[OVERVIEW]
* Mega Sharpedo is a fearsome late-game cleaner thanks to its great pre-Mega ability in Speed Boost, access to a powerful STAB Crunch that is bolstered by Strong Jaw, and excellent coverage moves.
* Mega Sharpedo can be very difficult for offense to deal with after it has accumulated a Speed boost, (AC) as it can outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and slower Choice Scarf users such as Tyranitar at +1
* Unfortunately, Mega Sharpedo is quite frail, and as a result, it is susceptible to priority moves like Breloom's Mach Punch and Genesect's Extreme Speed.
* Reliance on Protect for procuring Speed boosts makes Mega Sharpedo somewhat predictable, and these free turns can be taken advantage of.
* Furthermore, Mega Sharpedo can come short of many OHKOs, therefore relying a lot on team support through entry hazards and chip damage to clean late-game.
[SET]
name: Cleaner
move 1: Protect
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Psychic Fangs
move 4: Waterfall / Poison Jab
item: Sharpedonite
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Protect allows Sharpedo to get a guaranteed Speed boost prior to Mega Evolving and can be used to scout the moves of the foe.
* Crunch is bolstered by Strong Jaw and gives Sharpedo a powerful STAB move to shred Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Latios, Starmie, and Gengar for super effective damage while retaining neutral coverage on the likes of Ferrothorn, Tapu Lele, and Mega Scizor.
* Psychic Fangs gives Sharpedo great neutral coverage by hitting Fighting-types such as Buzzwole, Keldeo, Kommo-o, and Bewear, as well as Poison-types like Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Toxapex.
* Waterfall hammers Ground-, Fire-, and Rock-types, such as Hippowdon, Gliscor, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Tyranitar, and Heatran.
* Alternatively, Poison Jab is a viable move to hit Fairy-types such as Azumarill, Primarina, Clefable, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Fini.
* Ice Fang targets Dragon-types such as Garchomp, Zygarde, Hydreigon, and Dragonite, as well as hitting Grass-types such as Tangwroth and Serperior for respectable damage.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed investment allows Mega Sharpedo to Speed tie with Choice Scarf Landorus-T at +1 Speed, as well as outpace key threats such as Mega Alakazam, Weavile, Dugtrio, Zygarde-10%, Serperior, Thundurus, Tornadus-T, and Mega Metagross.
* The 252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature power up Mega Sharpedo's Crunch and other physical coverage moves.
* A Jolly nature is viable for preventing Sharpedo from being outrun by Choice Scarf users like Genesect, Garchomp, and Tapu Lele at +1.
* Speed Boost is the mandatory ability for Sharpedo before Mega Evolving, as it can accumulate Speed boosts and turn into a terrifying cleaner.
Usage Tips
========
* Mega Sharpedo should be brought out against weakened offensive and balance teams, which it can tear up through its various coverage moves.
* Hammer the opposing team with teammates and entry hazard support, and clean up the remains with Mega Sharpedo once their team has been put in Crunch or any of its coverage moves' KO ranges.
* Do not Mega Evolve Sharpedo until the opposing team is sufficiently weakened and Sharpedo has accumulated enough Speed boosts to outpace everything on the field.
* Spam Crunch when the opponent lacks as a solid Dark-resistant Pokemon, as it boasts high Base Power and perfect accuracy.
* Against defensive teams, Mega Evolving right away is essential to break holes in the foe's Defense, unless the Speed boosts from the non-Mega Sharpedo is necessary to outpace Pokemon such as Dugtrio or Weavile.
* If a sweep is possible and multiple Speed boosts need to be procured, bring Sharpedo in on a Pokemon it forces out, such as Hippowdown or Excadrill.
* Try to avoid Mega Evolving until Intimidate users such as Gyarados and Landorus-T have been removed so that Mega Sharpedo can sweep without trouble.
Team Options
========
* Mega Sharpedo appreciates wallbreakers as partners because it fits on offensive teams and needs foes worn down prior to sweeping. Therefore, Pheromosa, Mega Alakazam, Tapu Koko, Greninja, Genesect, and Weavile are excellent partners. Tapu Lele deserves an honorable mention for setting up Psychic Terrain, thus granting Mega Sharpedo protection from priority moves such as Breloom's Mach Punch and Genesect's Extremespeed as well as boosting the power of Psychic Fangs.
* Entry hazards including; Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes punish switches and wear down the opposition fast, therefore Klefki, Scolipede, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Nihilego work well with Sharpedo.
* Mega Sharpedo loves teammates which can lure in its checks depending on which coverage moves it has, for example Fire Punch Diggersby and Hidden Power Fire Latios can eliminate Ferrothorn and Skarmory.
* Celebi checks Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Breloom and can Baton Pass Swords Dance boosts to Mega Sharpedo to bolster its Crunch and myriad of other Physical moves like Psychic Fangs and Waterfall.
* Magnezone is a solid partner that can remove bothersome Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Scizor. Dugtrio is also noteable for its ability to trap Toxapex, Magearna, and weaken teams in general with a powerful Earthquake.
* Grass-types such Tapu Bulu and Serperior can eliminate bulky Water-types which can halt Mega Sharpedo's attempt to sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Taunt provides good all-around utility, preventing Pokemon such as Skarmory, Scizor, and Quagsire from replenishing health, helping Sharpedo avoid being inflicted by status from the likes of Slowbro and Toxapex's Baneful Bunker, as well as overall improving Mega Sharpedo's matchup against defensive teams. Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of having a dramatically worse matchup versus offensive teams due to the inability to safely accumulate Speed boosts with Protect.
* Substitute allows Mega Sharpedo to evade status and gain more Speed boosts.
* Hidden Power Fire lets Mega Sharpedo lure and KO Steel-types such as Scizor and Ferrothorn.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Gyarados and Mega Gyarados take little damage from Sharpedo's arsenal and can set up multiple Dragon Dance on it. Azumarill, Tapu Fini, and Primarina are able to easily switch in on Mega Sharpedo's dual STAB combination, though they must beware of Poison Jab. Alomomola, Gastrodon, and Quagsire can prove bothersome for Mega Sharpedo to break through, particularly if they inflict it with a Scald burn.
**Priority Users**: Priority users such as Breloom, Genesect, Dragonite, and Zygarde-10% can all deal massive damage to Mega Sharpedo with their respective priority moves.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Tangwroth can stomach hits from Mega Sharpedo and simply OHKO it with a STAB move. Meanwhile, Tapu Bulu can completely wall any variants of Mega Sharpedo lacking Poison Jab.
* Mega Sharpedo is a fearsome late-game cleaner thanks to its great pre-Mega ability in Speed Boost, access to a powerful STAB Crunch that is bolstered by Strong Jaw, and excellent coverage moves.
* Mega Sharpedo can be very difficult for offense to deal with after it has accumulated a Speed boost, (AC) as it can outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and slower Choice Scarf users such as Tyranitar at +1
* Unfortunately, Mega Sharpedo is quite frail, and as a result, it is susceptible to priority moves like Breloom's Mach Punch and Genesect's Extreme Speed.
* Reliance on Protect for procuring Speed boosts makes Mega Sharpedo somewhat predictable, and these free turns can be taken advantage of.
* Furthermore, Mega Sharpedo can come short of many OHKOs, therefore relying a lot on team support through entry hazards and chip damage to clean late-game.
[SET]
name: Cleaner
move 1: Protect
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Psychic Fangs
move 4: Waterfall / Poison Jab
item: Sharpedonite
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Protect allows Sharpedo to get a guaranteed Speed boost prior to Mega Evolving and can be used to scout the moves of the foe.
* Crunch is bolstered by Strong Jaw and gives Sharpedo a powerful STAB move to shred Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Latios, Starmie, and Gengar for super effective damage while retaining neutral coverage on the likes of Ferrothorn, Tapu Lele, and Mega Scizor.
* Psychic Fangs gives Sharpedo great neutral coverage by hitting Fighting-types such as Buzzwole, Keldeo, Kommo-o, and Bewear, as well as Poison-types like Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Toxapex.
* Waterfall hammers Ground-, Fire-, and Rock-types, such as Hippowdon, Gliscor, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Tyranitar, and Heatran.
* Alternatively, Poison Jab is a viable move to hit Fairy-types such as Azumarill, Primarina, Clefable, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Fini.
* Ice Fang targets Dragon-types such as Garchomp, Zygarde, Hydreigon, and Dragonite, as well as hitting Grass-types such as Tangwroth and Serperior for respectable damage.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed investment allows Mega Sharpedo to Speed tie with Choice Scarf Landorus-T at +1 Speed, as well as outpace key threats such as Mega Alakazam, Weavile, Dugtrio, Zygarde-10%, Serperior, Thundurus, Tornadus-T, and Mega Metagross.
* The 252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature power up Mega Sharpedo's Crunch and other physical coverage moves.
* A Jolly nature is viable for preventing Sharpedo from being outrun by Choice Scarf users like Genesect, Garchomp, and Tapu Lele at +1.
* Speed Boost is the mandatory ability for Sharpedo before Mega Evolving, as it can accumulate Speed boosts and turn into a terrifying cleaner.
Usage Tips
========
* Mega Sharpedo should be brought out against weakened offensive and balance teams, which it can tear up through its various coverage moves.
* Hammer the opposing team with teammates and entry hazard support, and clean up the remains with Mega Sharpedo once their team has been put in Crunch or any of its coverage moves' KO ranges.
* Do not Mega Evolve Sharpedo until the opposing team is sufficiently weakened and Sharpedo has accumulated enough Speed boosts to outpace everything on the field.
* Spam Crunch when the opponent lacks as a solid Dark-resistant Pokemon, as it boasts high Base Power and perfect accuracy.
* Against defensive teams, Mega Evolving right away is essential to break holes in the foe's Defense, unless the Speed boosts from the non-Mega Sharpedo is necessary to outpace Pokemon such as Dugtrio or Weavile.
* If a sweep is possible and multiple Speed boosts need to be procured, bring Sharpedo in on a Pokemon it forces out, such as Hippowdown or Excadrill.
* Try to avoid Mega Evolving until Intimidate users such as Gyarados and Landorus-T have been removed so that Mega Sharpedo can sweep without trouble.
Team Options
========
* Mega Sharpedo appreciates wallbreakers as partners because it fits on offensive teams and needs foes worn down prior to sweeping. Therefore, Pheromosa, Mega Alakazam, Tapu Koko, Greninja, Genesect, and Weavile are excellent partners. Tapu Lele deserves an honorable mention for setting up Psychic Terrain, thus granting Mega Sharpedo protection from priority moves such as Breloom's Mach Punch and Genesect's Extremespeed as well as boosting the power of Psychic Fangs.
* Entry hazards including; Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes punish switches and wear down the opposition fast, therefore Klefki, Scolipede, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Nihilego work well with Sharpedo.
* Mega Sharpedo loves teammates which can lure in its checks depending on which coverage moves it has, for example Fire Punch Diggersby and Hidden Power Fire Latios can eliminate Ferrothorn and Skarmory.
* Celebi checks Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Breloom and can Baton Pass Swords Dance boosts to Mega Sharpedo to bolster its Crunch and myriad of other Physical moves like Psychic Fangs and Waterfall.
* Magnezone is a solid partner that can remove bothersome Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Scizor. Dugtrio is also noteable for its ability to trap Toxapex, Magearna, and weaken teams in general with a powerful Earthquake.
* Grass-types such Tapu Bulu and Serperior can eliminate bulky Water-types which can halt Mega Sharpedo's attempt to sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Taunt provides good all-around utility, preventing Pokemon such as Skarmory, Scizor, and Quagsire from replenishing health, helping Sharpedo avoid being inflicted by status from the likes of Slowbro and Toxapex's Baneful Bunker, as well as overall improving Mega Sharpedo's matchup against defensive teams. Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of having a dramatically worse matchup versus offensive teams due to the inability to safely accumulate Speed boosts with Protect.
* Substitute allows Mega Sharpedo to evade status and gain more Speed boosts.
* Hidden Power Fire lets Mega Sharpedo lure and KO Steel-types such as Scizor and Ferrothorn.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Gyarados and Mega Gyarados take little damage from Sharpedo's arsenal and can set up multiple Dragon Dance on it. Azumarill, Tapu Fini, and Primarina are able to easily switch in on Mega Sharpedo's dual STAB combination, though they must beware of Poison Jab. Alomomola, Gastrodon, and Quagsire can prove bothersome for Mega Sharpedo to break through, particularly if they inflict it with a Scald burn.
**Priority Users**: Priority users such as Breloom, Genesect, Dragonite, and Zygarde-10% can all deal massive damage to Mega Sharpedo with their respective priority moves.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Tangwroth can stomach hits from Mega Sharpedo and simply OHKO it with a STAB move. Meanwhile, Tapu Bulu can completely wall any variants of Mega Sharpedo lacking Poison Jab.
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