Overview
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Vivillon is able to easily set up against slower foes due to its decent Speed, access to one of the best boosting moves in the game in Quiver Dance, and its ability Compound Eyes, which makes otherwise inaccurate moves such as Sleep Powder and Hurricane much more reliable. However, its weakness to Stealth Rock and common attacking types, together with its general frailty, means that Vivillon is prone to being revenge killed and is hard to get on the battlefield in the first place.
Quiver Dance Sweeper
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name: Quiver Dance Sweeper
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Sleep Powder
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Ground
ability: Compound Eyes
item: Leftovers / Sharp Beak
evs: 12 Def / 244 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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This set is designed to take advantage of Vivillon's access to Quiver Dance. 97.5% accurate Sleep Powder is a great move for a setup sweeper like Vivillon allowing it to get easy setup opportunities on any slower Pokemon that aren't immune to the move. Hurricane is a strong STAB move with not many resists that is made 91% accurate by Compound Eyes. Substitute is the main option for the last slot because it makes Vivillon's setup much safer, as two boosts are often required to avoid being revenge killed by Choice Scarf users. Howerver, the downside to using Substitute is that it leaves Vivillon walled by most Rock-, Steel-, and Electric-types. Hidden Power Ground is a good coverage move to use instead, as it hits almost every Pokemon that resists Hurricane for super effective damage. Another decent option is Energy Ball in combination with Life Orb, which allows Vivillon to easily defeat Rhydon, one of its best and most common checks, while also beating other dangerous Pokemon such as Kabutops and Barbaracle.
Set Details
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12 Defense EVs are used specifically to allow Vivillon to survive Adamant Mystic Water Feraligatr's Aqua Jet after Stealth Rock 100% of the time. Rest of the EVs is used to maximize Vivillon's Speed and power. Timid is the preferred nature to let Vivillon outspeed the numerous Pokemon in the 78-86 Base Speed range, such as Sawk and Rotom-S, the Choice Scarf variants of which are also outsped after a boost. Leftovers is the primary item, as it gives Vivillon longevity and allows it to make more Substitutes. Sharp Beak is the best boosting item to use because it powers up Hurricane and doesn't make Vivillon lose HP like Life Orb does.
Usage Tips
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Vivillon is a pretty straightforward Pokemon to use. Put something to sleep and start setting up Quiver Dances, whether behind a Substitute or not. Before attempting a Vivillon sweep you should remove opposing priority users and at least weaken, if not get rid of, Pokemon that resist Hurricane. Removing the threat of priority is less important when using Substitute, while removing bulky resists becomes that much more important.
Team Options
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Due to Vivillon's Stealth Rock weakness, having a way to remove entry hazards on your side is very important. Sandslash and Kabutops are both good spinners that have decent defensive synergy with Vivillon and are reliable at doing their job. Togetic is also an option to pair with Vivillon, as it has access to Defog and a slow Baton Pass to get Vivillon in safely. Slow pivots in general are good teammates for Vivillon, for example, Probopass can double as a Steel-type trapper and Lanturn has good defensive synergy and invites in Pokemon that Vivillon can set up on. Offensive momentum grabbers such as Liepard and Rotom are similar in this regard, as they force switches and get Vivillon on the battlefield. Like most sweepers, Vivillon greatly appreciates having entry hazard support. Stealth Rock can be set by Probopass, Seismitoad, or Rhydon, and Spikes are best taken care of by Qwilfish. Crustle makes for a great partner, as it is able to set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes.
Other Options
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Focus Sash is an option on the Quiver Dance set, giving Vivillon guaranteed setup except against multi-hit moves, but it loses its usefulness if you fail to keep Stealth Rock off the field, unlike the other items. Bug Buzz might sound like a good move to have on Vivillon, but it still leaves Vivillon walled by Steel-types and is therefore usually not worth it over Substitute or a better coverage move. Choice Specs gives Vivillon immediate power, but also increases its reliance on entry hazard removal, and even with the boost, Vivillon doesn't hit all that hard. Vivillon can also act as a serviceable anti-lead, being able to put opposing leads to sleep and getting momentum via U-turn.
Checks & Counters
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**Flying Resists**: Bulky Rock-, Steel-, and Electric-types don't take much damage from Hurricane and can either hit Vivillon with a super effective STAB move or cripple it with status. Rhydon and Klinklang are especially dangerous as they carry multi-hit moves that can hit Vivillon through Substitute.
**Faster Choice Scarf Users**: Common Choice Scarf users such as Typhlosion, Jynx, and Rotom can revenge kill Vivillon even after a boost.
**Stealth Rock**: The omnipresent entry hazard, Stealth Rock, takes away half of Vivillon's health, making it very vulnerable to priority moves and limiting Vivillon's opportunities to switch in.
**Sleep Absorbers**: Pokemon that are unaffected by sleep are able to switch into Sleep Powder and take advantage of Vivillon's lacking power without a boost. Grass-types such as Ferroseed and Cradily and Pokemon holding Safety Goggles are immune to powder moves. In addition, Pokemon with abilities that make them immune to sleep such as Vital Spirit, Insomnia, and Sap Sipper are easily able to switch in on Vivillon. RestTalk users are also able to absorb Sleep Powder and remain unfazed.
**Priority**: Vivillon's frailty makes it vulnerable to priority moves such as Ice Shard from Sneasel or Piloswine and Quick Attack from Zangoose, which can revenge kill Vivillon even with boosts.
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