Shikijika (Analysis)

[Alchemator]

Shikijika

[Overview]

• Has decent offensive stats, and good Speed to make use of them.
• Has a varied movepool, though misses the ability to hit certain threats hard.
• Brilliant ability in Herbivore, allowing it to check (or even counter) Grass types.
• Unfortunately lacks a physical Grass STAB, but its Special Attack is usable enough after a boost, so no massive loss there.

[SET]
name: Cheer Up
move 1: Cheer Up
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Double Edge / Return
move 4: Energy Ball / Wild Bolt / Nature Power
item: Life Orb / Berry Juice
ability: Herbivore
nature: Naive
evs: 116 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpA / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]

• While Shikijika's offenses can be somewhat underwhelming, it has a saving grace in Cheer Up, to bolster its Attack score.
• It also makes Shikijika's special movepool, particularly Energy Ball, useful.
• Despite this set being primarily focused on getting a Cheer Up and passing it away to a select recipient, with a boost beneath its belt Shikijika becomes quite the late-game sweeper. This is affirmed by its great speed.
• Double Edge provides a strong STAB attack for Shikijika, though Return is also an option to conserve health.
• The last move is purely for coverage - Energy Ball is a welcome secondary STAB, making use of Cheer Up's Special Attack boost, particularly hitting Rock types, with which Double Edge would have problems.

[Additional Comments]

• Wild Bolt hits Water-types harder due to Shikijika's higher Attack stat, but misses out on Rhyhorn and Geodude.
• Nature Power now becomes Earthquake in the WiFi arena, providing good coverage with Double Edge. However, it misses out on Bronzor and Aaken.
• Berry Juice can be used to get more than one Cheer Up, but Shikijika is generally too frail.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Double Edge
move 2: Jump Kick
move 3: Faint Attack / Nature Power / Wild Bolt
move 4: Baton Pass / Wild Bolt
item: Choice Band
ability: Herbivore
nature: Naive
evs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]

• While the first set focussed on passing boosts, Choice Band Shikijika is more of a late-game sweeper and wall-breaker.
• Hitting hard from the very start, Shikijika's Double Edge maims almost everything that doesn't resist it, even from base 50 attack.
• If it can gain a Herbivore boost, and the opponent's Ghost-types and Fighting-type priority have been removed, Shikijika can quite feasibly sweep with Double Edge.
• Jump Kick is a strong coverage move, providing perfect coverage with Double Edge save for Ghost-types, which is where Faint Attack comes in.
• Baton Pass is used for scouting switches.

[Additional Comments]

• Nature Power can be used over Faint Attack, but misses out on Levitating or Flying-type Ghosts such as Gastly and Drifloon.
• Wild Bolt can be used over Faint Attack or Baton Pass, but doesn't add any coverage that Faint Attack wouldn't.
• Vengeance is an option instead of Double Edge, but is often too situational.
• Choice Scarf could be used over Choice Band, but in the majority of cases Shikijika is too weak to use the extra speed effectively.

[Team Options]

• It and Pururiru cover each other's weaknesses almost perfectly, save Pururiru's Dark-type weakness, which is covered by a token Fighting-type.
• Croagunk makes a good recipient of Cheer Up boosts, though it is maimed by Fire-typed attacks.
• Machop, Ishizumai, and Geodude enjoy Agility boosts.
• Wynaut helps remove problem Fighting-types.

[Optional Changes]

• Shikijika gets Chlorophyll, but its unboosted Special Attack leaves a lot to be desired, despite a colorful special movepool.
• It gets support moves such as Aromatherapy, Thunder Wave, and Leech Seed but has neither the bulk nor resistances to use them.

[Counters]

• Shikijika's coverage allows it to hit pretty much anything depending on move choice, so "Counters" come down to Pokemon that can take a hit and fight back. Bronzor is possibly the best, as it resists both of Shikijika's STAB moves and doesn't take too much from Jump Kick.
• Fighting-types with priority, such as Dokkora, can easily dispatch of Shikijika.
• While they can't switch in, Abra and Staryu can outspeed and KO non-Scarf Shikijika with their strong STAB and super-effective moves respectively.

[Dream World]

• Shikijika gains Serene Grace as an ability, but has no moves with which to abuse it. Rock Smash could be used with it as a gimmicky option, though isn't strong enough to warrant a set.

 

[Alchemator]

I think this is done, unless I've missed something (this is my first Gen5 analysis after all).

 

[Heysup]

I'd probably keep the Cheer Up set as purely physical. Having reduced SpD is not really what I'd want in a BPer.

 

[Alchemator]

I'd probably keep the Cheer Up set as purely physical. Having reduced SpD is not really what I'd want in a BPer.

I can say from experience that Energy Ball is almost necessary to stop physical walls who believe that they can shut you down (I'm mainly thinking Hippopotas). The difference in Special Defense is negligible, as Shikijika is already so frail, while the advantages gained by Energy Ball are great.

Replacing Energy Ball with a physical move actually significantly lowers the portion of Pokemon that you can hit well. Wild Bolt misses out on Hippopotas and other Ground-types, Jump Kick misses out on Ghost-types, and Faint Attack misses out on Steel-types.

 

[macle]

Berry Juice is banned. Please change that.

 

[Bloo]

Alchemator has informed me that he will no longer be working on this, so this is being moved to L&O.