[OVERVIEW]
Raichu is one of the fastest effective wallbreakers in ZU, making it easy to fit onto teams that don't have switch-ins to Pokemon that slower wallbreakers might invite in. A potent Electric STAB type means that Raichu excels at pressuring the myriad of Water-types present in ZU, such as Silvally-Water, Swanna, and Mareanie, and it is complemented by strong coverage moves as well as the ability to boost its Special Attack with Nasty Plot to help set it apart from other Electric-types in ZU. Raichu's access to Focus Blast in particular is crucial for breaking through many prominent special checks, such as Lickilicky, Probopass, and Assault Vest Komala. However, Raichu is frail and usually only offers an Electric immunity to teams while burdening them by being OHKOed by nearly every physical attacker in ZU. Its base 90 Special Attack is unimpressive as well, often leaving Raichu short of achieving KOs, particularly without a Nasty Plot boost. Even Raichu's great Speed often isn't enough to let it succeed due to Floatzel's superior Speed and huge popularity in ZU. Fellow Electric-types Electivire and Zebstrika also give Raichu tough competition, the former of which has better bulk, type coverage, and power and the latter of which is faster than Floatzel. Raichu needs to stick to its strengths to be viable in ZU, but when it does, it is possibly the best Nasty Plot sweeper in the tier.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Fightinium Z / Life Orb
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Focus Blast is used break through many Pokemon that can withstand Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice without too much difficulty. It can OHKO Abomasnow, Probopass, Shiftry, and offensive Golem with its Sturdy broken and 2HKO specially defensive Golem, as well as hitting ZU's many Normal-types super effectively, OHKOing or nearly OHKOing defensive ones such as Lickilicky, Assault Vest Komala, and Vigoroth after a Nasty Plot boost when boosted by Fightinium Z or Life Orb. The ability to break through bulky Normal-types after a Nasty Plot boost makes Raichu very difficult to wall. Hidden Power Ice lets Raichu take out Gabite after a Nasty Plot Boost while hitting various Grass- and Ground-types hard without risking missing Focus Blast. Altaria is also hit much harder by Hidden Power Ice than by Thunderbolt, and it is always OHKOed at +2 after Stealth Rock.
Set Details
==========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment with a Timid nature is necessary to outspeed Pokemon like Kadabra and Rapidash while hitting as hard as possible. Lightning Rod is the chosen ability to block Volt Switch and force Pokemon like Electivire and Probopass to predict correctly or risk giving Raichu a Special Attack boost. Fightinium Z is used over other Z-Crystals to give Raichu a 190-Base Power Fighting-type attack with perfect accuracy that can break through the many Normal-types in the tier, as well as taking out bulky Golem and offensive Komala without a boost. Life Orb is a good item choice if Raichu's team already has a Z-Crystal user, because Raichu needs to hit as hard as possible and will often fall to attacks with or without the recoil from Life Orb. Life Orb can let Raichu achieve some KOs it would otherwise miss or require All-Out Pummeling to accomplish, such as against Tangela, Gourgeist-XL, and physically bulky Golem after Stealth Rock with a +2 Hidden Power Ice. Physically bulky Golem only has a 6.3% change to be KOed by a +2 Hidden Power Ice without Life Orb, forcing Raichu to use its Z-Move or risk missing Focus Blast. However, the damage from Life Orb can rack up in combination with entry hazards or status damage to put Raichu in range of even very weak attacks such as Gourgeist's Foul Play and Golem's Sucker Punch. If using Life Orb, change Raichu's HP IVs to 29 to take less recoil.
Usage Tips
===========
Raichu can be used either as a battering ram to break a defensive core early- or mid-game or as a fast sweeper late-game. Try to put Raichu into situations where it will force switches, such as against slower Water- and Flying-types or against passive Pokemon that cannot significantly damage it, so that it can boost with Nasty Plot to break through the opposing team. Switching Raichu in directly will nearly always be hazardous, so when possible, bring Raichu in safely through pivoting moves such as U-turn and Parting Shot or send it in after a teammate has fainted. There may not be very many opportunities to set up with Raichu over the course of a battle, and against some offensive teams, there might not be any. If Raichu doesn't need to break through any walls on the opponent's team, it can still be very useful for its high Speed tier and decently powerful attacks.
This set is very effective versus stall and bulky teams because the only relevant Unaware user in ZU, Pyukumuku, is hit super effectively by Thunderbolt. Lickilicky, the most prominent special wall on stall teams, is always OHKOed by +2 All-Out Pummeling without concerns of missing. However, beware that Lickilicky can sometimes dodge the KO with Protect, as +2 Focus Blast does not always KO after a weakened All-Out Pummeling, and +2 Life Orb-boosted Focus Blast is not a guaranteed OHKO either. A small amount of chip damage on Lickilicky can greatly boost Life Orb Raichu's odds of breaking stall.
Choose All-Out Pummeling's target carefully, but be aware that missing Focus Blast against Komala, Abomasnow, or Golem will often mean the end of Raichu. A neutral All-Out Pummeling hits significantly harder than a neutral Thunderbolt or a super effective Hidden Power Ice, so using it on a target that is not weak to Fighting can sometimes be advantageous. For example, offensive Silvally-Fighting is never OHKOed by a +2 Thunderbolt without Life Orb but will always be KOed by a boosted All-Out Pummeling. Be aware that without Life Orb, boosted Thunderbolts are not that strong and fail to 2HKO some bulky Pokemon like Muk and Bronzor. While Raichu can block Volt Switch from Electivire, Zebstrika, and Probopass, switching into the wrong move from any of these Pokemon can be the last thing Raichu does in a battle.
Team Options
=============
Raichu appreciates Pokemon that can take physical hits, especially Ground-type attacks and Water-type attacks from Floatzel. Grass-types such as Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, Servine, and Leafeon resist both those types and can check Choice Scarf Electivire. Ground-immune Pokemon such as Altaria, Swanna, and Bronzor can also switch into Ground-type attacks for Raichu. Raichu also pairs well with other special sweepers that appreciate its ability to weaken or KO special walls, such as Chatot, Swanna, and Kadabra. Swanna and Chatot again cover Raichu's Ground weakness, while Raichu blocks Volt Switches aimed at them. Silvally formes, Probopass, Monferno, and Komala can all use pivoting moves to help circumvent Raichu's frailty and bring it in safely. Silvally-Water in particular can help check Floatzel and Golem while luring Electric attacks for Raichu to switch into. Powerful physical attackers such as Ramparados, Komala, and Alolan Dugtrio can take out special walls for Raichu, allowing it to sweep without needing to find an opportunity to set up a Nasty Plot boost. Memento, dual screens, and Parting Shot from Pokemon such as Misdreavus, Dugtrio, Meowstic, and Silvally can weaken incoming attacks to help Raichu set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Electrium Z can be used instead of Fightinium Z to give Raichu a stronger attack against Pokemon like Muk and Bronzor. The downside of this is that Raichu can no longer break through Lickilicky, Bouffalant, Electivire, or Golem as easily. Grass Knot, Volt Switch, Surf, Substitute, Encore, and Signal Beam can all be used over either Hidden Power Ice or Nasty Plot, but they generally offer inferior type coverage or mediocre and situational usefulness. Be aware that Surf is an event move that will lock Raichu into the Static ability and is illegal with Nasty Plot. Also be aware that Raichu lacking Nasty Plot is often outclassed by Zebstrika due to the latter's better speed and access to Overheat. Raichu can go physical or mixed with Volt Tackle and Extreme Speed, but physical sets are walled much more easily, face more competition from Electivire and Zebstrika, and are again made less appealing by the fact that Extreme Speed is an event move that locks Raichu into Static as an abilty. Choice Specs and Choice Scarf sets can be somewhat effective, but they are still usually outclassed by Zebstrika and Electivire.
Checks and Counters
=================
**Faster Pokemon**: Strong attackers that outpace Raichu can often KO it before it can retaliate. Floatzel, Purugly, and Ninjask do this without a Choice Scarf, while most Choice Scarf users can outpace and KO Raichu. Effective Choice Scarf users for this role include Electivire, Pinsir, Abomasnow, and Rapidash. Electivire can also take any one hit from an unboosted Raichu, including All-Out Pummeling.
**Assault Vest Users**: Raichu can be checked by Assault Vest users, though some are OHKOed by a boosted All-Out Pummeling. Kecleon can dodge All-Out Pummeling with Shadow Sneak and beat Raichu fairly reliably if it has Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch to 2HKO Raichu after Stealth Rock. Assault Vest Komala and Bouffalant can check unboosted Raichu, but All-Out Pummeling will still do heavy damage. Komala in particular takes 67-80% from All-Out Pummeling, so it needs to be healthy to check Raichu.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Curse Muk is not 2HKOed by +2 Thunderbolt unless Raichu has a Life Orb and can 2HKO back with Poison Jab, while Choice Band Muk is only OHKOed by a boosted Gigavolt Havoc and KOes back with Gunk Shot. Roselia is only 2HKOed by +2 Life Orb Hidden Power Ice and can damage Raichu heavily with Sludge Bomb or Giga Drain. Bronzor can take one boosted hit and cripple Raichu with Toxic. Dusclops is only 3HKOed by a boosted Thunderbolt and can hit back with Toxic or Night Shade. Cradily survives any hit except for a boosted All-Out Pummeling or Life Orb-boosted Focus Blast and can use Toxic or Rock Slide in return.
**Ground-types**: Silvally-Ground survives most boosted attacks from Raichu and can KO back with Multi-Attack. Golem can check Raichu if its Sturdy is intact. Specially defensive Camerupt can usually survive an All-Out Pummeling after Stealth Rock damage and Leftovers recovery and KO back with Earthquake or Earth Power.
**Priority**: While uncommon in ZU, attacks with boosted priority will heavily damage Raichu. Sucker Punch from Pawniard, Golem, Shiftry, and Kecleon and Mach Punch from Monferno can heavily damage Raichu due to its poor physical bulk.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Absolute Infinity, 465172]]
- Quality checked by: [[Xayah, 167012], [DurzaOffTopic, 357488], [Froasty, 446575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Fireflame479, 231476]]
Raichu is one of the fastest effective wallbreakers in ZU, making it easy to fit onto teams that don't have switch-ins to Pokemon that slower wallbreakers might invite in. A potent Electric STAB type means that Raichu excels at pressuring the myriad of Water-types present in ZU, such as Silvally-Water, Swanna, and Mareanie, and it is complemented by strong coverage moves as well as the ability to boost its Special Attack with Nasty Plot to help set it apart from other Electric-types in ZU. Raichu's access to Focus Blast in particular is crucial for breaking through many prominent special checks, such as Lickilicky, Probopass, and Assault Vest Komala. However, Raichu is frail and usually only offers an Electric immunity to teams while burdening them by being OHKOed by nearly every physical attacker in ZU. Its base 90 Special Attack is unimpressive as well, often leaving Raichu short of achieving KOs, particularly without a Nasty Plot boost. Even Raichu's great Speed often isn't enough to let it succeed due to Floatzel's superior Speed and huge popularity in ZU. Fellow Electric-types Electivire and Zebstrika also give Raichu tough competition, the former of which has better bulk, type coverage, and power and the latter of which is faster than Floatzel. Raichu needs to stick to its strengths to be viable in ZU, but when it does, it is possibly the best Nasty Plot sweeper in the tier.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Fightinium Z / Life Orb
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Focus Blast is used break through many Pokemon that can withstand Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice without too much difficulty. It can OHKO Abomasnow, Probopass, Shiftry, and offensive Golem with its Sturdy broken and 2HKO specially defensive Golem, as well as hitting ZU's many Normal-types super effectively, OHKOing or nearly OHKOing defensive ones such as Lickilicky, Assault Vest Komala, and Vigoroth after a Nasty Plot boost when boosted by Fightinium Z or Life Orb. The ability to break through bulky Normal-types after a Nasty Plot boost makes Raichu very difficult to wall. Hidden Power Ice lets Raichu take out Gabite after a Nasty Plot Boost while hitting various Grass- and Ground-types hard without risking missing Focus Blast. Altaria is also hit much harder by Hidden Power Ice than by Thunderbolt, and it is always OHKOed at +2 after Stealth Rock.
Set Details
==========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment with a Timid nature is necessary to outspeed Pokemon like Kadabra and Rapidash while hitting as hard as possible. Lightning Rod is the chosen ability to block Volt Switch and force Pokemon like Electivire and Probopass to predict correctly or risk giving Raichu a Special Attack boost. Fightinium Z is used over other Z-Crystals to give Raichu a 190-Base Power Fighting-type attack with perfect accuracy that can break through the many Normal-types in the tier, as well as taking out bulky Golem and offensive Komala without a boost. Life Orb is a good item choice if Raichu's team already has a Z-Crystal user, because Raichu needs to hit as hard as possible and will often fall to attacks with or without the recoil from Life Orb. Life Orb can let Raichu achieve some KOs it would otherwise miss or require All-Out Pummeling to accomplish, such as against Tangela, Gourgeist-XL, and physically bulky Golem after Stealth Rock with a +2 Hidden Power Ice. Physically bulky Golem only has a 6.3% change to be KOed by a +2 Hidden Power Ice without Life Orb, forcing Raichu to use its Z-Move or risk missing Focus Blast. However, the damage from Life Orb can rack up in combination with entry hazards or status damage to put Raichu in range of even very weak attacks such as Gourgeist's Foul Play and Golem's Sucker Punch. If using Life Orb, change Raichu's HP IVs to 29 to take less recoil.
Usage Tips
===========
Raichu can be used either as a battering ram to break a defensive core early- or mid-game or as a fast sweeper late-game. Try to put Raichu into situations where it will force switches, such as against slower Water- and Flying-types or against passive Pokemon that cannot significantly damage it, so that it can boost with Nasty Plot to break through the opposing team. Switching Raichu in directly will nearly always be hazardous, so when possible, bring Raichu in safely through pivoting moves such as U-turn and Parting Shot or send it in after a teammate has fainted. There may not be very many opportunities to set up with Raichu over the course of a battle, and against some offensive teams, there might not be any. If Raichu doesn't need to break through any walls on the opponent's team, it can still be very useful for its high Speed tier and decently powerful attacks.
This set is very effective versus stall and bulky teams because the only relevant Unaware user in ZU, Pyukumuku, is hit super effectively by Thunderbolt. Lickilicky, the most prominent special wall on stall teams, is always OHKOed by +2 All-Out Pummeling without concerns of missing. However, beware that Lickilicky can sometimes dodge the KO with Protect, as +2 Focus Blast does not always KO after a weakened All-Out Pummeling, and +2 Life Orb-boosted Focus Blast is not a guaranteed OHKO either. A small amount of chip damage on Lickilicky can greatly boost Life Orb Raichu's odds of breaking stall.
Choose All-Out Pummeling's target carefully, but be aware that missing Focus Blast against Komala, Abomasnow, or Golem will often mean the end of Raichu. A neutral All-Out Pummeling hits significantly harder than a neutral Thunderbolt or a super effective Hidden Power Ice, so using it on a target that is not weak to Fighting can sometimes be advantageous. For example, offensive Silvally-Fighting is never OHKOed by a +2 Thunderbolt without Life Orb but will always be KOed by a boosted All-Out Pummeling. Be aware that without Life Orb, boosted Thunderbolts are not that strong and fail to 2HKO some bulky Pokemon like Muk and Bronzor. While Raichu can block Volt Switch from Electivire, Zebstrika, and Probopass, switching into the wrong move from any of these Pokemon can be the last thing Raichu does in a battle.
Team Options
=============
Raichu appreciates Pokemon that can take physical hits, especially Ground-type attacks and Water-type attacks from Floatzel. Grass-types such as Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, Servine, and Leafeon resist both those types and can check Choice Scarf Electivire. Ground-immune Pokemon such as Altaria, Swanna, and Bronzor can also switch into Ground-type attacks for Raichu. Raichu also pairs well with other special sweepers that appreciate its ability to weaken or KO special walls, such as Chatot, Swanna, and Kadabra. Swanna and Chatot again cover Raichu's Ground weakness, while Raichu blocks Volt Switches aimed at them. Silvally formes, Probopass, Monferno, and Komala can all use pivoting moves to help circumvent Raichu's frailty and bring it in safely. Silvally-Water in particular can help check Floatzel and Golem while luring Electric attacks for Raichu to switch into. Powerful physical attackers such as Ramparados, Komala, and Alolan Dugtrio can take out special walls for Raichu, allowing it to sweep without needing to find an opportunity to set up a Nasty Plot boost. Memento, dual screens, and Parting Shot from Pokemon such as Misdreavus, Dugtrio, Meowstic, and Silvally can weaken incoming attacks to help Raichu set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Electrium Z can be used instead of Fightinium Z to give Raichu a stronger attack against Pokemon like Muk and Bronzor. The downside of this is that Raichu can no longer break through Lickilicky, Bouffalant, Electivire, or Golem as easily. Grass Knot, Volt Switch, Surf, Substitute, Encore, and Signal Beam can all be used over either Hidden Power Ice or Nasty Plot, but they generally offer inferior type coverage or mediocre and situational usefulness. Be aware that Surf is an event move that will lock Raichu into the Static ability and is illegal with Nasty Plot. Also be aware that Raichu lacking Nasty Plot is often outclassed by Zebstrika due to the latter's better speed and access to Overheat. Raichu can go physical or mixed with Volt Tackle and Extreme Speed, but physical sets are walled much more easily, face more competition from Electivire and Zebstrika, and are again made less appealing by the fact that Extreme Speed is an event move that locks Raichu into Static as an abilty. Choice Specs and Choice Scarf sets can be somewhat effective, but they are still usually outclassed by Zebstrika and Electivire.
Checks and Counters
=================
**Faster Pokemon**: Strong attackers that outpace Raichu can often KO it before it can retaliate. Floatzel, Purugly, and Ninjask do this without a Choice Scarf, while most Choice Scarf users can outpace and KO Raichu. Effective Choice Scarf users for this role include Electivire, Pinsir, Abomasnow, and Rapidash. Electivire can also take any one hit from an unboosted Raichu, including All-Out Pummeling.
**Assault Vest Users**: Raichu can be checked by Assault Vest users, though some are OHKOed by a boosted All-Out Pummeling. Kecleon can dodge All-Out Pummeling with Shadow Sneak and beat Raichu fairly reliably if it has Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch to 2HKO Raichu after Stealth Rock. Assault Vest Komala and Bouffalant can check unboosted Raichu, but All-Out Pummeling will still do heavy damage. Komala in particular takes 67-80% from All-Out Pummeling, so it needs to be healthy to check Raichu.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Curse Muk is not 2HKOed by +2 Thunderbolt unless Raichu has a Life Orb and can 2HKO back with Poison Jab, while Choice Band Muk is only OHKOed by a boosted Gigavolt Havoc and KOes back with Gunk Shot. Roselia is only 2HKOed by +2 Life Orb Hidden Power Ice and can damage Raichu heavily with Sludge Bomb or Giga Drain. Bronzor can take one boosted hit and cripple Raichu with Toxic. Dusclops is only 3HKOed by a boosted Thunderbolt and can hit back with Toxic or Night Shade. Cradily survives any hit except for a boosted All-Out Pummeling or Life Orb-boosted Focus Blast and can use Toxic or Rock Slide in return.
**Ground-types**: Silvally-Ground survives most boosted attacks from Raichu and can KO back with Multi-Attack. Golem can check Raichu if its Sturdy is intact. Specially defensive Camerupt can usually survive an All-Out Pummeling after Stealth Rock damage and Leftovers recovery and KO back with Earthquake or Earth Power.
**Priority**: While uncommon in ZU, attacks with boosted priority will heavily damage Raichu. Sucker Punch from Pawniard, Golem, Shiftry, and Kecleon and Mach Punch from Monferno can heavily damage Raichu due to its poor physical bulk.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Absolute Infinity, 465172]]
- Quality checked by: [[Xayah, 167012], [DurzaOffTopic, 357488], [Froasty, 446575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Fireflame479, 231476]]
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