Overview
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- fast, has very high 19 Speed, can use to revenge kill unboosted pokes
- good scout with fast U-Turn
- has perfect coverage in three moves
- Stronger than Meowth
- has Fighting-type coverage that Meowth lacks
- MYTH: MEOWTH'S FAKE OUT IS STRONGER. THEY AVERAGE TO BE ABOUT THE SAME DAMAGE, BUT AIPOM CAN KEEP THAT POWER FOR LONGER
- more bulky than Meowth
- +3 priority is helpful for out-priority-ing other pokes (yes, I know that's not a real word)
- solid anti-lead and late game cleaner
- Meowth has Covet / Thief
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name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Return
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Low Sweep / Fake Out / Taunt
ability: Pickup
item: Life Orb
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 236 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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- Return is strongest move and hits really hard
- Knock Off hits Misdreavus and Gastly and just about everything else you want it to hit, and it hits hard
- hurts Aipom's counters by removing their Eviolites and Berry Juices
- U-Turn for some damage on the switch
- Low Sweep OHKOs Pawniard after Fake Out and is nice to slow things switching inTaunt makes it a perfect anti-lead, preventing hazards or setting up
- Fake Out has solid +3 priority
- Taunt allows Aipom to be an effective lead, preventing hazards from the likes of Dwebble and Tirtouga
- also prevents setup from pokes like tirtouga or shellder
Set Details
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- EVs and Nature give max Attack and put it in that cool 19 Speed tier
- The rest goes in HP for that teensy-weensy bit of extra bulk
- Pickup is the only Ability that can do anything
- In the absurdly improbable case that Aipom stays in for and survives something's Knock Off, Pickup can sometimes grab it a Berry Juice or something else.
Usage Tips
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- Knock off helps weaken its counters by ridding them of their eviolites or berry juices
- can be used to gain momentum, but should not be used as part of a VoltTurn combo since it's very frail and can't switch in much
- Aipom has bad defenses, so it's best to switch out against something it can't win 1v1, like Slowpoke or bulky Mienfoo etc.
- using Fake Out, Taunt, and U-turn together make Aipom an effective lead, but in this metagame, a designated lead is an unwise choice
- vulnerable to priority, so watch out for those, Timburr, Croagunk, and Murkrow especially
Team Options
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- Aipom causes a lot of switches, so hazard support from Dwebble or Ferroseed to rack up chip damage is appreciated
- burn support is nice so Aipom doesn't have to switch in on a powerful physical attack; only a weak one--Misdreavus is good, absorbing the Fighting-type attacks Aipom draws
- Timburr and Mienfoo beat Pawniard
- Spritzee beats all Fighting-types
- Fletchling has a strong Acrobatics to scare out Timburr and Mienfoo and Croagunk
Other Options
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- a set with only Fake Out and Last Resort is funny, but walled by too many things
- Normal Gem + Fake Out + Acrobatics is cool
- a Baton Pass set could work, but Aipom is too frail to use it effectively
- Thunderpunch also exists
- Doubleslap or Fury Swipes with Skill Link is weaker than Return
- this thing gets bounce somehow; hits Fighting-types, but it's easy to work around
- nice special movepool with Nasty Plot, but low SpA
- can Baton Pass Nasty Plot and Agility boosts
- Gunk Shot maims Spritzee and has massive surprise factor
- Hone Claws is fun, but little time to set it up
- T-wave, but that's better left to other pokes
- Seed Bomb for Tirtouga, not much else
- Choice + Switcheroo is cool
- weather setter, but that's better left to other pokes
Checks & Counters
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- Slowpoke can take a hit and T-Wave or attack with STAB Scald or Psychic
- Pawniard resists all but Low Sweep and has Sucker Punch or sets up
- Foongus can take anything and Spore
- Bulky Mienfoo and timburr can take a few hits and hit back hard
- priority beats Aipom down after it has taken a few hits because of its awful defenses, so Meditite, Murkrow, Timburr (can absorb hits, too), Tirtouga (has Sturdy and Berry Juice to even set up on), Fletchling, etc.
- any Scarfer outspeeds and KOs because of such bad defenses
- Spritzee is a big fat annoying blob that walls Aipom
- rock types: lileep, tirtouga, dwebble (neutral to Low Sweep)
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