**art is mine**
[OVERVIEW]
Milotic is a good defensive Water-type because it has an amazing matchup against bulky offensive teams. This is because unlike other bulky Water-types, Milotic isn't thwarted by status conditions thanks to Refresh, which, when combined with the move's high PP and Recover, allows Milotic to PP stall Pokemon that rely on status conditions to deal damage such as Registeel, Cresselia, and Porygon2. Milotic can also beat bulky setup sweepers such as Necrozma, Barbaracle, and Snorlax because of its access to Haze. Marvel Scale also helps with its niche, as it can allow Milotic to act as a status absorber and wall Pokemon like Dragon Dance Zygarde-10%. Unfortunately, Milotic's abilities don't aid it unless it outright walls certain Pokemon, and its low offensive output and Speed mean it is vulnerable to faster wallbreakers such as Virizion, Raikou, and Toxicroak and to Taunt users such as Noivern, Mandibuzz, and Mismagius. However, running Ice Beam does improve its matchup against Grass-types like Roserade and Mega Sceptile at the expense of being able to beat bulky offense teams. If Milotic chooses to forgo Refresh for Ice Beam, then it also becomes vulnerable to being worn down by status conditions more quickly. Milotic faces a lot of competition for a spot on a team; as a bulky Water-type, Slowbro, Gastrodon, and Mantine offer far superior utility by virtue of their typings, abilities, and access to Defog in Mantine's case, and as a status absorber, Machamp is far less passive.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Recover
move 3: Toxic / Haze
move 4: Refresh / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Marvel Scale
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Toxic improves Milotic's matchups against Mandibuzz, Araquanid, and Slowbro, while Haze can be used to beat setup Pokemon such as Sigilyph, Necrozma, and Zygarde-10%. Refresh allows Milotic to potentially beat more passive Pokemon like Registeel, Porygon2, and Bronzong thanks to the move's high PP. Ice Beam is a decent alternative to Refresh to improve Milotic's offensive output and chip away at Scald-resistant Pokemon such as Mega Sceptile, Noivern, and Toxicroak at the expense of Refresh's high PP and ability to beat bulky Pokemon. It's important to note that Milotic's moveset is incredibly flexible and can be customized to fit what its team needs.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread allows Milotic to avoid a 2HKO from Nidoqueen's Thunderbolt and Necrozma's +1 Photon Geyser as well as an OHKO from +2 Salazzle's Acid Downpour and Barbaracle's Continental Crush and makes it safer to stay in against Mega Blastoise in case Dark Pulse makes Milotic flinch. Marvel Scale allows Milotic to gain a Defense boost in case it is afflicted by a status condition, which can make it harder to take down.
Usage Tips
========
Milotic should use its bulk to pivot into Pokemon like Mega Blastoise, Metagross, Nidoqueen, Gardevoir, and Goodra. Afterwards, it can force out setup sweepers like Necrozma, Salazzle, and Barbaracle with Haze or the threat of a Scald burn. Be cautious with this play, (AC) because some of these Pokemon like Nidoqueen, Goodra, and Gardevoir can carry super effective coverage against Milotic, and Metagross and Gardevoir could just as easily threaten Milotic with Trick. Milotic can also easily pivot into bulky Pokemon like Registeel, Porygon2, and Cresselia and Scald users such as Slowbro, Mantine, and Gastrodon to gain a Defense boost from the status conditions they afflict. It can even PP stall these Pokemon by spamming Refresh due to the move's absurdly high PP. Use Ice Beam to pressure Grass- and Dragon-types, Toxicroak, and certain Defog users like Mandibuzz so that your team's entry hazards can stay on the field longer. Keep Milotic as healthy as possible so that it can beat the Pokemon it needs to. This means keeping Milotic away from Toxic if you choose to forgo Refresh, because its longevity will diminish over time despite the boost from Marvel Scale. Milotic is extremely passive, so it should avoid Taunt users such as Mandibuzz, Noivern, and Mismagius at all costs. Running Ice Beam does improve its matchup against Noivern and Mandibuzz, however.
Team Options
========
Milotic can fit on more defensive teams that need a solid wall, a status absorber, and a method to beat setup sweepers. A check to Grass- and Electric-types such as Noivern, Ninetales, and Nidoqueen is generally appreciated to give Milotic an easier time pivoting into offensive Pokemon. Other offensive Pokemon like Gardevoir, Necrozma, and Sigilyph can help Milotic combat Machamp and Toxicroak, two Pokemon that give it some trouble. Physically offensive Pokemon such as Golisopod, Virizion, and Bewear pair well with Milotic, as it can act as a check to Scald users for them. Golisopod in particular can benefit from Milotic's ability to threaten spinners like Donphan and Mega Blastoise, as well as target threatening Defog users like Mandibuzz and Sigilyph with Ice Beam to keep its Spikes on the field longer. Defensive teammates such as Slowbro, Porygon2, and Cresselia greatly appreciate Milotic's Haze support to prevent setup sweepers from quickly overwhelming them. They also love Milotic's ability to absorb status conditions to give them a much easier time walling offensive threats, and in return they can wall Pokemon that Milotic cannot alone such as Zygarde-10%, Tyrantrum, and Machamp.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon Tail could be used instead of Haze to offensively combat setup sweepers and has better synergy with entry hazards. However, Dragon Tail has less PP and has a chance to miss, which makes Haze the better choice. Competitive gives Milotic a method to beat Defog users and Sticky Web teams, but it misses out on Marvel Scale's defensive utility. Flame Orb can give Milotic an immediate Marvel Scale boost, but this is not recommended because it misses out on the passive recovery of Leftovers, and the need to use Recover more often invites more wallbreakers into battle.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Taunt and Trick Users**: Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Noivern, and Mismagius can threaten Milotic out of battle simply by using Taunt, which leaves Milotic with few options to retaliate against them. Noivern can also further cripple Milotic by using Switcheroo to give it a Choice Scarf. Other Trick users like Gardevoir and Espeon also threaten Milotic.
**Scald-resistant Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Virizion, Dragalge, and Slowking can easily threaten Milotic out of battle thanks to their resistance to Scald. Despite having the type advantage, Virizion does have to worry about being burned and switching into Ice Beam. Machamp can easily switch into Scald and gain a Guts boost from the burn. Toxicroak is especially dangerous, since it is immune to Scald thanks to Dry Skin and can easily set up against Milotic.
**Electric-types and Electric-type Coverage**: Raikou can easily force Milotic out of battle and begin setting up with Substitute and Calm Mind. Other Pokemon like Modest Nidoqueen and Choice Specs Goodra can carry Electric-type coverage moves to beat Milotic.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Roserade, Shaymin, and Mega Sceptile can pivot into Milotic and threaten it out of battle. They all can be threatened by Ice Beam, however.
**Status Conditions**: If Milotic runs Ice Beam over Refresh, it cannot combat status conditions as well. Even if Milotic runs Refresh, it still has to use a turn to get rid of poison from Toxic, which can give the foe an opportunity to take advantage of it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[zizalith, 410251], [phantom, 180300], [Averado, 409096]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Empress, 175616], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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