Overview
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Bellsprout has resumed its role of fast and frail Chlorophyll sweeper in Little Cup. There are bulkier Chlorophyll Pokemon such as Exeggcute and Oddish, but they lack some key offensive elements. Growth and Weather Ball make a Special Attack-based Bellsprout more threatening while Power Whip and Sucker Punch gives the physical set viability.
Sun Sweeper (Special)
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name: Sun Sweeper (Special)
move 1: Solar Beam / Giga Drain
move 2: Sleep Powder
move 3: Weather Ball
move 4: Growth / Sludge Bomb
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Life Orb / Eviolite
evs: 116 HP / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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name: Sun Sweeper (Physical)
move 1: Power Whip
move 2: Knock Off / Sucker Punch
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 4: Swords Dance
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Life Orb
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Checks & Counters
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Bellsprout has resumed its role of fast and frail Chlorophyll sweeper in Little Cup. There are bulkier Chlorophyll Pokemon such as Exeggcute and Oddish, but they lack some key offensive elements. Growth and Weather Ball make a Special Attack-based Bellsprout more threatening while Power Whip and Sucker Punch gives the physical set viability.
Sun Sweeper (Special)
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name: Sun Sweeper (Special)
move 1: Solar Beam / Giga Drain
move 2: Sleep Powder
move 3: Weather Ball
move 4: Growth / Sludge Bomb
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Life Orb / Eviolite
evs: 116 HP / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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- Solar Beam hits very hard and has 0 charge time due to Sun. It is Bellsprout's main STAB move. Giga Drain can be used in this slot to exploit Eviolite's bulk along with Growth.
- Sleep Powder is very important as a means of bypassing certain counters and easing prediction.
- Weather Ball is a very strong Fire-type coverage move in the Sun, which allows Bellsprout to hit Steel-types, Grass-types and other Grass-resists.
- Sludge Bomb is a useful secondary STAB which does not rely as much on Sun but hits opposing Grass-types very hard. It will also handle most bulky fairies.
- Growth is a risky move to use on a frail Pokemon such as Bellsprout, but the reward is very high for pulling it off. Sleep Powder makes it much easier to pull it off as well. It is far easier to use with Eviolite and Giga Drain to keep Bellsprout alive.
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- EVs are standard Max SpA / Max Spe with leftover EVs in HP so that it can get an extra Life Orb attack.
- Life Orb is for power and gives clean KOes on many Pokemon that Eviolite does not.
- Eviolite lets Bellsprout actually tank certain hits and set up Growth, which makes it a very dangerous Pokemon to deal with. Combined with Giga Drain, the combo is quite hard to take down even with priority attacks.
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- Bellsprout should only be used as a switch-in very sparingly due to its weak defenses. It has immense offensive upside if it can come in on a weak Grass-type attack or status besides paralysis.
- Once brought in, if Bellsprout is OHKOed by the opposing Pokemon, it would need to OHKO the opponent or use Sleep Powder to ease prediction. If the opponent switches, Sleep Powder will give a free turn for Bellsprout to set up Growth and OHKO just about anything in the metagame with Solar Beam. If it can survive an attack (likely due to Eviolite), it can freely set up Growth and Giga Drain its HP back.
- Sleep Powder also functions as a means of escaping on the last turn of Sun.
- Even though Bellsprout has wall-breaking capabilities with Growth, it is best used as a cleaner late game, when Pokemon are weak enough to be KOed by Solar Beam.
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- Any Pokemon that can set up an extended amount of Sunny Day is perfect. Vulpix with Drought is the most obvious choice.
- Things that can Knock Off Eviolites really help Bellsprout clean late game. Gligar works for this because it draws in water-types for Bellsprout to use its very limited switch-in potential. Pawniard also has good type synergy with Bellsprout.
- Bellsprout requires a Fletchling counter because it will be forced out. Tyrunt works quite well on a Sun-based team due to Fire Fang receiving a boost, while Pawniard and Archen also work.
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name: Sun Sweeper (Physical)
move 1: Power Whip
move 2: Knock Off / Sucker Punch
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 4: Swords Dance
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Life Orb
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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- Power Whip is Bellsprout's STAB attack that does the most damage.
- Knock Off is an excellent coverage move since Dark-type attacks can hit Steel-types neutrally as well as dealing with any priority users. Priority in Sucker Punch lets you do more damage out of sun, and limits revenge killers.
- Sleep Powder eases prediction and gives Bellsprout a chance to set up.
- Swords Dance can be used on extra turns from switches and Sleep Powder to blow by more physically defensive Pokemon.
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- Standard sweeper EVs.
- Weather Ball is an option due to the Sun with Growth over Swords Dance, a Naughty nature, and the SpD EVs moved to SpA. Bellsprout can more easily deal with Pawniard who resists Sucker Punch.
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- Bellsprout should be brought in on something it can force out or KO so that it gives the option to force a switch.
- Once something is slept, it can set up Growth and proceed to sweep with Seed Bomb.
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- Sunny Day or Drought are necessary, but less-so for this set since it does not rely on Solar Beam.
- Knock Offs to remove Eviolite allow for an easier sweep.
- Without Sucker Punch, this Bellsprout also needs a Fletchling counter.
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- Bellsprout can function out of the Sun with a Swords Dance set, but many other Pokemon do this better.
- It is fast enough to run a Choice Scarf set as well.
Checks & Counters
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- Munchlax with Sleep Talk is probably the most effective counter for Bellsprout since it can take an attack and KO back.
- Snover will ruin any Bellsprout without Sluge Bomb because it takes away the Speed, Solar Beam, and Weather Ball turns Ice-type.
- Vullaby has high SpD and can tank any unboosted hit and KO back.
- Fletchling OHKOes with priority Acrobatics.
- Grimer and other Poison-types that are bulky are also effective counters, they just need to avoid Sleep Powder otherwise a +2 Weather Ball will hurt.
- Dragon-types resist almost all of Bellsprouts attacks, Dratini is probably the better option, having two abilities that deal with Sleep Powder. Sap Sipper Goomy also walls variants with only Weather Ball as coverage.
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