iLlama
Nothing personal, I protect my people
[OVERVIEW]
Water
========
Pelipper's ability Drizzle is a staple on rain teams and makes it an excellent weather setter for rain Water. With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper boasts an incredibly useful STAB typing that can let it hit major threats in the Grass matchup, such as Mega Venusaur, super effectively. Its Flying typing combined with STAB Hurricane and Drizzle also gives Water a nice asset in the Bug and Fighting matchups. Pelipper's access to Roost makes it better as both a pivot and weather setter by increasing its longevity and capability to fulfill its various roles throughout a match. Having U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot multiple times throughout a match, also letting rain teams keep momentum, unlike Politoed, which relies on the single-use Eject Button for a pivot option. Pelipper also has access to Defog, which can prove to be an excellent utility option. A downside to using Pelipper is its rather poor stats and bulk; it's fairly weak, so it won't be able to dish out incredible damage or take much.
[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane / Defog
move 4: U-turn / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is a strong STAB move that has a chance of burning foes, and it is Pelipper's main method of attacking. Roost provides a reliable recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, frequent presence throughout matches. Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB move of choice thanks to rain boosting its accuracy and it providing a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. STAB Hurricane from Pelipper also has a high chance of 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, which is the bane of rain Water. There is the possibility of confusing as well thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy. U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely and safely into teammates without the need to hard switch Pokemon in or out. Defog lets Pelipper clear entry hazards, especially Sticky Web, that could cripple rain Water's performance due to the drop in Speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users. As for what combination of Hurricane, U-turn, and Defog to use on Pelipper, the choice should be made based on what roles a team has yet to fill. All three variants can work well on Pelipper.
Set Details
========
Near-maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mixed bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats while also mitigating damage from entry hazards. Full investment in Defense with a Bold nature lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily. Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting. Drizzle is mandatory, as it summons rain on switch in, the backbone of rain Water.
Usage Tips
========
Pelipper is most effective when summoning rain against passive Pokemon, making the possibility of Pelipper fainting and thus losing rain minimal. In general, Pelipper should act as the lead Pokemon, as setting up rain is too vital to put off until later. However, if opposing teams have weather setters that happen to be slower than Pelipper, such as Hippowdon, Torkoal, and Tyranitar, the lead Pokemon should be changed accordingly to better handle the opposition's lead. Also, it isn't wise to lead against Charizard, as the chance of it being Mega Charizard Y and ultimately eliminating rain with Drought is too risky for Pelipper. Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn. In order to keep Pelipper healthy, it is also important to avoid status at all costs because they will cripple Pelipper's capabilities throughout the match. Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check and for entry hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards, and pivoting, so use it to its full potential. Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose. Additionally, while getting Scald burns and damage through Hurricane can be helpful, using U-turn sooner rather than later means rain is on the field longer for Swift Swim sweepers to use.
Team Options
========
Kingdra is the best teammate and rain sweeper that Water has access to and is an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in rain even with a Modest nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water moves under the rain. Its Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten what could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking. Mega Sharpedo acts as an excellent late-game cleaner once its teammates have done significant damage to the entirety of the opposing team. It helps immensely in taking control of various matchups such as Psychic and giving Water the advantage. Keldeo works as either a powerful wallbreaker with Calm Mind or Choice Specs, being able to break past a plethora of types including Normal and Steel teams, or a great way to keep faster foes in check with the usage of Choice Scarf, outpacing common opposing Choice Scarf users such as Victini, Nihilego, and Blacephalon. Rotom-W is a decent option for rain Water thanks to its access to Defog allowing it to take some pressure off of Pelipper for removing entry hazards. Rotom-W also acts as a check to Electric-type and Ground-type attacks thanks to its secondary Electric typing and ability in Levitate, as well as a pivot option with Volt Switch to bring in the team's sweepers and breakers safely. Gyarados is a key contributor to Water finding success in matchups such as Grass and Poison, so it's easy to find a team slot for it. It can pose a great offensive threat with Dragon Dance and Flyinium Z and can help with removing Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur from the match, also freeing Pelipper from needing to run Hurricane. Seismitoad is also a good teammate for rain Water teams thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks and ability to set hazards through Stealth Rock. Its access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric-types super effectively. Mega Swampert acts as a powerful physical Swift Swim user that fills similar roles as Seismitoad while being a more potent physically offensive threat, being able to break through Pokemon like Zapdos, Toxapex, and Tapu Bulu with Waterfall, Earthquake, and Sludge Wave, respectively. With coverage for nearly any notable threat to Water teams, such as Mega Venusaur and Tapu Bulu, thanks to its diverse moveset coupled with Protean and an incredible Speed stat, Greninja is a must have for rain teams. Azumarill's role as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Politoed may seem like an odd addition to rain teams, since Pelipper already acts as the main weather setter; however, its support as a secondary rain setter can relieve the stress put on Pelipper as the primary source of rain.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Water
--------
Pelipper can work as a deterrent to some physical attackers; however, its poor bulk prevents it from being able to tank powerful STAB and super effective moves. It can, however, manage some Pokemon decently well, namely Garchomp and Mega Scizor. It could also act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Latios and Mega Pidgeot will still be able to break Pelipper. Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately rain Water would then be missing out on a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary role as either a pivot or entry hazard control. These roles would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon. Eject Button offers a one-time switch without needing to rely on U-turn; however, both Eject Button and U-turn should not be used on the same set. Eject Button being single use can also be bothersome in the long run. Pelipper is also capable of running a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs set in order to effectively make use of its own weather with Hydro Pump and Hurricane or to ensure an important Defog against slower Pokemon. Unfortunately, this set removes Pelipper's roles of acting as a slow pivot with U-turn in order to bring in its offensive threats and Swift Swim users safely and it can no longer act as a check to physical Pokemon, ultimately putting much more pressure on the rain team.
Checks and Counters
===================
Water
--------
**Wallbreakers**: With Pelipper's only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Kyurem-B and Latios can easily take it out and shut down your rain team. Pelipper can't survive long if at all against these Pokemon, and they essentially force unwanted switches and sacrifices.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types can eliminate Pelipper's role on rain Water, as its 4x weakness to Electric and decent-at-best bulk can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks. Tapu Koko and Thundurus are a couple of Pokemon that can really cause problems for both Pelipper and Water.
**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have rain-boosted STAB Scald at its disposal, but that won't stop faster Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from revenge killing it.
**Opposing Weather Setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y, and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.
**Stealth Rock**: With Flying as Pelipper's secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock and not by other entry hazards, but because of its role as Water's weather setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage.
**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls such as Chansey, Cradily, and Toxapex beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling, and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon.
**Status**: Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle rain Water. Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and rain effectively can become a huge issue.
Water
========
Pelipper's ability Drizzle is a staple on rain teams and makes it an excellent weather setter for rain Water. With a secondary typing of Flying, Pelipper boasts an incredibly useful STAB typing that can let it hit major threats in the Grass matchup, such as Mega Venusaur, super effectively. Its Flying typing combined with STAB Hurricane and Drizzle also gives Water a nice asset in the Bug and Fighting matchups. Pelipper's access to Roost makes it better as both a pivot and weather setter by increasing its longevity and capability to fulfill its various roles throughout a match. Having U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot multiple times throughout a match, also letting rain teams keep momentum, unlike Politoed, which relies on the single-use Eject Button for a pivot option. Pelipper also has access to Defog, which can prove to be an excellent utility option. A downside to using Pelipper is its rather poor stats and bulk; it's fairly weak, so it won't be able to dish out incredible damage or take much.
[SET]
name: Rain Setter (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane / Defog
move 4: U-turn / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is a strong STAB move that has a chance of burning foes, and it is Pelipper's main method of attacking. Roost provides a reliable recovery option for Pelipper to ensure it remains a healthy, frequent presence throughout matches. Hurricane is Pelipper's secondary STAB move of choice thanks to rain boosting its accuracy and it providing a powerful attack option for managing threats to Water teams. STAB Hurricane from Pelipper also has a high chance of 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, which is the bane of rain Water. There is the possibility of confusing as well thanks to Hurricane's secondary effect, which could come in handy. U-turn allows Pelipper to pivot freely and safely into teammates without the need to hard switch Pokemon in or out. Defog lets Pelipper clear entry hazards, especially Sticky Web, that could cripple rain Water's performance due to the drop in Speed greatly affecting Swift Swim users. As for what combination of Hurricane, U-turn, and Defog to use on Pelipper, the choice should be made based on what roles a team has yet to fill. All three variants can work well on Pelipper.
Set Details
========
Near-maximum EVs in HP gives Pelipper the highest mixed bulk possible for managing both physical and special threats while also mitigating damage from entry hazards. Full investment in Defense with a Bold nature lets Pelipper focus on mitigating damage from physical hits more easily. Leftovers provides a stable source of passive recovery that can help manage the damage that comes from pivoting. Drizzle is mandatory, as it summons rain on switch in, the backbone of rain Water.
Usage Tips
========
Pelipper is most effective when summoning rain against passive Pokemon, making the possibility of Pelipper fainting and thus losing rain minimal. In general, Pelipper should act as the lead Pokemon, as setting up rain is too vital to put off until later. However, if opposing teams have weather setters that happen to be slower than Pelipper, such as Hippowdon, Torkoal, and Tyranitar, the lead Pokemon should be changed accordingly to better handle the opposition's lead. Also, it isn't wise to lead against Charizard, as the chance of it being Mega Charizard Y and ultimately eliminating rain with Drought is too risky for Pelipper. Because Pelipper's longevity is so vital to rain Water's performance, it is important to keep it healthy with Roost and to avoid being forced into hard switching by using U-turn. In order to keep Pelipper healthy, it is also important to avoid status at all costs because they will cripple Pelipper's capabilities throughout the match. Do not be afraid of using Pelipper as a physical check and for entry hazard control. It is meant to fill multiple roles through setting weather, managing hazards, and pivoting, so use it to its full potential. Rain won't last forever, meaning awareness of weather turns is vital for rain Water's success and for maximizing Pelipper's purpose. Additionally, while getting Scald burns and damage through Hurricane can be helpful, using U-turn sooner rather than later means rain is on the field longer for Swift Swim sweepers to use.
Team Options
========
Kingdra is the best teammate and rain sweeper that Water has access to and is an excellent special wallbreaker. With the ability Swift Swim, it can safely outspeed a massive portion of the metagame in rain even with a Modest nature, and it gets an incredible damage boost with STAB Water moves under the rain. Its Dragon typing allows Kingdra to threaten what could prove to be a difficult matchup in Dragon while also providing a powerful secondary option for wallbreaking. Mega Sharpedo acts as an excellent late-game cleaner once its teammates have done significant damage to the entirety of the opposing team. It helps immensely in taking control of various matchups such as Psychic and giving Water the advantage. Keldeo works as either a powerful wallbreaker with Calm Mind or Choice Specs, being able to break past a plethora of types including Normal and Steel teams, or a great way to keep faster foes in check with the usage of Choice Scarf, outpacing common opposing Choice Scarf users such as Victini, Nihilego, and Blacephalon. Rotom-W is a decent option for rain Water thanks to its access to Defog allowing it to take some pressure off of Pelipper for removing entry hazards. Rotom-W also acts as a check to Electric-type and Ground-type attacks thanks to its secondary Electric typing and ability in Levitate, as well as a pivot option with Volt Switch to bring in the team's sweepers and breakers safely. Gyarados is a key contributor to Water finding success in matchups such as Grass and Poison, so it's easy to find a team slot for it. It can pose a great offensive threat with Dragon Dance and Flyinium Z and can help with removing Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur from the match, also freeing Pelipper from needing to run Hurricane. Seismitoad is also a good teammate for rain Water teams thanks to its immunity to Electric-type attacks and ability to set hazards through Stealth Rock. Its access to STAB Ground-type coverage is also incredibly helpful in hitting Electric-types super effectively. Mega Swampert acts as a powerful physical Swift Swim user that fills similar roles as Seismitoad while being a more potent physically offensive threat, being able to break through Pokemon like Zapdos, Toxapex, and Tapu Bulu with Waterfall, Earthquake, and Sludge Wave, respectively. With coverage for nearly any notable threat to Water teams, such as Mega Venusaur and Tapu Bulu, thanks to its diverse moveset coupled with Protean and an incredible Speed stat, Greninja is a must have for rain teams. Azumarill's role as a physical wallbreaker is only heightened under rain thanks to its priority Aqua Jet. Politoed may seem like an odd addition to rain teams, since Pelipper already acts as the main weather setter; however, its support as a secondary rain setter can relieve the stress put on Pelipper as the primary source of rain.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Water
--------
Pelipper can work as a deterrent to some physical attackers; however, its poor bulk prevents it from being able to tank powerful STAB and super effective moves. It can, however, manage some Pokemon decently well, namely Garchomp and Mega Scizor. It could also act as a specially defensive pivot to better manage special attackers, especially major threats to rain Water such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y, but this spread would be investing in a much weaker defensive stat and removing the viability of most of the other pivot options that Water has access to. Realistically, this spread would only be less capable of setting weather effectively because special wallbreakers like Latios and Mega Pidgeot will still be able to break Pelipper. Toxic can be used over U-turn or Defog, but ultimately rain Water would then be missing out on a Pokemon that can both set weather and fill a secondary role as either a pivot or entry hazard control. These roles would then have to be passed to another Pokemon, reducing your teams options for Pokemon. Eject Button offers a one-time switch without needing to rely on U-turn; however, both Eject Button and U-turn should not be used on the same set. Eject Button being single use can also be bothersome in the long run. Pelipper is also capable of running a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs set in order to effectively make use of its own weather with Hydro Pump and Hurricane or to ensure an important Defog against slower Pokemon. Unfortunately, this set removes Pelipper's roles of acting as a slow pivot with U-turn in order to bring in its offensive threats and Swift Swim users safely and it can no longer act as a check to physical Pokemon, ultimately putting much more pressure on the rain team.
Checks and Counters
===================
Water
--------
**Wallbreakers**: With Pelipper's only decent bulk, Pokemon such as Kyurem-B and Latios can easily take it out and shut down your rain team. Pelipper can't survive long if at all against these Pokemon, and they essentially force unwanted switches and sacrifices.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types can eliminate Pelipper's role on rain Water, as its 4x weakness to Electric and decent-at-best bulk can't hope to help it against Electric-type attacks. Tapu Koko and Thundurus are a couple of Pokemon that can really cause problems for both Pelipper and Water.
**Rock-types**: Pelipper may have rain-boosted STAB Scald at its disposal, but that won't stop faster Pokemon such as Terrakion and Nihilego from revenge killing it.
**Opposing Weather Setters**: Rain Water and Pelipper almost entirely rely on keeping rain up throughout matches, so running into opposing weather setters, namely Alolan Ninetales, Mega Charizard Y, and Tyranitar, can prove to be quite bothersome.
**Stealth Rock**: With Flying as Pelipper's secondary typing, Stealth Rock damage can rack up fairly quickly. Thankfully, Pelipper is only affected by Stealth Rock and not by other entry hazards, but because of its role as Water's weather setter and as a pivot, it will need to be prepared to take this passive damage.
**Walls**: Pelipper can run into some issues with being unable to do anything in the way of managing walls such as Chansey, Cradily, and Toxapex beyond using Toxic, possibly Roost stalling, and simply pivoting into a different Pokemon.
**Status**: Poison can put immense pressure on Pelipper and limit its potential for getting in and summoning rain, which has the potential to completely dismantle rain Water. Mega Sableye, Toxapex, and anything that can status and stall Pelipper and rain effectively can become a huge issue.
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