Simipour
[Overview]
<p>Here it is, the best monkey in the new monkey trio. A Water typing not only gives Simipour a great offensive STAB, but also one the best defensive typings in the game, having only two weaknesses. Simipour is also one of the very few offensive Water-types in the RU tier, having good offensive stats and great Speed, outpacing many top threats. Even though Simipour faces stiff competition from Pokemon such as Sharpedo, it has one thing that sets it apart from the pack: Nasty Plot. Nasty Plot turns Simipour into a dangerous opponent to face, with its Special Attack reaching great levels. However, Simipour still has its downsides. It is weak to the common Grass- and Electric-type moves, and might not last for long due its frailty. However, with access to a great movepool, which includes Hydro Pump and Ice Beam, Simipour is able to break through most teams with a boost or two.</p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Gluttony
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Nasty Plot makes Simipour's Special Attack reach huge levels. A Nasty Plot-boosted Hydro Pump will destroy anything that doesn't resist it. Ice Beam lets Simipour hit Grass- and Dragon-types, who resist Hydro Pump, for super effective damage. Hidden Power Grass is a way for Simipour to nail opposing Water-types, most notably Slowking and Lanturn, who would otherwise wall Simipour. However, Substitute is still a viable option with the right teammates, making setting up easier for Simipour. Surf can be used over Hydro Pump as a more reliable option, but Simipour will miss the massive power behind Hydro Pump.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Focus Blast is a good option, as it lets Simipour hit Ferroseed and Snover for super effective damage, as well as letting it hit Walrein and Zweilous harder than its other moves. Leftovers is a decent item choice if you opt to use Substitute. Entry hazards can really help against bulkier opponents, such as Slowking. Roselia makes the best partner, as it resists Grass- and Electric-type moves, and can set up both Toxic Spikes and Spikes. Claydol is a reliable user of Stealth Rock, and can also provide Rapid Spin support, which is beneficial since Simipour is weak to entry hazards in general. However, Cryogonal is a better choice for a Rapid Spinner, as it has access to Recover and isn't prone to being set up on, unlike Claydol. Dual screens support is also helpful, as it eases setting up. Both Claydol and Cryogonal can do this alongside providing other forms of support. Also, Baton Pass support in the form of Speed boosts can be helpful in sweeping. Gligar and Ninjask are both great choices for this. If you choose to use Substitute over Hidden Power Grass, something to take care of Slowking and Lanturn is needed. Sharpedo hits Slowking hard with Crunch, while Scolipede and Galvantula dent it pretty hard with their STAB moves. Grass-types such as Lilligant and Sceptile can easily take care of Lanturn, resiting both of its STAB moves. Dugtrio can trap and KO Electric-types that might threaten Simipour, easily KOing them with Earthquake.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
ability: Gluttony
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Specs lets Simipour hit hard from the start, surprising most opponents. Hydro Pump is Simipour's best choice for a STAB move, as it gives Simipour the right amount of power to clean up late-game or revenge kill the opposing Pokemon. Ice Beam hits Grass- and Dragon-types for super effective damage, while Hidden Power Grass lets Simipour hit Water-types that may get in its way. Focus Blast is mainly for Ferroseed and Snover, but also hits Walrein, Zweilous, and Munchlax harder than any of Simipour's other moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Surf is an option over Hydro Pump if you prefer the better accuracy it provides, but the power of this set isn't as high as the Nasty Plot one, so Simipour needs all it can get from Hydro Pump. Rapid Spin support is a necessity, as Simipour will be switching around a lot and is weak to entry hazards in general. Claydol and Cryogonal are the best choices available in the tier. Claydol is immune to Electric-type moves, and can remove them with its Ground-type moves. However, Claydol is prone to being set up on, so Cryogonal is a good choice as well. It has access to Recover, allowing it to Rapid Spin more than once most of the time. Entry hazards can also help Simipour, as the extra damage assist it in scoring some necessary KOs or keep the opponent from switching. Roselia and Claydol pair well with Simipour, covering each others weaknesses; Roselia can also support Simipour with Spikes and Toxic Spikes, whereas Claydol can set up Stealth Rock. Slowking can be hard to get past, so partners such as Sharpedo, Honchkrow, and Scolipede can help take it down.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Grass Knot is an option to hit Slowking slightly harder than Hidden Power Grass, but it won't hit Lanturn nearly as hard. Simipour has the Speed and Attack stat to make use of Choice Band, but its physical movepool is severely limited, as evidenced by how it lacks a vital coverage move in Ice Punch. In the same vein, Hone Claws can work, but a mere +1 boost isn't nearly enough either. A mixed set is possible with Work Up, but Simipour's offensive stats don't measure up to what is needed. Taunt is a viable option, making Pokemon such as Slowking and Ferroseed easier to deal with, and works wonderfully with Simipour's great Speed stat.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Slowking can survive a Hidden Power Grass or two, and recover the damage taken with Slack Off; a Simipour without Hidden Power Grass will never beat Slowking. Lanturn has the same case scenario against Simipour lacking Hidden Power Grass, but can't take the move as well as Slowking. Galvantula is a lot faster than Simipour and can easily KO it with Thunder, but it needs to be careful of switching in. Munchlax has a huge Special Defense stat and can easily take a hit from Simipour. It can then recover the damage or even phaze it out; however, it needs to be careful of Focus Blast or when it's at low health.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Simipour receives Torrent as its Dream World ability. Torrent is a great ability on a Pokemon such as Simipour, as it finds itself at low health more often than not, taking Life Orb, Substitute, and its frailty into account. A Torrent-boosted Hydro Pump will decimate almost anything. Gluttony will still have its merits after the pinch Berries are released, though.</p>