[OVERVIEW]
Gothitelle excels as a Trick Room setter in VGC thanks to its great ability, Shadow Tag, which prevents your opponent from switching Pokemon and can lock them into bad match-ups. Gothitelle has a good support movepool with useful moves to aid its teammates, such as Heal Pulse and Helping Hand. Thanks to Shadow Tag, teammates with Intimidate can repeatedly switch in and render trapped physical attackers useless with the multiple Attack drops. However, as a Trick Room setter Gothitelle doesn't offer much more past its ability; furthermore, it's not nearly as bulky as other setters and doesn't have a unique typing either.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Trap
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Trick Room
move 3: Helping Hand / Heal Pulse
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 244 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick Room is a great form of speed control and is especially good against fast offensive teams. With Trick Room, strong bulky Pokemon that are normally hindered by their low Speed will be attacking first. Helping Hand gives Gothitelle's partner a damage boost and help it pick up OHKOs it wouldn't have otherwise. Heal Pulse helps keep Gothitelle's partner alive longer; this is especially good with Intimidate because your opponent's Pokemon will be locked in with an Attack drop, making it really difficult for them to take out Gothitelle's teammate. Psychic is Gothitelle's STAB offensive attack; it hits some common Pokemon super effectively, such as Amoonguss and Terrakion. Unlike many other Trick Room setters, Gothitelle normally runs Protect. Protect is useful for preserving Shadow Tag as long as possible, as well as avoiding Fake Out or scouting the opponent's moves.
Set Details
========
The EV spread allows Gothitelle to survive Dark Pulse from a Choice Specs Hydreigon, with the few EVs remaining going into Defense. Shadow Tag is Gothitelle's most useful ability; it prevents your opponent from switching, which gives your team a huge advantage. A Sassy nature is used to lower Gothitelle's Speed and ensure that it will be going first in more match-ups when Trick Room is up.
Usage Tips
========
Make sure Gothitelle sets up Trick Room safely, as teams with Gothitelle should rely on Trick Room and excel under it. With Shadow Tag, try to keep the opposing Pokemon locked in a bad position and cripple physical attackers by repeatedly switching in Intimidate users. Gothitelle should use its support moves, Helping Hand and Heal Pulse, to aid its allies when they need it. Try to use Shadow Tag to your advantage as much as possible and take out threats to your team when they're trapped. Use Protect to keep Gothitelle alive as long as possible and preserve Shadow Tag.
Team Options
========
Gothitelle works well on Perish Trap teams; Mega Gengar is a good partner as an extra Shadow Tag user. Bulky Intimidate users are good to cripple trapped physical attackers by lowering their Attack. Scrafty is the most notable example, as it also provides Fake Out support to help set up Trick Room and Dark and Fighting coverage moves to deal with Ghost- and Dark-types that threaten Gothitelle. Slow and powerful Pokemon, such as Mega Mawile and Mega Camerupt, work well under Trick Room and are scary with Helping Hand boosts. Hariyama provides Fake Out support and a strong Close Combat to deal with Dark-types, such as Hydreigon. Amoonguss is good for using redirection to help set up Trick Room safely and trap in sleeping Pokemon. Snarl users can cripple special attackers that are locked in.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Chesto Berry and Rest can be used as a better means of recovery, but Rest gives up a valuable moveslot that Sitrus Berry doesn't. Mental Herb is good for negating Taunt to set up Trick Room. Tickle is useful because the opposing Pokemon will then be locked in with Attack and Defense drops. Thunder Wave is a good form of speed control if you're not using Gothitelle with Trick Room. Light Screen and Reflect can be used to make Gothitelle and its allies bulkier and harder to take down. Dark Pulse can be used as a coverage move to hit Pokemon that normally resist Gothitelle's STAB moves, such as Aegislash and Mega Metagross, super effectively.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Taunt**: Taunt will shut down all of Gothitelle's support options and leave it with its mediocre attacks. Gothitelle also has to give up Sitrus Berry for Mental Herb in order to deal with Taunt.
**Typing Advantage**: Dark-, Ghost-, and Steel-types all give Gothitelle some trouble. Dark- and Ghost-types threaten Gothitelle with super effective moves; for example, Bisharp can OHKO Gothitelle with its STAB Knock Off. Hydreigon 2HKOes Gothitelle and is immune to Gothitelle's STAB moves. Aegislash resists Gothitelle's STAB moves and threatens to 2HKO it. Gengar potentially 2HKOes Gothitelle and can Taunt it as well. Ghost-types also have the advantage of not being trapped by Shadow Tag. Steel-types resist Gothitelle's STAB move and can take it on easily. Heatran can set up a Substitute in front of Gothitelle and get free turns.
Gothitelle excels as a Trick Room setter in VGC thanks to its great ability, Shadow Tag, which prevents your opponent from switching Pokemon and can lock them into bad match-ups. Gothitelle has a good support movepool with useful moves to aid its teammates, such as Heal Pulse and Helping Hand. Thanks to Shadow Tag, teammates with Intimidate can repeatedly switch in and render trapped physical attackers useless with the multiple Attack drops. However, as a Trick Room setter Gothitelle doesn't offer much more past its ability; furthermore, it's not nearly as bulky as other setters and doesn't have a unique typing either.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Trap
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Trick Room
move 3: Helping Hand / Heal Pulse
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 244 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick Room is a great form of speed control and is especially good against fast offensive teams. With Trick Room, strong bulky Pokemon that are normally hindered by their low Speed will be attacking first. Helping Hand gives Gothitelle's partner a damage boost and help it pick up OHKOs it wouldn't have otherwise. Heal Pulse helps keep Gothitelle's partner alive longer; this is especially good with Intimidate because your opponent's Pokemon will be locked in with an Attack drop, making it really difficult for them to take out Gothitelle's teammate. Psychic is Gothitelle's STAB offensive attack; it hits some common Pokemon super effectively, such as Amoonguss and Terrakion. Unlike many other Trick Room setters, Gothitelle normally runs Protect. Protect is useful for preserving Shadow Tag as long as possible, as well as avoiding Fake Out or scouting the opponent's moves.
Set Details
========
The EV spread allows Gothitelle to survive Dark Pulse from a Choice Specs Hydreigon, with the few EVs remaining going into Defense. Shadow Tag is Gothitelle's most useful ability; it prevents your opponent from switching, which gives your team a huge advantage. A Sassy nature is used to lower Gothitelle's Speed and ensure that it will be going first in more match-ups when Trick Room is up.
Usage Tips
========
Make sure Gothitelle sets up Trick Room safely, as teams with Gothitelle should rely on Trick Room and excel under it. With Shadow Tag, try to keep the opposing Pokemon locked in a bad position and cripple physical attackers by repeatedly switching in Intimidate users. Gothitelle should use its support moves, Helping Hand and Heal Pulse, to aid its allies when they need it. Try to use Shadow Tag to your advantage as much as possible and take out threats to your team when they're trapped. Use Protect to keep Gothitelle alive as long as possible and preserve Shadow Tag.
Team Options
========
Gothitelle works well on Perish Trap teams; Mega Gengar is a good partner as an extra Shadow Tag user. Bulky Intimidate users are good to cripple trapped physical attackers by lowering their Attack. Scrafty is the most notable example, as it also provides Fake Out support to help set up Trick Room and Dark and Fighting coverage moves to deal with Ghost- and Dark-types that threaten Gothitelle. Slow and powerful Pokemon, such as Mega Mawile and Mega Camerupt, work well under Trick Room and are scary with Helping Hand boosts. Hariyama provides Fake Out support and a strong Close Combat to deal with Dark-types, such as Hydreigon. Amoonguss is good for using redirection to help set up Trick Room safely and trap in sleeping Pokemon. Snarl users can cripple special attackers that are locked in.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Chesto Berry and Rest can be used as a better means of recovery, but Rest gives up a valuable moveslot that Sitrus Berry doesn't. Mental Herb is good for negating Taunt to set up Trick Room. Tickle is useful because the opposing Pokemon will then be locked in with Attack and Defense drops. Thunder Wave is a good form of speed control if you're not using Gothitelle with Trick Room. Light Screen and Reflect can be used to make Gothitelle and its allies bulkier and harder to take down. Dark Pulse can be used as a coverage move to hit Pokemon that normally resist Gothitelle's STAB moves, such as Aegislash and Mega Metagross, super effectively.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Taunt**: Taunt will shut down all of Gothitelle's support options and leave it with its mediocre attacks. Gothitelle also has to give up Sitrus Berry for Mental Herb in order to deal with Taunt.
**Typing Advantage**: Dark-, Ghost-, and Steel-types all give Gothitelle some trouble. Dark- and Ghost-types threaten Gothitelle with super effective moves; for example, Bisharp can OHKO Gothitelle with its STAB Knock Off. Hydreigon 2HKOes Gothitelle and is immune to Gothitelle's STAB moves. Aegislash resists Gothitelle's STAB moves and threatens to 2HKO it. Gengar potentially 2HKOes Gothitelle and can Taunt it as well. Ghost-types also have the advantage of not being trapped by Shadow Tag. Steel-types resist Gothitelle's STAB move and can take it on easily. Heatran can set up a Substitute in front of Gothitelle and get free turns.
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