Featured Uber Pokémon: Reshiram

History

Much like its legendary brethren Zekrom, Reshiram never really had a home in the past. When it first appeared, there was plenty of speculation that Reshiram would be the "Kyogre of the sun" (though "Palkia" would be more accurate) - it was going to kick some major ass under sunny conditions. And guess what, Reshiram does kick major ass. Fire and Dragon was always a great offensive combination, used by many older Dragon-types in tandem with Ground-type moves for handling Heatran. Some people shy away from using Reshiram, though, mainly due to the fact that it's slow by Ubers standards, vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards, and is difficult to switch in efficiently. Still, if you start doubting one of the biggest threats of the metagame, just know that Reshiram will soon creep up slowly behind your back, tear your flesh off, and burn down your house and everything you stand for like a napalm bomb. You must make sure that you can adapt to this absolute terror of a fire dragon or else risk facing eminent demise.

Reshiram's Qualities

Reshiram has a handful of reassuring qualities that will certainly attract your eyes. Immediately, you will notice its unique Fire / Dragon typing. This typing alone is what makes Reshiram one of the scariest creatures around; its STABs are completely unresisted, thanks to Turboblaze negating Heatran's Flash Fire ablility. With this typing, Reshiram has handy 4x resistances to Fire- and Grass-type attacks, and useful 2x resistances to Bug-, Electric-, and Steel-type attacks. Most of these attack types are rather uncommon though, which is a huge disappointment. However, it does give Reshiram advantageous switch in opportunities against Scizor, mono-attacking Steel Arceus, Thunder, Fire Blast, and Grass Knot. Sadly, it brings Reshiram three big weaknesses to Ground-, Rock-, and Dragon-type attacks, two of which are very common and makes switching in somewhat of a tough task.

Next up are Reshiram's impressive stats. It comes equipped with the standard base 150 Special Attack that most legendary special attackers seem to have, certainly nothing to scoff about. With that sky-high Special Attack comes powerful STAB attacks such as Draco Meteor and Blue Fire, which have 140 and 130 Base Power, respectively. Blue Fire is unique in that it also has a 20% chance to burn the foe, but it only has 85% accuracy, which is the same old curse that Fire Blast carries. Due to the overwhelming amount of Pressure ability Pokemon in Ubers, the two aforementioned attacks will have their 8 PP draining faster than a faulty iPod battery. However, Reshiram can bypass this problem by simply adding Dragon Pulse and Flamethrower or Cross Flame to the mix. Reshiram's base 120 Attack should not be overlooked either, as this means it can easily go mixed and defeat special walls with Outrage. On the defensive side, Reshiram's base 100 HP, base 100 Defense, and base 120 Special Defense grant it the tools to switch in cleanly on resisted (or even neutral) attacks. The only disappointing stat that Reshiram has is its base 90 Speed, which is pretty low for Ubers. Still, it's enough to tie with threats such as Kyogre, Groudon, Dialga, and Ho-Oh, and Flame Charge exists should you desire a Speed boost.

In terms of other movepool options, Reshiram has quite a smorgasbord, ready for you to sample and customize at your leisure. Stone Edge over at the breakfast area is solely for screwing with Ho-Oh. You've got the cooks bringing out the Will-O-Wisp to sizzle physical threats into dinner. Hey, there's even Flame Charge in the appetizers to boost Reshiram's Speed and put it into a sweeping mood! Reshiram does have other zesty options such as Hone Claws, Solarbeam, ChestoRest, Focus Blast (for Tyranitar, perhaps) and dual screens, but they're not that particularly interesting overall, unless you want to try something new and experimental right out of the kitchen.

Playing With Reshiram

Reshiram is almost one-sided - it doesn't really have the physical movepool to go purely physical, so it has to run either pure special sets or specialized mixed sets with Outrage. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. That said, let's see how we can make the most out of Reshiram's strengths.

Similar to Kyogre, Reshiram's number one set is its Choice Specs set, which turns its already ridiculous 399 Special Attack (with Timid) into a monstrous 598. With this Special Attack score, coupled with Draco Meteor and Blue Fire, prepare to say farewell to any opposing team. As mentioned before, Reshiram has perfect coverage between Dragon and Fire, so it does not need any other coverage move. Dragon Pulse and Flamethrower can fill the last slots to reliably sweep through weakened teams late-game. This set really doesn't require any hefty explanations when even Blissey can be 2HKOed by sun-boosted Blue Fire. As Reshiram is still quite slow, you will need to utilize Thunder Wave users to get the most out of this set. Just get ready to switch around a lot and Specs Reshiram will dominate.

Thanks to Flame Charge, Reshiram can run a few boosting sets for sweeping purposes. One option is to run a full special set. This set will have more trouble with special walls, but it doesn't have to sacrifice a defensive stat, and can more reliably fire off Dragon-type attacks due to having both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse on the same set. The other option, and probably the better one, is to go mixed. With a Hasty nature, Outrage can 2HKO most special walls, preventing them from walling Reshiram's future sweep. By then, Reshiram is free to boost with Flame Charge and sweep with Blue Fire and Draco Meteor.

Lastly, we've got Choice Scarf for company. Reshiram can transform itself from a powerhouse into an effective revenge killer with a swap of an item, reaching 459 Speed with the boost. Unlike the Flame Charge sets, this Reshiram does not have to use a turn to boost its Speed and can attack right off the bat. Its STAB attacks are strong enough to dish out deadly amounts of damage, even without a power boost. As this set is still a bit weaker than usual, Reshiram can afford to run a coverage move such as Stone Edge to strike foes such as Ho-Oh for more damage. However, by running a Choice Scarf, Reshiram becomes very easy to wall, and with its Stealth Rock weakness, Reshiram isn't going to last long, so take extra caution.

Playing Against Reshiram

Good luck. I mean it. If Reshiram manages to switch in cleanly, then you're in for a rough time. Still, there are several factors and Pokemon that are very capable of keeping Reshiram on its toes.

Evolution Stone Chansey is perhaps the most reliable Pokemon, as she is not 2HKOed by Blue Fire (watch out for Stealth Rock!). She can heal herself with Softboiled or Wish and cripple the fire dragon with Thunder Wave or Toxic. Chansey must watch out for mixed versions, however, as Outrage will 2HKO.

The next best checks to Reshiram are Tyranitar and Kyogre. Both Pokemon resist Fire and are capable of clearing the skies of UV rays with their abilities. Tyranitar has the added bonus of having its Special Defense increased during its sandstorm, which makes sponging Draco Meteors a bit easier. Tyranitar can then throw a super effective Stone Edge at Reshiram while Kyogre can drown the fire dragon with Surf. Draco Meteor and Outrage are still going to hurt though, sadly enough. Rock Arceus can be used alongside Tyranitar to even better check Reshiram (though that's going overboard). Still, even without Tyranitar's support, Rock Arceus has great enough defenses to take on Blue Fire and Draco Meteor, but repeated Dragon attacks will hurt. Ho-Oh can also be considered as a check as it can switch in on Blue Fire and Draco Meteor (again, watch out for Stealth Rock) with ease, Recover off the damage, and 2HKO back with Brave Bird.

Prediction-wise, Reshiram has a couple more checks. Any Dragon-type that can outspeed Reshiram can switch in on Blue Fire (beware of burns) and retaliate with super effective Dragon-type attacks. Rayquaza gets a special mention as it outspeeds Reshiram and its Air Lock ability negates the sun's boost for Blue Fire. Another interesting Dragon to note is Palkia, which has 4x resistance to Fire. Likewise, Steel-types, however few they are, can switch in on Draco Meteor and attempt to force a switch out due to the -2 Special Attack drop from Draco Meteor. Still, even with the drop, Blue Fire does buckets of damage, so beware.

Entry hazards are the bane of Reshiram's existence. All three types of entry hazards will greatly lower Reshiram's chances of survival, especially Stealth Rock. If you use something like Deoxys-S, Groudon, or Forretress to set up entry hazards, you can smile knowing that Reshiram will be fearing for its life. However, you will still need Chansey to make it switch out.

Fitting Reshiram onto your team

You've got to babysit Reshiram a little to make it do its job properly. As Reshiram lacks certain key resistances, it's hard to switch in, and therefore somewhat difficult to fit onto your average Ubers team (though not impossible). However, if you're utilizing a hardcore sun team (or maybe just a generic sun team) that absolutely requires a Fire-type special attacker, then by all means, give Reshiram a swing and it's sure to blast foes into oblivion. Just don't stick it into a rain team.

Environmental Factors

Unsurprisingly, Reshiram, as a sweeper, loves entry hazards. All it really needs is Stealth Rock, though; additional layers of Spikes and Toxic Spikes are just icing on the cake. With Stealth Rock up, Reshiram has a chance to OHKO offensive Kyogre and Dialga with Choice Specs Draco Meteor. Add a layer of Spikes to the mix, and Reshiram can OHKO the same Pokemon with a Life Orb; in the same scenario, mixed Reshiram can 2HKO Blissey, Ho-Oh, and Kyogre with Outrage.

Reshiram absolutely requires sunlight support to function properly. With sunlight and Stealth Rock support, Choice Specs Blue Fire can OHKO Lugia and even 2HKO Blissey, a feat that only Kyogre could previously brag about. Make sure that rain is eliminated as much as possible, and as fast as possible, as it will downgrade Reshiram's game by a terrifying landslide. Reshiram's Fire-type attacks will have their power cut in half, which gives the foe an easier time switching in on Reshiram.

Teammates

This is where Reshiram's main problems occur; it needs major support in order to perform to its fullest potential. With weaknesses to Ground-, Rock-, and Dragon-type attacks, you'll certainly need something to back Reshiram up. Groudon is the most obvious teammate, as it fills Reshiram's days with sunshine, powering up its Fire-type attacks to soaring degrees. Additionally, Groudon has great physical bulk for taking on Earthquakes and Stone Edges aimed at Reshiram, can set up Stealth Rock to make the prey more ripe for blazing, and can utilize Thunder Wave to make up for Reshiram's middling base 90 Speed. Speaking of Thunder Wave, Ferrothorn is another Pokemon to consider for spreading paralysis. It has great overall bulk, resistances to Rock and Dragon, and access to Spikes to weaken the foe's team even more. Bronzong resists or is immune to all three of Reshiram's weaknesses, has access to Stealth Rock, and can provide dual screen support; however, its offenses are quite disappointing. If the mystical bell's not the one for you, then Ho-Oh is also a wonderful teammate to consider, as it can abuse the sun alongside Reshiram, is immune to Ground-type attacks, and can sponge Draco Meteors relatively well thanks to its incredible base 154 Special Defense. Last, but not least, Reshiram absolutely requires teammates that can spin away entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock. Forretress is your best bet in this case, since it resists Dragon-type attacks and can spin easily thanks to its impressive physical bulk. If you really despise Forretress, then you can go with the poor man's Rapid Spinner in Excadrill, though it really wants sandstorm, not sun.

Get Out There!

Reshiram is perhaps one of the most destructive Pokemon as of late. Whether you're facing it or utilizing one of your own, it's sure to make a major impact in every battle. That said, burn, baby, burn!

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