[OVERVIEW]
- Jellicent's Water / Ghost typing alongside access to Water Absorb enables it to check many threats on rain teams such as Keldeo, Barraskewda, and offensive Seismitoad. These qualities alongside its naturally high special bulk also help against opponents outside that matchup like Jirachi, Nihilego, and Salamence.
- Jellicent's unique access to Taunt and Recover makes it difficult for defensive teams to wear down.
- However, Jellicent's typing makes it struggle against threats such as Zarude and Rotom-W, especially as they gain free momentum from their pivot moves.
- Jellicent struggles as a bulky Water-type for being weak to Knock Off, making it unreliable against foes like Krookodile and Mienshao.
- It also faces further competition from Mantine, Seismitoad, and Gastrodon as a Water-immune Pokemon as they either have better utility options and/or better typing against the rest of the metagame. However, Jellicent compensates with its access to Taunt while still resisting both of Keldeo's STABs and not being overly reliant on its item as the former.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald / Night Shade
move 2: Toxic / Night Shade
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Recover
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 224 Def / 32 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Paragraph 1
- Scald provides solid damage against targets like Moltres and Entei. It also deters Pokemon such as Azumarill and Aegislash from switching in without risk of burn.
- Toxic is used to cripple switch-ins such as Rotom-W, Salamence, and Seismitoad.
- Night Shade is able to provide consistent damage against Pokémon such as Seismitoad and Galarian Slowbro. However, losing Scald makes Jellicent worse against threats such as Nidoking and Krookodile whereas losing Toxic makes Jellicent much more passive against Rotom-W and Mantine.
- Taunt shuts down defensive Pokemon such as RestTalk Primarina and Chansey from healing or spreading status. It also stops Amoonguss switch-ins from using Spore as Jellicent switches out and improves Jellicent's matchup against Celesteela.
- Recover allows Jellicent to stay healthy and repeatedly take hits from Pokemon such as Moltres and Buzzwole.
- Heavy-Duty Boots allows Jellicent to ignore hazards, decreasing the amount of chip damage it takes from switching in repeatedly against Pokemon like Salamence.
- Leftovers is also an option as it makes Jellicent more difficult to wear down versus Pokemon such as Galarian Slowbro and offsets burn damage from Entei. However, this does make Jellicent susceptible to hazard chip.
- The given spread allows Jellicent to survive two Thousand Arrows from Zygarde-10% and outspeed uninvested Primarina. Alternatively 44 Speed EVs can be used to outspeed Umbreon, though the tradeoff isn't consistent enough for the drop in bulk.
Paragraph 2
- Jellicent fits on bulky offense, balance, and semi-stall teams that appreciate a solid answer to Keldeo while maintaining a good matchup against other defensive Pokemon such as Celesteela and Chansey.
- Hazard setters such as Krookodile and Nihilego help increase the chip damage Jellicent spreads. They also provide Knock Off support against Zarude and Aegislash.
- Jellicent absolutely needs support against the Grass-types, so Pokemon such as Salamence and Entei are good options to overwhelm them. Defensive Salamence is also a fine partner because it can break Calm Mind Keldeo's Substitute with Dual Wingbeat.
- Pivots to Aegislash such as Zarude and Galarian Moltres are appreciated, especially as they can burn off Toxic with Jungle Healing and Rest respectively.
- Amoonguss and Buzzwole provide support against Zarude, Krookodile, and Mienshao while being excellent Knock Off absorbers. The former is a solid answer to the Electric-types that also spreads sleep with Spore whereas the latter provides a better backbone against Zygarde-10% and Mamoswine.
- Jellicent's vulnerability to Toxic make cleric support from Diancie and Togekiss good options. Diancie is a better answer versus Pokemon such as Thundurus-T whereas Togekiss can provide either Defog support or be a strong breaker with Nasty Plot.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Strength Sap increases the amount Jellicent can heal while making it more difficult for breakers such as Zygarde-10% and Lycanroc-D to get past, however this is more unreliable than Recover against the bulky Pokemon Jellicent is supposed to handle like Primarina.
- Will-O-Wisp can be used for spreading burns more reliably, though it has significantly less impact than Toxic against many of the Pokemon that normally switch into Jellicent aside from Azumarill.
- Hex can provide better stallbreaking potential versus walls like Galarian Slowbro and Quagsire, but Toxic and Taunt does well enough against enough of the metagame and doesn't improve Jellicent's matchup against other defensive Pokemon like Umbreon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Amoonguss and Tangrowth can freely switch on Jellicent and either threaten significant damage or poison through Sludge Bomb, though the latter does not appreciate Toxic. Though uncommon, Roserade is also notable because it can either use the opportunity to break through Jellicent with Leaf Storm or set up Spikes.
**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all threaten Jellicent with their STAB attacks and the latter two use it as free momentum with U-turn and Volt Switch, respectively. Although rare, Heliolisk is difficult for Jellicent to wear down between being immune to Night Shade and Scald as well as passive recovery in rain by virtue of Dry Skin. Though, they all do not appreciate Toxic limiting their opportunities to pivot.
**Dark-types and Coverage**: Threats such as Galarian Moltres and Zarude can freely switch on Jellicent, threaten it with their STAB moves, and shrug off status with Rest and Jungle Healing, respectively. Furthermore Galarian Moltres uses Jellicent as complete setup fodder with Nasty Plot, while the latter uses it as free momentum with U-turn. Pokemon that carry coverage such as Knock Off and Crunch from Mienshao and Lycanroc-D also threaten Jellicent, though they cannot switch in safely.
**Toxic**: Jellicent's matchup against defensive Pokemon is significantly hindered when it is poisoned, and makes it much less reliable at dealing with Calm Mind Keldeo and Primarina without Night Shade. This is especially problematic in matchups against faster Pokemon such as Umbreon, Buzzwole, and Seismitoad as they can Toxic Jellicent before Taunt.
**Hatterene**: Hatterene's Magic Bounce prevents it from being hit with Toxic or Taunt, allowing it to effectively use Jellicent as setup fodder.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118]]
- Quality checked by: [[Monky25, 515132], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
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