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Overview
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As the only viable user of Defiant in PU, Purugly is a staple on Spikes-stacking and Sticky Web teams for its ability to discourage and punish the use of Defog. In addition, its access to multiple strong priority moves as well as its fantastic Speed make it one of the best revenge killers in PU and help it stand out from its Normal-type brethren. However, Purugly's horrible bulk and lack of resistances mean that it provides nothing defensively to a team and has trouble switching into the Defoggers it wants to take advantage of, particularly Swanna. It is also a bit lacking in power if it cannot get a Defiant boost; this is not helped by the fact that it is easily walled by common Pokemon such as Golem, Carracosta, and physically defensive Poliwrath.
Physical Attacker
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name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Knock Off / U-turn
ability: Defiant
item: Life Orb / Silk Scarf
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Fake Out is a powerful priority move that is guaranteed to flinch and makes up much of Purugly's niche. Return is a strong STAB move, and Sucker Punch provides another priority move to aid in revenge killing. With both Fake Out and Sucker Punch, Purugly is able to revenge kill a lot of frail Pokemon. Knock Off hits Ghost-types such as Misdreavus hard and removes foes' items, while U-turn is useful for momentum purposes, but Purugly's other moves are usually too important to give up.
Set Details
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The given spread is standard for physically offensive Pokemon. Life Orb gives much-needed power to Purugly's coverage moves, but Silk Scarf is a decent alternative that keeps Purugly from being worn down as easily while still powering up its Normal-type moves. Defiant lets Purugly terrorize Sticky Web teams and discourage the use of Defog.
Usage Tips
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Switch Purugly into predicted Defogs in order to get a +2 Attack boost. Try not to switch into attacks, as Purugly is very frail and has no resistances. Come in to revenge kill frail Pokemon when needed with the combination of Fake Out and Sucker Punch. Purugly functions well under the opponent's Sticky Web because of the +2 boost it gets from Defiant and its strong priority moves. If you need Purugly to revenge kill a specific Pokemon later in the game, it is best to not keep it in on a Pokemon that it cannot KO, as it will usually be unable to take a hit in return.
Team Options
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Purugly works best on heavy offense teams because it provides little to no defensive synergy. Spikes-stacking teams benefit from having Purugly as a teammate because of its ability to discourage and take advantage of Defog; good users of Spikes include Whirlipede and Roselia. A spinblocker such as Misdreavus or Haunter is also a good choice on these teams. Likewise, Purugly fits quite nicely onto Sticky Web and dual screens hyper offense teams. Lastly, Fire Blast Tauros can lure and beat counters to Purugly, such as Avalugg and Tangela, making it a good partner.
Other Options
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Purugly is a decent user of Taunt thanks to its great Speed, but it lacks the room in its moveset to use it very effectively. Play Rough can be used to hit Poliwrath and Throh harder, but it offers no use outside of that. Wake-Up Slap provides super effective coverage against Rock- and Steel-types, but its low Base Power prevents it from being too useful. Lastly, Quick Attack is an option, but Fake Out and Sucker Punch are much more useful priority moves.
Checks & Counters
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**Physical Walls**: Physical walls such as Avalugg and RestTalk Poliwrath, the former of which can also Rapid Spin away the hazards Purugly is trying to preserve, make good stops to Purugly and can hit it back hard. Ghost-type physical walls such as Misdreavus and Gourgeist-XL can wall Purugly if it lacks Knock Off, while Tangela can wall it as well but must be wary of Knock Off. Even if they are not usually considered physical walls, bulky Pokemon such as Throh and offensive Poliwrath can usually take a hit from Purugly and KO it back. However, if Purugly is at +2, most of these Pokemon cannot even hope to stand up to it.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types such as Golem and Carracosta resist Purugly's STAB moves and have good physical bulk, making them good answers to it. They can also use it as an opportunity to set up Stealth Rock or Shell Smash and can KO Purugly with their strong moves.
**Revenge Killers**: Despite Purugly's high Speed and access to priority, certain Choice Scarf Pokemon can outspeed and dispose of it. These include Tauros, Scyther, Rotom-F, and Mr. Mime. However, they must still be wary of Sucker Punch, especially when Purugly is boosted. Sneasel can also outspeed and KO Purugly without a boost in Speed.
**Status**: Status from Pokemon such as Misdreavus or Poliwrath cripples Purugly by either making it completely useless in the case of Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp or wearing it down incredibly quickly in the case of Toxic.
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