[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Healing Wish
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Jirachi is a solid Choice Scarf user due to its decent Speed and access to a reliable and disruptive move in Iron Head. On top of that, Jirachi boasts a good defensive typing and great utility in U-turn, Trick, and Healing Wish. Iron Head is Jirachi’s main tool to revenge kill numerous Pokemon in Tapu Lele, Weavile, and Mega Diancie. In conjunction with Serene Grace, Iron Head can situationally defeat a wide range of additional threats as well, including Mega Medicham, Mega Lopunny, and Tapu Koko. As Jirachi’s damage output is mediocre outside of Iron Head, the remaining three moves are dedicated to utility in order to make the best out of Jirachi’s solid defensive typing. U-turn allows Jirachi to capitalize on switch-ins and preserve momentum while letting its offensive teammates in for free. Healing Wish lets Jirachi completely heal a weakened teammate at the cost of sacrificing itself, offering offensive partners a second chance to break open or clean up the opponent’s team. Trick can allow Jirachi to cripple nearly every switch-in to it, as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Zapdos don’t like being locked into a move. Serene Grace gives Iron Head a 60% flinch chance, making it quite spammable against Pokemon that don’t resist Steel.
Jirachi’s ability to fully heal a teammate is incredible for a number of offensive teammates, such as Mega Mawile, Garchomp, and Swords Dance Kartana. Its ability to cripple Pokemon like Toxapex, Heatran, and Slowbro with Trick and pivot out of them with U-turn is also fantastic for the aforementioned partners. Jirachi can act as a solid check to Fairy- and Psychic-types such as Clefable, Mega Diancie, and Tapu Lele, so Pokemon that may struggle with these threats like Mega Latias, Mega Medicham, and Mega Lopunny make good teammates. As Jirachi lacks the necessary longevity to continuously withstand these Fairy- and Psychic-types, additional soft checks such as Ferrothorn and Corviknight are advisable teammates. Jirachi cannot reliably revenge kill Pokemon like Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Ash-Greninja, so counterplay to these threats like bulky Landorus-T, Corviknight, and Blissey is essential. In addition, all of these Pokemon can form a pivoting core with Jirachi. Jirachi baits in Pokemon that aren’t bothered by its moves and can take advantage of it, like Heatran, Zapdos, and Mega Scizor. Jirachi’s best way of making progress against these Pokemon is either crippling them with Trick or pivoting out of them with U-turn into teammates that can exploit such as Garchomp, Greninja, and Tapu Koko.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and Zen Headbutt can be run over Trick or Healing Wish on the Choice Scarf set, as they target Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Garchomp, and Toxapex, but sacrificing this utility in exchange for extra coverage is often not worth it. A specially defensive set with Iron Head / U-turn and two of Stealth Rock / Wish / Protect lets Jirachi act as a solid pivot that can provide Wish and Stealth Rock support while fulfilling an important defensive niche in checking Psychic- and Fairy-types.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Heatran, Mega Scizor, Aegislash, and Ferrothorn take very little damage from Jirachi’s Iron Head and U-turn. Mega Scizor, Firium Z Heatran, and Ghostium Z Aegislash are particularly dangerous, as they’re immune to Trick, while Ferrothorn can wear down Jirachi with Iron Barbs. However, specially defensive Heatran and Ferrothorn must be wary of Trick, as losing their Leftovers and being Choice-locked does them no favors.
**Water-types**: Toxapex and Slowbro don’t mind Iron Head and don’t even need to risk a flinch while healing thanks to Regenerator. In the meantime, both can burn Jirachi, Toxapex can remove its Choice Scarf with Knock Off, and Slowbro can set up Future Sight or Teleport out. Jirachi is able to Trick them, though.
**Fire-types**: Volcarona, Heatran and Mega Charizard Y easily stomach all of Jirachi’s attacks and hit back with their powerful STAB moves. All three can also avoid Trick provided the former two run a Z-Crystal.
**Ground-types**: Garchomp, defensive Landorus-T, and Gliscor are capable of switching into Jirachi and eliminating it with STAB Earthquake. The former two can wear down Jirachi with Rough Skin or Rocky Helmet, respectively, while Gliscor easily switches in thanks to Poison Heal and it not caring about Trick after its Toxic Orb has activated. Garchomp and Landorus-T need to be wary of Trick, however.
**Electric-types**: Most Electric-types easily switch into Jirachi thanks to their Steel resistance, and hit it hard with their STAB moves. Zapdos is especially troubling, as it has the potential to paralyze Jirachi with its ability, ruining its Speed. Magnezone can trap Jirachi locked into Iron Head and remove it with Thunderbolt. Rotom-W despises Trick, but it easily takes Iron Head and cripples Jirachi with Will-O-Wisp.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Solaros & Lunaris, 471780]]
- Quality checked by: [[Sputnik, 475916], [Guard, 360582]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]
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