Gojira!
A Study of Godzilla-Like Pokémon
by Alltheginjoints
by Alltheginjoints
I've been a fan of the Godzilla franchise since I bought a copy of the original 1954 movie from a garage sale for two dollars when I was 4. I loved that movie. I loved all of them. And with Godzilla (Edwards 2014) stomping into theaters today, we at SplashAttack want to take a quick look at which Pokémon look or act like Godzilla and how to use them in battle. I want to look at quite a few of them so let's not waste any time!
Groudon
Base Stats
HP: 100
Attack: 150
Defense: 140
Special Attack: 100
Special Def: 90
Speed: 90
Without a doubt, the Pokémon most like the King of the Monsters is Groudon. Standing 3.5 meters (11'6”) tall and weighing 950 kilos (more than 2000 lbs) Groudon is one of the most impressive Pokémon ever created. As the first, and most reliable, Pokémon with Drought in the game, Groudon is scary when used as a utility team-player and downright terrifying when used as a sweeper. Those are generally the two best ways to use Groudon, so let's take a quick look at them both.
Utility King
Groudon
Hold item: Leftovers
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 Attack
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Dragon Tail/Roar
Thunder Wave
Groudon is one of the most reliable Stealth Rock setters in the game thanks to its nearly unparalleled physical bulk and ability to hit hard without investment. Once Stealth Rock is set up you can spread paralysis, which can help slower Pokémon such as Palkia prepare for a sweep, or utilize the rocks to rack up residual damage by shuffling around opponents with Dragon Tail or Roar. The choice between Roar and Dragon Tail is not one to take lightly. Dragon Tail lands additional damage on your opponent on the switch-out but will fail if they carry the move Substitute, or if Xerneas rears its ugly, horned head. Roar, on the other hand, does not deal damage, but will phase through Substitutes and Protect. Roar can also be Taunted. The choice is yours. And, of course, Earthquake is a high powered, reliable STAB move that hits like a truck off of Groudon's 150 base Attack. Although, usually an inferior option, Stone Edge is another option to take care of Ho-Oh.
Sweeper-don
Groudon
Hold Item: Life orb
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Rock Polish
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Swords Dance/Overheat
The only thing that actually holds Groudon back as a sweeper is his 90 base Speed, which is no lower than many others in the Ubers tier (i.e. Dialga, Ho-Oh, Kyogre) but unfortunately is no faster either. This is patched up nicely with Rock Polish, giving Groudon a +2 boost to its Speed in one turn. Once boosted, the Continent Pokémon is free to start a sweep. Earthquake is there as Groudon's best STAB move. Stone Edge completes the EdgeQuake combo for nearly unresisted coverage on the whole tier. For the last spot, it really depends on the needs of your team. Overheat utilizes Groudon's unremarkable (but usable) 100 base Special Attack and Dought support to destroy any Grass or Steel type that would otherwise stand in Groudon's way (I'm looking at you, Ferrothorn and Skarmory). Alternately, you can attempt a Double Dancing set with Swords Dance. With +2 in both Attack and Speed, there is little to stop Groudon from going on a Tokyo-destroying rampage.
Tyranitar
I've already written an article about Mega-Tyranitar, but I can't ignore the tyrant king when writing an article that's Godzilla-related. So, here's another set, completely free. While the other set was a bulky mixed-attacking Mega set, this one’s a normal Tyranitar set that capitalizes on Tyranitar's most undervalued stat - its Special Defense. What a lot of people don't realize is that Tyranitar has the capability to be the bulkiest special wall in the game, and can take down top threats to boot. Let's take a look:
The Tyrant King of the Monsters
Tyranitar
Hold Item: Assault Vest
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Sp. Defense, 4 Defense
Stone Edge
Crunch/Pursuit
Ice Beam/Thunderbolt
Earthquake/Superpower/Iron Head
The moveset is nothing special. Just the usual Tyranitar fare. Stone Edge is a high-powered STAB meant for taking down Mega Charizard-Y, and while this set does not invest in Defense, it can be used to defeat Talonflame if necessary. Crunch and Pursuit are for taking on Latios, Latias, and Espeon. Ice Beam is to take down the usual Tyranitar switch-ins, although Thunderbolt is for Skarmory if you have expect a lot of that one. It can also be used to defeat Greninja, although Stone Edge will tear through its poor defenses regardless. And the last move, as usual, depends on what you want to take down. Earthquake is for Heatran, Superpower for expected Bisharp switch-ins, and Iron Head for any Fairy that decides to cross your path.
Aggron
Base Stats
HP: 70
Attack: 110
Defense: 180
Special Attack: 60
Special Defense: 60
Speed: 50
Oh man. Aggron is a personal favorite of mine. Probably my favorite Pokémon to come out of the third generation, I am absolutely in love with this steel-clad dinosaur. While not the best Pokémon in the world, there are several fun ways to play this Pokémon, but I want to focus on one in particular - making full use of Aggron's STAB, no recoil, Head Smash.
Choice Set
Aggron
Hold Item: Choice Band/Choice Scarf
Nature: Jolly, Adamant
EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Head Smash
Heavy Slam
Earthquake
Fire Punch/Ice Punch
I am going to be perfectly frank about this - there may be four moves listed, but there is only one that matters. Head Smash is the only reason to use this set. A STAB Head Smash will lay waste to anything that does not resist it. If you get a good switch in, you can go to town, and smash almost anything into smithereens. For this exact reason, I prefer to use Choice Band, but if Aggron's 50 base Speed leaves you too vulnerable, switch to Jolly nature and go Choice Scarf. The other moves are for coverage, but where’s the fun in that?
Anyway, I hope you enjoy using any of these Pokémon, and enjoy the new Godzilla film as much as I did!
Signing off for now,
- Alltheginjoints
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