Project Victim of the Week: ZU Edition

[kakaks]

Lunatone @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Power Gem
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Grass knot
Scarf lunatone outspeeds and ohkoes swoobat from max health, no need to set up rocks.
252 SpA Lunatone Power Gem vs. 164 HP / 44 SpD Swoobat: 318-374 (100.6 - 118.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Moonblast can be used for the spatk drop chance, and psychic is an stab used to beat machoke and grass knot to take care of stonjourner​

 

[Ryan207]

Raichu @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot
- Volt Switch
- Surf

With Scarf, Raichu is at 525 Speed, so very few things in the tier will outspeed it, even with the opponent setting up. Against this Swoobat, Raichu will always outspeed and OHKO with thunderbolt. Raichu can survive all of Swoobat's attacks at +2 due to it's decent base defense stats. Grass Knot is to deals with the bulkier mons in the tier, and surf functions as another coverage option. Volt Switch allows for easy switch-outs. I’m aware it isn’t officially on the VR yet, but it’s seen good usage in the new meta.

Damage Figures

252 SpA Raichu Thunderbolt vs. 168 HP / 44 SpD Swoobat: 344-408 (108.5 - 128.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 0 SpA Swoobat Stored Power (60 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Raichu: 126-148 (48.2 - 56.7%) -- 90.6% chance to 2HKO
+2 0 SpA Swoobat Air Slash vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Raichu: 78-92 (29.8 - 35.2%) -- 19.4% chance to 3HKO
+2 0 SpA Swoobat Heat Wave vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Raichu: 131-155 (50.1 - 59.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[Cheezy]

Morgrem (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Dark Pulse
- Taunt

Morgrem counters Swoobat by using taunt to prevent further set-up and sets up screens or 3HKO with Dark Pulse.

+2 0 SpA Swoobat Air Slash vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Morgrem: 90-106 (26.9 - 31.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
+2 0 SpA Swoobat Air Slash vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Morgrem through Light Screen: 45-53 (13.4 - 15.8%) -- possible 7HKO
4 SpA Morgrem Dark Pulse vs. +2 168 HP / 44 SpD Swoobat: 104-126 (32.8 - 39.7%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO

Checks ​

User​	Pokemon​	Submission​
SpookMÆN​	​	Scarf Glalie​
kakaks​	​	Scarf Lunatone​
Ryan207​	​	Scarf Raichu​

Counters ​

User​	Pokemon​	Submission​
OranBerryBlissey10​	​	Specially Defensive Zweilous​
Splebel​	​	Psych Up Swoobat​
Cheezy​	​	Screens Morgrem​

Vote for one check and one counter. Also, here are some additional calcs to show how Swoobat fares.

+2 0 SpA Swoobat Stored Power (140 BP) vs. 168 HP / 44 SpD Unaware Swoobat: 91-108 (28.7 - 34%) -- 1.3% chance to 3HKO
+2 0 SpA Swoobat Air Slash vs. 168 HP / 44 SpD Unaware Swoobat: 99-117 (31.2 - 36.9%) -- 70.1% chance to 3HKO
+2 0 SpA Swoobat Stored Power (140 BP) vs. +2 168 HP / 44 SpD Unaware Swoobat: 46-54 (14.5 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
+2 0 SpA Swoobat Air Slash vs. +2 168 HP / 44 SpD Unaware Swoobat: 51-60 (16 - 18.9%) -- possible 6HKO
+2 0 SpA Unaware Swoobat Stored Power (140 BP) vs. 168 HP / 44 SpD Swoobat: 182-214 (57.4 - 67.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

My vote:
Raichu and Zweilous

oh yeah everyone should definitely vote for the x button​

 

[OranBerryBlissey10]

My vote: Glalie and Morgrem

 

[SpookMÆN]

Ooh these counters sure are creative this week, but I'll have to vote for Swoobat and Raichu ig

 

[King on crack]

Lunatone and Zweilous

 

[Ryan207]

I’ll go for Glalie and Swoobat

 

[Tuthur]

Glalie and Zweilous

 

[kakaks]

Raichu and swoobat

 

[JonAmon 25]

Zwelious and Raichu

 

[Cheezy]

Winners

Checks
​

User​	Pokemon​	Submission​
Ryan207​	​	Scarf Raichu​

Counters
​

User​	Pokemon​	Submission​
OranBerryBlissey10​	​	Specially Defensive Zweilous​

Votes

Checks
Raichu - 4
Glalie - 3
Lunatone - 1

Counters
Zweilous - 4
Swoobat - 3
Morgrem - 1

Top Assassin Standings

Oathkeepre - 1
JonAmon 25 - 1
Ryan207 - 1
OranBerryBlissey10 - 1

Week 3

Bellossom


Bellossom @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Strength Sap
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb / Moonblast / Sleep Powder

Voting starts Thursday, September 3
​

 

[kakaks]

Fraxure @ Choice Band
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- First Impression
- Poison Jab
- Outrage
- Superpower
Fraxure is an counter to belossom, since it can switch in while bellossom qd and ohkoes with first impression. the coverage is for fairies, stab and steels.​

 

[Toto]

IVY GANG (Ivysaur) @ Eviolite
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
- Knock Off
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Synthesis

Ivysaur is immune to sleep power, quad resist giga drain, resist moonblast and a neutral non stab slude bomb wont do much either.
Ivysaur can knock off the leftovers which limits bellossom's recovery and then produce to spam sludge bomb to get a poison before finishing it off.​

 

[JonAmon 25]

Klang @ Eviolite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Gear Grind
- Toxic

Klang counters Bellossom by resisting or being immune to all of Bellossoms moves. Resttalk allows you to switch in even with significant chip. Toxic continually chips it and allows Klang to almost always win against it. With Clear Body, Strength Sap doesn’t affect Klang and makes Gear Grind consistently do 1/3 of Bellossom’s health.

Calcs

+1 252+ SpA Bellossom Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Klang: 42-50 (12.9 - 15.4%) -- possible 7HKO
4 Atk Klang Gear Grind (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 72 Def Bellossom: 86-104 (29.5 - 35.7%) -- approx. 100% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[risin_glory]

(Lumiere) Lampent @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Eviolite
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 4 SpD / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
-Energy Ball

Lampent line is probably my fav ghost line. Why? Cuz no matter what your problem is, most of the time this line is a solution.​

Lampent is a counter to bellosom, as it can setup substitute to avoid sleep powder (which isn't even an optmal set and consequently doesn't find much usage) and can easily throw it off with its flamethrower. Also the infiltrator makes bellos sub a waste of 25% health. Whether bello uses giga drain, moonblast or sludge bomb, doesn't matter, it easily resits em all. Also, its ssap is a waste in front of it.

CALCULATION​

252 SpA Lampent Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Bellossom: 236-282 (81 - 96.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Lampent Flamethrower vs. +2 0 HP / 4 SpD Bellossom: 120-144 (41.2 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Lampent Flamethrower vs. +1 252 HP / 72 SpD Bellossom: 150-176 (42.3 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 SpA Bellossom Giga Drain vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Eviolite Lampent: 72-85 (27.5 - 32.5%) (12.3 - 14.7% recovered)-- guaranteed 4HKO

Now ivysaur may look like a very good counter and check to bellosom, but overall in the team I don't feel like in the current meta it would be a very good decision. Whereas lampent on webs is still viable and impressive. Even without webs, the scarf and specs variants do the job really good.

 

[OranBerryBlissey10]

Sliggoat (Sliggoo) @ Eviolite
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Outrage
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Sliggoo hardwalls every Bellossom variant except Moonblast ones while preventing recovery and punishing rogue grass moves with Sap Sipper. Is useful as a blanket special wall in general and can relatively easily pull off a reverse sweep against Bellossom. It even switches in on Moonblast variants at 73% or less, making it a solid Check.

dem calcs

252+ SpA Bellossom Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Sliggoo: 38-45 (11.1 - 13.2%) -- possible 8HKO
+1 252+ SpA Bellossom Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Sliggoo: 56-66 (16.4 - 19.4%) -- possible 6HKO

252+ SpA Bellossom Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Sliggoo: 78-94 (22.9 - 27.6%) -- 69.7% chance to 4HKO
+1 252+ SpA Bellossom Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Sliggoo: 118-140 (34.7 - 41.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

+6 252+ SpA Bellossom Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Sliggoo: 312-368 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
this calc is lol

4 Atk Sliggoo Outrage vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bellossom: 108-127 (37.1 - 43.6%) -- 99.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[missangelic]

Vespiquen @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Toxic Spikes / Toxic
- U-Turn
- Air Slash

Song

Specially defensive Vespiquen is a splashable support option that can defensively check Bellossom. Both Moonblast and Sludge Bomb need +4 before they can 2HKO Vespiquen.
Bellossom cannot reliably recover against Vespiquen between Giga Drain doing bupkis and Strength Sap giving diminishing returns. Sleep Powder can be irritating for Vespiquen, but Bellossom needs to hit it consistently and rely on Vespiquen not waking up. If you're not getting slept, you're usually going to end up outstalling Bellossom with Roost and Pressure. This is why I choose to list Vespiquen more as a strong check rather than hard counter, as Sleep is extremely annoying to play around, even if it's on a minority of sets.
Vespiquen also provides Toxic Spikes that can check Bellossom even when it's not on the field, but Toxic provides a much more direct way to limit Bellossom's sweep.
A bonus to running SpDef Vespiquen aside from the potential hazard support is that even if Bellossom is running Safeguard or Substitute, you still prevent it from sweeping considering it likely is giving up coverage, and you also have Air Slash for damage.

Some Calcs

252 SpA Bellossom Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vespiquen: 57-68 (16.5 - 19.7%) -- possible 6HKO

0 SpA Vespiquen Air Slash vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Bellossom: 134-162 (46 - 55.6%) -- 10.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[Cheezy]

Sorry for the wait some stuff came up and I didn't have enough time to write this post



Silvally-Ice @ Ice Memory
Jolly Nature
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Multi-Attack
- Flame Charge
- Psychic Fangs

Silvally-Ice is a check to Bellossom. All it needs to do is click Multi-Attack.

252 Atk Silvally-Ice Multi-Attack vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bellossom: 330-390 (113.4 - 134%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Checks ​

User​	Pokemon​	Submission​
kakaks​	​	Choice Band Fraxure​
T0T0DI!E​	​	Defensive Ivysaur​
OranBerryBlissey10​	​	Specially Defensive Sliggoo​
missangelic​	​	Specially Defensive Vespiquen​
Cheezy​	​	Swords Dance Silvally-Ice​

Counters ​

User​	Pokemon​	Submission​
JonAmon 25​	​	Specially Defensive Klang​
risin_glory​	​	Offensive Lampent​

Vote for one check and one counter

My vote:
Fraxure and Klang

Voting ends Monday, September 7
​

 

[OranBerryBlissey10]

my votes: Ivy gang and Klang gang

 

[5gen]

ivysaur and klang

 

[JonAmon 25]

Fraxure and Lampent

 

[Tuthur]

Ivysaur ans Kalng

 

[missangelic]

Icevally and Klang

 

[Toto]

Vespiquen and lampent

 

[kakaks]

lamp and goo