Rattata (Analysis)

Joey would be proud.

status: done!

[Overview]

• Rattata got some nice buffs in Black and White
• Its most notable improvement is its Dream World ability, Hustle
• New moves added to its movepool such as Wild Bolt and Vengeance improve it even more
• Still has Guts and the ever loved Sucker Punch
• And still unbelievably frail, which really holds it back
• It is still unknown if a female Rattata has been released through Dream World, so it is very difficult to abuse Hustle
• Overall, while Rattata was a forgettable Pokemon in Gen IV, its now a much more formidable opponent

[Set]

name: Gutsy Rodent
move 1: Facade
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Flame Wheel
move 4: Protect / Wild Bolt / U-Turn
item: Toxic Orb / Flame Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 228 Atk / 180 Spe

[Set Comments]

• Think slower Taillow but with a much better movepool
• Facade, being that its base power doubles when statused, is obviously going to be your main STAB move
• Sucker Punch is Rattata's strongest priority
• Flame Wheel is there solely as a way to hit Tesshiido
• Protect can be used as a safety net so you are almost always guaranteed orb activation
• Wild Bolt hits many of Rattata's best checks, including Kabuto, Purotooga and Omantye
• U-Turn in general is a great move to have, but a spinner should be used if you are using it

[Additional Comments]

• Quick Attack is another option as priority
• Having a user of Rapid Spin, such as Squirtle, is recommended
• Stealth Rock support is always good. Bronzor, Ishizumai and Tesshiido are three of the best users of Stealth Rock
• Priority really hurts this set, especially Fake Out and ExtremeSpeed. Because of this, Ghost-types are great teammates
• Croagunk is a pain, so Wynaut and Diglett work well with Rattata

[Set]

name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Vengeance
move 2: U-Turn
move 3: Flame Wheel / Wild Bolt
move 4: Crunch / Sucker Punch
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 228 Atk / 180 Spe

[Set Comments]

• Rattata can be an effective revenge killer with Choice Scarf
• Vengeance not only gets STAB, but its base power doubles if Rattata is coming in after a teammate has been KOed, making an excellent move for revenge killing
• U-Turn is useful for scouting and an overall good move on Scarfers
• Flame Wheel busts through Tesshiido while Wild Bolt severely damages Purotooga, Mantyke, Kabuto, Aaken and Omanyte, as well as other checks
• Crunch and Sucker Punch both serve as a way to hit Ghost-types super effectively

[Additional Comments]

• When Hustle is available, it is a much better choice over Guts
• Stealth Rock support is appreciated, but not needed
• Physically defensive Ground-types do very well against this set, so Water-types, especially Mantyke and Wingull, are excellent teammates

[Team Options]

• Stealth Rock providers such as Tesshiido, Bronzor and Ishizumai
• Ghost-types who are immune to Fake Out and ExtremeSpeed. Pururiru and Misdreavus are two of the best Ghost-types in Little Cup
• Rapid Spin users, such as Squirtle, are great teammates
• Wynaut and Diglett
• Wingull and Mantyke along with other Water-types who can easily take down bulky Ground-types

[Optional Changes]

• The classic FEAR set is a decent option and is effective in all tiers
• Pursuit can be used to hit fleeing Pokemon
• Cheer Up is an option to boost Rattata's offenses
• Rattata has a massive special movepool, but the only moves worth noting are Grass Knot and Ice Beam

[Counters]

• Bulky Ground-types work extremely well as counters
• Omanyte, Purotooga and Kabuto can switch in on pretty much anything bar Wild Bolt, and the ladder two can hit Rattata hard with Aqua Jet
• Aaken resists U-Turn, Flame Wheel and Vengeance, making it a decent check against the Choice Scarf set
• Rattata is vulnerable to priority, although a Guts-boosted Sucker Punch will put a nice dent in just about anything

[Dream World]

Hustle is a fantastic ability on Rattata. It opens many doors that were originally closed to Rattata. Life Orb Quick Attack becomes a lot more threatening with Hustle backing it up, and the Choice Scarf set can be difficult to stop with a Hustle boost. Aerial Ace also becomes a primary option on Rattata thanks to the perfect accuracy. When it is released, expect to see much more out of the rodent.

The OP of this thread has informed me that he/she is no longer working on this analysis. This thread can be moved to L&O.