Choice Scarf (Tapu Lele) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Future Sight
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast / Psychic
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Choice Scarf allows Tapu Lele to bypass its middling Speed tier while still remaining very threatening due to its excellent STAB moves, useful coverage in Focus Blast, and great ability in Psychic Surge. Future Sight supports most physical attackers that Tapu Lele is paired with, notably overwhelming would-be defensive answers to Pokemon like Weavile and Urshifu-R, letting them 2HKO checks like Corviknight and Clefable with Triple Axel and Surging Strikes, respectively. Psyshock cuts through specially bulky Pokemon like Blissey, Galarian Slowking, and Gastrodon by taking advantage of their weaker Defense stat. Focus Blast allows Tapu Lele to deal significant damage to Steel-types like Melmetal, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that would otherwise completely wall it. Psychic can be used over Focus Blast as an alternative cleaning option, since it has higher power than Psyshock and hits specially, giving Tapu Lele the option to hit physically defensive targets like utility Zapdos and Clefable; however, this gives Tapu Lele a harder time against bulky Steel-types like Ferrothorn. A Modest nature is preferred to give Tapu Lele an important power boost against targets like Blissey and specially defensive Heatran, having a favorable chance to 2HKO them with Psyshock and Focus Blast, respectively, but a Timid nature can be used to hit certain benchmarks like outspeeding +2 Adamant Blaziken and Choice Scarf Tapu Fini.
Team Options
========
This set fits best on offense teams, providing them with solid Speed control and offensive support with Psychic Surge-boosted Future Sight. Weavile and Urshifu-R make for great partners as Future Sight can shut down their common switch-ins, but various other physical attackers like Melmetal, Kartana, Victini, and Rillaboom appreciate Future Sight hitting physically defensive Pokemon like Skarmory, Toxapex, and Buzzwole. The benefits of Future Sight are not limited to physical attackers, however, as special attackers like Choice Specs Dragapult and Volcanion appreciate Future Sight assisting them in chipping down special walls like Gastrodon and Blissey. Fast sweepers like Dragon Dance Dragapult and Swords Dance + Scale Shot Garchomp are emboldened by Psychic Terrain blocking priority moves like Weavile's Ice Shard. Offensive pivots like Dragapult and Urshifu-R can force switches in order to bring in Tapu Lele, and slow pivots like Slowbro and Landorus-T can take a hit first before using U-turn or Teleport to get Tapu Lele in safely, both of which are helpful due to its unimpressive bulk. Magnezone can forcibly remove Steel-type checks to Tapu Lele like Corviknight and Ferrothorn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
On rain teams, Choice Specs Tapu Lele can use Thunder to take advantage of its perfect accuracy to punish Corviknight and Skarmory hard. Outside of rain teams, Tapu Lele can use Thunderbolt to hit these Pokemon, though Choice Scarf Tapu Lele fails to consistently 2HKO Corviknight. Aromatherapy can be used on Choice Scarf sets to revitalize statused teammates, like Weavile or Urshifu-R burned by Flame Body or paralyzed by Static, giving them a second wind and punishing opponents that trade chip damage on their Pokemon for status on Tapu Lele's key teammates. Rocky Helmet can be used on the Calm Mind set to punish contact moves like U-turn, specifically multi-hit moves like Triple Axel and Surging Strikes. Choice Scarf Tapu Lele can drop Future Sight for a different move like Psychic or Thunderbolt if a teammate like Slowbro already has Future Sight.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Steel-types resist Tapu Lele's STAB moves and are only threatened by the inconsistent Focus Blast, which often requires prediction that is made even more unfavorable by its shaky accuracy. Melmetal is a great example due to its excellent HP stat that, when paired with significant Special Defense investment, allows it to absorb Tapu Lele's STAB attacks and even take Focus Blast, threatening Tapu Lele back with an OHKO with Double Iron Bash. Other Steel-types like Heatran, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, and Aegislash can serve as solid checks or counters to Tapu Lele using their typing and bulk, with the last two not needing to worry about a super effective Focus Blast. However, with the exception of Jirachi, these Pokemon do not have reliable recovery and can be prone to getting chipped down over time. Corviknight can be used to check Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and scout out attacks from Choice Specs Tapu Lele, but it takes a significant amount from Choice Specs Focus Blast and can't handle Thunderbolt and Thunder variants.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster threats like Dragapult, Blacephalon, Kartana, Weavile, and Garchomp can force out Tapu Lele with ease if they are able to get in safely, and due to Tapu Lele's average Speed and poor physical bulk, there are many Pokemon within the metagame that fit this description. However, an unrevealed Choice Scarf Tapu Lele can flip the script for a surprise KO if proper caution isn't exercised by the opponent.
**Psychic-types**: Victini is a superb Tapu Lele answer, resisting both of its STAB moves and Focus Blast and threatening it with V-create in return. Slowking can scout a Choice item Tapu Lele's move, resisting Tapu Lele's more spammable Psychic-type attacks and stomaching Moonblast and healing the damage off with Regenerator. However, Tapu Lele can use Shadow Ball to deal significant damage to these Pokemon, 2HKOing both.
**Status**: Stall teams can accomplish the near-impossible feat of playing around Calm Mind and Choice Specs Tapu Lele once it is put on a timer with Toxic. Additionally, once paralyzed, Tapu Lele becomes much easier to play around with defensive checks like Corviknight, which can now use Roost first to shed its Flying typing against Tapu Lele packing Electric-type coverage, and Heatran and Ferrothorn, which appreciate the increased unlikeliness of Focus Blast hitting and that Heatran can outspeed and hit first.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tysonslayer.349443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Future Sight
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast / Psychic
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Choice Scarf allows Tapu Lele to bypass its middling Speed tier while still remaining very threatening due to its excellent STAB moves, useful coverage in Focus Blast, and great ability in Psychic Surge. Future Sight supports most physical attackers that Tapu Lele is paired with, notably overwhelming would-be defensive answers to Pokemon like Weavile and Urshifu-R, letting them 2HKO checks like Corviknight and Clefable with Triple Axel and Surging Strikes, respectively. Psyshock cuts through specially bulky Pokemon like Blissey, Galarian Slowking, and Gastrodon by taking advantage of their weaker Defense stat. Focus Blast allows Tapu Lele to deal significant damage to Steel-types like Melmetal, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that would otherwise completely wall it. Psychic can be used over Focus Blast as an alternative cleaning option, since it has higher power than Psyshock and hits specially, giving Tapu Lele the option to hit physically defensive targets like utility Zapdos and Clefable; however, this gives Tapu Lele a harder time against bulky Steel-types like Ferrothorn. A Modest nature is preferred to give Tapu Lele an important power boost against targets like Blissey and specially defensive Heatran, having a favorable chance to 2HKO them with Psyshock and Focus Blast, respectively, but a Timid nature can be used to hit certain benchmarks like outspeeding +2 Adamant Blaziken and Choice Scarf Tapu Fini.
Team Options
========
This set fits best on offense teams, providing them with solid Speed control and offensive support with Psychic Surge-boosted Future Sight. Weavile and Urshifu-R make for great partners as Future Sight can shut down their common switch-ins, but various other physical attackers like Melmetal, Kartana, Victini, and Rillaboom appreciate Future Sight hitting physically defensive Pokemon like Skarmory, Toxapex, and Buzzwole. The benefits of Future Sight are not limited to physical attackers, however, as special attackers like Choice Specs Dragapult and Volcanion appreciate Future Sight assisting them in chipping down special walls like Gastrodon and Blissey. Fast sweepers like Dragon Dance Dragapult and Swords Dance + Scale Shot Garchomp are emboldened by Psychic Terrain blocking priority moves like Weavile's Ice Shard. Offensive pivots like Dragapult and Urshifu-R can force switches in order to bring in Tapu Lele, and slow pivots like Slowbro and Landorus-T can take a hit first before using U-turn or Teleport to get Tapu Lele in safely, both of which are helpful due to its unimpressive bulk. Magnezone can forcibly remove Steel-type checks to Tapu Lele like Corviknight and Ferrothorn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
On rain teams, Choice Specs Tapu Lele can use Thunder to take advantage of its perfect accuracy to punish Corviknight and Skarmory hard. Outside of rain teams, Tapu Lele can use Thunderbolt to hit these Pokemon, though Choice Scarf Tapu Lele fails to consistently 2HKO Corviknight. Aromatherapy can be used on Choice Scarf sets to revitalize statused teammates, like Weavile or Urshifu-R burned by Flame Body or paralyzed by Static, giving them a second wind and punishing opponents that trade chip damage on their Pokemon for status on Tapu Lele's key teammates. Rocky Helmet can be used on the Calm Mind set to punish contact moves like U-turn, specifically multi-hit moves like Triple Axel and Surging Strikes. Choice Scarf Tapu Lele can drop Future Sight for a different move like Psychic or Thunderbolt if a teammate like Slowbro already has Future Sight.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Steel-types resist Tapu Lele's STAB moves and are only threatened by the inconsistent Focus Blast, which often requires prediction that is made even more unfavorable by its shaky accuracy. Melmetal is a great example due to its excellent HP stat that, when paired with significant Special Defense investment, allows it to absorb Tapu Lele's STAB attacks and even take Focus Blast, threatening Tapu Lele back with an OHKO with Double Iron Bash. Other Steel-types like Heatran, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, and Aegislash can serve as solid checks or counters to Tapu Lele using their typing and bulk, with the last two not needing to worry about a super effective Focus Blast. However, with the exception of Jirachi, these Pokemon do not have reliable recovery and can be prone to getting chipped down over time. Corviknight can be used to check Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and scout out attacks from Choice Specs Tapu Lele, but it takes a significant amount from Choice Specs Focus Blast and can't handle Thunderbolt and Thunder variants.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster threats like Dragapult, Blacephalon, Kartana, Weavile, and Garchomp can force out Tapu Lele with ease if they are able to get in safely, and due to Tapu Lele's average Speed and poor physical bulk, there are many Pokemon within the metagame that fit this description. However, an unrevealed Choice Scarf Tapu Lele can flip the script for a surprise KO if proper caution isn't exercised by the opponent.
**Psychic-types**: Victini is a superb Tapu Lele answer, resisting both of its STAB moves and Focus Blast and threatening it with V-create in return. Slowking can scout a Choice item Tapu Lele's move, resisting Tapu Lele's more spammable Psychic-type attacks and stomaching Moonblast and healing the damage off with Regenerator. However, Tapu Lele can use Shadow Ball to deal significant damage to these Pokemon, 2HKOing both.
**Status**: Stall teams can accomplish the near-impossible feat of playing around Calm Mind and Choice Specs Tapu Lele once it is put on a timer with Toxic. Additionally, once paralyzed, Tapu Lele becomes much easier to play around with defensive checks like Corviknight, which can now use Roost first to shed its Flying typing against Tapu Lele packing Electric-type coverage, and Heatran and Ferrothorn, which appreciate the increased unlikeliness of Focus Blast hitting and that Heatran can outspeed and hit first.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tysonslayer.349443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Last edited:
