Pok�mon of the Week

Virizion, The Grassland Pok�mon. This Pok�mon fought humans in order to protect its friends. Legends about it continue to be passed down. Its head sprouts horns as sharp as blades. Using whirlwind-like movements, it confounds and swiftly cuts opponents.

Virizion is... odd. It has great speed and amazing Special Defense paired with average offenses. It isn't particularly great offensively nor is it a good Special wall (it lacks Recover). What makes it so good is its typing alongside a nearly perfect movepool for what it needs to do. It can switch in on so many common standard threats like Rotom Wash, Blissey, Magnezone, and Jolteon as well as taking down entire Sand and Rain teams almost on its own. Better yet Virizion's common sets are countered by completely different things. It can hit nearly every Pokemon hard while sporting great defensive typing and stats.

Justified: Boosts Attack when hit by a Dark type move. Pretty awesome as Virizion resists Dark. Sadly most Dark moves used in standard are Physical STAB Crunches which can potentially take 30% or more off Virizion due to its weak defense. Don't worry though, Justified is still far more useful than something like Keen Eye or... Slow Start

- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge / Hidden Power Ice
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

Swords Dance Virizion is not as offensively monstrous as Terrakion, or hopelessly hard to counter as Lucario but it does do a fantastic job of slaughtering Rain and Sandstorm teams. The goal is pretty obvious... use Swords Dance, then bring the opponents to their knees. Unlike most other Swords Dancing fighting types Virizion has a great deal of Special Bulk and typing that allows it to repeatedly switch in on water, grass, ground, rock and dark types without much fear. Rain teams in particular have trouble with Virizion as their main ways of countering it such as Dragonite and Tornadus can be worn down with Stealth Rock. It also has a good shot of cleanly 6-0ing most Rain stall with some Stealth Rock support. Virizion also handles Sandstorm teams fairly well, though it is far less effective at surviving Sand Force boosted Earthquakes and Stone Edges than it is taking Surfs. Swords Dance is a staple on the set, boosting your attack to incredible levels. Leaf Blade gives you a reliable sweeping option to slice into Politoed, Tentacruel, and Jellicent while Close Combat bashes through bulky Steels like Scizor in one shot. Stone Edge can be used to OHKO Dragonite after Stealth Rocks while HP Ice 2HKOs Dragonite as well as Gliscor (even with a Jolly nature).

- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

You might think to yourself "Swords Dance is great, but it doesn't last too long". If so, try the Calm Mind set. While less likely to run a team into the ground like a Swords Dancer this set is exceptional at ravaging Rain teams. Calm Mind against a Politoed or Tyranitar and sweep. Giga Drain isn't particularly strong but it can recover lost HP and decimates Jellicent. Focus Blast has 120 base power and STAB, but the accuracy sucks. Only use it when you NEED a KO (like against Ferrothorn). Hidden Power Ice is to get the OHKO on Gliscor and Dragonite (with Stealth Rocks for the Dragon) while doing some solid damage to Latios and Latias.

- Work Up
- Giga Drain
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 104 Atk / 152 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)

Ok so maybe you like the healing Giga Drain brings but don't like Focus Blast's terrible accuracy and inability to really do much to Blissey? Try Work Up. Work Up boosts both Attack and Special Attack by one stage giving Virizion impressive mixed offenses. After a boost Giga Drain should walk right over the greater whole of Sandstorm and Rain teams. Close Combat punches a hole through Chansey, Blissey, Tyranitar and Ferrothorn without giving them a chance to touch you. Hidden Power Ice of course prevents most Dragons and Gliscor from ruining your day. EVs guarantee a Close Combat OHKO on Scizor after two hits of Stealth Rocks, or a single hit from 3 layers of Spikes. The rest goes in Special Attack to give Giga Drain and HP Ice some power. While this set has great sweeping potential it sacrifices Virizion's immense bulk a bit.

- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Taunt
- Close Combat / Giga Drain
Item Attached: Light Clay
Ability: Justified
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) / Timid (+Spd, -Atk)

One thing people often forget is that Virizion gets dual screens. In most cases using something like Espeon or Latios is more beneficial as they are faster and can prevent entry hazards / use memento respectively. However Virizion has an advantage in that it doesn't have trouble with Tyranitar, and it can handle "Volt turn" very well. Virizion also gets Taunt preventing something like Luario from just Swords Dancing repeatedly in your face. Dual screen Virizion also has surprise factor - your opponent will almost certainly expect a more common offensive set and try to work around it offensively, switching immediately to a "counter". Instead you can safely use Reflect / Light Screen and switch out, maintaining enough HP to possibly set up screens again later in the game. The only real choice you must make with this set is the attacking move. Close Combat has reasonable power but Giga Drain can chase off Jellicent.

Virizion
Offensive sets want max speed and max whichever attack stat you're focusing on. Mixed set uses 104 Attack to handle Scizor a bit better with the rest dumped into Special Attack. You max just max Attack on the mixed Work Up set to have a high chance of OHKOing Scizor after Stealth Rocks. The Dual Screen set just wants max Speed and HP to get Dual Screens set up, then switch out.

Synthesis, Roar, Sacred Sword and... Zen Headbutt? Yeah, that's about it.
If you want Virizion to last Synthesis can work to give it semi usable healing. It also makes Virizion have some sort of use against Sun teams besides just being death fodder. It sucks in Sand and Rain though, an beating them is the main reason to use Virizion.
A Specially Defensive tank set with Roar could almost work. Too bad Virizion doesn't get Leech Seed, otherwise this would be completely viable.
Sacred Sword is an option for a reliable damage dealer on the Swords Dance set. It isn't used much because Virizion already has Leaf Blade to do reliable damage and the power behind Close Combat is really useful to strike Scizor and Skarmory with.
Though mostly useless Zen Headbutt is worth a mention as Virizion's best option for breaking Toxicroak who otherwise resists... everything. Zen Headbutt is completely useless otherwise though.

- Protect
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Justifed
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

I'm sorry, I ended up giving up and making a cell phone reference after all. You can only make so many deer puns before you want to vomit. Or maybe that's the hangover? Who knows! Anyhow Virizion does pretty nicely in Doubles / Triples. While it does not learn Rock Slide sadly it can still hold its own against Rain and Sand teams as it does in Singles. It has great typing to shrug off many common moves like Earthquake, Rock Slide, Discharge and Surf. It also has the Special Defense to usually survive at least one Heat Wave or Blizzard meaning it won't be completely useless against Sun and Hail. Protect is almost required for Doubles. Leaf Blade crushes Rain and Sand teams while Close Combat demolishes Heatran, Excadrill and Tyranitar in one shot. Stone Edge is usable in the last slot to take out Chandelure who otherwise would have little trouble dispatching the green fighter.

While Virizion does well at beating Rain, it also enjoys it. Rain weakens the power of Fire moves letting ti sponge even Fire Blasts comfortably. Politoed brings eternal Rain through Drizzle while also taking on Ice moves a lot better than Virizion. Magnezone has great type synergy with Virizion barring a shared Fire weakness and it can trap and beat steels that Virizion can't get around easily. Pokemon such as Scizor, Skarmory, Metagross, and Jirachi. Virizion has some trouble with Psychics like Reuniclus, Latios and Latias so a Specially Defensive Jirachi or Tyranitar can both work to eliminate them.

Latios, Latias and Reuniclus can all switch in on Virizion fairly easily and OHKO it with Psyshock. Scizor dies instantly to a +2 Close Combat and does not like Focus Blasts but can scare it off with the threat of Bullet Punch. Dragonite takes everything, even boosted Stone Edges and HP Ice as long as Multiscale is intact. Tornadus can outrun and OHKO Virizion with Hurricane. Alakazam can OHKO Virizion with Psychic, though it can not switch in very easily. Celebi can survive any boosted hit and KO back with Psychic, or Paralyze Virizion. Using a Sun team with Drought Ninetales is usually enough to bring Virizion to its knees. Sun beats Virizion so badly that it is effectively dead weight against them. Volcarona in particular resists every move Virizion carries except Stone Edge and destroys it with STAB Fire moves. Jirachi survives everything except a +2 Close Combat and can para-flinch Virizion back into its Poke-ball. Gengar can sort of switch in on Virizion's STAB moves but won't break the Calm Mind set nor will it take a +2 Stone Edge or even Leaf Blade well. While Mamoswine has no chance of surviving a STAB move it can KO Virizion with Ice Shard.

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game.

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game.

Colosseum/XD:
Not in game

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game.

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game.

Black/White:
Pinwheel Forest

Black 2/White 2:
Route 11