Can't believe nobody claimed this... w/e (no ShinyAzelf, I claimed this first).
QC stamps: 2/2 [macle] [dracoyoshi8]
[Overview]
<p>In Little Cup, Bellsprout is quite the underestimated threat. It is an absolute beast with Sunny Day on the field, thanks to its ability Chlorophyll, and should be considered a premier choice as a Sunny Day sweeper. It also has a decent typing, but unfortunately suffers from poor defenses. Though its offensive movepool is poor, it gets just enough coverage for it to succeed. All in all, Bellsprout is a unique Pokémon that should be seen on every Sunny Day team.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Sunny Day Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Sleep Powder
item: Life Orb / Oran Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is the most dangerous set Bellsprout is capable of running. Thanks to its Chlorophyll ability, Bellsprout hits 28 Speed in sunlight, which allows it to tie with Timid Choice Scarf Abra. With all that Speed, Bellsprout will easily be able to put an opponent to sleep with Sleep Powder, enabling it to safely set up with Swords Dance. Not many Pokémon can withstand a +2 Seed Bomb, so most will attempt to take Bellsprout out with priority. However, Bellsprout still has a secret weapon at its disposal - Sucker Punch. Since there are essentially zero Pokémon with enough Speed to tie with Bellsprout that carry a priority attack, Bellsprout is extremely hard to revenge kill after a Swords Dance.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb boosts the power of Bellsprout's attacks, which is rather vital because Bellsprout needs as much power as it can get. However, an Oran Berry can be used for longevity, though it is an inferior option. A Jolly nature with 196 Speed EVs is also important, so Bellsprout can hit an unboosted 14 Speed, or 28 with Sunny Day in effect. Attack is also maxed out, and the remainder is put into Special Defense for equal defenses. Since Bellsprout doesn't hit 19 HP, 36 EVs are also put into HP.</p>
<p>Synthesis can be used over Sleep Powder, but the free Swords Dance is generally more important. Since this set will lose to Bronzor (although Bellsprout can cripple it with Sleep Powder), Magnemite support is great. Unfortunately, they share a glaring weakness to Fire, which is boosted in the sun. For that reason, a teammate with Flash Fire is important for the effectiveness of Bellsprout and the team. Sunny Day support is necessary, so Bellsprout can double its Speed. Diglett is a reliable lead that can set up Sunny Day. If another Sunny Day sweeper, like Oddish, has access to Sleep Powder, Return can be used over Sleep Powder to hit Houndour, a Pokemon that beats this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Sunny Day Sweeper
move 1: SolarBeam
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Weather Ball / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Sleep Powder / Synthesis
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 76 Def / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While most players think of Bellsprout as primarily a physical sweeper, its Special Attack is also a very formidable weapon. With Sunny Day in play, Bellsprout reaches a ridiculous 28 Speed, easily outpacing the unboosted metagame and most of the +1 Speed tier. SolarBeam gets STAB and fires off in one turn when Sunny Day is up, and any Pokémon that doesn't resist it will be taking heavy damage (SolarBeam even has a chance of 2HKOing Munchlax through Oran Berry if Stealth Rock is up). Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB that pairs well with Solarbeam, as it hits Grass-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Weather Ball is preferred over Hidden Power Fire in the third slot because Weather Ball's base power is boosted to 100 with Sunny Day up. Weather Ball allows Bellsprout to beat Bronzor, while Hidden Power Ice hits Hippopotas on the switch for big damage. Finally, the last move boils down to personal preference. Sleep Powder is preferred as it allows Bellsprout to put Snover and other would-be checks to sleep, but Synthesis heals 2/3 of Bellsprout's health in Sunny Day, which is nice as a way to offset the damage from Life Orb and priority attacks. A Life Orb is highly recommended since Bellsprout needs to hit as hard as possible with its attacks. A Timid nature, with 196 EVs, allows Bellsprout to hit 14 Speed, or 28 in Sunny Day. Special Attack is also maximized, and the leftover EVs net you an extra point in both Defense and Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Since this set loses badly to Munchlax, Pokémon that can quickly dispose of it help greatly. Choice Scarf Mankey and Machop can do this with ease, though they don't really see much use on a Sunny Day team. Obviously, this set requires Sunny Day support in order for it to function properly. Exeggcute is a good Sunny Day lead as it can use Sunny Day followed by Explosion. This will not only hopefully dispose of a Pokemon on your opponent's team, but also give Bellsprout a free switch-in. Ponyta is a quick lead that can set up Sunny Day, and take advantage of it with its STAB sun-boosted Flare Blitz. Munchlax is another good supporter, and can remove Snover, a threat to Sunny Day, with little trouble. In addition, Bellsprout and Munchlax have decent synergy - Bellsprout resists Fighting-type moves, while Munchlax can remove pesky Ghost-types that resist Bellsprout's STAB moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Energy Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Sleep Powder
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 200 SpA / 36 SpD / 200 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Because Bellsprout hits 21 Speed with a Choice Scarf while having impressive Special Attack, it can effectively run a Choice Scarf set. Sludge Bomb is its primary STAB, as it does decent amounts of damage to Pokémon that don't resist it, excluding Munchlax. Energy Ball is a good secondary STAB that pairs up nicely with Sludge Bomb. Hidden Power Fire is a good move to use alongside Energy Ball, as they get good coverage with each other, and Hidden Power Fire prevents Bronzor from completely walling Bellsprout. However, Hidden PowerGround can be used over HP Fire to dent grounded Poison- and Steel-types, but you lose coverage on Bronzor. Since it hits 21 Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, Bellsprout can beat out the entire unboosted metagame, including Elekid and Voltorb. Sleep Powder gets the nod in the final slot, because it has the ability to incapacitate a would-be counter (like Munchlax). Bellsprout's Special Attack and Speed are maximized, with an extra point going into HP and Special Defense, for equal defenses.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hidden Power Ice can be used in the third slot, but doesn't have many advantages over Hidden Power Fire/Ground other than hitting Gligar and Grass-types neutral to Sludge Bomb for super effective damage. Physical sweepers that can take Munchlax out of the battle are good partners. Fighting-types are usually good, but share a Psychic-type weakness with Bellsprout. While Psychic is a very uncommon attacking type, physical Fire-type Pokémon like Growlithe are nevertheless better choices. After a Flash Fire boost, these Fire-type Pokémon are essentially guaranteed to remove Bronzor with their STABs. Fire-type Pokémon also have good synergy with Bellsprout as they can absorb Fire-type attacks aimed at Bellsprout, while Bellsprout can takeWater-type attacks.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Sunny Day supporters are great for Bellsprout; more specifically, Sunny Day leads. Diglett, Munchlax, and Koffing are all decent Sunny Day leads that can get the job done. However, Munchlax is the only one that doesn't share a weakness with Bellsprout. Magnemite is another good supporter - though it probably won't be setting up Sunny Day, it can trap Bronzor, a Pokémon that only fears Weather Ball and/or Hidden Power Fire from sweeping Bellsprout. Also, other Sunny Day sweepers are helpful, because they can clean up Bellsprout's mess. Chlorophyll users, like Exeggcute and Oddish, are good but unfortunately share similar typing with Bellsprout. Finally, Fire-types are great since they take either little or no damage from Fire-type attacks, and can hit hard with their STAB moves when Sunny Day is up.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Energy Ball is a potential SolarBeam replacement on the Special Sunny Day sweeper set. Though Bellsprout would lose out on the potential 2HKO on Munchlax, it wouldn't be completely screwed over if Snover switches in. Bellsprout has access to Sunny Day, but doesn't have the room nor the bulk to use it effectively. This pretty much also goes for the rest of Bellsprout's support movepool - Encore, Reflect, Stun Spore, and Toxic are all great moves, but Bellsprout doesn't have enough bulk to use these moves well.</p>
<p>Bellsprout can also run a decent mixed Sunny Day or Choice Scarf set, to act as a decent wallbreaker, but the pure physical/special set is usually going to be better for both. It can run a potential double powder set with Sleep Powder and Stun Spore, but again, doesn't have the bulk (or Speed) to use it well. Bellsprout also gets Giga Drain, but the extra power from Energy Ball is preferred.</p>
[Counters]
<p>As far as counters go, Snover is probably one of the best. As long as it avoids Sludge Bomb on the switch, Snover can smack Bellsprout with a Blizzard. In addition, Snover ends Sunny Day and kicks up hail thanks to its Snow Warning ability, bringing Bellsprout's Speed back down to 14. Hippopotas also ends Sunny Day, but must switch out immediately if it switches into SolarBeam. Gastly beats the special sets if Sleep Powder misses, and even the physical set with some prediction. Mankey is immune to Sleep Powder, and OHKOes Bellsprout with Ice Punch. Choice Scarf Magby and Gligar can both Speed tie Bellsprout in the sun and KO (if they win the tie) with their STABs.</p>
<p>The best way to beat the physical set is to allow one of your Pokémon to absorb Sleep Powder, and then send in a Bronzor. Aron is also a great answer to physical Bellsprout, as it can set up with Rock Polish and OHKO with Head Smash.</p>
QC stamps: 2/2 [macle] [dracoyoshi8]
[Overview]
<p>In Little Cup, Bellsprout is quite the underestimated threat. It is an absolute beast with Sunny Day on the field, thanks to its ability Chlorophyll, and should be considered a premier choice as a Sunny Day sweeper. It also has a decent typing, but unfortunately suffers from poor defenses. Though its offensive movepool is poor, it gets just enough coverage for it to succeed. All in all, Bellsprout is a unique Pokémon that should be seen on every Sunny Day team.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Sunny Day Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Sleep Powder
item: Life Orb / Oran Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is the most dangerous set Bellsprout is capable of running. Thanks to its Chlorophyll ability, Bellsprout hits 28 Speed in sunlight, which allows it to tie with Timid Choice Scarf Abra. With all that Speed, Bellsprout will easily be able to put an opponent to sleep with Sleep Powder, enabling it to safely set up with Swords Dance. Not many Pokémon can withstand a +2 Seed Bomb, so most will attempt to take Bellsprout out with priority. However, Bellsprout still has a secret weapon at its disposal - Sucker Punch. Since there are essentially zero Pokémon with enough Speed to tie with Bellsprout that carry a priority attack, Bellsprout is extremely hard to revenge kill after a Swords Dance.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb boosts the power of Bellsprout's attacks, which is rather vital because Bellsprout needs as much power as it can get. However, an Oran Berry can be used for longevity, though it is an inferior option. A Jolly nature with 196 Speed EVs is also important, so Bellsprout can hit an unboosted 14 Speed, or 28 with Sunny Day in effect. Attack is also maxed out, and the remainder is put into Special Defense for equal defenses. Since Bellsprout doesn't hit 19 HP, 36 EVs are also put into HP.</p>
<p>Synthesis can be used over Sleep Powder, but the free Swords Dance is generally more important. Since this set will lose to Bronzor (although Bellsprout can cripple it with Sleep Powder), Magnemite support is great. Unfortunately, they share a glaring weakness to Fire, which is boosted in the sun. For that reason, a teammate with Flash Fire is important for the effectiveness of Bellsprout and the team. Sunny Day support is necessary, so Bellsprout can double its Speed. Diglett is a reliable lead that can set up Sunny Day. If another Sunny Day sweeper, like Oddish, has access to Sleep Powder, Return can be used over Sleep Powder to hit Houndour, a Pokemon that beats this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Sunny Day Sweeper
move 1: SolarBeam
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Weather Ball / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Sleep Powder / Synthesis
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 76 Def / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While most players think of Bellsprout as primarily a physical sweeper, its Special Attack is also a very formidable weapon. With Sunny Day in play, Bellsprout reaches a ridiculous 28 Speed, easily outpacing the unboosted metagame and most of the +1 Speed tier. SolarBeam gets STAB and fires off in one turn when Sunny Day is up, and any Pokémon that doesn't resist it will be taking heavy damage (SolarBeam even has a chance of 2HKOing Munchlax through Oran Berry if Stealth Rock is up). Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB that pairs well with Solarbeam, as it hits Grass-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Weather Ball is preferred over Hidden Power Fire in the third slot because Weather Ball's base power is boosted to 100 with Sunny Day up. Weather Ball allows Bellsprout to beat Bronzor, while Hidden Power Ice hits Hippopotas on the switch for big damage. Finally, the last move boils down to personal preference. Sleep Powder is preferred as it allows Bellsprout to put Snover and other would-be checks to sleep, but Synthesis heals 2/3 of Bellsprout's health in Sunny Day, which is nice as a way to offset the damage from Life Orb and priority attacks. A Life Orb is highly recommended since Bellsprout needs to hit as hard as possible with its attacks. A Timid nature, with 196 EVs, allows Bellsprout to hit 14 Speed, or 28 in Sunny Day. Special Attack is also maximized, and the leftover EVs net you an extra point in both Defense and Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Since this set loses badly to Munchlax, Pokémon that can quickly dispose of it help greatly. Choice Scarf Mankey and Machop can do this with ease, though they don't really see much use on a Sunny Day team. Obviously, this set requires Sunny Day support in order for it to function properly. Exeggcute is a good Sunny Day lead as it can use Sunny Day followed by Explosion. This will not only hopefully dispose of a Pokemon on your opponent's team, but also give Bellsprout a free switch-in. Ponyta is a quick lead that can set up Sunny Day, and take advantage of it with its STAB sun-boosted Flare Blitz. Munchlax is another good supporter, and can remove Snover, a threat to Sunny Day, with little trouble. In addition, Bellsprout and Munchlax have decent synergy - Bellsprout resists Fighting-type moves, while Munchlax can remove pesky Ghost-types that resist Bellsprout's STAB moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Energy Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Sleep Powder
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 200 SpA / 36 SpD / 200 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Because Bellsprout hits 21 Speed with a Choice Scarf while having impressive Special Attack, it can effectively run a Choice Scarf set. Sludge Bomb is its primary STAB, as it does decent amounts of damage to Pokémon that don't resist it, excluding Munchlax. Energy Ball is a good secondary STAB that pairs up nicely with Sludge Bomb. Hidden Power Fire is a good move to use alongside Energy Ball, as they get good coverage with each other, and Hidden Power Fire prevents Bronzor from completely walling Bellsprout. However, Hidden PowerGround can be used over HP Fire to dent grounded Poison- and Steel-types, but you lose coverage on Bronzor. Since it hits 21 Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, Bellsprout can beat out the entire unboosted metagame, including Elekid and Voltorb. Sleep Powder gets the nod in the final slot, because it has the ability to incapacitate a would-be counter (like Munchlax). Bellsprout's Special Attack and Speed are maximized, with an extra point going into HP and Special Defense, for equal defenses.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hidden Power Ice can be used in the third slot, but doesn't have many advantages over Hidden Power Fire/Ground other than hitting Gligar and Grass-types neutral to Sludge Bomb for super effective damage. Physical sweepers that can take Munchlax out of the battle are good partners. Fighting-types are usually good, but share a Psychic-type weakness with Bellsprout. While Psychic is a very uncommon attacking type, physical Fire-type Pokémon like Growlithe are nevertheless better choices. After a Flash Fire boost, these Fire-type Pokémon are essentially guaranteed to remove Bronzor with their STABs. Fire-type Pokémon also have good synergy with Bellsprout as they can absorb Fire-type attacks aimed at Bellsprout, while Bellsprout can takeWater-type attacks.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Sunny Day supporters are great for Bellsprout; more specifically, Sunny Day leads. Diglett, Munchlax, and Koffing are all decent Sunny Day leads that can get the job done. However, Munchlax is the only one that doesn't share a weakness with Bellsprout. Magnemite is another good supporter - though it probably won't be setting up Sunny Day, it can trap Bronzor, a Pokémon that only fears Weather Ball and/or Hidden Power Fire from sweeping Bellsprout. Also, other Sunny Day sweepers are helpful, because they can clean up Bellsprout's mess. Chlorophyll users, like Exeggcute and Oddish, are good but unfortunately share similar typing with Bellsprout. Finally, Fire-types are great since they take either little or no damage from Fire-type attacks, and can hit hard with their STAB moves when Sunny Day is up.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Energy Ball is a potential SolarBeam replacement on the Special Sunny Day sweeper set. Though Bellsprout would lose out on the potential 2HKO on Munchlax, it wouldn't be completely screwed over if Snover switches in. Bellsprout has access to Sunny Day, but doesn't have the room nor the bulk to use it effectively. This pretty much also goes for the rest of Bellsprout's support movepool - Encore, Reflect, Stun Spore, and Toxic are all great moves, but Bellsprout doesn't have enough bulk to use these moves well.</p>
<p>Bellsprout can also run a decent mixed Sunny Day or Choice Scarf set, to act as a decent wallbreaker, but the pure physical/special set is usually going to be better for both. It can run a potential double powder set with Sleep Powder and Stun Spore, but again, doesn't have the bulk (or Speed) to use it well. Bellsprout also gets Giga Drain, but the extra power from Energy Ball is preferred.</p>
[Counters]
<p>As far as counters go, Snover is probably one of the best. As long as it avoids Sludge Bomb on the switch, Snover can smack Bellsprout with a Blizzard. In addition, Snover ends Sunny Day and kicks up hail thanks to its Snow Warning ability, bringing Bellsprout's Speed back down to 14. Hippopotas also ends Sunny Day, but must switch out immediately if it switches into SolarBeam. Gastly beats the special sets if Sleep Powder misses, and even the physical set with some prediction. Mankey is immune to Sleep Powder, and OHKOes Bellsprout with Ice Punch. Choice Scarf Magby and Gligar can both Speed tie Bellsprout in the sun and KO (if they win the tie) with their STABs.</p>
<p>The best way to beat the physical set is to allow one of your Pokémon to absorb Sleep Powder, and then send in a Bronzor. Aron is also a great answer to physical Bellsprout, as it can set up with Rock Polish and OHKO with Head Smash.</p>
