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Johto Classic prominent + finished niche pokemons

Lisey
May 26th, 2016
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  1. /* B rank: Prominent Pokemon */
  2.  
  3. <div class="mon" data-id="15">
  4.  
  5. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/jolteon.png" alt="Jolteon" /> Jolteon <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/jolteon.gif" alt="Jolteon" /></h2>
  6.  
  7. <h3>Offensive</h3>
  8. <dl>
  9. <dt>Jolteon @ Choice Specs / Life Orb</dt>
  10. <dd>Ability: Volt Absorb</dd>
  11. <dd>4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  12. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  13. <dd>- Thunderbolt</dd>
  14. <dd>- Volt Switch</dd>
  15. <dd>- Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground</dd>
  16. <dd>- Shadow Ball / Yawn</dd>
  17. </dl>
  18.  
  19. <h3>Substitute + Baton Pass</h3>
  20. <dl>
  21. <dt>Jolteon @ Leftovers / Life Orb</dt>
  22. <dd>Ability: Volt Absorb</dd>
  23. <dd>4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  24. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  25. <dd>- Substitute</dd>
  26. <dd>- Baton Pass</dd>
  27. <dd>- Thunderbolt</dd>
  28. <dd>- Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground</dd>
  29. </dl>
  30.  
  31. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  32. <p>Jolteon is one of the fastest Pokemon in Johto Classic, only being outsped by the rare Electrode! This makes Jolteon stand out among Electric-types, since it can outspeed important threats such as Gengar and Alakazam, and even Adamant Dragonite, Gyarados, and Feraligatr after a Dragon Dance boost!</p>
  33.  
  34. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  35. <p>Most Jolteon will focus on offense. Jolteon's Choice Specs-boosted Thunderbolts might not be as powerful as Raikou's or Zapdos's, but they still pack plenty of power, being able to 2HKO threats such as Zapdos and Scizor. Volt Switch makes Jolteon a pretty great scout while also dealing damage. Hidden Power Grass lets Jolteon nab an OHKO on Quagsire and at least deal decent damage to Piloswine, while Hidden Power Ice deals damage to Dragonite (though be warned: after Weakness Policy activates, Extreme Speed OHKOes Jolteon) and still 2HKOes Donphan. If you're more worried about opposing Electric-types, Hidden Power Ground smashes Magneton and 2HKOes Raikou before it sets up a Calm Mind. Shadow Ball guarantees an OHKO on Gengar, and has a 93.8% chance to OHKO Alakazam. While Choice Specs gives Jolteon more power, Life Orb is an acceptable alternative if you value switching moves more than spamming Volt Switch. In this case, Yawn becomes a valuable asset to punish Jolteon counters such as Piloswine and Snorlax.</p>
  36.  
  37. <p>If you're up for a more exotic Jolteon, you can use Substitute + Baton Pass, which can punish Jolteon's checks by powering up other Pokemon! Leftovers makes the most sense for this set, but considering the fast-paced nature of Johto Classic, Life Orb is still an acceptable option.</p>
  38.  
  39. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  40. <p>If you thought Raikou was frail, wait till you see Jolteon, which is actually 2HKOed by Dragonite's Extreme Speed without any boosting items! This means Jolteon is very difficult to switch in, as it is 2HKOed by almost any Pokemon. In particular, Piloswine is a very troublesome Pokemon, as Hidden Power Grass rarely 2HKOes it, while Piloswine easily OHKOes Jolteon with Earthquake. Quagsire is in a similar boat, but it must watch out for Hidden Power Grass. Like most special attackers, Jolteon also has no chance at beating Snorlax and Chansey, even if neither of them like switching into Yawn.</p>
  41. </div>
  42.  
  43. <div class="mon" data-id="16">
  44.  
  45. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/gyarados.png" alt="Gyarados" /> Gyarados <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/gyarados.gif" alt="Gyarados" /></h2>
  46.  
  47. <h3>Dragon Dancer</h3>
  48. <dl>
  49. <dt>Gyarados @ Life Orb / Leftovers</dt>
  50. <dd>Ability: Intimidate</dd>
  51. <dd>4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  52. <dd>Jolly / Adamant Nature</dd>
  53. <dd>- Dragon Dance</dd>
  54. <dd>- Waterfall</dd>
  55. <dd>- Ice Fang / Substitute</dd>
  56. <dd>- Earthquake / Bounce / Substitute</dd>
  57. </dl>
  58.  
  59. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  60. <p>Gyarados does have some trouble competing with Azumarill and Dragonite, but its unique abilities and typing give it a viable role between the two.</p>
  61.  
  62. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  63. <p>Gyarados is all about taking advantage of the rare Dragon Dance. After a boost, Jolly Life Orb Waterfall deals a great amount of damage, usually OHKOing frailer threats such as Raikou and Jolteon and 2HKOing bulkier threats such as Scizor and Snorlax. Ice Fang provides Gyarados with some extra coverage, dealing massive damage to Dragonite after a boost, and having an 87.5% chance of OHKOing offensive Zapdos. Earthquake allows Gyarados to seriously damage Magneton switch-ins and works especially well against it with Stealth Rock support. Bounce is a secondary STAB move that allows Gyarados to OHKO Venusaur, and it is the best Gyarados can do against Azumarill.</p>
  64.  
  65. <p>To maximize Gyarados's effectiveness as a sweeper, seriously consider Stealth Rock users such as Piloswine or Nidoqueen, as Gyarados has a bad habit of just missing out on certain KOs. Otherwise, try to set up with Gyarados late in the game. If you especially hate Suicune, you can use Substitute and Leftovers to boost on it! The only problem is that you will lose out on coverage and power, so you'll have to choose which threats you're comfortable with losing to. Adamant is also an option for more power, allowing a boosted Life Orb Gyarados to OHKO Multiscale Dragonite 81.3% of the time, and OHKO Azumarill 93.8% of the time with Bounce after Stealth Rock damage.</p>
  66.  
  67. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  68. <p>The most obvious flaw is that Gyarados is 4x weak to Electric-type attacks in a metagame where Electric-types dominate. While most Electric-types can't stomach Gyarados's assaults, they can easily revenge kill Gyarados if it hasn't set up. Magneton in particular is a big problem if Stealth Rock isn't set up due to Sturdy. Gyarados's more hidden problem is that it has trouble OHKOing threats without support, meaning that Pokemon such as Choice Band Azumarill can just barely survive and KO Gyarados if it is forced to set up too early in the game.</p>
  69. </div>
  70.  
  71. <div class="mon" data-id="17">
  72.  
  73. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/crobat.png" alt="Crobat" /> Crobat <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/crobat.gif" alt="Crobat" /></h2>
  74.  
  75. <h3>Choice Band</h3>
  76. <dl>
  77. <dt>Crobat @ Choice Band</dt>
  78. <dd>Ability: Inflitrator</dd>
  79. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  80. <dd>Jolly Nature</dd>
  81. <dd>- Brave Bird</dd>
  82. <dd>- U-turn</dd>
  83. <dd>- Cross Poison</dd>
  84. <dd>- Sleep Talk</dd>
  85. </dl>
  86.  
  87. <h3>Mixed Attacker</h3>
  88. <dl>
  89. <dt>Crobat @ Life Orb / Safety Goggles</dt>
  90. <dd>Ability: Infiltrator</dd>
  91. <dd>EVs: 244 Atk / 12 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  92. <dd>Naive / Jolly Nature</dd>
  93. <dd>- Brave Bird</dd>
  94. <dd>- U-turn</dd>
  95. <dd>- Heat Wave / Roost</dd>
  96. <dd>- Cross Poison / Roost</dd>
  97. </dl>
  98.  
  99. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  100. <p>Crobat may seem rather underwhelming on the surface, but for those of you who play Battle Spot Singles and OU, fun fact: Crobat actually has higher Attack than Talonflame! Because of that and Crobat's excellent Speed, its Brave Birds actually pack a wallop!</p>
  101.  
  102. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  103. <p>Crobat's deadliest set is probably the Choice Band set. Even with just base 90 Attack, Brave Bird is extremely powerful, even having a small chance of 2HKOing Raikou! U-turn is Crobat's other big selling point. While not particuarly powerful, it allows Crobat to be useful early in the game, giving it time to whittle down foes while getting away, only coming back when it can sweep a weakened team. Cross Poison isn't a particularly great move, but it gurantees a 2HKO on Raikou and has a good chance of 2HKOing offensive Zapdos, while also giving Crobat a way to 2HKO Clefable without taking recoil. Sleep Talk is filler, but with Infiltrator, it makes Crobat a great check to Venusaur!</p>
  104.  
  105. <p>Crobat can go beyond the realms of Choice Band if you wish. With a Life Orb, a Naive nature, and 12 Special Attack EVs, Heat Wave is a guaranteed OHKO on Scizor, which otherwise can 2HKO Crobat with Bullet Punch. Heat Wave also 2HKOes non-Eviolite Magneton, making this Crobat a decent lure. If you're willing to give up a serious amount of power and despise Venusaur, you can use Safety Goggles and Roost over Heat Wave or Cross Poison.</p>
  106.  
  107. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  108. <p>Crobat's biggest flaw is that while Brave Bird deals some serious damage, it doesn't actually OHKO that many threats beyond Pokemon that are weak to it such as Venusaur and Machamp. Because of this, Crobat has a very difficult time winning the game if its teammates failed to soften up the opponent's team for a sweep due to its frailness and reliance on Brave Bird. Additionally, while Crobat can weaken them, it still does a poor job against Electric-types, especially Eviolite Magneton and defensive Zapdos.</p>
  109. </div>
  110.  
  111. <div class="mon" data-id="18">
  112.  
  113. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/nidoqueen.png" alt="Nidoqueen" /> Nidoqueen <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/nidoqueen.gif" alt="Nidoqueen" /></h2>
  114.  
  115. <h3>Special Attacker</h3>
  116. <dl>
  117. <dt>Nidoqueen @ Life Orb</dt>
  118. <dd>Ability: Sheer Force</dd>
  119. <dd>252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe</dd>
  120. <dd>Modest / Quiet Nature</dd>
  121. <dd>- Earth Power</dd>
  122. <dd>- Sludge Wave</dd>
  123. <dd>- Ice Beam</dd>
  124. <dd>- Thunderbolt / Stealth Rock / Earthquake</dd>
  125. </dl>
  126.  
  127. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  128. <p>Nidoqueen stands out as the only somewhat-bulky Ground-type special attacker around. While its Special Attack stat is actually fairly low, Sheer Force and Life Orb more than make up for it. Nidoqueen is also one of the only Ground-types that aren't weak to Hidden Power Grass, which can screw up the plans of many Electric-types!</p>
  129.  
  130. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  131. <p>You'll almost never see Nidoqueen without Life Orb or its STAB moves. Earth Power is Nidoqueen's main tool for Electric-type slaying, and it also happens to 2HKO Piloswine 89.8% of the time and 2HKO physically defensive Quagsire. Sludge Wave is Nidoqueen's strongest attack, 2HKOing Flying-type threats such as Zapdos and Gyarados and obliterating Fairy-types such as Azumarill and Clefable. Ice Beam allows Nidoqueen to almost OHKO Dragonite with Multiscale intact and to OHKO offensive Zapdos after Stealth Rock damage. Thunderbolt 2HKOes Suicune that lack Assualt Vest (and Nidoqueen conveniently outspeeds Relaxed Suicune) and OHKOes Gyarados switch-ins, while Stealth Rock works well with Nidoqueen's ability to force switches. Finally, if you really dislike Calm Mind Raikou and are paranoid about it having Hidden Power Ice, a Quiet nature and Earthquake allow you to OHKO it even when it has a Calm Mind up.</p>
  132.  
  133. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  134. <p>Nidoqueen's bulk is rather mediocre compared to other Ground-types such as Piloswine and Donphan, as it's often 2HKOed by powerful Pokemon such as Dragonite. Its Speed isn't helping either, leaving it vulnerable to getting revenge killed by faster Water-types such as Gyarados, Kingdra, Starmie, and Feraligatr. In a similar manner, faster Psychic-types such as Alakazam and Espeon can smash through it. Also, as a special attacker, Nidoqueen has no hope of defeating Snorlax one-on-one.</p>
  135. </div>
  136.  
  137. <div class="mon" data-id="19">
  138.  
  139. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/heracross.png" alt="Heracross" /> Heracross <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/heracross.gif" alt="Heracross" /></h2>
  140.  
  141. <h3>Choiced Attacker</h3>
  142. <dl>
  143. <dt>Heracross @ Choice Band / Choice Scarf</dt>
  144. <dd>Ability: Guts / Moxie</dd>
  145. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  146. <dd>Adamant / Jolly Nature</dd>
  147. <dd>- Close Combat</dd>
  148. <dd>- Megahorn</dd>
  149. <dd>- Bullet Seed / Knock Off</dd>
  150. <dd>- Stone Edge</dd>
  151. </dl>
  152.  
  153. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  154. <p>Heracross's high Attack stat along with STAB moves that have high Base Power make it hit very hard. Heracross also has just enough coverage options to work around Pokemon that wall Bug + Fighting coverage.</p>
  155.  
  156. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  157. <p>Choice Band Close Combat and Megahorn hit extremely hard, often taking out neutral targets in one hit. Close Combat is even capable of 2HKOing Suicune and Skarmory all the time with an Adamant nature. Jolly can also be used to outspeed Dragonite, Venusaur, and Gyarados that have a Speed-boosting nature. Bullet Seed hits Azumarill, which does not mind Heracross's other attacks. Knock Off can be used as a more spammable move that also hits Gengar. Stone Edge hits Flying-types such as Dragonite, Zapdos, and Crobat for super effective damage. Choice Band is often used to break through defensive cores such as Chansey and Skarmory or Slowbro early-game. Guts is preferred on Choice Band sets, as it lets Heracross function throughout a match without fearing burns. Moxie lets Heracross function better as a fast late-game cleaner when used with Choice Scarf.</p>
  158.  
  159. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  160. <p>Unfortunately, Choice Band Heracross is outsped by threats like Zapdos, Alakazam, and Espeon. On the other hand, Choice Scarf sets lacks the power to muscle through bulky Pokemon such as Skarmory, Suicune, Azumarill, and Clefable. Focus Sash Alakazam troubles all Heracross sets, as it either outspeeds Heracross or takes a hit and knocks Heracross out with a STAB Psychic-type move.</p>
  161. </div>
  162.  
  163. <div class="mon" data-id="20">
  164.  
  165. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/donphan.png" alt="Donphan" /> Donphan <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/donphan.gif" alt="Donphan" /></h2>
  166.  
  167. <h3>Offensive</h3>
  168. <dl>
  169. <dt>Donphan @ Expert Belt / Choice Band</dt>
  170. <dd>Ability: Sturdy</dd>
  171. <dd>164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe</dd>
  172. <dd>Adamant Nature</dd>
  173. <dd>- Earthquake</dd>
  174. <dd>- Ice Shard</dd>
  175. <dd>- Gunk Shot</dd>
  176. <dd>- Rock Tomb / Seed Bomb / Knock Off / Stone Edge</dd>
  177. </dl>
  178.  
  179. <h3>Custap Abuse</h3>
  180. <dl>
  181. <dt>Donphan @ Custap Berry</dt>
  182. <dd>Ability: Sturdy</dd>
  183. <dd>84 HP / 252 Atk / 172 Spe</dd>
  184. <dd>Adamant Nature</dd>
  185. <dd>- Earthquake</dd>
  186. <dd>- Ice Shard</dd>
  187. <dd>- Endeavor</dd>
  188. <dd>- Counter / Knock Off / Seed Bomb / Gunk Shot</dd>
  189. </dl>
  190.  
  191. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  192. <p>Defensively, Piloswine and Quagsire may be the best Ground-types around, but thanks to an excellent ability in Sturdy and a good offensive movepool, Donphan stands out as a good option for an offensive Ground-type!</p>
  193.  
  194. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  195. <p>When seeing Donphan, you'll always come across Earthquake and Ice Shard. Earthquake is the STAB that justifies Donphan, while Ice Shard is nice for picking off weakened Dragonite and Zapdos. Where things start to differ depends on Donphan's item. With an Expert Belt, Donphan is actually capable of OHKOing Azumarill 87.5% of the time with Gunk Shot, removing its ability to easily check Donphan! Rock Tomb is your usual 3v3 Rock-type move, 2HKOing offensive Zapdos while giving other Pokemon a Speed drop. Seed Bomb lets Expert Belt Donphan OHKO Quagsire 56.3% of the time, while Knock Off smashes Gengar switch-ins and removes Eviolites from incoming Piloswine, Porygon2, and Gligar. 92 Speed EVs allow Donphan to outspeed Clefable and a large amount of Azumarill, but if you want to go further, 172 Speed EVs outspeed minimum Speed Magneton, and maximum Speed outspeeds 4 Speed Venusaur. If you want a serious power boost, Choice Band can be used if you're okay with reducing Donphan's versatility. As a bonus, this allows Donphan to OHKO offensive Zapdos with Stone Edge.</p>
  196.  
  197. <p>The other Donphan set fully takes advantage of Sturdy and the awesome Custap Berry, which lets Donphan move first in its priority bracket when hitting 25% of its health. The idea is that Donphan often gets at low enough health to activate Custap Berry, partly thanks to Sturdy. This way, it can surprise opponents with Endeavor, and either KO the next turn thanks to Custap, or at least go out with a strong Endeavor. To take further advantage of Sturdy, Donphan is actually an excellent user of Counter, which allows a Donphan with full health to annihilate threats it usually wouldn't, such as Azumarill, Gyarados, Kingdra, and Dragonite. If you need Donphan to handle other threats, its usual offensive coverage is also acceptable.</p>
  198.  
  199. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  200. <p>Donphan's biggest problem is its Special Defense. While Sturdy means that OHKOing Donphan will be difficult, threats such as Suicune, Venusaur, Porygon2, and Hidden Power Grass Zapdos can do a serious number to Donphan. On the physical side, Gyarados stands out as an excellent Donphan check, thanks to Intimidate and its Water STAB. Azumarill can also work, but note that it Speed ties with Donphan, and can get maimed by Gunk Shot.</p>
  201. </div>
  202.  
  203. <div class="mon" data-id="21">
  204.  
  205. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/golem.png" alt="Golem" /> Golem <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/golem.gif" alt="Golem" /></h2>
  206.  
  207. <h3>Sturdy Attacker</h3>
  208. <dl>
  209. <dt>Golem @ Weakness Policy</dt>
  210. <dd>Ability: Sturdy</dd>
  211. <dd>4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  212. <dd>Adamant / Jolly Nature</dd>
  213. <dd>- Earthquake</dd>
  214. <dd>- Sucker Punch</dd>
  215. <dd>- Rock Slide / Stone Edge / Rock Tomb</dd>
  216. <dd>- Rock Polish / Stealth Rock / Counter</dd>
  217. </dl>
  218.  
  219. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  220. <p>Golem has a ton of weaknesses, which is usually a huge bummer for most Pokemon. However, thanks to Sturdy, Weakness Policy, and good STABs, Golem is able to make its mark on Johto Classic as a unique offensive threat!</p>
  221.  
  222. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  223. <p>The big idea behind Golem is that its many weaknesses and free Focus Sash in Sturdy allow it to use Weakness Policy to deal some serious damage with Earthquake. Sucker Punch is unique for a Ground-type, allowing Golem to crush Alakazam, Espeon, and Starmie. Golem has a bunch of viable Rock-type moves to choose from. Rock Slide works best with Rock Polish, giving Golem a chance to flinch. Stone Edge offers more power, allowing Golem to OHKO Gyarados that haven't Intimidated it. Rock Tomb is the weakest, but it slows down switch-ins, which can be useful for the rest of your team. Rock Polish works perfectly with Weakness Policy's Attack boost, giving Golem the potential to sweep. If you're too worried about priority though, you can use Stealth Rock to aid the rest of your team, or use Counter to defeat physical Pokemon that usually survive Golem's assaults.</p>
  224.  
  225. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  226. <p>Quagsire is Golem's archnemesis, as it ignores Golem's Weakness Policy boosts with Unaware, and smashes it with either Scald or Waterfall. Clefable is in a similar boat, despite not hitting Golem super effectively. Skarmory can handle whatever Golem throws at it (besides +2 Stone Edge critical hits), and use Toxic to outstall it. While Scizor and Azumarill take massive damage from Earthquake, they're notable for being able to revenge kill Golem with their priority attacks.</p>
  227. </div>
  228.  
  229. <div class="mon" data-id="22">
  230.  
  231. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/kingdra.png" alt="Kingdra" /> Kingdra <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/kingdra.gif" alt="Kingdra" /></h2>
  232.  
  233. <h3>Dragon Dance</h3>
  234. <dl>
  235. <dt>Kingdra @ Lum Berry / Leftovers</dt>
  236. <dd>Ability: Sniper / Swift Swim</dd>
  237. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  238. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  239. <dd>Adamant Nature</dd>
  240. <dd>- Outrage</dd>
  241. <dd>- Waterfall</dd>
  242. <dd>- Dragon Dance</dd>
  243. <dd>- Rest / Substitute</dd>
  244. </dl>
  245.  
  246. <h3>Rain Dance Sweeper</h3>
  247. <dl>
  248. <dt>Kingdra @ Life Orb</dt>
  249. <dd>Ability: Swift Swim</dd>
  250. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  251. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  252. <dd>Modest Nature</dd>
  253. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  254. <dd>- Draco Meteor</dd>
  255. <dd>- Hydro Pump</dd>
  256. <dd>- Scald / Dragon Pulse / Ice Beam</dd>
  257. <dd>- Rain Dance</dd>
  258. </dl>
  259.  
  260. <h3>Choice Specs</h3>
  261. <dl>
  262. <dt>Kingdra @ Choice Specs</dt>
  263. <dd>Ability: Sniper / Swift Swim</dd>
  264. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  265. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  266. <dd>Modest Nature</dd>
  267. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  268. <dd>- Draco Meteor</dd>
  269. <dd>- Hydro Pump</dd>
  270. <dd>- Dragon Pulse / Ice Beam</dd>
  271. <dd>- Scald / Surf</dd>
  272. </dl>
  273.  
  274. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  275. <p>Being the only other viable Dragon-type beside Dragonite in Johto Classic, Kingdra poses a threat in its versatility, capable of using physical and special sets effectively, and excellent STAB coverage that is virtually unresisted by all Pokemon in the format barring Azumarill. Kingdra's decent bulk also allows it to survive strong hits, such as from the likes of Tyranitar and Zapdos, and reply with a strong hit back, or setting up Dragon Dance or Rain Dance to aim for a sweep.</p>
  276.  
  277. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  278. <p>With Kingdra's versatility, it's hard to anticipate what set you'll be up against until you see it make a move. However, you can expect that physically-based sets will be Dragon Dance variants, geared to set up and sweep with Dragon Dance, using either Substitute or Rest to dodge status. Due to the 3v3 nature of Johto Classic, Yawn even has some viability in crippling opponents to allow Kingdra or a teammate to set up. Specially-based sets, however, will be geared toward blowing holes in teams. Choice Specs Kingdra acts as a potent wallbreaker, nailing the majority of the metagame with its STAB coverage, occasionally running Ice Beam as a safer option for disposing of Dragonite and Venusaur. Rain Dance Kingdra functions similarly, using a Life Orb instead of Choice Specs, and taking advantage of Rain Dance and Swift Swim to clean up weakened teams. Politoed may be an occasional partner for this set to offer rain support.</p>
  279.  
  280. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  281. <p>Despite Kingdra's power, it has a few Pokemon that will remain as solid checks regardless of the set it's running. For instance, Unaware Clefable utterly shuts down Dragon Dance Kingdra, ignoring any stat boosts it has, while punishing Kingdra with Moonblast should it lock into Outrage. Azumarill resists both of Kingdra's STAB moves, essentially functioning as a counter to either Kingdra set. Belly Drum variants are especially dangerous, as they get free turns to set up on Kingdra and sweep.</p>
  282. </div>
  283.  
  284. <div class="mon" data-id="23">
  285.  
  286. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/arcanine.png" alt="Arcanine" /> Arcanine <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/arcanine.gif" alt="Arcanine" /></h2>
  287.  
  288. <h3>Offensive</h3>
  289. <dl>
  290. <dt>Arcanine @ Choice Band / Life Orb</dt>
  291. <dd>Ability: Intimidate / Flash Fire</dd>
  292. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  293. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  294. <dd>Jolly Nature</dd>
  295. <dd>- Flare Blitz</dd>
  296. <dd>- Extreme Speed</dd>
  297. <dd>- Close Combat</dd>
  298. <dd>- Wild Charge</dd>
  299. </dl>
  300.  
  301. <h3>Defensive</h3>
  302. <dl>
  303. <dt>Arcanine @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers</dt>
  304. <dd>Ability: Intimidate</dd>
  305. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  306. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD</dd>
  307. <dd>Impish Nature</dd>
  308. <dd>- Morning Sun</dd>
  309. <dd>- Will-O-Wisp</dd>
  310. <dd>- Flare Blitz</dd>
  311. <dd>- Extreme Speed</dd>
  312. </dl>
  313.  
  314. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  315. <p>Arcanine separates itself from Entei with access to Close Combat and Wild Charge in addition to better abilities in Intimidate and Flash Fire.</p>
  316.  
  317. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  318. <p>Offensive Arcanine is able to deal surprising amounts of damage when backed by Choice Band. Life Orb can also be used if more versatility is preferred. Flare Blitz is Arcanine's strongest STAB move and is used on both sets. Flamethrower can be used on the defensive set if a move that does not cause recoil is wanted. Extreme Speed is very useful for picking off weakened Pokemon before they can move. Close Combat and Wild Charge are for coverage against Rock-types and Water-types respectively. On the defensive set, Will-O-Wisp helps decrease the power of physical attackers, enabling Arcanine to wall them more effectively. It also helps whittle down Pokemon that switch into Arcanine such as Suicune and Quagsire. Morning Sun offers reliable recovery for Arcanine. Flash Fire can be used on the offensive set to check opposing Fire-types, but Intimidate is usually preferred.</p>
  319.  
  320. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  321. <p>The offensive set is fairly frail and can be left vulnerable when Choice-locked into a not very effective move. It is also walled by Quagsire. The defensive set is fairly slow which leaves it easily revenge killed. The defensive set also struggles to take on opposing Fire-types and Water-types.</p>
  322. </div>
  323.  
  324. <div class="mon" data-id="24">
  325.  
  326. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/alakazam.png" alt="Alakazam" /> Alakazam <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/alakazam.gif" alt="Alakazam" /></h2>
  327.  
  328. <h3>Offensive</h3>
  329. <dl>
  330. <dt>Alakazam @ Focus Sash / Life Orb</dt>
  331. <dd>Ability: Magic Guard</dd>
  332. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  333. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  334. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  335. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  336. <dd>- Psychic / Psyshock</dd>
  337. <dd>- Shadow Ball</dd>
  338. <dd>- Focus Blast</dd>
  339. <dd>- Energy Ball / Thunder Wave</dd>
  340. </dl>
  341.  
  342. <h3>Disruption</h3>
  343. <dl>
  344. <dt>Alakazam @ Focus Sash / Leftovers</dt>
  345. <dd>Ability: Magic Guard</dd>
  346. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  347. <dd>EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  348. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  349. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  350. <dd>- Psychic</dd>
  351. <dd>- Encore</dd>
  352. <dd>- Disable</dd>
  353. <dd>- Protect / Substitute</dd>
  354. </dl>
  355.  
  356. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  357. <p>Alakazam's high Speed and Special Attack stats allow it to be one of the best special sweepers in the metagame. A large supportive movepool also lets it viably run a more disruptive set.</p>
  358.  
  359. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  360. <p>Offensive Alakazam can either run Focus Sash to ensure it survives at least one hit, or Life Orb to boost the power of its moves. Magic Guard also makes Alakazam ignore Life Orb damage. Psyshock can be used over Psychic if it is important that Alakazam can hit Chansey for good damage. However, due to the fact that Psyshock still does less than half to Chansey, Psychic is preferred for its higher Base Power. Shadow Ball hits opposing Psychic-types, and Focus Blast hits Dark-types super effectively. Energy Ball hits Water-types and offers a 100% accurate move against Tyranitar, but Thunder Wave can be used to cripple opposing Alakazam or Dragonite. The supportive set will use either Protect or Substitute first and will then proceed to use Encore or Disable depending on what the opponent did. Leftovers should be used with Substitute to slowly heal back the HP Substitute takes.</p>
  361.  
  362. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  363. <p>Alakazam's incredibly low physical bulk leaves it very vulnerable to priority attacks. For example, a Choice Band Dragonite's Extreme Speed OHKOes Alakazam without Focus Sash. Cloyster can also OHKO Alakazam through its Focus Sash due to Icicle Spear being a multi-hit move. Alakazam also doesn't hit quite hard enough to break through some of the metagame's common Pokemon, such as Snorlax.</p>
  364. </div>
  365.  
  366. <div class="mon" data-id="25">
  367.  
  368. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/politoed.png" alt="Politoed" /> Politoed <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/politoed.gif" alt="Politoed" /></h2>
  369.  
  370. <h3>Rain Setter</h3>
  371. <dl>
  372. <dt>Politoed @ Eject Button / Damp Rock</dt>
  373. <dd>Ability: Drizzle</dd>
  374. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  375. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD</dd>
  376. <dd>Bold Nature</dd>
  377. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  378. <dd>- Scald</dd>
  379. <dd>- Encore</dd>
  380. <dd>- Perish Song</dd>
  381. <dd>- Ice Beam / Hidden Power Electric</dd>
  382. </dl>
  383.  
  384. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  385. <p>Politoed sets itself apart from the other popular Water-types with its access to the ability Drizzle. Politoed also has passable bulk that allows it to check most offensive Water- and Fire-types.</p>
  386.  
  387. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  388. <p>Politoed is often paired with Swift Swim users for them to take advantage of Politoed's rain. Eject Button allows Politoed to switch in and out as quickly as possible to let its partners get the most rain turns possible. Damp Rock increases the overall length of the rain. Scald is the chosen STAB move for its ability to burn the target. Encore can lock Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Dragonite and Belly Drum Azumarill into their respective setup moves. Perish Song can act as a check to annoying Pokemon such as Minimize Clefable by forcing them to switch out and lose their boosts. Ice Beam hits Grass-types and Dragonite for good damage, but Hidden Power Electric can be used to more reliably check Cloyster and Gyarados.</p>
  389.  
  390. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  391. <p>Running Politoed with a Swift Swim user often causes poor type synergy due to the use of multiple Water-types. Politoed is also a rather underwhelming Pokemon due to its mediocre bulk and low Special Attack.</p>
  392. </div>
  393.  
  394. <div class="mon" data-id="26">
  395.  
  396. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/tyranitar.png" alt="Tyranitar" /> Tyranitar <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/tyranitar.gif" alt="Tyranitar" /></h2>
  397.  
  398. <h3>Bulky TTar</h3>
  399. <dl>
  400. <dt>Tyranitar @ Lum Berry / Chople Berry</dt>
  401. <dd>Ability: Sand Stream</dd>
  402. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  403. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD</dd>
  404. <dd>Careful Nature</dd>
  405. <dd>- Rock Slide / Rock Tomb</dd>
  406. <dd>- Crunch</dd>
  407. <dd>- Thunder Wave</dd>
  408. <dd>- Stealth Rock / Pursuit</dd>
  409. </dl>
  410.  
  411. <h3>Tank</h3>
  412. <dl>
  413. <dt>Tyranitar @ Assault Vest</dt>
  414. <dd>Ability: Sand Stream</dd>
  415. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  416. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD</dd>
  417. <dd>Adamant Nature</dd>
  418. <dd>- Rock Slide / Rock Tomb</dd>
  419. <dd>- Pursuit</dd>
  420. <dd>- Crunch</dd>
  421. <dd>- Earthquake / Low Kick / Iron Head</dd>
  422. </dl>
  423.  
  424. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  425. <p>Tyranitar's amazing bulk and Attack enable it to be a threatening Pokemon despite its bad defensive typing. However, this typing does give it useful resistances to Fire and Psychic.</p>
  426.  
  427. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  428. <p>Rock Slide is used as a Rock-type STAB move that provides good synergy with Thunder Wave. Rock Tomb can be used instead as a less powerful alternative that decreases the target's Speed. Crunch is used as a reliable Dark-type move and Pursuit can be used to help eliminate foes such as Alakazam, Gengar, and Espeon. Earthquake allows Tyranitar to more reliably check Electric-types, Low Kick takes out opposing Tyranitar, and Iron Head 2HKOes Clefable. Lum Berry allows Tyranitar to avoid status from Pokemon such as Gengar and Smeargle while Chople Berry allows it to survive most special Fighting-type moves. When using Chople Berry, more EVs can be moved to Attack, since Tyranitar no longer needs to invest to survive Focus Blasts. Assault Vest and sand cause Tyranitar to become almost impenetrable to special attackers, with weaker super effective STAB moves often doing less than 25%.</p>
  429.  
  430. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  431. <p>Tyranitar's main flaw is how many weaknesses its typing gives it. Fighting-, Water-, and Ground-type attacks are all very common. Additionally, many special attackers prepare specifically for Tyranitar by running Focus Blast. Many of the Pokemon Tyranitar is used to check such as Crobat, Zapdos, and Raikou carry moves that allow them to switch out against Tyranitar. Tyranitar also can't safely switch into Entei because it has to fear burns from Sacred Fire.</p>
  432. </div>
  433.  
  434. <div class="mon" data-id="27">
  435.  
  436. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/kangaskhan.png" alt="Kangaskhan" /> Kangaskhan <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/kangaskhan.gif" alt="Kangaskhan" /></h2>
  437.  
  438. <h3>Pseudo-Mega Kangaskhan</h3>
  439. <dl>
  440. <dt>Kangaskhan (F) @ Silk Scarf</dt>
  441. <dd>Ability: Scrappy</dd>
  442. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  443. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  444. <dd>Jolly Nature</dd>
  445. <dd>- Fake Out</dd>
  446. <dd>- Double-Edge</dd>
  447. <dd>- Sucker Punch</dd>
  448. <dd>- Earthquake / Fire Punch / Ice Punch / Power-Up Punch</dd>
  449. </dl>
  450.  
  451. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  452. <p>Despite not being allowed to Mega Evolve in Johto Classic, Kangaskhan still manages to carve itself a niche as a physical attacker that can break through Sturdy and Focus Sash users with Fake Out.</p>
  453.  
  454. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  455. <p>When boosted by Silk Scarf, a combination of Fake Out and Double-Edge can take out most offensive Pokemon. There are very few Pokemon that can switch into Kangaskhan's attacks without being 2HKOed. Sucker Punch gives Kangaskhan another priority move to take out weakened Pokemon. The last moveslot allows Kangaskhan to take out specific threats in the format. Earthquake KOes Magneton and hits other Steel- and Rock-types super effectively. Fire Punch KOes Scizor while Ice Punch takes out Dragonite after a Fake Out. Power-Up Punch can be used to boost Kangaskhan's Attack if more coverage is not needed.</p>
  456.  
  457. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  458. <p>Kangaskhan's main problem is that it lacks the firepower to break through very bulky Pokemon like Skarmory and Suicune. It is also outsped by Raikou, Zapdos, Entei, and Crobat, which survive a Sucker Punch and deal major damage with their STAB moves.</p>
  459. </div>
  460.  
  461. <div class="mon" data-id="28">
  462.  
  463. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/nidoking.png" alt="Nidoking" /> Nidoking <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/kangaskhan.gif" alt="Nidoking" /></h2>
  464.  
  465. <h3>Special Attacker</h3>
  466. <dl>
  467. <dt>Nidoking @ Life Orb</dt>
  468. <dd>Ability: Sheer Force</dd>
  469. <dd>EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe</dd>
  470. <dd>Modest / Rash Nature</dd>
  471. <dd>- Sludge Wave</dd>
  472. <dd>- Earth Power</dd>
  473. <dd>- Ice Beam</dd>
  474. <dd>- Flamethrower / Superpower</dd>
  475. </dl>
  476.  
  477. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  478. <p>Nidoking is a special powerhouse with Sheer Force, with a huge movepool that lets it threaten almost every major threat in the format, making it difficult to switch into it safely. It can also check the dangerous Electric-types by virtue of its Poison / Ground typing.</p>
  479.  
  480. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  481. <p>Nidoking will often try to overwhelm the foe with its excellent coverage, hitting incredibly hard with Sheer Force and Life Orb boosts. Sludge Wave is Nidoking's strongest STAB move, doing huge damage against anything that doesn't resist it and allowing it to check Clefable and Azumarill. However, Azumarill wins against Nidoking if it sets up with Belly Drum or locks into Aqua Jet on a Choice Band set. Earth Power allows Nidoking to beat Electric- and Steel-types and offers better neutral coverage than Sludge Wave. Ice Beam lets Nidoking beat Zapdos and prevents Dragonite from trying to set up against it, but it can't OHKO Dragonite through Multiscale. Flamethrower is used primarily for Skarmory and Scizor, since they aren't weak to Earth Power, though Superpower is an alternative for hitting Chansey harder since it has no trouble switching into Nidoking otherwise. Modest is used to maximize Nidoking's damage output since Timid doesn't outspeed much of note, and Modest still outspeeds Adamant Dragonite. However, a Rash nature is preferred with Superpower so that Nidoking's Attack isn't affected.</p>
  482.  
  483. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  484. <p>Nidoking's bulk is somewhat lacking, and while its typing grants it a useful Fairy resistance and Electric immunity, it suffers from crippling weaknesses to Ground and Water, which makes Azumarill difficult to check effectively. Its Speed tier is also in an awkward place that is enough to outspeed anything that it needs to hit with its coverage moves, but leaves it outsped by all fast threats such as Gengar, Alakazam, and Crobat, which makes it easier to revenge kill due to its average bulk.</p>
  485. </div>
  486.  
  487. <div class="mon" data-id="29">
  488.  
  489. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/cloyster.png" alt="Cloyster" /> Cloyster <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/cloyster.gif" alt="Cloyster" /></h2>
  490.  
  491. <h3>Shell Smash</h3>
  492. <dl>
  493. <dt>Cloyster @ Focus Sash / King's Rock</dt>
  494. <dd>Ability: Skill Link</dd>
  495. <dd>EVs: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe</dd>
  496. <dd>Adamant / Jolly Nature</dd>
  497. <dd>- Shell Smash</dd>
  498. <dd>- Icicle Spear</dd>
  499. <dd>- Razor Shell / Ice Shard</dd>
  500. <dd>- Rock Blast</dd>
  501. </dl>
  502.  
  503. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  504. <p>Cloyster is a devastating Shell Smash sweeper capable of cleaning up entire teams by itself, just like it does in Battle Spot Singles. Skill Link makes it even more dangerous, allowing it to beat through a foe behind a Substitute and OHKO Dragonite through Multiscale without even needing to set up.</p>
  505.  
  506. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  507. <p>Cloyster will often run a Shell Smash set due to its incredible power and Speed after setting up. Icicle Spear becomes very dangerous with Skill Link and prevents Cloyster from being revenge killed by Focus Sash and Sturdy Pokemon such as Alakazam and Donphan. Razor Shell gives Cloyster a secondary STAB move that hits Steel-types such as Skarmory and Scizor harder as well as Fire-types that resist Icicle Spear. However, Ice Shard can be used over Razor Shell to give Cloyster a form of priority to let it pick off threats even at low health, which can make Cloyster more dangerous to deal with late-game if the foe is planning to take down a weakened Cloyster with a priority move. Rock Blast allows Cloyster to break through Fire-types if it chooses to run Ice Shard, and it's Cloyster's strongest move against Water-types such as Suicune and Azumarill. Focus Sash is often used so that Cloyster has an easy time setting up, allowing it to take any single hit even after the defensive drops from Shell Smash. However, those more willing to press their luck might find King's Rock more appealing, as Cloyster has a good chance to flinch a foe that survives Icicle Crash or Rock Blast and possibly break bulkier foes such as Suicune with some of luck. An Adamant nature allows Cloyster to hit as hard as possible and still outspeeds all relevant threats, though at level 50, a Jolly nature allows Cloyster to outspeed any Choice Scarf users up to base 110 Speed if you're worried about the possibility of a Choice Scarf Gengar.</p>
  508.  
  509. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  510. <p>Cloyster is very dependent on setting up to do its job. If it can't set up then it has a difficult time accomplishing much, so foes that can prevent it from setting up are difficult to deal with. Being weak to Electric and Fighting doesn't help Cloyster's case since both are very dangerous offensive types in this format, especially in the case of Magneton which resists both Icicle Spear and Rock Blast to avoid being KOed through its Sturdy. It also falls to priority after being brought down to its Focus Sash, which is difficult to overcome in a format with dangerous priority users such as Dragonite, Scizor, Azumarill and Arcanine, which can all easily pick it off regardless of whether or not Cloyster has Ice Shard.</p>
  511. </div>
  512.  
  513. <div class="mon" data-id="30">
  514.  
  515. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/espeon.png" alt="Espeon" /> Espeon <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/espeon.gif" alt="Espeon" /></h2>
  516.  
  517. <h3>Baton Pass Recipient</h3>
  518. <dl>
  519. <dt>Espeon @ White Herb / Leftovers</dt>
  520. <dd>Ability: Magic Bounce</dd>
  521. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  522. <dd>EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  523. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  524. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  525. <dd>- Stored Power</dd>
  526. <dd>- Morning Sun</dd>
  527. <dd>- Calm Mind</dd>
  528. <dd>- Dazzling Gleam / Substitute / Baton Pass</dd>
  529. </dl>
  530.  
  531. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  532. <p>Espeon is the ideal receiver of boosts from Smeargle, as it has Magic Bounce to protect it from threatening status moves and Stored Power which increases in power with each boost.</p>
  533.  
  534. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  535. <p>Smeargle often Baton Passes boosts from Quiver Dance or Geomancy in addition to Moody's stat changes. White Herb gets rid of any stat drops that Moody might have caused while Leftovers can be used with Substitute as passive recovery. Stored Power's Base Power increases by 20 for each positive boost Espeon has. This causes Stored Power to hit very hard after just a couple boosts, especially Special Attack boosts. Calm Mind allows Espeon to further boost its own stats and Morning Sun provides immediate recovery. Dazzling Gleam can be used to prevent the Dark-types, Tyranitar and Umbreon, from completely walling Espeon. Baton Pass can be used to pass boosts to a more suitable sweeper if Espeon has a poor matchup.</p>
  536.  
  537. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  538. <p>Even if it has Defense buffs passed to it, Espeon still takes physical hits rather poorly. This leaves it vulnerable to priority attacks from Azumarill, Dragonite, and Scizor. If Espeon does not run Dazzling Gleam, it is also completely walled by Dark-types.</p>
  539. </div>
  540.  
  541. <div class="mon" data-id="31">
  542.  
  543. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/skarmory.png" alt="Skarmory" /> Skarmory <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/skarmory.gif" alt="Skarmory" /></h2>
  544.  
  545. <h3>Physical Wall</h3>
  546. <dl>
  547. <dt>Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers</dt>
  548. <dd>Ability: Sturdy</dd>
  549. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe</dd>
  550. <dd>Impish / Bold Nature</dd>
  551. <dd>- Stealth Rock</dd>
  552. <dd>- Roost</dd>
  553. <dd>- Whirlwind</dd>
  554. <dd>- Brave Bird / Toxic</dd>
  555. </dl>
  556.  
  557. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  558. <p>In the fast-paced world of Johto Classic, Skarmory stands out as one of the few physically defensive Pokemon capable of slowing games down, thanks to its excellent typing and movepool!</p>
  559.  
  560. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  561. <p>Skarmory is all about phazing threats out with Whirlwind. Stealth Rock complements this terrifically, since it punishes the switches Skarmory usually forces, while Roost keeps it healthy. For the last moveslot, Brave Bird allows Skarmory to OHKO Heracross and deal decent damage in general, while Toxic gives Skarmory the edge against some physical attackers such as Dragonite and Piloswine. If you're using Toxic, Bold is a slightly better nature than Impish for taking less damage from Foul Play. Sturdy is great for surviving random powerful Fire- and Electric-type attacks, and it is also nice for dodging Sheer Cold from Suicune. Rocky Helmet allows Skarmory to punish physical attackers such as Dragonite and Scizor, while Leftovers gives it a longer lifespan by granting more recovery.</p>
  562.  
  563. <p>For a more exotic variant of Skarmory, you could use Taunt over Stealth Rock and give Skarmory 44 Speed EVs, which allow it to outspeed Relaxed Suicune. Since Suicune doesn't 2HKO Skarmory, you can defeat Sheer Cold Suicune with Taunt and Toxic!</p>
  564.  
  565. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  566. <p>Skarmory may be a great physical wall, but special attacks are just bad news for it most of the time, especially with all the Electric-types running around. Almost any competent special attacker will 2HKO Skarmory, considering all the Flamethrowers Pokemon are carrying to hit Scizor. Entei stands out as one of the few physical attackers that can smash Skarmory to bits due to its STAB Sacred Fire; for similar reasons, Arcanine is a big threat to Skarmory with Flare Blitz. Surprise Choice Specs Dragonite can also lure and 2HKO Skarmory.</p>
  567. </div>
  568.  
  569. <div class="mon" data-id="32">
  570.  
  571. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/chansey.png" alt="Chansey" /> Chansey <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/chansey.gif" alt="Chansey" /></h2>
  572.  
  573. <h3>Physical Wall</h3>
  574. <dl>
  575. <dt>Chansey @ Eviolite</dt>
  576. <dd>Ability: Natural Cure</dd>
  577. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD</dd>
  578. <dd>Bold Nature</dd>
  579. <dd>- Seismic Toss</dd>
  580. <dd>- Soft-Boiled</dd>
  581. <dd>- Toxic / Thunder Wave</dd>
  582. <dd>- Heal Bell / Counter / Stealth Rock / Minimize</dd>
  583. </dl>
  584.  
  585. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  586. <p>Blissey may be one of Gen 2's most notorious Pokemon, but with the existence of Eviolite, it's been trumped by Chansey as the best special wall around!</p>
  587.  
  588. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  589. <p>Seismic Toss is a given, since it allows Chansey to actually hurt its foes and break Substitutes from the likes of Raikou. Soft-Boiled gives Chansey the ability to wall stuff as well. While Johto Classic may be fast-paced, Toxic makes a lot of sense on Chansey, since a large number of special attackers are Electric-types. Still, Thunder Wave is a good option for some of Chansey's physical switch-ins such as Dragonite. The last move is usually another support move. Heal Bell makes Chansey a great cleric, while Counter can let it get surprise KOs on the weaker physical attackers. Stealth Rock is always handy if you can't set it up with another Pokemon. Minimize allows Chansey to take advantage of evasion, which can be deadly, but note that it doesn't protect Chansey against OHKO moves!</p>
  590.  
  591. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  592. <p>As you'd expect, even with Eviolite, Chansey isn't safe from powerful physical attackers. Machamp and Heracross in particular OHKO it, while Scizor has no problems setting up on it with Swords Dance. Dragonite can also easily set up on it as long as Chansey isn't carrying Thunder Wave. In an unusual twist, Calm Mind Suicune stands out as among the few special attackers that can deal with Chansey, since Rest + Sleep Talk allow it to outlast Chansey. Gengar's Ghost typing makes it impossible for Chansey to touch it, and it is especially a problem if Gengar has Substitute to avoid Thunder Wave.</p>
  593. </div>
  594.  
  595. <div class="mon" data-id="33">
  596.  
  597. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/wobbuffet.png" alt="Wobbuffet" /> Chansey <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/wobbuffet.gif" alt="Wobbuffet" /></h2>
  598.  
  599. <h3>Setup Support</h3>
  600. <dl>
  601. <dt>Wobbuffet @ Custap Berry / Sitrus Berry</dt>
  602. <dd>Ability: Shadow Tag</dd>
  603. <dd>EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 Spe</dd>
  604. <dd>Bold Nature</dd>
  605. <dd>- Encore</dd>
  606. <dd>- Counter</dd>
  607. <dd>- Mirror Coat</dd>
  608. <dd>- Destiny Bond</dd>
  609. </dl>
  610.  
  611. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  612. <p>Once among the most pathetic of Gen 2 Pokemon, Shadow Tag's trapping ability and a movepool with a purpose let Wobbuffet have revenge on Gold and Silver with its ability to set up sweepers!</p>
  613.  
  614. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  615. <p>Encore is what makes Wobbuffet so dangerous, locking the foe into a move and allowing Wobbuffet to either clinch a KO with Counter or Mirror Coat or set up a sweeper such as Dragonite or Azumarill. Wobbuffet can also straight up use Counter or Mirror Coat if you suspect that the foe is Choiced. Wobbuffet may be slow, but Destiny Bond can be helpful if you're unsure if your the opposing Pokemon will attack or set up. Destiny Bond is especially deadly in conjunction with Custap Berry; if Wobbuffet is at 25% of its health, it can move first, potentially nabbing two KOs in a match! Otherwise, Sitrus Berry is fine for letting Wobbuffet last longer. You can even use Safety Goggles if you're especially worried about Venusaur and Smeargle.</p>
  616.  
  617. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  618. <p>Gengar is a huge pest for Wobbuffet, since it can escape Wobbuffet's Shadow Tag or slam it with Shadow Ball when it's weakened. Volt Switches to Tyranitar are also a big problem, since Tyranitar is immune to Mirror Coat. Wobbuffet's biggest problem isn't a singular Pokemon, but its playstyle. Since Wobbuffet is so focused on supporting offensive Pokemon, this means that if Wobbuffet is the last Pokemon standing, it almost always loses, so it must be used early in the match to be effective.</p>
  619. </div>
  620.  
  621. <div class="mon" data-id="34">
  622.  
  623. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/lapras.png" alt="Lapras" /> Lapras <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/lapras.gif" alt="Lapras" /></h2>
  624.  
  625. <h3>Assault Vest</h3>
  626. <dl>
  627. <dt>Lapras @ Assault Vest</dt>
  628. <dd>Ability: Water Absorb</dd>
  629. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe</dd>
  630. <dd>Quiet Nature</dd>
  631. <dd>- Sheer Cold</dd>
  632. <dd>- Ice Shard</dd>
  633. <dd>- Surf / Hydro Pump</dd>
  634. <dd>- Freeze-Dry / Ice Beam</dd>
  635. </dl>
  636.  
  637. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  638. <p>Lapras may seem like an inferior Suicune at first glance, but thanks to some unique movepool quirks such as Ice Shard and Freeze-Dry and its much greater accessibility in-game, Lapras is still one of the premier OHKO spammers in Johto Classic!</p>
  639.  
  640. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  641. <p>Lapras is all about spamming OHKO moves, since this paired with Assault Vest makes it a decent stall breaker. This is especially true with Water Absorb, which allows Lapras to wall Calm Mind Suicune. Ice Shard ruins Focus Sash users that trouble OHKO moves and allows Lapras to pick off weakened Dragonite. Since Lapras sadly doesn't learn Scald, Surf is the most reliable Water-type attack it can use, while Hydro Pump trades accuracy for power. Freeze-Dry is usually the best choice as an Ice STAB move, since it allows Lapras to deal massive damage to Quagsire and Gyarados. However, if you want to KO a Multiscale Dragonite, you'll need Ice Beam's greater power.</p>
  642.  
  643. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  644. <p>Compared to Suicune, Lapras has much more weaknesses, meaning that Fighting-types such as Machamp and Heracross are a much bigger problem than usual, and it also has an exploitable Rock-type weakness for Tyranitar to take advantage of. Also, Lapras tends to rely on OHKO moves to be at its deadliest, which rely a lot on luck to work.</p>
  645. </div>
  646.  
  647. <div class="mon" data-id="35">
  648.  
  649. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/feraligatr.png" alt="Feraligatr" /> Feraligatr <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/feraligatr.gif" alt="Feraligatr" /></h2>
  650.  
  651. <h3>Dragon Dancer</h3>
  652. <dl>
  653. <dt>Feraligatr @ Life Orb</dt>
  654. <dd>Ability: Sheer Force</dd>
  655. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  656. <dd>Jolly / Adamant Nature</dd>
  657. <dd>- Dragon Dance</dd>
  658. <dd>- Waterfall</dd>
  659. <dd>- Ice Punch</dd>
  660. <dd>- Earthquake / Crunch / Aqua Jet / Substitute</dd>
  661. </dl>
  662.  
  663. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  664. <p>Feraligatr is perhaps Gyarados's biggest rival. While it's slower and doesn't have Intimidate, Sheer Force often lets Feraligatr deal more damage than Gyarados, giving it a very viable niche!</p>
  665.  
  666. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  667. <p>Feraligatr is all about setting up Dragon Dance to sweep. After one Dragon Dance, Waterfall has a lot of power - OHKOing Raikou and even 2HKOing Skarmory - while Ice Punch smashes through Zapdos, Venusaur, and even OHKOes Dragonite through Multiscale! Earthquake is the only move that will 2HKO Azumarill after a boost, while Crunch gives Feraligatr extra power against Suicune and Lapras. Aqua Jet isn't particularly useful with Dragon Dance, but it allows Feraligatr to snipe weakened Pokemon such as Raikou to avoid getting KOed when unboosted. Substitute may seem strange with Life Orb, but this allows Feraligatr to safely set up on Sheer Cold Suicune, potentially turning the tables on your opponent's plans.</p>
  668.  
  669. <p>A Jolly nature is preferred so Feraligatr can outspeed Jolteon after one Dragon Dance, but if you desire more power or want to use Aqua Jet, Adamant is still a reasonable choice.</p>
  670.  
  671. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  672. <p>Feraligatr's biggest problems are Clefable and Quagsire, as their Unaware ability removes Feraligatr's power to 2HKO them with a boosted Waterfall. Azumarill is another big issue since Feraligatr's only hope of 2HKOing it is with a boosted Earthquake. While Magneton can't take Earthquake, it can easily revenge kill Feraligatr if it has Sturdy intact. In general, Electric-types will easily revenge kill Feraligatr if it hasn't used Dragon Dance since Feraligatr is rather slow.</p>
  673. </div>
  674.  
  675. <div class="mon" data-id="36">
  676.  
  677. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/slowbro.png" alt="Slowbro" /> Slowbro <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/slowbro.gif" alt="Slowbro" /></h2>
  678.  
  679. <h3>Physical Wall</h3>
  680. <dl>
  681. <dt>Slowbro @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers</dt>
  682. <dd>Ability: Regenerator</dd>
  683. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe</dd>
  684. <dd>Bold Nature</dd>
  685. <dd>- Slack Off</dd>
  686. <dd>- Scald</dd>
  687. <dd>- Ice Beam</dd>
  688. <dd>- Psyshock / Flamethrower / Thunder Wave / Calm Mind</dd>
  689. </dl>
  690.  
  691. <h3>Assault Vest Attacker</h3>
  692. <dl>
  693. <dt>Slowbro @ Assault Vest</dt>
  694. <dd>Ability: Regenerator</dd>
  695. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA</dd>
  696. <dd>Modest Nature</dd>
  697. <dd>- Psyshock</dd>
  698. <dd>- Scald</dd>
  699. <dd>- Ice Beam</dd>
  700. <dd>- Flamethrower</dd>
  701. </dl>
  702.  
  703. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  704. <p>Unlike in Kanto Classic, Slowbro does have to compete with Suicune in the bulky water department, but it still has a two big selling points over it: immediate recovery in Slack Off, and the incredible ability Regenerator!</p>
  705.  
  706. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  707. <p>Slack Off is a given on Slowbro, since it grants it a huge selling point over Suicune. Scald is the usual burn-happy Water-type move to use, and it works farily well on Slowbro, since Scizor is a common switch-in. Ice Beam is Slowbro's way to attack Dragonite, though be sure to watch out for Weakness Policy. Psyshock allows Slowbro to slam Gengar and Venusaur switch-ins, while Flamethrower allows Slowbro to fry Scizor on the switch. On the more supportive side, Thunder Wave cripples Pokemon that attempt to switch in such as Gengar, while Calm Mind allows Slowbro to take on special attackers better and set up. If you want an edge over other defensive Pokemon, you can use Toxic to come out on top. Rocky Helmet fits Slowbro's role as a physical attacker and works especially well against Dragonite, but Leftovers is a fine choice as well if you want to tank more hits.</p>
  708.  
  709. <p>Slowbro has an unusual second set to consider: Assault Vest. This patches up Slowbro's decent Special Defense into something that can surprise its usual checks such as Gengar and Venusaur, and it also takes advantage of Slowbro's good Special Attack stat for a more offensive twist.</p>
  710.  
  711. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  712. <p>Slowbro's biggest flaw is its softer Special Defense, which means that pretty much any Electric-type will be a huge problem. Venusaur can also bust through it as long as it watches out for Psyshock. Gengar has a tough time switching in, but otherwise it can slam Slowbro with STAB Shadow Ball.</p>
  713. </div>
  714.  
  715. <div class="mon" data-id="37">
  716.  
  717. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/porygon2.png" alt="porygon2" /> Porygon2 <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/porygon2.gif" alt="porygon2" /></h2>
  718.  
  719. <h3>Offensive</h3>
  720. <dl>
  721. <dt>Porygon2 @ Eviolite</dt>
  722. <dd>Ability: Download</dd>
  723. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe</dd>
  724. <dd>Modest Nature</dd>
  725. <dd>- Recover</dd>
  726. <dd>- Tri Attack</dd>
  727. <dd>- Ice Beam</dd>
  728. <dd>- Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire / Shadow Ball</dd>
  729. </dl>
  730.  
  731. <h3>Defensive</h3>
  732. <dl>
  733. <dt>Porygon2 @ Eviolite</dt>
  734. <dd>Ability: Trace</dd>
  735. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD</dd>
  736. <dd>Bold / Calm Nature</dd>
  737. <dd>- Recover</dd>
  738. <dd>- Ice Beam</dd>
  739. <dd>- Foul Play / Toxic</dd>
  740. <dd>- Toxic / Thunderbolt / Thunder Wave</dd>
  741. </dl>
  742.  
  743. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  744. <p>Porygon2 might not stand out as much as Piloswine or Chansey when it comes to Eviolite use, but unlike these two, it has the advantage of versatility on its side, being able to run both offensive and defensive sets!</p>
  745.  
  746. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  747. <p>Offensive Porygon2 tends to be the most common set. While an offensive Pokemon, Porygon2 still has a great deal of bulk, so it almost always runs Recover. Tri Attack is its main STAB move, which deals a good amount of damage with a Download boost. Ice Beam allows Porygon2 to hit Dragonite hard and slam Zapdos and Venusaur. Thunderbolt allows Porygon2 to hit Azumarill and OHKO Gyarados, while Hidden Power Fire gives it an edge over Scizor. If you especially detest Gengar and Espeon, Shadow Ball is a reasonable option. Finally, Porygon2 is one of the most reliable users of Trick Room in Johto Classic, so if you need that kind of support, Porygon2 is your best bet!</p>
  748.  
  749. <p>As for the defensive set, Porygon2 can choose to go either physically defensive to take on Dragonite and Azumarill better or specially defensive to have a better shot at defeating Electric-types. Here, Foul Play can be especially useful against Belly Drum Azumarill and Swords Dance Scizor. Toxic is nice for defeating other bulky Pokemon, while Thunder Wave is great for supporting offensive teammates. Trace works especially well on this set, allowing Porygon2 to copy useful abilities such as Multiscale and Regenerator.</p>
  750.  
  751. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  752. <p>Porygon2's biggest flaw is Knock Off, which dramatically reduces its utility, also because Normal isn't a great defensive typing to begin with. The most common user of Knock Off is Scizor, it which must watch out for Hidden Power Fire, though. Calm Mind users such as Suicune and Raikou are difficult for Porygon2 to break, making it setup bait for them. Porygon2 also has an extremely difficult time dealing with Fighting-types such as Machamp and Heracross due to its weakness to their STAB attacks.</p>
  753. </div>
  754.  
  755. <div class="mon" data-id="38">
  756.  
  757. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/smeargle.png" alt="smeargle" /> Smeargle <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/smeargle.gif" alt="smeargle" /></h2>
  758.  
  759. <h3>Baton Pass</h3>
  760. <dl>
  761. <dt>Smeargle @ Focus Sash / Power Herb</dt>
  762. <dd>Ability: Moody</dd>
  763. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  764. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe</dd>
  765. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  766. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  767. <dd>- Spore / Dark Void</dd>
  768. <dd>- Quiver Dance / Geomancy</dd>
  769. <dd>- Baton Pass</dd>
  770. <dd>- King's Shield / Spiky Shield / Substitute / Stored Power</dd>
  771. </dl>
  772.  
  773. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  774. <p>With Moody allowed and the lack of Sleep Clause in Johto Classic, Smeargle becomes an extremely deadly Baton Pass user, especially when used with Espeon!</p>
  775.  
  776. <h3>What should I expect to see?</h3>
  777. <p>Smeargle can net many boosts with Quiver Dance, Geomancy, and Moody that it can Baton Pass to threatening teammates, most notably Espeon. Spore or Dark Void is used to out Pokemon to sleep to allow Smeargle to get more boosts; Dark Void allows Smeargle to put Grass-types to sleep but has lower accuracy. Geomancy should only be used with Power Herb, as it allows Smeargle to get +2 Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed in one turn. King's Shield allows Smeargle to stall for more Moody boosts and also lowers the Attack of Pokemon using priority moves that threaten Smeargle, while Spiky Shield also protects Smeargle from status moves. If you want a move that can be used in succession, Substitute can also be used and is especially deadly when passed along with the boosts. Stored Power can be used if Smeargle wants an offensive move to take advantage of Moody with, though this comes at the cost of easily getting Moody boosts against faster foes.</p>
  778.  
  779. <h3>What are its flaws?</h3>
  780. <p>Smeargle may be the best at its job, but because this job only consists of setting up and using Baton Pass, if Smeargle is the last Pokemon standing, it usually loses the battle. Smeargle also hates priority moves, especially if opponents predict the King's Shield. Smeargle's Speed can also be a problem, because without a lucky Moody boost, more offensive Pokemon will outspeed it. Random Hazes from the likes of Quagsire and Crobat will rid Smeargle of its boosts, usually ruining its utility. Roar and Whirlwind can also be problematic, but note that Smeargle usually passes its boosts to Espeon, which will bounce these moves back. In an ironic twist, Smeargle actually has trouble taking sleep moves from faster Pokemon such as offensive Venusaur. Finally, Moody can just be unreliable at times, giving you the wrong drop at the worst time.</p>
  781. </div>
  782.  
  783.  
  784.  
  785. /* Niche Pokemon */
  786.  
  787. <div class="mon" data-id="39">
  788.  
  789. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/ninetales.png" alt="Ninetales" /> Ninetales <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/ninetales.gif" alt="Ninetales" /></h2>
  790.  
  791. <h3>Sun Attacker</h3>
  792. <dl>
  793. <dt>Ninetales @ Choice Specs / Heat Rock</dt>
  794. <dd>Ability: Drought</dd>
  795. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  796. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  797. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  798. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
  799. <dd>- Fire Blast</dd>
  800. <dd>- Solar Beam</dd>
  801. <dd>- Overheat / Will-O-Wisp / Sunny Day</dd>
  802. <dd>- Hidden Power Ice</dd>
  803. </dl>
  804.  
  805. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  806. <p>Access to Drought gives Ninetales a niche over other Fire-types. The sun Drought gives can support Chlorophyll Pokemon such as Venusaur, Exeggutor, Jumpluff, and Victreebell. Choice Specs makes Ninetales hit quite hard, but Heat Rock can be used to increase the duration of sun. Overheat is used as a powerful nuke on the Choice Specs set while the Heat Rock set can utilize Will-O-Wisp to cripple Pokemon such as Azumarill and Dragonite or Sunny Day to keep sun up against opposing weather setters. A more defensive set might seem appealing, but Ninetales does not have enough natural bulk to take many hits.</p>
  807. </div>
  808.  
  809. <div class="mon" data-id="40">
  810.  
  811. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/venomoth.png" alt="Venomoth" /> Venomoth <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/venomoth.gif" alt="venomoth" /></h2>
  812.  
  813. <h3>Quiver Dance</h3>
  814. <dl>
  815. <dt>Venomoth @ Focus Sash</dt>
  816. <dd>Ability: Tinted Lens</dd>
  817. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  818. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  819. <dd>Timid / Modest Nature</dd>
  820. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  821. <dd>- Sleep Powder</dd>
  822. <dd>- Quiver Dance</dd>
  823. <dd>- Bug Buzz / Sludge Bomb</dd>
  824. <dd>- Baton Pass / Sludge Bomb</dd>
  825. </dl>
  826.  
  827. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  828. <p>Access to Sleep Powder and Quiver Dance makes Venomoth a fearsome setup sweeper. Lack of Sleep Clause also means Venomoth can put multiple Pokemon to sleep at the same time. Access to Baton Pass also means Venomoth can give boosts to threatening teammates such as Alakazam, Zapdos, or Espeon. Tinted Lens allows Venomoth to only run one STAB move. No Pokemon are immune to Bug Buzz, but Sludge Bomb can be used to immediately threaten Clefable and Azumarill. Both STAB moves can be used if there are not any suitable partners for Baton Pass on the team.</p>
  829. </div>
  830.  
  831. <div class="mon" data-id="41">
  832.  
  833. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/dugtrio.png" alt="dugtrio" /> Dugtrio <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/dugtrio.gif" alt="dugtrio" /></h2>
  834.  
  835. <h3>Trapper</h3>
  836. <dl>
  837. <dt>Dugtrio @ Focus Sash</dt>
  838. <dd>Ability: Arena Trap</dd>
  839. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  840. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe</dd>
  841. <dd>Jolly Nature</dd>
  842. <dd>- Earthquake</dd>
  843. <dd>- Stone Edge</dd>
  844. <dd>- Sucker Punch</dd>
  845. <dd>- Hone Claws / Fissure</dd>
  846. </dl>
  847.  
  848. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  849. <p>Dugtrio stands out as one of the best checks to grounded Electric-types due to its ability to trap them with Arena Trap. Dugtrio should be used to KO Electric-types such as Raikou and Magneton to make it easier for teammates to sweep. If Dugtrio is able to trap an Electric-type locked into their STAB move, Dugtrio can freely set up Hone Claws. Fissure can be used in desperate situations and also checks No Guard Machamp.</p>
  850. </div>
  851.  
  852. <div class="mon" data-id="42">
  853.  
  854. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/moltres.png" alt="Moltres" /> Moltres <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/moltres.gif" alt="moltres" /></h2>
  855.  
  856. <h3>All-Out Attacker</h3>
  857. <dl>
  858. <dt>Moltres @ Choice Specs / Life Orb</dt>
  859. <dd>Ability: Pressure</dd>
  860. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  861. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</dd>
  862. <dd>Timid Nature</dd>
  863. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
  864. <dd>- Flamethrower / Fire Blast</dd>
  865. <dd>- Hurricane</dd>
  866. <dd>- Overheat</dd>
  867. <dd>- Hidden Power Ice / U-turn</dd>
  868. </dl>
  869.  
  870. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  871. <p>Moltres can be used on rain teams as a wallbreaker with its powerful 100% accurate Hurricane. It is also able to check Scizor and Venusaur for the Water-types found on rain teams. Hidden Power Ice prevents Dragonite from freely setting up when not in rain, but U-turn can be used to keep momentum against Pokemon that wall Moltres like Chansey and Tyranitar.</p>
  872. </div>
  873.  
  874. <div class="mon" data-id="43">
  875.  
  876. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/vaporeon.png" alt="vaporeon" /> Vaporeon <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/vaporeon.gif" alt="vaporeon" /></h2>
  877.  
  878. <h3>Defensive</h3>
  879. <dl>
  880. <dt>Vaporeon @ Leftovers</dt>
  881. <dd>Ability: Water Absorb</dd>
  882. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  883. <dd>EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD</dd>
  884. <dd>Bold Nature</dd>
  885. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  886. <dd>- Scald</dd>
  887. <dd>- Wish</dd>
  888. <dd>- Protect</dd>
  889. <dd>- Toxic / Ice Beam / Roar</dd>
  890. </dl>
  891.  
  892. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  893. <p>Vaporeon possesses relatively good bulk in addition to a good defensive typing. Wish helps heal Vaporeon alongside Protect and can also help support the team. Toxic breaks down defensive pokemon and pairs well with Protect to rack up more poison damage. Ice Beam can be used to hit Grass-types that otherwise wall Vaporeon, such as Venusaur, super effectively. Roar can remove boosts from setup Pokemon like Belly Drum Azumarill.</p>
  894. </div>
  895.  
  896. <div class="mon" data-id="44">
  897.  
  898. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/blissey.png" alt="blissey" /> Blissey <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/blissey.gif" alt="blissey" /></h2>
  899.  
  900. <h3>Chansey Substitute</h3>
  901. <dl>
  902. <dt>Blissey (F) @ Leftovers</dt>
  903. <dd>Ability: Natural Cure</dd>
  904. <dd>Level: 50</dd>
  905. <dd>EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD</dd>
  906. <dd>Bold Nature</dd>
  907. <dd>IVs: 0 Atk</dd>
  908. <dd>- Seismic Toss</dd>
  909. <dd>- Soft-Boiled</dd>
  910. <dd>- Thunder Wave / Toxic</dd>
  911. <dd>- Aromatherapy / Stealth Rock / Counter</dd>
  912. </dl>
  913.  
  914. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  915. <p>Blissey is mostly used as a substitute for Chansey on teams that already have an Eviolite, because Blissey has overall worse bulk than Chansey that carry Eviolite. Thunder Wave helps slow down opposing Pokemon and Toxic breaks down bulkier ones. Aromatherapy and Stealth Rock both support the team, but Counter can be used to take out physical attackers that cannot OHKO Blissey such as Azumarill and Scizor lacking Superpower.</p>
  916. </div>
  917.  
  918. <div class="mon" data-id="45">
  919.  
  920. <h2><img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gsc/sneasel.png" alt="sneasel" /> Sneasel <img src="http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/sneasel.gif" alt="sneasel" /></h2>
  921.  
  922. <h3>Physical Attacker</h3>
  923. <dl>
  924. <dt>Sneasel @ Focus Sash / Life Orb</dt>
  925. <dd>Ability: Keen Eye</dd>
  926. <dd>EVs: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe</dd>
  927. <dd>Jolly Nature</dd>
  928. <dd>- Ice Shard</dd>
  929. <dd>- Icicle Crash</dd>
  930. <dd>- Knock Off</dd>
  931. <dd>- Counter / Low Kick / Swords Dance</dd>
  932. </dl>
  933.  
  934. <h3>Assist</h3>
  935. <dl>
  936. <dt>Sneasel @ Leftovers</dt>
  937. <dd>Ability: Keen Eye</dd>
  938. <dd>EVs: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe</dd>
  939. <dd>Jolly Nature</dd>
  940. <dd>- Assist</dd>
  941. <dd>- Substitute</dd>
  942. <dd>- Icicle Crash</dd>
  943. <dd>- Knock Off / Swords Dance</dd>
  944. </dl>
  945.  
  946. <h3>What's the big deal?</h3>
  947. <p>Sneasel is a bit of a dark horse in Johto Classic. It's very frail and not incredibly powerful, but a fantastic Speed tier and great offensive typing turn it into a bit of an anti-meta pick. While it's not one of the first threats you should be trying to prepare for, Sneasel thrives off of unsuspecting teams that aren't prepared for its tricks. Dark / Ice is difficult to switch into, Knock Off is trickier to deal with in a format where nearly every Pokemon dislikes losing its item, and its high Speed lets it ravage unsuspecting opponents with Assist Spore shenanigans.</p>
  948.  
  949. <p>Sneasel has two drastically different sets that are very easy to distinguish at Team Preview, but on a typical team, Sneasel will usually run a standard offensive set. Icicle Crash breaks though the likes of Dragonite, Zapdos, and Venusaur, while Knock Off pressures most switch-ins, since most Pokemon dislike losing their item . Icicle Crash can even OHKO Dragonite through Multiscale, though Sneasel needs a Life Orb in order to achieve this. Ice Shard gives Sneasel valuable priority to pick off weakened foes, which is notably useful for beating weakened Crobat, which otherwise outspeeds Sneasel and OHKOes it with Brave Bird. Sneasel has a few options for its last move, with Counter fitting nicely on Focus Sash variants to nab a surprise KO against bulkier physical attackers it can't otherwise beat, such as Entei and Azumarill. Low Kick gives Sneasel a way to hit Tyranitar and Snorlax harder, though this needs the power from Life Orb to be particularly effective. Swords Dance is risky with all the priority running around, but a well-timed setup can let Sneasel sweep through teams by itself with its dangerous STAB combination. While useless in standard Smogon formats, Keen Eye is also useful for ignoring evasion to reliably beat Minimize users like Chansey.</p>
  950.  
  951. <p>The other set is a lot more telegraphed, since it only works with specific teammates, namely Smeargle, Ditto, and a Focus Punch user. For those familiar with Battle Spot Singles, the Assist set works similarly to Assist Liepard but without Prankster. Assist can't call certain moves like Transform, Protect, Counter, and Focus Punch, so in a 3v3 format it's easier to set things up so that Sneasel can only call Spore when using Assist. Sneasel is fast enough to use Spore on a large portion of the metagame and then proceed to hide behind a Substitute and set up Swords Dance. Without priority or a faster Pokemon like Crobat, this set can be very difficult to break. Even a Grass-type to absorb Spore isn't enough, since Sneasel can just smash any Grass-type with Icicle Crash regardless. Leftovers also helps Sneasel stay healthy so that it can continue setting Substitutes after putting the foe to sleep again.</p>
  952. </div>
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