Taken over from FLCL, and Seismitoad, and Mysteria, and HJAD; I'll be geting this done lol.
Overview
########
Rotom is a fantastic Pokemon in the current metagame thanks to its fantastic Speed tier, which allows it to run a Choice Scarf set to check Pokemon such as Sawk, Kangashan, and Lilligant. Volt Switch, Rotom's pivotal move, is useful in many situations to keep offensive momentum and allows Rotom to wear down various Pokemon. Its typing is very unique and allows Rotom to resist nearly all forms of priority and even grants it an immunity to Normal-type moves, such as Quick Attack and Extreme Speed. Its Ghost typing allows it to check Fighting-types such as Sawk or Primeape. Rotom's access to Will-O-Wisp adds another layer of team support and allows it to spread burns throughout the opposing team. However, Rotom has a glaring lack of bulk and a mediocre Special Attack stat; furthermore, its low HP stat does not mesh well with all the switching it does, as it means it is worn down especially fast.
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Thunderbolt / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Trick
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Volt Switch allows Rotom to take on the role of a pivot and keep up offensive momentum. With Volt Switch, Rotom is able to switch out of its counters and pivot into a teammate with ease. Shadow Ball has decent coverage alongside Thunderbolt and is a secondary STAB move that hits incoming Ground-type Pokemon neutrally. Thunderbolt might seem a bit redundant alongside Volt Switch, but it is more powerful than Volt Switch and doesn't force Rotom to switch out when using its Electric-type STAB move. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers and works well alongside Choice Scarf. Trick cripples switch-ins to Rotom such as Audino, Cryogonal, and Dragalge by removing their Leftovers and replacing it with a Choice Scarf.
Set Details
========
The listed EVs maximize Rotom's offensive capability. A Timid nature is chosen to allow Rotom to make full use of its Speed stat; a Modest nature should not be used because it provides nothing of value to Rotom. With a Choice Scarf, Rotom is able to outspeed various Pokemon, including Choice Scarf Sawk, Choice Scarf Mesprit, and +2 Gorebyss, and either revenge kill them or cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. Choice Scarf goes hand-in-hand with Trick to form a powerful combination that is capable of crippling many defensive Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom should take advantage of its unique resistances and immunities to pivot in and out throughout the match, keeping up momentum all the while. Pokemon it can switch into include Choice-locked Fighting-types, Choice-locked Ground-types, and Electric-types in general; examples include Choice Band Earthquake from Golurk, Choice Band Close Combat from Sawk, and opposing Rotom-S. Rotom has to be cautious when switching in, as otherwise, it might take a powerful Shadow Punch or Knock Off. This is why Rotom is best used in a VoltTurn core to ensure it can safely switch in and keep momentum up. Pursuit must be accounted for when pivoting as well; using Will-O-Wisp on a predicted Pursuit user switch-in is often best. Trick should be used only against walls, but be careful about using it recklessly, as many Pokemon can outspeed Choice Scarf-lacking Rotom.
Team Options
========
Teammates that are able to take on bulky Ground-types for Rotom, such as Sceptile, are appreciated because Ground-types can switch into Rotom's Volt Switch without fear. Rotom dislikes entry hazards very much, thus making entry hazard removal important. Pokemon such as Cryogonal, Pelipper, and Vullaby are all able to remove entry hazards via Defog or Rapid Spin; the latter two even have access to U-turn to form a VoltTurn core with Rotom. Other Pokemon that can form a VoltTurn core with Rotom include Mesprit, Liepard, and Uxie. Typhlosion appreciates Rotom's ability to wear down Water-types and its immunity to Ground-type moves; Rotom can even pivot into Typhlosion via Volt Switch to ensure it can get in safely. Kangaskhan appreciates Rotom chipping away at foes and shares nice synergy with Rotom.
Defensive
########
name: Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Pain Split
ability: Levitate
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 184 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp is a wonderful move on Rotom for its ability to cripple physical attackers such as Sawk, Kangaskhan, and Tauros. This works especially well with Rotom's excellent typing which allows it to wall many Pokemon. Shadow Ball and Volt Switch are used as reliable STAB options, not for power. Volt Switch is extremely useful on Rotom because it keeps up offensive momentum and allows it to pivot out of special attackers it cannot wall. Pain Split allows Rotom to recover health and works well in tandem with its low HP stat. RestTalk could be used, replacing Pain Split and one STAB move, but this leaves Rotom with too many holes and it is not bulky enough to take advantage of this. Hex could be used over Shadow Ball to hit much harder when the opposing Pokemon is burned, though it's a bit unreliable at times. Thunderbolt could be used for its higher power and the option for Rotom not to switch, along with the ability to wear down Water-types faster, but Volt Switch is generally better for the momentum and reasonable power as it is.
Set Details
========
The allocated EVs and a Timid nature allow Rotom to outspeed Adamant Kangaskhan and still retain physical bulk. Speed investment can be moved into Defense should you want Rotom to have increased bulk, but outspeeding Kangaskhan is quite important. However, Rotom can simply run maximum Speed EVs to outpace Jolly Kangaskhan and Jolly Sawk, though Rotom's bulk is compromised when doing so. Leftovers gives Rotom a means of reliable and constant recovery, slowly healing it from previous damage. A Rocky Helmet might seem tempting to punish physical attackers, but because of Rotom's lack of reliable recovery moves, it should take whatever recovery it can possibly get.
Usage Tips
========
Using Will-O-Wisp to spread burns and cripple physical attackers is Rotom's priority, as it's not able to stomach powerful attacks even with Defense investment. Otherwise, Rotom should use Pain Split when necessary to recover health. Pivoting with Volt Switch is a crucial part of Rotom's roll; Rotom can use Will-O-Wisp then immediately get out to a counter, should the need arise. Shadow Ball should only be used when Rotom is attempting to try and dish out damage. Risk versus reward situations will pop up when using Rotom, as a physical attacker may threaten to set up on Rotom due to an unfavorable matchup; in these cases, it's best to use Will-O-Wisp to ensure that the foe is not allowed free setup turns.
Team Options
========
Rotom should be used to take advantage of its fantastic Flying-type resistance and immunity to Ground-type moves. Scyther is a strong Pokemon that enjoys Rotom's resistances and can form a VoltTurn combo with it. Klinklang stands out because it absolutely adores Rotom's support, the two have fantastic synergy, and Klinklang enjoys the softening of attackers to ease setup. Rotom performs best on balance teams, where Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Garbodor, Roselia, Camerupt, and Hariyama, make for good partners. Grass-types in general, such as Ferroseed the aforementioned Roselia. Because Rotom spreads burns around, Pokemon that enjoy the weakened physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Kangaskhan, and Archeops, to either ease setup or make it easier for these Pokemon to stomach hits.
Choice Specs
########
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Shadow ball
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Volt Switch is a crucial asset to Rotom, as it keeps up momentum and allows it to pivot out of its counters with ease. Shadow Ball smacks Ground-type switch-ins and has useful coverage alongside Rotom's Electric-type STAB moves. Thunderbolt hits like a truck and is more spammable than Volt Switch because it does not force Rotom to switch out. Trick is mainly used to cripple bulkier walls, such as Audino or Seismitoad, replacing their item with a Choice Specs and often rendering them useless. Will-O-Wisp might seem viable because of how it works on the Choice Specs set, but Rotom just cannot fit it onto its moveset and it works far worse when Rotom does not have the additional Speed boost provided by Choice Scarf.
Set Details
========
The allocated EVs maximize Rotom's offensive capabilities by allowing it to make full use of its Special Attack and Speed. Because Rotom has only a base 95 Special Attack, Choice Specs is needed to amplify Rotom's power to higher levels. With this boost, Rotom is quite hard to switch into and the Choice Specs will even surprise some people. A Timid nature is always preferred because it allows Rotom to outspeed Sawk, Lilligant, and Kangaskhan, and hit them with a powerful attack. Running a Modest nature may seem useful to make Rotom even stronger, but it doesn't allow Rotom to net any additional KOs and is fairly useless otherwise.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom should be played as a wallbreaker; it should also take advantage of the surprise factor in running Choice Specs. For example, most opponents assume that Rotom is a Choice Scarf set, so in some cases, it is able to smack the foe with a powerful hit that it thought it could sponge. Thanks to Volt Switch, Rotom can pivot out of these counters and hit them with even more power; this should also be played with intelligently, as pivoting is an important part of using Rotom. Using Volt Switch on predicted switches is how it should be used, or it can be used against slower Pokemon to get into a teammate.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support from the likes of Archeops or Rhydon is appreciated because entry hazard damage can wear down foes and allows Rotom to secure a 2HKO on both Audino and Dragalge. Sweepers that appreciate Seismitoad and Ferroseed being weakened, such as Feraligatr and Kabutops, make for good partners as well. Rotom doesn't appreciate entry hazards itself because of how often it switches, thus making a Defog or Rapid Spin user a good team option. Rotom works well with Feraligatr because Rotom wears down Water-type Pokemon and can safely pivot into Feraligatr for a late-game sweep.
Other Options
########
A SubSplit set has merit for its ability to bring a foe down to low HP, and it works well in conjunction with Rotom's low HP stat. Charge Beam could also be a viable option, but Rotom is somewhat weak regardless, and it has better things to be doing. Dual screens may seem tempting; after all, Rotom has a high Speed stat and access to Volt Switch, but it's really not advised, because its lack of bulk makes it hard to effectively set them up. Finally, a set with Thunder Wave + Confuse Ray can pull off shenanigans by paralyzing and confusing the foe, but this is reliant on luck and therefore is not a very useful set to run.
Checks & Counters
########
**Bulky Pokemon**: Bulky Pokemon, such as Audino, Lickilicky, Uxie, Dragalge, Roselia, and Ferroseed, are able to stomach Rotom's hits and retaliate with their status moves, attacks, or both. However, Rotom can cripple most of these Pokemon with Trick.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types are able to hit Rotom for super effective damage and resist its Ghost-type STAB moves. Pursuit from the likes of Pawniard and Liepard can catch Rotom as it switches out and inflict heavy damage. Both of these Pokemon hate Will-O-Wisp, however, so they must be a bit wary when scouting for Rotom's moves. Using Volt Switch as these Pokemon switch in can also allow Rotom to escape their grasp.
**Special Attackers**: Nearly all forms of special attacks will break through bulky Rotom. These Pokemon do not mind Will-O-Wisp's Attack drop and can prey on Rotom's uninvested weaker side. Such special attackers include Typhlosion, Mismagius, and Pyroar; though all of these Pokemon must be careful about switching into offensive sets.
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-type Pokemon, such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Golurk, are all able to switch into Rotom's Electric-type STAB moves without worry. They do have to worry, however, about Will-O-Wisp on predicted switches. Choice-locked Rotom especially dislikes Ground-types coming in on a Volt Switch and forcing it out. Trick could potentially cripple slower Ground-type Pokemon, though.
Overview
########
Rotom is a fantastic Pokemon in the current metagame thanks to its fantastic Speed tier, which allows it to run a Choice Scarf set to check Pokemon such as Sawk, Kangashan, and Lilligant. Volt Switch, Rotom's pivotal move, is useful in many situations to keep offensive momentum and allows Rotom to wear down various Pokemon. Its typing is very unique and allows Rotom to resist nearly all forms of priority and even grants it an immunity to Normal-type moves, such as Quick Attack and Extreme Speed. Its Ghost typing allows it to check Fighting-types such as Sawk or Primeape. Rotom's access to Will-O-Wisp adds another layer of team support and allows it to spread burns throughout the opposing team. However, Rotom has a glaring lack of bulk and a mediocre Special Attack stat; furthermore, its low HP stat does not mesh well with all the switching it does, as it means it is worn down especially fast.
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Thunderbolt / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Trick
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Volt Switch allows Rotom to take on the role of a pivot and keep up offensive momentum. With Volt Switch, Rotom is able to switch out of its counters and pivot into a teammate with ease. Shadow Ball has decent coverage alongside Thunderbolt and is a secondary STAB move that hits incoming Ground-type Pokemon neutrally. Thunderbolt might seem a bit redundant alongside Volt Switch, but it is more powerful than Volt Switch and doesn't force Rotom to switch out when using its Electric-type STAB move. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers and works well alongside Choice Scarf. Trick cripples switch-ins to Rotom such as Audino, Cryogonal, and Dragalge by removing their Leftovers and replacing it with a Choice Scarf.
Set Details
========
The listed EVs maximize Rotom's offensive capability. A Timid nature is chosen to allow Rotom to make full use of its Speed stat; a Modest nature should not be used because it provides nothing of value to Rotom. With a Choice Scarf, Rotom is able to outspeed various Pokemon, including Choice Scarf Sawk, Choice Scarf Mesprit, and +2 Gorebyss, and either revenge kill them or cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. Choice Scarf goes hand-in-hand with Trick to form a powerful combination that is capable of crippling many defensive Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom should take advantage of its unique resistances and immunities to pivot in and out throughout the match, keeping up momentum all the while. Pokemon it can switch into include Choice-locked Fighting-types, Choice-locked Ground-types, and Electric-types in general; examples include Choice Band Earthquake from Golurk, Choice Band Close Combat from Sawk, and opposing Rotom-S. Rotom has to be cautious when switching in, as otherwise, it might take a powerful Shadow Punch or Knock Off. This is why Rotom is best used in a VoltTurn core to ensure it can safely switch in and keep momentum up. Pursuit must be accounted for when pivoting as well; using Will-O-Wisp on a predicted Pursuit user switch-in is often best. Trick should be used only against walls, but be careful about using it recklessly, as many Pokemon can outspeed Choice Scarf-lacking Rotom.
Team Options
========
Teammates that are able to take on bulky Ground-types for Rotom, such as Sceptile, are appreciated because Ground-types can switch into Rotom's Volt Switch without fear. Rotom dislikes entry hazards very much, thus making entry hazard removal important. Pokemon such as Cryogonal, Pelipper, and Vullaby are all able to remove entry hazards via Defog or Rapid Spin; the latter two even have access to U-turn to form a VoltTurn core with Rotom. Other Pokemon that can form a VoltTurn core with Rotom include Mesprit, Liepard, and Uxie. Typhlosion appreciates Rotom's ability to wear down Water-types and its immunity to Ground-type moves; Rotom can even pivot into Typhlosion via Volt Switch to ensure it can get in safely. Kangaskhan appreciates Rotom chipping away at foes and shares nice synergy with Rotom.
Defensive
########
name: Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Pain Split
ability: Levitate
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 184 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp is a wonderful move on Rotom for its ability to cripple physical attackers such as Sawk, Kangaskhan, and Tauros. This works especially well with Rotom's excellent typing which allows it to wall many Pokemon. Shadow Ball and Volt Switch are used as reliable STAB options, not for power. Volt Switch is extremely useful on Rotom because it keeps up offensive momentum and allows it to pivot out of special attackers it cannot wall. Pain Split allows Rotom to recover health and works well in tandem with its low HP stat. RestTalk could be used, replacing Pain Split and one STAB move, but this leaves Rotom with too many holes and it is not bulky enough to take advantage of this. Hex could be used over Shadow Ball to hit much harder when the opposing Pokemon is burned, though it's a bit unreliable at times. Thunderbolt could be used for its higher power and the option for Rotom not to switch, along with the ability to wear down Water-types faster, but Volt Switch is generally better for the momentum and reasonable power as it is.
Set Details
========
The allocated EVs and a Timid nature allow Rotom to outspeed Adamant Kangaskhan and still retain physical bulk. Speed investment can be moved into Defense should you want Rotom to have increased bulk, but outspeeding Kangaskhan is quite important. However, Rotom can simply run maximum Speed EVs to outpace Jolly Kangaskhan and Jolly Sawk, though Rotom's bulk is compromised when doing so. Leftovers gives Rotom a means of reliable and constant recovery, slowly healing it from previous damage. A Rocky Helmet might seem tempting to punish physical attackers, but because of Rotom's lack of reliable recovery moves, it should take whatever recovery it can possibly get.
Usage Tips
========
Using Will-O-Wisp to spread burns and cripple physical attackers is Rotom's priority, as it's not able to stomach powerful attacks even with Defense investment. Otherwise, Rotom should use Pain Split when necessary to recover health. Pivoting with Volt Switch is a crucial part of Rotom's roll; Rotom can use Will-O-Wisp then immediately get out to a counter, should the need arise. Shadow Ball should only be used when Rotom is attempting to try and dish out damage. Risk versus reward situations will pop up when using Rotom, as a physical attacker may threaten to set up on Rotom due to an unfavorable matchup; in these cases, it's best to use Will-O-Wisp to ensure that the foe is not allowed free setup turns.
Team Options
========
Rotom should be used to take advantage of its fantastic Flying-type resistance and immunity to Ground-type moves. Scyther is a strong Pokemon that enjoys Rotom's resistances and can form a VoltTurn combo with it. Klinklang stands out because it absolutely adores Rotom's support, the two have fantastic synergy, and Klinklang enjoys the softening of attackers to ease setup. Rotom performs best on balance teams, where Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Garbodor, Roselia, Camerupt, and Hariyama, make for good partners. Grass-types in general, such as Ferroseed the aforementioned Roselia. Because Rotom spreads burns around, Pokemon that enjoy the weakened physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Kangaskhan, and Archeops, to either ease setup or make it easier for these Pokemon to stomach hits.
Choice Specs
########
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Shadow ball
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Volt Switch is a crucial asset to Rotom, as it keeps up momentum and allows it to pivot out of its counters with ease. Shadow Ball smacks Ground-type switch-ins and has useful coverage alongside Rotom's Electric-type STAB moves. Thunderbolt hits like a truck and is more spammable than Volt Switch because it does not force Rotom to switch out. Trick is mainly used to cripple bulkier walls, such as Audino or Seismitoad, replacing their item with a Choice Specs and often rendering them useless. Will-O-Wisp might seem viable because of how it works on the Choice Specs set, but Rotom just cannot fit it onto its moveset and it works far worse when Rotom does not have the additional Speed boost provided by Choice Scarf.
Set Details
========
The allocated EVs maximize Rotom's offensive capabilities by allowing it to make full use of its Special Attack and Speed. Because Rotom has only a base 95 Special Attack, Choice Specs is needed to amplify Rotom's power to higher levels. With this boost, Rotom is quite hard to switch into and the Choice Specs will even surprise some people. A Timid nature is always preferred because it allows Rotom to outspeed Sawk, Lilligant, and Kangaskhan, and hit them with a powerful attack. Running a Modest nature may seem useful to make Rotom even stronger, but it doesn't allow Rotom to net any additional KOs and is fairly useless otherwise.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom should be played as a wallbreaker; it should also take advantage of the surprise factor in running Choice Specs. For example, most opponents assume that Rotom is a Choice Scarf set, so in some cases, it is able to smack the foe with a powerful hit that it thought it could sponge. Thanks to Volt Switch, Rotom can pivot out of these counters and hit them with even more power; this should also be played with intelligently, as pivoting is an important part of using Rotom. Using Volt Switch on predicted switches is how it should be used, or it can be used against slower Pokemon to get into a teammate.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support from the likes of Archeops or Rhydon is appreciated because entry hazard damage can wear down foes and allows Rotom to secure a 2HKO on both Audino and Dragalge. Sweepers that appreciate Seismitoad and Ferroseed being weakened, such as Feraligatr and Kabutops, make for good partners as well. Rotom doesn't appreciate entry hazards itself because of how often it switches, thus making a Defog or Rapid Spin user a good team option. Rotom works well with Feraligatr because Rotom wears down Water-type Pokemon and can safely pivot into Feraligatr for a late-game sweep.
Other Options
########
A SubSplit set has merit for its ability to bring a foe down to low HP, and it works well in conjunction with Rotom's low HP stat. Charge Beam could also be a viable option, but Rotom is somewhat weak regardless, and it has better things to be doing. Dual screens may seem tempting; after all, Rotom has a high Speed stat and access to Volt Switch, but it's really not advised, because its lack of bulk makes it hard to effectively set them up. Finally, a set with Thunder Wave + Confuse Ray can pull off shenanigans by paralyzing and confusing the foe, but this is reliant on luck and therefore is not a very useful set to run.
Checks & Counters
########
**Bulky Pokemon**: Bulky Pokemon, such as Audino, Lickilicky, Uxie, Dragalge, Roselia, and Ferroseed, are able to stomach Rotom's hits and retaliate with their status moves, attacks, or both. However, Rotom can cripple most of these Pokemon with Trick.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types are able to hit Rotom for super effective damage and resist its Ghost-type STAB moves. Pursuit from the likes of Pawniard and Liepard can catch Rotom as it switches out and inflict heavy damage. Both of these Pokemon hate Will-O-Wisp, however, so they must be a bit wary when scouting for Rotom's moves. Using Volt Switch as these Pokemon switch in can also allow Rotom to escape their grasp.
**Special Attackers**: Nearly all forms of special attacks will break through bulky Rotom. These Pokemon do not mind Will-O-Wisp's Attack drop and can prey on Rotom's uninvested weaker side. Such special attackers include Typhlosion, Mismagius, and Pyroar; though all of these Pokemon must be careful about switching into offensive sets.
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-type Pokemon, such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Golurk, are all able to switch into Rotom's Electric-type STAB moves without worry. They do have to worry, however, about Will-O-Wisp on predicted switches. Choice-locked Rotom especially dislikes Ground-types coming in on a Volt Switch and forcing it out. Trick could potentially cripple slower Ground-type Pokemon, though.
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