[OVERVIEW]
Zeraora is a great Pokemon in OU. Its 143 base Speed leaves it as the second fastest Pokemon in OU only behind Regieleki, allowing it to safely threaten Pokemon like Dragapult, Tornadus-T, Weavile, and weakened Tapu Koko without taking hazard chip. Volt Absorb is excellent for switching into Volt Switch from Zapdos and Tapu Koko, taking pressure off of the teams Ground-type. Great coverage in Knock Off and Close Combat ensure that Zeraora won't be passive, with Knock Off OHKOing Dragapult and removing crucial items like Heavy-Duty Boots, Leftovers, and Rocky Helmet and Close Combat tearing through the tiers Steel-types. Zeraora does have some unfortunate issues however, its mono Electric typing especially makes both switching in and breaking through Ground-types challenging due to a lack of resistances and secondary stabs respectively.
[SET]
Bulk Up (Zeraora) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Bulk Up allows Zeraora to be a potent wallbreaker and sweeper, using Knock Off early to remove Leftovers and Heavy-Duty Boots from its checks and chip them into range, and then using Bulk Up once checks are weakened to end the game. Close Combat is a great coverage move that slams Steel-types
Team Options
========
Include potential teammates for the Pokemon, as well as descriptions and details as to why.
Landorus-T is a great partner for Zeraora, providing a backup electric immunity to keep Zeraora from having to swap into Tapu Koko and Zapdos, a Ground immunity to respond to the ground-types that counter Zeraora, and the ability to force in opposing Landorus-T and cripple them with Knock Off, Toxic, Explosion, or even Rocky Helmet, and also provides Stealth Rock which is crucial to Zeraora's hit and run gameplan. In return, Zeraora is excellent to take advantage of Landorus-T's U-turn, coming in and dealing with the Ice, Water, and Flying-types that Landorus-T struggles with.
Electric Types
Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Zapdos serve as excellent partners for Zeraora, working together to overwhelm Ground-types, working especially well if Zeraora or the second Electric has Toxic. Additionally, Tapu Koko provides Electric Terrain to boost Plasma Fists and Zapdos provides a highly useful Ground immunity.
Ferrothorn
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volt Switch can be run instead of Bulk Up or Toxic to allow Zeraora to serve as a pivot, however this sacrifices Bulk Up's capability to take over endgames and Toxic's capability to bypass Ground-types, both exacerbating its poor matchup against the mandatory Ground-types. Taunt can be used to shut down status moves from Pokemon like Toxapex, Clefable, Zapdos, and Ferrothorn, however its usually less useful than standard moves and Toxapex can still cripple with Scald while Clefable's Moonblast does good damage and Zeraora has to watch out for Power Whip on Ferrothorn.
Grass Knot can be used to target Hippowdon and Gastrodon, however it is not useful against Landorus-T and Garchomp
Play Rough can be used for Garchomp
Leftovers is an option on Bulk Up variants
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Hippowdon, and Gastrodon can 1v1 Zeraora due to their typing and bulk, shielding them from Plasma Fists while being able to shrug off Zeraora's Close Combat and Knock Off. Hippowdon and Gastrodon are especially potent checks as their access to Slack Off and Recover respectively allow them to stave off Zeraora far longer than Landorus and Garchomp can. Nidoking and Excadrill can also beat Zeraora, however Nidoking's frailty and reliance on Life Orb for damage makes coming in directly difficult while Excadrill's Fighting weakness means it can only revenge kill Zeraora under Sand.
**Choice Scarf**: Scarfers like Tapu Lele, Urshifu, Blacephalon, and Kartana can safely pick off chipped Zeraora due to their speed advantage. Tapu Lele, Blacephalon, and Urshifu in particular can ignore Bulk Up's defense boost through special attacks or Surging Strikes in Urshifu's case.
** **:
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user1.100/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.101/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Zeraora is a great Pokemon in OU. Its 143 base Speed leaves it as the second fastest Pokemon in OU only behind Regieleki, allowing it to safely threaten Pokemon like Dragapult, Tornadus-T, Weavile, and weakened Tapu Koko without taking hazard chip. Volt Absorb is excellent for switching into Volt Switch from Zapdos and Tapu Koko, taking pressure off of the teams Ground-type. Great coverage in Knock Off and Close Combat ensure that Zeraora won't be passive, with Knock Off OHKOing Dragapult and removing crucial items like Heavy-Duty Boots, Leftovers, and Rocky Helmet and Close Combat tearing through the tiers Steel-types. Zeraora does have some unfortunate issues however, its mono Electric typing especially makes both switching in and breaking through Ground-types challenging due to a lack of resistances and secondary stabs respectively.
[SET]
Bulk Up (Zeraora) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Bulk Up allows Zeraora to be a potent wallbreaker and sweeper, using Knock Off early to remove Leftovers and Heavy-Duty Boots from its checks and chip them into range, and then using Bulk Up once checks are weakened to end the game. Close Combat is a great coverage move that slams Steel-types
Team Options
========
Include potential teammates for the Pokemon, as well as descriptions and details as to why.
Landorus-T is a great partner for Zeraora, providing a backup electric immunity to keep Zeraora from having to swap into Tapu Koko and Zapdos, a Ground immunity to respond to the ground-types that counter Zeraora, and the ability to force in opposing Landorus-T and cripple them with Knock Off, Toxic, Explosion, or even Rocky Helmet, and also provides Stealth Rock which is crucial to Zeraora's hit and run gameplan. In return, Zeraora is excellent to take advantage of Landorus-T's U-turn, coming in and dealing with the Ice, Water, and Flying-types that Landorus-T struggles with.
Electric Types
Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Zapdos serve as excellent partners for Zeraora, working together to overwhelm Ground-types, working especially well if Zeraora or the second Electric has Toxic. Additionally, Tapu Koko provides Electric Terrain to boost Plasma Fists and Zapdos provides a highly useful Ground immunity.
Ferrothorn
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volt Switch can be run instead of Bulk Up or Toxic to allow Zeraora to serve as a pivot, however this sacrifices Bulk Up's capability to take over endgames and Toxic's capability to bypass Ground-types, both exacerbating its poor matchup against the mandatory Ground-types. Taunt can be used to shut down status moves from Pokemon like Toxapex, Clefable, Zapdos, and Ferrothorn, however its usually less useful than standard moves and Toxapex can still cripple with Scald while Clefable's Moonblast does good damage and Zeraora has to watch out for Power Whip on Ferrothorn.
Grass Knot can be used to target Hippowdon and Gastrodon, however it is not useful against Landorus-T and Garchomp
Play Rough can be used for Garchomp
Leftovers is an option on Bulk Up variants
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Hippowdon, and Gastrodon can 1v1 Zeraora due to their typing and bulk, shielding them from Plasma Fists while being able to shrug off Zeraora's Close Combat and Knock Off. Hippowdon and Gastrodon are especially potent checks as their access to Slack Off and Recover respectively allow them to stave off Zeraora far longer than Landorus and Garchomp can. Nidoking and Excadrill can also beat Zeraora, however Nidoking's frailty and reliance on Life Orb for damage makes coming in directly difficult while Excadrill's Fighting weakness means it can only revenge kill Zeraora under Sand.
**Choice Scarf**: Scarfers like Tapu Lele, Urshifu, Blacephalon, and Kartana can safely pick off chipped Zeraora due to their speed advantage. Tapu Lele, Blacephalon, and Urshifu in particular can ignore Bulk Up's defense boost through special attacks or Surging Strikes in Urshifu's case.
** **:
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user1.100/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.101/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
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