Open to feedback.
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http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/359.shtml
[Overview]
<p>In all honesty, the 5th generation was very cruel to Absol. The lack of Nitro Charge is heartbreaking. Those nasty Pokemon creators merely slapped on a pointless ability, and gave the disaster Pokemon a mediocre 6 new moves. However, this doesn't mean Absol is entirely useless in this new metagame. With new tough ghosts like Desukaan and Shandera lurking at every corner, being a mono dark type with 130 base attack, the game's strongest priority move, and an enormous movepool ain't half bad. Not to mention that priority move gets STAB, plus an extra boost from the likes of Swords Dance and Claw Sharpen.</p>
[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
Move 1: Night Slash / Pursuit
Move 2: Sucker Punch
Move 3: Swords Dance
Move 4: Superpower / Psycho Cut
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
Item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Absol's amazing base 130 Attack stat, coupled with Swords Dance and the strongest priority move in the game, still makes it a devastating sweeper against those who aren't prepared. Sucker Punch helps mitigate its mediocre Speed. With it, Absol becomes a challenge to take down as Sucker Punch can severely dent or even OHKO would-be revenge killers. Superpower is a great move to pair with Sucker Punch, as it damages Steel- and Dark-type Pokémon, such as Natterei and Kirikizan, who take little damage from Absol's STAB Dark-type attacks. Night Slash allows Absol to eliminate Pokémon who try to outsmart you by refusing to attack while Absol tries to Sucker Punch, and works extremely well with Absol's Super Luck ability. Pursuit is an option for revenging Shandera, and is usually unexpected by the likes of Espeon, Alakazam, and Rankurusu.</p>
<p>In the 5th generation, Superpower is now the main choice over the previously used Psycho Cut. There are just too many new, powerful Dark/Steel types running around. Psycho Cut could be used to take out slower fighting types who don't pack Mach Punch (which almost never happens) but it's really not worth it.</p>
[OPTIONAL CHANGES]
Lum Berry can be used over Life Orb to absorb the game-crippling burn. Adamant nature is recommended over Jolly because Absol is too slow anyway, plus the extra power is too nice to let up. Absol's best move is priority anway.</p>
[SET]
Name: Choice
Move 1: Night Slash
Move 2: Superpower
Move 3: Psycho Cut / Sucker Punch
Move 4: Pursuit
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
Ability: Super Luck
Item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf makes up for Absol's mediocre Speed, boosting it to a reasonable 373 with an Adamant nature. Due to this great increase in Speed, Sucker Punch becomes a lesser option; Night Slash is a far better choice to hit almost as hard without worrying about opponents potentially using non-damaging moves. Superpower will intimidate those who resist Absol's Dark-type STAB attacks, such as Nattorei and Kirizikan (who otherwise walls Absol) while Psycho Cut eliminates Fighting-type Pokémon who also enjoy switching in on Absol's STAB attacks. Pursuit is Absol's best choice for the last slot, as it allows Absol to take out retreating Ghost- and Psychic-types.</p>
<p>Even with the boosted speed, standard EVs maxed out in speed an attack are imperative for Absol to have maximum potential. This Absol is much faster than the Swords Dancer, and hence less prone to revenge-killing, but unfortunately it is also a lot less powerful, making it much more susceptible to being walled by defensive threats. If a foe is runs a Nattorei-Burungeru core, and outpredicts Absol, than he's usually pretty useless. One of Choice Scarf Absol's main attractions is its fast STAB Pursuit, which allows it to checkmate slower, frail sweepers such as Alakazam and even Shandera, who fails to OHKO Absol with Shadow Ball/-2 Overheat. You can also use it to get rid of a weakened Blissey permanently should it attempt to flee. It is worth mentioning that Choice Scarf Absol can have some merit in the lead position, acting as an anti-lead that also has a strong presence later on in the game. With its strong STAB Night Slash, it can OHKO Azelf and counter-trap lead Shandera.</p>
<p>Choice Band allows Absol to forgo Swords Dance and hit hard right off the bat. Absol is capable of reaching a whopping 591 Attack, making it a fierce competitor. Absol should generally always run Sucker Punch as it helps support its mediocre Speed and is Absol's strongest option to deal huge amounts of damage. However, it is well worth noting that locking yourself into Sucker Punch can be a very dangerous move if the opponent out-predicts and decides not to attack. Superpower is a great secondary option as it allows Absol to deal super effective damage to Dark- and Steel-type Pokémon who resist Absol's STAB moves. Like on the Choice Scarf set, Pursuit is an excellent option to rid your team of Ghosts and special walls. In this case, it is stronger against Blissey, and therefore carries less risk in case of a misprediction. However, it cannot be used to checkmate Burungeru and Gengar the way it can with the Choice Scarf set, though it is still quite effective against them. Night Slash is a reliable attack and serves as Absol's "safe" option on this set, since all three other moves have undesirable side-effects.</p>
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[Team Options]
<p>Absol absolutely loves assistance from entry hazards, easily making 2HKOs into OHKOs. Cloyster or Skarmory are both good candidates for Spikes support, and Claydol is a nice choice for setting up Stealth Rock, since it resists Absol's Fighting-type weakness and can threaten Fighting-types with Psychic. It can also Rapid Spin, which is very helpful due to the amount of hazards are used in the 5th generation plus the residual damage from Sandstorm. If a spin blocker is needed, Burungeru makes an excellent choice. It's immune to fighting and is able to fire off Will-O-Wisps at Pokemon who would normally OHKO frail Absol.</p>
Offensively, Shandara makes a near perfect teammate to Absol. Packing Psychic, Shandera can switch in to the incoming fighting move, trap, and KO that Pokemon, and most of Absol's counters. Will-O-Wisp absorbers like Houndoom and Heatran also make good teammates, usually resulting in a free hard hitting fire attack, or a free substitute.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Claw Sharpen can be used instead of Swords Dance, however there are literally no reasons to do so. All of Absol's main set moves have 100% accuracy. The only move that could possibly benefit is Stone Edge. Razor Claw is a viable item, though getting critical hits isn't exactly a good idea of attempting to sweep. Still, Night Slash + Razor Claw + Super Luck can result in a lot of critical hits if one relies on luck to win a game, which is certainly frowned upon. </p>
[Counters]
<p>Absol is usually difficult to counter due to its immense strength and coverage, but there are several Pokemon in the game completely wall/obliterate it. Intimidate Hitmontop makes a nice counter, being able to eat Sucker Punches all day, and hit back hard, and usually fatally, with a Mach Punch or Close Combat. Roopushin also makes an excellent counter, especially after a Bulk Up. Blaziken also makes a formidable opponent as well, if it can come in on a choiced set (even though it resists, a +2 Sucker Punch still OHKOs after Stealth Rocks damage).</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Dream World was mean to poor Absol. Absol received an ability called Righteous Heart, which boosts Absol's attack +1 when hit with a Dark type move. Even though Absol resists the attack, it will NOT take it well. Absol is simply too frail to take advantage of its Dream World ability, therefore the choice should always remain Super Luck.</p>
*
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/359.shtml
[Overview]
<p>In all honesty, the 5th generation was very cruel to Absol. The lack of Nitro Charge is heartbreaking. Those nasty Pokemon creators merely slapped on a pointless ability, and gave the disaster Pokemon a mediocre 6 new moves. However, this doesn't mean Absol is entirely useless in this new metagame. With new tough ghosts like Desukaan and Shandera lurking at every corner, being a mono dark type with 130 base attack, the game's strongest priority move, and an enormous movepool ain't half bad. Not to mention that priority move gets STAB, plus an extra boost from the likes of Swords Dance and Claw Sharpen.</p>
[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
Move 1: Night Slash / Pursuit
Move 2: Sucker Punch
Move 3: Swords Dance
Move 4: Superpower / Psycho Cut
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
Item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Absol's amazing base 130 Attack stat, coupled with Swords Dance and the strongest priority move in the game, still makes it a devastating sweeper against those who aren't prepared. Sucker Punch helps mitigate its mediocre Speed. With it, Absol becomes a challenge to take down as Sucker Punch can severely dent or even OHKO would-be revenge killers. Superpower is a great move to pair with Sucker Punch, as it damages Steel- and Dark-type Pokémon, such as Natterei and Kirikizan, who take little damage from Absol's STAB Dark-type attacks. Night Slash allows Absol to eliminate Pokémon who try to outsmart you by refusing to attack while Absol tries to Sucker Punch, and works extremely well with Absol's Super Luck ability. Pursuit is an option for revenging Shandera, and is usually unexpected by the likes of Espeon, Alakazam, and Rankurusu.</p>
<p>In the 5th generation, Superpower is now the main choice over the previously used Psycho Cut. There are just too many new, powerful Dark/Steel types running around. Psycho Cut could be used to take out slower fighting types who don't pack Mach Punch (which almost never happens) but it's really not worth it.</p>
[OPTIONAL CHANGES]
Lum Berry can be used over Life Orb to absorb the game-crippling burn. Adamant nature is recommended over Jolly because Absol is too slow anyway, plus the extra power is too nice to let up. Absol's best move is priority anway.</p>
[SET]
Name: Choice
Move 1: Night Slash
Move 2: Superpower
Move 3: Psycho Cut / Sucker Punch
Move 4: Pursuit
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
Ability: Super Luck
Item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf makes up for Absol's mediocre Speed, boosting it to a reasonable 373 with an Adamant nature. Due to this great increase in Speed, Sucker Punch becomes a lesser option; Night Slash is a far better choice to hit almost as hard without worrying about opponents potentially using non-damaging moves. Superpower will intimidate those who resist Absol's Dark-type STAB attacks, such as Nattorei and Kirizikan (who otherwise walls Absol) while Psycho Cut eliminates Fighting-type Pokémon who also enjoy switching in on Absol's STAB attacks. Pursuit is Absol's best choice for the last slot, as it allows Absol to take out retreating Ghost- and Psychic-types.</p>
<p>Even with the boosted speed, standard EVs maxed out in speed an attack are imperative for Absol to have maximum potential. This Absol is much faster than the Swords Dancer, and hence less prone to revenge-killing, but unfortunately it is also a lot less powerful, making it much more susceptible to being walled by defensive threats. If a foe is runs a Nattorei-Burungeru core, and outpredicts Absol, than he's usually pretty useless. One of Choice Scarf Absol's main attractions is its fast STAB Pursuit, which allows it to checkmate slower, frail sweepers such as Alakazam and even Shandera, who fails to OHKO Absol with Shadow Ball/-2 Overheat. You can also use it to get rid of a weakened Blissey permanently should it attempt to flee. It is worth mentioning that Choice Scarf Absol can have some merit in the lead position, acting as an anti-lead that also has a strong presence later on in the game. With its strong STAB Night Slash, it can OHKO Azelf and counter-trap lead Shandera.</p>
<p>Choice Band allows Absol to forgo Swords Dance and hit hard right off the bat. Absol is capable of reaching a whopping 591 Attack, making it a fierce competitor. Absol should generally always run Sucker Punch as it helps support its mediocre Speed and is Absol's strongest option to deal huge amounts of damage. However, it is well worth noting that locking yourself into Sucker Punch can be a very dangerous move if the opponent out-predicts and decides not to attack. Superpower is a great secondary option as it allows Absol to deal super effective damage to Dark- and Steel-type Pokémon who resist Absol's STAB moves. Like on the Choice Scarf set, Pursuit is an excellent option to rid your team of Ghosts and special walls. In this case, it is stronger against Blissey, and therefore carries less risk in case of a misprediction. However, it cannot be used to checkmate Burungeru and Gengar the way it can with the Choice Scarf set, though it is still quite effective against them. Night Slash is a reliable attack and serves as Absol's "safe" option on this set, since all three other moves have undesirable side-effects.</p>
---
[Team Options]
<p>Absol absolutely loves assistance from entry hazards, easily making 2HKOs into OHKOs. Cloyster or Skarmory are both good candidates for Spikes support, and Claydol is a nice choice for setting up Stealth Rock, since it resists Absol's Fighting-type weakness and can threaten Fighting-types with Psychic. It can also Rapid Spin, which is very helpful due to the amount of hazards are used in the 5th generation plus the residual damage from Sandstorm. If a spin blocker is needed, Burungeru makes an excellent choice. It's immune to fighting and is able to fire off Will-O-Wisps at Pokemon who would normally OHKO frail Absol.</p>
Offensively, Shandara makes a near perfect teammate to Absol. Packing Psychic, Shandera can switch in to the incoming fighting move, trap, and KO that Pokemon, and most of Absol's counters. Will-O-Wisp absorbers like Houndoom and Heatran also make good teammates, usually resulting in a free hard hitting fire attack, or a free substitute.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Claw Sharpen can be used instead of Swords Dance, however there are literally no reasons to do so. All of Absol's main set moves have 100% accuracy. The only move that could possibly benefit is Stone Edge. Razor Claw is a viable item, though getting critical hits isn't exactly a good idea of attempting to sweep. Still, Night Slash + Razor Claw + Super Luck can result in a lot of critical hits if one relies on luck to win a game, which is certainly frowned upon. </p>
[Counters]
<p>Absol is usually difficult to counter due to its immense strength and coverage, but there are several Pokemon in the game completely wall/obliterate it. Intimidate Hitmontop makes a nice counter, being able to eat Sucker Punches all day, and hit back hard, and usually fatally, with a Mach Punch or Close Combat. Roopushin also makes an excellent counter, especially after a Bulk Up. Blaziken also makes a formidable opponent as well, if it can come in on a choiced set (even though it resists, a +2 Sucker Punch still OHKOs after Stealth Rocks damage).</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Dream World was mean to poor Absol. Absol received an ability called Righteous Heart, which boosts Absol's attack +1 when hit with a Dark type move. Even though Absol resists the attack, it will NOT take it well. Absol is simply too frail to take advantage of its Dream World ability, therefore the choice should always remain Super Luck.</p>
