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The purpose of research week is finding new uses for underutilized and overlooked Pokemon. Meloetta is easily the most overlooked of the Dream World-exclusive Pokemon, so we will be focusing on it first. The goal of this thread is to find new and creative uses for this Pokemon.
What you need to know about Meloetta:
Aria Forme (Original Forme)
Typing: Normal / Psychic
Ability: Serene Grace
HP: 100
Attack: 77
Defense: 77
Special Attack: 128
Special Defense: 128
Speed: 90
Pirouette Forme
Typing: Normal / Fighting
Ability: Serene Grace
HP: 100
Attack: 128
Defense: 90
Special Attack: 77
Special Defense: 77
Speed: 128
Relic Song: 75 Base Power Normal-type Special Attack. 10% Chance to cause sleep. Changes Meloetta from its current forme to the other forme upon a successful hit.
What you'll notice immediately about Aria Meloetta is its special bulk, good special offenses, and decent Speed. What you'll notice about Pirouette Meloetta is its excellent Base 128 Attack and absurd Base 128 Speed. Note that both formes can create 101 HP Substitutes with maximum HP investment. Note that Pirouette forme is vulnerable to Ghost-types, so long as they have a dangerous non-Ghost-type move and Meloetta is not itself carrying a Ghost-type move. Note that Relic Song also switches Pirouette forme back to Aria forme, which can be taken advantage of, and the chance to cause sleep is boosted by Serene Grace. Note that both formes have access to each other's attacks, so Aria Meloetta has access to Close Combat, etc.
Relic Song
Close Combat
Psychic
Return
Thunderbolt / Thunder
Substitute
Calm Mind
Hyper Voice
Shadow Ball / Shadow Claw
U-turn
Perish Song
Work Up
Energy Ball
Stone Edge
Trick Room
All of the pieces are in your hands, so see if you can get something to fit together.
Number one, add Hidden Power Ice to the notable moves list, it is great for Meloetta. I'd like to contribute two of my favorite sets.
shrang's Mixed set
Meloetta @ Expert Belt
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
Nature: Hasty
- Relic Song
- Close Combat
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice
Basically, the idea of the set is to set up multiple layers of hazards, and then spam Relic Song to force switches. Counters to Meloetta-A tend to be weak to Meloetta-P (Blissey, Snorlax, Tyranitar), while counters to Meloetta-P tend to be weak to Meloetta-A (Skarmory, Gliscor). The idea is to spam Relic Song and keep changing forms and stay one step ahead of the opposition. With these games going on, you can probably HP Ice a Gliscor or something like that and secure a sweep for Excadrill and stuff. With Fighting resists removed, Meloetta-P can handily clean up teams by itself as well.
EDIT: Oh yea, the EVs used let you outspeed Adamant Lucario as Meloetta-A and Alakazam as Meloetta-P.
Personally, I have been running a bulky Calm Mind variant, even though Manaphy can do it, Meloetta has much higher Special Defense and Special Attack.
Meloetta @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
Item: Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Hyper Voice
-Hidden Power Fighting
This set aims to boost with Calm Mind, boosting its 128 SpA and 128 SpD. Base 90 Speed is not optimal, but decent. Psychic and Hyper Voice work really well as dual STABs, with Hidden Power Fighting to hit Steel-types. I use this with offensive Tail Glow Manaphy on rain teams, the reasoning to run Hidden Power Fighting. Hyper Voice and Psychic do decent enough on Dragon-types. This set has netted me a few neat sweeps, but is often used to clear the way for Manaphy. I also run SD Technician Breloom and Choice Scarf Politoed to supplement these two.
Another set I've got for you is a bulky support set, aiming to abuse Meloetta's 100 / 77 / 128 defenses and decent enough support movepool.
Meloetta @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm
-Psychic
-Perish Song
-Toxic
-Rest
This set works as a good special wall, boasting more special bulk than Jirachi and Gastrodon. Psychic is a reliable STAB move. Perish Song is good to stall and eventually force some Pokemon out. Toxic is nothing special, but helps in the process of stalling. Rest provides Meloetta with recovery.
My last set is a Pirouette Forme attacker aimed at abusing U-turn on VoltTurn teams that also feature Landorus, Jirachi, Rotom-W, and Scizor, along with Chandelure to trap to Steel-types.
Meloetta @ Life Orb
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly
-Relic Song
-Close Combat
-Stone Edge
-U-turn
Use Relic Song to change the form, and use Close Combat and Stone Edge for Terrakion coverage. U-turn out of there if all else fails.
Also, I think it should be noted that Sleep Clause does enact with Relic Song in simulator play. It should also be noted that Relic Song is uncontrollable in WiFi play, and that normally Relic Song does not affect Sleep Clause in WiFi play, similar to the absence of any sort of Freeze Clause that may be applicable.
I'll put my last set in hide tabs because room and stuff.
Meloetta @ Life Orb
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly
-Relic Song
-Hone Claws
-Close Combat
-Stone Edge
The first step is to switch forms, then boost with Hone Claws, which also boosts the accuracy of Stone Edge. CC + SE is Terrakion coverage, blah blah blah.
This set needs time to set up, so Chandelure should be removed, but otherwise setting up is normally ok with Meloetta-P's decent defenses.
In my opinion, my Calm Mind set is the best one I have come across, abusing Meloetta's great bulk, along with high Special Attack and Special Defense, then to attack with Hyper Voice / Psychic / HP Fighting. The only things it misses coverage on are the rare Shedinja, Spiritomb, and Sableye, which are not a big deal.
I hope this gets research week off to a good start, and Cheers!
Just saying, Meloetta DOES get Focus Blast, although I guess you could run HP Fighting for the accuracy.
Anyway, Meloetta can make 101 HP Subs, so I Sub/CM set may be in order, although Jirachi probably does that better.
Also Meloetta-A's typing makes it possibly one of the best Gengar and TR Reuniclus counters to exist, IMO. You can easily run some bulk, stick Shadow Ball and those two will never get past you.
Just saying, Meloetta DOES get Focus Blast, although I guess you could run HP Fighting for the accuracy.
Anyway, Meloetta can make 101 HP Subs, so I Sub/CM set may be in order, although Jirachi probably does that better.
Also Meloetta-A's typing makes it possibly one of the best Gengar and TR Reuniclus counters to exist, IMO. You can easily run some bulk, stick Shadow Ball and those two will never get past you.
I know it gets Focus Blast, but I like accuracy. Sub + CM sounds cool, here's a set.
Meloetta @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe (seems like good enough EVs)
Modest
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball / Psychic
- Hidden Power Fighting / Focus Blast
Substitute, Calm Mind, use Reuniclus-like coverage with better typing and Speed to kill stuff. Shadow Ball + HP Fighting can for better coverage, but Psychic is a good STAB.
Jirachi does not have as much Special Attack or special bulk.
As for counter to Gengar / TR Reuniclus, I will revive my Specially Defensive set with Shadow Ball.
Meloetta @ Leftovers / Chesto Berry
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm
-Shadow Ball
-Perish Song
-Toxic
-Rest
Chesto Berry can also be used for Rest + Chesto Berry stuff. Counter Gengar and TR / CM Reuniclus.
I'll be testing Shrang's set to see how well it works. Obviously it needs some support, so Ferrothorn is probably in order as well.
EDIT: OK, so far, Meloetta wins in sheer surprise. I won a game just because my opponent went "WTF" and freaked out about it. Seriously, Meloetta is sooo win. And Relic Song is actually a really great move!
I've played against a few Rainstalls in the past that utilized a specially defensive Meloetta. I believe the set was Sub/Thunder/Psychic/Teeter Dance. It really screwed up how I played with my own Rainstall and was a general nuisance with 101 Subs. Overall, it was quite good at spreading Paralysis and confusion while being bulky enough to do it.
This is my set
Meloetta @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 126 Atk / 126 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty
-Work up
-Relic Song
-Hidden Power Ice
-Close Combat
I chose this because its Attack and Special Attack will be 323 in whatever form you are in. Work up is a way to get bot stats up so there wont be any confusion choices in weather to pick Calm Mind or Hone Claws. Relic Song is the main STAB for both forms and to switch forms if a treat comes in. Hp Ice can help against Flying and Dragon types. Close Combat is the best physical STAB for it and after a work up or two it will be a force to be reckoned with
This is my set
Meloetta @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 126 Atk / 126 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty
-Work up
-Relic Song
-Hidden Power Ice
-Close Combat
I chose this because its Attack and Special Attack will be 323 in whatever form you are in. Work up is a way to get bot stats up so there wont be any confusion choices in weather to pick Calm Mind or Hone Claws. Relic Song is the main STAB for both forms and to switch forms if a treat comes in. Hp Ice can help against Flying and Dragon types. Close Combat is the best physical STAB for it and after a work up or two it will be a force to be reckoned with
Cheers! :chaos:
