OVERVIEW
**Water:**
Huge Power—, indisputably one of the best abilities in the game, has blessed Azumarill with enhanced wallbreaking capabilities and fierce offensive pressure, making it one of Water's best physical wallbreakers. This is complemented by its access to hard-hitting STAB moves in Play Rough and Waterfall, as well as its access to priority in Aqua Jet, utility in Knock Off, and set-up in Belly Drum, which turns Azumarill into an extremely threatening win condition and late-game cleaner. Its decent 100 / 80 / 80 bulk allows it to find multiple opportunities to set up Belly Drum, often making it the go-to choice for a cleaner. While When it's not running a Belly Drum set, Azumarill can run a Choice Band set, which, when coupled with Huge Power, allows it to devastatingly wreck devastate unprepared teams with its STAB moves. Furthermore, its typing is great defensively; Azumarill resists Dark, Fighting, and Ice, and is immune to Dragon. These resistances really help Water teams, as Azumarill can take on Choice Band Gyarados and Mega Gyarados thanks to said resistances. Azumarill also has access to Superpower, making it a fine Ferrothorn lure. Furthermore However, Azumarill's flexibility doesn't end there—; it is able to even run a defensive set using its other ability, Sap Sipper, to be a great Grass-type counter to Pokemon like Serperior and Breloom. Devastatingly wreck vs devastate and Furthermore vs However are merely suggestions; implement them if you want, but you don't have to.
However, Azumarill is incredibly slow, unfortunately relying on a weak priority move in Aqua Jet to actually move before outspeed the foe in most cases, and this leaves it unable to do much to Pokemon like Magnezone and Serperior. Furthermore, if Azumarill runs a defensive set, it is incredibly weak, as it lacks the power granted from Huge Power, meaning it is unable to do much to Chansey and other walls.
Again, actually move before vs outspeed is merely a suggestion.
SET
name: Choice Band (Water)
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Superpower / Knock Off
item: Choice Band
ability: Huge Power
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
SET COMMENTS
Moves
========
Play Rough is Azumarill's most hardest-hitting STAB move, dealing great damage to Pokemon that don't resist it and is its main move to hit Dragon-, Fighting-, and Dark-types such as Kyurem-B, Terrakion, Keldeo, and Mega Gyarados, all of which are OHKOed by the move. Aqua Jet provides Azumarill with both priority and the ability to revenge kill weakened threats; it also sets Azumarill apart from other Water-type wallbreakers like Choice Specs Keldeo. Waterfall is Azumarill's stronger Water-type STAB move and is used to hit types that resist Play Rough, such as Fire and Steel. For example, it OHKOes Heatran, Infernape, and Excadrill. Superpower hits Steel-types like such as Ferrothorn that take pitiful damage from the aforementioned STAB moves and also allows Azumarill to break past Normal's Eviolite core. Knock Off provides great utility in removing items such as Choice items, Leftovers, and Eviolite, to name a few, and can help Azumarill break past Psychic-types like Jirachi. Aqua Tail, alternatively, can alternatively be used as a more stronger, albeit less accurate, Water-type STAB move over Waterfall that is able to 2HKO Skarmory. Moving 'alternatively' makes the sentence flow better and removes the pause from the commas, which makes the sentence sound clunky. You can leave "items such as" if you want, but rewording it to only say "items" once in the sentence sounds less clunky. Definitely delete "to name a few" though, it is just unnecessary wording and doesn't add anything.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack EVs with an Adamant nature, Huge Power, and Choice Band allow Azumarill to hit as hard as possible, turning it into a fierce wallbreaker thanks to the sheer amount of power it has under its belt. 164 Speed EVs are used to allow Azumarill to outspeed non-invested base 70 Speed Pokemon such as Lanturn, Jellicent and Skarmory, though 84 Speed EVs can be used as an alternative option to outspeed base 60 Speed Pokemon such as Clefable. Another alternative is running 252 Speed EVs, which allow Azumarill to outspeed other Azumarill and slower Mega Scizor, though Azumarill loses out on bulk if it runs this. The remaining EVs are dumped into HP for general bulk. As this is a wallbreaking set, Huge Power is the best ability, as Sap Sipper Azumarill is ridiculously weak. I don't know if I should remove "Speed"; the GP Standards thread did not mention it.
Usage Tips
========
Azumarill should be used to revenge kill weakened Pokemon with Aqua Jet and also to sweep late-game. Don't switch Azumarill into non-resisted hits, as it should try to maintain as much health as possible. Avoid getting Azumarill burnt, as burns reduce Azumarill's Attack stat, crippling it and making it unable to deal a lot of damage. When Azumarill is not revenge killing, it should be wallbreaking as much as possible, weakening the opponent's team for either it or a teammate to clean up afterwards. Avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned, as Azumarill is already slow and does not at all appreciate losing more Speed, so maintaining its Speed is very important, while poison puts Azumarill on a timer, and thus prevents it from wallbreaking as much. Switch Azumarill into Dragon-types, such as Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, Choice-locked into a Dragon-type move like such as Outrage; doing so takes advantage of Azumarill's Fairy typing. Azumarill can then OHKO them with Play Rough. Use Knock Off as much as possible to cripple defensive walls by removing their item. For example, removing Leftovers from Alomomola or Eviolite from Porygon2 cripples them by either removing a source of recovery or removing a source of bulk, respectively. Sending out Azumarill early-game is also a good option so that it can begin wall breaking. If you really want to you can keep "as much as possible"; it is borderline 'fluff', though.
Team Options
========
As Azumarill struggles against Grass-types, and since it isn't not running Sap Sipper, Empoleon makes for a good partner thanks to its Grass neutrality, although it can't do much against said Grass-types. Stealth Rock support by Swampert and Empoleon makes it easier for Azumarill to deal with the foe, as it breaks Focus Sashes and Sturdy, and wears down the foe,. while Defog or Rapid Spin support allows Azumarill to have an easier time switching it and also prevents it from being worn down too much. Adding the sentence about hazard control makes this a run-on, so I broke it apart. Feel free to change wording, just don't make any run ons. Rapid Spin support can be offerred by Starmie and Tentacruel, the former running Psychic to help versus Mega Venusaur. Swampert also provides an Electric immunity. Lanturn is another good partner thanks to its immunity to Electric; it also provides Heal Bell support, removing status ailments from Azumarill and allowing it to be played more aggresively without the fear of getting burnt statused. You said paralysis and poison are bad for Azumarill also, so just say statused to cover all three. Burn hurts the most, though, so you can ignore this change if you want. It can also bring Azumarill in through slow Volt Switch, allowing it to preserve its health. Special attackers such as Keldeo and Volcanion can break through physically defensive Pokemon that give Azumarill a hard time, such as Skarmory. Keldeo can use HP Flying to attempt to break past Mega Venusaur, while Volcanion can use Fire Blast against it. Rotom-W makes for a good partner, as it can safely bring Azumarill in through a slow Volt Switch and also cripple the foe with Will-O-Wisp. Tentacruel provides a Grass-type check for Azumarill, while also providing hazard removal support and Toxic Spikes support, which is are very useful for wearing down the foe. Tail Glow Manaphy appreciates Azumarill's wallbreaking so that it can sweep a bit more easily. Gyarados can run Bounce to help Azumarill deal with Grass-types, whereas Mega Gyarados can deal with Psychic-types for it, allowing Azumarill to then run Superpower in the final slot. Mega Sharpedo also helps versus Psychic-types and appreciates Azumarill weakening the foe.
SET
name: Belly Drum (Water)
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Knock Off
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Huge Power
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
SET COMMENTS
Moves
========
Belly Drum turns Azumarill into a frightening sweeper, and Azumarill's good bulk affords allows it to find many opportunities to set up. Aqua Jet makes up for Azumarill's poor Speed and is able to deal massive a lot of damage after a Belly Drum boost, while Play Rough is Azumarill's strongest STAB move and demolishes deals a massive amount of damage to Dragon-, Fighting-, and Dark-types as well as Pokemon that do not resist it. Knock Off is used to provide utility in removing items, as well as providing and a way to hit Psychic-types such as Jirachi super effectively. It also hits Ferrothorn neutrally if you decide to forgo Superpower and OHKOes it at +6. Superpower can be used instead, but the Attack and Defense drop is worrisome, and this set functions more as a late-game cleaner rather than a lure or wallbreaker.
Set Details
========
164 Speed EVs are used so that Azumarill outspeeds Clefable and base 70 Speed Pokemon, most notably Skarmory, Jellicent, and Lanturn. Maximum Attack EVs alongside an Adamant nature allow Azumarill able to break past anything after a Belly Drum boost. To improve its overall bulk, the rest of the EVs are dumped into HP; this also helps Azumarill set up more Belly Drums more than once if it is forced out. The amount of EVs invested in HP also make it so ensure that the Sitrus Berry is consumed right immediately after Azumarill uses Belly Drum. Sitrus Berry is used so that Azumarill escapes KO range after using Belly Drum, and since without it, Azumarill is extremely vulnerable to being KOed or simply revenge killed. On such an offensive set, Huge Power is obviously chosen over Sap Sipper, as Sap Sipper Azumarill is horrendously weak even after Azumarill has boosted with Belly Drum. Saying "set up more Belly Drums" implies that it is possible to use the move more than once to get more boosts; you don't have to use my way but you should make it clear that its a one time boost.
Usage Tips
========
Ideally, Azumarill should be sent out after counters such as Volcanion have been eliminated so that setting up a Belly Drum is easier. As Azumarill will be using Aqua Jet most of the time to make up for its low Speed, defensive Water checks should be eliminated so that Azumarill can easily sweep. Azumarill's reliance on Sitrus Berry for recovery means that you shouldn't switch it into attacks, no matter how weak you may think they are, in order to keep it as healthy as possible. Similarly, by all means, prevent Azumarill from having its Sitrus Berry knocked off, as without it, Azumarill cannot set up Belly Drum safely. Utilize Azumarill's typing by switching it into Pokemon Choice-locked into a Dragon-type move, as it can then set up Belly Drum easily. Use Belly Drum on a predicted switch so that Azumarill can then proceed to sweep. Use Aqua Jet when the foe is low on HP to easily take them out or when the foe is faster than Azumarill and might pose as a threat. Spam Play Rough most of the time before the sweep, as it is Azumarill's strongest attack and not many Pokemon resist it. After the sweep, use Aqua Jet to clean up the team. If you opt for Superpower, be wary of how many times you use it; the more you use it, the more Azumarill suffers from stat drops, so using it once or twice to take out a troublesome Steel-type is often enough. Knock Off should be used to cripple Pokemon that rely on their item:; Either works, use whichever you want. for example, Porygon-2 or and Chansey both require their Eviolite to properly function as walls, and removing them their items makes them much easier to take out. You generally want to avoid using the same word more than once in a sentence, but your original phrasing is fine; don't feel compelled to switch it for "their items". It's also a nice move to spam in general. Avoid status at all costs.: Azumarill may lose a turn due to paralysis, which is incredibly risky; burns cripple it and cause it to hit less harder; and poison wears Azumarill down easily. Keep Stealth Rock and Spikes away from your side of the field, as Azumarill needs to preserve as much health as possible if you want a successful sweep.
Team Options
========
Before When it hasn't used Belly Drum, Azumarill isn't really a wallbreaker, so it's best to have a wallbreaker like Choice Specs Keldeo in the back to break past Pokemon Azumarill struggles with. Keldeo also has Hidden Power Flying to deal with Mega Venusaur, a major nuisance to this set. Manturn I assume you meant Manaphy or Lanturn? can help with Mega Venusaur as well and can break past the opposing team when it is has set up with Tail Glow. Lanturn or Swampert both provide an Electric immunity, the former also providing Heal Bell support and the latter providing Stealth Rock support, while Empoleon or Tentacruel can take Grass-type hits, making them usable teammates for Azumarill. Empoleon also provides Stealth Rock, but on top of that, it can remove hazards for Azumarill, which is appreciated, as it does not like getting worn down at all. Tentacruel provides hazard control also, as well as Toxic Spikes and a Grass-type check. Choice Specs Volcanion is a good partner, as it can break through the foe's team with STAB-boosted Steam Eruption, softening them up as a result and allowing Azumarill to more easily take them out. Keldeo also appreciates Azumarill's ability to deal with Dragon-types with Play Rough. Dragon Dance Gyarados can sweep alongside Azumarill and can also run Bounce to hit Grass-types. Keldeo and Volcanion both can help against Mega Venusaur, a big counter to this set., while Rotom-W and Lanturn both bring Azumarill safely in with a slow Volt Switch. You said Keldeo can threaten Mega Venusaur earlier, so I'm deleting it the second time. Also, adding "while" is just a suggestion, but it prevents the former sentence from being a Very Short Sentence.
SET
name: Defensive (Water)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect / Rest
move 4: Perish Song / Encore
item: Leftovers
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
SET COMMENTS
Moves
========
Scald is used to get the chip damage on foes, as well as have a chance to burn them, thus crippling them and wearing them down easily. Toxic can be used to put setup sweepers on a timer. It also cripples defensive walls such as Clefable, forcing them to switch out. Protect works well in conjunction with Scald + Toxic, as Azumarill can rack up burn + and poison damage. It also helps scout for the foe's moves. Rest can be used in this slot as a means of recovery, though it is unreliable, and Azumarill can easily be taken advantage of when asleep. Perish Song can be used to immediately put both you and the foe on a timer, thus forcing switches, though Azumarill needs to switch out as well, and this can often disrupting momentum. Encore is another option in the final slot to cripple setup sweepers and defensive Pokemon in general locked into a boosting move for the former and a status move for the latter, forcing them to switch out. Knock Off can be used for its utility and ability to hit Psychic-types decently. It removes Eviolites from Pokemon like Porygon2, making it easier for a teammate to deal with them later on. Hard switching out disrupts momentum pretty much all the time, so there is no need for often. If you don't like my wording, feel free to change it.
Set Details
========
The EV spread makes Azumarill as bulky as possible. 248 HP and 252 Special Defense EVs as well as a Calm nature are used to allow Azumarill to more easily take on strong special attackers such as Mega Charizard Y. Sap Sipper is used to make Azumarill a better Grass-type counter, which Water teams greatly appreciate. 248 HP / 152 Def / 108 SpD can be used, as it makes it easier to take physical attacks, notably from Mega Heracross or the rare SD + Rock Tomb Breloom, though more Special Defense EVs are appreciated for better special bulk. I assume AV lets Azumarill check other strong special attackers, hence my addition. If Megazard Y is the only significant one it checks, ignore this.
Usage Tips
========
Switch Azumarill into Grass-type attacks that would've taken a teammate out and to get a handy Attack boost to power up Knock Off. Use Toxic or Perish Song when up against a setup sweeper or a threat to your team to force them to switch out. Spam Scald most of the time in order to spread burns and gain chip damage on the opposing team. It's also useful to cripple burns, setup sweepers, and walls if they manage to get burned. Using Encore to lock a setup sweeper into a boosting move can be useful to then cripple them with Toxic or chip away at their health with Knock Off + Scald. Use Protect to stall Perish Song turns and also force the foe to take accumulating burn or poison damage. How are you going to cripple a burn?
Team Options
========
Lanturn's a great partner, as it is able to remove status from Azumarill with Heal Bell, which is useful in conjuction with Rest. Lanturn also provides an Electric immunity. Alomomola is able to Wishpass to Azumarill, providing it with a more reliable form of recovery and improving its longevity. Empoleon is great for setting up Stealth Rock, which works well with the many switches that Azumarill forces. Tentacruel provides Rapid Spin support to keep the hazards you set while removing the ones on your side while also being able to set Toxic Spikes to wear down the foe. Quagsire is a great option for stopping setup sweepers and Taunt users, which would otherwise prevent Azumarill from using Encore, Perish Song, or Toxic to stop them. Stallbreakers that break through stall teams that don't mind poison and Azumarill's moves are appreciated, so Rain Dance Manaphy is a good partner. Since Gliscor is a threat to this set, Keldeo and Manaphy are both good partners thanks to their ability to take care of it. You don't need to say "that break through stall teams", that is implied when you say stall breaker. Also, why would a friendly stall breaker mind Azumarill's moves?
STRATEGY COMMENTS
Other Options
=============
**Water:**
Sap Sipper can be used on the Choice Band set to help against Grass-types, though since Choice Band allows Azumarill to be much powerful, and this is usually more preferred. To help stomach hits, Assault Vest may be used, though the power drop is noticeable and Azumarill's lack of recovery makes this set suboptimal. Though is an inappropriate subordinating conjunction, use "since" or "as" instead, whichever you prefer.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water:**
**Volcanion**: Volcanion's Water / Fire typing and ability Water Absorb make it an effective counter to Azumarill. Both of Azumarill's STAB moves are either resisted by Volcanion or it has is a completely immuneity to it. Volcanion's average Defense allows it to take a Choice Band-boosted Superpower and or Knock Off. Volcanion can then OHKO Azumarill with Sludge Wave.
**Skarmory**: Skarmory is one of the best physical walls, able to counter most all Azumarill sets bar Belly Drum. It resists Play Rough, can use Roost to heal off health lost by Knock Off, can use Whirlwind to phaze Azumarill out in the event that it does manage to set up with Belly Drum, and Superpower only makes Azumarill more susceptible to being revenge killed.
**Mega Venusaur**: Mega Venusaur resists both of Azumarill's STAB moves and takes very little damage from both of its coverage moves. Furthermore, it can easily switch in and use Sludge Bomb (on Sap Sipper sets) or Giga Drain (on non-Sap Sipper sets) to take Azumarill out.
**Revenge Killers**: Kyurem-B and Serperior are both revenge killers that outspeed Azumarill (they aren't the only ones to; a lot of them do due to Azumarill's low Speed), resist Aqua Jet, and can threaten it with Fusion Bolt and Leaf Storm, respectively.
**Status**: Paralysis slows Azumarill down, which isn't at all helpful, and there is also a chance that Azumarill misses a turn, possibly changing the fate of the game. Burns decrease Azumarill's power and cause it to hit weakerly while also wearing it down, while poison damage accumulates and causes Azumarill to be taken out easily as a result.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: If Azumarill forgoes Knock Off, it is walled by Quagsire, bulky Mega Scizor, physically defensive Mew, and Rotom-W. However, if Knock Off is chosen, and Superpower is forgone, Ferrothorn becomes a massive problem for Azumarill. In addition, Rocky Helmet + Iron Barbs wear Azumarill down very easily, leaving it in KO range after a few attacks.
