Overview
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The buff to Knock Off caused a drastic increase in the viability and popularity of the move, and with it, a rise in methods to deal with it. Among these methods is a Pokemon with the ability Sticky Hold to absorb the attack, and Shellos is a wonderful candidate for such a role. Although its stats might not be particularly impressive, Sticky Hold, Eviolite, and reliable recovery mean that Shellos can be difficult to take out. On top of that, Shellos has all the right moves to fit in on a team as its bulky Water-type. However, Shellos is by no means free of the detriments that its average stats bring. In addition to being slow and lacking offensive presence, Shellos is left with decent but not exceptional bulk, leaving it very prone to wallbreakers and preventing it from seeing more use. Shellos is an excellent choice when used with other defensive Pokemon thanks to its ability to withstand Knock Off with ease, but it should be avoided on more fast-paced teams due to its limited offensive presence and inability to take especially powerful attacks.
Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Recover
move 3: Earth Power / Ice Beam
move 4: Toxic / Clear Smog / Yawn
ability: Sticky Hold
item: Eviolite
evs: 228 HP / 132 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
========
This is Shellos's best bet for taking advantage of its unique strengths. Scald is a reliable STAB move and carries a useful burn chance, allowing Shellos to better wall physical attackers. Recover is essential to Shellos's walling capabilities by providing reliable recovery, allowing Shellos to remain healthy. As a coverage move, Earth Power is the preferred option because it allows Shellos to switch into and easily beat Croagunk and Pawniard that lack Swords Dance , while also hitting Chinchou and Magnemite on the switch, but Ice Beam deals decent damage to frailer Grass-types on the switch as well as hitting the occasional Dragon-type. The final moveslot is best dedicated to one of Shellos's supportive options; Toxic cripples certain switch-ins such as Lileep and Porygon, but does not synergize well with Scald's burn chance. On the other hand, Clear Smog helps prevent Shellos from being setup bait against sweepers such as Tirtouga and Scraggy, whereas Yawn allows Shellos to force more switches, although it does not synergize well with Scald, either.
Set Details
========
Sticky Hold should be Shellos's ability because it is what gives Shellos its main niche, allowing it to absorb the omnipresent Knock Off. Eviolite gives Shellos acceptable bulk, and it cannot be removed by Knock Off thanks to Sticky Hold. With the given EVs, which hit Eviolite numbers, Shellos is able to reach respectable defensive stats of 27 HP / 21 Defense / 21 Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========
Because Shellos is able to maintain its Eviolite-boosted bulk, it is able to switch in on the likes of Mienfoo and Pawniard and wall them with relative ease, provided that they don't have a means of boosting their Attack. Scald is the most spammable move because Shellos can try to cripple switch-ins with a burn, but keep in mind that, unless it's hitting for super effective damage, Shellos is usually fairly weak. Do not attempt to switch into extremely powerful attacks, because Shellos's defenses are still breakable. If using Shellos as your sole answer to a certain Pokemon, ensure that Shellos is always healthy enough to absorb two of their attacks because Shellos is quite slow.
Team Options
========
Shellos is best used on defensive teams; it should not be used on an offensive team because its entirely defensive nature means it will make the team lose momentum. Pokemon that are particularly impeded by Knock Off, such as Spritzee and Misdreavus, make good teammates. In fact, anything that especially dislikes Pawniard, such as Spritzee or Lileep, will appreciate Shellos's presence. In terms of Pokemon to help support Shellos, Ferroseed beats the Grass- and Electric-types that plague Shellos while Shellos is able to withstand the Fire-type attacks aimed at Ferroseed. A cleric such as Spritzee or Lickitung can help with Shellos's susceptibility to Toxic. Shellos's typing and movepool allow it to fit into a variety of defensive teams as a bulky Water-types and a switch-in to Knock Off.
Other Options
########
Despite having a fairly average movepool, Shellos has a few other options. Most notably, Stockpile allows Shellos to attempt a sweep, but such a set is beaten by several common threats, such as Foongus and RestTalk Chinchou, and can be taken out by random critical hits. Amnesia or Acid Armor are alternate methods of boosting Shellos's defenses, but running one of the two will leave Shellos vulnerable on the other defensive stat, and running both will leave Shellos pressed for moveslots. A combination of Rest and Sleep Talk allows Shellos to heal to full health while removing any status conditions, but Shellos will only be able to heal once every three turns, which doesn't bode well with Shellos's only decent defensive stats, and Sleep Talk choosing Rest could have fatal consequences. Counter and Mirror Coat are interesting choices in certain scenarios, such as reflecting back Volt Switches, but Shellos usually has better options. Scald is almost always the preferred Water-type STAB move because other options, such as Surf, do not carry as useful side effects as Scald. Hidden Power as a coverage option is generally unnecessary because Shellos already carries plenty of coverage moves that have higher Base Power and do not lower its IVs. Memento is underwhelming on a Pokemon as slow as Shellos, and is usually used for sweepers, which might not fit on the defensive teams Shellos should be on. A Curse set is usually ineffective because Shellos doesn't get Waterfall, and as such, lacks a decent STAB move to take advantage of the Attack boosts with.
Checks & Counters
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**Grass-types**: Foongus resists Scald, avoids the 2HKO from Ice Beam, is immune to Toxic, and can force Shellos out with the threat of Spore or Giga Drain, while Sun sweepers such as Bulbasaur, Oddish, and Bellsprout can withstand anything but Ice Beam, weaken Scald even further with Sunny Day, and set up Growths or KO with Solar Beam. Lileep is immune to Scald and can avoid the 3HKO from Ice Beam more often than not, but it dislikes Toxic. Ferroseed is able to set up entry hazards against Shellos and wear it down with Bullet Seed, but it can eventually lose if Scald burns.
**Electric-types**: Chinchou is able to threaten Shellos with a STAB Electric-type attack, with defensive variants being able to avoid the 2HKO from Earth Power. Magnemite is able to deal tremendous damage with Thunderbolt, but it must be wary of Earth Power if Sturdy is not intact.
**Poison-types**: Tentacool can absorb anything that Shellos can throw at it thanks to its high Special Defense stat and can set up Toxic Spikes, which severely hampers Shellos's walling potential, while forcing Shellos out with a combination of Acid Spray and Giga Drain. Croagunk is immune to both Toxic and Scald and is able to use Nasty Plot or Bulk Up to set up on Shellos, but it might not enjoy repeated Earth Powers.
**Status**: Being badly poisoned will render Shellos unable to effectively stall by limiting its ability to stay in; this is best done through Toxic or two layers of Toxic Spikes. Pokemon that are able to withstand multiple Scalds, such as Misdreavus and Frillish, can Taunt Shellos, preventing it from using Recover or Toxic, and then proceed to wear it down.
**Rest + Sleep Talk**: Defensive Chinchou once again makes an excellent counter to Shellos by mostly ignoring anything that Shellos can throw at it and threatening it with Electric-type attacks. Rest + Sleep Talk variants of Munchlax and Mantyke will be unable to immediately harm Shellos significantly but can PP stall it dry by not attacking while asleep. Snubbull has a chance of being 3HKOed if one of Shellos's Scalds gets a maximum damage roll or lands a critical hit, but it can otherwise do the same.
**Nukes**:Due to Shellos's somewhat average stats, extremely powerful attacks such as Life Orb Bunnelby's Return and Life Orb Reckless Mienfoo's High Jump Kick can deal over 70% damage, meaning that if these Pokemon are able to get in safely, they will be able to cleanly 2HKO Shellos outside of a miss.
########
The buff to Knock Off caused a drastic increase in the viability and popularity of the move, and with it, a rise in methods to deal with it. Among these methods is a Pokemon with the ability Sticky Hold to absorb the attack, and Shellos is a wonderful candidate for such a role. Although its stats might not be particularly impressive, Sticky Hold, Eviolite, and reliable recovery mean that Shellos can be difficult to take out. On top of that, Shellos has all the right moves to fit in on a team as its bulky Water-type. However, Shellos is by no means free of the detriments that its average stats bring. In addition to being slow and lacking offensive presence, Shellos is left with decent but not exceptional bulk, leaving it very prone to wallbreakers and preventing it from seeing more use. Shellos is an excellent choice when used with other defensive Pokemon thanks to its ability to withstand Knock Off with ease, but it should be avoided on more fast-paced teams due to its limited offensive presence and inability to take especially powerful attacks.
Defensive
########
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Recover
move 3: Earth Power / Ice Beam
move 4: Toxic / Clear Smog / Yawn
ability: Sticky Hold
item: Eviolite
evs: 228 HP / 132 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
========
This is Shellos's best bet for taking advantage of its unique strengths. Scald is a reliable STAB move and carries a useful burn chance, allowing Shellos to better wall physical attackers. Recover is essential to Shellos's walling capabilities by providing reliable recovery, allowing Shellos to remain healthy. As a coverage move, Earth Power is the preferred option because it allows Shellos to switch into and easily beat Croagunk and Pawniard that lack Swords Dance , while also hitting Chinchou and Magnemite on the switch, but Ice Beam deals decent damage to frailer Grass-types on the switch as well as hitting the occasional Dragon-type. The final moveslot is best dedicated to one of Shellos's supportive options; Toxic cripples certain switch-ins such as Lileep and Porygon, but does not synergize well with Scald's burn chance. On the other hand, Clear Smog helps prevent Shellos from being setup bait against sweepers such as Tirtouga and Scraggy, whereas Yawn allows Shellos to force more switches, although it does not synergize well with Scald, either.
Set Details
========
Sticky Hold should be Shellos's ability because it is what gives Shellos its main niche, allowing it to absorb the omnipresent Knock Off. Eviolite gives Shellos acceptable bulk, and it cannot be removed by Knock Off thanks to Sticky Hold. With the given EVs, which hit Eviolite numbers, Shellos is able to reach respectable defensive stats of 27 HP / 21 Defense / 21 Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========
Because Shellos is able to maintain its Eviolite-boosted bulk, it is able to switch in on the likes of Mienfoo and Pawniard and wall them with relative ease, provided that they don't have a means of boosting their Attack. Scald is the most spammable move because Shellos can try to cripple switch-ins with a burn, but keep in mind that, unless it's hitting for super effective damage, Shellos is usually fairly weak. Do not attempt to switch into extremely powerful attacks, because Shellos's defenses are still breakable. If using Shellos as your sole answer to a certain Pokemon, ensure that Shellos is always healthy enough to absorb two of their attacks because Shellos is quite slow.
Team Options
========
Shellos is best used on defensive teams; it should not be used on an offensive team because its entirely defensive nature means it will make the team lose momentum. Pokemon that are particularly impeded by Knock Off, such as Spritzee and Misdreavus, make good teammates. In fact, anything that especially dislikes Pawniard, such as Spritzee or Lileep, will appreciate Shellos's presence. In terms of Pokemon to help support Shellos, Ferroseed beats the Grass- and Electric-types that plague Shellos while Shellos is able to withstand the Fire-type attacks aimed at Ferroseed. A cleric such as Spritzee or Lickitung can help with Shellos's susceptibility to Toxic. Shellos's typing and movepool allow it to fit into a variety of defensive teams as a bulky Water-types and a switch-in to Knock Off.
Other Options
########
Despite having a fairly average movepool, Shellos has a few other options. Most notably, Stockpile allows Shellos to attempt a sweep, but such a set is beaten by several common threats, such as Foongus and RestTalk Chinchou, and can be taken out by random critical hits. Amnesia or Acid Armor are alternate methods of boosting Shellos's defenses, but running one of the two will leave Shellos vulnerable on the other defensive stat, and running both will leave Shellos pressed for moveslots. A combination of Rest and Sleep Talk allows Shellos to heal to full health while removing any status conditions, but Shellos will only be able to heal once every three turns, which doesn't bode well with Shellos's only decent defensive stats, and Sleep Talk choosing Rest could have fatal consequences. Counter and Mirror Coat are interesting choices in certain scenarios, such as reflecting back Volt Switches, but Shellos usually has better options. Scald is almost always the preferred Water-type STAB move because other options, such as Surf, do not carry as useful side effects as Scald. Hidden Power as a coverage option is generally unnecessary because Shellos already carries plenty of coverage moves that have higher Base Power and do not lower its IVs. Memento is underwhelming on a Pokemon as slow as Shellos, and is usually used for sweepers, which might not fit on the defensive teams Shellos should be on. A Curse set is usually ineffective because Shellos doesn't get Waterfall, and as such, lacks a decent STAB move to take advantage of the Attack boosts with.
Checks & Counters
########
**Grass-types**: Foongus resists Scald, avoids the 2HKO from Ice Beam, is immune to Toxic, and can force Shellos out with the threat of Spore or Giga Drain, while Sun sweepers such as Bulbasaur, Oddish, and Bellsprout can withstand anything but Ice Beam, weaken Scald even further with Sunny Day, and set up Growths or KO with Solar Beam. Lileep is immune to Scald and can avoid the 3HKO from Ice Beam more often than not, but it dislikes Toxic. Ferroseed is able to set up entry hazards against Shellos and wear it down with Bullet Seed, but it can eventually lose if Scald burns.
**Electric-types**: Chinchou is able to threaten Shellos with a STAB Electric-type attack, with defensive variants being able to avoid the 2HKO from Earth Power. Magnemite is able to deal tremendous damage with Thunderbolt, but it must be wary of Earth Power if Sturdy is not intact.
**Poison-types**: Tentacool can absorb anything that Shellos can throw at it thanks to its high Special Defense stat and can set up Toxic Spikes, which severely hampers Shellos's walling potential, while forcing Shellos out with a combination of Acid Spray and Giga Drain. Croagunk is immune to both Toxic and Scald and is able to use Nasty Plot or Bulk Up to set up on Shellos, but it might not enjoy repeated Earth Powers.
**Status**: Being badly poisoned will render Shellos unable to effectively stall by limiting its ability to stay in; this is best done through Toxic or two layers of Toxic Spikes. Pokemon that are able to withstand multiple Scalds, such as Misdreavus and Frillish, can Taunt Shellos, preventing it from using Recover or Toxic, and then proceed to wear it down.
**Rest + Sleep Talk**: Defensive Chinchou once again makes an excellent counter to Shellos by mostly ignoring anything that Shellos can throw at it and threatening it with Electric-type attacks. Rest + Sleep Talk variants of Munchlax and Mantyke will be unable to immediately harm Shellos significantly but can PP stall it dry by not attacking while asleep. Snubbull has a chance of being 3HKOed if one of Shellos's Scalds gets a maximum damage roll or lands a critical hit, but it can otherwise do the same.
**Nukes**:Due to Shellos's somewhat average stats, extremely powerful attacks such as Life Orb Bunnelby's Return and Life Orb Reckless Mienfoo's High Jump Kick can deal over 70% damage, meaning that if these Pokemon are able to get in safely, they will be able to cleanly 2HKO Shellos outside of a miss.
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