UU Porygon2

[OVERVIEW]

Porygon2's great Eviolite-boosted bulk allows it to be one of the bulkiest defensive Pokemon in the metagame and check threats such as Latias, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Aerodactyl with the adequate support. It has also access to Trace, a good defensive ability that allows Porygon2 to check foes such as Volcanion with their own abilities or gain some useful abilities such as Technician and Poison Heal temporarily. Porygon2's movepool is expansive, as it has access to support moves such as Recover, Toxic, and Thunder Wave, and it can also use some offensive moves such as Discharge, Ice Beam, and Tri Attack, meaning it doesn't have to stick to one common set. However, its Normal typing is only average, as it gives it no resistances, only one immunity to the uncommon Ghost type, and a weakness to one of the most common offensive types, Fighting, making it weak to Pokemon such as Infernape, Terrakion, Heracross, and Cobalion. It also relies too much on Eviolite, making it vulnerable to threats like Mamoswine and Krookodile due to their access to Knock Off. Toxic poison makes Porygon2 unreliable and decreases its longevity, as the residual damage makes Porygon2 unable to pivot into attacks decently due to the lack of Leftovers's passive recovery. It's also easily walled by some bulky Pokemon and can be used as setup fodder by bulky setup sweepers that don't mind Toxic or Thunder Wave such as Suicune, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Recover
move 2: Tri Attack / Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Toxic / Thunder Wave
item: Eviolite
ability: Trace
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Recover is Porygon2's main way to stay healthy, enabling it to pivot throughout the battle and reliably check threats such Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Starmie. STAB-boosted Tri Attack hits decently hard, can randomly burn, paralyze, or freeze the opposing Pokemon, and can hit Mega Altaria super effectively after Tracing Pixilate. It also hits Pokemon such as Infernape, Rotom-W, and Mega Manectric for decent damage. Ice Beam hits huge threats such as Gliscor, Hydreigon, and Mega Aerodactyl super effectively. Hidden Power Fire is a more conventional option to beat Steel-types such as Scizor and Magneton, OHKOing the former after Porygon2 Traces Technician. Toxic is useful to stall out opposing walls and weaken them considerably and to deal with Rotom-W and Calm Mind Latias. Alternatively, Thunder Wave can help to cripple more offensive threats such as Terrakion and Cobalion by halving their Speed to allow slower teammates an easier time against them. Thunderbolt could be used to beat opposing Water-types such as Mantine, Mega Sharpedo, and Suicune, but most of them are already threatened by either Tri Attack or Toxic.

Set Details
========

252 EVs in HP are used in order to maximize Porygon2's overall bulk, and 120 EVs in Defense let Porygon2 take a Superpower from Choice Band Scizor after Stealth Rock while being able to take on Mega Sharpedo and Mega Aerodactyl well. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Defense with a Calm nature to better take on special attackers such as Hydreigon, Mega Pidgeot, and Mega Sceptile. Eviolite is the best item to run, as it boosts Porygon2's defenses and gives it bulk. Trace is the ability that fits best with the defensive set, as it can temporarily copy the foe's ability, enabling Porygon2 to check Manectric decently before it Mega Evolves, check Scizor by Tracing Technician, and check Gliscor by Tracing Poison Heal.

Usage Tips
========

Porygon2 is used as a great catch-all check to many threats such as Mega Sharpedo and Latias. Porygon2 has enough bulk to tank at least two hits from those threats, and it can beat them by crippling them with Toxic and spamming Recover until they faint. Porygon2's HP must be near full to check the threats it needs to, so use Recover liberally to keep it healthy, and avoid switching in on entry hazards and allowing Porygon2 to get crippled by Toxic as much as possible. It also must watch out for opposing Knock Off users such Krookodile and Alolan Muk, as it needs its Eviolite to reliably check opposing threats. Even though it has great bulk, Porygon2 can't take on Fighting-types and bulky setup sweepers and should be saved by switching out against them. Scout for moves that can wear down Porygon2, such as Taunt + Superpower from Hydreigon and Knock Off from Scizor. Trace should be taken advantage of against the opponent; try to understand how you can make use of opposing's Pokemon abilities from Team Preview.

Team Options
========

Porygon2 fits better on balanced teams, and staples such as Mega Aggron, Amoonguss, and Gliscor are perfect teammates for it, as they can absorb Knock Off without any problem in most cases, don't worry about switching in on Toxic, and can stop many setup sweepers with Roar, Clear Smog, Spore, and Taunt. Z-Move Cobalion is also a decent switch-in to Knock Off, Trick, and Toxic and can pressure bulky cores if it runs Swords Dance. Latias is also a good entry hazard remover that pairs well with Porygon2, as it can check common Fighting-types, especially Swords Dance Cobalion, a major threat that can use Porygon2 as setup fodder if it doesn't pack Thunder Wave, and it can switch into Trick if it runs a Z-Move and break down some cores if it runs Calm Mind over Defog. Pokemon that resist Fighting such as Sylveon appreciate Porygon2's ability to check Nidoking, Nihilego, and Scizor to an extent, and Sylveon can support Porygon2 with Heal Bell. Doublade is also a decent Fighting-type check but is also weak to Knock Off. Tentacruel and Nidoqueen are two Pokemon that can set up Toxic Spikes, which helps Porygon2 to beat opposing walls if it isn't running Toxic; they can also absorb Toxic Spikes thanks to their Poison typing, and Tentacruel can use Rapid Spin to clear hazards and Haze to prevent setup. Jellicent is a decent stallbreaker that can spinblock, check Fighting-types, and trouble walls, but it shares an annoying weakness to Toxic and Knock Off if it doesnt run Colbur Berry. Porygon2 also struggles against defensive teams, so having a stallbreaker such as Heracross, Nasty Plot Togekiss, or Swords Dance Gliscor on its team is helpful.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Foul Play can be used to beat physical setup sweepers such as Doublade more easily. Magic Coat is also viable, as it can surprise foes that try to use Taunt or status moves on Porygon2, but Porygon2 suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, meaning it's hard to find a slot to fit Magic Coat on. An offensive set with maximum investment in Special Attack, Download, and 3 attacking moves could be used, but it sacrifices a part of Porygon2's bulk. Porygon2 is a decent Trick Room setter thanks to its bulk with Eviolite; an optimal set would pack Download, a Quiet nature, 0 Speed IVs, and 252 EVs in HP and Special Attack to ensure that Porygon2 outspeeds as many Pokemon as possible under Trick Room and hits hard. A Z-Conversion set with Download as its ability can make a good alternative to the offensive set and fits well on VoltTurn teams, but having to rely on a one-time move to be bulky and fast enough doesn't make it really reliable.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-type Pokemon and Attacks**: Pokemon such as Terrakion, Cobalion, and Heracross threaten Porygon2 with their powerful super effective STAB attacks. Porygon2 is also weak to common coverage moves such as Focus Blast, Aura Sphere, and Superpower, allowing some attackers such as Mega Sceptile, Mega Blastoise, and Scizor to beat it despite its high defenses.

**Knock Off and Trick**: Porygon2 becomes unable to perform well and check threats it should without its Eviolite, which is why it should avoid facing Knock Off users such as Mega Absol, Krookodile, and Mega Beedrill. Trick is an another way to remove Porygon2's Eviolite, leaving it unable to switch in on attacks and locking it into one move, which prevents it from effectively utilizing its support movepool; Togekiss and Latias often run Trick with a Choice item.

**Bulky Setup Sweepers**: Bulky setup sweepers, especially Calm Mind users, such as Reuniclus, Suicune, and Snorlax, can use Porygon2 as setup fodder and boost their stats without much trouble, as they don't care about status and can recover from Porygon2's hits or tank them easily.

**Residual Damage**: Toxic poison, sand, hail, and entry hazards can wear down Porygon2, preventing it from switching in on threats and being as effective as it should be.
 
Last edited:

Deleted User 400951

Banned deucer.
Yeah, I'm not QC but a z-conversion set should definitely be added to this if you're continuing it imo. It's p good in this meta. What the set is (moves and stuff) are up to you but yeah defensive is definitely not the only set in this metagame. There are some other points I could make but for now I'll just wait until z-conversion is added.
 
Yeah, I'm not QC but a z-conversion set should definitely be added to this if you're continuing it imo. It's p good in this meta. What the set is (moves and stuff) are up to you but yeah defensive is definitely not the only set in this metagame. There are some other points I could make but for now I'll just wait until z-conversion is added.
up to qc
 

Eyan

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Discussed with quite a few people, since I really wasn't sure about the viability of the set itself, and we came to the conclusion that Z-Conversion should just be left in OO. It's a neat sweeper, but the lack of bulk prior to using the Z-Move and lack of Speed either way combined with the one-time usage of the setup move is pretty underwhelming. In most cases, I'd rather just use offensive Eviolite tbh. Not to say it's completely trash since it doesn't get easily revenge killed in conventional ways, and it takes advantage of the common VoltTurn pretty nicely, but not that great.

I'll check this properly soon. In the meantime, try to update it for the current meta and threats imo. Sorry for the wait.
 

Eyan

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Okay 4 months later, let's finally get this underway, which would probably require quite the update.

Overview:
  • First point: its bulk on its own isn't great without the Eviolite. I get what you're going for, but rephrase it to say how its bulk is decent and that it's very bulky after the boost from Eviolite.
  • Third point: Foul Play isn't really a support move, so I'd remove that.
  • Fourth point: Remove Conkeldurr and Buzzwole mentions. Add something like Infernape and Heracross.
  • Fifth point: I'd rework this a little. Basically, first mention how it's reliant on Eviolite. Then talk about how it's weak to Knock Off against threats like Krookodile and Mamoswine. Finally, mention how it can be easily worn down by residual damage like Toxic poison. You've got the gist now, but the phrasing is a little confusing.
  • Sixth point: I'd specify that it's setup fodder for bulky setup sweepers that aren't too bothered by Porygon2's status moves, since a lot of them would not like taking a Toxic (or even Thunder Wave).
Set:
  • The meta has changed a lot since this was written, so right now, the way to go set wise would probably be the following:
name: Defensive
move 1: Recover
move 2: Tri Attack / Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Toxic / Thunder Wave
item: Eviolite
ability: Trace
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD

Not 100% set on the EVs, so if other QC people think it should be changed, we'll see. For now, though, this EV spread allows Porygon2 to guarantee to survive a Choice Band-boosted Superpower from Adamant Scizor after Stealth Rock, as well as taking on other stuff like Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Sharpedo like you mentioned. You still retain enough special bulk to do stuff like not get 3HKOed by Mega Pidgeot's Hurricane or 2HKOed by Mega Sceptile's Focus Blast. Scizor is such a major threat now that Hidden Power Fire deserves more than just a Moves mention.

Moves:
  • Recover point is fine.
  • Tri Attack point: remove the part about how BoltBeam is preferred here. It offers neutral coverage so you can actually do damage to stuff like Infernape and Rotom-W, granted they both don't appreciate getting statused. It's worth noting that Tri Attack can actually do super effective damage to Mega Altaria thanks to Pixilate from Trace if it switches into Altaria after it has Mega Evolved.
  • Ice Beam point: give examples of specific Pokemon you'd want to hit, although the most prominent example would be Gliscor, which is huge right now, and it's immune to both Toxic and Thunder Wave. Some other examples could be like Mega Aerodactyl and Hydreigon.
  • Hidden Power Fire point: The gist is there. Just remove the Forretress mention since it's unranked in the VR now, and emphasise a bit more on Scizor + remove the part saying how it fits better with Download. Switching into Scizor, tracing Technician, and proceeding to OHKO Scizor is pretty cool too.
  • Toxic is preferable due to how it's basically Porygon2's main way of dealing with threats like Calm Mind Latias and Rotom-W.
  • Thunder Wave point is fine, just give some concrete examples such as basically any Fighting- or Steel-type.
  • Other just than reflecting the set changes I suggested with the above, you'd include Discharge / Thunderbolt here, mentioning what it allows Porygon2 to do and why it's not as good of an option (think in terms of stuff like Mantine that gets hit being crippled by Toxic anyway).
  • Remove Foul Play. The main things you'd want to hit aren't super relevant right now, so you're better off leaving it to Other Options. Other stuff you could hit are hit better by other moves.
Set Details:
  • Update the explanation of the spread with what I suggested above.
  • Trace point: Give examples such as the part about tracing Scizor's Technician from earlier or stuff like tracing Gliscor's Poison Heal to effectively counter it, especially with Ice Beam. There's also it allowing Porygon2 to be a very hard counter to Manectric that has yet to Mega Evolve due to Lightningrod. I wouldn't bother mentioning Download or Analytic in this part here, since I'd just be running an offensive spread if I wanted Download. Analytic is pretty mediocre overall.
Usage Tips:
  • Second point: To add on to the part about switching into hazard stacking to minimise residual damage, mention how it should avoid getting poisoned by Toxic as much as possible, since it has no way of getting rid of it, which is going to diminish its bulk greatly.
  • Third point: remove the Mew mention and give some more common Knock Off users such as Krookodile and Alolan Muk.
  • Fifth point: Reword this to say how it has sufficient bulk to typically take a hit from those big threats, and it's then able to hit them with a status move before slowly wearing them down by spamming Recover. Shift this point to be right after the first one.
  • Fourth, fifth, and seventh point: To be honest, these points are fairly redundant to mention. Compound them all into one and talk about how Porygon2 is bulky, but its bulk and ability to check threats shouldn't be overestimated, and as such, it should still be preserved and switched out against strong Fighting-types and the like.
  • Additional point: Talk about how to use Trace effectively. Basically, it's important right from team preview to get an understand of how Porygon2 can make use of any of the opposing Pokemon's abilities, and go from there, so stuff like Gliscor's Poison Heal would be worth noting to get leverage on the opponent.
Team Options:
  • "Porygon2 fits more in Balanced and more balanced teams" not sure what you meant here with the second balanced teams bit.
  • Second point: Combine this with the first point, since they both talk about being a good switch-in to Knock Off and absorbing Toxic. Mention switch-ins to Trick as well, since so far, the partners you mentioned don't like receiving a Choice Scarf and the like either. Essentially, Z-Crystal holders and Mega Evolutions would be your best bet. From here, you can lump in the part about Latias being a good Defogger here (talk about how a Z-Move Calm Mind set supports it in one way, while the Defog set supports it in another way.)
  • Add in Jellicent to the list of stallbreakers. While not very common right now, it works out well, since Jellicent causes issues for walls, is immune to Fighting-type attacks, and spinblocks the aforementioned Toxic Spikes or just hazards in general that help to wear down the opposing team, especially bulky ones. The only issue is that Jellicent is also annoyed by poison and it's weak to Knock Off if it's not running a Colbur Berry.
  • Mention wallbreakers like Flame Orb Heracross that can pummel through the bulky Pokemon that Porygon2 has trouble dealing with.
Other Options:
  • Mention Foul Play and Magic Coat first, since those are related to the written set.
  • Talk about an offensive Eviolite set with Recover + 3 attacks and Download to deal more damage, but it sacrifices precious bulk through EVs even though it still has the Eviolite.
  • I wouldn't really compare Z-Conversion to Trick Room for what it's worth. They don't fit onto the same types of teams at all. As to elaborating on the Z-Conversion set, refer to what I said earlier about why it's OO worthy but not set worthy.
  • Trick Room set point: I think you mean 252 EVs in Special Attack as opposed to Attack. It ensures that Porygon2 outspeeds as many Pokemon as possible under Trick Room AND hits as hard as possible. Mention how it's a decently reliable Trick Room user due to its natural bulk with an Eviolite.
Checks and Counters:
  • Fighting-types and attacks: Remove the Buzzwole mention.
  • Knock Off: becoming weak without the Eviolite isn't very right. Just say how its bulk is diminished without it.
  • Trick: lump this point with the Knock Off one.
  • Taunt and Encore users: I think it's fine to completely leave out this point to be honest. Stuff like Taunt Hydreigon, Gliscor, and Terrakion all either fear Porygon2's Ice Beam as far as the former two go, or threaten it back with a super effective Close Combat anyway. This is more or less the case for most Taunt users in the tier. The two Encore users you mentioned are either not ranked on the VR anymore or simply isn't even in the tier.
  • Bulky Setup Sweepers: You'd need to change this, since Clefable isn't around anymore, and Hidden Power Fire is a staple move on the actual set. Talk about stuff like Reuniclus, Suicune, and Snorlax (your Substitute + Calm Mind Raikou example works too) that don't care about status.
  • Residual Damage: Be a little more specific.
There's a lot here, but that's mostly on us for dragging our feet in the past months. I tried to nitpick as little as possible regarding phrasing and wording, since I know it's not usually intentional, but let me know as usual if you want help weeding out the GP-related errors.

QC 1/3
 
* 120 EVs in Defense plus a Calm nature lets Porygon2 take a Superpower from Choice Band Scizor after Stealth Rocks, while being able to take on Mega Sharpedo and Mega Aerodactyl well, the rest is dumped into Special Defense, allowing it to take Special Attackers such as Hydreigon, Mega Pidgeot and Mega Sceptile.
* Eviolite is the best item to run, as it boost Porygon2's defenses and gives it a huge bulk

the calm nature doesn't contribute to p2 being able to tank spower since its +spd, just change this to reflect that

for team options, mention good fighting resists. sylveon in particular appreciates p2's ability to check the nidos and zor to a lesser extent, and can also heal status for it

looks great otherwise, thanks eyan. qc 2/3
 

A Cake Wearing A Hat

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Overview

I wouldn't qualify Technician as a defensive ability, so either find a better example or rephrase it to just say useful abilities

I wouldn't say fighting is THE most present offensive type, so just reword that to say that it's one of the most prevalent offensive types.

Moves

give examples of waters hit by t-bolt

Usage Tips

I'd probably give a better example of a pokemon that p2 should scout for than taunt+superpower hydreigon because superpower hydre as a whole isn't too hot right now.

Team Options

Don't mention "fat" teams since that's not exactly an official established team archetype so just saying it fits on balance is fine.

3/3
 

Lumari

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GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Porygon2's has great Eviolite-boosted 85 / 90 / 95 bulk when coupled to Eviolite which boost its defenses, allowing allows it to being be one of the bulkiest defensive Pokemon in the metagame and check a bunch of threats such as Latias, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Aerodactyl with the adequate support. It has also access to Trace, a good defensive ability which that allows to Porygon2 to check the foe foes with its own ability such as Volcanion with their own abilities (RC) or gain some useful abilities such as Technician or and Poison Heal temporary temporarily. Porygon2's movepool is expansive, as it has access to support moves such Recover, Toxic, and Thunder Wave, and some offensive moves such as Discharge, Ice Beam and Tri Attack, allowing to run diverse sets and not meaning it doesn't have to sticking to the one common set. However, its Normal-type typing is only average in the actual current metagame, as it gives it no resistances, only an immunity to the uncommon Ghost type (RH) which is not very common, and a weakness to one of the most common offensive types, the Fighting-type, making it weak to Pokemon such as Infernape, Terrakion, Heracross, and Cobalion. It's also rely relies too much on Eviolite, making it vulnerable to threats like Mamoswine and Krookodile due to their access to Knock Off. Toxic poison makes Porygon 2 Porygon2 unreliable and kills its longevity, as the residual damage makes Porygon2 not able unable to pivot decently due to the lack of passive recovery without Leftovers. Its It's also easily walled by some bulky Pokemon and can be used as setup fodder by bulky setup sweepers that dont don't mind Toxic and Thunder Wave such as Suicune, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Recover
move 2: Tri Attack / Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Toxic / Thunder Wave
item: Eviolite
ability: Trace
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Recover is Porygon2's main way to recover, as it helps to keep it stay healthy, making it being able enabling it to pivot throughout the battle and staying healthy to reliably check threats such Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Starmie. (AP) STAB Tri Attack hits decently hard, and can randomly burn, paralyse or freeze the opposing Pokemon, and can hit Mega Altaria super effectively by after Tracing Pixilate. It also hits decently Pokemon such as Infernape, Rotom-W, and Mega Manectric for decent damage. Ice Beam hits huges huge threats such as Gliscor, Hydreigon, and Mega Aerodactyl super effectively. Hidden Power Fire is a more conventional option to beat Steel-types such as Scizor and Magneton, Porygon2 can trace Technician and OKHO Scizor with HP Fire OHKOing the former after Porygon2 Traces Technician. Toxic is useful to stall out opposing's walls and weaken it them considerably (RC) and is useful to deal with Calm Mind Latias and Rotom-W. Alternatively, Thunder Wave can help to cripple more offensive threats such as Terrakion and Cobalion by halving their Speed (RC) to allow slower teammates an easier time against fast sweepers. (AP) Thunderbolt could be used to beat opposing Water-types such as Mantine, Mega Sharpedo, and Suicune, but most them are already threatened by either of Tri Attack or Toxic.

Set Details
========

252 EVs in HP are used in order to maximize Porygon2's overall bulk, (AC) 120 EVs in Defense lets let Porygon2 take a Superpower from Choice Band Scizor after Stealth Rocks Rock (RC) while being able to take on Mega Sharpedo and Mega Aerodactyl well. (AP) The rest is are dumped into Special Defense, with a Calm nature it allows it to better take on special Attackers attackers such as Hydreigon, Mega Pidgeot, (AC) and Mega Sceptile. Eviolite is the best item to run, as it boost Porygon2's defenses and gives it a huge bulk. (AP) Trace is the ability that fits better with the defensive set, as it can temporarily copy the foe's ability temporary, making it able enabling Porygon2 to check Manectric decently Manectric before it Mega Evolves, check Scizor by Tracing Technician, and check Gliscor by Tracing Poison Heal.

Usage Tips
========

Porygon2 is used as a great catch-all check to many threats such as Mega Sharpedo or and Latias. Porygon2 has enough bulk to tank at least two hits from those threats, the right way to beat them if to cripple and it can beat them by crippling them with Toxic then and spamming Recover till it faints until they faint. Porygon2's health must be near full to check the threats it needs to, so use Recover liberally to keep it healty, also, and avoid as possible switching in on residual damage such as entry hazards stack and getting crippled by Toxic as much as possible, as it diminues Porygon2's bulk. However, it It also must watch out for opposing Knock Off users such Krookodile and Alolan Muk-A, as it needs its Eviolite to reliably check opposing threats. (AP) Even if it has great bulk, it shouldn't be overestimated, Porygon2 still can't take on Fighting-types and bulky setup sweepers and should be saved by switching out (RH) against them. Scout for moves that can wear down Porygon2, such as Taunt + Superpower from Hydreigon or and Knock Off from Scizor. Trace is a good ability and should be used decently taken advantage of against the opponent; (SC) try to understand how you can make use of opposing's Pokemon abilities from the Team Preview.

Team Options
========

Porygon2 fits better in on balanced teams, and staples such as Mega Aggron, Amoonguss, (AC) or and Gliscor are perfect teammates for it, as they can absorb Knock Off without any problem in the most cases, doesn't don't worry about switching on Toxic, (AC) and can stop many setup sweepers with Roar, Clear Smog, Spore and Taunt. Z-Move Cobalion is also a decent switch-in to Knock Off, Trick, and Toxic and can pressure fat bulky cores if it runs Swords Dance. Latias is also a good entry hazard remowal remover that pairs well with Porygon2, as it can check common Fighting-types, especially Swords Dance Cobalion, a major threat that can use Porygon2 to setup fodder if it doesn't pack Thunder Wave, and it can also switch-in into Trick if it runs a Z-Move and break into down some cores if it runs Calm Mind over Defog. Pokemon that resist Fighting-type resists such as Sylveon appreciates Porygon2's ability to check Nidoking, Nihilego, and Scizor to an extent, and Sylveon can support Porygon2 with Heal Bell. Doublade is also a decent Fighting-type check but is also Knock Off weak. Tentacruel and Nidoqueen are two Pokemon that can set up Toxic Spikes, which helps Porygon2 to beat opposing walls without Toxic; (SC) they can also absorb Toxic Spikes thanks to their Poison-type typing, (AC) and Tentacruel can use Rapid Spin to clear off hazards and Haze to prevents setup. Jellicent is a decent stallbreaker that can spinblock, check Fighting-types, and put in trouble walls, but it shares an annoting annoying weakness to Toxic and Knock Off if it doesnt run Colbur Berry. Porygon2 also struggles against defensive teams, so having a stallbreaker such as Heracross, Nasty Plot Togekiss, and or Swords Dance Gliscor on its team is helpful.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Foul Play can be used to beat physical setup sweepers such as Doublade more easily. Magic Coat is also viable, as it can surprise foes that try to Taunt or status Porygon2, but it Porygon2 suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, means meaning it's hard to find a slot to fit Magic Coat in. A An offensive set with maximum investement investment in Special Attack, Download, and 3 attacking moves could be used, but it sacrifies sacrifices a part of his Porygon2's bulk. Porygon2 is a decent Trick Room setter thanks to its bulk with the Eviolite; (SC) an optimal set would pack Download, a Quiet nature, 0 IVs Speed, (AC) and 252 EVs in Special Attack and HPs, HP to ensure that Porygon2 outspeeds as many Pokemon as possible under Trick Room and hit hard. A Z-Conversion set with Download as ability can makes a good alternative to the offensive set and fits well into Volt Turn VoltTurn teams, but having to rely on a one-time move to be bulky and enough fast enough doesn't make it really reliable.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types and Attacks**: Pokemon such as Terrakion, Cobalion, and Heracross threaten Porygon2 with their powerful super effective STAB attacks. (AP) that hits Porygon2 super effectively due to its Normal-type, Porygon2 is also weak to the common coverage moves such as Focus Blast, Aurasphere, Aura Sphere, and Superpower, allowing some attackers such as Mega Sceptile, Mega Blastoise, and Scizor and Mega Sceptile to beat Porygon2 it despite its high defenses.

**Knock Off and Trick**: Porygon2 becomes less bulky without its Eviolite, as it becomes not unable to perform and check threats it should do without its Eviolite, this which is why it should avoid facing Knock Off users such as Mega Absol, Krookodile, and Mega Beedrill, as they can cripple severly Porygon2. Trick is an another way to remove Porygon2's Eviolite, leaving it unable to switch on attacks and locking it into one move, which prevents it from effectively utilizing its support movepool; (SC) Togekiss and Latias often run Trick with a Choice item set.

**Bulky Setup Sweepers**: Bulky setup sweepers, especially Calm Mind varients variants, such as Reuniclus, Suicune, (AC) or and Snorlax, can use Porygon2 as setup fodder and boost their stats without big troubles, much trouble, as they don't care about status and can recover from Porygon2's hits or tank it easily.

**Residual Damage**: Toxic, sand, (AC) and hail, and entry hazards can wear down Porygon2, preventing it from switching in on threats and being as effective as it should be.
 
Last edited:

autumn

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GP 2/2
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[OVERVIEW]

Porygon2's great Eviolite-boosted 85 / 90 / 95 bulk allows it to be one of the bulkiest defensive Pokemon in the metagame and check a bunch of threats such as Latias, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Aerodactyl with the adequate support. It has also access to Trace, a good defensive ability that allows Porygon2 to check foes such as Volcanion with their own abilities or gain some useful abilities such as Technician and Poison Heal temporarily. Porygon2's movepool is expansive, as it has access to support moves such as Recover, Toxic, and Thunder Wave, and it can also use some offensive moves such as Discharge, Ice Beam, (AC) and Tri Attack, meaning it doesn't have to stick to one common set. However, its Normal typing is only average in the current metagame (time indicators like this aren't always the best because metas change a lot), as it gives it no resistances, only one an immunity to the uncommon Ghost type, and a weakness to one of the most common offensive types, Fighting, making it weak to Pokemon such as Infernape, Terrakion, Heracross, and Cobalion. It also relies too much on Eviolite, making it vulnerable to threats like Mamoswine and Krookodile due to their access to Knock Off. Toxic poison makes Porygon2 unreliable and kills decreases its longevity, as the residual damage makes Porygon2 unable to pivot into attacks decently due to the lack of Leftovers's passive recovery without Leftovers. It's also easily walled by some bulky Pokemon and can be used as setup fodder by bulky setup sweepers that don't mind Toxic and or (p2 only has one or the other, not both) Thunder Wave such as Suicune, Snorlax, and Reuniclus.

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Recover
move 2: Tri Attack / Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Toxic / Thunder Wave
item: Eviolite
ability: Trace
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Recover is Porygon2's main way to stay healthy, enabling it to pivot throughout the battle and reliably check threats such Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Starmie. STAB-boosted Tri Attack hits decently hard, can randomly burn, paralyse paralyze, (AC) or freeze the opposing Pokemon, and can hit Mega Altaria super effectively after Tracing Pixilate. It also hits Pokemon such as Infernape, Rotom-W, and Mega Manectric for decent damage. Ice Beam hits huge threats such as Gliscor, Hydreigon, and Mega Aerodactyl super effectively. Hidden Power Fire is a more conventional option to beat Steel-types such as Scizor and Magneton, OHKOing the former after Porygon2 Traces Technician. Toxic is useful to stall out opposing walls and weaken them considerably and is useful to deal with Rotom-W and Calm Mind Latias and Rotom-W (makes it seem like rotom is cm). Alternatively, Thunder Wave can help to cripple more offensive threats such as Terrakion and Cobalion by halving their Speed to allow slower teammates an easier time against them fast sweepers. Thunderbolt could be used to beat opposing Water-types such as Mantine, Mega Sharpedo, and Suicune, but most of them are already threatened by either of Tri Attack or Toxic.

Set Details
========

252 EVs in HP are used in order to maximize Porygon2's overall bulk, and 120 EVs in Defense let Porygon2 take a Superpower from Choice Band Scizor after Stealth Rock while being able to take on Mega Sharpedo and Mega Aerodactyl well. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Defense, (RC) with a Calm nature to better take on special attackers such as Hydreigon, Mega Pidgeot, and Mega Sceptile. Eviolite is the best item to run, as it boosts Porygon2's defenses and gives it huge bulk. Trace is the ability that fits better best with the defensive set, as it can temporarily copy the foe's ability, (AC) enabling Porygon2 to check Manectric decently before it Mega Evolves, check Scizor by Tracing Technician, and check Gliscor by Tracing Poison Heal.

Usage Tips
========

Porygon2 is used as a great catch-all check to many threats such as Mega Sharpedo and Latias. Porygon2 has enough bulk to tank at least two hits from those threats, and it can beat them by crippling them with Toxic and spamming Recover until they faint. Porygon2's health HP must be near full to check the threats it needs to, so use Recover liberally to keep it healty healthy, and avoid switching in on such as entry hazards and allowing Porygon2 to get getting crippled by Toxic as much as possible. It also must watch out for opposing Knock Off users such Krookodile and Alolan Muk, as it needs its Eviolite to reliably check opposing threats. Even if though it has great bulk, Porygon2 can't take on Fighting-types and bulky setup sweepers and should be saved by switching out against them. Scout for moves that can wear down Porygon2, such as Taunt + Superpower from Hydreigon and Knock Off from Scizor. Trace is a good ability and should be taken advantage of against the opponent; try to understand how you can make use of opposing's Pokemon abilities from the Team Preview.

Team Options
========

Porygon2 fits better on balanced teams, and staples such as Mega Aggron, Amoonguss, and Gliscor are perfect teammates for it, as they can absorb Knock Off without any problem in most cases, don't worry about switching in on Toxic, and can stop many setup sweepers with Roar, Clear Smog, Spore, (AC) and Taunt. Z-Move Cobalion is also a decent switch-in to Knock Off, Trick, and Toxic and can pressure bulky cores if it runs Swords Dance. Latias is also a good entry hazard remover that pairs well with Porygon2, as it can check common Fighting-types, especially Swords Dance Cobalion, a major threat that can use Porygon2 to as setup fodder if it doesn't pack Thunder Wave, and it can switch into Trick if it runs a Z-Move and break down some cores if it runs Calm Mind over Defog. Pokemon that resist Fighting such as Sylveon appreciate Porygon2's ability to check Nidoking, Nihilego, and Scizor to an extent, and Sylveon can support Porygon2 with Heal Bell. Doublade is also a decent Fighting-type check but is also Knock Off weak to Knock Off. Tentacruel and Nidoqueen are two Pokemon that can set up Toxic Spikes, which helps Porygon2 to beat opposing walls without if it isn't running Toxic; they can also absorb Toxic Spikes thanks to their Poison typing, and Tentacruel can use Rapid Spin to clear off hazards and Haze to prevents setup. Jellicent is a decent stallbreaker that can spinblock, check Fighting-types, and trouble walls, but it shares an annoying weakness to Toxic and Knock Off if it doesnt run Colbur Berry. Porygon2 also struggles against defensive teams, so having a stallbreaker such as Heracross, Nasty Plot Togekiss, or Swords Dance Gliscor on its team is helpful.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Foul Play can be used to beat physical setup sweepers such as Doublade more easily. Magic Coat is also viable, as it can surprise foes that try to use Taunt or status moves on Porygon2, but Porygon2 suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, meaning it's hard to find a slot to fit Magic Coat in on. An offensive set with maximum investment in Special Attack, Download, and 3 attacking moves could be used, but it sacrifices a part of Porygon2's bulk. Porygon2 is a decent Trick Room setter thanks to its bulk with Eviolite; an optimal set would pack Download, a Quiet nature, 0 IVs Speed IVs, and 252 EVs in HP and Special Attack and HP to ensure that Porygon2 outspeeds as many Pokemon as possible under Trick Room and hits hard. A Z-Conversion set with Download as its ability can makes a good alternative to the offensive set and fits well into on VoltTurn teams, but having to rely on a one-time move to be bulky and fast enough doesn't make it really reliable.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types Pokemon and Attacks**: Pokemon such as Terrakion, Cobalion, and Heracross threaten Porygon2 with their powerful super effective STAB attacks. Porygon2 is also weak to common coverage moves such as Focus Blast, Aura Sphere, and Superpower, allowing some attackers such as Mega Sceptile, Mega Blastoise, and Scizor to beat it despite its high defenses.

**Knock Off and Trick**: Porygon2 becomes unable to perform well and check threats it should without its Eviolite, which is why it should avoid facing Knock Off users such as Mega Absol, Krookodile, and Mega Beedrill. Trick is an another way to remove Porygon2's Eviolite, leaving it unable to switch in on attacks and locking it into one move, which prevents it from effectively utilizing its support movepool; Togekiss and Latias often run Trick with a Choice item.

**Bulky Setup Sweepers**: Bulky setup sweepers, especially Calm Mind users variants, such as Reuniclus, Suicune, and Snorlax, can use Porygon2 as setup fodder and boost their stats without much trouble, as they don't care about status and can recover from Porygon2's hits or tank it them easily.

**Residual Damage**: Toxic poison, sand, hail, and entry hazards can wear down Porygon2, preventing it from switching in on threats and being as effective as it should be.
 

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