http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/rattata
Stage: Done
QC 2/2: Heysup, Kannon
GP 2/2: bugmaniacbob, Oglemi
Rattata
[Overview]
<p>Rattata is one of those Pokemon that is just plain cool. It is a little energetic rat that made a name for itself as one of the most fun gimmicks of early DP, the F.E.A.R set (which stands for Focus Sash, Endeavor, (Quick) Attack, Rattata). Since then it hasn't seen as much love, especially considering how much better the Clefairy line is at that set. However, this lack of love is unfounded as Rattata has some tricks up those little purple sleeves. Rattata has an excellent ability and some nice egg moves, enabling it to help out teams that need a bit more fun, while still getting the job done.</p>
<p>Sadly for Rattata, it is almost entirely outclassed in almost all areas by other Pokemon; however, in every case it has some quirk that makes sure it isn't totally left behind, sometimes even being a better choice than the more popular and well-known option. Taillow, Stunky, and Munchlax better move over, Rattata is in the building.</p>
[SET]
name: Revenging Rat
move 1: Quick Attack
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Pursuit / U-turn
move 4: Return / Flame Wheel
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 228 Atk / 76 SpD / 180 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>Rattata makes a decent revenge killer thanks to its access to STAB priority in addition to access to Sucker Punch. There are obviously other Pokemon that look better on paper, but none of them have the added ability to take on some Steel-types, which Rattata can do with Flame Wheel. This point in itself is enough reason to consider Rattata for a place on your team.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The choice of moves depends on what you want Rattata to do. Pursuit is the best option to make the most of Rattata's typing and to give it something over some of the other revenge killers that may be vying for the spot. It is also the best counter around to Will-O-Wisp Gastly, or any Ghost-type that uses that move. For example, a Duskull takes 14 damage minimum from Pursuit even when it doesn't switch out after a Guts boost. U-turn is also a good choice as it can also help support the team. A fast U-turn is always useful to bring a teammate in for whatever your opponent chooses to switch into Rattata. Both of these moves make the most of an opponent's switching, so the choice is up to you.</p>
<p>The last slot is mainly reserved for taking on slower, healthier threats. Slow and bulky Pokemon take a chunk of damage from a strong, STAB-boosted Return. Flame Wheel is also an option thanks to its ability to not leave Rattata completely helpless against Steel-types as well as taking out slow Grass-types. Of course, whichever move you don't use in the third slot can also go in this slot if that is what your team needs.</p>
<p>Normal has good type coverage overall, being ineffective only against Steel-, Rock-, and Ghost-types. Coupled with Rattata's other moves, this means that the only type of Pokemon Rattata will have difficulty revenge killing are Rock-types. For this reason it is good to partner Rattata with a strong Fighting-type priority user like Croagunk who, alongside Rattata, can revenge kill most threats your team will come up against. Croagunk also has the added benefit of resisting Fighting-type moves aimed at Rattata.</p>
<p>Another good partner to consider is Baltoy. Baltoy resists Fighting-type attacks, while Rattata is immune to Ghost-type attacks and can punish their STAB users with Pursuit. As a Pokemon that will be switching in and out a lot, Rattata really enjoys Rapid Spin support, which Baltoy can provide. Baltoy also has the quirk of being able to switch into entry hazards with little damage thanks to its Stealth Rock resistance and Spikes immunity.</p>
<p>Rattata also has the ability to beat some of the deadly Choice Scarf users that other priority revenge killers have difficulties with, namely Gastly, thanks to Sucker Punch. Alternatively, if Gastly is locked into Shadow Ball, Rattata can take it out of the game with Pursuit. The same process works with other Ghost-types as Rattata is the only viable Pursuit user that benefits from the ever common Will-O-Wisp.</p>
[SET]
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: U-turn / Flame Wheel / Crunch
move 4: Quick Attack / Protect
item: Toxic Orb / Flame Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 36 HP / 228 Atk / 180 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>At first glance it seems like Rattata would be completely outclassed by Teddiursa and Taillow as a status sweeper. However, it has a higher Attack stat than Quick Feet Teddiursa after Guts, and also has a few quirks that give it the edge over the other Pokemon you might be considering to fill this role on your team.</p>
<p>The Normal / Dark combination is a staple on many Normal-type Little Cup sweepers such as Munchlax and Eevee, and Rattata is no exception to the rule. With access to a very good STAB in the form of Facade, Sucker Punch, and extra coverage moves, Rattata is a Pokemon to fear.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Toxic Orb is the item of choice for two reasons. Firstly, it is unrealistic to assume that there is a good chance of Rattata being statused spontaneously, due to the lower amount of status used in Little Cup than in most other tiers. Secondly, in the fast-paced metagame that is Little Cup, Rattata is unlikely to be alive for very long and Toxic Orb results in the least amount of health lost over the first three turns, which is about Rattata's lifespan in most situations.</p>
<p>The choice between the last two moves determines how you will play Rattata. If you run Quick Attack, Rattata can then function as a back-up revenge killer, and it is always useful to have priority in Little Cup. Protect lets you bring Rattata in after one of your Pokemon has fainted and enables Rattata to activate Guts without any harm. U-turn lets Rattata work as a pseudo-scout and can be useful in letting your team trap Rock-types who your team can then use to set up on. Therefore if you are using U-turn it is useful to have a Pokemon that can set-up on Rock-types, such as dual screen Bronzor and even Rock Polish Aron. Crunch gives a more reliable option to hit slower Pokemon such as Bronzor and Duskull, who may try to stall you out until you die due to status. Flame Wheel is also a reasonable option to hit Steel-type switch-ins.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Rattata has trouble with Rock-types more than anything else. Therefore, Pokemon that can easily take out or set up on Rock-types make good partners for Rattata. Fighting-type Pokemon in particular are useful because Rattata has a knack for luring and killing Ghost-type switch-ins which, in turn, allows Fighting-type Pokemon to fire off STAB moves without worry. Highest on the list is Machop, who can confuse every single switch-in, bar the occasional Slowpoke, with 100% accurate DynamicPunches once the opponent's Ghost-types have been eliminated.</p>
<p>All of the physical walls that hinder Rattata, bar Koffing and Bronzor, are weak to either Electric- or Ice-type attacks, so pairing Rattata with a strong special sweeper with STAB on these types can be helpful. Chinchou gets special mention for being able to set up on some of these walls while being able to use the Thunderbolt + Ice Beam combination effectively. Porygon is another Pokemon that can do this and will appreciate Rattata's Ghost trapping abilities.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Most of Rattata's best options have already been mentioned. Rattata has a fairly extensive special movepool but for the most part Rattata's poor Special Attack stat of 25 is too low to be useful. Blizzard or Ice Beam is the only move with a possibility of being useful to hit Gligar switching in; however, that is a gimmick at best. On the physical side, Rattata can fill a offensive support role with Taunt and Super Fang to mess with walls, but again there are better Pokemon for the job in almost every case.</p>
<p>You may wish to run either Pluck or Zen Headbutt. Both are situational but can prove useful. Pluck can steal the opponent's pinch or Oran Berries if you are lucky. Zen Headbutt is Rattata's strongest move against Koffing, and is also a good option to hit the common Fighting-type priority abuse Pokemon switching in, notably Croagunk, for larger amounts of damage. Rattata is infamous for its F.E.A.R. set in higher tiers and can attempt to pull off such a set in LC. Reliable priority in the form of Quick Attack makes such a set possible for the more ballsy battlers that play Little Cup. Another gimmick set it can run is one consisting of Substitute + Pinch Berry + Reversal. Another point to note is that any set you do decide to use can run Facade. A lot of teams run Will-O-Wisp, and abusing that fact with Guts is always a good way to make the best of a bad situation.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Rock-types have been mentioned as problems for Rattata. Good choices include Onix, Rhydon, Geodude, Omanyte, and even Nosepass. All of them have high Defense and are resistant to Rattata's STAB. Rattata has paper defences so any strong attack from any one of them will ruin it. Other walls that give Rattata a hard time include Gligar, Koffing, and Shellder. Gligar can set up and sweep, Koffing can wall Rattata but needs to be careful not to give it a free Guts boost with Will-O-Wisp, and Shellder and easily take Rattata out with a Choice Scarf STAB move. Rattata also won't like taking Fighting-type priority attacks from the likes of Croagunk or Riolu either. Any strong and faster priority will suffice, as it is likely that Rattata will have taken previous damage through either recoil or status, making Elekid and Dratini good choices as well.</p>
Stage: Done
QC 2/2: Heysup, Kannon
GP 2/2: bugmaniacbob, Oglemi
Rattata
[Overview]
<p>Rattata is one of those Pokemon that is just plain cool. It is a little energetic rat that made a name for itself as one of the most fun gimmicks of early DP, the F.E.A.R set (which stands for Focus Sash, Endeavor, (Quick) Attack, Rattata). Since then it hasn't seen as much love, especially considering how much better the Clefairy line is at that set. However, this lack of love is unfounded as Rattata has some tricks up those little purple sleeves. Rattata has an excellent ability and some nice egg moves, enabling it to help out teams that need a bit more fun, while still getting the job done.</p>
<p>Sadly for Rattata, it is almost entirely outclassed in almost all areas by other Pokemon; however, in every case it has some quirk that makes sure it isn't totally left behind, sometimes even being a better choice than the more popular and well-known option. Taillow, Stunky, and Munchlax better move over, Rattata is in the building.</p>
[SET]
name: Revenging Rat
move 1: Quick Attack
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Pursuit / U-turn
move 4: Return / Flame Wheel
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 228 Atk / 76 SpD / 180 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>Rattata makes a decent revenge killer thanks to its access to STAB priority in addition to access to Sucker Punch. There are obviously other Pokemon that look better on paper, but none of them have the added ability to take on some Steel-types, which Rattata can do with Flame Wheel. This point in itself is enough reason to consider Rattata for a place on your team.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The choice of moves depends on what you want Rattata to do. Pursuit is the best option to make the most of Rattata's typing and to give it something over some of the other revenge killers that may be vying for the spot. It is also the best counter around to Will-O-Wisp Gastly, or any Ghost-type that uses that move. For example, a Duskull takes 14 damage minimum from Pursuit even when it doesn't switch out after a Guts boost. U-turn is also a good choice as it can also help support the team. A fast U-turn is always useful to bring a teammate in for whatever your opponent chooses to switch into Rattata. Both of these moves make the most of an opponent's switching, so the choice is up to you.</p>
<p>The last slot is mainly reserved for taking on slower, healthier threats. Slow and bulky Pokemon take a chunk of damage from a strong, STAB-boosted Return. Flame Wheel is also an option thanks to its ability to not leave Rattata completely helpless against Steel-types as well as taking out slow Grass-types. Of course, whichever move you don't use in the third slot can also go in this slot if that is what your team needs.</p>
<p>Normal has good type coverage overall, being ineffective only against Steel-, Rock-, and Ghost-types. Coupled with Rattata's other moves, this means that the only type of Pokemon Rattata will have difficulty revenge killing are Rock-types. For this reason it is good to partner Rattata with a strong Fighting-type priority user like Croagunk who, alongside Rattata, can revenge kill most threats your team will come up against. Croagunk also has the added benefit of resisting Fighting-type moves aimed at Rattata.</p>
<p>Another good partner to consider is Baltoy. Baltoy resists Fighting-type attacks, while Rattata is immune to Ghost-type attacks and can punish their STAB users with Pursuit. As a Pokemon that will be switching in and out a lot, Rattata really enjoys Rapid Spin support, which Baltoy can provide. Baltoy also has the quirk of being able to switch into entry hazards with little damage thanks to its Stealth Rock resistance and Spikes immunity.</p>
<p>Rattata also has the ability to beat some of the deadly Choice Scarf users that other priority revenge killers have difficulties with, namely Gastly, thanks to Sucker Punch. Alternatively, if Gastly is locked into Shadow Ball, Rattata can take it out of the game with Pursuit. The same process works with other Ghost-types as Rattata is the only viable Pursuit user that benefits from the ever common Will-O-Wisp.</p>
[SET]
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: U-turn / Flame Wheel / Crunch
move 4: Quick Attack / Protect
item: Toxic Orb / Flame Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 36 HP / 228 Atk / 180 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>At first glance it seems like Rattata would be completely outclassed by Teddiursa and Taillow as a status sweeper. However, it has a higher Attack stat than Quick Feet Teddiursa after Guts, and also has a few quirks that give it the edge over the other Pokemon you might be considering to fill this role on your team.</p>
<p>The Normal / Dark combination is a staple on many Normal-type Little Cup sweepers such as Munchlax and Eevee, and Rattata is no exception to the rule. With access to a very good STAB in the form of Facade, Sucker Punch, and extra coverage moves, Rattata is a Pokemon to fear.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Toxic Orb is the item of choice for two reasons. Firstly, it is unrealistic to assume that there is a good chance of Rattata being statused spontaneously, due to the lower amount of status used in Little Cup than in most other tiers. Secondly, in the fast-paced metagame that is Little Cup, Rattata is unlikely to be alive for very long and Toxic Orb results in the least amount of health lost over the first three turns, which is about Rattata's lifespan in most situations.</p>
<p>The choice between the last two moves determines how you will play Rattata. If you run Quick Attack, Rattata can then function as a back-up revenge killer, and it is always useful to have priority in Little Cup. Protect lets you bring Rattata in after one of your Pokemon has fainted and enables Rattata to activate Guts without any harm. U-turn lets Rattata work as a pseudo-scout and can be useful in letting your team trap Rock-types who your team can then use to set up on. Therefore if you are using U-turn it is useful to have a Pokemon that can set-up on Rock-types, such as dual screen Bronzor and even Rock Polish Aron. Crunch gives a more reliable option to hit slower Pokemon such as Bronzor and Duskull, who may try to stall you out until you die due to status. Flame Wheel is also a reasonable option to hit Steel-type switch-ins.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Rattata has trouble with Rock-types more than anything else. Therefore, Pokemon that can easily take out or set up on Rock-types make good partners for Rattata. Fighting-type Pokemon in particular are useful because Rattata has a knack for luring and killing Ghost-type switch-ins which, in turn, allows Fighting-type Pokemon to fire off STAB moves without worry. Highest on the list is Machop, who can confuse every single switch-in, bar the occasional Slowpoke, with 100% accurate DynamicPunches once the opponent's Ghost-types have been eliminated.</p>
<p>All of the physical walls that hinder Rattata, bar Koffing and Bronzor, are weak to either Electric- or Ice-type attacks, so pairing Rattata with a strong special sweeper with STAB on these types can be helpful. Chinchou gets special mention for being able to set up on some of these walls while being able to use the Thunderbolt + Ice Beam combination effectively. Porygon is another Pokemon that can do this and will appreciate Rattata's Ghost trapping abilities.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Most of Rattata's best options have already been mentioned. Rattata has a fairly extensive special movepool but for the most part Rattata's poor Special Attack stat of 25 is too low to be useful. Blizzard or Ice Beam is the only move with a possibility of being useful to hit Gligar switching in; however, that is a gimmick at best. On the physical side, Rattata can fill a offensive support role with Taunt and Super Fang to mess with walls, but again there are better Pokemon for the job in almost every case.</p>
<p>You may wish to run either Pluck or Zen Headbutt. Both are situational but can prove useful. Pluck can steal the opponent's pinch or Oran Berries if you are lucky. Zen Headbutt is Rattata's strongest move against Koffing, and is also a good option to hit the common Fighting-type priority abuse Pokemon switching in, notably Croagunk, for larger amounts of damage. Rattata is infamous for its F.E.A.R. set in higher tiers and can attempt to pull off such a set in LC. Reliable priority in the form of Quick Attack makes such a set possible for the more ballsy battlers that play Little Cup. Another gimmick set it can run is one consisting of Substitute + Pinch Berry + Reversal. Another point to note is that any set you do decide to use can run Facade. A lot of teams run Will-O-Wisp, and abusing that fact with Guts is always a good way to make the best of a bad situation.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Rock-types have been mentioned as problems for Rattata. Good choices include Onix, Rhydon, Geodude, Omanyte, and even Nosepass. All of them have high Defense and are resistant to Rattata's STAB. Rattata has paper defences so any strong attack from any one of them will ruin it. Other walls that give Rattata a hard time include Gligar, Koffing, and Shellder. Gligar can set up and sweep, Koffing can wall Rattata but needs to be careful not to give it a free Guts boost with Will-O-Wisp, and Shellder and easily take Rattata out with a Choice Scarf STAB move. Rattata also won't like taking Fighting-type priority attacks from the likes of Croagunk or Riolu either. Any strong and faster priority will suffice, as it is likely that Rattata will have taken previous damage through either recoil or status, making Elekid and Dratini good choices as well.</p>
