Ubers Gothitelle

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
[OVERVIEW]

* Gothitelle is known for its ability to trap and dispose of passive Pokemon that form the defensive backbone of stall and balance teams, including support Arceus formes, Chansey, Ferrothorn, defensive Necrozma-DM, Lugia, and numerous other Pokemon.
* The wide range of Pokemon it can trap allows it to fit on both offensive and defensive teams, where it can clear away the stops to sweepers such as Mega Salamence or support a more anti-offense-oriented backbone with an edge against stall teams. This flexibility is bolstered by it not needing a Mega slot or Z-Crystal, in contrast to the tier's other prominent trapper in Mega Gengar.
* Gothitelle’s trapping range notably includes many of the tier’s best Defoggers, which provides a strong matchup against archetypes weak to Stealth Rock such as Ho-Oh balance.
* Gothitelle can also be used as a hard-punish option against Choice item users. Notably, it can trap and revenge kill Yveltal locked into Defog or Oblivion Wing and Choice Scarf Xerneas, both prominent Pokemon in the USUM meta.
* Furthermore, Gothitelle can switch out after depriving a foe of all of its useful moves, providing a teammate with a true free turn against a completely helpless opponent.
* However, Gothitelle lends no defensive utility to any team, which can make it difficult to fit into many archetypes. Its low bulk also makes it rely on free switches and risky reads to conduct some of its traps.
* Gothitelle provides far more utility against defensive and balance archetypes and is often relegated to death fodder against hyper offense teams.
* Overall, Gothitelle is difficult to fit into most archetypes and is not particularly good as a standalone Pokemon, but its unique niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon is devastating in a team built around taking advantage of it, making it a feared Pokemon in the USM metagame.

[SET]
name: PP Stall
move 1: Confide
move 2: Charm
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Calm
evs: 244 HP / 108 Def / 156 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Confide allows Gothitelle to trap passive special attackers such as support Arceus formes by lowering the opposing Pokemon's Special Attack stat. Gothitelle starts its trapping by using Confide whenever it is healthy enough to survive a critical hit from the foe and Rest when it cannot.
* Charm allows Gothitelle to trap passive physical attackers such as Celesteela and defensive Necrozma-DM, in the same manner as Confide.
* Taunt allows Gothitelle to stop Pokemon from phazing it, setting up entry hazards during the PP stall, setting up Leech Seed, and otherwise interfering with the trapping. After Gothitelle has inflicted enough stat drops, it can use Taunt to limit the opposing Pokemon to one or two of its moves, speeding up a PP stall significantly.
* Rest clears the Toxic that many passive Pokemon rely on for damage and fully recovers Gothitelle's HP. It also takes up three turns for each of its uses, making Gothitelle win most PP stalls in conjunction with Taunt.

Set Details
========

* Shadow Tag allows Gothitelle to trap and KO passive Pokemon and is the only reason it is viable in the Ubers tier.
* Leftovers provides Gothitelle with passive recovery.
* The Defense investment allows Gothitelle to avoid being trapped by support Tyranitar if healthy and improves Gothitelle's matchup against threats such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn without sacrificing the ability to trap support Arceus formes confidently.
* More Defense or Special Defense could be run to improve Gothitelle's matchups against key Pokemon for specific teams, but it sacrifices some of Gothitelle's overall utility.

Usage Tips
========

* Gothitelle most rewards gathering information about your opponent’s sets. If you can figure out that the opposing Necrozma-DM is running the defensive set, that the enemy Yveltal that just used Oblivion Wing has a Choice Scarf, or that the enemy Magearna neglected Volt Switch so it could run Heal Bell, it offers opportunities for KOs that one would normally not try for. Keep an eye out throughout the match.
* Once a foe has been completely deprived of PP for its useful moves, a teammate that can take advantage of a free turn should be switched in against the completely helpless foe. This is especially useful for getting rid of hazards the opponent may set up during the PP stall, setting up hazards the opponent may have cleared during the PP stall, or just setting up with a sweeper at full HP.
* Remember that the opponent can try to double switch. If they make a move that is obviously a mistake against a team with Gothitelle, it is often a trick to give a physical attacker such as Primal Groudon a free switch. This also means that Pokemon traditionally caught by Gothitelle but partially able to defend themselves, such as Celesteela, are effectively caught with a double switch.
* Be patient when setting up a PP stall. Critical hits break through stat drops, and secondary effects such as Ice Beam freezes can overwhelm Gothitelle, and these are more likely to happen than not when trying to take away all the PP of an attack. Once enough stat drops are applied for this to be possible, use Rest whenever Gothitelle's health falls below KO range of a critical hit followed by a normal hit.
* Be careful not to overestimate Gothitelle’s bulk. Hard switching into attacks stronger than Arceus-Water’s Ice Beam, especially when Stealth Rock is up, will often result in a losing matchup against Pokemon Gothitelle could usually try to trap. Rely on free switches or reads to get Gothitelle in.
* Be prepared to clean up if you let a threat such as Ferrothorn or Toxapex set up full layers of Spikes or Toxic Spikes in the process of trapping.
* Switch out on the turn the opposing Pokemon uses its last Struggle to a Pokemon that can be less easily taken advantage of with a free switch.
* Be careful not to let Gothitelle be Pursuit trapped. Against stall teams with Tyranitar or Alolan Muk, don't send out Gothitelle until these threats are worn down. If caught by one of these Pokemon, try to create a situation when you can switch out by using Charm rather than switching out immediately, and ideally Gothitelle will preserve some of its health. If support Tyranitar lacks Crunch, it can even be trapped and KOed due to Pursuit's low power.
* Players are often very hesitant to play traditional Gothitelle targets when they see a Gothitelle on the enemy team. Be aggressive with offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon that would be checked by these trappable Pokemon, putting pressure on your opponent and forcing them into risky predictions.
* Passive Pokemon often run niche sets capable of luring Gothitelle or breaking out of Shadow Tag, such as Roar or a Z-Crystal on support Arceus sets, Solganium Z on defensive Necrozma-DM, and Dragon Tail on Lugia. Be wary of these lures and failed traps and rely on your other Pokemon to take advantage the coverage they forego to manage Gothitelle.

Team Options
========

* Gothitelle is not a Pokemon that can be fitted onto most teams, as it occupies a very specific (albeit powerful) niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon. While it has a lot of flexibility, it should always be run with the deliberate intention to clear specific checks of specific teammates to achieve some form of win condition.
* Life Orb Marshadow makes an excellent core with Gothitelle, as its strong priority and coverage give it a strong matchup against offensive teams, largely making up for Gothitelle's lack of utility in that matchup. In return, Gothitelle can dispose of switch-ins to Marshadow such as support Arceus formes.
* Other sweepers and wallbreakers that dislike defensive Arceus formes or other targets of Gothitelle, such as offensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, Yveltal, Choice Scarf Xerneas, and Necrozma-DM, among several others, can enjoy support from Gothitelle on offensive teams.
* Since Gothitelle is effective at taking out enemy Defoggers and some Stealth Rock setters, it is good at making situations where only its team has entry hazards up mid-game. Because of this, it partners better with durable hazard setters that can last a whole game, such as Arceus-Fairy and Necrozma-DM, rather than suicide or easily worn down hazard setters such as Deoxys-S and Primal Groudon. Similarly, it enjoys the support of durable Defoggers, such as the support Arceus sets it loves to trap.
* A decent physically defensive backbone can be useful to help Gothitelle against physical threats, so Pokemon such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground are good partners.
* Gothitelle likes having Volt Switch or U-turn support to come in on its targets without being attacked or double switched on. Choice Scarf Yveltal and Volt Switch Magearna usually fit well on teams with Gothitelle and provide this role effectively.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* A Calm Mind trapping set can be run using Rest, Psyshock, and either Taunt or Charm. This set distinguishes itself from the PP stalling set by having a much better matchup against Calm Mind Arceus formes and by eliminating foes faster than the PP stalling set. However, this set suffers from missing out on either Taunt or Charm, so it must sacrifice the ability to trap some of its targets, and Calm Mind Arceus formes are not very common, so it is typically inferior to PP stalling sets and should not be used except in very specific team builds.
* Heal Bell and Thunder Wave can be used at the cost of limiting Gothitelle's trapping capabilities by sacrificing Taunt or Charm, giving Gothitelle some utility aside from trapping. However, these moves are usually better on durable Pokemon that can use them throughout the match, and these moves difficult are to justify use on teams where Taunt or Charm would be more useful in general.
* On Trick Room teams, Trick Room can provide some guaranteed utility for Gothitelle, although it struggles to find room in its moveset for it. Some sets run this move on the Calm Mind set to sweep, but this is very ineffective.

Checks and Counters
===================
Gothitelle has the ability to choose its matchups with Shadow Tag. As a result, it cannot be traditionally countered, and its checks are generally just Pokemon it cannot trap.

**Pursuit**: Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar, Alolan Muk, and Marshadow will either KO Gothitelle with Pursuit or weaken it to the point of uselessness.

**Offensive Threats**: With whatever bulk investment Gothitelle may use, hard hitters break through it with ease. Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, offensive Ho-Oh, and just about any other offensive Pokemon will break through Gothitelle just by using STAB moves, so they cannot be trapped.

**Super Effective Coverage**: Gothitelle is not a very bulky Pokemon, and just about any viable Pokemon can break free using Dark- or Ghost-type coverage moves such as Knock Off and Dark Pulse.

**Shed Shell**: Pokemon that carry Shed Shell, notably Blissey, Toxapex, and Skarmory, cannot be trapped by Gothitelle, making it useless against them.

**Taunt**: Taunt completely shuts down Gothitelle, so it cannot trap Pokemon that carry Taunt.

**Pivoting Moves**: Volt Switch and U-turn break through Gothitelle’s Shadow Tag, so it cannot trap Pokemon that carry these moves, most notably Magearna.

**Phazing Moves**: Roar and Whirlwind allow Pokemon such as Lugia to break free from Gothitelle, so Gothitelle sets without Taunt cannot trap these Pokemon effectively. Dragon Tail will allow Pokemon such as Zygarde to break free regardless of Gothitelle’s set.
 
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Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
My thanks to the QC team for the 5 hour extension. This is ready for QC. Compared to the last one, I felt the PP stall set deserves better than being in Options, it captures a wider pool of stuff than the Calm Mind set, although I'll cave on that if I get such feedback.
 
PP stall to #1 set - while I was originally for having CM as the set for beginners in SM, this was because the PP stall set only appeared when the old Gothitelle analysis was nearing completion so I was fine with the CM set being there rather than revamp the whole thing that far in. With both sets here, we cover both bases, so let's have the more effective set first and foremost this time. Reword the analysis to suit this.

I'll take a closer look afterwards.
 
Add Pursuit to Checks and Counters. Also maybe physical Z-move support arceus (waterium z aqua tail waterceus, groundium z earthquake groundceus) which can lure and break through but that's gimmicky so I'd like QC input on that
 

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
Added pursuit to C&C. I wanted to add something that described gimmicky sets originally too, but I took it out because the valuable part of that description sounded a bit complicated for this kind of analysis. No QC have looked at it though, so I'll add an attempt for now and see what they think.

As a side, Calm Mind Arceus have kind of died out in USM, so I'm not really seeing the benefits of the Calm Mind set other than being a faster setup for laddering purposes, so I'm starting to lean towards just moving it to Options, would like QC feedback on that.
 
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Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
Update: After a discord discussion with a couple of QC members, I have moved down the Calm Mind set to OO altogether. Still ready for QC.
 
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* Charm allows Gothitelle to trap physical attackers such as Celesteela and defensive Dusk-Mane Necrozma, in the same manner as Confide.
weak physical attackers - someone might try and take on a strong one for all i know
* A Sassy nature with minimized speed IVs can be run to minimize damage from Ferrothorn’s Gyro Ball, at the cost of being outsped by Chansey, Blissey, Clefairy, and Celesteela.
remove
* Gothitelle can effectively be the sixth pokemon in a stall team with a 5-pokemon defensive backbone.
I've yet to see or hear of such a thing. Mega Gengar, yes... not Gothitelle.

Considering Gothitelle chooses its matchups with Shadow Tag, this should be noted at the top of C&C that "checking" it isn't exactly possible with conventional methods, because you can't switch out of it in most cases. Anything that reduces its impact in a difficult to circumvent way like Pursuit trapping should be #1.
**"Goth-Proofing"**: Whenever Gothitelle becomes common in the meta, passive Pokemon often start to run niche sets capable of breaking through Gothitelle's Shadow Tag, such as running Roar or a Z-Crystal on support Arceus, Dragon Tail on Lugia, or Solgalneum-Z on defensive Necrozma sets. As these lures and failed traps are almost impossible to anticipate from team preview, they put the Gothitelle user at a severe disadvantage, so Gothitelle is usually a lot better when it is an anti-meta choice rather than being meta itself.

**Hyper Offense**: Gothitelle’s role against a hyper offense team is usually death fodder, so a team with Goth must usually over-prepare for this matchup with the other 5 pokemon.
These are not exactly ideal C&C points. Overall matchups are a definite no, we don't mention a team archetype that a pokemon struggles against as a check or counter. Both of these information points are better adapted and put into Usage Tips.

QC 1/3
 

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
Lol I actually wrote Clefairy (yeah I know the QC is to take it out, not to change it to Clefable)

Anyhow, implemented and thanks for the check!
 
AM, implement what you agree.
Overall this analysis seems to be written very informally to me.
[OVERVIEW]

* Primarily known for its ability to trap and dispose of passive Pokemon that form the defensive backbone of stall and balance teams. Gothitelle can trap most passive Pokemon used in the tier, including support Arceus formes, Chansey, Ferrothorn, defensive Dusk Mane Necrozma, Lugia, and numerous other Pokemon.
* Are you entirely sure you can trap Necrozma-DM?
0 Atk Necrozma-Dusk-Mane Sunsteel Strike vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Gothitelle: 168-198 (48.8 - 57.5%) -- 49.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Also you can't trap Lugia since you will be hit by Toxic before you Taunt, and while you Rest, Lugia's Taunt wears off and it Whirlwinds you away lol

* This wide trapping pool allows it to fit in both offense teams(what are those two offensive teams), where it can clear away the stops to sweepers such as Mega Salamence, and defensive teams, supporting a more anti-offense oriented backbone by providing a strong edge against stall teams. This flexibility is bolstered by not needing a mega slot or Z-crystal, in contrast to the tier's other prominent trapper in Mega Gengar and the rare Dugtrio.
* Gothitelle’s trapping capabilities notably include many of the tier’s best defoggers, which provides a strong matchup against archetypes weak to rocks such as Ho-Oh balance. Specify what this thing traps. The most notable example are Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Ground.
* Gothitelle can also be used as a hard-punish option against Choice sets. Notably, it can confidently revenge-trap Yveltal locked into Defog or Oblivion Wing, or Scarf Xerneas locked into anything, which is valuable as these Pokemon have seen significant use in the USUM meta. Mention this strategy needs a free switch since Gothitelle won't really switch into these threats without one of its teammates fainting or with crazy prediciton
* Gothitelle lends no defensive utility to any team, which can make it difficult to fit into many archetypes. You literally said Gothitelle can fit in "both offensive teams" and this contradicts your previous point
* Gothitelle needs every bit of HP it has to trap many of its targets, which makes it hard to switch into any attack. This makes it reliant on revenge-killing, U-turn/Volt Switch support, or risky hard reads to be effective. Just combine this with previous bullet point and you can still imply that Gothitelle provides 0 defensive utility to the team and can't switch into even weak attacks.
* Gothitelle provides far more utility against defensive and balance archetypes, and is often relegated to death fodder against hyper offense teams.
* Gothitelle is also often described as boring to play with as it takes a long time to set up, which does not trivially impair its usability, especially in ladder formats. Okay I'm not sure if you have to say these things in formal analysis because this is really dependent on people and "boring" clearly fails to indicate the viability / usefulness of this mon
* Overall, Gothitelle is not a very splashable Pokemon or a particularly good one by itself, but its unique niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon is absolutely devastating in a team built around taking advantage of it, making it among the most feared Pokemon in the USM metagame.

[SET]
name: PP Stall
Move 1: Charm
Move 2: Confide
Move 3: Taunt
Move 4: Rest
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Shadow Tag
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
moves
========

* Confide allows Gothitelle to trap passive special attackers such as support Arceus formes by lowering the opposing Pokemon's special attack stat. Gothitelle starts its trapping by using Confide whenever it is healthy enough to survive a critical hit from the opponent, and Rest when it cannot.
* Charm allows Gothitelle to trap passive physical attackers such as Celesteela and defensive Dusk-Mane Necrozma, in the same manner as Confide.
* Taunt allows Gothitelle to stop Pokemon from phazing it out, setting up hazards during the PP stall, setting up Leech Seed, and otherwise interfering with the trapping. After Gothitelle has set up enough debuffs, it can use Taunt to limit the opposing Pokemon to one or two of its moves, speeding up a PP stall significantly.
* Taunt allows Gothitelle to prevent status moves, with example being phazing moves, Leech Seed from Celesteela and Ferrothorn, and Toxic from Chansey and Blissey. This move forces foes to attack Gothitelle, and after repeated use of Charm and Confide, the trapped foe will end up fainting due to Struggle or be completely neutralized.
* Rest is Gothitelle's healing move, which clears the Toxic that many passive Pokemon rely on for damage and fully recovers HP. It also takes up three turns for each PP, making Goth win most imaginable PP stalls in conjunction with Taunt.

Set Details
========

* Full special bulk with a Calm Nature maximizes Gothitelle’s ability to trap special attackers, especially support arceus forms.
* Running more physical bulk is a viable option to better trap physical threats. Gothitelle can credibly trap most passive Pokemon with good investment, even including the likes of defensive Ho-Oh sets. However, Gothitelle can still trap the more notable passive physical attackers such as defensive Dusk-Mane Necrozma without investment, whereas some of Gothitelle's more ambitious traps such as switching into Scarf Yveltal's Oblivion Wing require solid Special Defense investment, so it is usually best to emphasize Special Defense.
* A Sassy nature with minimized speed IVs can be run to minimize damage from Ferrothorn’s Gyro Ball, at the cost of being outsped by Chansey, Blissey and Celesteela. Notably, however, all of these matchups are favorable to Gothitelle regardless of spread.
* Shadow Tag lets Gothitelle trap things and is the whole point. -> Shadow Tag allows Gothitelle to trap passive foes to open a way for its teammates to sweep without having to deal with defensive roadblocks.

Usage Tips
========

* Gothitelle might be the Pokemon that most rewards gathering information about your opponent’s sets in the meta. If you can figure out that the opposing Dusk Mane Necrozma is running the defensive set, or that the enemy Yveltal that just used Oblivion Wing is scarfed, or that the enemy Magearna neglected Volt Switch so it could run Heal Bell, it offers opportunities for KO’s that one would normally not try for. Keep an eye out throughout the match.
* Remember the opponent can try to double-switch on you. If they make a move that is a bit too obviously a mistake against a team with Gothitelle, it is often a trick to give a physical attacker such as Pdon a free switch.
* Be patient when setting up a PP stall. Critical Hits break through debuffs, and secondary effects such as Ice Beam freezes can also get Gothitelle overwhelmed, and these are likelier to happen than not when trying to take all the PP's worth of attacks. Once enough debuffs are set for this to be possible, Rest whenever your health falls below a critical hit followed by a normal hit.
* Be careful not to overestimate Gothitelle’s bulk. Hard-switching into attacks stronger than Arceus-Water’s Ice Beam, especially under rocks, will often result in a losing matchup against things Gothitelle could usually try to trap. Rely on free switches or confidence in a read to get Gothitelle in.
* Be prepared to clean up if you let a threat such as Ferrothorn or Toxapex set up full layers of Spikes/Toxic Spikes in the process of trapping.
* Switch out on the turn the opposing Pokemon uses its last Struggle to a Pokemon that can be less easily taken advantage of with a free switch.
* Careful not to be Pursuit killed. Against stall teams with Tyranitar or Alolan Muk, don't send out Gothitelle until these are worn down. If caught by one of these Pokemon, try to create a situation when you can switch out by using Charm, rather than switching out immediately, and ideally Gothitelle will preserve some of its health.
* When Gothitelle becomes common in the metagame, passive Pokemon often run niche sets capable of luring Gothitelle or breaking out of Shadow Tag, such as Roar or a Z-Crystal on support Arceus sets, Solganeum-Z on defensive Necrozma Dusk-Mane, or Dragon Tail on Lugia. Be wary of these lures and failed traps, relying on your other Pokemon to abuse the coverage they forego to manage Gothitelle.

Team Options
========

* Gothitelle is not a splashable Pokemon, as it occupies a very specific (albeit powerful) niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon. While it has a lot of flexibility, it should always be run with the deliberate intention to clear specific checks of specific teammates to achieve some form of win condition.
* Sweepers and wallbreakers that dislike defensive Arceus formes or other targets of Gothitelle, such as offensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, Life Orb Marshadow, Yveltal and Dusk-Mane Necrozma, among several others, can enjoy support from Gothitelle in offensive teams.
* Since Gothitelle is effective at taking out enemy Defoggers and some Stealth Rockers, it is good at making situations where only its team has hazards up for mid game. Because of this, it partners better with durable hazard setters that can last a whole game, such as Arceus-Fairy or Dusk-Mane Necrozma, rather than suicide or easily worn-down hazard setters such as Deoxys-Speed or Primal Groudon. Similarly, it enjoys the support of durable Defoggers, such as the support Arceus sets it loves to trap.
* A decent physical defensive backbone can be useful to help Gothitelle against physical threats, so Pokemon such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground are good partners.
* Gothitelle's lack of utility against the more offensive teams is arguably its biggest issue. Pokemon known for a strong matchup against offensive teams, such as Life Orb Marshadow and Rock Polish sweepers, can be effective in making up for this weakness.
* Gothitelle likes having Volt Switch/U-turn support to come in on its targets without being attacked or double-switched on. Scarf Yveltal and Volt Switch Magearna usually fit well on teams with goth and provide this role effectively.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* A Calm Mind trapping set can be run using Calm Mind, Rest, Psyshock and either Taunt or Charm. This set distinguishes itself from the PP stalling set by having a much better matchup against Calm Mind Arceus, and by killing faster than the PP stalling set, which makes it more pleasant to use for casual and ladder play. However, this set suffers from missing out on either Taunt or Charm, so it must sacrifice the ability to trap some of its targets, and Calm Mind Arceus is not very common on the USM meta, so it is typically inferior to PP stalling sets and should not be used except in very specific team builds.
* Heal Bell and Thunder Wave can be used at the cost of limiting Gothitelle's trapping pool by sacrificing Taunt or Charm, giving Gothitelle some utility aside from trapping. However, these moves are usually better in durable Pokemon that can cast them throughout the match, and it is difficult to imagine teams where Taunt or Charm would not be more useful in general.
* In Trick Room teams, Trick Room can provide some guaranteed utility for Gothitelle, although it struggles to find room in its moveset for it. Some sets run this move in the Calm Mind set to sweep, but this is very ineffective and should only really be run as a meme.

Checks and Counters
===================
Gothitelle has the ability to choose its matchups with Shadow Tag. As a result, it cannot be traditionally countered, and its checks are generally Pokemon it cannot trap.

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, and Tyranitar. Not Alolan Muk. Alolan Muk needs 124 Speed to outspeed Gothitelle and will be hit by Charm first and this leads to mind games. Tyranitar specifically has to carry Crunch or otherwise it loses to Charm. Specify what variant of Tyrantiar can trap Gothitelle. I would say Choice Band variants.

**Ghost-types**: Mega Gengar / Marshadow / Lunala / Arceus-Ghost

**Pursuit**: Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar, Alolan-Muk and Marshadow will either KO Gothitelle with Pursuit or weaken it to the point of uselessness.

**Hard-hitting Pokemon**: Whatever investment it may use, hard-hitters break through goth simply by having better stats. Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, offensive Ho-Oh, and just about any other offensive Pokemon will break through Gothitelle just by using STABs.

**Physical Attackers**: Mention how stuff like Primal Groudon / Mega Luke / Ho-oh / Marshadow don't mind Charm and still defeat Gothitelle

**Super-effective coverage**: Gothitelle is not a very bulky Pokemon, and just about any Ubers-viable pokemon can break free using popular Dark- or Ghost-type moves.

**Shed Shell**: Pokemon that carry Shed Shell, notably including Blissey, Toxapex and Skarmory, cannot be trapped by Gothitelle, making it useless. Not necessarily. They will have to switch out anyway so how about say "Gothitelle is largely ineffective against walls with Shed Shell and should be used as a double switch fodder" in some place like Usage Tips?

**Taunt**: Taunt completely shuts down Gothitelle, so Gothitelle cannot trap things that carry Taunt. What are the examples?

**Pivoting Moves**: Volt Switch and U-turn break through Goth’s Shadow Tag, so it cannot trap Pokemon that carry these moves. Examples? Zygarde-C? Magearna? Mega Scizor?

**Phazing moves**: Roar and Whirlwind allow Pokemon such as Lugia to break free from Gothitelle, so Gothitelle without Taunt cannot trap these effectively. Dragon Tail will allow Pokemon such as Zygarde to break free regardless of Gothitelle’s set.
No, as I said Lugia escapes from Shadow Tag when Gothitelle is asleep, Zygarde-C dtails, Magearna Volt Switches, etc.
 

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
"
* Are you entirely sure you can trap Necrozma-DM?
0 Atk Necrozma-Dusk-Mane Sunsteel Strike vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Gothitelle: 168-198 (48.8 - 57.5%) -- 49.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Also you can't trap Lugia since you will be hit by Toxic before you Taunt, and while you Rest, Lugia's Taunt wears off and it Whirlwinds you away lol"


It does trap DM - Charm brings it down to doing like a quarter of HP. Its kinda risky (if it crits you need to have set up 2 Charms by then) and you need the free switch, but its typically worth going for. The lower crit chance is also really nice for this kind of trap.
As for Lugia, you get to own sets without attacking moves, and Taunt has a nice chance to last enough for a rest, I think its 50/50, so you end up taking like 6 pp or so. The more fun scenario is Taunting, then switching to a setup sweeper that can laugh off the Ice Beams and SD or something. Against a stall team, you often end up actually trapping it two-three times before getting it, which is actually super doable cause its a stall team and cause the whole Lugia playstyle is reusable low-punish sponge. You can do all kinds of stuff to Lugia.

This wide trapping pool allows it to fit in both offense teams, where it can clear away the stops to sweepers such as Mega Salamence, and defensive teams, supporting a more anti-offense oriented backbone by providing a strong edge against stall teams.
Its correct grammar, but yeah I'll clarify it.

The prominent trapper remark is fine, dugtrio isn't prominent and isn't really competing with goth the way gengar would (dugtrio basically only supports Xern, while goth and gengar both go after arceus and stuff)

You can actually switch into Scarf Yveltal OW and win if it doesn't crit during initial setup. Switching into Xern grass knot and stuff is also good.

The boring remark is something that seems to be traditionally noted about this mon. Someone from the gen 5 or 6 analysis described it as the "most vile answer" to passive mons and called the set like Satan or something. Its legitimately valuable info for a noob looking into the mon for the first time too.



The Dark-types and Ghost-types thing is something I consciously decided not to do because it misses the point. Goth traps passive things and runs from everything else. There's really nothing about being a Dark-type that makes you better able to take on goth than, say, Pdon, which is best illustrated by how you revenge Yveltal after OW. Being a Ghost type does make you untrappable, and if there was some Toxapex-esque ghost thing you miss out on trapping over it that WOULD get a bullet point, but even Gira-A would Dtail you in a world where Ghost types were trappable, so there are no relevant pokemon there.
In contrast, Pursuit IS something that uniquely bothers Gothitelle.

Also, not for nothing, but you're the one that kept saying Lugia beats Goth over its phazing moves, so I'm not sure why you want that point gone.
 
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ckw

Tired
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
I'd argue that Marshadow's introduction into Ubers is one of the main reason Gothitelle turned from a cteam mon to something that you can use in a standard team since the duo covers a huge range of viable threats. Goth traps fat stuff that marsh can't while Marsh improves your matchup vs HO, a style of play that makes Gothitelle a literal fodder cause it's so useless there.

I want to see more regarding Marshadow as a teammate in TO for Gothitelle.

Replace "Hard-hitting Pokemon" to "Offensive threats". Sounds and flows better.

QC 2/3
 
you did a pretty good job with this but i fail to see any mention of the real reason to run PP stall set in this meta. The main thing that makes pp stall a great set is the ability to use the free turn that is granted vs opposing struggle. If you PP stall a hazard setter like SR arc, ferro, pex you can immediately switch to your defogger so hazards are removed permanently. alternatively, once a pokemon is pp stalled you can immediately switch to a setup sweeper and have a free turn of set up. this means you take out an entire mon, while also gaining a free turn to do whatever your heart desires. I'd like to see a point in overview and usage tips for this type of thing.

I'm also wondering if these evs are actually optimal? a PP stall set should try to target as many things possible, since it isnt focusing purely on support arcs, but also steels like ferro and celes. what are your thoughts on this? i'll also bring up with other qc but i think the mixed bulk spreads are pretty solid for the PP stall set and I have an ev spread that i feel will be solid here.

will check after implementation and discussion on EV spread
 

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
you did a pretty good job with this but i fail to see any mention of the real reason to run PP stall set in this meta. The main thing that makes pp stall a great set is the ability to use the free turn that is granted vs opposing struggle. If you PP stall a hazard setter like SR arc, ferro, pex you can immediately switch to your defogger so hazards are removed permanently. alternatively, once a pokemon is pp stalled you can immediately switch to a setup sweeper and have a free turn of set up. this means you take out an entire mon, while also gaining a free turn to do whatever your heart desires. I'd like to see a point in overview and usage tips for this type of thing.

I'm also wondering if these evs are actually optimal? a PP stall set should try to target as many things possible, since it isnt focusing purely on support arcs, but also steels like ferro and celes. what are your thoughts on this? i'll also bring up with other qc but i think the mixed bulk spreads are pretty solid for the PP stall set and I have an ev spread that i feel will be solid here.

will check after implementation and discussion on EV spread
Implemented the strategy for getting the free turn on usage tips and overview.

Regarding the EV spread, Celesteela and Ferrothorn (and even defensive Dusk-Mane barring an early crit) are still trapped by Goth given a fully specially defensive spread, so those aren't really the pokemon that would determine a change in spread. There is the 80 Def spread, but the matchup against those two should be the same for both.
I typically run full SpD to better handle scarfed xern/ygod (its really difficult to calc for a pokemon that confides and has leftovers, but Ive gotten overwhelmed by an early crit on those matchups without full SpD and never with it).
However, I'd definitely make another spread the defualt if you have something that has a better matchup against something you otherwise lose to, will ask about it in Discord.
 

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
you did a pretty good job with this but i fail to see any mention of the real reason to run PP stall set in this meta. The main thing that makes pp stall a great set is the ability to use the free turn that is granted vs opposing struggle. If you PP stall a hazard setter like SR arc, ferro, pex you can immediately switch to your defogger so hazards are removed permanently. alternatively, once a pokemon is pp stalled you can immediately switch to a setup sweeper and have a free turn of set up. this means you take out an entire mon, while also gaining a free turn to do whatever your heart desires. I'd like to see a point in overview and usage tips for this type of thing.

I'm also wondering if these evs are actually optimal? a PP stall set should try to target as many things possible, since it isnt focusing purely on support arcs, but also steels like ferro and celes. what are your thoughts on this? i'll also bring up with other qc but i think the mixed bulk spreads are pretty solid for the PP stall set and I have an ev spread that i feel will be solid here.

will check after implementation and discussion on EV spread
Implemented the above and you approved spread on discord, please check The Trap God.
 
only last thing i want you to do is add a point in usage tips. double switching into celesteela greatly improves your ability to PP stall it without getting crit. also let the reader know that opponents may be hasty to go to their mons that are trapped by goth, meaning you can take advantage and look for their alternative switchins.
QC 3/3
 

Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Change all curly apostrophes ( ’ ) to straight ones ( ' ). Curly apostrophes mess up the dex formatting on-site.

Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

* Primarily Gothitelle is known for its ability to trap and dispose of passive Pokemon that form the defensive backbone of stall and balance teams,(AC) including support Arceus formes, Chansey, Ferrothorn, defensive Necrozma-DM, Lugia, and numerous other Pokemon. Gothitelle can trap most passive Pokemon used in the tier, including support Arceus formes, Chansey, Ferrothorn, defensive Dusk Mane Necrozma, Lugia, and numerous other Pokemon.
* This wide trapping pool range of Pokemon it can trap allows it to fit in both offensive and defensive teams, where it can clear away the stops to sweepers such as Mega Salamence,(RC) or support a more anti-offense-(AH)oriented backbone with an edge against stall teams. This flexibility is bolstered by not needing a Mega slot or Z-Crystal, in contrast to the tier's other prominent trapper in Mega Gengar.
* Gothitelle’s trapping capabilities range notably includes many of the tier’s best Defoggers, which provides a strong matchup against archetypes weak to rocks Stealth Rock such as Ho-Oh balance.
* Gothitelle can also be used as a hard-punish option against Choice-(AH)item users sets. Notably, it can confidently revenge-trap trap and revenge kill Yveltal locked into Defog or Oblivion Wing,(RC) or and Choice Scarf Xerneas locked into anything, which is valuable as because these Pokemon have seen significant use are prominent in the USUM metagame.
* Furthermore, Gothitelle can switch out after depriving an enemy Pokemon a foe out of all of its useful moves, providing a teammate with a true free turn against a completely helpless opponent.
* However,(AC) Gothitelle lends no defensive utility to any team, which can make it difficult to fit into many archetypes. Its low bulk also makes it rely on free switches and risky reads to conduct some of its traps.
* Gothitelle provides far more utility against defensive and balance archetypes,(RC) and is often relegated to death fodder against hyper offense teams.
* Gothitelle is also often described as boring to play with as it takes a long time to set up, which does not trivially impair its usability, especially in ladder formats. (It being boring to play isn't pertinent to its usefulness in the metagame, and if this doesn't impair its usability, then why is this mentioned at all?)
* Overall, Gothitelle is not a very splashable Pokemon or difficult to fit into many archetypes and not a particularly good one Pokemon by itself in its own right, but its unique niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon is absolutely devastating in a team built around taking advantage of it, making it among the most feared a Pokemon in the USM metagame that teams should prepare for. (I consulted with QC and they said that Gothitelle is going to drop a lot in the VR, so this needs some downscaling)

[SET]
name: PP Stall
Move 1: Charm Confide
Move 2: Confide Charm (move descriptions need to match order of set slashing)
Move 3: Taunt
Move 4: Rest
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Shadow Tag
Nature: Calm
EVs: 244 HP / 108 Def / 156 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
moves
========

* Confide allows Gothitelle to trap passive special attackers such as support Arceus formes by lowering the opposing Pokemon's Special Attack stat. Gothitelle starts its trapping by using Confide whenever it is healthy enough to survive a critical hit from the opponent,(RC) foe and Rest when it cannot.
* Charm allows Gothitelle to trap passive physical attackers such as Celesteela and defensive Dusk-Mane Necrozma,(RC) Necrozma-DM in the same manner as Confide.
* Taunt allows Gothitelle to stop Pokemon from phazing it out, setting up entry hazards during the PP stall, setting up Leech Seed, and otherwise interfering with the trapping. After Gothitelle has set up inflicted enough debuffs stat drops, it can use Taunt to limit the opposing Pokemon to using only one or two of its moves, speeding up a PP stall significantly.
* Rest is Gothitelle's healing move, which clears the Toxic that many passive Pokemon rely on for damage and fully recovers Gothitelle's HP. It also takes up three turns for each PP of its uses, making Gothitelle win most imaginable PP stalls in conjunction with Taunt.

Set Details
========

* Shadow Tag is the ability that allows Gothitelle to trap and kill KO passive Pokemon,(RC) and is the only reason it is viable in the Ubers tier.
* Leftovers provides Gothitelle with passive recovery.
* The physical Defense investment allows Gothitelle to avoid being trapped by support Tyranitar if healthy,(RC) and improves the Gothitelle's matchup against threats such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn,(RC) without sacrificing the ability to trap support Arceus formes confidently.
* More physical Defense or Special investment Defense could be run to improve Gothitelle's matchups against key Pokemon for specific teams, but it sacrifices some of Gothitelle's overall utility.

Usage Tips
========

* Gothitelle might be the Pokemon that most rewards gathering information about your opponent’s sets in the meta. If you can figure out that the opposing Dusk Mane Necrozma-(AH)DM is running the defensive set, or that the enemy Yveltal that just used Oblivion Wing is scarfed has a Choice Scarf, or that the enemy Magearna neglected Volt Switch so it could run Heal Bell, it offers opportunities for KO’s KOs that one would normally not try for. Keep an eye out throughout the match.
* Once an opponent a foe has been completely deprived of PP for its useful moves, a teammate that can take advantage of a free turn should be switched in against the completely helpless opponent foe. This is especially good to Defog opportune for getting rid of the hazards the opponent set up during the PP stall, setting up hazards the opponent may have Defogged gotten rid of during the PP stall, or just setting up with a sweeper at full HP.
* Remember that the opponent can try to double-(RH)switch on you. If they make a move that is a bit too obviously a mistake against a team with Gothitelle, it is often a trick to give a physical attacker such as Primal Groudon a free switch. This also means that Pokemon traditionally caught by Gothitelle but partially able to defend themselves, such as Celesteela, are effectively caught with a double switch.
* Be patient when setting up a PP stall. Critical hits break through debuffs stat drops, and secondary effects such as Ice Beam freezes can also get overwhelm Gothitelle overwhelmed, and these are likelier more likely to happen than not when trying to take away all the PP's worth PP of attacks an attack. Once enough debuffs stat drops are set applied for this to be possible, use Rest whenever your Gothitelle's health falls below KO range of a critical hit followed by a normal hit.
* Be careful not to overestimate Gothitelle’s bulk. Hard-(RH)switching into attacks stronger than Arceus-Water’s Ice Beam, especially under rocks when Stealth Rock is up, will often result in a losing matchup against things Pokemon Gothitelle could usually try to trap. Rely on free switches or confidence in a read (you rely on the read itself, not the confidence in making the read) to get Gothitelle in.
* Be prepared to clean up if you let a threat such as Ferrothorn or Toxapex set up full layers of Spikes/Toxic Spikes Spikes or Toxic Spikes in the process of trapping.
* Switch out on the turn the opposing Pokemon uses its last Struggle to a Pokemon that can be less easily taken advantage of with a free switch.
* Be careful not to let Gothitelle be Pursuit killed trapped. Against stall teams with Tyranitar or Alolan Muk, don't send out Gothitelle until these threats are worn down. If caught by one of these Pokemon, try to create a situation when you can switch out by using Charm,(RC) rather than switching out immediately, and ideally Gothitelle will preserve some of its health. If support Tyranitar lacks Crunch, it can even be trapped and killed KOed due to Pursuit's low power.
* Players are often very hesitant to play traditional Gothitelle targets when they see a Gothitelle in on the enemy team. Be aggressive with offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon that would be checked by these trappable Pokemon, putting pressure on your opponent and forcing them into risky predictions.
* When Gothitelle becomes common in the metagame,(RC) Passive Pokemon often run niche sets capable of luring Gothitelle or breaking out of Shadow Tag, such as Roar or a Z-Crystal on support Arceus sets, Solganeum-Z Solganium Z on defensive Necrozma-(AH)DM Dusk-Mane, or and Dragon Tail on Lugia. Be wary of these lures and failed traps,(RC) relying and rely on your other Pokemon to abuse take advantage of the coverage they forego to manage Gothitelle.

Team Options
========

* Gothitelle is not a splashable Pokemon easily fitted on teams, as it occupies a very specific (albeit powerful) niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon. While it has a lot of flexibility, it should always be run with the deliberate intention to clear specific checks of specific teammates to achieve some form of win condition.
* Life Orb Marshadow makes an excellent core with Gothitelle, as its strong priority and coverage gives give it a strong matchup against offensive teams, largely make making up for Gothitelle's lack of utility in that matchup. In return, Gothitelle can dispose of switch-ins to Marshadow such as support Arceus formes. (Just saying Arceus = Arceus-Normal)
* Other sweepers and wallbreakers that dislike defensive Arceus formes or other targets of Gothitelle, such as offensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, Yveltal, Choice Scarf Xerneas,(AC) and Dusk-Mane Necrozma-(AH)DM, among several others, can enjoy support from Gothitelle in on offensive teams.
* Since Gothitelle is effective at taking out enemy Defoggers and some Stealth Rockers Rock setters, it is good at making situations where only its team has entry hazards up for mid-(AH)game. Because of this, it partners better with durable hazard setters that can last a whole game, such as Arceus-Fairy,(AC) other support Arceus formes,(AC) and or Dusk-Mane Necrozma-(AH)DM, rather than suicide or easily worn-(RH)down hazard setters such as Deoxys-Speed or Deoxys-S and Primal Groudon. Similarly, it enjoys the support of durable Defoggers, such as the support Arceus sets it loves to trap.
* A decent physically defensive backbone can be useful to help Gothitelle against physical threats, so Pokemon such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground are good partners.
* Gothitelle likes having Volt Switch/U-turn VoltTurn support to come in on its targets without being attacked or double-(RH)switched on. Choice Scarf Yveltal and Volt Switch Magearna usually fit well on teams with goth Gothitelle and provide this role effectively.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* A Calm Mind trapping set can be run using Calm Mind,(RC) (Calm Mind set with Calm Mind is redundant) Rest, Psyshock,(AC) and either Taunt or Charm. This set distinguishes itself from the PP stalling set by having a much better matchup against Calm Mind Arceus,(RC) formes and by killing KOing trapped Pokemon faster than the PP stalling set,(RC) which makes it more pleasant to use for casual and ladder play. However, this set suffers from missing out on either Taunt or Charm depending on which one it chooses, so it must sacrifice the ability to trap some of its targets, and Calm Mind Arceus is formes are not very common on the USM meta, so it is typically inferior to PP stalling sets and should not be used except in very specific team builds.
* Heal Bell and Thunder Wave can be used at the cost of limiting Gothitelle's trapping pool capabilities by sacrificing Taunt or Charm, giving Gothitelle some utility aside from trapping. However, these moves are usually better in on durable Pokemon that can cast use them throughout the match, and it is these moves are difficult to imagine justify use on teams where Taunt or Charm would not be more useful in general.
* In On Trick Room teams, Trick Room can provide some guaranteed utility for Gothitelle, although it struggles to find room in its moveset for it. Some sets run this move in on the Calm Mind set to sweep, but this is very ineffective and should only really be run as a meme.

Checks and Counters
===================
* (remove asterisk) Gothitelle has the ability to choose its matchups with Shadow Tag. As a result, it cannot be traditionally countered, and its checks are generally just Pokemon it cannot trap.

**Pursuit**: Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar, Alolan-(RH)Muk,(AC) and Marshadow will either KO Gothitelle with Pursuit or weaken it to the point of uselessness.

**Offensive Threats**: With whatever bulk investment it Gothitelle may use, hard-hitters break through Gothitelle's relatively low bulk it with ease. Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, offensive Ho-Oh, and just about any other offensive Pokemon will break through Gothitelle just by using STABs STAB moves, so they cannot be trapped.

**Super-effective Super Effective Coverage**: Gothitelle is not a very bulky Pokemon, and just about any Ubers-viable viable Pokemon can break free using popular Dark- or Ghost-type moves (examples of moves).

**Shed Shell**: Pokemon that carry Shed Shell, notably including Blissey, Toxapex,(AC) and Skarmory, cannot be trapped by Gothitelle, making it useless when against them.

**Taunt**: Taunt completely shuts down Gothitelle, so Gothitelle it cannot trap Pokemon that carry Taunt (such as...?).

**Pivoting Moves**: Volt Switch and U-turn break through Goth’s Gothitelle's Shadow Tag, so it cannot trap Pokemon that carry these moves, most notably including Magearna and Mega Scizor. (you need an example of a Pokemon that uses U-turn so I put that one, but you can add more or replace it if you want)

**Phazing Moves**: Roar and Whirlwind allow Pokemon such as Lugia to break free from Gothitelle, so Gothitelle sets without Taunt cannot trap these Pokemon effectively. Dragon Tail will allow Pokemon such as Zygarde to break free regardless of Gothitelle’s set.
GP 1/2
 
Last edited:

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
Change all curly apostrophes ( ’ ) to straight ones ( ' ). Curly apostrophes mess up the dex formatting on-site.

Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

* Primarily Gothitelle is known for its ability to trap and dispose of passive Pokemon that form the defensive backbone of stall and balance teams,(AC) including support Arceus formes, Chansey, Ferrothorn, defensive Necrozma-DM, Lugia, and numerous other Pokemon. Gothitelle can trap most passive Pokemon used in the tier, including support Arceus formes, Chansey, Ferrothorn, defensive Dusk Mane Necrozma, Lugia, and numerous other Pokemon.
* This wide trapping pool range of Pokemon it can trap allows it to fit in both offensive and defensive teams, where it can clear away the stops to sweepers such as Mega Salamence,(RC) or support a more anti-offense-(AH)oriented backbone with an edge against stall teams. This flexibility is bolstered by not needing a Mega slot or Z-Crystal, in contrast to the tier's other prominent trapper in Mega Gengar.
* Gothitelle’s trapping capabilities range notably includes many of the tier’s best Defoggers, which provides a strong matchup against archetypes weak to rocks Stealth Rock such as Ho-Oh balance.
* Gothitelle can also be used as a hard-punish option against Choice-(AH)item users sets. Notably, it can confidently revenge-trap trap and revenge kill Yveltal locked into Defog or Oblivion Wing,(RC) or and Choice Scarf Xerneas locked into anything, which is valuable as because these Pokemon have seen significant use are prominent in the USUM metagame.
* Furthermore, Gothitelle can switch out after depriving an enemy Pokemon a foe out of all of its useful moves, providing a teammate with a true free turn against a completely helpless opponent.
* However,(AC) Gothitelle lends no defensive utility to any team, which can make it difficult to fit into many archetypes. Its low bulk also makes it rely on free switches and risky reads to conduct some of its traps.
* Gothitelle provides far more utility against defensive and balance archetypes,(RC) and is often relegated to death fodder against hyper offense teams.
* Gothitelle is also often described as boring to play with as it takes a long time to set up, which does not trivially impair its usability, especially in ladder formats.(It being boring to play isn't pertinent to its usefulness in the metagame, and if this doesn't impair it's usability, then why is this mentioned at all?)
* Overall, Gothitelle is not a very splashable Pokemon or difficult to fit into many archetypes and not a particularly good one Pokemon by itselfin its own right, but its unique niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon is absolutely devastating in a team built around taking advantage of it, making it among the most feared a Pokemon in the USM metagamethat teams should prepare for. (I consulted with QC and they said that Gothitelle is going to drop a lot in the VR, so this needs some downscaling)

[SET]
name: PP Stall
Move 1: CharmConfide
Move 2: ConfideCharm (move descriptions need to match order of set slashing)
Move 3: Taunt
Move 4: Rest
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Shadow Tag
Nature: Calm
EVs: 244 HP / 108 Def / 156 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
moves
========

* Confide allows Gothitelle to trap passive special attackers such as support Arceus formes by lowering the opposing Pokemon's Special Attack stat. Gothitelle starts its trapping by using Confide whenever it is healthy enough to survive a critical hit from the opponent,(RC) foe and Rest when it cannot.
* Charm allows Gothitelle to trap passive physical attackers such as Celesteela and defensive Dusk-Mane Necrozma,(RC) Necrozma-DM in the same manner as Confide.
* Taunt allows Gothitelle to stop Pokemon from phazing it out, setting up entry hazards during the PP stall, setting up Leech Seed, and otherwise interfering with the trapping. After Gothitelle has set up inflicted enough debuffsstat drops, it can use Taunt to limit the opposing Pokemon to using only one or two of its moves, speeding up a PP stall significantly.
* Rest is Gothitelle's healing move, which clears the Toxic that many passive Pokemon rely on for damage and fully recovers Gothitelle's HP. It also takes up three turns for each PPof its uses, making Gothitelle win most imaginable PP stalls in conjunction with Taunt.

Set Details
========

* Shadow Tag is the ability that allows Gothitelle to trap and kill KO passive Pokemon,(RC) and is the only reason it is viable in the Ubers tier.
* Leftovers provides Gothitelle with passive recovery.
* The physical Defense investment allows Gothitelle to avoid being trapped by support Tyranitar if healthy,(RC) and improves the Gothitelle's matchup against threats such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn,(RC) without sacrificing the ability to trap support Arceus formes confidently.
* More physical Defense or Special investment Defense could be run to improve Gothitelle's matchups against key Pokemon for specific teams, but it sacrifices some of Gothitelle's overall utility.

Usage Tips
========

* Gothitelle might be the Pokemon that most rewards gathering information about your opponent’s sets in the meta. If you can figure out that the opposing Dusk Mane Necrozma-(AH)DM is running the defensive set, or that the enemy Yveltal that just used Oblivion Wing is scarfedhas a Choice Scarf, or that the enemy Magearna neglected Volt Switch so it could run Heal Bell, it offers opportunities for KO’s KOs that one would normally not try for. Keep an eye out throughout the match.
* Once an opponent a foe has been completely deprived of PP for its useful moves, a teammate that can take advantage of a free turn should be switched in against the completely helpless opponentfoe. This is especially good to Defog opportune for getting rid of the hazards the opponent set up during the PP stall, setting up hazards the opponent may have Defogged gotten rid of during the PP stall, or just setting up with a sweeper at full HP.
* Remember that the opponent can try to double-(RH)switch on you. If they make a move that is a bit too obviously a mistake against a team with Gothitelle, it is often a trick to give a physical attacker such as Primal Groudon a free switch. This also means that Pokemon traditionally caught by Gothitelle but partially able to defend themselves, such as Celesteela, are effectively caught with a double switch.
* Be patient when setting up a PP stall. Critical hits break through debuffsstat drops, and secondary effects such as Ice Beam freezes can also get overwhelm Gothitelle overwhelmed, and these are likelier more likely to happen than not when trying to take away all the PP's worth PP of attacksan attack. Once enough debuffs stat drops are set applied for this to be possible, use Rest whenever your Gothitelle's health falls below KO range of a critical hit followed by a normal hit.
* Be careful not to overestimate Gothitelle’s bulk. Hard-(RH)switching into attacks stronger than Arceus-Water’s Ice Beam, especially under rockswhen Stealth Rock is up, will often result in a losing matchup against things Pokemon Gothitelle could usually try to trap. Rely on free switches or confidence in a read (you rely on the read itself, not the confidence in making the read) to get Gothitelle in.
* Be prepared to clean up if you let a threat such as Ferrothorn or Toxapex set up full layers of Spikes/Toxic Spikes Spikes or Toxic Spikes in the process of trapping.
* Switch out on the turn the opposing Pokemon uses its last Struggle to a Pokemon that can be less easily taken advantage of with a free switch.
* Be careful not to let Gothitelle be Pursuit killed trapped. Against stall teams with Tyranitar or Alolan Muk, don't send out Gothitelle until these threats are worn down. If caught by one of these Pokemon, try to create a situation when you can switch out by using Charm,(RC) rather than switching out immediately, and ideally Gothitelle will preserve some of its health. If support Tyranitar lacks Crunch, it can even be trapped and killedKOeddue to Pursuit's low power.
* Players are often very hesitant to play traditional Gothitelle targets when they see a Gothitelle in on the enemy team. Be aggressive with offensive Pokemon such as Primal Groudon that would be checked by these trappable Pokemon, putting pressure on your opponent and forcing them into risky predictions.
* When Gothitelle becomes common in the metagame,(RC) Passive Pokemon often run niche sets capable of luring Gothitelle or breaking out of Shadow Tag, such as Roar or a Z-Crystal on support Arceus sets, Solganeum-Z Solganium Z on defensive Necrozma-(AH)DM Dusk-Mane, or and Dragon Tail on Lugia. Be wary of these lures and failed traps,(RC) relying and rely on your other Pokemon to abuse take advantage of the coverage they forego to manage Gothitelle.

Team Options
========

* Gothitelle is not a splashable Pokemon easily fitted on teams, as it occupies a very specific (albeit powerful) niche as a trapper of passive Pokemon. While it has a lot of flexibility, it should always be run with the deliberate intention to clear specific checks of specific teammates to achieve some form of win condition.
* Life Orb Marshadow makes an excellent core with Gothitelle, as its strong priority and coverage gives give it a strong matchup against offensive teams, largely make making up for Gothitelle's lack of utility in that matchup. In return, Gothitelle can dispose of switch-ins to Marshadow such as support Arceus formes. (Just saying Arceus = Arceus-Normal)
* Other sweepers and wallbreakers that dislike defensive Arceus formes or other targets of Gothitelle, such as offensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, Yveltal, Choice Scarf Xerneas,(AC) and Dusk-Mane Necrozma-(AH)DM, among several others, can enjoy support from Gothitelle in on offensive teams.
* Since Gothitelle is effective at taking out enemy Defoggers and some Stealth RockersRock setters, it is good at making situations where only its team has entry hazards up for mid-(AH)game. Because of this, it partners better with durable hazard setters that can last a whole game, such as Arceus-Fairy,(AC) other support Arceus formes,(AC) and or Dusk-ManeNecrozma-(AH)DM, rather than suicide or easily worn-(RH)down hazard setters such as Deoxys-Speed or Deoxys-S and Primal Groudon. Similarly, it enjoys the support of durable Defoggers, such as the support Arceus sets it loves to trap.
* A decent physically defensive backbone can be useful to help Gothitelle against physical threats, so Pokemon such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground are good partners.
* Gothitelle likes having Volt Switch/U-turn VoltTurn support to come in on its targets without being attacked or double-(RH)switched on. Choice Scarf Yveltal and Volt Switch Magearna usually fit well on teams with goth Gothitelle and provide this role effectively.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* A Calm Mind trapping set can be run using Calm Mind,(RC) (Calm Mind set with Calm Mind is redundant) Rest, Psyshock,(AC) and either Taunt or Charm. This set distinguishes itself from the PP stalling set by having a much better matchup against Calm Mind Arceus,(RC) formes and by killing KOing trapped Pokemon faster than the PP stalling set,(RC) which makes it more pleasant to use for casual and ladder play. However, this set suffers from missing out on either Taunt or Charm depending on which one it chooses, so it must sacrifice the ability to trap some of its targets, and Calm Mind Arceus is formes are not very common on the USM meta, so it is typically inferior to PP stalling sets and should not be used except in very specific team builds.
* Heal Bell and Thunder Wave can be used at the cost of limiting Gothitelle's trapping pool capabilities by sacrificing Taunt or Charm, giving Gothitelle some utility aside from trapping. However, these moves are usually better in on durable Pokemon that can cast use them throughout the match, and it is these moves are difficult to imagine justify use on teams where Taunt or Charm would not be more useful in general.
* In On Trick Room teams, Trick Room can provide some guaranteed utility for Gothitelle, although it struggles to find room in its moveset for it. Some sets run this move in on the Calm Mind set to sweep, but this is very ineffective and should only really be run as a meme.

Checks and Counters
===================
* (remove asterisk) Gothitelle has the ability to choose its matchups with Shadow Tag. As a result, it cannot be traditionally countered, and its checks are generally just Pokemon it cannot trap.

**Pursuit**: Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar, Alolan-(RH)Muk,(AC) and Marshadow will either KO Gothitelle with Pursuit or weaken it to the point of uselessness.

**Offensive Threats**: With whatever bulk investment it Gothitelle may use, hard-hitters break through Gothitelle's relatively low bulk it with ease. Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Salamence, offensive Ho-Oh, and just about any other offensive Pokemon will break through Gothitelle just by using STABsSTAB moves, so they cannot be trapped.

**Super-effective Super Effective Coverage**: Gothitelle is not a very bulky Pokemon, and just about any Ubers-viable viable Pokemon can break free using popular Dark- or Ghost-type moves (examples of moves).

**Shed Shell**: Pokemon that carry Shed Shell, notably including Blissey, Toxapex,(AC) and Skarmory, cannot be trapped by Gothitelle, making it useless when against them.

**Taunt**: Taunt completely shuts down Gothitelle, so Gothitelle it cannot trap Pokemon that carry Taunt (such as...?).

**Pivoting Moves**: Volt Switch and U-turn break through Goth’s Gothitelle's Shadow Tag, so it cannot trap Pokemon that carry these moves, most notably including Magearna and Mega Scizor. (you need an example of a Pokemon that uses U-turn so I put that one, but you can add more or replace it if you want)

**Phazing Moves**: Roar and Whirlwind allow Pokemon such as Lugia to break free from Gothitelle, so Gothitelle sets without Taunt cannot trap these Pokemon effectively. Dragon Tail will allow Pokemon such as Zygarde to break free regardless of Gothitelle’s set.
GP 1/2
Thanks for the check!

I implemented almost all edits. There were a very few specific parts where I understood the idea but didn't like the phrasing so I modified it a bit (biggest is that I did the un-hyping in the overview by going from "one of the most feared" to just "a feared", bc saying "a Pokemon teams should prepare for" is true of Palkia), and just like two specific edits where I didn't like it (saying "by its own right" makes it sound like a C mon, I don't like my phrase either though so I hope second GP suggests something), so if there's anything you don't like about the result please tell me and I'll change accordingly.
I'll mark the check tomorrow in case you don't want to check it without a change.

Edit: Actually regarding the "by itself" phrase (also asking second GP here), would "not very good as a standalone Pokemon" work?
 
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Fireflame

Silksong when
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Nixon73

Here are the discord logs in regards to the overview (which can be found on the ubers discord server):
[3:13 PM] Fireflame479: @QC i'm gp checking the goth analysis rn and the overview says "Overall, Gothitelle is not a very splashable Pokemon or a particularly good one by itself ". I'm removing this mention (because goth is A in viability rankings and is threatening by itself) unless this means something different, in which case i need to know in order to keep it, and the current wording is contradictory to the pros in the overview

[3:20 PM] Rafael: Fireflame479 goth isn't gonna be that high in the next update most probably. It can't be good alone just like how Ho-Oh isn't great alone. This doesn't change the fact that its good at what it does tho

[3:24 PM] Fireflame479: alright, the sentence has been fixed

[3:25 PM] Fireflame479: just wondering where goth will be projected in the next update because "among the most feared Pokemon in the USM metagame" as the overview suggests might not be accurate

[3:26 PM] Rafael: Lol

[3:26 PM] Rafael: no

[3:26 PM] Rafael: yeah that's over selling

[3:27 PM] Rafael: its good and viable tho
So make of this what you will in terms of how the overview should be worded.

I've asked multiple GPers about the last sentence in the overview. We all think that there is nothing wrong with "in its own right". We don't understand why saying "in its own right" would make goth seem like a C mon as opposed to saying "by itself", which apparently wouldn't (according to you), considering the fact that both sayings have the same meaning. The reason I wrote "in its own right" was that it made the idea of Gothitelle's usefulness in relation to the rest of its team more clear than saying "by itself" did. If you really want, saying "not very good as a standalone Pokemon" is fine (though "in its own right" is a lot more concise).

Hopefully this helped.
 

Nixon73

Scuttlebug Jamboree
Nixon73

Here are the discord logs in regards to the overview (which can be found on the ubers discord server):
[3:13 PM] Fireflame479: @QC i'm gp checking the goth analysis rn and the overview says "Overall, Gothitelle is not a very splashable Pokemon or a particularly good one by itself ". I'm removing this mention (because goth is A in viability rankings and is threatening by itself) unless this means something different, in which case i need to know in order to keep it, and the current wording is contradictory to the pros in the overview

[3:20 PM] Rafael: Fireflame479 goth isn't gonna be that high in the next update most probably. It can't be good alone just like how Ho-Oh isn't great alone. This doesn't change the fact that its good at what it does tho

[3:24 PM] Fireflame479: alright, the sentence has been fixed

[3:25 PM] Fireflame479: just wondering where goth will be projected in the next update because "among the most feared Pokemon in the USM metagame" as the overview suggests might not be accurate

[3:26 PM] Rafael: Lol

[3:26 PM] Rafael: no

[3:26 PM] Rafael: yeah that's over selling

[3:27 PM] Rafael: its good and viable tho
So make of this what you will in terms of how the overview should be worded.

I've asked multiple GPers about the last sentence in the overview. We all think that there is nothing wrong with "in its own right". We don't understand why saying "in its own right" would make goth seem like a C mon as opposed to saying "by itself", which apparently wouldn't (according to you), considering the fact that both sayings have the same meaning. The reason I wrote "in its own right" was that it made the idea of Gothitelle's usefulness in relation to the rest of its team more clear than saying "by itself" did. If you really want, saying "not very good as a standalone Pokemon" is fine (though "in its own right" is a lot more concise).

Hopefully this helped.
Sorry for being picky, and thanks for the help!
I'm implementing and adding your check, thanks again for the hard work!
 

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