VGC 18 Raichu

[Lotus]

[OVERVIEW]

* Despite its underwhelming stats, Raichu possesses a solid niche in VGC due to its expansive pool of support options and access to Lightning Rod, which lets it be an excellent support partner for Water-types like Tapu Fini and Pelipper and Flying-types like Mega Charizard Y.

* Raichu's good Speed allows it to quickly disrupt foes in various ways with support moves like Fake Out and Encore, letting its teammates safely set up boosts or Tailwind reliably.

* These near-exclusive traits set Raichu apart from other Lightning Rod users like Mega Manectric, Alolan Marowak, and Togademaru.

* While Raichu easily handles any relevant Electric-types thanks to Lightning Rod, its horrid bulk leaves it unable to reliably take hits without relying on Focus Sash or its teammates' Intimidate. The fact that Raichu has a hard time justifying Protect in its moveset further worsens its problem with survivability.

* Raichu's offensive presence is meager, as it struggles to deal significant damage without resorting to a Z-Move and struggles to effectively deal with common Electric-type checks. Therefore, Raichu functions the best when running a dedicated support set.

[SET]
name: Fast Utility
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Encore
move 3: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Protect / Feint / Nuzzle
item: Focus Sash / Electrium Z
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's superb Speed stat makes it one of the fastest Fake Out users, and it can provide its teammate a turn to safely make a move.

* Encore locks a foe into the same move for three turns, potentially forcing them to repeatedly use an unfavorable move or switch out.

* Thunderbolt is the strongest STAB move, while Volt Switch is slightly weaker but can be used to take advantage of forced switches and generate momentum.

* Hidden Power Ice targets Landorus-T, but note that unboosted Hidden Power Ice is too weak to OHKO Landorus-T from full HP.

* Protect guards Raichu from attacks for a turn and let its teammates handle a problematic foe.

* Feint breaks foes' Protect or Detect, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. It also proves to be useful with breaking Focus Sashes and securing the success of a Z-Move.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non-Ground- and Electric-type foes and reduces their Speed, leaving them vulnerable to slower and powerful attackers like Incineroar and Landorus-T.

* Focus Sash allows Raichu to survive a potential KO and generally aids it by improving its chances of survivability. Electrium Z can be used to provide Raichu with more offensive presence by letting it use Gigavolt Havoc. While the damage output may not seem great at a first glance, Gigavolt Havoc is capable of doing massive damage after teammates like Tapu Koko used Discharge to activate Raichu's Lightning Rod.

* Ensure that Raichu is providing sufficient support for its teammates. This means Fake Out should be used against problematic foes in the beginning and faster threats and Choice Scarf users should be taken down or crippled by Nuzzle. Scouting a foe with Protect and locking them into a wrong move with Encore can also provide good setup opportunities for Raichu's teammates.

* Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, Braviary, and Pellipper,(AC) can be paired with Raichu due to its Lightning Rod. They also can switch into Ground-types aimed at Raichu thanks to their immunity to Ground. Tapu Fini and Azumarill also appreciate Lightning Rod.

* Various Pokemon with setup options can take advantage of free turns that Raichu generates with Fake Out, Encore, and even full paralysis after Nuzzle. Setup sweepers like Mega Salamence and Gyarados can set up without fearing Electric-type moves while discouraging Earthquake from foes, while slower threats like Incineroar can effectively combat faster foes after Raichu paralyzes them.


[SET]
name: Bulky Utility
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Nuzzle / Electroweb
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Feint / Knock Off
item: Assault Vest
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 4 SpA / 156 SpD / 76 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's high Speed allows it to make other Fake Out users like Incineroar and Mega Kangaskhan flinch. Fake Out's general utility proves to be useful for Raichu's teammate, as they gain a free turn to safely set up.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non-Ground- and Electric-type foes, crippling their Speed. Electroweb is an alternative option to provide a general Speed control against two foes at the same time, and it can provide speed control even when Misty Terrain is active. Both of them are viable utilities for Raichu to utilize as support options, and they can't be prevented with Taunt.

* Volt Switch lets Raichu pivot out and switch to another teammate and preserve momentum.

* Feint removes the effect of Protect and Detect from a foe, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. Especially if Raichu's teammate is a Z-Move user, Feint helps ensuring that a foe will take massive damage from Z-Move after their protection is broken.

* Knock Off rids foes of an item, and it is useful for getting rid of foes' items and scouting possible Z-Crystals. Ridding foes like Cresselia, Gastrodon, and Tapu Fini of their item and removing pinch Berries also greatly reduces their longevity and overall defensive presence.

* This set is dedicated to make Raichu as bulky as possible with an Assault Vest and heavy investment in HP. The given EV spread allows Raichu to survive -1 Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge from full HP, survive Ludicolo's rain-boosted Hydro Vortex, and avoid the 2HKO from Timid Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave. 76 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Raichu to outspeed neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon.

* Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Tapu Fini, Gyarados, and Pellipper enjoy Raichu's Lightning Rod and ability to render the likes of Tapu Koko and Zapdos ineffective. They also notably force Ground-types like Landorus-T to refrain from using their STAB moves.

* Practically any Pokemon with mediocre Speed appreciates Raichu's useful speed control and Fake Out that improves their matchup against faster foes. Tailwind setters and setup sweepers also enjoy the various utility options Raichu can provide. Slower and bulkier Pokemon like Incineroar and Landorus-T can take advantage of Raichu's speed control and hindrance of various physical walls, while Mega Salamence and Gyarados can have significantly better setup conditions with Raichu's support. Their Intimidate also improves Raichu's durability further by compensating for Raichu's pitiful Defense stat, while Assault Vest improves Raichu's matchup against special attackers.

 

[Lotus]

Seems like I have around 24 hours left to get this out of WIP. After taking a wrong attempt on Alolan Raichu, I may need a bit more time to get this out of WIP. I am planning to get this done tonight but just bopping this thread because, uh, things might not always go as I planned.

 

[Lotus]

My bad, a little late. This is ready for QC.

 

[Carbonific]

I want to see a non-Assault Vest set listed first, as this is the significantly more common approach. Should look like:

move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Encore
move 3: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Protect / Feint / Nuzzle
item: Focus Sash / Electrium Z
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Keep the current set as Set #2. Post when done and I'll check both.

 

[Lotus]

Added that. To me the two sets are essentially meant to perform role of being an annoyance and have very repetitive team options so I duplicated some stuff. I can make them different if that's not acceptable.

 

[Carbonific]

Added that. To me the two sets are essentially meant to perform role of being an annoyance and have very repetitive team options so I duplicated some stuff. I can make them different if that's not acceptable.

You can write points which are functionally the same, but they must be worded differently in each instance; C&C will insist on it. It's not usually too tough since we humans tend to write down the things we interpret differently every time (chinese whispers...), but use a thesaurus if you get stuck!

Hoping to check this within 24 hours.

 

[Lotus]

My bad for being lazy, fourth of July threw me around. Duplicated points are reworded now.

 

[Carbonific]

• In the Overview, add a mention of Mega Manectric and Alolan Marowak as alternative Lightning Rod users depending on the team, seeing how that's Raichu's primary niche.
• On the second set, move Knock Off to being slashed after Feint and make Volt Switch uncontested. Generally speaking, I think Volt Switch is too important to give up.

Once implemented...

1/2 QC

 

[Lotus]

Implemented. Ready for #2.

 

[Carbonific]

Oh, remember to fix the wording in Set Comments for Volt Switch, since it's no longer an "alternative".

 

[Darkmalice]

This is a good write-up.

[OVERVIEW]

* Despite its underwhelming stats, Raichu possesses a solid niche in VGC due to its expansive pool of support options and access to Lightning Rod, which lets it be an excellent support partner for Water-types like Tapu Fini and Pelipper and Flying-types like Mega Charizard Y.

* Raichu's good Speed allows it to quickly make a move to disrupt foes in various ways with support moves like Fake Out, Nuzzle, Feint, and Knock Off, letting its teammates safely set up boosts or Tailwind reliably. I'd add Encore after Fake Out, as that is Raichu's second most common supporting move, and remove Knock to avoid cluttering.

* faces competition with Mega Manectric and Alolan Marowak as a Lightning Rod user. Move this up here, and you should explain what advantages Raichu has over its other Lightning Rod users. Raichu is in the current metagame probably the most successful Lightning Rod user. Also add Togademaru.

* While Raichu easily handles any relevant Electric-types thanks to Lightning Rod, its horrid bulk leaves it unable to reliably take hits without relying on Focus Sash and or its teammates' Intimidate. The fact that Raichu has hard time justifying Protect in its moveset further worsens its problem with survivability. Focus Sash or Intimidate, not and

* Raichu's offensive presence is meager, as it struggles to make a significant damage output without resorting to equip a Z-Crystal and struggles to effectively deal with common Electric-type checks. Raichu therefore has very few viable options other than running functions best when running a dedicated support set. I'd argue that Raichu has no viable options other than a dedicated support set. That is somewhat up to debate when you consider that Electrium Z is viable on Raichu. I feel the above is harder to disagree with

[SET]
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Encore
move 3: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch
move 4: Protect / Hidden Power Ice / Feint / Nuzzle (Protect first, HP Ice. Protect is more valuable to protect Raichu from Lando-T than a move that fails to OHKO Lando-T)
item: Focus Sash / Electrium Z
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's superb Speed stat makes it one of the fastest Fake Out users and thus it can provide its teammate a turn to safely make a move.

* Encore locks a foe into the same move for three turns, potentially forcing them to repeatedly use an unfavorable move or switch out.

* Electric-type STAB move can be either Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. Thunderbolt is the strongest STAB move, while Volt Switch is slightly weaker but can be used to take advantage of forced switches and generate a momentum.

* Hidden Power Ice targets Landorus-T, but note that unboosted Hidden Power Ice is too weak to OHKO Landorus-T from full HP.

* Protect guards Raichu from attacks for a turn and let its teammates handle a problematic foe. Move this point before HP Ice

* Feint breaks foes' Protect or Detect, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. It also proves to be useful with breaking Focus Sashes and securing the succession of Z-Move.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non Ground- and Electric-type foes and reduces their Speed, leaving them vulnerable to slower and powerful attackers like Incineroar or Landorus-T.

* Focus Sash allows Raichu to survive a potential KO and generally aids it by improving its chances of survivability. Electrium Z can be used to provide Raichu with more offensive presence by letting it use Gigavolt Havoc.

* Ensure that Raichu is providing sufficient support for its teammates. This means Fake Out should always be used against problematic foes in the beginning and faster threats or Choice Scarf users should be taken down or be crippled by Nuzzle. Scouting a foe with Protect and locking them into a wrong move with Encore can also provide good setup opportunities for Raichu's teammates. As a general rule I never always recommending Fake Out but otherwise I'm ok with this.

* Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, and Pelipper can be paired with Raichu due to its Lightning Rod. They also work as good deterrents to Earthquake with their immunity to Ground.

* Various Pokemon with setup options can take advantage of free turns that Raichu generates with Fake Out, Encore, or even full paralysis after Nuzzle. Setup sweepers like Mega Salamence and Gyarados can setup without fearing Electric-type moves while discouraging Earthquake from foes, while slower threats like Incineroar can effectively combat faster foes after Raichu paralyzes them.


[SET]
name: Bulky Utility
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Nuzzle / Electroweb
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Feint / Knock Off
item: Assault Vest
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 4 SpA / 156 SpD / 76 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's high Speed allows it to flinch other Fake Out users like Incineroar and Mega Kangaskhan. Fake Out's general utility proves to be useful for Raichu's teammate, as they gain a free turn to safely set up.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non Ground- and Electric-type foes, crippling their Speed. Electroweb is an alternative option to provide a general Speed control against two foes at the same time, and it can provide a Speed control even when Misty Terrain is active. Both of them are viable utilities for Raichu to utilize as support options, and they can't be prevented with Taunt.

* Volt Switch lets Raichu pivot out and switch to another teammate and preserve a momentum.

* Feint removes effect of Protect or Detect from a foe, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. Especially if Raichu's teammate is a Z-Move user, Feint helps ensuring that a foe will take a massive damage from Z-Move after their protection is broken.

* Knock Off rids foes of an item, and it is useful for getting rid of foes' items or scouting possible Z-Crystals. Ridding foes like Cresselia, Gastrodon, and Tapu Fini or pinch berries also greatly reduce their longevity and overall defensive presence.

* This set is dedicated to make Raichu as bulky as possible with heavy EV investment on HP and Assault Vest. The given EV spread allows Raichu to survive -1 Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge from full HP, Ludicolo's rain-boosted Hydro Pump-based Hydro Vortex, and avoid 2HKO from Timid Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave. 76 Speed EVs and Timid nature allow Raichu to outspeed neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon.

* Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, and Pellipper enjoy Raichu's Lightning Rod and rendering the likes of Tapu Koko and Zapdos ineffective. They also notably force Ground-types like Landorus-T to refrain from using their STAB moves.

* Practically any Pokemon with mediocre Speed appreciate Raichu's useful Speed control and Fake Out that improves their matchup against faster foes. Tailwind setters or setup sweepers also enjoy various utility options Raichu can provide. Slower and bulkier Pokemon like Incineroar or Landorus-T can take advantage of Raichu's speed control and hinderance of various physical walls, while Mega Salamence and Gyarados can have significantly better setup condition with Raichu's support.

Should also mention that Gyarados and Salamence provide Intimidate support. Unlike the other set, this one really appreciates Intimidate support to compensate for its weaker defence stat whilst AV patches up its SpD.

Make the changes, and I'll give it another look before giving a QC check.

 

[Charlotte]

Honestly, protect has somewhat low value on Raichu. I wouldn’t make it the primary option on slot4 when it’s support options are stronger, particularly Feint, Knock Off and Helping Hand. Ice is more valuable on the z set too which we have combined.

* Focus Sash allows Raichu to survive a potential KO and generally aids it by improving its chances of survivability. Electrium Z can be used to provide Raichu with more offensive presence by letting it use Gigavolt Havoc.

Mention, as an addition to the giga volt part, that it can be used in combination with discharge Koko to further boost the damage with electric terrain and a spa increase from lightning rod.
- this is the setup that popularised z-elec as an option for Raichu.

* Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, and Pelipper can be paired with Raichu due to its Lightning Rod. They also work as good deterrents to Earthquake with their immunity to Ground.

I think this should focus more on mons which Raichu supports very well, rather than mons which can also help with raichu’s ground weakness ( it is support after all)
So Raichu’s biggest partners are CharY (already listed) and Tapu Fini. Those 2 should be the priority. After those Braviary (whose is used in a fairly popular core with the other 2 + Raichu) and Azumarill are the next best options.
Changing it to say that Raichu is ideal support for these electric weak pokemon thanks to the combination of lightningrod and fake out would work well.

 

[Lotus]

Implemented both - one thing I had in mind while writing this up is that Raichu has to run as many utility options as possible so that's pretty much why I said 'Raichu has hard time justifying Protect'. I see there are divided opinions on this. The rest of the suggestions are implemented.

 

[Darkmalice]

Divided opinions so I'm happy for HP Ice > Protect.

Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, Braviary, and Pellipper can be paired with Raichu due to its Lightning Rod. They also work as good deterrents to Earthquake with their immunity to Ground. Tapu Fini and Azumarill also appreciate Lightning Rod and they can offensively check Dragon-types.

This relates to Jhon's point of focusing on mons that Raichu supports well rather than mons which helps with Raichu's ground weaknesses. You could say that the Flying-type can switch in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Raichu (which also relates to support), rather than deterring Earthquake (which focuses on Raichu). I wouldn't mention the checking Dragon-type point. Not really relevant for a support Pokemon, and the main one (MMence) focuses on Flying-STAB anyways.

And in the second set:

* Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, and Pellipper enjoy Raichu's Lightning Rod and rendering the likes of Tapu Koko and Zapdos ineffective. They also notably force Ground-types like Landorus-T to refrain from using their STAB moves.

Add Tapu Fini too as per Jhon's point.

After that, QC 2/2.

 

[Darkmalice]

Sorry for the double post, but

* Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, Braviary, and Pellipper can be paired with Raichu due to its Lightning Rod. They also can switch into Ground-types aimed at Raichu thanks to their immunity to Ground. Tapu Fini and Azumarill also appreciate Lightning Rod and they can offensively check Dragon-types.

I wouldn't mention the checking Dragon-type point. Not really relevant for a support Pokemon, and the main one (MMence) focuses on Flying-STAB anyways.

Please remove the part of checking Dragon-types

 

[Yoshi]

am check here, feel free to choose what to implement or not!

Additions / Corrections (AC = Add Comma)

Removal

Comments

amcheck

[OVERVIEW]

* Despite its underwhelming stats, Raichu possesses a solid niche in VGC due to its expansive pool of support options and access to Lightning Rod, which lets it be an excellent support partner for Water-types like Tapu Fini and Pelipper, (AC) and Flying-types like Mega Charizard Y.

* Raichu's good Speed allows it to quickly make a move (something feels weird about the wording here, it just doesn't flow right in terms of talking about Pokemon, I'd recommend changing the wording, but you don't have to if you don't want to) to disrupt foes in various ways with support moves like Fake Out and Encore letting its teammates safely set up boosts or Tailwind reliably.

* These near-exclusive traits set Raichu apart from other Lightning Rod users like Mega Manectric, Alolan Marowak, and Togademaru.

* While Raichu easily handles any relevant Electric-types thanks to Lightning Rod, its horrid bulk leaves it unable to reliably take hits without relying on Focus Sash or its teammates' Intimidate. The fact that Raichu has a hard time justifying Protect in its moveset move set ("moveset" is not a term recognized by Smogon) further worsens its problem with survivability staying alive (survivability isn't a word).

* Raichu's offensive presence is meager, as it struggles to make a significant damage output without resorting to equip a Z-Crystal and struggles to effectively deal with common Electric-type checks. Raichu therefore functions the best when running a dedicated support set.

[SET]
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Encore
move 3: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Protect / Feint / Nuzzle
item: Focus Sash / Electrium Z
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's superb Speed stat makes it one of the fastest Fake Out users and thus it can provide its teammate a turn to safely make a move.

* Encore locks a foe into the same move for three turns, potentially forcing them to repeatedly use an unfavorable move or switch out.

* Raichu's Electric-type STAB move can be either Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. Thunderbolt is the strongest STAB move, while Volt Switch is slightly weaker, (AC) but can be used to take advantage of forced switches and generate a momentum.

* Hidden Power Ice targets Landorus-T, but note that unboosted Hidden Power Ice is too weak to OHKO Landorus-T from full HP.

* Protect guards Raichu from attacks for a turn and let its teammates handle a problematic foe.

* Feint breaks foes' Protect or Detect, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. It also proves to be useful with breaking Focus Sashes and securing the succession of a Z-Move.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non Ground- and Electric-type foes and reduces their Speed, leaving them vulnerable to slower and powerful attackers like Incineroar or Landorus-T.

* Focus Sash allows Raichu to survive a potential KO and generally aids it by improving its chances of survivability. Electrium Z can be used to provide Raichu with more offensive presence by letting it use Gigavolt Havoc. While the damage output may not seem great at a first glance, Gigavolt Havoc is capable of doing massiave damage after teammates like Tapu Koko used use Discharge to activate Raichu's Lightning Rod.

* Ensure that Raichu is providing sufficient support for its teammates. This means Fake Out should be used against problematic foes in the beginning and faster threats or Choice Scarf users should be taken down or be crippled by Nuzzle. Scouting a foe with Protect and locking them into a the (flows better) wrong move with Encore can also provide good setup opportunities for Raichu's teammates.

* Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, Braviary, and Pellipper can be paired with Raichu due thanks (due talks about negatives, thanks talks about positives) to its Lightning Rod. They also can switch into Ground-types aimed at Raichu thanks to their immunity to Ground. Tapu Fini and Azumarill also appreciate Lightning Rod.

* Various Pokemon with setup options can take advantage of free turns that Raichu generates with Fake Out, Encore, or even full paralysis after Nuzzle. Setup sweepers like Mega Salamence and Gyarados can setup without fearing Electric-type moves while discouraging Earthquake from foes, while slower threats like Incineroar can effectively combat faster foes after Raichu paralyzes them.


[SET]
name: Bulky Utility
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Nuzzle / Electroweb
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Feint / Knock Off
item: Assault Vest
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 4 SpA / 156 SpD / 76 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's high Speed allows it to flinch other Fake Out users like Incineroar and Mega Kangaskhan. Fake Out's general utility proves to be useful for Raichu's teammate, as they gain a free turn to safely set up.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non Ground- and Electric-type foes, crippling their Speed. Electroweb is an alternative option to provide a general Speed control against two foes at the same time, and it can provide a Speed control even when Misty Terrain is active. Both of them are viable utilities for Raichu to utilize as support options, and they can't be prevented with Taunt.

* Volt Switch lets Raichu pivot out and switch to another teammate and preserve a momentum.

* Feint removes effect of Protect or Detect from a foe, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. Especially if Raichu's teammate is a Z-Move user, Feint helps ensuring that a foe will take a massive damage from Z-Move after their protection is broken.

* Knock Off rids foes a foe of an item, and so it is useful for getting rid of foes' items or scouting possible Z-Crystals. Ridding Getting rid of (I decided to change this since you used "rids" in the sentence prior. This simply stops repetition, if you want to keep this you can) foes like Cresselia, Gastrodon, and Tapu Fini or pinch berries also greatly reduce their longevity and overall defensive presence.

* This set is dedicated to make Raichu as bulky as possible with heavy EV investment on HP and Assault Vest Special Defense (You can't put EV investment in Assault Vest). The given EV spread allows Raichu to survive -1 Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge from full HP, Ludicolo's rain-boosted Hydro Pump-based Hydro Vortex, and avoid 2HKO from Timid Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave. 76 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Raichu to outspeed neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon.

* Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Tapu Fini, Gyarados, and Pellipper enjoy Raichu's Lightning Rod and rendering since it renders (flows better and makes more sense) the likes of Tapu Koko and Zapdos ineffective. They also notably force Ground-types like Landorus-T to refrain from using their STAB moves.

* Practically any Pokemon with mediocre Speed appreciate Raichu's useful Speed control and Fake Out that improves their matchup against faster foes. Tailwind setters or and setup sweepers also enjoy the various utility options Raichu can provide. Slower and bulkier Pokemon like Incineroar or Landorus-T can take advantage of Raichu's speed control and hinderance its ability to wear down of various ("hinderance" isn't a word so I reworded this sentence) physical walls, while Mega Salamence and Gyarados can have significantly better setup condition with Raichu's support. Their Intimidate also improves Raichu's durability further by compensating Raichu's pitiful Defense stat while Assault Vest improves Raichu's matchup against special attackers.

 

[Carbonific]

I agree with some of your changes, but...

("moveset" is not a term recognized by Smogon)

(survivability isn't a word)

("hinderance" isn't a word so I reworded this sentence)

What dictionary are you using?

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moveset

The set of moves that a character can perform.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/survivability

A measure of the extent to which something is survivable.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hindrance#English

Something which hinders: something that holds back or causes problems with something else.

 

[Yoshi]

I agree with some of your changes, but...




What dictionary are you using?

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moveset
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/survivability
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hindrance#English

yeah okay fair enough, probably should've checked on that but it had a little squiggly line under it, my apologies (in terms of hinderence). And for moveset, I didn't see it in the spelling and grammar thread, so I had assumed it wasn't something we used, especially since it had a squiggly line under it too. Same with survivability. I'll be sure to double check on that from now on.

 

[Fireflame]

I know it was a super old amcheck, but for the record never trust the red squiggly lines the text interface uses to identify words. Words like "survivability" and "synergize" are real words that are 100% correct but have squiggly lines. And it's "hindrance" without the e.

Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

* Despite its underwhelming stats, Raichu possesses a solid niche in VGC due to its expansive pool of support options and access to Lightning Rod, which lets it be an excellent support partner for Water-types like Tapu Fini and Pelipper and Flying-types like Mega Charizard Y.

* Raichu's good Speed allows it to quickly make a move to disrupt foes in various ways with support moves like Fake Out and Encore,(AC) letting its teammates safely set up boosts or Tailwind reliably.

* These near-exclusive traits set Raichu apart from other Lightning Rod users like Mega Manectric, Alolan Marowak, and Togademaru.

* While Raichu easily handles any relevant Electric-types thanks to Lightning Rod, its horrid bulk leaves it unable to reliably take hits without relying on Focus Sash or its teammates' Intimidate. The fact that Raichu has a hard time justifying Protect in its moveset further worsens its problem with survivability.

* Raichu's offensive presence is meager, as it struggles to make a deal significant damage output without resorting to equip a Z-Crystal Z-Move and struggles to effectively deal with common Electric-type checks. Therefore,(AC) Raichu therefore functions the best when running a dedicated support set.

[SET]
name: Fast Utility
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Encore
move 3: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Protect / Feint / Nuzzle
item: Focus Sash / Electrium Z
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's superb Speed stat makes it one of the fastest Fake Out users,(AC) and thus it can provide its teammate a turn to safely make a move.

* Encore locks a foe into the same move for three turns, potentially forcing them to repeatedly use an unfavorable move or switch out.

* Electric-type STAB move can be either Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. (this is inherently the case because they are slashed with each other) Thunderbolt is the strongest STAB move, while Volt Switch is slightly weaker but can be used to take advantage of forced switches and generate a momentum.

* Hidden Power Ice targets Landorus-T, but note that unboosted Hidden Power Ice is too weak to OHKO Landorus-T from full HP.

* Protect guards Raichu from attacks for a turn and let its teammates handle a problematic foe.

* Feint breaks foes' Protect or Detect, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. It also proves to be useful with breaking Focus Sashes and securing the succession success of a Z-Move.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non-(AH)Ground- and Electric-type foes and reduces their Speed, leaving them vulnerable to slower and powerful attackers like Incineroar or and Landorus-T.

* Focus Sash allows Raichu to survive a potential KO and generally aids it by improving its chances of survivability. Electrium Z can be used to provide Raichu with more offensive presence by letting it use Gigavolt Havoc. While the damage output may not seem great at a first glance, Gigavolt Havoc is capable of doing massiave massive damage after teammates like Tapu Koko used Discharge to activate Raichu's Lightning Rod.

* Ensure that Raichu is providing sufficient support for its teammates. This means Fake Out should be used against problematic foes in the beginning and faster threats or and Choice Scarf users should be taken down or be crippled by Nuzzle. Scouting a foe with Protect and locking them into a wrong move with Encore can also provide good setup opportunities for Raichu's teammates.

* Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, Braviary, and Pellipper,(AC) can be paired with Raichu due to its Lightning Rod. They also can switch into Ground-types aimed at Raichu thanks to their immunity to Ground. Tapu Fini and Azumarill also appreciate Lightning Rod.

* Various Pokemon with setup options can take advantage of free turns that Raichu generates with Fake Out, Encore, or and even full paralysis after Nuzzle. Setup sweepers like Mega Salamence and Gyarados can setup set up without fearing Electric-type moves while discouraging Earthquake from foes, while slower threats like Incineroar can effectively combat faster foes after Raichu paralyzes them.


[SET]
name: Bulky Utility
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Nuzzle / Electroweb
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Feint / Knock Off
item: Assault Vest
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 4 SpA / 156 SpD / 76 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Raichu's high Speed allows it to flinch make other Fake Out users like Incineroar and Mega Kangaskhan flinch. Fake Out's general utility proves to be useful for Raichu's teammate, as they gain a free turn to safely set up.

* Nuzzle paralyzes non-(AH)Ground- and Electric-type foes, crippling their Speed. Electroweb is an alternative option to provide a general Speed control against two foes at the same time, and it can provide a Speed speed control even when Misty Terrain is active. Both of them are viable utilities for Raichu to utilize as support options, and they can't be prevented with Taunt.

* Volt Switch lets Raichu pivot out and switch to another teammate and preserve a momentum.

* Feint removes the effect of Protect or and Detect from a foe, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. Especially if Raichu's teammate is a Z-Move user, Feint helps ensuring that a foe will take a massive damage from Z-Move after their protection is broken.

* Knock Off rids foes of an item, and it is useful for getting rid of foes' items or and scouting possible Z-Crystals. Ridding foes like Cresselia, Gastrodon, and Tapu Fini of their item and removing or pinch Berries also greatly reduces their longevity and overall defensive presence.

* This set is dedicated to make Raichu as bulky as possible with an Assault Vest and heavy EV investment on in HP and Assault Vest. The given EV spread allows Raichu to survive -1 Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge from full HP, survive Ludicolo's rain-boosted Hydro Pump-based Hydro Vortex, and avoid the 2HKO from Timid Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave. 76 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Raichu to outspeed neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon.

* Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Tapu Fini, Gyarados, and Pellipper enjoy Raichu's Lightning Rod and rendering ability to render the likes of Tapu Koko and Zapdos ineffective. They also notably force Ground-types like Landorus-T to refrain from using their STAB moves.

* Practically any Pokemon with mediocre Speed appreciates Raichu's useful speed control and Fake Out that improves their matchup against faster foes. Tailwind setters or and setup sweepers also enjoy the various utility options Raichu can provide. Slower and bulkier Pokemon like Incineroar or and Landorus-T can take advantage of Raichu's speed control and hinderance hindrance of various physical walls, while Mega Salamence and Gyarados can have significantly better setup conditions with Raichu's support. Their Intimidate also improves Raichu's durability further by compensating for Raichu's pitiful Defense stat,(AC) while Assault Vest improves Raichu's matchup against special attackers.

GP 1/1

 

[Lotus]

See he checks my thing even when I am publicly known to use Light Mode Discord. What a man.

This is done.

 

[Carbonific]

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