[OVERVIEW]
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[SET]
name: Screech
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Screech
move 4: Protect / Curse / Rest
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
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Team Options
========
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[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Pupitar can use Ancient Power in the final moveslot to fish for boosts when given a free turn to use it or when the extra damage of Rock Slide doesn't matter. If Pupitar is fortunate enough to get an omni-boost from Ancient Power, it can potentially win the game immediately. However, the chances for a boost are extremely unfavorable, Pupitar doesn't get many opportunities where it would rather use Ancient Power than Screech or Earthquake, and other moves like Protect often have better and more consistent overall utility. Pupitar can forgo Rock Slide to use multiple utility moves, usually Curse and Rest alongside Screech, to make itself better against Curse Normal-types like Wigglytuff and Porygon. Pupitar itself perma-walls Fearow and Pidgeot, which are immune to Earthquake, but it becomes a severe liability against Xatu and Pineco, thus requiring highly specific teambuilding to justify.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Octillery can switch into and threaten out Pupitar with a potential OHKO from Surf, and Octillery can keep itself healthy with RestTalk. However, Octillery is slower than Pupitar and is 3HKOed by Earthquake after Spikes, and if chipped sufficiently will fall to two Earthquakes or a Screech and an Earthquake on the switch-in. Dewgong can switch into Pupitar and, unlike Octillery, is faster than Pupitar. Dewgong can easily take Earthquakes and threaten an OHKO from Surf or a 2HKO with Ice Beam, and it often runs RestTalk for healing. However, Dewgong takes significant damage from Rock Slide and must be careful to keep itself healthy. If needed, Kingler can switch into Pupitar and threaten it with Hidden Power Ground or STAB Surf, but it prefers to stay healthy to keep a potential sweep intact and rarely runs a way to heal itself.
**Stantler**: Stantler is faster than Pupitar and can 2HKO it with Earthquake. Stantler is also never 2HKOed by Pupitar if healthy. However, if Stantler is asleep and has to use Sleep Talk, it is susceptible to poor Sleep Talk rolls and potentially being beat by Pupitar. Stantler also needs to keep itself healthy because it is 3HKOed by Earthquake, and Stantler's own Earthquake is often an easy entry point for Xatu, which often pairs with Pupitar.
**Primeape**: Primeape is faster than Pupitar, can easily switch into Rock Slide, and comes close to OHKOing it with STAB Cross Chop. Cross Chop's increased critical hit rate may also allow Primeape to OHKO Pupitar from full health. However, if Primeape is asleep and has to use Sleep Talk, it may repeatedly roll Thunder or Rest instead of Cross Chop. Cross Chop also has shaky accuracy, and Primeape often wants to use Thunder as much as possible to slam switch-ins like Xatu, Weezing, and Pineco, which could allow Pupitar to take a risk and stay in to use Earthquake again. Primeape must also be careful with its health since it is 3HKOed by Earthquake.
**Grass-types**: Gloom can switch into Pupitar and threaten it with Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, significant damage from Razor Leaf, or an OHKO from Hidden Power Grass. Gloom also runs Moonlight to keep itself healthy. However, Gloom is slower than Pupitar and can easily be pushed into range of a 2HKO from Earthquake with Spikes up. Non-Poison Grass-types like Bayleef and Exeggcute completely stifle Pupitar, but they are significantly less common.
**Status**: Poison from Pineco's Toxic, Weezing's Sludge Bomb, and Gloom's Sludge Bomb can severely limit Pupitar's opportunities to enter and stay in the battle and wear it down quickly. Paralysis from Wigglytuff's Body Slam and Gloom's Stun Spore almost totally neutralize Pupitar, since its Speed is so important for outrunning Octillery and it needs every turn it can get.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beeorsomething.583728/
Quality checked by:
Grammar checked by:
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[SET]
name: Screech
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Screech
move 4: Protect / Curse / Rest
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
placeholder
Team Options
========
placeholder
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Pupitar can use Ancient Power in the final moveslot to fish for boosts when given a free turn to use it or when the extra damage of Rock Slide doesn't matter. If Pupitar is fortunate enough to get an omni-boost from Ancient Power, it can potentially win the game immediately. However, the chances for a boost are extremely unfavorable, Pupitar doesn't get many opportunities where it would rather use Ancient Power than Screech or Earthquake, and other moves like Protect often have better and more consistent overall utility. Pupitar can forgo Rock Slide to use multiple utility moves, usually Curse and Rest alongside Screech, to make itself better against Curse Normal-types like Wigglytuff and Porygon. Pupitar itself perma-walls Fearow and Pidgeot, which are immune to Earthquake, but it becomes a severe liability against Xatu and Pineco, thus requiring highly specific teambuilding to justify.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Octillery can switch into and threaten out Pupitar with a potential OHKO from Surf, and Octillery can keep itself healthy with RestTalk. However, Octillery is slower than Pupitar and is 3HKOed by Earthquake after Spikes, and if chipped sufficiently will fall to two Earthquakes or a Screech and an Earthquake on the switch-in. Dewgong can switch into Pupitar and, unlike Octillery, is faster than Pupitar. Dewgong can easily take Earthquakes and threaten an OHKO from Surf or a 2HKO with Ice Beam, and it often runs RestTalk for healing. However, Dewgong takes significant damage from Rock Slide and must be careful to keep itself healthy. If needed, Kingler can switch into Pupitar and threaten it with Hidden Power Ground or STAB Surf, but it prefers to stay healthy to keep a potential sweep intact and rarely runs a way to heal itself.
**Stantler**: Stantler is faster than Pupitar and can 2HKO it with Earthquake. Stantler is also never 2HKOed by Pupitar if healthy. However, if Stantler is asleep and has to use Sleep Talk, it is susceptible to poor Sleep Talk rolls and potentially being beat by Pupitar. Stantler also needs to keep itself healthy because it is 3HKOed by Earthquake, and Stantler's own Earthquake is often an easy entry point for Xatu, which often pairs with Pupitar.
**Primeape**: Primeape is faster than Pupitar, can easily switch into Rock Slide, and comes close to OHKOing it with STAB Cross Chop. Cross Chop's increased critical hit rate may also allow Primeape to OHKO Pupitar from full health. However, if Primeape is asleep and has to use Sleep Talk, it may repeatedly roll Thunder or Rest instead of Cross Chop. Cross Chop also has shaky accuracy, and Primeape often wants to use Thunder as much as possible to slam switch-ins like Xatu, Weezing, and Pineco, which could allow Pupitar to take a risk and stay in to use Earthquake again. Primeape must also be careful with its health since it is 3HKOed by Earthquake.
**Grass-types**: Gloom can switch into Pupitar and threaten it with Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, significant damage from Razor Leaf, or an OHKO from Hidden Power Grass. Gloom also runs Moonlight to keep itself healthy. However, Gloom is slower than Pupitar and can easily be pushed into range of a 2HKO from Earthquake with Spikes up. Non-Poison Grass-types like Bayleef and Exeggcute completely stifle Pupitar, but they are significantly less common.
**Status**: Poison from Pineco's Toxic, Weezing's Sludge Bomb, and Gloom's Sludge Bomb can severely limit Pupitar's opportunities to enter and stay in the battle and wear it down quickly. Paralysis from Wigglytuff's Body Slam and Gloom's Stun Spore almost totally neutralize Pupitar, since its Speed is so important for outrunning Octillery and it needs every turn it can get.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beeorsomething.583728/
Quality checked by:
Grammar checked by:
Last edited: