Ash Borer
I've heard they're short of room in hell
Overview
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Togekiss is a Pokemon with a lot of potential that is held back by some major flaws. With good defenses, real offensive presence, great movepool, and useful ability, all topped off with a Fairy typing, one might wonder why Togekiss isn't a dominant threat in XY OU. Togekiss suffers on account of its secondary Flying typing which gives it a Stealth Rock weakness and a large number of weaknesses that many Pokemon that ought to be walled by Fairy-types can easily target. Because of this and other reasons, it's defensively overshadowed by Sylveon and Clefable. Offensively Togekiss suffers due to its weak STAB moves, poor Speed, and the ease with which it is countered by Electric-types who don't mind Thunder Wave and Air Slash, and can retaliate with powerful Electric-type attacks. Despite being generally outdone or inefficient in some ways, Togekiss still has some tricks up its sleeve. Defog, Thunder Wave, Serene Grace Air Slash, defensive stats high enough to stand up to weak super effective hits, and unique typing differentiate Togekiss from its competition; enough to warrant a teamslot as a defensive Pokemon. Common Electric-types may make Togekiss struggle offensively; however, Heal Bell along with Roost, amazing defensive stats for an offensive Pokemon, as well as access to Nasty Plot, and the power to flinch counters into submission turn Togekiss into a fearsome stallbreaker, giving it a good niche. Togekiss can't be put on every team, but with the right teammates it is quite proficient.
Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Defog / Heal Bell
ability: Serene Grace
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
nature: Calm
Moves
========
With the goal of a wall in mind Roost is needed to keep Togekiss at full strength so it can deal with what it needs to throughout the match. Air Slash is Togekiss's main way of damaging the opponent, as even with no Special Attack investment and low Base Power, its high flinch rate conjunction with Thunder Wave lets Togekiss beat a lot of Pokemon. Thunder Wave works quite well with Air Slash, rendering the opponent unable to move most of the time, and it is very handy in general to cripple a lot of Pokemon that may switch into Togekiss. Defog is one of the primary reasons to use Togekiss over other defensive Fairy-types, as clearing entry hazards is invaluable, and Togekiss's durability makes it a solid choice for the job. Heal Bell is also a good choice, as any team values the support, and other team members may already be able to remove entry hazards.
Some other options can be inserted into the last moveslot such as Aura Sphere, Flamethrower, and Dazzling Gleam, which can get some useful super effective hits, and harass typical checks and counters to Togekiss such as Excadrill, Tyranitar, and Aegislash.
Set Details
========
Leftovers is the only choice for a defensive set like this. Serene Grace is much more useful than Togekiss's other abilities, and with Air Slash it is used effectively. The primary spread here is fully specially defensive as it capitalizes on Togekiss's strengths, and with full investment Togekiss is capable of soaking up many very powerful special hits. However, a physically defensive spread is viable for Togekiss thanks to its good Defense which eclipses both Clefable's and Sylveon's. Specially defensive is better against a number of attackers such as Landorus, Charizard Y, Kingdra, Gardevoir, and Keldeo, while physically defensive is better against Azumarill, Conkeldurr, Charizard X and other physical attackers in general. Choose whichever spread suits your team better.
Usage Tips
========
Send Togekiss out on things like Dragon- and Fighting-types as well as pretty much anything that hits specially and can't hit back with a STAB super effective attack, and proceed to support the team in way or another. Roost as needed; you'll generally want to Roost before you switch out unless Togekiss hasn't lost much HP. Togekiss's first priority when dealing with foes should be to hit them with Thunder Wave. You will want to get rid of Stealth Rock before you bring Togekiss in as it's a real detriment to it. Try and get Togekiss in, Defog away the entry hazards, and Roost back up ASAP if running defog.
Team Options
========
Powerful Electric-, Steel-, Poison-, and Rock-types such as Tyranitar, Scolipede, Excadrill, Bisharp, Terrakion, and Thundurus are big threats to Togekiss. Hippowdon deals with these threats rather well. Strong Ice-type moves are also a huge threat to Togekiss and Hippowdon, so defensive Mega Scizor is a fantastic complement to this core, as it easily deals with Kyurem-B, Bisharp, and Mamoswine. If Togekiss is not running Defog, a Defog or Rapid Spin user is almost a necessity. Latios can check some Thundurus, serves as a good check to Terrakion and can also threaten Kyurem-B. Zapdos can handle Excadrill very well, an otherwise huge threat to Togekiss, as well as being able to Defog. Mega Scizor,as mentioned, is a good partner and can also use Defog. Excadrill resists every single one of Togekiss's weaknesses and can throw Rapid Spin around for it.
Stallbreaker
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name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Aura Sphere
ability: Serene Grace
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
Nasty Plot boosts Togekiss's Special Attack to threatening levels and is easy to set up against defensive teams. Air Slash's lower power is made up for by its insane 60% chance to flinch the opponent. Though unreliable, considering Togekiss's resilience, Air Slash gives it the ability to fish for a KO while remaining completely healthy. Roost and Heal Bell let Togekiss heal off weak attacks and status, letting it boost up against defensive threats such as Chansey, Heatran, Clefable lacking Calm Mind, and Toxic Hippowdon. All of these moves in tandem make Togekiss a fierce stallbreaker. Heal Bell can be dropped for Aura Sphere which makes life considerably easier against Tyranitar and Bisharp, while also getting super effective hits on Chansey and Heatran. Though relevant, the latter two targets are actually easier to deal with should Togekiss have Heal Bell as both rely on Toxic to break down Togekiss. Finally, Fire Blast is a considerable option as it still eliminates Bisharp and can be used to deal with Aegislash if the team demands it.
Set Details
========
A simple max Speed and Special Attack spread maximizes Togekiss's damage output, making it easier to get past defensive threats while also ensuring that most threats will be outpaced. Speed can be dialed back to 180 EVs which outspeeds max neutral base 70s and max positive nature base 60s. The remaining EVs can be put into HP for a bit more bulk. A spread of 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe with a Timid nature can used if Aura Sphere is elected, which enables Togekiss to outspeed and OHKO Jolly Bisharp and Jolly Mega Tyranitar while at +2. Without max Speed, be more cautious of faster defensive threats such as Zapdos and Gliscor. Leftovers is the ideal item, letting Togekiss take much less damage from weaker attacks, and also heal while it flinches the opponent. A Lum Berry can be used if Heal Bell is not, as it gives Togekiss a chance against status that it needs.
Usage Tips
========
This set can easily set up on many common Pokemon in the stall archetype, and it has the capacity to flinch its counters into submission. The opponent may not anticipate that Togekiss is equipped to deal with status or have such an offensive presence, so it is ideal to save it for late-game when the opponent is softened up. When Togekiss gets in, boost up, start attacking, and heal as needed; most stall Pokemon will succumb to Togekiss quite quickly like this. Conceal Heal Bell against stall; if the opponent believes Togekiss is out of the way once it gets hit with Toxic they will give you plenty of opportunities to boost and get healthy. Against offensive teams, use Heal Bell liberally, as this set is not too proficient against them and supporting teammates can make up for this. Unaware users need to be dealt with by flinching; Quagsire is easy prey as it is almost 2HKOed by Air Slash and can't do much back, while Clefable is a bigger issue. Fortunately, unless it has Calm Mind, Togekiss is bound to beat Clefable by easily healing off status and damage and eventually flinching it enough, as Calm Mind variants are never specially defensive. Because of this, unboosted Air Slash does considerable damage, so the best method of dealing with Unaware Calm Mind Clefable is softening it up through the use of entry hazards or lures, and then finishing with a flinch or two.
Team Options
========
Togekiss doesn't like switching in with Stealth Rock on the field so Defog and Rapid Spin users are much appreciated. Latios is a good choice as it is a decent answer to some offensive Electric-types, and is good in general on offensive teams that this Togekiss will be featured on. Scizor can do a number of things on top of Defogging, such as U-turning or using Knock Off on incoming Zapdos, which helps get chip damage for Togekiss to capitalize on, and it is also capable of forcing out most Clefable which can be useful in an effort to wear it down. Excadrill can also force out Clefable, throw around Rapid Spin for Togekiss , and with a Choice Scarf it's a good answer to Electric-types and is good in general against offense which complements Togekiss's ability against defense. Ways to slow down the opponent such as other Thunder Wave users like Deoxys-D or Thundurus and Sticky Web from Smeargle or Shuckle improve Togekiss's ability to function against offense. Hippowdon can set up Stealth Rock to help wear down counters, it incurs a sandstorm that can prevent some Unaware Clefable from healing properly, and it can lure in and hit Zapdos with Toxic, which goes a long way in wearing it down. Hippowdon is also a good answer to most Electric-, Rock-, and Steel-types and also serves as a decent Toxic lure to Rotom-W, another problem for Togekiss. Terrakion is rather talented at keeping Stealth Rock up with its fast Taunt, and can deal with some troublesome Steel- and Rock-types. Greninja's proficiency against offense complements Togekiss's proficiency against defense.
Other Options
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Togekiss's movepool is pretty wide, but not many of these moves are appealing. Grass Knot could be used to hit the incredibly relevant Rhyperior who otherwise counters Togekiss, as well as hitting a number of Pokemon weak to the move pretty hard. Seismic Toss deals consistent damage coming from a defensive set, but Air Slash is one of Togekiss's best assets and it's also a waste of Togekiss's nice Special Attack stat. Toxic is mildly appealing to hit the Ground- and Electric-types that switch in to stop Thunder Wave, however, this makes life far easier for Steel-types like Aegislash and Heatran who hate paralysis. Some miscellaneous support options such as Dual Screens, Wish, Yawn, Encore, and so on have their uses, but are generally not as consistent as other options, or are done better by other Pokemon. Body Slam can be used to paralyze Ground-types, but it's quite inconsistent at such a thing overall, and it exacerbates problems with Aegislash. A Choice Scarf can put in work, but it still has a poor match-up against offensive Electric-types, Excadrill, Tyranitar, and other offensive staples that limit its potential, and overall it is really quite weak and over-reliant on flinching.
Checks and Counters
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**Steel- and Poison-types**: Scizor, Bisharp, Excadrill, Scolipede, Heatran, and Aegislash among others are easy checks or counters to Togekiss depending on its set. Steel-types resist both of Togekiss's STAB moves, and can retaliate with powerful super effective attacks. Poison-types are good checks, hitting Togekiss where it hurts with powerful super effective hits too.
**Unaware Clefable**: Unaware Calm Mind Clefable is a strict defensive counter to offensive Togekiss without ridiculous flinch hax as it is able to set up Calm Mind and heal off damage dealt by unboosted Air Slash pretty well.
**Electric-types**: Rotom-W, Zapdos, Thundurus, Raikou, and Mega Manectric are pretty good at countering Togekiss; they switch into Thunder Wave with impunity and deal a lot of damage with their Electric STAB moves.
**Rock-types**: Resisting Air Slash and having powerful Stone Edges go a long way for Terrakion and Tyranitar, two premier Rock-types in OU who easily check Togekiss. However, neither appreciate paralysis and some coverage moves Togekiss can use such as Aura Sphere.
**Ice-types**: Powerful Ice-types, most notably Mamoswine for its Thunder Wave immunity, make life a pain for Togekiss as they can simply overwhelm it.
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Togekiss is a Pokemon with a lot of potential that is held back by some major flaws. With good defenses, real offensive presence, great movepool, and useful ability, all topped off with a Fairy typing, one might wonder why Togekiss isn't a dominant threat in XY OU. Togekiss suffers on account of its secondary Flying typing which gives it a Stealth Rock weakness and a large number of weaknesses that many Pokemon that ought to be walled by Fairy-types can easily target. Because of this and other reasons, it's defensively overshadowed by Sylveon and Clefable. Offensively Togekiss suffers due to its weak STAB moves, poor Speed, and the ease with which it is countered by Electric-types who don't mind Thunder Wave and Air Slash, and can retaliate with powerful Electric-type attacks. Despite being generally outdone or inefficient in some ways, Togekiss still has some tricks up its sleeve. Defog, Thunder Wave, Serene Grace Air Slash, defensive stats high enough to stand up to weak super effective hits, and unique typing differentiate Togekiss from its competition; enough to warrant a teamslot as a defensive Pokemon. Common Electric-types may make Togekiss struggle offensively; however, Heal Bell along with Roost, amazing defensive stats for an offensive Pokemon, as well as access to Nasty Plot, and the power to flinch counters into submission turn Togekiss into a fearsome stallbreaker, giving it a good niche. Togekiss can't be put on every team, but with the right teammates it is quite proficient.
Defensive
########
name: Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Defog / Heal Bell
ability: Serene Grace
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
nature: Calm
Moves
========
With the goal of a wall in mind Roost is needed to keep Togekiss at full strength so it can deal with what it needs to throughout the match. Air Slash is Togekiss's main way of damaging the opponent, as even with no Special Attack investment and low Base Power, its high flinch rate conjunction with Thunder Wave lets Togekiss beat a lot of Pokemon. Thunder Wave works quite well with Air Slash, rendering the opponent unable to move most of the time, and it is very handy in general to cripple a lot of Pokemon that may switch into Togekiss. Defog is one of the primary reasons to use Togekiss over other defensive Fairy-types, as clearing entry hazards is invaluable, and Togekiss's durability makes it a solid choice for the job. Heal Bell is also a good choice, as any team values the support, and other team members may already be able to remove entry hazards.
Some other options can be inserted into the last moveslot such as Aura Sphere, Flamethrower, and Dazzling Gleam, which can get some useful super effective hits, and harass typical checks and counters to Togekiss such as Excadrill, Tyranitar, and Aegislash.
Set Details
========
Leftovers is the only choice for a defensive set like this. Serene Grace is much more useful than Togekiss's other abilities, and with Air Slash it is used effectively. The primary spread here is fully specially defensive as it capitalizes on Togekiss's strengths, and with full investment Togekiss is capable of soaking up many very powerful special hits. However, a physically defensive spread is viable for Togekiss thanks to its good Defense which eclipses both Clefable's and Sylveon's. Specially defensive is better against a number of attackers such as Landorus, Charizard Y, Kingdra, Gardevoir, and Keldeo, while physically defensive is better against Azumarill, Conkeldurr, Charizard X and other physical attackers in general. Choose whichever spread suits your team better.
Usage Tips
========
Send Togekiss out on things like Dragon- and Fighting-types as well as pretty much anything that hits specially and can't hit back with a STAB super effective attack, and proceed to support the team in way or another. Roost as needed; you'll generally want to Roost before you switch out unless Togekiss hasn't lost much HP. Togekiss's first priority when dealing with foes should be to hit them with Thunder Wave. You will want to get rid of Stealth Rock before you bring Togekiss in as it's a real detriment to it. Try and get Togekiss in, Defog away the entry hazards, and Roost back up ASAP if running defog.
Team Options
========
Powerful Electric-, Steel-, Poison-, and Rock-types such as Tyranitar, Scolipede, Excadrill, Bisharp, Terrakion, and Thundurus are big threats to Togekiss. Hippowdon deals with these threats rather well. Strong Ice-type moves are also a huge threat to Togekiss and Hippowdon, so defensive Mega Scizor is a fantastic complement to this core, as it easily deals with Kyurem-B, Bisharp, and Mamoswine. If Togekiss is not running Defog, a Defog or Rapid Spin user is almost a necessity. Latios can check some Thundurus, serves as a good check to Terrakion and can also threaten Kyurem-B. Zapdos can handle Excadrill very well, an otherwise huge threat to Togekiss, as well as being able to Defog. Mega Scizor,as mentioned, is a good partner and can also use Defog. Excadrill resists every single one of Togekiss's weaknesses and can throw Rapid Spin around for it.
Stallbreaker
########
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Aura Sphere
ability: Serene Grace
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
Nasty Plot boosts Togekiss's Special Attack to threatening levels and is easy to set up against defensive teams. Air Slash's lower power is made up for by its insane 60% chance to flinch the opponent. Though unreliable, considering Togekiss's resilience, Air Slash gives it the ability to fish for a KO while remaining completely healthy. Roost and Heal Bell let Togekiss heal off weak attacks and status, letting it boost up against defensive threats such as Chansey, Heatran, Clefable lacking Calm Mind, and Toxic Hippowdon. All of these moves in tandem make Togekiss a fierce stallbreaker. Heal Bell can be dropped for Aura Sphere which makes life considerably easier against Tyranitar and Bisharp, while also getting super effective hits on Chansey and Heatran. Though relevant, the latter two targets are actually easier to deal with should Togekiss have Heal Bell as both rely on Toxic to break down Togekiss. Finally, Fire Blast is a considerable option as it still eliminates Bisharp and can be used to deal with Aegislash if the team demands it.
Set Details
========
A simple max Speed and Special Attack spread maximizes Togekiss's damage output, making it easier to get past defensive threats while also ensuring that most threats will be outpaced. Speed can be dialed back to 180 EVs which outspeeds max neutral base 70s and max positive nature base 60s. The remaining EVs can be put into HP for a bit more bulk. A spread of 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe with a Timid nature can used if Aura Sphere is elected, which enables Togekiss to outspeed and OHKO Jolly Bisharp and Jolly Mega Tyranitar while at +2. Without max Speed, be more cautious of faster defensive threats such as Zapdos and Gliscor. Leftovers is the ideal item, letting Togekiss take much less damage from weaker attacks, and also heal while it flinches the opponent. A Lum Berry can be used if Heal Bell is not, as it gives Togekiss a chance against status that it needs.
Usage Tips
========
This set can easily set up on many common Pokemon in the stall archetype, and it has the capacity to flinch its counters into submission. The opponent may not anticipate that Togekiss is equipped to deal with status or have such an offensive presence, so it is ideal to save it for late-game when the opponent is softened up. When Togekiss gets in, boost up, start attacking, and heal as needed; most stall Pokemon will succumb to Togekiss quite quickly like this. Conceal Heal Bell against stall; if the opponent believes Togekiss is out of the way once it gets hit with Toxic they will give you plenty of opportunities to boost and get healthy. Against offensive teams, use Heal Bell liberally, as this set is not too proficient against them and supporting teammates can make up for this. Unaware users need to be dealt with by flinching; Quagsire is easy prey as it is almost 2HKOed by Air Slash and can't do much back, while Clefable is a bigger issue. Fortunately, unless it has Calm Mind, Togekiss is bound to beat Clefable by easily healing off status and damage and eventually flinching it enough, as Calm Mind variants are never specially defensive. Because of this, unboosted Air Slash does considerable damage, so the best method of dealing with Unaware Calm Mind Clefable is softening it up through the use of entry hazards or lures, and then finishing with a flinch or two.
Team Options
========
Togekiss doesn't like switching in with Stealth Rock on the field so Defog and Rapid Spin users are much appreciated. Latios is a good choice as it is a decent answer to some offensive Electric-types, and is good in general on offensive teams that this Togekiss will be featured on. Scizor can do a number of things on top of Defogging, such as U-turning or using Knock Off on incoming Zapdos, which helps get chip damage for Togekiss to capitalize on, and it is also capable of forcing out most Clefable which can be useful in an effort to wear it down. Excadrill can also force out Clefable, throw around Rapid Spin for Togekiss , and with a Choice Scarf it's a good answer to Electric-types and is good in general against offense which complements Togekiss's ability against defense. Ways to slow down the opponent such as other Thunder Wave users like Deoxys-D or Thundurus and Sticky Web from Smeargle or Shuckle improve Togekiss's ability to function against offense. Hippowdon can set up Stealth Rock to help wear down counters, it incurs a sandstorm that can prevent some Unaware Clefable from healing properly, and it can lure in and hit Zapdos with Toxic, which goes a long way in wearing it down. Hippowdon is also a good answer to most Electric-, Rock-, and Steel-types and also serves as a decent Toxic lure to Rotom-W, another problem for Togekiss. Terrakion is rather talented at keeping Stealth Rock up with its fast Taunt, and can deal with some troublesome Steel- and Rock-types. Greninja's proficiency against offense complements Togekiss's proficiency against defense.
Other Options
########
Togekiss's movepool is pretty wide, but not many of these moves are appealing. Grass Knot could be used to hit the incredibly relevant Rhyperior who otherwise counters Togekiss, as well as hitting a number of Pokemon weak to the move pretty hard. Seismic Toss deals consistent damage coming from a defensive set, but Air Slash is one of Togekiss's best assets and it's also a waste of Togekiss's nice Special Attack stat. Toxic is mildly appealing to hit the Ground- and Electric-types that switch in to stop Thunder Wave, however, this makes life far easier for Steel-types like Aegislash and Heatran who hate paralysis. Some miscellaneous support options such as Dual Screens, Wish, Yawn, Encore, and so on have their uses, but are generally not as consistent as other options, or are done better by other Pokemon. Body Slam can be used to paralyze Ground-types, but it's quite inconsistent at such a thing overall, and it exacerbates problems with Aegislash. A Choice Scarf can put in work, but it still has a poor match-up against offensive Electric-types, Excadrill, Tyranitar, and other offensive staples that limit its potential, and overall it is really quite weak and over-reliant on flinching.
Checks and Counters
########
**Steel- and Poison-types**: Scizor, Bisharp, Excadrill, Scolipede, Heatran, and Aegislash among others are easy checks or counters to Togekiss depending on its set. Steel-types resist both of Togekiss's STAB moves, and can retaliate with powerful super effective attacks. Poison-types are good checks, hitting Togekiss where it hurts with powerful super effective hits too.
**Unaware Clefable**: Unaware Calm Mind Clefable is a strict defensive counter to offensive Togekiss without ridiculous flinch hax as it is able to set up Calm Mind and heal off damage dealt by unboosted Air Slash pretty well.
**Electric-types**: Rotom-W, Zapdos, Thundurus, Raikou, and Mega Manectric are pretty good at countering Togekiss; they switch into Thunder Wave with impunity and deal a lot of damage with their Electric STAB moves.
**Rock-types**: Resisting Air Slash and having powerful Stone Edges go a long way for Terrakion and Tyranitar, two premier Rock-types in OU who easily check Togekiss. However, neither appreciate paralysis and some coverage moves Togekiss can use such as Aura Sphere.
**Ice-types**: Powerful Ice-types, most notably Mamoswine for its Thunder Wave immunity, make life a pain for Togekiss as they can simply overwhelm it.
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