[OVERVIEW]
Fairy
========
* Tapu Koko being the fastest Fairy-type makes it one of Fairy's best tools against offense and able to force switches and pivot effectively.
* Its ability Electric Surge boosts the damage of its Electric-type attacks, making Tapu Koko as powerful as some wallbreakers.
* Volt Switch and U-turn give Tapu Koko reliable pivoting options, doing very respectable damage with the former thanks to Electric Terrain and pivoting out of Electric-immune Pokemon with the latter.
* It is one of the few Fairy-types that even have the option to check Mega Venusaur with its access to Guardian of Alola.
* Tapu Koko is able to compress a wallbreaker, revenge killer, and pivot into one teamslot, allowing for more freedom in the other teamslots.
* While its bulk is quite underwhelming, its Electric typing lets it take neutral damage from Steel-type attacks, allowing it to check threats like +2 defensive Mega Scizor.
* Tapu Koko's Special Attack is subpar for an attacker, so it lacks damage when it's not using an Electric-type attack.
* Furthermore, its movepool is unimpressive, primarily containing STAB attacks, meaning it can struggle to touch some threats like Excadrill that can switch into it freely.
[SET]
name: Pivot (Fairy)
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: U-turn / Dazzling Gleam
item: Magnet / Choice Specs
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Volt Switch allows Tapu Koko to pivot out of checks while doing great damage and chipping them down.
* Thunderbolt is stronger than Volt Switch and allows Tapu Koko to act as a wallbreaker by dealing amazing damage to anything that isn't resistant to it.
* Hidden Power Ice forms great BoltBeam coverage and hits threats like Gliscor that Fairy often has trouble with.
* Hidden Power Fire can be used instead to specifically target Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Excadrill, but it is generally poor coverage.
* U-turn lets Tapu Koko pivot out of incoming Electric-immune Pokemon, keeping up momentum and allowing it to switch into an appropriate check.
* Dazzling Gleam can be used over U-turn for another consistent STAB attack that hits most Electric-immune Pokemon neutrally; however, Fairy teams do not often need that coverage.
* As a final option over U-turn and Dazzling Gleam, Tapu Koko can use Nature's Madness along with Tapunium Z to allow it to deal a guaranteed 75% of any switch-in's remaining HP at the cost of the team's Z-Move; Guardian of Alola allows Tapu Koko to take out Mega Venusaur with very minor chip damage.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment makes Tapu Koko as strong and fast as possible.
* A Timid nature is used to outspeed fast threats like Greninja and Dugtrio.
* Magnet is the item of choice because Tapu Koko's main damage output comes from Electric-type attacks. However, Choice Specs can be used to make Tapu Koko even stronger but incapable of switching moves.
* Tapunium Z is an option if Tapu Koko is using Nature's Madness to allow it to use Guardian of Alola.
* Electric Surge sets Electric Terrain, which boosts the power of Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, making Tapu Koko a powerful offensive threat.
Usage Tips
========
* Because of its great Speed, Tapu Koko can serve as a very effective lead that can use Volt Switch or U-turn to pivot if necessary or fire off powerful attacks immediately.
* Tapu Koko thrives on spamming Volt Switch to chip away at enemies while gaining momentum. Unless there's an Electric-immune Pokemon on the opposing team, Tapu Koko can wear down its switch-ins fairly easily to sweep late-game with Thunderbolt.
* Choice Specs Tapu Koko should be careful of locking itself into Volt Switch, though, as if it is blocked by an Electric-immune Pokemon, it kills momentum.
* U-turn lacks the damage of Volt Switch and makes contact, which can make Tapu Koko incur unnecessary damage from Pokemon like Ferrothorn. Therefore, it should be carefully used only when Electric-immune Pokemon are switching in to block Volt Switch.
* Thanks to Electric Terrain, Thunderbolt deals a decent amount of damage even when it's resisted, so Choice Specs sets should spam it for wallbreaking without worrying about being Choice-locked.
* Wallbreaking early-game with a few well-timed Thunderbolts can weaken checks for its teammates, but in most cases, Tapu Koko prefers to be a hit-and-run attacker due to its low bulk.
* Do take advantage of Tapu Koko's great Speed to revenge kill. Because it can often KO weakened threats with Volt Switch, even if the enemy switches out, Tapu Koko can pivot out of the switch-in to keep momentum on your side.
* While it does carry coverage moves, they're not particularly strong, so unless they're 4x effective, Tapu Koko should often just pivot out when faced with a threat such as Hippowdon.
* Try to keep Tapu Koko healthy by keeping entry hazards off the field. It can find itself chipped down very quickly due to how often it pivots if a layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock are wearing it down on each switch. Late-game sweeps are much more difficult if Tapu Koko takes too much chip damage.
* If Electric Terrain wears off or is overwritten, Tapu Koko should switch out immediately, as without its damage boost, it fails to do much damage at all.
* If using Guardian of Alola, be careful to not waste its only use. Early-game, use Volt Switch to put a little chip on the target and lull them into a false sense of security. Then, use Guardian of Alola when it will put the target into range of Thunderbolt to KO after.
Team Options
========
* Tapu Bulu is one of the best teammates for Tapu Koko because it switches into Ground-types such as Hippowdon easily and threatens them with its powerful Wood Hammer and Horn Leech. In return, Tapu Koko can remove most of Tapu Bulu's checks like Skarmory with no problem at all.
* Spikes Klefki supports Tapu Koko by further punishing the switches that Tapu Koko forces with entry hazard damage. It can also set dual screens to make Tapu Koko more resilient to attacks.
* Assault Vest and Choice Specs Magearna form a great Volt Switch core with Tapu Koko, as they pivot into Poison-type attacks and can even take advantage of Electric Terrain to fire off a powerful Volt Switch of their own. Shift Gear Magearna also appreciates having its checks like Zapdos worn down and taken out.
* Z-Belly Drum Azumarill can sweep easily after Tapu Koko takes out its checks like Skarmory and Volcanion. Azumarill in turn checks many Ground-types like Excadrill that threaten Tapu Koko.
* Stallbreakers like Tapu Fini and Clefable can help take on walls such as Chansey that Tapu Koko cannot beat. Clefable can also set Stealth Rock, which Tapu Koko greatly appreciates.
* While Tapu Fini can also use Defog, Togekiss is the main form of viable entry hazard removal for Fairy teams and removes hazards that limit Tapu Koko's opportunities to switch in while also taking on Grass-types like Tapu Bulu.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fairy
--------
* Life Orb may be a tempting option to power up Tapu Koko's coverage attacks without Choice-locking it into attacks, but its recoil and Tapu Koko's poor Special Attack stat make it worse than Choice Specs in most cases.
* Grass Knot lets Tapu Koko hit Gastrodon and Seismitoad to help Azumarill sweep Ground teams late-game, but it has almost no purpose outside of that.
* A Taunt + Roost set can stallbreak, but Tapu Koko can no longer pivot effectively with such a set, and it is generally worse than other Fairy-type stallbreakers such as Tapu Fini.
* Brave Bird targets Mega Venusaur but requires significant chip damage to take it out on the switch, making it unreliable and generally a worse option than Guardian of Alola for this purpose.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fairy
--------
**Mega Venusaur**: Mega Venusaur is the perfect counter to Tapu Koko, as it cannot be 2HKOed, has very reliable recovery, and forces it out immediately with the threat of Sludge Bomb. However, it does need to be careful to keep its health up in order to avoid being taken off guard by Guardian of Alola.
**Alolan Marowak**: Tapu Koko can only hope to slowly chip at Alolan Marowak, as it has Lightning Rod and resists all of Tapu Koko's coverage moves. It easily switches in and can set Stealth Rock or fire off a powerful STAB attack.
**Chansey**: Tapu Koko has no reliable way to ever really beat Chansey, which freely switches in and can use its wide range of utility as it pleases.
**Electric-immune Pokemon**: Electric-immune Pokemon like Lanturn and Hippowdon prevent Tapu Koko from pivoting with Volt Switch. Ground-types like Excadrill in particular threaten Tapu Koko with their powerful attacks and often don't have a problem switching into Tapu Koko.
**Grass-types**: Most Grass-types such as Cradily can switch into any of Tapu Koko's attacks without any fear, although those without recovery will get worn down over time. Ferrothorn does need to be careful of the rare Hidden Power Fire, though.
**Assault Vest Users**: Pokemon such as Alolan Muk and Magearna using Assault Vest are bulky enough to switch into Tapu Koko's attacks, but their lack of recovery means that they need to be careful of letting Tapu Koko chip them down with Volt Switch.
**Faster Pokemon**: Tapu Koko's bulk is rather poor, so any Pokemon such Mega Alakazam that is faster than it can KO it easily when given a free switch.
**Entry Hazards**: As a hit-and-run attacker, Tapu Koko hates Stealth Rock and Spikes, which wear it down whenever it switches in. Taking damage from entry hazards too often will easily put Tapu Koko into range of priority attacks such as Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch.
Fairy
========
* Tapu Koko being the fastest Fairy-type makes it one of Fairy's best tools against offense and able to force switches and pivot effectively.
* Its ability Electric Surge boosts the damage of its Electric-type attacks, making Tapu Koko as powerful as some wallbreakers.
* Volt Switch and U-turn give Tapu Koko reliable pivoting options, doing very respectable damage with the former thanks to Electric Terrain and pivoting out of Electric-immune Pokemon with the latter.
* It is one of the few Fairy-types that even have the option to check Mega Venusaur with its access to Guardian of Alola.
* Tapu Koko is able to compress a wallbreaker, revenge killer, and pivot into one teamslot, allowing for more freedom in the other teamslots.
* While its bulk is quite underwhelming, its Electric typing lets it take neutral damage from Steel-type attacks, allowing it to check threats like +2 defensive Mega Scizor.
* Tapu Koko's Special Attack is subpar for an attacker, so it lacks damage when it's not using an Electric-type attack.
* Furthermore, its movepool is unimpressive, primarily containing STAB attacks, meaning it can struggle to touch some threats like Excadrill that can switch into it freely.
[SET]
name: Pivot (Fairy)
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: U-turn / Dazzling Gleam
item: Magnet / Choice Specs
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Volt Switch allows Tapu Koko to pivot out of checks while doing great damage and chipping them down.
* Thunderbolt is stronger than Volt Switch and allows Tapu Koko to act as a wallbreaker by dealing amazing damage to anything that isn't resistant to it.
* Hidden Power Ice forms great BoltBeam coverage and hits threats like Gliscor that Fairy often has trouble with.
* Hidden Power Fire can be used instead to specifically target Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Excadrill, but it is generally poor coverage.
* U-turn lets Tapu Koko pivot out of incoming Electric-immune Pokemon, keeping up momentum and allowing it to switch into an appropriate check.
* Dazzling Gleam can be used over U-turn for another consistent STAB attack that hits most Electric-immune Pokemon neutrally; however, Fairy teams do not often need that coverage.
* As a final option over U-turn and Dazzling Gleam, Tapu Koko can use Nature's Madness along with Tapunium Z to allow it to deal a guaranteed 75% of any switch-in's remaining HP at the cost of the team's Z-Move; Guardian of Alola allows Tapu Koko to take out Mega Venusaur with very minor chip damage.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment makes Tapu Koko as strong and fast as possible.
* A Timid nature is used to outspeed fast threats like Greninja and Dugtrio.
* Magnet is the item of choice because Tapu Koko's main damage output comes from Electric-type attacks. However, Choice Specs can be used to make Tapu Koko even stronger but incapable of switching moves.
* Tapunium Z is an option if Tapu Koko is using Nature's Madness to allow it to use Guardian of Alola.
* Electric Surge sets Electric Terrain, which boosts the power of Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, making Tapu Koko a powerful offensive threat.
Usage Tips
========
* Because of its great Speed, Tapu Koko can serve as a very effective lead that can use Volt Switch or U-turn to pivot if necessary or fire off powerful attacks immediately.
* Tapu Koko thrives on spamming Volt Switch to chip away at enemies while gaining momentum. Unless there's an Electric-immune Pokemon on the opposing team, Tapu Koko can wear down its switch-ins fairly easily to sweep late-game with Thunderbolt.
* Choice Specs Tapu Koko should be careful of locking itself into Volt Switch, though, as if it is blocked by an Electric-immune Pokemon, it kills momentum.
* U-turn lacks the damage of Volt Switch and makes contact, which can make Tapu Koko incur unnecessary damage from Pokemon like Ferrothorn. Therefore, it should be carefully used only when Electric-immune Pokemon are switching in to block Volt Switch.
* Thanks to Electric Terrain, Thunderbolt deals a decent amount of damage even when it's resisted, so Choice Specs sets should spam it for wallbreaking without worrying about being Choice-locked.
* Wallbreaking early-game with a few well-timed Thunderbolts can weaken checks for its teammates, but in most cases, Tapu Koko prefers to be a hit-and-run attacker due to its low bulk.
* Do take advantage of Tapu Koko's great Speed to revenge kill. Because it can often KO weakened threats with Volt Switch, even if the enemy switches out, Tapu Koko can pivot out of the switch-in to keep momentum on your side.
* While it does carry coverage moves, they're not particularly strong, so unless they're 4x effective, Tapu Koko should often just pivot out when faced with a threat such as Hippowdon.
* Try to keep Tapu Koko healthy by keeping entry hazards off the field. It can find itself chipped down very quickly due to how often it pivots if a layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock are wearing it down on each switch. Late-game sweeps are much more difficult if Tapu Koko takes too much chip damage.
* If Electric Terrain wears off or is overwritten, Tapu Koko should switch out immediately, as without its damage boost, it fails to do much damage at all.
* If using Guardian of Alola, be careful to not waste its only use. Early-game, use Volt Switch to put a little chip on the target and lull them into a false sense of security. Then, use Guardian of Alola when it will put the target into range of Thunderbolt to KO after.
Team Options
========
* Tapu Bulu is one of the best teammates for Tapu Koko because it switches into Ground-types such as Hippowdon easily and threatens them with its powerful Wood Hammer and Horn Leech. In return, Tapu Koko can remove most of Tapu Bulu's checks like Skarmory with no problem at all.
* Spikes Klefki supports Tapu Koko by further punishing the switches that Tapu Koko forces with entry hazard damage. It can also set dual screens to make Tapu Koko more resilient to attacks.
* Assault Vest and Choice Specs Magearna form a great Volt Switch core with Tapu Koko, as they pivot into Poison-type attacks and can even take advantage of Electric Terrain to fire off a powerful Volt Switch of their own. Shift Gear Magearna also appreciates having its checks like Zapdos worn down and taken out.
* Z-Belly Drum Azumarill can sweep easily after Tapu Koko takes out its checks like Skarmory and Volcanion. Azumarill in turn checks many Ground-types like Excadrill that threaten Tapu Koko.
* Stallbreakers like Tapu Fini and Clefable can help take on walls such as Chansey that Tapu Koko cannot beat. Clefable can also set Stealth Rock, which Tapu Koko greatly appreciates.
* While Tapu Fini can also use Defog, Togekiss is the main form of viable entry hazard removal for Fairy teams and removes hazards that limit Tapu Koko's opportunities to switch in while also taking on Grass-types like Tapu Bulu.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fairy
--------
* Life Orb may be a tempting option to power up Tapu Koko's coverage attacks without Choice-locking it into attacks, but its recoil and Tapu Koko's poor Special Attack stat make it worse than Choice Specs in most cases.
* Grass Knot lets Tapu Koko hit Gastrodon and Seismitoad to help Azumarill sweep Ground teams late-game, but it has almost no purpose outside of that.
* A Taunt + Roost set can stallbreak, but Tapu Koko can no longer pivot effectively with such a set, and it is generally worse than other Fairy-type stallbreakers such as Tapu Fini.
* Brave Bird targets Mega Venusaur but requires significant chip damage to take it out on the switch, making it unreliable and generally a worse option than Guardian of Alola for this purpose.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fairy
--------
**Mega Venusaur**: Mega Venusaur is the perfect counter to Tapu Koko, as it cannot be 2HKOed, has very reliable recovery, and forces it out immediately with the threat of Sludge Bomb. However, it does need to be careful to keep its health up in order to avoid being taken off guard by Guardian of Alola.
**Alolan Marowak**: Tapu Koko can only hope to slowly chip at Alolan Marowak, as it has Lightning Rod and resists all of Tapu Koko's coverage moves. It easily switches in and can set Stealth Rock or fire off a powerful STAB attack.
**Chansey**: Tapu Koko has no reliable way to ever really beat Chansey, which freely switches in and can use its wide range of utility as it pleases.
**Electric-immune Pokemon**: Electric-immune Pokemon like Lanturn and Hippowdon prevent Tapu Koko from pivoting with Volt Switch. Ground-types like Excadrill in particular threaten Tapu Koko with their powerful attacks and often don't have a problem switching into Tapu Koko.
**Grass-types**: Most Grass-types such as Cradily can switch into any of Tapu Koko's attacks without any fear, although those without recovery will get worn down over time. Ferrothorn does need to be careful of the rare Hidden Power Fire, though.
**Assault Vest Users**: Pokemon such as Alolan Muk and Magearna using Assault Vest are bulky enough to switch into Tapu Koko's attacks, but their lack of recovery means that they need to be careful of letting Tapu Koko chip them down with Volt Switch.
**Faster Pokemon**: Tapu Koko's bulk is rather poor, so any Pokemon such Mega Alakazam that is faster than it can KO it easily when given a free switch.
**Entry Hazards**: As a hit-and-run attacker, Tapu Koko hates Stealth Rock and Spikes, which wear it down whenever it switches in. Taking damage from entry hazards too often will easily put Tapu Koko into range of priority attacks such as Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch.
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