XY LC Scarves are Still in Style

Introduction

Hello, ladies and gentlesmogs! Welcome to the annual Super Smogon Summer Slam Fashion Contest! Today we have nine little superstars who came to rock a special item: the Choice Scarf. Don't let the muggy summer heat deter you, scarves are still in style! Not only is the Choice Scarf super fabulous, but it also spikes the wearer's speed by 1.5. This allows Pokémon to pull off daring revenge killer sets and gives sluggish yet powerful Pokémon, such as Cranidos, an opportunity to smash through teams. Here are Pokémon that can really pull great Choice Scarf sets... while still looking spectacular!

Pawniard

First onto the runway is everyone's favorite Knife-Hands, Pawniard! Admittedly, Pawniard's Choice Scarf set didn't see much popularity until the Misdreavus era, where it was able to revenge kill the poor ghost without having to worry about being burned. However, even without Misdreavus in the metagame, this set continues to be one of its best. Pursuit only helps Pawniard revenge kill, as there are plenty of Pokémon that can neither outspeed it nor can risk switching out. Additionally, Pawniard boasts a very powerful STAB Knock Off, perhaps one of the best support moves in the game. With that move in its arsenal, Pawniard can potentially remove almost every Pokémon who dares stand up against it, which paves the way for its teammates (or Pawniard itself) to pull off a sweep. Iron Head, Pawniard's second STAB move, hits the Fairies that resist Dark-types for super effective damage, chopping away grave amounts of health from defensive behemoths such as Spritzee, Archen, Cottonee, and Snubbull. Finally, to round off its already amazing coverage is Brick Break, which allows Pawniard to check its Knife-Handed brethren, as well as other Dark-, Rock-, Steel-, and Normal- types. Abra, Gastly, Houndour, and Bunnelby are just a few Pokémon that Scarf Pawniard is capable of scaring off or just outright revenge killing.

This set isn't perfect, however. While Pawniard excels at crippling Pokémon by removing their precious items, it is still walled by Pokémon such as Ponyta and Trubbish. The former resists Iron Head and is capable of hindering Pawniard with a burn condition, and the latter is immune to the item-removaling effect of Knock Off. This set also lacks in power compared to other sets, meaning Fighting-types such as Mienfoo and Timburr can very easily switch in repeatedly throughout the match. Don't let this deter you from using it, however, as its utility, power, and sheer fabulousness may sometimes be too much to pass up.

Mienfoo

Next onto the runway is.... Mienfoo?! Oh, everyone knows about this Little-Celebrity. With Regenerator, Knock Off, Drain Punch, U-turn, Baton Pass and so much more, its hard to see what Mienfoo CAN'T DO. And of course, wreaking havoc while still looking fabulous is another one of Mienfoo's star traits. However, this set is drastically different than traditional Mienfoo-y sets, in that it forgoes one of its famous traits: Regenerator. Mienfoo's two other abilities are Inner Focus and Reckless. The former is horribly tacky, while the second is well... just straight up dangerous, especially paired with one of the strongest Fighting-type moves in the game: High Jump Kick. The 20% boost in power combined with Mienfoo's high Attack and Speed (courtesy of its Choice Scarf) allows this martial arts prodigy to mercilessly tear through teams. Foongus, Spritzee, and Koffing, three of the more praised Fighting-type checks, have high chances to be 2HKOed after Stealth Rock damage, provided that they've lost their Eviolite, which is actually quite likely given that Mienfoo also gets Knock Off, both to weaken its checks and surprise the Ghost-types that can deviously dodge a High Jump Kick. U-turn allows Mienfoo to grab momentum for other sweepers or to counter another Pokémon, while Drain Punch keeps Mienfoo healthy in spite of the lack of Regenerator. It also provides a reliable STAB attack for the risk of missing High Jump Kick may not be worth it.

While this set is extremely powerful, it does have its drawbacks. The opponent's Ghost-types keep Mienfoo from spamming its High Jump Kick, forcing it to play safe with Knock Off or U-turn. Additionally, this set loses its most of its ability to hard-counter Pawniard, as it does not want to risk getting its Scarf knocked off. Fletchling also provides problems for Mienfoo, as it completely ignores its Speed buff and can KO it with Acrobatics. However, don't be discouraged from slapping a scarf on your Foo and letting it run, because with careful playing and ample support, this set is guaranteed to destroy..... as long as you don't get unlucky and miss, that is. Be wary of the accuracy and low PP, as one missed High Jump Kick will usually be enough to turn the battle against you.

Magnemite

"Okay. Lets be real here. Magnemite? Its just a magnet, how could it possibly be fashionable? Let alone wear a scarf! It doesn't even have a neck!"

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

You hear that? That's Magnemite. Laughing at you. Yes, you. I'm sure you know who you are. Anyway, more to the point, Magnemite is here and ready to rock that Choice Scarf, both on the runway and the battlefield. This little Magnet-Cyclops boasts one of the highest Special Attack stats in Little Cup, tying with another behemoth, Abra. Therefore, this set makes for a naturally good revenge killer as well as a momentum grabber that has a lot of different quirks over the traditional Magnemite sets. Firstly, the scarf allows it to outspeed Fletchling, which often hopes to roast it with an Overheat. It can also surprise Abra, Pawniard, Mienfoo, Archen, and Ponyta by outspeeding and Volt Switching out. Its cool Steel-type STAB allows it to revenge kill threats such as Cottonee, Support Dwebble, and Drilbur. Additionally, Magnemite's ability, Magnet Pull, allows it to trap hard-to-KO Pokémon such as Pawniard, Ferroseed, and opposing Magnemite and take them out with the appropriate Hidden Power. Lastly, this set has a chance to stomp the Fletchling and Diglett combos by outspeeding the latter and potentially KOing with Flash Cannon, a feat the standard Magnemite set cannot brag about.

While this all sounds well and good, Magnemite does struggle a bit. Chinchou, an incredibly popular Pokémon, completely walls this set, blocking Volt Switch with Volt Absorb, and having a quadruple resistance to Steel-type attacks. Magnemite also fears priority, especially common types such as Timburr's Mach Punch, Croagunk's Vacuum Wave, and Houndour's Sucker Punch. If played correctly, however, this set will be devastating and tricky to defeat. Oh, and try tying the scarf around the screw on its head.

Cranidos

To be blunt, Cranidos has never been given much love in Little Cup. While it boasts the highest Attack stat in the metagame- rivaling that of the mighty Gyarados- it is terribly frail, slow, prone to being worn down, and has an arguably mediocre typing. Don't feel sorry for this poor dino just yet, as it can be just as fabulous as any other Choice Scarf user (it even color-coordinates)! With a Choice Scarf, it can mitigate one of its biggest problems, its low Speed, which allows it to utilize its ferocious Attack stat to break walls and smash offensive teams alike. Cranidos' head isn't just for looks; it's strongest STAB attack, Head Smash, coming off a 125 base Attack stat, will demolish everything that doesn't resist it. What Pokémon do resist it have to come in with the risk of being struck by a nasty Earthquake or Zen Headbutt. Of course, this cannon is made of glass, so running with Cranidos may lead to more problems. Like Magnemite, Cranidos is ridiculously weak to priority, namely Mach Punch from Timburr, Vacuum Wave from Croagunk, and Aqua Jet from Tirtouga and Carvanha. Despite actually having a head made of rock, Cranidos doesn't actually get the ability Rock Head, so Head Smash will quickly whittle way its already low health. This, of course, can be avoided by simply running Rock Slide, but this does cause it to miss a great deal of power and wallbreaking ability, therefore requiring much more team support through moves such as Knock Off and Stealth Rock. If you are willing to take the risk of running Cranidos, you may not be disappointed in its sheer power... even if it only lasts one or two turns.

Gastly

Poor Gastly has long been overshadowed by its more powerful cousin, Misdreavus, which had higher Defenses as well as Speed. Gastly did have its own niche, however, being part Poison-type and having a higher Special Attack stat. Now, with Misdreavus banned from the scene, Gastly's time to shine has never been brighter. This ball of gas does have a couple of nasty sets, including Life Orb and SubDisable, but it can always go the fashionable way and don a Choice Scarf, boosting its already high Speed to chilling levels. With the Scarf, max speed Gastly outspeeds threats such as Shell-Smashed Tirtouga, Omanyte, and Clamperl, as well as Dragon-Danced Scraggy, and Scarfed Pawniard; it can also defeat Abra if it doesn't have its Focus Sash intact. Not only this, but its wicked coverage gives it opportunities to revenge most Psychic, Fairy-, Fighting-, Dark-, Grass-, and Ghost-type Pokémon. Furthermore, its Ghost typing provides an immunity from common priority attacks such as Mach Punch, Vacuum Wave, and Extreme Speed. Perhaps the best thing about this set, however, is that Gastly can share its fabulous fashion sense with the rest of the metagame! With Trick, it can cripple walls such as Porygon, Ferroseed, Munchlax, and Lickitung by forcing them to be locked into a single move.

Gastly needs to be on constant watch, however. It is incredibly frail and will take large amounts of damage from even neutral or non-stabbed attacks. Sucker Punch also poses a huge threat to Gastly, bypassing its incredible Speed and hitting it for super effective damage. Pokémon such as Stunky, Pawniard, and Houndour are capable of punishing Gastly or just outright preventing it from doing its job. However, don't be discouraged from using it! It can revenge kill a colossal amount of Pokémon in the metagame, so long as you use it carefully.

Bunnelby

Our last little star to appear on the runway is.... Bunnelby! This bunny was destined to be a star right from the beginning; not only is it cute, it's extremely powerful. If you can manage to look past its meager stats, you'll find the coveted ability, Huge Power. With that ability effectively doubling its Attack and the Choice Scarf increasing its Speed, Bunnelby is transformed into an absolute beast on the battlefield. U-turn is one of its best assets, which makes it able to grab momentum while still dealing a fair amount of damage. The combination of Return and Earthquake is capable of hitting a lot of Pokémon very hard, while maintaining decent coverage. Lastly, Bunnelby can go with Quick Attack, and while that might seem redundant with a Scarf, it allows Bunnelby to revenge faster threats, such as Chlorophyll sweepers. Thief can be used as well to hit ghosts, such as Gastly, hard. Wild Charge can be used as well, as it able to hit both Archen and Gastly very hard. As always, be wary of priority. Timburr and Croagunk can hit it with their STAB priority moves, and bulky Tirtouga can take most hits while applying pressure with Aqua Jet or Waterfall. Ferroseed and Lileep are another two Pokémon capable of tanking most of Bunnelby's hits while preying on its low defenses to grab 2HKOs. Overall, Bunnelby is a massive threat that definitely can run through unprepared teams.

In Conclusion...

The Choice Scarf makes winning battles and looking fabulous 1.5 times easier. The Speed it provides gives certain Pokémon opportunities to become fearsome revenge killers or ferocious wallbreakers. From established stars such as Mienfoo and Pawniard to underdogs such as Cranidos and Gastly, the applications for this item are seemingly endless. Well. Thats all folks! Thank you for coming out to support our Little Stars in the Sixty-Fourth annual Little Cup Fashion Show. May peace and fabulousness be with all of you, and to all a good night!

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