Jibaku
Who let marco in here????
[OVERVIEW]
* Tapu Koko is lightning-fast, sporting an incredible base 130 Speed, making it the second fastest unboosted Pokemon in VGC 2017, losing only to Pheromosa.
* Great offensive typing with passable coverage.
* The Electric Terrain it brings from its ability, Electric Surge, gives it very powerful Electric Attacks. It also provides team support by blocking Sleep and canceling other Terrains.
* It possesses incredible versatility and can be tailor-fit to various team compositions.
* Tapu Koko is somewhat fragile.
* Without Electric Terrain up, its damage output suffers rather heavily as it only has base 95 Special Attack
* Its high Speed can be a downfall against opposing Tapus as its Electric Terrain is often replaced if they are sent out at the same time as Tapu Koko.
* Its physical movepool is very small, somewhat wasting its awesome base 115 Attack.
* Due to its heavy focus on Electric attacks, the Lightning Rod ability can nullify a hefty portion of Tapu Koko's offensive pressire.
[SET]
name: ZAP!!
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Volt Switch / Discharge
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb / Electrium Z / Fairium Z
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Thunderbolt is Tapu Koko's primary STAB attack, as it is the most powerful and reliable move it has access to
* Dazzling Gleam offers yet another STAB option, 2HKOing otherwise troublesome Pokemon such as Garchomp and Krookodile. It also functions as a moderately powerful spread attack.
* Volt Switch takes advantage of Tapu Koko's great Speed to quickly withdraw itself from trouble, dealing solid damage in the process. It can be used to reposition its ally to avoid attacks targeted at that slot and re-activate its on-entry ability if it has one.
* Discharge allows Tapu Koko to bypass Lightning Rod, but be wary as it also damages allies.
* Protect shields Tapu Koko from double targetting and increases its longevity.
Set Details
========
* Max Speed with Timid allows Tapu Koko to speed tie against opposing Tapu Koko, as well as outrunning Salazzle, Alolan Persian, Weavile, and Alakazam.
* Max Special Attack maximizes the damage it can deal.
* Modest is a viable nature alternative as the aforementioned Pokemon are uncommon, and there are ways to play against opposing Tapu Koko even if yours underspeed it. The increase in power is not insignificant - Tapu Koko can 2HKO Assault Vest Kartana much more frequently with Modest.
* Life Orb is the preferred item as it allows Tapu Koko to deal consistent damage throughout the series. Some of Tapu Koko's most common partners, Gyarados and Garchomp, often hold a Z Crystal as it tends to benefit them more.
* However, Tapu Koko is not a bad user of Z moves. Electrium Z turns Thunderbolt into a powerful Gigavolt Havoc that OHKOes even a +1 Tapu Fini in Electric Terrain, or an unboosted Tapu Fini in Misty Terrain. Additionally, Gigavolt Havoc easily OHKOes Max HP Arcanine, dealing 110% minimum.
* Fairium Z gives Tapu Koko a strong single target Fairy-type Attack, allowing it to OHKO Assault Vest Garchomp and deal 95% minimum to opposing Tapu Koko. Since most Tapu Koko are Life Orb, Fairium Z Tapu Koko often comes out on top as the opposing one will knock itself out thanks to Life Orb recoil.
Usage Tips
========
* Tapu Koko is a solid presence at all game stages. If it has Volt Switch, it exerts more pressure as a lead as it can Volt Switch out of any unfavorable matchups. If it has Discharge, it is a better lategame cleaner. When selecting the four Pokemon in team preview, it may be preferable to keep Tapu Koko in the back if it lacks Volt Switch.
* Do not be reckless when it comes to firing off Thunderbolts. A target may Protect itself and its partner may retaliate.
* If Tapu Koko has Volt Switch, it is preferable to use it often early game, wearing down would-be checks such as Alolan Muk and certain Arcanine. The beauty of Volt Switch is that its targetting option is more flexible than Thunderbolt thanks to its switch out effect.
* Volt Switch can be used to reposition its ally - switch that Pokemon out, and then have Tapu Koko use Volt Switch to bring it into Tapu Koko's slot on the same turn. By doing this, you can quickly re-activate on-entry abilities such as Intimidate or Drizzle without having to take two turns to do so. This also helps clear any negative stat changes.
* Tapu Koko is difficult to switch in due to its poor bulk. Predicting when your opponent will play a turn passively, or when they switch to gain immediate advantage off your current board position, helps bring Tapu Koko back onto the field. Conditioning your opponent to not target a specific Pokemon slot is also another way to send Tapu Koko back out.
Team Options
========
* Tapu Koko is a great partner to many Pokemon due to being a standout threat, but it prefers fast, offensive Pokemon next to it to threaten quick KOs.
* Examples of these Pokemon include Kartana, Nihilego, Garchomp, and Alolan Raichu.
* When facing a team with a Pokemon with Lightning Rod such as Alolan Marowak, Tapu Koko should often be positioned with a Pokemon that can commonly defeat it. Garchomp or Krookodile are great options. Keep in mind, however, that Tapu Koko is not an airborne Pokemon and can be struck by their Earthquake.
* Bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2, Tapu Fini, and Arcanine are good Pokemon to serve as buffers to hits as Tapu Koko Volt Switches out. Additionally, all of these Pokemon possess on-entry abilities, which Tapu Koko can help reset using Volt Switch.
* Intimidate is helpful for Tapu Koko as it protects it from getting OHKO by Choice Scarf Garchomp's Earthquake. Gyarados, Krookodile, and Arcanine are solid options.
* Simply think about "what kind of Pokemon can Tapu Koko remove?" and pair it with Pokemon that would normally struggle against them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Tapu Koko has a massive list of alternative options that are often very team specific and difficult to write an independent set about
* Assault Vest Tapu Koko provides the team with a sturdy Electric resist and a soft check to Rain, surviving even Golduck's Hydro Vortex. With the increased Special Defense, it can take repeated hits from Tapu Fini. Assault Vest Tapu Koko typically runs enough Speed to outrun Gengar and have heavy bulk investment.
* Choice Specs gives Tapu Koko extra power and an extra attacking moveslot at the expense of flexibility
* Focus Sash helps patch up Tapu Koko's frailty.
* Nature's Madness is a solid option on sets lacking heavy offensive investment, such as the Assault Vest set. Tapu Koko's Speed means it can often outrun its partner and get full value of its damage output.
* Wild Charge is a powerful physical attack that allows Tapu Koko to smash apart specially defensive targets such as Calm Mind Tapu Fini and Nihilego.
* Brave Bird hits Grass types such as Tapu Bulu and Lilligant and in general is a decent neutral coverage. However, it is not very strong as it lacks STAB.
* U-turn is significantly weaker than Volt Switch, but nothing is immune to it.
* Sky Drop is useful for temporarily disabling a threat so its ally can set up. It cannot be redirected, and can be used on the redirector to lift the redirection effect.
* Nature Power can be combined with other Tapus' Terrains to give Tapu Koko a flexible access to coverage moves in a single moveslot. Combined with Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko gains access to Psychic, 2HKOing opposing Alolan Marowak. Combined with Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko gains Moonblast, OHKOing Garchomp and Krookodile. Combined with Tapu Bulu, Tapu Koko can pick up a surprise KO on Gastrodon with Energy Ball.
* Hidden Power Ground deals heavy damage to Alolan Marowak, Magnezone, and Togedemaru
* Hidden Power Fire allows Tapu Koko to OHKO Assault Vest Kartana if it is holding a Life Orb.
* Tapunium Z turns Nature's Madness into Guardian of Alola, dealing a hefty 75% current health damage to any target. This is extremely useful for quickly chunking down Pokemon such as Marowak and Porygon2.
* Flyinium Z can be combined with Mirror Move to gain +2 Attack and a potential Z-move version of the move it copies. Additionally, it gives Tapu Koko the option to use Supersonic Skystrike with Brave Bird. The combination of Supersonic Skystrike and Brave Bird KOes max HP Alolan Marowak.
* Choice Scarf is an odd option as Tapu Koko is incredibly fast already, but it allows Tapu Koko to outpace Swift Swim Golduck in rain and pick up a surprise KO
* Taunt can be used to stop setups. It is best used with Focus Sash.
* Roar can stop Trick Room and halt setups.
* Tapu Koko's high Speed makes it a solid Reflect and Light Screen user. With Electric Terrain and Nature's Madness, it still has an offensive presence that is difficult to ignore
* Roost can help Tapu Koko live for a while, but its frailty often means that it usually has better things to do
* Substitute can scout for attacks and waste Z-moves. However, Tapu Koko often does not want to stay on the field for a long time as there is an increased likelihood that its Terrain is replaced.
* Calm Mind Electric Seed makes Tapu Koko a fairly tanky sweeping threat., but it also suffers from the aforementioned issues and is not very flexible.
* Electro Ball can be used to deal heavy damage to slow targets such as Snorlax and Gigalith.
Checks and Counters
===================
* Alolan Marowak: Lightning Rod in general, actually, but Alolan Marowak is easily the most threatening Lightning Rod user and loves the switch in opportunities provided by the opposing Tapu Koko. Free Alolan Marowak switch ins can leave huge holes in teams due to its raw power.
* Faster Pokemon: Tapu Koko may be one of the fastest Pokemon in the game, but that is only true from an unboosted perspective. Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Garchomp and Tapu Lele can threaten a quick OHKO on Tapu Koko. Weather abusers such as Golduck in rain and Alolan Sandslash in hail can also outrun Tapu Koko and knock it out. Finally, Pheromosa is faster than Tapu Koko and can revenge kill it with Poison Jab.
* Bulky Ground types such as Mudsdale or Gastrodon can take hits repeatedly and threaten Tapu Koko with High Horsepower or Sludge Bomb, respectively
* Trick Room turns Tapu Koko into one of the slowest Pokemon in the game, and it often lacks the bulk to survive if it is moving last.
* Tapu Bulu resists Electric and can replace Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain with Grassy Terrain, and then OHKO it back with Wood Hammer. The rare Brave Bird can deal heavy damage to Tapu Bulu, however.
* Tapu Koko is lightning-fast, sporting an incredible base 130 Speed, making it the second fastest unboosted Pokemon in VGC 2017, losing only to Pheromosa.
* Great offensive typing with passable coverage.
* The Electric Terrain it brings from its ability, Electric Surge, gives it very powerful Electric Attacks. It also provides team support by blocking Sleep and canceling other Terrains.
* It possesses incredible versatility and can be tailor-fit to various team compositions.
* Tapu Koko is somewhat fragile.
* Without Electric Terrain up, its damage output suffers rather heavily as it only has base 95 Special Attack
* Its high Speed can be a downfall against opposing Tapus as its Electric Terrain is often replaced if they are sent out at the same time as Tapu Koko.
* Its physical movepool is very small, somewhat wasting its awesome base 115 Attack.
* Due to its heavy focus on Electric attacks, the Lightning Rod ability can nullify a hefty portion of Tapu Koko's offensive pressire.
[SET]
name: ZAP!!
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Volt Switch / Discharge
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb / Electrium Z / Fairium Z
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Thunderbolt is Tapu Koko's primary STAB attack, as it is the most powerful and reliable move it has access to
* Dazzling Gleam offers yet another STAB option, 2HKOing otherwise troublesome Pokemon such as Garchomp and Krookodile. It also functions as a moderately powerful spread attack.
* Volt Switch takes advantage of Tapu Koko's great Speed to quickly withdraw itself from trouble, dealing solid damage in the process. It can be used to reposition its ally to avoid attacks targeted at that slot and re-activate its on-entry ability if it has one.
* Discharge allows Tapu Koko to bypass Lightning Rod, but be wary as it also damages allies.
* Protect shields Tapu Koko from double targetting and increases its longevity.
Set Details
========
* Max Speed with Timid allows Tapu Koko to speed tie against opposing Tapu Koko, as well as outrunning Salazzle, Alolan Persian, Weavile, and Alakazam.
* Max Special Attack maximizes the damage it can deal.
* Modest is a viable nature alternative as the aforementioned Pokemon are uncommon, and there are ways to play against opposing Tapu Koko even if yours underspeed it. The increase in power is not insignificant - Tapu Koko can 2HKO Assault Vest Kartana much more frequently with Modest.
* Life Orb is the preferred item as it allows Tapu Koko to deal consistent damage throughout the series. Some of Tapu Koko's most common partners, Gyarados and Garchomp, often hold a Z Crystal as it tends to benefit them more.
* However, Tapu Koko is not a bad user of Z moves. Electrium Z turns Thunderbolt into a powerful Gigavolt Havoc that OHKOes even a +1 Tapu Fini in Electric Terrain, or an unboosted Tapu Fini in Misty Terrain. Additionally, Gigavolt Havoc easily OHKOes Max HP Arcanine, dealing 110% minimum.
* Fairium Z gives Tapu Koko a strong single target Fairy-type Attack, allowing it to OHKO Assault Vest Garchomp and deal 95% minimum to opposing Tapu Koko. Since most Tapu Koko are Life Orb, Fairium Z Tapu Koko often comes out on top as the opposing one will knock itself out thanks to Life Orb recoil.
Usage Tips
========
* Tapu Koko is a solid presence at all game stages. If it has Volt Switch, it exerts more pressure as a lead as it can Volt Switch out of any unfavorable matchups. If it has Discharge, it is a better lategame cleaner. When selecting the four Pokemon in team preview, it may be preferable to keep Tapu Koko in the back if it lacks Volt Switch.
* Do not be reckless when it comes to firing off Thunderbolts. A target may Protect itself and its partner may retaliate.
* If Tapu Koko has Volt Switch, it is preferable to use it often early game, wearing down would-be checks such as Alolan Muk and certain Arcanine. The beauty of Volt Switch is that its targetting option is more flexible than Thunderbolt thanks to its switch out effect.
* Volt Switch can be used to reposition its ally - switch that Pokemon out, and then have Tapu Koko use Volt Switch to bring it into Tapu Koko's slot on the same turn. By doing this, you can quickly re-activate on-entry abilities such as Intimidate or Drizzle without having to take two turns to do so. This also helps clear any negative stat changes.
* Tapu Koko is difficult to switch in due to its poor bulk. Predicting when your opponent will play a turn passively, or when they switch to gain immediate advantage off your current board position, helps bring Tapu Koko back onto the field. Conditioning your opponent to not target a specific Pokemon slot is also another way to send Tapu Koko back out.
Team Options
========
* Tapu Koko is a great partner to many Pokemon due to being a standout threat, but it prefers fast, offensive Pokemon next to it to threaten quick KOs.
* Examples of these Pokemon include Kartana, Nihilego, Garchomp, and Alolan Raichu.
* When facing a team with a Pokemon with Lightning Rod such as Alolan Marowak, Tapu Koko should often be positioned with a Pokemon that can commonly defeat it. Garchomp or Krookodile are great options. Keep in mind, however, that Tapu Koko is not an airborne Pokemon and can be struck by their Earthquake.
* Bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2, Tapu Fini, and Arcanine are good Pokemon to serve as buffers to hits as Tapu Koko Volt Switches out. Additionally, all of these Pokemon possess on-entry abilities, which Tapu Koko can help reset using Volt Switch.
* Intimidate is helpful for Tapu Koko as it protects it from getting OHKO by Choice Scarf Garchomp's Earthquake. Gyarados, Krookodile, and Arcanine are solid options.
* Simply think about "what kind of Pokemon can Tapu Koko remove?" and pair it with Pokemon that would normally struggle against them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Tapu Koko has a massive list of alternative options that are often very team specific and difficult to write an independent set about
* Assault Vest Tapu Koko provides the team with a sturdy Electric resist and a soft check to Rain, surviving even Golduck's Hydro Vortex. With the increased Special Defense, it can take repeated hits from Tapu Fini. Assault Vest Tapu Koko typically runs enough Speed to outrun Gengar and have heavy bulk investment.
* Choice Specs gives Tapu Koko extra power and an extra attacking moveslot at the expense of flexibility
* Focus Sash helps patch up Tapu Koko's frailty.
* Nature's Madness is a solid option on sets lacking heavy offensive investment, such as the Assault Vest set. Tapu Koko's Speed means it can often outrun its partner and get full value of its damage output.
* Wild Charge is a powerful physical attack that allows Tapu Koko to smash apart specially defensive targets such as Calm Mind Tapu Fini and Nihilego.
* Brave Bird hits Grass types such as Tapu Bulu and Lilligant and in general is a decent neutral coverage. However, it is not very strong as it lacks STAB.
* U-turn is significantly weaker than Volt Switch, but nothing is immune to it.
* Sky Drop is useful for temporarily disabling a threat so its ally can set up. It cannot be redirected, and can be used on the redirector to lift the redirection effect.
* Nature Power can be combined with other Tapus' Terrains to give Tapu Koko a flexible access to coverage moves in a single moveslot. Combined with Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko gains access to Psychic, 2HKOing opposing Alolan Marowak. Combined with Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko gains Moonblast, OHKOing Garchomp and Krookodile. Combined with Tapu Bulu, Tapu Koko can pick up a surprise KO on Gastrodon with Energy Ball.
* Hidden Power Ground deals heavy damage to Alolan Marowak, Magnezone, and Togedemaru
* Hidden Power Fire allows Tapu Koko to OHKO Assault Vest Kartana if it is holding a Life Orb.
* Tapunium Z turns Nature's Madness into Guardian of Alola, dealing a hefty 75% current health damage to any target. This is extremely useful for quickly chunking down Pokemon such as Marowak and Porygon2.
* Flyinium Z can be combined with Mirror Move to gain +2 Attack and a potential Z-move version of the move it copies. Additionally, it gives Tapu Koko the option to use Supersonic Skystrike with Brave Bird. The combination of Supersonic Skystrike and Brave Bird KOes max HP Alolan Marowak.
* Choice Scarf is an odd option as Tapu Koko is incredibly fast already, but it allows Tapu Koko to outpace Swift Swim Golduck in rain and pick up a surprise KO
* Taunt can be used to stop setups. It is best used with Focus Sash.
* Roar can stop Trick Room and halt setups.
* Tapu Koko's high Speed makes it a solid Reflect and Light Screen user. With Electric Terrain and Nature's Madness, it still has an offensive presence that is difficult to ignore
* Roost can help Tapu Koko live for a while, but its frailty often means that it usually has better things to do
* Substitute can scout for attacks and waste Z-moves. However, Tapu Koko often does not want to stay on the field for a long time as there is an increased likelihood that its Terrain is replaced.
* Calm Mind Electric Seed makes Tapu Koko a fairly tanky sweeping threat., but it also suffers from the aforementioned issues and is not very flexible.
* Electro Ball can be used to deal heavy damage to slow targets such as Snorlax and Gigalith.
Checks and Counters
===================
* Alolan Marowak: Lightning Rod in general, actually, but Alolan Marowak is easily the most threatening Lightning Rod user and loves the switch in opportunities provided by the opposing Tapu Koko. Free Alolan Marowak switch ins can leave huge holes in teams due to its raw power.
* Faster Pokemon: Tapu Koko may be one of the fastest Pokemon in the game, but that is only true from an unboosted perspective. Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Garchomp and Tapu Lele can threaten a quick OHKO on Tapu Koko. Weather abusers such as Golduck in rain and Alolan Sandslash in hail can also outrun Tapu Koko and knock it out. Finally, Pheromosa is faster than Tapu Koko and can revenge kill it with Poison Jab.
* Bulky Ground types such as Mudsdale or Gastrodon can take hits repeatedly and threaten Tapu Koko with High Horsepower or Sludge Bomb, respectively
* Trick Room turns Tapu Koko into one of the slowest Pokemon in the game, and it often lacks the bulk to survive if it is moving last.
* Tapu Bulu resists Electric and can replace Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain with Grassy Terrain, and then OHKO it back with Wood Hammer. The rare Brave Bird can deal heavy damage to Tapu Bulu, however.
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