[OVERVIEW]
Aipom has the potential to hit 19 Speed, which allows it to outspeed a vast majority of the tier. With access to Skill Link, Aipom can make use of a powerful STAB in Fury Swipes, which has the benefit of breaking through Focus Sashes and Substitutes. Aipom has a very versatile movepool, which, when coupled with its high Speed and decent bulk, allows Aipom to perform well as a wallbreaker and revenge killer. With access to both Taunt and Fake Out, Aipom can be an effective anti-lead, preventing hazards from going up and breaking Sturdy or Focus Sash.
However, all is not peachy for Aipom. In a metagame dominated by Fighting-types, Aipom's pure Normal typing is a large hindrance, granting it no resistances and one incredibly prominent weakness. Aipom's Normal typing is also mediocre offensively because although it does grant STAB on Fury Swipes, it also does not hit anything for super effective damage. Aipom's main STAB attack, Fury Swipes, only has 80 percent accuracy, which can be incredibly disappointing when crucial hits are missed. Having a multi-hit physical attack as its main attack also means that Aipom is easily taken advantage of by users of Flame Body and Iron Barbs.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Fury Swipes
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Brick Break / Fire Punch
move 4: U-turn / Fake Out
item: Life Orb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 196 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fury Swipes takes advantage of Skill Link and is much stronger than Return thanks to Little Cup damage roll mechanics. For example, Fury Swipes will deal 15 damage to a standard Mienfoo as opposed to the 10 damage Return would deal. Knock Off provides good coverage with Fury Swipes by hitting Ghost-types for super effective damage and weakens Pokemon that hold Eviolite by removing it. Brick Break hits Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon for super effective damage, and is preferred over Fire Punch. Fire Punch comes with the benefit of OHKOing Ferroseed but loses out on hitting Rock-types. U-turn allows Aipom to pivot out of unfavorable switch-ins while still dealing damage and retaining momentum. Alternatively, Fake Out is great for revenge killing, and secures several 2HKOs on Pokemon such as Timburr, Mienfoo, Chinchou, and Porygon after Stealth Rock alongside Fury Swipes.
Set Details
========
The suggested EVs and an Adamant nature maximize Aipom's Attack while maintaining a Speed stat of 18. Alternatively, a Jolly nature gets Aipom to the 19 Speed tier, which is fantastic in Little Cup. This isn't necessary on a wallbreaking set due to the inherent slowness of walls, but it is nice against fast Pokemon such as Gastly. The extra EVs go into Defense to help Aipom take priority attacks such as Timburr's Mach Punch much better. Finally, Life Orb maximizes Aipom's damage output when using Fury Swipes, even outdamaging Choice Band in the same circumstances due to the odd damage rolls that occur at level 5.
Usage Tips
========
Aipom is fairly frail and shouldn't be switched in on any powerful attacks. Additionally, if you can't secure a KO in one or two hits, switch Aipom out so it doesn't have to take a hit. As the set name suggests, Aipom should be used to break though walls such as Spritzee and Porygon. Use Knock Off liberally, as it will aid in breaking through walls and can catch Ghost-types on the switch in. Be sure to only use Fury Swipes on Flame Body Pokemon such as Ponyta in the most dire circumstances; it is almost certain that Aipom will be burned after five hits, putting it out of commission for the rest of the match.
Team Options
========
Ponyta, Larvesta, and Feroseed are all huge threats to Aipom due to their abilities, making Pokemon such as Hidden Power Fire Skrelp and Numel good partners for Aipom. Aipom struggles with Fighting-types, so a teammate that resists Fighting is invaluable. Aipom is extremely hindered by status, so cleric support from the likes of Snubbull is fantastic. Snubbull stands out in particular because it beats all Fighting-type Pokemon, barring Croagunk. Entry hazard setting and removal are both key, as the former helps Aipom wallbreak and the latter preserves Aipom's HP, which will already be going down due to Life Orb recoil. Archen fits this role well with access to both Stealth Rock and Defog, and can also threaten Fighting-types. Some of Aipom's most common checks, such as Tirtouga, are shared by Fletchling, which means it can help weaken Fletchling's checks to open the way for Fletchling to sweep.
[SET]
name: Pivot Lead
move 1: Fury Swipes
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Brick Break / Fire Punch
move 4: U-turn / Taunt
item: Eviolite
ability: Skill Link
nature: Jolly
evs: 76 HP / 116 Atk / 76 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fury Swipes makes use of Skill Link, and it is made even stronger by Aipom's STAB. Knock Off provides great coverage with Fury Swipes and helps Aipom support its teammates by removing the items of opposing Pokemon, most notably Eviolite. Brick Break hits Steel- and Rock-types that would wall Aipom otherwise. Alternatively, Fire Punch allows Aipom to take on Ferroseed, a Pokemon that would only be 2HKOed otherwise. However, it misses out on hitting Rock-types. U-turn allows Aipom to pivot out of its checks, fulfilling its role as a pivot and keeping up momentum. On the other hand, Taunt allows Aipom to effectively stop practically any entry hazard setter.
Set Details
========
The given EVs and and a Jolly nature maximize Aipom's Speed, getting it to the fantastic 19 Speed tier. Aipom doesn't need to run max Attack investment on this set; instead, it hits 15 Attack and gets an extra point in Defense and HP for additional bulk. Eviolite is used to boost Aipom's defenses in order to better take hits while pivoting.
Usage Tips
========
Aipom makes a good lead because it can Taunt entry hazard setters and utilize U-turn to break Sturdy or Focus Sash. Remember, however, that though this variant of Aipom isn't as powerful as its other set, it's still quite good as a revenge killer due to its blistering Speed. When facing a target with 15 Defense or higher, use Knock Off before using Fury Swipes. Not only does this potentially cripple the target, it also gives Fury Swipes much better damage rolls. This variant of Aipom can take some hits thanks to Eviolite. Some notable hits include Timburr's Drain Punch and +1 Porygon's Tri Attack; however, Aipom doesn't have any recovery moves and does not resist any attacks, so be cautious about the attacks you let it take. The most ideal way to play this Aipom set is as a sort of hit-and-run attacker by using Knock Off to weaken switch-ins then pivoting out via U-turn.
Team Options
========
This set fits very well on VoltTurn teams thanks to its pivoting nature, and it pairs especially well with Larvesta, who beats most Fighting-types. A Wish passer greatly increases Aipom's longevity by providing it recovery; Spritzee in particular is a great partner thanks to its Fairy typing. Cleric support is just as useful as Wish support; this can be provided by Spritzee or Snubbull. Less specifically, most bulky Pokemon that resist Fighting-type attacks will do well as a partner to this set, as they provide Aipom relief from its biggest threats. On the other hand, anything that has an issue with Gastly can find a good partner in Aipom, as this version of Aipom is able to take out Gastly pretty well; this includes Pokemon such as Cottonee and Drifloon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Seed Bomb over Brick Break can prevent Shell Smashers such as Tirtouga and Omanyte from setting up on Aipom. Aipom also has a variety of other powerful coverage options, such as Ice Punch and Iron Tail, that can be used to hit certain specific threats such as Archen. Remember, though, that Fury Swipes is more powerful in most cases. Facade can be used to bypass Flame Body users such as Ponyta and Larvesta, but this is a subpar option. Because Aipom has a high Speed and can switch in on Ghost-type attacks, it can viably run Pursuit to trap and KO Gastly. If you're looking for surprise options, Aipom lives some surprising hits with Eviolite, such as Timburr's Drain Punch, and can capitalize on that with Counter. Finally, Aipom actually is one of the few Pokemon in Little Cup that can Baton Pass Nasty Plot and also has access to Agility; however, it's outclassed by Togepi in the NastyPass role and by Torchic in the Speed passing role.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flame Body**: With an 80 percent chance to burn Aipom on a five-hit Fury Swipes, Flame Body users such as Ponyta are especially threatening to it.
**Rock- and Steel-Types**: Aipom has difficulty breaking through these Pokemon even with Brick Break; Tirtouga and Ferroseed are especially threatening with Solid Rock and Iron Barbs, respectively.
**Fighting-Types**: Fighting-types run rampant in Little Cup and threaten Aipom with super effective STAB attacks; Timburr is especially threatening due to its natural bulk and access to Mach Punch, which allows it to pick off Aipom fairly easily.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users such as Gothita, strong priority users such as Timburr, and naturally faster Pokemon such as Diglett can all capitalize on Aipom's lack of priority and revenge kill it without too much trouble.
**Ghost-Types**: Ghost-type Pokemon are easy to switch in on Fury Swipes; however, they can't retaliate with Ghost-type STAB attacks and fear Knock Off. Pumpkaboo-S is especially threatening to Aipom, as it survives a Knock Off and can burn Aipom with Will-O-Wisp.
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