QC: iVid / Eien / x
GP: x / x
Note:Will be making minor edits to fix grammar and clarity issues.
Yay done with band set! Will convert to paragraph form later.
[OVERVIEW]
**Psychic:**
Victini is a staple Pokémon on psychic, providing the type with a powerful fire type attacker, fast check to sweepers, pivot, wall breaker, trick user, and late game sweeper. Victini’s Psychic/Fire typing is fantastic on psychic against Bug, Steel, Grass, Ice, checking some of the most troublesome threats to psychic with V-Create, while threatening to sweep Bug, Grass, and Ice with Blue Flare. Scizor-Mega, Volcarona, Pinsir-Mega, Choice Scarf Heracross, and other threats are checked by Victini. Victini’s strength lies in its powerful movepool; blessed with access to some of the most powerful moves in the game, V-Create, Bolt Strike, and Blue Flare, as well as a solid base 100 speed, Victini exerts strong offensive presence on the metagame by threatening attackers and walls alike. V-Create hits surprisingly hard and is able to OHKO or 2HKO anything that doesn't resist the move. Unfortunately, Victini’s offensive stats of 100 / 100 aren’t very impressive; furthermore, the 100+ speed tier is populated by many notable threats that can punish Victini after a V-Create, such as Garchomp, Terrakion, Gengar, and Latios. While 100 / 100 / 100 defenses are fantastic, the weakness to common attacking types, such as ground, dark, rock, and water limit the ability for Victini to switch into attacks safely.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Psychic)
move 1: V-create
move 2: Bolt Strike
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Blue Flare / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Victory Star
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Victini's V-Create is Victini’s most powerful and most reliable move, used primarily for wall breaking and revenge killing due to the sheer power of the move. Most Pokémon that do not resist V-Create are either OHKOed or 2HKOed by the move. However, the power of the move comes with Defense, Special Defense, and Speed stat drops. Bolt Strike is Victini’s secondary attack, primarily geared toward hitting weakened Pokémon without losing speed and bulk in the process while maintaining a solid accuracy. Bolt Strike hits water types and flying types super effectively, with both types being top tier threats in monotype. U-Turn is a fantastic pivoting move that can gain momentum early game and mid game to swing the game in your favor while also punishing common switch ins to Victini. Blue Flare is used for a sweep late game with a strong fire STAB move against Bug, Grass and Ice. Because Blue Flare does not induce stat drops, it can be spammed more without worrying about a decrease in speed. Unfortunately, Victini is mainly physical, so Blue Flare will not particularly powerful. Trick is an alternate option to disable many walls, such as Skarmory, Chansey, Porygon-2, Slowbro, Mandibuzz, and many others. Unfortunately, the loss of Blue Flare's utility is generally not worth the move slot to run Trick.
Set Details
========
Victini's EVs are primarily geared toward maximizing offensive power. 252 EVs in attack maximize the attacking potential of the Victini. 252 EVs and a beneficial nature in speed, in tandem with a choice scarf, allows Victini to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame (barring Deoxys Speed) while speed tying with other base 100 choice scarfs (such as opposing Victini, Jirachi, Salamence). The beneficial nature in speed also outspeeds base 90-100 choice scarfs, notably Landorus-T, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon. 4 EVs in special attack allow Victini to slightly boost the power of Blue Flare. An Alternate EV Spread of 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with a Jolly nature can be run if Trick is chosen over Blue Flare.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Victini early game is a fantastic pivot and momentum gainer, as it heavily threatens most Pokémon with the combination of V-Create and Bolt Strike. Each move should be used in a specific situation that is required for it. V-Create should be used for tearing apart walls throughout the game. However, remember to use with caution, as while it can easily gain a KO, the stat drops make Victini vulnerable to revenge kills and often force Victini out. When using Bolt Strike, beware of Electric immune Pokemon, as they can easily force Victini out while gaining momentum. When the appropriate immunities or resistances are eliminated, Bolt Strike can provide a sweeping opportunity because it does not have any stat drops. U-Turn should be used often early game to pivot into other teammates (mainly wall breakers) that require a safe switch in. Blue Flare can be used to sweep late game against Bug, Grass, Ice, and Steel after the appropriate checks to Victini are eliminated.
Remember to keep Victini healthy when it is need to check specific pokemon, notably Scolipede, Volcarona, Yanmega, Weavile, and Scizor-Mega. Keeping Stealth Rocks off the field is preferred, as Victini does not appreciate being pivoting with a loss of a quarter of its health. Keeping Sticky Webs off the field is also preferred; Victini cannot sweep Bug teams otherwise, as it gets outsped by Pinsir-Mega, Galvantula, Volcarona, and Choice Scarf Heracross. Paralysis completely shuts down Victini, so avoid getting Victini paralyzed. If running trick, predicting a common Victini switch in that you would like to disable (such as Porygon-2, Mandibuzz, etc.) to use the move. However, be careful with using trick, as once revealed, it is relatively easy to predict and counter.
Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Victini on Psychic has many offensive partners synergize well with it. Gardevoir, Medicham, and Hoopa-U are some of the best offensive partners to provide offensive synergy with Victini. Gardevoir-Mega is a fantastic offensive partner for Victini; Against Dark, Pixilate Hyper Voice tears apart Dark Walls (Mandibuzz and Tyranitar) that stop Victini, and Substitute checks Bisharp for Victini. In addition, Gardevoir-Mega can commonly switch in after a Victini U-turn to land a free KO against dark. In general, Gardevoir-Mega can break physical walls that Victini struggles with, such as Hippowdon, Slowbro, and Skarmory. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also to an extent threaten Dark Walls that threaten Victini, but also cleans late game. Healing Wish also brings Victini back to full health if needed. Medicham-Mega breaks almost every Wall (physical or special) that Victini cannot break, while Victini provides speed control to complement the raw power of Medicham-Mega. Victini helps by breaking doublade which Medicham-Mega often finds troubling. Any Hoopa-Unbound wallbreaking set helps tear apart Victini walls, while Victini provides crucial speed control to outspeed faster threats.
Choice Scarf Victini also relies on defensive walls and support to function. In particular, Slowbro, Lati@s, Jirachi, and Mew are the most optimal defensive partners to pair with Victini. Slowbro, the premier Psychic physical wall, checks most physical attacks that threaten Victini, including Choice Scarf Excadrill's Earthquake, Landorus-Therian's Earthquake, Weak Physical Dark Moves, Terrakion, Garchomp, and more. In addition to being physically bulky, Slowbro helps check Swampert and Keldeo, both of which heavily threaten Victini. Latios, Latias, and Mega-Latias are all ground immune, water resistant, and can provide defog support. Latios does immense damage, Latias provides healing wish support, and Mega-Latias simply tanks most hits that threaten Victini while proceeding to calm mind. Choice Scarf Jirachi forms a U-Turn Offensive core with Victini and switch in on Rock Moves. Specially Defensive Jirachi can switch in on Rock Moves and Weaker Water Moves, spread Paralysis on fast attackers, provide Stealth Rock Support, and provide Healing Wish (or Wish) support to Victini. Mew – Mew can be both a taunter and/or defogger to prevent hazards from hindering Victini. Knock off on the Stallbreaker Mew set can remove Eviolites, allowing Victini to 2HKO Porygon-2. Mew's Stealth Rock helps chip down foes to make Victini's job easier.
[SET]
name: Choice Band (Psychic)
move 1: V-create
move 2: Bolt Strike
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Band
ability: Victory Star
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Victini's moves, further bolstered by a Choice Band, are all threatening yet unique in their own way. V-create is Victini's most powerful STAB move by far; it is incredibly strong and 2HKOes almost all Pokemon that do not resist it. Bolt Strike is a very strong coverage move that hits Water-types such as Gyarados, Keldeo, Azumarill, and Slowbro super effectively. It also gets good neutral coverage on other Pokemon that resist Fire such as Heatran and Charizard. U-turn enables Victini to hit Latios, Latias, and Tyranitar, wear down checks like Dragonite, and take advantage of forced switches by getting a teammate in for free, thus generating momentum for the team. Trick can disable defensive Pokemon like Swampert and Heatran. It also lets Victini get rid of its Choice lock, which may be beneficial against slower teams that can easily play around it with a choice scarf.
Set Details
========
Similar to the Choice Scarf Set, the EVs and nature are tailored toward an offensive power. 252 EVs in attack, boosted by a choice band, increase Victini's V-Create's power to enormous levels, being able to OHKO many pokemon that the choice scarf set cannot. 252 EVs and a beneficial nature in speed allows Victini to speed tie with other base 100 such as Medicham-Mega, Gardevoir-Mega, and Charizard-Mega-Y. The beneficial nature in speed also outspeeds base 90s, notably Landorus-T, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon. If more power is desired, an adamant nature can be run if Hydreigon and Life Orb Kyurem-B aren't huge problems to your team. 4 EVs in Special Defense forces the 2 download pokemon, Porygon-2 and Porygon-Z, to be unable to get a Special Attack boost on entry.
Usage Tips
========
As Victini is expected to carry a choice scarf, using Choice Band Victini will usually involve an element of surprise, which can be critical in turning the tide of the game. Choice Band Victini is one of the most powerful physical wallbreakers on psychic, being able to tear apart anything that doesn't resist fire. Using Victini early on as a powerful wallbreaker can enable faster teammates to sweep. U-Turn should be used early on more often to pivot and gain momentum, often to bring in a special wallbreaker on your team. Hazards should be kept off the field, especially Stealth Rocks, as they severely hinder Choice Band Victini's role to switch in on slower threats and OHKO them. Status, while not completely detrimental, hinder the usability, so therefore should be avoided as well. Victini should be kept healthy to check specfic threats such as Life Orb Scolipede and Quiver Dance Volcarona, as Victini often acts as the only check to those threats. Trick should be used primarily against walls that Victini would prefer the ability to change moves over the increase in power. Stall teams that have a full counter to Victini should be the most common target of this move. However, Trick, once revealed, is relatively easy to predict, so use with caution. V-Create is the most powerful move, used for breaking apart walls and gaining KOs. Use this throught the game to break walls, but caution the stat drops, as they weaken the Victini and often force it out. Bolt Strike should be used later game after the opponent's reaction to U-Turn is gauged and understood so that Bolt Strike can consistently land damage. Use Bolt Strike cautiously if an electric resist or immunity still persists on the opposing team.
Team Options
========
The partners for Choice Band Victini are usually specially offensive Pokemon that can break physical walls, or defensive support that can help Victini perform its role to its potential. Gardevoir-Mega is once again a fantastic offensive partner for Victini, providing it with a special wall breaker than can switch in after a U-Turn on a physical wall, especially against dark types. In return, Victini takes on physical walls that Gardevoir cannot easily break through. Choice Scarf Gardevoir is a fantastic cleaner that can sweep after Victini has broken apart the checks to this. Healing wish can also heal Victini back to full health in case Victini is low on health. Slowbro can absorb most physical hits that Victini cannot take well, especially Earthquake and Physical Rock Moves. Slowbro also provides Thunder Wave support that can slow down faster threats so Victini can outspeed them. Choice Specs Hoopa-Unbound pairs extremely well with Victini to Tear Apart any physical wall Victini Struggles with. Choice Scarf Jirachi forms a U-Turn Offensive core with Victini, while also aiding Victini by checking Faster threats that Victini can no longer check, especially Choice Scarf Heracross and Choice Scarf Jirachi. Mew can provide taunt and defog support to limit hazards and allow Victini to enter the field with full health.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
**Psychic:**
Victini has a variety of different options, yet most are unusable in viability. Victini can use Zen Headbutt in the fourth moveslot, but the lack of power renders the move almost useless. Psychic coverage on a Psychic team is also redundant. An assault vest can be a choice bluff, but the lack of speed is generally not worth the extra special defense. On trick room teams, Victini can choose to run a Custap Berry or a Flame Plate in combination with Trick Room to continuously deal damage with V-Create without having a detrimental speed drop. Victini can use Substitute to bait Bisharp and land a free kill. The lack of speed and power allows other Psychic teammates (Hoopa-Unbound and Gardevoir-Mega) to outclass Victini as a Substitute user, so Victini is generally more useful for other roles. Special choice scarf can lure certain Victini counters, primarily bulky Ground and Water Types. Unfortunately, the loss of V-Create and Bolt Strike renders this set obsolete.
Checks and Counters
===================
GP: x / x
Note:Will be making minor edits to fix grammar and clarity issues.
Yay done with band set! Will convert to paragraph form later.
[OVERVIEW]
**Psychic:**
Victini is a staple Pokémon on psychic, providing the type with a powerful fire type attacker, fast check to sweepers, pivot, wall breaker, trick user, and late game sweeper. Victini’s Psychic/Fire typing is fantastic on psychic against Bug, Steel, Grass, Ice, checking some of the most troublesome threats to psychic with V-Create, while threatening to sweep Bug, Grass, and Ice with Blue Flare. Scizor-Mega, Volcarona, Pinsir-Mega, Choice Scarf Heracross, and other threats are checked by Victini. Victini’s strength lies in its powerful movepool; blessed with access to some of the most powerful moves in the game, V-Create, Bolt Strike, and Blue Flare, as well as a solid base 100 speed, Victini exerts strong offensive presence on the metagame by threatening attackers and walls alike. V-Create hits surprisingly hard and is able to OHKO or 2HKO anything that doesn't resist the move. Unfortunately, Victini’s offensive stats of 100 / 100 aren’t very impressive; furthermore, the 100+ speed tier is populated by many notable threats that can punish Victini after a V-Create, such as Garchomp, Terrakion, Gengar, and Latios. While 100 / 100 / 100 defenses are fantastic, the weakness to common attacking types, such as ground, dark, rock, and water limit the ability for Victini to switch into attacks safely.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Psychic)
move 1: V-create
move 2: Bolt Strike
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Blue Flare / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Victory Star
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Victini's V-Create is Victini’s most powerful and most reliable move, used primarily for wall breaking and revenge killing due to the sheer power of the move. Most Pokémon that do not resist V-Create are either OHKOed or 2HKOed by the move. However, the power of the move comes with Defense, Special Defense, and Speed stat drops. Bolt Strike is Victini’s secondary attack, primarily geared toward hitting weakened Pokémon without losing speed and bulk in the process while maintaining a solid accuracy. Bolt Strike hits water types and flying types super effectively, with both types being top tier threats in monotype. U-Turn is a fantastic pivoting move that can gain momentum early game and mid game to swing the game in your favor while also punishing common switch ins to Victini. Blue Flare is used for a sweep late game with a strong fire STAB move against Bug, Grass and Ice. Because Blue Flare does not induce stat drops, it can be spammed more without worrying about a decrease in speed. Unfortunately, Victini is mainly physical, so Blue Flare will not particularly powerful. Trick is an alternate option to disable many walls, such as Skarmory, Chansey, Porygon-2, Slowbro, Mandibuzz, and many others. Unfortunately, the loss of Blue Flare's utility is generally not worth the move slot to run Trick.
Set Details
========
Victini's EVs are primarily geared toward maximizing offensive power. 252 EVs in attack maximize the attacking potential of the Victini. 252 EVs and a beneficial nature in speed, in tandem with a choice scarf, allows Victini to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame (barring Deoxys Speed) while speed tying with other base 100 choice scarfs (such as opposing Victini, Jirachi, Salamence). The beneficial nature in speed also outspeeds base 90-100 choice scarfs, notably Landorus-T, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon. 4 EVs in special attack allow Victini to slightly boost the power of Blue Flare. An Alternate EV Spread of 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with a Jolly nature can be run if Trick is chosen over Blue Flare.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Victini early game is a fantastic pivot and momentum gainer, as it heavily threatens most Pokémon with the combination of V-Create and Bolt Strike. Each move should be used in a specific situation that is required for it. V-Create should be used for tearing apart walls throughout the game. However, remember to use with caution, as while it can easily gain a KO, the stat drops make Victini vulnerable to revenge kills and often force Victini out. When using Bolt Strike, beware of Electric immune Pokemon, as they can easily force Victini out while gaining momentum. When the appropriate immunities or resistances are eliminated, Bolt Strike can provide a sweeping opportunity because it does not have any stat drops. U-Turn should be used often early game to pivot into other teammates (mainly wall breakers) that require a safe switch in. Blue Flare can be used to sweep late game against Bug, Grass, Ice, and Steel after the appropriate checks to Victini are eliminated.
Remember to keep Victini healthy when it is need to check specific pokemon, notably Scolipede, Volcarona, Yanmega, Weavile, and Scizor-Mega. Keeping Stealth Rocks off the field is preferred, as Victini does not appreciate being pivoting with a loss of a quarter of its health. Keeping Sticky Webs off the field is also preferred; Victini cannot sweep Bug teams otherwise, as it gets outsped by Pinsir-Mega, Galvantula, Volcarona, and Choice Scarf Heracross. Paralysis completely shuts down Victini, so avoid getting Victini paralyzed. If running trick, predicting a common Victini switch in that you would like to disable (such as Porygon-2, Mandibuzz, etc.) to use the move. However, be careful with using trick, as once revealed, it is relatively easy to predict and counter.
Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Victini on Psychic has many offensive partners synergize well with it. Gardevoir, Medicham, and Hoopa-U are some of the best offensive partners to provide offensive synergy with Victini. Gardevoir-Mega is a fantastic offensive partner for Victini; Against Dark, Pixilate Hyper Voice tears apart Dark Walls (Mandibuzz and Tyranitar) that stop Victini, and Substitute checks Bisharp for Victini. In addition, Gardevoir-Mega can commonly switch in after a Victini U-turn to land a free KO against dark. In general, Gardevoir-Mega can break physical walls that Victini struggles with, such as Hippowdon, Slowbro, and Skarmory. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also to an extent threaten Dark Walls that threaten Victini, but also cleans late game. Healing Wish also brings Victini back to full health if needed. Medicham-Mega breaks almost every Wall (physical or special) that Victini cannot break, while Victini provides speed control to complement the raw power of Medicham-Mega. Victini helps by breaking doublade which Medicham-Mega often finds troubling. Any Hoopa-Unbound wallbreaking set helps tear apart Victini walls, while Victini provides crucial speed control to outspeed faster threats.
Choice Scarf Victini also relies on defensive walls and support to function. In particular, Slowbro, Lati@s, Jirachi, and Mew are the most optimal defensive partners to pair with Victini. Slowbro, the premier Psychic physical wall, checks most physical attacks that threaten Victini, including Choice Scarf Excadrill's Earthquake, Landorus-Therian's Earthquake, Weak Physical Dark Moves, Terrakion, Garchomp, and more. In addition to being physically bulky, Slowbro helps check Swampert and Keldeo, both of which heavily threaten Victini. Latios, Latias, and Mega-Latias are all ground immune, water resistant, and can provide defog support. Latios does immense damage, Latias provides healing wish support, and Mega-Latias simply tanks most hits that threaten Victini while proceeding to calm mind. Choice Scarf Jirachi forms a U-Turn Offensive core with Victini and switch in on Rock Moves. Specially Defensive Jirachi can switch in on Rock Moves and Weaker Water Moves, spread Paralysis on fast attackers, provide Stealth Rock Support, and provide Healing Wish (or Wish) support to Victini. Mew – Mew can be both a taunter and/or defogger to prevent hazards from hindering Victini. Knock off on the Stallbreaker Mew set can remove Eviolites, allowing Victini to 2HKO Porygon-2. Mew's Stealth Rock helps chip down foes to make Victini's job easier.
[SET]
name: Choice Band (Psychic)
move 1: V-create
move 2: Bolt Strike
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Band
ability: Victory Star
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Victini's moves, further bolstered by a Choice Band, are all threatening yet unique in their own way. V-create is Victini's most powerful STAB move by far; it is incredibly strong and 2HKOes almost all Pokemon that do not resist it. Bolt Strike is a very strong coverage move that hits Water-types such as Gyarados, Keldeo, Azumarill, and Slowbro super effectively. It also gets good neutral coverage on other Pokemon that resist Fire such as Heatran and Charizard. U-turn enables Victini to hit Latios, Latias, and Tyranitar, wear down checks like Dragonite, and take advantage of forced switches by getting a teammate in for free, thus generating momentum for the team. Trick can disable defensive Pokemon like Swampert and Heatran. It also lets Victini get rid of its Choice lock, which may be beneficial against slower teams that can easily play around it with a choice scarf.
Set Details
========
Similar to the Choice Scarf Set, the EVs and nature are tailored toward an offensive power. 252 EVs in attack, boosted by a choice band, increase Victini's V-Create's power to enormous levels, being able to OHKO many pokemon that the choice scarf set cannot. 252 EVs and a beneficial nature in speed allows Victini to speed tie with other base 100 such as Medicham-Mega, Gardevoir-Mega, and Charizard-Mega-Y. The beneficial nature in speed also outspeeds base 90s, notably Landorus-T, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon. If more power is desired, an adamant nature can be run if Hydreigon and Life Orb Kyurem-B aren't huge problems to your team. 4 EVs in Special Defense forces the 2 download pokemon, Porygon-2 and Porygon-Z, to be unable to get a Special Attack boost on entry.
Usage Tips
========
As Victini is expected to carry a choice scarf, using Choice Band Victini will usually involve an element of surprise, which can be critical in turning the tide of the game. Choice Band Victini is one of the most powerful physical wallbreakers on psychic, being able to tear apart anything that doesn't resist fire. Using Victini early on as a powerful wallbreaker can enable faster teammates to sweep. U-Turn should be used early on more often to pivot and gain momentum, often to bring in a special wallbreaker on your team. Hazards should be kept off the field, especially Stealth Rocks, as they severely hinder Choice Band Victini's role to switch in on slower threats and OHKO them. Status, while not completely detrimental, hinder the usability, so therefore should be avoided as well. Victini should be kept healthy to check specfic threats such as Life Orb Scolipede and Quiver Dance Volcarona, as Victini often acts as the only check to those threats. Trick should be used primarily against walls that Victini would prefer the ability to change moves over the increase in power. Stall teams that have a full counter to Victini should be the most common target of this move. However, Trick, once revealed, is relatively easy to predict, so use with caution. V-Create is the most powerful move, used for breaking apart walls and gaining KOs. Use this throught the game to break walls, but caution the stat drops, as they weaken the Victini and often force it out. Bolt Strike should be used later game after the opponent's reaction to U-Turn is gauged and understood so that Bolt Strike can consistently land damage. Use Bolt Strike cautiously if an electric resist or immunity still persists on the opposing team.
Team Options
========
The partners for Choice Band Victini are usually specially offensive Pokemon that can break physical walls, or defensive support that can help Victini perform its role to its potential. Gardevoir-Mega is once again a fantastic offensive partner for Victini, providing it with a special wall breaker than can switch in after a U-Turn on a physical wall, especially against dark types. In return, Victini takes on physical walls that Gardevoir cannot easily break through. Choice Scarf Gardevoir is a fantastic cleaner that can sweep after Victini has broken apart the checks to this. Healing wish can also heal Victini back to full health in case Victini is low on health. Slowbro can absorb most physical hits that Victini cannot take well, especially Earthquake and Physical Rock Moves. Slowbro also provides Thunder Wave support that can slow down faster threats so Victini can outspeed them. Choice Specs Hoopa-Unbound pairs extremely well with Victini to Tear Apart any physical wall Victini Struggles with. Choice Scarf Jirachi forms a U-Turn Offensive core with Victini, while also aiding Victini by checking Faster threats that Victini can no longer check, especially Choice Scarf Heracross and Choice Scarf Jirachi. Mew can provide taunt and defog support to limit hazards and allow Victini to enter the field with full health.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
**Psychic:**
Victini has a variety of different options, yet most are unusable in viability. Victini can use Zen Headbutt in the fourth moveslot, but the lack of power renders the move almost useless. Psychic coverage on a Psychic team is also redundant. An assault vest can be a choice bluff, but the lack of speed is generally not worth the extra special defense. On trick room teams, Victini can choose to run a Custap Berry or a Flame Plate in combination with Trick Room to continuously deal damage with V-Create without having a detrimental speed drop. Victini can use Substitute to bait Bisharp and land a free kill. The lack of speed and power allows other Psychic teammates (Hoopa-Unbound and Gardevoir-Mega) to outclass Victini as a Substitute user, so Victini is generally more useful for other roles. Special choice scarf can lure certain Victini counters, primarily bulky Ground and Water Types. Unfortunately, the loss of V-Create and Bolt Strike renders this set obsolete.
Checks and Counters
===================
- **Bulky Water Types** – Slowbro, Alomomola, Swampert, Quagsire, and Lanturn resist Victini’s primary STAB move, V-Create, while are able to take repeated Bolt Strikes from Choice Scarf Victini.
- **Heatran** – Heatran on steel takes minimal damage from Bolt Strike while absorbing V-Create, while 2HKOing Victini using earth power.
- **Bulky Fire Types** – Rotom-Heat, Torkoal, and Arcanine resist V-Create and U-Turn, so they can wall Victini while supporting the team.
- **Rock Types** – Diancie, Terrakion, Rhyperior, and Tyranitar can easily switch into Victini’s moves and OHKO with STAB rock moves.
- **Bulky Ground Types** – Hippowdon, Quagsire, Gastrodon, Landorus-Therian, and Seismitoad can take repeated V-Creates and Bolt Strikes and deal back heavy damage with STAB Earthquake.
- **Dragons** – Dragons resist both V-Create and Bolt Strike, limiting the attacking potential of Victini, usually walling it.
- **Offensive Dark/Ghost Types** – Chandelure, Mega-Houndoom, Gengar, Bisharp, Weavile, and Honchcrow all carry super effective STAB moves to threaten Victini or carry super effective priority moves.
- Gyarados-Mega – Gyarados-Mega can set up on Victini locked into V-Create to attempt a sweep, while it lives a Victini Bolt Strike at full health.
- **Sticky Webs** – Sticky webs, in combination with Offensive Bug Attackers, prevent Victini from sweeping bug teams and checking offensive threats.
- **Pursuit** – Pursuit users [such as Tyranitar and Weavile (after a V-Create speed drop)] can trap Victini after using V-Create, eliminating Victini.
- **Stealth Rocks** – Stealth Rocks early on can hinder Victini’s pivoting potential, reducing the health total of Victini by 25% every time it switches in. Too much hazard damage will negate the ability to check threats such as Pinsir-Mega and Scizor-Mega.
- Hoopa-Unbound – Any Hoopa-Unbound wallbreaking set helps tear apart Victini walls, while Victini provides crucial speed control to outspeed faster threats.
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