Bodybaggin' your whole team like groceries
[OVERVIEW]
With great typing in Electric / Grass, Rotom-C has a good STAB combination as well as a few useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, and Grass-type attacks. To complement its great typing, Rotom-C has a fantastic ability in Levitate, which grants it an immunity to Ground-type attacks as well as all entry hazards bar Stealth Rock. Additionally, it has good Speed, good Special Attack, and solid defensive stats. Despite its decent Speed, it is still left outsped by many threats in NU such as Houndoom, Hitmonlee, and Drapion when not holding a Choice Scarf. Rotom-C also is limited to running Choice sets because it is outclassed by Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Tangrowth in other roles. Its movepool is very limited as well, and it does not help that its main STAB attacks, Leaf Storm and Volt Switch, are not very reliable. Rotom-C also has issues with many Grass-types because they resist both of its STAB types and Rotom-C's coverage options to hit them are weak.
[SET]
name: IN THE CUT (Choice Scarf)
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Leaf Storm is a very strong STAB attack that severely hurts everything weak to it and deals heavy damage to some neutral targets. Volt Switch does decent damage and also lets Rotom-C retain offensive momentum. Thunderbolt is a secondary Electric-type STAB move that is mainly used for its reliability, as Leaf Storm lowers Rotom-C's Special Attack by two stages and Volt Switch forces Rotom-C to switch out of battle. Trick is used to cripple walls that might switch into Rotom-C, such as Aromatisse and Amoonguss, heavily crippling them for the rest of the match. Will-O-Wisp is another option that can be used over Thunderbolt because it lets Rotom-C cripple Pokemon with burns after it gets rid of its Choice Scarf via Trick, though it is worth noting that Rotom-C cannot sweep late-game without Thunderbolt.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed EVs are used to let Rotom-C outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, including Choice Scarf Braviary, Noivern, Accelgor if Rotom-C is running a Timid nature, and Adamant Hitmonlee after Rotom-C has Tricked away its Choice Scarf. Maximum Special Attack EVs make Rotom-C hit as hard as possible. The choice between Timid and Modest depends on whether you want Rotom-C to outspeed more Pokemon or have some more power behind its attacks. Choice Scarf lets Rotom-C act as a revenge killer as well as a late-game cleaner.
Usage Tips
========
If Rotom-C is sent out early-game, use Volt Switch to grab momentum if Ground-types and Jolteon are not present. Use Leaf Storm on predicted switches to Ground-types, though be cautious in using the move, as the Special Attack drop leaves Rotom-C as setup bait for Pokemon such as Houndoom and Virizion. Once the opponent's Pokemon are weakened and Pokemon with Electric immunities are eliminated, use Thunderbolt to clean up late-game. Use Trick on walls that switch in, as it cripples them immensely; however, before getting rid of Rotom-C's Choice Scarf, make sure there are not any faster Pokemon that Rotom-C needs to keep its Choice Scarf for.
Team Options
========
Because this set serves as a revenge killer and a late-game cleaner, Rotom-C pairs excellently with powerful wallbreakers. Notable examples include Exploud, Houndoom, Mega Camerupt, and Emboar, which all appreciate coming in unscathed due to Rotom-C's Volt Switch. Other Pokemon that use either Volt Switch or U-turn, such as Cobalion, Braviary, and Flygon, are also great teammates because they can constantly retain offensive momentum against the opponent's team. Fire-types pair especially well with Rotom-C because Rotom-C takes Water- and Ground-type attacks aimed at them while Fire-types such as Emboar resist Bug-, Fire-, and Ice-type attacks aimed at Rotom-C. Setup sweepers such as Hone Claws Durant and Rock Polish Tyrantrum also pair well with Rotom-C because they can take advantage of walls that have been Tricked and gain free setup turns. Finally, entry hazards are very helpful, as they make it easier for Rotom-C to clean late-game, so Rhyperior, Cobalion, and Mega Steelix are good to pair with Rotom-C. Additionally, Qwilfish, Accelgor, and Mega Glalie are great partners because all of them are able set up Spikes; the former also is able to set up Toxic Spikes.
[SET]
name: IN THE CUT (Choice Specs)
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Leaf Storm backed by Choice Specs hits insanely hard with a drawback of lowering Rotom-C's Special Attack by two stages. Volt Switch is the main Electric-type STAB move, as it retains offensive momentum while hitting decently hard. Thunderbolt is a reliable Electric-type STAB attack that has no drawbacks and still hits really hard. Trick is used to cripple switch-ins such as Torterra, Amoonguss, Assault Vest Tangrowth, and Aromatisse. Hidden Power Fire is useful if used over Trick for Grass-type switch-ins such as Virizion and Amoonguss. It also OHKOes Choice Band variants of Escavalier from full health while easily 2HKOing Assault Vest variants.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed EVs let Rotom-C outspeed everything up to Adamant Hitmonlee if Rotom-C is running a Timid nature, Mega Glalie before it Mega Evolves, and Mesprit. Maximum Special Attack EVs are used to let Rotom-C hit as hard as possible. The choice of either a Timid or Modest nature is up to whether you want more speed or more power. Choice Specs allows Rotom-C to act as a wallbreaker with Leaf Storm and Thunderbolt that can also dish out good damage with Volt Switch. Expert Belt also has use, as it lets Rotom-C bluff having a Choice item, luring in Ground-types that think Rotom-C is locked into one of its Electric-type STAB moves. It also is useful when paired with Hidden Power Fire to surprise the Grass-types the Rotom-C lures in.
Usage Tips
========
Use Volt Switch early-game if Ground-types and Jolteon are not present to grab offensive momentum. If the opponent has a Pokemon immune to Electric on their team, try to predict their switches with a well-timed Leaf Storm. Use it carefully, though, because the Special Attack dropmeans Rotom-C becomes setup bait for the likes of Virizion and Houndoom. Unlike the Choice Scarf set, this set is a wallbreaker rather than a late-game cleaner, so using it early- and mid-game is best to weaken teams for your team's sweeper to capitalize on.
Team Options
========
Strong Fire-types such as Emboar and Houndoom are great teammates because they can switch in on Grass-types that force Rotom-C out, while Rotom-C beats bulky Water-types that give them trouble, such as Qwilfish and Alomomola. Flygon is also a great partner for Rotom-C because they have decent synergy and form a VoltTurn core. Fletchinder takes on Grass-types as well while Rotom-C threatens Rhyperior, allowing Fletchinder to sweep late-game. Entry hazards work well with Rotom-C, so Cobalion, Druddigon, and Rhyperior are good options for Stealth Rock users and Qwilfish and Accelgor make for good Spikes users. Mega Glalie in particular is a very good partner because it beats problematic Grass-types for Rotom-C while also being able support Rotom-C by setting up Spikes. Because Rotom-C is a wallbreaker, setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Tyrantrum, Hone Claws Durant, and Nasty Plot Houndoom all make for excellent partners.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Though Rotom-C does not have many options in terms of moves, it also can run a defensively oriented set that uses Rest / Pain Split, Will-O-Wisp, Volt Switch, and Leaf Storm with either a Chesto Berry or Leftovers, but this set is very limited because its recovery options are either one-time use or unreliable and it has inconsistent STAB moves. A SubSplit set consisting of Substitute, Pain Split, Will-O-Wisp, and Thunderbolt also has use, but Rotom-C is better off used as either a revenge killer or wallbreaker. Hidden Power Ice is another decent option when paired with an Expert Belt because it deals with the Dragon- and Grass-type Pokemon that Rotom-C often lures in. Charge Beam is a nifty move that can be a decent gimmick for an Expert Belt set, but its Base Power is very weak and it boosts Special Attack unreliably. Lastly, Rain Dance with a Damp Rock along with Thunder has use for rain teams because Rotom-C is one of the best rain setters, pairing well with Swift Swim users such as Kabutops, Omastar, and Ludicolo.
Checks & Counters
=================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Virizion can switch in on both of Rotom-C's STAB moves very easily, and Virizion also potentially uses it as setup bait.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Reuniclus easily sets up Calm Mind on Choice Scarf variants and is able to set up on Choice Specs variants after Rotom-C's Special Attack has dropped from using Leaf Storm. Specially defensive Camerupt switches into Rotom-C's Volt Switch or Thunderbolt, making Rotom-C lose momentum, and it is also immune to Trick, though it does not like taking a Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm. In return, Mega Camerupt can either OHKO with a Fire-type attack or set up Stealth Rock predicting Rotom-C to switch out.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Houndoom, Delphox, Hitmonlee, and Choice Scarf Emboar have no problem outspeeding and taking down Rotom-C, although all of them must watch out for its Choice Scarf set. Flygon naturally outspeeds Rotom-C's Choice Specs set and is able to block Rotom-C's Volt Switch, but Flygon takes a lot of damage from Leaf Storm. Mega Glalie also outspeeds and OHKOes Rotom-C with either Return or Double-Edge and picks off weakened Choice Scarf Rotom-C with Ice Shard. Noivern outspeeds the Choice Specs set and is able to easily switch in on Leaf Storm and threaten Rotom-C with either Hurricane or Flamethrower, but it does not appreciate taking a Volt Switch.
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