I'm so hipster, I use this thing too much. But anyways, top priority Pokemon.
Status: Done
QC Approvals (3/3): (jc104) (Pocket) (harsha)
GP Approvals (3/2): (GatoDelFuego) (Steven Snype) (Poppy + Sandshrewz)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought I'd be the center of gender jokes or something, but apparently not
[Overview]
<p>Gothitelle has become a hundred times more useful since the introduction of his newest and most prized ability, Shadow Tag, but at the horrifying expense of femininity—in a bizarre twist of fate, the only legal Shadow Tag Gothitelle are male. His modest base stats, apart from a high Special Defense, might indicate that he isn't exactly cut out for using Shadow Tag effectively; however, he still has just enough to fulfill a trapping role.</p>
<p>Gothitelle is arguably the most versatile and flexible of the available trappers in OU. Unlike Dugtrio and Magnezone, Gothitelle isn't limited to trapping a certain group of threats; moreover, his decent movepool far surpasses the eight moves available to the only other viable Shadow Tag user: Wobbuffet. Additionally, Gothitelle's attacking movepool enables him to hit a wider range of threats super effectively, making him a more flexible fit on any team. Unfortunately, being a bad Psychic-type with a good ability, Gothitelle is also cursed with crippling downfalls. Pure Psychic typing does not really do him favors offensively or defensively, while his average stats still threaten to slow his team's momentum down. Despite these downfalls, Gothitelle is the one thing that can make sure his fellow sweepers wreak havoc without a hitch. After all, this funny concept of a Pokemon was banned from UU for a reason.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire / Signal Beam
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gothitelle and Choice Specs go together like peanut butter and jelly, as Choice Specs boosts Gothitelle's attacking power just to KO nearly any threat he comes across. However, the main reason for using this isn't just merely for power, but to also take advantage of Shadow Tag. The battle plan is simple; Gothitelle should switch into any potential threat to his team and use the appropriate move to quickly discard or cripple the intended target. Ideally, Gothitelle should have been able to eliminate or weaken any threat necessary before fainting so his teammates are able to clean up or sweep with little problems afterward.</p>
<p>The first slot is reserved for Gothitelle's chosen STAB move. Psychic is the preferred out of the two due to its higher base power and ability to hit physical walls hard without other coverage moves. Psyshock, on the other hand, enables Gothitelle to KO many specially defensive threats, such as Blissey, Terrakion in Sandstorm, and Virizion, without faltering or using Trick too early. However, its benefit only really applies to offensive threats similar to Terrakion and Virizion, since Gothitelle can simply use Trick to cripple walls like Blissey. Thunderbolt grants decent coverage with Psychic-type STAB and provides a reliable way to dispose of Water-types and Skarmory.<p>
<p>Finally, the third attacking move depends on the specific targets Gothitelle's team needs eliminated. Hidden Power Ice removes Gliscor, as well as other Ground- or Flying-type walls, and provides good coverage alongside Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Fire hurts Scizor and Ferrothorn amongst other Steel-types, though keep in mind that Gothitelle isn't necessarily a good switch-in or answer to either of them. If you need Gothitelle to handle Celebi, which can trouble rain teams and take other attacks with ease, as well as other Psychic- or Dark-types, use Signal Beam instead.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Simply maximizing Speed and Special Attack with a Timid nature is recommended when using this set. Although it may seem odd to invest in Gothitelle's low Speed, outrunning key threats such as defensive Jirachi, Adamant Breloom, and Timid Magnezone is very essential to his success. If more power or bulk is desired, you may instead consider a Modest nature and lower the speed EVs to outrun a specific set of defensive threats. A good benchmark is 44 Speed, which puts Gothitelle just ahead of uninvested base 70 Pokemon including Politoed and Skarmory, in addition to the occasional Quiet Dragonite.</p>
<p>There are many possible attacking options that Gothitelle can use, depending on which threats his teammates have the most trouble with. Grass Knot can hit both Tyranitar and bulky Water-types hard, enabling Gothitelle to choose a more desirable Hidden Power. Grass Knot, unlike Hidden Power Ice, can also cleanly OHKO Hippowdon. As far as alternative Hidden Powers are concerned, Hidden Power Fighting is Gothitelle's best weapon against Tyranitar and hits a number of Steel-types at least neutrally, but offers subpar coverage at best. Hidden Power Ground damages Heatran specifically and covers little else besides Jirachi under the rain. It is not advised to replace Trick with a coverage move, as the ability to lock a defensive Pokemon into one move for the rest of the match is extremely valuable.</p>
<p>Obviously enough, teams that have trouble dealing with a particular threat strongly appreciate Gothitelle's unique capabilities. The possibilities—in terms of teammates and team strategies—are numerous. For instance, Fighting-types generally have issues getting past specific defensive threats if they lack either the power or the correct coverage move. Among these Fighting-types, Swords Dance Lucario is perhaps the most tragic example, as it is walled by Jellicent and Slowbro if it lacks Crunch, and Gliscor if it lacks Ice Punch. Gothitelle, however, can decimate these threats with a simple Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice (given his speed, he is more adept at eliminating the former two), giving Lucario an essential win condition if other counters are taken care of. Gothitelle also pairs well with entry hazard users, such as Skarmory and Forretress, because he can take out the most common Rapid Spin users—Starmie, Tentacruel, and Forretress—in a hit or two. Being a supporting attacker, Gothitelle himself does not need much support; however, he has peculiar synergy with U-turn or Volt Switch users, especially Scizor, Rotom-W, and Genesect. Using either of these moves eases prediction, maintains offensive momentum, and enables Gothitelle to switch into his intended target. The three aforementioned Pokemon also tend to lure in counters that can be beaten by Gothitelle, so this is a strategy all Gothitelle users should keep in mind.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Wielding a Choice Scarf not only makes Gothitelle even more fashionably fabulous, but it also allows him to be a faster, and arguably more offensively efficient, trapper. Much like Choice Scarf Tyranitar and Scizor, this Gothitelle can trap and revenge kill most threats needed without taking unnecessary damage from faster and more powerful foes. The icing on the cake is Trick, which, in combination with Shadow Tag and Choice Scarf, can instantly turn most defensive Pokemon into liabilities for the opposing team. Keep in mind, however, that Gothitelle's average Special Attack and Speed limits this set a bit, and is thus restricted to attacking most unboosted threats not holding a Choice Scarf of their own, which covers anything as fast as Tornadus-T and slower.</p>
<p>Because this set lacks the power of the Choice Specs set, one might find Psyshock more beneficial than Psychic overall, as Psyshock is Gothitelle's strongest option against Tentacruel, Terrakion in sandstorm, Calm Mind Keldeo, and Virizion. Even against physical walls such as Gliscor and Hippowdon, Psychic lacks the power to even 2HKO, but it can still be used for the minor increase in power. Thunderbolt is more valuable than ever, enabling Gothitelle to revenge kill Tornadus-T and Starmie effortlessly among other faster Water- or Flying-types. The third attack again depends on which threats Gothitelle must hit. Hidden Power Ice is more useful on this set, as it grants neutral coverage in addition to fast and easy KOs against the likes of Gliscor, both Landorus formes, unboosted Dragonite, and unboosted Salamence. If Forretress, Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Genesect (that aren't locked into a Bug-type move) prove to be troublesome, Gothitelle can use Hidden Power Fire at the cost of coverage and a perfect Speed IV.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximized Special Attack and Speed, along with a Timid nature, ensures that Gothitelle can revenge kill as many threats as possible, placing him just ahead of max Speed Tornadus-T by a single point. If Gothitelle uses Hidden Power Fire it is still advised to maximize Speed, as he can still outrun positive base 120 threats, and possibly win the Speed tie against Tornadus-T. As far as other moves are concerned, Grass Knot is a notable option as Gothitelle's strongest option against Hippowdon, Gastrodon, and Jellicent. Signal Beam can still be used to get the jump on Celebi, Latios, and other Psychic-types. The other Hidden Powers types mentioned in the Choice Specs set are near useless here, as Gothitelle now lacks the power necessary to break through Heatran, Tyranitar, and many others. At the end of the barren barrel of options, Gothitelle can replace his least important coverage move with Thunder Wave, enabling it to cripple foes he can't kill in dangerous situations.</p>
<p>Despite investment in his Special Attack, Choice Scarf Gothitelle is still slightly weak offensively; in fact, without entry hazards up, he finds himself unable to cleanly OHKO Timid Tornadus-T. Therefore, setting up entry hazards early in the game would help him greatly in obtaining as many quick KOs as possible. And given that Gothitelle can fit on multiple types of teams, and the ubiquity of entry hazards, entry hazard support is usually present. Additionally, teammates with U-turn or Volt Switch are still beneficial, as they can scout and damage incoming switch-ins to gain momentum and prepare for a successful trap-and-kill.</p>
<p>On stall or most other defensively oriented teams, Gothitelle can be used to eliminate Tentacruel and Starmie, which are among the most common spinners. After a significant amount of entry hazards have been laid out, Gothitelle can trap and possibly overwhelm the opposing team. On more offensively minded teams, Gothitelle is once again a Fighting-type's best friend; as Terrakion, Lucario, and other similar attackers generally have problems with Gliscor and other walls, Gothitelle can be relied on to eliminate or cripple them with Trick. It should be noted that because of the Speed increase, Gothitelle with Hidden Power Ice is a more reliable check against the usually faster Gliscor.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Rest
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Fire / Reflect
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gothitelle's disappointingly low Speed, lack of recovery, and pure Psychic typing might make him seem like an unviable Calm Mind user in OU. However, as with all sets, the main reason to use Calm Mind Gothitelle is because of his ability to trap and dispatch any foe you find necessary. Unlike other Calm Mind users, Gothitelle can set up a large amount of boosts with impunity without fear of being unexpectedly Tricked or being forced to switch out—problems that other defensive Calm Mind users detest. Gothitelle can therefore freely set up on and discard either defensive or Choice-locked threats, then proceed on to a possible sweep.</p>
<p>Psyshock is a required move on this set due to Gothitelle's tendency to struggle in Calm Mind wars otherwise. Without it, Gothitelle is liable to one-on-one losses against Calm Mind Latias, Jirachi, and Reuniclus. Although Rest may seem unconventional on a Pokemon lacking Sleep Talk, this is Gothitelle's only method of recovering from damage and status. Gothitelle need not worry about being inactive for a couple of turns, as he can be selective in which Pokemon he sets up on, and acquire enough boosts to withstand their attacks.</p>
<p>The last slot depends on which targets Gothitelle needs to hit or set up on specifically. Hidden Power Fighting is a primary option as it hits Tyranitar and other Dark-types, which can otherwise end Gothitelle with powerful super effective STAB moves. It also deals a decent amount of damage to most Steel-types, hitting them for at least neutral damage; although, it cannot OHKO Skarmory, Scizor, or Ferrothorn without several boosts coupled with prior damage. If such threats are of a greater concern, Hidden Power Fire rids of them instantly, though this in turn leaves Gothitelle walled by Heatran and Tyranitar. Finally, Reflect is an option over an attacking move as it helps Gothitelle potentially survive the opponent's attempts at dispatching it with powerful physical moves. However, this comes at the price of coverage, leaving Gothitelle unable to bypass Dark-types completely, in addition to some of the bulkier Steel-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The listed EVs allow Gothitelle to outrun threats with uninvested base 70 Speed and retain as much physical bulk as possible. Maximized HP is used to soften damage taken from Seismic Toss and minor forms of damage, such as entry hazards and Toxic. A more offensive EV spread with 252 SpA EVs and a Modest nature is also viable, though Gothitelle loses out on a significant amount of bulk in the process. You may even consider increasing the Speed EVs to outrun other defensive Pokemon, though this, again, sacrifices survivability.</p>
<p>Other attacks to consider in the third slot include Hidden Power Ground and Thunderbolt. Although Hidden Power Ground is rather specific coverage-wise, it it is the best possible weapon against Heatran and Jirachi in any weather. Thunderbolt has a higher base power than the listed moves, and unlike Hidden Power Fighting, can potentially OHKO Scizor and Skarmory with only a few boosts; the only significant target Gothitelle really loses out on with Thunderbolt is Ferrothorn. Gothitelle is also one of the few Pokemon that can get away with using Sleep Talk, as Shadow Tag fixes almost every problem that other RestTalk users face. Thanks to this, Gothitelle can trap anything it wants, free from worry of being Tricked or being forced out. This, like Reflect, leaves Gothitelle walled by certain threats, so consider the options carefully.</p>
<p>Although Gothitelle can potentially sweep teams whole (especially stall or defensively minded ones), one should not rely on him as a main sweeper, given the low initial power and coverage issues. Gothitelle's main function still is eliminating troublesome foes for the team, so his teammates should capitalize on this. Other special attackers, such as Genesect, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, and Psyshock-less Latios benefit greatly, as Gothitelle can set up on and eliminate their hard counters, including Amoonguss, Jellicent, Slowbro, and Chansey. Additionally, Fighting-types still synergize well offensively, as many of them can patch up any of Gothitelle's possible coverage issues and benefit from the trapping and elimination of their counters. These teammates, if possible, should also be able to take on Gliscor, as without a super effective Hidden Power or Psychic, Gothitelle lacks efficient means of hitting it. Again, Keldeo does well in this respect with its Water-type STAB, while Lucario and Mienshao can take Gliscor on comfortably with Ice Punch or Hidden Power Ice.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Like many other Psychic-type Pokemon, Gothitelle has a very colorful and extensive movepool, but the sets listed above are the best bets for being useful for his team. Support roles are relatively limited due to Gothitelle's lack of reliable recovery and exploitable pure Psychic typing. Despite these drawbacks, Gothitelle still has the potential to trap and debilitate key parts of the opposing team, with options such as Thunder Wave, Tickle, Charm, Flash, Fake Tears, Taunt, and Trick in his repertoire. Perhaps the best support set Gothitelle can manage is a dual screens set, consisting of Reflect, Light Screen, and two filler moves (preferably two of Heal Bell, Thunder Wave, Psychic, and Taunt). Dual screen support, however, is typically utilized on offensive teams; thus, faster dual screen users are generally more beneficial to maintain as much offensive momentum as possible. Gothitelle, while having an advantage in Shadow Tag, can often be beaten down by faster attackers or Taunt users.</p>
<p>Gothitelle can also use an odd combination of Taunt, Torment, Protect, and Substitute to shut down either dedicated defensive threats or Choiced attackers. The idea behind this set is to trap these targets, then force them to Struggle themselves to death by using Taunt and Torment. Every other couple of turns, Gothitelle must use Protect or Substitute to avoid the threat's main attacking move. Such a strategy, however, is overspecialized. In short, defensive threats must have no more than one attacking move in order for the strategy to succeed, and the set itself is a liability against offensive Pokemon—no less offensive teams—in general.</p>
<p>As for other attacking options, the best Gothitelle can do is use Fake Tears in order to dispatch the opponent more quickly than it could with Calm Mind. The ChestoRest combination allows Gothitelle to set up or attack more comfortably in the face of continuous damage and status, rather than stay inactive for two turns thanks to Rest. Gothitelle can even try out a non-choiced attacking set so that he can switch attacks; Expert Belt, Leftovers, Lum Berry, and Life Orb are the alternative items for such a set. In place of Trick, Gothitelle should use Thunder Wave, Fake Tears, Taunt, or Substitute to help himself or his teammates.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>So you want to counter Gothitelle? First of all, get your priorities straight.</p>
<p>In order to actually "counter" something by definition, a Pokemon must be able to switch in safely. Thanks to Shadow Tag, this is pretty much impossible without the use of a switching move or the rare Shed Shell. Even then, good players can choose to simply avoid—if not straight-out destroy—threats using such tactics, and Shed Shell itself is relatively nonexistent save for several Steel-types. Nonetheless, Gothitelle's weakness to U-turn is hard to ignore. Even a non-STAB U-turn will deal a decent amount of damage to him, and because a different Pokemon will switch in the process, Gothitelle will have to adapt heavily depending on the situation. Genesect is particularly dangerous in this respect, as it can boost its Attack stat to bypass Special Defense boosts and deal major damage with STAB U-turn. Volt Switch and Baton Pass users can also switch out safely to a reliable check or counter.</p>
<p>As far as defensive countermeasures are concerned, Gothitelle has a hard time powering through threats without appropriate coverage moves or Special Attack boosts. For instance, without Hidden Power Fighting, he generally struggles against Heatran and Dark-types, especially Tyranitar and Hydreigon. Without Hidden Power Fire, he can't KO Ferrothorn, Scizor, Forretress, and Skarmory without being damaged, statused, or phazed out in the process. Among most special walls, Latias and Celebi can also take most attacks comfortably save Signal Beam or, in Celebi's case, a boosted Hidden Power Fire. Other walls can also be crippled by obtaining a Choice item via Trick. Generally speaking, Gothitelle's lack of good resistances and recovery make him easy to batter around with entry hazards and attacks. Gothitelle can be taken down with continual pressure, and because he is played as a support Pokemon, players often do not need to pack dedicated checks and counters to fend him off.</p>
Status: Done
QC Approvals (3/3): (jc104) (Pocket) (harsha)
GP Approvals (3/2): (GatoDelFuego) (Steven Snype) (Poppy + Sandshrewz)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought I'd be the center of gender jokes or something, but apparently not
[Overview]
<p>Gothitelle has become a hundred times more useful since the introduction of his newest and most prized ability, Shadow Tag, but at the horrifying expense of femininity—in a bizarre twist of fate, the only legal Shadow Tag Gothitelle are male. His modest base stats, apart from a high Special Defense, might indicate that he isn't exactly cut out for using Shadow Tag effectively; however, he still has just enough to fulfill a trapping role.</p>
<p>Gothitelle is arguably the most versatile and flexible of the available trappers in OU. Unlike Dugtrio and Magnezone, Gothitelle isn't limited to trapping a certain group of threats; moreover, his decent movepool far surpasses the eight moves available to the only other viable Shadow Tag user: Wobbuffet. Additionally, Gothitelle's attacking movepool enables him to hit a wider range of threats super effectively, making him a more flexible fit on any team. Unfortunately, being a bad Psychic-type with a good ability, Gothitelle is also cursed with crippling downfalls. Pure Psychic typing does not really do him favors offensively or defensively, while his average stats still threaten to slow his team's momentum down. Despite these downfalls, Gothitelle is the one thing that can make sure his fellow sweepers wreak havoc without a hitch. After all, this funny concept of a Pokemon was banned from UU for a reason.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire / Signal Beam
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gothitelle and Choice Specs go together like peanut butter and jelly, as Choice Specs boosts Gothitelle's attacking power just to KO nearly any threat he comes across. However, the main reason for using this isn't just merely for power, but to also take advantage of Shadow Tag. The battle plan is simple; Gothitelle should switch into any potential threat to his team and use the appropriate move to quickly discard or cripple the intended target. Ideally, Gothitelle should have been able to eliminate or weaken any threat necessary before fainting so his teammates are able to clean up or sweep with little problems afterward.</p>
<p>The first slot is reserved for Gothitelle's chosen STAB move. Psychic is the preferred out of the two due to its higher base power and ability to hit physical walls hard without other coverage moves. Psyshock, on the other hand, enables Gothitelle to KO many specially defensive threats, such as Blissey, Terrakion in Sandstorm, and Virizion, without faltering or using Trick too early. However, its benefit only really applies to offensive threats similar to Terrakion and Virizion, since Gothitelle can simply use Trick to cripple walls like Blissey. Thunderbolt grants decent coverage with Psychic-type STAB and provides a reliable way to dispose of Water-types and Skarmory.<p>
<p>Finally, the third attacking move depends on the specific targets Gothitelle's team needs eliminated. Hidden Power Ice removes Gliscor, as well as other Ground- or Flying-type walls, and provides good coverage alongside Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Fire hurts Scizor and Ferrothorn amongst other Steel-types, though keep in mind that Gothitelle isn't necessarily a good switch-in or answer to either of them. If you need Gothitelle to handle Celebi, which can trouble rain teams and take other attacks with ease, as well as other Psychic- or Dark-types, use Signal Beam instead.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Simply maximizing Speed and Special Attack with a Timid nature is recommended when using this set. Although it may seem odd to invest in Gothitelle's low Speed, outrunning key threats such as defensive Jirachi, Adamant Breloom, and Timid Magnezone is very essential to his success. If more power or bulk is desired, you may instead consider a Modest nature and lower the speed EVs to outrun a specific set of defensive threats. A good benchmark is 44 Speed, which puts Gothitelle just ahead of uninvested base 70 Pokemon including Politoed and Skarmory, in addition to the occasional Quiet Dragonite.</p>
<p>There are many possible attacking options that Gothitelle can use, depending on which threats his teammates have the most trouble with. Grass Knot can hit both Tyranitar and bulky Water-types hard, enabling Gothitelle to choose a more desirable Hidden Power. Grass Knot, unlike Hidden Power Ice, can also cleanly OHKO Hippowdon. As far as alternative Hidden Powers are concerned, Hidden Power Fighting is Gothitelle's best weapon against Tyranitar and hits a number of Steel-types at least neutrally, but offers subpar coverage at best. Hidden Power Ground damages Heatran specifically and covers little else besides Jirachi under the rain. It is not advised to replace Trick with a coverage move, as the ability to lock a defensive Pokemon into one move for the rest of the match is extremely valuable.</p>
<p>Obviously enough, teams that have trouble dealing with a particular threat strongly appreciate Gothitelle's unique capabilities. The possibilities—in terms of teammates and team strategies—are numerous. For instance, Fighting-types generally have issues getting past specific defensive threats if they lack either the power or the correct coverage move. Among these Fighting-types, Swords Dance Lucario is perhaps the most tragic example, as it is walled by Jellicent and Slowbro if it lacks Crunch, and Gliscor if it lacks Ice Punch. Gothitelle, however, can decimate these threats with a simple Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice (given his speed, he is more adept at eliminating the former two), giving Lucario an essential win condition if other counters are taken care of. Gothitelle also pairs well with entry hazard users, such as Skarmory and Forretress, because he can take out the most common Rapid Spin users—Starmie, Tentacruel, and Forretress—in a hit or two. Being a supporting attacker, Gothitelle himself does not need much support; however, he has peculiar synergy with U-turn or Volt Switch users, especially Scizor, Rotom-W, and Genesect. Using either of these moves eases prediction, maintains offensive momentum, and enables Gothitelle to switch into his intended target. The three aforementioned Pokemon also tend to lure in counters that can be beaten by Gothitelle, so this is a strategy all Gothitelle users should keep in mind.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Wielding a Choice Scarf not only makes Gothitelle even more fashionably fabulous, but it also allows him to be a faster, and arguably more offensively efficient, trapper. Much like Choice Scarf Tyranitar and Scizor, this Gothitelle can trap and revenge kill most threats needed without taking unnecessary damage from faster and more powerful foes. The icing on the cake is Trick, which, in combination with Shadow Tag and Choice Scarf, can instantly turn most defensive Pokemon into liabilities for the opposing team. Keep in mind, however, that Gothitelle's average Special Attack and Speed limits this set a bit, and is thus restricted to attacking most unboosted threats not holding a Choice Scarf of their own, which covers anything as fast as Tornadus-T and slower.</p>
<p>Because this set lacks the power of the Choice Specs set, one might find Psyshock more beneficial than Psychic overall, as Psyshock is Gothitelle's strongest option against Tentacruel, Terrakion in sandstorm, Calm Mind Keldeo, and Virizion. Even against physical walls such as Gliscor and Hippowdon, Psychic lacks the power to even 2HKO, but it can still be used for the minor increase in power. Thunderbolt is more valuable than ever, enabling Gothitelle to revenge kill Tornadus-T and Starmie effortlessly among other faster Water- or Flying-types. The third attack again depends on which threats Gothitelle must hit. Hidden Power Ice is more useful on this set, as it grants neutral coverage in addition to fast and easy KOs against the likes of Gliscor, both Landorus formes, unboosted Dragonite, and unboosted Salamence. If Forretress, Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Genesect (that aren't locked into a Bug-type move) prove to be troublesome, Gothitelle can use Hidden Power Fire at the cost of coverage and a perfect Speed IV.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximized Special Attack and Speed, along with a Timid nature, ensures that Gothitelle can revenge kill as many threats as possible, placing him just ahead of max Speed Tornadus-T by a single point. If Gothitelle uses Hidden Power Fire it is still advised to maximize Speed, as he can still outrun positive base 120 threats, and possibly win the Speed tie against Tornadus-T. As far as other moves are concerned, Grass Knot is a notable option as Gothitelle's strongest option against Hippowdon, Gastrodon, and Jellicent. Signal Beam can still be used to get the jump on Celebi, Latios, and other Psychic-types. The other Hidden Powers types mentioned in the Choice Specs set are near useless here, as Gothitelle now lacks the power necessary to break through Heatran, Tyranitar, and many others. At the end of the barren barrel of options, Gothitelle can replace his least important coverage move with Thunder Wave, enabling it to cripple foes he can't kill in dangerous situations.</p>
<p>Despite investment in his Special Attack, Choice Scarf Gothitelle is still slightly weak offensively; in fact, without entry hazards up, he finds himself unable to cleanly OHKO Timid Tornadus-T. Therefore, setting up entry hazards early in the game would help him greatly in obtaining as many quick KOs as possible. And given that Gothitelle can fit on multiple types of teams, and the ubiquity of entry hazards, entry hazard support is usually present. Additionally, teammates with U-turn or Volt Switch are still beneficial, as they can scout and damage incoming switch-ins to gain momentum and prepare for a successful trap-and-kill.</p>
<p>On stall or most other defensively oriented teams, Gothitelle can be used to eliminate Tentacruel and Starmie, which are among the most common spinners. After a significant amount of entry hazards have been laid out, Gothitelle can trap and possibly overwhelm the opposing team. On more offensively minded teams, Gothitelle is once again a Fighting-type's best friend; as Terrakion, Lucario, and other similar attackers generally have problems with Gliscor and other walls, Gothitelle can be relied on to eliminate or cripple them with Trick. It should be noted that because of the Speed increase, Gothitelle with Hidden Power Ice is a more reliable check against the usually faster Gliscor.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Rest
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Fire / Reflect
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gothitelle's disappointingly low Speed, lack of recovery, and pure Psychic typing might make him seem like an unviable Calm Mind user in OU. However, as with all sets, the main reason to use Calm Mind Gothitelle is because of his ability to trap and dispatch any foe you find necessary. Unlike other Calm Mind users, Gothitelle can set up a large amount of boosts with impunity without fear of being unexpectedly Tricked or being forced to switch out—problems that other defensive Calm Mind users detest. Gothitelle can therefore freely set up on and discard either defensive or Choice-locked threats, then proceed on to a possible sweep.</p>
<p>Psyshock is a required move on this set due to Gothitelle's tendency to struggle in Calm Mind wars otherwise. Without it, Gothitelle is liable to one-on-one losses against Calm Mind Latias, Jirachi, and Reuniclus. Although Rest may seem unconventional on a Pokemon lacking Sleep Talk, this is Gothitelle's only method of recovering from damage and status. Gothitelle need not worry about being inactive for a couple of turns, as he can be selective in which Pokemon he sets up on, and acquire enough boosts to withstand their attacks.</p>
<p>The last slot depends on which targets Gothitelle needs to hit or set up on specifically. Hidden Power Fighting is a primary option as it hits Tyranitar and other Dark-types, which can otherwise end Gothitelle with powerful super effective STAB moves. It also deals a decent amount of damage to most Steel-types, hitting them for at least neutral damage; although, it cannot OHKO Skarmory, Scizor, or Ferrothorn without several boosts coupled with prior damage. If such threats are of a greater concern, Hidden Power Fire rids of them instantly, though this in turn leaves Gothitelle walled by Heatran and Tyranitar. Finally, Reflect is an option over an attacking move as it helps Gothitelle potentially survive the opponent's attempts at dispatching it with powerful physical moves. However, this comes at the price of coverage, leaving Gothitelle unable to bypass Dark-types completely, in addition to some of the bulkier Steel-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The listed EVs allow Gothitelle to outrun threats with uninvested base 70 Speed and retain as much physical bulk as possible. Maximized HP is used to soften damage taken from Seismic Toss and minor forms of damage, such as entry hazards and Toxic. A more offensive EV spread with 252 SpA EVs and a Modest nature is also viable, though Gothitelle loses out on a significant amount of bulk in the process. You may even consider increasing the Speed EVs to outrun other defensive Pokemon, though this, again, sacrifices survivability.</p>
<p>Other attacks to consider in the third slot include Hidden Power Ground and Thunderbolt. Although Hidden Power Ground is rather specific coverage-wise, it it is the best possible weapon against Heatran and Jirachi in any weather. Thunderbolt has a higher base power than the listed moves, and unlike Hidden Power Fighting, can potentially OHKO Scizor and Skarmory with only a few boosts; the only significant target Gothitelle really loses out on with Thunderbolt is Ferrothorn. Gothitelle is also one of the few Pokemon that can get away with using Sleep Talk, as Shadow Tag fixes almost every problem that other RestTalk users face. Thanks to this, Gothitelle can trap anything it wants, free from worry of being Tricked or being forced out. This, like Reflect, leaves Gothitelle walled by certain threats, so consider the options carefully.</p>
<p>Although Gothitelle can potentially sweep teams whole (especially stall or defensively minded ones), one should not rely on him as a main sweeper, given the low initial power and coverage issues. Gothitelle's main function still is eliminating troublesome foes for the team, so his teammates should capitalize on this. Other special attackers, such as Genesect, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, and Psyshock-less Latios benefit greatly, as Gothitelle can set up on and eliminate their hard counters, including Amoonguss, Jellicent, Slowbro, and Chansey. Additionally, Fighting-types still synergize well offensively, as many of them can patch up any of Gothitelle's possible coverage issues and benefit from the trapping and elimination of their counters. These teammates, if possible, should also be able to take on Gliscor, as without a super effective Hidden Power or Psychic, Gothitelle lacks efficient means of hitting it. Again, Keldeo does well in this respect with its Water-type STAB, while Lucario and Mienshao can take Gliscor on comfortably with Ice Punch or Hidden Power Ice.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Like many other Psychic-type Pokemon, Gothitelle has a very colorful and extensive movepool, but the sets listed above are the best bets for being useful for his team. Support roles are relatively limited due to Gothitelle's lack of reliable recovery and exploitable pure Psychic typing. Despite these drawbacks, Gothitelle still has the potential to trap and debilitate key parts of the opposing team, with options such as Thunder Wave, Tickle, Charm, Flash, Fake Tears, Taunt, and Trick in his repertoire. Perhaps the best support set Gothitelle can manage is a dual screens set, consisting of Reflect, Light Screen, and two filler moves (preferably two of Heal Bell, Thunder Wave, Psychic, and Taunt). Dual screen support, however, is typically utilized on offensive teams; thus, faster dual screen users are generally more beneficial to maintain as much offensive momentum as possible. Gothitelle, while having an advantage in Shadow Tag, can often be beaten down by faster attackers or Taunt users.</p>
<p>Gothitelle can also use an odd combination of Taunt, Torment, Protect, and Substitute to shut down either dedicated defensive threats or Choiced attackers. The idea behind this set is to trap these targets, then force them to Struggle themselves to death by using Taunt and Torment. Every other couple of turns, Gothitelle must use Protect or Substitute to avoid the threat's main attacking move. Such a strategy, however, is overspecialized. In short, defensive threats must have no more than one attacking move in order for the strategy to succeed, and the set itself is a liability against offensive Pokemon—no less offensive teams—in general.</p>
<p>As for other attacking options, the best Gothitelle can do is use Fake Tears in order to dispatch the opponent more quickly than it could with Calm Mind. The ChestoRest combination allows Gothitelle to set up or attack more comfortably in the face of continuous damage and status, rather than stay inactive for two turns thanks to Rest. Gothitelle can even try out a non-choiced attacking set so that he can switch attacks; Expert Belt, Leftovers, Lum Berry, and Life Orb are the alternative items for such a set. In place of Trick, Gothitelle should use Thunder Wave, Fake Tears, Taunt, or Substitute to help himself or his teammates.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>So you want to counter Gothitelle? First of all, get your priorities straight.</p>
<p>In order to actually "counter" something by definition, a Pokemon must be able to switch in safely. Thanks to Shadow Tag, this is pretty much impossible without the use of a switching move or the rare Shed Shell. Even then, good players can choose to simply avoid—if not straight-out destroy—threats using such tactics, and Shed Shell itself is relatively nonexistent save for several Steel-types. Nonetheless, Gothitelle's weakness to U-turn is hard to ignore. Even a non-STAB U-turn will deal a decent amount of damage to him, and because a different Pokemon will switch in the process, Gothitelle will have to adapt heavily depending on the situation. Genesect is particularly dangerous in this respect, as it can boost its Attack stat to bypass Special Defense boosts and deal major damage with STAB U-turn. Volt Switch and Baton Pass users can also switch out safely to a reliable check or counter.</p>
<p>As far as defensive countermeasures are concerned, Gothitelle has a hard time powering through threats without appropriate coverage moves or Special Attack boosts. For instance, without Hidden Power Fighting, he generally struggles against Heatran and Dark-types, especially Tyranitar and Hydreigon. Without Hidden Power Fire, he can't KO Ferrothorn, Scizor, Forretress, and Skarmory without being damaged, statused, or phazed out in the process. Among most special walls, Latias and Celebi can also take most attacks comfortably save Signal Beam or, in Celebi's case, a boosted Hidden Power Fire. Other walls can also be crippled by obtaining a Choice item via Trick. Generally speaking, Gothitelle's lack of good resistances and recovery make him easy to batter around with entry hazards and attacks. Gothitelle can be taken down with continual pressure, and because he is played as a support Pokemon, players often do not need to pack dedicated checks and counters to fend him off.</p>
