[OVERVIEW]
While not particularly intimidating, Raichu possesses a number of unique qualities that allow it to stand out in the VGC 2016 metagame. Its access to Fake Out and high Speed stat are its most noticeable traits, as these make it the fastest Fake Out user in the format barring Weavile. Its high Speed stat also comes in handy as a result of its access to Encore, which can be used to lock foes into a move. Furthermore, Lightning Rod is another way in which Raichu can support its teammates, as it prevents allies from being harmed by Electric-type attacks or from being paralyzed by the likes of Thunder Wave and Nuzzle. As an Electric-type with access to a strong physical STAB move in Volt Tackle, it also serves as an effective check to Primal Kyogre, one of the format's most dominant restricted Pokemon. Raichu is not the only Electric-type capable of supporting its team, however, and it therefore faces severe competition from Thundurus, which has access to Prankster, and Manectric, which competes with Raichu as a Lightning Rod user.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Volt Tackle
move 3: Nuzzle / Feint
move 4: Encore
item: Magnet / Focus Sash
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out is a staple of VGC play as a result of it making the foe flinch, allowing a partially free turn for your team to get the upper hand in terms of momentum. Volt Tackle is generally the superior option to Thunderbolt, as this allows Raichu to better check Primal Kyogre, which has lower Defense than Special Defense. Nuzzle and Feint may be used interchangeably depending on the needs of Raichu's team. Nuzzle is useful as a form of speed control to paralyze foes, while Feint allows the player to fearlessly double target an opposing Pokemon, as well as break Focus Sash and pick off low-HP Pokemon. Finally, Encore is useful for restricting the foe's options on each turn by locking them into ineffectual moves. Protect may seem tempting given how frail Raichu is, but in such a momentum-based format as VGC 2016, sometimes having Raichu faint can result in a positive outcome by allowing a free switch into an allied restricted Pokemon.
Set Details
========
Magnet is recommended, as it allows Raichu to pick up the OHKO on 252 HP Primal Kyogre. Focus Sash may seem like a poor choice given that Raichu breaks it with the use of Volt Tackle, but granting it the ability to occasionally last an extra turn still makes Focus Sash useful. The Speed EVs are maximized in order to outpace as many foes as possible, most notably those in the base 100 Speed tier such as Mega Kangaskhan. Lightning Rod is chosen over Static due to its usefulness in shutting down Thundurus and other Thunder Wave users. Static could theoretically see use to get off a free paralysis onto foes while bluffing Lightning Rod, but this is inconsistent and therefore not recommended.
Usage Tips
========
Raichu should be played aggressively due to how aggressive the format is in general. The combination of support moves Raichu has access to allows it to put on an incredible amount of pressure on turn one, so it's best suited as a lead. Make good use of Nuzzle to spread paralysis, bearing in mind that it can't be stopped by Taunt like Thunder Wave and will allow your team to have the Speed advantage during the late-game. Make sure not to let Raichu faint too early if it's needed to defend partners like Rayquaza and Primal Kyogre from Electric-type attacks through the use of Lightning Rod. Try to avoid switching Raichu into attacks, as its lack of bulk means it's likely to take a severe amount of damage when doing so.
Team Options
========
Raichu typically sees the best use on teams featuring the combination of Rayquaza and Primal Kyogre, as it does an excellent job defending the duo from the likes of Thundurus and opposing Primal Kyogre. Xerneas and other setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Rayquaza and Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan also appreciate Raichu's Fake Out to help them set up, as well as its Lightning Rod to prevent them from being paralyzed after doing so. Another group of Pokemon that enjoy Fake Out and Lightning Rod support are Tailwind setters such as Talonflame and Mega Salamence, which can more freely set up speed control for their entire team.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Raichu is a fairly straightforward Pokemon, and it therefore doesn't see a lot of variance in the set it uses. However, Endeavor can be used alongside Focus Sash to bring an opposing Pokemon down to 1 HP once its Focus Sash has been broken, but this can be difficult to pull off given the number of priority users in the metagame. Using Fling with King's Rock is an option to allow the possibility of making foes flinch after the first turn, but Weavile is generally the better user of this combination. Helping Hand is a good move on almost all Pokemon capable of learning it, including Raichu, but given the large variety in potential users, there's almost always another Pokemon that can more easily give up a moveslot for it. Teeter Dance can be used if you have access to the Japanese event that featured it, but it has the Static ability and therefore cannot support its teammates with Lightning Rod. Air Balloon is an interesting option that helps keep Raichu on the field longer against Primal Groudon, particularly if heavy rain is up, since it's then immune to Groudon's Fire-type moves as well. Finally, if you don't mind dropping Encore, Assault Vest can be an effective choice that improves Raichu's special bulk dramatically
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-types are immune to Raichu's Electric-type attacks and can hit Raichu super effectively. Primal Groudon is the biggest threat to Raichu, as Fake Out and Feint are generally Raichu's only means of harming it. Likewise, Landorus-T isn't threatened at all by Raichu and can eliminate it with Earthquake.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Grass-types take little damage from Raichu's Electric-type attacks and frequently have other qualities that are problematic for Raichu. Amoonguss makes for an effective check given that it's able to redirect Encore and Raichu's Electric-type attacks with ease using Rage Powder. Ferrothorn is also an issue due to its Iron Barbs breaking Raichu's Focus Sash. It also gets a power boost to Gyro Ball should Raichu target it with Nuzzle.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: While Mega Kangaskhan should be concerned about being Encored into Fake Out or paralyzed with Nuzzle, it can easily OHKO Raichu with its high-powered attacks. Parental Bond even allows it to do so through Raichu's potential Focus Sash.
**Dialga**: Dialga takes very little damage from any of Raichu's attacks, and it can OHKO Raichu in return with its Dragon-type STAB moves. It also cares little about Nuzzle, as it's frequently used as a Trick Room attacker and would therefore move sooner under Trick Room's effect when inflicted with paralysis.
**Faster Pokemon**: Since Raichu is very frail, any Pokemon faster than it such as Weavile or Mewtwo can usually eliminate Raichu in a single hit.
While not particularly intimidating, Raichu possesses a number of unique qualities that allow it to stand out in the VGC 2016 metagame. Its access to Fake Out and high Speed stat are its most noticeable traits, as these make it the fastest Fake Out user in the format barring Weavile. Its high Speed stat also comes in handy as a result of its access to Encore, which can be used to lock foes into a move. Furthermore, Lightning Rod is another way in which Raichu can support its teammates, as it prevents allies from being harmed by Electric-type attacks or from being paralyzed by the likes of Thunder Wave and Nuzzle. As an Electric-type with access to a strong physical STAB move in Volt Tackle, it also serves as an effective check to Primal Kyogre, one of the format's most dominant restricted Pokemon. Raichu is not the only Electric-type capable of supporting its team, however, and it therefore faces severe competition from Thundurus, which has access to Prankster, and Manectric, which competes with Raichu as a Lightning Rod user.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Volt Tackle
move 3: Nuzzle / Feint
move 4: Encore
item: Magnet / Focus Sash
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out is a staple of VGC play as a result of it making the foe flinch, allowing a partially free turn for your team to get the upper hand in terms of momentum. Volt Tackle is generally the superior option to Thunderbolt, as this allows Raichu to better check Primal Kyogre, which has lower Defense than Special Defense. Nuzzle and Feint may be used interchangeably depending on the needs of Raichu's team. Nuzzle is useful as a form of speed control to paralyze foes, while Feint allows the player to fearlessly double target an opposing Pokemon, as well as break Focus Sash and pick off low-HP Pokemon. Finally, Encore is useful for restricting the foe's options on each turn by locking them into ineffectual moves. Protect may seem tempting given how frail Raichu is, but in such a momentum-based format as VGC 2016, sometimes having Raichu faint can result in a positive outcome by allowing a free switch into an allied restricted Pokemon.
Set Details
========
Magnet is recommended, as it allows Raichu to pick up the OHKO on 252 HP Primal Kyogre. Focus Sash may seem like a poor choice given that Raichu breaks it with the use of Volt Tackle, but granting it the ability to occasionally last an extra turn still makes Focus Sash useful. The Speed EVs are maximized in order to outpace as many foes as possible, most notably those in the base 100 Speed tier such as Mega Kangaskhan. Lightning Rod is chosen over Static due to its usefulness in shutting down Thundurus and other Thunder Wave users. Static could theoretically see use to get off a free paralysis onto foes while bluffing Lightning Rod, but this is inconsistent and therefore not recommended.
Usage Tips
========
Raichu should be played aggressively due to how aggressive the format is in general. The combination of support moves Raichu has access to allows it to put on an incredible amount of pressure on turn one, so it's best suited as a lead. Make good use of Nuzzle to spread paralysis, bearing in mind that it can't be stopped by Taunt like Thunder Wave and will allow your team to have the Speed advantage during the late-game. Make sure not to let Raichu faint too early if it's needed to defend partners like Rayquaza and Primal Kyogre from Electric-type attacks through the use of Lightning Rod. Try to avoid switching Raichu into attacks, as its lack of bulk means it's likely to take a severe amount of damage when doing so.
Team Options
========
Raichu typically sees the best use on teams featuring the combination of Rayquaza and Primal Kyogre, as it does an excellent job defending the duo from the likes of Thundurus and opposing Primal Kyogre. Xerneas and other setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Rayquaza and Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan also appreciate Raichu's Fake Out to help them set up, as well as its Lightning Rod to prevent them from being paralyzed after doing so. Another group of Pokemon that enjoy Fake Out and Lightning Rod support are Tailwind setters such as Talonflame and Mega Salamence, which can more freely set up speed control for their entire team.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Raichu is a fairly straightforward Pokemon, and it therefore doesn't see a lot of variance in the set it uses. However, Endeavor can be used alongside Focus Sash to bring an opposing Pokemon down to 1 HP once its Focus Sash has been broken, but this can be difficult to pull off given the number of priority users in the metagame. Using Fling with King's Rock is an option to allow the possibility of making foes flinch after the first turn, but Weavile is generally the better user of this combination. Helping Hand is a good move on almost all Pokemon capable of learning it, including Raichu, but given the large variety in potential users, there's almost always another Pokemon that can more easily give up a moveslot for it. Teeter Dance can be used if you have access to the Japanese event that featured it, but it has the Static ability and therefore cannot support its teammates with Lightning Rod. Air Balloon is an interesting option that helps keep Raichu on the field longer against Primal Groudon, particularly if heavy rain is up, since it's then immune to Groudon's Fire-type moves as well. Finally, if you don't mind dropping Encore, Assault Vest can be an effective choice that improves Raichu's special bulk dramatically
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-types are immune to Raichu's Electric-type attacks and can hit Raichu super effectively. Primal Groudon is the biggest threat to Raichu, as Fake Out and Feint are generally Raichu's only means of harming it. Likewise, Landorus-T isn't threatened at all by Raichu and can eliminate it with Earthquake.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Grass-types take little damage from Raichu's Electric-type attacks and frequently have other qualities that are problematic for Raichu. Amoonguss makes for an effective check given that it's able to redirect Encore and Raichu's Electric-type attacks with ease using Rage Powder. Ferrothorn is also an issue due to its Iron Barbs breaking Raichu's Focus Sash. It also gets a power boost to Gyro Ball should Raichu target it with Nuzzle.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: While Mega Kangaskhan should be concerned about being Encored into Fake Out or paralyzed with Nuzzle, it can easily OHKO Raichu with its high-powered attacks. Parental Bond even allows it to do so through Raichu's potential Focus Sash.
**Dialga**: Dialga takes very little damage from any of Raichu's attacks, and it can OHKO Raichu in return with its Dragon-type STAB moves. It also cares little about Nuzzle, as it's frequently used as a Trick Room attacker and would therefore move sooner under Trick Room's effect when inflicted with paralysis.
**Faster Pokemon**: Since Raichu is very frail, any Pokemon faster than it such as Weavile or Mewtwo can usually eliminate Raichu in a single hit.
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