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[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Toxic / Sludge Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 Spa / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs Volcanion is a terrifying wallbreaker on offensive teams, spouting amazing STAB moves and solid coverage options. Furthermore, its ability in Water Absorb and stellar defensive typing allow it to provide solid defensive utility on offense teams, as it can act as a soft check towards threats such as Ash-Greninja, Heatran, and Tapu Fini. However, Volcanion is fairly easy to pivot around due to all of its moves having common resistances or immunities, and it is overdependent on Toxic to break through its checks like Gastrodon and Mega Latias. These issues are compounded by Volcanion's awful longevity due to its crippling weakness to entry hazards. These factors mean that Volcanion faces severe competition from other, more effective wallbreakers such as Tapu Lele and Kartana. Steam Eruption is Volcanion's main STAB move, nailing even neutral targets such as Garchomp and Clefable for large amounts of damage. Flamethrower lets Volcanion hit common Water-resistant Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Serperior. Earth Power is Volcanion's coverage move of choice, letting it threaten Toxapex and Galarian Slowking. Toxic allows Volcanion to slowly whittle down would-be checks in Mega Latias, Slowking, and Gastrodon by badly poisoning them on the switch in. Sludge Wave can also be used as an option over Toxic to hit Tapu Fini extremely hard and deter it from switching in, as well as also being a solid midground against Grass-types, although it means that Volcanion can no longer punish Mega Latias and Gastrodon.
Volcanion fits best on offensively oriented teams that appreciate its short-term defensive capabilites and its terrifying wallbreaking prowess. Teammates such as Mega Scizor, Tapu Lele, and Arctozolt appreciate Volcanion's ability to pressure bulky Water- and Steel-types, such as Corviknight, Ferrothorn, opposing Mega Scizor and Toxapex. These Pokemon baiting in Steel- and Water-types provides natural entry points for Volcanion to come in and act as a wallbreaker. Due to Volcanion's susceptibility to entry hazards, Pokemon such as Mega Diancie that can deflect it or good Defoggers such as Corviknight and Kartana make for solid partners. Pokemon that appreciate Volcanion taking the Water- and Fire-type attacks from Ash-Greninja and Heatran directed at them such as Landorus-T and Ferrothorn, respectively, are also good partners. Although Volcanion can pressure out slower Ground-types, faster ones often force it out instead, so Ground-immune Pokemon such as Corviknight and Landorus-T are excellent partners. Electric- immune Pokemon such as the aforementioned Landorus-T and Gliscor also work well due to Volcanion's tendency to be forced out by Electric-types. Lastly, due to Volcanion's inability to check the likes of Ash-Greninja and Heatran by itself, Dark- and Ground-resistant Pokemon, such as Gliscor and Tapu Koko work well with it to round off the defensive core.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A bulkier set utilizing Substitute with Leftovers can be used to greatly ease prediction and completely shred common defensive cores made up of Corviknight, Toxapex, and Clefable, as well as nearly always forcing a KO by taking advantage of similar cores' passiveness to get up a Substitute. However, due to not being able to run Toxic, Volcanion is often left helpless against the likes of Mega Latias and Slowking, making Pursuit users such as Weavile mandatory alongside it. A Modest nature can also be used to increase breaking power; however, it means Volcanion misses out on outspeeding key foes such as Modest Heatran.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Dragon-types**: Mega Latias, Mega Latios, and Hydreigon can comfortably switch into Volcanion as they resist both of its STAB moves and can recover off any damage dealt; however, they are extremely crippled by Toxic and can often get overwhelmed easily from there.
**Bulky Water-types**: Gastrodon and Slowking are good checks to Volcanion, as they are immune to or take minor damage from Steam Eruption, as well as taking negligible damage from its other moves, and they can recover off the damage dealt; however, they are crippled by a well timed Toxic and can lose in the long term from there. Toxapex can pivot into Volcanion as it resists both of Volcanion's STAB moves and is immune to Toxic; however, Toxapex takes a hefty chunk from Earth Power and often cant consistently pivot into it. Tapu Fini resists both of Volcanion’s STAB options while also being immune to Toxic; however, due to its lack of consistent recovery, it is easily worn down and eventually can lose to Volcanion if it constantly has to switch into it.
**Chip Damage**: Due to Volcanion's lack of recovery and susceptibility to all entry hazards, entry hazard chip racks up very quickly in the long term, especially considering Volcanion's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock. Furthermore, chip damage from sand and hail can also drastically cut into Volcanion's health. Its longevity also gets compounded due to being forced to switch into Pokemon such as Greninja.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey can infinitely switch into Volcanion without worry, heal off any damage done to them, and threaten back with a Seismic Toss or a Toxic. They can also absorb Toxics and remove the status with Natural Cure, leaving Volcanion unable to break through a healthy Blissey and Chansey.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[adem, 529732]]
- Quality checked by: [[The Dragon Master, 521275], [pannuracotta, 517892]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Kris, 241023]]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Toxic / Sludge Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 Spa / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs Volcanion is a terrifying wallbreaker on offensive teams, spouting amazing STAB moves and solid coverage options. Furthermore, its ability in Water Absorb and stellar defensive typing allow it to provide solid defensive utility on offense teams, as it can act as a soft check towards threats such as Ash-Greninja, Heatran, and Tapu Fini. However, Volcanion is fairly easy to pivot around due to all of its moves having common resistances or immunities, and it is overdependent on Toxic to break through its checks like Gastrodon and Mega Latias. These issues are compounded by Volcanion's awful longevity due to its crippling weakness to entry hazards. These factors mean that Volcanion faces severe competition from other, more effective wallbreakers such as Tapu Lele and Kartana. Steam Eruption is Volcanion's main STAB move, nailing even neutral targets such as Garchomp and Clefable for large amounts of damage. Flamethrower lets Volcanion hit common Water-resistant Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Serperior. Earth Power is Volcanion's coverage move of choice, letting it threaten Toxapex and Galarian Slowking. Toxic allows Volcanion to slowly whittle down would-be checks in Mega Latias, Slowking, and Gastrodon by badly poisoning them on the switch in. Sludge Wave can also be used as an option over Toxic to hit Tapu Fini extremely hard and deter it from switching in, as well as also being a solid midground against Grass-types, although it means that Volcanion can no longer punish Mega Latias and Gastrodon.
Volcanion fits best on offensively oriented teams that appreciate its short-term defensive capabilites and its terrifying wallbreaking prowess. Teammates such as Mega Scizor, Tapu Lele, and Arctozolt appreciate Volcanion's ability to pressure bulky Water- and Steel-types, such as Corviknight, Ferrothorn, opposing Mega Scizor and Toxapex. These Pokemon baiting in Steel- and Water-types provides natural entry points for Volcanion to come in and act as a wallbreaker. Due to Volcanion's susceptibility to entry hazards, Pokemon such as Mega Diancie that can deflect it or good Defoggers such as Corviknight and Kartana make for solid partners. Pokemon that appreciate Volcanion taking the Water- and Fire-type attacks from Ash-Greninja and Heatran directed at them such as Landorus-T and Ferrothorn, respectively, are also good partners. Although Volcanion can pressure out slower Ground-types, faster ones often force it out instead, so Ground-immune Pokemon such as Corviknight and Landorus-T are excellent partners. Electric- immune Pokemon such as the aforementioned Landorus-T and Gliscor also work well due to Volcanion's tendency to be forced out by Electric-types. Lastly, due to Volcanion's inability to check the likes of Ash-Greninja and Heatran by itself, Dark- and Ground-resistant Pokemon, such as Gliscor and Tapu Koko work well with it to round off the defensive core.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A bulkier set utilizing Substitute with Leftovers can be used to greatly ease prediction and completely shred common defensive cores made up of Corviknight, Toxapex, and Clefable, as well as nearly always forcing a KO by taking advantage of similar cores' passiveness to get up a Substitute. However, due to not being able to run Toxic, Volcanion is often left helpless against the likes of Mega Latias and Slowking, making Pursuit users such as Weavile mandatory alongside it. A Modest nature can also be used to increase breaking power; however, it means Volcanion misses out on outspeeding key foes such as Modest Heatran.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Dragon-types**: Mega Latias, Mega Latios, and Hydreigon can comfortably switch into Volcanion as they resist both of its STAB moves and can recover off any damage dealt; however, they are extremely crippled by Toxic and can often get overwhelmed easily from there.
**Bulky Water-types**: Gastrodon and Slowking are good checks to Volcanion, as they are immune to or take minor damage from Steam Eruption, as well as taking negligible damage from its other moves, and they can recover off the damage dealt; however, they are crippled by a well timed Toxic and can lose in the long term from there. Toxapex can pivot into Volcanion as it resists both of Volcanion's STAB moves and is immune to Toxic; however, Toxapex takes a hefty chunk from Earth Power and often cant consistently pivot into it. Tapu Fini resists both of Volcanion’s STAB options while also being immune to Toxic; however, due to its lack of consistent recovery, it is easily worn down and eventually can lose to Volcanion if it constantly has to switch into it.
**Chip Damage**: Due to Volcanion's lack of recovery and susceptibility to all entry hazards, entry hazard chip racks up very quickly in the long term, especially considering Volcanion's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock. Furthermore, chip damage from sand and hail can also drastically cut into Volcanion's health. Its longevity also gets compounded due to being forced to switch into Pokemon such as Greninja.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey can infinitely switch into Volcanion without worry, heal off any damage done to them, and threaten back with a Seismic Toss or a Toxic. They can also absorb Toxics and remove the status with Natural Cure, leaving Volcanion unable to break through a healthy Blissey and Chansey.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[adem, 529732]]
- Quality checked by: [[The Dragon Master, 521275], [pannuracotta, 517892]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Kris, 241023]]
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