[OVERVIEW]
Electric
========
Tapu Koko is Electric's most essential Pokemon due to its ability Electric Surge, providing all teammates with a boost to their Electric-type STAB attacks. Its part Fairy typing along with Dazzling Gleam is also incredibly useful to deal with Dragon- and Dark-types such as Latias, Latios, Hydreigon, and Urshifu-S, which would otherwise be difficult to beat for Electric teams. A stellar Speed tier also allows Tapu Koko to outspeed the likes of Cinderace, Tapu Lele, Choice Band Victini, and Urshifu-S, helping it set Electric Terrain and wallbreak easier. Another benefit from Electric Terrain is that grounded Pokemon cannot fall asleep; this prevents foes like Amoonguss from putting Tapu Koko and its teammates to sleep with Spore. However, Tapu Koko can be outsped by many Choice Scarf users such as Weavile, Blacephalon, and Excadrill and other faster Pokemon like Dragapult, Barraskewda, and Kingdra under rain. This forces it to take massive damage from them or switch out. Its mediocre bulk also leaves it vulnerable to priority moves and unable to consistently switch into powerful attacks, making it easily pressured during a match.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs (Electric)
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
The combination of Tapu Koko's Electric Surge, decent coverage, and good Speed tier make it an effective wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Volt Switch allows it to pivot out of checks such as Blissey, Ferrothorn, and Tyranitar, rack chip damage on foes, and bring in a teammate to deal with these checks. Dazzling Gleam breaks through Dragon- and Dark-types such as Latias, Latios, Hydreigon, Zarude, and Urshifu-S. Grass Knot provides excellent coverage against Ground-types such as Hippowdon, Gastrodon, Swampert, and Seismitoad, which would be able to consistently switch into Tapu Koko and block its Volt Switch. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Tapu Koko to outspeed Cinderace, Alakazam, and non-Choice Scarf Weavile while Speed tying with Spectrier. Tapu Koko should usually be led with early-game to set up Electric Terrain so it can make Electric-type moves more spammable against the opposing team. It should also wallbreak mid- or late-game once its offensive teammates have weakened the opposing team.
Alolan Raichu heavily benefits from Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain due to its ability Surge Surfer, allowing it to outspeed almost the entire metagame, including Choice Scarf Excadrill, Swift Swim Kingdra, and Choice Scarf Blacephalon. Its Psychic typing can also be helpful against Poison-types like Amoonguss, Dragalge, and Nidoking. Zeraora is an excellent physical wallbreaker that can help against specially defensive foes like Blissey, Galarian Slowking, and Tyranitar, forming a good offensive core with Tapu Koko to take on types like Dark, Psychic, Dragon, and Ghost together. Rotom-W and Zapdos both provide useful Ground immunities for Tapu Koko; Rotom-W is able to defeat or force out Mamoswine and Sand Rush Excadrill while resisting Fire-type attacks from Choice Scarf Victini and Blacephalon, which Tapu Koko particularly struggles against. Zapdos can deal with Grass-types like Ferrothorn, Rillaboom, Tapu Bulu, and Zarude with Heat Wave and its useful typing while getting rid of problematic entry hazards such as Stealth Rock, Sticky Web, and Toxic Spikes. Air Balloon Magnezone can trap troublesome Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Excadrill with Magnet Pull. Regieleki also heavily benefits from Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain, as its boosted Rising Voltage 2HKOes even foes that resist it like Ferrothorn, Zarude, and Kyurem while OHKOing Dragapult when aided by Choice Specs. Its absurdly high Speed stat also allows Regieleki to outspeed even popular Choice Scarf users like Nihilego, Blacephalon, and Galarian Darmanitan.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Electric
--------
A utility set with Taunt and U-turn can be used to prevent defensive Pokemon like Blissey, Clefable, Galarian Corsola, and Celebi from recovering or using other status moves. However, Tapu Koko loses out on being a great wallbreaker with Choice Specs, which can make it more reliant on its teammates to wear down foes. Expert Belt can be utilized to let Tapu Koko excel against types like Water and Dark without being locked into a specific move. It will lose out on extra damage output with Choice Specs, however, especially against foes that aren't weak to any of Tapu Koko's moves. Calm Mind is also an option over a move like Volt Switch to turn Tapu Koko into a decent setup sweeper, but its poor bulk can make it difficult for Tapu Koko to set up at times.
Checks and Counters
===================
Electric
--------
**Revenge Killers**: Fast revenge killers such as Dragapult, Choice Scarf Blacephalon, Sand Rush Excadrill, and Kingdra under rain are able to outspeed and dent Tapu Koko due to its mediocre bulk.
**Priority Moves**: Tapu Koko struggles to take priority moves such as Aqua Jet, Extreme Speed, and Shadow Sneak from foes such as Urshifu-R, Dragonite, Zygarde-10%, and Mimikyu, as they can take advantage of Tapu Koko's mediocre bulk, especially if it's weakened.
**Electric Immunities**: Pokemon that are immune to Electric-type moves such as Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Garchomp are able to prevent Electric moves from being spammed, making Tapu Koko reliant on itself or its teammates to beat them or wear them down before breaking through the opposing team.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially defensive walls such as Blissey, Dragalge, and Galarian Slowking are able to consistently take hits from Tapu Koko and retaliate by wearing it down. Dragalge is also able to set up Toxic Spikes in front of Tapu Koko, while Galarian Slowking can recover any damage inflicted by Tapu Koko due to Regenerator.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, Celebi, Cradily, and Tapu Bulu resist Tapu Koko's Electric STAB moves and can take multiple hits from it due to their good bulk while being able to threaten it back with their STAB moves. Rillaboom and Tapu Bulu in particular are able to disrupt Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain due to Grassy Surge, while Rillaboom is able to outspeed Tapu Koko under Grassy Terrain with Grassy Glide. Ferrothorn also gets opportunities to set up entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes in front of Tapu Koko.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rotten, 491896]]
- Electric analysis by: [[Rotten, 491896]]
- Quality checked by: [[Decem, 362454], [Havens, 391540], [Harpp, 320110]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Milak, 262594], [P Squared, 168392]]
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