Disclaimer: All Images of pokemon and guides below are courtesy of smogon.

com, to allow you a better

understanding of the movesets that have been given to the pokemon, I do not own, nor claim to have written the
guides below.
Introduction
Generation 5 has revolutionized the LC metagame with a vast number of new additions, each boasting
great stat spreads and movepools. Weather control has become extremely important thanks to the
additions of Pokemon like Drilbur, and the dropping down of the Ubers.

But that doesn't tell you the whole tale. Standard teams do work well despite the additions, but they
require small tweaks in order to work well in the weather-ruled metagame. Old standards return, and
new threats rise in the new metagame. What will be the effect of hail and sandstorm wars? Will sun
finally make a return? Will GameFreak ever stop trolling us each Generation (hint: Tynamo)? And what
new threats can we expect to see in this metagame? These questions and more will be addressed in
the sections below.

Returning Threats
Many LC Pokemon that were present in the fourth generation got major boosts in the fifth generation.
Many Pokemon not only got movepool boosts, but they also may have gotten ability boosts via Dream
World that may or may not be released yet.

One of the biggest buffs was to various Fire-types with the addition of Wild Charge. A powerful physical
Electric-type attack will give many of otherwise uncommon Fire-types the ability to essentially have no
safe switch-ins. Growlithe and Ponyta are prime examples of this, especially since Growlithe has Close
Combat and Ponyta has Low Kick for Pokemon like Munchlax.

Volt Switch also helped out a number of relevant Pokemon. With STAB and 70 Base Power, Volt Switch
acts as a special U-turn, giving the user the ability to switch after an attack. Pokemon such as the
already popular Choice Scarf Chinchou have become even better with this move in tow.

Exeggcute gains Harvest through the Dream World, meaning it can effectively gain infinite Oran
Berries, making it easy for it to set up. Nidoran-m gains Hustle, and also has access to Hone Claws,
meaning it can get to 33 Attack with a single Claw Sharpen before Life Orb. This is devastating, as
Nidoran-m has access to Sucker Punch, Return, and Double Kick for perfect coverage. It can revenge
kill a lot of Pokemon with its strong Sucker Punch, and can use Double Kick and Return to deal
tremendous damage to slower threats. Lickitung, with Cloud Nine, becomes an excellent anti-weather
Pokemon with a Choice Scarf. It doesn't hit the magic 14 Speed; however, it is bulky enough to take a
hit from a 19 Speed Pokemon like Buizel and KO back, and it also outspeeds things like Drilbur

Shellder, Omanyte and Clamperl got an amazing new move called Shell Smash, which gives a +2 boost
to Attack, Special Attack and Speed, while giving a -1 drop to Defense and Special Defense. This
makes them terrifying sweepers, and each has its own niche. Shellder has priority Ice Shard to beat
faster Scarfers, Omanyte can abuse Shell Smash with Swift Swim to give it effectively a +6 boost to its
speed, making it 56. This means it can outpace everything, and only has to fear priority. Clamperl on
the other hand can use DeepSeaTooth with Shell Smash to reach a mind-numbing 68 Special Attack
along with 26 Speed, allowing it to run through almost anything.
Obviously, there are more buffs apart from these, but these are the biggest ones.

Notes:
1)All pokemon with the move Return have max happiness
2)Pokemon are arranged pokedex order, but ignoring if their new evolution has a different dex number. E.g, Elekid is
dex number 239, but since Electabuzz was its first and original form, which was in gen 1, I put him in there. Its just
how I prefer it, change it if you want.
3)All Pokemon with hidden powers still have max IV, with only 1 point taken out of the respective IV stat, in order to
allow its elemental type to change, keeping it at max damage, with some exceptions.
4)HP= Hit Points / Atk= Attack / Def= Defense / SpA= Special Attack / SpD= Special Defense / Spe= Speed
5) Use Ctrl+F to search for specific things, e.g pokemon names, moves, or gens GEN 3 for example.
GEN 1

Bulbasaur

~ Sleep Powder EVs

~ Leaf Storm
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Hidden Power Fire
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Bulbasaur reaches 21 Speed and 17 Special Attack with a Choice Scarf and a Modest nature, making it
an effective revenge killer. Sleep Powder is a nice move to have, allowing Bulbasaur to quickly put
something to sleep, though it requires Bulbasaur to switch out after use. Leaf Storm is the most
powerful move Bulbasaur gets, but it does lower Bulbasaur's Special Attack, making Bulbasaur more
vulnerable after each successive use. Sludge Bomb is much weaker, but it is a more reliable STAB
move that hits many Pokemon that resist Grass hard. Hidden Power Fire is the final move, hitting
Steel-types and Dry Skin Croagunk super effectively

Charmander

~ Dragon Dance
~ Flare Blitz EVs
~ ThunderPunch
~ Brick Break / Rock Slide
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Dragon Dance is Charmander's best move for setting up a sweep, which makes it an obvious choice to
base a moveset around. Flare Blitz is Charmander's main attacking move, being its most powerful
STAB move by far. ThunderPunch complements Flare Blitz quite well, doing a good amount of damage
to most Water-types. In the last slot, two options can be considered. Brick Break is the main option, as
it pummels Flash Fire Houndour and Thick Fat Munchlax, two Pokemon that this set can otherwise have
problems with. Rock Slide is a viable alternative, however, as it still hits Houndour as well as other
Fire-types; keep in mind that it has similar power but lower accuracy, meaning it falls just short of the
reliability that Brick Break provides.

Squirtle

~ Water Spout EVs

~ Hydro Pump
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Fire
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Squirtle just barely reaches 21 Speed with a Choice Scarf, meaning it outspeeds all unboosted
Pokemon not carrying a Choice Scarf of their own. In many situations this means it can use Water
Spout before being attacked, resulting in an incredibly powerful hit. Hydro Pump becomes the better
option when at 16 HP or lower due to Water Spout getting weakened, making it an important second
move. Later on, Torrent can kick in, making Hydro Pump even more powerful than Water Spout is at
full health, though being at high HP for reliability is better. Ice Beam hits Pokemon such as Cottonee
and Dratini, making it a useful third option. There are two options for the last slot, both for hitting
Pokemon that can take the first three moves. Hidden Power Grass is preferred for hitting the many
Water-types in the tier, but Hidden Power Fire is viable to hit Ferroseed and Croagunkwhich takes
double damage from Fire due to Dry Skinsuper effectively.

Weedle

~ Bug Bite EVs

~ Poison Sting
~ String Shot

255 HP / 255 Atk

This is the only set Weedle can run, because, well, this is its entire movepool. But don't fret! Weedle
doesn't even need four moves, as it is able to pose an extremely moderate threat with this holy trinity
of moves alone. Bug Bite is Weedle's strongest STAB attack, and will hurt most Pokemon more than
any of its other attacks. Not even Pokemon that resist Bug Bite can switch in safely for fear of losing
their precious Oran Berry. The fact that Weedle is fairly uncommon also helps, since opposing walls
that switch in won't be aware of the potential loss of their Berry. It should be noted that Bug Bite can
6HKO Aron (5HKO with Choice Band), an impressive feat. Poison Sting is for secondary STAB, but is
considerably weaker than Bug Bite. However there is one reason and one reason alone that warrants
its use and that is poison. Just watch as your opponent winces in rage and cries in fear when their
precious Weedle check becomes crippled with the bane that is regular poison, causing them to lose a
full 12.5% of their health every single turn. Finally, String Shot allows Weedle to outspeed all Pokemon
below 17 Speed after a single String Shot, allowing it to strike first or set up an essential sweep for a
teammate (unless the opponent switches out of course).
Pidgey

~ Brave Bird EVs

~ U-turn
~ Faint Attack / Pursuit
~ Return / Steel Wing
255 Atk / 255 Spe

It's no secret that Pidgey doesn't have much at it's disposal, but it can manage to pull off an
acceptable attacker set. Choice Scarf is the preferred option here, as it allows Pidgey to act as your
team's revenge killer. After the boost, Pidgey hits a Speed stat of 24, meaning that it outruns every
non-boosted Pokemon in Little Cup, as well as a number that are boosted. Brave Bird allows Pidgey to
hit pretty hard, even with no Attack boost; this means that Pidgey is a fantastic check to Scraggy, as
well as other Fighting-types. U-turn is on the set as it helps to keep up the offensive momentum during
the battle. Faint Attack is used to hit Ghost-type Pokemon hard without suffering recoil damage,
although Brave Bird will still deal more damage to every Ghost-type in the tier. Return gives good
neutral coverage while being a strong move without recoil.

Rattata

~ Facade EVs
~ Sucker Punch
~ Flame Wheel
~ Protect / Wild Charge / U-turn
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Facade is this moveset's main STAB move; once Rattata is inflicted with a status condition, its base
power doubles, allowing Rattata to KO Pokemon it might otherwise struggle against. Sucker Punch is a
very handy move, as it not only gives Rattata good coverage, but also allows Rattata to attack first.
Flame Wheel allows Rattata to hit Pokemon such as Ferroseed hard, while Protect can be used as to
ensure the activation of the orb, activating Rattata's full power Facade. Wild Charge can damage
several of Rattata's checks, for instance Kabuto, Tirtouga, and Omanyte, yet U-turn can also be
extremely helpful to Rattata. If you do choose to run U-turn, carrying a Rapid Spin user also becomes
important to get rid of entry hazards, which will limit Rattata.
Spearow

~ Drill Peck EVs

~ Return / Quick Attack
~ U-turn
~ Pursuit
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Despite how limited Spearow's movepool is, it has just enough going for it to be a great user of Choice
Scarf. Drill Peck is in the first moveslot, gaining STAB and hitting Fighting- and Grass-types extremely
hard thanks to Spearow's good base 60 Attack. Return is Spearow's second STAB move, with excellent
neutral coverage. Quick Attack is another option in the second slot, having priority but also being
significantly weaker than Return. U-turn is a great move for scouting and keeping momentum. Pursuit
is used in the final moveslot as a great tool for putting Ghost- and Psychic-types into a checkmate
position.

The given EVs maximize Spearow's Attack and Speed. An Adamant nature is used over Jolly as
Spearow already reaches 24 Speed with a Choice Scarf, and Spearow needs all the power it can get.
Sniper is the preferred ability for Spearow, as not only can it be convenient at times, but it's the only
ability Spearow can profit from competitively.

Ekans

~ Coil EVs
~ Gunk Shot
~ Sucker Punch
~ Rest / Earthquake
255 HP / 255 SpD

Coil was given to Ekans this generation, and there is no reason not to use it. Coil is a boosting move
that raises the user's Attack, Defense, and accuracy, which is perfect on Ekans, a physically-based
Pokemon with low Defense and an inaccurate, powerful STAB move in Gunk Shot. Gunk Shot is
recommended as Ekans's main STAB move due to its monstrous power and high accuracy when paired
with Coil; after a single use of Coil, Gunk Shot's accuracy will be around 93%, easily making it reliable.
Poison Jab is an alternative to Gunk Shot if you like the immediate higher accuracy and PP, but Ekans
probably won't be around long enough to use Gunk Shot more than 8 times anyway, and if you're not
using Coil then you're not achieving the goal of this set. Sucker Punch is used mostly for priority and
the ability to beat Gastly. Gunk Shot will do at least 27% to Gastly, always breaking its Substitute. This
means with good prediction, Ekans has no hard time with Gastly thanks to Sucker Punch, especially as
it resists Sludge Bomb and has Shed Skin to render Hypnosis close to useless. Sucker Punch can also
make Ekans a revenge killer in desperate measures or OHKO frail Psychic-types such as Abra before
they can attack it.
Rest and Earthquake are both useful moves for the last slot. Rest will heal Ekans, so it is usually the
better choice, and Shed Skin works in harmony with Rest to wake Ekans up. If your team has Wish
support, however, you may want to go with Earthquake. Earthquake allows Ekans to beat opposing
Poison-types without Levitate, namely Croagunk, which resists Ekans's other two moves.

Pichu

~ Nasty Plot EVs

~ Encore
~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power Grass
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Being the only Electric-type with Nasty Plot in the tier, Nasty Plot Pichu is somewhat effective. After a
turn of set up, Pichu reaches 26 Special Attack if running Timid, while reaching 28 Special Attack
running a Modest nature. STAB Thunderbolt is the main attack, hitting everything that does not resist
it for great damage. Hidden Power Grass is used to hit Ground-types such as Sandshrew and
Hippopotas, while also hitting Chinchou hard. Encore is used in the final slot to help Pichu set up, while
also supporting the team.

Sandshrew

~ Earthquake EVs
~ Rock Slide / Stealth Rock
~ Rapid Spin
~ Night Slash / Stealth Rock
136 HP / 238 Atk / 136 Spe

Sandshrew can forgo Swords Dance's potential to sweep teams in order to use its bulk, power, and
Speed to assist its team with Rapid Spin and revenge killing, freeing up Drilbur to run a more offensive
set. With this EV spread, Sandshrew hits 24 Speed in sand, outspeeding all unboosted Pokemon in
Little Cup as well as many Choice Scarf wielders. Sandshrew still outspeeds +1 Scraggyand can still
successfully revenge kill itbut it is outsped by +2 Clamperl and can only tie with 16 Speed Pokemon
wielding Choice Scarfs. Even without Swords Dance, Sandshrew remains powerful, 2HKOing
Misdreavus on the switch with Night Slash to prevent it from blocking Rapid Spin. Earthquake is
Sandshrew's main STAB attack. Rock Slide and Night Slash allow Sandshrew to threaten Flying- and
Ghost-types, respectively. Stealth Rock can be run over either coverage move to free up a moveslot
for teammates such as Hippopotas and Lileep, but this compromises Sandshrew's revenge killing and
spinning abilities.
Nidoran-M

~ Poison Jab
~ Sucker Punch EVs
~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power Fire
255 Atk / 255 Spe

A high Attack stat thanks to Hustle with a stellar special movepool are obvious grounds for a mixed
set. Using both physical and special moves means Nidoran-M can hit almost any Pokemon from their
weaker side, allowing it to 2HKO almost anything in LC. Poison Jab is Nidoran-M's hardest hitting
move, and its high chance to inflict poison status means it can be used to defeat stall, allowing
Nidoran-M to act as a makeshift stallbreaker. Sucker Punch is a blessing for Nidoran-M to have as it
grants both priority and a super effective attack to use against Gastly and other Ghost-types. In fact,
offensive Gastly is always OHKOed by Sucker Punch without any residual damage. Thunderbolt is
another blessing for Nidoran-M to hit bulky Water-types. While using obscure strategies such as
Thunderbolt on a Poison-type Pokemon may seem less effective, this is an exception for a few reasons.
Nidoran-M's Poison typing will easily lure Slowpoke in, which is where Thunderbolt comes into play; it
does high amounts of damage to any Staryu, Slowpoke, and Frillish, no matter what EV spread and
item. Hidden Power Fire takes a similar approach as Ferroseed will try to come in on Poison Jab, which
is where you can use Hidden Power Fire to 2HKO it while not taking any hits.

Cleffa

~ Wish EVs
~ Protect
~ Toxic
~ Fire Blast
255 HP / 255 SpD

Very few Pokemon on a stall team can get through Cleffa thanks to Magic Guard and the boost from
Eviolite, so it is an effective stallbreaker. Wish and Protect provide Cleffa with important healing and
support the team as well. Toxic is great on this set, as it can wear down defensive Pokemon such as
Hippopotas over time. Lastly, Fire Blast is used to hit Ferroseed while still dealing damage to Poison-
types such as Gastly.
Zubat

~ Brave Bird EVs

~ Super Fang
~ Taunt / Toxic
~ Roost
255 HP / 255 Spe

Although stall is very uncommon in Little Cup, ignoring it would be a folly, as it can be a very
successful strategy when done right. Zubat thus makes a good candidate for teams troubled by stall,
as it can run a very effective stallbreaking set. With an Eviolite, most slower defensive Pokemon are
not going to outdamage Zubat's Roost, and Taunt also stops them from setting up or inflicting status.
Super Fang bypasses defenses and swiftly deals 50% to the opposing Pokemon. Even when you're not
playing against stall, this set still functions as a decent bulky Pokemon capable of checking many
Fighting-types. Zubat can deal a hefty amount of damage with STAB Brave Bird, even without many
Attack EVs. Toxic can be used over Taunt, but it is down to personal preference.

Oddish

~ SolarBeam IVs
~ Hidden Power Fire
~ Sleep Powder / Sludge Bomb 0 HP
~ Sunny Day
EVs

255 SpA / 255 Spe

Chlorophyll doubles Oddish's Speed, giving it a Speed stat of 26, which outspeeds all but a handful of
Choice Scarf users, namely Mienfoo and Chinchou. 0 HP IVs give Oddish 19 HP, which means Oddish
only takes 1 damage from Life Orb recoil. SolarBeam hits in one turn because of the sun, and thanks to
STAB, it has a massive power of 180. This will hit any Pokemon that doesn't resist it extremely hard,
except for a select few special sponges such as Lickitung and Munchlax. Hidden Power Fire is Oddish's
secondary attack, and gets a 1.5x boost from the sun, giving it a power of 105. This is Oddish's only
attack that hits Steel-type Pokemon super effectively, as they resist SolarBeam and are immune to
Sludge Bomb. It is also useful against Grass-type Pokemon, as many of them have Poison as their
secondary type, namely Bulbasaur, Bellsprout, Oddish, and Budew. Sludge Bomb is Oddish's second
most powerful attack other than SolarBeam. Coverage-wise, it hits Fire- and Dragon-types, and it can
be used outside of sun. Sleep Powder is a great alternative to Sludge Bomb, allowing Oddish to put a
member of the opponent's team to sleep and then take free shots at them. Sleep Powder's prime use
is to put the opponents sun counters to sleep, should they carry any.
Paras

~ Spore EVs
~ Bug Bite / X-Scissor
~ Bullet Seed
~ Synthesis / Stun Spore
255 HP / 255 Atk

Being the only 100% accurate sleep-inducing move, Spore is one of the best moves in the game.
Having the ability to completely remove one of the opposing team's Pokemon is a superb tool to have,
especially in a metagame that is as fast-paced as Little Cup. This set attempts to use all of Paras's
strengths to its advantage: its good Attack and defenses, Spore, and its access to reliable recovery.

This set can be used to take out troublesome Pokemon, as well as help set up other Pokemon due to
the switching that it forces. Spore is the crux of this set, and Paras is the best user out of the small
pool of Pokemon that learn it. Bug Bite is a good STAB option, since it allows Paras to heal itself using
the opponent's Berry. Bullet Seed hits through Substitute, Focus Sash, and Sturdy, causing significant
damage over several hits, whilst Synthesis is Paras's only reliable recovery move.

Venonat

~ Agility EVs
~ Baton Pass
~ Sleep Powder
~ Signal Beam / Psychic
255 HP / 255 Spe

This set takes advantage of Venonat's excellent movepool and its ability Compoundeyes. The main goal
of this set is to put your opponent to sleep, set up an Agility, and pass it on to a slower sweeper.
Signal Beam is the STAB of choice, thanks to its confusion chance, making Baton Passing easier. Since
Fighting-type Pokemon are common in the metagame and Venonat 4x resists their STAB moves, it can
find many opportunities to switch in, cripple them with Sleep Powder, and begin boosting with Agility.
As for your item of choice, it mostly comes down to your playstyle. If you plan on setting up just one
Agility and passing it on, Focus Sash is the better option. If you plan on setting up more than one
Agility, Eviolite is the better option since it increases Venonat's defenses.
Diglett

~ Earthquake EVs
~ Rock Slide
~ Sucker Punch
~ Memento / Substitute
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This set is pretty much the standard on Diglett. Between EdgeQuake coverage and Sucker Punch,
Diglett can hit almost everything for neutral damage. Earthquake is the best STAB move possible for
Diglett, and 100 Base Power it can tear through almost anything that doesn't resist it. Rock Slide can
hit Ice types that try to threaten Diglett, such as Snover. Be warned though, Ice Shard will hit Diglett
first. Rock Slide is also good for Flying types, such as Tailow. Between Earthquake and Rock Slide,
Diglett can hit everything in Little Cup except for Bronzor for neutral damage. Sucker Punch completes
Diglett's coverage, allowing it to hit Bronzor. However, most notably, Sucker Punch can deal super
effective damage to Abra and Misdreavus, two major threats in the Little Cup metagame. In addition, it
can be used for Choice Scarf users who try to outspeed and KO Diglett. Memento is a unique move,
allowing Diglett to do something useful when it otherwise would be useless, or to break a sweep.
Alternatively, Substitute can be used to give Diglett the nice ability to take an extra hit, though it takes
some prediction to use correctly. It is much riskier, though, with the damage from Substitute and Life
Orb recoil adding up for a bunch of damage.

Meowth

~ Fake Out
~ U-turn EVs
~ Bite / Taunt
~ Return
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This is what Meowth does best, the one set that has remained a reliable standard over time. Fake Out
is the crux of this set, providing a good hit on anything that doesn't resist it or pack major bulk,
through boosts attained from Technician, STAB, and Life Orb if it is chosen as the item. U-turn allows a
quick change to one of Meowth's teammates, giving it great tactical value early in the battle. Taunt is a
move that separates Meowth from other popular fast attackers, allowing Meowth to stop the setup of
entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes, as well as Rain Dance from Pokemon such as Bronzor,
Mantyke, and Chinchou. The final move is a choice between various options. Return grants Meowth a
powerful and reliable STAB attack to wield, and thanks to its excellent Speed, scores hits on many
slower Pokemon before Meowth falls. On the other hand, Bite allows Meowth to take on the various
Ghost-type Pokemon seen throughout the metagame, such as Misdreavus and Gastly, that resist or are
immune to Meowth's other attacks.
Psyduck

~ Hydro Pump / Surf EVs

~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Grass
~ Signal Beam
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Psyduck is a good Choice Scarf user, reaching 22 Speed while negating weather when on the field by
using its ability. Hydro Pump is the preferred STAB move due to its power, but Surf is viable for its
accuracy. Ice Beam hits Dragon- and Grass-types. In the third slot, Hidden Power Fire is preferred, as
it deals with the important Ferroseed and Snover. Hidden Power Grass is an option, however, if the
team has problems with Water-types. In the last slot, Signal Beam is used for extra coverage, hitting
Slowpoke, which is useful if using Hidden Power Fire, and also hitting Snover, which is important if
using Hidden Power Grass.

Mankey

~ Close Combat EVs

~ U-turn
~ Punishment
~ Final Gambit / Ice Punch
116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

This set is the only set Mankey can run without being outclassed by Mienfoo, which sports better
offenses and defenses. With high Speed and Attack, Mankey can effectively run a Choice Scarf set.
Close Combat is Mankey's most reliable STAB move and hits everything that doesn't resist it hard.
Unfortunately, as Close Combat lowers Mankey's already terrible defenses, it is more prone to getting
OHKOed by almost every move it does not resist. However, with a Choice Scarf, Mankey can switch
into Scraggy while it uses Dragon Dance, outspeed it on the following turn, and OHKO it with Close
Combat. U-turn is a great scouting move that can instantly gain momentum for your team. Punishment
hits Psychic- and Ghost-types that can switch into Close Combats with impunity, such as Natu and
Misdreavus, for a good amount of damage. In fact, Punishment is the only move Mankey threatens
Misdreavus with, and as Misdreavus is very common in the current LC metagame, Punishment is an
important move to have. Final Gambit is a very gimmicky move that allows Mankey to score a quick
KO on an opposing Pokemon. However, Final Gambit is only effective when Mankey is at or near full
health. Alternatively, Ice Punch provides coverage against Flying- and Grass-types and also has a
chance to freeze the opponent.
Growlithe

~ Flare Blitz EVs

~ Close Combat
~ Wild Charge
~ Toxic
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Growlithe is an effective revenge killer when holding a Choice Scarf and a solid wallbreaker with a
Choice Band, meaning these items are key to Growlithe's success. Flare Blitz is Growlithe's most
powerful STAB move. Close Combat is an important second move; with a Choice Scarf, Growlithe can
OHKO Houndour. With Choice Band, it does the same to Scraggy, and with Stealth Rock on the field,
Munchlax is cleanly KOed. Wild Charge is Growlithe's choice to hit Water-types, as with Choice Band, it
usually lands a 2HKO on Slowpoke. In the last spot, Toxic hits Chinchou and Wooper, which otherwise
wall this set.

Poliwag

~ Hydro Pump / Surf EVs

~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Grass
~ Rain Dance / Hypnosis
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This is arguably Poliwag's most useful set. Poliwag has fantastic Speed and can easily outspeed most of
the unboosted metagame. Though Poliwag might seem to be outclassed by other Water-types such as
Staryu and Chinchou, he has something that the other's do not: Hypnosis. Hypnosis is extremely
useful, as it can sleep slower threats that could potentially sweep your team. Hydro Pump is Poliwag's
main STAB move and can dish out a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Surf can be used
over Hydro Pump if you prefer reliability to power, but in most cases, Poliwag really needs all the
power he can get. Ice Beam is used to beat Grass-types and Dragon-types which resist Hydro Pump.
Hidden Power Grass is there for Water-type threats such as Chinchou which resist both Hydro Pump
and Ice Beam.
Abra

~ Psychic EVs
~ Hidden Power Fighting
~ Shadow Ball
~ Protect
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This set takes advantage of Abra's great Special Attack and Speed. Because of Abra's ability to hit hard
and fast with great coverage, this is its most dangerous set. Psychic is Abra's main STAB attack, and it
can OHKO common threats such as Koffing, Mienfoo, and Croagunk. Shadow Ball and Hidden Power
Fighting form an unresisted combination, and are also good in conjunction with Psychic. With Protect,
Abra can defend itself from an incoming Fake Out, thus keeping Focus Sash for later.

Machop

~ DynamicPunch / Close Combat EVs

~ Payback
~ Ice Punch
~ Bullet Punch / ThunderPunch
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Machop reaches 14 Speed, which means it can outspeed any unboosted Pokemon in the Little Cup tier
when equipped with a Choice Scarf. DynamicPunch is extremely powerful, and will deal huge damage
to anything that doesn't resist it. Its perfect accuracy and guaranteed confusion adds to
DynamicPunch's effectiveness. Payback is good for coverage when paired with DynamicPunch, as it hits
Ghost-type Pokemon, which are immune to DynamicPunch. Although its power isn't doubled when
Machop outspeeds the enemy, the priority granted in the following turn by its superior Speed can
compensate for the power loss, assuming Machop can finish the enemy off with the second hit. Ice
Punch is for added coverage, hitting Flying-, Dragon-, and Ground-type Pokemon for super effective
damage. ThunderPunch is essentially a filler move, but it has its merits, as it is the only move that can
hurt Slowpoke; a weakened 50 Base Power Payback is not powerful enough to deal with Slowpoke.
Belsprout

~ SolarBeam EVs
~ Sunny Day / Sludge Bomb
~ Sleep Powder / Growth
~ Weather Ball / Hidden Power Fire
255 SpA / 255 Spe

There are two things to use on any sun team: Chlorophyll and SolarBeam. The most prevalent sun
sweepers all have this in common, and Bellsprout is no exception. Chlorophyll doubles Bellsprouts low
Speed, which only reaches 13 with a Modest nature. After the boost from Chlorophyll, Bellsprout
reaches 26 Speed. SolarBeam is a beautiful 120 Base Power STAB attack that does not need the extra
turn of charging up when the sun is strong. The best way for Bellsprout to deal with its counters is to
put them to sleep; Sleep Powder works well despite shaky accuracy. The other slots go to rounding off
coverage, because SolarBeam doesnt hit everything by itself. Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB attack
which hits many things for neutral damage. Weather Ball also gets a boost from sunlight, becoming a
100 Base Power Fire-type attack that hits Ferroseed and Magnemite which would otherwise wall the
set. The best item to use is a Life Orb, which adds to the destructive power of Bellsprout. Sunny Day
provides the support necessary for this set to work, as Chlorophyll, SolarBeam, and Weather Ball all
depend on sunlight.

Tentacool

~ Toxic Spikes EVs

~ Rapid Spin
~ Knock Off
~ Scald / Giga Drain
255 HP / 255 SpD

With access to Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin, coupled with a good Special Defense stat, Tentacool can
effectively run a support set. Tentacool's high Special Defense stat lets it check special sweepers, such
as Snover, but special sweepers that carry a boosting move, such as Nasty Plot Misdreavus, can set up
on and KO Tentacool as it can't do much apart from Toxic stall them. Toxic Spikes is an important
move on this set as it can potentially end up poisoning all your opponent's Pokemon, which stall teams
greatly appreciate. Toxic Spikes can also cut short the sweeps of setup sweepers such as Drilbur by
reducing their survivability. Rapid Spin is an essential move on almost any team as entry hazards are
very common in the current metagame. Knock Off is a very useful move in a metagame filled with
Pokemon dependent on Eviolite to perform their duties effectively; it can also remove other important
items such as Choice Scarf and Life Orb. The last slot is reserved for an offensive move to ensure that
Tentacool isn't completely shut down by Taunt and is not total setup fodder. Scald is a good STAB
move as its burn chance can cripple physical attackers; it also severely dents Ground-types, such as
Hippopotas, Drilbur, and Diglett. Giga Drain hits Chinchou and Staryu for decent damage and can
potentially give Tentacool a form of recovery, but it is otherwise a weak attack.
Geodude

~ Rock Polish EVs

~ Stone Edge / Rock Slide
~ Earthquake
~ Fire Punch / Explosion
255 Atk / 255 Spe

One of Geodude's crippling downfalls has always been its Speed, but this set gives it a way to more
than compensate for it. Rock Polish doubles Geodude's Speed, which gives it a good way to attempt a
sweep. Stone Edge is an incredibly powerful STAB attack, giving Geodude excellent coverage and
power, despite having poor accuracy. Fire Punch hits Grass-types more reliably than Stone Edge, as
well as getting a super effective hit on both Ferroseed and Bronzor. Explosion allows Geodude to go
out with a bang after it has completed its job, and will be Geodude's most powerful option for an attack
despite the move's nerf. Sturdy is a very important ability, as it allows Geodude to almost always set
up Rock Polish safely. For that reason, Oran Berry is the preferred item, as Life Orb would nullify
Sturdy, one of the best reasons to use Geodude as a sweeper.

Ponyta

~ Will-O-Wisp / Sunny Day EVs

~ Morning Sun
~ Wild Charge / Return
~ Flare Blitz
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Bulky Ponyta is one of the greatest pivots in LC. Above-average defensive stats combined with Eviolite
give it great overall bulk. This is accentuated further by Flame Body, which gives Ponyta a good chance
to burn opposing physical attackers, such as Mienfoo and Murkrow. Sunny Day is a great move to
boost the power of Ponyta's Flare Blitz, temper weak Water-type attacks from Pokemon such as
Chinchou, improve Morning Sun's recovery, and remove the opponent's sandstorm. Ponyta is a great
check to weather teams, as it can come in and immediately threaten Snover, while also being able to
set up Sunny Day easily against most members of a standard sand team. Will-O-Wisp is a great
alternative to Sunny Day because it gives Ponyta a much more reliable way of burning opponents and
handling common physical threats. Wild Charge supplies much-needed coverage against Staryu and
other Water-types, although Return can be used over Wild Charge for more rounded coverage.
Slowpoke

~ Scald / Surf EVs

~ Psychic
~ Slack Off
~ Toxic / Thunder Wave
196 HP / 196 Def / 118 Spe

Due to a combination of fantastic stats and ideal moves, Slowpoke's presence in Little Cup allows it to
serve as a self-supporting wall or invaluable team supporter. Scald, another of BW's gifts to bulky
Water-types, allows Slowpoke to deal damage while inflicting a burn by happenstance just often
enough. If one prefers to wear down defensive teams and not occasionally inflict a burn, however, then
the slightly more powerful Surf can be used; Surf also has the added bonus of in-game utility. Psychic
hits the wealth of Fighting-types within LC, excluding Scraggy, for massive damage. Croagunk is still a
pest to look out for, however, as it may carry Shadow Ball or Dark Pulse. Fire Blast is an alternative in
this slot, as it could catch Ferroseed by surprise and deals more damage to Shroomish than any of
Slowpoke's other moves.

Slowpoke prefers to save its last two slots for defensive moves, and Slack Off is a prime candidate.
Although Slowpoke already has recovery through Regenerator, Slack Off allows Slowpoke to stall out
the opposition that cannot deal more than 50% damage to it. A prime example of this is Eviolite
Murkrow; Jolly max Attack Brave Bird does 44% maximum to Slowpoke, meaning it has only a 0.4%
chance to 2HKO Slowpoke after Stealth Rock damage. The other 99.6% of the time, Slowpoke is
capable of reliably Slacking Off Murkrow's main STAB attack. Slack Off also synergizes nicely with
Toxic, as it allows Slowpoke to stall out Fighting-types late-game. However, if Slowpoke is being used
as a defensive pivot on an offensive team, Thunder Wave is most likely the more suitable move.

Magnemite

~ Magnet Rise EVs

~ Thunderbolt
~ Flash Cannon
~ Hidden Power Fire / Volt Switch
255 HP / 255 SpA

Magnemite's strong defensive capabilities and offensive prowess allow it to play the role of a bulky
pivot to perfection. When using Magnemite, be sure to note that, even though it never touches the
ground, it possesses a crippling 4x weakness to Ground-type attacks. Fortunately, Magnemite has
access to the move Magnet Rise, which lets it float even higher and makes it immune to Ground-type
attacks for five turns. With this immunity, Magnemite can check Hippopotas, Bronzor, and Drilbur
without fearing Earthquake. Volt Switch is a powerful STAB move that allows Magnemite to switch out
upon use and perform its role as a pivot admirably, while Flash Cannon is Magnemite's strongest
option against Ground- and Dragon-type Pokemon. Finally, the last moveslot is a tossup between
Hidden Power Fire and Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Fire is also Magnemite's best option against Grass
and Steel-type Pokemon such as Shroomish and Ferroseed. However, Thunderbolt is a valuable move
too, as it is Magnemite's best reliable STAB option; it hits Pokemon such as Mienfoo and Scraggy
harder than any other move on this set does.

Doduo

~ Brave Bird EVs

~ Return / Double-Edge
~ Pursuit
~ Toxic / Roost
255 Atk / 255 Spe

With a Choice Scarf equipped, Doduo functions as a very potent revenge killer against many threats,
including the very deadly Dragon Dance Scraggy. Brave Bird is undoubtedly the most important move
on the set, as the raw power of the move allows Doduo to kill many sweepers not equipped with an
Eviolite. Flying-type attacks also provide excellent coverage, in addition to hitting Fighting-types for
super effective damage, which are a very prominent force in the metagame. Return provides a reliable
STAB move, although Double-Edge can also be used for more power if Doduo's longevity is not a
concern, or if Roost is being run. Pursuit is used to trap and finish off weakened Ghost-types such as
Gastly. Due to Doduo's sparse movepool, the last slot goes to a non-attacking move. Toxic allows
Doduo to cripple most physical walls, including Hippopotas and Slowpoke. Roost can be used on a
predicted switch, allowing Doduo to stay around longer or fire off Brave Birds without worry.

Seel

~ Fake Out EVs

~ Aqua Jet
~ Ice Shard
~ Waterfall / Return
196 Atk / 118 SpD / 196 Spe

This set attempts to make the most of the offensive movepool Seel has. The priority attacks
compensate for lack of Speed, but unfortunately have quite low power. Fake Out induces flinching,
something very important when up against other faster Pokemon. Aqua Jet gets STAB, and is Seel's
best option when it comes to revenge killing. Ice Shard hits Dragon-types for super effective damage.
Waterfall gives Seel a more powerful STAB attack, while Return gets good coverage alongside Aqua
Jet, meaning that Seel will hit everything neutrally with its four attacks, bar Frillish. Life Orb is the best
item, remedying the low attack power of Seel's priority attacks. Ice Body is the preferred ability as
Seel has good synergy with Snover by covering its glaring Fire-type weakness. Thick Fat provides extra
resistance to Fire- and Ice-type attacks which can come in handy when dealing with threats like
Larvesta. Hydration isn't very effective because of the prevalence of sandstorm and hail, hindering its
usefulness. In addition, this set doesn't mind most status conditions, except for burn.
Grimer

~ Curse EVs
~ Poison Jab / Gunk Shot
~ Shadow Sneak
~ Fire Punch / Ice Punch
196 Atk / 116 Def / 196 SpD

With the advent of Eviolite, combined with Grimer's decent bulk, Grimer can effectively run a Curse
set. This set utilizes Grimer's great Attack stat and decent bulk to set up Curses and attempt to sweep.
After two Curses, Grimer reaches an Attack stat of 34 with an Adamant nature and 32 with an Impish
nature. Just to put it into perspective, an Impish Hippopotas with 236 HP / 236 Def can be OHKOed by
a +2 Ice Punch. Fire Punch allows Grimer to hit Ferroseed and Bronzor super effectively. Poison Jab is
Grimer's main STAB move, capable of dealing massive amounts of damage with a boost. Gunk Shot
can be used over Poison Jab, but it trades off accuracy for power. However, the drop in power is quite
noticeable. At +2 Defense with an Impish nature, Grimer can take defensive hits quite well; this is
backed up even further if Eviolite is used.

Shellder

~ Shell Smash EVs

~ Rock Blast
~ Icicle Spear
~ Hydro Pump / Ice Shard
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Shellder is extremely difficult to wall after a Shell Smash. In fact, it reaches a prodigious 32 Attack, 22
Special Attack and 28 Speed after a single Shell Smash using the given EV spread. Rock Blast and
Icicle Spear are both the equivalent of 125 Base Power attacks, and do enormous damage to anything
that doesn't resist them. Additionally, the combination of the two attacks provides decent type
coverage. The choice between Hydro Pump and Ice Shard depends on the rest of your team. If you
want Shellder to be able to hit Steel- and Rock-types, run Hydro Pump. However, if your team is able
to deal with the aforementioned threats, Ice Shard is the superior option.
Ghastly

~ Substitute EVs
~ Hypnosis
~ Shadow Ball
~ Sludge Bomb / Hidden Power Fighting
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This is Gastly's most dangerous and well-known set. As Gastly is able to force switches easily, it makes
for a great Substitute user; furthermore, Substitute is incredibly useful as it helps mitigate Gastly's
mediocre bulk. Shadow Ball is the main STAB move, as it severely dents most opponents that don't
resist it. Sludge Bomb allows Gastly to possibly 2HKO Porygon without Stealth Rock damage, and
always 2HKO it if Stealth Rock is in play. Hypnosis is useful for shutting down threats on the switch,
especially Stunky, Gastly's largest counter. Hidden Power Fighting is an alternative option to hit
Ferroseed and Magnemite, both of which otherwise wall this set.

Onix

~ Stealth Rock EVs

~ Dragon Tail
~ Stone Edge
~ Earthquake / Protect
236 HP / 116 Def / 156 SpD

Onix has the Speed and the moves to run an excellent Stealth Rock set. Dragon Tail works somewhat
like Roar, but does damage in addition to forcing a switch. Earthquake and Stone Edge are Onix's two
primary STAB attacks, getting near-perfect neutral coverage. Protect can be used to prevent Fake Out
users such as Meowth from ruining Sturdy.
Drowzee

~ Psycho Cut / Zen Headbutt EVs

~ Ice Punch
~ ThunderPunch
~ Drain Punch
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Drowzee has both the stats and the movepool to be an effective revenge killer, thanks to its interesting
STAB and great coverage moves. The first moveslot is given to the STAB move of choice; Zen
Headbutt has a chance to flinch, while Psycho Cut has slightly lower Base Power but a high chance to
get a critical hit and perfect accuracy. Both moves easily take out weakened Pokemon, especially
Ghost- and Fighting-types. The main targets for Ice Punch are Dragon-types, but it also hits Flying-
and Grass-types as well. ThunderPunch hits Frillish and other Water-types hard, bar Chinchou, which
has Volt Absorb. Drain Punch is used not only as a form of pseudo-recovery, but also as Drowzee's
only way of hitting Steel-types super effectively, especially Ferroseed, which otherwise walls this set. A
Jolly nature is required here, as it allows Drowzee to hit 21 Speed with a Choice Scarf.

Krabby

~ Agility EVs
~ Swords Dance
~ Crabhammer
~ Return
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Krabby can switch into a Pokemon it counters or whose attacks it resists and set up with Swords Dance
or Agility as they switch out. This can prove to be dangerous for the opponent, since either will make
Krabby extremely dangerous. STAB Crabhammer is a very useful tool to have, hitting many threats
hard with good neutral coverage. Return has a high Base Power, and the combination of Water and
Normal goes nearly unresisted in Little Cup. This set is useful as a late-game sweeper, taking out the
opponent's weakened Pokemon.
Voltorb

~ Thunderbolt EVs
~ Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
~ Signal Beam / Substitute
~ Taunt / Explosion
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Thunderbolt is Voltorb's main option for dishing out damage. With its decent Special Attack stat, great
Speed, and a fantastic STAB attack, coming in and firing off Thunderbolts should work out well. Hidden
Power Ice covers a lot of holes in Voltorb's coverage, primarily against Ground-types. Explosion is
handy for leaving a lasting dent in the opponent's team before taking your leave, and with Life Orb and
the given EVs, Voltorb can generate quite a punch with it. Substitute helps Voltorb stay safe while on
the attack, as well as easing prediction. Signal Beam is a bit of a redundant coverage filler, but you
don't have much else to really put there, and it is a better move to hit Grass-types. Signal Beam also
deals a little bit more damage to Psychic-types than Thunderbolt, along with being a reliable move to
blast Snover with (if you followed the Hidden Power Ice path). The nature is a Speed boost preference,
and it doesn't really matter which one you opt for. The given EVs maximize the values you need the
most; Voltorb hits max Special Attack and with a Speed boosting nature and 200 Speed EVs Voltorb
hits a value of 20, which outpaces basically every Pokemon lacking a Choice Scarf in the Little Cup tier.
Leftover EVs give Voltorb an extra point in HP and a bit of extra strength in Explosion.

Exeggcute

~ Sleep Powder EVs

~ Substitute
~ Giga Drain / Leaf Storm
~ Psychic
255 SpA / 255 Spe

The trait that best warrants Exeggcute's success is its extreme diversity. It isn't diverse in the sense
that it can run many sets effectively, but rather that all of its best skills are available in one set. With
no form of permanent sunlight in Little Cup, Exeggcute can't sweep well enough to be usable. It is
outclassed as a physical wall by almost everything out there, including Lileep and Ferroseed. This does,
however, leave Exeggcute one set and a few roles it can play exceptionally well without being
outclassed.

This set can do quite a few things. First, if it is necessary to temporarily remove a threat from the
game so one of Exeggcute's teammates can set up, Sleep Powder is close to the best thing there is.
Leaf Storm is another way of doing this, as its sheer power is enough to OHKO some common
offensive Pokemon such as Meowth, Chinchou, and Mienfoo. It also allows Exeggcute to counter
Staryu, which is a huge threat to stall teams. Diverse Exeggcute works very well on such teams
because of the combination of Sleep Powder's ability to cause switches and the egg Pokemon's ability
to stall with Substitute, Oran Berry, and Harvest, which has a 50% chance of restoring a used berry.
Furthermore, Exeggcute provides resistances crucial to stall teams, such as Fighting, Water, and
Electric. Finally, Exeggcute uses Psychic as a STAB attack that doesn't lower its Special Attack, and to
improve its coverage. It is also useful for Mienfoo that think they can come in and fire off a U-turn
unharmed when Exeggcute has already used Leaf Storm.

Cubone

~ Earthquake EVs
~ Swords Dance
~ Fire Punch
~ Double-Edge
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Baton Pass receiving is Cubone's trademark talent, and there is a reason behind this. 30 Attack gives
Cubone a chance to sweep, and its only problem is a lack of Speed; however, using the utility of Baton
Pass, Cubone's objective becomes a lot easier. With an Agility or Rock Polish boost, Cubone will
outspeed and defeat many common threats that would normally defeat it, such as Staryu and Choice
Scarf Snover. Cubone's great bulk means it can receive boosts very well from common Baton Pass
users such as Deerling and Venonat, both of which have good synergy with it. The aforementioned
Pokemon also have unique traits which make them great for passing to Cubone, namely Sap Sipper
and Sleep Powder, respectively.

While Cubone's Attack is already very high, Swords Dance makes Cubone's life much easier. The best
strategy is to pass to Cubone while facing a Pokemon which is easily scared by it. Fire- and Rock-type
Pokemon are great examples, because it is almost guaranteed that they will switch to an opponent
ready to take Earthquake, such as Gastly. Cubone can then use Swords Dance and sweep. With such
high Attack and perfect coverage, nothing is stopping Cubone any time soon once it sets up.

Earthquake is the crux of Cubone's sweep. Any Pokemon that is hit at least neutrally with Earthquake
will probably die, and its coverage with Fire Punch is excellent, hitting all but Mantyke, Ducklett, and
Wingull for neutral damage. Swords Dance comes into play to raise Cubone's Attack to high levels,
which can go up to 60 after one use. Double-Edge is considered a filler, but it is the best filler Cubone
can possibly have as it completes the coverage chart and does good damage to physically defensive
Pokemon.
Lickitung

~ Rest EVs
~ Sleep Talk
~ Curse
~ Dragon Tail
255 HP / 255 SpD

This particular set uses Lickitung's already great defenses to set up with Curse and make Lickitung
very hard to take down. It can then proceed to shuffle through the opponent's team with Dragon Tail,
dealing serious damage in tandem with entry hazards. Dragon Tail can also prevent your opponent
from setting up on you. Rest is used to keep Lickitung healthy and immune to status, while Sleep Talk
allows it to continue setting up and phazing in its sleep.

Koffing

~ Pain Split EVs

~ Clear Smog
~ Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
~ Fire Blast
255 Def / 255 SpD

This is Koffing's bread-and-butter set. Pain Split is Koffing's best form of recovery in a fast-paced
metagame such as Little Cup; stealing the opponent's HP not only lengthens Koffing life span but also
allows it to weaken foes. Clear Smog distinguishes Koffing from other physical walls, as it enables
Koffing to ignore stat boosts from the likes of Scraggy and Timburr, both of whom are powerful
boosting sweepers in Little Cup. Will-O-Wisp allows Koffing to cripple physical attackers such as
Mienfoo, as well as add residual damage to prominent Koffing switch-ins such as Chinchou. Toxic is a
viable option over Will-O-Wisp for crippling walls such as Chinchou, Lileep, and Hippopotas. Fire Blast
rounds off the set by giving Koffing an option to hit Steel-types, such as Ferroseed and Bronzor, that
would otherwise wall Koffing with ease.
Rhyhorn

~ Rock Polish EVs

~ Earthquake
~ Stone Edge / Rock Blast
~ Megahorn / Swords Dance
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Rock Polish is a natural move for Rhyhorn to take advantage of, as its Speed doubles to a respectable
24 after one use. This outspeeds every unboosted Pokemon, as well as many Choice Scarf users, in
Little Cup. Earthquake and Stone Edge are STAB moves that have amazing neutral coverage, so they
are natural choices for moveslots. Rock Blast is an option over Stone Edge for the ability to break
Substitutes, but isn't nearly as reliable, as it usually has lower power than Stone Edge. In the last slot,
Swords Dance is a good choice, as Rhyhorn needs little extra coverage. Rhyhorn won't always have
time to use the move, but it can be very helpful against slower opponents such as Hippopotas. The
other option to consider is Megahorn, as it always 2HKOes Slowpoke when Rhyhorn holds a Life Orb,
and it can even do so on average with Eviolite.

Happiny

~ Toxic / Thunder Wave EVs

~ Heal Bell
~ Light Screen
~ Flamethrower
255 HP / 255 SpD

The only reason to use Happiny is because of its high HP and Special Defense stats. Thunder Wave can
cripple speedy physical sweepers who switch into it, while Toxic is used to wear down opposing bulky
walls, such as Slowpoke. Heal Bell is used to relieve its teammates of status, while Light Screen is
handy for supporting Pokemon who need to set up. Flamethrower is mainly a filler so that Happiny isn't
complete Taunt bait, but it won't be doing much damage to anything except a Level 1 Weedle.
Horsea

~ Rain Dance EVs

~ Hydro Pump / Surf
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
255 SpA / 255 Spe

In the rain, Horsea reaches up to 32 Speed with a Timid nature, and 30 Speed with Modest. With
maximum EV investment and a positive nature, Horsea can reach up to 17 Special Attack, while with a
Timid nature, it reaches only 16 Special Attack. Modest is the preferred nature because Horsea needs
the extra power to deal with walls such as Ferroseed carrying Eviolite. The first moveslot is the most
important. In this slot, Horsea should use Rain Dance; with Rain Dance, Horsea's Speed is doubled and
Hydro Pump is boosted. The second moveslot should carry Hydro Pump, Horsea's strongest attack.
With a 120 Base Power STAB move boosted by Rain, Horsea can be very threatening to anything that
doesn't resist Water-type attacks. Ice Beam is in the third moveslot to hit Pokemon that Hydro Pump
can't hit neutrally, such as Dragon- and Grass-types. Finally, Hidden Power Grass is recommended to
cover Water-type Pokemon that resist both Hydro Pump and Ice Beam. It can also hit Chinchou for
super effective damage, which is a big plus as Chinchou is dangerous in the rain. The given EV spread
maxes out Horsea's Special Attack and Speed. Life Orb is the best option for an item on the set. It
gives Horsea the extra attacking power needed to KO and 2KHO certain threats.

Goldeen

~ Rain Dance EVs

~ Waterfall
~ Megahorn
~ Return
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This set is Goldeen's best bet at pulling off a sweep. STAB Waterfall in the rain can inflict some serious
damage, hitting anything that doesn't resist it very hard. Return complements Waterfall very well,
dealing with opposing Water-types and granting Goldeen great neutral coverage. Megahorn hits the
Grass-types that can sponge Goldeen's boosted Water-type attacks with ease. More importantly, it also
hits Ferroseed, which laughs at the other moves on this set pretty hard.
Staryu

~ Hydro Pump EVs

~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power Fire
~ Recover / Ice Beam
255 SpA / 255 Spe

While the Eviolite set takes a more balanced approach, this set sacrifices Staryu's bulk for sheer power.
Hydro Pump hits incredibly hard with 16 Special Attack and a Life Orb. Thunderbolt and Hidden Power
Fire hit Water- and Grass-types, respectively, for super effective damage. Ice Beam hits Dragon-types,
while Recover allows Staryu to have more longevity. Life Orb and the lack of bulk will wear down
Staryu very quickly, so Recover can help to offset that.

Mime Jr.

~ Nasty Plot EVs

~ Psychic
~ Hidden Power Fighting / Thunderbolt
~ Healing Wish
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Nasty Plot Mime Jr. is a force to be reckoned with, hitting 32 Special Attack after just one Nasty Plot,
backed by an above-average 16 Speed and Special Defense. Psychic is Mime Jr.s main option of
hurting opponents as it can deal huge amounts of damage to many Pokemon after a boost. Hidden
Power Fighting complements Psychic well, hitting Pokemon who resist or are immune to Psychic, such
as Steel- and Dark-types, for super effective damage. Note that if you opt to use Hidden Power
Fighting, you need to add 4 additional EVs to Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed to get the
maximum boost. Thunderbolt gives good neutral coverage, which is very important since without
Thunderbolt, Psychic-type Pokemon such as Slowpoke will wall this set. Lastly Healing Wish can safely
heal a switch it in. Thus, this move is effective on Mime Jr. as he is a fast Pokemon, and by sacrificing
himself at the last minute you can quickly turn the tables on your opponent.
Smoochum

~ Ice Beam EVs

~ Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Fighting
~ Psychic / Psyshock
~ Trick / Shadow Ball
255 SpA / 255 Spe

A Choice set is probably the best set Smoochum can run. With large Special Attack and Speed stats as
well as a great movepool, she poses as a solid threat. With access to Trick, Smoochum has the ability
to cripple potential set-up sweepers such as Dragon Dance Scraggy, and with Ice Beam getting a STAB
boost, no Drilbur will want to switch in on her. Hidden Power Fire is useful for preventing Steel-types
such as Magnemite and Pawniard from setting up all over her. Hidden Power Fighting is a second
option allowing Smoochum to come and revenge kill Dark- and Normal-types. Psyshock is a great
move Smoochum gets from this generation, allowing it to use its Special Attack to deal physical
damage, which is terrific for hitting the more specially bulky Pokemon such as Munchlax. Shadow Ball
gives Smoochum coverage on Ghost-type Pokemon such as Duskull or Frillish, hitting them for super
effective damage.

Magby

~ Flare Blitz
~ Mach Punch EVs
~ ThunderPunch
~ Overheat
255 Atk / 252 Spe

This set has the potential to be very dangerous if played properly. STAB Flare Blitz is Magby's most
powerful and reliable attack, decimating almost anything that doesn't resist it while still netting the
2HKO on most Hippopotas. ThunderPunch is a good coverage move, smacking the Water-types who
resist Magby's STAB moves very hard. Mach Punch allows Magby to revenge kill faster threats. Finally,
Overheat OHKOes Hippopotas with ease, and also gives Magby a powerful STAB attack without any
recoil.
Elekid

~ Wild Charge
~ Ice Punch EVs
~ Cross Chop
~ Fire Punch / Hidden Power Grass
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This set takes advantage of all of Elekid's strengths: its excellent Speed, decent Attack, and stellar
coverage. Before you are tempted to play Elekid like a stereotypical glass cannon, note that it is kind
of lacking in the cannon department. As such, leaving Elekid in on a defensive Pokemon is not the way
to go because they will set up entry hazards on it, status it, or simply just attack it. Rather, you want
to utilize VoltTurn and double switching to get Elekid in against the frail offensive Pokemon it can
demolish. Wild Charge is fairly powerful, OHKOing most frailer Pokemon. Ice Punch does have some
overlaps in coverage with both Fire Punch and Wild Charge, but it hits Dragon-types super effectively
and provides a recoilless option to hit Murkrow and other Flying-types. Fire Punch is used to hit Snover
and Steel-types super effectively. Between Ice Punch and Fire Punch, most of the Grass-types in Little
Cup not named Lileep have trouble switching into Elekid. The moveset is wrapped up by Cross Chop,
which is vital to hit Scraggy and Porygon.

Eevee

~ Quick Attack EVs

~ Return
~ Bite
~ Baton Pass / Iron Tail
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This set is Eevee's most powerful approach that doesn't require set up. Quick Attack is good for hitting
faster Pokemon, such as Shell Smash users and Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf. Return's massive
power of 204 will deal serious damage to anything that does not resist it. While Bite has low Base
Power, it is Eevee's only weapon against Ghost-types, which are immune to its powerful STAB Normal
attacks. Baton Pass is used in the last slot for scouting purposes.
Porygon

~ Tri Attack EVs

~ Thunder Wave / Charge Beam
~ Shadow Ball
~ Recover
196 HP / 196 Def / 118 SpA

This bulky spread allows Porygon to act as a physical sponge, created specifically to stop Murkrow's
Brave Bird and retaliate with Tri Attack, with a 20% chance of either burning, paralyzing, or freezing it
(all three of which will work wonders against the ever-dangerous Murkrow). Thunder Wave is great to
cripple threatening sweepers, such as Mienfoo and Choice Scarf Snovera great move to have in this
metagame. It also works in shutting down users of Shell Smash, namely Shellder and Clamperl
powerful threats if left unchecked. On the other hand, Charge Beam allows Porygon to boost its Special
Attack, while also giving it useful coverage. Shadow Ball is a great attack to beat Misdreavus,
especially if Porygon has a Special Attack boost under its belt. Recover is important as Porygon can
now restore lost health, allowing it to switch in multiple times in a match without worrying too much
about entry hazards. Finally, Trace is a very interesting ability, giving Porygon a very versatile niche in
the metagame. Depending on the ability, Porygon could get Levitate, Natural Cure, Volt Absorb,
Regenerator, Flame Body, or Pranksterall very common abilities used by the top Pokemon in Little
Cup.

Omanyte

~ Shell Smash
~ Hydro Pump / Surf EVs
~ AncientPower / Earth Power
~ Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Electric
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Omanyte becomes quite a threatening sweeper with Shell Smash, which allows it to reach ridiculous
levels of power and Speed in one turn. Hydro Pump is Omanyte's STAB move of choice, as its raw
power can devastate teams. Even 236 / 236 Careful Eviolite Munchlax will almost always fall to a +2
Life Orb Hydro Pump after Stealth Rock and Spikes. Surf is a more consistent option, however, and still
nets plenty of KOs. AncientPower gives Omanyte a way to deal with bulky Water-types such as Frillish,
who is 2HKOed at +2 with Life Orb. If Omanyte can nab an AncientPower boost after a Shell Smash,
the game is usually over. Earth Power is also worth considering, as it has the same Base Power as
AncientPower even after factoring in STAB, and has the added bonus of doing more damage to
Tentacool as well as OHKOing Chinchou with no effort. It also OHKOes Croagunk, although Croagunk
can easily OHKO Omanyte with Vacuum Wave before it can move. Hidden Power Fire OHKOes all
variants of Ferroseed, who would otherwise be a hard stop to this set, while Hidden Power Electric is an
option to deal with bulky Water-types.
Kabuto

~ Waterfall EVs
~ Rock Slide
~ Aqua Jet
~ Rain Dance / Hone Claws
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Kabuto can utilize rain by using Swift Swim to double its Speed, while at the same time powering up
Waterfall. Waterfall is a reliable and strong STAB move, especially in the rain. Rock Slide gives Kabuto
a strong secondary STAB, providing good coverage, and hits Snover and Mantyke for super effective
damage, which are normally annoying for rain teams to take on. Both Rock Slide and Waterfall provide
a nice flinch rate which could come in handy. STAB Aqua Jet gives Kabuto a valuable priority attack,
allowing it to finish off weakened threats that have priority themselves. Rain Dance is used in case it
stops raining or when Kabuto is being used as a standalone rain sweeper.

Munchlax

~ Return EVs
~ Fire Punch
~ Earthquake
~ Pursuit / Focus Punch
255 Atk / 255 SpD

Say hello to Munchlax's most dangerous set. With maximum Attack investment and an Adamant
nature, Return does serious damage to most Pokemon that don't resist it. Fire Punch hits Steel-types
super effectively and is capable of OHKOing Ferroseed and 2HKOing Bronzor. Earthquake hits Chinchou
and Ponyta incredibly hard, as it is able to 2HKO or OHKO the aforementioned Pokemon, depending on
what EV spread they run. The final moveslot should be tailored towards your team's needs. Pursuit can
be used for a likely OHKO on Misdreavus if it's switching out and has taken Stealth Rock damage. On
the other hand, Focus Punch is great for OHKOing an overconfident Scraggy that might switch into
Munchax.
Dratini

~ Dragon Dance
~ Outrage EVs
~ Fire Blast
~ ExtremeSpeed
196 Atk / 118 SpA / 196 Spe

Once Dratini's flagship set, offensive Dragon Dance Dratini has fallen from favor. However, it can still
be very dangerous, especially to offensive teams that lack a counter to Dragon-types. Dragon Dance is
the crux of the set, boosting Dratini's Attack and Speed to very high levels. Outrage is the standard
STAB attack of choice, and deals huge amounts of damage after a boost. Fire Blast is also standard
fare, as it does heavy amounts of damage to Steel-types, such as Bronzor, that resist Dratini's STAB
move. ExtremeSpeed is what makes this set so fearsome, as it makes Dratini extremely difficult to
revenge kill. Although Eviolite gives Dratini usable bulk and sometimes the opportunity to grab a boost
or two, the lack of power right off the bat is very noticeable when using Eviolite, making Life Orb the
best option most of the time. However, Eviolite is still viable and can occasionally give Dratini an extra
boost to its defenses when it really needs it.

GEN 2
Chikorita

~ Aromatherapy EVs
~ Giga Drain
~ Toxic
~ Synthesis
255 HP / 127 Def / 127 SpD

Using its exceptional bulk, great defensive movepool, and useful defensive typing, Chikorita is a very
hard wall to tear down. Using Aromatherapy, Chikorita can remove status from its whole team, proving
effective on stall teams and hyper offense teams that are scared of paralysis. Its Grass typing in
tandem with Aromatherapy allows Chikorita to wall and defeat common offensive and defensive
threats, namely Slowpoke, Staryu, Chinchou, Diglett, Drilbur, and Hippopotas. It can also spread
status in the form of Toxic, which is beneficial for teams with a plethora of Fake Out and Protect users.
Cyndaquil

~ Eruption EVs
~ Fire Blast
~ Hidden Power Grass
~ Nature Power
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Reaching 16 Special Attack and 24 Speed with a Choice Scarf, Cyndaquil can be used as a powerful
attacker and revenge killer when healthy. Eruption is the crux of this set, being extremely powerful at
high health. When Cyndaquil falls below 80% of its maximum HP, however, Fire Blast becomes the
more powerful option. Hidden Power Grass is Cyndaquil's main coverage move, hitting Water-types
which resist Eruption hard. Nature Power becomes Earthquake in a Wi-Fi environment, including on
simulators, meaning it is the best option to hit Houndour, Tentacool, and Ponyta.

Totodile

~ Dragon Dance EVs

~ Waterfall
~ Ice Punch
~ Crunch / Rock Slide
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Totodile has all the tools required to pull of a sweep: good Attack, decent Speed, and access to a
boosting move in Dragon Dance. After just one Dragon Dance, Totodile reaches 21 Speed and
outspeeds every non-boosted Pokemon in the LC metagame. Dragon Dance also increases Totodile's
damage output considerably. Waterfall is Totodile's best STAB move as it is both powerful and
accurate. It has a 20% flinch chance as well, which can prove game-changing. Ice Punch is essential as
it hits Grass-type Pokemon, such as Shroomish or Lileep, who would otherwise wall Totodile; it is also
Totodile's strongest option against Ferroseed. Crunch hits Ghost-types, mainly Misdreavus and Frillish,
who can threaten Totodile with Will-O-Wisp or a STAB Shadow Ball. Alternatively, Rock Slide can be
used to hit Shelmet, Mantyke, and other bulky Flying-type Pokemon for super effective damage.
Hoothoot

~ Reflect EVs
~ Roost
~ Air Slash
~ Hypnosis / Whirlwind
255 HP / 255 Def

Hoothoot's good special bulk and access to Reflect make it a solid defensive Pokemon. Reflect provides
good team support, especially useful in a metagame filled with Fighting-types. Roost provides Hoothoot
with a much needed form of recovery. Air Slash is Hoothoot's best attacking move, hitting Fighting-
types super effectively. Hypnosis is the optimal move in the last slot, as sleep is a very potent status
effect; it is also something else to set Hoothoot apart from Vullaby. Alternatively, Whirlwind is an
option for phazing, and is useful if Hypnosis's low accuracy is undesired.

Ledyba

~ Roost EVs
~ Encore
~ Reflect / Knock Off
~ Bug Buzz
255 HP / 127 Def / 127 SpD

Ledyba is adept at countering Fighting-types that lack a Rock-type move, such as Mienfoo, Croagunk,
and most Scraggy (discounting rare Head Smash or Stone Edge variants). Roost is used for instant
recovery, allowing Ledyba to regain its health from passive damage. Encore is used to prevent the
opponent from using Ledyba as setup bait. Reflect allows Ledyba to patch up its weaker Defense stat,
and after the boost, it will only take an average of 30% from a Scraggy's Crunch at +1. Bug Buzz,
while weak with no investment, allows Ledyba to bypass Taunt and do mild damage to opponents. It
also allows Ledyba to beat Scraggy one-on-one most of the time.
Spinarak

~ Agility IVs
~ Night Slash
~ Bug Bite 0 HP
~ Poison Jab / Cross Poison
EVs

255 Atk / 255 Spe

If Spinarak gets the chance to use Agility even once, it will reach 24 Speed, outspeeding the majority
of Little Cup Pokemon. Night Slash hits Ghost-types such as Gastly super effectively. Bug Bite is a
great STAB attack that has more power than Twineedle, steals a Berry from the opposing Pokemon,
and decimates any Grass-, Psychic-, or Dark-type Pokemon. Poison Jab or Cross Poison can be used in
the fourth slot. Poison Jab deals more damage and has a chance of inflicting poison, and while Cross
Poison has slightly less base power, it has a higher chance of getting a critical hit. If Cross Poison is
used, Sniper is the preferred ability, as a critical hit will deal three times as much damage. 0 HP IVs
are given so that Spinarak only takes one point of damage from the Life Orb recoil instead of two.

Chinchou

~ Hydro Pump EVs

~ Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power Grass
~ Heal Bell
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This is Chinchou's most versatile set. With it, Chinchou can be a great special attacker while also
supporting its team with Heal Bell. Hydro Pump is a must, as Chinchou needs it to ensure the highest
damage output possible. Volt Switch is a great scouting move, and it deals good damage with STAB
and the given EVs. However, as using Volt Switch forces Chinchou to switch out, Thunderbolt can be
used as a more reliable attack at the expense of losing opportunities to gain momentum. Hidden Power
Grass is used for opposing Chinchou, which can take both Hydro Pump and Volt Switch or Thunderbolt
with ease. Heal Bell is the icing on the cake; with it, Chinchou can relieve itself and its teammates from
any status conditions at the cost of a single turn. With the combination of Volt Absorb and Heal Bell,
Chinchou fills the role of a cleric nicely.
Togepi

~ Body Slam / Thunder Wave EVs

~ Headbutt
~ Fire Blast
~ Softboiled / Zen Headbutt
255 HP / 255 Atk

As the only Pokemon in Little Cup to get Serene Grace, (aside from Happiny, who has terrible stats),
Togepi can effectively abuse its ability despite its low Attack and Speed. Body Slam has a nice 60%
chance of paralysis, but Thunder Wave always paralyzes (except against Ground-types) and can
paralyze Ghost-types as well. Headbutt is Togepi's best way of flinching opponents, because if the
opponent is paralyzed, Headbutt will have a 70% chance of causing the opposing Pokemon to do
nothing. Fire Blast takes out Steel-types that would otherwise wall this set. Softboiled is Togepi's best
form of recovery, and paralysis can give Togepi a free chance to use it. Zen Headbutt, however, has a
40% flinch chance to hit Ghost-types with, and Gastly is hit super effectively. If Togepi uses Zen
Headbutt, Thunder Wave is recommended so Togepi can achieve a Headbutt-like effect with Zen
Headbutt.

Natu

~ FeatherDance EVs
~ Roost
~ Hidden Power Flying
~ Toxic
196 HP / 118 Def /196 Spe

Natu can run an effective FeatherDance set in order to defeat common hazard users, such as Dwebble,
without difficulty. Since the hermit crab fails to do over 65% with Stone Edge after a FeatherDance,
Natu can simply stall it out with Roost. Ferroseed's Gyro Ball won't do over 26% after the attack drop
either, and Tentacool's Scald can inflict a mere 40%. Those are the most powerful attacks that hazard
users can use against Natu. FeatherDance is also exceptionally useful against the multitude of
Fighting-type Pokemon in the metagame, such as Timburr, Mienfoo, and Croagunk. After a
FeatherDance, Timburr's Payback will do only a maximum of 60%, assuming Natu switches in on a
Bulk Up; other weak attacks such as Mienfoo's Payback or Croagunk's Ice Punch will do even less.

The only Fighting-type Pokemon this set cannot defeat is Scraggy, but it itself cannot defeat Natu if it
switches into a FeatherDance. Additionally, Pursuit users such as Stunky and Munchlax have no hope
of beating Natu. Stunky will do a meager 34% maximum after a FeatherDance, and if the Natu user
successfully predicts a Crunch and switches out after lowering Stunky's attack, the skunk Pokemon is
turned into setup fodder for another sweeper such as Shell Smash Omanyte or Dragon Dance Scraggy.
Hidden Power Flying is a STAB move that is useful for chipping away at Ferroseed, Shelmet, and
Fighting-type Pokemon, and Toxic cripples walls such as Lileep, Hippopotas, and Slowpoke, which can't
do significant damage to the Natu.
Mareep

~ Reflect EVs
~ Light Screen
~ Thunderbolt / Discharge
~ Thunder Wave
196 HP / 196 Def / 118 SpD

Mareep has 25 HP, 14 Defense, and 12 Special Defense, which, when paired with a lack of a weakness
to Dark-type moves, allow it to make for an effective dual screener that isn't afraid of Pursuit users
such as Pawniard. Reflect and Light Screen are Mareep's way of supporting its team, allowing a frail
teammate to set up safely. Thunderbolt is Mareep's reliable STAB move, and while Discharge could be
used for the extra paralysis chance, its lower base power causes it to be an inferior option. Thunder
Wave is preferred in the last slot, as it can reliably spread paralysis which could help a teammate
sweep. Light Clay is the preferred item on this set, granting three extra turns on Mareep's screens.
However, Baton Passers and some Pokemon that set up themselves don't need the extra turns.
Therefore, Eviolite is a solid choice for the extra bulk it provides.

Azurill

~ Waterfall IVs
~ Return / Double-Edge
~ Encore / Toxic / Hidden Power Fire 0 Spe
~ Substitute
EVs

255 HP / 255 Atk

Under Trick Room, Azurill can take advantage of its enormous 24 Attack stat. Return is the primary
STAB option, possessing enough power to knock out a huge portion of the metagame in one or two
hits. Double-Edge can also be used for the boost in power, yet the recoil ensures Azurill will fall to
nearly any reasonably strong priority move. Waterfall is used as a coverage option, allowing Azurill to
hit Pokemon such as Duskull or Gastly for neutral damage. Encore allows Azurill to catch Pokemon
such as Ferroseed, which might try to set up on it, giving Azurill either a free attack or a free switch.
Toxic can be used as well in the third slot to cripple Frillish, which otherwise walls Azurill entirely.
Substitute works to take advantage of the free turn offered by Encore, as most Pokemon cannot take
two hits from Azurill and live to tell the tale. Because using up Trick Room turns on non-attacking
moves can be largely a waste, Azurill may be better off just spamming attacks rather than predicting
switches to use moves such as Toxic or Encore. Using Hidden Power Fire over either Encore or Toxic is
a viable option, as it can ensure a 2HKO on Ferroseed if Azurill is behind a substitute.
Bonsly

~ Rock Polish EVs

~ Double-Edge
~ Rock Slide
~ Brick Break
116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

The general strategy with any Rock Polish set is to come in on something that can be scared away and
then set up. Bonsly is a prime example of a Pokemon that can do this with its high Defense stat.
Furthermore, the popularity of Choice Scarf Flying-type Pokemon means Bonsly can set up with ease,
while only receiving minor injuries.

Believe it or not, because Bonsly lacks Stone Edge, Double-Edge is its best attacking move; its 120
base power trumps Rock Slide's power of 112 after STAB. Due to Bonsly's ability, Rock Head, the recoil
from Double-Edge will be suppressed, allowing the Bonsai Pokemon to sweep effectively without losing
too much HP. Rock Slide is a secondary attacking move used for its coverage and high 30% flinch rate.
Outside of these two moves, Bonsly doesn't have any other powerful options, barring Explosion and
Selfdestruct, so Brick Break is used for coverage. With an Adamant nature, Brick Break has a 99.41%
chance of 2HKOing standard Ferroseed, so switch-ins are doomed if you predict well. With an Adamant
nature, however, a +2 Bonsly is outsped by Snover and Magnemite holding Choice Scarf, two
opponents that Bonsly otherwise beats by outspeeding. Because of this, a Jolly nature is an option if
your team has trouble with the aforementioned threats. With Jolly, Bonsly has a minuscule chance
(less than 3%) of 2HKOing Ferroseed with Brick Break, but it will always outspeed Snover, and it will
at least tie with Timid Choice Scarf Magnemite.

If your team has a Steel trapper, you can use Sucker Punch with an Adamant nature in the last slot.
This is good for both revenge killing and beating Choice Scarf Gastly before it can use Hidden Power
Fighting. Explosion is an option to go out with a bang.
Hoppip

~ Synthesis EVs
~ Giga Drain
~ Toxic
~ Cotton Guard
255 Def / 255 Spe

Though Hoppip is a misunderstood one, and lacks overall stats, the floating plant finds itself able to
pull off a unique method of stalling that will annoy the enemy to no end. The whole idea behind the set
is to find a safe opportunity to set up a Cotton Guard, which will skyrocket its defenses to 31, which is
roughly around 46 taking Eviolite into account. This will allow Hoppip to respectably tank physical hits.
Then Hoppips job is to follow through with its annoying stall Trinity, being: Toxic to whittle the
opponent down slowly , Giga Drain to do some initial damage and receive additional HP along the way,
and finally Synthesis, just to annoy the opponent even more when they think they might be getting
somewhere. Be wary however, as Hoppip carries weakness to Stealth Rock.

Aipom

~ Fake Out EVs

~ Return
~ Shadow Claw
~ U-turn
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This set is Aipom's best chance at contributing to its team. Aipom has the fastest Fake Out in the
game, but it's rather weak. Return is its strongest STAB move, while Shadow Claw is used to fight off
Ghost-types that are immune to Return. U-turn is good to get out of sticky situations, which are all too
common when using Aipom. The recommended nature is Jolly, as it gives Aipom 19 Speed. However, if
you want a bit more power, you can use Adamant at the cost of being slower than fast offensive
threats such as Misdreavus and Murkrow.
Wooper

~ Earthquake EVs
~ Waterfall / Ice Punch / Encore
~ Toxic
~ Recover
236 HP / 76 Atk / 156 Def

Wooper is a great utility counter to many Pokemon, being able to stall large threats out with a
combination of its moves and stats. Earthquake offers STAB, and is a relatively powerful attack.
Waterfall provides secondary STAB, and is useful against Pokemon who resist Ground-type attacks. Ice
Punch offers great coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting Flying-type Pokemon for super effective
damage. Encore allows Wooper to lock an opponent into a move, easing prediction, and often allowing
a teammate to set up if the opponent does not switch on the same turn. Toxic is a great move, and
can be used to stall opposing Pokemon out in tangent with Recover.

Murkrow

~ Drill Peck / Brave Bird EVs

~ Heat Wave
~ Sucker Punch
~ Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

Whereas many players expect defensive Murkrow or support Murkrow, this set beats many of its usual
counters before the enemy has a chance to react. Drill Peck gives Murkrow an extremely powerful
STAB move with no repercussions. Furthermore, it hits Mienfoo, Croagunk, Timburr, and the many
other Fighting-types in Little Cup for super effective damage. Brave Bird's sheer power makes it
sometimes a preferable option on more offensive teams; Murkrow's longevity is greatly hampered by
constant recoil, however. MixKrow excels due to the fact that most things that can weather a Drill Peck
or Brave Bird do not enjoy being roasted by Heat Wave. Bronzor, Magnemite, and Ferroseed, three
common switch-ins, will be quickly incinerated, paving the way for multiple other Pokemon, or perhaps
even Murkrow itself, to sweep. Sucker Punch prevents frail Choice Scarf users, including weakened
Chinchou and Snover, from picking off Murkrow prematurely.

The final move is more of a filler slot. Hidden Power Grass is useful alongside Drill Peck to scare off
Chinchou while preventing Omanyte or Tirtouga from setting up. On the other hand, Dark Pulse allows
Murkrow to possess a method of dealing with bulkier walls such as Slowpoke, who otherwise are only
weak to Sucker Punch, and are very physically defensive anyways. It also gets a handy STAB bonus,
meaning it is a safer move that Murkrow can use alongside the more dangerous Brave Bird.
Misdreavus

~ Nasty Plot EVs

~ Shadow Ball
~ Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fighting
~ Substitute / Taunt
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Nasty Plot is the most effective offensive approach that Misdreavus can take that involves spinblocking.
It can still beat all of the NU Rapid Spin user one-on-one, but it has the added advantage of being able
to come out on top against the usual checks to its defensive sets. Skuntank takes 56 - 66% from a +2
Thunderbolt, and Swellow can be OHKOed by the same after Stealth Rock damage. This set can
reliably set up on Torkoal, and while it has trouble setting up on Armaldo, it can still beat Armaldo and
stop it from using Rapid Spin. This set can effectively set up on and plow through most stall teams, as
they often lack a reliable way to deal with it. It does struggle to be effective against some offensive
teams, however, unless that team requires Rapid Spin to function.

Nasty Plot is the crux of the set, turning the commonly defensive Misdreavus into a powerful sweeper.
Shadow Ball is the most powerful STAB option that Misdreavus has, thus making it a mainstay of the
set. There are two options for the coverage move; Thunderbolt, which has decent neutral coverage
with Shadow Ball and can also hit Swellow really hard, and Hidden Power Fighting, which gives
Misdreavus perfect neutral coverage on top of hitting Lickilicky harder. Hidden Power Fighting also has
the advantage of dealing more damage to Cacturne and Sawsbuck, two threats which aren't covered
by Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt. The final moveslot is reserved for a support move. Misdreavus hates
status of any kind, and with Substitute it can both block status as well as set up on a number of walls
in NU that cannot break its Substitutes. For example, even without defensive investment there is a
good chance that Torkoal's Lava Plume will not break Misdreavus's Substitute. Trapping Misdreavus
with Pursuit is a common tactic to eliminate it, and Substitute can also be used to scout for Pursuit,
making Misdreavus much harder to counter. The other option in this last slot is Taunt, which, on top of
blocking status, can also prevent phazing attempts from the likes of Altaria and Flareon.
Wynaut

~ Counter
~ Mirror Coat EVs
~ Encore
~ Safeguard / Tickle
255 HP / 127 Def / 127 SpD

Wynaut retains the same niche it had last generation, as its impressive ability to dispose of Choice-
locked attackers is invaluable to many Pokemon. There are also many strong attackers which can blast
holes through teams that Wynaut traps and KOes, such as Snover. It also has the ability to get rid of
slower attackers and Encore set-up Pokemon, meaning Wynaut will almost always be of use in every
game.

Wynaut's movepool, while only consisting of eight moves, is perfectly suited for its job. Shadow Tag
lets it trap opposing Pokemon so that they can't switch out. If the Pokemon is locked into a physical
attack, Counter will dispose of it, unless Wynaut is KOed, which is unlikely considering its massive HP
stat and respectable defenses. Mirror Coat bounces back special attacks. However, the crux of
Wynaut's viability lies in the move Encore. Encore lets it force attackers to repeat a move, meaning
you can either switch in a Pokemon that takes little damage from the attack and set up, or just KO it
with Counter or Mirror Coat. If your opponent tries to set up on Wynaut, Encore lets you switch in a
Pokemon to set up on it while your opponent is locked into a move for three turns.

Pineco

~ Rapid Spin EVs

~ Stealth Rock / Spikes
~ Payback / Protect
~ Bug Bite
196 HP / 76 Atk / 196 Def

This set takes advantage of Pineco's great physical bulk and support movepool. Pineco can easily
switch in on a physical attack, and then proceed to set up entry hazards or spin them away. Stealth
Rock is the primary choice of hazard because it strips common Rock-weak Pokemon, such as Snover
and Ponyta, of 25% of their HP. Spikes can be used instead of Stealth Rock, as Stealth Rock is a
common move and can probably be set up by another member of your team. Rapid Spin is a valuable
asset to Pineco's movepool as it gets rid of entry hazards the opponent has set up, which is useful for
supporting the aforementioned Rock-weak Pokemon should you carry them on your own team.
Payback hits Ghost-type Pokemon, such as Gastly, for super effective damage, and prevents them
from completely walling Pineco. Protect is an option for scouting the opponent's attacks, and can
potentially thwart attempts to Trick it a Choice item. It is also useful for gaining an additional turn of
damage from hail, sandstorm, or poison. However, be wary of Pokemon with access to setup moves,
as they can take advantage of Protect. Finally, Bug Bite steals Oran Berries, which are commonly used
in Little Cup; by doing so, Pineco can replenish its HP and continue to support the team. Keep in mind
that with the advent of Eviolite, Oran Berries are not as common as they once were.

Snubbull

~ Thunder Wave / Bulk Up EVs

~ Return
~ Crunch
~ Close Combat / Brick Break
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Using Thunder Wave to keep speedy opponents at bay, Snubbull can wreak havoc. Thunder Wave
inflicts paralysis, which cuts the opponent's Speed by 75%. This allows Snubbull to easily outpace
anything in Little Cup, barring fast Pokemon such as Taillow and Ponyta at +3 Speed. Snubbull is best
used on a paralysis team with teammates such as Ferroseed and Slowpoke to spread status. Because
of this, Snubbull might not need to use Thunder Wave itself and can instead have Bulk Up to raise its
Attack and Defense before it sweeps.

Return is Snubbull's best attacking move; after STAB, it sits at 153 Base Power and has 100%
accuracy. It also has good coverage in LC, only missing out on Ferroseed, Lileep, Gastly, Frillish, and
very uncommon Pokemon. Crunch complements its coverage by hitting Ghost-type Pokemon that are
immune to Return. Lastly, Snubbull is faced with the choice of Close Combat or Brick Break. The
former works best with Thunder Wave, as it can KO Lileep and Ferroseed, while the latter is beneficial
with Bulk Up, as it keeps Snubbull's defenses neutral and can even break through Reflect and Light
Screen.

Teddiursa

~ Swords Dance / Protect EVs

~ Facade
~ Close Combat
~ Crunch
196 Atk / 116 SpD / 196 Spe

With Quick Feet, high Attack, and access to Swords Dance, Teddiursa is a formidable sweeper. When
poisoned, Teddiursa reaches an amazing 21 Speed, which is faster than every non-boosted Pokemon in
the tier; that Speed, combined with an outstanding 18 Attack, strikes fear into many Pokemon. Protect
is an alternative for Teddiursa, to ensure Toxic Orb activates, while also defending itself from random
Fake Outs; however, it is generally outclassed by Swords Dance, which allows Teddiursa to sweep
unprepared teams. Facade is the perfect STAB attack for Teddiursait has 210 Base Power after
STABallowing it to completely destroy everything that doesn't resist it. Close Combat and Crunch
both give great coverage, collectively hitting Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types for super effective
damage. Teddiursa is also a great status absorber after Toxic Orb has been activated, and can easily
capitalize on the many Pokemon who use status moves, such as Ferroseed and Shroomish. Thanks to
its frailty, however, it might have some difficulty setting up, but Teddiursa can set up on a variety of
special attackers such as Eviolite Misdreavus, Staryu, Porygon, and Lileep.

Slugma

~ Stockpile EVs
~ Recover
~ Flamethrower / Lava Plume
~ Will-O-Wisp / Toxic / Hidden Power Grass
196 HP / 116 Def / 196 SpD

Slugma has acceptable bulk, and when coupled with an Eviolite and the ability to further boost both
defenses with Stockpile, this set can become troublesome to bring down. Flamethrower gives Slugma
the most power, and if you are happy relying on Will-O-Wisp for burn support, feel free to go for the
combination of Flamethrower and Will-O-Wisp. Lava Plume combines STAB and burn support into one
Fire-type attack, giving Slugma a free slot in which to run Toxic. Alternatively, Hidden Power Grass
rounds out Slugma's coverage by hitting Water-types super effectively.

Swinub

~ Earthquake EVs
~ Icicle Crash
~ Ice Shard
~ Stealth Rock
116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

This set makes the best use of what Swinub has to offer. Earthquake gets STAB, and Swinub can spam
it thanks to its great coverage and high base power. Icicle Crash pairs amazingly well with Earthquake
and gets STAB. Ice Shard is great for picking off sweepers and any faster Pokemon that survives one
of Swinub's first moves. Stealth Rock is on the set as Swinub can set it up easily, since Swinub causes
many switches. Using Life Orb ties up the set by boosting Swinub's offensive prowess to sky high
levels.
Remoraid

~ Waterfall EVs
~ Seed Bomb
~ Return
~ Fire Blast/ Water Spout
255 Atk / 255 Spe

While Remoraid can use special attacks easily, it can also hit physically thanks to its Base 65 Attack,
excellent physical movepool, and access to Hustle, which gives its attacks a huge boost. Waterfall is
Remoraid's STAB move, hitting very hard thanks to Hustle. Return, when combined with Waterfall,
gives Remoraid almost perfect neutral coverage, only missing out on Ferroseed and Frillish. Seed Bomb
allows Remoraid to easily take on Water-types, namely Frillish with Water Absorb, who can wall
Remoraid. In the final moveslot, Water Spout does massive damage, even without any investment.
However, Fire Blast is another interesting option, allowing it to maul any Grass-types switching in. It's
accuracy is also not affected by Hustle, which is a big plus given its fairly shaky 85% accuracy.

Mantyke

~ Rain Dance EVs

~ Hydro Pump / Surf
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Flying / Hidden Power Electric
118 Def / 196 SpA / 196 Spe

This is Mantyke's most devastating set, capable of inflicting heavy damage and OHKOing a large
portion of the metagame. Rain Dance is important as it triggers Swift Swim, doubling its Speed, while
also boosting Mantyke's Water-type attacks, giving its souped up Hydro Pump the ability to destroy
everything that doesn't resist or is immune to it. Surf is more reliable and has more PP, but the drop in
power is quite noticeable, making Hydro Pump the superior option. Ice Beam gets good coverage with
Hydro Pump, hitting Grass-types that resist Water-type attacks. Hidden Power Flying is a secondary
STAB that allows Mantyke to beat Snover on the switch-in, along with Croagunk. However, Hidden
Power Electric pairs well with Mantyke's other moves, giving it excellent coverage provided by the
BoltBeam combo. The EVs compensate for the IV drop with Hidden Power Flying, while maxing out
Speed and Special Attack for maximum effectiveness.
Phanpy

~ Stealth Rock EVs

~ Earthquake
~ Knock Off / Ice Shard
~ Toxic / Roar
255 HP / 127 Def / 127 SpD

This is Phanpy's bread-and-butter set, and unfortunately the only one it can run effectively. Phanpy's
nice overall defenses and decent Attack allow it to support its team well. Stealth Rock is a given for
almost any support Pokemon that has access to it, making it easier for Phanpy's teammates to sweep
thanks to residual damage. STAB Earthquake is Phanpy's main form of offense, hitting anything that
doesn't resist it pretty hard. Knock Off is the preferred item in the third slot due to the tier's massive
dependence on Eviolite. However, Ice Shard complements Earthquake well, allowing Phanpy to pick off
weakened Pokemon while also giving it decent coverage. Toxic and Roar are both good options in the
last slot, and it's really up to the user. While Toxic allows Phanpy to cripple walls, Roar enables it to put
a full stop to most physical set-up sweepers.

Houndour

~ Sucker Punch
~ Crunch / Dark Pulse IVs
~ Fire Blast
~ Super Fang / Protect / Substitute 0 HP

EVs

255 Atk / 255 Spe

This is by far Houndour's most effective set. STAB Sucker Punch is the key move, giving Houndour the
ability to check top metagame threats such as Misdreavus, Abra, and Drilbur. Sucker Punch is tied with
ExtremeSpeed as the most powerful priority in the game, and its useful Dark typing hits most major
threats hard. Crunch is a much more reliable STAB attack, as it does not require the opponent to
attack; Pokemon such as Staryu and Ponyta will often attempt to switch into Fire Blast only to be KOed
by a Crunch and Sucker Punch in rapid succession. Fire Blast is Houndour's most powerful attack
against physically bulky Pokemon, such as Hippopotas, and will OHKO SubRoost Murkrow 62.5% of the
time after Stealth Rock damage. Super Fang bypasses defenses and swiftly deals 50% to the opposing
Pokemon. Protect is a filler move, defending against Fake Out from Mienfoo and Croagunk as well as
letting Houndour scout priority attacks. However, Substitute can also be useful, as it lets Houndour
capitalize upon its ability to force switches. 0 HP IVs give Houndour 19 HP, which means Houndour
only takes 1 damage from Life Orb recoil.
Larvitar

~ Dragon Dance / Rock Polish EVs

~ Earthquake
~ Stone Edge / Rock Slide
~ Crunch / Facade
255 Atk / 255 Spe

As a set-up sweeper, Larvitar can run a threatening boosting set with either Dragon Dance or Rock
Polish as its boosting move. Dragon Dance is the preferred option, as it allows Larvitar to muscle
through Pokemon holding an Eviolite. However, you can also use Rock Polish to outspeed all Choice
Scarf users that have 17 Speed or less.

When using Dragon Dance, a Jolly nature is recommended as Larvitar will hit 21 Speed after a Dragon
Dance, which is enough to outspeed every unboosted Pokemon, while still reaching a huge 36 Attack
stat. However, when using Rock Polish, an Adamant nature is recommended, as Larvitar needs all the
power it can get. A Jolly nature is still an option, though, to at least tie with all Choice Scarf users with
19 Speed or less, such as Staryu and Taillow. Earthquake is Larvitar's most reliable STAB move and a
staple on any set. Stone Edge is the main option in the third moveslot because of its high Base Power
which is further boosted by STAB. Rock Slide can also be used instead of Stone Edge for the higher
accuracy it provides, but it loses out on a lot of power. Crunch is a more reliable move for hitting
Gastly, but Facade is also a great option in the last slot, as its Base Power is doubled to a huge 140
when Larvitar is afflicted with a status condition.
GEN 3
Treecko

~ Leaf Storm EVs

~ Hidden Power Fire
~ Giga Drain
~ Quick Attack
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Treecko's attacking lead set from DPP is still perfectly capable of functioning in the BW metagame. Leaf
Storm is Treecko's most powerful STAB move and hits common leads such as Hippopotas very hard.
Hidden Power Fire provides excellent additional coverage, smacking Grass- and Steel-types switching
in to soak up Leaf Storm, such as Snover, Ferroseed, and Bronzor. Giga Drain serves as an alternative
STAB that also provides recovery in a pinch. Quick Attack is used in the last slot to finish off weakened
enemies and frail sweepers such as Wingull.

Torchic

~ Agility EVs
~ Baton Pass
~ Fire Blast
~ Hidden Power Grass / Substitute
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Baton Pass is Torchic's best asset; Agility is by far the easiest boost to pass, as after a single use,
Torchic outspeeds virtually every Pokemon, boosted or otherwise. Agility is usually the most useful
move to pass as well, as even slow Pokemon will end up outspeeding most threats with the boost to
their Speed. Fire Blast hits quite hard and provides Torchic with a form of offense. Hidden Power Grass
is used in the fourth slot to deal solid damage to Water-types such as Chinchou, but if extra protection
is desired, Substitute can be used in its place.
Mudkip

~ Waterfall EVs
~ Rock Slide
~ Double-Edge / Return
~ Superpower / Ice Beam
118 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

With a Choice Scarf equipped, Mudkip can fix its speed problems. Waterfall is the main STAB option; it
has 80 Base Power and a 20% flinch rate, which is handy because Mudkip will outspeed many
opponents. Waterfall hits several threats such as Gligar, usually doing anywhere between 70% to
100%. Note that this isn't completely reliable, however, as many Gligar also carry Choice Scarf and will
thus outspeed Mudkip. Double-Edge is a strong move and gets neutral coverage on every Pokemon in
LC, while Return serves a similar purpose without the recoil damage at the cost of a bit less power.
Superpower provides good coverage and it is useful in revenge killing several Pokemon. Ice Beam is
useful as it hits more physically defensive Pokemon such as Gligar harder than Waterfall, and will
usually KO them with Stealth Rock support. Rock Slide hits Ice- and Flying-type Pokemon for super
effective damage, which is helpful in a metagame where Pokemon like Snover are common.

Poochyena

~ Howl EVs
~ Facade
~ Crunch
~ Fire Fang
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Poochyena reaches 21 Speed when Quick Feet is activated, outspeeding every unboosted Pokemon in
Little Cup. If Poochyena can get a Howl boost on the turn Toxic Orb activates, it can become a
fearsome sweeper. Sadly, Poochyena will rarely be able to do this, as most opponents will just stay in
and attack. Facade is actually Poochyena's most powerful move when affected by status, while Crunch
hits Ghost-types and is a solid STAB move that doesn't rely on the status boost. Fire Fang is the best
move in the last slot to hit Steel-types such as Ferroseed and Magnemite super effectively.
Zigzagoon

~ Belly Drum EVs

~ Substitute
~ ExtremeSpeed
~ Seed Bomb
196 Atk / 59 Def / 59 SpD / 196 Spe

With the discovery of the Pomeg Glitch, Zigzagoon can finally run the coveted combination of Belly
Drum and ExtremeSpeed. The idea is simple: Substitute on a forced switch, then use Belly Drum to put
Zigzagoon into Salac Berry range. This boosts its below-average Speed of 15 to a blazing 22,
outrunning every single Pokemon in Little Cup not holding a Choice Scarf. At the same time,
Zigzagoon's Attack soars to 52. You are then free to rip anything that doesn't resist its STAB 80 Base
Power priority ExtremeSpeed to shreds.

Zigzagoon's physical movepool leaves room for only one coverage option: Seed Bomb. Gastly who
neglect to hold a Choice Scarf and Rock Polish Aron have a small chance to be OHKOed by a Belly
Drum boosted Seed Bomb, but even then only after Stealth Rock damage.

Dumping all EVs into Speed and Attack, along with an Adamant nature, allows for maximum damage
while attempting a sweep. The leftover EVs are included to increase Zigzagoon's bulk. The reason they
are not included in its HP is because with no HP EVs it hits 20 HP. Having a HP divisible by four is great
for Substitute + Salac Berry sweepers, as it means they will be left with 25% of their HP when their
Berry activates.

Lotad

~ Rain Dance IVs

~ Surf
~ Giga Drain 0 HP
~ Ice Beam
EVs

255 SpA / 255 Spe

This is the only viable set Lotad can run, though it is still outclassed by its rivals. Rain Dance doubles
its Speed, allowing it to attack before its opponent, which is very important as Lotad is frail. When
backed by Life Orb, STAB, and the rain, Surf is quite powerful, even coming off of Lotad's mediocre
Special Attack stat. Giga Drain provides secondary STAB, and hits opposing Water-type Pokemon such
as Frillish for super effective damage, which would otherwise easily wall it. Finally, Ice Beam provides
more coverage, hitting Grass- and Dragon-types who resist both of Lotad's STAB attacks. 0 HP IVs give
Lotad 19 HP, which means Lotad only takes 1 damage from Life Orb recoil.

Taillow

~ Facade EVs
~ Brave Bird
~ Quick Attack
~ U-turn / Protect
255 Atk / 255 Spe

After Toxic Orb's activation, Taillow's Attack stat rockets to a powerful 22, nearly reaching that of
Meditite. Along with its high 19 Speed stat, Taillow becomes a very dangerous all-out attacker. Once
the Pokemon that resist its moves have been knocked out, Taillow can deal heavy damage to an entire
team with its boosted STAB Facade.

Taillow's primary attacking option is its 140 Base Power Facade, which hits incredibly hard coming from
its 22 Attack stat. Brave Bird gives Taillow an effective way to deal with Ferroseed, as well as Ghost-
types such as Misdreavus on the switch. Yet, in general, Facade is the preferable option thanks to its
higher power and lack of additional recoil. Pluck is also a viable alternative to Brave Bird by merit of its
ability to steal Oran Berries from Pokemon such as Bronzor or Misdreavus, as well as avoid the recoil
from Brave Bird. However, Taillow does lose the ability to hit Ferroseed nearly as hard as it could with
Brave Bird, which puts it at risk of being stalled out by Leech Seed and Protect. Quick Attack, while far
weaker than Facade, allows Taillow to outspeed most other priority users and damage them first, and
deal good damage to, or even KO, set-up sweepers once they have been significantly weakened. For
the final slot, both moves have significant upsides. A Taillow using U-turn can scout the opponent's
team while doing good damage, despite U-turn having only 70 Base Power. However, with Protect,
Taillow can easily find that one turn required to activate the Guts boost it so sorely needs to do any
significant

Wingull

~ Scald EVs
~ Ice Beam / Hidden Power Grass
~ Rain Dance / U-turn
~ Hurricane / Air Slash
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This set makes great use of Wingull's top notch Speed stat and good movepool. Scald is Wingull's
primary STAB move; it has a respectable Base Power and may even leave the opponent's Pokemon
with a burn. Ice Beam pairs excellently with Scald and the moves have good coverage together. Rain
Dance is recommended because it works especially well when paired with Hurricane and Scald. It also
allows Wingull to recover HP with Rain Dish. A Timid nature and the EV spread provided ensures
Wingull is as fast and hard hitting as possible, while a Life Orb helps back up Wingull's average Special
Attack stat.

Ralts

~ Trick Room IVs

~ Memento
~ Destiny Bond 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
~ Protect

This is the only set that Ralts can successfully accomplish without support from others. When leading
with Ralts, Trick Room is the primary move that it should aim for before it faints. After successfully
activating Trick Room, Ralts can either choose Memento or Destiny Bond, as it can't do anything else
but sacrifice itself. With Memento, Ralts makes the opponent completely useless, giving you a free turn
since they would likely switch out. Destiny Bond can be used effectively if the opponent uses an
attacking move, taking down an important member of the opponent's team while you only have to
sacrifice Ralts. Protect avoids the use of Fake Out from the opponent so Focus Sash can remain intact,
or it can be used to get a glimpse at what set your opponent is using.

Surskit

~ Hydro Pump IVs

~ Signal Beam
~ Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Fighting 19 HP
~ Giga Drain
EVs

255 SpA / 255 Spe

With astounding Speed and good Special Attack, Surskit has all the tools required to be a deadly
special sweeper. This set's effectiveness rises greatly when used in the rain. Hydro Pump is a great
STAB move that can hurt almost anything, while Signal Beam is another STAB move that has a chance
to confuse the enemy. Hidden Power Fire and Hidden Power Fighting both counter Steel-types that
might try to wall Surskit. If you plan on using Surskit in the rain, Hidden Power Fighting must be used.
Last but not least, Giga Drain hits almost any Water-type hard..
Shroomish

~ Spore EVs
~ Synthesis
~ Giga Drain
~ Toxic / Stun Spore
255 HP / 255 Def

While the Grass-type is not normally renowned for its defensive capabilities, Shroomish can use it in
tandem with its great defensive stats to check a variety of powerful Pokemon in the tier, most notably
Drilbur, Chinchou, and Staryu. When holding Eviolite, Shroomish is not OHKOed by a +2 X-Scissor
from Adamant Eviolite Drilbur, nor 2HKOed by the same Drilbur's +2 Rock Slide (a much more
common attack). In return, it can cripple Drilbur with Spore or Stun Spore, or 2HKO it with Giga Drain.
Even without a lot of investment in Special Defense, Shroomish can easily come in and tank any of
Chinchou and Staryu's common attacks, only being 2HKOed by the increasingly rare Ice Beam.
Shroomish can similarly come in and threaten all the other Water-type Pokemon in the tier as well.
With Synthesis and Giga Drain Shroomish can keep itself healthy over the course of the match,
allowing it to come in and do its job multiple times if needed. The choice between Toxic and Stun
Spore is one of personal preference; Toxic allows Shroomish to defeat bulkier Pokemon such as Lileep
who would otherwise wall it, while Stun Spore is very effective against more offensive Pokemon such
as Mienfoo and Gastly. It also makes Shroomish a more complete check to Drilbur, since if you have
already slept an opposing Pokemon you can still permanently cripple Drilbur with paralysis.

Nincada

~ Bug Bite EVs

~ Toxic
~ Aerial Ace
~ Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground
255 HP / 255 Def

Nincada's typing and superb Base 90 Defense stat allow it to sponge physical attacks from a variety of
Pokmon. Bug Bite is Nincada's primary means of attacking, allowing it to deal damage and possibly
restore its health simultaneously. Toxic has the ability to hinder many Pokmon that this Nincada will
switch into. Aerial Ace hits Fighting-types pretty hard, and the last slot boils down to preference;
Hidden Power Ice is primarily for Gligar and Hippopotas, though it should be noted that they will also
not enjoy Toxic, whereas Hidden Power Ground can potentially hit Croagunk for a OHKO, while
Croagunk can only muster a 2HKO with Ice Punch in return.
Whismur

~ Hyper Voice IVs

~ Fire Blast
~ Shadow Ball 0 Spe
~ Ice Beam
EVs

255 HP / 255 SpA

At its absolute minimum, Whismur reaches a glacial 6 Speed, which lets it move ahead of almost
everything when Trick Room is up. Hyper Voice is a powerful STAB move that has great neutral
coverage, making it the perfect choice to use as Whismur's main attacking option. Fire Blast hits Steel-
types that resist Hyper Voice, such as Ferroseed and Magnemite, super effectively. Shadow Ball is used
in the third slot to hit common Ghost-types such as Gastly and Frillish. Lastly, Ice Beam is mainly filler,
but is Whismur's strongest move against the otherwise dangerous Lileep.

Makuhita

~ Force Palm / Toxic EVs

~ Whirlwind
~ Knock Off
~ Bullet Punch / Brick Break
255 HP / 255 Atk

With Makuhita's feeble defenses and mediocre Speed, it isn't muscular enough to actually be a threat
to anything without assistance, meaning it can just run a support set for helping a more potent
teammate. STAB Force Palm does a decent amount of damage to most threats, and has a nifty chance
of paralysis that can cripple the opponent. However, Toxic can serve as a replacement to Force Palm if
the chance of paralysis which the former offers is not needed, chipping away at the opponent's health
and crippling walls. Whirlwind enhances Makuhita's utility, foiling the attempts of sweepers to set up
while also shuffling the opponent's team and stacking up residual damage. Knock Off is a great move
to have considering the ubiquity of Eviolite, and thus makes a teammate's sweep easier. There are two
options for the last slot. Bullet Punch provides useful priority and can pick off weakened opponents, but
Brick Break provides a powerful STAB move that also shatters any screens in play.
Nosepass

~ Stone Edge / Rock Slide EVs

~ Fire Punch
~ Thunder Wave / Stealth Rock
~ Pain Split / Stealth Rock
196 HP / 76 Atk / 156 Def / 36 SpD / 36 Spe

This set takes advantage of Nosepass's power and bulk. Stone Edge is the recommended STAB move
due to its high power; however, Rock Slide can be used instead if you prefer the accuracy. Because
Nosepass is a Rock-type Pokemon, it will naturally lure Steel-type Pokemon, as they hit super
effectively with their STAB and resist Rock-type moves. This latter fact especially invites Ferroseed to
come in, and Bullet Seed will almost always 2HKO Nosepass.

Thanks to a combination of Magnet Pull and Fire Punch, Nosepass will always beat Ferroseed by
trapping it and 2HKOing it, easily surviving any attacks Ferroseed uses. The third and fourth moveslots
are reserved for support moves; Thunder Wave is ideal for crippling Mienfoo and Scraggy switch-ins,
while Stealth Rock is useful in causing damage to the opponent's switches (though Nosepass isn't one
to cause many switches). Lastly, Pain Split is a must on Nosepass if you are using sandstorm and Toxic
Spikes, as it creates a whole new version of stall; if you are using Nosepass as a supporter, however,
you may use Thunder Wave in the third slot and Stealth Rock in the last slot.

Skitty

~ Thunder Wave EVs

~ Return
~ Sucker Punch
~ Foresight / Fake Out
255 Atk / 255 Spe

The combination of Normalize and Thunder Wave is a blessing for Skitty. Changing the typing of all its
moves to Normal allows Skitty to paralyze Ground-type Pokemon such as Drilbur and Diglett. Sucker
Punch with Normalize gives Skitty a STAB priority attack, which is extremely beneficial for revenge
killing. Foresight is the icing on the cake as it allows Skitty to hit Ghost-types with the rest of the move
set.
Aron

~ Rock Polish EVs

~ Head Smash
~ Iron Head
~ Earthquake
196 Atk / 116 SpD / 196 Spe

This set is Aron's best shot at sweeping. Aron's horrible Speed stat significantly limits its sweeping
potential, and Rock Polish is a great solution to this problem. After a single Rock Polish, Aron hits 26
Speed assuming a Jolly nature, outspeeding all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup while getting the
jump on Choice Scarf users with up to 17 Speed. This turns Aron into a formidable late-game sweeper.
Sadly, setting up a Rock Polish is not easily accomplished because of the plethora of Fighting-types
running around. Thanks to Aron's many resistances, though, it is possible with the correct team
support. Head Smash is what makes Aron so dangerous, as it seriously dents anything that doesn't
resist it. Iron Head is used for secondary STAB and has decent neutral coverage with Head Smash.
Earthquake rounds out the coverage nicely, hitting any Steel-types except Bronzor.

Electrike

~ Volt Switch EVs

~ Flamethrower
~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power Grass / Switcheroo
255 SpA / 255 Spe

With decent Special Attack and Speed stats, Electrike is just asking for a Choice item. Electrike's solid
17 Speed allows it to act as an effective sweeper, outspeeding many threats. A Timid nature with 236
Speed EVs are necessary for hitting 17 Speed. Choice Specs are used for hitting hard and switching out
afterwards. With 236 Special Attack EVs and Choice Specs, Electrike hits 24 Special Attack, allowing it
to deal heavy damage to a slew of common Pokemon. Volt Switch gets STAB and allows Electrike to
scout the opposing team. Thunderbolt is Electrike's most powerful STAB option. Flamethrower hits any
Grass-types which resist Electrike's STAB moves. For the last slot, Switcheroo cripples an opposing
Pokemon with the unwanted Choice Specs, while Hidden Power Grass hits Hippopotas and Wooper for
super effective damage. Lightningrod is Electrike's best ability, and is what sets it apart from other
Electric-types, as it can switch in on an Electric-type attack and catch a Special Attack boost. After this
boost, Electrike reaches a massive 32 Special Attack (factoring in the Choice Specs boost).
Budew

~ Spikes EVs
~ Giga Drain
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Rest
196 HP / 196 SpA / 116 Spe

Budew reaches 23 HP and 21 Special Defense when holding an Eviolite, which is usually enough to set
up multiple layers of Spikes. Giga Drain provides Budew with damage as well as modest healing, which
is the perfect combination for this set. Sludge Bomb provides extra power, but lacks the healing that
Giga Drain provides. Finally, Rest is a more potent form of healing for Budew to use, and the turns that
would be spent sleeping can be avoided by switching out thanks to its ability, Natural Cure.

Gulpin

~ Stockpile EVs
~ Pain Split
~ Encore / Toxic
~ Ice Beam / Sludge Bomb
110 HP / 196 Def / 196 SpD

Stockpile is probably the best and most effective set Gulpin can run. With access to Pain Split, Gulpin
can heal itself and weaken its opponent at the same time. Encore can be useful for locking Pokemon
such as Scraggy into set-up moves and then forcing them to switch out. Ice Beam is for hitting Flying-
types for some nice damage. On the other hand, Sludge Bomb is Gulpin's strongest attack if the foe
isn't weak to Ice Beam, also gaining STAB.
Numel

~ Flame Charge EVs

~ Fire Blast
~ Earth Power
~ Hidden Power Grass
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Thanks to Simple, Numel's Flame Charge gives the same Speed boost Agility would, letting it reach 26
Speed in a single turn. That allows it to outspeed unboosted Pokemon that fail to carry a Choice Scarf
as well as Choice Scarf users with 17 Speed or less. After getting a boost in, Numel can start attacking
with a powerful STAB Fire Blast, doing significant damage to many threats in the tier. Earth Power is
Numel's secondary STAB move, which is useful to hit Houndour, Chinchou, and Ponyta. It also provides
a more accurate option for Numel to use when gambling on Fire Blast's accuracy is not desired.

Due to Numel's somewhat shallow movepool, Hidden Power is necessary to cover threats that Numel
would have trouble damaging otherwise. Hidden Power Grass is the main choice for Numel, as it
OHKOes Wooper while hitting other Water-types slightly harder than Earth Power would.

Wailmer

~ Water Spout EVs

~ Hydro Pump / Surf
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
255 SpA / 255 Spe

When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Wailmer finds itself with a much needed boost to its Speed,
bringing it up to a stat of 24. This allows Wailmer to fire off powerful Water Spouts while outspeeding
the entire unboosted metagame with Choice Scarf, meaning it can hit other Pokemon before Water
Spout is weakened. This set is useful in that it can easily rip holes into offensive teams, opening up a
sweep for teammates. Hydro Pump is used on this set to provide a more consistently powerful option
over Water Spout, as when Wailmer begins to lose HP, Water Spout becomes considerably weaker. Ice
Beam is to provide coverage, and it does a number on Dragon- and Grass-types that will frequently
switch in on Wailmer in an attempt to wall it. Finally, a Hidden Power of choice can be used to provide
the final coverage. Both options hit Water-types that will set up on Wailmer. Hidden Power Grass
allows Wailmer to hit Chinchou and Frillish, while Hidden Power Electric strikes Mantyke super
effectively, all of which are common Pokemon. One must take into account, however, that Hidden
Power sports only 70 Base Power, and this means that with Wailmer's only middling Special Attack
stat, it will struggle to do lots of damage, which is why Hidden Power should only be used when
absolutely necessary.
Spoink

~ Reflect EVs
~ Light Screen
~ Psychic
~ Thunder Wave
196 HP / 118 Def / 196 Spe

Thanks to its decent Speed and good special bulk, Spoink is a good dual screener that can often set up
more than once, something Abra has trouble doing. Psychic is used alongside Reflect and Light Screen
to allow Spoink to defend itself when needed, and does reasonable damage to most neutral targets.
Thunder Wave is the best option for the fourth slot, as paralysis support can allow a slower teammate
to set up and sweep. Light Clay is preferred for the extra turns it provides on the screens Spoink sets
up, but Eviolite is an option to give Spoink some extra bulk. Some Pokemon don't need the extra turns
to set up safely and sweep, meaning that Eviolite is often the better option.

Trapinch

~ Earthquake EVs
~ Rock Slide
~ Crunch
~ Hidden Power Fire
255 Atk / 255 SpA

This set gives Trapinch the best chance at a sweep. In Trick Room, the only Pokemon in Little Cup that
can "outspeed" it is minimum Speed Munchlax. Earthquake is an incredible STAB attack coming off of
20 Attack, and Rock Slide allows Trapinch to attain "EdgeQuake" coverage, resisted only by the
uncommon Bronzor. Crunch is perfect for Ghost-types and Slowpoke, easily OHKOing Gastly while
netting a 2HKO on Slowpoke. Finally, Hidden Power Fire gives Trapinch a super effective hit on
Ferroseed, a Pokemon that would otherwise wall this set cold.
Cacnea

~ Swords Dance EVs

~ Sucker Punch
~ Bullet Seed / Substitute
~ Drain Punch / Focus Punch
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This is basically the best and only real way to go with Cacnea. Swords Dance boosts Cacnea's Attack
stat to impressive levels. Sucker Punch is the most important move, as with high Base Power and
priority, Cacnea will be dealing a ton of damage before the opponent can even hit it. The rest of the set
is decided by how much you want to rely on Sand Veil and prediction. Life Orb is the default option
whereas Oran Berry further backs up Sand Veil if you try to test your luck. Of course, for this set to
work at optimal efficiency, Hippopotas or another means of bringing out the sandstorm is a must.
Croagunk and Houndour can be a real problem for this set, so Pokemon with powerful Water- and
Flying-type attacks, such as Frillish and Tailow, are helpful. Oran Berry is viable on this set, as it can
buy Cacnea extra opportunities to use Substitute while it tries to snag a miss because of Sand Veil.

Swablu

~ Roost EVs
~ Toxic
~ Pluck / Hyper Voice
~ Cotton Guard
255 HP / 255 SpD

This set's main attraction is its ability to help reliably check Sunny Day teams, which it does rather well
with a resistance to Grass and Cloud Nine neutralizing the sun's effects. The EVs given give admirable
bulk when combined with an Eviolite. Toxic and Roost form the core of your damage output through
poison stalling. Not only does this help to beat weather teams, but it reliably beats a number of set-up
Pokemon. Pluck gets STAB and is a handy utility move to have, and Cotton Guard is an exceptional
defensive buff to have while stalling.
Barboach

~ Dragon Dance EVs

~ Earthquake
~ Waterfall
~ Return / Bounce
255 Atk / 255 Spe

With Eviolite raising its defenses, Barboach's solid defensive typing, and a single weakness to Grass-
type moves, Barboach can efficiently run a solid Dragon Dance set. Thanks to its typing, Barboach can
set up on the likes of Bronzor, Dwebble, Magnemite lacking Hidden Power Grass, and Thunderbolt-
locked Chinchou. Earthquake and Waterfall are great STAB attacks for Barboach, providing great
coverage against the whole tier. Bounce is effective against most Grass-types that decide to stay in
against Barboach, while Return provides more immediate damage and smacks Mantyke for a lot of
damage. Eviolite is almost required on this set because it will give Barboach the ability to set up
Dragon Dance easier. Anticipation is a reliable ability as it allows Barboach to see if the opponent has a
super effective Grass-type attack, such as Hidden Power Grass.

Corphish

~ Dragon Dance EVs

~ Waterfall / Crabhammer
~ Superpower / Brick Break
~ Return / Crunch
255 Atk / 255 Spe

With a phenomenal Attack stat, decent Speed, and access to Dragon Dance, Corphish makes a great
physical sweeper. With good overall bulk along with an Eviolite, it can easily take a hit, set up, and
proceed to sweep. Waterfall is the STAB move of choice for its perfect accuracy and chance to flinch;
however, Crabhammer is also a great option because of its higher Base Power and high critical hit rate,
though it is slightly less accurate. Superpower is an odd option on a set-up sweeper, but it allows
Corphish to OHKO Ferroseed and Lileep, which is something Brick Break fails to do. Brick Break is still
an option, however, as it will deal quite a bit of damage to said threats, and doesn't lower Corphish's
stats. Return is the preferred option in the last slot to hit the many Pokemon that resist Corphish's
STAB Water-type attacks for neutral damage. However, Crunch is an option to defeat both Slowpoke
and Frillish, which are otherwise great counters to this set.
Baltoy

~ Reflect EVs
~ Light Screen
~ Stealth Rock
~ Toxic / Explosion / Shadow Ball
110 HP / 196 Def / 196 SpD

The purpose of this set is to set up dual screens, which allows frail, offensive teammates to take
attacks as they set up. Stealth Rock is used in the third slot, as it breaks the opponent's Focus Sash
and Sturdy while further enhancing Baltoy's utility. Toxic is the best option for the last slot, allowing
Baltoy to cripple opposing walls and ensuring that it doesn't become a sitting duck after it has set up.
Shadow Ball and Explosion are also viable, as they prevent Baltoy from being shut down by Taunt.
Explosion lets Baltoy go out with a bang, allowing a sweeper to switch in safely, but Shadow Ball is also
an option for hitting Ghost-types attempting to negate an expected Explosion.

Lileep

~ Giga Drain EVs

~ Recover
~ Stealth Rock / AncientPower
~ Toxic
255 HP / 255 Def

With the combination of Storm Drain, venerable typing, and a wide movepool, Lileep has the potential
to become a fantastic sponge for LC balance teams. With Giga Drain, it deals surprising damage to
Chinchou, Staryu, and plenty of other common Pokemon. This works in conjunction with Recover to
keep Lileep healthy throughout the match while the opponent may suffer from repeatedly switching
into Stealth Rock. Speaking of Stealth Rock, Lileep does that too, and it pulls it off with aplomb. Lileep
is rarely immediately forced out early-game, and is thus a wise candidate for setting up Stealth Rock.
However, if the team already has Stealth Rock support, AncientPower can be a wise choice to bust
Murkrow, Larvesta, Ponyta, and perhaps nab a convenient stat boost.

This particular set has a few merits. Primarily, Lileep is one of the best Drilbur answers around; it has
STAB Giga Drain, gains a boost from sandstorm, and fears only the increasingly rare X-Scissor from
the mole. Furthermore, it is a fantastic choice for setting up Stealth Rock, as it beats the two most
common Rapid Spin users, Staryu and Drilbur, one on one (the former with absolutely no effort). Toxic
rounds out the set nicely due to the late-game pace of LC. The switch-ins Lileep baits are generally
predictable, and scoring an early Toxic on a Mienfoo or a Misdreavus can be paramount to winning
later in the game.
Anorith

~ Rock Polish EVs

~ X-Scissor
~ Rock Slide / Rock Blast
~ Brick Break
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Anorith hits 34 Speed after a single Rock Polish, allowing it to outspeed every Choice Scarf user in
Little Cup. Anorith also has a respectable 20 Attack, making it a dangerous offensive threat and
allowing it to break apart offensive teams. X-Scissor is Anorith's primary STAB attack, hitting Psychic-
and Grass-types hard. Rock Blast and Rock Slide are both great secondary STAB options. While Rock
Blast can break Substitutes, Rock Slide has a constant damage output and is more reliable. Brick Break
provides excellent neutral coverage, hitting the Steel-types that resist Anorith's other moves.

Shuppet

~ Trick Room IVs

~ Destiny Bond
~ Taunt 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
~ Shadow Sneak / Sucker Punch
EVs

255 Atk

This is Shuppet's best attempt at a set. Shuppet's poor Speed means it can abuse Trick Room while
supporting its teammates in the process. Destiny Bond can be used following Trick Room, and has the
potential to ensure at least one KO before Shuppet goes down. Taunt is listed as it blocks any
opponent's attempt to set up on Shuppet, and it forces the opponent to attack, which in turn,
guarantees a KO with Destiny Bond. In the final slot, Shadow Sneak is used for STAB, but Sucker
Punch has a higher Base Power. The main benefit to using Shadow Sneak over Sucker Punch is that it
still hits even if the opponent doesn't attack Shuppet. It should be noted, however, that if Shadow
Sneak is used, Shuppet is completely walled by Normal-types.
Duskull

~ Will-O-Wisp EVs
~ Substitute
~ Pain Split
~ Icy Wind / Ice Beam
110 HP / 196 Def / 196 SpD

This set allows Duskull to take advantage of its Ghost typing to freely set up Substitutes. From behind
a Substitute, Duskull has access to a variety of tools to cripple its opponents. Will-O-Wisp can cripple
physical attackers, as well as inflict residual damage on other defensive Pokemon. Pain Split gives
Duskull both a means of recovery and dealing damage, increasing Duskull's survivability. Icy Wind
keeps Duskull from being complete Taunt bait, and prevents Pokemon such as Scraggy from setting up
on it with ease.

Chingling

~ Hypnosis EVs
~ Reflect
~ Light Screen
~ Psychic / Wish
110 HP / 196 Def / 196 SpD

This is a basic utility set. Hypnosis is always great to have, as sleep can immobilize most foes as well
as allowing other Pokemon on your team to set up more comfortably. Use Reflect or Light Screen
depending on the Pokemon you're facing, judging on their use of physical or special moves, to soften
blows to Chingling. The key factor is to make good use of your time while you have the dual screens
up. Don't lollygag around with Chinglingswitch to something that can set up with these barriers
placed.
Snorunt

~ Disable EVs
~ Ice Beam
~ Crunch / Shadow Ball
~ Ice Shard
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Disable is a great move to use right after switching in Snorunt, as it will prevent the opposing Pokemon
from using the last move they used for 4-7 turns, which could easily let Snorunt wall a sweeper. Ice
Beam is used so that Snorunt can check Dratini and Taillow; it will OHKO both of them without
requiring prior damage. Crunch hits Gastly for a good amount of damage, and hits Munchlax stronger
than Ice Beam does. Unfortunately, Crunch still does very little damage, especially if Munchlax is
running Eviolite. Shadow Ball provides similar coverage but isn't able to hit Munchlax and other
Normal-types. Ice Shard, again, is a decent STAB priority attack that Snorunt can use to revenge kill
most Pokemon at low health.

Spheal

~ Protect EVs
~ Substitute
~ Aqua Ring
~ Super Fang / Blizzard / Surf / Toxic
196 Def / 118 SpA / 196 SpD

Spheal performs much like Walrein does in the upper tiers, using Substitute and Protect to stall out
many threats. With hail falling, Spheal's Ice Body will activate, which when used in tangent with
Leftovers, heals most of the health lost from Substitute. Aqua Ring allows it to heal all the health loss
over two turns, making this set work even more effectively. Super Fang is a great move in the last
slot, as it takes out half of the opponent's health, making it much easier for hail to knock the opponent
out. Blizzard and Surf are both reliable STAB options. Blizzard has better coverage and is also more
powerful, while Surf has more PP and can be used to hit Rock-type Pokemon hard, who would
otherwise pose a threat to Spheal. Finally, Toxic is also a viable option, allowing it to slowly whittle
away at the opponents health.
Clampearl

~ Shell Smash EVs

~ Surf
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Shell Smash is this monstrous beast's boosting move of choice, raising His already dangerously high
Special Attack to unfathomable levels. After a single boost, He reaches truly into the heavens, with a
Special Attack stat of over 900. Should you be unfortunate enough to be hit by a single attack, you
may never see the light of day again. Surf douses even the most powerful of opponents, drenching
them with a cataclysmic oceanic wave, riddled with the sight of their imminent defeat. Should the
enemy survive this most powerful of onslaughts, Clamperl shall blast any Grass- and Dragon-types
foolishly thinking that they can overcome Surf with a freezing Ice Beam that is sure to stop them in
their tracks. Clamperl is all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful. No enemy can escape the wrath of
Clamperl. Should the enemy resist both attacks, Clamperl shall draw from deep within His Self, His
secret, hidden, inner power, which hits any Water-type that dares stand against His other attacks.
Proceed with caution, and don't hesitate to retreat, or the unrestrained power of Clamperl shall
overcome and annihilate your very soul.

Bagon

~ Wish EVs
~ Dragon Claw
~ Fire Blast
~ Protect / Toxic
255 HP / 255 Def

This is Bagon's only viable set in LC, and just like its evolved form Salamence in OU, this set is used to
not only heal itself and its team with Wish, but to tank attacks as well. While it doesn't have the
biggest HP stat to pass Wishes with, its typing gives it useful resistances to common offensive types
such as Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric, which gives it its niche. Dragon Claw is used for damage
purposes, as well as to prevent Bagon from becoming Taunt bait. Fire Blast hits Steels, mainly
Magnemite and Ferroseed, that will try to use Bagon as setup bait. Protect is used to ensure Bagon
gets the recovery from Wish, and it also works with Toxic Spikes as it stalls out poison as well.
However, if you aren't concerned about getting guaranteed recovery from Wish, Toxic can be used
over Protect, as it breaks down Pokemon such as Mienfoo, Hippopotas, Murkrow, and others.
Beldum

~ Iron Head EVs

~ Zen Headbutt
~ Headbutt / Take Down
~ Iron Defense
255 Atk / 255 Def

This is the best set that Beldum can run. Iron Head is Beldum's primary STAB attack, though it has
mediocre coverage alongside Zen Headbutt; the combination is resisted by a number of common LC
Pokemon, such as Houndour and Bronzor. The move in the third slot depends on how much you value
the extra power Take Down has over Headbutt. When making your choice, however, keep in mind that
Take Down's accuracy is unreliable, and that Beldum must suffer recoil damage from using it. Headbutt
can be useful at times due to its 30% flinch rate. Iron Defense is Beldum's only option for its 4th
moveslot, and with +2 Defense, rest assured that Beldum can take any physical attack thrown at it
regardless of power and effectiveness. Oran Berry is a good item choice as well, as it allows Beldum to
regain roughly 50% of its health instantaneously. Life Orb is also a good alternative to evolite,
although it's worth noting that Beldum can take a hit or two, so the Life Orb recoil damage probably
isn't worth the boost in power, not to mention Beldum's poor Speed.

GEN 4
Turtwig

~ Reflect EVs
~ Light Screen
~ Stealth Rock
~ Seed Bomb / Hidden Power Fire
196 HP / 118 Def / 196 SpD

With its unique ability to set up both dual screens and Stealth Rock, Turtwig is capable of being an
effective team supporter. The goal of this set is to set up dual screens, and then to set up Stealth
Rock. Though this will cost one turn of dual screens, this ensures that faster enemies will have a more
difficult time taking Turtwig down before it lays down its entry hazard. The last slot is reserved for
Turtwig's one offensive move, to prevent it from being shut down by Taunt. Seed Bomb is Turtwig's
only decent STAB move on the physical side, but Hidden Power Fire is useful to deal with Cottonee.

Chimchar

~ Fake Out EVs

~ Stealth Rock
~ Overheat / Fire Blast
~ Hidden Power Grass / Taunt / Protect
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This is Chimchar's most effective set, where it plays the role of a "suicide lead." Chimchar can either
set up Stealth Rock quickly, or deal massive damage to the opponent's lead. Fake Out breaks
opponents' Focus Sashes or Sturdy, allowing you to KO them with Overheat, which hits very hard
thanks to its high Base Power and STAB. However, the Special Attack drop can be problematic,
because some Pokemon can take advantage of it by setting up on or revenge killing Chimchar. Hidden
Power Grass is useful for hitting the pesky Water-type Pokemon which resist Overheat for super
effective damage. The EVs are quite simple; max out Chimchar's Speed and Special Attack to improve
its usefulness as a lead.

Piplup

~ Stealth Rock EVs

~ Scald
~ Icy Wind / Ice Beam
~ Toxic
192 Def / 118 SpA / 196 SpD

With decent defenses, Piplup can pull off a support set. The main reason to use Piplup is Stealth Rock,
and Piplup can find its chances to set it up; however, it can be difficult at times due to Piplup's low
Speed stat. Despite being a weak move in general, Scald is the best STAB move to use on this set due
to its ability to inflict burns. Icy Wind combats Grass-types, while also reducing the opponent's Speed.
However, Piplup will be more susceptible to being KOed due to Icy Wind's low Base Power, making Ice
Beam a viable option. Toxic helps spread poison throughout the opponent's team and makes it easier
for Piplup's teammates to sweep later on in the game.
Starly

~ Brave Bird EVs

~ Return
~ U-turn / Pursuit
~ Final Gambit
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This is the only set that Starly will be able to use effectively and competently. It has a great 120 base
power STAB move in Brave Bird. Return is another decent STAB attack, as it does not cause recoil
damage, unlike Brave Bird. U-turn is a nice move for scouting. Final Gambit can deal major damage to
opponents that Starly has trouble defeating, such as Bronzor, Magnemite, and Slowpoke. Pursuit is
good for trapping Ghost-types, such as Choice Scarf Gastly locked into Shadow Ball, as Starly has a
helpful immunity to Ghost-type attacks.

Bidoof

~ Curse EVs
~ Return
~ Aqua Tail
~ Quick Attack
255 HP / 255 Atk

The purpose of this set is to abuse Simple to receive +2 Attack and Defense from a single Curse.
Return is the main STAB move on the set. Aqua Tail is used for coverage, only missing out on Frillish,
Lileep, and Ferroseed. Unfortunately, due to Simple, Curse reduces Bidoof's Speed by 2 stages. Bidoof
has access to STAB Quick Attack, though, mitigating the Speed drops. The given EVs maximize
Bidoof's HP, so, when combined with Eviolite, it will be able to take hits. The rest maximize Attack and
give it a boost in Defense, allowing our favorite beaver to reach an impressive 28 Attack and 22
Defense after a single Curse.
Shinx

~ Facade EVs
~ Wild Charge
~ Ice Fang / Crunch
~ Fire Fang / Crunch
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Shinx makes good use of Guts with this set, which reaches 16 Attack and 15 Speed. Facade is actually
the most powerful option on this set after Shinx is afflicted with a status, and it has good neutral
coverage. Wild Charge is nearly as powerful and hits opponents that are weak to it, such as Frillish,
quite hard, though Shinx can faint quite quickly from combined recoil and status damage. Ice Fang is
the main option in the third slot, as it hits Lileep for more damage than Facade. Fire Fang is the main
choice for the last move as it lands a KO on Ferroseed and Snover. Another option in either slot is
Crunch, which hits Ghost-types super effectively.

Shieldon

~ Stealth Rock EVs

~ Metal Burst
~ Fire Blast
~ Ice Beam / Earthquake
255 HP / 255 SpD

Thanks to Sturdy, which was improved this generation, Shieldon is almost guaranteed to survive long
enough to set up Stealth Rock. When not setting up Stealth Rock, Shieldon can use Metal Burst to
punish opponents who may have been able to OHKO him last generation. Fire Blast is used for its high
chance to OHKO Ferroseed and Magnemite and 2HKO Eviolite Cottonee. Earthquake can be used for
Aron and opposing Shieldon. An Oran Berry helps prevent residual damage from rendering Sturdy
useless.
Cranidos

~ Head Smash EVs

~ Stone Edge
~ Earthquake
~ Zen Headbutt / Fire Punch
255 Atk / 255 Spe

With Choice Scarf to alleviate its average Speed, Cranidos can work as a great cleaner thanks to its
combination of massive Attack, STAB Head Smash, and great coverage moves. Cranidos hits 22 Speed
with an Adamant nature and Choice Scarf, allowing it to get the jump on all unboosted Pokemon in
Little Cup as well as many Choice Scarf users that sit at 21 Speed. Head Smash, the crux of this set,
hits extremely hard, scoring 2HKOs on most Pokemon in the metagame. However, when Head Smash's
recoil starts to get Cranidos's health down to dangerously low levels, it's advised that you use Stone
Edge, which doesn't hit quite as hard but lacks recoil, making it a great choice. Earthquake provides
great coverage alongside Rock-type moves, and has the added bonus of hitting Pokemon with Levitate
thanks to Mold Breaker. Lastly, Zen Headbutt hits common Fighting-types very hard on the switch,
while Fire Punch knocks out Ferroseed, which otherwise walls Cranidos nicely.

Burmy

~ Bug Bite EVs

~ String Shot
~ Protect
~ Hidden Power Ice
196 HP / 196 Atk / 118 Def

Thanks to its phenomenal defenses, Burmy can tank hits from just about any Pokemon in LC. Its Bug
typing leaves Burmy with only three weaknesses and useful resistances to common attacking types
such as Grass. Bug Bite will be Burmy's main method of dealing damage, allowing it to always OHKO 0
HP / 0 Defense Abra. Burmy also has access to the mighty String Shot, allowing it to slow down any
switch-in and eat it alive with Bug Bite. String Shot also makes Burmy a great team player, allowing it
to slow down fast opponents so Burmy's slower teammates can come in and continue to wreak havoc.
Protect is another excellent move and allows Burmy to scout opponent's movesets, particularly those
of Taillow and Ponyta, while they fail to touch this defense fortress. Using Hidden Power Ice means
Burmy is able to hit Gligar extremely hard, even with no Special Attack EVs, Burmy always 2HKOes
156 HP / 76 SpD Gligar with its powerful chill.
Buizel

~ Aqua Tail EVs

~ Return
~ Hidden Power Fire
~ Aqua Jet
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Aqua Tail, Buizel's strongest physical STAB attack, can 2HKO many more Pokemon than Waterfall,
namely Scraggy and bulky Mienfoo. Aqua Jet gives Buizel a STAB priority attack that can revenge kill
most Pokemon, but Buizel must watch out for Lileep and its ability, Storm Drain, as it will often switch
in to absorb the attack. Return has the ability to 2HKO Eviolite Staryu, but comes up short against
Eviolite Chinchou at full HP. Buizel running a Jolly nature can 2HKO Ferroseed with Hidden Power Fire
without a Life Orb. If you decide not to use Hidden Power Fire, it frees up 36 EVs that could go into
Buizel's lacking Special Defense stat. A Swords Dance pass is very appreciated, as it makes Buizel a
much bigger threat.

Cherubi

~ Sunny Day EVs

~ Growth
~ SolarBeam / Giga Drain
~ Weather Ball / Hidden Power Rock
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Under the sun, Cherubi can be a excellent special sweeper when given the chance. Once it sets up a
single Growth, Cherubi is able to OHKO or 2HKO most Pokemon except Cloud Nine Lickitung and
Munchlax. It also has better Special Defense than Bellsprout, which gives it massive competition as a
Chlorophyll sweeper. Cherubi's pure Grass typing gives it certain advantages, such as a resistance to
Ground-type attacks and neutrality to Psychic-type attacks, giving it more opportunities to set up.
SolarBeam is Cherubi's primary sweeping attack due to STAB and high Base Power. Giga Drain
provides valuable recovery, and also deters Hippopotas from switching in. Weather Ball is a useful
move to have as it can hit a lot of Pokemon which are neutral to Normal-type moves, and can
sometimes take advantage of Snover's and Hippopotas's weather-inducing presence in the metagame.
Hidden Power Rock helps damage Fire-type Pokemon that would otherwise completely wall Cherubi,
and also hits Snover where Weather Ball would fail to cause serious harm.
Shellos

~ Surf / Scald EVs

~ Clear Smog
~ Recover
~ Yawn / Toxic
118 HP / 196 Def / 196 SpD

Shellos is a powerful offensive presence on the field as one of Little Cup's premier bulky Water-types,
thanks to its astounding defenses, which are even greater than that of Frillish. It sits at 27 HP and 21
in its defenses when Eviolite is factored in, making it one of the bulkiest Pokemon in Little Cup.
Combine that with access to Recover, and Shellos is not going to be hit hard by very much. Shellos
also has a decent Special Attack stat which allows it to hit many Pokemon for respectable damage with
its STAB Water-type attacks. Surf is the primary option for its greater power, though Scald is a
perfectly fine move to use over it.

Clear Smog is the crux of this set, as it allows Shellos to get rid of any boosts that the opponent may
have acquired and bypass Taunt at the same time, stopping sweeps from the likes of Timburr cold
when played correctly. While Clear Smog is great for causing switches in and of itself, Yawn gives the
opponent even less of an incentive to stay in, racking up damage from any hazards that might be
present. However, Toxic can be used in lieu of Yawn if one wants to rack up even more damage.

Drifloon

~ Acrobatics EVs
~ Shadow Ball
~ Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
~ Destiny Bond / Will-O-Wisp
196 Atk / 118 SpA / 196 Spe

This is, without a doubt, Drifloon's most effective set. It utilizes Drifloon's fantastic Unburden ability to
become a fast, dangerous sweeper. Not only does Flying Gem boost Drifloon's Speed, it also makes
Acrobatics (which is already fearsome as it is only resisted by Steel-, Electric-, and Rock-type
Pokemon) an extremely powerful attack, boosting its Base Power to 247. Even after the Gem's boost
has been used, Acrobatics still hits fairly hard with a Base Power of 165 (STAB included). Shadow Ball
is a great secondary STAB, having a pretty wide neutral coverage in conjunction with Acrobatics.

The choice between the two types of Hidden Power is up to you. Hidden Power Ice hits Murkrow,
Drilbur, Axew, and Dragon-types, such as Axew and Dratini, for super effective damage, whereas
Hidden Power Fire OHKOes Ferroseed and deals heavy damage to Bronzor and Pawniard. Destiny Bond
and Will-O-Wisp are used to play mind-games against Sucker Punch users such as Stunky, as Sucker
Punch will only activate if Drifloon uses an attacking move. Destiny Bond is usually the superior option
because Drifloon will most of the time lose against these Pokemon, and can use this opportunity to
take the foe down with it. Will-O-Wisp, however, can be used to cripple Pokemon such as Mienfoo and
Stunky before starting the sweep, or maybe even during it

Buneary

~ Fake Out EVs

~ Switcheroo
~ Return
~ Encore / ThunderPunch
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Buneary can function very well as a fast lead. Fake Out is a wonderful move to break Focus Sash or
Sturdy. Switcheroo is a good move to carry as it can cripple many Pokemon. Flame Orb burns the
opponent, cutting its Attack stat and dealing damage over time. Choice Scarf's ability to lock
opponents into one attack can be truly debilitating to many enemies, especially defensive Pokemon
that rely on Eviolite. Return is Buneary's primary STAB move. It has a high Base Power and good
neutral coverage, but has issues with Ghost-type Pokemon that are immune to it. Encore is useful for
locking the opponent into a moveit is intended to be used with Flame Orb, as its function is rather
repetitive alongside Choice Scarf Switcheroo. Locking the opponent into a move can give teammates
such as Scraggy opportunities to set up. ThunderPunch provides neutral coverage against all Ghost-
types excluding Golett, which is very rare.

Glameow

~ Fake Out EVs

~ U-Turn
~ Sucker Punch
~ Hypnosis / Return / Quick Attack
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Fake Out and U-turn are good ways for Glameow to deal quick damage with minimal risk, making it a
good lead. Sucker Punch is very important for Glameow as well, as it is a priority move that hits Ghost-
types, i.e. something that Meowth doesn't have. Hypnosis is the main choice for the fourth moveslot
due to the high potency of sleep. If the low accuracy is a turn-off, then Return could be used as a
powerful STAB move. Quick Attack can be used for added priority.
Stunky

~ Pursuit EVs
~ Sucker Punch / Crunch
~ Fire Blast / Flamethrower
~ Hidden Power Ground
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This set is Stunky's best chance at attempting a sweep. With the given moves, Stunky can easily beat
Gastly, one of the biggest threats in the metagame. Pursuit is great for trapping Ghost-types. Crunch
is Stunky's most reliable STAB attack, but Sucker Punch can allow it to OHKO numerous faster threats,
such as Diglett. Fire Blast absolutely destroys Ferroseed, and does big damage to Bronzor as well.
Flamethrower is a perfectly viable alternative if Fire Blast's poor accuracy is off-putting. Hidden Power
Ground rounds out the set, allowing Stunky to get super effective coverage on other and most Rock-
types, and beat Rock Polish Aron one-on-one. Life Orb is important, as it allows Stunky to get as much
power as possible. For EVs, Attack and Speed are maximized.

Bronzor

~ Recycle EVs
~ Toxic
~ Earthquake / Stealth Rock
~ Flash Cannon
196 HP / 196 Def / 118 SpD

This bad boy has got what it takes to bring the metagame to its knees. With Oran Berry and Recycle,
Bronzor gets a relatively reliable source of healing and patches up its biggest weakness. Thanks to its
natural bulk and incredible defensive typing, the loss of Eviolite is not particularly devastating when it
comes to Bronzor's ability to tank hits. With access to recovery, Bronzor becomes a lean mean Toxic
stalling machine, as it can focus on whittling things down and recovering the damage, and come out on
top in the end. However, for this set to work, attacking moves are a necessity. Earthquake allows
Bronzor to hit the two types that are immune to ToxicSteel and Poisonfor super effective damage,
and is its only way to damage these. If you have no other place for it, Stealth Rock is a viable
alternative over Earthquake. However, Bronzor will be almost entirely walled by Pokemon such as
Croagunk and Magnemite.
Gible

~ Substitute EVs
~ Outrage
~ Earthquake
~ Fire Blast
196 Atk / 118 SpA / 196 Spe

When Sandstorm is in play, Gible is able to take advantage of one of its few unique points, which is the
evasion boost gained from Sand Veil. By switching into a Choice-locked Electric-type attack from
Chinchou or Magnemite, or by being brought out after a KO, Gible can easily find time to set up a
Substitute. Outrage is very powerful and Gible's strongest STAB move, hitting many walls for heavy
damage. Earthquake is one of Gible's prime advantages over Axew, hitting Steel-types that resist
Outrage for super effective damage. Fire Blast allows Gible to destroy Ferroseed, which would
otherwise tank its attacks with ease. With some luck, Gible will be able to knock out a few Pokemon,
with Sand Veil keeping its Substitute intact.

Riolu

~ Copycat EVs
~ Protect
~ Drain Punch
~ Crunch
118 HP / 196 Def / 196 SpD

Copycat is the crux of the set, giving Riolu a myriad of options to harass the opponent's team. When
combined with Protect, Copycat allows Riolu to revenge kill a variety of threats without taking damage.
For example, if Dratini locks itself into Outrage, and Riolu uses Protect, it can Copycat Outrage next
turn, OHKOing Dratini. The ability to scout with Protect really gives Riolu incredible utility. Likewise,
Riolu can use a slow Drain Punch, Riolu's main STAB move and only source of healing (unless it uses
Copycat after Recover or another recovery move) and then use Copycat in order to hit twice in a row
without interruption. This is very handy against Pokemon such as Scraggy, Drilbur, or Murkrow, who
are all 2HKOed by Drain Punch. The same method applies for Crunch, which is Riolu's best way of
handling Misdreavus, and its only way of touching Natu.
Hippopotas

~ Stealth Rock EVs

~ Earthquake
~ Slack Off
~ Whirlwind / Crunch
196 HP / 118 Def / 196 SpD

Hippopotas's most important role is staying alive to keep sandstorm up to support its teammates, so
Eviolite is the chosen item along with heavy EV investment in its defenses. Thanks to its good bulk,
Hippopotas can set up Stealth Rock on much of the tier; it can take hits from basically any physical
attacker. Earthquake is Hippopotas's consistent STAB, doing solid damage to Pokemon that Hippopotas
can wall such as Drilbur and Mienfoo. With the help of Slack Off, Hippopotas can continually switch in
and Earthquake physical attackers throughout the match to wear them down for its team. Whirlwind in
the last slot allows Hippopotas to check stat boosters and prevent setup from the likes of Dragon
Dance Scraggy and SubRoost Murkrow, in addition to shuffling the opposing team around to rack up
Stealth Rock damage. Crunch, on the other hand, prevents Hippopotas from being a completely free
switch-in for Natu and prevents Taunt Misdreavus from setting up on it. However, without Whirlwind,
Hippopotas is vulnerable to being set up on by Will-O-Wisp Misdreavus, Murkrow, and Scraggy, so be
ready to check these threats with the rest of your team.

Skorupi

~ Toxic Spikes EVs

~ Cross Poison
~ X-Scissor / Bug Bite
~ Knock Off
255 HP / 255 Spe

Skorupi can easily set up Toxic Spikes with Eviolite and decent defensive stats. Cross Poison has a high
chance of getting a critical hit, which means that Skorupi's ability, Sniper, will activate and inflict triple
the amount of damage a regular hit would do. X-Scissor hits harder than Bug Bite, which means it
would almost always be the better move to use. However, Bug Bite can steal the opponent's Berry,
which is the only reason you would use it over X-Scissor. Knock Off gets rid of an opposing Pokemon's
item, such as Scraggy's and Mienfoo's Eviolite, making it much less formidable.
Croagunk

~ Fake Out / Knock Off EVs

~ Drain Punch
~ Vacuum Wave
~ Shadow Ball
212 HP / 28 Atk / 36 Def / 108 SpA / 116 SpD

Croagunk inarguably checks a large amount of the Pokemon that are common in Little Cup.
Misdreavus, Lileep, Snover, Scraggy, Staryu, Chinchou, Shellder, Magnemite, Tirtouga, Omanyte,
Scraggy, weakened Drilbur, weakened Sandshrew, weakened Murkrow, and more all fall victim to the
venomous tactics that Croagunk uses. For this reason, Croagunk is often used as the "glue" to check
numerous threats that no other Pokemon can all at once. Croagunk isn't a Pokemon that you should
use for power; if you want to do that, try one of the many other Fighting-types, such as Scraggy or
Mienfoo. Rather, unleash Croagunk if you have trouble with Shell Smash sweepers, or Chinchou, or
Misdreavus, or one of the many other Pokemon that Croagunk checks.

Moving onto the given moves, let's start off with Fake Out. Fake Out is an excellent move on
Croagunk, allowing it to revenge kill Pokemon that Vacuum Wave alone simply cannot (especially
through Focus Sashes). It also moves before all other priority moves, which is useful when attempting
to check Pokemon with priority of their own, such as Snover. Vacuum Wave pairs extraordinarily well
with Fake Out, making for a great one-two combination that KOes most glass cannons. Vacuum Wave
also has the STAB bonus, is super effective on Snover, and does not activate Ferroseed's Iron Barbs.
Drain Punch is both more powerful than Vacuum Wave and hits off of Croagunk's more powerful
offensive stat, healing Croagunk's HP with every use, ensuring that it will not die whilst checking the
Pokemon that it is meant to check. Rounding out the moveset is Shadow Ball, achieving perfect
coverage with Drain Punch and giving Croagunk a way to hit Misdreavus and other Ghost-types, as
well as hitting other Croagunk neutrally. While it might seem to somewhat compromise Croagunk's
niche, Knock Off can replace the only move that is not entirely necessary, Fake Out, to remove the
Eviolites held by many Pokemon in Little Cup. The loss of effectiveness in revenge killing is quite
noticeable, but the tradeoff may very well be worth it.
Finneon

~ Surf EVs
~ U-turn
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Electric / Hidden Power
Grass /Hidden Power Fire 255 SpA / 255 Spe

Despite Finneon's relatively low Special Attack, it still has a decent amount of Speed to work with,
giving it the ability to run an efficient Choice Scarf set. Surf is Finneon's best option for a STAB attack,
as it is very reliable and is backed up by a good amount of power. U-turn is what makes this set stand
out, though, as it is one of the two Water-type Pokemon in Little Cup with access to the movethe
other being Wingull. Ice Beam hits Grass-types for massive damage, and will most likely do more than
U-turn. The last moveslot is dedicated to Hidden Power. Many options are available, depending on what
is the most threatening to the rest of the team. Hidden Power Electric allows Finneon to attain
BoltBeam coverage, which is resisted by only a handful of Pokemon in Little Cup. Hidden Power Grass
hits Chinchou for solid damage, as well as most other Water-types. Finally, Hidden Power Fire allows
Finneon to get a super effective hit on Ferroseed and Snover. Choice Scarf allows Finneon to hit 24
Speed, which ties with Choice Scarf Chinchou. Storm Drain is another trait that Finneon can boast to
help it stand out from other Water-types, as it can boost its Special Attack without having to waste a
move, as well giving it a great immunity to Water-type attacks.

Snover

~ Blizzard EVs
~ Giga Drain
~ Ice Shard
~ Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Rock
118 Atk / 196 SpA / 196 Spe

By wearing a Choice Scarf, Snover guarantees that it will outspeed Drilbur, provided hail is up instead
of sandstorm. If your team has a method of dealing with Fighting-types, "Blizzspam" suddenly
becomes a scary offensive strategy, decimating a large portion of the tier. Giga Drain keeps Snover
healthy after repeated switches in, and also does passable damage due to STAB. Ice Shard is an
important move on this set, even with Choice Scarf, as it allows Snover to pick off faster Choice Scarf
users such as Taillow. Hidden Power Fire is the primary option for the last slot, as it catches Ferroseed
or Bronzor that try to switch in off guard. Hidden Power Rock is another option that hits the less-
prevalent Fire-types, including Larvesta and Houndour.
GEN 5
Snivy

~ Reflect EVs
~ Light Screen
~ Taunt
~ Leaf Storm / Giga Drain
255 HP / 255 Spe

Access to Taunt makes Snivy capable of performing its job well. With enough speed to outrun common
walls such as Slowpoke and Lickitung, Snivy can set up dual screens and avoid becoming setup bait.
Leaf Storm is Snivy's most powerful Grass-type attack against enemies under the effect of Taunt, while
Giga Drain provides modest recovery.

Tepig

~ Flame Charge EVs

~ Flare Blitz
~ Wild Charge
~ Superpower / Head Smash
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Flame Charge allows Tepig to reach 21 Speed, which is just enough to outspeed all unboosted
Pokemon in Little Cup. From there, it can attempt to sweep with Flare Blitz, Tepig's most powerful
STAB move. Wild Charge is there to do super effective damage to Water-types such as Slowpoke and
Frillish, thus having good synergy with Tepig's Fire-type attacks. In the last moveslot, Superpower is
preferred to deal massive damage to Houndour and Thick Fat Munchlax, though the drop in stats
afterward can be troublesome. Flame Charge and Superpower combine to KO Eviolite Scraggy, which is
quite useful as well. The alternative in the last slot would be Head Smash, which hits the
aforementioned Houndour, along with other Fire-types. This is one of those rare times when Tepig's
ability, Blaze, makes a good impact, as most of the moves on this set cause recoil damage that can
wear it down very quickly.
Oshawott

~ Swords Dance EVs

~ Waterfall
~ Aqua Jet
~ X-Scissor / Hidden Power Fire
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Oshawott can really only run a Swords Dance set without being outclassed by something else. Priority
in Aqua Jet is very useful, as Little Cup contains a variety of fast, frail Pokemon such as Houndour and
Taillow. Aqua Jet will OHKO Houndour pre-boost and OHKO Taillow post-boost, meaning powerful
threats in Little Cup will have a hard time OHKOing Oshawott before it can hit them. Waterfall is
Oshawott's main STAB move and will OHKO most threats it hits neutrally, such as Choice Scarf
Mienfoo. A combination of Waterfall and Aqua Jet after a Swords Dance will even OHKO Eviolite
Mienfoo. Since Oshawott will attract Slowpoke and Lileep with its Water-type moves, it gets time to set
up on the switch. It can then proceed to strike either of them with X-Scissor and wreak havoc. If your
team has a way to defeat the aforementioned walls, such as the combination of Wynaut and Diglett,
Hidden Power Fire is recommended over X-Scissor to hit Ferroseed and Snover harder.

Patrat

~ Swords Dance / Work Up EVs

~ Baton Pass
~ Hypnosis / Substitute
~ Return / Crunch
118 Def / 196 SpD / 196 Spe

Patrat has access to Swords Dance and Work Up, two moves that it can pass to a suitable sweeper.
Swords Dance is usually preferred since it is better for physical sweepers, but Work Up is viable since it
can be passed to both physical and special sweepers. Hypnosis is a good choice in the third slot
because sleep can cripple a Pokemon, and it gives at least one more turn to set up. Substitute provides
protection and is a good choice if the accuracy of Hypnosis is too low to be desired. In the last slot,
Return is a decent STAB move, but Crunch can deal a good amount of damage to the otherwise
dangerous Gastly.
Lillipup

~ Return EVs
~ Wild Charge
~ Fire Fang
~ Crunch / Ice Fang
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This is basically the best set that Lillipup can run. Lillipup has a decent 15 Attack with a Jolly nature,
and with a Life Orb, STAB Return is going to sting a little if you're not a Ghost-, Rock-, or Steel-type.
Wild Charge can easily take care of any incoming Water-types, including Frillish aiming to take
advantage of Return. Fire Fang allows Lillipup to hit Steel-types hard, the most important of which is
Ferroseed, which completely walls this set otherwise. Lastly, Crunch allows Lillipup to hit Ghost-types,
including the aforementioned Frillish. Ice Fang is another coverage option that enables Lillipup to hit
Dragon-types for huge damage.

Pansage

~ Leaf Storm EVs

~ Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice
~ Energy Ball
~ Nasty Plot / Substitute
255 SpA / 255 Spe

There isn't too much Pansage can do with such a shallow movepool, but it can abuse Leaf Storm
somewhat. Energy Ball is used to hit things without lowering Pansage's Special Attack stat. Hidden
Power Ice hits Flying- and Dragon-types on the switch while dealing with other Grass-type Pokemon
that may try to take a Leaf Storm. Nasty Plot is mostly filler, but can see use if you can somehow
manage to scare out a Pokemon with Pansage. Substitute can be used over Nasty Plot to help ease
prediction, while also protecting Pansage from priority moves and crippling status.
Pansear

~ Nasty Plot / Sunny Day EVs

~ Fire Blast
~ Hidden Power Electric / Hidden Power Ground
~ Taunt / SolarBeam
255 SpA / 255 Spe

The premise of this set is simple; come in on a Pokemon Pansear can force out, set up a Nasty Plot,
and attempt to sweep. Fire Blast is an insanely powerful STAB attack, while Hidden Power Electric will
eliminate the bulky Water-types that may attempt to prevent a sweep. Taunt allows Pansear to disable
any attempts for the opponent to use a support move, which may aid Pansear in setting up or prevent
it from being crippled by status. A Life Orb enhances the damage output and allows the chances of a
sweep being pulled off to greatly improve. Alternatively, Pansear can use Sunny Day to give itself a big
boost in Fire Blast without Nasty Plot, while giving it access to single turn SolarBeam and a reduced
Water-type weakness. Hidden Power Ground would then be the superior choice over Hidden Power
Electric as it rounds out the coverage with Fire Blast and SolarBeam.

Panpour

~ Nasty Plot EVs

~ Hydro Pump / Surf
~ Ice Beam / Substitute
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Fire
255 SpA / 255Spe

Nasty Plot is the only reason to use Panpour, and it reaches 28 Special Attack after one use, high
enough to deal considerable damage. Hydro Pump is Panpour's preferred STAB move due to the power
it brings, but Surf is also an option if its perfect accuracy is desired. Ice Beam is the main choice in the
third slot, obtaining super effective coverage on Lileep and Dratini. However, the aforementioned
Pokemon are not all that common; therefore, Substitute can be used in Ice Beam's place for extra
protection. The last move depends on what Panpour needs to deal with. Hidden Power Grass is usually
superior, as it ensures that Panpour's sweep isn't brought to an abrupt halt by Water-types such as
Staryu, Chinchou, and Slowpoke. However, if Panpour's team has problems dealing with Ferroseed,
Hidden Power Fire is usable as well.
Munna

~ Calm Mind EVs

~ Stored Power / Psychic
~ Hidden Power Fighting
~ Moonlight / Shadow Ball
255 HP / 255 SpA

After just one Calm Mind, Munna reaches 27 Special Defense and 24 Special Attack, giving it a
significant amount of bulk and offensive capability. Though Psychic is a more reliable STAB, Stored
Power is the preferred option here, as it outdamages Psychic after two Calm Minds. Hidden Power
Fighting gives Munna enough additional coverage to hit everything in Little Cup at least neutrally, bar
opposing Psychic-types. Moonlight gives Munna recovery, but Shadow Ball can be used to hit those
Psychic-types, as well as opposing Ghost-types, for super effective damage. A Bold nature gives Munna
an even Defense stat, thus maximizing Eviolite's 1.5x boost, while its ability, Synchronize, can help to
deter the opponent from using crippling status moves

Blitzle

~ Charge Beam EVs

~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power Ground
~ Flame Charge / Quick Attack
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Because Blitzle has decent Speed without any boosts, Charge Beam is a viable move to help boost its
power. Charge Beam is obviously the crux of the set, giving Blitzle a 70% chance to boost its Special
Attack. Thunderbolt is its most powerful special STAB attack, while Hidden Power Ground is for
Chinchou. Flame Charge is a Fire-type attack that will allow Blitzle to hit Ferroseed super effectively, as
well as Snover on the switch. Flame Charge also comes with the added bonus of boosting Blitzle's
Speed; however, Quick Attack is a useful priority attack if Pokemon such as Croagunk are troublesome
for your team. Motor Drive is a good ability that gives Blitzle an immunity as well as a boost to its
Speed should it be hit by an Electric-type attack.
Roggenrola

~ Autotomize EVs
~ Stone Edge / Rock Blast
~ Earthquake
~ Explosion
255 Atk / 255 Spe

With maximum investment and a Jolly nature, Roggenrola manages to reach 17 Attack, which allows it
to hit many threats for big damage with Stone Edge. Stone Edge is Roggenrola's most powerful STAB
attack, while Rock Blast can hit through the opponent's Substitute. Earthquake hits a lot of Pokemon
which resist Stone Edge for at least neutral damage, with the notable exception of Pokemon such as
Bronzor. Explosion is a last-ditch measure to be used when Roggenrola is at low health.

Woobat

~ Calm Mind EVs

~ Psychic
~ Air Slash / Roost
~ Heat Wave
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This set aims to exploit Woobat's only niche, Simple and Calm Mind, which allows Woobat to double its
Special Attack and Special Defense in one turn. Thanks to its good Speed and decent Special Attack,
Woobat can take advantage of Calm Mind's Special Defense boost to find opportunities to set up
against weaker Pokemon that use special attacks, such as RestTalk Chinchou and Slowpoke. Psychic is
a strong, reliable STAB move, hitting the numerous Fighting-types in LC super effectively. Psychic is a
superior choice over Stored Power thanks to its reliability; it's still almost as powerful as Stored Power
after one Calm Mind and Woobat is more likely to need to attack immediately than to find an
opportunity to Calm Mind twice. Air Slash is Woobat's secondary STAB, useful for hitting Scraggy super
effectively, hitting Murkrow neutrally, and coming through from time to time with its handy flinch
chance. Although Woobat has poor defenses, Roost can help to improve its survivability, especially
when setting up against weaker special attackers. Heat Wave improves Woobat's coverage greatly,
heavily damaging the Steel-types, such as Ferroseed, Bronzor, Magnemite, and Pawniard, which would
otherwise take little damage from Woobat.
Drilbur

~ Earthquake EVs
~ X-Scissor / Rock Slide
~ Shadow Claw
~ Rapid Spin
255 Atk / 255Spe

Drilbur is essentially the big guns on a sandstorm team, and this set aims to make the most of that.
With a whopping 32 Speed during the sandstorm, Drilbur has the potential to revenge kill a vast
portion of the tier. This is backed up by a mammoth 19 Attack, which allows Drilbur's coverage options
to really shine. Earthquake is undoubtedly Drilbur's best STAB move, denting opponents that do not
resist it early-game and cleaning up late-game. X-Scissor allows Drilbur to badly damage common
Grass-type switch-ins, such as Lileep, Snover, and Shroomish. It's also Drilbur's strongest attack
against Bronzor. Alternatively, Rock Slide grants fantastic coverage alongside Earthquake, notably
granting the OHKO on most Taillow and Doduo, along with any Choice Scarf Murkrow that are unable
to Sucker Punch. Shadow Claw rounds out the coverage by nailing levitating Ghost-types, such as
Misdreavus, Gastly, and even the occasional Duskull.

With such great three move coverage, Drilbur has some wiggle room for the final slot. Rapid Spin
provides fantastic utility for the team and Drilbur itself, who is vulnerable to all three forms of entry
hazards; such residual damage stacks up quite quickly in conjunction with Life Orb. However, Rock
Slide can be used if Rapid Spin isn't needed and one doesn't want to choose between X-Scissor or Rock
Slide.

Timburr

~ Bulk Up EVs
~ Drain Punch
~ Mach Punch
~ Payback
76 HP / 196 Atk / 236 SpD

This is Timburr's best and most popular set. Bulk Up boosts Timburr's already high Attack stat to turn
it into an offensive juggernaut, and at the same time lets Timburr take physical attacks exceptionally
well. Drain Punch further increases Timburr's longevity by restoring its health, and also hits relatively
hard. Mach Punch somewhat compensates for Timburr's mediocre Speed stat and allows it to take
down speedy foes such as Snover, Murkrow, and Scraggy. Payback rounds off the set by giving
Timburr a powerful option against Misdreavus; it 2HKOes the ghost on a predicted switch.
Tympole

~ Hydro Pump / Surf EVs

~ Sludge Wave
~ Earth Power
~ Hidden Power Electric / Rain Dance
255 SpA / 255 Spe

This set takes advantage of Tympole's decent coverage, giving it the best chance of pulling off a
sweep. Hydro Pump is its strongest STAB attack and has an incredible amount of power in the rain,
enabling Tympole to hit a wide range of threats very heavily. However, Surf is an alternative if
accuracy is an issue. Sludge Wave smacks the Grass-types who resist Hydro Pump, and easily OHKOes
Snoversomething not every Swift Swim sweeper can boastas it switches in to end the rain. Earth
Power gives Tympole more coverage, allowing it to easily KO both Croagunk and Chinchou, two threats
to rain teams. There are two options for the last moveslot. Hidden Power Electric is Tympole's most
powerful option against other Water-types, destroying Mantyke for instance, who can take its other
attacks with ease. On the other hand, Rain Dance allows Tympole to sweep on its own instead of
relying upon team support, and also helps it maintain its Speed boost even as weather changers, such
as Snover, switch in.

Sewaddle

~ Calm Mind EVs

~ SolarBeam / Energy Ball
~ Bug Buzz
~ Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice
196 SpA / 118 SpD / 196 Spe

This set gives Sewaddle its best chance at attempting a sweep. Although it lacks Growth, an absolutely
amazing move for any Chlorophyll sweeper to have, it does gets Calm Mind, a noticeably weaker but
still decent boosting move. Sewaddle's decent defenses allow it to absorb a hit and get off a Calm
Mind, and with the given EV spread, Sewaddle will be sitting at 28 Speed while Sunny Day is up, which
is enough to outpace the unboosted metagame, as well as most Choice Scarf users. SolarBeam is
Sewaddle's strongest STAB attack and gets great coverage in tandem with Hidden Power Fire.
However, Hidden Power Ice can be used to cover Dragon- and Flying-types. Bug Buzz is Sewaddle's
most reliable STAB attack, netting an OHKO on Choice Scarf Snover on the switch, taking out a prime
threat to any Sunny Day team. Timid is the best nature because it allows Sewaddle to beat most
Choice Scarf users, as well as most other (since Sewaddle abuses sun itself and all) Chlorophyll
abusers, although a Modest nature can be used if a lack of power is an issue. Life Orb is the preferred
item because Sewaddle is going to need all the power it can get.
Cottonee

~ Leech Seed EVs

~ Substitute / Cotton Guard
~ Encore / Stun Spore
~ Hidden Power Fire
196 Def / 196 SpD / 118 Spe

Cottonee's priority on both Leech Seed and Substitute means it can set up a SubSeed cycle on almost
anything that can't OHKO it, and potentially stall out the rest of the team. Encore cripples set-up
sweepers such as Scraggy, Timburr, and Dratini, and allows Cottonee to set up SubSeed, slowly
draining the opponent's health. Stun Spore can stop sweepers such as Gastly that don't set up, but its
accuracy is shaky and Encore is generally more useful. Hidden Power Fire 2HKOes Ferroseed and
Snover, the only common Pokemon immune to Leech Seed.

Petilil

~ Sunny Day EVs

~ SolarBeam / Giga Drain
~ Hidden Power Fire
~ Sleep Powder / Growth
255 SpA / 255 Spe

The goal of this set is to set up Sunny Day and proceed to sweep with Petilil's high Special Attack.
Petilil hits 26 Speed with Chlorophyll, which allows it to beat every unboosted Pokemon in the
metagame and a handful of Choice Scarf users, such as Cranidos and Growlithe. SolarBeam and Giga
Drain are powerful STAB options: SolarBeam is a very powerful STAB move that should only be used in
the sun, while Giga Drain is a weaker move that can be used in any weather condition to recover some
HP. Hidden Power Fire benefits from Sunny Day and provides great coverage along with Petilil's Grass-
type STAB. The fourth slot is a choice between utility and power. Sleep Powder puts the opponent to
sleep, whereas Growth boosts Petilil's Special Attack stat by two stages in sunlight.
Sandile

~ Earthquake EVs
~ Crunch
~ Fire Fang
~ Stone Edge / Pursuit
255 Atk / 255 Spe

With a Choice Scarf, Sandile easily outspeeds all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Earthquake and
Crunch are its two STAB attacks, hitting a wide range of foes very hard. Fire Fang complements
Sandile's other moves very well, OHKOing Ferroseed while also smacking Bronzor hard, while Stone
Edge provides coverage on Flying-types. Alternatively, Pursuit can see usage for its ability to trap
Misdreavus or the occasional Gastly, but Sandile must beware of Will-O-Wisp.

Darumaka

~ Flare Blitz EVs

~ Superpower
~ Rock Slide
~ U-turn
118 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

This is Darumaka's signature set, and for good reason too. Darumaka's herculean power makes it
immediately a threat to any team, and with a Choice item, it's almost impossible for the opponent to
avoid losing a teammate or two. Choice Band and Choice Scarf play differently, but Darumaka excels
at using both items.

Choice Scarf is usually the item of choice for a few reasons. With Hustle, Darumaka already hits an
Attack stat of 27, which is higher than even Cranidos's Attack stat, effectively making Darumaka the
strongest physical attacker in the tier. Holding a Choice Scarf allows Darumaka to outpace all
unboosted Pokemon in the tier, as well as a fair share of opponents that commonly hold a Choice
Scarf, including Magnemite and Snover. Darumaka's powerful Flare Blitz will OHKO just about any
Pokemon that doesn't resist it, and Darumaka will probably outspeed them as well. This means that
this fiery blob will probably take out a few members of the opponent's team before succumbing to
priority and recoil.
Dwebble

~ Shell Smash EVs

~ Rock Blast
~ Earthquake
~ X-Scissor / Stealth Rock
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Shell Smash Dwebble is a very uncommon and overlooked threat, as most people expect the entry
hazard laying variant, and it isn't the best Pokemon to utilize Shell Smash. However, Dwebble has
many things going for it as a Shell Smash sweeper, notably Sturdy, its good offensive typing, and the
surprise value it carries. With an Adamant nature and max Attack, Dwebble has an Attack stat of 17,
which is doubled to 34 after a Shell Smash. Its Speed is also doubled to 30, which is faster than every
common unboosted Pokemon in the tier.

Because of Shell Smash Dwebble's surprise value, many players will switch on the turn that Dwebble
uses Shell Smash, expecting it to lay down an entry hazard. Many switch-ins will be unable to face
Dwebble at +2/+2, allowing Dwebble to either get a fast kill or another Shell Smash boost. This works
especially well for Dwebble, as with Sturdy it has a guaranteed two turns to attack, provided that it is
at full health.

Dwebble's three attacks give it the best coverage it can have. Rock Blast, while seemingly unreliable,
has more merit than any of Dwebble's other Rock-type STAB moves. X-Scissor is a much more reliable
STAB attack and has great coverage alongside Rock Blast. Earthquake rounds out the coverage and
hits Pokemon such as Magnemite and Croagunk which resist all of the other attacks. Stealth Rock can
be used on this set, as it can be used to bluff a standard Dwebble set, or it can be used for an
unexpected surprise after Dwebble has used Shell Smash.

Scraggy

~ Bulk Up EVs
~ Drain Punch
~ Payback / Crunch
~ Rest
252 HP / 255SpD

This is Scraggy's most effective set, and differentiates itself from Throh and Gurdurr with its secondary
Dark typing, Shed Skin + Rest combo, and perfect coverage with just its STAB moves. Scraggy is
easily able to set up on the likes of Duosion, Haunter, and Hypno as it is resistant or immune to their
STAB moves and takes little damage from any other moves, even Hidden Power Fighting. Scraggy's
boosting move, Bulk Up, raises its Defense to very high levels, while also boosting its Attack. Drain
Punch adds to Scraggy's longevity, hitting relatively hard and restoring a good amount of its HP. Due
to Scraggy's low HP stat, this recovery can go a long way. Out of Scraggy's Dark-type STAB moves,
Payback is the main option due to Scraggy's low Speed, but Crunch is more reliable and still hurts
quite a bit after a few Bulk Ups. Rest is one of the main reasons why Scraggy is not outclassed by
Gurdurr and Throh; with a combination of Shed Skin and Rest Scraggy can recover all of its health in
one turn and has a nice 30% chance of being healed from its sleeping state while doing so at the end
of every turn.

Yamask

~ Calm Mind EVs

~ Hex
~ Hidden Power Fighting
~ Will-O-Wisp
255 HP / 255 SpD

By utilizing its respectful bulk, Yamask can accumulate multiple Calm Mind boosts and then sweep
through the opponent's team. After just two Calm Minds, Yamask reaches 24 Special Attack and 30
Special Defense, making it quite bulky and threatening at the same time. Thanks to its typing and its
ability, Mummy, the opponent will switch out more often than not when faced with Yamask, allowing it
to net that extra Calm Mind boost. Will-O-Wisp and Hex is a combination that can cause havoc upon
your foe. Will-O-Wisp drains the opponent's health, reduces their Attack, and doubles the Base Power
of Hex, making it the ideal status move for Yamask's arsenal. Hidden Power Fighting provides flawless
coverage alongside Hex by hitting Dark- and Steel-types for super effective damage. Oran Berry is
there to restore a good chunk of health and hopefully give Yamask another chance at sweeping.

Tirtouga

~ Shell Smash EVs

~ Aqua Tail
~ Stone Edge
~ Aqua Jet
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Shell Smash Tirtouga is easily the most common Shell Smash user in Little Cup. After a Shell Smash,
Tirtogua is free to destroy most teams once its checks are weakened or removed. Aqua Tail is the
STAB move of choice, as it is needed for some significant OHKOs in conjunction with Splash Plate.
Stone Edge coupled with Aqua Tail gives you pretty good neutral coverage, hitting Pokemon, such as
Staryu and Chinchou, which resist Aqua Tail, as well as being able to smash Lileep. Aqua Jet rounds off
the set by enabling Tirtouga to defeat Sucker Punch Murkrow and Drilbur in sand, as well as being a
good move in general for defeating weakened Pokemon.
Archen

~ Agility EVs
~ Acrobatics
~ Stone Edge / Rock Slide
~ Earthquake
118 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

Archen gets a good move to boost its Speed in Agility, allowing it to reach 32 Speed along with 22
Attack after a single turn. That outspeeds all Choice Scarf users, meaning Archen will outspeed the
entire tier outside of Chlorophyll and Swift Swim users. Stone Edge is the move to use early on before
Oran Berry activates, boosted by STAB and dealing heavy damage. Once Oran Berry kicks in, usually
bringing Archen back above Defeatist range, Acrobatics is the move of choice for both accuracy and
power. Earthquake is a coverage move for powering through Pokemon that resist Acrobatics, such as
Chinchou and Magnemite.

Trubbish

~ Clear Smog EVs

~ Toxic Spikes
~ Explosion / Spikes
~ Payback
255 HP / 127 Def / 127 SpD

With access to Toxic Spikes, Trubbish makes an excellent utility Pokemon. In a metagame where
bulky, grounded Pokemon are staples, Toxic Spikes is a good addition to any team. Unfortunately,
most of the Pokemon who can set them up cannot do much else besides that. Trubbish not only has
the ability to set up entry hazards, but can also stop set-up sweepers in their tracks using Clear Smog,
which removes all of the opponents stat changes. This makes it an excellent check for Pokemon such
as Scraggy and Dratini, who cant do much in return.

Trubbish's moveset is quite straightforward. Clear Smog allows it to bring most sweeps to a standstill,
whilst Payback is for coverage, considering that Psychic-types are one of this set's main counters.
Toxic Spikes is the crux of this set, with Trubbish being one of the few Pokemon who can set them up.
Being a grounded Poison-type, Trubbish can also remove Toxic Spikes from its side of the field.
Explosion allows Trubbish to deal last-minute damage to dangerous threats and Pokemon which its
team would otherwise struggle to beat.
Zorua

~ Dark Pulse IVs

~ Sucker Punch
~ Hidden Power Fighting 2 HP
~ Extrasensory
EVs

255 Atk / 255 Spe

With the element of surprise on its side, Zorua is easily capable of taking out an unsuspecting
opponent or tricking them into switching out. Dark Pulse is Zorua's second strongest STAB move on
the special side next to Night Daze, but the former should be used for its flinch rate and higher
accuracy. Priority in the form of STAB Sucker Punch hits like a truck against anything that does not
resist it. Hidden Power Fighting hits everything that Dark Pulse does not for at least neutral damage,
bar Croagunk, who is OHKOed by Extrasensory. 2 HP IVs give Zorua 19 HP, which means Zorua only
takes 1 damage from Life Orb recoil.

Minccino

~ Tail Slap EVs

~ Aqua Tail
~ U-turn
~ Knock Off / Seed Bomb
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Tail Slap and Skill Link come together to form a very effective combination. Add Life Orb to the mix,
and the opposing Pokemon should be terrified. Despite having 85% accuracy, Tail Slap is going to
cause major damage if it hits your opponent. It should be stressed that Tail Slap should almost always
be the attack Minccino uses, unless you know a more accurate attack will KO, or the opponent resists
Tail Slap. Even a super effective Aqua Tail or Seed Bomb is less powerful than a neutral Tail Slap, so
don't get greedy for that super effective message. The choice between an Adamant and a Jolly nature
isn't a tough one; nothing really dangerous sits at the base 17 Speed tier, and Adamant is good
because it gives Minccino as much power as possible. However, if you really want to outspeed almost
anything, a Jolly nature can be used. If Minccino's longevity is unappealing, Eviolite can be used as it
gives Minccino 14 / 15 defenses, which means it can take hits a bit better than it can with Life Orb. If
you do this, however, the power drop is definitely noticeable. Aqua Tail hits the Rock-types who resist
Tail Slap for super effective damage, and it hits Ground-types hard too. U-turn is useful to get out of
tough situations and to bring out another sweeper. Knock Off is used to stop defensive Pokemon that
rely on Eviolite, such as Misdreavus, by getting rid of their Eviolite, making them easier to beat.
However, if bulky Water-types such as Tirtouga and Omanyte get you down, Seed Bomb can be used
to deal good damage to them.

Gothita

~ Psychic / Psyshock IVs

~ Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fighting
~ Shadow Ball 0 HP
~ Substitute / Calm Mind
EVs

255 SpA / 255 Spe

This set takes advantage of Gothita's spectacular movepool by turning it into a special powerhouse.
The objective of this set is to deal as much damage as possible before Gothita faints, and Life Orb
helps it do just that. With a lucky base HP stat that allows it to lower its HP to 19, the magic Life Orb
number, Gothita is capable of attacking 19 times before it faints, assuming no other damage is taken.
The most unique thing about Gothita, however, is its stat distribution. Gothita possesses good Special
Attack, Speed, and bulk, allowing it to switch into neutral hits and still hit hard. Unlike Abra, Solosis,
and other frail Psychic-types, Gothita isn't afraid of most priority attacks, and it can even survive most
super effective special hits. Typing and stats aren't all that makes Gothita a good attacker, however.
While most Life Orb attackers have to be very wary of an opponent that is potentially threatening,
Gothita's special trait, Frisk, allows it to scout the opponent's item. This can be crucial against
opponents that may or may not be threatening depending on their item, such as Gastly and Chinchou.

In the first slot, you have the choice of Psychic or Psyshock. Psychic is usually the superior choice due
to its higher Base Power, but Psyshock's effect of hitting the opponent's Defense stat can be useful on
specially defensive Pokemon such as Munchlax. Another tough choice is choosing between Thunderbolt
and Hidden Power Fighting. Thunderbolt will be of more benefit in most situations, but Hidden Power
Fighting allows Gothita to hit Dark-types such as Pawniard that lack Sucker Punch. Hidden Power
Fighting also leaves Gothita with a secret weapon against Ferroseed, which will almost always try to
set up on it. Substitute or Calm Mind is up to how you want to play Gothita. If you want to use Gothita
more strategically to beat a certain Pokemon, Substitute is the way to go. If you just want to use it as
a powerhouse, Calm Mind will help you more.
Solosis

~ Trick Room IVs

~ Psychic / Psyshock
~ Hidden Power Fighting 2 Spe
~ Shadow Ball
EVs

255 HP / 255 SpA

With its dreadfully poor Speed, Solosis can be difficult to stop under Trick Room, which allows it to pull
off a sweep. Psychic is its strongest, most reliable STAB attack that, when backed up by Life Orb, will
be able to inflict a lot of damage to Pokemon that do not resist or are immune to it. However, Psyshock
is a viable alternative that, while still having a decent Base Power, decimates special walls with poor
Defense, such as Mantyke and Munchlax, making it all the more harder to sponge Solosis's attacks.
Hidden Power Fighting covers most threats that Psychic doesn't, while Shadow Ball hits common
Ghost-types such as Misdreavus for super effective damage and gives Solosis perfect coverage. Magic
Guard makes Solosis immune to Life Orb recoil, weather damage, and entry hazards, which is
wonderful when considering the fact that Solosis has poor defenses and cannot afford to take much
residual damage.

Ducklett

~ Hurricane EVs
~ Surf
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Grass
255 SpA / 255 Spe

As Ducklett has pretty awful stats, it needs a nice Choice Specs set to help fire up its weapons. Sadly,
Ducklett has nothing good in its movepool. This Water / Flying Pokemon even lacks Hydro Pump,
making its only punishing move Hurricane, which is very inaccurate. The objective is simply to fire off
powerful attacks to quickly defeat the opponent's Pokemon. While base 44 Special Attack is not
promising at all, Choice Specs does make it pretty hefty offensively, granting it some KOs on Pokemon
such as Slowpoke. The way to defeat the opposing team is simple, yet effective: send Ducklett in on
something that will not kill it, trick them into thinking it is defensive, and use a powerful move to
surprise the switch-in. Hopefully Ducklett will take something out and can later switch in to something
else it can kill.
Surf is on the set merely for secondary STAB; it's useful against something that it hits super
effectively, something at low health, or a Steel-type. Ice Beam is there for Dragon-types and
Ferroseed. Hidden Power Fire can also go in the last slot to heavily damage Ferroseed, but Hidden
Power Grass is your best bet because Chinchou is more threatening than Ferroseed for Ducklett, as
Chinchou resists all of Ducklett's other moves. If you're feeling daring, you can even use Hidden Power
Ground for Chinchou, but it's a waste of IVs considering Surf hits Electric-types harder than Hidden
Power Ground

Vanillite

~ Autotomize IVs
~ Ice Beam / Blizzard
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Fighting 26 HP
~ Substitute / Taunt
EVs

255 SpA / 255 Spe

Vanillite can also run a boosting set to decent success. Autotomize doubles Vanillite's Speed, allowing it
to sweep after just a single turn of setup. Ice Beam and Blizzard are both options for a STAB move.
While the former is much more reliable and makes for the better choice overall, Blizzard has a much
higher Base Power and is accurate in hail, though support from Snover is mandatory for it to be
usable. The choice of Hidden Power depends on what threats bother Vanillite more. Hidden Power
Grass decimates any Water-types switching in to sponge Ice Beam, and also smacks most Rock-types
hard, while Hidden Power Fighting deals with the pesky Steel-types who laugh at Vanillite's other
moves. There are two options for the final moveslot. Substitute prevents Vanillite's sweep from being
cut short by status conditions and also grants it an easier setup, making it the better option most of
the time. However, Taunt renders attempts to phaze Vanillite useless, and also stops entry hazards
from being set up.
Deerling

~ Seed Bomb EVs

~ Return / Double-Edge
~ Jump Kick
~ Nature Power / Wild Charge
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Deerling is able to run a good Choice Scarf set due to its solid coverage. Deerling reaches 25 Speed
with an Adamant nature, enough to outrun every unboosted Pokemon in the metagame, as well as
prominent Choice Scarf users, such as Snover and Chinchou. A resistance to Water-type attacks allows
Deerling to take on Chinchou and Staryu quite well, as it only fears the rare Ice Beam or Scald burn.
Return is capable of 2HKOing Mienfoo and Axew, and is also a good attack to throw around if the
opponent's Ghost-type is defeated. Double-Edge is a stronger alternative that is capable of OHKOing
Choice Scarf Mienfoo on the switch. Seed Bomb is a reliable STAB move that can hit Water- and
Ground-types super effectively, giving Deerling a way to hurt Staryu, Frillish, and Drilbur. Jump Kick
allows Deerling to hit Scraggy, Snover, and Ferroseed super effectively, as well as giving it an attack to
hit other Normal-types hard. Nature Power is slightly more useful in the last moveslot in order to hit
Croagunk super effectively, as well as Fire-types such as Ponyta and Houndour. Nature Power also has
the unique ability of ignoring Sucker Punch, which allows Deerling to revenge kill boosted Pawniard
easily. Wild Charge is also useful to hit Flying-types such as Murkrow and Drifloon super effectively. It
is worth noting that without Wild Charge, Drifloon can switch in for free, as it will fear none of
Deerling's attacks.

Karrablast

~ Swords Dance EVs

~ Megahorn
~ Double-Edge / Return
~ Faint Attack / Aerial Ace
255 Atk / 255 Spe

Karrablast reaches a staggering 34 Attack after a Swords Dance, enough to OHKO most Pokemon with
its powerful Megahorn. Return hits many Pokemon who resist Megahorn hard, though Double-Edge can
be used for more power. The choice between Life Orb and Oran Berry really depends on what you're
using Karrablast for: a suicidal death machine or a powerful Pokemon that can take a hit. Keep in mind
that with a maximum Speed of 16, Karrablast cannot outrun some of the quicker LC Pokemon. Faint
Attack is a useful move in its arsenal that allows Karrablast to hit Gastly, which 4x resists Megahorn,
whereas Aerial Ace can hit Fighting-type Pokemon harder than Double-Edge, without the drop in health
due to recoil.
Foongus

~ Spore EVs
~ Giga Drain
~ Stun Spore
~ Clear Smog / Sludge Bomb
124 HP / 156 Def / 76 SpA / 76 SpD / 76 Spe

This is Foongus's best set, and the only one it should be using if you choose to have it on your team. It
offers good support against sand teams and can absorb Fighting- and Water-type attacks. Spore is the
main selling point; put something to sleep and hope that it switches out. If they switch out, Stun Spore
is a good option to cripple yet another threat, which puts two-sixths of your opponent's team at a
disadvantage. Stun Spore also has the helpful utility of catching Insomnia Murkrow on the switch. Giga
Drain is a decent STAB, and it also helps Foongus recover HP against threats like Chinchou and
Hippopotas, which is valuable because Foongus has no decent way to heal itself outside of
Regenerator. Clear Smog stops annoying setup sweepers such as Scraggy and Dwebble. However, if
you feel your team handles these threats well, Sludge Bomb becomes a stronger alternative, which hits
Grass-types such as Deerling or Shroomish for much more damage.

Frillish

~ Hydro Pump EVs

~ Shadow Ball
~ Hidden Power Fire
~ Recover
255 HP / 255 SpA

Frillish possesses offensive potential due to its decent bulk and Special Attack, great coverage, and
access to Recover. When equipped with a Life Orb, Frillish gets an extra damage boost with the
freedom to switch attacks, which is useful when combined with its excellent coverage. Hydro Pump is
the most powerful attack at Frillish's disposal, with 120 Base Power and STAB. Very few Pokemon that
are neutral to Hydro Pump can stomach it, barring Munchlax and Lickitung. Pokemon that do resist it,
namely Slowpoke and Ferroseed, are easily disposed of by Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fire,
respectively. Shadow Ball hits opposing Frillish considerably harder, and provides a more accurate
move with which to hit other Ghosts. Hidden Power Fire provides useful coverage against Pokemon
that resist Water- and Ghost-type attacks, such as Grass- and Steel-type Pokemon. Ferroseed is a
primary example, as it resists both of Frillish's other attacks. Recover rounds off the set with a reliable
method of regaining HP lost by Life Orb recoil and entry hazard damage.
Joltik

~ Thunderbolt EVs
~ Bug Buzz
~ Volt Switch
~ Energy Ball
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Joltik's base 65 Speed makes it a decent user of Choice Scarf. High Special Attack coupled with 25
Speed, factoring in Choice Scarf, makes it a very useful Pokemon in Little Cup. Thunderbolt and Bug
Buzz are very powerful moves thanks to the STAB boost, allowing Joltik to hit many Pokemon in the
metagame hard. Volt Switch is very useful in scouting and maintaining momentum, and it is also
boosted by STAB. Energy Ball is useful in hitting phenomenal threats such as Chinchou, which can
otherwise take Joltik's attacks with ease.

Ferroseed

~ Spikes IVs
~ Leech Seed / Stealth Rock
~ Protect / Thunder Wave 0 Spe
~ Gyro Ball / Bullet Seed
EVs

255 HP / 255 Def

With an Eviolite, Ferroseed reaches magnificent 22 / 28 / 25 defensive stats, allowing it to stick around
long enough to set up Spikes, even with only Leech Seed as a recovery option. Spikes, despite being
used in favor of Stealth Rock, is still a big threat to teams that rely on maintaining momentum,
allowing many sweepers to overpower their main checks. Speaking of Stealth Rock, it could be used in
the second slot if another member of the team isn't using it; this is especially notable on more
offensive teams. Otherwise, Leech Seed is the best option, as it is actually Ferroseed's most reliable
way to heal while causing switches to rack up entry hazard damage. Protect synergizes well with this
move, easing prediction while accumulating health via Leech Seed. It also can keep Ferroseed from
being taken out by a stray Hi Jump Kick, especially from Deerling or the occasional Scraggy that uses
it.

If you decide Protect is not your style or you do not utilize Leech Seed, then Thunder Wave can be
used as an alternative move in the third slot. This allows Ferroseed to catch many of its counters as
they try to switch in, meaning both Ferroseed and its teammates will have an easier time busting
through the zippity Pokemon common in Little Cup. It is worth mentioning that Thunder Wave weakens
Gyro Ball's Base Power, so if Thunder Wave is used, then Bullet Seed is perhaps a better option than
Gyro Ball in the fourth slot. Though Bullet Seed is notable for doing more damage to Drilbur, it typically
has inferior coverage and power when compared to Gyro Ball. Gyro Ball discourages numerous
Pokemon, including Choice Scarf Snover and Murkrow, from switching in, allowing Ferroseed more time
to do its thing.

Tynamo

~ Charge Beam EVs

~ Spark
~ Tackle
~ Thunder Wave
255 Atk / 255 SpA

This set is Tynamo's entire movepool, so this is literally all Tynamo can do. The best plan of attack is
usually to use Charge Beam as much as possible, hopefully dealing more damage as time goes on.
Spark hits specially defensive Pokemon such as Munchlax, and is slightly stronger and more accurate
than Charge Beam initially. While Tackle would rarely see use, it is Tynamo's only move that affects
Ground-types. Thunder Wave is available for paralysis, which supports Tynamo's team.

Elgyem

~ Psychic EVs
~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power Fighting
~ Recover
255 HP / 255 SpA

Get in, hit hard, and get out. If that's not how you're using Elgyem, you're doing it wrong. Elgyem is
bulky enough to come in on weaker Pokemon, such as Bronzor, Foongus, and Natu, as well as
Fighting-types such as Timburr, and safely spam its high powered, Analytic-boosted attacks. Speaking
of Analytic, it is Elgyem's most defining attribute and what sets it apart from other Psychic-types,
especially in tandem with its base 85 Special Attack. There aren't many Pokemon in LC that can avoid
a 2HKO from Elgyem, provided Elgyem uses the right combination of attacks. This of course means
that when you're using Elgyem, prediction is key. However, if you can land the correct attacks, Elgyem
becomes a beast. Psychic is an odd move to spam in a tier where Murkrow, Scraggy, Bronzor, and
Ferroseed are ubiquitous, but it is Elgyem's most powerful attack against most Pokemon. Thunderbolt
or Hidden Power will hit the aforementioned Pokemon hard though, so they usually aren't a problem
with decent prediction. With Recover, Elgyem can stay in the game for the long haul against teams
where it is able to switch in multiple times.

For a Pokemon that is meant to utilize Analytic to its full effect, running a Modest nature with Speed
EVs might seem strange at first; with the given spread, Elgyem will hit a Speed of 11. This allows
Elgyem to outspeed many slower walls, so it can hit them with an Analytic-boosted attack while they
switch in and then finish them off before they can move. This Speed investment also gives Elgyem an
easier time against specific Fighting-types, mainly Croagunk (and to an extent Timburr). With its
Special Attack maxed out, Elgyem hits 19 Special Attack, and with what is essentially a free Life Orb
boost to most of its attacks, Elgyem is one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in LC. Even with just 76 HP
EVs, Elgyem will have the bulk to not only come in on weaker Pokemon but also take some STAB super
effective moves at full health in a pinch.

Litwick

~ Fire Blast EVs

~ Shadow Ball
~ Hidden Power Ground
~ Energy Ball / Trick Room
255 HP / 255 SpA

Litwick's good Special Attack and low Speed make it a great sweeper on a Trick Room team. Fire Blast
is Litwick's most powerful STAB move, dealing massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it.
Shadow Ball has very good coverage alongside Fire Blast, and perfect accuracy. Hidden Power Ground
is used in the third moveslot, since it allows Litwick to hit Chinchou and Houndour for super effective
damage. In the last slot, Energy Ball is the best option if Litwick's teammates are providing Trick
Room, as it hits Water-types, most of which can take a Shadow Ball. Trick Room could be set up by
Litwick itself if it can come in on something threatened such as Ferroseed, though it is very unreliable
because of Litwick's frailty.

Axew

~ Dragon Dance EVs

~ Outrage
~ Dual Chop / Dragon Claw
~ Protect
255 Atk / 255Spe

Dragon Dance gives Axew the Speed and Attack necessary to sweep successfully without much hassle
setting up due to its good typing. Outrage will be the main attack on this set, as its immense power
after a Dragon Dance is too destructive to pass up on. However, Outrage isn't reliable after two to
three hits and confusion sets in, so Dual Chop and Dragon Claw are available to trim down your
opponent's team first. Dual Chop is recommended, as it allows Axew to set up on and defeat Substitute
Misdreavus as well as Abra with Focus Sash. Dragon Claw is usually more reliable, though; it has 100%
accuracy while Dual Chop doesn't, so if your team has a Pokemon that can defeat Pokemon that use
Substitute or Focus Sash easily, such as Abra, opt for Dragon Claw. Protect is used in the last slot so
Axew can protect itself from the common Fake Out. Protect also causes Hi Jump Kick to hurt the user,
so it makes Axew a great answer to Mienfoo. With Eviolite, Axew can even survive a Hi Jump Kick and
set up.
Eviolite is the item of choice, as it provides much of the bulk needed. Axew only takes about 40% from
Life Orb Houndour's Sucker Punch when equipped with Eviolite, and it can also survive many other
powerful moves. It also makes Axew a great check to Staryu, Chinchou, and other Water-types. Life
Orb is a possible option, but bulk is usually needed to set up, and Axew is extremely powerful after a
Dragon Dance, so it doesn't need a Life Orb to get KOs. The EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed
for optimal sweeping. With a Jolly nature, Axew can Dragon Dance at the same time as Scraggy, then
outspeed it and OHKO with Outrage after a layer of Spikes has been set up. An Adamant nature can be
used for more power if your team covers Scraggy very well and you don't mind always losing a Speed
tie to Choice Scarf Chinchou.

Cubchoo

~ Blizzard EVs
~ Surf
~ Hidden Power Grass
~ Toxic
255 SpA / 255 Spe

Cubchoo can also make an efficient Choice Scarf user in hail. This set aims to hit as hard and fast as
possible with a powerful, accurate STAB Blizzard. Surf KOes Fire-types that pose a big threat to
Cubchoo. Hidden Power Grass hits the Water-types which resist Blizzard and Surf. Toxic is a useful
move to have in its arsenal, as it prevents Slowpoke from switching in for free. Unfortunately, Cubchoo
locked into Toxic is an invitation for Steel- and Poison-typesthey can set up with impunity as they
force Cubchoo out.

Shelmet

~ Spikes EVs
~ Recover
~ Acid Armor
~ Bug Buzz / Hidden Power Flying
76 HP / 196 Def / 236 SpD

Shelmet fills big shoes on defensive and offensive teams alike, acting as a defensive pivot capable of
both setting up entry hazards and taking on Scraggy. A handful of resistances, albeit a small handful,
allows Shelmet to come in on multiple opponents, such as Timburr, Mienfoo lacking Stone Edge,
Cottonee, and even Bronzor, and set up Spikes. Meanwhile, it can Recover off the damage from any
weaker hits. While most defensive Pokemon such as Slowpoke or Bronzor are setup bait for Scraggy,
this particular set's use of Acid Armor rocks the lizard's world if it is not carrying Taunt or Head Smash.
Bug Buzz is important for wearing down opposing teams thanks to its high PP count and the rare yet
useful Special Defense drop. Alternatively, offensive teams may find the slot more suited to Hidden
Power Flying, which scores a super effective hit on many notable threats (including Scraggy and
Mienfoo).

Mienfoo

~ Hi Jump Kick EVs

~ Stone Edge
~ U-turn
~ Drain Punch / Knock Off
255 Atk / 255 Spe

There is not much to say about this set. With the given EV spread and a Choice Scarf, Mienfoo hits 19
Attack and 24 Speed. When sporting its fashionable hipster garment, Mienfoo outspeeds all unboosted
Pokemon in the metagame, including the Misdreavus and Murkrow that give it so many problems.
Other important Pokemon it outspeeds are +1 Scraggy, Choice Scarf Snover, Choice Scarf Shellder,
and +2 Modest Shellder. Hi Jump Kick is Mienfoo's most powerful option, and thanks to Mienfoo's 19
Attack, takes a huge chunk out of anything that isn't immune to it. Stone Edge is Mienfoo's most
powerful attack against Misdreavus, and easily dispatches Pokemon such as Larvesta and Shelmet. U-
turn makes Mienfoo Mienfoo, and is its most powerful attack against Psychic-type Pokemon such as
Abra, Slowpoke, and Solosis. Finally, the last option is a toss-up. Drain Punch is an excellent option,
especially for a last-Pokemon situation. Knock Off, on the other hand, disrupts the opponent, and is a
handy option to have early in the game.

Golett

~ Stealth Rock EVs

~ Earthquake
~ Drain Punch
~ Ice Punch / Toxic
255 Atk / 255 Def

This is Golett's best and only set. Golett makes an excellent choice for teams that are looking for an
offensive entry hazard setter, with several useful resistances, that can maintain offensive pressure.
Thanks to its great typing, Golett has little trouble setting up Stealth Rock on many common Pokemon
in Little Cup, including Dwebble, Mienfoo, and Porygon (try not to switch into a Shadow Ball or Ice
Beam from the latter). After setting up, Golett also doesn't become dead weight. Thanks to its handy
ability and very solid movepool, it can be an extremely potent wallbreaker. Common walls such as
Lileep, Porygon, and Foongus all face a scary 88% chance of being 2HKOed by the appropriate super
effective move after Stealth Rock. Earthquake and Stealth Rock are two obvious choices, being two of
the best moves in the game. Drain Punch is a very useful coverage move and hits rather hard when
fired off of a mighty 18 Attack and with an Iron Fist boost. It also provides a semi-reliable source of
recovery, giving Golett a tool against Scraggy trying to set up and Porygon. Ice Punch rounds off
Golett's coverage nicely, hitting Grass- and Flying-types for super effective damage.
Pawniard

~ Swords Dance EVs

~ Sucker Punch
~ Brick Break / Pursuit
~ Iron Head / Night Slash
196 Atk / 118 SpD / 196 Spe

This is Pawniard's best set in the current metagame. With an Eviolite, it grabs a much-needed
defensive boost that lets it switch in on Brave Birds and other resisted hits much more easily, which is
important due to Pawniard's lack of recovery. It also makes it very easy to set up on weak walls such
as Lileep, which can't touch Pawniard at all. Swords Dance doubles Pawniard's Attack stat after one use
to a whopping 34, allowing it to break through many of Little Cup's bulkiest walls. Sucker Punch is
Pawniard's most powerful physical Dark-type attack, and also has increased priority, which is a main
component to Pawniard's success. Without it, Pokemon such as Staryu, Choice Scarf Larvesta, and
Drilbur would be sure stops to any Pawniard sweep; a +2 Sucker Punch is a guaranteed OHKO on all of
them with a layer of entry hazards.

The last two moveslots can be customized to the role Pawniard is to fill on your team. With Brick Break
in the third slot, it gains the ability to hit Steel-types such as Ferroseed and opposing Pawniard. This
aids Pawniard a lot in sweeping as it wants the best coverage possible. The other option for this slot is
Pursuit, which is best used if Pawniard's main purpose is to eliminate Snover for sand teams. It can
switch in easily on Giga Drain and Blizzard, but is 2HKOed by Hidden Power Fire after one round of hail
damage, so be wary of that. Pursuit would be good for opposing Ghost-types, but unfortunately, most
of them outspeed Pawniard and have Hidden Power Fighting to KO it on the spot. For the last
moveslot, it is advisable to choose another STAB move. Iron Head is the main choice to augment the
coverage of the first two moves; no Fighting-type in LC resists both Steel- and Dark-type moves, so
you will always have a move to hit them with. It also has the same Base Power as Sucker Punch, so
you don't need to use it if you fear the opponent won't attack. Night Slash, on the other hand, gives
you a reliable Dark STAB to use that doesn't require your opponent to choose an attacking move. This
move is best for slower opponents such as Frillish and Slowpoke, as well as Bronzor, Elgyem, and
Eviolite Chinchou. However, this gives Pawniard problems with Fighting-types which it can no longer hit
very hard.
Rufflet

~ Pluck EVs
~ Return
~ Rock Slide
~ U-turn
255 Atk / 255 Spe

With 16 Speed and access to U-turn, Rufflet can run a Choice Scarf set very well. Pluck and Return are
Rufflet's best STAB moves, allowing it to hit a wide range of threats very hard. STAB Pluck is also a
boon in a metagame in which Fighting-types such as Timburr and Mienfoo see a lot of usage. Rock
Slide is mainly for coverage, hitting Flying-types harder than Rufflet's other moves, as it is boosted by
Sheer Force. It also ensures that Archen, who otherwise walls Rufflet, doesn't pose a big threat. U-turn
is a given for any Choice Scarf set, giving Rufflet the ability to scout your opponent's switch-in.

Vullaby

~ Toxic EVs
~ Taunt
~ Roost
~ Knock Off / Whirlwind / Hidden Power Fire
255 Def / 255 SpD

A combination of Vullaby's sublime mixed bulk combined with Eviolite allows it to run a very effective
defensive set, since it can keep many common threats in check. Roost is a reliable form of recovery,
and paired with Toxic, Knock Off, and Taunt, Vullaby can remove the opponent's Eviolite, cripple them
with Toxic, force them to attack with Taunt, and simply heal off the damage with Roost. Taunt also
serves to shut down boosting sweepers and entry hazard users who try to set up on Vullaby. Whirlwind
and Hidden Power Fire are also viable alternatives for the last moveslot; while the former helps to rack
up entry hazard damage, the latter provides Vullaby with an offensive option against the Steel-types
who otherwise wall it.
Deino

~ Crunch EVs
~ Outrage
~ Fire Fang
~ Ice Fang / Draco Meteor
255 Atk / 255 Spe

The Choice Scarf set capitalizes on taking advantage of dealing huge STAB damage to either of the
opponent's defenses. With great coverage and high Base Power STABs, the opponent will probably
have to let one of their Pokemon be KOed to even switch into Deino, provided you have predicted
correctly. Deino also acts as a great revenge killer, coming into many Pokemon with a one stage boost
to Speed and threatening them with heavy damage. Outrage and Crunch make up the core of Deino's
attacking movepool, while Fire Fang fills in most of the coverage gap. The final slot choice is down to
Ice Fang or Draco Meteor. The EVs are used to make the best of enhancing its Speed and Attack.

Larvesta

~ U-turn EVs
~ Flare Blitz
~ Morning Sun
~ Will-O-Wisp / Wild Charge
255 Atk / 255 Spe

This is definitely Larvesta's most effective set. It has the bulk needed to take many hits and plenty of
power to strike its opponents. It walls most Fighting- and Grass-types, such as Mienfoo, Snover,
Timburr, and Ferroseed. These qualities, along with Flame Body and a reliable recovery move in
Morning Sun, make Larvesta an excellent supporting teammate. U-turn is a great STAB move as it
allows Larvesta to gain momentum for its team. Coming off of an Attack stat of 19, a STAB Flare Blitz
will put a major dent in anything that doesn't resist it. Recoil from Flare Blitz and any other damage is
recovered by Morning Sun, giving Larvesta greater longevity. The final slot is a choice between a
reliable way of spreading burn or coverage. Will-O-Wisp is often the better choice, as it gives Larvesta
a way of directly burning the opponent instead of relying on Flame Body's 30% chance. However, if
you feel that you would rather have more coverage, Wild Charge is a decent choice, being able to hit
Staryu and other Water-types on the switch for a nasty surprise. The extra recoil can be a burden, but
again, Morning Sun neutralizes that problem.