[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Recover
move 2: Scald
move 3: Moonblast
move 4: Spectral Thief / Quiver Dance
item: Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Ice Scales / Volt Absorb
nature: Sassy / Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Scald spreads burns, deters physical wallbreakers such as Zacian-C from switching in, and punishes Steel-types and Fire-types such as Melmetal and Darmanitan-Z. Moonblast is necessary to punish Zamazenta, Umbreon, Poison Heal Zekrom, and Poison Heal Golisopod. Spectral Thief prevents Poison Heal Reshiram and Zamazenta from setting up and overwhelming Primarina. Quiver Dance is an alternate option that cannot steal Cotton Guard boosts from Poison Heal Zamazenta, but has more PP than Spectral Thief and increases Primarina's offensive presence against passive Pokemon like Melmetal, Zamazenta-C, and Seismitoad. Leftovers is the best item to mitigate chip damage from burns and allows non-Ice Scales Primarina to never be 2HKOed by Choice Specs Kyurem-W. Heavy-Duty Boots is another option to avoid being chipped down by entry hazards and avoiding Toxic Spikes, notably allowing non-Ice Scales variants to switch-in against Kyurem-W even with hazards up. Ice Scales improves Primarina's matchup against Kyurem-W and Reshiram. Volt Absorb allows Primarina to check non-Teravolt Zekrom and avoid being pivoted on with Volt Switch. Magic Bounce is an option to reflect entry hazards from Poison Heal Reshiram, Zamazenta, and Kyurem-W. A Special Defense boosting nature is necessary to check Kyurem-W.
Physical walls such as Melmetal, Zamazenta-C, Darmanitan-Z, and Seismitoad can switch into threatening Pokemon such as Zacian-C and Galarian Darmanitan-Z that can 2HKO Primarina. In return, Primarina checks threatening special wallbreakers such as Reshiram and Kyurem-W. If running Volt Absorb, Primarina can also ease pressure off these walls by handling non-Teravolt Zekrom. A secondary special wall such as Umbreon and Snorlax can help check Lunala, Mewtwo, Necrozma-DW, and Sheer Force Eternatus, all of which can break past Primarina. Offensive Pokemon including Reshiram, Kyurem-W, and Zamazenta appreciate Primarina switching in against transformed Imposter-users, with Reshiram also soft checking Zacian-C and Galarian Darmanitan-Z.
[SET]
name: Poison Heal
move 1: Scald
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Quiver Dance / Nasty Plot
move 4: Spiky Shield
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Calm / Modest
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Scald and Moonblast serve as the STAB moves, providing excellent neutral coverage while Scald can also spread burns to checks such as Ferrothorn and Ice Scales Snorlax. A setup move is necessary to force out Poison Heal Reshiram while also improving Primarina's offensive presence. Quiver Dance provides a useful Special Defense boost to match Reshiram's boosts while provide Speed boosts to outspeed Pokemon such as Lunala and Zekrom after one boost and the entire unboosted meta after two boosts. Nasty Plot is an alternative to provide stronger offensive presence while improving the matchup against Spectral Thief users, with the extra power notable for benchmarks such as 2HKOing Reshiram, Melmetal, and Zamazenta-C. Spiky Shield allows Primarina to safely activate its Orb, while also providing extra turns of Poison Heal recovery and scouting Choice-locked attackers such as Zeraora and Zekrom. Toxic Orb in conjunction with Poison Heal gives Primarina access to status immunity and passive recovery. A Calm nature improves Primarina's matchup against Kyurem-W and Reshiram, but a Modest nature can be used to reliably OHKO Zekrom after one Quiver Dance boost.
Physical walls such as Zamazenta-C, Darmanitan-Z, Seismitoad, and Steelix check the threatening physical wallbreakers such as Zacian-C and Zekrom, with the former two also providing a secondary check to Kyurem-W. In return Primarina checks Reshiram and Zamazenta, soft checks Kyurem-W, takes advantage of Poison Heal Golisopod, and can also Imposter-proof the aforementioned physical walls easily. Choice Specs Lunala, Necrozma-DW, and Sheer Force Mewtwo attract Dark-types like Umbreon in for Primarina to take advantage up and have free setup opportunities. Reshiram is a strong partner that can switch into Zacian-C and Zeraora while Primarina can Imposter-proof it. Eternatus without a Poison-type STAB move is similarly a good choice, being able to blanket check most physical wallbreakers Primarina can struggle with due to its lacking physical bulk.
[SET]
name: Pixilate
move 1: Boomburst
move 2: Earth Power / Scald
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Pixilate
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs boosted Pixilate Boomburst is capable of at least 2HKOing nearly the entire metagame. Earth Power is the coverage move of choice to hit Pokemon such as Melmetal and Darmanitan-Z. Scald is an alternate option that hits Fire-types like Darmanitan-Z hard while being able to spread burns on Steel-types. Strength Sap is an utility option to increase longevity, and works well after Primarina has tricked its Choice Specs away. Volt Switch allows Primarina to pivot out of poor matchups and chip checks such as Ice Scales Snorlax and Zamazenta-C. Trick cripples defensive answers and can allow Primarina to take on a defensive role if Strength Sap is opted.
Ghost- and Psychic- attackers such as Mewtwo, Lunala, Necrozma-DW, and Dragapult bait in Dark-types like Umbreon and Mandibuzz that Primarina can take advantage of and fire off Boombursts unpunished. Physical wallbreakers such as Choice Band Zamazenta and Zacian-C similarly attract in Pokemon such as defensive Reshiram, Eternatus, and Poison Heal Golisopod that are all threatened by Primarina and cannot effectively retaliate. In return these wallbreakers help pressure checks to Primarina like Ice Scales Zamazenta-C and Snorlax, with the special wallbreakers chipping down these common checks while physical wallbreakers taking advantage of the passive Snorlax and Zamazenta-C unable to run abilities such as Fur Coat or Primordial Sea. Primarina appreciates an Imposter-proof such as Ice Scales Zamazenta-C or Poison Heal Snorlax, which can also provide slow pivoting for Primarina. Physical walls such as Eternatus, Fur Coat Reshiram, and Steelix can check the physical wallbreakers that outspeed Primarina, including Zekrom, Zeraora, and Zacian-C.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chessking345, 355040]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]
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