Pokémon Rabsca

[STEELDRAGON]

Bug-Psychic

Base Stats: 75 HP-50 Atk-85 Def-115 SpA-100 SpD-45 Spe

Abilities: Synchronize-Telepathy

Viable Moves:
- Revival Blessing
- Psychic
- Bug Buzz
- Earth Power
- Power Gem
- Weather Ball
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Trick
- Recover
- Trick Room
- Stored Power
- Cosmic Power
- Calm Mind
- Memento
- Sludge Bomb
- Psyshock
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Confuse Ray
- Speed Swap

Movepool

Level Up Moves:
Revival Blessing @ Evolution
Tackle @ Lv. 1
Defense Curl @ Lv. 1
Confusion @ Lv. 1
Sand Attack @ Lv. 4
Struggle Bug @ Lv. 7
Rollout @ Lv. 11
Psybeam @ Lv. 15
Bug Bite @ Lv. 20
Take Down @ Lv. 24
Extrasensory @ Lv. 29
Lunge @ Lv. 35
Speed Swap @ Lv. 40
Power Swap @ Lv. 40
Guard Swap @ Lv. 40
Bug Buzz @ Lv. 45
Psychic @ Lv. 50

Reminder Moves:
Safeguard, Psych Up

TM Moves:
Take Down, Psybeam, Hyper Beam, Dig, Psychic, Confuse Ray, Light Screen, Reflect, Leech Life, Rest, Substitute, Thief, Protect, Sludge Bomb, Mud-Slap, Sandstorm, Endure, Sleep Talk, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Shadow Ball, Facade, Trick, Skill Swap, Imprison, Rock Tomb, Iron Defense, Mud Shot, Calm Mind, Fling, X-Scissor, Bug Buzz, Power Gem, Energy Ball, Earth Power, Giga Impact, Zen Headbutt, Trick Room, Gunk Shot, Psyshock, Electro Ball, Stored Power, Struggle Bug, Dazzling Gleam, Psychic Terrain, Tera Blast, Pounce

Egg Moves:
Recover, Memento, Weather Ball, Cosmic Power

Positive Attributes:
- Has access to Revival Blessing which is the only move in the whole entire that revives a fainted teammate and is bulkier than Pawmot the only other user
- Good base 115 Special Attack and has good offensive coverage
- It really shines in Trick Room Teams due to its unique qualities

Negative Attributes:
-Pretty slow, will have to usually take a hit before doing anything
-Weak to entry hazards and a bunch of common weaknesses like dark, ghost and fire
-Knock off usually does massive damage and Sucker Punch hurts it even inside Trick Room and gets wrecked by a lot of the new Generation 9 pokemon especially the paradox forms and the quartet legendaries

Terastylizing types:
- A Bug Terastal type is a good option to boost its STAB even further and get rid of some its weaknesses.
- A Fairy Terastal type helps it defensively significantly and boosts Dazzling Gleam.

Trick Room Set:
Rabsca @ Leftovers/Heavy-Duty Boots/Leppa Berry
Ability: Synchronize
Tera Type: Bug/Fairy
EVs: 248 HP/144 Def/116 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Relaxed Nature
-Revival Blessing
-Trick Room
-Bug Buzz/Dazzling Gleam
-Memento/Recover

Rabscas niche is supporting Trick Room Teams. Revival Blessing helps tremendously to revive a fallen sweeper to wreck your foes team. Also can help set up set up TR to further support your team. Bug Buzz is its most powerful STAB move and doesn't have any immunities except sound proof pokemon. Recover helps increase its staying power and Memento can help teammate set up.

Offensive Set:
Rabsca @ Weakness Policy/Throat Spray
Ability: Synchronize
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP/8 Def/252 SpA
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
-Revival Blessing/Speed Swap
-Bug Buzz
-Dazzling Gleam
-Earth Power/Psychic/Stored Power

This Rabsca set takes a much more offensive approach and can beat many of its checks with the appropriate move. Revival Blessing still has utility on this set to set it apart from other special attackers. Speed Swap is a move unique to Rabsca and can quickly turn the momentum in your favor. It can hit most pokemon very hard once boosted but there are still pokemon like Corviknight and Orthoworm than take very little damage.

Some other things that it has access to is dual screens, Cosmic Power+Recover+Stored Power, Calm Mind Power Gem, Trick, and Weather Ball.

Overall it's a very niche pokemon but can really shine with the right team.

 

[GaileOxstain]

Ran a similar set with Orbeetle last generation, though I hesitate to think it would be any more effective this generation:

Ability: Synchronize
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: (HP 252) (Def 156) (Sp. Def 100) (Tweak as needed)

Cosmic Power
Recover
Stored Power
Bug Buzz

Set up with Cosmic Power to turn yourself into a bulky wall capable of withstanding attacks of all sorts, heal with Recover as needed, nuke opposition with boosted Stored Power, counter Dark types with Bug Buzz which are immune to Stored Power. Leftovers for recovery and invest all stats into bulk since uninvested base 115 special attack should suffice. My big concern is that Bug/Psychic is not good defensive typing, and the low speed will be an issue should things get dire.

 

[STEELDRAGON]

Ran a similar set with Orbeetle last generation, though I hesitate to think it would be any more effective this generation:

Ability: Synchronize
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: (HP 252) (Def 156) (Sp. Def 100) (Tweak as needed)

Cosmic Power
Recover
Stored Power
Bug Buzz

Set up with Cosmic Power to turn yourself into a bulky wall capable of withstanding attacks of all sorts, heal with Recover as needed, nuke opposition with boosted Stored Power, counter Dark types with Bug Buzz which are immune to Stored Power. Leftovers for recovery and invest all stats into bulk since uninvested base 115 special attack should suffice. My big concern is that Bug/Psychic is not good defensive typing, and the low speed will be an issue should things get dire.

It's defensive typing is so bad especially with all these new dark types that it would probably better to Terastylze to a fairy Type, drop Bug Buzz and add in Dazzling Gleam. There are so many better pokemon to Terastylize though

 

[Joseph Gomes]

This has no future until we see at least two waves of ban. Even then I am doubtful of its usefulness

 

[Kevbot034]

This has no future until we see at least two waves of ban. Even then I am doubtful of its usefulness

Revival Blessing seems like you could make a case to just throw this (or Pawmot) on any team at any time for any reason and just hope for the best. Seems like the only OU strategy, but not one worth banking on. Might slip into usefulness as a common gimmick, but not useful enough overall to ever matter.

 

[STEELDRAGON]

This has no future until we see at least two waves of ban. Even then I am doubtful of its usefulness

It really needs Revival Blessing and possibly Trick Room to really carve a niche for its self. If it's not doing that outclassed by a whole bunch of pokemon like Pawmot, Hatterne, etc

 

[AbyssOfTheAzure]

What about something like a SleepTalk set that basically sets up Revival Blessing? It's pretty uncompetitive but it could be a cool niche in theory to deal with any stall if RB remains legal and the metagame settles down offensively. Instead of setting up Rabsca on the opponent you just set up the rest of your already fainted team since SleepTalk will use up its own PP instead of RB's. Theoretically could pop off 16 resurrections.

Ability: Synchronize (or Telepathy in VGC/Doubles)
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: (HP 252) (Def 156) (Sp. Def 100)

Rest
Sleep Talk
Revival Blessing
Cosmic Power/Confuse Ray

Literally no offensive power whatsoever, you just keep spamming Cosmic Power or Confuse Ray (to buy lucky turns if you really want) and then Rest. Press Sleep Talk to revive a team mate or two if they can't immediately crack through you, or you just boost your defence with Cosmic Power so it gets harder to break through. This is the only niche I can think of for Rabsca beyond Trick Room teams.

 

[Woodley Scholz]

Ok that is interesting but you forget that it can select Rest too, which will instantly fail. Your basically rolling the dice every time you click it, between reviving a ally and basically have a Truant Turn.

However, this could be viable in another way via Doubles. Just have an ally use Yawn, and have a full support set with Trick Room, Recover, Revival Blessing, and Sleep Talk.

 

[GaileOxstain]

What about something like a SleepTalk set that basically sets up Revival Blessing? It's pretty uncompetitive but it could be a cool niche in theory to deal with any stall if RB remains legal and the metagame settles down offensively. Instead of setting up Rabsca on the opponent you just set up the rest of your already fainted team since SleepTalk will use up its own PP instead of RB's. Theoretically could pop off 16 resurrections.

Ability: Synchronize (or Telepathy in VGC/Doubles)
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: (HP 252) (Def 156) (Sp. Def 100)

Rest
Sleep Talk
Revival Blessing
Cosmic Power/Confuse Ray

Literally no offensive power whatsoever, you just keep spamming Cosmic Power or Confuse Ray (to buy lucky turns if you really want) and then Rest. Press Sleep Talk to revive a team mate or two if they can't immediately crack through you, or you just boost your defence with Cosmic Power so it gets harder to break through. This is the only niche I can think of for Rabsca beyond Trick Room teams.

You might be better off just dropping one move and leaving the odds at a solid 50% instead of 33%.

 

[Goblin Therapy]

Anyone tried Flame Orb on this cool little bug? With Synchronize you can get a free burn on a physical threat to neuter its damage potential, and Rabsca is already bulky on the special side. Plus Rabsca learns Trick as well to potentially burn a second target or rob something of its item. Could be an interesting use for this mon as a bulky support that also hits quite hard with some strong special STAB and coverage moves, and lets it do more than just revive something.

Rabsca @ Flame Orb
Ability: Synchronize
Tera Type: Unsure as yet
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Def
- Revival Blessing
- Trick / Speed Swap
- Bug Buzz / Psychic / Dazzling Gleam / Sludge Bomb / Earth Power / Energy Ball / Shadow Ball
- Bug Buzz / Psychic / Dazzling Gleam / Sludge Bomb / Earth Power / Energy Ball / Shadow Ball

 

[Eeveeto]

Anyone tried Flame Orb on this cool little bug? With Synchronize you can get a free burn on a physical threat to neuter its damage potential, and Rabsca is already bulky on the special side. Plus Rabsca learns Trick as well to potentially burn a second target or rob something of its item. Could be an interesting use for this mon as a bulky support that also hits quite hard with some strong special STAB and coverage moves, and lets it do more than just revive something.

Rabsca @ Flame Orb
Ability: Synchronize
Tera Type: Unsure as yet
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Def
- Revival Blessing
- Trick / Speed Swap
- Bug Buzz / Psychic / Dazzling Gleam / Sludge Bomb / Earth Power / Energy Ball / Shadow Ball
- Bug Buzz / Psychic / Dazzling Gleam / Sludge Bomb / Earth Power / Energy Ball / Shadow Ball

Pretty sure Syncronize doesn't work on status you inflict to yourself. Otherwise in 13 years of playing this game I would have seen someone trolling with Mew or other Mons this way.

 

[Goblin Therapy]

Pretty sure Syncronize doesn't work on status you inflict to yourself. Otherwise in 13 years of playing this game I would have seen someone trolling with Mew or other Mons this way.

Damn, nvm then.

 

[STEELDRAGON]

What about something like a SleepTalk set that basically sets up Revival Blessing? It's pretty uncompetitive but it could be a cool niche in theory to deal with any stall if RB remains legal and the metagame settles down offensively. Instead of setting up Rabsca on the opponent you just set up the rest of your already fainted team since SleepTalk will use up its own PP instead of RB's. Theoretically could pop off 16 resurrections.

Ability: Synchronize (or Telepathy in VGC/Doubles)
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: (HP 252) (Def 156) (Sp. Def 100)

Rest
Sleep Talk
Revival Blessing
Cosmic Power/Confuse Ray

Literally no offensive power whatsoever, you just keep spamming Cosmic Power or Confuse Ray (to buy lucky turns if you really want) and then Rest. Press Sleep Talk to revive a team mate or two if they can't immediately crack through you, or you just boost your defence with Cosmic Power so it gets harder to break through. This is the only niche I can think of for Rabsca beyond Trick Room teams.

Reflect or Light Screen is better than Cosmic Power or Confuse Ray because most of the time your going to be forced out anyway