Scrafty

QC: Biosci/Laurel
GP: GatoDelFuego/Calm Pokemaster
Status: DONE!!

Stats:
65 HP / 90 Atk / 115 Def / 45 SAtk / 115 SDef / 58 Spd
Abilities:
Shed Skin: This Pokémon has a 33.33% chance to heal its status condition at the end of each turn.
Moxie: The Attack stat of this Pokémon is raised by one stage whenever it knocks out another Pokémon.
Intimidate (Hidden Ability): The opponents' Attack stats are lowered by one stage whenever this Pokémon is sent out.

Overview
########
This generation has been a mixed blessing for Scrafty. On one hand, Scrafty can now use Assault Vest, which greatly increases its defensive capabilities. This, combined with the fact that it is one of the only Intimidate Pokémon that has access to Fake Out, makes it a premier choice for stalling out setup sweepers, early- or late-game. However, there is one thing that has been introduced which severely hurts Scrafty: the Fairy type. Fairy-type Pokémon and moves are able to hit Scrafty for 4x super effective damage, and it can't do much back at them considering its lackluster offenses. Nevertheless, Scrafty should not be taken lightly, for it's still one of the best anti-lead Pokémon.

Fake Out
########
name: Fake Out
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Detect / Ice Punch / Stone Edge
ability: Intimidate
item: Lum Berry / Assault Vest
evs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Def
nature: Adamant / Brave

Moves
========
This move lineup takes the best Scrafty has to offer and puts it all together for a nice Fake Out set. Fake Out is very useful at temporarily postponing the opponent's attempts to set up during the first turn, as well as stalling out passive damage from status and weather. Drain Punch is the primary STAB of choice, helping Scrafty prolong its lifespan while still dealing respectable damage. If a Fighting-type move is not the most optimal choice to use, Crunch is the secondary STAB that can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types.

The last moveslot is down to what you prefer and/or what your team needs. Detect is the protection of choice, as it shields Scrafty from damage while is also able to escape many attempts at Imprisonment. If protection is not a concern, Ice Punch is the elemental punch of choice, covering Scrafty's Flying-type weakness and giving it nice overall coverage. Stone Edge can be used for handling Talonflame and Mega Charizard if they are a major concern. Lastly, Quick Guard is useful for blocking Talonflame's priority Brave Bird, although it doesn't have much use besides that.

Set Details
========
The EV investment is fairly straightforward. Scrafty is fairly slow, and investing in Speed won't allow it to reach any significantly higher speed tiers; therefore, there is no need to invest in Speed. Most of the EVs therefore go into Scrafty's HP and Attack. However, there are also 12 EVs invested into Defense. This is to ensure that Scrafty can survive a Brave Bird from max Attack Choice Band Talonflame after an Intimidate. A Brave nature can also be used if you intend to run a Trick Room-oriented team.

The choice of item largely depends on what is necessary for your team. A Lum Berry can help against the burns that limit Scrafty's power, and it is also a great answer to Smeargle. However, if status is not a problem, Assault Vest is a viable alternative for expanding Scrafty's special bulk. Keep in mind that running Assault Vest sacrifices the ability to use Detect.

Usage Tips
========
Scrafty, as the set name implies, excels at hindering the opponents with Intimidate and Fake Out. Therefore, using the aforementioned two correctly is strongly advised. It is important to know when to use Scrafty as an Intimidate lead and when to use it as a backup plan for physical sweepers. If you are anticipating one of the opponent's Pokémon to pack its own Fake Out, don't send out Scrafty first. The opponent will target Scrafty, and you will lose the Fake Out war due to Scrafty's low Speed. Likewise, it is important to know exactly which Pokémon should be held back with Fake Out. One wrong prediction, and Scrafty is essentially running only three moves until it switches out. Speaking of switching out, Scrafty can be switched in and out of battle multiple times if need be. This is especially useful if you want to use Intimidate and/or Fake Out multiple times.

Team Options
========
Scrafty is a naturally slow Pokémon, sitting at a below-average base 50 Speed, and thus Trick Room is a viable strategy to run. Pokémon that use it well include Aromatisse, Reuniclus, and Slowbro. Scrafty does not have the desired sky-high offenses, so Pokémon that can remedy this with high offenses of their own and benefit from Fake Out and Intimidate also make for excellent partners, with Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Choice Gardevoir being notable examples. Finally, Aegislash deserves a special mention, as it resists all of Scrafty's weaknesses and hits hard in return, while Scrafty covers its Dark and Ghost weaknesses.

Other Options
########
A Sitrus Berry is useful in prolonging Scrafty's lifespan, but Drain Punch heals plenty of damage already, and the times that Sitrus Berry does activate, it is usually too late to take effect. A Roseli Berry can mitigate the Fairy weakness, but many Fairies and Fairy-type moves would still KO Scrafty. Instead of Intimidate, Scrafty can run Shed Skin in order to manually clear itself of unwanted status. This is not recommended, as Scrafty is not intended to be a setup sweeper. Being afflicted with status will have no effect upon Intimidate or Fake Out's purpose. Moxie can be used to increase Scrafty's power, but it is generally inferior for the aforementioned reasons. Instead of running Drain Punch, High Jump Kick can be used for nabbing the OHKO on Mega Kangaskhan not invested in HP, as most of them lack Protect. Take caution when doing this, because with a shaky 90 accuracy, one miss might end you. Finally, Taunt can shut down support Pokémon and force Aegislash to switch out. That does, however, mean that Scrafty loses out on coverage moves and Protect

Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: With its 4x weakness to Fairy-types, Pokémon such as Azumarill, Mawile, and Gardevoir can easily KO Scrafty in one hit, even when it is sporting an Assault Vest.

**Conkeldurr**: Conkeldurr is bulky enough to take a hit and strong enough to deal huge amounts of damage with Hammer Arm. It can then finish Scrafty off with Mach Punch.

**Gyarados**: Gyarados can spam Waterfall, and Scrafty isn't able to do much in return unless it runs Thunder Punch, which isn't recommended. Mega Gyarados, however, is not as problematic, since its typing changes entirely into Scrafty's favor.

**Talonflame**: With priority Flying-type moves, Talonflame can easily 2HKO Scrafty after an Intimidate, and it doesn't take much damage from its coverage moves either.

**Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate*: Will-O-Wisp and opposing Intimidate, as well as any other move or ability that lower Scrafty's Attack, greatly hinder its offensive capabilities.
 
Last edited:
I won't be able to complete the skeleton all at once, so I will edit the OP in chunks. Feel free to comment on anything as this analysis proceeds.
 
Just an fyi, Scrafty can't use Knock Off in VGC because it's a past gen tutor move, and all Pokemon must be bred/obtained in XY.
 
I'll make this QC now, but I was in a bit of a rush to make this, so sorry if it's lacking in information. All input welcome!
 
Let's get started then:

  • Using all three of Scafty's abilities should not be it's selling point. Intimidate, Fake Out, and great bulk are why you use it.
  • It does not face competition from Hitmontop, lol.
  • The fourth slot on the main set should be something like Detect / Ice Punch / Stone Edge. Through Quick Guard a mention in your set details.
  • Make the EV Spread 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Defense. This allows you to always live Talonflame's Choice Banded max attack Brave Bird after intimidate.
  • I feel that resist berries on Scrafty outside of Coba (which I'd like to see a mention in OO) are a bit of a waste. There are no really big fighting attacks in this format and scrafty still gets his ass blasted by nearly every fairy type attack even with a Roseli. You can still get OHKOed by Gardevoir's Moonblast and Mawile's Play Rough. I'd change the items here to Sitrus Berry / Assault Vest.
  • Do not mention Moxie or Shed Skin outside of other options.
  • You're really hammering using Scrafty as a lead which I both do and do not agree with. If your opponent lacks and obvious Fake Out user, running Scrafty to start off is okay. If you see another Fake Out user, Scrafty loses the fake out exchange and it might be best to switch Scrafty in on your opponent's most likely Fake Out target so their fake out user wastes a turn, your opponent is at -1, and you all of a sudden have the momentum with your fake out next up.
  • Please mention that Scrafty's offensive capabilities can be very underwhelming and that you shouldn't be afraid to switch out and get another Fake Out / Intimidate later if it means your opponent can take advantage of your meager damage output.
  • Your partners are lacking. Scrafty's best partners are Pokemon that can make up for scrafty's lack of offenses and like the Intimidate cushion / Fake Out turn. The big boys here are stuff like Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, Scarf and Specs Gardevoir.
  • Remove Bisharp as a partner.
  • Mention that a nice part of using High Jump Kick is that most Kangakhans lack protect and that a High Jump Kick can OHKO 0 HP Kangaskhan
  • Mention the specific Fairy-type Pokemon that give Scrafty trouble. Specifically Gardeovir, Mawile, and Azumarill.
  • Mention Talonflame in Checks and Counters.
  • Mention Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate reducing scrafty to have really awful damage output.
 
Let's get started then:

  • Using all three of Scafty's abilities should not be it's selling point. Intimidate, Fake Out, and great bulk are why you use it.
  • It does not face competition from Hitmontop, lol.
  • The fourth slot on the main set should be something like Detect / Ice Punch / Stone Edge. Through Quick Guard a mention in your set details.
  • Make the EV Spread 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Defense. This allows you to always live Talonflame's Choice Banded max attack Brave Bird after intimidate.
  • I feel that resist berries on Scrafty outside of Coba (which I'd like to see a mention in OO) are a bit of a waste. There are no really big fighting attacks in this format and scrafty still gets his ass blasted by nearly every fairy type attack even with a Roseli. You can still get OHKOed by Gardevoir's Moonblast and Mawile's Play Rough. I'd change the items here to Sitrus Berry / Assault Vest.
  • Do not mention Moxie or Shed Skin outside of other options.
  • You're really hammering using Scrafty as a lead which I both do and do not agree with. If your opponent lacks and obvious Fake Out user, running Scrafty to start off is okay. If you see another Fake Out user, Scrafty loses the fake out exchange and it might be best to switch Scrafty in on your opponent's most likely Fake Out target so their fake out user wastes a turn, your opponent is at -1, and you all of a sudden have the momentum with your fake out next up.
  • Please mention that Scrafty's offensive capabilities can be very underwhelming and that you shouldn't be afraid to switch out and get another Fake Out / Intimidate later if it means your opponent can take advantage of your meager damage output.
  • Your partners are lacking. Scrafty's best partners are Pokemon that can make up for scrafty's lack of offenses and like the Intimidate cushion / Fake Out turn. The big boys here are stuff like Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, Scarf and Specs Gardevoir.
  • Remove Bisharp as a partner.
  • Mention that a nice part of using High Jump Kick is that most Kangakhans lack protect and that a High Jump Kick can OHKO 0 HP Kangaskhan
  • Mention the specific Fairy-type Pokemon that give Scrafty trouble. Specifically Gardeovir, Mawile, and Azumarill.
  • Mention Talonflame in Checks and Counters.
  • Mention Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate reducing scrafty to have really awful damage output.
I made all necessary changes. However, I still feel like I can put in more info into the Overview section, so if anyone can help me with that, that'd be great.
 
Last edited:

R Inanimate

It's Lunatic Time
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-Lum Berry deserves a mention somewhere for Scrafty. I feel like Lum sees quite a bit of use on it.

-I'd probably scratch off Elemental Punches as coverage off of OO.
Regarding Thunder Punch: Stone Edge or Ice Punch already covers against Flying-types, so Thunder Punch would only help much against Water-Types. Many of which take neutral from it anways. It would only really help against Azumarill, and Gyarados. Gyarados can still be hit effectively with Stone Edge, and you really don't want to be staying in against Azumarill.

Regarding Fire Punch: about the only thing I can think of that you'd want to hit with Fire Punch over using any of your other choices would be Scizor. Feels a bit too specific, especially since Scizor doesn't even resist Scrafty's STAB moves.
 
I think Taunt should be mentioned in other options it shuts down support Pokemon like Meowstic and Amoonguss and also forces Aegislash to switch out, of course mention it comes at the cost of coverage or Protect which makes somewhat unappealing.
 

Biosci

Danger!?
is a Tiering Contributoris a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnuswon the 3rd Smogon VGC Tournamentis a Past SCL Champion
-I'd much rather see Lum berry replace where Sitrus Berry is on the main set. Not only do you shield yourself from pesky burns that pretty much ruin Scrafty offensively, but it also gives you a good tool against Smeargle. Especially if you carry Taunt. Sitrus Berry is really not so much needed on Scrafty since you're already receiving recovery from Drain Punch.

-Mention Roseli berry in OO.

-Take out Coba Berry, Shed Skin, Payback, and replace the mention of Elemental Punches with just Ice Punch. The other punches are stupidly useless in comparison to the rest of Scrafty's arsenal. The rest are just pretty bad options.

-Add to the overview that albeit Scrafty is extremely bulky, its offensive capability may become a large deterrent from using it.

I'll give this another looks once the changes are made.
 
. . . replace the mention of Elemental Punches with just Ice Punch. The other punches are stupidly useless in comparison to the rest of Scrafty's arsenal.
I already have Ice Punch slashed for move no. 4. Should I therefore get rid of Elemental Punches from OO altogether?
 

Martin

A monoid in the category of endofunctors
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
I feel that Quick Guard deserves mention outside of just "moves" as it effectively shuts down Talonflame: one of its biggest counters when it comes in after intimidate. I would personally slash it in the fourth slot over Stone Edge any day. On the subject of Stone Edge, why are you mentioning it when Rock Slide - a move which, while slightly weaker, is far better for its higher accuracy and spread status - exists? I would have the fourth slot as either Detect / Ice Punch / Quick Guard or Detect / Ice Punch / Rock Slide. What does QC think about this?
edit: Also explain the use for all of the moves in the fourth slot - not just for the first dash
 
Alright, I believe that it is time to write this analysis up. I probably won't be able to do it soon, however, as I have to write both Arceus Steel and a term paper on sales tax, so I probably won't be able to get it done until mid April-early May.
EDIT: Now that I was also assigned a physics research project that will take all quarter, it may be even longer until I get this done.
 
Last edited:
You could probably mention, unless somebody has mentioned it before/ Brave Nature to function under trick room. Preferably slashing second on Adamant Nature.
 
Well, after a (very) long break from C&C, and after many tests and essays, I'm proud to say that Scrafty is rewritten and ready for GP checks. Updating status.
 

Martin

A monoid in the category of endofunctors
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
though it is less viable, you could mention moxie as a alternative ability.
Definitely I agree with this for OO. In fact, I'd put Shed Skin in there too: IMO, its more viable than Moxie in VGC14 for its ability to clear it of Will-O-Wisp. I will often forgo Intimidate for it, depending on the team.
 

GatoDelFuego

The Antimonymph of the Internet
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Cobalt314

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

Overview
########
This generation has been a mixed blessing for our good pal Scrafty. On one hand, Scrafty received the can now use Assault Vest, which takes greatly increases its defensive capabilities and increases them by that much. This, combined with the fact that it is one of the only Intimidate Pokemon that has access to Fake Out, makes it a premier choice for stalling out setup sweepers, early- or late-game. However, there is one thing that has been introduced which severely hurts Scrafty: the Fairy type. Fairy-type Pokemon and moves are able to hit Scrafty for 4x super effective damage at both its weaknesses, and it can't do much back at them, (RC) considering its lackluster offenses. Nevertheless, Scrafty is a Pokemon that should not be taken lightly, as it is capable of providing x support / doing something good whatever scrafty does well just put it in please idk what it does even by this overview and that's a problem. even in the team preview.

Fake Out
########
name: Fake-timidate
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Detect/Ice Punch/Stone Edge
ability: Intimidate
item: Lum Berry/Assault Vest
evs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Def
nature: Adamant/Brave put spaces between all of these slashes

Moves
========
This move lineup takes the best Scrafty has to offer and puts it all together for a nice Fake Out set. Fake Out, which is the namesake of this set, is very useful at temporarily postponing the opponent's attempts to set up during the first turn, as well as stalling out passive damage from status, (RC) and weather, and the like. Drain Punch is the primary STAB of choice, helping Scrafty prolong its lifespan while still dealing respectable damage. If a Fighting-type move is not the most optimal choice to use, Crunch is the backup, secondary STAB that can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types resistance-free.

The last moveslot is down to what you prefer and/or what your team needs. Detect is the protection of choice, as it is shields Scrafty from damage while is also able to escape many attempts at Imprisonment. If protection is not a concern, Ice Punch is the preferred elemental punch of choice, covering its Scrafty's Flying-type weakness well, as well as and giving it nice overall coverage. Stone Edge can be used for handling Talonflame and Mega Charizard, (RC) if they are a major concern. Lastly, Quick Guard is useful for blocking Talonflame's Gale Wings priority Brave Bird, although it doesn't have much use besides that.

Set Details
========
The EV investment is fairly straightforward. Scrafty is fairly slow, and since because it works well in Trick Room, Why is this the first time this is mentioned if it's a big thing? there is no need to invest in Speed. Most of the EVs therefore go into Scrafty's HP and Attack. However, there are also 12 EVs invested into Defense. This is to ensure that Scrafty can survive a Brave Bird from maximum Attack Choice Band Talonflame after an Intimidate. A Brave nature can also be used if you intend to run a Trick Room-oriented team.

The choice of item (no pun intended) largely depends on what is necessary for your team. Running a A Lum Berry can help against the burns that limit Scrafty's power, and it is also a great answer to Smeargle. However, if status is not a problem, the Assault Vest is a viable alternative for expanding Scrafty's special bulk. Keep in mind that running Assault Vest sacrifices the ability to use Detect.

Usage Tips
========
Scrafty, as the set name implies, excels at hindering the opponents with Intimidate and Fake Out. Therefore, using the two aforementioned tactics correctly is strongly advised. It is important to know when to use Scrafty as an Intimidate lead and when to use it as a backup plan for physical sweepers. If you are anticipating one of the opponent's Pokémon to pack its own Fake Out, don't send out Scrafty first. The opponent will target Scrafty, (RC) and you will lose the Fake Out war due to Scrafty's low Speed. Likewise, it is important to know exactly which Pokemon should be held back with Fake Out. One wrong prediction and Scrafty is essentially running only three moves until it next switches out. And Speaking of switching out, Scrafty can be switched in and out of battle multiple times if need be. This is especially useful if you want to use Intimidate and/or Fake Out multiple times.

Team Options
========
Scrafty is a naturally slow Pokemon, sitting at a below-average base 50 Speed, (comma) and thus, (RC) Trick Room is a viable strategy to run. Pokemon that use it well include Aromatisse, Reuniclus, and Slowbro. Scrafty does not have the desired sky-high offenses, so Pokemon that can remedy this with high offenses of their own and benefit from Fake Out and Intimidate also make for excellent partners, with Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Choiced Gardevoir being notable examples. Finally, Aegislash deserves a special mention, as it resists all of Scrafty's weaknesses and hits hard in return, while Scrafty covers its Dark and Ghost weaknesses.

Other Options
########
A Sitrus Berry is useful in prolonging Scrafty's lifespan, but ; however, Drain Punch heals plenty of damage already, and the times that Sitrus Berry does activate, it is usually too late to take effect. A Roseli Berry can mitigate the Fairy weakness, but many Fairies and Fairy-type moves would still KO Scrafty it. Instead of Intimidate, Scrafty can run Shed Skin in order to manually clear itself of unwanted status. Explain why this is bad, though--scrafty is not a setup sweeper anyymore Moxie can be used to increase Scrafty's power, but it is generally inferior. for the same reason Instead of running Drain Punch, High Jump Kick can be used for nabbing the OHKO on Mega Kangaskhan not invested in HP, since as most of them lack Protect. Take caution when doing this, because with a shaky 90 base accuracy, one miss may literally kill might end you. Finally, Taunt can shut down support Pokemon and force Aegislash to switch out. That does, however, mean that Scrafty loses out on coverage moves and Protect

Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: With a 4x weakness to Fairy types, Pokemon such as Azumarill, Mawile, and Gardevoir can easily kill KO Scrafty in one hit, even when sporting an Assault Vest.

**Conkeldurr**: Conkeldurr is bulky enough to take a hit, (RC) and strong enough to deal huge amounts of damage with Hammer Arm. It can then finish off Scrafty with Mach Punch.

**Gyarados**: Gyarados can spam Waterfall, (RC) and Scrafty isn't able to do much in return unless it runs Thunder Punch, which isn't recommended. Mega Gyarados, however, is not as problematic. Why?

**Talonflame**: With priority Flying-type moves, Talonflame can easily 2HKO Scrafty after an Intimidate, (RC) and doesn't take much damage from its coverage moves.

**Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate*: Will-O-Wisp and opposing Intimidate, as well as any other move or ability that lowers Scrafty's Attack stat, greatly hinders its offensive capabilities.

1/2

This was well-written (really!), but the standards were a mess. Ensure that that doesn't happen again, because this was very well done!
 
Last edited:

Martin

A monoid in the category of endofunctors
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
tbh, Fake-timidate isn't particulary catchy and just sounds... wierd. I would just make it either Standard or Fake Out as it just sounds wierd.
 
Cobalt314

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

Overview
########
This generation has been a mixed blessing for our good pal Scrafty. On one hand, Scrafty received the can now use Assault Vest, which takes greatly increases its defensive capabilities and increases them by that much. This, combined with the fact that it is one of the only Intimidate Pokemon that has access to Fake Out, makes it a premier choice for stalling out setup sweepers, early- or late-game. However, there is one thing that has been introduced which severely hurts Scrafty: the Fairy type. Fairy-type Pokemon and moves are able to hit Scrafty for 4x super effective damage at both its weaknesses, and it can't do much back at them, (RC) considering its lackluster offenses. Nevertheless, Scrafty is a Pokemon that should not be taken lightly, as it is capable of providing x support / doing something good whatever scrafty does well just put it in please idk what it does even by this overview and that's a problem. even in the team preview.

Fake Out
########
name: Fake-timidate
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Detect/Ice Punch/Stone Edge
ability: Intimidate
item: Lum Berry/Assault Vest
evs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Def
nature: Adamant/Brave put spaces between all of these slashes

Moves
========
This move lineup takes the best Scrafty has to offer and puts it all together for a nice Fake Out set. Fake Out, which is the namesake of this set, is very useful at temporarily postponing the opponent's attempts to set up during the first turn, as well as stalling out passive damage from status, (RC) and weather, and the like. Drain Punch is the primary STAB of choice, helping Scrafty prolong its lifespan while still dealing respectable damage. If a Fighting-type move is not the most optimal choice to use, Crunch is the backup, secondary STAB that can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types resistance-free.

The last moveslot is down to what you prefer and/or what your team needs. Detect is the protection of choice, as it is shields Scrafty from damage while is also able to escape many attempts at Imprisonment. If protection is not a concern, Ice Punch is the preferred elemental punch of choice, covering its Scrafty's Flying-type weakness well, as well as and giving it nice overall coverage. Stone Edge can be used for handling Talonflame and Mega Charizard, (RC) if they are a major concern. Lastly, Quick Guard is useful for blocking Talonflame's Gale Wings priority Brave Bird, although it doesn't have much use besides that.

Set Details
========
The EV investment is fairly straightforward. Scrafty is fairly slow, and since because it works well in Trick Room, Why is this the first time this is mentioned if it's a big thing? there is no need to invest in Speed. Most of the EVs therefore go into Scrafty's HP and Attack. However, there are also 12 EVs invested into Defense. This is to ensure that Scrafty can survive a Brave Bird from maximum Attack Choice Band Talonflame after an Intimidate. A Brave nature can also be used if you intend to run a Trick Room-oriented team.

The choice of item (no pun intended) largely depends on what is necessary for your team. Running a A Lum Berry can help against the burns that limit Scrafty's power, and it is also a great answer to Smeargle. However, if status is not a problem, the Assault Vest is a viable alternative for expanding Scrafty's special bulk. Keep in mind that running Assault Vest sacrifices the ability to use Detect.

Usage Tips
========
Scrafty, as the set name implies, excels at hindering the opponents with Intimidate and Fake Out. Therefore, using the two aforementioned tactics correctly is strongly advised. It is important to know when to use Scrafty as an Intimidate lead and when to use it as a backup plan for physical sweepers. If you are anticipating one of the opponent's Pokémon to pack its own Fake Out, don't send out Scrafty first. The opponent will target Scrafty, (RC) and you will lose the Fake Out war due to Scrafty's low Speed. Likewise, it is important to know exactly which Pokemon should be held back with Fake Out. One wrong prediction and Scrafty is essentially running only three moves until it next switches out. And Speaking of switching out, Scrafty can be switched in and out of battle multiple times if need be. This is especially useful if you want to use Intimidate and/or Fake Out multiple times.

Team Options
========
Scrafty is a naturally slow Pokemon, sitting at a below-average base 50 Speed, (comma) and thus, (RC) Trick Room is a viable strategy to run. Pokemon that use it well include Aromatisse, Reuniclus, and Slowbro. Scrafty does not have the desired sky-high offenses, so Pokemon that can remedy this with high offenses of their own and benefit from Fake Out and Intimidate also make for excellent partners, with Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Choiced Gardevoir being notable examples. Finally, Aegislash deserves a special mention, as it resists all of Scrafty's weaknesses and hits hard in return, while Scrafty covers its Dark and Ghost weaknesses.

Other Options
########
A Sitrus Berry is useful in prolonging Scrafty's lifespan, but ; however, Drain Punch heals plenty of damage already, and the times that Sitrus Berry does activate, it is usually too late to take effect. A Roseli Berry can mitigate the Fairy weakness, but many Fairies and Fairy-type moves would still KO Scrafty it. Instead of Intimidate, Scrafty can run Shed Skin in order to manually clear itself of unwanted status. Explain why this is bad, though--scrafty is not a setup sweeper anyymore Moxie can be used to increase Scrafty's power, but it is generally inferior. for the same reason Instead of running Drain Punch, High Jump Kick can be used for nabbing the OHKO on Mega Kangaskhan not invested in HP, since as most of them lack Protect. Take caution when doing this, because with a shaky 90 base accuracy, one miss may literally kill might end you. Finally, Taunt can shut down support Pokemon and force Aegislash to switch out. That does, however, mean that Scrafty loses out on coverage moves and Protect

Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: With a 4x weakness to Fairy types, Pokemon such as Azumarill, Mawile, and Gardevoir can easily kill KO Scrafty in one hit, even when sporting an Assault Vest.

**Conkeldurr**: Conkeldurr is bulky enough to take a hit, (RC) and strong enough to deal huge amounts of damage with Hammer Arm. It can then finish off Scrafty with Mach Punch.

**Gyarados**: Gyarados can spam Waterfall, (RC) and Scrafty isn't able to do much in return unless it runs Thunder Punch, which isn't recommended. Mega Gyarados, however, is not as problematic. Why?

**Talonflame**: With priority Flying-type moves, Talonflame can easily 2HKO Scrafty after an Intimidate, (RC) and doesn't take much damage from its coverage moves.

**Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate*: Will-O-Wisp and opposing Intimidate, as well as any other move or ability that lowers Scrafty's Attack stat, greatly hinders its offensive capabilities.

1/2

This was well-written (really!), but the standards were a mess. Ensure that that doesn't happen again, because this was very well done!
Thank you! I appreciate your compliments, and will try to make up for the low-quality standards. However, shouldn't Pokémon have an accent on the 'e'? That is the proper spelling, after all.
 

GatoDelFuego

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Thank you! I appreciate your compliments, and will try to make up for the low-quality standards. However, shouldn't Pokémon have an accent on the 'e'? That is the proper spelling, after all.
Nope! We don't use it in our analyses.
 
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Overview
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This generation has been a mixed blessing for Scrafty. On one hand, Scrafty it can now use Assault Vest, which greatly increases its defensive capabilities. This, combined with the fact that it is one of the only few Intimidate Pokémon that has access to Fake Out, makes it a premier choice for stalling out setup sweepers, early- or late-game. However, there is one thing that has been introduced which severely hurts Scrafty: the Fairy type. Fairy-type Pokémon and moves are able to hit Scrafty for 4x super effective damage, and it can't do much back at them considering its lackluster offenses. Nevertheless, Scrafty should not be taken lightly, for it's still one of the best anti-lead Pokémon.

Fake Out
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name: Fake Out
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Detect / Ice Punch / Stone Edge
ability: Intimidate
item: Lum Berry / Assault Vest
evs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Def
nature: Adamant / Brave

Moves
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This move lineup takes the best Scrafty has to offer and puts it all together for a nice Fake Out set. Fake Out is very useful at temporarily postponing the opponent's attempts to set up during the first turn, as well as stalling out passive damage from status and weather. Drain Punch is the primary STAB of choice, helping Scrafty prolong its lifespan while still dealing respectable damage. If a Fighting-type move is not the most optimal choice to use, Crunch is the secondary STAB that can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types.

The last moveslot is down to what you prefer and/or what your team needs. Detect is the protection of choice, as it shields Scrafty from damage while is also being able to escape any attempts at Imprisonment. If protection is not a concern, Ice Punch is the elemental punch of choice, covering Scrafty's Flying-type weakness and giving it nice overall coverage. Stone Edge can be used for handling Talonflame and Mega Charizard if they are a major concern. Lastly, Quick Guard is useful for blocking Talonflame's priority Brave Bird, although it doesn't have much use besides that.

Set Details
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The EV investment is fairly straightforward. Scrafty is fairly slow, and investing in Speed won't allow it to reach any significantly higher Speed tiers; therefore, there is no need to invest in Speed. Most of the EVs therefore go into Scrafty's HP and Attack. However, there are also 12 EVs invested in Defense. This is to ensure that Scrafty can survive a Brave Bird from maximum Attack Choice Band Talonflame after an Intimidate. A Brave nature can also be used if you intend to run a Trick Room-oriented team.

The choice of item largely depends on what is necessary for your team. A Lum Berry can help against the burns that limit Scrafty's power, and it is also a great answer to Smeargle. However, if status is not a problem, Assault Vest is a viable alternative for expanding Scrafty's special bulk. Keep in mind that running Assault Vest sacrifices the ability to use Detect.

Usage Tips
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Scrafty, as the set name implies, excels at hindering the opponents with Intimidate and Fake Out. Therefore, using the two aforementioned tactics two correctly is strongly advised. It is important to know when to use Scrafty as an Intimidate lead and when to use it as a backup plan for physical sweepers. If you are anticipating one of the opponent's Pokémon to pack its own Fake Out, don't send out Scrafty first. The opponent will target Scrafty, (add comma) and will you will lose the Fake Out war due to Scrafty's low Speed. Likewise, it is important to know exactly which Pokémon should be held back with Fake Out. One wrong prediction, (add comma) and Scrafty is essentially running only three moves until it switches out. Speaking of switching out, Scrafty can be switched in and out of battle multiple times if need be. This is especially useful if you want to use Intimidate and/or Fake Out multiple times.

Team Options
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Scrafty is a naturally slow Pokémon, sitting at a below-average base 50 Speed, and thus Trick Room is a viable strategy to run. Pokémon that use it well include Aromatisse, Reuniclus, and Slowbro. Scrafty does not have the desired sky-high offenses, so Pokémon that can remedy this with high offenses of their own and benefit from Fake Out and Intimidate also make for excellent partners, with Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Choice Gardevoir being notable examples. Finally, Aegislash deserves a special mention, as it resists all of Scrafty's weaknesses and hits hard in return, while Scrafty covers its Dark and Ghost weaknesses.

Other Options
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A Sitrus Berry is useful in prolonging Scrafty's lifespan, but Drain Punch heals plenty of damage already, and the times that Sitrus Berry does activate, it is usually too late to take effect. A Roseli Berry can mitigate the Fairy weakness, but many Fairies and Fairy-type moves would still KO Scrafty. Instead of Intimidate, Scrafty can run Shed Skin in order to manually clear itself of unwanted status. This is not recommended, as Scrafty is not intended to be a setup sweeper. Being afflicted with status will have no effect upon Intimidate or Fake Out's purpose. Moxie can be used to increase Scrafty's power, but it is generally inferior for the aforementioned reasons. Instead of running Drain Punch, High Jump Kick can be used for nabbing the OHKO on Mega Kangaskhan not invested in HP, as most of them lack Protect. Take caution when doing this, because with a shaky 90 accuracy, one miss might end you. Finally, Taunt can shut down support Pokémon and force Aegislash to switch out. That does, however, mean that Scrafty loses out on coverage moves and Protect. (period)

Checks & Counters
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**Fairy-types**: With a its 4x weakness to Fairy-types, Pokémon such as Azumarill, Mawile, and Gardevoir can easily KO Scrafty in one hit, even when it is sporting an Assault Vest.

**Conkeldurr**: Conkeldurr is bulky enough to take a hit and strong enough to deal huge amounts of damage with Hammer Arm. It can then finish Scrafty off with Mach Punch.

**Gyarados**: Gyarados can spam Waterfall, (add comma) and Scrafty isn't able to do much in return unless it runs Thunder Punch, which isn't recommended. Mega Gyarados, however, is not as problematic, since its typing changes entirely into Scrafty's favor.

**Talonflame**: With priority Flying-type moves, Talonflame can easily 2HKO Scrafty after an Intimidate, and it doesn't take much damage from its coverage moves either.

**Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate*: Will-O-Wisp and opposing Intimidate, (add comma) as well as any other moves or abilities that lower Scrafty's Attack, greatly hinder its offensive capabilities.




GP 2 / 2
 
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