Pokémon Xurkitree

Plague von Karma

Banned deucer.
:xy/xurkitree:
:xurkitree:Xurkitree:xurkitree:​
Approved by Ruft. This is my first time doing this sort of thing, so feel free to point out if I've done anything wrong :psynervous:

General
Electric
Base Stats: 83 HP | 89 Atk | 71 Def | 173 SpA | 71 SpD | 83 Spe
Abilities: Beast Boost | Highest given stat is boosted by a stage upon KOing a Pokemon

Moveset
Wrap
Thundershock
Charge
Thunder Wave
Ingrain
Spark
Shock Wave
Hypnosis
Eerie Impulse
Thunder Punch
Discharge
Magnet Rise
Thunderbolt
Electric Terrain
Power Whip
Zap Cannon
Thunder Punch
Hyper Beam
Giga Impact
Solar Beam
Thunder Wave
Light Screen
Reflect
Rest
Snore
Protect
Rain Dance
Sunny Day
Facade
Fling
Round
Volt Switch
Electroweb
Electric Terrain
Eerie Impulse
Brutal Swing
Thunderbolt
Thunder
Substitute
Endure
Sleep Talk
Calm Mind
Energy Ball
Power Whip
Grass Knot
Electro Ball
Wild Charge
Dazzling Gleam
Rising Voltage | Electric | Special | 70 Base Power | 100 Accuracy | 32 PP | Doubles in Base Power under Electric Terrain against a grounded opponent. The Base Power increase stacks with the 1.3x terrain boost, so overall, it's 182 Base Power in this scenario.
Tail Glow (cannot be selected)
Hidden Power (cannot be selected)
Toxic
Double Team
Charge Beam
Swagger
Nature Power
Confide
Magic Coat
Gravity
Bind

Newly Obtainable Moves
Endure
Electro Ball
Rising Voltage

Notable Moves
Calm Mind
Dazzling Gleam
Discharge
Energy Ball
Grass Knot
Thunderbolt
Volt Switch
Rising Voltage

Overview
Pros
- Monumentally high Special Attack makes Xurkitree very difficult for some teams to wall, and even neutral targets will take heavy dents switching in. If bought in through support, it can usually get some solid damage in if there's no Electric-immune Pokemon in the back.
- Beast Boost is an incredible ability and gives Xurkitree solid late-game cleaning potential once its checks have been removed.
- Speed is just enough to outrun Base-80s, which lets it take on most bulky threats. However, there are exceptions. If Choice Scarfed and Timid it can beat out Scarf Gyarados and Togekiss, which is nice.
- Access to Volt Switch gives it pivoting qualities to gain momentum.
- Coverage in Energy Ball and Grass Knot gives Xurkitree ways to muscle past Ground-types attempting to switch in, scoring a Beast Boost to try and continue the offensive pressure.

Cons
- Xurkitree's lack of resistances and weakness to Ground-type attacks, combined with middling bulk, makes it very easy to outspeed and KO.
- Xurkitree has some pretty hefty competition in new faces like Regieleki, as well as old ones like Tapu Koko. Fitting it onto a team and justifying it sounds like a pain.
- Xurkitree's coverage is noticeably worse with the loss of Hidden Power Ice, making it easier to switch into than you'd expect, with Pokemon like Ferrothorn or Zeraora being quite pressing.
- The lack of Tail Glow and Z-Hypnosis really hurts this generation, with Xurkitree losing a big part of what made it viable in Gen 7. It's generally become much more linear. Calm Mind is still a thing in the way of setup, but its bulk seems too poor to try this.

Potential Sets
Choice Scarf
Xurkitree @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge / Thunderbolt
- Energy Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Volt Switch
This seems to be one of the better ways to use Xurkitree right now, revenge-killing a threat and trying to gain offensive momentum off of the Beast Boost. It's pretty straightforward. A Timid nature lets it beat out Scarf Gyarados and Togekiss, as mentioned before. Discharge feels like the better option for the paralysis chance, but Thunderbolt's power increase could be justified for trying to score that Beast Boost. Energy Ball and Dazzling Gleam are Xurkitree's only coverage options, but the prior helps a lot in staving off potential Ground-types. Volt Switch rounds out the set nicely to give Xurkitree's teammates the initiative.

I think Xurkitree could pair decently with Tapu Koko, since you could use Rising Voltage for even more nuclear power, but Regieleki may be a better choice due to the Speed.
 
If you’re still in denial over the loss of Z-Hypnosis, Blunder Policy Hypnosis can (basically) do the trick, for what it’s worth.

Loss of Tail Glow and Regieleki filling the role of “big numbers electric” really, really hurts an already mediocre pokemon though. At least it can slap Zygarde with Dazzling Gleam?
 
Last edited:
Delibird is Amazing said:
Wait I thought tail glow still exists in the game, it just got deleted from xurkitree's gen 8 movepool and you can just trade a gen 7 one?
Click to expand...
That is not the case. Tail Glow got cut. We've seen signature moves come back with their respective Pokemon, but that is not the case here because Tail Glow is originally Volbeat's signature move. Volbeat is not in the game. As such, Tail Glow has remained as a cut move from the game.
 
earl said:
If you’re still in denial over the loss of Z-Hypnosis, Blunder Policy Hypnosis can (basically) do the trick, for what it’s worth.

Loss of Tail Glow and Regieleki filling the role of “big numbers electric” really, really hurts an already mediocre pokemon though. At least it can slap Zygarde with Dazzling Gleam?
Click to expand...
I like the idea, but doesn't really work too well in practice. The success of Z-Hypnosis hinged on Xurk getting the speed boost AND landing the sleep. Now it only gets one or the other, and it can't even properly capitalize on either with the loss of Tail Glow. Imo its only viable set is Scarf, or maybe Specs for facing stall teams.
 
Empress Mobile said:
I like the idea, but doesn't really work too well in practice. The success of Z-Hypnosis hinged on Xurk getting the speed boost AND landing the sleep. Now it only gets one or the other, and it can't even properly capitalize on either with the loss of Tail Glow. Imo its only viable set is Scarf, or maybe Specs for facing stall teams.
Click to expand...

I mean, what else is it going to do? It has literally three coverage types and due to Transistor actually has weaker Electric attacks than Regi-electric. Oh, it's way slower as well. Specs Regi is basically Xurkitree but faster and stronger in almost every conceivable way. Xurkitree was fucking boned by the loss of Z moves, Hidden Power, and Tail Glow.

I would even go as far as to say Blunder Policy might be Xurkitree's only OU niche as it's pretty much inferior to Regi-electric otherwise.
 
MrHands said:
I mean, what else is it going to do? It has literally three coverage types and due to Transistor actually has weaker Electric attacks than Regi-electric. Oh, it's way slower as well. Specs Regi is basically Xurkitree but faster and stronger in almost every conceivable way. Xurkitree was fucking boned by the loss of Z moves, Hidden Power, and Tail Glow.

I would even go as far as to say Blunder Policy might be Xurkitree's only OU niche as it's pretty much inferior to Regi-electric otherwise.
Click to expand...
Its coverage is the only thing it has over Regieleki. I agree with everything you said about what Xurkitree lost in the transition to Gen 8. Blunder Policy imo just doesn't work though. Z-Hypnosis was a lot better, even if it was still inconsistent cheese, but it still needed to land the Hypnosis to pull off the sweep in most cases. Now if Xurk lands the Hypnosis, it won't get the speed boost and will be revenge killed by nearly the entire offensive metagame. If it gets the speed boost that's great, but then it doesn't get the free turn to set up. And even if it does get a free turn miraculously, Xurk at +2 Spe/+1 SpA/+1SpD at low health is not threatening. Running this set forces it to run only one coverage move as well. Overall I agree with what you're saying though. All of its sets are mediocre and easily outclassed by Tapu Koko and Regieleki and possibly even Zeraora.
 
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