So I'm not really a huge fan of Natu's dual screens set, so I'm going to alternate the set a bit; however, I'm not exactly sure how this set should be presented, so input on this is appreciated.
I'm actually pretty cool.
[Overview]
<p>Magic Bounce has carved Natu an interesting niche in the NU metagame, allowing it to shut down several support Pokemon that rely on status, phazing, or entry hazard setting, such as Alomomola, Bastiodon, and Tangela, and can therefore single-handedly wall most stall-oriented teams; it also stops the lesser known but deadly Riolu phazing strategy. Furthermore, the utility Magic Bounce boasts prevents the opposition from obliviously laying entry hazards and spreading status around, an external support tactic no Pokemon but Natu can rightfully claim in NU. However, Natu is very underwhelming itself, as even with Eviolite and a generally maximized Defense stat, Natu is still hit quite hard by many relatively powerful physical attackers. Thus, a skilled user who excels in prediction is required to play completely to Natu's strengths, as switching Natu in on the wrong move or allowing the opponent to set up entry hazards will essentially make it a wasted slot. In essence, Natu is completely reliant on its ability and support moves to cause any kind of nuisances, which makes it a risky Pokemon to use and setup bait for a myriad of sweepers, such as Bulk Up Braviary, Nasty Plot Jynx, and Swords Dance Samurott.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Roost
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Reflect
move 4: Night Shade
item: Eviolite
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Natu's generic support set, which works effectively due to the fact that Natu cannot be shut down by Taunt thanks to its ability bouncing it right back at the opponent. When using Natu, the basic objective is to bring it in against any non-threatening support Pokemon, such as Audino, defensive Scolipede, and Mandibuzz, to keep entry hazards and status from hindering your team and instead reflect them all back towards the opponent.</p>
<p>Because Magic Bounce users typically need to stay alive for as long as possible due to the phenomenal support it provides, Roost is the primary move to ensure such longevity. It further helps Natu to potentially accommodate for three of its weaknesses to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type moves, as Natu would take neutral damage from slower Pokemon carrying moves of said types, such as Regirock and Piloswine. Toxic is Natu's best weapon to actually deal with the Pokemon it shuts down, as many bulky walls detest the poison status, such as Alomomola and Tangela. Reflect is a vital move on Natu because it provides it with the ability to withstand the many Rock- and Ice-type Stealth Rock setters, such as the aforementioned Regirock and Piloswine, as well as Golem. On top of that, it makes Natu and its teammates significantly harder to overcome by physical attacks for a few turns. Lastly, Night Shade is used to better handle other threats Natu switches into, especially against Toxic-immune Pokemon as seen in Bastiodon and Garbodor, as it does decent damage and also prevents Natu from being complete setup bait against boosting attackers.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The suggested Speed EVs allows Natu to outpace max Speed Golem to use Reflect and Roost before it can attack with Rock Blast. It's recommended to invest in Natu's Defense as most entry hazard setters are physically attacking. 0 Attack IVs and a Bold nature are used to minimize Foul Play damage, making Natu an excellent answer to Mandibuzz and Liepard. In terms of other moves to use, Thunder Wave is a good way to cripple sweepers and potentially buy free turns through full paralysis, but Toxic is more useful as Natu needs to beat the threats it walls by Toxic stalling. Psychic can work as a STAB move to hit Scolipede, Garbodor, and Roselia, but Night Shade already beats the former two and Roselia overtakes Natu with Sludge Bomb anyway. Night Shade is also needed to hurt Bastiodon, Probopass, and Metang, while preventing Skuntank from walling Natu. Finally, U-turn is a good move to scout for switch-ins, as Natu forces a lot of Pokemon out, and generally increases momentum on your side, but it's not recommended as Natu doesn't have room for it and it is inferior to the other moves Natu should be using.</p>
<p>Pokemon that appreciate Natu's ability to keep entry hazards off the field and act as a reliable status absorber are recommended. Jynx, Charizard, and Mandibuzz are excellent options to consider as they are all easily hampered by entry hazards and status effects. It's also necessary to carry Pokemon that have good synergy with Natu's typing. Liepard, which typically lures in the defensive Pokemon that Natu beats, resists Natu's Dark- and Ghost-type weaknesses while Natu in return quad-resists Liepard's Fighting-type weakness. Seismitoad is also a great Pokemon to use with its resistance to Rock and immunity to Electric, and Natu takes care of its Grass-type weakness. As Natu attracts setup sweepers and Pokemon with Substitute, Liepard deserves another mention as it's equipped with a Prankster Encore to lock the opposition into their setup move and can use U-turn to scout for their switch-in. Volbeat is also an excellent partner in this regard, as it too has Prankster Encore and can potentially set up a free Tail Glow to Baton Pass to a teammate.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Natu holds an extensive support movepool consisting of notable moves such as Haze, Light Screen, Wish, Trick Room, FeatherDance, Rain Dance, and Sunny Day, but each move is generally executed better by more reliable Pokemon and Natu just doesn't have the space to use them effectively. Calm Mind looks like a feasible option, but with Natu's poor defenses and underwhelming Special Attack, it's better done by the likes of Musharna and Gardevoir. Grass Knot can be useful against Seismitoad, Golem, and Regirock, but it's highly situational and Natu doesn't have the power to OHKO them.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As Natu typically shuts down bulky walls, there are specific methods to dealing with it. Pokemon with high offensive prowess, specifically special attackers to take advantage of Natu's poor Special Defense, work excellently. Jynx, Eelektross, and Regice, which pack STAB super effective attacks against Natu, are examples that easily dispose of it. Boosting sweepers that don't fear Toxic too greatly can set up and bypass Natu, such as Swords Dance Samurott, SubSmash Gorebyss, and Shift Gear Klang. Substitute users that block Toxic can also be effectively used. Braviary and Tauros are great Substitute users to promptly shut Natu down as Night Shade fails to even affect them. Guts Pokemon, such as Zangoose, Swellow, and Ursaring, can switch in freely, activate their abilities once hit by Toxic, and pound Natu with their STAB Facade. It's also possible to indirectly cripple Natu with status as it significantly hinders Natu's effectiveness. This can be done with the likes of Wartortle's Scald, Skuntank's Poison Jab (which also packs Pursuit), Torkoal's Lava Plume, and Stunfisk's Discharge; Musharna also works well because once Natu reflects Toxic, it will be poisoned itself due to Synchronize and Musharna can use Heal Bell to remove its own Toxic. It's generally very easy to threaten Natu as it cannot do much from an offensive standpoint and its defenses are not high enough to withstand most Pokemon with enough power or with super effective attacks.</p>
I'm actually pretty cool.
[Overview]
<p>Magic Bounce has carved Natu an interesting niche in the NU metagame, allowing it to shut down several support Pokemon that rely on status, phazing, or entry hazard setting, such as Alomomola, Bastiodon, and Tangela, and can therefore single-handedly wall most stall-oriented teams; it also stops the lesser known but deadly Riolu phazing strategy. Furthermore, the utility Magic Bounce boasts prevents the opposition from obliviously laying entry hazards and spreading status around, an external support tactic no Pokemon but Natu can rightfully claim in NU. However, Natu is very underwhelming itself, as even with Eviolite and a generally maximized Defense stat, Natu is still hit quite hard by many relatively powerful physical attackers. Thus, a skilled user who excels in prediction is required to play completely to Natu's strengths, as switching Natu in on the wrong move or allowing the opponent to set up entry hazards will essentially make it a wasted slot. In essence, Natu is completely reliant on its ability and support moves to cause any kind of nuisances, which makes it a risky Pokemon to use and setup bait for a myriad of sweepers, such as Bulk Up Braviary, Nasty Plot Jynx, and Swords Dance Samurott.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Roost
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Reflect
move 4: Night Shade
item: Eviolite
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Natu's generic support set, which works effectively due to the fact that Natu cannot be shut down by Taunt thanks to its ability bouncing it right back at the opponent. When using Natu, the basic objective is to bring it in against any non-threatening support Pokemon, such as Audino, defensive Scolipede, and Mandibuzz, to keep entry hazards and status from hindering your team and instead reflect them all back towards the opponent.</p>
<p>Because Magic Bounce users typically need to stay alive for as long as possible due to the phenomenal support it provides, Roost is the primary move to ensure such longevity. It further helps Natu to potentially accommodate for three of its weaknesses to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type moves, as Natu would take neutral damage from slower Pokemon carrying moves of said types, such as Regirock and Piloswine. Toxic is Natu's best weapon to actually deal with the Pokemon it shuts down, as many bulky walls detest the poison status, such as Alomomola and Tangela. Reflect is a vital move on Natu because it provides it with the ability to withstand the many Rock- and Ice-type Stealth Rock setters, such as the aforementioned Regirock and Piloswine, as well as Golem. On top of that, it makes Natu and its teammates significantly harder to overcome by physical attacks for a few turns. Lastly, Night Shade is used to better handle other threats Natu switches into, especially against Toxic-immune Pokemon as seen in Bastiodon and Garbodor, as it does decent damage and also prevents Natu from being complete setup bait against boosting attackers.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The suggested Speed EVs allows Natu to outpace max Speed Golem to use Reflect and Roost before it can attack with Rock Blast. It's recommended to invest in Natu's Defense as most entry hazard setters are physically attacking. 0 Attack IVs and a Bold nature are used to minimize Foul Play damage, making Natu an excellent answer to Mandibuzz and Liepard. In terms of other moves to use, Thunder Wave is a good way to cripple sweepers and potentially buy free turns through full paralysis, but Toxic is more useful as Natu needs to beat the threats it walls by Toxic stalling. Psychic can work as a STAB move to hit Scolipede, Garbodor, and Roselia, but Night Shade already beats the former two and Roselia overtakes Natu with Sludge Bomb anyway. Night Shade is also needed to hurt Bastiodon, Probopass, and Metang, while preventing Skuntank from walling Natu. Finally, U-turn is a good move to scout for switch-ins, as Natu forces a lot of Pokemon out, and generally increases momentum on your side, but it's not recommended as Natu doesn't have room for it and it is inferior to the other moves Natu should be using.</p>
<p>Pokemon that appreciate Natu's ability to keep entry hazards off the field and act as a reliable status absorber are recommended. Jynx, Charizard, and Mandibuzz are excellent options to consider as they are all easily hampered by entry hazards and status effects. It's also necessary to carry Pokemon that have good synergy with Natu's typing. Liepard, which typically lures in the defensive Pokemon that Natu beats, resists Natu's Dark- and Ghost-type weaknesses while Natu in return quad-resists Liepard's Fighting-type weakness. Seismitoad is also a great Pokemon to use with its resistance to Rock and immunity to Electric, and Natu takes care of its Grass-type weakness. As Natu attracts setup sweepers and Pokemon with Substitute, Liepard deserves another mention as it's equipped with a Prankster Encore to lock the opposition into their setup move and can use U-turn to scout for their switch-in. Volbeat is also an excellent partner in this regard, as it too has Prankster Encore and can potentially set up a free Tail Glow to Baton Pass to a teammate.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Natu holds an extensive support movepool consisting of notable moves such as Haze, Light Screen, Wish, Trick Room, FeatherDance, Rain Dance, and Sunny Day, but each move is generally executed better by more reliable Pokemon and Natu just doesn't have the space to use them effectively. Calm Mind looks like a feasible option, but with Natu's poor defenses and underwhelming Special Attack, it's better done by the likes of Musharna and Gardevoir. Grass Knot can be useful against Seismitoad, Golem, and Regirock, but it's highly situational and Natu doesn't have the power to OHKO them.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As Natu typically shuts down bulky walls, there are specific methods to dealing with it. Pokemon with high offensive prowess, specifically special attackers to take advantage of Natu's poor Special Defense, work excellently. Jynx, Eelektross, and Regice, which pack STAB super effective attacks against Natu, are examples that easily dispose of it. Boosting sweepers that don't fear Toxic too greatly can set up and bypass Natu, such as Swords Dance Samurott, SubSmash Gorebyss, and Shift Gear Klang. Substitute users that block Toxic can also be effectively used. Braviary and Tauros are great Substitute users to promptly shut Natu down as Night Shade fails to even affect them. Guts Pokemon, such as Zangoose, Swellow, and Ursaring, can switch in freely, activate their abilities once hit by Toxic, and pound Natu with their STAB Facade. It's also possible to indirectly cripple Natu with status as it significantly hinders Natu's effectiveness. This can be done with the likes of Wartortle's Scald, Skuntank's Poison Jab (which also packs Pursuit), Torkoal's Lava Plume, and Stunfisk's Discharge; Musharna also works well because once Natu reflects Toxic, it will be poisoned itself due to Synchronize and Musharna can use Heal Bell to remove its own Toxic. It's generally very easy to threaten Natu as it cannot do much from an offensive standpoint and its defenses are not high enough to withstand most Pokemon with enough power or with super effective attacks.</p>
[Overview]
name: Support
move 1: Roost
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Reflect
move 4: Night Shade
item: Eviolite
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
- possesses arguably the best ability in the game, Magic Bounce, which when combined with Eviolite, gives Natu one of the most unique niches within NU
- with Magic Bounce, Natu can shut down several support Pokemon that rely on status, phazing, or entry hazard setting, such as Alomomola, Garbodor, and Tangela
- it also single-handedly walls most stall-oriented teams and prevents the lesser known but deadly Riolu phazing strategy
- Natu's sheer presence prevents the opposition from obliviously laying hazards and spreading status around, an external support tactic that no other Pokemon can rightfully claim
- a skilled user who predicts well is required to play completely to Natu's strengths, as allowing the opponent to set up hazards and spread status will essentially make Natu a wasted slot
- despite packing Eviolite and generally maximizing its Defense, it's still hit quite hard by powerful physical attackers
- Natu is completely reliant on its ability and support moves to cause any kind of nuisances, making it setup bait for a myriad of sweepers, such as Bulk Up Braviary, Nasty Plot Jynx, and Swords Dance Samurott
name: Support
move 1: Roost
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Reflect
move 4: Night Shade
item: Eviolite
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
- Natu's generic support set, which works very well due to the fact that Natu cannot be shut down by Taunt, thanks to Magic Bounce
- Magic Bounce users typically want to stay alive for as long as possible as the support Magic Bounce provides is phenomenal, making Roost the primary move to ensure longevity
- Toxic helps neuter bulky attackers and walls and is Natu's best method to weakening the Pokemon it shuts down, such as Alomomola, Tangela, and Audino
- Reflect helps Natu defeat the many Stealth Rock setters carrying Rock- and Ice-type attacks within NU, such as Regirock, Golem, and Piloswine
- Night Shade is used to better handle the threats Natu typically shuts down by hitting for good damage and prevents it from being complete setup bait against boosting attackers
- 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 to outpace max Speed Golem to Reflect/Roost before using Rock Blast; recommended to bolster Natu's Defense as most entry hazard setters are commonly physically attacking
- 0 Attack IVs and a Bold nature are used to minimize Foul Play damage, making Natu a great counter to Mandibuzz and Liepard
- Thunder Wave to cripple sweepers and potentially buy free turns, but Toxic is much more useful so Natu can actually beat the threats it walls by poison stalling
- Psychic as a STAB move to hit Scolipede, Garbodor, and Roselia, three Pokemon Natu typically shuts down, but Night Shade already beats the former two and it's needed to hurt Bastiodon, Probopass, and Metang, as well as prevent Skuntank from walling Natu
- U-turn is to scout for switch-ins and generally increase momentum on your side, but is often not recommended because Natu really doesn't have room for it
- Pokemon that appreciate Natu's ability to keep hazards off the field and act as a reliable status absorber are recommended - Jynx, Charizard, and Mandibuzz are excellent options to consider that are easily hampered by entry hazards and status
- Pokemon that carry resistances to Natu's weaknesses - Liepard as it resists Dark and Ghost (also lures in the physically defensive Pokemon Natu beats, such as Golem, Probopass, and Regirock), Seismitoad as it resists Rock and immune to Electric
- because Natu attracts setup sweepers and Pokemon with Substitute, Encore Liepard and Volbeat are excellent teammates to consider, as their Prankster ability allows them to always lock the opposition into their setup move; Liepard can also U-turn to scout for their switch-in and Volbeat can freely Tail Glow and Baton Pass it to a teammate
- not much to consider
- has a variety of other support moves, such as Haze, Light Screen, Wish, Trick Room, FeatherDance, Rain Dance, and Sunny Day, but each move is generally executed better by more reliable Pokemon in NU
- Calm Mind is feasible, but with Natu's poor defenses and underwhelming Special Attack, it's better done by Musharna and Gardevoir
- Grass Knot for Seismitoad, Golem, and Regirock, but highly situational and doesn't OHKO them
- since Natu typically shuts down most bulky walls, there are specific methods to dealing with it
- Pokemon with high offensive prowess, specifically special attackers that carry super effective moves to take advantage of Natu's poor Special Defense, work excellently - Jynx, Eelektross, Regice
- boosting sweepers that don't fear Toxic too greatly can set up on Natu - Swords Dance Samurott, Substitute + Shell Smash Gorebyss, and Shift Gear Klang
- Substitute users to block Toxic can be used, as Natu is considered as a sitting duck in those cases - Braviary, Kangaskhan, and Tauros are all great Substitute users to promptly shut Natu down as Night Shade fails to affect them
- Toxic absorbing Pokemon, such as Zangoose, Swellow, and Ursaring, can switch in freely, activate their abilities once hit by Toxic, and promptly pound Natu with their STAB Facade
- indirectly crippling it with status really hinders Natu's effectiveness - Wartortle's Scald, Skuntank's Poison Jab (who also Packs Pursuit), Torkoal's Lava Plume, and Stunfisk's Discharge; Heal Bell Musharna cripples it with Toxic too if it gets hit
- it's generally very easy to threaten Natu as it cannot do much from an offensive standpoint, so any Pokemon with enough power or packs super effective attacks will suffice
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