Houndstone @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Poltergeist
- Shadow Sneak
- Play Rough
- Will-O-Wisp / Pain Split
Houndstone spookily welcomes you to NU's cemetery! Known for its great defenses and spinblocking ability, Houndstone turns into a fearsome cleaner under a full moon. Pokémon like Cinccino, Copperajah, and Gligar often cripple it with Knock Off, but this set uses that to trigger its Weakness Policy. It specifically works perfectly against Tsareena, which tends to Knock Off after being baited by Rapid Spin. Despite its maximized Speed, Houndstone remains slow, but STAB Shadow Sneak lets it hit faster threats such as Basculegion, Chandelure, and Galarian Articuno, while the more powerful Poltergeist handles slower foes like defensive Houndstone variants. Play Rough and Tera Fairy boost its resilience against Dark-types like Scrafty and Wo-Chien. The last move slot offers utility with Will-O-Wisp to cripple or Pain Split for longevity. As a late-game cleaner, Houndstone thrives on offensive teams supported by wallbreakers like Flamigo, Paldean Tauros-F, and Munkidori, and hazard setters such as Gligar, Klefki, Rhyperior, to which provides spinblocking in return.
Check this terrific replay from Smogon Championship League in which Houndstone sneaks through shadows: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-871299