95% cute
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/venonat
[SET]
name: Agility Passer
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Agility
move 4: Sludge Bomb / Psychic / Protect
item: Focus Sash / Oran Berry
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 196 HP / 36 Def / 36 SpA / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Venonat's main role on a team is to pass Speed boosts to a slower sweeper giving him an edge on an opposing team. Compoundeyes is a great asset for Venonat, turning his Sleep Powder into an almost perfectly accurate move with a 97.5% chance to hit an opposing target. Putting an opponent to sleep allows you to get an Agility in for free, and maybe even get the recipient of the Speed boost in harm free.</p>
<p>With the given EVs, Venonat hits 30 Speed after an Agility, which is enough to outrun almost all of the metagame, and tie at worst with a max speed Choice Scarf Voltorb. This enables Venonat to put whatever comes in to sleep without taking a hit, bar a priority move.</p>
<p>The fourth move can house many different options. Sludge Bomb has the added bonus of being a STAB moves and allows you to hit opposing targets relatively hard. Psychic hits the main Sleep-immune Pokémon, Mankey, for super-effective damage, as well as hitting opposing Poison-type Pokemon. You could use a Hidden Power of your choice to hit something your team has trouble with; or you could go physical with a Jolly Nature, Bug Bite and move the Defense and Special Attack EVs into Attack. Protect can be used when you are leading so Aipom or Meowth don't break your Focus Sash, but that will leave you vulnerable to Taunt leads such as Gligar and Voltorb.</p>
<p>A good Pokemon to pair with Venonat is Houndour. Houndour's ability allows him to freely switch into Fire-type attacks directed at Venonat for free, while boosting his own Fire-type attacks. Pokemon like Cranidos, Cubone, Gligar, Houndour, and Machop all work well when receiving a Speed boost from Venonat. Cranidos and Cubone are both in the same boat, the two of them are heavy hitters who unfortunately are crippled by a lack of Speed, so passing an Agility to them can really turn the tables. Machop and Gligar can both receive a boost, and then stat up themselves, or just take the boost and start sweeping with their already good Attack stats.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes / Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 36 Def / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Venonat is not exactly classified as an offensive powerhouse, but possessing the ability to stop sweeps with a fast Sleep Powder is certainly something to take into consideration when using a Choice Scarf variant. This set can be used as a lead to give you an advantage from the get-go or to surprise a sweeper later in the game by utilizing Venonat's ability hinder a Pokemon with a quick sleep or just finishing it off with a swift Sludge Bomb.</p>
<p>Venonat's movepool isn't all to deep, so the best special attacking options are used. Sludge Bomb acts as the main attack as it is Venonat's strongest attack when factoring in STAB, Psychic hits other Poison-types, and the fourth move depends on what you want to hit. Hidden Power Ice OHKOs Gligar and can surprise Diglett and Taillow. Hidden Power Fire leaves you with something to hit Bronzor, although it won't do much.</p>
<p>The ability just comes down to personal preference. Compoundeyes ensures your Sleep Powder will almost always hit, but Tinted Lens will give Pokemon switching in a much harder time, since resistances still take damage as if they are neutral.</p>
<p>Having SR on a team with Choice Scarf Venonat is always a good idea, with Venonat possessing the ability to have a fast, 97.5% accurate Sleep Powder, a lot of switches will be created. Having SR makes the most of those switches, chipping away at HP every time a Pokemon switches into the fight. Also having Pokemon who can stat up, especially behind a sub, is a good idea, since once a Pokemon is sleeping you can get a free switch in to a sweeper. Magnemite or Machop are always a good idea to use with Venonat, since they can beat most Pokemon that commonly switch into Venonat, such as Bronzor and Munchlax, respectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Double Powder
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Stun Spore
move 3: Bug Bite
move 4: Baton Pass / Hidden Power Fire
item: Oran Berry / Focus Sash
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Jolly / Naive
evs: 196 HP / 76 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> Thanks to Compoundeyes, Venonat's Stun Spore and Sleep Powder resemble that of Thunder Wave and Spore, respectively. Stun Spore and Sleep Powder both have their accuracy boosted to 97.5%, opposed to the standard 75%, thanks to Venonat's ability Compoundeyes. Taking advantage of this, Venonat can attempt to cripple the opponent by using the time-tested strategy of Double Powder: sleep one opponent, paralyze the other switching in.</p>
<p>Bug Bite can help you steal berries from assorted foes, most notably the Oran Berry. You can try Baton Passing to scout whether the foe has an Insomniac waiting in the wings or to see what he is willing to sacrifice as a Sleep absorber. Another option is Hidden Power Fire, which can hit both Bronzor and Croagunk relatively hard.</p>
<p>Slower Pokemon such as Cranidos, Cubone, Houndour, Machop, Wailmer all work well with this set. Venonat can sleep a counter, and start spreading Paralysis to the other Pokemon, allowing your slow, heavy hitters a much easier time when they come into the fight. If you run Baton Pass, it makes switching in your Pokemon a lot easier, as you don't have to run the risk of a double switch, and you can generally tell what they're going to do if they stay in.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>You should try and support Venonat by covering his major weaknesses, Fire and Rock with something like Onix or Rhyhorn. Having a Rapid Spinner on your team can also let Venonat live longer, as he takes a quarter of health each time he switches in the fight, thanks to Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>If you plan on running the Agilipassing set, then slower bulky Pokemon who resist his weaknesses are good options to opt for, Pokemon such as Cranidos, Cubone, Wailmer. With the Double Status set, the same slow bulky Pokemon work just as well, since the Paralysis makes up for their lack of speed.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p> Signal Beam can be used on attacking sets as a secondary STAB attack, but its base power is lacking. An accurate Disable can stop Choice users in their tracks,and force them to switch or Struggle; however, Venonat is too slow to use it effectively, bar Choice Scarf variants. Toxic Spikes and Morning Sun could be used to heal Venonat and try to stall, but it has weak defenses, and Venonat generally has better things to do. Zen Headbutt can go in place of Psychic if you decide to go down the physical route.</p>
[EVs]
<p> On Baton Passing or support sets, always max HP and Speed and pour the remaining EVs into the attack style you are using and/or Defense.</p>
<p>Sweeping sets should max Speed and Special Attack, with a little amount of EVs in Defense and HP to make use of the leftover points.<p/>
[OPINION]
<p> Venonat is not intended to be the star of the show or the centerpiece of a team. He is, however, a very valuable niche Pokémon that with the right support, can help a team immensely by putting opponents to sleep or boosting the Speed of a teammate.</p>
<p>Venonat does have some useful resistances, most notably a quadruple resistance to Fighting and Grass attacks. This helps you bring him into Machop's Dynamicpunch or Croagunk's Vacuum Wave, and react react accordingly.</p>
<p>If you manage to get in Venonat safely and threaten with Sleep Powder, chances are you can swing the momentum back in your team's favor. Venonat may not have stellar stats, but it must be played around carefully or you can risk having a few Pokemon become crippled by status.</p>
[COUNTERS]
<p> Shuppet and Mankey get in for free, if Venonat unleashes its Sleep Powder, thanks to their ability to avoid being put to Sleep. Aron, Bronzor and Shieldon resist most of Venonat's attacking arsenal; however, they are slow and run the risk being put to sleep. Munchlax also stops cold a sweeping version, and a Rest Talking set shuts down every variant of Venonat that their is.</p>
<p>You can try to Roar Venonat away on the turn he Baton Passes, so his efforts will have been in vain. Focus Sash versions are picked off by priority users such as Bullet Punch Machop and Aqua Jet Squirtle or Kabuto, or just Pokemon who have access to the move Fake Out.</p>
<p>Venonat is rather slow and frail, so switching in a Fire or Flying-type that is faster than him before he Agilities will scare him away. Taunt shuts down most support sets.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/venonat
[SET]
name: Agility Passer
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Agility
move 4: Sludge Bomb / Psychic / Protect
item: Focus Sash / Oran Berry
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 196 HP / 36 Def / 36 SpA / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Venonat's main role on a team is to pass Speed boosts to a slower sweeper giving him an edge on an opposing team. Compoundeyes is a great asset for Venonat, turning his Sleep Powder into an almost perfectly accurate move with a 97.5% chance to hit an opposing target. Putting an opponent to sleep allows you to get an Agility in for free, and maybe even get the recipient of the Speed boost in harm free.</p>
<p>With the given EVs, Venonat hits 30 Speed after an Agility, which is enough to outrun almost all of the metagame, and tie at worst with a max speed Choice Scarf Voltorb. This enables Venonat to put whatever comes in to sleep without taking a hit, bar a priority move.</p>
<p>The fourth move can house many different options. Sludge Bomb has the added bonus of being a STAB moves and allows you to hit opposing targets relatively hard. Psychic hits the main Sleep-immune Pokémon, Mankey, for super-effective damage, as well as hitting opposing Poison-type Pokemon. You could use a Hidden Power of your choice to hit something your team has trouble with; or you could go physical with a Jolly Nature, Bug Bite and move the Defense and Special Attack EVs into Attack. Protect can be used when you are leading so Aipom or Meowth don't break your Focus Sash, but that will leave you vulnerable to Taunt leads such as Gligar and Voltorb.</p>
<p>A good Pokemon to pair with Venonat is Houndour. Houndour's ability allows him to freely switch into Fire-type attacks directed at Venonat for free, while boosting his own Fire-type attacks. Pokemon like Cranidos, Cubone, Gligar, Houndour, and Machop all work well when receiving a Speed boost from Venonat. Cranidos and Cubone are both in the same boat, the two of them are heavy hitters who unfortunately are crippled by a lack of Speed, so passing an Agility to them can really turn the tables. Machop and Gligar can both receive a boost, and then stat up themselves, or just take the boost and start sweeping with their already good Attack stats.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes / Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 36 Def / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Venonat is not exactly classified as an offensive powerhouse, but possessing the ability to stop sweeps with a fast Sleep Powder is certainly something to take into consideration when using a Choice Scarf variant. This set can be used as a lead to give you an advantage from the get-go or to surprise a sweeper later in the game by utilizing Venonat's ability hinder a Pokemon with a quick sleep or just finishing it off with a swift Sludge Bomb.</p>
<p>Venonat's movepool isn't all to deep, so the best special attacking options are used. Sludge Bomb acts as the main attack as it is Venonat's strongest attack when factoring in STAB, Psychic hits other Poison-types, and the fourth move depends on what you want to hit. Hidden Power Ice OHKOs Gligar and can surprise Diglett and Taillow. Hidden Power Fire leaves you with something to hit Bronzor, although it won't do much.</p>
<p>The ability just comes down to personal preference. Compoundeyes ensures your Sleep Powder will almost always hit, but Tinted Lens will give Pokemon switching in a much harder time, since resistances still take damage as if they are neutral.</p>
<p>Having SR on a team with Choice Scarf Venonat is always a good idea, with Venonat possessing the ability to have a fast, 97.5% accurate Sleep Powder, a lot of switches will be created. Having SR makes the most of those switches, chipping away at HP every time a Pokemon switches into the fight. Also having Pokemon who can stat up, especially behind a sub, is a good idea, since once a Pokemon is sleeping you can get a free switch in to a sweeper. Magnemite or Machop are always a good idea to use with Venonat, since they can beat most Pokemon that commonly switch into Venonat, such as Bronzor and Munchlax, respectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Double Powder
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Stun Spore
move 3: Bug Bite
move 4: Baton Pass / Hidden Power Fire
item: Oran Berry / Focus Sash
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Jolly / Naive
evs: 196 HP / 76 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> Thanks to Compoundeyes, Venonat's Stun Spore and Sleep Powder resemble that of Thunder Wave and Spore, respectively. Stun Spore and Sleep Powder both have their accuracy boosted to 97.5%, opposed to the standard 75%, thanks to Venonat's ability Compoundeyes. Taking advantage of this, Venonat can attempt to cripple the opponent by using the time-tested strategy of Double Powder: sleep one opponent, paralyze the other switching in.</p>
<p>Bug Bite can help you steal berries from assorted foes, most notably the Oran Berry. You can try Baton Passing to scout whether the foe has an Insomniac waiting in the wings or to see what he is willing to sacrifice as a Sleep absorber. Another option is Hidden Power Fire, which can hit both Bronzor and Croagunk relatively hard.</p>
<p>Slower Pokemon such as Cranidos, Cubone, Houndour, Machop, Wailmer all work well with this set. Venonat can sleep a counter, and start spreading Paralysis to the other Pokemon, allowing your slow, heavy hitters a much easier time when they come into the fight. If you run Baton Pass, it makes switching in your Pokemon a lot easier, as you don't have to run the risk of a double switch, and you can generally tell what they're going to do if they stay in.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>You should try and support Venonat by covering his major weaknesses, Fire and Rock with something like Onix or Rhyhorn. Having a Rapid Spinner on your team can also let Venonat live longer, as he takes a quarter of health each time he switches in the fight, thanks to Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>If you plan on running the Agilipassing set, then slower bulky Pokemon who resist his weaknesses are good options to opt for, Pokemon such as Cranidos, Cubone, Wailmer. With the Double Status set, the same slow bulky Pokemon work just as well, since the Paralysis makes up for their lack of speed.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p> Signal Beam can be used on attacking sets as a secondary STAB attack, but its base power is lacking. An accurate Disable can stop Choice users in their tracks,and force them to switch or Struggle; however, Venonat is too slow to use it effectively, bar Choice Scarf variants. Toxic Spikes and Morning Sun could be used to heal Venonat and try to stall, but it has weak defenses, and Venonat generally has better things to do. Zen Headbutt can go in place of Psychic if you decide to go down the physical route.</p>
[EVs]
<p> On Baton Passing or support sets, always max HP and Speed and pour the remaining EVs into the attack style you are using and/or Defense.</p>
<p>Sweeping sets should max Speed and Special Attack, with a little amount of EVs in Defense and HP to make use of the leftover points.<p/>
[OPINION]
<p> Venonat is not intended to be the star of the show or the centerpiece of a team. He is, however, a very valuable niche Pokémon that with the right support, can help a team immensely by putting opponents to sleep or boosting the Speed of a teammate.</p>
<p>Venonat does have some useful resistances, most notably a quadruple resistance to Fighting and Grass attacks. This helps you bring him into Machop's Dynamicpunch or Croagunk's Vacuum Wave, and react react accordingly.</p>
<p>If you manage to get in Venonat safely and threaten with Sleep Powder, chances are you can swing the momentum back in your team's favor. Venonat may not have stellar stats, but it must be played around carefully or you can risk having a few Pokemon become crippled by status.</p>
[COUNTERS]
<p> Shuppet and Mankey get in for free, if Venonat unleashes its Sleep Powder, thanks to their ability to avoid being put to Sleep. Aron, Bronzor and Shieldon resist most of Venonat's attacking arsenal; however, they are slow and run the risk being put to sleep. Munchlax also stops cold a sweeping version, and a Rest Talking set shuts down every variant of Venonat that their is.</p>
<p>You can try to Roar Venonat away on the turn he Baton Passes, so his efforts will have been in vain. Focus Sash versions are picked off by priority users such as Bullet Punch Machop and Aqua Jet Squirtle or Kabuto, or just Pokemon who have access to the move Fake Out.</p>
<p>Venonat is rather slow and frail, so switching in a Fire or Flying-type that is faster than him before he Agilities will scare him away. Taunt shuts down most support sets.</p>
