[OVERVIEW]
Tapu Fini's Water / Fairy typing allows it to be one of the best Mega Charizard X answers, as well as letting it take on other common Fire- and Dragon-types like Air Balloon Heatran and bulky Zygarde. Its great bulk lets it take attacks from the likes of Landorus-T and Golem, while the ability Misty Terrain allows it to take on common sleep users like Vivillon and Jumpluff. Tapunium Z along with Taunt also helps it shut down common stall Pokemon like Chansey and Necrozma. Waterium Z allows Tapu Fini to take care of non-specially defensive Mega Mawile along with other offensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, as well as Mega Charizard Y through Z-Rain Dance. However, Tapu Fini struggles with Pokemon like Mega Metagross, Ferrothorn, Mega Venusaur, Magnezone, Togekiss, and Zeraora because of their bulk or their super effective attacks. Furthermore, the Waterium Z set also has trouble with dealing with special walls like Chansey, Meloetta, and Mega Slowbro, which can wear it down slowly with their attacks.
[SET]
name: Waterium Z
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Rain Dance / Calm Mind
move 3: Calm Mind / Taunt
move 4: Moonblast
item: Waterium Z
ability: Misty Terrain
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 92 Def / 60 SpA / 52 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump transforms into Hydro Vortex to nuke Pokemon like non-specially defensive Mega Mawile and Mega Aggron. Tapu Fini's Rain Dance can be used to either boost Hydro Vortex's damage output or give Tapu Fini a Speed boost with Z-Rain Dance and cancel out Mega Charizard Y's Drought. Calm Mind allows Tapu Fini to take on slower special attackers like Primarina and bulky Necrozma by enabling it to take their attacks as well as boost its Hydro Vortex. Alternatively, Taunt stops Pokemon like Jumpluff, Aegislash, and Stored Power Necrozma from using Leech Seed or Calm Mind. Moonblast allows Tapu Fini to take care of bulky Dark-types like Mega Sableye and Dragon-types like Zygarde-C.
Set Details
========
The given HP and Defense EVs with a Bold nature allow Tapu Fini to take Choice Band Victini's Bolt Strike, as well as Z-Moves from Landorus-T, Donphan, and Terrakion. Additionally, 52 Special Defense EVs let it survive Never-Ending Nightmare from Aegislash, as well as the following Shadow Sneak. 56 Speed EVs allow Tapu Fini to outpace maximum Speed Donphan as well as Mega Charizard Y after it gets a boost from Z-Rain Dance. The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack to make Tapu Fini's moves more powerful. Tapu Fini's ability Misty Surge allows it to avoid status for 5 turns, which is good against common sleep users like Jumpluff.
Usage Tips
========
Send Tapu Fini out against Fire-types like Air Balloon Heatran and Charizard. Regardless of which Mega the latter is using, use Z-Rain Dance to outspeed Mega Charizard Y and cancel out its Drought. If the opponent is running Mega Charizard Y and the Charizard does not Mega Evolve right away, use Rain Dance again the following turns to cover its eventual Mega Evolution and OHKO it with Hydro Pump. Otherwise, just attack with Hydro Pump. Because of Tapu Fini's Fairy typing, send it out against Dragon-types like Zygarde-C, as Calm Mind followed by Moonblast will take care of them. If Tapu Fini is not running Calm Mind, use Taunt followed by Moonblast. Send it out against Sturdy Pokemon like Donphan and Golem, but be sure to use Moonblast first and then use Hydro Vortex against Donphan to avoid getting KOed by Endeavor followed by Ice Shard. Send it out against Steel-types like non-special defensive Mega Mawile, Mega Aggron, and Mega Scizor, as Hydro Vortex takes care of them; however, against Mega Aggron, use Moonblast against it to break Sturdy before using Hydro Vortex. Otherwise, it can OHKO Tapu Fini with Metal Burst. However, do not send Tapu Fini out against strong Steel-types like Mega Metagross. Similarly, be careful of sending Tapu Fini out against Magearna, as it has to engage in a mind game of using Taunt to prevent Magearna from using Calm Mind. Predict when Magearna attacks to use Calm Mind. After Tapu Fini gets one Calm Mind ahead of it and uses Taunt, use Hydro Pump then Hydro Vortex to finish it off. Send Tapu Fini out against other Water-types like Mega Gyarados, Primarina, and Carracosta. Against non-Earthquake Mega Gyarados, first use Taunt, then Calm Mind and Moonblast. For Carracosta, use Taunt so it cannot set up Shell Smash, and then use Moonblast twice to KO it. For Primarina, it will be better to spam Calm Mind and take care of it with Moonblast when Encore ends. Avoid sending Tapu Fini out against walls like Mega Venusaur, Mega Slowbro, and Chansey, because even with Taunt, Tapu Fini cannot win. Avoid sending it out against strong special attackers like Tapu Lele, Choice Specs Genesect, and Normalium Z Porygon-Z, as Tapu Fini does not take their attacks well. Be sure not to send Tapu Fini out to face Deoxys-S, as Deoxys-S has a faster Taunt and will proceed to PP stall Tapu Fini with Recover and Amnesia.
Team Options
========
Mega Aggron is a good Pokemon to pair with Tapu Fini because of its ability to take care of Grass- and Electric-types like Tapu Bulu and Zeraora. In return, Tapu Fini can take care of sleep users like Jumpluff and setup sweepers like non-Earthquake Mega Gyarados. Dragon-types like Haxorus, Naganadel, and Garchom are good partners, as they handle Tapu Fini's counters such as Tapu Bulu and Magnezone. Tapu Fini in return can take care of troubling Pokemon like non-Earthquake Mega Gyarados, non non-Flyinium Z Dragonite, and Mega Altaria. Ground-types like Zygarde and Landorus-T can help beat Zeraora and Magnezone as well as Steel-types like Magearna and Mega Metagross. In return, Tapu Fini can take care of Dragon- and Flying-types like Mega Latias and Mega Charizard. Fighting-types like Sawk, Mega Blaziken, and Mega Lucario helps with annoying walls like Chansey and offensive Porygon2, and if Sawk is running Poison Jab, it is able to take on Tapu Bulu as well. In return, Tapu Fini can take care of bulky Pokemon like non-Flyinium Z Dragonite, non-specially defensive Mega Mawile, and non-Earthquake Mega Gyarados. Fire-types like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran are good to pair with Tapu Fini to take care of troubling Steel-and Grass-types like Genesect, specially defensive Mega Mawile, and Ferrothorn. Finally, Grass-types like Mega Sceptile and Mega Venusaur to take care of Electric-types like Zeraora and Magnezone. In return, Tapu Fini can take care of Dragon-types like bulky Zygarde-C and Fire-types like Air Balloon Heatran and Incineroar.
[SET]
name: Tapunium Z
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Nature's Madness
move 3: Brine
move 4: Icy Wind
item: Tapunium Z
ability: Misty Surge
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 28 SpA / 136 SpD / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Taunt allows Tapu Fini to stop recovery moves from Pokemon like Chansey and Porygon2 and Leech Seed from users like Jumpluff. When used as Guardian of Alola, Nature's Madness takes 3/4 of the opposing foe's HP. Brine will double in strength once the opponent's HP is below half, turning it into a powerful Water-type STAB move after using Guardian of Alola, which is good for taking on Deoxys-S and Tapu Lele. Icy Wind takes on Dragon-types like Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Grass-types like Jumpluff and slows down Psychic-types like stall Deoxys-S and fast Tapu Lele. Moonblast is an option for Dark-types like Earthquake Mega Gyarados.
Set Details
========
A Calm nature and the given HP and Special Defense EVs allow Tapu Fini to take a Twinkle Tackle followed by a Fleur Cannon from bulky Magearna, as well as beat physical attackers such as Donphan and non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile. 96 Speed EVs allow it to outpace neutral Speed Magearna, as well as outpace Garchomp after Icy Wind. The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack to make its moves as strong as possible. Its ability Misty Surge allows it to avoid status for 5 turns, which is good against common sleep users like Jumpluff.
Usage Tips
========
Send out Tapu Fini against walls like Chansey and Porygon2, as the combination of Taunt and Guardian of Alola will take care of these. Send Tapu Fini out against any Dragon-type except Naganadel and Flyinium Z + Fly Dragonite, as Tapu Fini cannot beat defeat these. Send out Tapu Fini against Fire-types like Mega Charizard X, Air Balloon Heatran, and Incineroar. Allow it to face Sturdy Pokemon like Donphan and Golem, as after Guardian of Alola, Brine will finish them off. Use Icy Wind against Garchomp and Landorus-T, as this will let Tapu Fini outspeed and 2HKO them. Against fast Tapu Lele, use Guardian of Alola turn one, followed up by Icy Wind turn two and Brine turn three, as Tapu Fini will now outspeed it. Tapu Lele will be able to take a Brine after two Calm Minds, but not an Icy Wind followed by a Brine. Against slower, bulkier variants, use Guardian of Alola turn one, followed by Brine. Use Taunt on Pokemon like Chansey, Magearna, Jumpluff, Porygon2, and stall Deoxys-S and Mew, as once the latter two are slowed down enough by Icy Wind, Guardian of Alola followed by Brine take care of these. Be careful if there is a Charizard in Team Preview, because even though Tapu Fini can beat Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y 2HKOes it. Do not send it out against walls like Mega Venusaur and Mega Slowbro, as Giga Drain will allow the former to get HP back even through Taunt, while the latter is unaffected by Taunt and will able to slowly wear down Tapu Fini. Strong special attackers like non-Choice Scarf Porygon-Z can also beat Tapu Fini, so avoid sending it out against them.
Team Options
========
Ground-types like Zygarde-C and Choice Scarf Landorus-T help Tapu Fini with troubling Electric- and Steel-types like Zeraora and Magnezone. The latter can also handle Mega Charizard X and Y to ease the mind games. In return, Tapu Fini can take on non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile, stall Deoxys-S, and Jumpluff for them. Tapu Fini struggles with Steel-types like Thunderbolt Choice Specs Genesect and non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile, so having Fire-types like Heatran and bulky Mega Charizard X helps Tapu Fini with pressuring these Pokemon at Team Preview as well as beating these. In return, Tapu Fini can take on Water-types like Primarina and walls like Chansey. Powerful Dragon-types like Choice Scarf Haxorus, Naganadel, and Choice Band Garchomp can help with Tapu Bulu, Whimsicott, and Mega Charizard Y. Garchomp can deal with either of Charizard's Mega Evolutions because of Outrage. In return, Tapu Fini can take care of opposing Dragon-types like Garchomp along with Mega Gyarados and Mega Charizard X. Steel-types like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, and Magnezone help Tapu Fini with troubling Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Whimsicott as well as Poison-types such as Naganadel. In return, Tapu Fini can take on Fire-types like Air Balloon Heatran. Electric-types like mixed Zeraora helps break Water-types like Mega Slowbro. In return, Tapu Fini can take on Ground-types like Landorus-T and Garchomp. Walls like Chansey and Mega Venusaur can take on Choice Specs Genesect, and Mega Venusaur also helps with non-Choice Band Dragon-types like Naganadel. In return, Tapu Fini can take on Fire- and Fighting-types like Air Balloon Heatran, Choice Scarf Sawk, and Incineroar. Grass-types like Tapu Bulu and Mega Sceptile help with Mega Slowbro as well. Jumpluff can use Sleep Powder and Leech Seed on the likes of Aegislash and non-Ice Punch Mega Metagross, while Mega Sceptile can help with troubling Dragon-types like Naganadel. In return, Tapu Fini can take on Dragon- and Fire-types like Garchomp and Air Balloon Heatran.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Choice Specs set with Hydro Pump, Hidden Power Fire, Moonblast, and Ice Beam can be used to get more power out of Tapu Fini and beat Ferrothorn and Zygarde, which it cannot usually take on. However, this makes it unable to shut down walls like Chansey or to change the weather versus Mega Charizard Y.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types give Tapu Fini trouble, as they resist its Water-type STAB moves. Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and Whimsicott also commonly use Leech Seed to slowly drain Tapu Fini's HP. However, if Tapu Fini has Taunt, it is only shut down by Mega Venusaur, which can fire back with Giga Drain or Sludge Bomb. Other more offensive Grass-types like Tapu Bulu and Mega Sceptile can OHKO Tapu Fini from full HP with their STAB attacks.
**Super Effective Attacks**: Powerful Electric Z-Move users like Zeraora and Magnezone can OHKO Tapu Fini from full HP thanks to their powerful STAB attacks. Other Pokemon that commonly run Electric-type moves like Mega Metagross can easily surprise Tapu Fini and OHKO it. Poison-types like Naganadel and Mega Gengar can take care of Tapu Fini thanks to their STAB move.
**Special Walls**: Tapu Fini is unable to take care of walls such as Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn because of its inability to KO these Pokemon before it gets KOed itself. It also struggles with Mega Slowbro because of its pre-Mega ability in Oblivious preventing it from being shut down by Tapu Fini's Taunt, as well as with Ferrothorn because of its Grass STAB.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Yami, 393488]]
- Quality checked by: [[Osra, 239997], [TDA, 276708], [Chickenpie2, 305552]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [deetah, 297659]]
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