wyc2333
A=X+Y+Z Y: Hard Work
[OVERVIEW]
Jirachi's great defensive typing, good base stats, metric ton of team support, and resistance to Stealth Rock all make it a valid choice for a large variety of teams. It can run a variety of sets, from a utility set to a Choice Scarf set. Jirachi is a great check to numerous common threats, including prominent Psychic-types like Alakazam, Latios, and Reuniclus and Dragon-types like Dragonite and Kyurem-B. With its devastating paraflinch strategy using Iron Head and Thunder or Body Slam in tandem with Serene Grace, Jirachi can tear apart even the most threatening Pokemon. However, it's weak to Fire- and Ground-type attacks, which are very common, and has an extreme vulnerability to Spikes from Pokemon like Ferrothorn due to lacking instant recovery. It can also get overwhelmed by many of the Pokemon it's tasked to check, mainly the Psychic-types, which are often paired together, making its job harder.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Thunder / Energy Ball
move 4: U-turn / Energy Ball / Iron Head
item: Leftovers / Shuca Berry
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
ivs: 26 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Jirachi is a great Stealth Rock user, being almost impossible to OHKO thanks to its numerous resistances and Shuca Berry. Thunder and Icy Wind give Jirachi almost perfect neutral coverage. Thanks to the Speed drop, Icy Wind can 2HKO Landorus-T and Gliscor after Jirachi stomachs an Earthquake, as well as keeping setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Dragonite in check. Thunder is better than Thunderbolt due to its higher paralysis rate and higher power, letting Jirachi pressure rain Pokemon like Politoed and Tentacruel and OHKO Xatu. Energy Ball can be used to destroy Gastrodon, Seismitoad, Rotom-W, and Mamoswine. U-turn lets Jirachi escape Magnezone and pivot around Psychic-types. Iron Head is an option to use Jirachi's paraflinching ability and does more damage to Tyranitar, Reuniclus, and specially defensive Breloom than the rest of the moves on this set.
Set Details
========
Shuca Berry lets Jirachi safely set up Stealth Rock against Ground-types and, as a result, against almost every Pokemon if it's at full health. 40 Defense EVs let it survive an Earthquake from neutral natured Landorus-T. 26 Speed IVs with a Sassy nature let Jirachi underspeed standard Rotom-W for a slow U-turn, safely bringing in teammates while still outspeeding non-Choice Scarf Landorus-T after an Icy Wind Speed drop. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 160 SpA / 96 Spe can be used to outspeed Adamant Mamoswine, with a Modest nature if running Energy Ball or a Mild nature if running Iron Head. Leftovers is an option to let Jirachi more reliably check Psychic- and Dragon-types beyond the early-game.
Usage Tips
========
Although it is a good idea to preserve Jirachi’s health against teams with many Psychic- and Dragon-types if running Iron Head, you can usually sack it as a lead early on against hyper offense or rain teams with Stealth Rock as your opening move, while Icy Wind can be used instead against Pokemon like Thundurus-T. Alternatively, Jirachi can pivot out with U-turn against Pokemon like Politoed or Tentacruel to get one of its teammates in safely. If running Energy Ball, the best way to exploit the surprise factor is is to pivot or switch out first when up against targets for Energy Ball, using it the next time Jirachi is in against its target to catch the opponent off guard.
Team Options
========
This set fits on hyper offense structures, especially DragMag teams. Icy Wind Jirachi lures in Excadrill and allows for ally Magnezone to beat it every time, as Excadrill can no longer outspeed Magnezone and potentially flinch it with Iron Head before it gets a chance to use Magnet Rise. Jirachi also lures in Ferrothorn and Skarmory and can use U-turn to pivot into Magnezone to trap them. Since Magnezone can trap Steel-types, Dragon-types like Garchomp, Dragonite, Latios, Kyurem-B, and Salamence are good partners. Energy Ball destroys Gastrodon, Seismitoad, and Mamoswine, which Terrakion, Landorus-T, and the aforementioned Dragon-types appreciate. Water-types such as Starmie and Rotom-W can deal with Fire-types, which Jirachi struggles against. Jirachi also partners well with Pokemon immune to Spikes, like Alakazam, Dragonite, and Reuniclus, because it invites Spikers in. For the same reason, it likes Rapid Spin support from Excadrill or Starmie. Jellicent spinblocks to keep Stealth Rock up while also helping against rain teams. Technician Breloom pairs well with Jirachi on more offensive teams, and Volcarona can use Jirachi's momentum from Stealth Rock and U-turn to sweep with Quiver Dance while enjoying Jirachi damaging Water-type checks with Thunder.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Wish / Stealth Rock
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Body Slam / Thunder
move 4: Protect / U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Jirachi's typing and bulk let it use Wish or set up Stealth Rock pretty easily against most bulky Pokemon. Iron Head is used because of its high flinch chance and it is Jirachi's strongest move against Dragon- and Psychic-type Pokemon. Body Slam hits and potentially paralyzes Ground-types and Thundurus-T, while Thunder defeats Skarmory and Jellicent. They also both sport the same paralysis chance. Protect scouts Choice-locked Pokemon like Latios and Keldeo, racks up Leftovers recovery, and lets Jirachi receive Wish safely. U-turn keeps up momentum by bringing in teammates safely so setup sweepers don't get too out of hand, and it prevents Jirachi from being trapped by Magnezone. Wish and U-turn can be used together to pass Wish to teammates more easily. Wish, U-turn, or Protect can be dropped for Stealth Rock when no other teammate can run it.
Set Details
========
16 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Adamant Breloom, while the rest of the EVs let Jirachi check Choice Specs Latios, (add comma) even in rain. An alternative spread with some Special Defense EVs moved to Defense is viable to better take on physical threats. For example, 248 HP / 84 Def / 64 SpD / 112 Spe with a Jolly nature outspeeds Adamant Kyurem-B and avoids a 2HKO from its Outrage after Leftovers recovery. A Sassy nature with 26 IVs lets Jirachi underspeed standard Rotom-W and opposing Jirachi for a slower U-turn so it can bring in its teammates more safely.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Jirachi in as soon as possible to set up Stealth Rock is normally the best move. If using Wish, try to paralyze Pokemon with Body Slam or Thunder and, if given the chance, flinch foes with Iron Head. This racks up Leftovers recovery versus slower targets like Reuniclus and specially defensive Breloom while potentially preventing the former from healing with Recover, opening the door for teammates Reuniclus checks. Keep Jirachi healthy when possible so it isn't forced to Wish for itself or a teammate in an unsafe way, which can give the opponent a free turn at a particularly inopportune time.
Team Options
========
This variant of Jirachi finds its home in more defensive weatherless and rain structures. Bulky Water-types like Rotom-W, Gastrodon, Jellicent, Seismitoad, and Milotic love Jirachi for Wish or Stealth Rock support. Jirachi hates Spikes from Pokemon such as Skarmory and Ferrothorn, and Magnezone can trap them easily, especially when Jirachi lures them in and pivots into Magnezone with U-turn. Rapid Spin from Excadrill or Tentacruel or Magic Bounce from Xatu can also prevent Spikes. Other Pokemon that can take advantage of Ferrothorn, like Breloom and Gliscor, are good teammates as well. Frailer Pokemon like Terrakion, Keldeo, and Alakazam love the slow U-turn Jirachi can provide to pivot them in safely. Offensive Dragon-types like Garchomp, Kyurem-B, and Dragonite can profit from the paralysis support Jirachi provides while enjoying it bringing them in safely and taking Dragon- and Ice-type attacks for them like Alakazam and Reuniclus's Hidden Power Ice or Latios's Draco Meteor. Jirachi can fit well on rain teams thanks to the Water-types on them taking on Fire- and Ground-types well, while Jirachi anchors them against the Psychic- and Dragon-types that usually threaten them. On rain teams, Politoed is a required partner, (add comma) while Pokemon like Latios, Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Tornadus can pair with Jirachi as well.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute lets Jirachi take advantage of passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Jellicent, and Politoed lacking Encore, punishes switches, and makes revenge killing, status moves, and Leech Seed fail at stopping Jirachi. Thunder is often preferred over Thunderbolt for its power and paralysis rate, which is further compounded by Substitute giving Jirachi multiple chances to land Thunder even when rain isn't up. However, Thunderbolt also has value due to its perfect accuracy regardless of weather and higher PP. When it comes to the last moveslot, Hidden Power Ice is usually preferred to hit Latios, Dragonite, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and specially defensive Gliscor while also KOing Ferrothorn more quickly than the alternatives and providing almost perfect neutral coverage alongside Thunder or Thunderbolt. The other option is Water Pulse on rain teams, which allows Jirachi to employ a devastating parafusion strategy while nailing Heatran, Volcarona, and Ground-types like Excadrill.
Set Details
========
The EV spread gives Jirachi enough Speed to outrun neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon like Celebi and opposing Jirachi and enough HP to make Substitutes that survive one Seismic Toss or Night Shade. It's possible to run 252 Speed EVs to Speed tie with Salamence and Volcarona, but it's really not worth it since the bulk is crucial and outspeeding these Pokemon usually doesn't of payoff.
Usage Tips
========
Try to keep Jirachi as healthy as possible so it can come in on Pokemon it checks like Alakazam, Ferrothorn, and Latios and set up Substitute. Be cautious about coming in directly on Pokemon that Jirachi should normally check but may have options to punish it. For example, Ferrothorn and Amoonguss can cripple Jirachi on the switch with Knock Off and Stun Spore, respectively.
Team Options
========
Rain support is highly recommended, as Jirachi functions much better with a perfectly accurate Thunder and Pokemon on rain teams work well with Jirachi in general. As such, Politoed, and other rain teammates like Latios, Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Tornadus, are common partners. Entry hazards are also important to wear down foes. Defensive Landorus-T is an entry hazard setter that can check Ground-types, namely Excadrill, which is a troublesome Pokemon for Jirachi should it lack Water Pulse. Celebi can set Stealth Rock, check Ground-types, and take attacks from Water-types like Keldeo. Ferrothorn is likely the best entry hazard setter to pair with this Jirachi set, as it sets up Spikes as well as Stealth Rock. It can also use Knock Off to remove Leftovers from opposing Ferrothorn and other Steel-types, letting Jirachi win against them in the long run, and it can act as a primary Steel-type so that Jirachi doesn't get overwhelmed checking Dragon-types like Latios. It further takes on Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie. Lastly, a cleaner such as Choice Scarf Keldeo is useful to have around just in case Jirachi gets KOed before finishing its sweep; Keldeo demolishes Heatran for Jirachi while Jirachi disposes of Jellicent, Ferrothorn, and Latios, making it easier for Keldeo to spam Surf and Hydro Pump late-game.
[SET]
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Icy Wind / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 HP / 72 SpA / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute punishes passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Jellicent, and Politoed lacking Encore and switches while also making revenge killing, status moves, and Leech Seed fail at stopping Jirachi. Iron Head can flinch foes while doing a lot of damage to Tyranitar, Mamoswine, Kyurem-B, Latios, Reuniclus, and Alakazam. Thunder hits bulky Water-types like Jellicent, Politoed, Slowking, and Skarmory while having good odds to inflict paralysis, which can combine with Iron Head flinches and Substitute to let Leftovers heal Jirachi more, putting it in a very good position to ravage the opposing team. Thunderbolt is more reliable if using Jirachi outside of rain; (period->semicolon) however, it lacks Thunder's power and paralysis chance, making it worse even outside rain teams a majority of the time. When it comes to the last moveslot, Hidden Power Ice 2HKOes Landorus-T, Garchomp, and specially defensive Gliscor. Icy Wind is similarly strong and also reduces Speed, helping with Pokemon like Alakazam, Latios, and Dragonite; however, it has imperfect accuracy and fails to 2HKO specially defensive Gliscor after Poison Heal recovery. Water Pulse is also a good option on rain teams to 3HKO Excadrill, Volcarona, and Heatran while adding confusion to paralysis and flinching to further debilitate foes. It also still hits Landorus-T and Gliscor hard in rain.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs are for 101 HP Substitutes, which one Night Shade or Seismic Toss from Jellicent or Xatu does not break. 184 Speed EVs make Jirachi outspeed Jolly Landorus-T. Leftovers helps Jirachi recover health after using Substitute.
Usage Tips
========
Try to keep Jirachi as healthy as possible so it can come in on Pokemon it checks and set up Substitute. However, be cautious about coming in directly on Pokemon Jirachi checks, as they may have options to punish it. For example, Ferrothorn and Amoonguss can cripple Jirachi on the switch with Knock Off and Stun Spore, respectively. Set up Substitute when given a free turn or on Pokemon that offensive Jirachi naturally beats, like Jellicent, so it can spread status more easily and wear down the opposing team.
Team Options
========
Offensive Jirachi is great on rain and weatherless teams for its ability to perform well against sand teams while being tough to KO thanks to Substitute and its bulk. Rain support from Politoed is helpful to negate Jirachi's Fire weakness and enhance the power of Water Pulse. In return, Jirachi is a great switch-in to opposing Dragon-types such as Latios. Magnezone or Knock Off users like Ferrothorn are needed to deal with opposing Ferrothorn and Excadrill, which completely wall this set. Entry hazards from Pokemon like Ferrothorn help Jirachi further punish the switches it forces. It can also use Knock Off to remove Leftovers from opposing Ferrothorn and other Steel-types, making Jirachi win against them in the long run while acting as a primary Steel-type so that Jirachi doesn't get overwhelmed by checking Dragon-types like Latios and powerful Water-types like Starmie. Pokemon such as Latios and Thundurus-T are immune to Ground-type moves, while Jirachi can check opposing Dragon-types for Latios. Breloom takes on Ground-types for Jirachi, while Jirachi takes on Ice-, Flying-, and Psychic-types and counters Poison-types for Breloom. Since this set can't defeat Gastrodon if it is not statused, Toxic Spikes, Toxic, or Will-O-Wisp users like Tentacruel and Rotom-W are appreciated to wear it down.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Ice Punch / Trick
move 4: Healing Wish / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Jolly
evs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Iron Head's high flinch rate allows Jirachi to flinch its way past numerous Pokemon and is very useful for picking off weakened foes. U-turn allows Jirachi to escape Magnet Pull, bring in teammates safely, and scout. Ice Punch hits setup sweepers like Dragonite, Garchomp, and Gliscor for super effective damage. Trick can not only cripple walls, most notably Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and bulky Water-types such as Jellicent, but also messes up sweepers such as Volcarona and offensive Trick Room Reuniclus if it's used as they set up. Healing Wish makes Jirachi an amazing support Pokemon; once it has outlived its usefulness, it can bring in a fully-healed teammate freely. Two other attacks can be run, namely Thunder Punch to hit Water-types, most notably Gyarados, and Zen Headbutt for Keldeo and Tentacruel, which also has a good chance to flinch.
Set Details
========
184 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature makes Jirachi faster than Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Reducing the Speed investment to 96 EVs to outspeed +1 Dragonite frees up EVs for more bulk. One can even run a Careful nature to provide a reliable Alakazam answer for weatherless teams.
Usage Tips
========
This set is particularly good at revenge killing Dragon-types because Jirachi is much bulkier than other Choice Scarf users like Latios and Keldeo, and it has numerous resistances, which allows it to switch into a large number of attacks at least once. This set's biggest flaw is its lack of power, which leaves it easily walled and set up on. If Jirachi is your team's only insurance for fast threats, be careful when using Trick, as it can leave you weak to setup sweepers like Dragonite or hard-hitting Pokemon like Latios.
Team Options
========
Defensive Flying-types like Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Gliscor are very good options to cover Jirachi's Ground weakness, and they set entry hazards to help Jirachi wear down its switch-ins, given the many switches it forces. Latios can capitalize on the offensive momentum Jirachi generates, check Gliscor, Rotom-W, and Keldeo for Jirachi, and bust holes in other walls that could potentially halt a Jirachi sweep from it. In return, Jirachi is able to revenge kill Tyranitar, which troubles Latios. If Healing Wish is used, Pokemon that can synergize well with Jirachi in general like Garchomp, Terrakion, and Volcarona are excellent recipients of it. Pokemon like Alakazam, Kyurem-B, and Reuniclus can capitalize on the momentum gained by U-turn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Calm Mind + 3 Attacks Jirachi is a terror to behold, setting up frighteningly easily with its myriad of resistances and threatening balance teams. Thunder lets Jirachi spread paralysis; however, there is merit to using Jirachi with other weathers, in which case Thunderbolt is optimal. Hidden Power Ice or Icy Wind is preferred to hit Ground- and Dragon-types. Grass Knot hits Tyranitar and bulky Water-types. Psychic and Flash Cannon are Jirachi's best special STAB moves. Hidden Power Fire lets Jirachi hit opposing Steel-types outside of Heatran hard, while Hidden Power Ground hits many of the same Steel-types along with Heatran and non-Air Balloon Magnezone at the cost of losing to Ferrothorn. However, Calm Mind Jirachi doesn't have enough moveslots to cover all common threats, like Tyranitar, Heatran, and Ground-types like Excadrill, and isn’t quite fast or strong enough to get the KOs you want it to get.
A set with Substitute, Iron Head, Fire Punch, and a status-inflicting move like Toxic or Body Slam allows Jirachi to showcase its defensive, offensive, and supportive capabilities all at once. However,this set has a bad case of four-moveslot syndrome, as lacking Body Slam means faster Pokemon can be an issue and dropping Toxic makes defensive Pokemon like Jellicent easily wall it. Wish + Calm Mind can be fit on slow-paced teams to give a longevity-oriented wincon, but it is weak to Ground-types and usually takes too long to get going. Healing Wish on bulkier sets is a possibility, but getting Healing Wish off is easier with Choice Scarf. Even though Doom Desire has a turn delay, a Choice Specs set with Doom Desire hits very hard. A more offensive variant of the mixed attacking set with Expert Belt and another attack over Substitute can be used, as the extra coverage move and power boost can threaten teams that can stop Jirachi from setting up Substitute. Choice Band Jirachi can devastate slow balance teams with Iron Head flinches while still having decent coverage with Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, U-turn, and Trick, but it needs a lot of team support to work and is unable to check fast Psychic-types like Latios and Alakazam.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Heatran**: Heatran doesn't care about anything that Jirachi can do besides paralysis and Water Pulse because of Leftovers, its bulk, and its typing. It can then proceed to freely set up Stealth Rock, KO Jirachi with a Fire-type move, or hit a switch-in with Toxic because Jirachi switching out is so telegraphed.
**Ground-types**: Excadrill can come in on any move other than Water Pulse and KO Jirachi, but it needs to be wary of Icy Wind Jirachi + Magnet Rise Magnezone. Gastrodon and Seismitoad can wall Jirachi without Energy Ball and wear it down with a Ground-type move or a Scald burn. Garchomp, Gliscor, and Landorus-T can come in easily and KO Jirachi, but they need to be careful of Ice-type coverage. In addition, Garchomp and Landorus-T hate paralysis from Body Slam. Mamoswine can force Jirachi out with Earthquake, but it doesn't like taking Iron Head or Energy Ball and detests Body Slam paralysis. Hippowdon can set up Stealth Rock or KO Jirachi with Earthquake, but it doesn't like getting paralyzed from Body Slam or taking Energy Ball.
**Steel-types**: If Magnezone isn't paired with Jirachi, Ferrothorn can easily take many hits from all Jirachi variants lacking the rare Fire Punch and set up entry hazards freely. However, Substitute + Calm Mind variants can KO it after a few turns of setting up and Substitute + 3 Attacks variants can beat a Ferrothorn that's been hit with Knock Off. Skarmory walls any Jirachi variant without Thunder and can set up entry hazards, heal, or phaze it. Magnezone itself is a tricky foe, since Jirachi can do practically nothing to it except escaping via U-turn, while Magnezone can set up Sunny Day on it and 2HKO it with Hidden Power Fire.
**Water-types**: Pokemon like Tentacruel, Slowbro, Milotic, Slowking, Keldeo, and Politoed all threaten Jirachi with their rain-boosted STAB moves, especially Scald, and resist Iron Head. However, all of these Pokemon can be worn down by Thunder or Energy Ball. Rotom-W and Jellicent pose the same issues while also being more reliably able to burn Jirachi with Will-O-Wisp.
**Fire-types**: Volcarona can freely set up with Quiver Dance on Jirachi if it doesn't have Body Slam. Furthermore, Volcarona can run Lum Berry to mitigate Body Slam's paralysis chance. Victini threatens an immediate KO with its nuclear V-Create but must avoid Body Slam paralysis. Ninetales can come in on any move bar Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Flamethrower or a burn with Will-O-Wisp.
**Thundurus-T**: Thundurus-T can set up Substitute in front of support Jirachi without fear because Thundurus-T's Substitute is able to take Body Slam, and it can break through Jirachi with Thunder once it paralyzes it and gets one full paralysis.
**Status**: Paralysis makes Jirachi slower than Pokemon that can it pick off more easily, whereas burn reduces Jirachi's longevity and attack power.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[wyc2333, 336830]]
- Quality checked by: [[Caetano93, 394051], [Zokuru, 263906], [Ophion, 433215]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]
Jirachi's great defensive typing, good base stats, metric ton of team support, and resistance to Stealth Rock all make it a valid choice for a large variety of teams. It can run a variety of sets, from a utility set to a Choice Scarf set. Jirachi is a great check to numerous common threats, including prominent Psychic-types like Alakazam, Latios, and Reuniclus and Dragon-types like Dragonite and Kyurem-B. With its devastating paraflinch strategy using Iron Head and Thunder or Body Slam in tandem with Serene Grace, Jirachi can tear apart even the most threatening Pokemon. However, it's weak to Fire- and Ground-type attacks, which are very common, and has an extreme vulnerability to Spikes from Pokemon like Ferrothorn due to lacking instant recovery. It can also get overwhelmed by many of the Pokemon it's tasked to check, mainly the Psychic-types, which are often paired together, making its job harder.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Thunder / Energy Ball
move 4: U-turn / Energy Ball / Iron Head
item: Leftovers / Shuca Berry
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
ivs: 26 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Jirachi is a great Stealth Rock user, being almost impossible to OHKO thanks to its numerous resistances and Shuca Berry. Thunder and Icy Wind give Jirachi almost perfect neutral coverage. Thanks to the Speed drop, Icy Wind can 2HKO Landorus-T and Gliscor after Jirachi stomachs an Earthquake, as well as keeping setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Dragonite in check. Thunder is better than Thunderbolt due to its higher paralysis rate and higher power, letting Jirachi pressure rain Pokemon like Politoed and Tentacruel and OHKO Xatu. Energy Ball can be used to destroy Gastrodon, Seismitoad, Rotom-W, and Mamoswine. U-turn lets Jirachi escape Magnezone and pivot around Psychic-types. Iron Head is an option to use Jirachi's paraflinching ability and does more damage to Tyranitar, Reuniclus, and specially defensive Breloom than the rest of the moves on this set.
Set Details
========
Shuca Berry lets Jirachi safely set up Stealth Rock against Ground-types and, as a result, against almost every Pokemon if it's at full health. 40 Defense EVs let it survive an Earthquake from neutral natured Landorus-T. 26 Speed IVs with a Sassy nature let Jirachi underspeed standard Rotom-W for a slow U-turn, safely bringing in teammates while still outspeeding non-Choice Scarf Landorus-T after an Icy Wind Speed drop. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 160 SpA / 96 Spe can be used to outspeed Adamant Mamoswine, with a Modest nature if running Energy Ball or a Mild nature if running Iron Head. Leftovers is an option to let Jirachi more reliably check Psychic- and Dragon-types beyond the early-game.
Usage Tips
========
Although it is a good idea to preserve Jirachi’s health against teams with many Psychic- and Dragon-types if running Iron Head, you can usually sack it as a lead early on against hyper offense or rain teams with Stealth Rock as your opening move, while Icy Wind can be used instead against Pokemon like Thundurus-T. Alternatively, Jirachi can pivot out with U-turn against Pokemon like Politoed or Tentacruel to get one of its teammates in safely. If running Energy Ball, the best way to exploit the surprise factor is is to pivot or switch out first when up against targets for Energy Ball, using it the next time Jirachi is in against its target to catch the opponent off guard.
Team Options
========
This set fits on hyper offense structures, especially DragMag teams. Icy Wind Jirachi lures in Excadrill and allows for ally Magnezone to beat it every time, as Excadrill can no longer outspeed Magnezone and potentially flinch it with Iron Head before it gets a chance to use Magnet Rise. Jirachi also lures in Ferrothorn and Skarmory and can use U-turn to pivot into Magnezone to trap them. Since Magnezone can trap Steel-types, Dragon-types like Garchomp, Dragonite, Latios, Kyurem-B, and Salamence are good partners. Energy Ball destroys Gastrodon, Seismitoad, and Mamoswine, which Terrakion, Landorus-T, and the aforementioned Dragon-types appreciate. Water-types such as Starmie and Rotom-W can deal with Fire-types, which Jirachi struggles against. Jirachi also partners well with Pokemon immune to Spikes, like Alakazam, Dragonite, and Reuniclus, because it invites Spikers in. For the same reason, it likes Rapid Spin support from Excadrill or Starmie. Jellicent spinblocks to keep Stealth Rock up while also helping against rain teams. Technician Breloom pairs well with Jirachi on more offensive teams, and Volcarona can use Jirachi's momentum from Stealth Rock and U-turn to sweep with Quiver Dance while enjoying Jirachi damaging Water-type checks with Thunder.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Wish / Stealth Rock
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Body Slam / Thunder
move 4: Protect / U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Jirachi's typing and bulk let it use Wish or set up Stealth Rock pretty easily against most bulky Pokemon. Iron Head is used because of its high flinch chance and it is Jirachi's strongest move against Dragon- and Psychic-type Pokemon. Body Slam hits and potentially paralyzes Ground-types and Thundurus-T, while Thunder defeats Skarmory and Jellicent. They also both sport the same paralysis chance. Protect scouts Choice-locked Pokemon like Latios and Keldeo, racks up Leftovers recovery, and lets Jirachi receive Wish safely. U-turn keeps up momentum by bringing in teammates safely so setup sweepers don't get too out of hand, and it prevents Jirachi from being trapped by Magnezone. Wish and U-turn can be used together to pass Wish to teammates more easily. Wish, U-turn, or Protect can be dropped for Stealth Rock when no other teammate can run it.
Set Details
========
16 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Adamant Breloom, while the rest of the EVs let Jirachi check Choice Specs Latios, (add comma) even in rain. An alternative spread with some Special Defense EVs moved to Defense is viable to better take on physical threats. For example, 248 HP / 84 Def / 64 SpD / 112 Spe with a Jolly nature outspeeds Adamant Kyurem-B and avoids a 2HKO from its Outrage after Leftovers recovery. A Sassy nature with 26 IVs lets Jirachi underspeed standard Rotom-W and opposing Jirachi for a slower U-turn so it can bring in its teammates more safely.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Jirachi in as soon as possible to set up Stealth Rock is normally the best move. If using Wish, try to paralyze Pokemon with Body Slam or Thunder and, if given the chance, flinch foes with Iron Head. This racks up Leftovers recovery versus slower targets like Reuniclus and specially defensive Breloom while potentially preventing the former from healing with Recover, opening the door for teammates Reuniclus checks. Keep Jirachi healthy when possible so it isn't forced to Wish for itself or a teammate in an unsafe way, which can give the opponent a free turn at a particularly inopportune time.
Team Options
========
This variant of Jirachi finds its home in more defensive weatherless and rain structures. Bulky Water-types like Rotom-W, Gastrodon, Jellicent, Seismitoad, and Milotic love Jirachi for Wish or Stealth Rock support. Jirachi hates Spikes from Pokemon such as Skarmory and Ferrothorn, and Magnezone can trap them easily, especially when Jirachi lures them in and pivots into Magnezone with U-turn. Rapid Spin from Excadrill or Tentacruel or Magic Bounce from Xatu can also prevent Spikes. Other Pokemon that can take advantage of Ferrothorn, like Breloom and Gliscor, are good teammates as well. Frailer Pokemon like Terrakion, Keldeo, and Alakazam love the slow U-turn Jirachi can provide to pivot them in safely. Offensive Dragon-types like Garchomp, Kyurem-B, and Dragonite can profit from the paralysis support Jirachi provides while enjoying it bringing them in safely and taking Dragon- and Ice-type attacks for them like Alakazam and Reuniclus's Hidden Power Ice or Latios's Draco Meteor. Jirachi can fit well on rain teams thanks to the Water-types on them taking on Fire- and Ground-types well, while Jirachi anchors them against the Psychic- and Dragon-types that usually threaten them. On rain teams, Politoed is a required partner, (add comma) while Pokemon like Latios, Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Tornadus can pair with Jirachi as well.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute lets Jirachi take advantage of passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Jellicent, and Politoed lacking Encore, punishes switches, and makes revenge killing, status moves, and Leech Seed fail at stopping Jirachi. Thunder is often preferred over Thunderbolt for its power and paralysis rate, which is further compounded by Substitute giving Jirachi multiple chances to land Thunder even when rain isn't up. However, Thunderbolt also has value due to its perfect accuracy regardless of weather and higher PP. When it comes to the last moveslot, Hidden Power Ice is usually preferred to hit Latios, Dragonite, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and specially defensive Gliscor while also KOing Ferrothorn more quickly than the alternatives and providing almost perfect neutral coverage alongside Thunder or Thunderbolt. The other option is Water Pulse on rain teams, which allows Jirachi to employ a devastating parafusion strategy while nailing Heatran, Volcarona, and Ground-types like Excadrill.
Set Details
========
The EV spread gives Jirachi enough Speed to outrun neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon like Celebi and opposing Jirachi and enough HP to make Substitutes that survive one Seismic Toss or Night Shade. It's possible to run 252 Speed EVs to Speed tie with Salamence and Volcarona, but it's really not worth it since the bulk is crucial and outspeeding these Pokemon usually doesn't of payoff.
Usage Tips
========
Try to keep Jirachi as healthy as possible so it can come in on Pokemon it checks like Alakazam, Ferrothorn, and Latios and set up Substitute. Be cautious about coming in directly on Pokemon that Jirachi should normally check but may have options to punish it. For example, Ferrothorn and Amoonguss can cripple Jirachi on the switch with Knock Off and Stun Spore, respectively.
Team Options
========
Rain support is highly recommended, as Jirachi functions much better with a perfectly accurate Thunder and Pokemon on rain teams work well with Jirachi in general. As such, Politoed, and other rain teammates like Latios, Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Tornadus, are common partners. Entry hazards are also important to wear down foes. Defensive Landorus-T is an entry hazard setter that can check Ground-types, namely Excadrill, which is a troublesome Pokemon for Jirachi should it lack Water Pulse. Celebi can set Stealth Rock, check Ground-types, and take attacks from Water-types like Keldeo. Ferrothorn is likely the best entry hazard setter to pair with this Jirachi set, as it sets up Spikes as well as Stealth Rock. It can also use Knock Off to remove Leftovers from opposing Ferrothorn and other Steel-types, letting Jirachi win against them in the long run, and it can act as a primary Steel-type so that Jirachi doesn't get overwhelmed checking Dragon-types like Latios. It further takes on Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie. Lastly, a cleaner such as Choice Scarf Keldeo is useful to have around just in case Jirachi gets KOed before finishing its sweep; Keldeo demolishes Heatran for Jirachi while Jirachi disposes of Jellicent, Ferrothorn, and Latios, making it easier for Keldeo to spam Surf and Hydro Pump late-game.
[SET]
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Icy Wind / Water Pulse
item: Leftovers
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 HP / 72 SpA / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute punishes passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Jellicent, and Politoed lacking Encore and switches while also making revenge killing, status moves, and Leech Seed fail at stopping Jirachi. Iron Head can flinch foes while doing a lot of damage to Tyranitar, Mamoswine, Kyurem-B, Latios, Reuniclus, and Alakazam. Thunder hits bulky Water-types like Jellicent, Politoed, Slowking, and Skarmory while having good odds to inflict paralysis, which can combine with Iron Head flinches and Substitute to let Leftovers heal Jirachi more, putting it in a very good position to ravage the opposing team. Thunderbolt is more reliable if using Jirachi outside of rain; (period->semicolon) however, it lacks Thunder's power and paralysis chance, making it worse even outside rain teams a majority of the time. When it comes to the last moveslot, Hidden Power Ice 2HKOes Landorus-T, Garchomp, and specially defensive Gliscor. Icy Wind is similarly strong and also reduces Speed, helping with Pokemon like Alakazam, Latios, and Dragonite; however, it has imperfect accuracy and fails to 2HKO specially defensive Gliscor after Poison Heal recovery. Water Pulse is also a good option on rain teams to 3HKO Excadrill, Volcarona, and Heatran while adding confusion to paralysis and flinching to further debilitate foes. It also still hits Landorus-T and Gliscor hard in rain.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs are for 101 HP Substitutes, which one Night Shade or Seismic Toss from Jellicent or Xatu does not break. 184 Speed EVs make Jirachi outspeed Jolly Landorus-T. Leftovers helps Jirachi recover health after using Substitute.
Usage Tips
========
Try to keep Jirachi as healthy as possible so it can come in on Pokemon it checks and set up Substitute. However, be cautious about coming in directly on Pokemon Jirachi checks, as they may have options to punish it. For example, Ferrothorn and Amoonguss can cripple Jirachi on the switch with Knock Off and Stun Spore, respectively. Set up Substitute when given a free turn or on Pokemon that offensive Jirachi naturally beats, like Jellicent, so it can spread status more easily and wear down the opposing team.
Team Options
========
Offensive Jirachi is great on rain and weatherless teams for its ability to perform well against sand teams while being tough to KO thanks to Substitute and its bulk. Rain support from Politoed is helpful to negate Jirachi's Fire weakness and enhance the power of Water Pulse. In return, Jirachi is a great switch-in to opposing Dragon-types such as Latios. Magnezone or Knock Off users like Ferrothorn are needed to deal with opposing Ferrothorn and Excadrill, which completely wall this set. Entry hazards from Pokemon like Ferrothorn help Jirachi further punish the switches it forces. It can also use Knock Off to remove Leftovers from opposing Ferrothorn and other Steel-types, making Jirachi win against them in the long run while acting as a primary Steel-type so that Jirachi doesn't get overwhelmed by checking Dragon-types like Latios and powerful Water-types like Starmie. Pokemon such as Latios and Thundurus-T are immune to Ground-type moves, while Jirachi can check opposing Dragon-types for Latios. Breloom takes on Ground-types for Jirachi, while Jirachi takes on Ice-, Flying-, and Psychic-types and counters Poison-types for Breloom. Since this set can't defeat Gastrodon if it is not statused, Toxic Spikes, Toxic, or Will-O-Wisp users like Tentacruel and Rotom-W are appreciated to wear it down.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Ice Punch / Trick
move 4: Healing Wish / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Jolly
evs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Iron Head's high flinch rate allows Jirachi to flinch its way past numerous Pokemon and is very useful for picking off weakened foes. U-turn allows Jirachi to escape Magnet Pull, bring in teammates safely, and scout. Ice Punch hits setup sweepers like Dragonite, Garchomp, and Gliscor for super effective damage. Trick can not only cripple walls, most notably Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and bulky Water-types such as Jellicent, but also messes up sweepers such as Volcarona and offensive Trick Room Reuniclus if it's used as they set up. Healing Wish makes Jirachi an amazing support Pokemon; once it has outlived its usefulness, it can bring in a fully-healed teammate freely. Two other attacks can be run, namely Thunder Punch to hit Water-types, most notably Gyarados, and Zen Headbutt for Keldeo and Tentacruel, which also has a good chance to flinch.
Set Details
========
184 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature makes Jirachi faster than Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Reducing the Speed investment to 96 EVs to outspeed +1 Dragonite frees up EVs for more bulk. One can even run a Careful nature to provide a reliable Alakazam answer for weatherless teams.
Usage Tips
========
This set is particularly good at revenge killing Dragon-types because Jirachi is much bulkier than other Choice Scarf users like Latios and Keldeo, and it has numerous resistances, which allows it to switch into a large number of attacks at least once. This set's biggest flaw is its lack of power, which leaves it easily walled and set up on. If Jirachi is your team's only insurance for fast threats, be careful when using Trick, as it can leave you weak to setup sweepers like Dragonite or hard-hitting Pokemon like Latios.
Team Options
========
Defensive Flying-types like Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Gliscor are very good options to cover Jirachi's Ground weakness, and they set entry hazards to help Jirachi wear down its switch-ins, given the many switches it forces. Latios can capitalize on the offensive momentum Jirachi generates, check Gliscor, Rotom-W, and Keldeo for Jirachi, and bust holes in other walls that could potentially halt a Jirachi sweep from it. In return, Jirachi is able to revenge kill Tyranitar, which troubles Latios. If Healing Wish is used, Pokemon that can synergize well with Jirachi in general like Garchomp, Terrakion, and Volcarona are excellent recipients of it. Pokemon like Alakazam, Kyurem-B, and Reuniclus can capitalize on the momentum gained by U-turn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Calm Mind + 3 Attacks Jirachi is a terror to behold, setting up frighteningly easily with its myriad of resistances and threatening balance teams. Thunder lets Jirachi spread paralysis; however, there is merit to using Jirachi with other weathers, in which case Thunderbolt is optimal. Hidden Power Ice or Icy Wind is preferred to hit Ground- and Dragon-types. Grass Knot hits Tyranitar and bulky Water-types. Psychic and Flash Cannon are Jirachi's best special STAB moves. Hidden Power Fire lets Jirachi hit opposing Steel-types outside of Heatran hard, while Hidden Power Ground hits many of the same Steel-types along with Heatran and non-Air Balloon Magnezone at the cost of losing to Ferrothorn. However, Calm Mind Jirachi doesn't have enough moveslots to cover all common threats, like Tyranitar, Heatran, and Ground-types like Excadrill, and isn’t quite fast or strong enough to get the KOs you want it to get.
A set with Substitute, Iron Head, Fire Punch, and a status-inflicting move like Toxic or Body Slam allows Jirachi to showcase its defensive, offensive, and supportive capabilities all at once. However,this set has a bad case of four-moveslot syndrome, as lacking Body Slam means faster Pokemon can be an issue and dropping Toxic makes defensive Pokemon like Jellicent easily wall it. Wish + Calm Mind can be fit on slow-paced teams to give a longevity-oriented wincon, but it is weak to Ground-types and usually takes too long to get going. Healing Wish on bulkier sets is a possibility, but getting Healing Wish off is easier with Choice Scarf. Even though Doom Desire has a turn delay, a Choice Specs set with Doom Desire hits very hard. A more offensive variant of the mixed attacking set with Expert Belt and another attack over Substitute can be used, as the extra coverage move and power boost can threaten teams that can stop Jirachi from setting up Substitute. Choice Band Jirachi can devastate slow balance teams with Iron Head flinches while still having decent coverage with Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, U-turn, and Trick, but it needs a lot of team support to work and is unable to check fast Psychic-types like Latios and Alakazam.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Heatran**: Heatran doesn't care about anything that Jirachi can do besides paralysis and Water Pulse because of Leftovers, its bulk, and its typing. It can then proceed to freely set up Stealth Rock, KO Jirachi with a Fire-type move, or hit a switch-in with Toxic because Jirachi switching out is so telegraphed.
**Ground-types**: Excadrill can come in on any move other than Water Pulse and KO Jirachi, but it needs to be wary of Icy Wind Jirachi + Magnet Rise Magnezone. Gastrodon and Seismitoad can wall Jirachi without Energy Ball and wear it down with a Ground-type move or a Scald burn. Garchomp, Gliscor, and Landorus-T can come in easily and KO Jirachi, but they need to be careful of Ice-type coverage. In addition, Garchomp and Landorus-T hate paralysis from Body Slam. Mamoswine can force Jirachi out with Earthquake, but it doesn't like taking Iron Head or Energy Ball and detests Body Slam paralysis. Hippowdon can set up Stealth Rock or KO Jirachi with Earthquake, but it doesn't like getting paralyzed from Body Slam or taking Energy Ball.
**Steel-types**: If Magnezone isn't paired with Jirachi, Ferrothorn can easily take many hits from all Jirachi variants lacking the rare Fire Punch and set up entry hazards freely. However, Substitute + Calm Mind variants can KO it after a few turns of setting up and Substitute + 3 Attacks variants can beat a Ferrothorn that's been hit with Knock Off. Skarmory walls any Jirachi variant without Thunder and can set up entry hazards, heal, or phaze it. Magnezone itself is a tricky foe, since Jirachi can do practically nothing to it except escaping via U-turn, while Magnezone can set up Sunny Day on it and 2HKO it with Hidden Power Fire.
**Water-types**: Pokemon like Tentacruel, Slowbro, Milotic, Slowking, Keldeo, and Politoed all threaten Jirachi with their rain-boosted STAB moves, especially Scald, and resist Iron Head. However, all of these Pokemon can be worn down by Thunder or Energy Ball. Rotom-W and Jellicent pose the same issues while also being more reliably able to burn Jirachi with Will-O-Wisp.
**Fire-types**: Volcarona can freely set up with Quiver Dance on Jirachi if it doesn't have Body Slam. Furthermore, Volcarona can run Lum Berry to mitigate Body Slam's paralysis chance. Victini threatens an immediate KO with its nuclear V-Create but must avoid Body Slam paralysis. Ninetales can come in on any move bar Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Flamethrower or a burn with Will-O-Wisp.
**Thundurus-T**: Thundurus-T can set up Substitute in front of support Jirachi without fear because Thundurus-T's Substitute is able to take Body Slam, and it can break through Jirachi with Thunder once it paralyzes it and gets one full paralysis.
**Status**: Paralysis makes Jirachi slower than Pokemon that can it pick off more easily, whereas burn reduces Jirachi's longevity and attack power.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[wyc2333, 336830]]
- Quality checked by: [[Caetano93, 394051], [Zokuru, 263906], [Ophion, 433215]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]
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