Pokemon of the Week: Terrakion - Number 1 Bad***

 

You are ****ing crazy if you don't think that this thing does not look bad***.

Hey guys! Pastrybomb back here with another POTW, that is bound to help you become the pokemon master you dream to become. For this week, I'll be doing a POTW on of the most bad*** pokemon in existence. His name is Terrakion. Let's start shall we?

Overview:  Terrakion is a superb pokemon holding huge attack power and a very nice speed stat. His power to break through the toughest of walls allows him to stay high in the OU metagame, and his great base speed, is one of the best, out speeding base positive base 100's. Terrakion also brings to the table, two great STAB's in the form of Rock and fighting. These two types of STAB's create unresisted coverage against every pokemon except for certain pokemon such as Celebi. His STAB's are just so good, that he just needs those STAB moves to destroy all pokemon. This allows for some versatile sets, due to the fact he only needs 2 STAB moves. Terrakion also supports a very nice resistance to Stealth Rock, allowing him to switch in multiple times not crippling him too much. Terrakion is a huge threat in the OU metagame, and every team must make sure they have a check or counter Terrakion, or they will be destroyed. 

I've Got Bands/Scarves of Steel

Terrakion @ Choice Band/Choice Scarf

Trait: Justified

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd

Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

~ Close Combat

~ Stone Edge

~ X-Scissor

~ Sacred Sword/Quick Attack

This is quite arguably the best set that Terrakion can run. Sporting two of the best STAB's in the game, Terrakion is one of the best if not the best Choice Bander coupled with Great speed and power. Terrakion's Choice Band set is just so good, that the other moves on this set, are of limited use due to the sheer power and coverage that his STAB's gave. Choice Band Terrakion is a pretty self explanatory set, and all you have to do pretty much is to pick the right STAB move of choice. The 1st move, Close Combat is one of the strongest moves in the game. It allows him to tear apart even the mightiest of physical walls such a Skarmory. With Close Combat, even Skarmory is 2HKO'd. This just exemplifies the power of a Choice Banded Terrakion's Close Combat. The 2nd move on the set, Stone Edge is an inaccurate but one of the most powerful rock moves in the game. Rock slide is an option, but the sheer power of Stone edge is too hard to pass by. Stone Edge is a great move in Terrakion's arsenal, allowing him to destroy pesky flying types that resist close combat, and a great move overall despite accuracy issues. X-Scissor is the most likely option for the 3rd moveslot, allowing him to hit Psychic types a tiny bit harder that  Stone Edge, with the upside of also having 100% accuracy. It also allows you to finish off a weakened Celebi and other grass types who resist fighting. The 4th move isn't a huge deal, but it might help sometime when playing with Terrakion. Sacred Swords is a solid move for Terrakion in the 4th slot, sporting a nice base power of 90, but the big kick to this ability is the fact that it goes through opponents defense boosts. It also has the upside of not lowering your defenses, unlike close combat. The other move you could put in the 4th slot is Quick attack, which is the one that I most usually take than Sacred Swords. For example you could have 1 pokemon Terrakion at 50% against a Dragonite at 10% health. The Dragonite has 2 Dragon Dance Boosts, but an Extremespeed will not KO. However a Dragon Claw will, since it will outspeed you. But! Quick attack to the rescue, taking off that 10% of Dragonite's Health, and winning you the game. As you can see, Quick attack is a worthy option for Terrakion, but if you prefer having a reliable STAB move and the upside of not lowering your defenses, then be my guest and take Sacred Sword instead. A Jolly nature is preferred for this set allowing you to outspeed pesky Landorus and positive base 100's. You can use an adamant nature if you prefer more killing power, but you will go back to Jolly almost all the time, because you want the speed. A Choice Band is probably the best item choice for Terrakion, because the Sheer power of his moves are combined with Choice Band is just too good to pass up. A Choice Scarf is also a worthy option in the spot for Terrakion, allowing him to become an effective Revenge Killer. With Choice Scarf, he still deals a lot of damage, and can rip through weakened teams. EV's are pretty straight-forward providing him the maximum amount of damage and speed he has, and putting the last 4 EV's in to HP, to maybe withstand one more attack. Justified is a great ability for Terrakion, especially if you run a Choice Scarf set, because if you come into a dark move, your essentially running a +1  Speed Terrkian with +1 Attack. And that is very scary. It also goes well with a Choice Band set, which gives essentially a Free Swords Dance. One of the best partners to accompany Terrakion to his rise of destroying the opposition is Landorus, which allows him to take care of Gliscor with HP Ice, one of Terrakion's top counters. Landorus can also rip holes in the opposing team, or clean up Terrakion's destruction. Some other partners for Terrakion are Gyarados, which have great synergy with Terrakion, countering Scizor, taking water type attacks like nothing, Fighting attacks, and sporting an immunity to Ground. Latias also preforms a similar role, and can also bait dark moves to obtain the bonus attack for Justified. Counters to this set include Gliscor, whcih essentially walls Terrakion as long as it is healthy, resisting Close Combat and taking minimal damage from Stone Edge due to its immense physical bulk. Gliscor can then destroy Terrakion with a STAB Earhquake. Slowbro also functions a similar role resisting Close Combat, and tanking Stone Edge with immense physical bulk, and either KO'ing Terrakion with Scald or recovering the damage essentially stalling its PP. Priority Users, especially Scizor and Azumarill will shut down Terrakion's Killing spree, KO'ing him with their respective STAB moves. Golurk and Nidoqueen are also great counters, KO'ing him with a STAB Earthquake and resisting both his STAB moves. 

Double Dancing Through the Metagame

Terrakion @ Air Balloon/Life Orb
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
~ Close Combat
~ Stone Edge
~ Rock Polish
~ Swords Dance  

Terrakion, if you haven't gotten inside of your mind yet, is one of the most bad*** pokemon in existence. Obviously someone as bad*** as Terrakion must know a thing or two about dancing. Well. Let me tell you something. INDEED HE DOES. The Double Dance set just proves this. Probably one of the best set up sweepers in the game because of his ability to adapt to the opponents team. Got a speedy and frail team against Terrakion? Rock Polish on a switch. Proceed to kill. Got a super defensive team you're up against. Swords Dance on a switch. Proceed to kill. The possibilities to set up with Terrakion are enormous as he has a very nice resistances to fire, rock, and dark, some of the most commonly used move types in the metagame. However, in order for him to successfully execute a sweep, Terrakion needs to get rid of pesky priority users, such as Scizor or Azumarill. I will explain this more as we advance in our POTW. The Double Dance Set is only possible because of his amazing STAB's which provide perfect coverage to almost all pokemon, hitting them for neutral or super effective damage. Close Combat and Stone Edge are probably the moves you want, a swords Dance OHKO'ing Skarmory with a tiny bit of damage or SR. Tell me that's not amazing. Stone Edge is also a great compliment 2HKO'ing Gyarados with intimidate, or OHKO'ing it with a +1 atk Stone edge with SR. Terrakon is just so awesome, that it also knows Rock Polish and Swords Dance! These two moves compliment each other so well, all you have to do is pick the right one, and dominate the opposing team. Terrakon is an amazing set up sweeper, and when one has been perfectly set up, your team will go down. Now. In order for this set of Terrakion to sweep, there are one of two things that must be done. These two things must be done, get a bunch of spikes and SR on the field allowing him to KO everybody, and take away the counters to Terrakion, mainly bulky pokemon who can take a hit, and priority users that can KO. The first one, is a great asset to his sweeping capabilities, especially SR, allowing him to muscle through even the toughest walls in the metagame, including skarmory. Hippowdon is also KO'd with some Spikes and SR, which is awesome. The 2nd one though, is mandatory in order for him to successfully sweep. The main people you want to take out are Scizor and Gliscor, two of the most commonly used pokemon in the metagame. Thankfully, a bulky water type can take both of them on, such as Gyarados, or Slowbro, can pave the way so your Terrakion can sweep the enemy team. Terrakion is a powerful set up sweeper in the right hands, and can sweep the enemy teams at no notice even without boosts. This is so because Terrakion has just huge attack power and speed, that the boosts just empower him. A weakened team with no counter Terrakion is a dead team. I am telling you that from experience. Terrakion's partners and set up for EV's and nature are the same as the Choice Band or Choice Scarf set, but the items are different. Air Balloon is the preferred item providing you an immunity to one of your most gaping weaknesses, and allowing many more set up opportunities. Air Balloon can also be substituted for a Life Orb, if you prefer some immediate power to your attacks, and adding that extra oomph you need to finish off that last opponent. Both of them have downsides however, as Air Balloon is easily rid of through any attack, as long as it is not ground, making it only usable on switches or resistances. Life also has its downside, if you didn't know before, makes you lose 10% of your HP per attack. Stalling him out of Life orb if he has it, is a plausible startegy for pokemon such as Gliscor, who can OHKO it with Earthquake. Choose which one you prefer, as it will greatly affect your gameplay with Terrakion.

Well... This is the end of Terrakion's POTW, and I hoped you learned a thing or two about bad*** number 1 while reading this. This Pastrybomb. Out.              

Pokemon of the Week: Milotic!!!

Pokemon of the Week!

#350 Milotic

What's up, Pokemon 101 fans! This is my first ever POTW, so please bear with me.

Milotic, one of my personal favorites, is a Water type UU Pokemon that, in my opinion, should be used to wear opponents down due to its base 125 Sp. Def., 95 base HP, and the fact that it only has one type. Milotic is weak against Grass and Electric types, and with not so much of a variety of moves, should not be used against them (except in Gen V, when Milotic can use Bulldoze). However, Milotic can use moves such as Recover and Rain Dance, which also makes it a good team player.

Milotic has two abilities, Cute Charm, which can infatuate the opponent, and Marvel Scale, which boosts Def. while Burned, Poisoned, etc.

Physically Defensive:

Leftovers, Marvel Scale, Bold Nature

1st Move: Scald

2nd Move: Recover

3rd Move: Ice Beam/Hidden Power Grass

4th Move: Toxic/Haze/Dragon Tail

EVs: 252HP/248 Def./8 Speed

I believe that this is truly the best way to use a bulky Water type like Milotic. Leftovers, Marvel Scale, and Recover keep Milotic alive for almost forever, while Scald is the perfect Water move with a chance to burn. Hidden Power Grass will take away those pesky Electrics and Ice Beam will annihilate Grass users. Finally there's Toxic, which will make opponents continue to lose health, while there is almost no way to stop it, if you play with items.

RestTalk

Leftovers, Marvel Scale, Calm Nature

1st Move: Rest

2nd Move: Sleep Talk

3rd Move: Scald

4th Move: Dragon Tail

EVs: 252HP/192 Def./ 56 SpD/8 Speed

This moveset provides a way to deal consistent damage to any opponent. Rest, Leftovers, and Marvel Scale, again keep Milotic alive to deal out some damage. Dragon Tail will deal some damage and force your opponent to switch out (except for Pokemon like Octillery), allowing you to find out which Pokemon you should hit with that Scald.

Offensive

Life Orb/Leftovers, Marvel Scale, Timid Nature

1st Move: Hydro Pump/Surf

2nd Move: Ice Beam

3rd Move: Hidden Power Grass/Hidden Power Electric

4th Move: Recover

EVs: 4HP/252 SpA/252 Speed

Using a Milotic in this way would be a bit of a gamble without EVs, because a Grass or Electric type could come along and blow you out of the water. However, if you do have these EVs, you would have a force to be reckoned with. Ice Beam takes out Grass types, and Hydro Pump and Surf deal real damage, but still, an Electric type could come along and KO Milotic with a Thunder.

In short, Milotic is a great Pokemon, if you know how to use it ;)

That's all for this POTW! (my 1st ever one) I'll see some of you guys in the Winter Cup!

awesomesauce~Brendan

P.S: Sorry if this is a little short, or if this comes out with no indents. Not my fault.

*2/2 QC

*2/2 GC
 GC AND QC APPROVED

The Artemis of Today's Metagame!

#380 Latias

 

Hello there followers and random people who came about this website, welcome to only my 2nd POTW! I know I never finished my Rate My Team, but I'll be sure to finish this. So! Lets get down to business shall we?

Latias is a superb pokemon with a quite stellar typing finding itself with a multitude of resistances to many common attacking types in today's metagame, courtesy of her Dragon Typing. While her Dragon Typing is a great boon over many pokemon, she has one of the worst defensive typing's that accompany with her. Psychic. This allows her to become weak to common atacks such as Scizor's U-Turn, or a Tyranitar's Pursuit. There is a good side to this though, as this allows her to have a great resistance to common fighting types like Mienshao who enjoy spamming Hi Jump Kicks everywhere.  However her brother is usually picked over her because of Latios' Stellar power. But, Latias works a great defensive pivot for teams searching for a pokemon who can dish out some damage, but act as a great special attacker too. 

Lets start simple shall we?

Calm Mind: 

Move 1: Calm Mind
Move 2: Recover 

Move 3: Dragon Pulse 

Move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Substitute / Roar

Nature: Timid

EV's: 252 HP/ 252 Speed/ 4 Special Attack

Item: Leftovers  

 “Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense.”

This saying is quite true for Latias, pertaining to her color, and the fact that she IS willing to draw blood from YOU while staying a very calm position. This is a fairly standard set for Latias, unlike Latios who prefers to just hit right off the bat with powerful choice Specs Draco Meteors. The point of this set is to come in on something that doesn't threaten like lets say Starmie's Hydro Pump. Due to her gargantuan base 130 special defense, this allows her to shrug off any damage that is resisted from special attackers. From there you would set up Calm Minds then sweep.After a few Calm Minds she'll be able to hit like a really big angry truck, that wants to smash tiny sea stars and stuff that don't outspeed her amazing 110 base speed. The Second move recover is used to let her take hits from stuff that are neutral or resisted and then recover off the damage. This also increases her longevity and durability allowing her to wall some threats. The 3rd move is the obligatory STAB move of choice having no immunities ta all, making it a great mono attacking move. The 4th move has many different options. Hidden Power Fire is most likely the best move you'll take, as it allows her to hit steel-types such as Scizor or Ferrothorn, with super effective damage. It also has great coverage hitting everything neutral except for Heatran. Substitute is also a great option for Latias, allowing to keep away from status, and if they're unable to break the substitute the first time, that's a free Calm Mind there. Roar is the last move we will consider as it allows her to deal with setup sweepers, gain some entry hazard  damage and phazing. These moves have different uses, so choose the one you think would support your team the best. The EV's and nature are quite straightforward, allowing the most speed to outspeed base 109's and below, and neutral natured base 110's. The HP EV's allow the most amount of bulk to both sides allowing you to tank hits incredibly well. You may also take the alternate route of 252 HP/ 252 Defense, if you prefer having bulk over speed, and working it more as a bulky set up sweeper than a defensive pivot. 

Support: 

Move 1: Dragon Pulse      

Move 2: Recover / Wish
Move 3: Roar 

Move 4: Reflect / Protect

Nature: Timid

EV's: 252 HP / 252 Speed / 4 Def

Item: Leftovers

"Rather than supporting you, Support the people around you"   

This is most definitely true for Latias. As a powerful special wall, it can be no question that there should be a support set. While a Dual Screen set works much better from Latios due to the boon known as Memento, Latias Support capabilities are very good. Providing a great phazing pokemon, with a bulky special wall is a great combination, especially when combined with the gargantuan bird known as Skarmory. The 1st move is your obligatory STAB move, where you know, you won't become taunt bait. If you do your forced to struggle, and yeah. For the second slot, you have a choice between recover or wish. Recover is recommended due to it being instant, allowing her to stay alive longer. Wish on the other hand should be used in tandem with protect, or you may have a harder time staying alive. You should take wish if you really want to take on the support role of a pokemon because wish helps your WHOLE team. Your 3rd move is Roar, providing great phazing, entry hazard damage, and screwing up set-up sweepers and baton chains. The 4th move is up to you. While Reflect allows you to take on more physical attackers, and in tandem helps your team, Protect allows you to scout for the opponents move, and in tandem with wish provides safe and reliable recovery.   This pokemon should be used when you need a strong special defensive wall, and also need a good team supporter. Latias is a perfect role providing phazing, maybe wish passing, and a great typing which allows her to switch in with ease, and force other switches. 

Choice Specs:

Move 1: Draco Meteor
Move 2: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire
Move 3: Surf / Hidden Power Fire
Move 4: Trick 
Nature: Timid
EV's: 252 Special Attack / 252 Speed / 4 HP
Item: Choice Specs 

 "I see the world in a different way. Through Specs." 

Just like the saying I just made up, Latias is to be used as a different way than her counterpart Latios. If you prefer more power then choose Latios, but if you decide to Latias Always remember to sue her as a DEFENSIVE PIVOT. Don't be like Latios and spam Draco Meteor! Use her as a powerful special wall, who dishes out a mediocre amount of damage compared to Latios, with Draco Meteor. Unlike Latios, Latias is able to come in many more times than Latios due to her awesome base 130 special defense. Allowing her to spam Draco Meteors, to weaken the enemy team a bit. As a defensive Pivot, you come in on neutral or resisted attacks, fire off a correct move, when they switch or if they don't. The 1st move will be the one you'll be using the most most likely because its just so powerful despite her 110 base special attack. The 2nd move is up to you, whether you want consistent damage in the form of Dragon Pules, or being able to catch steels off guard, and annihilate them. Surf is used in the 3rd slot, but once again you can use Hidden Power Fire to catch steel off guard. Surf allows you to hit Heatran for a reliable 2HKO, and provide a powerful move to hit steel types other than HP Fire. The 4th move is trick ,allowing you to destroy a wall on their team, or most importantly your number one counter. Blissey! Trick literally blindsides Blissey, destroying her by reducing her walling capabilities. Overall, use this if you want a powerful special wall who wants to dish out some damage. 

Well, that's all for this weeks POTW, and I guess I'll see you guys next time! 

~Pastrybomb~ ~Joshua~ 




*1/2 GC*
*1/2 QC*

Serebii's Super Duper Mascot!

Hey! Hey! Hey! What is up my Pokemon101 brothers?! I know I promised a RMT of a UU team or was it a NU team... well besides that, to make up for it here's a POTW of the ONE. THE ONLY.
Celebi >3 Yes. Celebi. The pokemon who is tiny and cute OUTSIDE of BATTLE. Serebii's shining star!

Celebi
Type: Physic/Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Tier: OU

Celebi has an outstanding metagame-related pressure. However, in the B/W generation it has gained some new rivals who see through his/her weaknesses. Original rivals such as Scizor and Tyranitar and new ones such as Latios, Latias, Hydreigion, Chandelure, and many others threaten Celebi. Despite those flaws, and the fact that Celebi has to rely on it's classical move sets, it has adapted to the point where it is resistant to six very common attack types and can support it's team with ease. Celebi has an above decent offensive movepool which moves his/her's offensive state and has the all so powerful Nasty Plot which decimates a lot of OU pokemon. Celebi will and should always have a spot in your team if you want to rely on great support.

Nasty Plot Super Duper Sweeper
Nature- Modest
Item(s): Leftovers/Life Orb
Moves
- Nasty Plot
- Recover
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power Fire/Earth Power/ Physic
EV's 220 Hp/252 SpA/ 36 Spe

Celebi's Speed, Special Attack, and adequate coverage moves all combine to make an effective special attacker. With Nasty Plot, Celebi's power is augmented to astronomical numbers, ensuring it makes maximum impact before fainting. On top of this, because of its high defenses, good typing, access to recovery (in two forms), and convenient ability in Natural Cure, Celebi can survive many attacks, use Nasty Plot, and fire off its boosted attacks with zest. Giga Drain is Celebi's main attacking move, providing consistent STAB damage along with an advantageous secondary effect: draining the foe's HP. After one Nasty Plot boost, Celebi can restore a large amount of health simply by attacking with Giga Drain, effectively nullifying the damage it suffered during setup. Recover also provides a reliable, alternative method of recovery against foes that laugh off Giga Drain. If you choose to use Celebi at a more offensive angle, Recover can be replaced by another attacking move, expanding Celebi's overall coverage against opposing counters. The last slot can be a bit tricky; no matter which combination of moves Celebi chooses, it will be walled by certain foes. Hidden Power Fire is a reliable option against the majority of Steel-type Pokemon, especially Skarmory and Ferrothorn, with the only exception of Heatran. Earth Power provides general coverage, OHKOing most opposing Fire- and Steel-types. Earth Power's main disadvantage is leaving Celebi vulnerable to Skarmory, Scizor, and many Flying- and Dragon-types (Latios, Latias, and Tornadus, to name a few). Psychic can function as a secondary STAB attack, providing good all-around coverage alongside Giga Drain, but leaves Celebi walled by Steel-type Pokemon, so it is advised to use Psychic alongside another coverage move. Nasty Plot Celebi has room for lots of options. The given EV spread, alongside a Modest nature, allows Celebi to outspeed all unboosted variants of Tyranitar (bar Choice Scarf), while maintaining efficient durability and maximum Special Attack. Some EVs can be placed into Speed from Special Attack to outrun a wider variety of foes since Celebi is already boosting its Special Attack. Celebi can also go the offensive route by utilizing a simple spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with either a Timid or Modest nature. In most scenarios, Celebi should use Life Orb because the recoil sustained will usually be made up by enhanced power and the HP healed by Giga Drain. Leftovers is always a viable option to keep Celebi healthy for most of the match, though the drop in power will be very noticeable.Besides faster Pokemon with a super effective move for Celebi, certain foes will trouble Celebi depending on the coverage it uses. Teammates who can handle what Celebi cannot are mandatory. For example, if Hidden Power Fire is used over Earth Power, Celebi will need a way around Heatran, so a Water-type with decent defenses, such as Rotom-W, Politoed, or Kingdra, should be used to put it in check. Unfortunately, Celebi is always going to be walled by Latios, Latias, and Hydreigon, all of whom resist Celebi's main attacks, the former two being able to set up with Calm Mind. Pursuit users are a quick answer to Latios and Latias, while Hydreigon can be handled by a faster teammate with a strong Fighting-, Dragon-, or Bug-type move. Blissey and Chansey, the two special walls of OU, will be annoyances when attempting a sweep, so the use of physical Fighting-type moves from lures is recommended.
Super Duper Clam Mind ( Yes Clam ._.) (PS: Something went wrong with the spacing ._. IDK)
Items: Leftovers (But somehow when i was typing the info, the spacing went perfectly.)
Nature: Bold (Sigh* The irony of this all well anyways enjoy T_T")
Moves (PSS: I FINALLY GOT A PICTURE!!! YESSSS!!!!! 1337 1010101010 L33T YETSTSTST)
-Calm Mind
-Recover
-Giga Drain
-Hidden Power Fire
EVs 252HP/96 Def/ 124 SpA/ 36 Spe
Though Celebi is always available as a Nasty Plot sweeper, Calm Mind is another boosting move that it can use with brilliant results. The ability to boost both its offense and one defense is simply valuable due to many checks relying on a special coverage move to eliminate Celebi, an effort which can be nullified with Calm Mind. After a couple of Calm Mind boosts, most unboosted attackers, such as Tyranitar and Jirachi, will struggle to break through Celebi's either boosted or invested defenses while being battered with the appropriate move. Celebi's access to two forms of recovery also plays a major role in its survivability, allowing Celebi to set up more easily than it would have with Nasty Plot.As usual, Giga Drain is the most beneficial STAB move for Celebi because of its consistent power and secondary effect. Taking into account the power and bulk Celebi obtains with Calm Mind, a boosted Giga Drain will keep it very healthy throughout the match so it isn't so reliant on Recover. However, with Calm Mind and Recover in one set, Celebi only has room for one other coverage move in the last slot, so it will always be walled by specific threats. In this case, the most effective choice is Hidden Power Fire, due to the popularity of Steel- and Grass-type threats that would otherwise wall Celebi. The other coverage moves mentioned previously are less viable on this set due to Celebi's moveslot syndrome against Steel-types that are immune to Ground-type moves. Please keep in mind that Celebi will have plenty of opportunities to set up multiple boosts, so it should not attack immediately unless necessary.The given EVs and nature are nearly the same for other similar sets, with the usual 36 EVs invested in Speed to outrun all unboosted variants of Tyranitar. 124 EVs in Special Attack means that Celebi can OHKO Adamant 252 HP / 216 SpD Scizor with Hidden Power Fire after a Calm Mind boost and Stealth Rock damage, while the remaining EVs are used to provide as much physical bulk as possible. Generally, investing in Special Attack is necessary to provide extra power, as Celebi would have little offensive presence otherwise. If initial power isn't a concern, simply pour the EVs into Defense for physical bulk. Because Celebi is played more defensively, Leftovers is basically a necessity for substantial healing.Although Calm Mind Celebi has an arguably easier time against revenge killers and some counters, it has coverage gaps that desperately need to be filled by other teammates. Again, using Hidden Power Fire with Giga Drain only means that Celebi will need additional insurance against opposing Fire-, Dragon-, and Flying-type Pokemon. Its problems are further worsened if it hasn't boosted enough times to sponge certain special attacks or break Substitutes, especially those from the likes of Heatran and Chandelure. A sturdy Water-type Pokemon with good coverage is a solution towards most of these threats, with Rotom-W being a prime teammate because of its access to Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave for Celebi's counters. Unfortunately, Latios, Latias, and Blissey will still raise issues even if Celebi conjured six boosts, so strong lures or Pursuit users for these threats are extremely necessary for Celebi to succeed in the long run.

In short, Celebi is somewhat limited in the offensive department. Swords Dance is generally inferior to Nasty Plot due to Celebi's small physical movepool, and it only has potential on a set using Baton Pass. Outside of Giga Drain, Celebi also has Energy Ball and Grass Knot to work with, the latter being able to hit Tyranitar, Milotic, and Suicune harder. However, Giga Drain is the most efficient option out of these three because of its recovering secondary effect, along with the fact that Giga Drain's base power is almost the same as Energy Ball's. Only consider Grass Knot if Celebi is in need of heavy damage.As opposed to its offensive options, Celebi has lots of support options. Celebi is a decent user of field effects, ranging from Trick Room, to Sunny Day, to Rain Dance. The latter two, however, can easily be set up by a permanent weather inducer such as Politoed or Ninetales. The only remotely useful weather move is Rain Dance, for the purpose of disrupting other weathers and setting up for Pokemon with the ability Swift Swim. Baton Pass is usable, but it is mostly outclassed by Mew, who has more options than Celebi can ever hope for. Other support moves include Heal Bell and Stealth Rock, one of which can replace a moveslot on defensive sets. Finally, Celebi has access to both Light Screen and Reflect, so a dual screen set with U-turn can be used to great effect. Celebi has a niche as a dual screen user because of its Grass / Psychic typing, though this in return gives Celebi many weaknesses.
It's certainly a shame Celebi didn't receive Psyshock, for it would have definitely crippled some of its best counters in the game: Blissey and Eviolite Chansey. While both can't really do much to Celebi due to its access to many forms of recovery (including Natural Cure for status), their high Special Defense ensures that Celebi can't do much to them either. Additionally, many Dragon-type Pokemon, especially Latios, Latias, and Hydreigon, will wall Celebi if it lacks the appropriate coverage move for them. Even then, Latios and Latias will both use Celebi as setup fodder for a Calm Mind sweep. In general, Celebi's main problem is being walled since its coverage is limited to few moves, but be prepared if Celebi happens to pack Hidden Power Fire or Earth Power for your Steel-type Pokemon. It would be safe to scout the grass pixie's movepool before switching in the appropriate resist. Celebi's other main problem is its seven weaknesses, all of which can be exploited by a faster Pokemon. Infernape, Gengar, Charizard, Tornadus, and Scolipede all have super effective STAB attacks to use against Celebi, making them amongst the best checks. Celebi must also be extremely wary of users of Pursuit and / or Choice Scarf, the most dangerous ones being Heracross, Scizor, and Tyranitar.
Well I'm done with POTWs :P and RMTs :P and this site :P (jk I Love This Site >3)
Later Everyone >3, Cheesecake-kun

***1/2 GC- Jonathan Auh
*** 1/2 QC-Jonathan Auh
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Pokemon of The Week is.....

Gigalith should be a well used pokemon, but due to its many weaknesses and the fact that there has been an increase in Konjondo leads or Mienshao leads it hasn't been used often. High-Jump kick is one of the main problems why Gigalith hasn't been used. High-Jump kick gives 4x damage instead of the regular base 2x damage to Gigalith,but there is a set that can semi counter it.

Weaknesses
Normal:1/2 damage
Fire:1/2 damage
Water:2x damage
Grass:2x damage
Fight:2x damage
Poison:1/2 damage
Ground:2x damage
Flying:1/2 damage
Steel:2x damage

Type:Rock
Abilities:Sturdy
:Sand Strength or Sand Force(DW)

One fun fact about Gigalith is that it has no affect to the OHKO moves Horn Drill, Fissure, Guillotine,and Sheer Cold. As you should know, Sturdy assures that you cannot get OHKO from full health. Sand Strength or Sand Force increases all of Gigalith's Rock,Ground, and Steel type attacks and also gives invulnerability to damage from Sandstorm to Gigalith.

Gigalith doesn't actually have well proven sets except if you make a custom one.

Adamant Nature Gigalith
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/ 252 Def
Items: Leftovers

Moves:
-Stealth Rock
-Rock Blast
-Protect
-Toxic/Explosion

This set is used when leading with Gigalith. Putting the main portion of your EVs into a tankier set is necessary to start off. Putting the 4 remaining EVs into Atk is also useful since your adding to its enormous strength. Gigalith w/o the 4+ Atk EVs already has a base 300 attack with its adamant nature which gives 10% more Attack then your usual neutral natures. Stealth Rock starts off the beginning of a battle, so that this way you have an advantage when your opponent switchs.(Especially when they run a Baton Pass Set.)Rock Blast is just an amazing move. It counters and overpowers substitute sets and demolishes Ninjask and Shedinja leads.Protect is your counter towards Konjondo.(semi counter).Protect protects against High Jump Kick and brings Konjondo to nearly 50% health. Protect will also apply to all 2x and 4x attacks too Gigalith. However, protect can't be overused(which sucks :o). Toxic is great if you still want to use Gigalith later on. This way you can poison your opponents and put alot of damage over time. Explosion is great if you want to just end it now. Explosion, however, got nerfed so that it doesn't lower base defense. Explosion still does a great deal of damage and with Gigalith's 300+ base damage it should be a sure-kill and if not, should be at least at 25% health.

Careful Nature Gigalith
Ability: Sand Force or Sand Strength(DW)
EVs: 252 HP/ 4 Atk/ 252 SpD
Item: Leftovers/Chesto Berry

Moves:
-Curse
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake
-Rest

This custom set is used for and against Sandstorm and or Trick Room sets. Careful Nature increases Gigalith's Special Defense while lowering its Special Attack. Sand Strength will increase Gigalith's base or physical attacks's strengths when in a sandstorm. Leftovers is best when your in a Sandstorm team and Chesto Berry is best when in a Trick Room team. Curse increases Gigalith's Attack and Defense so that now you'll have a ridiculously high SpD and Defense. When Sandstorm is activated you'll be able to do a lot of physical damage with Rock Slide and Earthquake. I chose Rock Slide over Stone Edge because of the fact it has more PP and it gives the chance to make the opponent flinch. Earthquake was chosen just because it was an overly awesome ground type move which receives a lot more power with Sand Force or Sand Strength's ability. Rest was chosen because after using Curse, you'll be able to have full HP and be able to take more damage from the physical or special side of attacks. This set displays Gigalith's abilities to the fullest. This set is probably the most effective because it uses all of his stats to it's full potential.

PS. Please tell me how to put a picture of the pokemon on these POTWs :O I'm really getting noobish at this now.

-Cheesecake-kun

Pokemon of the Week....

So recently, I put out a poll, asking which Pokemon you would have as the next Pokemon of the Week..... and the results are finished I guess. I seem to really favor one of the votes, and here's some useful information about out first NU tier Pokemon. He is a combination of grass-flying, giving him a somewhat nice offensive typing, but a terrible defensive typing. Here is the forgotten Pokemon, Tropius.


The bunches of fruit around TROPIUS's neck are very popular with children. This POKéMON loves fruit, and eats it continuously. Apparently, its love for fruit resulted in its own outgrowth of fruit. Children of the southern tropics eat as snacks the fruit that grows in bunches around the neck of TROPIUS. This POKéMON flies by flapping the leaves on its back as if they were wings. It flies by flapping its broad leaves. The bunch of fruit that grows around its neck is deliciously sweet. In the spring, it scatters pollen from its neck. It lives in tropical jungles. The bunch of fruit around its neck is delicious. The fruit grows twice a year. Because it continually ate only its favorite fruit, the fruit started growing around its neck. Delicious fruits grew out from around its neck because it always ate the same kind of fruit. The bunch of fruit around its neck ripens twice a year and is delicious. It's a highly favored tropical snack.



OVERVIEW:

Tropius is actually a pretty cool Pokemon, and it has a nice offensive typing, with dual STAB's over a large amount of Pokemon. However, the two things that sealed it off were it's extremely shallow movepool, and the terrible defensive typing it received. Also, when I say extremely shallow movepool, it really has, A REALLY. SHALLOW. MOVEPOOL. It does however, get two very nice abilities, Solar Power and Chlorophyll. He has a decent bulk, and a nice HP, with workable (but still low) offensive stats. Despite his few niches, he is not going to see much use within tiers, and even the NU tier.

ABILITIES:

Chlorophyll: Doubles speed within the sunny weather.

Solar Power: Takes away 1/10 of your HP to increase the move's power by 1.5.

Harvest: Recycles a berry infinite times with a 50% chance.

MOVESET(S):

Choiced-Tree

Moves:

-SolarBeam

-Hidden Power [Ground]

-Grass Knot

-Leaf Storm

Ability: Chlorophyll

EV's: 252 special attack, 252 speed, 4 HP

Item: Choice Specs

Nature: Modest

This is actually the best set, and the only set, you should run, and I'll tell you exactly why. The modest nature is to make your attacks hit as hard as possible. Choice Specs is also going to help your damage greatly. Chlorophyll doubles speed within sunny weather, and you really want to have some sort of Sunny Day setter to utilize it. The moves are meant to maximize damage to the most, while hitting a very large majority of the NU tier as neutral and super effective. SolarBeam is a must with the sun up. Hidden Power Ground takes care of Steels, Fires, and Electrics. Ice types are hit on neutral by grass moves anyways. Leaf Storm is a precious and devastating move. Grass Knot is just for anything else, as it has a shallow movepool.

NOTE:

For the moveset above, the reason why you don't want to choose Solar Power is because if you run a Choice Scarfed set, you only get 1.5 boost in speed, while being locked into a move, and the Solar Power increases your special attack the same as the Choice-Specs, but you even lose HP. Instead, you could opt for more speed with Chlorophyll, and Choice-Specs yourself to not lose HP.

Thanks for reading this week's POTW, I hope we can have more activity on the site!

Pokemon of the Week: Borderline?

Okay so sorry I didn't post up a poll on Monday to ask you guys for the next suggestions, because I had a little homework to finish up all week. Anyways, here is this week's POTW, a scary and Intimidating bird that's not quite OU, but BL, here is our 14'th Pokemon of the Week, Staraptor.



Predator Pokemon, Staraptor

 Overview:
Staraptor was never a favorite of mine in fourth gen, as it was used by nearly every single player that didn't play (respectively) competitively. Despite that fact, I would've probably used Staraptor also, but there were holes on my old team I had to cover up. *Cough Heatran* Anyways, he was introduced in fourth gen, and I'm pretty sure he was OU then. As fifth generation was introduced, Staraptor got one niche, his Dream World ability, Reckless. Other than this, Staraptor hasn't gotten any big changes to his use. He boasts a powerful STAB Brave Bird, and also a crushing STAB Double-Edge. He also gets access to the almighty Close Combat, which allowed Staraptor to OHKO and 2HKO walling steels. All this leads to his categorization, which is BL, or borderline.

Abilities:
Intimidate: Lower's the opponent's attack by one stage upon entering the battle: it's a very useful ability in some perspectives, although I prefer the other one.
Reckless: Raises the power of all recoil moves by 20%: this is where I think Staraptor gets it's new toys for fifth gen. Although it forces Staraptor to die quickly, this set can be used, rather to dent teams largely.

Moveset(s):

Anti-Lead:
Moves:
-Brave Bird
-Close Combat
-Double Edge
-U-Turn
Nature: Jolly
EV'S: 252 attack, 252 speed, 4 sp. defense
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Reckless/Intimidate

This set as I said before, is primarily used to dent large holes into the opponent's team. Staraptor boasts an excellent attack and speed, and it is used importantly in this set. Base 100 speed means speed tieing with other variants such as Jirachi, Celebi, and other Pokemon. Your nature allows you to outspeed all of them, if they do not have a speed boosting nature. Your main moves in this set are Brave Bird and Close Combat. Brave Bird is an excellent STAB move, and if you are running the Reckless ability, it has so much devastating power. Close Combat can 2HKO most of the steels in the OU and UU metagame, and OHKO's threats like Magnezone. Double Edge is another amazingly powerful STAB attack, but doesn't provide much coverage, as it is just for attacking. U-Turn is your scouting move, if you predict a switch in such as Espeon or Starmie, as they are threats that can OHKO Staraptor. Intimidate can be used if you want more support, but other than that, Reckless is the better go-to.

SUGGESTED SET(S):
***Pastrybomb
The only thing that can stop him from wreaking havoc on a weakened team is his speed. This set is usually used as the scout, and can destroy unprepared teams.

Item: Choice Scarf
EV's: 252 Atk/252 Speed/4Defense
Nature: Jolly/Adamant


~ Brave Bird
~ Close Combat
~ Return / Double-Edge
~ U-turn

One of Staraptor's obstacles to performing a successful sweep is the fact that there are many threats that can still outspeed and KO him before he can successfully land a hit. Giving Staraptor a Choice Scarf promptly eliminates this problem. By holding a Choice Scarf, it gains the ability to outspeed and take out its normal counters, yet still maintain a powerful offensive presence. Because of Staraptor's already high Attack and Speed, it can revenge or surprise kill many unsuspecting setup threats and would-be counters. Due to high Speed, Choice Scarf Staraptor can also make a great lead; unlike its Choice Band counterpart, Staraptor can now eliminate faster threats and limit set up.

In contrast to some alternative revenge killers and scouts, Staraptor is not offensively weak and can actually serve multiple roles on a team with just one of its moves. Brave Bird, as always, is a reliable STAB that can be used consistently, despite recoil. The only type that commonly resists the powerful Brave Bird are the Steel- and Rock-types, which can be easily handled with team members or Close Combat, and Electric-types, which can be taken care of by repeated switch-ins to Staraptor's Normal-type STAB move of choice. In addition to Brave Bird, Return or Double-Edge can be used alongside it to provide a powerful Normal-type STAB. Return is a reliable move that can pick off weakened opponents, whereas Double-Edge is basically a Normal-type version of Brave Bird with different coverage. Keep in mind that since this set is weaker than his other sets, Close Combat should be used only on weathered Rock- and Steel-types.

Unlike the previous set, U-turn is crucial here so Staraptor can take advantage of its Speed and act more as a scout and revenge killer. U-turn is a fantastic utility move that can throw the momentum of the battle into the user's favor. In addition, certain—if not most—Pokemon faster than Staraptor are hit super-effectively by U-turn, so it can make a dent by predicting switch-ins and U-turning to the appropriate counter. The scouting method should be used early-game so Staraptor will not easily stopped by bulky attackers.

Pokemon of the Week!!! Banned.....

So we have hit I think 19 followers! I'm happy, but you still know we have to keep our activity up. I'm proud to release another POTW this week, but also as a note, every Fridays, if you want a specific Pokemon to be POTW, I'm going to allow people to post their wanted Pokemon on the homepage. I hope this will increase our group activity here, and I know school is school, but be sure to at least check on the site from time to time. Anyways, back to out subject at hand, here is the latest Pokemon of the Week..... he's a banned Pokemon in Dream World tiers, due to his amazing ability Shadow Tag, which is also the reason Wobuffet was banned for the perviously two generations. He's secured a spot in Wi-Fi OU, for who knows how long..... he's the epic ghost of fire....... he's our 13'th Pokemon of the Week.... I present to you, Chandelure.

It absorbs a spirit, which it then burns. By waving the flame on its arms it puts its foes into a hypnotic trance. Being consumer in Chandelure's flame burns up the spirit, leaving the body behind.

OVERVIEW: Chandelure has been a favorite of mine ever since I saw it. He has that spooky boss face, and well distributed stats. It's defenses are frail, but still allow it to take weak attacks, and it's speed is base 80, a considerably slow speed, but decent. It's special attack is where the bombshells start to hit. He has a base 145 special attack, and when running max special attack (252 and modest nature) it hits a whopping 426 stat. Isn't that something to be afraid of? Chandelure was the best revenge killer around, with his ability via Dream World, Shadow Tag. If you rememebered in your LG/FR games, you could meet a Dugtrio, but never run away from it? Shadow Tag is the same, except that it works on all enemies, and not just land-bourne opponents. This made Chandelure one of the best revenge killers in OU. It could trap Scizor and Fire Blast it, it could catch Ferrothorn and send it away, it could even revenge kill Skarmory. Now Chandelure has been banned from Dream World OU, but still has uses in Wi-Fi OU.

ABILITIES:
Flash Fire: Raises the power of fire type moves if hit by one: it's a great ability actually when you have something like a Scizor on your team, and Chandelure can easily spam Fire Blast after that.
Flame Body: I think it's like...... has a 30% or 50% chance of getting burned if the opponent physically contacts you? It's not the best ability, but useful on some things, such as Volcarona.
Shadow Tag: Here is one of the best abilities for revenge killers, as it traps anything it switches into, and the target may not switch out, only being able to escape with U-Turn, Volt Switch, and Baton Pass.

Moveset(s):

Scarf-Lure
Moves:
-Shadow Ball
-Fire Blast
-Energy Ball
-Hidden Power Fighting
Nature: Modest
EV's: 252 special attack, 252 speed, 4 defense
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire

Let's talk about this scarf set, because it is arguably the best set of Chandelure out there. Your item is Choice Scarf to fix your slow speed. You want to max out your special attack, which will hit 426 with Modest nature. You want max speed to outrun a lot of things, while instead of putting 4 EV's in HP, you can now revenge kill and switch into Stealth Rocks 4 times. Hidden Power Fighting is for predicting Tyranitar switch ins, which 2HKO's. Fire Blast is meant to murder anything that doesn't resist it, or is Heatran. Energy Ball is for Politoed switch-in's which is also a 2HKO. Shadow Ball is your other powerful STAB attack, which annhialates Gengar, 2HKO's Jellicent, and cripples other scum. Your ability is Flash Fire, so what you're trying to get is a fire attack, then switch into Chandelure. One of the best companions to use this set with is Ninetales, as in sun and if Chandelure gets a Fire Blast to his face, Chandelure's Fire Blast is doubled in damage. Commong counters and things you have to look out for in this set are Tyranitar, as they will always attempt to switch-in, and you should carry HP Fighting for them.

Fighting-Lighting
Moves:
-Hidden Power Fighting
-Fire Blast
-Calm Mind
-Shadow Ball
Ability: Flash Fire
Item: Life Orb
EV's: 252 special attack, 252 speed, 4 defense
Nature: Timid

Not much to say here, only that your nature, one attack, and item are different for more power. Hidden Power Fighting may OHKO, depending on the Tyranitar. Chandelure's HP Fighting has an average of 340 damage, which is 1 short of a max HP Tyranitar with zero special defense or HP investment. Jellicent is OHKO'd if it doesn't run max HP investment by Shadow Ball. Politoed is 2HKO'd if it runs HP invesment by Energy Ball. However, upon getting a Calm Mind boost, all of the common counters for it can be destroyed.

Anti-Light
Moves:
-Shadow Ball
-Hidden Power Fighting
-Energy Ball
-Fire Blast
Item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest/Timid
EV's: 252 speed, 252 special attack, 4 special defense
Ability: Flash Fire

This is arguably the other best Chandelure set out there, and I'll tell you exactly why. With the item Choice Specs, your whole game changes and you are good enough to take out every single common lead in the game. Tyranitar is now OHKO'd by HP Fighting. Jellicent is now OHKO'd by Shadow Ball. Politoed is now OHKO'd by Energy Ball. Hippowdon can easily be taken care of with 2 Fire Blasts, 2 Energy Balls, or even two Shadow Balls. Breloom can be taken out if you have a Timid nature. This set OHKO's many leads in the book. Gliscor? OHKO. Conkeldurr switch in? OHKO.

Counters:
Dragonite is a great example of a counter, as it has Multiscale, which causes Chandelure's Shadow Ball to only 2HKO. He can set up a Dragon Dance and simply Outrage away. Gengar is also a good counter to the non- scarfed sets, as it can outspeed and easily counter with it's own Shadow Ball. Chansey and Blissey can wall Chandelure and Toxic stall it. Hydreigon poses a small threat to all three sets, as on average, it can survive an HP Fighting and counter with a Draco Meteor. Vaporeon can survive an Energy Ball and counter with a Scald. Kingdra poses a threat to all sets, as it can survive a Shadow Ball and counter with a Dragon Dance or Waterfall. Gyarados is another common switch in, and can easily set up over Chandelure. Scarfmie is deadly to Chandelure, and Salamence is another good counter.

I hope you enjoyed this week's POTW, comment, recommend, and subscribe!

Pokemon of the Week: Lizard..... of Death.

We have some important news, so be sure to check out the news page soon. Meanwhile, due to recent events, we want to make sure everyone knows, that the sly lizard Scrafty has emerged into OU!!! Here is a POTW, in dedication to him.



Groups of them beat up anything that enters their territory. Each can spit acidic liquid from its mouth. It can smash concrete blocks with its kicking attacks. The one with the biggest crest is the group leader.

 OVERVIEW:
Scrafty was going to be OU anyways, thanks to it's 115 base defenses, and decent 95 base attack. His speed and HP are his only low stats (not considering special attack). He is blessed with three amazing abilities: Moxie, Shed Skin, and Intimidate. Usually, Intimidate would be an amazing ability on any Pokemon, but on Scrafty, Intimidate is just a bit overshadowed, not allowing Scrafty to sweep easily. His access to both Moxie AND Dragon Dance allow him to become an amazing sweeper ater just a single Dragon Dance. His access to Shed Skin allows him to be the perfect Bulk Up user, especially with his great bulk and superior typing. I always favored Scrafty since the game first was released.

ABILITIES:
-Shed Skin: has a 30% percent chance of healing from a status condition: pure amazing. Scrafty can now avoid walls, such as Jellicent, while setting up.

-Moxie: raises attack one stage upon defeating an opponent: this ability is also cool, because it allows Scrafty to be a viable threat to any team after just 1-2 Dragon Dances.

-Intimidate: lowers the opponent's attack one stage upon entering battle: well.... it's a great ability, but doesn't suit Scrafty as well as his other abilities. It's just a bit overshadowed.

Moveset(s):

Beat this ghetto lizard fu.
Moves:
-Drain Punch
-Rest
-Payback
-Bulk Up
Ability: Shed Skin
Nature: Careful
Item: Leftovers
EV's: 252 HP, 252 SP DEF, 4 ATTACK

This is probably the best set there is out there, seeing as it utilizes Scrafty's access to Bulk Up and Shed Skin to it's advantage, unlike a more straight forward immediate set, such as the Lizard Dancing set. The EV's are meant to give Scrafty as much special bulk as possible, while giving it all around bulk. Shed Skin is to shoo-away Will-O-Wispers, while setting up. You want as much HP as possible in this set so you can tank hits and recover easily. Bulk Up is obvious, since you need to increase your bulk and attack power. Drain Punch is for recovering HP when you need it, and is also a powerful HP draining STAB attack.  Payback is for nailing ghost-types, psychic-types, and nearly nothing more except for threats such as Thundurus and scum. Rest is a useful ability with Shed Skin, so if Shed Skin does not heal you, you have Rest as a back up recovery move. Scrafty's unique typing allows it to switch in to Psychic's and set up, or Payback it's face. Scrafty gets two amazingly good STAB's, which allow great coverage. This set's counters include three Pokemon who resist this set: Toxicroak, Thundurus, and Heracross (Heracross and Toxicroak are a bit uncommon).

LIZARD DANCE DUDE.
Moves:
-Hi Jump Kick/Drain Punch
-Crunch
-Dragon Dance
-Ice Punch/Taunt
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Jolly
Item: Leftovers/Life Orb
EV'S: 252 attack, 252 speed, 4 HP

Scrafty is an odd choice for the Dragon Dance set due to it's lack of speed, but it's spread out and impressive bulk allow him to set up well. You want max speed and attack, with more speed. Jolly is used to maximize that. You could opt for Leftovers if you want recovery, but if you want a hard hit sweeping Scrafty, you would probably opt for Life Orb to pack a little more "punch" in your blows. Moxie is chosen to utilize Dragon Dance to it's fullest, making Scraty a threat to any team after a single Dragon Dance. Dragon Dance is used to boost both speed and attack in one go. HiJumpKick would be used for the more offensive Dragon Dance users, as it has tremendous power after STAB. Drain Punch would be for the HP used up trying to set up. Ice Punch can be used to annhialate Thundurus, but Taunt can take care of Gyarados and other phazers. Crunch is a powerful move after STAB, with a decent chance of defense drops, which comes in handy sometimes.

Countering Scrafty:
If you want to counter Scrafty, it's virtually impossible if he's running a Dragon Dance set, and already has two Dragon Dances. But something like Conkeldurr can easily annhialate this set with a STAB and Flame Orb MAch Punch. For the Bulk-Up set, you want something like Gyarados to Taunt it. Thundurus can be used, but is a bit ineffective, due to the ability Shed Skin. Toxicroak is probably the number one counter to Scrafty, as on the Bulk Up set, it resists both of Scrafty's STAB's, and can set up easily.

Thanks for reading, comment and subscribe!

CHECKS:
***Pastrybomb: Physically bulky Pokemon that can phaze Scrafty out, such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Swampert can force Scrafty out as long as it isn't the last Pokemon on its team. Powerful Flying- and Fighting-type moves can inflict serious damage on Scrafty, as long as it hasn't yet accumulated numerous Bulk Up boosts, or if they're special. Good users of these moves are Terrakion, Virizion, Staraptor, and Conkeldurr. Users of Trick and Encore will also cripple most Scrafty sets, as they can lock Scrafty into Bulk Up or Dragon Dance. While Scrafty has decent defenses, boosted hits from certain powerhouses such as Latios will often be too much for Scrafty to handle.

POTW Last Chance much?

Hey everyone! This is my final POTW. This is my graduation test. In hopes of exploring the world I have to show a little glimpse of my serious phase. Well to leave a mark for the site, I'm going to write about my favorite pokemon. DRAGONITE! This POTW is dedicated to one of my best friends of Youtube.... PIMPNITE! Alright let's get started guys.

Dragonite is a very versatile anti-metagame threat that has a trick for just about every occasion. Offensively, its great Attack and good Special Attack are complemented by a huge movepool, including its obligatory Dragon-type STAB moves, Draco Meteor and Outrage; the powerful Flying-type STAB, Hurricane; and Dragon Dance to outrun just about every threat in a metagame filled with slow, bulky Pokemon. Defensively, its bulk combines with Multiscale nicely to make a stalling phazer viable. However, residual damage from the likes of Stealth Rock and sandstorm negates Multiscale, making it more difficult for Dragonite to use its bulk effectively. Dragonite was the most powerful Dragon-type in D/P when Salamence was sent to the UBER tier. Dragonite is OU in B/W. Dragonite is simply so versatile that many different variants of the existing sets are possible. It also has an extremely large non-attacking movepool, containing moves such as Agility, Heal Bell, and Haze. However, many of these are incompatible with Multiscale, including Heal Bell. Agility is mostly overkill for boosting Speed in this metagame, and is hardly worth the lack of an Attack boost. Fire Punch may be tempting on the mixed attacker sets to hit specially defensive Ferrothorn harder and to retain a powerful Fire-type move after Draco Meteor is used, but its advantage is low, and Fire Punch is a contact move, which means that Dragonite will suffer damage from Iron Barbs.Dragonite is so versatile that one can forget about finding a surefire counter at the outset. However, fast Ground-types and bulky Steel-types, such as Jirachi, Excadrill, Landorus, and Scizor, are fairly good checks and revenge killers, particularly to the Parashuffler set. The Parashuffler set is also vulnerable to Taunt, which locks Dragonite into Dragon Tail. In general, Dragonite abhors status ailments and residual damage of all sorts. This makes Tyranitar and Hippowdon great assets for combating it, as both have Sand Stream and Stealth Rock to make Multiscale more difficult to use.A few defensive Pokemon deal with Dragonite fairly well. Cresselia is a good check for most Dragonite sets, but it has a hard time with the Parashuffler set unless it can catch it outside of a Substitute, or if Cresselia is the last Pokemon. Hippowdon and Skarmory are good checks to Dragon Dance variants, but they do not deal with other sets so well due to phazing, special attacks, or sheer power.Cloyster and Haxorus deserve special mentions. While it is not advisable for either Pokemon to switch directly into Dragonite, Cloyster can take a physical attack from Dragonite, use Shell Smash, and start a sweep with Icicle Spear, which hits through Multiscale. Haxorus has Mold Breaker and an extremely high 147 base Attack, which means that it will deal very heavy damage to Dragonite with Outrage, ignoring Multiscale.Dragonite's Passive Abilities are Inner Focus and Multiscale.

Moveset

Choice Band Dragonite

~ Outrage ~ Fire Punch ~ Dragon Claw/Waterfall ~ Extremespeed

252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Dragonite's gigantic attacking movepool and high Attack stat make a Choice Band set very effective and somewhat unpredictable. There are many options to place into the four moveslots, but Outrage and Fire Punch are highly recommended for the perfect type coverage (even Heatran is 2HKOed by Outrage, and Ferrothorn is OHKOed outside of rain). Dragon Claw provides an alternative STAB move that does not lock Dragonite in, while Waterfall is a useful move to add coverage in rain. Either Fire Punch or Waterfall will 2HKO Jirachi, Skarmory, and Bronzong in the appropriate weather. ExtremeSpeed rounds out the set to pick off weakened faster threats; Latios and Latias, for example, do not require much damage for the KO. This set is also very good at leading because it gets the opponent guessing right off the bat and threatens an OHKO on most slower Pokemon, such as Tyranitar and Ferrothorn.
Comments: I personally would prefer Waterfall over Dragon Claw in this set since Ferrothorn is SO common in competitive battling. At least this way you have a partially advantage in the rain and you still have Outrage. Fire Punch is also recommended to have since you'll have an advantage against Ferrothorn and have type coverage.The Speed EVs are maximized to tie at worst with Chandelure and opposing Dragonite. They can be lowered to 148 and still outrun Magnezone lacking a Choice Scarf, though any lower and Magnezone can just nail Dragonite with Hidden Power Ice. A Jolly nature is possible to get the jump on 252 Speed Adamant Gyarados, and maximizing Speed on top of this allows Dragonite to outrun Adamant Lucario and Timid Heatran, but the loss in power relative to Adamant is significant. Superpower is a great move to OHKO Blissey, Tyranitar, and Ferrothorn in the rain, but since it is incompatible with Multiscale, it may be more trouble than it is worth. Aqua Tail is also tempting, but Waterfall lands the same KOs while maintaining perfect accuracy.Removing or preventing sources of residual damage, especially Stealth Rock, is very helpful for the set's hit-and-run nature. Hitmontop is an interesting Rapid Spin-using partner, due to its ability to KO Excadrill and Terrakion with Fake Out followed by Mach Punch. Stealth Rock on the opponent's side of the field is also very helpful for the switches that this Dragonite will cause. This set greatly appreciates paralysis support from the likes of Jirachi, Ferrothorn, Thundurus, or Whimsicott; the former two can also switch into priority attacks, such as Scizor's Bullet Punch. Wish support from Blissey or Jirachi is also appreciated if it can be afforded. The destruction of Ground- and Steel-types with prediction can open the opponent up to assaults from other attackers such as Scizor, Landorus, Latios, and Thundurus. Revenge killers, such as Excadrill and Latios, can be handled using the appropriate counters, such as Rotom-W for the former and Jirachi for the latter.
Moveset:
Bulky Dragon Dance Item:Leftovers/Lum Berry Ability: Multiscale Nature: Adamant/Jolly

~ Dragon Dance ~ Dragon Claw/Outrage ~ Fire Punch ~ Roost

252 HP / 44 Atk / 212 Spe

In a metagame running rampant with frail attackers and their bulky counters, the ability to boost one's Speed and offensive capability simultaneously is a valuable asset. This set outruns Modest Choice Scarf Politoed after one Dragon Dance, and Choice Scarf Landorus after two. Dragonite's bulk allows for relatively easy setup, making it a very potent threat that can run right through the unprepared. Roost and Multiscale make a powerful combination that preserves Dragonite's HP while it is setting up or plowing through a particularly tough opponent, making the process safer and easier to pull off. Fire Punch is a great auxiliary attack to hit bulky Grass- and Steel-types harder.
Comments: Dragon Claw is usually preferred because this set appreciates every opportunity that it can get to use Roost or Dragon Dance again, but Outrage is not a bad alternative for a more aggressive take on this set. Lum Berry is an excellent alternative to Leftovers as well, because the opponent will inevitably consider trying to check Dragonite's rampage with paralysis, Toxic, or a burn, which will thus be foiled. Waterfall and Brick Break mainly hit Terrakion, Tyranitar, and Heatran, but Fire Punch tends to have better overall coverage unless Dragonite is on a rain team. ExtremeSpeed is tempting for picking off weakened threats, but it is fairly weak with this EV spread. 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly is a faster spread that, after two Dragon Dances, outpaces Adamant Excadrill in the sand and Venusaur carrying Hidden Power Fire in the sun. A much slower EV spread of 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe Careful is also possible, though at that point, Choice Scarf variants of Politoed, Terrakion, and Landorus may cause problems. Yet another possibility is Substitute, though it is difficult to fit into this moveset. Removal or prevention of Stealth Rock is highly recommended, as it will allow Dragonite to make use of Multiscale from the start and be able to set up much more easily. This can be accomplished through Rapid Spin users, such as Starmie and Hitmontop, and Magic Bounce users, such as Espeon. A teammate to set up Stealth Rock on the opponent's side is also important because this set does not have as much immediate power as some of the other, more offensive Dragonite sets, and every bit of damage helps. Revenge killers such as Excadrill, Scizor, Choice Scarf Terrakion, and Choice Scarf Landorus, as well as threats not covered by the chosen coverage move (e.g. Ferrothorn or Gliscor), can stop Dragonite's sweep cold. This makes Rotom-W a very viable partner, as it can burn Ferrothorn and scare off Terrakion, Gliscor, and Excadrill. Skarmory and Bronzong can deal with Landorus. Magnezone is yet another good partner that can trap and KO Ferrothorn and Scizor. Wish support from Blissey or Jirachi can be used to give Dragonite a "second wind" if it sustains too much damage and is forced out.

Moveset
Mixed Attacker Dragonite Item: Life Orb Ability:Inner Focus Nature: Rash/Mild

~ Draco Meteor ~ Fire Blast ~ Superpower ~ Extremespeed/Roost

252 Atk / 252 SpA / 4 Spe

Draco Meteor is a nasty surprise to foes expecting a Dragon Dance sweep, and is backed up by Fire Blast. Superpower is for Heatran, Blissey, and Tyranitar, though it should be noted that Superpower is unobtainable with Multiscale. ExtremeSpeed can be used to finish off weakened foes and sweepers, but Roost greatly extends Dragonite's staying power. This set can also lead fairly well, especially with ExtremeSpeed, forcing the opponent into a guessing game right from the start and picking off opposing leads.
Comments: This set can run one of several natures. Generally, a Special Attack boosting nature (e.g. Rash, Mild, or Quiet) is recommended to power up Draco Meteor, but an Attack boosting nature (e.g. Lonely, Naughty, or Brave) is a decent option as well to power up ExtremeSpeed a bit more. Some EVs can be invested into Speed to outrun threats like Magnezone and Politoed, in which case it should be noted that 108 Attack EVs and an Attack boosting nature are needed to OHKO 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Blissey with Superpower. If using a Speed-reducing nature, having 28 Speed EVs is a good idea to outrun Timid Wobbuffet. Teams that require a diverse offensive wallbreaker will greatly appreciate this set. This set will tend to lure in and destroy opposing Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Bronzong, and Skarmory, which the likes of Scizor, Landorus, Latios, and Thundurus can exploit. In return, Dragonite greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support and removal of sandstorm through Ninetales, Politoed, or Tornadus or Thundurus running Rain Dance. Hitmontop can serve the role of Rapid Spin user while keeping Excadrill and Terrakion in check. Bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, and Heatran can be very helpful for switching into priority moves such as Scizor's Bullet Punch. Wish support from Blissey or Jirachi can be of great help as well, especially if Dragonite elects not to use Roost.
Moveset:
Offensive Dragon Dance Items: Life Orb/Leftovers Ability: Multiscale Nature:Adamant/Jolly

~ Dragon Dance ~ Dragon Claw/Outrage ~ Fire Punch ~ Extremespeed/Earthquake/Roost

252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

In the past, Offensive Dragon Dance Dragonite was frequently shoved aside in favor of the faster Salamence, but Multiscale has changed this paradigm somewhat. The Speed difference is also less of an issue, as there are so few fast threats in the OU metagame, and Dragonite can outrun most of them. Although this set is generally riskier than a bulky Dragon Dance set, it is still fairly easy to set up, thanks to Multiscale boosting Dragonite's bulk. The given EV spread outruns Modest Choice Scarf Politoed after one Dragon Dance and Choice Scarf Pokemon up to base 107 Speed after two. Dragon Claw is the main STAB move, but Outrage is a strong alternative that can 2HKO Heatran, essentially giving Fire Punch perfect coverage with it. This set also has a very powerful ExtremeSpeed that can pick off faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Landorus, Venusaur in the sun, and Thundurus attempting to use Thunder Wave. If Outrage is being used, Earthquake may be a better alternative to ExtremeSpeed to OHKO Heatran and Jirachi rather than locking Dragonite into an Outrage. Roost is a good option as well to increase Dragonite's longevity.
Comments: Waterfall is a better option than Fire Punch on rain teams, while Brick Break is consistent in all weather conditions, but is not as powerful as Fire Punch or Waterfall in their respective weather conditions. The Speed EVs are maximized to attempt to tie with Chandelure and opposing Dragonite; a Jolly nature also outruns Adamant Excadrill in the sand after two Dragon Dances. Rapid Spin support is essential to make the best use of Multiscale while Dragonite is setting up, especially because it will also be suffering Life Orb recoil. This set will also cause some switches, making Stealth Rock very helpful. Rotom-W is a great defensive complement, easily countering the likes of Choice Scarf Terrakion, Excadrill, and Scizor. Bronzong and Skarmory can deal with Choice Scarf Terrakion, Excadrill, and Landorus, while Magnezone can trap and terminate Ferrothorn and Scizor.

Cheesecake-kun here! Cheesecake-kun is out!

POTW........ #1 OU Ferrothorn!

SC's: 1/2:Jonathan Auh
GC's: 1/2:Jonathan Auh

Well this this the first pokemon of the blog and is someone I love to use. His name is Ferrothorn and in my opinion is a better Forretress. Ferrothorn is the epitome of a mixed wall. Ferrothorn's ability to set up two of the top used Entry Hazards, Spikes and Stealth Rock, makes him a great support. He also has extremely good defensive typing giving him only two weaknesses to Fire and Fighting. His movepool is amazing for a support, as he sports a powerful STAB Gyro Ball and Power Whip combined with Leech Seed and can even support a team with Paralysis support from his unique move . But Ferrothorn's capability is not stopped at that. He can become an annoyance to a physical team with his ability Iron Barbs, which makes the target take 12.5% of their HP away. Combine that with the power of the Rocky Helmet, and Leech Seed stalling, he can easily take a pokemon down in about 3 turns. Ferrothorn can also sport a fairly good physical attacking moveset with only his two attack moves of Gyro Ball and Power Whip, which I'll explain later. Ferrothorn also acts an amazing rain teammate as it takes away his 4X Fire weakness bringing it down to 2X and can easily wall the Grass Types and Electric Types that Plaque Rain Teams. Overall Ferrothorn can play a variety of roles and can easily fit onto most teams, making him one of the most used pokemon in the OU metagame.



  

Name of Set: Thorn in the Bush!
-Spikes/Stealth Rock
-Leech Seed
-Gyro Ball/Protect/Thunder Wave
-Power Whip/Protect
Nature: Relaxed
Item: Leftovers/Shed Shell
EV's: 252 HP/208 Sp.Def/48Def.
IV's: 0 Speed

[Comments]
Easily the most standard sets most Ferrothorn will run. Spikes allows Ferrothorn to set up Entry Hazards which is one of its main roles, and is very good at doing that, considering his defensive capabilities. Spikes is the preferred choice, as 25% damage when anyone switches in as long as their not above the ground? Yes please! But if your team is in desperate need of a Stealth Rocker, you may opt for Stealth Rock. Leech Seed is used as the 2nd move because other than leftover recovery Ferrothorn will not last long without some sort of healing. Leech Seed fixes that up as it drains 12.5% of the opponents HP and giving it to you. It also allows for some very annoying stall wars, whereas if you have Leech Seed, you will most likely win. In the 3rd moveslot, there are 3 choices for you to use. Gyro Ball is preferred as considering Ferrothorn's abysmal speed, it will almost always result in 150 Base Power. Combined with STAB that is one powerful Gyro Ball! Protect is also a very appealing move as it allows you so stall pokemon with Leech Seed and Protect, and also allows you to scout. Protect also allows Ferrothorn to survive one more hit so If the Leech Seed recovery is high enough from the pokemon, it may make Ferrothorn able to survive another hit. Thunder Wave is your last good option, but is rarely used because it counters the Use of Gyro Ball, and it is hard to find a moveslot for it. But, Thunder Wave allows you to beat threats such as Infernape or other fast pokemon that may ruin your team. In the last moveslot, the move preferred is Power Whip as it allows you to beat down Water Types, and is another powerful STAB move. But once again Protect is very appealing due to the reasons stated above. A Relaxed Nature is preferred as it raises his defense and already lowers his abysmal speed to help make a powerful Gyro Ball, and a 0Speed IV is also preferred to make sure the the Gyro Ball is always at Full Power. The Ev's used are used because it maximizes his bulk on both sides of the spectrum. Ferrothorn is an amazing wall, so pick your moves and let it poke the enemy team with Spikes to your victory.

Name of Set: Choice Banded Thorn!
-Gyro Ball
-Power Whip
-Bulldoze
-Spikes/Explosion
Nature: Brave
Item: Choice Band
EV's: 248 HP/252 Attack/8 Sp.Def
IV's: 0 Speed


[Comments]
The Choice Band Set may seem like a gimmick for Ferrothorn considering his defenses, but you are very wrong. Very Wrong. Ferrothorn's Base 94 Attack is nothing to scoff at, and combined with Choice Band and two powerful as crap moves, he can decimate teams. Gyro Ball easily fits onto this set as a 0 Speed IV and a speed lowering nature, allows Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball to always reach 150 Base Power, decimating most pokemon that don't resist it, or pokemon with high defense. Power Whip is the second move of choice, as STAB Power Whip coming of Ferrothorn is something very scary. Ferrothorn's Choice Banded Power Whip easily OHKO's Excadrill and can easily 2HKO many threats. Bulldoze even with its paltry Base power of 60 still allows it to beat common counters such as Magnezone. Now your last move of choice is not that important but, the best choice would probably be using Spikes, as even though being locked into Spikes is not really good, at least it can set up hazards. Explosion may be used too, as it can be a last resort move when your going to die, or if there's nothing else you can do to the opposing team. The Nature chosen was Brave because it highers his attack and lowers his speed for maximum Gyro Ball power and a 0 Speed IV is chosen to maximize power for Gyro Ball. The Item chosen was obvious as it is a Choice Band set. The EV's were chosen so he could still have some bulk while maximizing his Attack. HP investment is enough for the Choice Band Set, since even without investment with both his defenses, he's still very bulky. Overall he is a very powerful Choice Bander as his main advantage over most Choice Banders is his bulk.

Here Are some damage calculations (Stolen from Smogon) for the Choice Band Set. 

Gyro Ball (-1) vs. 0/0 Salamence: 77.9% - 91.8%
Gyro Ball vs. 4/0 Thundurus: 72% - 84.7%
Gyro Ball vs. 252/4 Deoxys-S: 115.5% - 136.2%
Gyro Ball vs. 252/184+ Gliscor: 58.8% - 69.5%

Power Whip vs. 4/0 Excadrill: 107.73% - 126.80%
Power Whip vs. 252/0 Conkeldurr: 65.2% - 76.8%
Power Whip vs. 192/64 Reuniclus: 73.6% - 86.8%
Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Reuniclus: 52.6% - 62.3%
Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Suicune: 83.7% - 98.5%
Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Hippowdon: 79% - 93.3%

Bulldoze vs. 4/0 Heatran: 69.1% - 81.5%
Bulldoze vs. 40/0 Magnezone: 70.1% - 83.8%
Explosion vs. 192/64 Zapdos: 80.8% - 95.1%

Here ends the first pokemon day, and I hope you enjoyed it!