[OVERVIEW]
Abra's combination of speed and power can make it difficult to handle both offensively and defensively. This combination is supplemented by useful utility in Substitute and Endure as well as decent coverage options, which help Abra avoid being easily revenge killed or walled. Unfortunately, Abra's bulk is nonexistent; even Choice Band Hitmonchan's resisted Mach Punch can KO Abra after one layer of Spikes, and almost anything naturally faster than Abra such as Raticate or Murkrow will easily OHKO it. Additionally, certain Pokemon like Chimecho, Sableye, and Kecleon will always reliably check Abra defensively, meaning it requires a fair bit of support to bypass such checks.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Substitute / Endure
item: Salac Berry
ability: Synchronize
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Calm Mind makes Abra an even scarier attacker and helps it bypass Pokemon like Flareon, Metang, and Torkoal. Psychic has good neutral coverage and hits prominent Pokemon like Hitmonchan, Roselia, and Golbat hard. Fire Punch complements Psychic well by targeting foes resistant or immune to it like Metang, Mawile, and Cacturne; it's also Abra's best way to hit Chimecho and Sableye. Substitute provides Abra with insurance against revenge killers and helps activate Salac Berry. Endure is an alternative to Substitute that lets Abra get its Speed boost from its Berry when faced with a faster attacker, although it's much more prediction reliant and can lead to Abra giving up momentum. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Abra hit hard and Speed tie with Pokemon like Golbat and Pikachu. 4 HP EVs allow Abra to activate its Berry after three uses of Substitute. Salac Berry enables Abra to be even scarier late-game, giving it the jump on Pokemon like Haunter, Plusle, and Murkrow.
Abra's main focus should be on sweeping late-game once its checks are weakened and removed, although it can make use of its solid Speed tier and great power to revenge kill early- and mid-game. By bringing Abra in against a Pokemon like Roselia that it can easily force out, you gain a free turn to boost with Calm Mind or set up Substitute.
Team Options
========
Spikes from Roselia, Glalie, or Cacturne benefits Abra greatly, helping it get by Pokemon like Lickitung, Torkoal, and Flareon more easily. Similarly, special wallbreakers such as Haunter, Flareon, and Wailord wear down switch-ins to Abra like Kecleon and opposing Wailord. Haunter in particular is a solid partner—especially Thief variants—because it's great at drawing in and weakening Sableye and Chimecho. Due to Abra's extremely poor bulk, it's very prone to being revenge killed by attackers like Raticate and Pidgeot; as a result, pairing it with sturdy checks such as Sudowoodo, Relicanth, and Sableye is beneficial. A slow Baton Pass user like Mawile is also great, since it can make getting Abra safely onto the field much easier.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If coverage is wanted over the utility of Substitute, Hidden Power Grass is an option to hit Crawdaunt super effectively while letting Abra OHKO Pupitar and Whiscash without needing to use Calm Mind. Thunder Punch can also be considered to hit both Crawdaunt and Murkrow; it's also Abra's best way to damage bulky Water-types like Wailord and Dewgong. Encore lets Abra lock foes into non-attacking moves, which can give it the opportunity to set up Calm Mind; however, Abra rarely gets the chance to use it. Hidden Power Dark gives Abra a much greater matchup against Calm Mind Chimecho, although it provides overall worse coverage than Fire Punch.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Sableye**: Even with Spikes support and Calm Mind, Abra struggles to break through Sableye before it uses Recover to gain back any lost HP and KOes Abra in return with Shadow Ball.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Raticate, Murkrow, and Pidgeot can't reliably switch into Abra, but they easily OHKO it. Additionally, Haunter's Explosion can bypass any Calm Mind boosts Abra accrues. Diglett in particular is problematic, since it can remove Abra if it ever enters the field by trapping it.
**Chimecho**: Chimecho can switch into Abra's +1 Fire Punch and boost with Calm Mind alongside it, although its lack of recovery outside of Leftovers and potentially Rest can make checking Abra a bit dicier.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon like Kecleon, Vigoroth, and Wailord have the bulk to take at least one boosted hit from Abra and OHKO or severely dent it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
- Quality checked by: [[Oglemi, 40358], [Disjunction, 224927]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Abra's combination of speed and power can make it difficult to handle both offensively and defensively. This combination is supplemented by useful utility in Substitute and Endure as well as decent coverage options, which help Abra avoid being easily revenge killed or walled. Unfortunately, Abra's bulk is nonexistent; even Choice Band Hitmonchan's resisted Mach Punch can KO Abra after one layer of Spikes, and almost anything naturally faster than Abra such as Raticate or Murkrow will easily OHKO it. Additionally, certain Pokemon like Chimecho, Sableye, and Kecleon will always reliably check Abra defensively, meaning it requires a fair bit of support to bypass such checks.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Substitute / Endure
item: Salac Berry
ability: Synchronize
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Calm Mind makes Abra an even scarier attacker and helps it bypass Pokemon like Flareon, Metang, and Torkoal. Psychic has good neutral coverage and hits prominent Pokemon like Hitmonchan, Roselia, and Golbat hard. Fire Punch complements Psychic well by targeting foes resistant or immune to it like Metang, Mawile, and Cacturne; it's also Abra's best way to hit Chimecho and Sableye. Substitute provides Abra with insurance against revenge killers and helps activate Salac Berry. Endure is an alternative to Substitute that lets Abra get its Speed boost from its Berry when faced with a faster attacker, although it's much more prediction reliant and can lead to Abra giving up momentum. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Abra hit hard and Speed tie with Pokemon like Golbat and Pikachu. 4 HP EVs allow Abra to activate its Berry after three uses of Substitute. Salac Berry enables Abra to be even scarier late-game, giving it the jump on Pokemon like Haunter, Plusle, and Murkrow.
Abra's main focus should be on sweeping late-game once its checks are weakened and removed, although it can make use of its solid Speed tier and great power to revenge kill early- and mid-game. By bringing Abra in against a Pokemon like Roselia that it can easily force out, you gain a free turn to boost with Calm Mind or set up Substitute.
Team Options
========
Spikes from Roselia, Glalie, or Cacturne benefits Abra greatly, helping it get by Pokemon like Lickitung, Torkoal, and Flareon more easily. Similarly, special wallbreakers such as Haunter, Flareon, and Wailord wear down switch-ins to Abra like Kecleon and opposing Wailord. Haunter in particular is a solid partner—especially Thief variants—because it's great at drawing in and weakening Sableye and Chimecho. Due to Abra's extremely poor bulk, it's very prone to being revenge killed by attackers like Raticate and Pidgeot; as a result, pairing it with sturdy checks such as Sudowoodo, Relicanth, and Sableye is beneficial. A slow Baton Pass user like Mawile is also great, since it can make getting Abra safely onto the field much easier.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If coverage is wanted over the utility of Substitute, Hidden Power Grass is an option to hit Crawdaunt super effectively while letting Abra OHKO Pupitar and Whiscash without needing to use Calm Mind. Thunder Punch can also be considered to hit both Crawdaunt and Murkrow; it's also Abra's best way to damage bulky Water-types like Wailord and Dewgong. Encore lets Abra lock foes into non-attacking moves, which can give it the opportunity to set up Calm Mind; however, Abra rarely gets the chance to use it. Hidden Power Dark gives Abra a much greater matchup against Calm Mind Chimecho, although it provides overall worse coverage than Fire Punch.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Sableye**: Even with Spikes support and Calm Mind, Abra struggles to break through Sableye before it uses Recover to gain back any lost HP and KOes Abra in return with Shadow Ball.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Raticate, Murkrow, and Pidgeot can't reliably switch into Abra, but they easily OHKO it. Additionally, Haunter's Explosion can bypass any Calm Mind boosts Abra accrues. Diglett in particular is problematic, since it can remove Abra if it ever enters the field by trapping it.
**Chimecho**: Chimecho can switch into Abra's +1 Fire Punch and boost with Calm Mind alongside it, although its lack of recovery outside of Leftovers and potentially Rest can make checking Abra a bit dicier.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon like Kecleon, Vigoroth, and Wailord have the bulk to take at least one boosted hit from Abra and OHKO or severely dent it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
- Quality checked by: [[Oglemi, 40358], [Disjunction, 224927]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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