Medicham
Controversial analysis I know, but from the few QC people I've spoken to, it seems that this is worth a shot. Anyway the skeleton is probably going to be aimed more at getting this approved rather than explaining how the set works and stuff. Obviously I know that Medicham is not the world's greatest pokemon, so I'm not going to sell it too much in the analysis if it gets approved. Medicham's many drawbacks will be made very clear.
edit: Written. Sorry it's a bit of a monster.
[Overview]
<p>At first glance, one may simply dismiss Medicham, with its poor base stats and ridiculous appearance. But, it would seem, pink pantaloons are not merely a source of ridicule, but also the source of Pure Power. Taking its ability into account, Medicham has the highest Attack stat in the game, with the exception of Deoxys-A, letting it pack a mean punch. This is backed up by a workable base 80 Speed, which allows Medicham to outrun the unboosted metagame with a Choice Scarf, and pretty much all defensive Pokemon without. On top of this, Medicham has access to Hi Jump Kick, a stupidly powerful move; Medicham's Hi Jump Kick is the second most powerful non-suicidal move you're likely to see, trumped only by Darmanitan's Flare Blitz.</p>
<p>The less that is said about Medicham's defenses though, the better. Medicham is not quite in Dugtrio or Sharpedo territory—it can take a Choice Band Scizor Bullet Punch, but this is not exactly an achievement. Getting Medicham safely into battle may be a challenge. Another major concern for Medicham is competition from other Fighting-types such as Mienshao and Terrakion; both possess significantly better stats, excluding Attack. Notably, Medicham has access to Psychic STAB; though neither Zen Headbutt nor Psycho Cut has good Base Power, both are reliable and hit Pokemon such as Tentacruel hard. Without these moves, Medicham is extremely vulnerable to Ghosts and the move Protect, each of which will cause 50% recoil when using Hi Jump Kick. At least Medicham <em>has</em> a secondary STAB. More importantly, Medicham has access to Ice Punch, ThunderPunch and Trick, letting it take out Gliscor easily and cripple defensive Pokemon. Overall, this means that Medicham has very few if any safe switch-ins. Make sure not to underestimate the power of Hi Jump Kick.</p
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut / Zen Headbutt
move 4: Trick / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Pure Power
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Given Medicham's already outrageous power and average Speed, a Choice Scarf set seems entirely obvious, letting Medicham outrun the vast majority of Pokemon in the OU metagame. However, Medicham achieves more than your typical Choice Scarf user; it can not only play a revenge killing role, but also break through most walls, and even sweep late in the game under the right conditions. Largely, this is due to the sheer power of Hi Jump Kick; a 130 Base Power move coming from an effective base Attack stat of 169 is no laughing matter. For example, Adamant Medicham can 2HKO Skarmory and OHKO 112/0 Rotom-W. Hi Jump Kick is almost as powerful as a super effective Psycho Cut, so you'll want to be spamming it as soon as it is safe to do so. Unfortunately, Ghost-types and the move Protect will both cause Medicham to receive 50% recoil, so another STAB attack can often prove useful. In this regard, Psycho Cut and Zen Headbutt are great options; they might have low Base Power, but they provide a less risky move for revenge killing weakened threats, and hit Poison-types, such as Gengar and Tentacruel, super effectively. The choice between the two is a little tricky; Psycho Cut is generally preferred as this set uses its Psychic STAB to reliably kill weakened opponents. Zen Headbutt's chance to miss is not appreciated, leaving only Ice Punch as an accurate move, but it is significantly more powerful than a resisted Hi Jump Kick, and has a very handy flinch chance. </p>
<p>Ice Punch is Medicham's main coverage move, as it deals super effective damage to a number of Pokemon that resist Hi Jump Kick; it OHKOes Dragonite, Landorus, and Latios after Stealth Rock damage, and easily 2HKOes Gliscor. Trick provides a very good option for the last slot, differentiating Medicham from other Fighting-types by allowing it to cripple the likes of Jellicent, Reuniclus, Mew, and Slowbro. Also, if the Choice Scarf is proving inconvenient (for example, if the opponent has a Ghost-type or is spamming Protect) it can be removed. ThunderPunch allows Medicham to 2HKO Jellicent and OHKO Gyarados, but will fall short of a 2HKO on Slowbro.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread for this set is very simple; Attack is maximized, as is Speed, since this is required to tie with +1 Dragonite of the same nature as Medicham. The choice of nature is much more difficult; as previously mentioned, Medicham can act as a wallbreaker and a sweeper as well as a revenge killer. For this, the extra power provided by Adamant is greatly appreciated, giving you a guaranteed OHKO on 4/0 Latios with Ice Punch after Stealth Rock, a 2HKO on Skarmory and Forretress, and a potential OHKO on Choice Band Scizor after Stealth Rock. However, with Jolly Medicham can outrun Jolteon, Adamant +1 Dragonite, Modest Choice Scarf Rotom-W, and Timid Choice Scarf Heatran and revenge kill any of them. So generally, Jolly is preferred if Medicham is intended to be more of a revenge killer rather than a sweeper. If running a Jolly nature, you can change the EV spread to 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe, giving Medicham a little more bulk while maintaining the ability to outrun Modest Choice Scarf Rotom-W. In terms of alternative moves, Baton Pass can be used over Trick to scout the opponent's switch-in and maintain momentum. This is very useful if trying to trap a Ghost-type with Pursuit.</p>
<p>The main threat to Medicham is always going to be Ghost-types, as they prevent the free use of Hi Jump Kick merely by being present on the opposing team. You might be able to beat some of them with Medicham, but they are still best removed by Medicham's teammates. Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar and Choice Band Scizor are therefore strongly recommended. The second most annoying thing for Medicham to face is Protect users, which strip 50% of Medicham's health if it uses Hi Jump Kick, and allows an appropriate switch to a resistant Pokemon otherwise. There is little you can do about this besides being wary of common Protect users, such as Jirachi, Blissey, Vaporeon, Gliscor, Politoed, and Tentacruel. Besides Pursuit trappers, you may want to pair Medicham with another Fighting-type, such as Mienshao or Terrakion to overwhelm the opponent's Fighting-resistant Pokemon. Notably, Mienshao can use U-turn to get Medicham in safely, and can 2HKO Jellicent with Grass Knot. Other than this, you'll want to support Medicham with Stealth Rock, as many of the Pokemon resistant to Hi Jump Kick will take 25% damage from it.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Zen Headbutt / Psycho Cut
move 4: Substitute / Drain Punch
item: Life Orb / Black Belt
ability: Pure Power
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Though it might be tempting to equip Medicham with a choice item, the power and flexibility provided by other items can be extremely useful. Instead of a revenge killer, Medicham becomes a potent wallbreaker and destroyer of defensive teams. Medicham also becomes much less vulnerable to Ghosts, Gliscor and Protect. In fact, if played correctly, Medicham can actually take advantage of Protect by using Substitute, which can ease prediction in addition to blocking status moves. However, the damage from Substitute, Life Orb and potentially Hi Jump Kick recoil will build up tremendously fast, so you might wish to consider another option. Drain Punch provides a reliable STAB move with a useful secondary effect, preventing Medicham from being worn down. This is an excellent move to use against opponents which spam Protect, and is good for finishing off weakened Pokemon. Black Belt is a viable alternative item, providing a boost to Hi Jump Kick comparable to that of Life Orb without causing recoil. This also lets Medicham convincingly bluff a choice item before surprising the opponent. Ice Punch is a required move, giving a good chance to OHKO 252/184+ Gliscor, as well as guaranteed OHKOs on 4/0 Salamence, Latios and Landorus, as well as Dragonite after Stealth Rock damage. Zen Headbutt or Psycho Cut gives Medicham a reliable STAB attack that also hits Tentacruel, Gengar, Fighting-types, and Jellicent harder than the other moves. Psycho Cut is noticeably weaker and doesn't cause flinches, but also doesn’t miss. Still, a miss is not the end of the world when behind the safety of a Substitute, so Zen Headbutt may be the better option in that case.</p>
<p>Overall, this set is extremely potent, but it does have a tendency to fall flat on its face occasionally. It's not the most consistent Pokemon ever. Medicham will often prove useful against more defensive players, especially those that underestimate its power. Offensive teams, on the other hand, can present trouble; nonetheless, Medicham should be able to attain a KO every time it gets in safely. Another issue worth bearing in mind is that an intelligent opponent can often wear Medicham down with smart switches, especially if they have a Ghost. Therefore, Medicham requires much more prediction than your typical Substitute user especially if running Life Orb. You should also think carefully as to whether the much weaker Mienshao might make a better choice thanks to better Speed and Regenerator, which gives it much better longevity. Still, rest assured that almost nothing can match Medicham's sheer power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choosing the EV spread is not difficult; Attack and Speed are maximized so that Medicham can hit as hard and fast as possible. Medicham's defenses are rather poor anyway, and as such are best ignored. A Jolly nature allows Medicham to outrun Adamant Dragonite, Mamoswine, and Lucario as well as Modest Rotom-W and Timid Heatran; in each case a Jolly nature is the difference between life and death. Jolly will give Medicham considerably more utility against offensive teams, against which it otherwise might struggle due to its weak defenses. However, the power drop will prove significant at times, especially against offensive Dragonite, which will never be OHKOed through Multiscale. If you choose to use an item other than Life Orb, an Adamant nature also becomes more favorable. </p>
<p>A number of moves can be used instead of Substitute or Drain Punch. ThunderPunch is useful for hitting OHKOing Gyarados and Starmie, and 2HKOing Slowbro if running Adamant and Life Orb. Recover allows Medicham to take advantage of a free turn, for example from a switch or an opposing Protect, making Medicham much more durable. Bulk Up could also help take advantage of free turns, but Medicham will probably be easily revenge killed with super effective or special moves. A priority move such as Fake Out or Bullet Punch is also possible, but remember that Psycho Cut is illegal with Bullet Punch. You can also replace your Psychic STAB if you want, but Jellicent and Tentacruel may prove very problematic if you also lack ThunderPunch. If they are not present on the opposing team, running both Substitute and Drain Punch can be very effective, as the HP lost to Life Orb and Substitute can be recovered. As for the item choice, other options include Wide Lens, Expert Belt, and Leftovers, but all leave Medicham's Hi Jump Kick too weak. If not using Substitute, Life Orb will usually prove the best option. </p>
<p>This set has some trouble with Ghosts, though admittedly not nearly as much as the Choice Scarf set. Medicham can muscle its way past most of them, but they still prevent it from freely using Hi Jump Kick. Unfortunately, Tyranitar is a poor partner since sandstorm just tips the residual damage problem over the edge, but other Pursuit users such as Choice Band Scizor and specially defensive Metagross can help trap Ghost- and Psychic-types. Stallbreaker Mew and Sableye can prove problematic for this set, so a reliable switch-in such as Heatran or Volcarona makes a good partner. Finally, Specially Defensive Jirachi is an excellent partner for Medicham, as it is able to spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, Body Slam and Thunder, while checking Gengar and Reuniclus. Wish and U-turn can make switching Medicham in rather easier, and can even heal a weakened Medicham if you can get it in safely. This does a lot for Medicham's issues with average Speed, rapid HP depletion, and inability to switch in safely.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>As far as alternative sets go, the most obvious is Choice Band. This is a lot less flexible than the non-choice set, leaving the opponent able to sacrifice something before forcing Medicham back out; the extra attack is often just overkill. Still, the set would be Hi Jump Kick, Ice Punch, and two of Drain Punch, ThunderPunch and Bullet Punch. A number of other moves could occasionally prove useful: Double Edge hits Psychic-types harder than any of Medicham's other moves, but this is a bad move to be locked into, and the recoil is not appreciated when running Life Orb. Fire Punch allows Medicham to OHKO Scizor and Forretress (assuming Sturdy is broken), but these Pokemon are already taking a ton from Hi Jump Kick. Rock Slide is useful against Volcarona and Flying-types, but a Psychic-type move or Ice Punch is more effective in general. Foresight allows Medicham to hit Ghosts with Hi Jump Kick, but you can KO most in the required two turns anyway. Pain Split can be used on a set with Life Orb an Substitute to provide longevity and damage opponents, but Medicham's coverage is sacrificed. Acupressure or Bulk Up can be used to set up on opponents that spam Protect, but Medicham's average Speed leaves it too vulnerable to revenge killing.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Directly countering Medicham can prove extremely difficult, due to its phenomenal power and decent coverage. However, there are still a couple of ways to deal with Medicham effectively. First and foremost, we have Ghost-types; the mere presence of a Ghost will hamper Medicham significantly, preventing it from using Hi Jump Kick freely. However, most Ghosts are not themselves perfect counters; Gengar is OHKOed by a Psychic-type move or a Life Orb Ice Punch, Jellicent falls to ThunderPunch or a Life Orb Zen Headbutt, and many other defensive ghosts, such as Sableye, Dusclops, and Cofagrigus, absolutely hate Trick. Psychic-types cannot hinder Medicham purely by existing, but are often great switch-ins. Slowbro, Stallbreaker Mew, and Calm Mind Reuniclus can usually counter Medicham if they avoid Trick. Gyarados can also wall any variant lacking ThunderPunch. Moreover, several Pokemon are not 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Hi Jump Kick, including Dragonite, bulky Volcarona, Gliscor, Celebi, and Intimidate Salamence. Finally the move Protect is also an effective check to Medicham, as it punishes Medicham for using Hi Jump Kick. This is very effective against the Choice set, but less so against other sets as they can take advantage of the free turn, for example with Substitute.</p>
Adamant Scarf Medicham calcs against a bunch of random stuff just to give an idea of its power. Note that most of these are either walls or resist HJK. A lot of other stuff is just cleanly OHKOed :
Proposed other set. Unless someone makes a very persuasive argument I'm not going to add it.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Drain Punch / Bullet Punch
move 4: ThunderPunch / Bullet Punch
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Controversial analysis I know, but from the few QC people I've spoken to, it seems that this is worth a shot. Anyway the skeleton is probably going to be aimed more at getting this approved rather than explaining how the set works and stuff. Obviously I know that Medicham is not the world's greatest pokemon, so I'm not going to sell it too much in the analysis if it gets approved. Medicham's many drawbacks will be made very clear.
edit: Written. Sorry it's a bit of a monster.
[Overview]
<p>At first glance, one may simply dismiss Medicham, with its poor base stats and ridiculous appearance. But, it would seem, pink pantaloons are not merely a source of ridicule, but also the source of Pure Power. Taking its ability into account, Medicham has the highest Attack stat in the game, with the exception of Deoxys-A, letting it pack a mean punch. This is backed up by a workable base 80 Speed, which allows Medicham to outrun the unboosted metagame with a Choice Scarf, and pretty much all defensive Pokemon without. On top of this, Medicham has access to Hi Jump Kick, a stupidly powerful move; Medicham's Hi Jump Kick is the second most powerful non-suicidal move you're likely to see, trumped only by Darmanitan's Flare Blitz.</p>
<p>The less that is said about Medicham's defenses though, the better. Medicham is not quite in Dugtrio or Sharpedo territory—it can take a Choice Band Scizor Bullet Punch, but this is not exactly an achievement. Getting Medicham safely into battle may be a challenge. Another major concern for Medicham is competition from other Fighting-types such as Mienshao and Terrakion; both possess significantly better stats, excluding Attack. Notably, Medicham has access to Psychic STAB; though neither Zen Headbutt nor Psycho Cut has good Base Power, both are reliable and hit Pokemon such as Tentacruel hard. Without these moves, Medicham is extremely vulnerable to Ghosts and the move Protect, each of which will cause 50% recoil when using Hi Jump Kick. At least Medicham <em>has</em> a secondary STAB. More importantly, Medicham has access to Ice Punch, ThunderPunch and Trick, letting it take out Gliscor easily and cripple defensive Pokemon. Overall, this means that Medicham has very few if any safe switch-ins. Make sure not to underestimate the power of Hi Jump Kick.</p
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut / Zen Headbutt
move 4: Trick / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Pure Power
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Given Medicham's already outrageous power and average Speed, a Choice Scarf set seems entirely obvious, letting Medicham outrun the vast majority of Pokemon in the OU metagame. However, Medicham achieves more than your typical Choice Scarf user; it can not only play a revenge killing role, but also break through most walls, and even sweep late in the game under the right conditions. Largely, this is due to the sheer power of Hi Jump Kick; a 130 Base Power move coming from an effective base Attack stat of 169 is no laughing matter. For example, Adamant Medicham can 2HKO Skarmory and OHKO 112/0 Rotom-W. Hi Jump Kick is almost as powerful as a super effective Psycho Cut, so you'll want to be spamming it as soon as it is safe to do so. Unfortunately, Ghost-types and the move Protect will both cause Medicham to receive 50% recoil, so another STAB attack can often prove useful. In this regard, Psycho Cut and Zen Headbutt are great options; they might have low Base Power, but they provide a less risky move for revenge killing weakened threats, and hit Poison-types, such as Gengar and Tentacruel, super effectively. The choice between the two is a little tricky; Psycho Cut is generally preferred as this set uses its Psychic STAB to reliably kill weakened opponents. Zen Headbutt's chance to miss is not appreciated, leaving only Ice Punch as an accurate move, but it is significantly more powerful than a resisted Hi Jump Kick, and has a very handy flinch chance. </p>
<p>Ice Punch is Medicham's main coverage move, as it deals super effective damage to a number of Pokemon that resist Hi Jump Kick; it OHKOes Dragonite, Landorus, and Latios after Stealth Rock damage, and easily 2HKOes Gliscor. Trick provides a very good option for the last slot, differentiating Medicham from other Fighting-types by allowing it to cripple the likes of Jellicent, Reuniclus, Mew, and Slowbro. Also, if the Choice Scarf is proving inconvenient (for example, if the opponent has a Ghost-type or is spamming Protect) it can be removed. ThunderPunch allows Medicham to 2HKO Jellicent and OHKO Gyarados, but will fall short of a 2HKO on Slowbro.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread for this set is very simple; Attack is maximized, as is Speed, since this is required to tie with +1 Dragonite of the same nature as Medicham. The choice of nature is much more difficult; as previously mentioned, Medicham can act as a wallbreaker and a sweeper as well as a revenge killer. For this, the extra power provided by Adamant is greatly appreciated, giving you a guaranteed OHKO on 4/0 Latios with Ice Punch after Stealth Rock, a 2HKO on Skarmory and Forretress, and a potential OHKO on Choice Band Scizor after Stealth Rock. However, with Jolly Medicham can outrun Jolteon, Adamant +1 Dragonite, Modest Choice Scarf Rotom-W, and Timid Choice Scarf Heatran and revenge kill any of them. So generally, Jolly is preferred if Medicham is intended to be more of a revenge killer rather than a sweeper. If running a Jolly nature, you can change the EV spread to 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe, giving Medicham a little more bulk while maintaining the ability to outrun Modest Choice Scarf Rotom-W. In terms of alternative moves, Baton Pass can be used over Trick to scout the opponent's switch-in and maintain momentum. This is very useful if trying to trap a Ghost-type with Pursuit.</p>
<p>The main threat to Medicham is always going to be Ghost-types, as they prevent the free use of Hi Jump Kick merely by being present on the opposing team. You might be able to beat some of them with Medicham, but they are still best removed by Medicham's teammates. Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar and Choice Band Scizor are therefore strongly recommended. The second most annoying thing for Medicham to face is Protect users, which strip 50% of Medicham's health if it uses Hi Jump Kick, and allows an appropriate switch to a resistant Pokemon otherwise. There is little you can do about this besides being wary of common Protect users, such as Jirachi, Blissey, Vaporeon, Gliscor, Politoed, and Tentacruel. Besides Pursuit trappers, you may want to pair Medicham with another Fighting-type, such as Mienshao or Terrakion to overwhelm the opponent's Fighting-resistant Pokemon. Notably, Mienshao can use U-turn to get Medicham in safely, and can 2HKO Jellicent with Grass Knot. Other than this, you'll want to support Medicham with Stealth Rock, as many of the Pokemon resistant to Hi Jump Kick will take 25% damage from it.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Zen Headbutt / Psycho Cut
move 4: Substitute / Drain Punch
item: Life Orb / Black Belt
ability: Pure Power
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Though it might be tempting to equip Medicham with a choice item, the power and flexibility provided by other items can be extremely useful. Instead of a revenge killer, Medicham becomes a potent wallbreaker and destroyer of defensive teams. Medicham also becomes much less vulnerable to Ghosts, Gliscor and Protect. In fact, if played correctly, Medicham can actually take advantage of Protect by using Substitute, which can ease prediction in addition to blocking status moves. However, the damage from Substitute, Life Orb and potentially Hi Jump Kick recoil will build up tremendously fast, so you might wish to consider another option. Drain Punch provides a reliable STAB move with a useful secondary effect, preventing Medicham from being worn down. This is an excellent move to use against opponents which spam Protect, and is good for finishing off weakened Pokemon. Black Belt is a viable alternative item, providing a boost to Hi Jump Kick comparable to that of Life Orb without causing recoil. This also lets Medicham convincingly bluff a choice item before surprising the opponent. Ice Punch is a required move, giving a good chance to OHKO 252/184+ Gliscor, as well as guaranteed OHKOs on 4/0 Salamence, Latios and Landorus, as well as Dragonite after Stealth Rock damage. Zen Headbutt or Psycho Cut gives Medicham a reliable STAB attack that also hits Tentacruel, Gengar, Fighting-types, and Jellicent harder than the other moves. Psycho Cut is noticeably weaker and doesn't cause flinches, but also doesn’t miss. Still, a miss is not the end of the world when behind the safety of a Substitute, so Zen Headbutt may be the better option in that case.</p>
<p>Overall, this set is extremely potent, but it does have a tendency to fall flat on its face occasionally. It's not the most consistent Pokemon ever. Medicham will often prove useful against more defensive players, especially those that underestimate its power. Offensive teams, on the other hand, can present trouble; nonetheless, Medicham should be able to attain a KO every time it gets in safely. Another issue worth bearing in mind is that an intelligent opponent can often wear Medicham down with smart switches, especially if they have a Ghost. Therefore, Medicham requires much more prediction than your typical Substitute user especially if running Life Orb. You should also think carefully as to whether the much weaker Mienshao might make a better choice thanks to better Speed and Regenerator, which gives it much better longevity. Still, rest assured that almost nothing can match Medicham's sheer power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choosing the EV spread is not difficult; Attack and Speed are maximized so that Medicham can hit as hard and fast as possible. Medicham's defenses are rather poor anyway, and as such are best ignored. A Jolly nature allows Medicham to outrun Adamant Dragonite, Mamoswine, and Lucario as well as Modest Rotom-W and Timid Heatran; in each case a Jolly nature is the difference between life and death. Jolly will give Medicham considerably more utility against offensive teams, against which it otherwise might struggle due to its weak defenses. However, the power drop will prove significant at times, especially against offensive Dragonite, which will never be OHKOed through Multiscale. If you choose to use an item other than Life Orb, an Adamant nature also becomes more favorable. </p>
<p>A number of moves can be used instead of Substitute or Drain Punch. ThunderPunch is useful for hitting OHKOing Gyarados and Starmie, and 2HKOing Slowbro if running Adamant and Life Orb. Recover allows Medicham to take advantage of a free turn, for example from a switch or an opposing Protect, making Medicham much more durable. Bulk Up could also help take advantage of free turns, but Medicham will probably be easily revenge killed with super effective or special moves. A priority move such as Fake Out or Bullet Punch is also possible, but remember that Psycho Cut is illegal with Bullet Punch. You can also replace your Psychic STAB if you want, but Jellicent and Tentacruel may prove very problematic if you also lack ThunderPunch. If they are not present on the opposing team, running both Substitute and Drain Punch can be very effective, as the HP lost to Life Orb and Substitute can be recovered. As for the item choice, other options include Wide Lens, Expert Belt, and Leftovers, but all leave Medicham's Hi Jump Kick too weak. If not using Substitute, Life Orb will usually prove the best option. </p>
<p>This set has some trouble with Ghosts, though admittedly not nearly as much as the Choice Scarf set. Medicham can muscle its way past most of them, but they still prevent it from freely using Hi Jump Kick. Unfortunately, Tyranitar is a poor partner since sandstorm just tips the residual damage problem over the edge, but other Pursuit users such as Choice Band Scizor and specially defensive Metagross can help trap Ghost- and Psychic-types. Stallbreaker Mew and Sableye can prove problematic for this set, so a reliable switch-in such as Heatran or Volcarona makes a good partner. Finally, Specially Defensive Jirachi is an excellent partner for Medicham, as it is able to spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, Body Slam and Thunder, while checking Gengar and Reuniclus. Wish and U-turn can make switching Medicham in rather easier, and can even heal a weakened Medicham if you can get it in safely. This does a lot for Medicham's issues with average Speed, rapid HP depletion, and inability to switch in safely.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>As far as alternative sets go, the most obvious is Choice Band. This is a lot less flexible than the non-choice set, leaving the opponent able to sacrifice something before forcing Medicham back out; the extra attack is often just overkill. Still, the set would be Hi Jump Kick, Ice Punch, and two of Drain Punch, ThunderPunch and Bullet Punch. A number of other moves could occasionally prove useful: Double Edge hits Psychic-types harder than any of Medicham's other moves, but this is a bad move to be locked into, and the recoil is not appreciated when running Life Orb. Fire Punch allows Medicham to OHKO Scizor and Forretress (assuming Sturdy is broken), but these Pokemon are already taking a ton from Hi Jump Kick. Rock Slide is useful against Volcarona and Flying-types, but a Psychic-type move or Ice Punch is more effective in general. Foresight allows Medicham to hit Ghosts with Hi Jump Kick, but you can KO most in the required two turns anyway. Pain Split can be used on a set with Life Orb an Substitute to provide longevity and damage opponents, but Medicham's coverage is sacrificed. Acupressure or Bulk Up can be used to set up on opponents that spam Protect, but Medicham's average Speed leaves it too vulnerable to revenge killing.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Directly countering Medicham can prove extremely difficult, due to its phenomenal power and decent coverage. However, there are still a couple of ways to deal with Medicham effectively. First and foremost, we have Ghost-types; the mere presence of a Ghost will hamper Medicham significantly, preventing it from using Hi Jump Kick freely. However, most Ghosts are not themselves perfect counters; Gengar is OHKOed by a Psychic-type move or a Life Orb Ice Punch, Jellicent falls to ThunderPunch or a Life Orb Zen Headbutt, and many other defensive ghosts, such as Sableye, Dusclops, and Cofagrigus, absolutely hate Trick. Psychic-types cannot hinder Medicham purely by existing, but are often great switch-ins. Slowbro, Stallbreaker Mew, and Calm Mind Reuniclus can usually counter Medicham if they avoid Trick. Gyarados can also wall any variant lacking ThunderPunch. Moreover, several Pokemon are not 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Hi Jump Kick, including Dragonite, bulky Volcarona, Gliscor, Celebi, and Intimidate Salamence. Finally the move Protect is also an effective check to Medicham, as it punishes Medicham for using Hi Jump Kick. This is very effective against the Choice set, but less so against other sets as they can take advantage of the free turn, for example with Substitute.</p>
Adamant Scarf Medicham calcs against a bunch of random stuff just to give an idea of its power. Note that most of these are either walls or resist HJK. A lot of other stuff is just cleanly OHKOed :
Hi Jump Kick vs…
252/252+ Reuniclus: 29 - 34.19% (this takes the least from Medicham's moves in OU)
252/0 Reuniclus: 42.45 - 50%
252/176+ Forretress: 47.45 - 56.49%
4/0 Latios 56.62 - 66.55%
252/252+ Skarmory 48.5 - 57.48%
252/0 Jirachi: 70.54 - 83.16%
252/0 Espeon: 63.77 - 75.14%
4/0 Volcarona: 64.63 - 76.2%
4/0 Starmie 61.83 - 73.28%
4/0 Tornadus 63.54 - 74.91%
112/0 Rotom-W: 99.62 - 117.47%
252/0 Gastrodon: 91.54 - 107.74%
248/0 Scizor: 82.79 - 97.95%
252/252+ Vaporeon: 60.34 - 71.12%
0/0 Gyarados: 52.26 - 61.63% (34.44 - 40.78% after intimidate)
252/252 Gyarados: 29.94 - 35.53% (20.05 - 23.6% after intimidate)
4/0 Tyranitar: 306.43 - 361.4% (lol)
Ice Punch vs...
252/184+ Gliscor: 80.22 - 94.91%
0/0 Dragonite (no multiscale): 141.17 - 167.18%
0/0 Salamence (intimidate): 106.34 - 125.67%
0/4 Landorus: 149.21 - 176.8%
252/0 Celebi: 54.45 - 64.35%
4/0 Latios: 87.41 - 103.31%
4/0 Gengar: 62.97 - 74.42%
Zen Headbutt vs...
248/216+ Jellicent: 40.44 - 47.89% (possible 2HKO on slightly frailer variants, or with hazards)
252/240+ Tentacruel: 92.3 - 108.79%
252/252+ Reuniclus: 29 - 34.19% (this takes the least from Medicham's moves in OU)
252/0 Reuniclus: 42.45 - 50%
252/176+ Forretress: 47.45 - 56.49%
4/0 Latios 56.62 - 66.55%
252/252+ Skarmory 48.5 - 57.48%
252/0 Jirachi: 70.54 - 83.16%
252/0 Espeon: 63.77 - 75.14%
4/0 Volcarona: 64.63 - 76.2%
4/0 Starmie 61.83 - 73.28%
4/0 Tornadus 63.54 - 74.91%
112/0 Rotom-W: 99.62 - 117.47%
252/0 Gastrodon: 91.54 - 107.74%
248/0 Scizor: 82.79 - 97.95%
252/252+ Vaporeon: 60.34 - 71.12%
0/0 Gyarados: 52.26 - 61.63% (34.44 - 40.78% after intimidate)
252/252 Gyarados: 29.94 - 35.53% (20.05 - 23.6% after intimidate)
4/0 Tyranitar: 306.43 - 361.4% (lol)
Ice Punch vs...
252/184+ Gliscor: 80.22 - 94.91%
0/0 Dragonite (no multiscale): 141.17 - 167.18%
0/0 Salamence (intimidate): 106.34 - 125.67%
0/4 Landorus: 149.21 - 176.8%
252/0 Celebi: 54.45 - 64.35%
4/0 Latios: 87.41 - 103.31%
4/0 Gengar: 62.97 - 74.42%
Zen Headbutt vs...
248/216+ Jellicent: 40.44 - 47.89% (possible 2HKO on slightly frailer variants, or with hazards)
252/240+ Tentacruel: 92.3 - 108.79%
Proposed other set. Unless someone makes a very persuasive argument I'm not going to add it.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Drain Punch / Bullet Punch
move 4: ThunderPunch / Bullet Punch
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
