player in VGC 2012. Such gifts are Fake Out and Unnerve, which is a combination unique to the Classy Cat, striking fear into the hearts of Pokemon like Yache Garchomp and Chople Tyranitar. Beyond this however, Persian fails to meet even the lowest of expectations with a base 70 Attack and 65 / 60 / 65 defenses that makes Pokemon like Whimsicott look like a brick wall in comparison. Keep this in the back of your mind, though, and play Persian to its strengths; it will surely dominate Berry-reliant Pokemon, making it a great addition to teams bothered by these threats.</p>
[SET]
name: Unnerve Lead
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: Night Slash / Feint / Charm
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
ability: Unnerve
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Persian sits at a great base 115 Speed stat, which outpaces many of the common Fake Outers, losing only to Weavile and the weather Fake Out users, namely Ludicolo and Shiftry. Protect keeps Persian alive for one turn (and more importantly, it keeps Unnerve active). The other two moves are mostly filler, and there is a lot Persian can do with the extra slots. Charm annoys physical Fighting-types in particular, and Feint removes enemy Protects, allowing you to gang up on whatever threatens you the most without worry. When running something over Night Slash, you must be careful not to let yourself get walled by Ghost-, Rock- or Steel-types, however.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Persian isn't the Pokemon that's going to sweep teams, pairing it up with Pokemon that can take advantage of Unnerve and Fake Out make great teammates. Mamoswine loves to KO Garchomp right through Yache Berry with an Ice Gem-boosted Ice Shard, and most teams appreciate the absence of Chople Tyranitar. Persian has a hard time dealing with Ghost-types, so Pokemon that can take care of them, such as Chandelure, Hydreigon, and Krookodile are good teammates too. Pokemon with Spore such as Amoonguss can help patch up Persian's Trick Room weakness, as Trick Room users usually depend on their Lum or Chesto Berries to stay awake, and Persian can Fake Out or Feint their supporters.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Persian unfortunately does not receive Icy Wind, Seed Bomb, Headbutt, or even Knock Off in conjunction with Unnerve. If you are in need of a Persian with any of those moves, you will have to stick with Technician or Limber, but keep in mind that Unnerve is the main reason to use Persian. Hypnosis goes well with Unnerve, bypassing status-removing Berries, but its accuracy is shaky to say the least. It is important to note that a Swagger-Persim Berry combination can be used with your teammate, as Unnerve does not affect your own roster. More Unnerve-compatible offensive options include U-turn, Aerial Ace, and Flail. Flail works well with Focus Sash, but hail and sandstorm, as well as priority moves make this an unreliable choice. U-turn can potentially get a teammate in safely, but Persian is better off staying where it is to Unnerve the opponent. Aerial Ace hits Fighting- and Grass-types super effectively, but it doesn't hit them hard enough to use it over Night Slash. Snatch can steal enemy Tailwinds and Substitutes, but it takes quite a bit of prediction to pull off.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Teams that don't rely on Berries don't have a problem facing Persian, but they will be annoyed by Fake Out and a potential Charm. Hitmontop and other Pokemon that pack Mach Punch make great counters to Persian given its mediocre defenses. As mentioned before, sets lacking Night Slash don't like Ghost-types, and leading with one can make Persian slightly more predictable. Trick Room can spell death for Persian because of its lack of powerful priority or good defenses. Metagross without an Occa or Shuca Berry can completely ignore Persian as even Charm gets blocked by Clear Body, but it must be wary of Hypnosis.</p>
