QC: terrors / Eien / Misaka Mikoto
GP: CryoGyro
[OVERVIEW]
Fairy
========
* Togekiss is useful on Fairy teams due to its ability to check Steel-type Pokemon with its Fire-type coverage, and is also a good Choice Scarf user due to Serene Grace Air Slash.
* Togekiss has access to a good ability in Serene Grace, allowing it to flinch foes with Air Slash more often than not and net possible burns with Fire-type coverage.
* A high Special Attack stat gives Togekiss a lot of offensive power, allowing it to KO or deal massive damage to threats that can be troubling for Fairy teams to deal with.
* Togekiss has overall good 85 / 95 / 115 bulk, allowing it to tank hits well while dishing out damage.
* Togekiss also has a diverse movepool featuring moves such as Air Slash and Roost along with amazing coverage moves such as Fire Blast and Aura Sphere, allowing it to perform a variety of roles.
* A unique secondary typing in Flying allows Togekiss to beat threats that would usually be hard for Fairy to deal with such as Mega Venusaur.
* Its Flying typing also gives it an immunity to Ground and a resistance to Grass, which can be useful for Fairy teams, which often lack switch-ins to moves of those types.
* However, Togekiss sports a glaring weakness to the ever-prevalent Stealth Rock, which forces it to take 25% damage every time it switches in.
* While Togekiss offers some defensive value to Fairy teams, it shares weaknesses in Poison and Steel with other Fairy-type Pokemon.
* An underwhelming Speed tier means that Togekiss can't always take advantage of the 60% flinch chance granted by Serene Grace Air Slash, forcing it to use a Choice Scarf. Even then, it is outsped by common Choice Scarf users such as Nihilego and Excadrill along with non-Choice Scarf users like Mega Alakazam and Mega Beedrill.
* While Togekiss may have a good Special Attack stat, it can be underwhelming at times, making Togekiss unable to break specially defensive walls like Chansey without a large number of flinches.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Fairy)
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Aura Sphere
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Air Slash is Togekiss's most important move; with a 60% chance of flinching the opponent, it can often grant Togekiss free damage against a foe, enabling Togekiss to knock out foes without taking much damage.
* Fire Blast provides valuable Fire-type coverage against Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, which often destroy Fairy teams through super effective attacks.
* Flamethrower can be used instead of Fire Blast due to its reliability, but it fails to OHKO bulky Mega Scizor and only has a chance to OHKO Lucario and Bisharp. While it does have better accuracy, Fire Blast is generally superior.
* Aura Sphere is a useful coverage move that hits Heatran super effectively, which is especially helpful because it resists Air Slash and is immune to Fire Blast. Aura Sphere can also hit Rock- and Normal-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar for super effective damage, and hits Bisharp more reliably.
* Trick can be used against bulkier Pokemon to equip them with a Choice Scarf, greatly decreasing their utility. Against Porygon2 and Chansey, it also takes away their Eviolite, rendering them nearly useless. Trick can also be used if Togekiss needs to be able to switch up its moves.
Set Details
========
* 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature maximize Togekiss's Speed, taking full advantage of its Choice Scarf and allowing it to outspeed a majority of the meta.
* 252 Special Attack EVs give Togekiss as much offensive power as possible.
* Serene Grace is Togekiss's best ability, as it doubles the chance for both an Air Slash flinch and a Fire Blast burn. Togekiss generally relies on this ability to flinch opponents with Air Slash and avoid taking too much damage.
* A Choice Scarf gives Togekiss much more Speed, putting it in a Speed tier above other threats, such as neutral-natured Pheromosa and Greninja, in which it can proceed to fish for flinches with Air Slash.
Usage Tips
========
* Use Togekiss mostly as a revenge killer, as it can outspeed many Pokemon and net KOes with successful flinches.
* Togekiss can also be used to cripple bulky Pokemon such as Chansey by giving them a Choice Scarf, locking them into a non-attacking move.
* However, do not give away the Choice Scarf pointlessly, (comma) as Togekiss becomes very slow without it. Due to this, Togekiss also dislikes having its item removed by Knock Off.
* Pivot Togekiss in when predicting an opponent to use a Ground-type move, as the immunity helps bring Togekiss in for free.
* Avoid letting Togekiss get inflicted with status, as paralysis cripples Togekiss's Speed, rendering its Choice Scarf useless, while Toxic poison wears Togekiss down and makes it unable to deal with walls and common threats.
* Similarly, avoid switching Togekiss into Stealth Rock, as it is weak to it and is worn down quickly, making it susceptible to revenge killers.
* Togekiss can also be used to whittle down Pokemon that team members have trouble with; it can deal heavy damage to Steel-type Pokemon with Aura Sphere and Fire Blast and can also deal chip damage to bulkier Pokemon by flinching them with Air Slash.
* While Togekiss can sometimes deal with walls by flinching them, many carry Toxic, which can easily wear down Togekiss and make its job harder. Therefore, walls such as Chansey should be removed before bringing it in.
Team Options
========
* Due to its weakness to Stealth Rock, Togekiss appreciates Defog support from Tapu Fini.
* Wallbreakers such as Choice Band Tapu Bulu and Choice Specs Tapu Koko can deal heavy damage to Pokemon that Togekiss usually has trouble with such as Mantine.
* Pokemon resistant to Ice such as Azumarill can easily take hits that Togekiss would take huge damage from.
* Azumarill can also break Pokemon that Togekiss has trouble with, such as Heatran, making it a good partner. Z-Belly Drum Azumarill can also benefit greatly from Togekiss crippling bulkier Pokemon with Trick, allowing it to sweep freely.
* Magearna easily switches into Poison-, Ice-, and Rock-type attacks, making it the perfect defensive Pokemon to back Togekiss up. Magearna also has access to Volt Switch, pivoting into Togekiss to get a better matchup. It also appreciates Togekiss soaking up Ground-type attacks for it.
* Pokemon such as Clefable and Klefki can spread paralysis, making Togekiss more effective by combining the chance of flinching with that of full paralysis. Clefable is also a great status absorber that can soak up paralysis and Toxic, (comma) while Klefki can also set up Spikes, which wears down foes to make it easier for Togekiss to defeat them.
* Clefable can also aid Togekiss with Stealth Rock and support from Wish and Heal Bell.
[SET]
name: Babiri Berry (Fairy)
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Aura Sphere
move 4: Roost
item: Babiri Berry
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 84 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Air Slash is this set's primary attack and does decent damage while also having a nifty 60% chance to flinch foes Togekiss outspeeds.
* Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Scizor, as Togekiss can take most Steel-type attacks due to the Babiri Berry.
* Aura Sphere hits Heatran, which is useful because Fairy teams can often have trouble with it. With the Babiri Berry, Togekiss can survive any hit, outspeed, and 2HKO or 3HKO it depending on the set.
* Roost recovers 50% of Togekiss's maximum HP, increasing its longevity. Roost also allows it to better beat bulky Pokemon by recovering off any damage.
Set Details
========
* 248 HP EVs nearly maximize Togekiss's HP while giving it an odd HP number, reducing Stealth Rock damage should it need to switch into it. Having odd HP also helps Togekiss get the most out of Roost.
* 176 Speed EVs alongside a Timid nature allow Togekiss to outspeed base 70 Speed Pokemon with a Speed-boosting nature such as Bisharp and Breloom.
* The rest of the EVs are put into Special Attack to ensure that Togekiss can OHKO Mega Scizor with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage while also increasing its damage output.
* A Babiri Berry halves the damage taken from one Steel-type move, which can be used to lure in Pokemon such as Mega Scizor and Excadrill. Togekiss can then deal massive damage to them with its Fire-type attacks.
* Serene Grace doubles the chance of secondary effects, giving Air Slash a 60% chance to flinch opposing Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
* Use Togekiss to lure in Steel-type Pokemon such as Scizor, against which Togekiss can tank any hit due to its Babiri Berry and proceed to KO with Fire Blast.
* Although this Togekiss set is considered a check to Steel-types, never directly switch Togekiss into an attack, which can use up the Babiri Berry unnecessarily and leave Togekiss vulnerable. While this may seem like it is just giving Mega Scizor free turns to set up Swords Dance, it is generally still better to bring in Togekiss to revenge kill, as it can still take a +4 Bullet Punch or a +6 Bullet Punch with Reflect up.
* Use Air Slash against most Pokemon to attempt to flinch them, weakening them for other members of the team such as Tapu Koko and Azumarill.
* Avoid sending Togekiss in if there are still healthy Electric- or Poison-type Pokemon around, as they can switch in with ease and get off free hits because Fairy lacks proper counters to these Pokemon.
* Make sure there are no entry hazards up on the field before sending Togekiss in, as taking damage can decrease Togekiss's overall staying power and make it unable to defeat Steel-type Pokemon.
* Togekiss's defensive capabilities can be utilized to switch into resisted attacks and proceed to use Air Slash to immobilize the foe.
Team Options
========
* Due to this set's ability to check Steel-type Pokemon, it relieves pressure from other Pokemon such as Clefable and Klefki and allows them to run other sets that do better against the metagame as a whole.
* Pokemon weak to Ground, such as Tapu Koko and Magearna, appreciate Togekiss being able switching into Ground-type moves due to its immunity.
* Magearna can also switch into attacks that would usually harm Togekiss heavily such as Poison- and Rock-type moves.
* Pokemon that are usually hampered by the presence of Steel-type Pokemon, such as Clefable, appreciate Togekiss's ability to lure in and check Steel-types.
* Clefable and Klefki can set up entry hazards that allow Togekiss to more easily check Steel-types by dealing residual damage every time they switch in. Klefki can also set up screens that reduce the damage Togekiss takes.
* Heavy hitters such as Tapu Koko and Azumarill like Togekiss dealing chip damage to walls and taking care of Steel-types such as Excadrill, paving the way for a sweep.
* This Togekiss set almost requires Defog support from Tapu Fini. Togekiss dislikes taking residual damage every time it switches in, as that can ruin its ability to check Steel-types and make it more susceptible to attacks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A support set with both Thunder Wave and Heal Bell can be used to spread paralysis, making it easier for teammates such as Choice Band Tapu Bulu to wallbreak more effectively. However, Togekiss generally needs the coverage to deal with Steel-type Pokemon, and can often become setup bait for Pokemon such as Mega Scizor without it.
* Defog can also be used on the Choice Scarf set, but Togekiss's weakness to Stealth Rock and Tapu Fini's higher bulk makes it a better choice for Defogging. Defog also limits Togekiss's moveset, forcing it to miss out on a helpful move such as Aura Sphere or Fire Blast, hampering its ability to check Steel-types. Defog also removes entry hazards that Klefki or Clefable set, making it a useless move in some matchups.
* Dazzling Gleam can be used as a reliable Fairy-type STAB move on the Choice Scarf set, but again, Togekiss misses out on valuable coverage, (comma) which leaves it walled by Pokemon such as Mega Scizor or Heatran.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fairy
========
**Nihilego**: Nihilego is Togekiss's best counter, resisting two of its three attacks while taking neutral damage from the third. It also has a high Special Defense stat, making it shrug off the damage Togekiss tries to inflict. Both of its STAB moves are super effective against Togekiss and can OHKO it, and it also often runs Choice Scarf, (comma) making Trick worthless as well.
**Zapdos**: Zapdos, like Nihilego, also resists two of Togekiss's three attack while taking minimal damage from Fire Blast, and can deal massive damage to Togekiss with its Electric-type STAB moves. It also has good bulk and Roost, allowing it to tank Togekiss's hits with relative ease and recover off.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Most Electric-type Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Xurkitree, Alolan Raichu, and Tapu Koko have high Speed and offensive stats, meaning they can outspeed non-Choice Scarf Togekiss and easily OHKO it. Electric-type Pokemon also resist Air Slash, and Togekiss lacks coverage moves to deal with them. Bulkier Electric-type Pokemon such as Rotom-W take very little damage from Togekiss's moves and can deal massive damage with their STAB moves.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Togekiss struggles against common Steel-type picks such as Excadrill and Mega Scizor, as Togekiss can be outsped by them and hit hard by Iron Head or Bullet Punch. However, Steel-type Pokemon generally need to watch out for Togekiss's Fire- and Fighting-type coverage moves, especially if Togekiss is holding a Babiri Berry.
**Rock-type Pokemon**: Rock-type Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl easily tank Togekiss's STAB attacks and retaliate for massive damage with super effective moves. However, they often need to be wary of Aura Sphere, though the damage is reduced in sand.
**Poison-type Pokemon**: Common Poison-type Pokemon such as Nidoking and Gengar can tank some of Togekiss's hits and easily OHKO it with Sludge Wave or Poison Jab. Assault Vest Alolan Muk can tank all of Togekiss's attacks with ease and threaten it with powerful Poison-type moves. Togekiss can sometimes overcome these Pokemon with enough flinches, but it is unreliable and Togekiss is still usually forced out by these Pokemon.
**Ice-type Pokemon**: Bulky Ice-type Pokemon such as Lapras and Piloswine can tank Togekiss's attacks and retaliate with Ice-type attacks. Many Ice-type Pokemon such as Mamoswine also carry priority in the form of Ice Shard, automatically outpacing even Choice Scarf Togekiss. Ice-type Pokemon must be wary of Aura Sphere, though.
**Status**: Togekiss is easily crippled by Thunder Wave, especially since Togekiss's biggest niche lies in outspeeding and flinching its foes. As this set lacks a way to rid itself of status, Togekiss often finds itself dead weight when paralyzed. Toxic damage can also easily rack up, reducing Togekiss's staying power and forcing it out.
**Walls**: Although Togekiss has a decent Special Attack stat, it cannot deal much damage to walls such as Porygon2 and Chansey. Togekiss usually has to use Trick on the Choice Scarf set to cripple them, and then rely on flinches to do enough damage.
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