[OVERVIEW]
When looking for a fast lead that beats other common leads and can inflict status, one would be hard pressed to find a better choice than Mr. Mime. Access to a wide variety of status and disruption moves makes Mr. Mime one of the best utility Pokemon in the tier. It doesn't clown around offensively, either—its scarcely resisted STAB Psychic is complemented by a powerful Thunder that threatens common Water-types and offers near-perfect coverage. Unfortunately, Mr. Mime's low Defense and HP stats mean that it can't stick around to trade hits with many physical attackers, but its high Speed, terrific ability to disrupt foes, and respectable damage output solidify its status as one of GSC UU's best special attackers.
[SET]
name: Disruptor
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Thunder Wave / Hypnosis
move 4: Encore / Light Screen / Reflect / Thief / Substitute
item: Leftovers / Miracle Berry / No Item
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set works well as a lead, getting its team off on the right foot by inflicting status on the opposing Pokemon or else directly attacking foes it has a type advantage against, such as Nidoqueen and Qwilfish. Spreading Thunder Wave is helpful for both Mr. Mime and its teammates, crippling offensive threats and bulkier Pokemon alike. Ground-types, which are immune to Thunder Wave, take hefty damage from Mr. Mime's powerful STAB Psychic. Slowbro and Slowking, two common Pokemon that resist Psychic and don't mind Thunder Wave too much, are dealt with handily by Thunder. Mr. Mime's fourth moveslot can be customized to suit one's team. One of the most useful moves is Encore, which is effective at handling the many Pokemon in the tier that attempt to set up Attack boosts thanks to Mr. Mime's high Speed and can also work as a method of creating opportunities for a teammate to switch in. It works well with Thunder Wave against Scyther, which cannot afford to risk setting up in front of Mr. Mime due to the possibility of getting paralyzed and outsped and hit by Encore the following turn. Other options Mr. Mime can use include Light Screen and Reflect, which can be useful at setting up opportunities for other sweepers. Thief is another option that can be used without an item to make some of Mr. Mime's safer counters like Hypno and Chansey a lot less durable by stealing their Leftovers. Substitute has good synergy with Mr. Mime's status moves and can protect Mr. Mime from the foe's attempts to inflict status. Lastly, although it has poor accuracy, Hypnosis can be used over Thunder Wave—or even in the fourth slot for double status—to potentially cripple an opposing Pokemon with sleep, which can be devastating if it lands on a target that doesn't have Sleep Talk.
Team Options
========
Mr. Mime tends to be best suited for offensive teams and strategies due to its stat distribution. Electric-types such as Ampharos and Magneton are often used to check Mr. Mime, so Nidoqueen can make for a good teammate. Scyther also works well because it can make good use of the opportunities Mr. Mime creates with its support moves and can hit Pokemon like Hypno and Chansey hard. Mr. Mime can sacrifice itself to lock various attackers into moves a teammate resists with Encore, for example locking Granbull into Return for Swords Dance Kabutops or Piloswine into Earthquake for Scyther or Pinsir. Using setup sweepers with useful resistances is therefore a good idea. Another strategy that can be used is to bring Mr. Mime with Thief to take the Leftovers of the opponent's check to Mr. Mime and using a Kadabra as a secondary special attacker to finish the crippled foe off. Haunter is a great choice with Mr. Mime, as it checks mono-attacking Granbull and has several checks in common with Mr. Mime, allowing it to lure in a Mr. Mime check and eliminate it with Explosion. Finally, Qwilfish's Spikes are very handy in ensuring Mr. Mime's Psychic can pose a threat to Pokemon it hits neutrally like Ampharos and Granbull.
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Thunder Wave / Encore / Barrier / Hypnosis
move 2: Psychic / Thunder
move 3: Substitute / Barrier
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Miracle Berry
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Mr. Mime's wide array of support moves makes it one of the tier's premier Baton Pass users. Although it cannot boost its Speed, it is very good at creating opportunities for its teammates. Thunder Wave is excellent for slowing down the foe and also synergizes with Substitute to buy free turns for Mr. Mime or a teammate. When equipped with a Miracle Berry, especially if it has been passed Speed boosts from Pokemon like Girafarig, Mr. Mime can come in on a status move, set up a Substitute to block the second attempt, and lock the opposing Pokemon into the ineffective status move with Encore. Encore can also be used to get a teammate the free turn it needs to set up and sweep. For example, a Slowbro locked into Surf may provide the opportunity for Politoed to set up Belly Drum, or an Electabuzz locked into Thunder might allow Quagsire to set up. Barrier allows Mr. Mime to supplement its low Defense and reduce the damage taken from Pokemon like Nidoqueen and Granbull, which can be crucial to finding an opportunity for a Belly Drum user to set up. Hypnosis can also be used to take care of any out-of-control threat, although it relies on very shaky accuracy. In order to deter phazers, it is important to have an attacking move. Psychic hits all phazers for decent damage and offers good general coverage, whereas Thunder's coverage is not as good but hits some Haze and Roar users, such as Omastar and Blastoise, harder than Psychic.
Team Options
========
Baton Pass Mr. Mime makes for an excellent addition to a Baton Pass chain. It is important that Mr. Mime is passed a Speed boost if being used on a Baton Pass chain due to Pokemon like opposing Mr. Mime, Kadabra, and Jumpluff, which otherwise threaten to outspeed it and lock it into a move with Encore. Girafarig is perhaps the best Speed passer in the tier, having few relevant weaknesses and access to Amnesia, as well as threatening coverage moves for Haze and Roar users. Another option is Scyther, although it poses less of a threat to Haze and Roar users if it does not set up Swords Dance before setting up a Speed boost. A third option is the rare Ariados, which has the unique quality of being able to Baton Pass Spider Web along with its Speed boost and can use Protect and Disable to block strong attacks and phazing moves. Spider Web Ariados, in particular, works well with Mr. Mime's Encore. In terms of recipients, Quagsire is the best Belly Drum user in the tier and is typically seen as the recipient of choice, although Poliwrath and Politoed have the advantage of access to Lovely Kiss alongside Belly Drum and lack an exploitable 4x type weakness. Quagsire's powerful STAB Earthquake is the most important factor that separates it from the others, as it allows Quagsire to OHKO almost any Pokemon that doesn't resist it after a Belly Drum. Pokemon that can set up dual screens for the Baton Pass chain are also welcome additions; the most commonly chosen option for this is Electrode, which can use Explosion to guarantee safe entry for the first Pokemon in the Baton Pass chain. Haunter is another common choice, as it checks Curse Granbull, which can be tricky to deal with for Baton Pass teams, and it can attempt to trade itself for a threatening foe with its Explosion.
Baton Pass Mr. Mime does not have to be used on a dedicated Baton Pass team; it can work as a standalone Baton Pass user and simply pass Substitute or Barrier to Pokemon that appreciate it. Flimsy but powerful Pokemon such as Dodrio, Sandslash, Haunter, and Pikachu appreciate the protection and safe entry that Mr. Mime's Substitute passing affords them. Barrier is most appreciated by receivers that use other boosting moves such as Growth + Amnesia Politoed, but it can also be of use to Pokemon with good special bulk like Ampharos in helping to overcome their usual checks.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Despite its mediocre physical bulk, Mr. Mime can make for a decent RestTalk user with its decent Special Defense, solid coverage, and ability to threaten common Pokemon like Nidoqueen and Slowbro. Psychic and Thunder are both necessary, as they allow it to pose a substantial threat to much of the metagame, with a few notable exceptions in Magneton, Chansey, and Hypno. This Mr. Mime set has much more flexibility in terms of what it can switch into, since it fears status a lot less. Its decent special bulk alongside RestTalk makes it possible for it to check many Psychic-types such as opposing Mr. Mime, Slowbro, Slowking, and Kadabra, despite many of them utilizing status moves. It should avoid coming in on Nidoqueen's Earthquake, but it can switch into Nidoqueen's other attacks without too much to fear and threaten a 2HKO with Psychic while only being 3HKOed by Earthquake in return. However, Mr. Mime should still try to avoid picking fights with powerful physical attackers such as Granbull, Dodrio, Scyther, Pinsir, and Piloswine unless absolutely necessary.
Team Options
========
RestTalk Mr. Mime can fit on both more offensively inclined teams and more balanced teams. Offensive teams value its ability to absorb status while still having solid damage output, and balanced teams appreciate that it provides defensive support without introducing passivity to the lineup. While it provides a degree of defensive support, RestTalk Mr. Mime is not reliable at holding back powerful Pokemon such as Ampharos, nor can it handle strong physical attackers. It is therefore a good idea to bring Nidoqueen, Piloswine, or Quagsire, as these Pokemon can typically withstand attacks from Electric-types. Ground- and Rock-types such as Piloswine, Sandslash, and Kabutops can be effective at handling Scyther, which is a major threat to Mr. Mime. Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types such as Omastar, Magneton, and Haunter are also very much appreciated as teammates due to Mr. Mime struggling against Granbull and Dodrio. Jumpluff is a fantastic catch-all for setup sweepers that may look to take advantage of Mr. Mime's lack of control while it is asleep. Mr. Mime's offensive presence can be bolstered by Spikes support from Qwilfish, which can help it get past bulkier foes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Fire Punch is a decent coverage option for Magneton, which is the only Pokemon in the tier that resists both Psychic and Thunder. Mr. Mime's high Speed and solid damage output mean that it can make good use of Swagger alongside Substitute, especially if the foe has been paralyzed beforehand. This can potentially allow Mr. Mime to get past Pokemon it would otherwise have almost no chance to break through, although it is an option that can be risky to use against physical attackers. Counter is another option that Mr. Mime can use to deal surprising amounts of damage to Pokemon such as Scyther, Granbull, and Piloswine, although it requires Mr. Mime to take a heavy physical hit and relies on surprising the opponent to work. Nightmare can be used to help Mr. Mime break through bulky RestTalk users that it can't 3HKO such as Ampharos and Hypno, although it has limited use cases when compared with other options overall. Ice Punch allows Mr. Mime to 2HKO Jumpluff and Gligar, although it has limited use outside of hitting those two Pokemon hard, and Mr. Mime is not lacking in ways to deal with them. Meditate or even Curse could theoretically be used alongside Baton Pass, but with Swords Dance + Baton Pass Scyther available, it is difficult to justify using Mr. Mime for this role. Flash could be used to further disrupt a paralyzed foe, but it has unreliable accuracy and is largely inferior to Mr. Mime's other options for disruption like Encore and Swagger.
Checks and Counters
========
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon with high Special Defense and HP such as Hypno, Ampharos, Chansey, and Lanturn take little damage from any of Mr. Mime's attacks and also tend not to mind the status effects Mr. Mime can inflict on them. Ampharos threatens Mr. Mime with its powerful Thunder, Hypno can inflict status on it and gradually wear it down, Chansey can threaten it with Present or status moves, and Lanturn can wear it down with its STAB attacks. However, Mr. Mime can lock them into an undesirable move with Encore, steal their Leftovers with Thief, or set up Reflect or Light Screen for a teammate against them.
**Magneton**: Magneton is the only Pokemon in GSC UU that resists both Psychic and Thunder. Its STAB Thunder comes close to 2HKOing Mr. Mime, and its RestTalk set has little fear of status. However, Mr. Mime occasionally uses Fire Punch, which comes close to 2HKOing Magneton.
**Bellossom**: Bellossom makes for a decent check to Mr. Mime, taking relatively little from its attacks and threatening it with status. However, it doesn't like getting paralyzed or put to sleep, can struggle to break Mr. Mime's Substitute, and is at risk of losing or being forced to switch if it gets locked into a move by Encore or gets fully paralyzed.
**Bulky Phazers**: Pokemon such as Piloswine, Arcanine, and Blastoise make for decent answers to Baton Pass Mr. Mime, as they can take a hit from it and remove any boosts or Substitute safely with Roar. Piloswine also threatens Mr. Mime with its STAB Earthquake and Arcanine can trade hits decently with Fire Blast or Crunch. However, they can be worn down quickly if they repeatedly switch into Mr. Mime's Psychic.
**Physical Attackers**: Mr. Mime is terrible at taking strong physical attacks. Pokemon such as Granbull and Piloswine aren't afraid of Thunder Wave, can take a hit from Mr. Mime, and can 2HKO it in return, although they can be quickly worn down by Psychic if Spikes are up. Other physical attackers such as Dodrio, Scyther, Pinsir, and Sandslash take heavy damage on the switch and fear status, but they can all 2HKO Mr. Mime with their powerful STAB attacks.
**Encore Users**: Pokemon such as opposing Mr. Mime, Jumpluff, and Kadabra make for decent checks to Baton Pass Mr. Mime, since they can lock it or its recipient into an undesirable move with Encore and take relatively low damage from its attacks. However, they fear status from Mr. Mime and Encore will fail if the last move used was Baton Pass, so in some scenarios they can be played around.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Diophantine, 370164], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[deetah, 297659], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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