chimp
Go Bananas
[OVERVIEW]
Exeggcute has some potential as a support Pokemon in the LC metagame thanks to its great physical bulk and decent support movepool, which contains options such as Sleep Powder and Stun Spore. Its ability Harvest gives Exeggcute access to passive recovery when paired with an Oran Berry as long as Exeggcute is not hit by Knock Off. However, Exeggcute's typing, while not awful, leaves it vulnerable to a plethora of LC's most common attacking moves, such as U-turn, Knock Off, and Flying-type attacks. Due to its typing, Exeggcute usually will fail to check the physical attackers it aims to check because they carry a super effective coverage move. Exeggcute is further held back by poor Speed and Special Defense, which couple to make it easily taken out by special attackers. Finally, Exeggcute often relies on putting Pokemon to sleep to set up Substitute, which leaves it extremely reliant on Sleep Powder's relatively low accuracy. Due to these flaws, it is usually difficult to justify using Exeggcute over Foongus, which has a better typing, comparable bulk, and a more accurate sleep-inducing move. Exeggcute's niche lies in its good Defense stat, a resistance to common Ground-type attacks, and passive recovery.
[SET]
name: Harvest
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Sleep Powder / Leech Seed
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Psychic / Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Oran Berry
ability: Harvest
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 200 Def / 40 SpA / 80 SpD / 120 Spe
Moves
========
Substitute allows Exeggcute to take advantage of the switches it forces versus defensive Pokemon or the sleep turns it induces while often triggering Oran Berry recovery. Sleep Powder can be used on the switch or against slower foes to give Exeggcute turns to set up Substitute or wear down the foe. Alternatively, Leech Seed can be used to wear down foes or to force more switches, allowing Exeggcute to set up Substitute. Giga Drain is Exeggcute's main STAB move, and it can wear down sleeping foes while providing Exeggcute with recovery. The final moveslot can be used for Psychic, which hits Foongus and Fighting-type Pokemon hard, or for a coverage move such as Hidden Power Fire or Hidden Power Fighting, which deals damage to Ferroseed and Pawniard.
Set Details
========
Oran Berry is essential for this set, as it restores Exeggcute's HP when it falls below 50%. In conjunction with Harvest, which gives Exeggcute a 50% chance of recovering its Oran Berry every turn, Exeggcute will be fairly reliably healed whenever it falls below half HP. 120 Speed EVs and a Timid nature give Exeggcute 13 Speed, allowing it to outspeed almost every defensive Pokemon and some slow offensive Pokemon such as Timburr. The given defensive EVs ensure that Exeggcute is never 2HKOed by a variety of offensive Pokemon, including Mudbray, Diglett, and most Focus Sash Abra sets, when Oran Berry is taken into account. The remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to slightly boost Exeggcute's damage output.
Usage Tips
========
Exeggcute performs best when it comes in against Pokemon that fail to 2HKO it so that it can use its support moves before using its Oran Berry. These include bulkier Water-types such as Staryu without Ice Beam and Chinchou, Abra without Shadow Ball, Ground- and Rock- type Pokemon like Mudbray, Onix, and Drilbur, and weaker Electric-types such as Elekid. From there, Exeggcute should use its almost limitless recovery to set up Substitute, put foes to sleep, and chip away at their health from behind a Substitute. Keep in mind that Pokemon that can OHKO Exeggcute are abundant -- if an opposing Pokemon with OHKO potential is switching in, Exeggcute should put it to sleep, set up a Substitute, or simply be switched out. Under no circumstances should you allow Exeggcute to be hit by Knock Off, as not only will it deal quite a bit of damage as a super effective attack, but it will also remove Exeggcute's ability to heal itself.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock users help Exeggcute chip away at the opposition. Onix is one of the metagame's best Stealth Rock users and has terrific type synergy with Exeggcute, taking care of Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon that threaten Exeggcute while Exeggcute handles Water- and Grass-types. Steel-types wall many Exeggcute variants, so Fighting-types, such as Mienfoo and Timburr, or trappers, such as Diglett and Magnet Pull Magnemite, synergize well with Exeggcute as well. Magnemite has the added benefit of good type synergy with Exeggcute. Finally, Pokemon weak to Water-, Ground-, and Psychic-type attacks partner well with Exeggcute, which can consistently switch into these attacks over the course of a match. Ponyta, Croagunk, Mudbray, and Archen, among others, appreciate Exeggcute's ability to check these Pokemon.
Other Options
=============
Exeggcute can run Moonlight or Wish alongside Eviolite to become bulkier and less reliant on Harvest for recovery, but because Exeggcute's primary defensive niche is its access to passive recovery, it is rarely the optimal set for a team. Exeggcute also has access to Light Screen and Reflect, which it can use to support setup sweepers on its team, but Exeggcute has trouble setting dual screens due to its susceptibility to common faster Pokemon. Stun Spore is an option to support Exeggcute's teammates, but it is much less useful than running Sleep Powder or a coverage move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Vullaby, Alolan Grimer, and Pawniard resist or are immune to both of Exeggcute's STAB moves and can use Knock Off to disable its recovery. Vullaby sets that run Overcoat are immune to Sleep Powder, and Alolan Grimer can remove Exeggcute from a match with Pursuit.
**Steel-types**: Ferroseed and Pawniard can wall Exeggcute depending on its choice of final move, and both can either set up entry hazards against it or use Knock Off to disable its recovery. Ferroseed is also immune to Sleep Powder.
**Faster Attackers**: Faster attackers that carry super effective moves, such as Doduo, Ponyta, Gastly, and Larvesta, can easily OHKO Exeggcute, but they can rarely switch in for fear of Sleep Powder or an attack.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[blizzardly, 197439],[Nineage, 195129]]
- Quality checked by: [[Corporal Levi, 55063], [Coconut, 150971], [Merritt, 213064]]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha, 384270], [P Squared, 178392]]
Exeggcute has some potential as a support Pokemon in the LC metagame thanks to its great physical bulk and decent support movepool, which contains options such as Sleep Powder and Stun Spore. Its ability Harvest gives Exeggcute access to passive recovery when paired with an Oran Berry as long as Exeggcute is not hit by Knock Off. However, Exeggcute's typing, while not awful, leaves it vulnerable to a plethora of LC's most common attacking moves, such as U-turn, Knock Off, and Flying-type attacks. Due to its typing, Exeggcute usually will fail to check the physical attackers it aims to check because they carry a super effective coverage move. Exeggcute is further held back by poor Speed and Special Defense, which couple to make it easily taken out by special attackers. Finally, Exeggcute often relies on putting Pokemon to sleep to set up Substitute, which leaves it extremely reliant on Sleep Powder's relatively low accuracy. Due to these flaws, it is usually difficult to justify using Exeggcute over Foongus, which has a better typing, comparable bulk, and a more accurate sleep-inducing move. Exeggcute's niche lies in its good Defense stat, a resistance to common Ground-type attacks, and passive recovery.
[SET]
name: Harvest
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Sleep Powder / Leech Seed
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Psychic / Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Oran Berry
ability: Harvest
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 200 Def / 40 SpA / 80 SpD / 120 Spe
Moves
========
Substitute allows Exeggcute to take advantage of the switches it forces versus defensive Pokemon or the sleep turns it induces while often triggering Oran Berry recovery. Sleep Powder can be used on the switch or against slower foes to give Exeggcute turns to set up Substitute or wear down the foe. Alternatively, Leech Seed can be used to wear down foes or to force more switches, allowing Exeggcute to set up Substitute. Giga Drain is Exeggcute's main STAB move, and it can wear down sleeping foes while providing Exeggcute with recovery. The final moveslot can be used for Psychic, which hits Foongus and Fighting-type Pokemon hard, or for a coverage move such as Hidden Power Fire or Hidden Power Fighting, which deals damage to Ferroseed and Pawniard.
Set Details
========
Oran Berry is essential for this set, as it restores Exeggcute's HP when it falls below 50%. In conjunction with Harvest, which gives Exeggcute a 50% chance of recovering its Oran Berry every turn, Exeggcute will be fairly reliably healed whenever it falls below half HP. 120 Speed EVs and a Timid nature give Exeggcute 13 Speed, allowing it to outspeed almost every defensive Pokemon and some slow offensive Pokemon such as Timburr. The given defensive EVs ensure that Exeggcute is never 2HKOed by a variety of offensive Pokemon, including Mudbray, Diglett, and most Focus Sash Abra sets, when Oran Berry is taken into account. The remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to slightly boost Exeggcute's damage output.
Usage Tips
========
Exeggcute performs best when it comes in against Pokemon that fail to 2HKO it so that it can use its support moves before using its Oran Berry. These include bulkier Water-types such as Staryu without Ice Beam and Chinchou, Abra without Shadow Ball, Ground- and Rock- type Pokemon like Mudbray, Onix, and Drilbur, and weaker Electric-types such as Elekid. From there, Exeggcute should use its almost limitless recovery to set up Substitute, put foes to sleep, and chip away at their health from behind a Substitute. Keep in mind that Pokemon that can OHKO Exeggcute are abundant -- if an opposing Pokemon with OHKO potential is switching in, Exeggcute should put it to sleep, set up a Substitute, or simply be switched out. Under no circumstances should you allow Exeggcute to be hit by Knock Off, as not only will it deal quite a bit of damage as a super effective attack, but it will also remove Exeggcute's ability to heal itself.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock users help Exeggcute chip away at the opposition. Onix is one of the metagame's best Stealth Rock users and has terrific type synergy with Exeggcute, taking care of Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon that threaten Exeggcute while Exeggcute handles Water- and Grass-types. Steel-types wall many Exeggcute variants, so Fighting-types, such as Mienfoo and Timburr, or trappers, such as Diglett and Magnet Pull Magnemite, synergize well with Exeggcute as well. Magnemite has the added benefit of good type synergy with Exeggcute. Finally, Pokemon weak to Water-, Ground-, and Psychic-type attacks partner well with Exeggcute, which can consistently switch into these attacks over the course of a match. Ponyta, Croagunk, Mudbray, and Archen, among others, appreciate Exeggcute's ability to check these Pokemon.
Other Options
=============
Exeggcute can run Moonlight or Wish alongside Eviolite to become bulkier and less reliant on Harvest for recovery, but because Exeggcute's primary defensive niche is its access to passive recovery, it is rarely the optimal set for a team. Exeggcute also has access to Light Screen and Reflect, which it can use to support setup sweepers on its team, but Exeggcute has trouble setting dual screens due to its susceptibility to common faster Pokemon. Stun Spore is an option to support Exeggcute's teammates, but it is much less useful than running Sleep Powder or a coverage move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Vullaby, Alolan Grimer, and Pawniard resist or are immune to both of Exeggcute's STAB moves and can use Knock Off to disable its recovery. Vullaby sets that run Overcoat are immune to Sleep Powder, and Alolan Grimer can remove Exeggcute from a match with Pursuit.
**Steel-types**: Ferroseed and Pawniard can wall Exeggcute depending on its choice of final move, and both can either set up entry hazards against it or use Knock Off to disable its recovery. Ferroseed is also immune to Sleep Powder.
**Faster Attackers**: Faster attackers that carry super effective moves, such as Doduo, Ponyta, Gastly, and Larvesta, can easily OHKO Exeggcute, but they can rarely switch in for fear of Sleep Powder or an attack.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[blizzardly, 197439],[Nineage, 195129]]
- Quality checked by: [[Corporal Levi, 55063], [Coconut, 150971], [Merritt, 213064]]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha, 384270], [P Squared, 178392]]
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