Overview
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Meloetta has great 100 / 128 special bulk, allowing it to tank a lot of special hits and even some super effective ones. Meloetta also has access to a very diverse movepool with good attacking options such as Hyper Voice, Psyshock, and Dazzling Gleam; various setup options such as Relic Song and Calm Mind; and great utility moves such as Trick, U-turn, and Thunder Wave. Meloetta, in its Pirouette forme, also outspeeds a ton of common checks to its Aria forme, such as Krookodile and Hydreigon, allowing it to hit them with a super effective STAB Close Combat and surprise other Pokemon that outspeed it in its Aria forme.
Despite Meloetta's superb special bulk, it has an underwhelming 100 / 77 physical bulk, making it more weak to Knock Off and U-turn than it already is. Its typing doesn't help matters either, providing only a resistance to Psychic and an immunity to Ghost while also making it weak to Bug- and Dark-type moves. It also has an average base 90 Speed stat in its Aria forme, meaning it is outsped by a ton of common Pokemon such as Mienshao, Darmanitan, and Sharpedo. Serene Grace isn't very useful either, although it helps grab some clutch Special Defense drops from Psychic or sleep turns from Relic Song.
SubCM
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name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Psyshock
move 4: Hyper Voice / Focus Blast
ability: Serene Grace
item: Leftovers
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Substitute provides Meloetta with a way to avoid status, especially from Scald, and more setup opportunities. Calm Mind boosts Meloetta's already decent Special Attack and Special Defense stats. Psyshock allows Meloetta to win Calm Mind wars against other Pokemon such as Suicune, as it hits them on their non-boosted Defense stat. Hyper Voice is a great secondary STAB move, hitting through other Substitutes; however, you can opt for Focus Blast instead if you want a more reliable way to beat Steel-, Dark-, and Normal-types such as Mega Aggron, Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Snorlax super effectively.
Set Details
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Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs let Meloetta hit as hard and as fast as possible; however, a spread of 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe with a Timid nature may be used instead to still outspeed Jolly Toxicroak and Heracross while providing a bit more bulk. This spread can also set up more easily on Blissey, as Meloetta can produce 101 HP Substitutes. Leftovers is the preferred item to give Meloetta more Substitutes and a bit of recovery as well. A Timid nature means Meloetta isn't threatened by Pokemon that would otherwise outspeed it, such as Toxicroak and Heracross.
Usage Tips
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This Meloetta set is a great win condition against stall and semi-stall teams thanks to its ability to win Calm Mind wars with Psyshock and threaten foes that are resistant or immune to Psychic, such as Reuniclus and Krookodile, with Hyper Voice. Meloetta should be brought in mid- or late-game and is best setting up on attacks that cannot break its Substitute, such as an unboosted Scald from Suicune. Another way to set up is on Pokemon that can only inflict damage with Toxic or weak moves, such as Alomomola and Florges.
Team Options
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This set appreciates wallbreakers to wear down Steel-types that force Meloetta out. Entei is a particularly good partner, as it can hit Steel-types with a super effective STAB move and spread burns, wearing down the opponent's team. Entry hazard support is necessary as well. Forretress is a particularly good partner, as it can sponge physical hits early-game and also clear entry hazards thanks to its access to Rapid Spin.
Choice Specs
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name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Psyshock / Psychic
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Trick / Shadow Ball
ability: Serene Grace
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Hyper Voice is an obligatory STAB move that hits very hard and can bypass Substitutes. Psyshock is nice to get around special walls such as Blissey and Florges; however, Psychic hits Mega Aerodactyl harder, along with Rhyperior and Cobalion. Focus Blast is a good coverage move, hitting bulky Steel-types such as Mega Aggron along with Dark-types such as Krookodile. Trick is a good utility move that cripples walls that may switch in, such as Alomomola. Shadow Ball, however, allows Meloetta to hit Ghost-types, such as Doublade and Chandelure, hard.
Set Details
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Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs allow Meloetta to hit as hard and as fast as it can. Choice Specs boosts Meloetta's already amazing base 128 Special Attack stat. A Timid nature makes sure that Meloetta Speed ties with other positive-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Moltres while also outspeeding otherwise major threats such as Heracross.
Usage Tips
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Bring Meloetta in early-game to break down walls and wear them down to allow teammates opportunities to set up or continue to apply the pressure. Meloetta can also be useful even after Tricking away its item, as it has decent special bulk and can still hit pretty hard. Meloetta can also come in on common walls, as it has a way around both special and physical walls thanks to its access to Psyshock and good special coverage moves.
Team Options
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Setup sweepers such as Nasty Plot Infernape and Swords Dance Toxicroak love having walls weakened. They also provide offensive synergy, as both can easily break Steel-types that tend to switch into Meloetta, which has to rely on Focus Blast to deal with them. Entry hazard support is very much appreciated, as this Meloetta set can force a lot of switches. Forretress can provide a wide range of entry hazards while being able to bring in Meloetta safely thanks to a slow Volt Switch, while Tentacruel can provide Toxic Spikes and Scald burns, both of which apply a ton of pressure on the opponent.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Hyper Voice
move 3: Psychic / Psyshock
move 4: Trick / Focus Blast
ability: Serene Grace
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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U-turn allows Meloetta to gain easy momentum against common switch-ins, such as Blissey and Florges. Hyper Voice is a great STAB move that allows Meloetta to hit Pokemon behind Substitutes. Psychic is a nice STAB move as well that hits harder than Psyshock, although Psyshock still hits special walls harder. Trick can cripple slow walls, such as Snorlax or Forretress; however, Focus Blast provides Meloetta with a way to beat Steel- and Dark-types, such as Mega Aggron and Krookodile.
Set Details
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Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs allow Meloetta to hit as hard and as fast as possible. A Timid nature means Meloetta is not outsped by positive-natured maximum Speed Mega Aerodactyl or other Mega Evolutions such as Beedrill. A Choice Scarf is the obvious item, as it patches up Meloetta's average base 90 Speed stat, letting it outspeed the whole unboosted metagame.
Usage Tips
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Slapping a Choice Scarf on Meloetta means it can be a decent revenge killer. This set should be brought in after a teammate has fainted to make sure Meloetta doesn't take unnecessary damage. Watch out for other Choice Scarf users, as most common ones, such as Mienshao and Salamence, still outspeed Meloetta.
Team Options
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This set appreciates wallbreakers, as it is more of a late-game cleaner than the other sets. Pokemon such as Entei and Darmanitan are good examples, as their Fire-type STAB moves allow them to roast Steel-types, which tend to wall Meloetta. This set also appreciates entry hazards removed, as it has no sort of recovery. Forretress and Tentacruel make for good partners, as the former is immune to Toxic Spikes and neutral to Stealth Rock while the latter absorbs Toxic Spikes and has Scald to spread burns. This set appreciates entry hazard support as well due to Meloetta being able to force switches easily. Pokemon such as Mega Swampert and Nidoqueen can provide power while setting up Stealth Rock easily.
Cleric Support
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name: Cleric Support
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Hyper Voice / U-turn
move 3: Heal Bell / U-turn / Knock Off
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic
ability: Serene Grace
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Calm / Careful
Moves
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Perish Song allows Meloetta to provide stall with a way to beat setup Pokemon such as Reuniclus and Alakazam, which are not crippled by status thanks to their Magic Guard ability. Hyper Voice allows Meloetta to hit Pokemon behind Substitutes; however, Ghost-types are immune to Hyper Voice and can switch into it at any time. U-turn can be used to gain easy momentum. Heal Bell gives Meloetta a way to get rid of the team's status, and it can do so multiple times thanks to the switches Perish Song warrants. If you already have a cleric and opted for Hyper Voice in the second slot, U-turn can be used here, as it is useful for gaining momentum off of forced switches due to Perish Song. Knock Off gets rid of Leftovers and other useful items such as Nidoqueen's Life Orb. Toxic puts the opponent's Pokemon on a timer, while Thunder Wave allows Meloetta to cripple offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl and Crobat.
Set Details
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Maximum HP and Special Defense EVs allow Meloetta to make use of its great 100 / 128 special bulk. A Calm nature is used to boost Meloetta's already excellent special bulk even further; however, a Careful nature can be used if you decide to opt for U-turn + Knock Off. Leftovers provides Meloetta with a form of passive recovery.
Usage Tips
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This set should be used exclusively to check setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Reuniclus, Substitute + Calm Mind Cresselia, and other Pokemon that are otherwise major threats to stall teams. Try not to bring it in on any physical attacks, as even strong neutral hits will tend to cause some major damage to Meloetta.
Team Options
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This set really appreciates Wish support so that it can continue tanking special hits, as it has no form of reliable recovery. Pokemon such as Alomomola, Aromatisse, and Vaporeon have decent physical Defense to complement Meloetta's special bulk, and each provides their own unique support. This set also appreciates entry hazard support, as it can force a lot of switches thanks to Perish Song. Pokemon such as Forretress and Chesnaught provide Spikes support to wear down the opponent's team quickly; Forretress can also remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin and set up two other entry hazards, Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes.
En Pointe
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name: En Pointe
move 1: Relic Song
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Return
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Serene Grace
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
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Relic Song is needed to allow Meloetta to change from its Aria forme to its Pirouette forme. It also happens to have a 20% chance to put the foe to sleep thanks to Serene Grace. Close Combat is a great STAB move that allows Meloetta-P to get around special walls such as Blissey while hitting Steel-types, which normally wall Meloetta-A, hard. Return is the obligatory Normal-type STAB move; it gets perfect neutral coverage alongside Close Combat bar Ghost-types. Knock Off provides Meloetta-P with a way to hit Ghost-types and remove items from foes, crippling them for the rest of the match.
Set Details
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Maximum Attack EVs are used to allow Meloetta's Pirouette forme to hit as hard as it can. 216 Speed EVs allow Meloetta to outspeed Jolly Heracross and Toxicroak before Mega Evolving and Noivern after Mega Evolving. The rest is dumped into Special Attack to allow Relic Song to hit a bit harder. Life Orb boosts the power of all of Meloetta's attacks and allows it to switch between moves. A Naive nature is preferred to not lower either of Meloetta's offenses while also allowing it to take common priority attacks in UU.
Usage Tips
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This set can surprise some of Meloetta's common checks and counters, such as Blissey and Snorlax, as it now has a super effective STAB move with which to get around these special walls. It also gains a boost to its Speed, outspeeding old threats such as Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Mienshao.
Team Options
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This set appreciates entry hazard support, as Meloetta-P can force switches a lot easier thanks to its boost in Speed and different STAB combination. Pokemon such as Forretress and Tentacruel can set up and remove entry hazards to allow more switches for Meloetta. This set also likes the support of wallbreakers such as Entei and Life Orb Hydreigon, as they can easily wear down common walls that switch into Meloetta. Entei is great in particular, as it can spread burns thanks to its access to Sacred Fire.
Other Options
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Assault Vest is a decent item that allows Meloetta to tank all kinds of special hits while also being able to use the plethora of attacking moves it has. However, Meloetta isn't very powerful on its own and thus really likes the boosts it gets from Life Orb or Choice Specs; running an Assault Vest also prohibits it from boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense with Calm Mind. Meloetta has access to Thunderbolt, which could allow it to beat Suicune; however, Psyshock does this already and Meloetta doesn't need Thunderbolt otherwise. Dazzling Gleam can be used as a more reliable way to hit Dark-types; however, common Dark-types are faster, and Focus Blast hits them harder while allowing Meloetta to keep coverage on Mega Aggron and Snorlax. Grass Knot or Energy Ball can be good for the Choice Specs set to hit bulky Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Swampert, although Meloetta already has a hard time picking coverage moves and can usually cripple these Pokemon via Trick.
Checks & Counters
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**Faster Pokemon**: Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Mienshao and Hydreigon, can outspeed all of Meloetta's sets and U-turn out, wearing Meloetta down while gaining momentum.
**Physical Attackers**: Pokemon such as Mega Beedrill, Choice Scarf Heracross, and Choice Scarf Mienshao all threaten Meloetta with their STAB or coverage moves and can outspeed every Meloetta set.
**Pursuit**: Pokemon such as Krookodile and Mega Aerodactyl not only outspeed Meloetta but also can carry Pursuit, which is a huge thorn in Meloetta's side.
**Special Walls**: Pokemon such as Florges and Blissey can handle Meloetta's Choice sets; however, they must watch out for Psyshock from the Choice Specs set, which can 2HKO both of them after Stealth Rock damage. Curse Snorlax is especially a nuisance, as it can boost its Defense and render Psyshock useless.
**Bulky Steel-types**: Pokemon such as Mega Aggron and Empoleon only have to watch out for Focus Blast, as Meloetta's other moves do not hit hard enough to overpower them. Assault Vest Escavalier resists Psyshock and can take any move Meloetta has, including Focus Blast.
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