[OVERVIEW]
Zeraora's insane Speed tier and borderline unblockable Volt Switch make it one of the best offensive pivots in the tier. Its amazing coverage makes it possible to break through every common Electric-immune foe in the tier like Mamoswine, Krookodile, and Rhyperior, and its access to a speedy Knock Off gives it invaluable team support. Its decent power makes it extremely threatening to offensive teams, essentially mandating that those teams employ Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Krookodile in order to be safe against it. It also has a very dangerous Bulk Up set that turns common counterplay like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu on its head, giving it a layer of unpredictability. It can struggle to break past certain Pokemon depending on which set and coverage it runs, though. For example, its pivot set will never get through the aforementioned Grass-types or Amoonguss, so it can be easy to stop it from wallbreaking throughout a game, but it will still generate momentum against these foes. It can also occasionally struggle to revenge kill threats like Latias and Terrakion from full HP.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Plasma Fists
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Close Combat / Play Rough / Blaze Kick
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Plasma Fists is a strong STAB attack that nukes Pokemon weak to it like Primarina and Celesteela while doing good damage to offensive Pokemon that don't resist it. Knock Off cripples answers like Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Rhyperior, and Nidoqueen. Close Combat gives Zeraora coverage for Krookodile, the most common Ground-type in the tier, as well as Mamoswine and Rhyperior; Play Rough can be used instead to still hit Krookodile pretty hard while also nuking Kommo-o, though it makes it much harder for Zeraora to revenge kill Terrakion and Kyurem. Blaze Kick is a niche option on teams particularly weak to Scizor, and it comes with the added benefit of doing decent damage to Assault Vest Tangrowth and Amoonguss, making them less reliable counters. It also makes it possible for Zeraora to break through Tapu Bulu, having a good chance to 2HKO offensive variants. Volt Switch allows Zeraora to generate momentum on switch-ins that it can't break past, like Tapu Bulu and Salamence. An Adamant nature is preferred for the increased damage output, since there aren't many foes that outspeed Zeraora either way, but Jolly can be used to outspeed certain niche Pokemon like +1 Adamant Gyarados and Choice Scarf Diggersby, as well as outspeeding opposing Adamant Zeraora. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Zeraora to freely pivot in and out of battle without worrying about entry hazard damage while also giving it an excellent matchup against Sticky Web teams as a bonus.
Zeraora fits on just about any team thanks to how amazing its role compression and utility is, and as a result nearly every Pokemon in the tier makes for a decent partner. It's generally best suited for offensive teams but can also work just fine on bulkier teams that need an effective fast Pokemon and revenge killer but don't want to employ a Choice Scarf user. Victini is an amazing teammate that can incinerate nearly every Pokemon Zeraora baits in and switches out of with Volt Switch like Tangrowth and Amoonguss and creates a pivot core with it, bringing Zeraora in on Pokemon like Chansey and Slowking. Amoonguss and Tangrowth can switch into Zeraora checks like Choice Scarf Krookodile and Tapu Bulu, and both appreciate its ability to check their switch-ins like Latias. Skarmory also checks the aforementioned Pokemon and can provide Spikes support for Zeraora, making it much harder to switch into. Skarmory can also check the Grass-types that Zeraora struggles with. Latias can check these Grass-types and has a useful immunity to Ground, allowing it to check Pokemon like Rhyperior and Nidoqueen for Zeraora. It appreciates Zeraora's ability to bring it in safely via Volt Switch so that it gets opportunities to fire off attacks. Other wallbreakers like Terrakion, Lycanroc-D, and Obstagoon also appreciate Zeraora's Volt Switch support and can weaken checks like Amoonguss and Tapu Bulu for it.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Plasma Fists
move 3: Play Rough / Close Combat
move 4: Blaze Kick / Acrobatics
item: Leftovers / Shuca Berry / Lum Berry
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Bulk Up makes Zeraora very difficult to wall after a boost or two. A boosted Plasma Fists is strong enough to blitz through most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it, having a chance to OHKO even Pokemon as bulky as Terrakion after Stealth Rock. Play Rough OHKOes Kommo-o and gives Zeraora a reliable move to hit Latias. It can also KO weakened Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Kyurem, and Krookodile. Blaze Kick does huge damage to Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Amoonguss while also OHKOing Scizor. Close Combat nukes Krookodile after a boost and does a ton of damage to Pokemon like Mamoswine, Kyurem, and Rotom-H. It should be used with Acrobatics alongside a Berry like Shuca Berry, Lum Berry, or Sitrus Berry. Acrobatics hits all of Kommo-o, Latias, Tapu Bulu, and other Grass-types in one slot, making it much easier for Zeraora to choose its coverage, though it comes at the cost of an inconsistent item slot. Grassy Seed can be used on teams with Tapu Bulu alongside Acrobatics to consistently activate Zeraora's item while also giving it a useful Defense boost to set up with. An Adamant nature is chosen because it comes with better chances to KO Pokemon like Krookodile after Stealth Rock and a Bulk Up boost, but Jolly can be used to improve the matchup against opposing Zeraora.
Bulk Up Zeraora fits best on both entry hazard- and dual screens-based hyper offense teams. The former can be accomplished with hazard leads such as Mew and Skarmory, while dual screens can be set up by Grimmsnarl; Alolan Ninetales can also be used to set up Aurora Veil, but Grimmsnarl is generally preferred because the chip damage from Alolan Ninetales's hail can make Zeraora much easier to revenge kill. Alolan Ninetales can give Zeraora setup opportunities with Encore or Hypnosis, though. Partners that can break through the Pokemon this set struggles with depending on its coverage are important; for example, if Zeraora is running Close Combat + Acrobatics, breaking through Latias can be difficult, so partners like Azumarill and Galarian Moltres are helpful to have. They're also good checks to Choice Scarf Krookodile, which is one of the better ways to revenge kill this set if it hasn't accrued a lot of boosts. Tapu Bulu can also switch into Krookodile while potentially giving Zeraora the option to run Grassy Seed. Kommo-o can also take advantage of a Choice-locked Krookodile to set up Clangorous Soul, giving it good synergy with Zeraora by taking advantage of its best revenge killer. Breaking through bulky Ground-types like Nidoqueen can be difficult for this set, so Latias is a helpful partner. The aforementioned Galarian Moltres can also perform this role.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Calm Mind sets with Substitute are plausible but reliant on surprise factor to work, and in a vacuum they are outclassed by Raikou. However, they are much less telegraphed and can thus be effective; a spread of 80 HP / 184 Def / 32 Spe with a Timid nature can be used to outspeed Starmie and Raikou while ensuring that Zeraora's Substitute is not broken by Tangrowth's Knock Off, allowing Zeraora to set up on it. Grass Knot can be used on the pivot set to beat rare switch-ins like Rhyperior, Gastrodon, and Mudsdale but usually isn't worth dropping coverage for. Misty Seed is an option on Bulk Up sets with Misty Surge Galarian Weezing as a partner but is generally not preferred due to Galarian Weezing not being a great Pokemon on offensive teams. Toxic can be used over a coverage move, usually Knock Off, on the pivot set, but it is suboptimal because it leaves Zeraora unable to do anything of note to Amoonguss or Nidoqueen.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Common Ground-types like Krookodile and Nidoqueen are capable of switching into most of Zeraora's attacks and can force it out afterwards, though they don't like losing their item.
**Grass-types**: Tangrowth and Amoonguss permanently wall pivot Zeraora thanks to their great bulk and Regenerator, though it can circumvent this somewhat with Volt Switch. Tapu Bulu is less reliable due to Blaze Kick but is also a fairly good check. They must all be wary of Bulk Up sets, though.
**Dragon-types**: If Zeraora lacks Play Rough, it can struggle to deal with Pokemon like Salamence, Kommo-o, and even certain variants of Latias.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Lilburr, 481709]]
- Quality checked by: [[Juno, 444224], [Estarossa, 461329], [Twilight, 344575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
Zeraora's insane Speed tier and borderline unblockable Volt Switch make it one of the best offensive pivots in the tier. Its amazing coverage makes it possible to break through every common Electric-immune foe in the tier like Mamoswine, Krookodile, and Rhyperior, and its access to a speedy Knock Off gives it invaluable team support. Its decent power makes it extremely threatening to offensive teams, essentially mandating that those teams employ Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Krookodile in order to be safe against it. It also has a very dangerous Bulk Up set that turns common counterplay like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu on its head, giving it a layer of unpredictability. It can struggle to break past certain Pokemon depending on which set and coverage it runs, though. For example, its pivot set will never get through the aforementioned Grass-types or Amoonguss, so it can be easy to stop it from wallbreaking throughout a game, but it will still generate momentum against these foes. It can also occasionally struggle to revenge kill threats like Latias and Terrakion from full HP.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Plasma Fists
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Close Combat / Play Rough / Blaze Kick
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Plasma Fists is a strong STAB attack that nukes Pokemon weak to it like Primarina and Celesteela while doing good damage to offensive Pokemon that don't resist it. Knock Off cripples answers like Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Rhyperior, and Nidoqueen. Close Combat gives Zeraora coverage for Krookodile, the most common Ground-type in the tier, as well as Mamoswine and Rhyperior; Play Rough can be used instead to still hit Krookodile pretty hard while also nuking Kommo-o, though it makes it much harder for Zeraora to revenge kill Terrakion and Kyurem. Blaze Kick is a niche option on teams particularly weak to Scizor, and it comes with the added benefit of doing decent damage to Assault Vest Tangrowth and Amoonguss, making them less reliable counters. It also makes it possible for Zeraora to break through Tapu Bulu, having a good chance to 2HKO offensive variants. Volt Switch allows Zeraora to generate momentum on switch-ins that it can't break past, like Tapu Bulu and Salamence. An Adamant nature is preferred for the increased damage output, since there aren't many foes that outspeed Zeraora either way, but Jolly can be used to outspeed certain niche Pokemon like +1 Adamant Gyarados and Choice Scarf Diggersby, as well as outspeeding opposing Adamant Zeraora. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Zeraora to freely pivot in and out of battle without worrying about entry hazard damage while also giving it an excellent matchup against Sticky Web teams as a bonus.
Zeraora fits on just about any team thanks to how amazing its role compression and utility is, and as a result nearly every Pokemon in the tier makes for a decent partner. It's generally best suited for offensive teams but can also work just fine on bulkier teams that need an effective fast Pokemon and revenge killer but don't want to employ a Choice Scarf user. Victini is an amazing teammate that can incinerate nearly every Pokemon Zeraora baits in and switches out of with Volt Switch like Tangrowth and Amoonguss and creates a pivot core with it, bringing Zeraora in on Pokemon like Chansey and Slowking. Amoonguss and Tangrowth can switch into Zeraora checks like Choice Scarf Krookodile and Tapu Bulu, and both appreciate its ability to check their switch-ins like Latias. Skarmory also checks the aforementioned Pokemon and can provide Spikes support for Zeraora, making it much harder to switch into. Skarmory can also check the Grass-types that Zeraora struggles with. Latias can check these Grass-types and has a useful immunity to Ground, allowing it to check Pokemon like Rhyperior and Nidoqueen for Zeraora. It appreciates Zeraora's ability to bring it in safely via Volt Switch so that it gets opportunities to fire off attacks. Other wallbreakers like Terrakion, Lycanroc-D, and Obstagoon also appreciate Zeraora's Volt Switch support and can weaken checks like Amoonguss and Tapu Bulu for it.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Plasma Fists
move 3: Play Rough / Close Combat
move 4: Blaze Kick / Acrobatics
item: Leftovers / Shuca Berry / Lum Berry
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Bulk Up makes Zeraora very difficult to wall after a boost or two. A boosted Plasma Fists is strong enough to blitz through most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it, having a chance to OHKO even Pokemon as bulky as Terrakion after Stealth Rock. Play Rough OHKOes Kommo-o and gives Zeraora a reliable move to hit Latias. It can also KO weakened Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Kyurem, and Krookodile. Blaze Kick does huge damage to Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Amoonguss while also OHKOing Scizor. Close Combat nukes Krookodile after a boost and does a ton of damage to Pokemon like Mamoswine, Kyurem, and Rotom-H. It should be used with Acrobatics alongside a Berry like Shuca Berry, Lum Berry, or Sitrus Berry. Acrobatics hits all of Kommo-o, Latias, Tapu Bulu, and other Grass-types in one slot, making it much easier for Zeraora to choose its coverage, though it comes at the cost of an inconsistent item slot. Grassy Seed can be used on teams with Tapu Bulu alongside Acrobatics to consistently activate Zeraora's item while also giving it a useful Defense boost to set up with. An Adamant nature is chosen because it comes with better chances to KO Pokemon like Krookodile after Stealth Rock and a Bulk Up boost, but Jolly can be used to improve the matchup against opposing Zeraora.
Bulk Up Zeraora fits best on both entry hazard- and dual screens-based hyper offense teams. The former can be accomplished with hazard leads such as Mew and Skarmory, while dual screens can be set up by Grimmsnarl; Alolan Ninetales can also be used to set up Aurora Veil, but Grimmsnarl is generally preferred because the chip damage from Alolan Ninetales's hail can make Zeraora much easier to revenge kill. Alolan Ninetales can give Zeraora setup opportunities with Encore or Hypnosis, though. Partners that can break through the Pokemon this set struggles with depending on its coverage are important; for example, if Zeraora is running Close Combat + Acrobatics, breaking through Latias can be difficult, so partners like Azumarill and Galarian Moltres are helpful to have. They're also good checks to Choice Scarf Krookodile, which is one of the better ways to revenge kill this set if it hasn't accrued a lot of boosts. Tapu Bulu can also switch into Krookodile while potentially giving Zeraora the option to run Grassy Seed. Kommo-o can also take advantage of a Choice-locked Krookodile to set up Clangorous Soul, giving it good synergy with Zeraora by taking advantage of its best revenge killer. Breaking through bulky Ground-types like Nidoqueen can be difficult for this set, so Latias is a helpful partner. The aforementioned Galarian Moltres can also perform this role.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Calm Mind sets with Substitute are plausible but reliant on surprise factor to work, and in a vacuum they are outclassed by Raikou. However, they are much less telegraphed and can thus be effective; a spread of 80 HP / 184 Def / 32 Spe with a Timid nature can be used to outspeed Starmie and Raikou while ensuring that Zeraora's Substitute is not broken by Tangrowth's Knock Off, allowing Zeraora to set up on it. Grass Knot can be used on the pivot set to beat rare switch-ins like Rhyperior, Gastrodon, and Mudsdale but usually isn't worth dropping coverage for. Misty Seed is an option on Bulk Up sets with Misty Surge Galarian Weezing as a partner but is generally not preferred due to Galarian Weezing not being a great Pokemon on offensive teams. Toxic can be used over a coverage move, usually Knock Off, on the pivot set, but it is suboptimal because it leaves Zeraora unable to do anything of note to Amoonguss or Nidoqueen.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Common Ground-types like Krookodile and Nidoqueen are capable of switching into most of Zeraora's attacks and can force it out afterwards, though they don't like losing their item.
**Grass-types**: Tangrowth and Amoonguss permanently wall pivot Zeraora thanks to their great bulk and Regenerator, though it can circumvent this somewhat with Volt Switch. Tapu Bulu is less reliable due to Blaze Kick but is also a fairly good check. They must all be wary of Bulk Up sets, though.
**Dragon-types**: If Zeraora lacks Play Rough, it can struggle to deal with Pokemon like Salamence, Kommo-o, and even certain variants of Latias.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Lilburr, 481709]]
- Quality checked by: [[Juno, 444224], [Estarossa, 461329], [Twilight, 344575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
Last edited:
but usually isn't worth dropping coverage for 
