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| Subject: POTW: Pikachu Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:23 pm | |
| PIKACHU Pikachu@Light ball Static|Timid 4 Def,252 SpA, 252 Spe ~Encore ~Substitute ~THunderbolt ~Hidden Power [Ice]/Grass Knot
Overview: Pikachu may seem useless at first glance, with big brother Raichu outclassing it in every single stat. However, due to its unique hold item, Light Ball, both of its offensive stats are doubled, making the Pokemon mascot a force to be reckoned with.This set is one of Pikachu's best options to set up a sweep, either for itself or a teammate. The idea is to Encore a harmless move, such as a Clefable's Softboiled, and set up a Substitute. Then you can pound the opponent with either a STAB Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice.Substitute is a must on all of Pikachu's sets. The protection it offers from revenge killing is often the difference between life and death for the little yellow rodent. Thunderbolt provides you with a strong STAB attack and can severely dent most Pokemon not resistant or immune to it. Hidden Power Ice provides the best neutral coverage alongside Thunderbolt and hits Grass- and Ground-types super effectively. Alternatively, Grass Knot can be used to get the guaranteed 2HKO on max HP / 136 SpD Steelix and most Regirock (outside of a sandstorm), assuming Stealth Rock is in play. Pikachu can be very annoying for your opponent, but getting it in is quite hard, given its pathetic defenses. It therefore takes some prediction to switch it in. A less risky way is to utilize the moves U-turn and Baton Pass to get Pikachu in. Once Pikachu is in, let the fun begin!
Pikachu@Light ball Static|Timid 252 Spe, 252 SpA, 4 Def ~Thunderbolt ~Substitute ~Hidden Power [Ice] ~Grass Knot
Overview:Pikachu's Special Attack reaches very high levels, so an all-out sweeper set is viable. This set focuses more on type coverage than causing switches, and gets good coverage on most threats in UU and NU alike. Thunderbolt will be your main sweeping move, with Hidden Power and Grass Knot used for coverage on Grass-, Rock-, and Ground-types. Substitute is vital to provide Pikachu with a safety blanket from priority attacks, attacks in general, and Dugtrio, and you should attempt to keep a Substitute up while sweeping.Pikachu is still incredibly hard to switch in, so utilizing U-turn is a good strategy. Or, you could go the ballsy way and use your prediction skills to bring Pikachu in. The first option is safe, but the second is much more fun to pull off.Chansey and Clefable can easily cut Pikachu's sweep short, so pairing Pikachu with a strong Pursuit user such as Honckrow or Absol is recommended. Using a Pokemon like Blaziken and the aforementioned Pursuit users can also ensure that Chansey thinks twice before switching into Pikachu, lest Blaziken double switch into it. Lanturn also causes problems for this set since it is immune to Thunderbolt, resists Hidden Power Ice, and is only hit by Grass Knot for 40 Base Power.
Pikachu@Light Ball Static|Hasty/Naive 76 Atk, 180 SpA, 252 Spe ~Thunderbolt ~Substitute ~Focus Punch ~Hidden Power [Ice]/Grass Knot
Overview:Since Light Ball doubles both Pikachu's offensive stats, a mixed set is viable.Thunderbolt is your main attacking move, but you may choose to run Volt Tackle instead. However, it is generally an inferior option, as the recoil will shorten Pikachu's already meager life span. Substitute is vital on Pikachu, and coincidentally has great synergy with Focus Punch, which is powerful enough to KO Chansey with Stealth Rock in play, and deals a hefty 58 - 69% to the standard Registeel. Since Registeel has no reliable recovery, it won't be in a position to wall anything after taking a Focus Punch to the face, especially if it has already taken prior damage.If for some reason you don't want to take a chance with Focus Punch, then Brick Break is an alternative move. However, it's quite weak, and Focus Punch is generally the superior option, since you should have a Substitute up anyway. And hey - you're gutsy enough to be using Pikachu in the first place, so Focus Punch should be a piece of cake to pull off. Hidden Power Ice is for coverage against Grass-types. Alternatively, Grass Knot can be used to finish off Regirock after it is hit by Focus Punch and get a 2HKO on Steelix, who, due to his gigantic Defense, is not 2HKOed by Focus Punch.The EVs on this set guarantee the OHKO on Chansey with Focus Punch if Stealth Rock is up, and a minimum of 74% to max HP/ 152 Def Bold Clefable. Speed is maxed out, and the rest is put into Special Attack for obvious reasons. If you decide to go with Brick Break, then a spread of 152 Atk / 104 SpA / 252 Spe with a Hasty nature is recommended to get a guaranteed 2HKO on Chansey, taking into account Leftovers recovery.
Counters: Chansey, Clefable, Lanturn, and Registeel all solidly counter special versions of Pikachu. However, they all risk taking a Focus Punch to the face if they come up against the mixed variant. Chansey and Clefable also risk being hit by Volt Tackle, although Pikachu itself will be KOed by the recoil damage it takes from obliterating Chansey's 641+ HP.Anything that has over 90 base Speed or priority is a counter to Pikachu, as it isn't taking any hit short of a Caterpie Tackle and Seismic Toss. One hit is all that it takes for the rat to go down.
Team Options: Pikachu absolutely loves entry hazards, since it causes quite a few switches. As such, Roserade and Omastar are good users of Spikes, while Stealth Rock is available on quite a few Pokemon such as Registeel, Steelix, or Regirock.Set-up sweepers that can take advantage of Encored moves are good teammates for Pikachu. Such sweepers include, but are not limited to, Swords Dance Scyther, Calm Mind Mismagius, and Dragon Dance Altaria.Pikachu is incredibly hard to switch in, so utilizing U-turn or Baton Pass is a good strategy. Good users of U-turn include Uxie, Scyther, and Moltres. Moltres is particularly effective, seeing as it lures in bulky Water-types. Lopunny is another good candidate as it can Encore an opponent's attack, and then Baton Pass a Substitute to Pikachu, along with an Agility.Steelix is generally a pain for Pikachu if it does not carry Grass Knot. Thus, Pokemon like Houndoom, Blaziken, and Magmortar are good teammates for eliminating Steelix. And, oh happy coincidence, they also beat Chansey and Clefable as well. Pursuit users such as Honchkrow and Absol also work well to remove Chansey from the picture. Dugtrio is another option due to his ability to trap and eliminate Lanturn with Earthquake.Pikachu also appreciates paralysis support. Slowing down the opponent's team is extremely beneficial for Pikachu, since it can now outrun many foes that it would not otherwise be able to. | |
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