Pokémon Cresselia

[Zneon]

Cresselia

Base Stats: 120 HP / 70 Atk / 120 Def / 75 SpA / 130 SpD / 85 Spe

Abilities: Levitate

All Moves

Level Up Moves:
[01] Confusion
[01] Double Team
[06] Mist
[12] Aurora Beam
[18] Psybeam
[24] Psycho Shift
[30] Slash
[36] Psycho Cut
[42] Moonlight
[48] Safeguard
[54] Psychic
[60] Moonblast
[64] Future Sight
[72] Lunar Dance

TMs:
[TM08] Hyper Beam
[TM09] Giga Impact
[TM11] Solar Beam
[TM14] Thunder Wave
[TM17] Light Screen
[TM18] Reflect
[TM19] Safeguard
[TM21] Rest
[TM24] Snore
[TM25] Protect
[TM27] Icy Wind
[TM31] Attract
[TM33] Rain Dance
[TM34] Sunny Day
[TM39] Facade
[TM40] Swift
[TM41] Helping Hand
[TM60] Power Swap
[TM61] Guard Swap
[TM69] Psycho Cut
[TM70] Trick Room
[TM72] Magic Room
[TM76] Round

TRs:
[TR01] Body Slam
[TR05] Ice Beam
[TR11] Psychic
[TR20] Substitute
[TR25] Psyshock
[TR26] Endure
[TR27] Sleep Talk
[TR33] Shadow Ball
[TR34] Future Sight
[TR38] Trick
[TR40] Skill Swap
[TR49] Calm Mind
[TR65] Energy Ball
[TR69] Zen Headbutt
[TR77] Grass Knot
[TR82] Stored Power
[TR83] Ally Swap

Transfer Only Moves:
Toxic
Charge Beam
Dream Eater
Fury Cutter
Gravity
Psych Up
Mud-Slap
Confide
Swagger

[Notable Moves]
Trick
Trick Room
Psychic
Ice Beam
Calm Mind
Moonblast
Lunar Dance
Moonlight
Toxic
Thunder Wave
Substitute
Light Screen
Reflect

[Pros]

• Impressive bulk, its one of the most bulky Pokemon in the game, 120 / 120 / 130 defenses is incredible and combined with Levitate and access to recovery, Cresselia can last for a very long time.
• Great support movepool, it has many supportive options such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, Trick, Trick Room and especially Lunar Dance, which is where its effectiveness lies as its able to support threatening wallbreakers that are worn down by healing them up and making them dangerous once again.

[Cons]

• Doesn't really have that much of an offensive presence other than beating Ground-types, its incredibly weak and Calm Mind takes far too long for it to become an actual threat, however the main appeal is really its good support.
• The point about a lack of an offensive presence goes into the next point, its pretty easy to take advantage of, because its simply not strong enough to threaten most of the incredibly dangerous Pokemon in the metagame, meaning they can use it for free momentum or sometimes just use it as setup fodder.
• Very hard to find a place on most teams, as a defensive Pokemon it fits itself falling short due to its other flaws.

Potential Movesets

Trick Room setter
Cresselia (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Ice Beam
- Moonlight
- Lunar Dance

I feel this is going to be its main niche once again, being a Trick Room setter. Its amazing bulk along with the fact that it threatens stuff like Zygarde, Garchomp, Landorus-I and Landorus-T with Ice Beam and especially Lunar Dance makes this an excellent and incredibly consistent Trick Room setter. Lunar Dance especially makes this an amazing Pokemon for these teams, if not an absolute staple on these teams, because of how much it accomplishes, it heals up stuff like Melmetal and Alolan Marowak mid-game or late-game to make them even more dangerous, and it gives momentum to the Trick Room user because now their Trick Room abuser now has a free switch in and can just wreak havoc on the opposing team. Overall I feel this will be its best set by far and its main niche in the metagame.

 

[Bean Man]

I don't think Cress is gonna be OU this meta. It's just too niche. I think if anything it'll be UU. Trick Room won't be widely viable until we get an ability like the terrains for trick room, it may pop up here and there but I don't expect it to be banned from UU considering its competition as a tank.

 

[kd24]

i would be using max def with a def nature over sdef. cresselia is one of the best zygarde counters and is also useful vs that grass terrain pokemon with swords dance and the priority grass move. i guess it comes down to zygarde vs landorus