[OVERVIEW]
Raikou's viability in the UU tier comes from the option of running Toxic and Protect paired with its Pressure ability to effectively wear down foes such as Hydreigon and Krookodile, as well as its potential to sweep teams with Calm Mind, two options that other Electric-types cannot offer as effectively; this ability to run two viable sets that require opponents to play around them differently also leaves it unpredictable. Raikou's great Speed tier allows it to outspeed some of the tier's biggest threats such as Infernape, Cobalion, and Terrakion. However, Raikou faces tough competition from Zeraora and Mega Manectric as an offensive Electric-type due to their superior Speed tiers, Manectric's far superior Special Attack, as well as Zeraora's ability to run a mixed set. Raikou must rely on Toxic stall, Calm Mind boosts, and Z-Moves to beat its common checks, whereas Manectric can 2HKO Hydreigon with Hidden Power Ice or hit Swampert with Hidden Power Grass. Zeraora is also able to make use of Grass Knot to hit Swampert, Close Combat to hit Hydreigon, and Knock Off to hit Latias. Raikou is also outclassed by Rotom-H as a defensive Electric-type, due to the latter's access to Defog to remove entry hazards and Levitate to answer some Ground-types. While Calm Mind does help Raikou boost its already respectable Special Attack and Special Defense, it is held back due to its inability to take physical attacks and come in easily to set up, so proper support is necessary. Raikou's pure Electric typing can also be very limiting due to the prevalence of Ground-types such as Gligar, Choice Scarf Krookodile, and Hippowdon in the current UU metagame.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Toxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Raikou's Pressure ability is paired well with Substitute and Protect to PP stall opposing Pokemon. Toxic is useful for chipping away at opposing Pokemon such as Latias, Hydreigon, and Hippowdon, while Protect + Substitute helps Raikou avoid taking damage.
Set Details
========
248 EVs maximize Raikou's HP in order to let it do its job of Toxic stalling and taking hits rather than dealing damage better, while also allowing it to come in on Stealth Rock for one extra turn. Leftovers is necessary in order to make back health lost by Substitute and allows Raikou to recover further on the turns it chooses to use Protect; this in turn allows it to take greater advantage of its Pressure ability.
Usage Tips
========
Substitute + Toxic Raikou cannot directly switch in due to its poor defensive stats. This limitation is compounded by its inability to come in on entry hazards due to the need to keep its health high. For this reason, it is best to bring in when the field is clear of hazards and preferably after a Pokemon faints, through double switching, or via VoltTurn support. Raikou also needs to keep its Leftovers for longevity throughout the game, so it is very important to not switch it in on a Trick from Togekiss or Knock Off from Pokemon such as Tentacruel and Empoleon. It's important to not allow Raikou to be hit by any status ailments, such as Toxic from Empoleon, in order to prevent it from being worn down. After getting a Toxic off on an opposing Pokemon, Raikou can use Substitute and Protect to stall PP, avoid being attacked while the opposing Pokemon takes residual damage, and gain back its own health with Leftovers. Substitute can be used on many Pokemon that are threatened out by Raikou, and Toxic is a useful move to punish Pokemon that think that they can safely switch into Raikou. Toxic is best used early in the game in order to wear down opposing Pokemon, such as Krookodile, with Substitute and Protect over the course of the battle. Protect is also helpful in scouting for moves, particularly from Pokemon like Choice Scarf Krookodile and Choice Scarf Hydreigon, while Substitute can be used to outplay status users and Pokemon such as Sucker Punch Bisharp.
Team Options
========
Toxic Raikou fits best on more defensive builds, such as semi-stall and balance. These teams are based on slower, more passive playing and will have good synergy with Raikou, since they can wall Pokemon that Raikou fears, such as Latias and Hippowdon, while taking advantage of Toxic to chip away at them. Raikou is easily crippled by status, so having clerics such as Blissey, Umbreon, and Florges on a team with it is very helpful. Toxic Spikes can be very irritating for Raikou, so having a Poison-type to absorb them is a good idea. Amoonguss, Tentacruel, and Nidoqueen are all good options for this role. Entry hazards in general can make it difficult for Raikou to do its job, so hazard removers like Tentacruel, Hydreigon, Empoleon, and Rotom-H are good support for Raikou. Grass-types such as Tsareena and Amoonguss are very good partners for Raikou due to the good synergy they share, with Raikou covering their weakness to Flying-types and the Grass-types covering Raikou's weaknesses to Ground-types such as Krookodile and Hippowdon. Tsareena, in particular, is a great teammate due to having access to Rapid Spin for hazard removal and U-turn to pivot safely out to Raikou. Ground-types such as Gligar, Mega Steelix, and Nidoqueen completely wall Raikou, so Pokemon such as Chesnaught, bulky Moltres, Taunt Hydreigon, Celebi, and Starmie are great teammates to threaten these Ground-types. Having U-turn support to allow Raikou to pivot in without taking unnecessary damage is also helpful. Pokemon that can assist in this could be Infernape, Hydreigon, and Scizor. Spikes setters such as Klefki and Chesnaught as well as Stealth Rock users like Cobalion, Hippowdon, and Mega Steelix pair well with Raikou because many teams struggle dealing with Toxic while also being chipped at by hazards.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Shadow Ball / Hyper Beam
item: Ghostium Z / Normalium Z
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind boosts Raikou's Special Attack and Special Defense, improving upon already strong base stats. Thunderbolt gives Raikou access to a powerful STAB move that allows it to 2HKO various relevant Pokemon such as Cobalion, Infernape, and maximum HP Scizor. Hidden Power Ice, on the other hand, can hit walls like Gligar for super effective damage. Shadow Ball is useful for hitting Latias, which could otherwise choose to Calm Mind alongside Raikou, and has useful neutral coverage especially against Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Mega Steelix. Ghostium Z turns Shadow Ball into a one-time Never-Ending Nightmare. Normalium Z allows Raikou to use Breakneck Blitz to do significant damage to Hippowdon and potentially knock it out at +1 after prior chip damage, as well as OHKO Hydreigon and do considerable damage to both Amoonguss and Chesnaught.
Set Details
========
Ghostium Z or Normalium Z are paired with the last moveslot in order to maximize damage output and allow Raikou to threaten Pokemon like Hippowdon, Mega Steelix, Amoonguss, and Chesnaught that it otherwise would not be able to touch. Pressure is also useful in chipping away at opposing Pokemon's PP and limiting their ability to deal with Raikou.
Usage Tips
========
It is best to avoid setting up early in the game when Raikou's checks, such as Hippowdon and Choice Scarf Krookodile are still healthy. Getting off chip damage for a setup sweep later is more productive and maximizes Raikou's chance for success. Remember that whatever walls Raikou will be dependent on the moves being run, so it could differ slightly between games. For instance, when running Shadow Ball, Hippowdon, Mega Steelix, and Swampert will rarely have to fear Raikou, but if Hyper Beam is run they will not be as problematic. On the other hand, running Hyper Beam will make it difficult for Raikou to break through Pokemon such as Latias, particularly when Latias is running Roost. It is important to not send Raikou out when there are entry hazards on the field in order for it to be able to take priority attacks such as Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet and Bisharp's Sucker Punch. Toxic Spikes, in particular, can severely decrease the threat level that Raikou possesses. Keeping Raikou healthy is also crucial because its low defensive stats already make it very difficult to set up. Raikou can be brought into the game on an aggressive double switch when you product that your opponent will bring in a Pokemon that Raikou will match up well against, such as Tentacruel or Togekiss. Raikou can also be brought in easily with support from a pivot so that it does not have to take unnecessary damage.
Team Options
========
Raikou mostly fits on offensive teams that are able to keep momentum and create openings for it to set up. Raikou requires pivoting and entry hazard support from its teammates for it to fulfill its potential. Hazard setters such as Klefki, Chesnaught, Tentacruel, and Gligar pair well with Raikou and, with their hazards up, allow Raikou to clean up much more easily. Chesnaught is also able to help with Raikou's Ground weakness, while Gligar can pivot out to Raikou safely with U-turn or weaken bulkier Pokemon with Toxic. Grass-types such as Tsareena and Amoonguss pair well with Raikou, as it threatens Flying-types while the Grass-types are able to cover its Ground weakness. To help Raikou come in without taking heavy damage, it is preferable to have VoltTurn support. A few Pokemon that can allow Raikou to pivot onto the playing field are Infernape, Cobalion, Scizor, and Hydreigon. Raikou has difficulty beating certain Ground-types such as Krookodile, Quagsire, and Mega Steelix, so having teammates that can switch into and remove these Ground-types is very helpful. Good options for answering Ground-types include Primarina, Celebi, Slowbro, and Chesnaught. Reliable, long-term hazard removers are good partners for Raikou in order to clear the field of anything that could hurt Raikou’s role as a late game cleaner. For this reason, spinners and Defog users such as Tentacruel, Hydreigon, Empoleon, and Gligar are good choices. Fighting-types such as Terrakion, Cobalion, and Infernape are very useful, as they are able to pressure and take advantage of the bulky special walls like Toxic Blissey, Florges, and Umbreon that would otherwise wall Raikou.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Substitute in the fourth slot of the Calm Mind set along with Leftovers is also an option in order to punish passive Pokemon such as Amoonguss that will attempt to Spore or Toxic Raikou in the hopes of chipping it down with residual damage, as well as give Raikou greater longevity. Substitute also limits the number of hits Raikou must take, allows it to punish sacrifices, and pairs well with Pressure and Leftovers when chipping away at the opposing Pokemon's PP. Hidden Power Grass can be used instead of Hidden Power Ice to help with beating troublesome walls such as Quagsire and Swampert that may otherwise be unfazed by Raikou. Lastly, Shuca Berry can be used in certain cases for offensive Raikou as a way of luring in aforementioned Ground-types such as Krookodile, as well as other Pokemon that threaten Raikou with Ground-type moves such as Mega Aerodactyl, which is OHKOed by Thunderbolt. While this item can help remove threats, it is very situational in its usefulness and leads to more difficulty in sweeping due to lacking the power that a Z-Move would offer.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types are Raikou's greatest weakness. Hippowdon and Mega Steelix rarely have to fear taking attacks from Raikou and can OHKO it with their STAB-boosted Earthquakes, which force Raikou out. Swampert, Gligar, and Quagsire are other Ground-type walls that can easily deal with Raikou as long as they scout the Hidden Power beforehand. Choice Scarf Krookodile is Raikou's best revenge killer and can Pursuit trap it if its health falls too low. Mega Steelix, Gligar, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen are all able to switch into and wall Toxic Raikou. On the other hand, Pokemon like Hippowdon, Swampert, and Quagsire must be wary of being hit by Toxic on the switch.
**Special Walls**: Blissey and Alolan Muk are able to eat up any attacks Raikou has and threaten it out with Toxic or Knock Off. Alolan Muk also has the option to Pursuit trap, which can be threatening when paired with Poison Touch. Amoonguss can put Raikou to sleep with Spore and has Clear Smog to eliminate status changes. Blissey can work around Raikou's Toxic with its Natural Cure ability, while Alolan Muk and Amoonguss are both immune to it.
**Fast Offensive Threats**: Choice Scarf Terrakion and Infernape can revenge kill Raikou once it is weakened enough. Mega Aerodactyl and Choice Scarf Krookodile are able to outspeed Raikou and can OHKO with Earthquake, making them very good revenge killers. You may keep Raikou in on a predicted Pursuit, but it is very risky.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[MunchlaxAndChill, 403520]]
- Quality checked by: [[Nuked, 382658], [Surgeon, 347604], [Hilomilo, 313384]]
- Grammar checked by: [[NixHex, 40064], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Raikou's viability in the UU tier comes from the option of running Toxic and Protect paired with its Pressure ability to effectively wear down foes such as Hydreigon and Krookodile, as well as its potential to sweep teams with Calm Mind, two options that other Electric-types cannot offer as effectively; this ability to run two viable sets that require opponents to play around them differently also leaves it unpredictable. Raikou's great Speed tier allows it to outspeed some of the tier's biggest threats such as Infernape, Cobalion, and Terrakion. However, Raikou faces tough competition from Zeraora and Mega Manectric as an offensive Electric-type due to their superior Speed tiers, Manectric's far superior Special Attack, as well as Zeraora's ability to run a mixed set. Raikou must rely on Toxic stall, Calm Mind boosts, and Z-Moves to beat its common checks, whereas Manectric can 2HKO Hydreigon with Hidden Power Ice or hit Swampert with Hidden Power Grass. Zeraora is also able to make use of Grass Knot to hit Swampert, Close Combat to hit Hydreigon, and Knock Off to hit Latias. Raikou is also outclassed by Rotom-H as a defensive Electric-type, due to the latter's access to Defog to remove entry hazards and Levitate to answer some Ground-types. While Calm Mind does help Raikou boost its already respectable Special Attack and Special Defense, it is held back due to its inability to take physical attacks and come in easily to set up, so proper support is necessary. Raikou's pure Electric typing can also be very limiting due to the prevalence of Ground-types such as Gligar, Choice Scarf Krookodile, and Hippowdon in the current UU metagame.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Toxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Raikou's Pressure ability is paired well with Substitute and Protect to PP stall opposing Pokemon. Toxic is useful for chipping away at opposing Pokemon such as Latias, Hydreigon, and Hippowdon, while Protect + Substitute helps Raikou avoid taking damage.
Set Details
========
248 EVs maximize Raikou's HP in order to let it do its job of Toxic stalling and taking hits rather than dealing damage better, while also allowing it to come in on Stealth Rock for one extra turn. Leftovers is necessary in order to make back health lost by Substitute and allows Raikou to recover further on the turns it chooses to use Protect; this in turn allows it to take greater advantage of its Pressure ability.
Usage Tips
========
Substitute + Toxic Raikou cannot directly switch in due to its poor defensive stats. This limitation is compounded by its inability to come in on entry hazards due to the need to keep its health high. For this reason, it is best to bring in when the field is clear of hazards and preferably after a Pokemon faints, through double switching, or via VoltTurn support. Raikou also needs to keep its Leftovers for longevity throughout the game, so it is very important to not switch it in on a Trick from Togekiss or Knock Off from Pokemon such as Tentacruel and Empoleon. It's important to not allow Raikou to be hit by any status ailments, such as Toxic from Empoleon, in order to prevent it from being worn down. After getting a Toxic off on an opposing Pokemon, Raikou can use Substitute and Protect to stall PP, avoid being attacked while the opposing Pokemon takes residual damage, and gain back its own health with Leftovers. Substitute can be used on many Pokemon that are threatened out by Raikou, and Toxic is a useful move to punish Pokemon that think that they can safely switch into Raikou. Toxic is best used early in the game in order to wear down opposing Pokemon, such as Krookodile, with Substitute and Protect over the course of the battle. Protect is also helpful in scouting for moves, particularly from Pokemon like Choice Scarf Krookodile and Choice Scarf Hydreigon, while Substitute can be used to outplay status users and Pokemon such as Sucker Punch Bisharp.
Team Options
========
Toxic Raikou fits best on more defensive builds, such as semi-stall and balance. These teams are based on slower, more passive playing and will have good synergy with Raikou, since they can wall Pokemon that Raikou fears, such as Latias and Hippowdon, while taking advantage of Toxic to chip away at them. Raikou is easily crippled by status, so having clerics such as Blissey, Umbreon, and Florges on a team with it is very helpful. Toxic Spikes can be very irritating for Raikou, so having a Poison-type to absorb them is a good idea. Amoonguss, Tentacruel, and Nidoqueen are all good options for this role. Entry hazards in general can make it difficult for Raikou to do its job, so hazard removers like Tentacruel, Hydreigon, Empoleon, and Rotom-H are good support for Raikou. Grass-types such as Tsareena and Amoonguss are very good partners for Raikou due to the good synergy they share, with Raikou covering their weakness to Flying-types and the Grass-types covering Raikou's weaknesses to Ground-types such as Krookodile and Hippowdon. Tsareena, in particular, is a great teammate due to having access to Rapid Spin for hazard removal and U-turn to pivot safely out to Raikou. Ground-types such as Gligar, Mega Steelix, and Nidoqueen completely wall Raikou, so Pokemon such as Chesnaught, bulky Moltres, Taunt Hydreigon, Celebi, and Starmie are great teammates to threaten these Ground-types. Having U-turn support to allow Raikou to pivot in without taking unnecessary damage is also helpful. Pokemon that can assist in this could be Infernape, Hydreigon, and Scizor. Spikes setters such as Klefki and Chesnaught as well as Stealth Rock users like Cobalion, Hippowdon, and Mega Steelix pair well with Raikou because many teams struggle dealing with Toxic while also being chipped at by hazards.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Shadow Ball / Hyper Beam
item: Ghostium Z / Normalium Z
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind boosts Raikou's Special Attack and Special Defense, improving upon already strong base stats. Thunderbolt gives Raikou access to a powerful STAB move that allows it to 2HKO various relevant Pokemon such as Cobalion, Infernape, and maximum HP Scizor. Hidden Power Ice, on the other hand, can hit walls like Gligar for super effective damage. Shadow Ball is useful for hitting Latias, which could otherwise choose to Calm Mind alongside Raikou, and has useful neutral coverage especially against Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Mega Steelix. Ghostium Z turns Shadow Ball into a one-time Never-Ending Nightmare. Normalium Z allows Raikou to use Breakneck Blitz to do significant damage to Hippowdon and potentially knock it out at +1 after prior chip damage, as well as OHKO Hydreigon and do considerable damage to both Amoonguss and Chesnaught.
Set Details
========
Ghostium Z or Normalium Z are paired with the last moveslot in order to maximize damage output and allow Raikou to threaten Pokemon like Hippowdon, Mega Steelix, Amoonguss, and Chesnaught that it otherwise would not be able to touch. Pressure is also useful in chipping away at opposing Pokemon's PP and limiting their ability to deal with Raikou.
Usage Tips
========
It is best to avoid setting up early in the game when Raikou's checks, such as Hippowdon and Choice Scarf Krookodile are still healthy. Getting off chip damage for a setup sweep later is more productive and maximizes Raikou's chance for success. Remember that whatever walls Raikou will be dependent on the moves being run, so it could differ slightly between games. For instance, when running Shadow Ball, Hippowdon, Mega Steelix, and Swampert will rarely have to fear Raikou, but if Hyper Beam is run they will not be as problematic. On the other hand, running Hyper Beam will make it difficult for Raikou to break through Pokemon such as Latias, particularly when Latias is running Roost. It is important to not send Raikou out when there are entry hazards on the field in order for it to be able to take priority attacks such as Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet and Bisharp's Sucker Punch. Toxic Spikes, in particular, can severely decrease the threat level that Raikou possesses. Keeping Raikou healthy is also crucial because its low defensive stats already make it very difficult to set up. Raikou can be brought into the game on an aggressive double switch when you product that your opponent will bring in a Pokemon that Raikou will match up well against, such as Tentacruel or Togekiss. Raikou can also be brought in easily with support from a pivot so that it does not have to take unnecessary damage.
Team Options
========
Raikou mostly fits on offensive teams that are able to keep momentum and create openings for it to set up. Raikou requires pivoting and entry hazard support from its teammates for it to fulfill its potential. Hazard setters such as Klefki, Chesnaught, Tentacruel, and Gligar pair well with Raikou and, with their hazards up, allow Raikou to clean up much more easily. Chesnaught is also able to help with Raikou's Ground weakness, while Gligar can pivot out to Raikou safely with U-turn or weaken bulkier Pokemon with Toxic. Grass-types such as Tsareena and Amoonguss pair well with Raikou, as it threatens Flying-types while the Grass-types are able to cover its Ground weakness. To help Raikou come in without taking heavy damage, it is preferable to have VoltTurn support. A few Pokemon that can allow Raikou to pivot onto the playing field are Infernape, Cobalion, Scizor, and Hydreigon. Raikou has difficulty beating certain Ground-types such as Krookodile, Quagsire, and Mega Steelix, so having teammates that can switch into and remove these Ground-types is very helpful. Good options for answering Ground-types include Primarina, Celebi, Slowbro, and Chesnaught. Reliable, long-term hazard removers are good partners for Raikou in order to clear the field of anything that could hurt Raikou’s role as a late game cleaner. For this reason, spinners and Defog users such as Tentacruel, Hydreigon, Empoleon, and Gligar are good choices. Fighting-types such as Terrakion, Cobalion, and Infernape are very useful, as they are able to pressure and take advantage of the bulky special walls like Toxic Blissey, Florges, and Umbreon that would otherwise wall Raikou.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Substitute in the fourth slot of the Calm Mind set along with Leftovers is also an option in order to punish passive Pokemon such as Amoonguss that will attempt to Spore or Toxic Raikou in the hopes of chipping it down with residual damage, as well as give Raikou greater longevity. Substitute also limits the number of hits Raikou must take, allows it to punish sacrifices, and pairs well with Pressure and Leftovers when chipping away at the opposing Pokemon's PP. Hidden Power Grass can be used instead of Hidden Power Ice to help with beating troublesome walls such as Quagsire and Swampert that may otherwise be unfazed by Raikou. Lastly, Shuca Berry can be used in certain cases for offensive Raikou as a way of luring in aforementioned Ground-types such as Krookodile, as well as other Pokemon that threaten Raikou with Ground-type moves such as Mega Aerodactyl, which is OHKOed by Thunderbolt. While this item can help remove threats, it is very situational in its usefulness and leads to more difficulty in sweeping due to lacking the power that a Z-Move would offer.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types are Raikou's greatest weakness. Hippowdon and Mega Steelix rarely have to fear taking attacks from Raikou and can OHKO it with their STAB-boosted Earthquakes, which force Raikou out. Swampert, Gligar, and Quagsire are other Ground-type walls that can easily deal with Raikou as long as they scout the Hidden Power beforehand. Choice Scarf Krookodile is Raikou's best revenge killer and can Pursuit trap it if its health falls too low. Mega Steelix, Gligar, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen are all able to switch into and wall Toxic Raikou. On the other hand, Pokemon like Hippowdon, Swampert, and Quagsire must be wary of being hit by Toxic on the switch.
**Special Walls**: Blissey and Alolan Muk are able to eat up any attacks Raikou has and threaten it out with Toxic or Knock Off. Alolan Muk also has the option to Pursuit trap, which can be threatening when paired with Poison Touch. Amoonguss can put Raikou to sleep with Spore and has Clear Smog to eliminate status changes. Blissey can work around Raikou's Toxic with its Natural Cure ability, while Alolan Muk and Amoonguss are both immune to it.
**Fast Offensive Threats**: Choice Scarf Terrakion and Infernape can revenge kill Raikou once it is weakened enough. Mega Aerodactyl and Choice Scarf Krookodile are able to outspeed Raikou and can OHKO with Earthquake, making them very good revenge killers. You may keep Raikou in on a predicted Pursuit, but it is very risky.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[MunchlaxAndChill, 403520]]
- Quality checked by: [[Nuked, 382658], [Surgeon, 347604], [Hilomilo, 313384]]
- Grammar checked by: [[NixHex, 40064], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited: