Overview
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Skrelp is a rather overlooked pokemon this generation, as it is not very impressive in any one role. However, it has many very appealing advantages over other pokemon. First, it has an amazing stat distribution, with nice bulk of 50/60/60 and 60/60 offenses, which is very fit for a tank. Next, Skrelp’s STABs have surprisingly amazing coverage,only resisted by Ferroseed, Tentacruel, other Skrelp, and Frillish. It also has a nice set of resistances, such as Fighting, Water, Fairy, and Fire, which allows it to wall some very powerful types. Finally, Skrelp has only weaknesses to only 3 types, 2 of which are uncommon. However, like every pokemon, Skrelp has some flaws preventing it from being a common threat. For example, Skrelp has competition in Chinchou and Staryu for a bulky Water type. Also, Skrelp’s movepool is not very impressive. Furthermore, Skrelp’s speed is very low, only reaching 13 Speed with Max EVs and a positive nature. It’s only form of recovery is RestTalk and the worst flaw it has is that Adaptability is unreleased. Despite all these flaws, Skrelp is still an excellent wall and tank, and should always be considered when your team needs one.
RestTalk
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name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Scald
move 4: Sludge Bomb
ability: Poison Point
item: Eviolite
evs: 80 / 196 Def / 116 SpAtt / 116 SpDef
ivs: 0 Atk
nature: Calm
Moves
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The combination of Rest + Sleep Talk gives Skrelp a usable form of recovery, which allows it to stay healthy throughout the match and deal damage. Other than this, the Sleep ounter doesn’t reset when you switch out, making this form of recovery much more reliable and viable. Scald hits decently hard and has the nice chance to burn, effectively crippling all physical attackers that are not named Timburr. Sludge Bomb has surprisingly effective synergy with Scald, and is the more powerful STAB. It also hits the Grass types that Scald does not hit effectively.
Set Details
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Since Adaptability is still unreleased, and as this moveset doesn’t have any moves that take advantage of Poison Touch, Poison Point is the ability of choice. The given Defensive EVs and nature with Eviolite give Skrelp very respectable bulk that lets it take many hits easily. 116 SpAttk EVs give Skrelp 14 SpAttk, letting it deal decent damage with its STABs. Finally, the 0 Atk IVs are to reduce the damage taken from Foul Play and confusion.
Usage Tips
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Skrelp is a very good mixed wall, as it can take hits from attackers such as Fletchling, Porygon, non-Earthquake Tirtouga, and other common offensive Pokemon. RestTalk also makes Skrelp a very good status absorber, taking all status ands it can get rid of it viastatus using Rest. With the SpAttk EVs, Skrelp can hit things pretty hard as well,also can hitting things hard that aren’t dedicated walls or resists. By the way of pretty hard. Thanks to its Poison typing, it is a very effective wall versus things such asagainst Fairiesy- and Fightersing-type Pokemon, which is very niceuseful.
Team Options
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Vullaby is a good teammate for Skrelp, Vullaby beingas it is immune to Psychic and Ground, and Defogging away hazards, while Skrelp takes Fairies, Ice -types, and special attackers, along withs well as burning physical attackers. BHowever, you must be wary of Chinchou and Electric types, however. Also, Lickitung is another good partner for Skrelp. Lickitung takes most Psychic and Electric moves due towith its amazing bulk, while Skrelp can take more physical Fighting attacks for Lickitung. If Skrelp can’t get a Rest off, Lickitung can pass it a wWish, which is nice.
helpful.
Tank
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name: Tank
move 1: Scald
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power [Fire]
ability: Adaptability Poison Point
item: Eviolite
evs: 36 HP / 116 Def / 200 SAtk / 116 SDef / 40 Spd
ivs: 2 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
nature: Modest
Moves
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Scald is the chosen Water STAB, sin of choice, as Skrelp and its teammates really enjoy the extra chip damage and the lower attacking power should the opponent get burned. Sludge Bomb is the Poison STAB, beingand is the more powerful STAB, i. It hits quite hard, while and havings amazing type synergy with Scald. Thunderbolt hits a majority of the pokemon that resist Skrelp’s STABs super effectively, includingsuch asTentacool, Frillish, and other Skrelp. Hidden Power Fire hits the only other thing that resists Skrelp’s other moves, Ferroseed, vextremely hard.
Set Details
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The SpAttk EVs lets Skrelp hit very hard, 16 SpAttk with a Modest Nnature and the 30 SpAtt IVs allow Skrelp to hit very hard. The HP, Def, and SpDef EVs give Skrelp 22/21/21 bulk with Eviolite, which is still very respectable and letting it beat many pPokemon 1v1 with its STABs and bulk. The leftover 40 EVs raise a point in Speed, making it 10 Speed, which is nice. The given IVs give Skrelp the correctappropriate IVs to have Hidden Power Fire, while having minimum Attack as well (for Foul Play and Confusion).
Usage Tips
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This Skrelp is a more offensive Skrelp and should be used as a pivot, coming in on things that it beats and dealing gooda decent amount of damage, and switching out when in a badsticky situation. From the above statement, if you use Skrelp’s good bulk to come in, and also utilize its 16 SpAttk to neuter the opposing team with burns and killsfainting some of the opponent's Pokemon, that is the best way to use this Skrelp. Since Skrelp doesn’t have recovery, and it needs to take hits, having Wish support is very helpful. With its amazing bulk and Special Attack, Skrelp can often beat many pPokemon 1v1singlehandedly, including pPokemon on the other side of the field which may be threatening to your team.
Team Options
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Again, Vullaby, again, is a good partner for Skrelp, Knocking oOff Eviolites so that Skrelp can hit harder, while Skrelp can burn things so that Vullaby can take hits easier. Wish passers are good partners in general for Tank Skrelp, as it needs to take and loves the recovery. Spritzee can physically tank along with Skrelp, while Lickitung can Knock Off items and Swall things on the special wallside. They also benefit from Skrelp's support, as Skrelp resists Spritzee’s Steel- and Poison-type weaknesses, while it also resists Lickitung’s Fighting-type weakness.
Other Options
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A set utilizing Life Orb could hit very hard, however, even with good coverage, but with veryits low sSpeed, it will get worn down very easily. A Specially Defensive spread could work, but it is extremetotally outclassed in this role by Tentacool, along withnd Chinchou. A Physical set could work off of Skrelp’s equally good afine Attack, stat and take advantage of Poison Touch, but as Skrelp’s only decent physical moves are Waterfall, Play Rough, and Return, it is inferior to its Special set. Hydro Pump hits much harder than Scald, but the burn chance is missed, as without it, Skrelp cannot effectively neuter physical attackers. Skrelpalso gets access to other cool moves such as Toxic Spikes and Haze, which have good utility, but Skrelp can only run 2 other moves along with its STABs, and having to use Rest + Sleep Talk for recovery or Thunderbolt + HP Fire for coverage makean that there is no space for either of the moves.
Checks & Counters
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**Super Effective Attacks** The best way to beat Skrelp, like most pPokemon, is to hit it with a super- effective attack. Ground types, such as Drilbur and Diglett, can easily take down Skrelp, but they cannot switch into Scald at all. Psychic types, such as like Abra, can easily take down Skrelp as well, but unless they’re bulky, they will take a lot of damage from Sludge Bomb.
**Ferroseed** Ferroseed is one of the best counters to Skrelp, as it is only being hit hard by Hidden Power Fire, and can use Skrelp as Hhazard Ffodder.
**Bulky Water-types** Chinchou and Tentacool can take multiple hits from Skrelp. Chinchou beats Skrelp with Thunderbolt, while Tentacool wins with Giga Drain, unless Skrelp runs Thunderbolt.
**Electric-types**Finally, Electric types, in general easily beat Skrelp, especially Magnemite, who can come out of the scuffle unaffected thanks to Berry Juice.
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