Electrode Discussion

[Footnote]

http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/101.shtml

Physical Movepool:
Explosion
Spark
Rollout
Gyro Ball
Thief
Return
Giga Impact
Natural Gift

Special Movepool:
Charge Beam
Thunderbolt
Thunder
Shock Wave
Swift
Mirror Coat
Hidden Power
Hyper Beam

Support Movepool:
Charge
Screech
Light Screen
Magnet Rise
Toxic
Taunt
Protect
Rain Dance
Torment
Flash
Thunder Wave
Swagger

The only Electrode discusssion in the discussion index was just locked, so I thought I'd try my hand at this. Why was it locked? Well, as we know, Electrode isn't a very useful Pokémon in standard battles. The debate goes something like:

"Electrode gets Magnet Rise! It has no weaknesses!"
"Yeah, but it's still not usable. What're you going to do against a Ground-type?"

I mostly agree with the second position: Electrode is worthless in standard battles. Its special movepool is abysmal, containing only Electric and Normal moves. It doesn't have the Attack to use anything in its physical movepool except possibly Explosion. They gave it Gyro Ball. Is that a joke? Even its support movepool is limited. Are you going to stay in a turn against a Ground-type to use Toxic or Swagger? There are better Pokémon for that.

I'm here to say that Electrode still has a place: Double Battles. In 2v2, Electrode isn't just usable, it's amazing. Here are some of my favorite sets:

Electrode @ Magnet/Lum Berry
Thunderbolt
Charge/Light Screen
Magnet Rise
Taunt

Magnet Rise is a bit pointless in Single Battles, but in Double Battles it's a great asset. Not only can you avoid the Ground attacks of your opponents, but you can avoid the Earthquakes of your partner. With the game's fastest Taunt, you can destroy many of your opponent's combos. If both of your foes use special attacks, Charge is worth it; you'll most likely survive an attack and your next Thunderbolt is probably going to KO something. If your team could use more Spcial Defense, use Light Screen instead.

Electrode @ Damp Rock
Thunder
Rain Dance
Magnet Rise
Taunt

Electrode's also a great addtion to a Rain Dance team. You're almost guaranteed to get off the Rain Dance before your opponents have a chance to move.

Electrode @ Wide Lens
Thunderbolt/Thunder
Toxic
Swagger/Thunder Wave/Taunt/Torment/Magnet Rise
Swagger/Thunder Wave/Taunt/Torment/Magnet Rise

I've seen this used to good effect alongside a Swellow or other Guts Pokémon. Swellow can now use Flame Orb to activate Guts, but having the Electrode use Toxic on it enables you to fill your Swllow's item slot with something else (like a Choice Band) and also means you get the Guts boost on the first turn.

I know there are those of you out there who enjoy a good Double Battle. What do you think of Electrode?

 

[Micky Onimusha]

Like a lot of Electric types, Hidden Power is its crutch, without it it's multiple times less viable. I do like Magnet Rise a lot, I reckon it will catch some people off guard, especially since Electrode has the speed to outrun most EQers. Life Orb is nice for the Explosion boost but aside from that, I expect the Adv standards to be the norm:

Electrode @ Life Orb
Mild 252/252
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Explosion
- Substitute / Magnet Rise

Still just gonna be a UU who pops up in OU once in a while but he hasn't changed much.

 

[Mekkah]

I'm not sure what to do with this. There has been practically no talk of 2v2 in DP yet, so saying Electrode is good at it sounds like an assumption to me...

 

[Footnote]

I'm not sure what to do with this. There has been practically no talk of 2v2 in DP yet, so saying Electrode is good at it sounds like an assumption to me...

With all due respect, just because you haven't played much 2v2 yet in D/P doesn't mean nobody else has. I wouldn't have posted these sets if I hadn't tried them out myself. I'm trying to get people thinking about 2v2 outside of the context of Trick Room teams and Skill Swapping No Guard onto things with Sheer Cold.

 

[SiriusBlack]

i think you're right, as far as electrode being literally worthless in 1 on 1. doubles is really it's only option. he would be really effective against the eq'ing gyarados. my only fear for him is that his defenses are really low. he would probably be better suited for one of the support sets. i personally like the first set, except that instead of charge/lscreen, i would use twave or toxic. since he is so fast, he should really be doing as much stat hurt as he can before he goes down. the nice thing is that since you're pretty much guaranteed to go first, you can try to anticipate an eq and get a 'free turn' when you use magnet rise. the rest of the time you're impairing someone, either taunting or usin twave/toxic. so... pretty much just a rehash of everything you said. but thumbs up anyway.

 

[Sheepasaurus Rex]

I pity Electrode, I really do. It has no hope of advancement short of an evolution. I mean, it has no gender, which means no egg moves. It's an Electric type, so its learned/teachable movepools are limited. It already has two abilities, so there's no room for a new one. And above all, it has no arms, legs, claws, blades, wings, horns, fangs, or tentacles. It's just a frigging ball.

But somehow, it never stops smiling.

By the way, I really like how none of the sets in the OP have Explosion. I'm really sick of that move in 2v2.

 

[Violent Storm]

Electrode can have some interesting use in the battle tower to set up your team...

Electrode@Focus Sash
Nature: Hasty (Speed+ Defense-)
EVs: 252 Speed, 252 HP (To use Mirror Coat or put some into Attack for Explosion)
- Mirror Coat
- Light Screen
- Explosion
- Thunderbolt

On any Special Attacker you see, obviously you Mirror Coat them with the Focus Sash Saving you... More then Likely it will KO the opponent, then you Explode on the thing that comes in next or set up Light Screen. (Timing of each of these moves depends on what you see obviously) Thunderbolt is your STAB attack, its really there only for filler... But it can come in handy in certain situations. You could even if you wanted use Thunder Wave in place of thunderbolt, just for the sake of disabling the next opponent comming in, but I donno if i like having a pokemon not have an attacking move. (explosion asside).

 

[cookie]

This thing screams Choice Scarf/Specs. With the first one you pretty much outspeed everything, and with the latter you still outspeed everything without Choice Scarf and your attacks pack a punch. Its movepool is absolute garbage though...for a Choice Specs set you'd use Tbolt or Thunder/Hidden Power/Explosion/Hyper Beam. Focus Sash/Mirror Coat sounds like a decent idea though.

 

[lilyhollow]

I was so ready to use this fellow with Choice Specs for my first team, but his movepool is just so horrible that I couldn't bring myself to use the poor guy.

Glad there's still some interest for Electrode, though.

 

[massi4h]

Yeah Sash + Coat + Explosion looks like a potential easy 2 kills.

 

[Chozo]

I'm not sure what to do with this. There has been practically no talk of 2v2 in DP yet, so saying Electrode is good at it sounds like an assumption to me...

For what it's worth, I've seen a ton of PBR videos on Youtube with exploding Pokemon out the wing-wong, including Pokemon like Snorlax and Qwilfish(!). The fact that Electrode is the fastest Explosion/SelfDestruct user that I can think of certainly doesn't hurt his viability in that format.

 

[Lord Alchemy]

Electrode@Choice Band
252 Attack, 252 Speed, 6 HP
-Explosion
-Sleep Talk

This one came up at a team building discussion we had at Super Nerd Pokemon Club at Super Nerd school (DigiPen). Always fun.

 

[toy]

i dont understand how that could be a good idea?

 

[megamanac]

I considered electrode as a nice support for my flinch-hax togekiss. You can switch in for a fast twave and switch out. Attack when you see a chance (hi gyarados xD), and explode when hp is low.

I like electrode, but its options are a bit restricted. With Choice scarfs, electrode can no longer expect to go first most of the time. =\

 

[Glen ^^]

I think Ninjask is a better option for poisoning your partner, his flying type will protect him against the common Earthquake in 2 on 2 battles.

Electrode also works in 1 on 1, a great opener for Weather abuse teams, also a good supporting Pokemon with Light Screen and Thunder Wave.

 

[Footnote]

Great stuff here. From what I'm reading, Electrode could be a good setup Pokémon in 1v1 too.

I think Ninjask is a better option for poisoning your partner, his flying type will protect him against the common Earthquake in 2 on 2 battles.

You have a point about avoiding Earthquake, but I think a lot of people overestimate its prevalence in real 2v2 matches. In D/P, Earthquake is only a 75-power move that hits everybody else. Ninjask is a lot more frail than Electrode and has 5 weaknesses, one of which is a double weakness. I'd be more worried about Ninjask getting hit by a Rock Slide, which is now a 56-power move that hits both foes. Something with a Ground move can take out Electrode quickly, but almost anything can take out a Ninjask quickly.

Also, if your Guts Pokémon is a Swellow, they're only hitting your Electrode (and possibly their partner) with Earthquake. A Rock Slide might take out both Ninjask and Swellow in one shot.