[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Protect
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Hidden Power Flying / Hidden Power Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Veil
nature: Lonely
evs: 204 HP / 112 Atk / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Seaking has cemented itself as a defining threat in ADV ZU thanks to its excellent attack, decent bulk, and coverage options. Moreover, Seaking's inability to be crippled by Will-O-Wisp means it can find more opportunitites to switch into Koffing, unlike most other attackers. Protect in conjunction with Leftovers helps Seaking maintain its longevity providing it with more opportunities to break. STAB Hydro Pump is able to 2HKO Koffing, while threatening neutral targets as well as Ground-types like Cubone and Rhyhorn. Megahorn is able to threaten Grass-types, most notably securing a 2HKO against Lileep. Hidden Power Flying provides Seaking with an alternative option against Grass-types and a way to threaten Dustox. Alternatively, Hidden Power Rock can be used to threaten Flying-types such as Pidgeotto and Taillow while still threatening Dustox. Seaking's Attack investment ensures it is able to 2HKO Dustox with Hidden Power.
Seaking's coverage and bulk allow it to excel on offensive and balance teams. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Dustox, Castform, and Sunflora can check Elekid and Chinchou for Seaking. In return, Seaking can threaten Pokemon that check these special walls such as Rhyhorn, Cubone, and opposing Castform. Physical wallbreakers such as Aipom, Pidgeotto, and Taillow pair well with Seaking as they appreciate the pressure Seaking applies against physical walls. Likewise, Seaking appreciates the added pressure these physical breakers apply to its checks such as Chinchou and Castform. Seaking struggles against these same physical breakers so physical walls such as Lileep, Nosepass, and Bayleef make great partners. Pivots such as Koffing, Magnemite, Shuppet, and Aron provide Seaking with more opportunities to come in.
[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Megahorn
item: Lum Berry
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Mild
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Seaking's access to Swift Swim in conjunction with its decent speed and exceptional bulk makes it the best Rain Dance abuser in ADV ZU. Rain Dance allows Seaking to self-set which makes Seaking not as reliant on its teammates. Seaking's STAB, Hydro Pump, threatens any Pokemon that lacks a Water-type resistance. This includes prominent specially defensive Pokemon such as Dustox, Delcatty, and Grimer. Alternatively, Seaking can opt to use Surf over Hydro Pump for the PP, and accuracy increase although it is easier to put Pokemon into Hydro Pump range. Hidden Power Grass allows Seaking to threaten opposing Water-types such as Chinchou, Staryu, and other Seaking. Megahorn can be used to check Grass-types that may attempt to switch in on a Hydro Pump or Surf. Lum Berry ensures Seaking can avoid being crippled by status users like Butterfree and Chinchou.
This set functions best on teams that can make full use of Rain Dance. Voltorb is used in the lead slot so it can use Rain Dance and then Explosion which brings in Seaking for little cost. Other Swift Swim users such as Horsea and Kabuto pair well with Seaking. Kabuto is worth noting as it can threaten Castform, a common weather check. Secondary Rain Dance users such as Horsea, Illumise, and Castform all pair well with Seaking. Horsea and Seaking are usually used together as they function almost entirely the same as special attackers. Horsea is worth noting as it helps weaken shared checks. Pokemon that can remove Electric-types such as Cubone, Chinchou, and Grimer all pair well with Seaking. Grimer is worth mentioning as Seaking is able to easily remove Pokemon that check it like Rhyhorn so that It can set up. Castform can check opposing weather teams for Seaking thanks to its great coverage and access to Forecast.
[SET]
name: Toxic + Protect
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Surf
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Veil
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Seaking's decent bulk coupled with its respectable speed allow it to act as a solid Toxic user. Toxic allows Seaking to cripple walls and bulky Pokemon that may try and switch in such as Lileep, Castform, and Chinchou. Seaking's Water-type STAB, Surf, can be used to threaten opposing offensive or physically defensive Pokemon like Aipom, Koffing, and Nosepass. Megahorn provides Seaking valuable coverage against Grass-type Pokemon such as Bayleef, Lileep, and Exeggcute. Protect enables Seaking to stall for more Toxic damage while also allowing it to more reliably gain passive recovery and scout Choice Band attackers such as Nidorino, Aipom, and Pidgeotto.
Seaking fits best on defensive and balanced teams that appreciate having support from status as well as a defensive Water-type. Defensive Grass-types such as Sunflora, Bayleef, and Lileep appreciate Seaking's effectiveness at checking Growlithe and Cyndaquil. Likewise, Seaking appreciates these Grass-types as they check Chinchou and Elekid. Seaking pairs well with physical attackers such as Aipom, Nidorino, and Pidgeotto as they can check Delcatty, the most prominent Heal Bell user. Other Toxic users such as Nosepass, Magnemite, Koffing, and Dustox can help support Seaking in its role as a Toxic user due to its lack of reliable recovery. Magnemite, Nosepass, and Koffing are worth noting as they can sponge hits from physical attackers which Seaking tends to struggle with otherwise.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hidden Power Ground can be used on its mixed set to lure and remove opposing Chinchou though Seaking almost always prefers the option to check Dustox. Ice Beam can be run to threaten Grass-types like Lileep and Bayleef though it sees a steep overlap with Megahorn.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Special Walls**: Specially defensive Pokemon like Dustox and Delcatty can wall Seaking if it's not the mixed or rain variant.
**Castform**: Castform is the premier Rain Dance check as it stalls Seaking's turns with Protect and threatens it with Thunderbolt. Castform must be weary of Seaking's other sets as it doesn't appreciate Megahorn or being crippled by Toxic. Moreover, Castform can also prevent Seaking abusing the effects of weather due to its access to Sunny Day.
**Electric-Types**: Chinchou and Elekid are both able to threaten Seaking with their STAB Thunderbolt. However, due to Seaking's bulk it manages to avoid being OHKOed.
**Physical Attackers**: Seaking is outpaced and OHKOed by common Choice Band breakers such as Aipom, Pidgeotto, and Taillow.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Grammar checked by:
Last edited:
