GP Check
GP Approved 1/2
Good job on this AceSat ^.^Overview
########
Blaziken takes the title of being the first, and currently sole, starter to be banished to Ubers thanks to its hidden ability Speed Boost ability. With Speed Boost, Blaziken can outspeed and KO many threats, and can pass boosts to the rest of the team teammates thanks to Baton Pass. Blaziken makes its second debut in Ubers with a new boon: a Mega Evolution. Blaziken continues to be a formidable threat in the Ubers metagame; with base 100 speed when Mega-Evolved, it can come in and outspeed the common base 90 speed Speed Pokemon in the Ubers metagame. Blaziken can use a physical attacking set to sweep opposing teams, or, if you want a different Mega Evolution for your team, a Life Orb can be used; however, Blaziken isn't held to only utilizing an offensive set as it can also run an effective Baton Pass set. The nerf to weather this generation is a mixed bag for Blaziken. On one hand, it doesn't have ever-present sun support anymore to boost its power; on the other hand, the rain that used to cripple Blaziken doesn't last forever either, so Drought is no longer needed to counter Kyogre's rain.
However, everything is not as perfect as it may seem for the speedy chicken. It has rather poor bulk even with the improvements of the Mega Evolution, leaving it open to being revenge killed by priority, making it rather tough to switch it in and difficult to set up. It also depends on Flare Blitz as its STAB move, whose which has recoil that further burdens doesn't help its rather poor bulk. Its Mega Evolution set, which is arguably its best set, has an opportunity cost compared to other available Megas such as Mewtwo and Gengar, albeit a very small one. Nevertheless, with proper switching in and setting up, Blaziken is a formidable threat to look out for.
Offensive
########
name: Blaze is Back
move 1: Low Kick
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Protect / Swords Dance
move 4: Protect / Knock Off
ability: Speed Boost
item: Blazikinite / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Low Kick is Blaziken's fighting type Fighting-type STAB,(AC) dealing maximum damage against most of the many heavy pokemon Pokemon in the Ubers metagame; it is also not as high risk as High Jump Kick. Flare Blitz is Blaziken's Fire-type (AH) (?) STAB; when used in conjunction with Low Kick, Blaziken hits most of the commonly used Pokemon in Ubers for super effective or neutral damage. Swords Dance allows you to get a quick +2 to Attack boost to massively increase damage output. Protect allows not only allows guaranteed Speed boosts, but also allows you to lets Blaziken scout your opponent's move. Knock Off is another great utility move as it allows Blaziken to deal massive damage to direct resists to Flare Blitz and Low Kick in both Pokemon that resist its STAB moves, such as the Giratina formes; it also allows you to catch your opponent on a switch,(AC) potentially taking off an otherwise useful item from the their switch-in Pokemon they switch into. Baton Pass can be used in on this set to provide Speed boosts to other team members if Blaziken's HP(space)is low; always make sure to use Protect with Baton Pass since it will guarantee Speed boosts. High Jump Kick can be an alternative to Low Kick, offering 10 more base power Base Power at the cost Blaziken dealing massive damage to itself if it misses; however, Low Kick is preferred, as High Jump Kick only deals more damage to the rare Quagsire. Stone Edge can be used instead of Knock Off if your team needs to damage Ho-Oh; it also has the added benefit of denting Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal.
Set Details
========
252 Attack and 252 Speed allow Maximum investment in both Attack and Speed allows Mega Blaziken to come in and immediately get to work, capitalizing on Blaziken's offensive stats and allowing it to become the fearsome wallbreaker it is. The slashes represent three possible sets that you can run: Protect + and threattacks three attacks, Swords Dance and three attacks, or Swords Dance and Protect with 2 two attacks. An Adamant nature is used to OHKO Pokemon such as Kyogre who are not normally OHKO'd OHKOed if using Jolly. Jolly can be used over Adamant in order to allow it to outspeed Scarfers Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Zekrom after one or two boosts, depending on whether you are in Mega forme or using the Life Orb set. However, by using Jolly, Blaziken loses offensive prowess it would otherwise enjoy. Life Orb Blaziken allows you to use a different Mega Evolution on your team.
Usage Tips
========
Be wary about flat out directly switching Blaziken in as its relatively low bulk leaves its vulnerable to taking heavy damage. In addition, watch out for priority moves that can revenge kill you it,(AC) such as Extreme Speed from Arceus or Rayquaza. Protect allows you Blaziken to gain +1 from Speed Boost, helping you easily build momentum; it also offers added utility in seeing what move your opponent was going for, giving you an advantage. Don't just spam Flare Blitz blindly,(AC) as recoil racks up quickly, leaving Blaziken vulnerable to revenge killers. If you opt for Knock Off, it allows Blaziken to catch Pokemon on the switch and cripple them; it even allows more damage against Giratina, a common check to Blaziken.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rocks Rock support helps Blaziken deal with Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Yveltal, so Pokemon such as like Groudon or Landorus-T make great teammates. Groudon also helps Mega Blaziken by setting up sun and dispelling rain; it also checks Extreme Killer Arceus with its great physical bulk and can retaliate with an attack or cripple with Thunder Wave;(remove semi).(AP) Groudon can also run Lava Plume in order to catch opposing Landorus-T off guard and score a burn, leaving Landorus-T crippled for the rest of the match. Landorus-T as a team mate teammate itself provides Intimidate support and checks Ho-oh, a counter to Blaziken. Landorus-T also carries U-turn which allows gets Blaziken in safely to get a free switch in. Yveltal breaks many of the Pokemon that can wall Blaziken,(AC) such as the Giratina formes. Xerneas can be used as another offensive sweeper who that is also able to deal with both Giratina formes. Wobbuffet is an interesting team member as it is able to trap and take out any checks or counters to Blaziken; Wobbuffet can be used with Xerneas carrying Hidden Power Fire to create a powerful core that benefits Blaziken greatly. Palkia is a great team member as it can sponge water moves thrown at Blaziken and also deal with Rayquaza,(AC) that can otherwise revenge kill Blaziken. U-turn/Volt Switch users such as Genesect and Zekrom can get Blaziken in safely a free switch in, which Blaziken appreciates greatly. Extreme-Killer Extreme Killer Arceus can be a good team member as well; Blaziken can weaken the opponent's team by KOing or debilitating Arceus's checks,(AC) allowing Arceus to come in and sweep.
Baton Pass
########
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Protect
move 3: Substitute / Roar
move 4: Flare Blitz
ability: Speed Boost
item: Leftovers
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Baton Pass is used to pass on Speed boosts to another team member. Protect allows Blaziken to gain guaranteed Speed boosts and is absolutely necessary for this set. Substitute used in conjunction with Protect allows you the best option in getting speed Speed boosts as alternating between them allows lets Blaziken to get boosts without fearing much damage. On the other hand, Roar is an interesting option that allows you to prevent Blaziken from being phazed out and losing its Speed boosts; it also prevents opponents from setting up on you. Flare Blitz provides a reliable and powerful physical Fire-type STAB to deal with opposing Pokemon with Taunt.
Set Details
========
252 Attack and 252 Speed allow Maximum Attack and Speed let Blaziken to switch in, use a protect, and begin to outspeed the opponent while having respectable Attack in case Flare Blitz needs to be used. By investing in Attack, Blaziken is not a sitting duck to set up in front to setup sweepers and can actually deal significant damage while gaining boosts. A Jolly nature is used here to ensure a Substitute after your first Protect. After one boost, Blaziken can outspeed many of the non-Scarfed non-Choice Scarf Ubers Pokemon. (AP) This prevents Blaziken from taking severe damage or being completely knocked out. Its survival is necessary to pass on Speed boosts to the rest of the team. Leftovers is used to increase Blaziken's longevity; it works great in conjunction with Protect as you get a Speed boost and +6.25% recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Watch out for potential Taunt users like Deoxys-S as they can cripple this entire set.(AP) Protect is a cornerstone of this set,(AC) allowing you Blaziken to stay in and get Speed boosts. It also provides utility as you can scout what move your opponent is going for, allowing you to plan accordingly. A good strategy is to come and and use protect Protect to get a Speed boost. Then, alternate with Substitute and continue to do so to maximize your Speed boosts for another Pokemon. Also, a predicted switch allows you to use Substitute and then Protect on the next turn, allowing you to gain a speed boost and to pass on a Substitute to another Pokemon on your team. Roar is used mainly to prevent Blaziken from being phazed out. It is faster than(space)most phazers after one Speed boost, so its Roar will go first and prevent it from being switched out. Watch out for priority moves such as Extremespeed Extreme Speed or Shadow Sneak that can mortally damage you. By passing your Speed boosts to another Pokemon that is powerful but slow, you are able to turn the tide against your opponent and potentially sweep their team with your Speed-boosted switch-in.
Team Options
========
Groudon can be used to help boost Blaziken's Flare Blitz by setting up the sun and dispelling any rain; sun support also lowers any damage from Water-type moves. You can Baton Pass Speed boosts to terrifying offensive Pokemon plagued by their sub-par Speed, allowing them to pull off sweeps that would otherwise be difficult. These include Life Orb or Choice Band Zekrom, Mega Kangaskhan, Life Orb or Tank tank Ho-Oh, Lustrous Orb or Life Orb Palkia, Choice Specs Kyogre, or Choice Band Groudon. By passing to these Pokemon, you are able to use Baton Pass Blaziken to its fullest.
Other Options
########
Brave Bird can be utilized as it provides neutral damage against most Pokemon,(AC) but the only common threats it hits for super-effective super effective damage are Mega Mewtwo-X and Arceus-Fighting Fighting Arceus,(AC) who which take massive damage from Flare Blitz as is. Otherwise, Brave Bird is another recoil move that shouldn't really be used over any other moves in any set. Rock Slide can be used, but its main target is Ho-Oh. Stone Edge is a better option in order to deal more damage to Yveltal and Lugia. Shadow Claw can be used instead of Knock Off to deal more damage to Mega Gengar and Giratina-O since their items can't be knocked off. However, it doesn't have as much utility against opposing tanks and switch-ins by knocking off Leftovers or Choice items. Boosting moves such as Swords Dance and Bulk Up can be used in the Baton Passing set,(AC) but,(RC) they have a marginal or nonexistent bonus for special attackers and require more turns to set up, limiting Blaziken's longevity. Overheat can be used in the Baton Pass set to cut down on recoil damage, but it isn't consistent damage-wise repeated usage deals less damage with the drop of Special Attack by two stages and also has a chance to miss. By lowering Special Attack, it limits your Baton Pass to physical attackers (I don't get what this means/is referring to ?_? I would consider rewording it, but of course, if I'm just being stupid and missing something, feel free to let me know). Choice Band can be used to grant Blaziken an immediate power boost, but is constrictive and counterproductive with Speed Boost. Blaziken won't be able to switch attacks making it easily blocked by opposing tanks such as Arceus-Water Water Arceus and Arceus-Fairy Fairy Arceus, forcing it to switch out and lose its Speed boosts.
Checks & Counters
########
**Giratina**: Both Giratina formes can take anything Blaziken throws at them except for a boosted Knock Off and are able to eventually KO it or phaze it out.
**Gyarados**: Gyarados resists both of Blaziken's STABs, letting it easily come in and get an attack Attack drop from Intimidate. It can also threaten to KO Blaziken with Waterfall.
**Landorus-Therian**: Landorus-T can switch in and take a hit with Defense investment and Intimidate, although it doesn't appreciate a boosted Flare Blitz. It is able to KO Blaziken with Earthquake as well.
**Arceus-Fairy Fairy Arceus and Arceus-Water Water Arceus**: Physically Defensive defensive variants can tank a few hits. They each resist one of Blaziken's STAB, but don't appreciate the other STAB that it can go for.
**Arceus-Ghost Ghost Arceus**: Arceus-Ghost Ghost Arceus is immune to Blaziken's Fighting-type STAB and can retaliate back with a Judgment. Consequently, it must be wary of Flare Blitz.
**Quagsire**: Unaware can ignore ignores Blaziken's stat boosts and Quagsire can attack back with its Water- type and Ground-type STABs; it doesn't fare well against High Jump Kick though.
**Kyogre**: Kyogre can come in and set up rain, which severely limits Blaziken's coverage and helps out Pokemon that resist or are immune to Blaziken's Fighting-type STAB such as Arceus-Fairy Fairy Arceus and Arceus-Ghost Ghost Arceus. Kyogre also threatens to KO Blaziken with its Water-type STAB attacks.
**Phazers**: Phazers are able to Whirlwind/Roar/Dragon Tail the Baton Pass set. They can also force the Offensive offensive set out, canceling its Speed boosts.
**Prankster Users**: Thundurus and Klefki can use priority Thunder Wave to cripple the offensive set,(AC) or and Thundurus can also use Taunt to shut down the Baton Pass set.
**Poison**: Poison limits Blaziken's longevity as it increases in damage each turn and is especially harmful for the Baton Pass set, lowering the time Blaziken can stay in thus lowering the amount of boosts it can pass on.
**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon such as Arceus-Normal Normal Arceus or Rayquaza with Extremespeed Extreme Speed are able to revenge kill Blaziken due to its paltry bulk and recoil damage.
GP Approved 1/2
