Pokémon Analysis 20 – Tapu Lele!

Well, as we promised a Tapu Lele giveaway over on Facebook, we may as well give you a few sets to choose from! So here we go, our second Guardian analysis will focus on VGC 17’s premium Psychic type!

*Feature art was created by Deviant Art’s LoganCure*

A quick look at Lele’s stats shows that it’s not a fairy to be taken lightly; 70/75/115 bulk is definitely something we can work with, as is the 95 base speed and her monstrous Special Attack. In fact, the only drawback to Tapu Lele is her physical defence, but this can be worked around through Intimidate & Will-O-Wisp support.

As with Tapu Koko, Lele’s ability summons a Terrain befitting of her typing – Psychic Terrain – which powers up Psychic type attacks in addition to blocking any targetting moves with increased priority.

This late into the VGC 17 meta, chances are you’ve already toyed with Tapu Lele; after all, why wouldn’t you? But in case you’re searching for a few additional spreads and partners, carry on reading!

Set One: ChaoticEspeon @ Birmingham Regionals – Lele!

Tapu Lele @ Psychium Z/Life Orb
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 60 HP / 252 SpA / 196 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
– Taunt
– Protect
– Psychic
– Moonblast

Well, as the title suggests, this was the Tapu Lele I used at Birmingham Regionals (yes, team report is coming soon, I’ll put a link here once it is!) and the spread is exceedingly simple. 196 speed investment ensures we creep max speed Smeargle by a single point, meaning we can get off a Taunt before it tries to Spore. 252 Special Attack maximises our damage output, especially useful if you opt for the Z Crystal set as the drop off in power from not using a Life Orb can be very noticeable. The bulk allows us to survive non Life Orb Pheromosa Poison Jab most of the time, just beware of the Life Orb or Acid Downpour sets.

Similarly to the EVs, our attack choices are very straight forward. Taunt blocks any Spores from Smeargle, Trick Rooms from Porygon2 and other non Mental Herb setters or  other passive set up moves. Psychic is the ridiculously powerful STAB, Terrain and Z boosted attack of choice whilst Moonblast rounds off the set nicely, hitting opposing Lele and Garchomp for big damage.

With a Z move, Tapu Lele packs a punch!

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Shattered Psyche (175 BP) vs. 244 HP / 164+ SpD Arcanine in Psychic Terrain: 222-262 (113.2 – 133.6%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Shattered Psyche (175 BP) vs. 244 HP / 88 SpD Gastrodon in Psychic Terrain: 262-310 (120.7 – 142.8%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Shattered Psyche (175 BP) vs. 68 HP / 0 SpD Snorlax in Psychic Terrain: 229-270 (93.8 – 110.6%) — 62.5% chance to OHKO

Whilst a standard terrain Boosted Psychic still hits like a truck:

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Psychic vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Arcanine in Psychic Terrain: 153-181 (92.1 – 109%) — 56.3% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Psychic vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Koko in Psychic Terrain: 160-190 (109.5 – 130.1%) — guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Psychic vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego in Psychic Terrain: 204-242 (110.2 – 130.8%) — guaranteed OHKO

And Moonblast is going to Knock Out Garchomp which are trained to survive an Ice Beam from Porygon2, even without a boosting item:

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 60 HP / 36 SpD Garchomp: 198-234 (103.6 – 122.5%) — guaranteed OHKO 

Of course, you can give this Lele a Life Orb if you feel the Z move is unnecessary and would prefer some consistently extra damage output. An issue I sometimes have with Tapu Lele is, despite a respectable 95 base Speed, it can feel pedestrian at times; during Europe’s IC I gave my Lele a Choice Scarf to combat this issue, and you can too!

Set 2: Fashionably Lele!

Tapu Lele @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 92 HP / 28 Def / 220 SpA / 4 SpD / 164 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
– Psychic
– Moonblast
– Energy Ball/Hidden Power [Fire]
– Dazzling Gleam/Thunderbolt

This is the spread I used at London’s International Championship; granted, this took place ridiculously early in the season (Perhaps we’ll rant about this another time…) but the spread is still – miraculously – relevant today.

As seen above, Psychic and Moonblast still hit ridiculously hard even with the absence of Choice Specs or Life Orb; the rest of the moves come down to the coverage your team needs, having an attack to knock out Gastrodon, Kartana and the increasingly popular Gyarados is extremely handy, whilst Dazzling Gleam deals… well… some damage to both opposing Pokémon.

220+ SpA Tapu Lele Energy Ball vs. 244 HP / 88 SpD Gastrodon: 236-280 (108.7 – 129%) — guaranteed OHKO

220+ SpA Tapu Lele Hidden Power Fire vs. 84 HP / 164 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 164-196 (113.1 – 135.1%) — guaranteed OHKO 

The Speed investment allows us to outspeed Pheromosa with a neutral speed nature; if you’re concerned about max speed Pheromosa simply take 8 EVs out of HP, add them to Speed and change natures from Modest to Timid. Just beware of a slight drop off in power.

In terms of defensive investment, 92/28 ensures that Gigalith’s Rock Slide is a 3HKO and Pheromosa’s Poison Jab isn’t a OHKO.

252+ Atk Gigalith Rock Slide vs. 92 HP / 28 Def Tapu Lele: 66-78 (42 – 49.6%) — 17.2% chance to 2HKO after sandstorm damage

252+ Atk Pheromosa Poison Jab vs. 92 HP / 28 Def Tapu Lele: 126-150 (80.2 – 95.5%) — guaranteed 2HKO 

The first two spreads have been a little too sensible for a ChaoticEspeon analysis, so I guess it’s time for something a little… different…

Set 3: The Bulky Berry Bae!

Tapu Lele @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 220 Def / 4 SpA / 36 SpD / 4 Spe
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
– Protect
– Psychic/Psyshock
– Moonblast
– Calm Mind

This Lele is built to sit comfortably next to its most common partner (see below). She sponges attacks, sets up with Calm Mind, eats her berry and tears through opposing teams. This spread was inspired by Necrocat – one of the UK’s finest players – after he stomped me using a bulky Lele on the Showdown ladder.

The first thing you may notice is the lack of speed – this allows us to underspeed Tapu Fini (and Tapu Bulu with 76 or higher Speed Investment) ensuring that Psychic Terrain will always be set last, we’ll also still be quick enough to outspeed +Atk Pheromosa under Tailwind which is always handy!

Our heavily 244/220 invested Physical defence gives us a very high chance to survive Kartana’s Smart Strike (guaranteed if Intimidated or invested any less than 212 in Attack) Turns Garchomp’s Earthquake into a 3HKO and is guaranteed to both survive, and have her Pinch Berry, activated by Life Orbed Pheromosa’s Poison Jab:

252 Atk Kartana Smart Strike vs. 244 HP / 220 Def Tapu Lele: 152-180 (86.3 – 102.2%) — 12.5% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 244 HP / 220 Def Tapu Lele: 63-75 (35.7 – 42.6%) — guaranteed 3HKO

252 Atk Garchomp Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 244 HP / 220 Def Tapu Lele: 151-178 (85.7 – 101.1%) — 6.3% chance to OHKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Pheromosa Poison Jab vs. 244 HP / 220 Def Tapu Lele: 133-159 (75.5 – 90.3%) — guaranteed 2HKO

The rest of the EVs aren’t designed for anything specific; the 36 SpDef gives us a chance to unexpectedly survive a couple of powerful Special Attacks:

252 SpA Tapu Koko Gigavolt Havoc (175 BP) vs. 244 HP / 36 SpD Tapu Lele in Electric Terrain: 156-184 (88.6 – 104.5%) — 31.3% chance to OHKO

252 SpA Nihilego Sludge Bomb vs. 244 HP / 36 SpD Tapu Lele: 132-156 (75 – 88.6%) — guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Golduck Hydro Vortex (185 BP) vs. 244 HP / 36 SpD Tapu Lele in Rain: 165-195 (93.7 – 110.7%) — 62.5% chance to OHKO

You may be somewhat concerned by the Lack of SpAtk investment, but keep in mind that with maximum investment Tapu Lele hits a SpAtk stat of 200, with just a single Calm Mind boost, this Tapu Lele reaches 249 – so essentially this Tapu Lele is more powerful than the previous two and much, much more bulky. Not bad eh?

Now, slightly earlier I mentioned that Lele has a typical partner in crime. Quite often you’ll see her alongside Pheromosa, however – as we’ve already previously covered this Ultra Beast in a previous analysis – we’ll be instead focusing on the partner which has helped Lele crown numerous players with tournament glory.

Introducing Drifblim!

Shoma shocked most viewers when he swept through the GEICO Invitational with a combination which has now dominated the pre worlds VGC meta. The idea behind the duo is simple; Drifblim consumes its Psychic Seed which raises its Special Defence whilst, thanks to the unburden ability, doubling the balloon’s speed. Drifblim is then free to set up Tailwind, do some quick damage with Shadow Ball, Cripple physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp and support the team with a fourth coverage move.

As this article focuses mainly on Tapu Lele, I won’t go into too much detail – the above summary is more than sufficient – but I’ll give you a couple of spreads to test out:

Set 1: A Balloon fit for a World Champion

Drifblim @ Psychic Seed
Ability: Unburden
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 132 Def / 204 SpA / 4 SpD / 164 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
– Will-O-Wisp
– Shadow Ball
– Tailwind
– Rain Dance

*Slows down Lilligant/Torkoal with Rain Dance
*2HKOs my bulky Tapu Lele
*Survives Rock Slide from Gigalith

Set 2: ChaoticEspeon’s Balloon!

Drifblim @ Psychic Seed
Ability: Unburden
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 12 Def / 140 SpA / 148 SpD / 204 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
– Tailwind
– Sunny Day
– Will-O-Wisp
– Shadow Ball

*Outspeeds Modest Golduck (in the Rain) by one point
*Survives Timid Golduck Hydro Vortex
*Sunny Day helps defeat Rain modes
*2HKO’s my Bulky Lele

Set 3: Invidious and Grey Foxes Balloon!

Drifblim @ Psychic Seed
Ability: Unburden
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 124 Def / 76 SpA / 44 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
– Shadow Ball
– Tailwind
– Sunny Day
– Disable

*Guaranteed to outspeed the vast majority of opposing Drifblim
*Outspeeds Modest Golduck in Rain
*Disrupts opponents with Disable
*Garchomp Rock Slide 3HKO

And there we go! Another Tapu down! If you’re interested in trying out a Lele/Drifblim on your team, keep an eye on our Facebook page… there may well be a Giveaway incoming!