[OVERVIEW]
Once Treecko drinks its Berry Juice, Unburden allows it to outpace every viable Choice Scarf Pokemon bar Gastly. Swords Dance and a decent Attack allow Treecko to hit relatively hard after a boost; this power is backed up by its great coverage versus the metagame. However, using Treecko is feast or famine. It cannot switch into any attack and only has a single chance to sweep. Being somewhat frail, Treecko struggles to set up and is threatened by priority users. Treecko also cannot wear down its own counters, due to it being pitifully weak before setting up.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Seed / Seed Bomb
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Drain Punch
item: Berry Juice
ability: Unburden
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 116 HP / 236 Atk / 156 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance, alongside Unburden, turns Treecko into a rather brilliant sweeper. The preferred STAB option is Bullet Seed, as it allows Treecko to bypass Substitutes, lets it set up on and KO Focus Sash Abra, and has the ability to hit extremely hard at five hits. However, Seed Bomb is a more consistent option, securing important KOs on the likes of Chinchou and Archen, which two hits from Bullet Seed cannot. Acrobatics provides a second powerful attack that adds great coverage on Grass-, Bug-, and Fighting-types while also making use of Unburden activating. Lastly, Drain Punch provides Treecko with some key recovery while also preventing Steel-types from walling this set.
Set Details
========
The EVs maximize Treecko's Attack, allowing it to hit 28 Attack with a Jolly nature, and 30 Attack with an Adamant nature, after a single Swords Dance. The rest of the EVs go into Treecko's bulk, allowing it to hit 22 HP, 12 Defense, and 12 Special Defense, important benchmarks to avoid being OHKOed by most neutral attacks. This bulk works well in tandem with Berry Juice, allowing Treecko to recover back to good health and simultaneously double its Speed thanks to Unburden. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature comes down to outspeeding 18 Speed Choice Scarf Pokemon after Unburden or OHKOing the likes of Timburr and Foongus without Stealth Rock is more important to your team.
Usage Tips
========
In order to preserve Berry Juice, Treecko should never switch directly into an attack, as the item typically needs to be consumed the turn Treecko uses Swords Dance. Treecko also fails to force out most attackers and is too weak unboosted, so it cannot wear down its counters either. Because of this, saving Treecko until the late-game is the best choice. Before Treecko sets up, try to have most priority users removed, especially Fletchling and Shellder. When you do set up Treecko, be sure to do it versus Pokemon that cannot OHKO or status it, such as Abra, Mienfoo, Drilbur, and Gothita. If Treecko is running an Adamant nature, make sure to scout for Choice Scarf on Gastly and on other 18 Speed Pokemon by checking damage rolls versus them.
Team Options
========
Treecko enjoys the support of wallbreakers such as Pawniard and Skrelp, as they pair nicely with Treecko due to their ability to substantially weaken the opposing team. Entry hazard users such as Omanyte, Tirtouga, Archen, Pawniard, Onix, and Dwebble further help wear down the opposing team and aid Treecko's sweep. Fletchling counters such as Archen, Magnemite, and Tirtouga help wear down Fletchling, giving Treecko a chance to sweep before being immediately revenge killed. Ponyta and Larvesta help to weaken Pawniard with burns, allowing Treecko to survive its Sucker Punches from a lower HP. Chinchou counters Larvesta and Ponyta, while Diglett removes both, enabling Treecko to avoid being burnt by Flame Body or risking not KOing them. Diglett also has access to Stealth Rock and Memento, giving Treecko far more setup opportunities. Gothita can trap and remove or cripple a large number of Treecko's checks, such as Spritzee, Ferroseed, and Porygon. Snivy and Treecko have excellent synergy that allows Snivy to wallbreak for Treecko and allows a failed Treecko sweep to turn into a Snivy sweep. Dragon Dance Barboach can be quite an interesting partner for Treecko due to its ability to remove most Poison-types and lure in a fair number of revenge killers that Treecko sets up on. On a more defensive note, Timburr and RestTalk Skrelp pair well with Treecko, as they wear down its counters and absorb status readily. Both Cottonee and Stunky pair interestingly with Treecko due to their access to Memento and their respective priority moves.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Endure allows Treecko to survive any hit and greatly helps versus faster Pokemon, as it allows Treecko to reliably activate Unburden; however, without Swords Dance, Treecko suffers from being extremely weak, and without all of its coverage moves, too many Pokemon wall Treecko for it to reliably sweep. Substitute can be run to guard against status and to protect Treecko until Berry Juice is consumed, though it has the same issues as Endure. Rock Slide is an option over either Drain Punch or Acrobatics; however, it is almost always inferior to both, as Archen and Fletchling both survive an unboosted Rock Slide, with Fletchling being able to simply revenge kill Treecko before it could boost and follow up with an attack. Rock Slide, however, does allow Treecko to beat Larvesta without risking a burn. Focus Sash is an inferior option to Berry Juice because it requires you to constantly have entry hazards cleared for Treecko and to rely on the Focus Sash to break in order for Unburden to activate. Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire are somewhat viable options to consider on Treecko, though they are rather weak and are often inferior to Drain Punch and Bullet Seed.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flying-types**: Due to Flying-types both hitting hard and having adequate bulk to survive most of Treecko's attacks, they typically make for rather good checks and counters to Treecko. Vullaby and Archen both take very little from anything Treecko can do and can retaliate back with STAB Brave Bird and Acrobatics, respectively. Fletchling, while it cannot switch in safely, can cleanly revenge kill Treecko with Gale Wings Acrobatics.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types resist Grass and tend to be bulky enough to easily survive anything Treecko can use, even after Knock Off. Koffing can burn Treecko or hit it with Sludge Bomb before Treecko can even dent it, as can Skrelp, though Skrelp takes notably more damage from Treecko. Stunky has STAB Sucker Punch and Aftermath along with rather decent bulk, allowing it to cleanly KO Treecko or, if it gets KOed instead, inflict chip damage on it. Trubbish has a powerful Gunk Shot and reliable recovery, enabling it to repeatedly counter Treecko.
**Status**: Ponyta can switch into any of Treecko's attacks, threatening with burns through Flame Body and KOing with Flare Blitz. Thunder Wave users such as Ferroseed and Porygon and Will-O-Wisp users such as Pumpkaboo greatly limit Treecko's effectiveness, essentially turning most Pokemon into a counter.
**Honedge**: Honedge resists or is immune to all of Treecko's attacks by virtue of its unique typing, letting it set up on and KO Treecko.
**Faster Pokemon**: If Unburden has not been activated, Gastly, Doduo, Larvesta, Mienfoo, and a variety of Choice Scarf users can all switch in and either force Treecko out or KO it immediately.
**Priority**: Multiple priority attacks can KO Treecko, making Pawniard, Croagunk, Fletchling, Shellder, Houndour, and the like checks to a weakened Treecko.
Once Treecko drinks its Berry Juice, Unburden allows it to outpace every viable Choice Scarf Pokemon bar Gastly. Swords Dance and a decent Attack allow Treecko to hit relatively hard after a boost; this power is backed up by its great coverage versus the metagame. However, using Treecko is feast or famine. It cannot switch into any attack and only has a single chance to sweep. Being somewhat frail, Treecko struggles to set up and is threatened by priority users. Treecko also cannot wear down its own counters, due to it being pitifully weak before setting up.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Seed / Seed Bomb
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Drain Punch
item: Berry Juice
ability: Unburden
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 116 HP / 236 Atk / 156 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance, alongside Unburden, turns Treecko into a rather brilliant sweeper. The preferred STAB option is Bullet Seed, as it allows Treecko to bypass Substitutes, lets it set up on and KO Focus Sash Abra, and has the ability to hit extremely hard at five hits. However, Seed Bomb is a more consistent option, securing important KOs on the likes of Chinchou and Archen, which two hits from Bullet Seed cannot. Acrobatics provides a second powerful attack that adds great coverage on Grass-, Bug-, and Fighting-types while also making use of Unburden activating. Lastly, Drain Punch provides Treecko with some key recovery while also preventing Steel-types from walling this set.
Set Details
========
The EVs maximize Treecko's Attack, allowing it to hit 28 Attack with a Jolly nature, and 30 Attack with an Adamant nature, after a single Swords Dance. The rest of the EVs go into Treecko's bulk, allowing it to hit 22 HP, 12 Defense, and 12 Special Defense, important benchmarks to avoid being OHKOed by most neutral attacks. This bulk works well in tandem with Berry Juice, allowing Treecko to recover back to good health and simultaneously double its Speed thanks to Unburden. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature comes down to outspeeding 18 Speed Choice Scarf Pokemon after Unburden or OHKOing the likes of Timburr and Foongus without Stealth Rock is more important to your team.
Usage Tips
========
In order to preserve Berry Juice, Treecko should never switch directly into an attack, as the item typically needs to be consumed the turn Treecko uses Swords Dance. Treecko also fails to force out most attackers and is too weak unboosted, so it cannot wear down its counters either. Because of this, saving Treecko until the late-game is the best choice. Before Treecko sets up, try to have most priority users removed, especially Fletchling and Shellder. When you do set up Treecko, be sure to do it versus Pokemon that cannot OHKO or status it, such as Abra, Mienfoo, Drilbur, and Gothita. If Treecko is running an Adamant nature, make sure to scout for Choice Scarf on Gastly and on other 18 Speed Pokemon by checking damage rolls versus them.
Team Options
========
Treecko enjoys the support of wallbreakers such as Pawniard and Skrelp, as they pair nicely with Treecko due to their ability to substantially weaken the opposing team. Entry hazard users such as Omanyte, Tirtouga, Archen, Pawniard, Onix, and Dwebble further help wear down the opposing team and aid Treecko's sweep. Fletchling counters such as Archen, Magnemite, and Tirtouga help wear down Fletchling, giving Treecko a chance to sweep before being immediately revenge killed. Ponyta and Larvesta help to weaken Pawniard with burns, allowing Treecko to survive its Sucker Punches from a lower HP. Chinchou counters Larvesta and Ponyta, while Diglett removes both, enabling Treecko to avoid being burnt by Flame Body or risking not KOing them. Diglett also has access to Stealth Rock and Memento, giving Treecko far more setup opportunities. Gothita can trap and remove or cripple a large number of Treecko's checks, such as Spritzee, Ferroseed, and Porygon. Snivy and Treecko have excellent synergy that allows Snivy to wallbreak for Treecko and allows a failed Treecko sweep to turn into a Snivy sweep. Dragon Dance Barboach can be quite an interesting partner for Treecko due to its ability to remove most Poison-types and lure in a fair number of revenge killers that Treecko sets up on. On a more defensive note, Timburr and RestTalk Skrelp pair well with Treecko, as they wear down its counters and absorb status readily. Both Cottonee and Stunky pair interestingly with Treecko due to their access to Memento and their respective priority moves.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Endure allows Treecko to survive any hit and greatly helps versus faster Pokemon, as it allows Treecko to reliably activate Unburden; however, without Swords Dance, Treecko suffers from being extremely weak, and without all of its coverage moves, too many Pokemon wall Treecko for it to reliably sweep. Substitute can be run to guard against status and to protect Treecko until Berry Juice is consumed, though it has the same issues as Endure. Rock Slide is an option over either Drain Punch or Acrobatics; however, it is almost always inferior to both, as Archen and Fletchling both survive an unboosted Rock Slide, with Fletchling being able to simply revenge kill Treecko before it could boost and follow up with an attack. Rock Slide, however, does allow Treecko to beat Larvesta without risking a burn. Focus Sash is an inferior option to Berry Juice because it requires you to constantly have entry hazards cleared for Treecko and to rely on the Focus Sash to break in order for Unburden to activate. Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire are somewhat viable options to consider on Treecko, though they are rather weak and are often inferior to Drain Punch and Bullet Seed.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flying-types**: Due to Flying-types both hitting hard and having adequate bulk to survive most of Treecko's attacks, they typically make for rather good checks and counters to Treecko. Vullaby and Archen both take very little from anything Treecko can do and can retaliate back with STAB Brave Bird and Acrobatics, respectively. Fletchling, while it cannot switch in safely, can cleanly revenge kill Treecko with Gale Wings Acrobatics.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types resist Grass and tend to be bulky enough to easily survive anything Treecko can use, even after Knock Off. Koffing can burn Treecko or hit it with Sludge Bomb before Treecko can even dent it, as can Skrelp, though Skrelp takes notably more damage from Treecko. Stunky has STAB Sucker Punch and Aftermath along with rather decent bulk, allowing it to cleanly KO Treecko or, if it gets KOed instead, inflict chip damage on it. Trubbish has a powerful Gunk Shot and reliable recovery, enabling it to repeatedly counter Treecko.
**Status**: Ponyta can switch into any of Treecko's attacks, threatening with burns through Flame Body and KOing with Flare Blitz. Thunder Wave users such as Ferroseed and Porygon and Will-O-Wisp users such as Pumpkaboo greatly limit Treecko's effectiveness, essentially turning most Pokemon into a counter.
**Honedge**: Honedge resists or is immune to all of Treecko's attacks by virtue of its unique typing, letting it set up on and KO Treecko.
**Faster Pokemon**: If Unburden has not been activated, Gastly, Doduo, Larvesta, Mienfoo, and a variety of Choice Scarf users can all switch in and either force Treecko out or KO it immediately.
**Priority**: Multiple priority attacks can KO Treecko, making Pawniard, Croagunk, Fletchling, Shellder, Houndour, and the like checks to a weakened Treecko.
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