[OVERVIEW]
Fairy
===================
Tapu Lele serves as a unique wallbreaker for Fairy teams thanks to its ability Psychic Surge, which strengthens its Psychic-type moves while also blocking priority moves from foes like Scizor, Weavile, and Dragonite. Moreover, Tapu Lele's STAB combination is very good against many matchups, and, (AC) with the help of wallbreaker teammates like Azumarill and Tapu Bulu, it can easily clean late-game. Coverage options such as Focus Blast and Thunderbolt can help Tapu Lele against Pokemon that it cannot beat normally, such as Heatran, Celesteela, and Mantine. However, its Speed tier is middling; even with a Choice Scarf, Tapu Lele is slower than other common Choice Scarf users such as Gengar, Blacephalon, and Weavile. This Speed, combined with its bad defenses, means Tapu Lele cannot reliably switch into threats and is oftentimes limited to revenge killing or accepting heavy hits. This also leaves Tapu Lele weak to the aforementioned Choice Scarf users. Lastly, Psychic Terrain also blocks teammate priority moves, such as Azumarill's Aqua Jet and Mimikyu's Shadow Sneak.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Fairy)
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Psychic Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Psychic is Tapu Lele's main STAB attack and takes on Poison-types such as Dragalge, Toxapex, and Nidoking, and, (AC) with the help of Psychic Terrain, it is capable of picking off neutral targets such as Mamoswine and Cinderace after minor chip damage. Moonblast allows Tapu Lele to take on Dragon-types such as Kyurem, Garchomp, Dracovish, and Latios. Focus Blast deals damage to Steel-types such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Bisharp, as well as Tyranitar. Thunderbolt hits Mantine and Celesteela. A Timid nature and 252 EVs in Speed make Tapu Lele as fast as possible, and a Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed Choice Scarf Excadrill, non-Choice Scarf Dragapult, Zeraora, and Tapu Koko.
Tapu Lele is used best as a late-game cleaner; Azumarill and Tapu Bulu are phenomenal partners to weaken the enemy team in preparation. Azumarill is helpful against Steel- and Fire-types, such as Celesteela, Heatran, Victini, and Cinderace, while Tapu Bulu can break through Electric-, Ground-, and Water-types such as Rotom-W, Swampert, Hippowdon, and Mantine. Klefki is another excellent supporting partner thanks to its plethora of excellent utility moves; Spikes contributes majorly to weakening the opposing team, Thunder Wave cripples faster Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion, Keldeo, and Urshifu-R, and dual screens support makes it even more difficult for opposing threats to handle Tapu Lele, especially late-game. Clefable is a decent support option because it can provide Stealth Rock to weaken the opposing team. Clefable can also use Knock Off to rid bulky Pokemon such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn of their passive recovery, meaning these Pokemon get worn out after multiple switches, and threaten them with Flamethrower. Mimikyu is an excellent revenge killer and one-time blanket check to most Pokemon thanks to its ability Disguise, and it is helpful against Psychic teams, which benefit from Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain. Tapu Koko can take on Flying-types such as Celesteela and Mantine for Tapu Lele and pivot it in with Volt Switch. Togekiss can help against Steel-types such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn with Flamethrower. Togekiss also provides Heal Bell support against status conditions such as paralysis and Toxic poison and can use Defog. Galarian Weezing is excellent against opposing Fairy-type teams, and it provides Toxic Spikes for Tapu Lele to break through bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2 even better.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Specs can be used over Choice Scarf for immediate power in exchange for Speed. Shadow Ball can be used over Thunderbolt to hit Aegislash and Jirachi super effectively.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Despite Tapu Lele running Focus Blast to get past Steel-types, the attack itself is unreliable due to low accuracy and PP, and Steel-types such as Aegislash and Jirachi don't mind it much. Moreover, Steel-types that often run Protect, such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn, can scout for Tapu Lele's chosen move and pivot accordingly.
**Revenge Killing**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion, Keldeo, Dragapult, and both Urshifu formes can outspeed Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and threaten it. Other faster threats include Excadrill in sand, Barraskewda in rain, and Alolan Raichu in Electric Terrain.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially defensive Pokemon such as Blissey, Aegislash, and Jirachi can easily take hits from Tapu Lele and stall it out with status effects such as poison.
**Dark-type Pokemon**: Tapu Lele is threatened by Dark-types since it risks locking itself into Psychic. Pokemon such as Weavile, Bisharp, Drapion, and Tyranitar can all take advantage of Tapu Lele, but they have to be cautious of Moonblast and Focus Blast.
**Paralysis**: Tapu Lele is reliant on its Choice Scarf to cover up its mediocre Speed tier; therefore, it must avoid paralysis spreaders such as Zapdos and Tyranitar. However, the aforementioned Pokemon need to be careful with Tapu Lele, as they take considerable damage from it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Perish Song, 419696]]
- Fairy analysis by: [[Perish Song, 419696]]
- Quality checked by: [[maroon, 305839], [Harpp, 320110], [Conflux, 408641]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Milak, 262594], [Finland, 517429]]
Fairy
===================
Tapu Lele serves as a unique wallbreaker for Fairy teams thanks to its ability Psychic Surge, which strengthens its Psychic-type moves while also blocking priority moves from foes like Scizor, Weavile, and Dragonite. Moreover, Tapu Lele's STAB combination is very good against many matchups, and, (AC) with the help of wallbreaker teammates like Azumarill and Tapu Bulu, it can easily clean late-game. Coverage options such as Focus Blast and Thunderbolt can help Tapu Lele against Pokemon that it cannot beat normally, such as Heatran, Celesteela, and Mantine. However, its Speed tier is middling; even with a Choice Scarf, Tapu Lele is slower than other common Choice Scarf users such as Gengar, Blacephalon, and Weavile. This Speed, combined with its bad defenses, means Tapu Lele cannot reliably switch into threats and is oftentimes limited to revenge killing or accepting heavy hits. This also leaves Tapu Lele weak to the aforementioned Choice Scarf users. Lastly, Psychic Terrain also blocks teammate priority moves, such as Azumarill's Aqua Jet and Mimikyu's Shadow Sneak.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Fairy)
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Psychic Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Psychic is Tapu Lele's main STAB attack and takes on Poison-types such as Dragalge, Toxapex, and Nidoking, and, (AC) with the help of Psychic Terrain, it is capable of picking off neutral targets such as Mamoswine and Cinderace after minor chip damage. Moonblast allows Tapu Lele to take on Dragon-types such as Kyurem, Garchomp, Dracovish, and Latios. Focus Blast deals damage to Steel-types such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Bisharp, as well as Tyranitar. Thunderbolt hits Mantine and Celesteela. A Timid nature and 252 EVs in Speed make Tapu Lele as fast as possible, and a Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed Choice Scarf Excadrill, non-Choice Scarf Dragapult, Zeraora, and Tapu Koko.
Tapu Lele is used best as a late-game cleaner; Azumarill and Tapu Bulu are phenomenal partners to weaken the enemy team in preparation. Azumarill is helpful against Steel- and Fire-types, such as Celesteela, Heatran, Victini, and Cinderace, while Tapu Bulu can break through Electric-, Ground-, and Water-types such as Rotom-W, Swampert, Hippowdon, and Mantine. Klefki is another excellent supporting partner thanks to its plethora of excellent utility moves; Spikes contributes majorly to weakening the opposing team, Thunder Wave cripples faster Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion, Keldeo, and Urshifu-R, and dual screens support makes it even more difficult for opposing threats to handle Tapu Lele, especially late-game. Clefable is a decent support option because it can provide Stealth Rock to weaken the opposing team. Clefable can also use Knock Off to rid bulky Pokemon such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn of their passive recovery, meaning these Pokemon get worn out after multiple switches, and threaten them with Flamethrower. Mimikyu is an excellent revenge killer and one-time blanket check to most Pokemon thanks to its ability Disguise, and it is helpful against Psychic teams, which benefit from Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain. Tapu Koko can take on Flying-types such as Celesteela and Mantine for Tapu Lele and pivot it in with Volt Switch. Togekiss can help against Steel-types such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn with Flamethrower. Togekiss also provides Heal Bell support against status conditions such as paralysis and Toxic poison and can use Defog. Galarian Weezing is excellent against opposing Fairy-type teams, and it provides Toxic Spikes for Tapu Lele to break through bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2 even better.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Specs can be used over Choice Scarf for immediate power in exchange for Speed. Shadow Ball can be used over Thunderbolt to hit Aegislash and Jirachi super effectively.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Despite Tapu Lele running Focus Blast to get past Steel-types, the attack itself is unreliable due to low accuracy and PP, and Steel-types such as Aegislash and Jirachi don't mind it much. Moreover, Steel-types that often run Protect, such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn, can scout for Tapu Lele's chosen move and pivot accordingly.
**Revenge Killing**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion, Keldeo, Dragapult, and both Urshifu formes can outspeed Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and threaten it. Other faster threats include Excadrill in sand, Barraskewda in rain, and Alolan Raichu in Electric Terrain.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially defensive Pokemon such as Blissey, Aegislash, and Jirachi can easily take hits from Tapu Lele and stall it out with status effects such as poison.
**Dark-type Pokemon**: Tapu Lele is threatened by Dark-types since it risks locking itself into Psychic. Pokemon such as Weavile, Bisharp, Drapion, and Tyranitar can all take advantage of Tapu Lele, but they have to be cautious of Moonblast and Focus Blast.
**Paralysis**: Tapu Lele is reliant on its Choice Scarf to cover up its mediocre Speed tier; therefore, it must avoid paralysis spreaders such as Zapdos and Tyranitar. However, the aforementioned Pokemon need to be careful with Tapu Lele, as they take considerable damage from it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Perish Song, 419696]]
- Fairy analysis by: [[Perish Song, 419696]]
- Quality checked by: [[maroon, 305839], [Harpp, 320110], [Conflux, 408641]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Milak, 262594], [Finland, 517429]]
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