snake
CAP Co-Leader
OVERVIEW]
Pajantom's niche lies in its access to Spirit Shackle, which allows it to trap opposing Pokemon and prevent double switches. Its Speed tier ensures that it can outspeed Mega Medicham and Choice Specs Volkraken if invested, as well as most defensive Pokemon if it opts to run its slower, bulkier set. Pajantom can trap such defensive Pokemon, including Toxapex, Tomohawk, and Clefable, and remove them with a Z-Move without fear of the target switching out. With its wide movepool, this set can essentially pick its checks and counters. Alternatively, a specially defensive variant is a good blanket trapper for most defensive Pokemon and check to powerful Fire-types like Volkraken and Heatran. Pajantom has a lot of defensive utility, as its many resistances and good bulk allow it to tank weak moves from Pokemon like Tomohawk, Toxapex, Zapdos, and Gastrodon. Additionally, Comatose confers a status immunity to Pajantom, which helps against Lava Plume Heatran and Toxapex. Pajantom's greatest weakness is to Pursuit trapping, making it hard to get multiple KOs when the opposing team has a Weavile, Colossoil, or Mega Tyranitar. Also, Pajantom has no recovery outside of Leftovers, so it can be worn down very fast without team support.
[SET]
name: Z-Crystal Trapper
move 1: Spirit Shackle
move 2: Earthquake / Ice Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Outrage
move 4: Heal Block
item: Ghostium Z / Dragonium Z
ability: Comatose
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trapping foes with Spirit Shackle allows Pajantom to fire off its Z-Move safely. Earthquake is a reliable attack that 2HKOes Magearna and Krilowatt and OHKOes Mega Crucibelle and Heatran. Ice Punch 2HKOes Landorus-T and bulky Jumbao after some chip damage as well as almost OHKOing Zygarde and 2HKOing Colossoil. If Pajantom runs Dragonium Z, Outrage should replace Earthquake or Ice Punch. Iron Tail over Earthquake or Ice Punch with Steelium Z is a more specific option to remove Clefable and Jumbao, as they are nearly OHKOed by Corkscrew Crash. Heal Block denies the opposing Pokemon's recovery, making it significantly easier to wear down and KO.
Set Details
========
A Jolly nature is preferred to outspeed Tapu Lele, 3 attacks Zapdos, and Mega Medicham. Ghostium Z is Pajantom's best option for wearing down Steel-types, as Never-Ending Nightmare deals over half of Celesteela and Ferrothorn's HP. Also, Pajantom can use this Z-Move to overcome bulky Fairy-types like Clefable and Jumbao in combination with Heal Block pressure. Dragonium Z instead removes most defensive Pokemon like Toxapex, Zapdos, and Tomohawk as well as OHKOing Colossoil on the switch. If running Iron Tail, Steelium Z should be run.
Usage Tips
========
Early-game, it's best to spam Spirit Shackle, wearing down the opposing team and giving Pajantom's teammates safer switches by preventing double switches. In doing so, you can read what the opponent's answers to Pajantom are. Even though this set aims to trap more defensive switch-ins, offensive switch-ins generally have a harder time tanking hits from Pajantom. This means defensive answers are more likely to switch in, despite the looming threat of the trap, allowing Pajantom to wear them down or perform a double switch. Using Heal Block after the opponent is trapped makes it easier for Pajantom to wear Pokemon down into Z-Move KO range. Preventing Ferrothorn, Pyroak, and Celesteela from having their Leech Seed recovery is essential. Once the defensive check has been sufficiently worn down, use Pajantom's Z-Move to eliminate it for a sweeping teammate. Although it may be tempting to use the Z-Move immediately for damage, the set fails to do its job if the wall is able to heal the damage from the Z-Move. Take the necessary measures, such as using Heal Block or performing the trap later in the game when the wall is more weakened, to ensure Pajantom successfully removes the defensive Pokemon. Even if the team doesn't have a defined defensive backbone, Pajantom is able to disrupt offensive momentum with Spirit Shackle and use its coverage and Z-Move on switch-ins. Pay particular attention to Pursuit users. If the opponent has one, it's important not to let Pajantom give these Pokemon a free switch in. If Pajantom gets a KO, it leaves itself vulnerable to the Pursuit user. Slower Pursuit trappers like Colossoil, Malaconda, and Tyranitar can be removed with Devastating Drake, though Colossoil and Malaconda commonly run Sucker Punch. A healthy Weavile can switch into and survive Earthquake, Ice Punch, or Spirit Shackle, so switching out as it comes in is generally a better play. It is important to identify whether or not Pajantom is still needed after removing the defensive Pokemon; if it is, preserve it and remove the Pursuit trapper before making any KOs with it.
Team Options
=======
Choice Scarf Magnezone is one of the best teammates for Pajantom, as Pajantom lures and prevents Steel-types from switching out, which Magnezone can then trap and beat. Magnezone can also take out troublesome Fairy-types like Clefable and Jumbao for Pajantom. In return, Pajantom can trap bulky Pokemon that don't care about Magnezone, including Pyroak and Zapdos. Heatran is another option for a double trapping core, as its Magma Storm also limits the opposing team's options. As a bonus, Heatran takes care of Steel- and Fairy-types, allowing Pajantom to run Dragonium Z and Ice Punch more easily. In return, Pajantom can remove Pokemon like Arghonaut and Trace Jumbao for Heatran. Sweepers appreciate Pajantom's support; however, the sweeper cannot also rely on a Z-Crystal. Life Orb Aurumoth appreciates Ghostium Z Pajantom removing Celesteela, setup Zygarde likes Tangrowth and Jumbao out of the way, Swords Dance Mega Pinsir sweeps better with Cyclohm and Zapdos removed, and Double Dance Magearna functions better with Toxapex fainted. Offensive Spikes and Stealth Rock setters like Greninja, Syclant, Landorus-T, and Mega Crucibelle can help wear down defensive Pokemon into Z-Move KO range faster. In return, Pajantom can remove the defensive Pokemon that wall these offensive setters. Defog Tornadus-T, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko can clear hazards, preventing Pajantom from being worn down over the match. Teammates that can deal with Pursuit trappers like Colossoil, Tyranitar, and Weavile prevent Pajantom from being trapped itself. Examples include Tomohawk, Jumbao, and Mega Scizor.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive Trapper
move 1: Spirit Shackle
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Heal Block
item: Leftovers
ability: Comatose
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Spirit Shackle traps and weakens defensive Pokemon. Notably, the chip damage against Toxapex is enough to remove it efficiently. Even without Attack investment, Spirit Shackle still OHKOes Tapu Lele and Mega Medicham, allowing Pajantom to OHKO them on the switch. Protect allows Pajantom to scout for Knock Off users, gain an extra turn of Leftovers recovery, and rack up Toxic damage. Heal Block denies a trapped Pokemon from recovering, forcing Pokemon like Tomohawk to submit to Toxic and Spirit Shackle damage.
Set Details
========
Comatose prevents Pajantom from being worn down by Toxapex's Toxic, Heatran's Lava Plume, and Chansey's Toxic, saving valuable HP. Leftovers is Pajantom’s only source of recovery, which allows it to heal as Toxic damage racks up on the opposing Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Bulky Pajantom focuses on whittling down usual switch-ins with Toxic and denying their recovery, rather than overloading a Pokemon with damage. Spirit Shackle should be used against Pokemon that can't do much damage to Pajantom switching in. It might be better to use Toxic on a predicted switch-in like Greninja, which doesn’t care about Spirit Shackle damage. Using Protect against potential Knock Off users like Toxapex, Arghonaut, Tornadus-T, and Mew ensures Pajantom won't lose its Leftovers. If Knock Off is revealed, Pajantom cannot stay in safely. Also, Protect can scout against Choice item users like Tapu Lele, Syclant, and Ash-Greninja, making them easier to play around. Use Toxic to wear down trapped switch-ins such as Tomohawk and Zapdos, following up with Heal Block to prevent recovery and Protect to stall for damage and heal with Leftovers. Against Pokemon immune to Toxic like Toxapex, use Heal Block and repeated Spirit Shackle to remove them. Pajantom can switch into defensive Tomohawk or Fidgit to spinblock or soak up a weak attack. However, offensive Tomohawk's Hurricane heavily compromises Pajantom’s ability to switch in later. Using Heal Block against a weakened Clefable or Jumbao might seem risky, but if it chooses a recovery move, it wastes the turn and leave itself vulnerable to Pajantom's teammates.
Team Options
========
Pajantom naturally lures in Steel-types like Celesteela, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn, so it appreciates partners that beat them. By having teammates that defeat Steel-types efficiently, Pajantom can more easily trap and wear down the opposing team with Toxic. Magnezone pairs well as a dual trapping core, ensuring that Ferrothorn and Celesteela are eliminated and that Mega Scizor must U-turn rather than Defog. Strong Fire-types like Volkraken, Mega Charizard X, and Heatran and Ground-types like Colossoil, Landorus-T, and Zygarde generally have a positive matchup against these Steel-types as well. Pajantom also lures in Fairy-types like Clefable and Jumbao, so good switch-ins that can capitalize on trapped Fairy-types are excellent partners. Mega Crucibelle is an excellent switch-in, tanking Moonblast with its naturally high Special Defense, forcing a switch with Gunk Shot, and gaining momentum with U-turn. Heatran functions the same way, using the free turn for trapping a following switch-in or setting Stealth Rock. Double Dance Magearna gets a free turn to use Shift Gear and begin its sweep. Celesteela forms a strong defensive core with Pajantom, as Pajantom can deal with strong Fire-types and Celesteela has a good matchup against Fairy- and Steel-types and can apply more residual damage with Leech Seed. Pajantom's largest weakness is easily Pursuit trapping, which forces it to perform double switches while a Pursuit trapper is healthy. Therefore, Pokemon with a positive matchup against Colossoil, Tyranitar, and Weavile are mandatory teammates. Mega Sczior, Tomohawk, Jumbao, Clefable, and Tapu Bulu deal with some or all of these Pokemon effectively and provide other utility that Pajantom appreciates. Wish users like Clefable and Jumbao give Pajantom recovery outside of Leftovers. Stealth Rock setters such as Heatran, Landorus-T, and Clefable and Spikes setters like Arghonaut and Greninja help Pajantom wear down the opposing team faster. Toxic Spikes setters like Toxapex allow Pajantom not to have to spend as many turns using Toxic. Although Pajantom appreciates entry hazard removal, it vastly prefers teammates with Rapid Spin so that opposing hazards can stay up. Tomohawk and Colossoil both work well in this regard. However, Defog users like Landorus-T and Tornadus-T also work. Since Pajantom excels at wearing down or removing essential members of balance cores, wallbreakers like Ash-Greninja and Mega Pinsir and sweepers like Shift Gear Magearna and Dragon Dance Zygarde make for good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Pajantom can set Toxic Spikes and trap Poison-types that switch in to absorb them, providing multiple layers of team support. Additionally, Pajantom isn't a Poison-type like most Toxic Spikes setters, which can be favorable for Poison-type teammates like Mega Crucibelle, which don't want to stack weaknesses.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Pursuit Users**: Weavile, Mega Tyranitar, and Colossoil force Pajantom to play very carefully. Although they might not have the easiest time switching into offensive sets, the specially defensive set can't do much to them aside from chipping them with resisted Spirit Shackle or landing Toxic. Colossoil can use Sucker Punch to make the matchup even more dicey, while Weavile natural outspeeds and threatens Pajantom with Icicle Crash as well. Malaconda is a niche Pursuit user that can tackle specially defensive sets with relative ease and annoy offensive variants with Sucker Punch.
**Faster Pokemon**: Many Pokemon can come in on Pajantom and threaten it by simply by outspeeding. Greninja, Syclant, and Krilowatt threaten with Ice Beam, while Mega Crucibelle, Mega Latios, and Tapu Koko threaten with STAB Head Smash, Draco Meteor, or Dazzling Gleam. Choice Scarf users like Jumbao and Tapu Lele also threaten Pajantom with STAB Moonblast. However, they have a hard time switching in directly.
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor is Pajantom's sturdiest counter, as it can tank any of Pajantom's moves with ease, heal the damage, and threaten Pajantom out with Bullet Punch or Knock Off. Ferrothorn and Celesteela can tank Spirit Shackle quite well and heal with Leech Seed, but Ghostium Z sets can power through them. Additionally, these Steel-types have to watch out for Heal Block.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Clefable and Jumbao can tank Pajantom's Spirit Shackle with ease, wear it down with Moonblast, and heal with Soft-Boiled or Shore Up. Additionally, Clefable ignores Toxic damage. However, they must play carefully around Heal Block, Never-Ending Nightmare, and Corkscrew Crash.
**Knock Off**: Arghonaut, Toxapex, Kartana, and Tornadus-T can use super effective Knock Off against specially defensive Pajantom, which heavily damages it and removes Leftovers, its only form of recovery. While Pajantom can scout for Knock Off using Protect, it's still forced to switch out.
- Written by: [[snake_rattler, 227784]]
- Quality checked by: [[LucarioOfLegends, 339349], [Jordy, 395754]]
- Grammar checked by: [[CryoGyro, 331519], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Pajantom's niche lies in its access to Spirit Shackle, which allows it to trap opposing Pokemon and prevent double switches. Its Speed tier ensures that it can outspeed Mega Medicham and Choice Specs Volkraken if invested, as well as most defensive Pokemon if it opts to run its slower, bulkier set. Pajantom can trap such defensive Pokemon, including Toxapex, Tomohawk, and Clefable, and remove them with a Z-Move without fear of the target switching out. With its wide movepool, this set can essentially pick its checks and counters. Alternatively, a specially defensive variant is a good blanket trapper for most defensive Pokemon and check to powerful Fire-types like Volkraken and Heatran. Pajantom has a lot of defensive utility, as its many resistances and good bulk allow it to tank weak moves from Pokemon like Tomohawk, Toxapex, Zapdos, and Gastrodon. Additionally, Comatose confers a status immunity to Pajantom, which helps against Lava Plume Heatran and Toxapex. Pajantom's greatest weakness is to Pursuit trapping, making it hard to get multiple KOs when the opposing team has a Weavile, Colossoil, or Mega Tyranitar. Also, Pajantom has no recovery outside of Leftovers, so it can be worn down very fast without team support.
[SET]
name: Z-Crystal Trapper
move 1: Spirit Shackle
move 2: Earthquake / Ice Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Outrage
move 4: Heal Block
item: Ghostium Z / Dragonium Z
ability: Comatose
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trapping foes with Spirit Shackle allows Pajantom to fire off its Z-Move safely. Earthquake is a reliable attack that 2HKOes Magearna and Krilowatt and OHKOes Mega Crucibelle and Heatran. Ice Punch 2HKOes Landorus-T and bulky Jumbao after some chip damage as well as almost OHKOing Zygarde and 2HKOing Colossoil. If Pajantom runs Dragonium Z, Outrage should replace Earthquake or Ice Punch. Iron Tail over Earthquake or Ice Punch with Steelium Z is a more specific option to remove Clefable and Jumbao, as they are nearly OHKOed by Corkscrew Crash. Heal Block denies the opposing Pokemon's recovery, making it significantly easier to wear down and KO.
Set Details
========
A Jolly nature is preferred to outspeed Tapu Lele, 3 attacks Zapdos, and Mega Medicham. Ghostium Z is Pajantom's best option for wearing down Steel-types, as Never-Ending Nightmare deals over half of Celesteela and Ferrothorn's HP. Also, Pajantom can use this Z-Move to overcome bulky Fairy-types like Clefable and Jumbao in combination with Heal Block pressure. Dragonium Z instead removes most defensive Pokemon like Toxapex, Zapdos, and Tomohawk as well as OHKOing Colossoil on the switch. If running Iron Tail, Steelium Z should be run.
Usage Tips
========
Early-game, it's best to spam Spirit Shackle, wearing down the opposing team and giving Pajantom's teammates safer switches by preventing double switches. In doing so, you can read what the opponent's answers to Pajantom are. Even though this set aims to trap more defensive switch-ins, offensive switch-ins generally have a harder time tanking hits from Pajantom. This means defensive answers are more likely to switch in, despite the looming threat of the trap, allowing Pajantom to wear them down or perform a double switch. Using Heal Block after the opponent is trapped makes it easier for Pajantom to wear Pokemon down into Z-Move KO range. Preventing Ferrothorn, Pyroak, and Celesteela from having their Leech Seed recovery is essential. Once the defensive check has been sufficiently worn down, use Pajantom's Z-Move to eliminate it for a sweeping teammate. Although it may be tempting to use the Z-Move immediately for damage, the set fails to do its job if the wall is able to heal the damage from the Z-Move. Take the necessary measures, such as using Heal Block or performing the trap later in the game when the wall is more weakened, to ensure Pajantom successfully removes the defensive Pokemon. Even if the team doesn't have a defined defensive backbone, Pajantom is able to disrupt offensive momentum with Spirit Shackle and use its coverage and Z-Move on switch-ins. Pay particular attention to Pursuit users. If the opponent has one, it's important not to let Pajantom give these Pokemon a free switch in. If Pajantom gets a KO, it leaves itself vulnerable to the Pursuit user. Slower Pursuit trappers like Colossoil, Malaconda, and Tyranitar can be removed with Devastating Drake, though Colossoil and Malaconda commonly run Sucker Punch. A healthy Weavile can switch into and survive Earthquake, Ice Punch, or Spirit Shackle, so switching out as it comes in is generally a better play. It is important to identify whether or not Pajantom is still needed after removing the defensive Pokemon; if it is, preserve it and remove the Pursuit trapper before making any KOs with it.
Team Options
=======
Choice Scarf Magnezone is one of the best teammates for Pajantom, as Pajantom lures and prevents Steel-types from switching out, which Magnezone can then trap and beat. Magnezone can also take out troublesome Fairy-types like Clefable and Jumbao for Pajantom. In return, Pajantom can trap bulky Pokemon that don't care about Magnezone, including Pyroak and Zapdos. Heatran is another option for a double trapping core, as its Magma Storm also limits the opposing team's options. As a bonus, Heatran takes care of Steel- and Fairy-types, allowing Pajantom to run Dragonium Z and Ice Punch more easily. In return, Pajantom can remove Pokemon like Arghonaut and Trace Jumbao for Heatran. Sweepers appreciate Pajantom's support; however, the sweeper cannot also rely on a Z-Crystal. Life Orb Aurumoth appreciates Ghostium Z Pajantom removing Celesteela, setup Zygarde likes Tangrowth and Jumbao out of the way, Swords Dance Mega Pinsir sweeps better with Cyclohm and Zapdos removed, and Double Dance Magearna functions better with Toxapex fainted. Offensive Spikes and Stealth Rock setters like Greninja, Syclant, Landorus-T, and Mega Crucibelle can help wear down defensive Pokemon into Z-Move KO range faster. In return, Pajantom can remove the defensive Pokemon that wall these offensive setters. Defog Tornadus-T, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko can clear hazards, preventing Pajantom from being worn down over the match. Teammates that can deal with Pursuit trappers like Colossoil, Tyranitar, and Weavile prevent Pajantom from being trapped itself. Examples include Tomohawk, Jumbao, and Mega Scizor.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive Trapper
move 1: Spirit Shackle
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Heal Block
item: Leftovers
ability: Comatose
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Spirit Shackle traps and weakens defensive Pokemon. Notably, the chip damage against Toxapex is enough to remove it efficiently. Even without Attack investment, Spirit Shackle still OHKOes Tapu Lele and Mega Medicham, allowing Pajantom to OHKO them on the switch. Protect allows Pajantom to scout for Knock Off users, gain an extra turn of Leftovers recovery, and rack up Toxic damage. Heal Block denies a trapped Pokemon from recovering, forcing Pokemon like Tomohawk to submit to Toxic and Spirit Shackle damage.
Set Details
========
Comatose prevents Pajantom from being worn down by Toxapex's Toxic, Heatran's Lava Plume, and Chansey's Toxic, saving valuable HP. Leftovers is Pajantom’s only source of recovery, which allows it to heal as Toxic damage racks up on the opposing Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Bulky Pajantom focuses on whittling down usual switch-ins with Toxic and denying their recovery, rather than overloading a Pokemon with damage. Spirit Shackle should be used against Pokemon that can't do much damage to Pajantom switching in. It might be better to use Toxic on a predicted switch-in like Greninja, which doesn’t care about Spirit Shackle damage. Using Protect against potential Knock Off users like Toxapex, Arghonaut, Tornadus-T, and Mew ensures Pajantom won't lose its Leftovers. If Knock Off is revealed, Pajantom cannot stay in safely. Also, Protect can scout against Choice item users like Tapu Lele, Syclant, and Ash-Greninja, making them easier to play around. Use Toxic to wear down trapped switch-ins such as Tomohawk and Zapdos, following up with Heal Block to prevent recovery and Protect to stall for damage and heal with Leftovers. Against Pokemon immune to Toxic like Toxapex, use Heal Block and repeated Spirit Shackle to remove them. Pajantom can switch into defensive Tomohawk or Fidgit to spinblock or soak up a weak attack. However, offensive Tomohawk's Hurricane heavily compromises Pajantom’s ability to switch in later. Using Heal Block against a weakened Clefable or Jumbao might seem risky, but if it chooses a recovery move, it wastes the turn and leave itself vulnerable to Pajantom's teammates.
Team Options
========
Pajantom naturally lures in Steel-types like Celesteela, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn, so it appreciates partners that beat them. By having teammates that defeat Steel-types efficiently, Pajantom can more easily trap and wear down the opposing team with Toxic. Magnezone pairs well as a dual trapping core, ensuring that Ferrothorn and Celesteela are eliminated and that Mega Scizor must U-turn rather than Defog. Strong Fire-types like Volkraken, Mega Charizard X, and Heatran and Ground-types like Colossoil, Landorus-T, and Zygarde generally have a positive matchup against these Steel-types as well. Pajantom also lures in Fairy-types like Clefable and Jumbao, so good switch-ins that can capitalize on trapped Fairy-types are excellent partners. Mega Crucibelle is an excellent switch-in, tanking Moonblast with its naturally high Special Defense, forcing a switch with Gunk Shot, and gaining momentum with U-turn. Heatran functions the same way, using the free turn for trapping a following switch-in or setting Stealth Rock. Double Dance Magearna gets a free turn to use Shift Gear and begin its sweep. Celesteela forms a strong defensive core with Pajantom, as Pajantom can deal with strong Fire-types and Celesteela has a good matchup against Fairy- and Steel-types and can apply more residual damage with Leech Seed. Pajantom's largest weakness is easily Pursuit trapping, which forces it to perform double switches while a Pursuit trapper is healthy. Therefore, Pokemon with a positive matchup against Colossoil, Tyranitar, and Weavile are mandatory teammates. Mega Sczior, Tomohawk, Jumbao, Clefable, and Tapu Bulu deal with some or all of these Pokemon effectively and provide other utility that Pajantom appreciates. Wish users like Clefable and Jumbao give Pajantom recovery outside of Leftovers. Stealth Rock setters such as Heatran, Landorus-T, and Clefable and Spikes setters like Arghonaut and Greninja help Pajantom wear down the opposing team faster. Toxic Spikes setters like Toxapex allow Pajantom not to have to spend as many turns using Toxic. Although Pajantom appreciates entry hazard removal, it vastly prefers teammates with Rapid Spin so that opposing hazards can stay up. Tomohawk and Colossoil both work well in this regard. However, Defog users like Landorus-T and Tornadus-T also work. Since Pajantom excels at wearing down or removing essential members of balance cores, wallbreakers like Ash-Greninja and Mega Pinsir and sweepers like Shift Gear Magearna and Dragon Dance Zygarde make for good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Pajantom can set Toxic Spikes and trap Poison-types that switch in to absorb them, providing multiple layers of team support. Additionally, Pajantom isn't a Poison-type like most Toxic Spikes setters, which can be favorable for Poison-type teammates like Mega Crucibelle, which don't want to stack weaknesses.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Pursuit Users**: Weavile, Mega Tyranitar, and Colossoil force Pajantom to play very carefully. Although they might not have the easiest time switching into offensive sets, the specially defensive set can't do much to them aside from chipping them with resisted Spirit Shackle or landing Toxic. Colossoil can use Sucker Punch to make the matchup even more dicey, while Weavile natural outspeeds and threatens Pajantom with Icicle Crash as well. Malaconda is a niche Pursuit user that can tackle specially defensive sets with relative ease and annoy offensive variants with Sucker Punch.
**Faster Pokemon**: Many Pokemon can come in on Pajantom and threaten it by simply by outspeeding. Greninja, Syclant, and Krilowatt threaten with Ice Beam, while Mega Crucibelle, Mega Latios, and Tapu Koko threaten with STAB Head Smash, Draco Meteor, or Dazzling Gleam. Choice Scarf users like Jumbao and Tapu Lele also threaten Pajantom with STAB Moonblast. However, they have a hard time switching in directly.
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor is Pajantom's sturdiest counter, as it can tank any of Pajantom's moves with ease, heal the damage, and threaten Pajantom out with Bullet Punch or Knock Off. Ferrothorn and Celesteela can tank Spirit Shackle quite well and heal with Leech Seed, but Ghostium Z sets can power through them. Additionally, these Steel-types have to watch out for Heal Block.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Clefable and Jumbao can tank Pajantom's Spirit Shackle with ease, wear it down with Moonblast, and heal with Soft-Boiled or Shore Up. Additionally, Clefable ignores Toxic damage. However, they must play carefully around Heal Block, Never-Ending Nightmare, and Corkscrew Crash.
**Knock Off**: Arghonaut, Toxapex, Kartana, and Tornadus-T can use super effective Knock Off against specially defensive Pajantom, which heavily damages it and removes Leftovers, its only form of recovery. While Pajantom can scout for Knock Off using Protect, it's still forced to switch out.
- Written by: [[snake_rattler, 227784]]
- Quality checked by: [[LucarioOfLegends, 339349], [Jordy, 395754]]
- Grammar checked by: [[CryoGyro, 331519], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited: