[Overview]
<p>Hitmonlee at first glance might look like a simple Fighting-type Pokemon, but there are numerous things that Hitmonlee is capable of doing well compared to its competition. Its base 120 Attack is wonderful, and is above average compared to other Fighting-types, and unlike most other powerful Fighting-types, it also has a very useful Speed stat, which allows it to outspeed threats such as Rotom-C, Gallade, Magmortar, and Kabutops. Hitmonlee also has a good offensive movepool to utilize, including its powerful STAB and coverage options such as Earthquake and Sucker Punch, as well as two great abilities in Reckless, which makes its Hi Jump Kick hit incredibly hard, and Unburden, which makes it one of the best late-game sweepers available to use in RU. However, Hitmonlee has a few flaws. Although it has impressive coverage, it is fairly helpless against Psychic- and Ghost-types, especially considering that hitting Ghosts with Hi Jump Kick causes a lot of recoil damage. Hitmonlee is also extremely frail on the physical side, making it very vulnerable to priority moves and hard to switch in. Don't let these flaws let you pass over Hitmonlee, however, as Hitmonlee is a useful Fighting-type Pokemon worthy of consideration on any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Unburden
move 1: Close Combat / Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Mach Punch / Fake Out
move 4: Return / Earthquake
item: Fighting Gem / Normal Gem
ability: Unburden
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Hitmonlee is relatively fast, it can still find itself outpaced by many Pokemon, and it also can easily be revenge killed by Choice Scarf users due to its low bulk. However, it can fix these problems with Unburden, which raises its Speed to 546 and allows it to outrun practically every Pokemon in the metagame, including all relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon. Be sure not to activate Unburden too early within the match, because there are a few Pokemon that need to be eliminated before Hitmonlee can clean up, particularly Ghost-types and priority users.</p>
<p>Although Close Combat is the weaker of the two STABs Hitmonlee has available, it has perfect accuracy and is not lacking in power by any means, while the defense drops from the move are rather irrelevant because Hitmonlee won't get outsped and will get defeated by priority regardless because of its frailty. Hi Jump Kick offers a bit more power, but its 90% accuracy can ruin the chance of a late-game sweep. Stone Edge covers Flying-type Pokemon and also hits bulky Pokemon such as Rotom or Uxie harder than anything else Hitmonlee has. Although a priority move may seem useless with Unburden, it can still be useful for activating the ability. Mach Punch is preferred for this slot, as a Fighting Gem-boosted Mach Punch can finish off faster foes, and after Unburden activates, it can help Hitmonlee avoid getting hit by other priority moves. If you really need to activate Unburden, Fake Out with a Normal Gem guarantees the foe cannot strike unless it is a Ghost-type. However, be warned that this pretty much takes your item slot away, removing Hitmonlee's boosts on its main attacks. For the last filler slot, Return hits Psychic-types harder than any of Hitmonlee's other moves, while Earthquake hits Qwilfish hard, although neither do that much to their respective targets.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The item choice depends on the priority move. A Fighting Gem is generally more useful, because that way Mach Punch or the main STAB can activate Unburden. However, as mentioned, if Fake Out is used, a Normal Gem will ensure that the move activates Unburden. You could use other odd Gems to activate Unburden, such as a Ground Gem to power up Earthquake and hit targets such as Qwilfish for a ton of damage, and let Hitmonlee use its STAB moves early-game to try and avoid activating Unburden too early, but you must be sure that you will consistently be using the move that activates the Gem. Adamant is preferred because Hitmonlee will outspeed anything that isn't an unconventional Choice Scarf Pokemon—it outspeeds even Choice Scarf Cinccino and Manectric.</p>
<p>Before Hitmonlee starts sweeping, Psychic- and Ghost-types need to be removed, as Hitmonlee cannot hit most of them very hard. Due to this, Absol, Spiritomb, and Drapion make good partners, as they have both Pursuit and alternative STAB options to take them down. There also exist many Poison-types in RU that do not take very much damage from Earthquake, such as Amoonguss and Qwilfish, that can stop Hitmonlee's sweep. Sigilyph can take down both of them or set up as they flee. Hitmonlee can also switch into Dark attacks that may be targeted at Psychic-types and has Mach Punch to bypass possible Sucker Punches. Finally, as almost all priority murders Hitmonlee if it cannot finish off the foe with Mach Punch, Alomomola makes a good partner, as it makes a great switch into physical attacks, most notably Entei, which packs ExtremeSpeed.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Sucker Punch / Mach Punch
move 3: Double-Edge / Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake
item: Life Orb
ability: Reckless
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Even when compared to other Fighting-types, this set boasts a lot of power and coverage. Hitmonlee's oft overlooked ability, Reckless, boosts some of Hitmonlee's moves, including Hi Jump Kick, making it very difficult to switch into. While Medicham is more powerful, even with Reckless factored in, Hitmonlee's Speed stat is higher and it arguably has better coverage. Factoring in the STAB boost and Reckless, Hi Jump Kick hits a whopping 234 Base Power, which is so powerful that it 2HKOes 252/252+ Tangrowth after Stealth Rock! Because Hitmonlee's Hi Jump Kick is so powerful, coverage moves will generally do less damage even factoring in super effective damage. Sucker Punch is a fairly strong priority move Hitmonlee can use, and it can also hit Psychic-types hard if they decide to attack Hitmonlee. Mach Punch is an alternative priority, as it is more reliable and gets a STAB boost, though it doesn't offer extra coverage. Double-Edge is also boosted by Reckless, and with 144 Base Power after the boost, it gets a strong neutral hit on Pokemon such as Slowking and Uxie. Stone Edge can be used instead to hit Flying-types and Rotom hard, but beware that most of these Pokemon outpace Hitmonlee. Finally, Earthquake hits Poison-types such as Qwilfish for super effective damage that would generally be able to take a Hi Jump Kick relatively well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although this set emphasizes power, a Jolly nature is preferred to outspeed many Pokemon, including non-Choice Scarf Rotom-C, Timid Magmortar, and Jolly Kabutops. However, as most of these Pokemon generally run either Choice Scarf or non-boosting natures, an Adamant nature can be used for more power. Close Combat can be used as the main STAB, but in this case, the power drop is very noticeable thanks to Reckless boosting Hi Jump Kick to nearly unmatched levels of power.</p>
<p>Hitmonlee desperately needs to get rid of Ghost-types, as not only can Hitmonlee generally not hit them hard, but using Hi Jump Kick on them makes Hitmonlee lose half of its health and easy to finish off. Due to this, Pursuit support from the likes of Drapion or Absol can finish off these Ghosts even if they switch out. Dark-types also take care of Psychic-types in a similar fashion, a type that gives Hitmonlee similar problems. Although Hitmonlee can run Stone Edge, most Flying-types remain faster than Hitmonlee, can switch into its Fighting STAB, and threaten it with a STAB of their own. Lanturn makes a good partner, as it resists Flying-type moves and also can take Moltres's and Sigilyph's coverage moves well due to its typing and great Special Defense. Hitmonlee takes tons of recoil damage from its moves and has a low HP stat, so Wish support can be helpful, provided you can find a moment to switch Hitmonlee back in. Clefable knows Wish and is immune to Ghost-type attacks as well as damage from burns. Both Clefable and the aforementioned Lanturn also know Heal Bell, which Hitmonlee appreciates due to how susceptible it is to status moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Reversal Sweeper
move 1: Reversal
move 2: Endure
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake / Mach Punch
item: Liechi Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although a combination of Endure and a Berry looks very out of date, Hitmonlee's unique traits, including Unburden, means it does not have to rely on a Salac Berry to outpace its foes. After a boost from Unburden and Liechi Berry, Hitmonlee becomes a very fearsome sweeper. With the boost from Liechi Berry, it reaches a staggering 558 Attack, meaning Hitmonlee can hit anything it faces hard. Not only this, but after an Unburden boost, Hitmonlee hits 546 Speed, which is good enough to outspeed everything unboosted in RU and every relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon as well. Endure pairs well with Unburden and Liechi Berry because it allows Hitmonlee to survive an attack that would normally KO it with 1 HP, gain both boosts, and proceed to sweep with a STAB 200 Base Power Reversal.</p>
<p>Because of how hard Reversal hits, the only time its coverage moves will see usage is both when they hit a Pokemon for super effective damage and when Reversal is not very effective. Stone Edge gets coverage on Flying-type Pokemon and Earthquake gets coverage on Poison-types. Furthermore, the combination of these three moves hits every Pokemon in RU for at least neutral damage. However, due to Poison-types not being overly common, Mach Punch can be used to potentially finish off priority users such as Kabutops, though note that it may not KO the opponent unless it is super effective or the opponent has a bit of prior damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although this particular Hitmonlee can be extremely hard to stop, because Hitmonlee is stuck at 1 HP, opponents that can survive a hit pose huge threats to this set. Many of these Pokemon, such as Uxie, Dusknoir, and Slowking, can be taken down with Dark-type support from the likes of Drapion or Absol, as they can hit them when they switch with Pursuit or hit them hard if they decide to stay in with a different Dark STAB. Priority moves destroy this set, as even with Mach Punch there is no guarantee that Hitmonlee will be able to OHKO them. Alomomola makes a great partner due to this, being able to take on priority moves well thanks to its excellent physical bulk, especially Entei which packs ExtremeSpeed. Finally, if Hitmonlee ever has to switch out, Rapid Spin support is needed to ensure that it won't be immediately taken out upon switching back in. Kabutops makes a great partner, as it can also take on Entei well and can defeat all spinblockers in RU with ease. As a final note, keep in mind that hail ruins the point of this set, as it takes out the little health Hitmonlee will have left. Therefore, if your team struggles with hail teams, this set should be avoided.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hitmonlee has access to, for some reason, Rapid Spin, as well as Foresight. Although Rapid Spin is useful for obvious reasons, Hitmonlee is already extremely vulnerable to Ghost-types as it is, meaning that if it decides to use Rapid Spin it will likely end up extremely weakened or burned. There are far more reliable spinners in the tier that are capable of defeating most Ghosts with ease, particularly Kabutops. Hitmonlee can use a Choice Scarf to revenge kill foes with a Reckless Hi Jump Kick, which OHKOes even healthy foes, but Medicham's higher Attack, Trick, and Hitmonlee already having Unburden make this set not worth it. A Choice Band set also features similar competition with Medicham, especially considering Hitmonlee's coverage makes it threatening. Considering Hitmonlee is vulnerable to paralysis, it could use Limber to prevent this. Although it's a good ability, it is ultimately less useful than Unburden or Reckless. Return is a bit stronger against Psychic-types than Stone Edge, as well as more accurate, but Hitmonlee isn't defeating most Psychic-types in the first place. Blaze Kick hits Amoonguss harder than anything else Hitmonlee has, but doesn't offer anything else.</p>
<p>Pursuit is usually a good option for trapping Ghost- and Psychic-types, but there is rarely an instance where these Pokemon will be switching out from Hitmonlee, as most Pokemon of this type are Hitmonlee's best counters. Bulk Up is Hitmonlee's only setup move, and Hitmonlee has a decent special bulk to use along with it. However, Gallade's access to Drain Punch and an even better special bulk make Bulk Up outclassed in this regard. Finally, there are many interesting strategies to activate Unburden, such as using a Lum Berry to cure status, a ChestoRest strategy, activating a Focus Sash as a lead, or even using Fling and a heavy item to hit Ghost- and Psychic-types with a super effective attack. However, these strategies are somewhat gimmicky and you can never guarantee Unburden will activate for various reasons.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Without resistances to its STAB moves, Hitmonlee is tough to deal with, especially considering Unburden makes revenge killing it difficult. Fortunately, the Pokemon that wall Hitmonlee do so extremely well. Ghost-types are among the best counters, being immune to its Fighting STAB and not being weak to anything Hitmonlee has other than Sucker Punch. Misdreavus, Rotom, and Spiritomb are good Ghost-types, and can all use Will-O-Wisp to make Hitmonlee much weaker and then hit it hard with their STAB moves. Golurk doesn't have Will-O-Wisp and is a bit vulnerable to Sucker Punch, but it easily OHKOes Hitmonlee with a STAB move of its own. Psychic-types such as Slowking and Uxie also wall Hitmonlee fairly well, and can hit back with their STAB moves or paralyze it, though be warned that a Reckless-boosted Double-Edge can leave its mark. Alomomola can easily wear Hitmonlee down thanks to its high physical bulk, Regenerator, and Wish, and Hitmonlee's low bulk means that Waterfall hurts somewhat badly. Although rare, Weezing almost completely walls Hitmonlee thanks to its typing, Levitate, and Will-O-Wisp. Poliwrath has good physical bulk and can phaze Hitmonlee out of its Unburden boost by hitting it with Circle Throw, although note that a Reckless-boosted Hi Jump Kick hurt too badly for Poliwrath to deal with. Scolipede performs well against any Reckless variant thanks to its 4x resistance to Fighting and can OHKO Hitmonlee with Earthquake after Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil, although it must be careful about Stone Edge. Hitmonlee's extremely low physical bulk makes it easy to KO with priority moves. Entei will always outspeed and OHKO Hitmonlee with ExtremeSpeed thanks to its +2 priority, and other Pokemon can hit it with a STAB priority move of their own as long as they aren't weak to Mach Punch, such as Feraligatr.</p>
<p>Hitmonlee at first glance might look like a simple Fighting-type Pokemon, but there are numerous things that Hitmonlee is capable of doing well compared to its competition. Its base 120 Attack is wonderful, and is above average compared to other Fighting-types, and unlike most other powerful Fighting-types, it also has a very useful Speed stat, which allows it to outspeed threats such as Rotom-C, Gallade, Magmortar, and Kabutops. Hitmonlee also has a good offensive movepool to utilize, including its powerful STAB and coverage options such as Earthquake and Sucker Punch, as well as two great abilities in Reckless, which makes its Hi Jump Kick hit incredibly hard, and Unburden, which makes it one of the best late-game sweepers available to use in RU. However, Hitmonlee has a few flaws. Although it has impressive coverage, it is fairly helpless against Psychic- and Ghost-types, especially considering that hitting Ghosts with Hi Jump Kick causes a lot of recoil damage. Hitmonlee is also extremely frail on the physical side, making it very vulnerable to priority moves and hard to switch in. Don't let these flaws let you pass over Hitmonlee, however, as Hitmonlee is a useful Fighting-type Pokemon worthy of consideration on any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Unburden
move 1: Close Combat / Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Mach Punch / Fake Out
move 4: Return / Earthquake
item: Fighting Gem / Normal Gem
ability: Unburden
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Hitmonlee is relatively fast, it can still find itself outpaced by many Pokemon, and it also can easily be revenge killed by Choice Scarf users due to its low bulk. However, it can fix these problems with Unburden, which raises its Speed to 546 and allows it to outrun practically every Pokemon in the metagame, including all relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon. Be sure not to activate Unburden too early within the match, because there are a few Pokemon that need to be eliminated before Hitmonlee can clean up, particularly Ghost-types and priority users.</p>
<p>Although Close Combat is the weaker of the two STABs Hitmonlee has available, it has perfect accuracy and is not lacking in power by any means, while the defense drops from the move are rather irrelevant because Hitmonlee won't get outsped and will get defeated by priority regardless because of its frailty. Hi Jump Kick offers a bit more power, but its 90% accuracy can ruin the chance of a late-game sweep. Stone Edge covers Flying-type Pokemon and also hits bulky Pokemon such as Rotom or Uxie harder than anything else Hitmonlee has. Although a priority move may seem useless with Unburden, it can still be useful for activating the ability. Mach Punch is preferred for this slot, as a Fighting Gem-boosted Mach Punch can finish off faster foes, and after Unburden activates, it can help Hitmonlee avoid getting hit by other priority moves. If you really need to activate Unburden, Fake Out with a Normal Gem guarantees the foe cannot strike unless it is a Ghost-type. However, be warned that this pretty much takes your item slot away, removing Hitmonlee's boosts on its main attacks. For the last filler slot, Return hits Psychic-types harder than any of Hitmonlee's other moves, while Earthquake hits Qwilfish hard, although neither do that much to their respective targets.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The item choice depends on the priority move. A Fighting Gem is generally more useful, because that way Mach Punch or the main STAB can activate Unburden. However, as mentioned, if Fake Out is used, a Normal Gem will ensure that the move activates Unburden. You could use other odd Gems to activate Unburden, such as a Ground Gem to power up Earthquake and hit targets such as Qwilfish for a ton of damage, and let Hitmonlee use its STAB moves early-game to try and avoid activating Unburden too early, but you must be sure that you will consistently be using the move that activates the Gem. Adamant is preferred because Hitmonlee will outspeed anything that isn't an unconventional Choice Scarf Pokemon—it outspeeds even Choice Scarf Cinccino and Manectric.</p>
<p>Before Hitmonlee starts sweeping, Psychic- and Ghost-types need to be removed, as Hitmonlee cannot hit most of them very hard. Due to this, Absol, Spiritomb, and Drapion make good partners, as they have both Pursuit and alternative STAB options to take them down. There also exist many Poison-types in RU that do not take very much damage from Earthquake, such as Amoonguss and Qwilfish, that can stop Hitmonlee's sweep. Sigilyph can take down both of them or set up as they flee. Hitmonlee can also switch into Dark attacks that may be targeted at Psychic-types and has Mach Punch to bypass possible Sucker Punches. Finally, as almost all priority murders Hitmonlee if it cannot finish off the foe with Mach Punch, Alomomola makes a good partner, as it makes a great switch into physical attacks, most notably Entei, which packs ExtremeSpeed.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Sucker Punch / Mach Punch
move 3: Double-Edge / Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake
item: Life Orb
ability: Reckless
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Even when compared to other Fighting-types, this set boasts a lot of power and coverage. Hitmonlee's oft overlooked ability, Reckless, boosts some of Hitmonlee's moves, including Hi Jump Kick, making it very difficult to switch into. While Medicham is more powerful, even with Reckless factored in, Hitmonlee's Speed stat is higher and it arguably has better coverage. Factoring in the STAB boost and Reckless, Hi Jump Kick hits a whopping 234 Base Power, which is so powerful that it 2HKOes 252/252+ Tangrowth after Stealth Rock! Because Hitmonlee's Hi Jump Kick is so powerful, coverage moves will generally do less damage even factoring in super effective damage. Sucker Punch is a fairly strong priority move Hitmonlee can use, and it can also hit Psychic-types hard if they decide to attack Hitmonlee. Mach Punch is an alternative priority, as it is more reliable and gets a STAB boost, though it doesn't offer extra coverage. Double-Edge is also boosted by Reckless, and with 144 Base Power after the boost, it gets a strong neutral hit on Pokemon such as Slowking and Uxie. Stone Edge can be used instead to hit Flying-types and Rotom hard, but beware that most of these Pokemon outpace Hitmonlee. Finally, Earthquake hits Poison-types such as Qwilfish for super effective damage that would generally be able to take a Hi Jump Kick relatively well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although this set emphasizes power, a Jolly nature is preferred to outspeed many Pokemon, including non-Choice Scarf Rotom-C, Timid Magmortar, and Jolly Kabutops. However, as most of these Pokemon generally run either Choice Scarf or non-boosting natures, an Adamant nature can be used for more power. Close Combat can be used as the main STAB, but in this case, the power drop is very noticeable thanks to Reckless boosting Hi Jump Kick to nearly unmatched levels of power.</p>
<p>Hitmonlee desperately needs to get rid of Ghost-types, as not only can Hitmonlee generally not hit them hard, but using Hi Jump Kick on them makes Hitmonlee lose half of its health and easy to finish off. Due to this, Pursuit support from the likes of Drapion or Absol can finish off these Ghosts even if they switch out. Dark-types also take care of Psychic-types in a similar fashion, a type that gives Hitmonlee similar problems. Although Hitmonlee can run Stone Edge, most Flying-types remain faster than Hitmonlee, can switch into its Fighting STAB, and threaten it with a STAB of their own. Lanturn makes a good partner, as it resists Flying-type moves and also can take Moltres's and Sigilyph's coverage moves well due to its typing and great Special Defense. Hitmonlee takes tons of recoil damage from its moves and has a low HP stat, so Wish support can be helpful, provided you can find a moment to switch Hitmonlee back in. Clefable knows Wish and is immune to Ghost-type attacks as well as damage from burns. Both Clefable and the aforementioned Lanturn also know Heal Bell, which Hitmonlee appreciates due to how susceptible it is to status moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Reversal Sweeper
move 1: Reversal
move 2: Endure
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake / Mach Punch
item: Liechi Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although a combination of Endure and a Berry looks very out of date, Hitmonlee's unique traits, including Unburden, means it does not have to rely on a Salac Berry to outpace its foes. After a boost from Unburden and Liechi Berry, Hitmonlee becomes a very fearsome sweeper. With the boost from Liechi Berry, it reaches a staggering 558 Attack, meaning Hitmonlee can hit anything it faces hard. Not only this, but after an Unburden boost, Hitmonlee hits 546 Speed, which is good enough to outspeed everything unboosted in RU and every relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon as well. Endure pairs well with Unburden and Liechi Berry because it allows Hitmonlee to survive an attack that would normally KO it with 1 HP, gain both boosts, and proceed to sweep with a STAB 200 Base Power Reversal.</p>
<p>Because of how hard Reversal hits, the only time its coverage moves will see usage is both when they hit a Pokemon for super effective damage and when Reversal is not very effective. Stone Edge gets coverage on Flying-type Pokemon and Earthquake gets coverage on Poison-types. Furthermore, the combination of these three moves hits every Pokemon in RU for at least neutral damage. However, due to Poison-types not being overly common, Mach Punch can be used to potentially finish off priority users such as Kabutops, though note that it may not KO the opponent unless it is super effective or the opponent has a bit of prior damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although this particular Hitmonlee can be extremely hard to stop, because Hitmonlee is stuck at 1 HP, opponents that can survive a hit pose huge threats to this set. Many of these Pokemon, such as Uxie, Dusknoir, and Slowking, can be taken down with Dark-type support from the likes of Drapion or Absol, as they can hit them when they switch with Pursuit or hit them hard if they decide to stay in with a different Dark STAB. Priority moves destroy this set, as even with Mach Punch there is no guarantee that Hitmonlee will be able to OHKO them. Alomomola makes a great partner due to this, being able to take on priority moves well thanks to its excellent physical bulk, especially Entei which packs ExtremeSpeed. Finally, if Hitmonlee ever has to switch out, Rapid Spin support is needed to ensure that it won't be immediately taken out upon switching back in. Kabutops makes a great partner, as it can also take on Entei well and can defeat all spinblockers in RU with ease. As a final note, keep in mind that hail ruins the point of this set, as it takes out the little health Hitmonlee will have left. Therefore, if your team struggles with hail teams, this set should be avoided.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hitmonlee has access to, for some reason, Rapid Spin, as well as Foresight. Although Rapid Spin is useful for obvious reasons, Hitmonlee is already extremely vulnerable to Ghost-types as it is, meaning that if it decides to use Rapid Spin it will likely end up extremely weakened or burned. There are far more reliable spinners in the tier that are capable of defeating most Ghosts with ease, particularly Kabutops. Hitmonlee can use a Choice Scarf to revenge kill foes with a Reckless Hi Jump Kick, which OHKOes even healthy foes, but Medicham's higher Attack, Trick, and Hitmonlee already having Unburden make this set not worth it. A Choice Band set also features similar competition with Medicham, especially considering Hitmonlee's coverage makes it threatening. Considering Hitmonlee is vulnerable to paralysis, it could use Limber to prevent this. Although it's a good ability, it is ultimately less useful than Unburden or Reckless. Return is a bit stronger against Psychic-types than Stone Edge, as well as more accurate, but Hitmonlee isn't defeating most Psychic-types in the first place. Blaze Kick hits Amoonguss harder than anything else Hitmonlee has, but doesn't offer anything else.</p>
<p>Pursuit is usually a good option for trapping Ghost- and Psychic-types, but there is rarely an instance where these Pokemon will be switching out from Hitmonlee, as most Pokemon of this type are Hitmonlee's best counters. Bulk Up is Hitmonlee's only setup move, and Hitmonlee has a decent special bulk to use along with it. However, Gallade's access to Drain Punch and an even better special bulk make Bulk Up outclassed in this regard. Finally, there are many interesting strategies to activate Unburden, such as using a Lum Berry to cure status, a ChestoRest strategy, activating a Focus Sash as a lead, or even using Fling and a heavy item to hit Ghost- and Psychic-types with a super effective attack. However, these strategies are somewhat gimmicky and you can never guarantee Unburden will activate for various reasons.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Without resistances to its STAB moves, Hitmonlee is tough to deal with, especially considering Unburden makes revenge killing it difficult. Fortunately, the Pokemon that wall Hitmonlee do so extremely well. Ghost-types are among the best counters, being immune to its Fighting STAB and not being weak to anything Hitmonlee has other than Sucker Punch. Misdreavus, Rotom, and Spiritomb are good Ghost-types, and can all use Will-O-Wisp to make Hitmonlee much weaker and then hit it hard with their STAB moves. Golurk doesn't have Will-O-Wisp and is a bit vulnerable to Sucker Punch, but it easily OHKOes Hitmonlee with a STAB move of its own. Psychic-types such as Slowking and Uxie also wall Hitmonlee fairly well, and can hit back with their STAB moves or paralyze it, though be warned that a Reckless-boosted Double-Edge can leave its mark. Alomomola can easily wear Hitmonlee down thanks to its high physical bulk, Regenerator, and Wish, and Hitmonlee's low bulk means that Waterfall hurts somewhat badly. Although rare, Weezing almost completely walls Hitmonlee thanks to its typing, Levitate, and Will-O-Wisp. Poliwrath has good physical bulk and can phaze Hitmonlee out of its Unburden boost by hitting it with Circle Throw, although note that a Reckless-boosted Hi Jump Kick hurt too badly for Poliwrath to deal with. Scolipede performs well against any Reckless variant thanks to its 4x resistance to Fighting and can OHKO Hitmonlee with Earthquake after Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil, although it must be careful about Stone Edge. Hitmonlee's extremely low physical bulk makes it easy to KO with priority moves. Entei will always outspeed and OHKO Hitmonlee with ExtremeSpeed thanks to its +2 priority, and other Pokemon can hit it with a STAB priority move of their own as long as they aren't weak to Mach Punch, such as Feraligatr.</p>
