QC: Carbonific / Jhon
GP: Fireflame479
[OVERVIEW]
* Alolan Ninetales boasts the ability to check popular metagame titans like Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, Pelipper, Ludicolo, and Gastrodon.
* Furthermore, having the combination of Aurora Veil and Snow Warning enables it to easily support its team by reducing the damage done to them. This may be useful to make walls like Celesteela even harder to take down or to make it even easier for Pokemon like Snorlax to set up.
* Although Alolan Ninetales checks multiple common Pokemon, it is also checked by many common Pokemon, including Aegislash, Mega Charizard Y, and Tyranitar. Furthermore, the latter two can easily change the weather, making it harder for Alolan Ninetales to set up Aurora Veil.
* A mediocre Special Attack stat makes it difficult for Alolan Ninetales to do much damage to any Pokemon it doesn't hit super effectively.
[SET]
name: Hail Setter
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Freeze-Dry / Icy Wind
move 3: Aurora Veil
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash / Light Clay
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Blizzard is Alolan Ninetales's go-to STAB move, never missing in hail and dealing damage to both opposing Pokemon.
* Freeze-Dry allows Alolan Ninetales to deal super effective damage to Water-type Pokemon, a trait that is especially handy against Pelipper, Ludicolo, and Gastrodon. Furthermore, as it's a single-target move, it gives Alolan Ninetales a move to use when faced against Wide Guard.
* Aurora Veil gives Alolan Ninetales and its teammates damage reduction against both physical and special attacks, improving their staying power.
* Protect allows Alolan Ninetales to protect itself from attacks like Mega Metagross's Iron Head and Aegislash's Flash Cannon while its teammate takes care of these Pokemon.
* Icy Wind allows Alolan Ninetales to provide speed control for its team, making it an option if its team struggles to find a place to put speed control.
* Alolan Ninetales can also make use of Encore to lock foes into status moves like Substitute and Protect and potentially force switches.
* Alolan Ninetales should run an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Timid nature, as it needs as much power and speed as it can get. Furthermore, defensive investment is unlikely to prove beneficial, given its subpar bulk sans Aurora Veil.
* Snow Warning is obligatory, seeing as hail enables the use of Aurora Veil and turns Blizzard into a reliable attack.
* Focus Sash is the preferred item on Alolan Ninetales, given that it enables it to survive attacks it wouldn't otherwise take, including Kartana's Smart Strike and Mega Metagross's Iron Head.
* Light Clay extends the duration of Aurora Veil from five turns to eight turns. This may be considered on more defensively oriented and setup-focused teams that can truly reap the benefits of an extended duration of Aurora Veil.
* As Aurora Veil enhances the bulk of Alolan Ninetales and its teammates, it makes Alolan Ninetales a solid consideration on teams that use setup Pokemon like Snorlax and Calm Mind Tapu Fini or rock-solid defensive Pokemon like Celesteela and Ferrothorn.
* Given Alolan Ninetales's vulnerability to Steel-type Pokemon like Celesteela and Aegislash, it should be paired with Fire- and Ground-type Pokemon like Landorus-T, Heatran, and Volcarona that can take care of them.
* Since Mega Charizard Y and Tyranitar are both difficult for Alolan Ninetales, given their ability to completely block Aurora Veil, lower Blizzard's accuracy, and OHKO it altogether, it is a good idea to use Pokemon like Landorus-T and Terrakion with it&msash;the former should be used with Choice Scarf and Rock Slide to even be considered a check to Mega Charizard Y, though.
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