Original Skeleton by Jibaku. It's been sitting for awhile, so I made some touchups and will get it restamped.
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Overview
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A beast even the game acknowledges as the Destruction Pokemon, Yveltal is an incredibly versatile terror with a potent mix of offensive and defensive qualities. Offensively, its Dark- and Flying-type dual STAB is resisted by few Pokemon and hurts a lot coming off a solid base 131 Special Attack stat. Dark Aura further augments Yveltal's offensive prowess by giving it a free Life Orb boost to its Dark-type STAB attacks. Yveltal's power is nicely supplemented by a solid base 99 Speed stat; while it's not the fastest threat, it does allow Yveltal to easily outspeed all of the Ubers stuck in the base 90 crowd, and it can tear a huge chunk out of faster opponents with the strongest Sucker Punch in the game. Furthermore, Oblivion Wing gives Yveltal surprisingly high longevity for an offensive Pokemon, allowing it to remain a prominent threat throughout the entirety of a match. Defensively, Yveltal boasts impressive bulk, coveted resistances to Ghost- and Dark-type attacks, useful immunities to Ground-type attacks, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web, and reliable healing in Roost. Dark Aura-boosted Foul Play enables it to check top sweepers such as Swords Dance Arceus and Mewtwo and hit quite hard without even needing to invest in its offensive stats.
Yveltal's flaws are few but annoying. Fairy-type Pokemon such as Xerneas and Fairy Arceus make life very difficult for Yveltal as it has significant trouble breaking through them. Yveltal's typing also leaves it with some annoying weaknesses to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks that somewhat hamper its defensive abilities. Overall, Yveltal's powerful attributes and ability to cover its uninvested stats with the right moves make it a prominent threat to watch out for in Ubers.
Life Orb Attacker
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name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Oblivion Wing
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Taunt / U-turn
ability: Dark Aura
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Mild / Rash
Moves
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Bolstered by Dark Aura, Dark Pulse is an extremely potent STAB option with few resistances and great power: it easily 2HKOes 252 HP Arceus formes (assuming Arceus is not a type that resists Dark) and deals significant damage to most other Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Oblivion Wing is Yveltal's other primary STAB option; aside from demolishing Fighting-types and hitting Fairy-types neutrally, Oblivion Wing also allows Yveltal to sustain itself for an admirably long time by draining huge amounts of HP from its targets. Sucker Punch is generally the best move to round out the set as it provides Yveltal with a way to cleanly finish off faster switch-ins; for example, Dark Pulse followed by Sucker Punch is an easy 2HKO on Pokemon such as Palkia, Zekrom, and Kyogre. Sucker Punch also OHKOes Mewtwo, making Yveltal a very good check to it thanks to its immunity to Psychic-type attacks.
Yveltal is one of the few Ubers-viable Pokemon that learns Taunt, a move that it puts to great use in shutting down walls, foiling status moves, and blocking attempts to use Defog or set up entry hazards. It allows Yveltal to break stall teams quite efficiently and is a useful move to pair with Sucker Punch as it will force opponents to use an attack.
U-turn is also a great option as it allows Yveltal to bait in and pivot out of defensive Fairy-types into a trapper such as Mega Gengar, leaving them helpless and Yveltal potentially free to wreak havoc later in the match. However, U-turn should only be used if Mega Gengar is on the team.
Yveltal also has a few other moves it can run in the fourth moveslot. Focus Blast is a solid option as it obliterates Tyranitar, which otherwise completely walls Yveltal. Focus Blast also does much more damage to Heatran, Dialga, and Rock Arceus than Dark Pulse. Foul Play can be used to 2HKO Ho-Oh, who avoids the 2HKO from Dark Pulse due to its great Special Defense, and wreck boosting physical sweepers such as Swords Dance Arceus that might attempt to set up. Foul Play can also potentially be used over Dark Pulse as it still hits a lot of Pokemon for a 2HKO in conjunction with Sucker Punch, but be warned that without Dark Pulse, Yveltal cannot 2HKO 252 HP Arceus.
Set Details
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Mild is generally the best nature for Yveltal to run as it provides it with a sizable power boost, and it can still outspeed neutral natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, Rayquaza, and Kyurem-W. Sucker Punch also reduces the need for a Speed-boosting nature as well. Mild is generally preferred as Yveltal's resistances are predominantly for special attacks, though Rash can also be used to better take hits from Mega Mewtwo X and physical Ghost Arceus sets. A Modest nature can also be run if not using Sucker Punch; in this case, shift the 4 EVs in Attack to Defense so as to not be wasteful. Running a Hasty (or Naive/Timid) nature can also work if you absolutely need to ensure that Yveltal will outspeed all base 90 Speed Pokemon, Rayquaza, and Kyurem-W.
Simply maximizing Special Attack and Speed is best for Yveltal so it can be as strong and as fast as possible, but between useful utility options in Foul Play and Sucker Punch, Yveltal can afford to make some creative tweaks to its EV spread. Running Sucker Punch could possibly allow for more bulk investment, and using Foul Play with some Defense EVs to check Mega Mewtwo X and Swords Dance Arceus can work decently as well.
Life Orb is generally the best item to provide maximum power. As Yveltal can heal itself with Oblivion Wing, the recoil is not too detrimental. However, should Yveltal be using U-turn, Dread Plate can also be used to boost Yveltal's Dark-type attacks while limiting recoil damage incurred from switching in and out of Stealth Rock. The lack of Life Orb recoil can also be capitalized on to bluff a potential Choice Scarf set.
Usage Tips
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Yveltal's attacks are extremely strong, and between Taunt and Oblivion Wing, it can beat many Pokemon one-on-one, so try to bring it in as much as possible to wear down enemy walls such as support Arceus formes, especially if the opponent does not have a Fairy-type. The main thing to keep in mind when using Yveltal is to be careful when using Sucker Punch. Yveltal is fast enough to not be reliant on Sucker Punch, but being too predictable with the move can result in Yveltal getting crippled by status or giving your opponent a free switch, so be careful. Aside from that, use Yveltal when you need it: it is strong at all points in the game and can likely sustain itself for most of a match thanks to Oblivion Wing.
If Yveltal is running U-turn alongside Mega Gengar, try to catch the opponent's Fairy-type on the switch with the move so Gengar has a free switch-in to Mega Evolve. Be careful of attempting to trap Xerneas with this strategy if it uses Geomancy as Gengar comes in!
Team Options
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Pokemon that can check Fairy-types make excellent partners for Yveltal. Klefki is a particularly solid choice as it can check Xerneas and cripple faster Pokemon with Thunder Wave. It can also set up Spikes to help Yveltal break through bulkier Pokemon. Scizor is also a solid choice, checking Xerneas easily with Bullet Punch and providing Yveltal with switch-in opportunities courtesy of U-turn. Jirachi and Bronzong are also solid choices for more balanced teams, providing Yveltal with paralysis and Wish support or Stealth Rock support, respectively. Klefki, Scizor, Jirachi, and Bronzong can also wreck Fairy Arceus and Rock Arceus fairly well, though none of them enjoy getting burned by Will-O-Wisp. Mega Gengar is also an outstanding teammate as it can trap and eliminate defensive Fairy-types and Tyranitar thanks to Shadow Tag, allowing Yveltal to wreak havoc once those obstacles are gone.
If using U-turn on this set, Mega Gengar is a must-have partner. Since Yveltal lures in Fairy-types so easily, U-turn will buy Gengar free switch-in opportunities to trap and remove those Fairy-types, letting Yveltal wreak havoc very easily.
Ho-Oh is problematic if Yveltal doesn't have Foul Play, as it isn't 2HKOed by Dark Pulse and inflicts heavy damage back with Sacred Fire. However, Ho-Oh cannot check Yveltal if Stealth Rock is up on its side of the field, so using a reliable setter of the hazard such as Landorus-T, Dialga, or Groudon can help keep the phoenix at bay. You can also run a dedicated counter to Ho-Oh such as Rock Arceus, but this may not be required if your team is adept at pressuring Defog users. Dialga and Groudon also double as fine checks to Zekrom, Electric Arceus, and Tyranitar, all problems for Yveltal. More offensive builds of Groudon and Landorus-T, as well as other sweepers such as Swords Dance Arceus formes, also benefit from Yveltal's ability to destroy most Pokemon that wall them, such as Lugia, Gliscor, and Giratina-O.
Defog support is also helpful for Yveltal to give it more switch-in opportunities, although it doesn't necessarily need it due to the sustenance provided by Oblivion Wing. Giratina-O, Scizor, and support Arceus formes such as Water, Fairy, or Rock are solid users of the move.
Finally, it should be noted that this set works exceptionally well on Sticky Web teams due to Yveltal's access to Taunt and sheer power, so using it on a team with Smeargle or Shuckle can make it much more threatening against Pokemon that would normally be able to outspeed it. As a bonus, Yveltal is also itself immune to Sticky Web, making it quite effective against those teams as well.
Physical Tank
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name: Physical Tank
move 1: Foul Play
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Toxic / Sucker Punch
move 4: Roost
ability: Dark Aura
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
nature: Bold / Impish
Moves
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Foul Play helps this set define its role, punishing powerful physical attackers that will often fail to break though Yveltal's impressive physical bulk. Thanks to Dark Aura, Foul Play will still usually do decent damage to most Pokemon. Taunt blocks attempts to inflict Yveltal with status and gives it impressive stallbreaking utility combined with Toxic. Toxic also allows Yveltal to cripple potential checks such as Xerneas, Fairy Arceus, and Ho-Oh. Sucker Punch can still be used on this set, however, as it is still quite strong with Dark Aura, easily OHKOing Mega Mewtwo Y and giving Yveltal additional utility as a revenge killer. Roost is mandatory to give Yveltal adequate healing on this set; due to the lack of investment, Oblivion Wing will not recover enough health to allow Yveltal to continuously check the threats it needs to.
Set Details
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Yveltal's physical bulk should be maximized to take hits as well as possible, with 248 HP EVs used to give it five switches into Stealth Rock rather than four. Yveltal is bulkier than fully invested Skarmory, to give you an idea of how well this set can tank hits. Bold is recommended as the nature to minimize Foul Play damage, though Impish is preferred if Sucker Punch is used. Leftovers is generally the preferred item to give Yveltal passive recovery to reduce the need to use Roost as much, though Rocky Helmet is also quite useful as it will always put a +2 Swords Dance Arceus into Foul Play KO range after using Extreme Speed.
Usage Tips
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This is a relatively straightforward set that aims to check dangerous attackers such as Swords Dance Arceus, Mewtwo (particularly Mega Mewtwo X), and Deoxys-A, so switch Yveltal in on those Pokemon when needed. Try to punish switch-ins with Taunt or Toxic as much as possible, and avoid letting Yveltal get badly poisoned or burned as the status will ruin its ability to stall. Although Yveltal also has solid special bulk, it is not recommended to try to stall out special attackers unless you know they won't outdamage Yveltal's Roost.
Team Options
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Don't build a team around this set as it is meant to just be a dedicated counter to some top threats; rather, it is something that should be fit into teams that need a solid check to Swords Dance Arceus and Mewtwo. That being said, status such as burn and Toxic completely ruin this Yveltal's ability to stall, so cleric support from defensive partners such as Xerneas, Sylveon, or Blissey is highly appreciated. Klefki and Mega Scizor are still good partners to check Fairy-types and provide Spikes and Defog support, respectively. Speaking of Defog support, this set appreciates it much more than the offensive set since Yveltal will often be switching in reactively to certain threats, so if you can't fit Mega Scizor then consider another user of the move such as Giratina-O or a support Arceus forme. Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Groudon, and Gliscor still work well with Yveltal as it cannot hope to wall Zekrom.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Foul Play / Oblivion Wing
move 4: U-turn
ability: Dark Aura
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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Dark Pulse is the primary move on this set, boasting solid coverage and power as well as a handy 20% flinch rate. Although Hurricane is inaccurate without rain support, it is actually Yveltal's strongest attack, easily OHKOing Mega Mewtwo X and doing decent damage to Fairy-types such as Xerneas. Foul Play enables Yveltal to revenge kill Rayquaza and Swords Dance Arceus formes such as Ground and Ghost after a boost. It can also be used to OHKO Mega Mewtwo Y if it has a Calm Mind boost. Foul Play also does solid damage to Ho-Oh, who otherwise walls this set. Oblivion Wing can be used instead to provide Yveltal with healing and a more accurate Flying-type STAB attack. It can also be run over Hurricane if you don't like the accuracy, but do bear in mind that Oblivion Wing is somewhat weak without an item boost; for instance, it will never OHKO Mega Mewtwo X, maxing out at 96%. U-turn is generally the best option in the fourth slot for pivoting out of Fairy-types and scouting switch-ins, but don't expect it to hurt anything seriously. Focus Blast can also be used to OHKO Darkrai and destroy Tyranitar switch-ins. You can also run Toxic in the fourth slot to catch Fairy-types and Ho-Oh by surprise, but U-turn is generally better, and being locked into Toxic is very easy to take advantage of.
Set Details
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Once again the EVs are fairly straightforward: simply maximize Special Attack and Speed. Modest is highly recommended as the nature since Yveltal already outspeeds most other Choice Scarf users and greatly needs the extra power. Timid can be run if you need Yveltal to Speed tie with Choice Scarf Genesect and positive natured base 90s, but it usually isn't worth giving up the extra power.
Usage Tips
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Yveltal is a solid Choice Scarf user for teams in need of a resistance to Ghost-type attacks that can easily handle Mewtwo, Rayquaza, Ground Arceus, Shaymin-S, and Ghost Arceus. It is notably difficult to punish for a Choice Scarf user thanks to U-turn, Dark Pulse's solid coverage, and healing from Oblivion Wing should it be used, so don't be afraid to bring it out if you need it. Try to save this Yveltal until the late-game if you can, as it makes a great cleaner with Dark Pulse.
Team Options
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Yveltal doesn't require too much support as it isn't really a Pokemon that you build around, but rather one you use based on your team's needs. Like the previous set, this Yveltal appreciates Fairy-type checks and Defog support, so Klefki, Scizor, Giratina-O, and support Arceus formes are once again solid partners. Mega Gengar is a particularly good partner to this set as Yveltal will likely be using U-turn a fair amount, giving it plenty of chances to come in and trap Fairy-types for Yveltal. Calm Mind Poison Arceus is also a fantastic teammate with this set: it easily checks Fairy-types whereas Yveltal is immune to both of Poison Arceus's weaknesses, giving it plenty of chances to come in on threats such as Mewtwo. Kyogre is also a decent teammate, providing Drizzle support to help patch up Hurricane's accuracy.
Other Options
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Yveltal is excellent at forcing switches, making Substitute a viable option to ease prediction. It also works well with Sucker Punch as Substitute will often force the enemy to attack in order to break it. Yveltal can also heal off damage incurred from making Substitutes with Oblivion Wing. Disable also works well with Substitute, harassing users of Choice items and potentially locking out attacks from walls such as Xerneas and Sylveon. Yveltal also has enough power and bulk to make use of Assault Vest, which helps it to check Mewtwo and Ghost Arceus while potentially tanking some super effective hits if needed. However, running Assault Vest locks Yveltal out of using Taunt which inhibits its usefulness against stall. A Weakness Policy set is difficult to pull off, but Yveltal is an excellent user of the item due to its high offensive power, strong priority, and ability to potentially heal back damage it takes with a boosted Oblivion Wing. Choice Specs Yveltal is so powerful it can 2HKO Ho-Oh with Dark Pulse, but the inability to use Taunt or Sucker Punch limits its versatility. Yveltal can also run a specially defensive version of the bulky set, trading the ability to check specific physical threats to become a sturdy general purpose wall and stallbreaker, but Yveltal's weaknesses are to predominantly special attacking types, hampering its usefulness. Rock Slide is also a viable move if Yveltal needs to be able to OHKO Ho-Oh.
Checks & Counters
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**Bulky Fairy-types**: These are probably the best general checks to Yveltal as they resist its Dark-type STAB and have the bulk to handle Oblivion Wing. Fairy Arceus, Xerneas, and Sylveon all handle Yveltal fairly well, though none of them will appreciate Toxic. Refresh Fairy Arceus actually hardcounters Yveltal, but that variant is extremely rare. Geomancy Xerneas can also potentially set up on Yveltal; however, Life Orb Yveltal can potentially Taunt Xerneas or 2HKO it on the switch with Oblivion Wing, so it will need to tread lightly.
**Klefki**: Klefki resists both of Yveltal's STAB moves, is immune to Toxic, and can cripple it with Toxic or use it as Spikes fodder.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar resists both of Yveltal's STAB moves and easily OHKOes it with Stone Edge. However, Tyranitar doesn't enjoy U-turn and will get destroyed by Focus Blast.
**Ho-Oh**: Physically defensive Ho-Oh is not 2HKOed by any of Yveltal's attacks and easily defeats it with Sacred Fire, but it doesn't like Toxic and cannot check Yveltal if Stealth Rock is up on its side of the field.
**Electric Arceus**: Electric Arceus resists Oblivion Wing and can shrug off Dark Pulse with Calm Mind. However, it will be crippled by Toxic.
**Rock Arceus**: Rock Arceus doesn't like switching directly into Dark Pulse and hates Toxic and Focus Blast, but once in it defeats Yveltal fairly easily with STAB Judgment.
**Kyogre**: Specially defensive Kyogre walls offensive Yveltal sets and can burn defensive sets with Scald, but with Rest as its only form of recovery, Kyogre can be worn down with Taunt and repeated hits. Offensive Kyogre sets can easily KO defensive Yveltal, however.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists Flying-type attacks and easily KOes Yveltal with Bolt Strike, but it cannot switch into Dark Pulse from offensive sets or Foul Play from defensive sets.
**Kyurem-W**: It has trouble switching directly into Yveltal, but once in Kyurem-W easily OHKOes Yveltal with Ice Beam.
**Status**: Toxic ruins defensive Yveltal sets and burns cripple the power of Sucker Punch and/or Foul Play, which can go a long way towards beating Yveltal.
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