Raikou

[Ashenlock]

Raikou #243​

HP: 90
Atk: 85
Def: 75
SpA: 115
SpD: 100
Spe: 115​

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[LEFT]Level-Up Moves
 
-- Bite
-- Leer
Lv8 Thundershock
Lv15 Roar
Lv22 Quick Attack
Lv29 Spark
Lv36 Reflect
Lv43 Crunch
Lv50 Thunder Fang
Lv57 Discharge
Lv64 Extrasensory
Lv71 Rain Dance
Lv78 Calm Mind
Lv85 Thunder
 
Machine Moves
 
TM04 Calm Mind
TM05 Roar
TM06 Toxic
TM10 Hidden Power
TM11 Sunny Day
TM15 Hyper Beam
TM16 Light Screen
TM17 Protect
TM18 Rain Dance
TM21 Frustration
TM24 Thunderbolt
TM25 Thunder
TM27 Return
TM28 Dig
TM30 Shadow Ball
TM32 Double Team
TM33 Reflect
TM37 Sandstorm
TM42 Facade
TM44 Rest
TM48 Round
TM57 Charge Beam
TM60 Quash
TM68 Giga Impact
TM70 Flash
TM72 Volt Switch
TM73 Thunder Wave
TM77 Psych Up
TM78 Bulldoze
TM87 Swagger
TM90 Substitute
TM93 Wild Charge
TM94 Rock Smash
TM95 Snarl
HM01 Cut
HM04 Strength
 
Gen IV Tutor Moves
 
(Pt/HG/SS) Iron Head
(Pt/HG/SS) Magnet Rise
(Pt/HG/SS) Mud-Slap
(Pt/HG/SS) Signal Beam
(Pt/HG/SS) Snore
(Pt/HG/SS) Swift
(HG/SS) Headbutt
 
Special Moves
 
Aura Sphere
ExtremeSpeed
Weather Ball
Zap Cannon
[/LEFT]

Raikou -> Double Battles​

->Weather<-​

Raikou @ Life Orb / Shuca Berry
RASH
+Pressure+
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Thunderbolt / Thunder
-Weather Ball / Aura Sphere
-Hidden Power [Ice] / Hidden Power [Grass]
-Protect​

Weather abusing Raikou. As probably the most well-treated of the Crown beasts, Raikou becomes a weather-team staple, able to supply the Electric-type move often otherwise lacking therein and a powerful, single-target move of the dominant weather's element. Weather Ball reaches 100 power after the move's inherent boost in weather*, then 150 if it's sun or rain that's the weather in play. This gives Raikou pretty ample coverage if it's one of those two; if you feel like you can keep the rain going most of the time (If that's your weather) Thunder is very powerful and useable. Aura Sphere is also an option in place of Weather Ball if that doesn't suffice on a given team, although if you're running rain, keep in mind a SE Aura Sphere will hit only as hard as a neutral Thunder without the paralysis chance, so its use generally lies in 4x Fighting-weak Pokemon. HP Ice and HP Grass are the famous options for Electric-type sweepers, and Raikou can run either one well. Ice offers better coverage, but Grass is 4x effective against Gastrodon, a foe every rain team must keep in its sights.​

Raikou's common Ground-type weakness and relatively low Def score means it stands to benefit from Shuca Berry, an option that should especially be considered if the Life Orb slot is already occupied. If you are using Raikou on a hail team, you might want to consider HP Fire as well, to cover the Steel-type resistance Abomasnow-centered teams usually encounter. ExtremeSpeed is also situationally viable, although Raikou appreciates its Protect, one reason being that it only resists one priority attack; ExtremeSpeed is better on other Pokemon.​

->Choice Scarf<-​

Raikou @ Choice Scarf
RASH
+Pressure+
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Thunderbolt
-Weather Ball
-Aura Sphere
-Hidden Power [Ice] / Hidden Power [Grass]​

The presence of ExtremeSpeed meant that Raikou didn't get a -Atk nature that it would have appreciated. Because of that, too, Raikou was stuck with a +SpA nature rather than +Spe. However, Raikou can take advantage of its not-optimal-speed with the Choice Scarf, owing to a wide enough variety of attacks to use it well.​

HP Ice and HP Grass again present a dilemma, but Ice is preferred here because one of speedy Raikou's purposes is to hit 4x Ice-weak Pokemon that may have gone with a neutral Spe nature and a Choice Scarf as well, whereas Grass is more of a niche-filler that won't serve Raikou too well after it's KO'd its enemy Water/Ground-type.​

->non-Event Standard<-



Raikou @ Life Orb / Shuca Berry
TIMID
+Pressure+
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Thunderbolt / Thunder (with rain support)
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder Wave / Reflect / Light Screen
- Protect

This is the standard Raikou for those who either don't have the event or want the full Spe available. STAB Thunderbolt and HP Ice have historically given great coverage and had great results, especially for Raikou. Unfortunately Raikou can't get perfect coverage without Crown-exlusive moves, but that gap leaves room for a much-appreciated Protect and the option of a support move of choice. 115 base Spe means Raikou sets up screens extremely quickly, and Thunder Wave, of course, supplies the debuff we all know so well.

 

[muffinhead]

Landorus and Garchomp both outspeed Raikou and do serious damage with EQ, so Shuca Berry is definitely a viable option. Aura Sphere is superior to Weather Ball on all counts. Aura Sphere does more damage to Tyranitar, hp ice hits flying things in the sand harder, and if raikou is being used in the rain, then raikou's teammate will most likely carry a stronger water attack:3

 

[polop]

I think volt switch deserves some merit, it lets you get your weather back up immediately, vs waiting for two turns in doubles and that can be huge. It has some scouting potential as well but thats not nearly as big as the 1 turn re-drizzle.

 

[cosmicexplorer]

The thing with Volt Switch is that its BP is so annoyingly low that it's only really useful for switching out. And in that case, it's better to just switch, since with Raikou's high Speed Volt Switch will almost always go first.

Also, there should definitely be a mention of a set that doesn't use event moves, since Raikou's biggest checks, Landorus and Garchomp, easily (well, if they don't hold a Yache Berry) go down to a Hidden Power Ice, and with a Timid nature, Raikou can outspeed and take them out.

 

[Ashenlock]

That's true, and I find myself seldom using it on my Raikou (that's not the reason I didn't include it though; I just forgot about it) but it is useful in the sense that Politoed, for instance, can switch out and be switched right back in with Raikou's Volt Switch. Whether or not that merits a spot on everyone's team with Raikou, I don't know, but it does merit a mention.

If you'll give me a good non-event Raikou moveset I'll happily amend the OP with it and with Volt Switch.

EDIT: I never posted the footnote that was supposed to be attached to that asterisk, so I'll just ask it here: I'm not 100% sure if Weather Ball works that way now, or if it ever did. I always assumed it did, but I may be wrong. If I am, don't hesistate one second to tell me.

 

[cosmicexplorer]

Raikou @ Life Orb / Shuca Berry
Timid, 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Thunderbolt / Thunder (with rain support)
- Hidden Power Ice
- Thunder Wave / Reflect / Light Screen
- Protect

Raikou outspeeds about everything with its 115 base Speed, and this set takes advantage of that to check faster opponents such as Garchomp and Thundurus.

 

[Ashenlock]

Is what I added in satisfactory? I haven't used non-Crown Raikou (that is what it's called, isn't it?) so I can't give examples of things it does well. Anything you write I'll include, though.

 

[cosmicexplorer]

No that's basically it. It's a pretty generic special attacker, but Raikou's excellent Speed with Timid (outsmarting Thundurus, which gives it an edge over the genie) and access to screen(s) gives it a nice niche. Looking it over again, though, any (Timid) set with Thunder Wave is pretty much outclassed by Thundurus due to Prankster, so screens (one of which cam go over Protect if necessary) and outspeeding Thundurus and Tornadus instead of speed tying would be the reasons to use it over Thundurus.