[SET]
name: Substitute + Quiver Dance
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Sleep Powder
move 3: Quiver Dance
move 4: Hurricane
item: Leftovers
ability: Compound Eyes
nature: Timid
evs: 16 HP / 240 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Substitute lets Vivillon identify how the opponent will respond to it, whether by bringing in a Flying-resistant Pokemon, switch to a Pokemon that can take Sleep Powder, or outright attack it. This lets Vivillon make the correct move the following turn, reducing its dependence on prediction and giving it a safety net against priority attacks, particularly Sucker Punch from Shiftry and Skuntank, as well as attacks from faster threats such as Tauros and Archeops. Sleep Powder has an almost-guaranteed chance to incapacitate a slower foe and gives Vivillon many opportunities to set up either a Substitute or a Quiver Dance depending on the situation. Quiver Dance lets Vivillon outspeed most unboosted foes after a single use and makes Vivillon extremely threatening against offensive teams that lack Flying-type checks. It also lets Vivillon survive special attacks such as Swellow's Boomburst and Pyroar's Hyper Voice after a boost, which could otherwise bypass Substitute and KO Vivillon. Hurricane is Vivillon's strongest STAB move, has good neutral coverage in the tier, and has a good chance to inflict confusion on switch-ins, making Vivillon hard to deal with.
Set Details
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Vivillon's Speed is maximized so that it can outspeed threats such as positive-natured Mesprit, Kabutops, Shiftry, and Pinsir, as well as neutral-natured Kangaskhan and Lilligant, forcing them out with either Sleep Powder or a STAB-boosted Hurricane. Maximum Speed investment also forces Shiftry to use Sucker Punch to beat Vivillon when it is unboosted, letting it set up a free Substitute. 16 HP EVs are used to give Vivillon the most efficient Leftovers recovery, letting it spam Substitute while continuously recovering HP to stall out Sucker Punch users if necessary, while still letting Vivillon switch into Stealth Rock twice. The remaining EVs are placed in Special Attack to make Vivillon's Hurricane as threatening as possible after a single boost. Compound Eyes makes Hurricane a more consistent sweeping move and makes Sleep Powder 97.5% accurate, a vast improvement over other sleep-inducing moves such as Lilligant's Sleep Powder and Jynx's Lovely Kiss.
Usage Tips
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Vivillon should enter battle against a slower target, either through a slow pivot such as Lanturn or after a teammate faints. Vivillon's set will be revealed as soon as it takes any residual damage, so the opponent will know that they don't have to account for a Focus Sash. If the target is likely to attack, Sleep Powder can be used to immediately incapacitate it if there aren't any other threats that need to be put to sleep before Vivillon can boost peacefully. Otherwise, Vivillon can set up a Substitute to block status effects and to scout the opponent if they switch to a teammate. Once the foe is asleep, Substitute should be used to protect Vivillon in case the foe wakes up the next turn and attacks. Quiver Dance should usually be used when Vivillon is behind a Substitute, unless the opponent has a threat that can bypass Substitutes such as Pyroar, Swellow, or Refrigerate Aurorus. If a sleeping foe stays in, Vivillon should use Quiver Dance until its Substitute is broken, then use Sleep Powder on the foe again, set up another Substitute, and hit it with Hurricane until it is KOed. This minimizes the consequences of a Hurricane miss and Vivillon being taken by surprise in general.
Vivillon can beat most Flying-resistant Pokemon one-on-one with this strategy, but if the opponent packs another check, Vivillon won't be able to sweep due to Sleep Clause. If the opponent's Vivillon check is Vital Spirit Magmortar, Vivillon should use Hurricane immediately to inflict chip damage as it switches in, after which it should switch to a teammate that can take the incoming attack. The standard Assault Vest set is usually 3HKOed, so Vivillon can break through it the second time it tries to switch in. While this set is normally most effective late-game once Pokemon that resist Flying are removed, it can still be an decent lead, bluffing the Focus Sash and firing off Sleep Powder or Hurricane.
Team Options
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While Vivillon doesn't need full health to function, anti-entry hazard support is still recommended, as Vivillon is easily picked off by neutral priority moves such as Samurott's Aqua Jet and Zangoose's Quick Attack if it switches into Stealth Rock and lacks a Substitute. Hitmonchan and Claydol are good choices for offensive Rapid Spin users that can threaten most Flying-resistant Pokemon, such as Steelix and Lanturn, with their STAB attacks. Shiftry and Skuntank can also use Defog to clear the way for Vivillon while also dealing with Lanturn and Steelix, respectively. Hazard support punishes foes for trying to switch around to bait Sleep Powder and lets Vivillon secure KOs with fewer boosts. Omastar provides a solid defensive backbone alongside Spikes and Stealth Rock and also deals with most Steel- and Rock-types, while Cacturne and Roselia provide Spikes and have excellent matchups against Lanturn in particular.
Additional Flying-types can be useful for overwhelming Flying-type checks like Lanturn, Rotom, and Rhydon that lack reliable recovery. Archeops is a great choice, outspeeding most offensive threats while packing serious power against defensive ones with Stone Edge, Earth Power, and even Aqua Tail. Dealing with Rhydon is particularly important, as Rock Blast can bypass Vivillon's Substitute, making Jumpluff another decent option. A sturdy Rock-resistant Pokemon can also be useful, especially with Flying-type partners; Gastrodon can also deal with Electric-types such as Rotom and Lanturn, while Steelix can deal with attackers such as Archeops and Tauros that outspeed unboosted Vivillon. Fast offensive threats such as Tauros, Floatzel, and Swellow are useful for threatening Pokemon that Vivillon can't enter battle against safely, such as Jynx, with Swellow's U-turn being able to bring Vivillon safely into slow responses such as Rhydon so that it can hit them with Sleep Powder.
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