Pokémon X and Y/Species Strategies (Generation V Families)

This page contains information on every Pokémon family first introduced in Generation V, including stats, recommended movesets and evolutionary lines. All evolutionary lines are put together, even if an evolution or pre-evolution was not introduced in the same Generation as other members of its evolutionary family.

Victini
Victini is one of the few legendary Pokémon based off of Mew, possessing a completely balanced set of stats, being available only through events and being generally adorable. It has a pretty unique Psychic/Fire type, which gives it 7 resistances but also leaves it with six weaknesses. It has a pretty cool ability in Victory Star, which can make it a great teammate when paired up with users of low accuracy moves like Focus Blast and Stone Edge, but the ability itself is rather limited in single battles.

While these aforementioned traits are pretty decent but not excellent, what makes Victini outstanding is its amazing movepool, although most of its best moves are only obtainable through events. The most notable of these is V-Create, the strongest Fire-type move in the game at a ridiculous 180 Base Power, which can even tear through Pokémon that resist it when combined with Victini's great 100 Attack. While V-Create is its best STAB attack, its signature move, Searing Shot, is also a great move for double and triple battles, being the strongest Fire-type spread move there is. Other than these two STAB attacks, Victini can also learn Bolt Strike, Focus Blast, Dazzling Gleam, and Energy Ball for coverage, while it can use Psychic, Psyshock or Zen Headbutt for Psychic STAB.

Although Victini does have extreme power, V-Create comes at a cost. Every use of it will reduce Victini's defenses and Speed, so it will eventually have to switch out to avoid being outsped and OHKO'd. However, Victini can learn U-Turn to switch out more efficiently, and its coverage moves can take out an opponent's counter that switches in to early. Another of Victini's cons is its plethora of weaknesses, which are worryingly common attacking types, and while its defensive stats are above average, Victini can still be easily worn down, especially after some V-Creates. All in all, while Victini can't guarantee victories as it claims to do, its sheer power will certainly net you quite a few.

Snivy, Servine and Serperior
In its debut generation, Serperior was a pretty underwhelming Grass-type, as while it has great Speed and decent bulk, it is too weak to be a threat. However, it has gained a crucial trait that elevates it into one of the most powerful Grass-types there is: the Contrary ability. Serperior is a Pokemon that finds great success relying on one gimmick, which is firing off increasingly stronger Leaf Storms, using the Special Attack raise from Contrary to turn it into a powerhouse. Its naturally high Speed helps it spam Leaf Storm liberally, giving it the potential to sweep through teams lacking Grass resists. Unfortunately, Serperior's coverage moves are severely lacking, so Pokemon that can take a Leaf Storm and retaliate are effective ways at handling it, though Serperior can eventually overwhelm some walls just by boosting its stats high enough. Serperior also has a rather mediocre defensive typing, which makes it vulnerable to many popular attack types like Flying and Ice.

No Serperior moveset is complete without Leaf Storm, as this move's synergy with Contrary is the entire strategic reason to use Serperior in the first place. Leaf Storm is normally a powerful attack that cuts the user's Special Attack, forcing the user to switch out to refresh their strength. However, Contrary makes the move raise Serperior's Special Attack instead, effectively giving it a free Nasty Plot boost along with the heavy damage from Leaf Storm, so Serperior only grows stronger the more it uses this move. Dragon Pulse is the best coverage move among Serperior's extremely limited special movepool, striking most Grass-resistant Pokemon for decent damage. Hidden Power Fire or Ground deals with Steel-types that handily resist both of its most common attacking options. Glare is a guaranteed paralysis for neutering faster Pokemon that like to take on Serperior, and can even paralyze Ground-types too. Serperior's Speed makes it a good user of Taunt, which stops the bulkier answers to Serperior by disabling their vital support moves.

Tepig, Pignite and Emboar
Among the trinity of Fire/Fighting type Pokemon, Emboar takes on a more slow and steady approach, eschewing blazing Speed for better HP. However, Emboar is not lacking in the damage department at all, as it still has powerful mixed attacking stats and a varied movepool that rivals its predecessors. Emboar is notable for being the only Fire-type Pokemon with the Reckless ability, which gives it a ludicrously strong Flare Blitz. Despite its poor defenses, Emboar's huge HP lets it take hits better than expected, and its typing gives a solid 5 resistances to boot. Emboar's main weakness is its poor Speed, so faster powerful attackers can outspeed and neutralize it due to its subpar defense stats. Since it relies on Reckless to deal heavy damage, it also loses a lot of HP from recoil just by attacking.

Flare Blitz is Emboar's best STAB move, being an attack that uses its superior physical Attack stat and getting a power boost from Reckless. Superpower is a fair Fighting-type STAB move for cracking open Rock-types that resist Fire, and it doesn't deal severe recoil damage, making it a good alternative move when Emboar needs to conserve its health. Wild Charge is an Electric move that also gets boosted by Reckless, giving Emboar a solid answer to Water-types. Grass Knot is occasionally used as well if Water/Ground types are a big problem. Sucker Punch lets Emboar hit first despite its terrible Speed, and is its main way of dealing with faster attackers. Lastly, Head Smash is another ridiculously powerful recoil move boosted by Reckless, though it's not as strong as Flare Blitz on neutral hits and has less accuracy.

Oshawott, Dewott and Samurott
Of all the Unova starters, Samurott has gained the least in this generation, as its hidden ability Shell Armor isn't as game-changing as Contrary or Reckless to even justify using over Torrent. Nevertheless, it is still a decent offensive Water-type with nice physical and special attack. Samurott sports a pretty interesting movepool, having a range of moves to perform as a powerful physical or mixed attacker. Samurott's biggest issue is its poor Speed, so it's often forced to depend heavily on Aqua Jet to take on faster foes, or get KO'd due to its middling bulk. It can also be walled due to its intermediate attacking stats, although Samurott can boost its Attack or simply run mixed sets to trip up its defensive answers.

For Water-type STAB, Hydro Pump is Samurott's strongest option that doesn't come with any severe side effects, while Waterfall is the preferred Water-move for purely physical movesets. Aqua Jet is absolutely necessary as a secondary Water move, as it lets Samurott circumvent its mediocre Speed and take on the myriad of faster Pokemon it may face. For special attacks, Ice Beam provides a ton of extra type coverage particularly against Grass and Dragon types. Grass Knot trips up other Water-types, particularly certain Water/Ground types. For physical moves, Megahorn keeps Grass-type Pokemon at bay, while Knock Off provides helpful utility by removing the enemy's items. Samurott can use Swords Dance to double its Attack, either to break through particularly bulky foes or attempt an Aqua Jet sweep. While Samurott isn't very fast, it may also use Taunt for shutting down enemy support moves.

Patrat and Watchog
Watchog is a mediocre Normal-type Pokemon with roughly balanced stats that make it struggle to excel in any aspect. Like many Normal-types, Watchog is built as a physical attacker, with Attack being its strongest stat, though it has a surprising number of status moves it can use as well. It's most notable perk is getting the uncommon Analytic ability, which takes advantage of Watchog's subpar Speed to increase the power of its attacks whenever it goes second, remedying the fact that Watchog's best stat is still pretty poor. Unfortunately, Watchog is very frail, so it's difficult to take advantage of the Analytic boost since most faster Pokemon are strong enough to quickly take it out. Watchog is also generally quite weak even with the Analytic boost, so bulkier Pokemon can reliably sponge its moves and retaliate accordingly.

Return is Watchog's best STAB move, being a high base power attack at ma happiness with no drawbacks. Knock Off lets Watchog target Ghost-types and is a very handy move in general, reducing the effectiveness of foes by removing their items. Low Kick gives Watchog coverage against Rock and Steel-types, which conveniently tend to take more damage from it due to their high weight. Super Fang helps Watchog wear down bulky Pokemon by chipping away half of their current HP. Watchog also gets the three elemental punches, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, Seed Bomb and Gunk Shot as options to hit specific Pokemon. Hypnosis, Toxic and Thunder Wave are some debilitating status moves to give Watchog more utility. Reflect, Light Screen and Helping Hand lets it provide team support, or it could use Swords Dance and Baton Pass to send Attack boosts to a better Pokemon.

Lillipup, Herdier and Stoutland
Stoutland is a solid Normal-type with good Attack, decent bulk and a selection of helpful abilities. It is a standard physical attacker that uses its reliable range of attacks to smack a wide variety of Pokemon for good damage. Intimidate is an excellent support ability that makes enemy physical attackers more manageable while improving Stoutland's bulk, while Scrappy lets it hit Ghost-types without the need for a coverage move. Sand Rush is the most situational option since it requires Sandstorm support from a teammate, but easily makes Stoutland one of the fastest Pokemon in the game and it lacks the common weaknesses of most Sandstorm abusers. Stoutland isn't too bad, but its rarely seen due to being outclassed by so many other physical Normal-types that are either stronger or better at abusing its abilities.

Return is the go-to STAB move of any physical Normal-type, dealing reliable and considerable damage without negative side effects. Superpower punches holes through Rock and Steel types that resist Normal. Crunch gives Stoutland coverage against Ghost-types, which is important if it isn't using Scrappy. Stoutland can also use Pursuit to trap Ghost and Psychic types and take them out. Other coverage options are Wild Charge, which does good damage against common bulky Water-types, or Play Rough, which can devastate opposing Fighting-types.

Purrloin and Liepard
Liepard is a conniving support Pokemon, one of the few blessed with the coveted Prankster ability that makes its status moves go first. It also has no lack of disruptive support moves to make itself a massive nuisance to the enemy team. Among other Prankster users, Liepard possesses above average Speed, which gives it an edge over other priority users, as well as decent offense and a typing that gives it STAB on some of the game's best utility attacks. Unfortunately, Liepard is incredibly frail, so it has severe difficulty facing Pokemon it cannot outspeed or outprioritize. It also faces competition from other Prankster users that either have better bulk or strong niche moves to abuse Prankster with.

One of Liepard's most dreaded methods of Prankster abuse is the infamous SwagPlay combo. Using Swagger, Liepard can reliably inflict Confusion on the enemy while raising their Attack, making them hit themselves harder when confused. It can then take advantage of the Attack boost with Foul Play to strike its foe with massive damage. Thunder Wave is excellent when used with the aforementioned combo or on its own, completely crippling many offensive Pokemon and having the possibility of rendering them completely useless for a turn by random chance. Encore is another menacing move to use with Prankster, since Liepard can often force switches by locking a foe into a status or setup move. Alternatively, Taunt is a more straightforward option that guarantees the enemy can't use status moves the moment Liepard switches in. Liepard's great Speed and decent Attack means it can provide utility in a more standard way with Knock Off, Pursuit or U-turn. It is also one of the faster users of Fake Out, which can be crucial for doubles and triples. Lastly, Liepard can attempt a surprise sweep with Nasty Plot and Dark Pulse, serving as a decisive trump card once faster foes and dark-resistant enemies have been taken out.

Pansage and Simisage
The first of the three elemental monkeys, Simisage is notable for being one of the few Grass-types that eschews bulk for speed and offense. It is faster than most Grass-types, and can be a solid physical, special or mixed attacker if it chooses. Simisage's movepool is its best asset, giving it a huge variety of attacks to use. Simisage's biggest weakness it its frailty due to its poor defenses, so it has trouble facing anything it can't outspeed. Compounding the problem is its pure Grass typing, which gives it a large number of weaknesses. Simisage's offenses are also below average compared to other offensive Pokemon so it has difficulty against bulky enemies, and it has trouble breaking down Poison-types in particular.

Even though Simisage's attack stats are equal, it tends to run more physical moves due to its wider physical movepool. Seed Bomb is Simisage's main STAB move, being both accurate and consistent with its damage. Leaf Storm is a staple for mixed attacking Simisage for blowing through physical walls, as Simisage can still contribute to the fight despite Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop. Giga Drain is a weaker alternative that gives Simisage a bit more survivability. Superpower is a strong coverage move that lets Simisage crush Steel-types, while Gunk Shot takes down other Grass-types as well as Fairies. Rock Slide is strong against Flying-types and has a handy flinch chance, while Knock Off can always be considered due to its helpful side effect. Simisage also gets Nasty Plot to boost its Special Attack significantly. Focus Blast is one of the few special coverage moves it can learn, and Hidden Power can round out pure special attacking sets with any coverage it needs.

Pansear and Simisear
The second of the elemental monkeys, Simisear doesn't bring anything new to the fast and frail Fire-type archetype, but it is faster than most of its competitors albeit barely so. Simisear has balanced attacking stats, but its playstyle leans more to a special attacker due to superior attacking options and Nasty Plot. Simisear also has some nice coverage options to handle common threats against Fire-types. Unfortunately, Simisear is very frail, so any Pokemon that can outspeed it can likely also overpower it and take it out. Simisear also has three type weaknesses that are extremely common for attacks. Lastly, Simisear lacks the sheer power to blow through some of the more bulky Pokemon in the game, even despite a heavy focus in one attack stat.

Fire Blast is Simisear's best STAB move being a straightforward, high-power Fire attack. Flamethrower is a more accurate alternative but loses out on a lot of power. Grass Knot hits all of the Fire-type's defensive weaknesses super effectively. Focus Blast is a strong attack for taking out Rock-types, but suffers from shaky accuracy. Nasty Plot is a powerful tool for specially attacking Simisear, granting a sharp boost in its main attack stat. For physical moves, Simisear also has Low Kick to take on Rock and bulky Normal-types, Rock Slide for smashing other Fire-types and Knock Off for its general utility.

Panpour and Simipour
The last of the elemental monkeys, Simipour's fast and frail attack style is not unheard of, but certainly uncommon for Water-types. Simipour functions quite similar to its cousins Simisage and Simisear, often used either as a mixed attacker or a purely special fighter with Nasty Plot. Simipour also benefits from a rather unique movepool for a Water-type, giving it some uncommon coverage moves. While Simipour is arguably the strongest defensively of the elemental monkeys due to its excellent pure-Water typing, it is still very frail, so it fears anything it cannot outspeed. Simipour also lacks power, making bulky Pokemon, primarily special walls, a nuisance.

Hydro Pump is Simipour's best STAB move since it needs all the power it can get. Surf and Scald are good alternatives, with Surf being more accurate and hitting multiple foes, while Scald has the ridiculous burn chance that threatens offensive and defensive foes alike. Ice Beam is every Water-type's best coverage move, hitting a lot of Water resists super effectively. Grass Knot gives Simipour a powerful move to use against other Water-types. Nasty Plot gives Simipour a sizable Special Attack boost, turning it into a deadly bruiser after just one turn. On the physical side, Superpower is handy against common bulky Normal-types, while Knock Off's ability to remove enemy items makes it quite appealing too.

Munna and Musharna
Musharna is a pretty standard bulky Psychic-type, although it has an edge over other pure Psychic Pokemon by having a usable Defense stat. It also has a great movepool that lets it assist its team. It is notable for being one of the slowest Trick Room users in the game, and certainly has the bulk to provide Trick Room support if it needs to. Unfortunately, there's all that really makes Musharna stand out from other Psychic-types, as it is heavily outclassed by its Psychic brethren otherwise. Musharna's poor Speed is also a big hindrance that makes it an easy target for Taunt, while its typing gives it weaknesses to some extremely common attacks like Knock Off and U-turn.

Psychic or Psyshock is the go-to STAB move for any Psychic-type Pokemon, and Musharna is no different. Psychic does more damage, while Psyshock works wonders against dedicated special walls. Signal Beam gives it coverage against Dark-types. Moonlight is a must to let Musharna heal off damage and sustain its respectable bulk. Thunder Wave is a major threat against opposing offensive Pokemon, while Toxic lets Musharna wear down other bulky Pokemon. It also has Heal Bell for curing its team of status ailments. Calm Mind lets Musharna function as a bulky sweeper, though it can also Baton Pass the boosts to a teammate instead. Lastly, Musharna can set up Trick Room and make good use of it due to its low Speed, or force opponents out with Yawn.

Pidove, Tranquill and Unfezant
Among the myriad of fierce physical Normal/Flying types in the game, Unfezant lacks anything to make it stand out. It doesn't have exceptional Speed, power or rare coverage move to speak of, and its more uncommon abilities Super Luck and Rivalry are all situational. Unfezant's specialty is its wider support movepool, which comes at the cost of a terrible offensive movepool, and Unfezant has neither the bulk or the speed to use them well. The best way to use Unfezant is perhaps a combination of offense and support, but keep in mind there are many better bird Pokemon in the game that could make a stronger impact. Beware of the usual Flying-type weaknesses like Rock and Ice, while watch out for special attackers in general due to Unfezant's terrible Special Defense.

Frustratingly, Unfezant lacks the most important attack of any physical Flying-type, Brave Bird, so it must either settle for the much weaker Aerial Ace, the two-turn Sky Attack or even abandon a Flying STAB move altogether. Return is Unfezant's best STAB move, being a strong and reliable attack with no drawbacks. Heat Wave lets Unfezant deal acceptable damage to Steel-types. U-turn lets Unfezant switch out with an attack and maintain an advantageous matchup for its team. Tailwind buffs the Speed of Unfezant and its teammates, while Taunt disables the foe's support moves. Lastly, Hypnosis can be used to put foes to sleep, but is very inaccurate.

Blitzle and Zebstrika
Zebstrika is pretty par for the course for an Electric Pokemon, having blazing fast Speed and decent offenses while being very frail. It is notable for being one of the few Electric-types that have a higher Attack compared to their Special Attack, and all of its abilities give it an immunity while also providing it with a handy stat boost. In particular, its Sap Sipper ability is unique for an Electric-type, giving it a better matchup against many Grass-types. Zebstrika's main issue is its terrible movepool, having a limited range of attacks that tend to force it into being a special attacker, which uses its weaker attack stat. It also has paper-thin defenses, so any Pokemon that outspeeds or outprioritizes Zebstrika can comfortably take it down.

While Zebstrika's stats might suggest that it's a physical attacker at first glance, its physical movepool is absolutely pathetic, having a total lack of any useful coverage moves, forcing it to rely mainly on special moves for attacks. Thunderbolt makes the ideal STAB move for this purpose, dealing high damage with perfect accuracy. Volt Switch is another staple Electric move, letting Zebstrika switch out while dealing damage and maintain offensive pressure on the enemy team. Overheat gives Zebstrika a Fire-type nuke useful for taking out Grass-types. Lastly, Hidden Power can be used to target any holes in Zebstrika's coverage, with Ice covering two common Electric resists Ground and Dragon.

Roggenrola, Boldore and Gigalith
Gigalith takes the traditional Rock-type Pokemon archetype to the extreme, having humongous Attack and Defense, and even appreciable Special Defense, while being one of the slowest fully-evolved Pokemon in the game. Like many Rock-types, it has the helpful Sturdy ability that ensures it can always live one hit, which can always be paired with a Custap Berry to reliably pull off one attack. Unfortunately, Gigalith also suffers from the usual weaknesses of the Rock-type, primarily its numerous and common weaknesses. Gigalith's poor Speed also means it will take a lot of punishment from most Pokemon before it can retaliate, and its vital Sturdy ability can be disabled in many ways, like with entry hazards or status.

Like many slow but bulky Rock-types in singles, Gigalith's primary job is to set up Stealth Rock, a very helpful entry hazard that limits how freely the enemy can switch around. Stone Edge is Gigalith's primary STAB move that deals a huge amount of damage, but suffers from poor accuracy. Rock Blast is a more accurate alternative that can also break through enemy Sturdy and Focus Sashes, though it has inconsistent damage. Earthquake provides excellent coverage with Gigalith's Rock-type STAB, letting hit many Rock resistant Pokemon super effectively. Superpower is a stronger alternative for slamming Rock and Steel types, but lowers Gigalith's stats after using it. Explosion is a nice last-ditch move once Gigalith is no longer needed, dealing massive damage to its unfortunate target.

Woobat and Swoobat
Swoobat is a very mediocre Pokemon with terrible stats outside of its high Speed. Its type combination is fairly uncommon, but what really makes Swoobat even worth using is the unique combination of Simple Calm Mind. With the Simple ability, Swoobat can double its Special Attack and Special Defense with one Calm Mind, which also powers up Stored Power, giving it a strong STAB attack all with just a single boost. Even the strongest ability and move combinations can't save a Pokemon with stats this terrible, as Swoobat absolutely needs a Calm Mind boost to be on even footing with most Pokemon, and its poor defenses and lackluster typing gives it difficulty setting up at all.

As mentioned above, Calm Mind is the most important move in any Swoobat set, taking advantage of its Simple ability to gain a massive boost in Special Attack and Special Defense with one use of the move. Stored Power is Swoobat's main STAB move, as it essentially becomes a stronger Psychic after a single Calm Mind. Substitute gives Swoobat a buffer against damage and status, making it easier to Calm Mind up. Signal Beam lets Swoobat hit Dark-types which are immune to Stored Power. Roost lets Swoobat keep its HP as high as possible. Swoobat also has a bunch of standard status moves that it can use with its high Speed, but there are plenty of better dedicated support Pokemon that can do this job better.

Drilbur and Excadrill
With a respectable 135 Attack and decent Speed for a Ground-type, Excadrill is one of the better Ground Pokémon in the game. It is one of the more well-known users of Rapid Spin, due to its double resistance to Stealth Rock and deadly offensive presence that can prevent attempts at spinblocking. It also works well as a straight up attacker due to its excellent selection of abilities, notably being the only Ground-type line to get Mold Breaker as well as becoming an almost unstoppable sandstorm sweeper with Sand Rush. Excadrill's unique Ground/Steel typing, while giving it a slew of resistances and two immunities, does leave it with some problematic weaknesses, with Fighting, Fire, Water and Ground moves all being pretty common. It is also disappointingly slow, so it must be wary of faster threats that can outspeed and knock it out.

Earthquake is the best Ground STAB without a doubt, and Excadrill can take advantage of Mold Breaker to ignore Levitate users like Bronzong and Rotom, scoring easy KOs these Pokémon that normally don't fear Ground attacks. Excadrill doesn't get many good Steel STAB moves, unless you go through the trouble of teaching one Iron Head via Move Tutor in B2W2, though it is a good option against fairly common Fairy-types. Rock Slide is a better coverage move as it can hit Flying-types and Bug-types that don't fear Earthquake, though its Base Power is pretty low. Rapid Spin is a great utility move for removing hazards, especially since most Pokémon that can block its effect fear Excadrill's powerful attacks. Excadrill can also set up Stealth Rock itself, but it must learn this move from a Gen V Move Tutor. Besides these moves, Excadrill also gets Sandstorm and Swords Dance for Sand Rush sweeping. It interestingly has two OHKO moves, Horn Drill and Fissure, but their poor accuracy means you're better off using more conventional attacks.

Audino
Audino is a terribly outclassed Pokemon, being a bulky Normal-type that struggles to compete with other defensive pink blobs. It has decent bulk and is the only Normal-type Pokemon that gets Regenerator, which crucially gives it some self sustainability while still being able to support teammates. It also has a useful support movepool for healing and curing its allies. Audino is the only generation V Pokemon to get a Mega Evolution, sporting a massive increase in bulk, an uncommon type combination, and slightly better Special Attack. Unfortunately, Mega Audino loses its incredible Regenerator ability for the somewhat unreliable, doubles and triples only Healer, and fails to compete with other bulky Mega Evolutions even in the formats it's designed for, which makes it one of the least used Megas ever. Mega or not, Audino also suffers from nearly nonexistant offensive presence, giving threatening sweepers free reign to set up against it.

Audino's main job is to support its teammates with Wish and Heal Bell. It makes for a good Wish user due to its fairly high HP, ensuring that teammates get a sizable heal when they switch in. Heal Bell on the other hand cures the entire team of status ailments, which is vital for many Pokemon to perform at peak performance. Healing Wish and Heal Pulse are other moves dedicated to restoring health that Audino can use. Toxic, Thunder Wave and Yawn can be used to inflict status ailments, while Encore can be equally debilitating to the enemy. Since Audino has poor offensive stats, the only attack it really needs is Knock Off for its powerful side effect. Mega Audino can also use Dazzling Gleam to threaten Fairy-weak Pokemon, with the possible addition of Calm Mind for a more offensive set at the cost of team support.

Timburr, Gurdurr and Conkeldurr
Conkeldurr is a brutal brawler, sporting the highest Attack stat out of all non-Mega Fighting-type Pokemon. It has an amazing offensive movepool that offers it great coverage and various important utility moves. Conkeldurr also has an awesome set of abilities, able to use Guts to absorb status and grow stronger from it, Sheer Force to strengthen specific moves and use Life Orb without recoil, or Iron Fist to power up its most common attacks. It can also be quite bulky, being one of the most popular users of Assault Vest to patch up its Special Defense. Conkeldurr's Speed is its major flaw, as many Pokemon can strike before it, though it has Mach Punch to nullify this problem slightly. Conkeldurr is also weak to some very common typings in the battling environment, especially with the omnipresence of Flying moves and the prevalence of Fairies.

Conkeldurr's main STAB move is typically Drain Punch. It is one of the few Pokemon that both gets STAB on it and has the bulk to make use of the heal, which is also why Conkeldurr can benefit so much from Assault Vest despite the inability to use status moves. Superpower is a stronger alternative Fighting move when sheer power is needed to crush the opposition. Mach Punch is an essential asset for Conkeldurr as it lets it move first, helping Conkeldurr finish off its foes. Knock Off is an excellent utility move that also serves as powerful Psychic and Ghost coverage. Ice Punch takes on Flying and Dragon-types, while Thunder Punch hits both Ice-neutral Flying-types and common bulky Water-types. Lastly, Poison Jab lets Conkeldurr smack Fairy-types hard.

Tympole, Palpitoad and Seismitoad
As one of the few Pokemon blessed with the incredible Water/Ground typing, Seismitoad sees use both on defense and offense due to its set of abilities. Its solid typing makes it a useful asset on bulky teams due to its numerous resistances, which is made even better by Water Absorb. While it shares its typing and Water immunity with Quagsire and Gastrodon, Seismitoad's ability to learn Stealth Rock gives it an important edge over its competitors. Seismitoad can also utilize Swift Swim to become a speedy sweeper on rain teams similar to Mega Swampert, where its immunity to Electric moves provides defensive synergy with other rain abusers, and inability to be slowed by Thunder Wave lets it exploit Swift Swim to its fullest. Seismitoad's weakness is its middling stats, relying heavily on its abilities and typing to compete with other Pokemon.

For any defensively-oriented Water-type, Scald is the STAB move of choice due to its threatening chance to burn foes. For Swift Swim, Hydro Pump is preferred due to its high base power, which gets even stronger in the rain. Even though Seismitoad received a small Attack boost in this generation, it still prefers to use special attacks due to its wider special movepool. Earth Power is a strong secondary STAB move with great coverage on its own. Sludge Wave takes out Grass-types, its only defensive type weakness. Focus Blast and Grass Knot are other strong coverage moves it can use. For physical moves, it has Earthquake as its strongest STAB move and Knock Off for general utility. In the support department, Stealth Rock is a strong entry hazard and what distinguishes Seismitoad from other defensive Water/Ground types. Toxic lets Seismitoad wear down other bulky Pokemon, while Rain Dance lets it trigger Swift Swim by itself.

Throh
Throh is one of the bulkiest Fighting-types in the game, and one of the few Fighting-types with equally usable Defense and Special Defense. That doesn't mean he's skimping out on power, as Throh still packs a respectable Attack stat as well, not to mention being able to boost it with Guts. He is also one of the very few Pokemon that gets STAB Circle Throw, which complements his defensive playstyle nicely. Throh's weakness is his terrible Speed and lack of recovery outside of Rest, which makes him easy to chip down for other Pokemon. His typing is also not the best defensively, weak to extremely common types like Flying and Fairy.

Circle Throw is one of Throh's distinguishing traits, doing passable damage due to the STAB boost. As Throh is so bulky and lacks Speed, the negative priority on the attack isn't an issue, and it lets Throh force the enemy Pokemon out, either cutting short attempts to set up or racking up damage from entry hazards. Throh is also a good user of Bulk Up to make Throh simultaneously stronger and harder to take out, and he always has Circle Throw if the opponent tries to use their boosting moves at the same time. Storm Throw is another nice attack on a boosting Throh, as its guaranteed critical hit will ignore any defensive boosts the enemy has, while dealing more damage than Circle Throw. Knock Off provides great coverage and utility in one package, hitting Ghost and Psychic types while making many Pokemon more manageable by removing their items. Rest and Sleep Talk gives Throh more longevity and gets rid of status, while Substitute absorbs both damage and status preemptively. Stone Edge, Ice Punch and Poison Jab are helpful coverage options for Throh, but they don't quite fit his defensive playstyle.

Sawk
Sawk is a frail but strong Fighting-type Pokemon notable for its access to Sturdy. While most Sturdy Pokemon are slow and bulky, Sawk possesses decent Speed at the cost of defenses, making it better at taking advantage of Sturdy's effect. Alternatively, it can also make use of Mold Breaker to break through other Sturdy users, as well as hit Levitating foes with Earthquake. It has a great Attack stat and excellent coverage that makes it a powerful offensive threat. Sawk's Speed is moderate, being too slow to contest offensive Pokemon effectively but fast enough to outspeed most bulky Pokemon, so it functions better against defensive teams. Sawk is quite frail and relies on Sturdy to survive, so once it has taken a hit, anything faster can easily knock it out.

Close Combat is Sawk's primary STAB move, dealing heavy Fighting damage while reducing its defenses, something Sawk can manage without. Knock Off is the perfect coverage move for any Fighting-type, neatly covering two offensive type weaknesses in Ghost and Psychic, while removing items to weaken a wide range of Pokemon. Ice Punch and Stone Edge are both nice options for hitting Flying-types, with Ice Punch trading power for superior accuracy and coverage. Poison Jab hits Fairies hard, while Zen Headbutt deals with Poison-types. If using Mold Breaker, Earthquake is also effective for taking on Levitate Pokemon, especially those that have a Ground weakness.

Sewaddle, Swadloon and Leavanny
Leavanny is an oft-forgotten Bug-type that has gained a very useful tool in Sticky Web, which lowers the Speed of all Pokemon that switches in. Leavanny also happens to be one of the better learners of the move stat-wise, having a better combination of bulk and Speed than most of its competitors. It has some nice abilities, having Chlorophyll for incredible Speed under the sun and Overcoat to protect against damaging weather, both useful perks for dedicated entry hazard setters. Unfortunately, Leavanny suffers from a terrible defensive typing that makes any role outside of setting hazards impractical, having 6 weaknesses with 2 of them being common double weaknesses. Flying-types in particular are a major pain for Leavanny, being immune to Sticky Web's effects, able to remove it using Defog, and decisively taking out Leavanny in one hit with their STAB moves.

Sticky Web is the main reason to use Leavanny and frankly its only duty is to get this move off. The speed drop works well with a team of frail hard-hitters that can use their speed advantage to wipe teams. Any other move Leavanny gets will rarely see any use. Leaf Blade is its main STAB move, having the best coverage and damage of its Bug and Grass moves. X-Scissor handles other Grass-types and also does good damage against Psychic-types. Knock Off is a nice filler move due to its consistent utility regardless of how much damage Leavanny can do with it. Electroweb hits Flying-types and drops its target's Speed, making it a nice last-ditch attack despite its low damage. Magic Coat is handy against other hazard setters with the opportunity to bounce their hazards back.

Venipede, Whirlipede and Scolipede
Once a fairly forgottable Bug-type, Scolipede has gained a significant buff that makes it a necessary member on every dedicated Baton Pass team: Speed Boost. While Scolipede with Quick Feet could be obtained in the previous generation, any Scolipede with their hidden ability in this generation will get Speed Boost as their ability, a strong perk that passively increases their Speed every turn. While Scolipede is not the only Speed Boost user, its combination of usable bulk, decent typing and handy passable boosts make it one of the best Speed Boost users in the game. Scolipede can also provide more traditional team support by using its incredible Speed to set up a range of entry hazards. Like any dedicated supports, Scolipede is shut down by Taunt, while Roar or Whirlwind can force a Baton Pass set out and lose its boosts. Scolipede is also weak to prevalent Fire, Flying and Rock type attacks.

Baton Pass is the key to Scolipede's strength, letting it pass its increased Speed to any Pokemon that needs it, as well as any other boosts it can accumulate. It can learn Iron Defense unlike other Speed Boost users and can use it for a significant improvement to its bulk, while Double Team can let it and any teammates it passes to dodge damage altogether. Swords Dance is a strong offensive boost for powering up Attack, while Protect gives it a free Speed Boost against enemies that are faster than it initially. For movesets more focused on setting up entry hazards, Scolipede can put up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes. For attacks, Scolipede has the powerful Megahorn and the reliable Poison Jab is its main STAB moves. Aqua Tail, Earthquake and Rock Slide are additional coverage options, though Scolipede doesn't quite have the space for them if using a support set.

Cottonee and Whimsicott
Whimsicott remains as one of the most annoying Prankster users, being able to use the Grass-type's signature support moves with Prankster's priority to great effect. This time around, it has become the game's only Grass/Fairy line, which gives it an amazing range of resistances and a Dragon immunity. Whimsicott is a Pokemon designed around using its Prankster to frustrate foes, having a great range of status moves to abuse its ability as well as naturally high Speed to gain an edge over other priority users. It can also alternatively rely solely on its Speed and use Infiltrator instead, rendering the enemy's protection from Substitutes moot to its status moves and attacks. Due to Whimsicott's stat spread, its use is pretty limited outside of pure support, since its only great stat is its Speed. Weaknesses to Ice, Flying and Fire are unfortunate given how common moves of these types are used. Its unique typing also gives it a hard time against Fire, Poison and Steel types, which have both the offensive and defensive edge over it.

Encore is one of Whimsicott's primary status moves due to Prankster, which lets it reliably force out its target or cripple them for several turns if they used a status move or weak attack the turn before. Tailwind is another common status move on Whimsicott as it increases the Speed of its entire team, a buff that is especially useful in doubles and triples. Taunt is a strong option against other support Pokemon to shut down their support options. It also has Substitute for blocking enemy status and sponging damage, or use Cotton Guard for a massive Defense boost. Other signature Prankster moves for Whimsicott are Leech Seed, Stun Spore and Grass Whistle. If it needs to run an attack, Moonblast is its strongest option that deals as much damage as it can. Grass moves are resisted by many of the same types as Fairy, so only Giga Drain is really worth using due to its additional life leeching effect. U-turn is also a good move for utility, as Whimsicott will often be switching around to abuse its status moves.

Petilil and Lilligant
Lilligant is a Grass-type Pokemon centered around learning Dance moves, and though she can't make use of most of those moves very well, it does give Lilligant the distinction of being the only non-Bug Pokemon to learn the powerful Quiver Dance move, a status move that simultaneously boosts both of Lilligant's special stats and Speed. Her stats are also fitting for a frail, offensive special attacker, having enough Special Attack and Speed to become a deadly threat after a boost. Additionally, she can provide team support as well with her range of status moves. She even gets the exclusive combination of Own Tempo and Petal Dance, which prevents her from inflicting confusion on herself after using the move. Unfortunately, despite having one of the best boosting moves in the game, Lilligant has a severe lack of coverage moves, having to rely on Hidden Power to hit Grass resists. She is also quite frail and has a mediocre pure Grass defensive typing.

Quiver Dance is Lilligant's most notable move and what separates her from other offensive Grass-types, giving her a Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed boost in one turn. Energy Ball is Lilligant's strongest STAB move without a drawback, while Giga Drain could be used instead to provide additional healing while Lilligant attacks. Leaf Storm is strong but defeats the purpose of setting up with Quiver Dance due to its Special Attack drop, while Petal Dance locks her into the move and invites Grass-resistant Pokemon to switch in. Hidden Power is Lilligant's best coverage move, with Rock being the preferred type for her as it hits most of Grass's weaknesses. Sleep Powder lets Lilligant incapacitate its foe for a chance to set up Quiver Dance. Arometherapy, Synthesis and Healing Wish are some strong support moves that Lilligant can use as well, letting it survive longer or assist its allies.

Basculin
Basculin is a pretty forgettable Water-type Pokemon with a focus on power. It has a great range of offensive abilities, with Adaptability being the most notable for significantly powering up its Water-type moves. Basculin has nice mixed attacking stats to function as a straightforward attacker, but it has a lot of flaws holding it back. Firstly, Basculin is very frail, and its Speed isn't high enough for compensate for that, so it has trouble beating faster offensive Pokemon. Basculin also has disappointing coverage, barely having any moves that aren't Water or Normal type. As the final nail in the coffin, it is outclassed by fellow Adaptability user Crawdaunt, which is slower than Basculin but otherwise does its job of being a Water-type bruiser much better.

Basculin's STAB move is a choice between Waterfall and Aqua Tail, two of the strongest physical Water moves. Waterfall has perfect accuracy and can flinch slower Pokemon, while Aqua Tail packs maximum power for attacking. Aqua Jet is a vital secondary STAB move, letting Basculin get in an attack against Pokemon faster than it. Zen Headbutt is strong against Poison-types, which many Grass-types have as their secondary typing, while Ice Beam is a straightforward coverage move against Grass and Dragon-type Pokemon but uses Basculin's lower Special Attack. Superpower and Bounce gives it some additional coverage options.

Sandile, Krokorok and Krookodile
Krookodile is a solid offensive Pokemon that can contribute to its team in a variety of ways owing to its unique typing and useful abilities. It has an excellent offensive typing that gives it STAB on some of the most popular attacking moves in the game, and it has great Attack and nice Speed to function as a menacing physical attacker. It can also provide some support owing to being a Dark-type, which powers up several desirable utility attacks, and Intimidate, which weakens physical attackers just by letting Krrokodile switch in to them and gives Krookodile itself some additional bulk. It can even be a late sweeper with Moxie, steadily boosting its strength whenever it picks off a weakened foe. While Krookodile has an incredible typing for its offensive bonuses, it's a double-edged sword defensively, giving 2 useful immunities but 6 weaknesses, with Fighting and Ice being very common coverage moves. It is also only moderately fast without a form of priority, so it has trouble beating faster offensive Pokemon.

Earthquake is Krookodile's primary STAB move, being a powerful and accurate attack that hits a variety of types super effectively. Knock Off is a valuable secondary STAB move, providing useful Dark-type coverage, great power against Pokemon holding an item and the utility that comes from removing their items. Crunch could be used instead if more consistent damage is needed. Pursuit is another Dark-type option that Krookodile can use for trapping and picking off Psychic and Ghost-types, as well as low HP foes in general. For coverage, Stone Edge has the most synergy with Earthquake, usually used for slamming Flying-types. Iron Tail can be used to defeat Fairies, while Superpower handles other Dark-types as well as bulky Normals. For status, Krookodile has Taunt to stop enemy status moves and it can set up Stealth Rock to restrict enemy switches. It also has Bulk Up and Hone Claws to boost its Attack, but none of them boosts Krookodile's Speed, so a sweeping set benefits more from maximizing its coverage and relying on the Moxie boost rather than using a move slot to set up.

Darumaka and Darmanitan
Darmanitan is a Fire-type powerhouse, boasting ridiculous physical power from its monumental Attack stat. It also has a nice Speed, which makes it a fearsome physical attacker. It even has Sheer Force to power up certain attacks, increasing the strength of some of its coverage moves. Thus, Darmanitan finds its spot on teams with its incredible power, able to break down bulky walls with brute force. Darmanitan's primary weakness is its horrible defenses and moderate Speed, which is a massive disadvantage against other fast offensive Pokemon, which is why Darmanitan is often more suited for taking on slower, bulkier foes. Its low survivability is compounded by how much chip damage it will receive, both from a vulnerability to all entry hazards and recoil from Flare Blitz. Lastly, it has a wasted secondary Zen Mode, which requires its hidden ability, only activates at half HP which compromises the form's boost in bulk, and prefers completely different attacks than normal Darmanitan.

Flare Blitz is Darmanitan's best STAB move, being the most powerful physical Fire-type move it can learn, dealing humongous damage to anything that doesn't resist Fire. Rock Slide is a handy coverage move that is boosted by Sheer Force, used for taking on enemy Fire-types as well as common Flying-types. Earthquake and Superpower are used for taking on Rock-types, with both moves providing varying extra coverage. U-turn lets Darmanitan switch out against an opponent it has trouble taking out while dealing damage, giving its team an offensive edge. If for some reason Zen Mode Darmanitan is being used, Fire Blast would be the best STAB move to utilize its massive Special Attack. It also has Psychic for a secondary STAB move, Focus Blast to take out Rock-types, and Grass Knot to surprise Water-types.

Minccino and Cinccino
At first glance, Cinccino looks like a generic Normal-type Pokémon with cute looks and not much else. However, Cincinno's strengths lie in its abilities, namely Technician and Skill Link, and a movepool that makes use of these two abilities quite well. It can learn Rock Blast, Bullet Seed and Tail Slap, all of which are excellent moves when used with Skill Link or Technician. Skill Link causes all multi-hit moves to always hit 5 times, which make these moves have an effective base power of 125, which can cause quite a bit of damage with Cinccino's base 95 Attack. If you're willing to trade reliability for power, Technician is a potentially stronger option, as it make all multi-hit moves have a minimum of 75 base power in total and does the equivalent of a 188 base power attack if all five hits land. With that much power and being decently fast as well, Cinccino is a surprisingly powerful threat.

As stated before, Tail Slap, Rock Blast and Bullet Seed are mandatory for Cinccino. Tail Slap gets STAB and is usually its most damaging option, while Bullet Seed can hit Rock-types that resist Tail Slap as well as any Ground and Water types. Rock Blast doesn't exactly cover any of its offensive weaknesses, but it enables it to hit common Flying and Fire types for super effective damage. All three moves are resisted by Steel-types however. For its remaining moveslot, Steel Tail and Aqua Tail are its strongest physical options that don't share a type with its main moves. Wake-Up Slap is also usable to dent Steel-types, while U-turn can simply let it switch out against a threat. Defensively, Cinccino is pretty frail, and a weakness to common Fighting-type moves doesn't help it stay alive, and there are plenty of other offensive Pokémon with similar or better stat distributions, so it faces a lot of competition. Regardless, Cinccino's powerful multi-hit moves makes it a legitimate threat, and opponents fooled by its innocent appearance will find themselves Tail Slapped and knocked out.

Gothita, Gothorita and Gothitelle
The Gothitelle line is one of three evolutionary lines that have the amazing Shadow Tag ability. As long as Gothitelle is on the field, this ability will keep enemies from switching out, unless they're Ghost-types. Wobuffet uses counterattacks to take down its targets, Mega Gengar overwhelms its trapped victims with immense power, but Gothitelle's form of trapping is more gradual and defensive. It has great defenses to help it keep foes trapped for longer, and it has a wide support movepool to let it wear down a variety of Pokemon, both offensive and defensive. Once it has defeated a key target, the rest of the team can perform their roles more freely. Common tactics to counter Shadow Tag work on Gothitelle as well. It fears Ghost-type and Dark-type attacks, and is prone to being trapped by Pursuit itself. Gothitelle's Speed is also quite poor, but it has effective ways to remedy this.

Gothitelle commonly use a combination of Trick and Choice Scarf. The speed boost from Choice Scarf helps it get the first move, and it can trick the Choice Scarf away to lock its foes into undesirable moves, which is especially devastating to opposing walls. Even if Gothitelle fails to successfully trap and discard of its target, the tricked Choice Scarf will still have lasting effects by limiting your opponent's tactics. For trapping more offensive Pokemon, Gothitelle also has Thunder Wave, which negates its target's speed advantage. Next, Gothitelle can use either Psychic or Psyshock to directly wear its foes down. Finally, Gothitelle can use Rest to prolong its survivability while stalling out a trapped Pokemon, which also has the additional benefit of dispelling status effects like Toxic. In doubles or triples, Gothitelle can both trap and support its teammates, due to learning moves like Trick Room, Heal Pulse and Helping Hand.

Keldeo
Keldeo rounds out the Swords of Justice with its similar typing and stats, having the best Special Attack among the group. Its uncommon typing is perhaps its greatest asset, as it gives Keldeo a massive 7 resistances that it can take advantage with its decent, all-around bulk. Its typing also gives it a nice STAB combination, being one of the top offensive users of Scald, while its unique Secret Sword attack lets it hit the weaker Defense stat of most special walls, an advantage otherwise limited to Psychic-types. Like the other Swords of Justice, Keldeo also enjoys having nice Speed, as well as a Justified ability to grab an Attack boost when switching into a Dark-type attack. While Keldeo is quite versatile, it has a very disappointing special movepool that misses out on a lot of coverage, and while its Water/Fighting typing gives it a nice amount of resistances, they also leave it with weaknesses to common Fairy and Flying moves, among others.

No matter if Keldeo is built offensively or defensively, Scald will always be its main STAB move. This Water-type attack boasts good power, though its high chance of causing burns is what really makes it a troublesome move to play around. For sheer power, Hydro Pump is a nice alternative. Secret Sword is a great secondary STAB move for Keldeo, a special move that damages foes based on their physical Defense stat, so Keldeo can't easily be stopped by special walls. Icy Wind is Keldeo's only notable coverage move used for hitting Grass and Dragon types. While its damage is very poor, the speed drop could be useful for Keldeo or its teammates. Hidden Power can also be used for added coverage, with Hidden Power Electric being the most popular as a way of dealing with the myriad of bulky Water-types in the game. Keldeo can use Calm Mind for added power and bulk, which can be used for Substitute to protect itself from status. Taunt can also be an option to shut down bulky support Pokemon.

Meloetta
Meloetta is an interesting Pokemon with multiple formes. In its Aria Forme, it has the stats of a standard Psychic-type attacker, having good special stats, decent speed but poor physical stats, with the added advantage of a Ghost immunity due to its Normal sub-type. Pirouette Forme Meloetta boasts better physical stats, impressive speed but poor special stats as a tradeoff. The change in typing significantly alters Meloetta's weaknesses and resistances to catch foes off guard. Its type combination in either form gives it good neutral coverage, which it can patch up with its nice movepool, and it learns a variety of support moves as well. Meloetta's main weakness is its poor bulk from one of its defense stats in either forme. It also struggles to compete with other special Psychic types, with its part Normal-type being its main draw. Finally, Meloetta's Pirouette Forme is rather unwieldy, being forced to start in Aria Forme, requiring an otherwise mostly useless Relic Song to transform, and using a completely different set of attacks from Aria Meloetta.

Hyper Voice is a nice Normal-type STAB move that hits through Substitutes. Psyshock is a good Psychic STAB that hits special walls hard, and is Meloetta's main STAB move for the most part, though Psychic can be used instead for more power. Focus Blast punches through Steel-types that resist either of Meloetta's STAB moves, as well as threatening Dark-types. Shadow Ball in turn keeps Ghost-type at bay. For Pirouette Forme, Relic Song is necessary for Meloetta to transform in the first place. Return has massive neutral coverage, while Close Combat crushes anything that resists Normal. Knock Off deals with Ghost-types handily, while having amazing utility in general. U-turn is another good utility move to maintain offensive pressure by letting Meloetta switch out into a better contender against the opponent. Thunder Wave and Toxic are generally good options for more support based Meloetta. Calm Mind boosts Aria Meloetta's main stats while improving its bulk, while Substitute can be used with it for protection against attacks and status. It can also cure status with Heal Bell, while Perish Song can force switches. Lastly, Trick can be used with a choice item to stop bulkier Pokemon intent on sponging Meloetta's attacks.

Genesect
With great speed and mixed offenses coupled with an excellent ability in Download, Genesect is practically the offensive counterpart to Scizor. Genesect's Bug/Steel typing gives it a myriad of resistances, with only a single serious weakness to Fire, and it is backed up by decent defensive stats. However, it's main highlight is its rare Download ability, which boosts the attacking stat the foe's defenses are more vulnerable to the moment Genesect switches in, powering itself up for free. This amazing offensive power is backed up by its amazing movepool, including a range of coverage moves, priority and strong boosting moves as well, making it a tremendously versatile Pokemon. Its main issue is rather lackluster speed compared to other offensive threats, and Download doesn't always provide the boosts it needs.

No matter what kind of set Genesect is running, U-Turn is an ubiquitous attack on all of them. This amazing utility move helps Genesect's team pressure the opponent, as it can simply deal some chip damage and switch out if the foe decides to bring in a Genesect answer. Genesect's special attacks have a bit more variety than its physical attacks, having the uncommon Thunderbolt and Ice Beam combination, as well as Flamethrower, Energy Ball, Flash Cannon and Dark Pulse. Its signature Techno Blast ability is quite strong and can give it extra coverage with the right items, but Genesect generally prefers using more traditional held items like Choice Scarves. Its physical attacks have less type variety but are useful nevertheless. In addition to the aforementioned U-Turn, Genesect is one of the few Pokemon that gets Extreme Speed, a great priority move that works around Genesect's middling speed. Iron Head is a nice STAB move as well, while Shadow Claw and Zen Headbutt are coverage options. Explosion can also give foes a nasty surprise, especially with a Download boost. Lastly, Genesect is one of the Pokemon species that gets Shift Gear, which raises both its lackluster Speed and further boosts its Attack, making it a deadly setup sweeper.