Type: Grass / Fairy
Pokedex Number: 547
Ability 1: Prankster - Moves that do not deal direct damage have their priority increased by one level.
Ability 2: Infiltrator - The wielder bypasses the foe's Light Screen, Reflect, Mist, and Safeguard.
Ability (DW): Chlorophyll - Speed doubles in sun.
Base Stats: 60 HP / 67 Atk / 85 Def / 77 SpA / 75 SpD / 116 Spe
Notable Moves:
Encore
Taunt
Memento
Leech Seed
Stun Spore
Giga Drain
U-Turn
Hurricane
Moonblast
Cotton Guard
Fake Tears
Tickle
Trick Room
Sunny Day
(possibly more)
Overview
Generation five has not been kind to Whimsicott. The intial excitement for Prankster didn't continue for long and Whimsicott has discovered it's plagued by its low base stats, inability to do damage and bad defensive typing, making it a challenge to fit in a team. It didn't help that it faced stiff competition from other Grass types, who bring something more useful to the table.
Thankfully, generation six has blessed Whimsicott with a newfound typing: Grass / Fairy. What this means is it now gives Whimsicott a plethora of resistances and one important immunity to switch into. It has resistances to Water, Grass, Ground, Electric, Fighting, Dark and an immunity to Dragon. While it faces competition from Togekiss, another newfound Fairy type, it has distinct advantages over the more offensive-minded Fairy. Notably, it can stop setup moves from occurring thanks to its ability. It also has access to Taunt, which can stop nasty entry hazards and weather conditions from taking place. Sticky Web, a new 'weather' condition, is a thorn in the eye for hyper offensive teams. While Defog removes entry hazards as well, hyper offensive teams generally like their own entry hazards. Therefore, one might use Whimsicott as a lead to stop Galvantula's webbing, who cannot OHKO him now that it's neutral to bug.
However, not all is rosy for the fluffy sheep. It has gained a double Poison weakness and a Steel weakness, trading for Bug neutrality, and still has a Fire, Ice and Flying weakness. It can't do much damage either way, making its only viable role a supporter.
Potential Movesets
Prankster
- U-turn / Moonblast / Memento
- Encore
- Stun Spore
- Taunt / Giga Drain / Leech Seed
Ability: Prankster
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold / Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Set Description
Its role didn't change much. It can Encore setup Pokémon or Stun Spore them depending on what they chose. To give you an idea of its bulk, CB Garchomp can only 4HKO with Earthquake and 3HKO with Stone Edge, which it must pack if it wants to KO Togekiss. CB Azumarill can muster a 4HKO with Waterfall while the Belly Drum set is stone cold stopped by Encore. DD Dragonite has a slim chance of 2HKOing with Fire Punch. Any other move and it's Encore time. Likewise, Aegislash is screwed if it uses Sword Dance and can't touch it with Sacred Sword. Lucario's Close Combat is a 4HKO with only a LO boost. That the fairy type improved Whimsicott's durability is the understatement of the year.
U-turn gives you momentum after you Encore, since your foe likely don't want to be a sitting duck. U-turn allows you to counter the following Pokémon with one of your counters. Moonblast can be used to hurt dragons. However, they'll often switch after your Encore them. Memento lets your sweepers come in and set up on their counter. Taunt is usually used in the fourth slot to cripple walls and other stallish Pokemon. It also stops weather inducers that rely on their moves to start the weather, which will be more common now that weather has been nerfed. Leech Seed or Giga Drain can be used instead of Taunt to add better recovery and hurt Water and Ground types. Bold nature is generally used, but you can go Impish if you decide to forego Moonblast and Giga Drain for a slightly stronger U-turn.
Counters & Checks
Any Grass Pokémon will stop Whimsicott cold, especially ones that have Sap Sipper, though it can U-turn to safety and bring in something more threatening to them. Scizor can also come in and wreak havoc, though he can't trap it as much as he'd like due to its new Dark resistance. Nothing is truly safe, since it often has some move that the recipient won't like or can U-turn to annoy another time. Its counter is perhaps itself. It cannot deal consistent damage, unlike Togekiss. It's therefore advisable to pack a number of sweepers to do the cleaning job. It also doesn't have reliable recovery. Whimsicott would kill to have Roost or Wish in its job description. Until that happens, Togekiss may be found more useful in general and secure the Fairy spot in a given team.
Conclusion
Even though everyone has been centering their attention around other Fairy Pokémon, one should not underestimate Whimsicott's role as a potential team player. Priority Encore is a powerful tool to stop sweepers from doing their job and Whimsicott can come in on many of them without much fear of retaliation thanks to its Fairy typing. Even though Togekiss has been given the same treatment, Whimsicott does have advantages over the flying fairy. Notably, it resists Water and Electric, and is neutral to Rock. However, is that enough to earn the spotlight? Time will tell. One thing's for sure though, Whimsicott is back with a vengeance!
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