Purrloin (QC 0/3)

[Midnight Howl]

[OVERVIEW]

• Poor Offensive and defensive stats and typing
• It's fast (it hits17 speed)
• Prankster is a very good ability when combined with Purrloin's utility moves
• Great movepool (Thunder Wave, Encore, Taunt, Knock Off, U-turn, Sunny Day, Rain Dance)
• For that reasons Purrloin can work as an utility pivot
• It's hard for it do do its job as Purrloin has low bulk.

[SET]
name: Nyan Cat (Utility Pivot)
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Encore / Taunt
move 4: Taunt / Thunder Wave
item: Eviolite / Berry Juice
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 108 HP / 36 Atk / 60 Def / 60 SpD / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Knock Off is a quite useful move on LC as some Pokemon rely on Eviolite or Berry Juice
• 17 speed U-turn can gain lots of momentum specially after encoring an enemy onto an undesired move
• Encore, as said before, can encore setup sweepers or hazard setters into non-damaging moves and that can be used in your favor.
• Taunt helps against hazard setters, setup sweepers and status users
• Thunder Wave cripples offensive mons

Set Details
========

• Eviolite increases Purrloin's Bulk which allows it to do its job better
• Berry Juice is another option as Purrloin gets worn down with ease
• The given EV spread and a Jolly nature lets it hit 17 speed while increasing its bulk
• A bulkier but slower set with 188 HP / 180 Def / 60 SpD / 68 Spe EVs can be used.

Usage Tips
========

• Taunt your opponent if you think It's going to use an utility move such as Stealth Rock or Will-o-Wisp.
• If purrloin is not on the field and you predict that your opponent is going to use one of those moves or a set-up move such as Shell Smash you can switch into Purrloin, and Encore them into that move.
• That will give you a free turn where you can either Knock Off an important item or U-turn to gain momentum.

Team Options
========

• Purrloin is a support Pokemon that can help Setup sweepers, so many of them make for good teammates
• Shellder, Scraggy, Omanyte, and specially Salandit which can setup on Fairy, Bug and Fighting types that usually counter Purrloin are good examples.
• Purrloin also likes Poison-types on its team such as Croagunk, Alolan-Grimer, Foongus or Skrelp.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• Purrloin has some good coverage moves like Play Rough, Aerial Ace, Gunk Shot but it lacks the power to use them.
• Sucker Punch is a great priority move but, again, Purrloin doesn't hit hard enough to use it.
• Its other ability, Unburden, could be used on a Substitute + Nasty Plot set, but even at +2 Purrloin doesn't get many KOs and it lacks coverage moves on the special side.
• Purrloin can also run a Sunny Day set with Heat Rock for a teammate like bellsprout to sweep.
• A Rain Dance set could also be used but rain isn't any good on LC.

Checks and Counters
===================

• Fighting-types: Mienfoo, Timburr, Croagunk, Scraggy and barely any Fighting-type OHKO Purrloin with their STAB moves and resist Knock-Off.

• Fairy-types: Fairy-types such as Spritzee and Snubull also resist Knock-Off and can OHKO Purrloin with their STAB moves.

• Dark-types: On gen VII Dark-types such as Pawniard or Vullaby became immune to Prankster's priority moves and also resist Purrloin's STAB.

• Powerful attackers: They can OHKO purrloin and don't mind getting taunted, but they dislike Thunder Wave.

• Priority moves: Priority moves such as Meowth's Fake out, Timburr's Mach Punch or Croagunk's Vacuum Wave do a lot of damage to Purrloin

 

[Midnight Howl]

I think It's ready for QC