Ubers Mega Lopunny

Felixx

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[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Lopunny's access to a fast Healing Wish gives it a place on certain offensive teams, as it can fully restore a weakened wallbreaker or setup sweeper and essentially give them a second chance to pressure the opposing team.
* Slower offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM are often tasked with taking strong hits early-game to check threats such as Xerneas, eventually wearing them down, and a quick Healing Wish can turn the tide of the battle in your favor by restoring their HP and curing them of status.
* Mega Lopunny's high Speed tier also lets it outpace and revenge kill key threats such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow, although residual damage is still required to pick them off.
* Poor Attack and bulk mean Lopunny will heavily rely on Toxic Spikes and Fake Out to chip targets into range of its attacks, or else it will risk being weakened or KOed itself, and it will struggle to clean up healthy teams.
* Because it relies on Toxic Spikes to beat down support Arceus formes and other grounded targets, the few viable users of this move like Toxapex and Cloyster are often almost mandatory on builds utilizing Mega Lopunny. Forgoing the use of these Toxic Spikes users will limit what Mega Lopunny is able to do in a specific match.
* Taking up the Mega slot means Mega Lopunny faces severe competition from other more viable Mega Pokemon that are easier to fit on teams such as Mega Gengar, Mega Salamence, and Mega Scizor, somewhat restricting teambuilding, as they don't require specific team support to function. Mega Gengar is also much better at exploiting Toxic Spikes, as it can trap its targets and attack with a strong status-boosted Hex, while Mega Salamence and Mega Scizor provide their respective defensive utilities to the team.

[SET]
name: Healing Wish
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Lopunnite
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Fake Out lets Mega Lopunny guarantee chip damage on targets such as Primal Groudon, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre, putting them in range of its attacks later in the match. This also allows Mega Lopunny to rack up a turn of Toxic Spikes damage and anti-lead versus Smeagle, Excadrill, and Cloyster, safely breaking their Focus Sash and KOing them the next turn.
* Return is the most reliable Normal-type STAB move Mega Lopunny is able to use.
* High Jump Kick is a high-Base Power Fighting-type STAB move that allows Mega Lopunny to heavily damage targets hit super effectively by it such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Dark, as well as 2HKOing some neutral targets such as Primal Kyogre and Magearna.
* Healing Wish is a big part of Mega Lopunny's niche, allowing it to sacrifice itself to fully restore a teammate and cure it of any status. Its high Speed complements this move well, as it enables it to utilize Healing Wish before being KOed by a strong attack.
* Encore can be a useful option over Healing Wish, as Mega Lopunny outspeeds +1 offensive Zygarde-C and can thus lock it into Dragon Dance, although it fails to outspeed +1 Zygarde pre-transformation. Encore also helps lock defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex into status moves such as Recover.

Set Details
========

* A simple EV spread of maximum Attack and Speed investment lets Mega Lopunny hit as hard and as fast as possible, outpacing foes such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow.
* Lopunnite is required to let Lopunny Mega Evolve.
* Limber is the best possible base ability, as it prevents paralysis from moves like Thunder Wave, Glare, and Nuzzle.

Usage Tips
========

* It's not always ideal to lead off with Mega Lopunny, as it allows Pokemon such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex to get their respective entry hazards up early. Your opponent will also avoid leading with common suicide leads such as Smeargle, Excadrill, and Cloyster due to the threat of Fake Out. Assess the matchup and attempt to predict your opponent's lead.
* If your opponent does end up leading with something with a positive matchup versus Mega Lopunny, such as a support Arceus forme, use Fake Out to chip the target and switch out the next turn to an appropriate answer to the threat at hand. Avoid using Fake Out against likely Rocky Helmet users like Toxapex and Skarmory, however.
* Fake Out is also a powerful tool for chipping setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence, and Geomancy Xerneas, potentially halting a sweep or bringing the target into KO range of a teammate.
* Due to its frailty and lack of resistances, Mega Lopunny should be brought out through aggressive double switches into targets it can threaten such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Dark or after one of its teammates has been KOed. Repeatedly getting Mega Lopunny on the field safely can be very important against more offensive teams that lack defensive walls.
* Setting up entry hazards is very important to ensure Mega Lopunny can pull its weight in a match. Get Toxic Spikes up early to cripple support Arceus formes and force a Rest from defensive Zygarde-C, and set up Stealth Rock to pressure Flying-type Defoggers such as Mega Salamence, physically defensive Yveltal, and Ho-Oh.
* If a certain member of your team such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C is weakened, always try to assess Mega Lopunny's importance in the matchup, as a fast Healing Wish can bestow a second chance for one of your wallbreakers or sweepers or even bring back a weakened defensive wall that took a heavy hit or crippling status earlier in the match. Mega Lopunny can even bait in its checks such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas and use Healing Wish as they switch in, allowing free setup to teammates such as the aforementioned Necrozma-DM.

Team Options
========

* Trick Room or Double Dance Necrozma-DM can be a great partner for Mega Lopunny, as Healing Wish support allows it to wallbreak more recklessly early-game and take strong hits if needed, and in return it can KO or weaken some of Mega Lopunny's answers such as Zygarde-C, Choice Scarf Yveltal, and Arceus-Ground. Although using Trick Room Necrozma-DM may seem counterintuitive, since Mega Lopunny is a fast offensive threat, it boasts higher bulk than its Double Dance counterpart, which is important for dealing with Xerneas and Mega Salamence better.
* Swords Dance + Stealth Rock Primal Groudon can beat down defensive walls such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Fairy, and Zygarde-C as well as bulky Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence that all trouble Mega Lopunny, helping it to clean up late-game. Other variants of Primal Groudon also work well, such as Rock Polish, which can poke holes into defensive cores early-game and then be a recipient of Healing Wish if sweeping with Primal Groudon is more likely than cleaning up with Mega Lopunny.
* Dragon Dance Zygarde-C complements Mega Lopunny well, as it's also another common Pokemon that can utilize Toxic Spikes with Substitute + Protect variants, which will eventually overpower support Arceus forms while having great matchups versus some of its other checks such as Toxapex, Ho-Oh, and opposing defensive Zygarde-C.
* Toxapex provides Toxic Spikes support, statusing support Arceus formes and Zygarde-C upon entry and chipping them in range of a 2HKO from Mega Lopunny, and acts as an answer to Choice Scarf Xerneas and Ho-Oh.
* Although it provides little defensive utility and isn't as consistent as Toxapex, Cloyster is an alternative Toxic Spikes setter, as it can easily set a layer of Toxic Spikes while deterring entry hazard removal attempts early on in the match due to Shell Smash and its STAB Icicle Spear.
* Giratina-O easily fits on offensive teams as a Defogger, and its ability to cripple defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy with Toxic or paralyze offensive threats like Yveltal with Thunder Wave lets it aid Mega Lopunny in cleaning up teams.
* Arceus-Dark can be an excellent teammate because it can handle certain threats such as Yveltal, Ultra Necrozma, and Lunala, as they can all survive hits from Mega Lopunny when sufficiently healthy and OHKO it back.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Low Kick is an accurate alternative to High Jump Kick, as many Pokemon in Ubers are heavy enough to the point where Low Kick reaches 120 Base Power, although the extra 10 Base Power that High Jump Kick provides is important for 2HKOing support Arceus formes with a little chip damage.
* Ice Punch lets Mega Lopunny OHKO Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage without factoring Intimidate, and it 2HKOes offensive Zygarde-C. Losing out on Fake Out or Healing Wish can be an awful trade, however.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Toxapex**: Toxapex is easily the biggest nuisance for Mega Lopunny, as it takes little damage from any of its attacks, has Regenerator to keep itself healthy, can punish its contact moves with Rocky Helmet, and soaks up Toxic Spikes, which Mega Lopunny heavily relies on. Its access to Haze also stops any Healing Wish recipient such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C from freely setting up on Toxapex.

**Support Arceus formes**: Support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and the lesser-used Arceus-Dragon all avoid the 2HKO from High Jump Kick when at full HP and boast reliable recovery, meaning Mega Lopunny will require entry hazards or prior chip damage to break past these targets.

**Zygarde-C**: Defensive Zygarde-C can take multiple hits from Mega Lopunny, heal off any residual damage and remove status with Rest, and proceed to cripple it with Glare, essentially making it useless outside of using Healing Wish if the team lacks cleric support. Dragon Dance variants can use Mega Lopunny as setup fodder if it lacks Encore, although Z-Moves like Groundium Z and Dragonium Z will bypass the Encore and KO Mega Lopunny.

**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy has access to reliable recovery, stomachs Mega Lopunny's attacks with ease, and can OHKO it with STAB Judgment. Geomancy Xerneas avoids the 2HKO from Return from full HP and OHKOes Mega Lopunny with Moonblast.

**Bulky Foes**: Bulky Psychic-types like defensive Lunala, Lugia, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Latias resist High Jump Kick and take little from Return, walling Mega Lopunny and crippling it with super effective STAB attacks or status. Mega Venusaur, Giratina, and Giratina-O avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny's attacks and cripple it with Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, or STAB attacks.

**Flying-types**: Defensive Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Flying resist High Jump Kick and avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny as long as Stealth Rock is kept off the field and can thus beat it down. Physically defensive Yveltal and Skarmory are hit neutrally by High Jump Kick, but their high physical bulk lets them avoid the 2HKO and retaliate with Toxic.

**Faster Foes**: Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Lopunny and OHKOes it with Psystrike, while Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh outspeed Mega Lopunny and can easily revenge kill it from full HP; however, Mega Mewtwo Y and Xerneas dislike taking repeated Fake Outs.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Felixx, 401973]]
- Quality checked by: [[DMDW, 434601], [Nayrz, 212134], [Cynara, 224455]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Fireflame479, 231476], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
 
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Overview
Slower offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre are often tasked with taking strong hits early game to beat down support Arceus-formes, Giratina-O, and other offensive Pokemon, and a quick Healing Wish can turn the tide of the battle.
I'm confident that those Pokemon take repeated damages for different reasons - they normally do not enter the field with an intent to combat support Arceus formes or Giratina-O, but those foes are reactively sent against them. Also I do not think Primal Kyogre is the best recipient of Healing Wish so replace it with Necrozma-DM (will explain why later).
* A poor Attack stat and bulk means Mega Lopunny will heavily rely on Fake Out to chip targets into range of its attacks or else it will risk being weakened or KOed itself, and it will struggle to clean up healthy teams.
Something big missing here: Toxic Spikes. Toxic Spikes will be something that Mega Lopunny will heavily rely on to deal with support Arceus formes that it cannot 2HKO otherwise (even after Stealth Rock). Fake Out is still a relevant factor that is used to chip foes but Toxic Spikes will aid so much with chipping healthy bulky foes.
* Taking up the mega slot means Mega Lopunny faces severe competition from other, more viable and splashable mega Pokemon such as Mega Gengar, Mega Salamence, and Mega Scizor, somewhat restricting teambuilding.
I would add that Mega Gengar is a better abuser of Toxic Spikes and other Mega Stone users can function much better without specific team support (and provide other defensive utilities too).


Moves & Set Details

Move Encore mention up here but don't add slashing.
* A simple EV spread of Maximum Attack and Speed investment lets Mega Lopunny hit as hard and as fast as possible.
What does this outspeed? Mega Gengar / Ultra Necrozma / more.


Usage Tips
* Because its able to anti-lead versus Smeargle, Excadrill, and Cloyster due to Fake Out, its often a good idea to start off a match with Mega Lopunny to pick off these leads, although Fake Out can be quite predictable, so take note of this and try to predict a swap from the opponent.
As long as you are against a sensible opponent they won't lead with those Pokemon...
* There are a plethora of Pokemon in the Ubers tier that can take on Mega Lopunny's dual STAB attacks, use this weakness to your advantage by double-switching out to other offensive threats. For example, as Mega Lopunny easily draws in Arceus-Fairy, it could be a good idea to double-switch to Necrozma-DM as it comes in, forcing out the Arceus-Fairy.
Remove this point and add a point about setting Toxic Spikes to turn 2HKOs to 3HKOs against foes like support Arceus formes and preferably setting Stealth Rock as well to further pressure Defog users, particularly Flying-types like Mega Salamence and Ho-Oh.
If a certain member of your team is weakened, always try to assess Mega Lopunny's importance in the matchup
State examples of Healing Wish recipients here (Necrozma-DM / Zygarde-C / etc)


Team Options

* Dual Dance Necrozma-DM can be a great partner for Mega Lopunny, as Healing Wish support allows Necrozma-DM to wallbreak more recklessly in the early game and take strong hits if needed, it can also KO or weaken some of Mega Lopunny's answers such as Zygarde-C, Choice Scarf Yveltal, and Arceus-Ground.
Double Dance Necrozma-DM is definitely a good partner, but Trick Room variants are more helpful so mention it first. Trick Room may sound counterproductive because of Mega Lopunny's Speed but this also means that Necrozma-DM can justify a bulkier investment to be more of a reliable answer to Mega Salamence, Xerneas, and some Arceus formes.

As mentioned, Zygarde is another good recipient of Healing Wish (especially after Power Construct). It is also a good abuser of Toxic Spikes and can alleviate matchup against fat teams that Mega Lopunny struggles to break through.

* Swords Dance + Stealth Rock Primal Groudon can beat down defensive walls such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Fairy, and Zygarde-C that trouble Mega Lopunny, helping it to clean up late game. Alternatively, since Primal Groudon will often take heavy chip damage when attempting to break past the aforementioned defensive walls, Healing Wish can be utilized when bringing back Primal Groudon is more important than cleaning up with Mega Lopunny.
The idea is fine but add that such variant of Primal Groudon can pressure Flying-types that threaten Mega Lopunny. If they have Defog they can even remove Toxic Spikes so pressuring them becomes important. Also I'm not sure if Primal Groudon should be a Healing Wish recipient when it is running SD + SR set though...

* Klefki is excellent partner because it can stack multiple layers of Spikes and use Toxic on support Arceus-formes, Zygarde-C, and Ho-Oh to allow Mega Lopunny to break past them more easily. Thunder Wave support also lets Mega Lopunny outspeed fast threats in Mega Mewtwo Y and Choice Scarf Xerneas.

* Special Attacking Primal Kyogre with Liquidation boasts a fantastic matchip versus stall teams which Mega Lopunny is almost completely deadweight against, and having Healing Wish in the back allows Primal Kyogre to be played more recklessly, as it can be fully restored later in the match.

* Deoxys-A can blow past many different defensive walls for Mega Lopunny, as its high damage output and coverage lets it beat down support Arceus-formes, Zygarde-C, and Toxapex. Mega Lopunny can also pivot into Marshadow's Shadow Sneak, as if Marshadow risks going for any other move versus Deoxys-A it will get KOed even by a -2 Psycho Boost.
Remove these, they don't synergy well with Mega Lopunny and are fit better in different builds.

Add Cloyster as a different Toxic Spikes setter - it isn't as consistent with setting Toxic Spikes but it can set entry hazards and deter Defog early on.

Conclude the section with Arceus-Dark that can blanket check Yveltal and Ultra Necrozma.


Checks and Counters

Re-order to:

* Toxapex
* Support Arceus formes
* Zygarde-C
* Fairy-types
* Bulky Foes
* Flying-types
* Faster Foes

Toxapex is arguably the worst counter to Mega Lopunny (you'll probably get this idea with what you know from OU) because it potentially punishes attack with Rocky Helmet, removes Toxic Spikes (which Mega Lopunny largely relies on) by just switching in, and screws around with Healing Wish recipient with Haze if the last ditch move is needed. Support Arceus formes are impossible for Mega Lopunny to deal with without relying on entry hazards / visible prior damage. Zygarde-C doesn't care about Mega Lopunny and is a general nuisance - note that while Encore can be used to screw around with DD variants Z-move can still be used through Encore. On Bulky Foes, include Pokemon like Giratina / Giratina-O / defensive Lunala / etc. Include relevant Choice Scarf users on "Faster Foes" section.

I'll take a second look once these are implemented.
 
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although chip damage through Fake Out or entry hazards is still required to pick them off.
Now that we put heavy emphasis on Toxic Spikes, and Mega Lopunny will find poison damage the handiest in conjunction with Fake Out, so I'd just say 'residual damage' altogether.


When talking about utilizing Healing Wish in Usage Tips, I would talk about how Mega Lopunny can use Healing Wish while baiting in foes like Xerneas, support Arceus, or even a sacrifice fodder depending on the game condition. If Pokemon like Necrozma-DM comes in after Mega Lopunny draws in said targets and uses Healing Wish, it gets a free setup (likely against a weakened team) opportunity so I'd put a heavier emphasis on how important this is.

Seems like you forgot to do so but emphasize on Trick Room Necrozma-DM boasting a greater bulk to check Xerneas and Mega Salamence better.

* Giratina-O easily fits on offensive teams as a Defogger, and its ability to cripple defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy with Toxic or paralyze offensive threats like Yveltal with Thunder Wave lets it support Mega Lopunny, while its lack of reliable recovery means it is yet again another possible receiver of Healing Wish.
I don't think Giratina-O will be a Healing Wish recipient...? It will likely brawl against Primal Groudon or other things, spread status / cause damage, maybe use Defog, and croak. It is still okay as a teammate though, so just re-word that part.


As I said earlier, mention that Toxapex can screw with Healing Wish recipient with Haze so they can't set up after getting their health fully restored.
in Skarmory's case, Counter.
I don't think Counter is too much of a relevant option on Skarmory... instead of using Counter, Skarmory just plagues your team with Spikes and Toxic.


From my point of view, the basics are covered at this point.

QC 1/3
 
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Let's see here... the overview is pretty "fat" in terms of the size of the lines... ideally they shouldnt be that long individually. Break things up a bit and i'll take a closer look. There shouldn't be spaces between all the lines like that anyway btw

C&C policy is that we always use Return and don't go down the ditto slippery slope so change that around please (and in set details)

I think the whole scrappy mention isn't needed because i think we assume the very basic stuff is already known by the reader.

* Because its able to anti-lead versus Smeargle, Excadrill, and Cloyster due to Fake Out, your opponent will try to avoid this losing matchup by leading off with something with a positive matchup against Mega Lopunny, such as Arceus-Fairy or Toxapex, which may attempt to get up their respective hazards up early. Use this insight to pick a lead that can deal with these possible threats.
weird game state assumption here. worst case scenario you flinch the mon t1 and switch, lop isn't really at risk. i'd consider rewording it to avoid dissuading the idea entirely.

The rest of this seems ok but i'll need to see how the overview shapes up after this before stamping.
 

Cynara

Banned deucer.
The content and quality of this analysis is good enough imo for explaining the niche of Mega lop and im not sure what else id add to this.

QC: 3/3
 
Hi!
add / fix remove (comments); Add Comma (AC), Remove Comma (RC), Add Hyphen (AH), Remove Hyphen (RH)


[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Lopunny's access to a fast Healing Wish gives it a place on certain offensive teams, as it can fully restore a weakened wallbreaker or setup sweeper and essentially give them a second chance to pressure the opposing team.
* Slower offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM are often tasked with taking strong hits early-game (AH) to check threats such as Xerneas, eventually wearing them down, and a quick Healing Wish can turn the tide of the battle in your favor by restoring their HP and curing them of status.
* Mega Lopunny's high Speed tier also lets it outpace and revenge kill key threats such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow, although any residual damage is still required to pick them off.
* A poor Attack stat and bulk means Mega Lopunny will heavily rely on Toxic Spikes and Fake Out to chip targets into range of its attacks or else it will risk being weakened or KOed itself, and it will struggle to clean up healthy teams.
* Because it relies on Toxic Spikes to beat down support Arceus formes and other grounded targets, the few viable users of this move like Toxapex and Cloyster are often almost mandatory on builds utilizing Mega Lopunny. Foregoing the use of these Toxic Spikes users will limit what Mega Lopunny is able to do in a specific match.
* Taking up the Mega slot means Mega Lopunny faces severe competition from other (RC) more viable and splashable Mega Pokemon such as Mega Gengar, Mega Salamence, and Mega Scizor, somewhat restricting teambuilding, as they don't require specific team support to function. Mega Gengar is also a much better abuser of Toxic Spikes, as it can trap its targets and attack with a strong status boosted Hex, while Mega Salamence and Mega Scizor provide their respective defensive utilities to the team.

[SET]
name: Healing Wish
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Lopunnite
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Fake Out lets Mega Lopunny guarantee chip damage on targets such as Primal Groudon, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre, putting them in range of its attacks later in the match. This also allows Mega Lopunny to rack up a turn of Toxic Spikes damage and anti-lead versus Smeagle, Excadrill, and Cloyster, safely breaking their Focus Sash and KOing them the next turn.
* Return is the most reliable Normal-type STAB Mega Lopunny is able to use.
* High Jump Kick is a high Base Power Fighting-type STAB move that allows Mega Lopunny to heavily damage targets hit super effectively by it such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Dark, as well as 2HKO some neutral targets such as Primal Kyogre and Magearna.
* Healing Wish is a big part of Mega Lopunny's niche, allowing it to sacrifice itself to fully restore a teammate and cure it of any status. Its high speed compliments complements this move well, as it's able to utilize it before being KOed by a strong attack.
* Encore can be a useful option over Healing Wish, as Mega Lopunny still outspeeds a +1 offensive Zygarde-C and can thus lock it into Dragon Dance, although it fails to outspeed +1 Zygarde pre-transformation. Encore also helps lock defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex into status moves such as Recover.

Set Details
========

* A simple EV spread of maximum Attack and Speed investment lets Mega Lopunny hit as hard and as fast as possible, outpacing foes such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow.
* Lopunnite is required to let Lopunny Mega Evolve.
* Limber is the best possible base form ability as it prevents paralysis from moves like Thunder Wave, Glare, or Nuzzle.

Usage Tips
========

* It's not always ideal to lead off with Mega Lopunny, as it allows Pokemon such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex to get their respective hazards up early. Your opponent will also avoid leading with common suicide leads such as Smeargle, Excadrill, and Cloyster due to the threat of Fake Out. Assess the matchup and attempt to predict your opponent's lead.
* If your opponent does end up leading with something with a positive matchup versus Mega Lopunny, such as a support Arceus forme, use Fake Out to allow you to chip the target and switch out the next turn into an appropriate answer to the threat at hand. Avoid using Fake Out against likely Rocky Helmet users like Toxapex and Skarmory, however.
* Fake Out is also a poweful tool for chipping setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence, and Geomancy Xerneas, potentially halting a sweep or bringing the target into KO range of a teammate.
* Due to its fraility frailty and lack of resistances, Mega Lopunny should be brought out through aggressive double switches (RH) into targets it can threaten such as Ferrothorn or Arceus-Dark, or after one of your teammates has been KOed. Repeatedly getting Mega Lopunny on the field safely can be very important against more offensive teams that lack defensive walls.
* Setting up entry hazards is very important to ensure Mega Lopunny can pull its weight in a match. Get Toxic Spikes up early to cripple support Arceus formes and force a Rest from defensive Zygarde-C, while getting up Stealth Rock pressures Flying-type Defoggers such as Mega Salamence, physically defensive Yveltal, and Ho-Oh.
* If a certain member of your team such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C is weakened, always try to assess Mega Lopunny's importance in the matchup, as a fast Healing Wish can bestow a second chance for one of your wallbreakers or sweepers, or even bring back a weakened defensive wall that took a heavy hit or crippling status earlier in the match. Mega Lopunny can even bait in its checks such as Arceus-Fairy or Xerneas and use Healing Wish as they switch in, allowing free setup to teammates such as the aforementioned Necrozma-DM.

Team Options
========

* Trick Room or Double Dance Necrozma-DM can both be great partners for Mega Lopunny, as Healing Wish support allows Necrozma-DM to wallbreak more recklessly in the early game and take strong hits if needed, and it can also KO or weaken some of Mega Lopunny's answers such as Zygarde-C, Choice Scarf Yveltal, and Arceus-Ground. Although using Trick Room Necrozma-DM may seem counterintuitive since Mega Lopunny is a fast offensive threat, it boasts higher bulk than its Double Dance counterpart, which is important for dealing with Xerneas and Mega Salamence better.
* Swords Dance + Stealth Rock Primal Groudon can beat down defensive walls such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Fairy, Zygarde-C, as well as bulky Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence that all trouble Mega Lopunny, helping it to clean up late game. Other variants of Primal Groudon also work well, such as Rock Polish, which can poke holes into defensive cores early game, then be a recipient of Healing Wish if sweeping with Primal Groudon is more likely than cleaning up with Mega Lopunny.
* Dragon Dance Zygarde-C compliments complements Mega Lopunny well, as it's also another common abuser of Toxic Spikes with Substitute + Protect variants, which will eventually overpower through support Arceus formes, while having great matchups versus some of its other checks such as Toxapex, Ho-Oh, and opposing defensive Zygarde-C.
* Toxapex provides Toxic Spikes support, statusing support Arceus formes and Zygarde-C upon entry, chipping them in range of a 2HKO from Mega Lopunny, while acting as an answer to Choice Scarf Xerneas and Ho-Oh.
* Although it provides little defensive utility and isn't as consistent as Toxapex, Cloyster is an alternative Toxic Spikes setter, as it can easily set a layer of Toxic Spikes while deterring hazard removal attempts early on in the match due to Shell Smash plus its Ice typing (RH).
* Giratina-O easily fits on offensive teams as a Defogger, and its ability to cripple defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy with Toxic or paralyze offensive threats like Yveltal with Thunder Wave lets it aid Mega Lopunny in cleaning up teams.
* Arceus-Dark can be an excellent teammate since it can handle certain threats such as Yveltal, Ultra Necrozma, and Lunala, as they can all live hits from Mega Lopunny when sufficiently healthy and OHKO it back.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Low Kick is an accurate alternative to High Jump Kick, as many Pokemon in the Ubers tier are heavy enough to the point where Low Kick reaches 120 base power, although the extra 10 base power that High Jump Kick provides is important for 2HKOing support Arceus formes with a little chip damage.
* Ice Punch lets Mega Lopunny OHKO Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage without factoring Intimidate, and it 2HKOes offensive Zygarde-C. Losing out on Fake Out or Healing Wish can be an awful trade, however.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Toxapex**: Toxapex is easily the biggest nuisance for Mega Lopunny, as it takes little damage from any of its attacks, has Regenerator to keep itself healthy, can punish its contact moves with Rocky Helmet, and soaks up Toxic Spikes which Mega Lopunny heavily relies on. Its access to Haze also stops any Healing Wish recipient such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C from freely setting up on Toxapex.

**Support Arceus formes**: Support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and the lesser used Arceus-Dragon all avoid the 2HKO from High Jump Kick when at full HP and boast reliable recovery, meaning Mega Lopunny will require entry hazards or prior chip damage to break past these targets.

**Zygarde-C**: Defensive Zygarde-C can take multiple hits from Mega Lopunny, heal off any residual damage and remove status with Rest, and proceed to cripple it with Glare, essentially making it useless outside of using Healing Wish if the team lacks cleric support. Dragon Dance variants can use Mega Lopunny as setup fodder if it lacks Encore, although Z-Moves like Groundium-Z and Dragonium-Z will bypass the Encore and KO Mega Lopunny.

**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy has access to reliable recovery, stomachs Mega Lopunny's attacks with ease, and can OHKO it with STAB Judgement. Geomancy Xerneas avoids the 2HKO from Return from full and OHKOes with Moonblast.

**Bulky Foes**: Bulky Psychic-types like defensive Lunala, Lugia, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Latias resist High Jump Kick and take little from Return, walling Mega Lopunny and crippling it with super effective STAB attacks or status. Mega Venusaur, Giratina, and Giratina-O avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny's attacks and cripple it with Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, or STAB attacks.

**Flying-types**: Defensive Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Flying resist High Jump Kick and avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny as long as Stealth Rock is kept off the field, and can thus beat it down. Physically defensive Yveltal and Skarmory are neutral to High Jump Kick, but their high physical bulk lets them also avoid the 2HKO and retaliate with Toxic.

**Faster Foes**: Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Lopunny and OHKOes it with Psystrike, while Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh outspeed and can easily revenge kill Mega Lopunny from full HP, although Mega Mewtwo Y and Xerneas dislike taking repeated Fake Outs.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Felixx, 401973]]
- Quality checked by: [[DMDW, 434601], [Nayrz, 212134], [Cynara, 224455]]
- Grammar checked by: [x, x]
 

Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Felixx the second one is for you to use when implementing. Remember to change the tag to Copyediting for the next GPer. Also I like your writing!

XxAwesomePlayzxX I went over your amcheck with comments. If you have any more questions, you can PM me on Discord.

XxAwesomePlayzxX: add / fix remove (comments); Add Comma (AC), Remove Comma (RC), Add Hyphen (AH), Remove Hyphen (RH)
Fireflame: Remove Add Comments Ignore amcheck (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Lopunny's access to a fast Healing Wish gives it a place on certain offensive teams, as it can fully restore a weakened wallbreaker or setup sweeper and essentially give them a second chance to pressure the opposing team.
* Slower offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM are often tasked with taking strong hits early-game (AH) to check threats such as Xerneas, eventually wearing them down, and a quick Healing Wish can turn the tide of the battle in your favor by restoring their HP and curing them of status.
* Mega Lopunny's high Speed tier also lets it outpace and revenge kill key threats such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow, although any residual damage is still required to pick them off.
* A Poor Attack stat and bulk means mean (changes to make sentence parallel; "a poor bulk" doesn't work) Mega Lopunny will heavily rely on Toxic Spikes and Fake Out to chip targets into range of its attacks or else it will risk being weakened or KOed itself, and it will struggle to clean up healthy teams.
* Because it relies on Toxic Spikes to beat down support Arceus formes and other grounded targets, the few viable users of this move like Toxapex and Cloyster are often almost mandatory on builds utilizing Mega Lopunny. Foregoing the use of these Toxic Spikes users will limit what Mega Lopunny is able to do in a specific match.
* Taking up the Mega slot means Mega Lopunny faces severe competition from other (RC) more viable and splashable Mega Pokemon such as Mega Gengar, Mega Salamence, and Mega Scizor, somewhat restricting teambuilding, as they don't require specific team support to function. Mega Gengar is also a much better abuser of at utilizing ("abuser" is a banned term) Toxic Spikes, as it can trap its targets and attack with a strong status-(AH)boosted (compound adjectives require hyphens if they occur before the noun. In this case, it does occur before the noun, which is "Hex") Hex, while Mega Salamence and Mega Scizor provide their respective defensive utilities to the team.

[SET]
name: Healing Wish
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Lopunnite
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Fake Out lets Mega Lopunny guarantee chip damage on targets such as Primal Groudon, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre, putting them in range of its attacks later in the match. This also allows Mega Lopunny to rack up a turn of Toxic Spikes damage and anti-lead versus Smeagle, Excadrill, and Cloyster, safely breaking their Focus Sash and KOing them the next turn.
* Return is the most reliable Normal-type STAB move Mega Lopunny is able to use.
* High Jump Kick is a high-(AH)Base Power Fighting-type STAB move (remove extra space) that allows Mega Lopunny to heavily damage targets hit super effectively by it such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Dark, as well as 2HKOing some neutral targets such as Primal Kyogre and Magearna.
* Healing Wish is a big part of Mega Lopunny's niche, allowing it to sacrifice itself to fully restore a teammate and cure it of any status. Its high Speed compliments complements (yes this is a good change. This occurs frequently so make sure you know the differences between these words) this move well, as it's able to utilize it Healing Wish before being KOed by a strong attack.
* Encore can be a useful option over Healing Wish, as Mega Lopunny still outspeeds a +1 offensive Zygarde-C and can thus lock it into Dragon Dance, although it fails to outspeed +1 Zygarde pre-transformation. Encore also helps lock defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex into status moves such as Recover.

Set Details
========

* A simple EV spread of maximum Attack and Speed investment lets Mega Lopunny hit as hard and as fast as possible, outpacing foes such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow.
* Lopunnite is required to let Lopunny Mega Evolve.
* Limber is the best possible base form ability,(AC) as it prevents paralysis from moves like Thunder Wave, Glare, or and ("moves" is plural, so it would be "and". It would be "or" if it said "a move like...") Nuzzle.

Usage Tips
========

* It's not always ideal to lead off with Mega Lopunny, as it allows Pokemon such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex to get their respective entry hazards up early. Your opponent will also avoid leading with common suicide leads such as Smeargle, Excadrill, and Cloyster due to the threat of Fake Out. Assess the matchup and attempt to predict your opponent's lead.
* If your opponent does end up leading with something with a positive matchup versus Mega Lopunny, such as a support Arceus forme, use Fake Out to allow you to chip the target and switch out the next turn into an appropriate answer to the threat at hand. Avoid using Fake Out against likely Rocky Helmet users like Toxapex and Skarmory, however.
* Fake Out is also a powerful tool for chipping setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence, and Geomancy Xerneas, potentially halting a sweep or bringing the target into KO range of a teammate.
* Due to its fraility frailty and lack of resistances, Mega Lopunny should be brought out through aggressive double switches (RH) into targets it can threaten such as Ferrothorn or and (same thing as the other comment. "targets" is plural) Arceus-Dark,(RC) (this is a dependent clause, meaning the following cannot stand alone in its own sentence and be grammatically correct. Therefore, there is no comma preceding the coordinating conjunction. If it's an independent clause, then there should be a comma) or after one of your teammates has been KOed. Repeatedly getting Mega Lopunny on the field safely can be very important against more offensive teams that lack defensive walls.
* Setting up entry hazards is very important to ensure Mega Lopunny can pull its weight in a match. Get Toxic Spikes up early to cripple support Arceus formes and force a Rest from defensive Zygarde-C, while and getting up Stealth Rock pressures Flying-type Defoggers such as Mega Salamence, physically defensive Yveltal, and Ho-Oh.
* If a certain member of your team such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C is weakened, always try to assess Mega Lopunny's importance in the matchup, as a fast Healing Wish can bestow a second chance for one of your wallbreakers or sweepers,(RC) or even bring back a weakened defensive wall that took a heavy hit or crippling status earlier in the match. Mega Lopunny can even bait in its checks such as Arceus-Fairy or and Xerneas and use Healing Wish as they switch in, allowing free setup to teammates such as the aforementioned Necrozma-DM. (there were a decent number of examples of dependent/independent clauses and or/and for subject-verb agreement here)

Team Options
========

* Trick Room or Double Dance Necrozma-DM can both be a great partners partner (this one is a bit tricky but the use of "or" means you have to treat each of them separately. "Trick Room Necrozma-DM can be a great partner... Double Dance Necrozma-DM can be a great partner...") for Mega Lopunny, as Healing Wish support allows Necrozma-DM to wallbreak more recklessly in the early-(AH)game and take strong hits if needed, and it can also KO or weaken some of Mega Lopunny's answers such as Zygarde-C, Choice Scarf Yveltal, and Arceus-Ground. Although using Trick Room Necrozma-DM may seem counterintuitive,(AC) since (if "as" or "since" is being used to mean "because", a comma has to precede it) Mega Lopunny is a fast offensive threat, it boasts higher bulk than its Double Dance counterpart, which is important for dealing with Xerneas and Mega Salamence better.
* Swords Dance + Stealth Rock Primal Groudon can beat down defensive walls such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Fairy, and (this is the list for "defensive walls", so there needs to be an "and" here to end the list) Zygarde-C, as well as bulky Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence that all trouble Mega Lopunny, helping it to clean up late-(AH)game (this always requires a hyphen). Other variants of Primal Groudon also work well, such as Rock Polish, which can poke holes into defensive cores early-(AH)game,(RC) and then be a recipient of Healing Wish if sweeping with Primal Groudon is more likely than cleaning up with Mega Lopunny.
* Dragon Dance Zygarde-C compliments complements Mega Lopunny well, as it's also another common abuser of Pokemon that can utilize Toxic Spikes with Substitute + Protect variants, which will eventually overpower through support Arceus formes,(RC) ("while" with a comma before it means "whereas". "while" with no comma before it means essentially "at the same time as". Here, the second meaning is desired, so there's no comma) while having great matchups versus some of its other checks such as Toxapex, Ho-Oh, and opposing defensive Zygarde-C.
* Toxapex provides Toxic Spikes support, statusing support Arceus formes and Zygarde-C upon entry,(RC) and chipping them in range of a 2HKO from Mega Lopunny, while acting and acts as an answer to Choice Scarf Xerneas and Ho-Oh.
* Although it provides little defensive utility and isn't as consistent as Toxapex, Cloyster is an alternative Toxic Spikes setter, as it can easily set a layer of Toxic Spikes while deterring entry hazard removal attempts early on in the match due to Shell Smash plus and its Ice typing (RH).
* Giratina-O easily fits on offensive teams as a Defogger, and its ability to cripple defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy with Toxic or paralyze offensive threats like Yveltal with Thunder Wave lets it aid Mega Lopunny in cleaning up teams.
* Arceus-Dark can be an excellent teammate since because (a comma is required before the "since", but changing it to "because" avoids an additional line break from that comma) it can handle certain threats such as Yveltal, Ultra Necrozma, and Lunala, as they can all live survive hits from Mega Lopunny when sufficiently healthy and OHKO it back.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Low Kick is an accurate alternative to High Jump Kick, as many Pokemon in the Ubers tier are heavy enough to the point where Low Kick reaches 120 Base Power, although the extra 10 Base Power that High Jump Kick provides is important for 2HKOing support Arceus formes with a little chip damage.
* Ice Punch lets Mega Lopunny OHKO Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage without factoring Intimidate, and it 2HKOes offensive Zygarde-C. Losing out on Fake Out or Healing Wish can be an awful trade, however.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Toxapex**: Toxapex is easily the biggest nuisance for Mega Lopunny, as it takes little damage from any of its attacks, has Regenerator to keep itself healthy, can punish its contact moves with Rocky Helmet, and soaks up Toxic Spikes,(AC) which Mega Lopunny heavily relies on. Its access to Haze also stops any Healing Wish recipient such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C from freely setting up on Toxapex.

**Support Arceus formes**: Support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and the lesser-(AH)used (this is a compound adjective for Arceus-Dragon) Arceus-Dragon all avoid the 2HKO from High Jump Kick when at full HP and boast reliable recovery, meaning Mega Lopunny will require entry hazards or prior chip damage to break past these targets.

**Zygarde-C**: Defensive Zygarde-C can take multiple hits from Mega Lopunny, heal off any residual damage and remove status with Rest, and proceed to cripple it with Glare, essentially making it useless outside of using Healing Wish if the team lacks cleric support. Dragon Dance variants can use Mega Lopunny as setup fodder if it lacks Encore, although Z-Moves like Groundium-(RH)Z and Dragonium-(RH)Z will bypass the Encore and KO Mega Lopunny.

**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy has access to reliable recovery, stomachs Mega Lopunny's attacks with ease, and can OHKO it with STAB Judgement Judgment. Geomancy Xerneas avoids the 2HKO from Return from full HP and OHKOes Mega Lopunny with Moonblast.

**Bulky Foes**: Bulky Psychic-types like defensive Lunala, Lugia, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Latias resist High Jump Kick and take little from Return, walling Mega Lopunny and crippling it with super effective STAB attacks or status. Mega Venusaur, Giratina, and Giratina-O avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny's attacks and cripple it with Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, or STAB attacks.

**Flying-types**: Defensive Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Flying resist High Jump Kick and avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny as long as Stealth Rock is kept off the field,(RC) and can thus beat it down. Physically defensive Yveltal and Skarmory are hit neutrally by to High Jump Kick, but their high physical bulk lets them also avoid the 2HKO and retaliate with Toxic.

**Faster Foes**: Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Lopunny and OHKOes it with Psystrike, while Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh outspeed Mega Lopunny and can easily revenge kill Mega Lopunny it from full HP, although Mega Mewtwo Y and Xerneas dislike taking repeated Fake Outs.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Felixx, 401973]]
- Quality checked by: [[DMDW, 434601], [Nayrz, 212134], [Cynara, 224455]]
- Grammar checked by: [x, x]
[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Lopunny's access to a fast Healing Wish gives it a place on certain offensive teams, as it can fully restore a weakened wallbreaker or setup sweeper and essentially give them a second chance to pressure the opposing team.
* Slower offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM are often tasked with taking strong hits early-(AH)game to check threats such as Xerneas, eventually wearing them down, and a quick Healing Wish can turn the tide of the battle in your favor by restoring their HP and curing them of status.
* Mega Lopunny's high Speed tier also lets it outpace and revenge kill key threats such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow, although any residual damage is still required to pick them off.
* A Poor Attack stat and bulk means mean (changes to make sentence parallel; "a poor bulk" doesn't work) Mega Lopunny will heavily rely on Toxic Spikes and Fake Out to chip targets into range of its attacks or else it will risk being weakened or KOed itself, and it will struggle to clean up healthy teams.
* Because it relies on Toxic Spikes to beat down support Arceus formes and other grounded targets, the few viable users of this move like Toxapex and Cloyster are often almost mandatory on builds utilizing Mega Lopunny. Foregoing Forgoing the use of these Toxic Spikes users will limit what Mega Lopunny is able to do in a specific match.
* Taking up the Mega slot means Mega Lopunny faces severe competition from other,(RC) more viable and splashable Mega Pokemon such as Mega Gengar, Mega Salamence, and Mega Scizor, somewhat restricting teambuilding, as they don't require specific team support to function. Mega Gengar is also a much better abuser of at utilizing ("abuser" is a banned term) Toxic Spikes, as it can trap its targets and attack with a strong status-(AH)boosted Hex, while Mega Salamence and Mega Scizor provide their respective defensive utilities to the team.

[SET]
name: Healing Wish
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Lopunnite
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Fake Out lets Mega Lopunny guarantee chip damage on targets such as Primal Groudon, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre, putting them in range of its attacks later in the match. This also allows Mega Lopunny to rack up a turn of Toxic Spikes damage and anti-lead versus Smeagle, Excadrill, and Cloyster, safely breaking their Focus Sash and KOing them the next turn.
* Return is the most reliable Normal-type STAB move Mega Lopunny is able to use.
* High Jump Kick is a high-(AH)Base Power Fighting-type STAB move (remove extra space) that allows Mega Lopunny to heavily damage targets hit super effectively by it such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Dark, as well as 2HKOing some neutral targets such as Primal Kyogre and Magearna.
* Healing Wish is a big part of Mega Lopunny's niche, allowing it to sacrifice itself to fully restore a teammate and cure it of any status. Its high Speed compliments complements this move well, as it's able to utilize it Healing Wish before being KOed by a strong attack.
* Encore can be a useful option over Healing Wish, as Mega Lopunny still outspeeds a +1 offensive Zygarde-C and can thus lock it into Dragon Dance, although it fails to outspeed +1 Zygarde pre-transformation. Encore also helps lock defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex into status moves such as Recover.

Set Details
========

* A simple EV spread of maximum Attack and Speed investment lets Mega Lopunny hit as hard and as fast as possible, outpacing foes such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow.
* Lopunnite is required to let Lopunny Mega Evolve.
* Limber is the best possible base form ability,(AC) as it prevents paralysis from moves like Thunder Wave, Glare, or and ("moves" is plural, so it would be "and". It would be "or" if it said "a move like...") Nuzzle.

Usage Tips
========

* It's not always ideal to lead off with Mega Lopunny, as it allows Pokemon such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex to get their respective entry hazards up early. Your opponent will also avoid leading with common suicide leads such as Smeargle, Excadrill, and Cloyster due to the threat of Fake Out. Assess the matchup and attempt to predict your opponent's lead.
* If your opponent does end up leading with something with a positive matchup versus Mega Lopunny, such as a support Arceus forme, use Fake Out to allow you to chip the target and switch out the next turn into an appropriate answer to the threat at hand. Avoid using Fake Out against likely Rocky Helmet users like Toxapex and Skarmory, however.
* Fake Out is also a powerful tool for chipping setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence, and Geomancy Xerneas, potentially halting a sweep or bringing the target into KO range of a teammate.
* Due to its fraility frailty and lack of resistances, Mega Lopunny should be brought out through aggressive double-(RH)switches into targets it can threaten such as Ferrothorn or and Arceus-Dark,(RC) or after one of your teammates has been KOed. Repeatedly getting Mega Lopunny on the field safely can be very important against more offensive teams that lack defensive walls.
* Setting up entry hazards is very important to ensure Mega Lopunny can pull its weight in a match. Get Toxic Spikes up early to cripple support Arceus formes and force a Rest from defensive Zygarde-C, while and getting up Stealth Rock pressures Flying-type Defoggers such as Mega Salamence, physically defensive Yveltal, and Ho-Oh.
* If a certain member of your team such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C is weakened, always try to assess Mega Lopunny's importance in the matchup, as a fast Healing Wish can bestow a second chance for one of your wallbreakers or sweepers,(RC) or even bring back a weakened defensive wall that took a heavy hit or crippling status earlier in the match. Mega Lopunny can even bait in its checks such as Arceus-Fairy or and Xerneas and use Healing Wish as they switch in, allowing free setup to teammates such as the aforementioned Necrozma-DM.

Team Options
========

* Trick Room or Double Dance Necrozma-DM can both be a great partners partner for Mega Lopunny, as Healing Wish support allows Necrozma-DM to wallbreak more recklessly in the early-(AH)game and take strong hits if needed, and it can also KO or weaken some of Mega Lopunny's answers such as Zygarde-C, Choice Scarf Yveltal, and Arceus-Ground. Although using Trick Room Necrozma-DM may seem counterintuitive,(AC) since Mega Lopunny is a fast offensive threat, it boasts higher bulk than its Double Dance counterpart, which is important for dealing with Xerneas and Mega Salamence better.
* Swords Dance + Stealth Rock Primal Groudon can beat down defensive walls such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Fairy, and (this is the list for "defensive walls", so there needs to be an "and" here to end the list) Zygarde-C, as well as bulky Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence that all trouble Mega Lopunny, helping it to clean up late-(AH)game (this always requires a hyphen). Other variants of Primal Groudon also work well, such as Rock Polish, which can poke holes into defensive cores early-(AH)game,(RC) and then be a recipient of Healing Wish if sweeping with Primal Groudon is more likely than cleaning up with Mega Lopunny.
* Dragon Dance Zygarde-C compliments complements Mega Lopunny well, as it's also another common abuser of Pokemon that can utilize Toxic Spikes with Substitute + Protect variants, which will eventually overpower through support Arceus formes,(RC) while having great matchups versus some of its other checks such as Toxapex, Ho-Oh, and opposing defensive Zygarde-C.
* Toxapex provides Toxic Spikes support, statusing support Arceus formes and Zygarde-C upon entry,(RC) and chipping them in range of a 2HKO from Mega Lopunny, while acting and acts as an answer to Choice Scarf Xerneas and Ho-Oh.
* Although it provides little defensive utility and isn't as consistent as Toxapex, Cloyster is an alternative Toxic Spikes setter, as it can easily set a layer of Toxic Spikes while deterring entry hazard removal attempts early on in the match due to Shell Smash plus and its Ice-(RH)typing.
* Giratina-O easily fits on offensive teams as a Defogger, and its ability to cripple defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy with Toxic or paralyze offensive threats like Yveltal with Thunder Wave lets it aid Mega Lopunny in cleaning up teams.
* Arceus-Dark can be an excellent teammate since because (a comma is required before the "since", but changing it to "because" avoids an additional line break from that comma) it can handle certain threats such as Yveltal, Ultra Necrozma, and Lunala, as they can all live survive hits from Mega Lopunny when sufficiently healthy and OHKO it back.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Low Kick is an accurate alternative to High Jump Kick, as many Pokemon in the Ubers tier are heavy enough to the point where Low Kick reaches 120 Base Power, although the extra 10 Base Power that High Jump Kick provides is important for 2HKOing support Arceus formes with a little chip damage.
* Ice Punch lets Mega Lopunny OHKO Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage without factoring Intimidate, and it 2HKOes offensive Zygarde-C. Losing out on Fake Out or Healing Wish can be an awful trade, however.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Toxapex**: Toxapex is easily the biggest nuisance for Mega Lopunny, as it takes little damage from any of its attacks, has Regenerator to keep itself healthy, can punish its contact moves with Rocky Helmet, and soaks up Toxic Spikes,(AC) which Mega Lopunny heavily relies on. Its access to Haze also stops any Healing Wish recipient such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C from freely setting up on Toxapex.

**Support Arceus formes**: Support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and the lesser-(AH)used Arceus-Dragon all avoid the 2HKO from High Jump Kick when at full HP and boast reliable recovery, meaning Mega Lopunny will require entry hazards or prior chip damage to break past these targets.

**Zygarde-C**: Defensive Zygarde-C can take multiple hits from Mega Lopunny, heal off any residual damage and remove status with Rest, and proceed to cripple it with Glare, essentially making it useless outside of using Healing Wish if the team lacks cleric support. Dragon Dance variants can use Mega Lopunny as setup fodder if it lacks Encore, although Z-Moves like Groundium-(RH)Z and Dragonium-(RH)Z will bypass the Encore and KO Mega Lopunny.

**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy has access to reliable recovery, stomachs Mega Lopunny's attacks with ease, and can OHKO it with STAB Judgement Judgment. Geomancy Xerneas avoids the 2HKO from Return from full HP and OHKOes Mega Lopunny with Moonblast.

**Bulky Foes**: Bulky Psychic-types like defensive Lunala, Lugia, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Latias resist High Jump Kick and take little from Return, walling Mega Lopunny and crippling it with super effective STAB attacks or status. Mega Venusaur, Giratina, and Giratina-O avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny's attacks and cripple it with Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, or STAB attacks.

**Flying-types**: Defensive Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Flying resist High Jump Kick and avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny as long as Stealth Rock is kept off the field,(RC) and can thus beat it down. Physically defensive Yveltal and Skarmory are hit neutrally by to High Jump Kick, but their high physical bulk lets them also avoid the 2HKO and retaliate with Toxic.

**Faster Foes**: Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Lopunny and OHKOes it with Psystrike, while Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh outspeed Mega Lopunny and can easily revenge kill Mega Lopunny it from full HP, although Mega Mewtwo Y and Xerneas dislike taking repeated Fake Outs.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Felixx, 401973]]
- Quality checked by: [[DMDW, 434601], [Nayrz, 212134], [Cynara, 224455]]
- Grammar checked by: [x, x]
GP 1/2
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Lopunny's access to a fast Healing Wish gives it a place on certain offensive teams, as it can fully restore a weakened wallbreaker or setup sweeper and essentially give them a second chance to pressure the opposing team.
* Slower offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM are often tasked with taking strong hits early-game to check threats such as Xerneas, eventually wearing them down, and a quick Healing Wish can turn the tide of the battle in your favor by restoring their HP and curing them of status.
* Mega Lopunny's high Speed tier also lets it outpace and revenge kill key threats such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow, although residual damage is still required to pick them off.
* Poor Attack and bulk mean Lopunny will heavily rely on Toxic Spikes and Fake Out to chip targets into range of its attacks, (AC) or else it will risk being weakened or KOed itself, and it will struggle to clean up healthy teams.
* Because it relies on Toxic Spikes to beat down support Arceus formes and other grounded targets, the few viable users of this move like Toxapex and Cloyster are often almost mandatory on builds utilizing Mega Lopunny. Forgoing the use of these Toxic Spikes users will limit what Mega Lopunny is able to do in a specific match.
* Taking up the Mega slot means Mega Lopunny faces severe competition from other more viable and splashable (splashable doesn't work in Pokemon) Mega Pokemon that are easier to fit on teams such as Mega Gengar, Mega Salamence, and Mega Scizor, somewhat restricting teambuilding, as they don't require specific team support to function. Mega Gengar is also much better at utilizing exploiting Toxic Spikes, as it can trap its targets and attack with a strong status-boosted Hex, while Mega Salamence and Mega Scizor provide their respective defensive utilities to the team.

[SET]
name: Healing Wish
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Lopunnite
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Fake Out lets Mega Lopunny guarantee chip damage on targets such as Primal Groudon, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre, putting them in range of its attacks later in the match. This also allows Mega Lopunny to rack up a turn of Toxic Spikes damage and anti-lead versus Smeagle, Excadrill, and Cloyster, safely breaking their Focus Sash and KOing them the next turn.
* Return is the most reliable Normal-type STAB move Mega Lopunny is able to use.
* High Jump Kick is a high-Base Power Fighting-type STAB move that allows Mega Lopunny to heavily damage targets hit super effectively by it such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Dark, as well as 2HKOing some neutral targets such as Primal Kyogre and Magearna.
* Healing Wish is a big part of Mega Lopunny's niche, allowing it to sacrifice itself to fully restore a teammate and cure it of any status. Its high Speed complements this move well, as it's able enables it to utilize Healing Wish before being KOed by a strong attack. (should probably be move 1 if the set is named after it)
* Encore can be a useful option over Healing Wish, as Mega Lopunny outspeeds +1 offensive Zygarde-C and can thus lock it into Dragon Dance, although it fails to outspeed +1 Zygarde pre-transformation. Encore also helps lock defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex into status moves such as Recover.

Set Details
========

* A simple EV spread of maximum Attack and Speed investment lets Mega Lopunny hit as hard and as fast as possible, outpacing foes such as Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Marshadow.
* Lopunnite is required to let Lopunny Mega Evolve.
* Limber is the best possible base ability, as it prevents paralysis from moves like Thunder Wave, Glare, and Nuzzle.

Usage Tips
========

* It's not always ideal to lead off with Mega Lopunny, as it allows Pokemon such as Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex to get their respective entry hazards up early. Your opponent will also avoid leading with common suicide leads such as Smeargle, Excadrill, and Cloyster due to the threat of Fake Out. Assess the matchup and attempt to predict your opponent's lead.
* If your opponent does end up leading with something with a positive matchup versus Mega Lopunny, such as a support Arceus forme, use Fake Out to chip the target and switch out the next turn into to an appropriate answer to the threat at hand. Avoid using Fake Out against likely Rocky Helmet users like Toxapex and Skarmory, however.
* Fake Out is also a powerful tool for chipping setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence, and Geomancy Xerneas, potentially halting a sweep or bringing the target into KO range of a teammate.
* Due to its frailty and lack of resistances, Mega Lopunny should be brought out through aggressive double switches into targets it can threaten such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Dark or after one of your its teammates has been KOed. Repeatedly getting Mega Lopunny on the field safely can be very important against more offensive teams that lack defensive walls.
* Setting up entry hazards is very important to ensure Mega Lopunny can pull its weight in a match. Get Toxic Spikes up early to cripple support Arceus formes and force a Rest from defensive Zygarde-C, and getting set up Stealth Rock to pressures Flying-type Defoggers such as Mega Salamence, physically defensive Yveltal, and Ho-Oh.
* If a certain member of your team such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C is weakened, always try to assess Mega Lopunny's importance in the matchup, as a fast Healing Wish can bestow a second chance for one of your wallbreakers or sweepers or even bring back a weakened defensive wall that took a heavy hit or crippling status earlier in the match. Mega Lopunny can even bait in its checks such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas and use Healing Wish as they switch in, allowing free setup to teammates such as the aforementioned Necrozma-DM.

Team Options
========

* Trick Room or Double Dance Necrozma-DM can both be a great partner for Mega Lopunny, as Healing Wish support allows Necrozma-DM it to wallbreak more recklessly early-game and take strong hits if needed, and in return it can also KO or weaken some of Mega Lopunny's answers such as Zygarde-C, Choice Scarf Yveltal, and Arceus-Ground. Although using Trick Room Necrozma-DM may seem counterintuitive, since Mega Lopunny is a fast offensive threat, it boasts higher bulk than its Double Dance counterpart, which is important for dealing with Xerneas and Mega Salamence better.
* Swords Dance + Stealth Rock Primal Groudon can beat down defensive walls such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Fairy, and Zygarde-C (RC) as well as bulky Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence that all trouble Mega Lopunny, helping it to clean up late-game. Other variants of Primal Groudon also work well, such as Rock Polish, which can poke holes into defensive cores early-game and then be a recipient of Healing Wish if sweeping with Primal Groudon is more likely than cleaning up with Mega Lopunny.
* Dragon Dance Zygarde-C complements Mega Lopunny well, as it's also another common Pokemon that can utilize Toxic Spikes with Substitute + Protect variants, which will eventually overpower support Arceus forms while having great matchups versus some of its other checks such as Toxapex, Ho-Oh, and opposing defensive Zygarde-C.
* Toxapex provides Toxic Spikes support, statusing support Arceus formes and Zygarde-C upon entry and chipping them in range of a 2HKO from Mega Lopunny, and acts as an answer to Choice Scarf Xerneas and Ho-Oh.
* Although it provides little defensive utility and isn't as consistent as Toxapex, Cloyster is an alternative Toxic Spikes setter, as it can easily set a layer of Toxic Spikes while deterring entry hazard removal attempts early on in the match due to Shell Smash and its Ice typing. (don't get the Ice typing part, do you mean Ice-type STAB attacks / STAB Icicle Spear? if so change accordingly)
* Giratina-O easily fits on offensive teams as a Defogger, and its ability to cripple defensive walls such as Arceus-Fairy with Toxic or paralyze offensive threats like Yveltal with Thunder Wave lets it aid Mega Lopunny in cleaning up teams.
* Arceus-Dark can be an excellent teammate because it can handle certain threats such as Yveltal, Ultra Necrozma, and Lunala, as they can all survive hits from Mega Lopunny when sufficiently healthy and OHKO it back.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Low Kick is an accurate alternative to High Jump Kick, as many Pokemon in Ubers are heavy enough to the point where Low Kick reaches 120 Base Power, although the extra 10 Base Power that High Jump Kick provides is important for 2HKOing support Arceus formes with a little chip damage.
* Ice Punch lets Mega Lopunny OHKO Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage without factoring Intimidate, and it 2HKOes offensive Zygarde-C. Losing out on Fake Out or Healing Wish can be an awful trade, however.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Toxapex**: Toxapex is easily the biggest nuisance for Mega Lopunny, as it takes little damage from any of its attacks, has Regenerator to keep itself healthy, can punish its contact moves with Rocky Helmet, and soaks up Toxic Spikes, which Mega Lopunny heavily relies on. Its access to Haze also stops any Healing Wish recipient such as Necrozma-DM or Zygarde-C from freely setting up on Toxapex.

**Support Arceus formes**: Support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and the lesser-used Arceus-Dragon all avoid the 2HKO from High Jump Kick when at full HP and boast reliable recovery, meaning Mega Lopunny will require entry hazards or prior chip damage to break past these targets.

**Zygarde-C**: Defensive Zygarde-C can take multiple hits from Mega Lopunny, heal off any residual damage and remove status with Rest, and proceed to cripple it with Glare, essentially making it useless outside of using Healing Wish if the team lacks cleric support. Dragon Dance variants can use Mega Lopunny as setup fodder if it lacks Encore, although Z-Moves like Groundium Z and Dragonium Z will bypass the Encore and KO Mega Lopunny.

**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy has access to reliable recovery, stomachs Mega Lopunny's attacks with ease, and can OHKO it with STAB Judgment. Geomancy Xerneas avoids the 2HKO from Return from full HP and OHKOes Mega Lopunny with Moonblast.

**Bulky Foes**: Bulky Psychic-types like defensive Lunala, Lugia, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Latias resist High Jump Kick and take little from Return, walling Mega Lopunny and crippling it with super effective STAB attacks or status. Mega Venusaur, Giratina, and Giratina-O avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny's attacks and cripple it with Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, or STAB attacks.

**Flying-types**: Defensive Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Flying resist High Jump Kick and avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny as long as Stealth Rock is kept off the field and can thus beat it down. Physically defensive Yveltal and Skarmory are hit neutrally by High Jump Kick, but their high physical bulk lets them avoid the 2HKO and retaliate with Toxic.

**Faster Foes**: Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Lopunny and OHKOes it with Psystrike, while Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh outspeed Mega Lopunny and can easily revenge kill it from full HP; (SC) although however, (AC) Mega Mewtwo Y and Xerneas dislike taking repeated Fake Outs.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Felixx, 401973]]
- Quality checked by: [[DMDW, 434601], [Nayrz, 212134], [Cynara, 224455]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Fireflame479, 231476], x]
 

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