apokemontrainer68
Banned deucer.
[Overview]
When looking at Pikachu's stats, you might wonder, why would anyone use this over Plusle or Minun? The answer is its signature item, the Light Ball, which doubles its Special Attack, making it the most powerful Special Attacker in the tier bar Clamperl. With few Electric- and Ground-types, Pikachu can hit most of the tier for at least neutral damage, and it also has access to Surf, which can help in dealing with Ground-, Rock, and Fire-types. However, its defenses are pathetic, making Pikachu very easy to revenge kill by faster Pokemon or Pokemon with priority moves.
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Surf / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Encore / Hidden Power Ice
item: Light Ball
nature: Hasty / Mild
evs: 252 SpA / 4 HP / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunderbolt is Pikachu's main STAB move to deal with Water-types like Huntail, Wailord, and Kingler and Flying-types like Pidgeot, Murkrow, and Golbat. Surf can deal with Rock-, Ground-, and Fire-types such as Flareon, Pupitar, Torkoal, and Sudowoodo. Hidden Power Ice gives Pikachu perfect coverage, allowing it to hit the entire tier for neutral damage and helps against Grass-types like Roselia and Bellossom. Substitute allows Pikachu to attack one more turn before fainting to almost any attack. With a bit of prediction, Encore can be very useful. Since the opponent will be locked into a move like Swords Dance or Curse.
Set Details
========
Since Pikachu can't take any hit, it's defenses are pretty much there just to be lowered. A Hasty nature allows it to outspeed Pokemon that would normally cause a speed tie like Furret and Vigoroth.
Pikachu can really switch only after one of its allies fainted or if its the lead; basically, Pikachu just needs a way to use Substitute so it can KO top-tier threats like Chimeco and Mawile.
If it doesn't have Hidden Power Ice, then Pikachu appreciates some help from Pokemon such as Flareon and Pidgeot since they can hit both Roselia and Bellossom with their super effective STAB moves. Pikachu also appreciates help from Grass-types like Bellossom and Roselia to help it against Whiscash. Since Pikachu will die to pretty much any priority move such as Quick Attack from Pidgeot or and Mach Punch from Hitmonchan, Haunter and Sableye can switch into both since they possess Normal- and Fighting-type immunities. Arbok can switch into Hitmonchan pretty safely thanks to its resistance to Fighting-type moves and access to Intimidate.
Other Options
=============
Thunder Wave can be very helpful if you are running a Mild nature instead of a Hasty one. Volt Tackle is an option if you want more power, but it's a bit too risky if used with Substitute. Pikachu can also use Hidden Power Grass for Ground-types not weak to Ice such Whiscash.
Checks and Counters
===================
Whiscash is a threat to any Pikachu that is not carrying Hidden Power Grass due to it's immunity to Thunderbolt and it only taking neutral damage from Surf. Priority users like Hitmonchan and Pidgeot beat Pikachu.
When looking at Pikachu's stats, you might wonder, why would anyone use this over Plusle or Minun? The answer is its signature item, the Light Ball, which doubles its Special Attack, making it the most powerful Special Attacker in the tier bar Clamperl. With few Electric- and Ground-types, Pikachu can hit most of the tier for at least neutral damage, and it also has access to Surf, which can help in dealing with Ground-, Rock, and Fire-types. However, its defenses are pathetic, making Pikachu very easy to revenge kill by faster Pokemon or Pokemon with priority moves.
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Surf / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Encore / Hidden Power Ice
item: Light Ball
nature: Hasty / Mild
evs: 252 SpA / 4 HP / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunderbolt is Pikachu's main STAB move to deal with Water-types like Huntail, Wailord, and Kingler and Flying-types like Pidgeot, Murkrow, and Golbat. Surf can deal with Rock-, Ground-, and Fire-types such as Flareon, Pupitar, Torkoal, and Sudowoodo. Hidden Power Ice gives Pikachu perfect coverage, allowing it to hit the entire tier for neutral damage and helps against Grass-types like Roselia and Bellossom. Substitute allows Pikachu to attack one more turn before fainting to almost any attack. With a bit of prediction, Encore can be very useful. Since the opponent will be locked into a move like Swords Dance or Curse.
Set Details
========
Since Pikachu can't take any hit, it's defenses are pretty much there just to be lowered. A Hasty nature allows it to outspeed Pokemon that would normally cause a speed tie like Furret and Vigoroth.
Pikachu can really switch only after one of its allies fainted or if its the lead; basically, Pikachu just needs a way to use Substitute so it can KO top-tier threats like Chimeco and Mawile.
If it doesn't have Hidden Power Ice, then Pikachu appreciates some help from Pokemon such as Flareon and Pidgeot since they can hit both Roselia and Bellossom with their super effective STAB moves. Pikachu also appreciates help from Grass-types like Bellossom and Roselia to help it against Whiscash. Since Pikachu will die to pretty much any priority move such as Quick Attack from Pidgeot or and Mach Punch from Hitmonchan, Haunter and Sableye can switch into both since they possess Normal- and Fighting-type immunities. Arbok can switch into Hitmonchan pretty safely thanks to its resistance to Fighting-type moves and access to Intimidate.
Other Options
=============
Thunder Wave can be very helpful if you are running a Mild nature instead of a Hasty one. Volt Tackle is an option if you want more power, but it's a bit too risky if used with Substitute. Pikachu can also use Hidden Power Grass for Ground-types not weak to Ice such Whiscash.
Checks and Counters
===================
Whiscash is a threat to any Pikachu that is not carrying Hidden Power Grass due to it's immunity to Thunderbolt and it only taking neutral damage from Surf. Priority users like Hitmonchan and Pidgeot beat Pikachu.
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