UberSkitty
Assist Skitty was banned from NatDex Ubers
QC: Yogurt / Megazard / MotherOfMany
GP: Marthaaaaaa / Fireflame
uploaded -zard
[OVERVIEW]
With access to Hustle and Swords Dance along with a nice offensive typing, Alolan Raticate makes a decent offensive Pokemon that can serve as a setup sweeper or wallbreaker. This allows it to do well against both offensive and defensive teams, especially if it manages to set up a Swords Dance, and it also has access to utility in the form of Knock Off. Sadly, Alolan Raticate has a mediocre Speed stat and meager defenses, which can hold it back at times when it is trying to set up and sweep, although having access to Sucker Punch helps against faster foes. While Hustle is one of the large reasons that Alolan Raticate is viable at all, the accuracy drop can also screw it over at times, making it a high-risk high-reward Pokemon. Fighting-types, which are very common in the metagame, are a huge problem for Alolan Raticate, as they can OHKO it with their priority moves if they don't already outspeed it. Furthermore, Alolan Raticate faces a lot of competition from Absol and Normal-types such as Zangoose that also have access to Swords Dance, extra coverage, and similar Attack stats without the accuracy drop of Hustle. But what sets Alolan Raticate apart from them is its access to multiple STAB options, powerful priority, and a Z-Move that makes it nearly impossible to switch into.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Normalium Z / Darkinium Z
ability: Hustle
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance allows Alolan Raticate to set up and sweep; at +2 it is able to OHKO a large amount of the tier. Double-Edge is a powerful Normal-type STAB move for Alolan Raticate, having recoil as its only setback. Knock Off provides a second STAB move that hits Ghost-types such as Sableye and Gourgeist-XL, which are immune to Double-Edge. It also provides the secondary effect of removing foes' items, most notably from Eviolite and Choice-item users like Ferroseed and Meprit. Sucker Punch is a decently strong STAB priority move that allows Alolan Raticate to hit faster Pokemon such as Lilligant, Oricorio-G, and Alolan Raichu. However, it is important to note that the foe can take advantage of Sucker Punch and use the turn to set up, heal themselves, or inflict status upon Alolan Raticate. Pursuit can be run over Knock Off to trap Pokemon such as Mesprit along with the nice add-on that it can't miss if the foe switches.
Set Details
========
252 Attack and 252 Speed EVs allow Alolan Raticate to be as strong and fast as possible, maximizing its sweeping and wallbreaking abilities. Hustle boosts Alolan Raticate's Attack, letting it do as much damage as possible at the risk of missing attacks. A Jolly nature achieves notable Speed benchmarks, allowing Alolan Raticate to outspeed neutral-natured maximum Speed Skuntank and Qwilfish as well as base 80s such as Mesprit and Shiftry. Adamant nature allows Alolan Raticate to have maximum damage output, making it easier to break through bulkier foes. Both Z-Crystals can help break through different walls; Normalium Z helps with Fairy-, Fighting-, and Dark-types such as Granbull, Throh, and Alolan Persian, on top of having higher Base Power, while Darkinium Z helps against Ghost-, Rock-, and Steel-types such as Colbur Berry Gourgeist-XL, Carracosta, and Ferroseed.
Usage Tips
========
Alolan Raticate is best used mid- or late-game when all of its counters and certain walls have been weakened if not KOed. It mainly relies on Swords Dance when facing defensively oriented teams in order to break through opposing walls more easily; however, it does not need to always depend on Swords Dance to do well, as it often doesn't need the Attack boost to break through offensively oriented teams. Alolan Raticate does not always need to serve as a sweeper and can be used to support the rest of its team by breaking down foes and hitting them hard before bringing out a dedicated sweeper. Try to get Alolan Raticate onto the field against Pokemon like Sableye that can do very little damage to it in return and set up Swords Dance, as they are forced to switch out or be used as setup fodder if they try to stay in. Be wary of Pokemon such as Mesprit, however, as while Alolan Raticate is immune to its STAB moves, it can still run coverage moves such as Dazzling Gleam, and even U-turn does a good amount of damage to Alolan Raticate. While the Z-Moves are mainly to help Alolan Raticate break through bulkier Pokemon, they can also be used to ensure a hit, as they ignore the accuracy drop from Hustle while still keeping the Attack boost.
Team Options
========
Mesprit makes a particularly good teammate for Alolan Raticate, as it can switch into Fighting-type attacks, set up Stealth Rock to weaken Pokemon for it, get off a slow U-turn to get it onto the field, and use Healing Wish if Alolan Raticate is heavily damaged or afflicted with status. Qwilfish and Weezing also make good teammates, as they can similarly switch into Fighting-type attacks while setting up hazards in the form of Toxic Spikes, along with Spikes in Qwilfish’s case, which help Alolan Raticate more easily break through threats later on. They can also hold Rocky Helmet in order to further whittle Fighting-types like Hitmonchan and Primeape down, putting them in range to be KOed by +2 Sucker Punch. Since Alolan Raticate can be slow at times, speed control is nice. Noteworthy teammates include Granbull, Ferroseed, and Qwilfish. All of these Pokemon have access to Thunder Wave, allowing Alolan Raticate to outspeed otherwise faster threats. Wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Choice Specs Pyroar can help weaken or take out certain walls before Alolan Raticate comes in to set up and sweep. Slow pivots such as Lanturn and the previously mentioned Mesprit can take a hit before getting Alolan Raticate on the field practically for free. Cleaners such as Archeops and Choice Scarf Primeape benefit from Alolan Raticate's ability to break down the opponent's walls, such as Regirock and Weezing, so that they can come in late-game and clean up the match.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Quick Attack is a more reliable alternative to Sucker Punch at the cost of power and the ability to hit Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G. Alolan Raticate can be run as an all-out attacker with Pursuit or Quick Attack instead of Swords Dance. U-turn is another option, although the potential for the attack to miss, meaning that Alolan Raticate stays in, can often be less reliable than simply switching. Return can be run as Alolan Raticate’s Normal-type STAB move, as it has no recoil with the setback of having a noticeably lower damage output. Crunch can replace Knock Off as Alolan Raticate's Dark-type STAB move, as it can deal more damage to Z-Crystal users such as Musharna or Colbur Berry holders such as Gourgeist-XL, along with having a stronger Z-Move. Substitute can be used to potentially take more hits and block status conditions, but Alolan Raticate does not appreciate the HP loss and can make much better use overall of its moveslots. If you already have the Z-Crystal slot taken on your team, Life Orb is Alolan Raticate’s best alternative item, boosting the power of all its moves. Lum Berry is another option, allowing Alolan Raticate to better deal with Lilligant's Sleep Powder and Colbur Berry Gourgeist-XL's Will-O-Wisp. Choice Scarf can be run with Switcheroo and U-turn to allow Alolan Raticate to lure otherwise faster Pokemon such as Archeops and Pyroar, but it makes Alolan Raticate somewhat underwhelming against defensive teams and much easier for them to handle, along with not being the most reliable revenge killer due to Hustle. A similar set can be run with Choice Band but as an immediate wallbreaker, although being locked into a single move can make Alolan Raticate much easier to check even with the extra power.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr OHKO Alolan Raticate with Mach Punch and can easily take either of Alolan Raticate’s priority moves. Primeape and Passimian outspeed Alolan Raticate and can take a +2 Sucker Punch, OHKOing it in return with Close Combat.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: If Alolan Raticate lacks the proper Z-Move to use against them, physically bulky Pokemon such as Ferroseed, defensive Carracosta, and defensive Mawile can wear Alolan Raticate down with a combination of Double-Edge’s recoil, Leech Seed, and status conditions and use Alolan Raticate as setup fodder for Spikes or Stealth Rock. However, this can start mind games where Alolan Raticate can potentially take advantage of these turns to set up more Swords Dances.
**Status Conditions**: Bulkier Pokemon such as Regirock, Granbull, and Colbur Berry Gourgeist-XL can take a hit and cripple Alolan Raticate with Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp, while faster Pokemon such as Lilligant and Jynx can outspeed it and put Alolan Raticate to sleep without fear of Sucker Punch, but they must be wary of Quick Attack.
**Revenge Killers**: Since Alolan Raticate is not too hard to whittle down, it is not too difficult to revenge kill with faster Pokemon such as Silvally-Fairy and Kabutops. However, Sucker Punch can threaten them. A strong and faster priority user, such as Kangaskhan or Floatzel, can sometimes be a safer way to take Alolan Raticate out without having to fear Sucker Punch.
GP: Marthaaaaaa / Fireflame
uploaded -zard
[OVERVIEW]
With access to Hustle and Swords Dance along with a nice offensive typing, Alolan Raticate makes a decent offensive Pokemon that can serve as a setup sweeper or wallbreaker. This allows it to do well against both offensive and defensive teams, especially if it manages to set up a Swords Dance, and it also has access to utility in the form of Knock Off. Sadly, Alolan Raticate has a mediocre Speed stat and meager defenses, which can hold it back at times when it is trying to set up and sweep, although having access to Sucker Punch helps against faster foes. While Hustle is one of the large reasons that Alolan Raticate is viable at all, the accuracy drop can also screw it over at times, making it a high-risk high-reward Pokemon. Fighting-types, which are very common in the metagame, are a huge problem for Alolan Raticate, as they can OHKO it with their priority moves if they don't already outspeed it. Furthermore, Alolan Raticate faces a lot of competition from Absol and Normal-types such as Zangoose that also have access to Swords Dance, extra coverage, and similar Attack stats without the accuracy drop of Hustle. But what sets Alolan Raticate apart from them is its access to multiple STAB options, powerful priority, and a Z-Move that makes it nearly impossible to switch into.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Normalium Z / Darkinium Z
ability: Hustle
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance allows Alolan Raticate to set up and sweep; at +2 it is able to OHKO a large amount of the tier. Double-Edge is a powerful Normal-type STAB move for Alolan Raticate, having recoil as its only setback. Knock Off provides a second STAB move that hits Ghost-types such as Sableye and Gourgeist-XL, which are immune to Double-Edge. It also provides the secondary effect of removing foes' items, most notably from Eviolite and Choice-item users like Ferroseed and Meprit. Sucker Punch is a decently strong STAB priority move that allows Alolan Raticate to hit faster Pokemon such as Lilligant, Oricorio-G, and Alolan Raichu. However, it is important to note that the foe can take advantage of Sucker Punch and use the turn to set up, heal themselves, or inflict status upon Alolan Raticate. Pursuit can be run over Knock Off to trap Pokemon such as Mesprit along with the nice add-on that it can't miss if the foe switches.
Set Details
========
252 Attack and 252 Speed EVs allow Alolan Raticate to be as strong and fast as possible, maximizing its sweeping and wallbreaking abilities. Hustle boosts Alolan Raticate's Attack, letting it do as much damage as possible at the risk of missing attacks. A Jolly nature achieves notable Speed benchmarks, allowing Alolan Raticate to outspeed neutral-natured maximum Speed Skuntank and Qwilfish as well as base 80s such as Mesprit and Shiftry. Adamant nature allows Alolan Raticate to have maximum damage output, making it easier to break through bulkier foes. Both Z-Crystals can help break through different walls; Normalium Z helps with Fairy-, Fighting-, and Dark-types such as Granbull, Throh, and Alolan Persian, on top of having higher Base Power, while Darkinium Z helps against Ghost-, Rock-, and Steel-types such as Colbur Berry Gourgeist-XL, Carracosta, and Ferroseed.
Usage Tips
========
Alolan Raticate is best used mid- or late-game when all of its counters and certain walls have been weakened if not KOed. It mainly relies on Swords Dance when facing defensively oriented teams in order to break through opposing walls more easily; however, it does not need to always depend on Swords Dance to do well, as it often doesn't need the Attack boost to break through offensively oriented teams. Alolan Raticate does not always need to serve as a sweeper and can be used to support the rest of its team by breaking down foes and hitting them hard before bringing out a dedicated sweeper. Try to get Alolan Raticate onto the field against Pokemon like Sableye that can do very little damage to it in return and set up Swords Dance, as they are forced to switch out or be used as setup fodder if they try to stay in. Be wary of Pokemon such as Mesprit, however, as while Alolan Raticate is immune to its STAB moves, it can still run coverage moves such as Dazzling Gleam, and even U-turn does a good amount of damage to Alolan Raticate. While the Z-Moves are mainly to help Alolan Raticate break through bulkier Pokemon, they can also be used to ensure a hit, as they ignore the accuracy drop from Hustle while still keeping the Attack boost.
Team Options
========
Mesprit makes a particularly good teammate for Alolan Raticate, as it can switch into Fighting-type attacks, set up Stealth Rock to weaken Pokemon for it, get off a slow U-turn to get it onto the field, and use Healing Wish if Alolan Raticate is heavily damaged or afflicted with status. Qwilfish and Weezing also make good teammates, as they can similarly switch into Fighting-type attacks while setting up hazards in the form of Toxic Spikes, along with Spikes in Qwilfish’s case, which help Alolan Raticate more easily break through threats later on. They can also hold Rocky Helmet in order to further whittle Fighting-types like Hitmonchan and Primeape down, putting them in range to be KOed by +2 Sucker Punch. Since Alolan Raticate can be slow at times, speed control is nice. Noteworthy teammates include Granbull, Ferroseed, and Qwilfish. All of these Pokemon have access to Thunder Wave, allowing Alolan Raticate to outspeed otherwise faster threats. Wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Choice Specs Pyroar can help weaken or take out certain walls before Alolan Raticate comes in to set up and sweep. Slow pivots such as Lanturn and the previously mentioned Mesprit can take a hit before getting Alolan Raticate on the field practically for free. Cleaners such as Archeops and Choice Scarf Primeape benefit from Alolan Raticate's ability to break down the opponent's walls, such as Regirock and Weezing, so that they can come in late-game and clean up the match.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Quick Attack is a more reliable alternative to Sucker Punch at the cost of power and the ability to hit Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G. Alolan Raticate can be run as an all-out attacker with Pursuit or Quick Attack instead of Swords Dance. U-turn is another option, although the potential for the attack to miss, meaning that Alolan Raticate stays in, can often be less reliable than simply switching. Return can be run as Alolan Raticate’s Normal-type STAB move, as it has no recoil with the setback of having a noticeably lower damage output. Crunch can replace Knock Off as Alolan Raticate's Dark-type STAB move, as it can deal more damage to Z-Crystal users such as Musharna or Colbur Berry holders such as Gourgeist-XL, along with having a stronger Z-Move. Substitute can be used to potentially take more hits and block status conditions, but Alolan Raticate does not appreciate the HP loss and can make much better use overall of its moveslots. If you already have the Z-Crystal slot taken on your team, Life Orb is Alolan Raticate’s best alternative item, boosting the power of all its moves. Lum Berry is another option, allowing Alolan Raticate to better deal with Lilligant's Sleep Powder and Colbur Berry Gourgeist-XL's Will-O-Wisp. Choice Scarf can be run with Switcheroo and U-turn to allow Alolan Raticate to lure otherwise faster Pokemon such as Archeops and Pyroar, but it makes Alolan Raticate somewhat underwhelming against defensive teams and much easier for them to handle, along with not being the most reliable revenge killer due to Hustle. A similar set can be run with Choice Band but as an immediate wallbreaker, although being locked into a single move can make Alolan Raticate much easier to check even with the extra power.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr OHKO Alolan Raticate with Mach Punch and can easily take either of Alolan Raticate’s priority moves. Primeape and Passimian outspeed Alolan Raticate and can take a +2 Sucker Punch, OHKOing it in return with Close Combat.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: If Alolan Raticate lacks the proper Z-Move to use against them, physically bulky Pokemon such as Ferroseed, defensive Carracosta, and defensive Mawile can wear Alolan Raticate down with a combination of Double-Edge’s recoil, Leech Seed, and status conditions and use Alolan Raticate as setup fodder for Spikes or Stealth Rock. However, this can start mind games where Alolan Raticate can potentially take advantage of these turns to set up more Swords Dances.
**Status Conditions**: Bulkier Pokemon such as Regirock, Granbull, and Colbur Berry Gourgeist-XL can take a hit and cripple Alolan Raticate with Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp, while faster Pokemon such as Lilligant and Jynx can outspeed it and put Alolan Raticate to sleep without fear of Sucker Punch, but they must be wary of Quick Attack.
**Revenge Killers**: Since Alolan Raticate is not too hard to whittle down, it is not too difficult to revenge kill with faster Pokemon such as Silvally-Fairy and Kabutops. However, Sucker Punch can threaten them. A strong and faster priority user, such as Kangaskhan or Floatzel, can sometimes be a safer way to take Alolan Raticate out without having to fear Sucker Punch.
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