Hilomilo
High-low My-low
[OVERVIEW]
Togepi has a small yet useful niche in LC as one of the tier's bulkiest Pokemon with access to Nasty Plot and Baton Pass. This allows Togepi to easily support teammates by supplying them with large boosts in Special Attack. A great defensive typing in pure Fairy allows Togepi to further secure its niche, providing it with key resistances to common attack types in Dark, Fighting, and Bug. Togepi can also pose a decent offensive threat once boosted, thanks to its workable Special Attack and diverse special movepool. Unfortunately, Togepi faces stiff competition from other users of Baton Pass, such as Torchic and Aipom, due to its inability to boost Speed and reliance on tanking hits to pass boosts as a result. It also faces severe competition as a defensive Fairy-type from the likes of Spritzee and Snubbull, which have better bulk, offensive presences, and overall utility. This severely limits Togepi's ability to fit on a very wide variety of teams and also makes it very predictable.
[SET]
name: NastyPass
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Eviolite / Berry Juice
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Bold
evs: 236 HP / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot provides Togepi with a +2 boost to its Special Attack, which it can then either pass to teammates or utilize to wear down foes. Baton Pass allows Togepi to give Nasty Plot boosts to teammates, which secures Togepi's niche in the metagame. It can also allow Togepi to pivot out of Pokemon that will likely switch into it, such as Alolan Grimer and Croagunk. Dazzling Gleam is a powerful STAB option with a Nasty Plot boost and is used to wear down opposing teams for Togepi's teammates. Fire Blast covers the Steel-types that otherwise wall Togepi, such as Magnemite and Ferroseed, while also giving it a way of hitting Foongus for super effective damage.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP alongside heavy Defense investment and a Bold nature gives Togepi a good amount of physical bulk, while the Special Defense EVs allow it to retain decent special bulk as well. The remaining EVs are invested in Speed, which allows Togepi to outrun various defensive Pokemon, such as Spritzee and Foongus. Eviolite is the preferred item, as it further bolsters Togepi's bulk. This notably allows for Togepi to avoid the OHKO from various strong attacks, such as Eviolite Pawniard's Iron Head and Rufflet's Brave Bird. Berry Juice is also an option, however, and gives Togepi a source of recovery and the ability to avoid certain 2HKOs, such as from Diglett's Earthquake or from Doduo's Brave Bird. Serene Grace is the preferred ability due to giving Fire Blast a decent chance of burning foes.
Usage Tips
========
Thanks to Togepi's good bulk, it can be switched into Fighting-types without Poison-type coverage fairly easily. From there, Togepi should begin setting up with Nasty Plot, and if possible, it can attempt wearing the opposing team down with Dazzling Gleam and Fire Blast before passing its boosts to a teammate. Togepi should look to use Baton Pass on the same turn in which it will likely tank an attack from a foe, as afterward it will be too low on health and slow to pass any boosts, and this also means that a teammate won't take any damage in having boosts passed to them. It should also try passing its boosts upon predicting switches to Steel- and Poison-types, as it will otherwise be forced out and thus waste its boosts. Togepi's Baton Pass is mainly utilized to pass Nasty Plot boosts, but also comes with the additional benefit of bringing teammates in safely due to Togepi's low Speed, which minimizes their chances of being hit with powerful attacks.
Team Options
========
Fast specially offensive Fire-types like Ponyta and Torchic have excellent synergy with Togepi, as they can cover its Steel-type weakness while also greatly appreciating the Special Attack boosts it passes. Other special attackers that either struggle to set up or are unable to boost their offenses, such as Abra, Staryu, and Chinchou, make excellent recipients of Togepi's Baton Pass. Diglett is a particularly useful partner, thanks to its ability to trap and dispose of the Poison- and Steel-types that prevent Togepi from reliably passing boosts. It also enjoy's Togepi's slow Baton Pass, since it can safely bring Diglett in on a predicted switch. Other checks to Poison- and Steel-types, such as Mudbray and Mienfoo respectively, are greatly appreciated by Togepi. Entry hazard removal is recommended for allowing Togepi to stay as healthy as possible while passing boosts, which makes Pokemon like Staryu and Kabuto good means of supporting Togepi.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A set consisting of the moves Dazzling Gleam, Fire Blast, Stored Power, and Baton Pass can be used on ChainPass teams to allow Togepi to act as a threatening sweeper once provided with Baton Pass boosts. Unfortunately, such a set is usually outdone by Munna, which is more powerful and receives a STAB boost from Stored Power. Psychic can be used to nail the Poison-types that Togepi hates dealing with, though most Poison-types won't take extremely heavy damage from the attack or will even be immune in the case of Alolan Grimer and Stunky. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast for its better accuracy, but it won't usually hit most of its targets for good enough damage due to Togepi's fairly low Special Attack stat. Super Luck can be used over Serene Grace for its ability to increase Togepi's chances of getting a critical hit, but the ability to more easily burn foes with Fire Blast is generally more valuable. Morning Sun and Soft-Boiled are both options for giving Togepi some reliable recovery. However, the former has limited PP and takes up a moveslot, while the latter is incompatible with Nasty Plot, which heavily compromises Togepi's niche. Lastly, Togepi has access to a plethora of potentially useful support moves, such as dual screens, Encore, Trick, Heal Bell, and Thunder Wave, but can't usually make good use of them due to being more or less outclassed in a supportive role.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Poison-types like Alolan Grimer and Foongus can comfortably tank Togepi's attacks and proceed to pressure it with super effective STAB attacks. Mareanie in particular tanks any of Togepi's commonly used attacks and can use Haze to remove its stat boosts.
**Steel-types**: Although they fear Fire Blast, Steel-types can outspeed and apply heavy offensive pressure to Togepi. Examples include Pawniard, which can OHKO even Eviolite variants with a Life Orb-boosted Iron Head, and Magnemite, which can fire off powerful Flash Cannons while surviving Fire Blast thanks to Sturdy.
**Taunt**: Taunt from Pokemon like Cottonee and Onix can prevent Togepi from setting up with Nasty Plot or from passing its Special Attack boosts to teammates. All Pokemon, however, should be wary of taking too much damage from Togepi's boosted attacks.
**Phazers**: As mentioned before, Mareanie can tank multiple hits from Togepi while removing its stat boosts with Haze, while other phazers, like Foongus and Munchlax, can do the same thing with Clear Smog and Whirlwind respectively, albeit a little more unreliably.
Togepi has a small yet useful niche in LC as one of the tier's bulkiest Pokemon with access to Nasty Plot and Baton Pass. This allows Togepi to easily support teammates by supplying them with large boosts in Special Attack. A great defensive typing in pure Fairy allows Togepi to further secure its niche, providing it with key resistances to common attack types in Dark, Fighting, and Bug. Togepi can also pose a decent offensive threat once boosted, thanks to its workable Special Attack and diverse special movepool. Unfortunately, Togepi faces stiff competition from other users of Baton Pass, such as Torchic and Aipom, due to its inability to boost Speed and reliance on tanking hits to pass boosts as a result. It also faces severe competition as a defensive Fairy-type from the likes of Spritzee and Snubbull, which have better bulk, offensive presences, and overall utility. This severely limits Togepi's ability to fit on a very wide variety of teams and also makes it very predictable.
[SET]
name: NastyPass
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Eviolite / Berry Juice
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Bold
evs: 236 HP / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot provides Togepi with a +2 boost to its Special Attack, which it can then either pass to teammates or utilize to wear down foes. Baton Pass allows Togepi to give Nasty Plot boosts to teammates, which secures Togepi's niche in the metagame. It can also allow Togepi to pivot out of Pokemon that will likely switch into it, such as Alolan Grimer and Croagunk. Dazzling Gleam is a powerful STAB option with a Nasty Plot boost and is used to wear down opposing teams for Togepi's teammates. Fire Blast covers the Steel-types that otherwise wall Togepi, such as Magnemite and Ferroseed, while also giving it a way of hitting Foongus for super effective damage.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP alongside heavy Defense investment and a Bold nature gives Togepi a good amount of physical bulk, while the Special Defense EVs allow it to retain decent special bulk as well. The remaining EVs are invested in Speed, which allows Togepi to outrun various defensive Pokemon, such as Spritzee and Foongus. Eviolite is the preferred item, as it further bolsters Togepi's bulk. This notably allows for Togepi to avoid the OHKO from various strong attacks, such as Eviolite Pawniard's Iron Head and Rufflet's Brave Bird. Berry Juice is also an option, however, and gives Togepi a source of recovery and the ability to avoid certain 2HKOs, such as from Diglett's Earthquake or from Doduo's Brave Bird. Serene Grace is the preferred ability due to giving Fire Blast a decent chance of burning foes.
Usage Tips
========
Thanks to Togepi's good bulk, it can be switched into Fighting-types without Poison-type coverage fairly easily. From there, Togepi should begin setting up with Nasty Plot, and if possible, it can attempt wearing the opposing team down with Dazzling Gleam and Fire Blast before passing its boosts to a teammate. Togepi should look to use Baton Pass on the same turn in which it will likely tank an attack from a foe, as afterward it will be too low on health and slow to pass any boosts, and this also means that a teammate won't take any damage in having boosts passed to them. It should also try passing its boosts upon predicting switches to Steel- and Poison-types, as it will otherwise be forced out and thus waste its boosts. Togepi's Baton Pass is mainly utilized to pass Nasty Plot boosts, but also comes with the additional benefit of bringing teammates in safely due to Togepi's low Speed, which minimizes their chances of being hit with powerful attacks.
Team Options
========
Fast specially offensive Fire-types like Ponyta and Torchic have excellent synergy with Togepi, as they can cover its Steel-type weakness while also greatly appreciating the Special Attack boosts it passes. Other special attackers that either struggle to set up or are unable to boost their offenses, such as Abra, Staryu, and Chinchou, make excellent recipients of Togepi's Baton Pass. Diglett is a particularly useful partner, thanks to its ability to trap and dispose of the Poison- and Steel-types that prevent Togepi from reliably passing boosts. It also enjoy's Togepi's slow Baton Pass, since it can safely bring Diglett in on a predicted switch. Other checks to Poison- and Steel-types, such as Mudbray and Mienfoo respectively, are greatly appreciated by Togepi. Entry hazard removal is recommended for allowing Togepi to stay as healthy as possible while passing boosts, which makes Pokemon like Staryu and Kabuto good means of supporting Togepi.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A set consisting of the moves Dazzling Gleam, Fire Blast, Stored Power, and Baton Pass can be used on ChainPass teams to allow Togepi to act as a threatening sweeper once provided with Baton Pass boosts. Unfortunately, such a set is usually outdone by Munna, which is more powerful and receives a STAB boost from Stored Power. Psychic can be used to nail the Poison-types that Togepi hates dealing with, though most Poison-types won't take extremely heavy damage from the attack or will even be immune in the case of Alolan Grimer and Stunky. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast for its better accuracy, but it won't usually hit most of its targets for good enough damage due to Togepi's fairly low Special Attack stat. Super Luck can be used over Serene Grace for its ability to increase Togepi's chances of getting a critical hit, but the ability to more easily burn foes with Fire Blast is generally more valuable. Morning Sun and Soft-Boiled are both options for giving Togepi some reliable recovery. However, the former has limited PP and takes up a moveslot, while the latter is incompatible with Nasty Plot, which heavily compromises Togepi's niche. Lastly, Togepi has access to a plethora of potentially useful support moves, such as dual screens, Encore, Trick, Heal Bell, and Thunder Wave, but can't usually make good use of them due to being more or less outclassed in a supportive role.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Poison-types like Alolan Grimer and Foongus can comfortably tank Togepi's attacks and proceed to pressure it with super effective STAB attacks. Mareanie in particular tanks any of Togepi's commonly used attacks and can use Haze to remove its stat boosts.
**Steel-types**: Although they fear Fire Blast, Steel-types can outspeed and apply heavy offensive pressure to Togepi. Examples include Pawniard, which can OHKO even Eviolite variants with a Life Orb-boosted Iron Head, and Magnemite, which can fire off powerful Flash Cannons while surviving Fire Blast thanks to Sturdy.
**Taunt**: Taunt from Pokemon like Cottonee and Onix can prevent Togepi from setting up with Nasty Plot or from passing its Special Attack boosts to teammates. All Pokemon, however, should be wary of taking too much damage from Togepi's boosted attacks.
**Phazers**: As mentioned before, Mareanie can tank multiple hits from Togepi while removing its stat boosts with Haze, while other phazers, like Foongus and Munchlax, can do the same thing with Clear Smog and Whirlwind respectively, albeit a little more unreliably.
Last edited: