Overview
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Because of its poor stats, Mr. Mime has a very difficult time carving a niche for itself in the OU metagame. However, it does have one useful trait, as it is the only Pokemon in the game with the combination of Soundproof and Baton Pass, so it is the only defense Baton Pass teams have against Perish Song from ruining their chain. Soundproof also gives Mr. Mime handy immunities to Roar, Hyper Voice, and Bug Buzz, while its new Fairy typing gives it an immunity to Dragon-type moves—most notably Dragon Tail. All of these traits, in addition to its great movepool, secure Mr. Mime a spot on nearly every full Baton Pass team.
Baton Pass
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name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Encore
ability: Soundproof
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 108 SpD / 148 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
========
Mr. Mime is only viable on full Baton Pass teams, so naturally Baton Pass is, by far, its most important move. Substitute is also mandatory, as it protects Mr. Mime and its teammates from status effects, Dragon Tail, critical hits, and Leech Seed, which would all cause major issues otherwise. Calm Mind is Mr. Mime's most reliable way of boosting its stats. After a few Calm Mind Boosts, most special attackers will be unable to touch it. Encore is useful because it can give Mr. Mime many free setup opportunities, especially if it encores the opponent into a move it is immune to, such as Roar, Perish Song, Bug Buzz, Hyper Voice, or a Dragon-type move.
Set Details
========
Leftovers is the preferred item because Mr. Mime needs to stay as healthy as possible in order to make Substitutes without wearing itself down too quickly. The given EVs are used to outspeed Deoxys-S at +2 Speed. This also allows it to outspeed Choice Scarf Garchomp at +2. The rest of the EVs are thrown into HP and Special Defense because all common Perish Song users in OU are special attackers. With the listed spread, Mr. Mime is able to survive a hit from any Perish Song user except for the rare Choice Specs Politoed. However, Mr. Mime can still survive a Choice Specs Hydro Pump if it has a Substitute up or a Special Defense boost.
Usage Tips
========
Baton Pass to Mr. Mime whenever the opponent has a potential Perish Song, Dragon Tail, or Roar user out on the field. The only common users of Perish Song in OU are Politoed and Celebi. Mr. Mime is only immune to the move itself, not the actual Perish counter that activates after the move is used. Because of this, Baton Passing to Mr. Mime after Perish Song has been used does not stop Perish Song from working. If your opponent has a potential Perish Song user on their team, keeping Mr. Mime healthy is crucial because it must be counted on to switch in on a moment's notice. Because Espeon is so critical to the success of Baton Pass teams, knowing when to Baton Pass to it is crucial. Just one Whirlwind or Taunt is nearly always fatal. Whenever there is a slight chance of such a move being used, you need to Baton Pass to Espeon. Prankster Taunt users are especially tricky, since you need to pass to Espeon the turn before they switch in, which can be very difficult to predict. Mr. Mime is far from useless outside of its immunities. Its excellent Special Defense stat and access to Encore both allow it to have many opportunities to set up with Calm Mind. Make sure to have a few Defense and Speed boosts up before Baton Passing to Mr. Mime, as its awful physical bulk is very easy to take advantage of. It is also very important to keep a Substitute up whenever possible in order to prevent critical hits or status moves from ruining your chain.
Team Options
========
Espeon is a non-negotiable member of any full Baton Pass team. Its Magic Bounce ability is the only way Baton Pass teams have around Taunt and Whirlwind outside of the one-time-use Mental Herb item and the rather unreliable Ingrain Smeargle, respectively. It also helps in protecting the team from status-inducing moves and other miscellaneous moves, such as Encore. Scolipede is another important teammate. Its ability, Speed Boost, makes it by far the most reliable method of passing Speed boosts. It is essential for Baton Pass teams to outspeed the opponent in order to make sure the right Pokemon is always out on the field. Scolipede can also pass Substitutes, Iron Defense boosts, and Swords Dance boosts. Vaporeon is another Baton Pass staple with its boosting move of choice, Acid Armor. It possesses great defensive stats and a useful ability in Water Absorb. Mawile is a good teammate because of its excellent typing, great boosting moves in Iron Defense and Swords Dance, and useful Intimidate ability. Mega Scizor is very similar to Mawile in that it is a Steel-type with Iron Defense and Swords Dance. Its main draws over Mawile are its access to reliable recovery in Roost, and most importantly, its Technician Bullet Punch, which makes it one of the only ways Baton Pass teams have of beating Unaware Clefable. Celebi has access to Calm Mind, while Zapdos has a useful typing and access to Charge. Mew can use nearly every stat boosting move in the game, most notably Amnesia, Barrier, and Calm Mind. Smeargle is the only Pokemon in the game with both Ingrain and Baton Pass. As such, it is a useful Pokemon on Baton Pass teams because it can protect the entire team from being phased out while regaining a small amount of HP every turn. This takes a ton of pressure off of Mr. Mime and Espeon, as they are otherwise the only way to stop phazers from wrecking Baton Pass chains.
Other Options
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Mr. Mime has a few other options. Energy Ball allows Mr. Mime to OHKO Haze Quagsire, after a bit of prior damage, which is otherwise a good answer to Baton Pass teams. However, it is often unecessary, as with minimal boosts, Espeon's Stored Power does enough to take out Quagsire. Magic Coat is an option over Encore in order to reflect certain moves such as Toxic or Encore. Its main draw, however, is its ability to reflect Prankster Taunt, which would otherwise be a major pain to deal with. Barrier is another boosting move in Mr. Mime's arsenal, but Mr. Mime's downright horrific physical bulk makes Calm Mind the better choice in nearly every situation. Dazzling Gleam can be used if one desires an attacking move on Mr. Mime. Its biggest advantage is that it hits Sableye, a major headache for Baton Pass teams, super effectively. However, the utility provided by Encore is usually too good to pass up.
Checks & Counters
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**Taunt**: Taunt, especially priority Taunt from Prankster users such as Thundurus, Mega Banette, or Sableye, can prevent Mr. Mime and its teammates from doing much of anything. Prankster Taunt users in particular can always get a Taunt off before you can Baton Pass to Espeon to bounce it back.
**Haze**: Haze removes all of a Baton Pass team's hard earned stat boosts. In addition, it is completely unblockable outside of Taunt, which is nearly impossible to fit on a moveset of any Pokemon on Baton Pass teams. However, it is an incredibly rare move, with Quagsire being the only user of the move in OU.
**Phazing**: Phazing is another issue for Baton Pass teams, though they have reliable methods of dealing with it in the form of Mr. Mime and Espeon. Mr. Mime is only affected by Whirlwind and Espeon is only affected by Dragon Tail and the never seen Circle Throw. Common Whirlwind users include Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Hippowdon.
**Physical attackers**: Strong physical attackers are a huge problem for Mr. Mime because of its terrible physical bulk. Scizor in particular easily OHKOes Mr. Mime with Bullet Punch.
**Unaware**: Unaware Clefable and Quagsire wall Baton Pass teams to no end as those teams generally lack significant offensive presence. Clefable can also set up Calm Minds on most common Baton Pass Pokemon without fear. However, Unaware does not affect Stored Power's base power boosts, so even Unaware users can eventually succumb to Baton Pass teams.
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Because of its poor stats, Mr. Mime has a very difficult time carving a niche for itself in the OU metagame. However, it does have one useful trait, as it is the only Pokemon in the game with the combination of Soundproof and Baton Pass, so it is the only defense Baton Pass teams have against Perish Song from ruining their chain. Soundproof also gives Mr. Mime handy immunities to Roar, Hyper Voice, and Bug Buzz, while its new Fairy typing gives it an immunity to Dragon-type moves—most notably Dragon Tail. All of these traits, in addition to its great movepool, secure Mr. Mime a spot on nearly every full Baton Pass team.
Baton Pass
########
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Encore
ability: Soundproof
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 108 SpD / 148 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
========
Mr. Mime is only viable on full Baton Pass teams, so naturally Baton Pass is, by far, its most important move. Substitute is also mandatory, as it protects Mr. Mime and its teammates from status effects, Dragon Tail, critical hits, and Leech Seed, which would all cause major issues otherwise. Calm Mind is Mr. Mime's most reliable way of boosting its stats. After a few Calm Mind Boosts, most special attackers will be unable to touch it. Encore is useful because it can give Mr. Mime many free setup opportunities, especially if it encores the opponent into a move it is immune to, such as Roar, Perish Song, Bug Buzz, Hyper Voice, or a Dragon-type move.
Set Details
========
Leftovers is the preferred item because Mr. Mime needs to stay as healthy as possible in order to make Substitutes without wearing itself down too quickly. The given EVs are used to outspeed Deoxys-S at +2 Speed. This also allows it to outspeed Choice Scarf Garchomp at +2. The rest of the EVs are thrown into HP and Special Defense because all common Perish Song users in OU are special attackers. With the listed spread, Mr. Mime is able to survive a hit from any Perish Song user except for the rare Choice Specs Politoed. However, Mr. Mime can still survive a Choice Specs Hydro Pump if it has a Substitute up or a Special Defense boost.
Usage Tips
========
Baton Pass to Mr. Mime whenever the opponent has a potential Perish Song, Dragon Tail, or Roar user out on the field. The only common users of Perish Song in OU are Politoed and Celebi. Mr. Mime is only immune to the move itself, not the actual Perish counter that activates after the move is used. Because of this, Baton Passing to Mr. Mime after Perish Song has been used does not stop Perish Song from working. If your opponent has a potential Perish Song user on their team, keeping Mr. Mime healthy is crucial because it must be counted on to switch in on a moment's notice. Because Espeon is so critical to the success of Baton Pass teams, knowing when to Baton Pass to it is crucial. Just one Whirlwind or Taunt is nearly always fatal. Whenever there is a slight chance of such a move being used, you need to Baton Pass to Espeon. Prankster Taunt users are especially tricky, since you need to pass to Espeon the turn before they switch in, which can be very difficult to predict. Mr. Mime is far from useless outside of its immunities. Its excellent Special Defense stat and access to Encore both allow it to have many opportunities to set up with Calm Mind. Make sure to have a few Defense and Speed boosts up before Baton Passing to Mr. Mime, as its awful physical bulk is very easy to take advantage of. It is also very important to keep a Substitute up whenever possible in order to prevent critical hits or status moves from ruining your chain.
Team Options
========
Espeon is a non-negotiable member of any full Baton Pass team. Its Magic Bounce ability is the only way Baton Pass teams have around Taunt and Whirlwind outside of the one-time-use Mental Herb item and the rather unreliable Ingrain Smeargle, respectively. It also helps in protecting the team from status-inducing moves and other miscellaneous moves, such as Encore. Scolipede is another important teammate. Its ability, Speed Boost, makes it by far the most reliable method of passing Speed boosts. It is essential for Baton Pass teams to outspeed the opponent in order to make sure the right Pokemon is always out on the field. Scolipede can also pass Substitutes, Iron Defense boosts, and Swords Dance boosts. Vaporeon is another Baton Pass staple with its boosting move of choice, Acid Armor. It possesses great defensive stats and a useful ability in Water Absorb. Mawile is a good teammate because of its excellent typing, great boosting moves in Iron Defense and Swords Dance, and useful Intimidate ability. Mega Scizor is very similar to Mawile in that it is a Steel-type with Iron Defense and Swords Dance. Its main draws over Mawile are its access to reliable recovery in Roost, and most importantly, its Technician Bullet Punch, which makes it one of the only ways Baton Pass teams have of beating Unaware Clefable. Celebi has access to Calm Mind, while Zapdos has a useful typing and access to Charge. Mew can use nearly every stat boosting move in the game, most notably Amnesia, Barrier, and Calm Mind. Smeargle is the only Pokemon in the game with both Ingrain and Baton Pass. As such, it is a useful Pokemon on Baton Pass teams because it can protect the entire team from being phased out while regaining a small amount of HP every turn. This takes a ton of pressure off of Mr. Mime and Espeon, as they are otherwise the only way to stop phazers from wrecking Baton Pass chains.
Other Options
########
Mr. Mime has a few other options. Energy Ball allows Mr. Mime to OHKO Haze Quagsire, after a bit of prior damage, which is otherwise a good answer to Baton Pass teams. However, it is often unecessary, as with minimal boosts, Espeon's Stored Power does enough to take out Quagsire. Magic Coat is an option over Encore in order to reflect certain moves such as Toxic or Encore. Its main draw, however, is its ability to reflect Prankster Taunt, which would otherwise be a major pain to deal with. Barrier is another boosting move in Mr. Mime's arsenal, but Mr. Mime's downright horrific physical bulk makes Calm Mind the better choice in nearly every situation. Dazzling Gleam can be used if one desires an attacking move on Mr. Mime. Its biggest advantage is that it hits Sableye, a major headache for Baton Pass teams, super effectively. However, the utility provided by Encore is usually too good to pass up.
Checks & Counters
########
**Taunt**: Taunt, especially priority Taunt from Prankster users such as Thundurus, Mega Banette, or Sableye, can prevent Mr. Mime and its teammates from doing much of anything. Prankster Taunt users in particular can always get a Taunt off before you can Baton Pass to Espeon to bounce it back.
**Haze**: Haze removes all of a Baton Pass team's hard earned stat boosts. In addition, it is completely unblockable outside of Taunt, which is nearly impossible to fit on a moveset of any Pokemon on Baton Pass teams. However, it is an incredibly rare move, with Quagsire being the only user of the move in OU.
**Phazing**: Phazing is another issue for Baton Pass teams, though they have reliable methods of dealing with it in the form of Mr. Mime and Espeon. Mr. Mime is only affected by Whirlwind and Espeon is only affected by Dragon Tail and the never seen Circle Throw. Common Whirlwind users include Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Hippowdon.
**Physical attackers**: Strong physical attackers are a huge problem for Mr. Mime because of its terrible physical bulk. Scizor in particular easily OHKOes Mr. Mime with Bullet Punch.
**Unaware**: Unaware Clefable and Quagsire wall Baton Pass teams to no end as those teams generally lack significant offensive presence. Clefable can also set up Calm Minds on most common Baton Pass Pokemon without fear. However, Unaware does not affect Stored Power's base power boosts, so even Unaware users can eventually succumb to Baton Pass teams.
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