Now I lay me down to sleep.
Overview
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- Although a Baton Pass away from singles relevance, Vivillon can be useful in doubles where its 97.5% accurate Sleep Powder knows no restrictions.
- Compound Eyes raises Sleep Powder and Hurricane's accuracy to useful levels.
- 89 base speed is enough to put many threats to sleep before they strike.
- Access to Quiver Dance gives it something to do after using Sleep Powder.
- Somewhat shallow movepool limits its options and makes it predictable.
- Poor defensive typing and lackluster base stats can result in its quick exit from matches.
- Paralysis and Taunt render it useless.
- Abundance of weather effects can result in its sash breaking and its utility greatly dropping.
Offensive Sleep Powder
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name: Offensive Sleep Powder
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: Protect
ability: Compound Eyes
item: Focus Sash
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
nature: Timid
Move Details
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- The namesake of the set, Vivillon's Sleep Powder is the fastest accurate sleep inducing move in the game and can be abused in metas without a sleep clause.
- Bug Buzz hits Psychic and Dark-types hard while providing a 100% accurate STAB.
- At 91% accuracy, Hurricane becomes a viable STAB attack for Vivillon that smacks around most Grass-types that are immune to Sleep Powder
- Protect allows Vivillon to survive attacks from faster Pokemon or priority users while teammates clean them up.
Set Details
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- Speed investment and nature allows it to outspeed neutral invested Garchomp (base 102) and slower while special attack investment gives Hurricane more punch.
- Compound eyes is what makes this set work. It raises the accuracy of Sleep Powder and Hurricane to 97.5% and 91%, respectively.
- Focus Sash allows Vivillon to hold on after an attack and reply with Sleep Powder or Hurricane.
Usage Tips
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- Although Vivillon is too slow to keep up with faster leads, it can still be used in the slot if it has Fake Out support, as it generally outspeeds at least one of the opponent's Pokemon.
- Vivillon works best against teams with middling speed Pokemon, which allows it to use Sleep Powder before they can attack.
- If Quiver Dance is opted over Bug Buzz, Vivillon should first put to sleep Pokemon with powerful attacks or priority.
- Protect should be used to buy teammates another turn to eliminate faster threats.
Team Options
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- If used as a lead, Vivillon appreciates other disruptive partners. Speed controllers such as Thundurus can neuter faster Pokemon, allowing Vivillon to use Sleep Powder on slower targets. Fake Out users can flinch a fast user for a turn, allowing Vivillon to put them to sleep without fear of being attacked first.
- Vivillon appreciates Wide Guard support to avoid Heat Wave and Rock Slide, both of which will nearly always either use up Vivillon's Sash or outright KO it. Hitmontop is a great user of the move as it also has access to Intimidate, giving it great utility to the team.
- Vivillon is hit super effectively by five types, but it fears Rock and Electric above all, as it cannot hit them for neutral damage. Rotom-W can soak damage from each of Vivillon's weaknesses, and Excadrill gets extra points for being useful in the Sand, a weather type that breaks Vivillon's sash.
- Trick Room ruins Vivillon's fun, so Trick Room counters such as Amoonguss make great partners.
- Speed control and Taunt also ruins Vivillon, so Electric types, users of Tailwind, and faster Taunt users also make good partners.
Other Options
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- Low base stats (BST 410) severely limit other viable options.
- Powder, Vivillon's signature move, neuters Pokemon that rely on Fire-type attacks such as Heat Wave.
- Quiver Dance can be used over Bug Buzz to attempt to set up even more powerful Hurricanes, but Vivillon's poor defenses give it few opportunities to use the move.
- A set consisting of Light Screen, Rage Powder, and the ability Friend Guard can be used to attempt to lower and redirect damage aimed at the team.
- Support moves such as Safeguard are available, though generally more useful on a Pokemon that isn't fainted by a sneeze.
- A dubious set using Sleep Powder with Choice Scarf allow it to outspeed all Pokemon not named Deoxys-S or Ninjask, though without a Focus Sash Vivillon dies far too easily for the set to be viable. Grass-types and Pokemon with Overcoat or Magic Bounce also render it useless.
Checks and Counters
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**Types**
- Considering that basically anything with a pulse can KO Vivillon, its list of checks is a long one.
- Faster Electric-types such as Manetric and Thundurus can KO Vivillon before it has the chance to put them to sleep and do not fear Hurricane.
- Tyranitar laughs at both of Vivillon's STAB attacks (particularly in Sand) and can OHKO Vivillon with a STAB Rock-type attack if it is not put to sleep. Bonus points for also breaking Vivillon's sash with Sand.
- Bulky Grass-types that don't mind Hurricane, such as Ferrothorn, are counters without partner support.
- Fire and Flying-types that outspeed Vivillon are checks, though Talonflame is chief amongst these, as it cannot be speed controlled by partners and can KO Vivillon before being put to sleep if Vivillon's sash is broken.
- Opponents with access to Tailwind are problematic for Vivillon if they are already faster than it, as they can use the move to give their entire team a boost, possibly placing them all a speed tier above it.
- Paralysis essentially ends Vivillon's usefulness, as it relies heavily on its speed to put opponents to sleep before they can hit it.
**Utility**
- Pokemon with abilities that prevent sleep, such as Early Bird, Overcoat, and Magic Bounce, are all protected against Vivillon's primary move.
- Fast taunt users such as Sableye render Vivillon useless. Although Encore on Sleep Powder isn't awful for Vivillon, Encore on any other move will likely result in forcing it to switch or be KOed.
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