Pheromosa, The Lissome Pokémon. One of the dangerous Ultra Beasts, it has been spotted running across the land at terrific speeds. One of the Ultra Beasts. It refuses to touch anything, perhaps because it senses some uncleanness in this world.
Overview
Pheromosa was the latest Ultra Beast to be banned away from certain tierlists' OU with its truly impressive offensive stats, allowing it to decimate most offensive teams which are common place in OU. These stats boosted with its solid coverage really pushing over the edge allowing it to 2 hit most threats in tier. With it moving to Ubers it functions very similar, checking boosting sweepers and scarfed users with its high speed such as Mega Salamence. However its not as dominating as it was in OU as it now has competition with Deoxis Attack who's stats are a little better and has a better stab overall.
Positives
+It's offensive stats are really strong at 137/137/151 allowing it to run mixed, physical, or special and is one of the best users of a Life Orb.
+Pheromosa has just enough coverage to be a major threat packing strong coverage moves such as Ice Beam, Poison Jab, and Bounce.
+Access to niche moves like Quiver Dance and Roost can allow it to be cheeky and boost its Special Attack and sweep that way.
+Pheromosa is the fastest user of Rapid Spin allowing it to act as an anti lead to Excadrill
Negatives
-Its defensive stats fall behind that of paper 71/37/37 meaning it will be one hit by almost anything. As such Pheromosa struggles with priority moves, only resisting Mach Punch.
-While its got nice typing for OU, somewhat, Bug/Fighting is not that great in Ubers with powerhouse Fairies and Ghosts such as Giratina and Xerneas
-Pheromosa is overall a one trick pony overall not needing much from the team but not being critical in most as well due to its high speed U-turns meaning soft threats can't be brought in leaving beefy tanks, though those are some of the most threatening things in Ubers
Abilities
Beast Boost - When this Pokemon KOs an enemy Pokemon raise it's highest stat by one stage - Exclusive to Ultra Beasts this is one of the best offensive abilities in the game as will raise your highest stat allowing you to snowball. It's very important tho to make sure your highest stat is the one you want to boost, Pheromosa will always have higher speed unless you run an positive attack nature like Modest or Adamant.
Movesets
Dance, Dance Revolution
-Quiver Dance
-Bug Buzz/Roost/U-turn
-Focus Blast
-Ice Beam
Item Attached: Life Orb/Fightium Z/Buginium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk/4Sp Def/252 Spd
Modest Nature
Despite its low defensive stats Pheromosa can easily pressure threats out with its offensive presence, allowing it to boost with Quiver Dance. At +1 special attack and a Life Orb not much wants to take a hit. Modest nature is very important as it places your special attack at 410, 9 higher than your speed so when you KO something Beast Boost will raise your special attack so you can keep snowballing. Your primary stab move is a choice off Focus Blast or Bug Buzz, 1 has more reliable hit chance but the other is 30 more base power. Ice Beam is a must have as threats like Rayquaza and Mega Salamence resist both stabs so being able to one hit them is really nice. This will also be the only way of dealing with Xerneas and Mega Gengar. Roost is a nice option to consider but is hard to pull off due to your frail nature so U-turn can be nice to maintain pressure and make plays such as U-turning into Mega Gengar off a Xerneas. Main item is a Life Orb cause that power is so nice but Z crystals are nice. Buginium Z can boost both Quiver Dances effect or Bug Buzz’s power while Fightinium Z guaranties a hit and nuke.
Partners
With how frail Pheromosa is it likes slow U-turns or Volt Switch users to get it in. As such Mega Scizor is pretty nice especially since it can pressure out Xerneas easily with its Bullet Punch and scare Mega Gengar. Sharing a lot of similar counters Rayquaza is nice as it scares most things in tier bar Primal Groudon and can still chip away at it. Kyurem White falls in as well with its wall breaking ability, especially special walls. Lastly with U-turn Mega Gengar is nice as it can trap counters, it just needs to live.This is a late game build so anything that can wear things down is really nice.
Counters and Checks
This will be a recurring threat, Xerneas. Xerneas resist both stabs and only fears Poison Jab while it can boost with Geomancy and sweep your team. Primal Groudon is annoying as it's so tanky and no longer pure ground so it can't be one hit easily, very similar to Primal Kyogre. Now we are drifting into checks, Thundurus literally screws this set with Prankster Thunder Wave. It will probably die in exchange but if you get unlucky it will OHKO the next turn. Priority users in general are a major threat but bulky ones like Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross are the main ones while Arceus and Rayquaza are close behind with Extreme Speed.
Bugging You
-U-turn
-Low Kick/High Jump Kick
-Ice Beam
-Poison Jab/Rapid Spin
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk/4SpAtk/252 Spd
Naughty/Naive Nature
This is the standard set you see. U-turn is your primary stab and acts as a scout, really chipping away at threats and being a pain and safe move option. Low Kick is the preferred secondary stab move with the high weight of most Uber tier pokemon while High Jump Kick is a more all in style but makes using a fighting move very high risk when there's a ghost on the opposing team. Ice Beam is mandatory, even with the build being physical it just does to much to forgo. Lastly Poison Jab takes the final moveslot to mess with fairies while Rapid Spin allows it to act as an anti lead into rock users. Naughty is the preferred nature to make use of Beast Boost to the fullest but of you need the speed go Naive. Z Crystals can be used to bait threats, especially the Poisonium Z allowing it to wall break major threats in exchange for raw power.
Partners
Pheromosa mostly wears down threats rather than flat out bust them like Kyurem White, as such powerhouse sweepers like having one on the team. Pokemon that like having Xerneas, Giratina, and to lesser extent Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon worn out enjoy Pheromosa such as Flame Charge Ho-Oh, Rayquaza, Primal Kyogre, and Primal Groudon.
Counters and Checks
Ho-Oh flat out destroys this set, laughing at Ice Beam, the best option to use on it and can Flame Charge to sweep or just KO Pheromosa with little fear. Primal Groudon again is big here, liking Ice Beam less than Ho-Oh but is more threatening with its huge attack and flexing potential. Thundurus is again a headache with priority Thunder Wave and priority users destroy Pheromosa. Lugia can wall out this set hard as like Ho-Oh Ice Beam is laughable but can't kill it fast. Lastly Mega Metagross can do a number in general with it's high physical defense, though Low Kick really hurts it.
Why am I part fighting?
-Poison Jab
-U-turn
-High Jump Kick
-Ice Beam
Item Attached: Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk/4Sp Atk/252 Spd
Naughty Nature
With a Choice Band Pheromosa becomes really obnoxious as it helps poke out threats with it's constituent U-turns, one of the main things Pheromosa does and it's main edge over Deoxys Attack. Once ghost rypesbhave been removed High Jump Kick will be your main stab hitting extremely hard and allowing Pheromosa to snowball with Beast Boost. Poison Jab is added for coverage and will really chunk Xerneas making it easier to break through and sweep with it or someone else on the team. Again Ice Beam is mandatory for coverage on to dragons and allows it to pressure out threats. Naughty is the ideal nature as more attack is really nice but Naive is an option as the Choice Band makes sure Beast Boost raises attack.
Partners
This set acts more as a wall breaker that can snowball so physical sweepers enjoy having it around. Rayquaza is one of the first that comes to mind as well as Mega Salamence. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon both like Pheromosa but not as much as the prior sweepers. Lastly Pheromosa really enjoys hazard control as it will be spamming U-turn so Excadrill or Giratina are nice.
Counters and Checks
Ho-Oh is huge here again resisting both stand, quad on U-turn, and sets up on it. Xerneas can check this set but Choice Band Poison Jab really hurts it. Giratina however shuts this down really hard as, like Ho-Oh resists both stabs and threats a burn with Will-O-Wisp. Primal Groudon can check but can be warn down with repeated High Jump Kicks. Finally priority users again shut this down hard so be wary of that.
Other Options
Bug Buzz - A nice stab option on a more special focused build, it overall falls a little short on most builds due to it having less utility than U-turn and overall bug being a mediocre stab typing, especially in Ubers.
Hidden Power - A nice coverage option for most pokemon, Pheromosa doesn't really benefit a lot from it. Poison is an option for a Choice Speced set but Poison Jab is overall a better option.
Focus Sash - A nice idea for more durability against priority but you need good hazard control and the lose of the Life Orb damage on U-turn hurts a lot.
Team Building and Matchups
Pheromosa is a high offensive pressure Pokemon so it excels on purely offensive teams, namely Hyper Offensive where it's constant use of U-turn really helps maintain the offensive pressure that Hyper Offensive. General Offensive also really like Pheromosa but it has to compete more with Deoxys Attack who can pressure more threats with better coverage and mostly priority. It's very important to consider which of these high pressure glass cannons your team needs more, the raw power and revenge killing ability of Deoxys Attack or the more utility with the chance to snowball nature of Pheromosa. Other important notes is that Pheromosa can deal with Calm Mind Arceus and support Arceus a bit easier than Deoxys Attack.
Match up wise Pheromosa really struggles into stall and defensive teams as it lacks the raw power to break walls and it needs to KO something to trigger Beast Boost. Also most tanks in the Ubers meta shut down Pheromosa anyway (Giratina, Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, and Arceus). Most bulky attackers also fall into this area of checking Pheromosa but can't do it as effectively as others such as Kyurem White, Lunala, and Solgaleo.
VGC, Double, & Triple Battle Options
Pheromosa may not be the most used Pokemon in VGC 2017, but it is arguably one of the scariest. With incredible offensive stats and an ability that can increase them even further, Pheromosa puts enormous pressure on many teams, especially if you do not know the item on it yet. This Ultra Beast does face its share of obstacles in doubles, however, with Intimidate and Trick Room being common, and the presence of two opponents on the field limiting its ability to sweep since it cannot afford to take a hit. Despite these challenges, Pheromosa is absolutely worth considering when creating your team.
Beauty and the Ultra Beast
-Hi Jump Kick
-Poison Jab
-Ice Beam
-Protect / U-turn
Item Attached: Focus Sash / Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Lonely Nature
While solely physical or special sets are fine, many of Pheromosa's sets aim to utilize both its great attack and special attack. This set provides great coverage in the meta. Max attack and speed are pretty obvious on a Pokemon with Pheromosa's base stats, while just a little is invested in special attack since Ice Beam will OHKO its main targets even without investment. While a Naughty nature is perfectly fine since Pheromosa's defenses will be bad regardless of nature, a Lonely nature will ensure that opposing Porygon2 get an attack boost from Download against Pheromosa, which could greatly benefit your team should the bug not be able to take Porygon2 out. Beast Boost is the only available ability, but a great one to give attack boosts from KOs. A Focus Sash will allow Pheromosa to live any one hit, which is important with its terrible defenses, but Fightinium Z gives Pheromosa a very strong attack to hopefully OHKO something and gain a Beast Boost.
Hi Jump Kick is Pheromosa's strongest attack, though it is risky to use because so many Pokemon carry Protect in doubles. The z move can remedy this for one use since it cannot miss. Poison Jab is mainly for the four Tapus who are very common, while Ice Beam is primarily for Garchomp. Protect is the best move in doubles, especially with frail defenses, but U-Turn can be used to gain momentum in a bad situation, especially if Pheromosa is holding a Focus Sash and can live one hit.
B-E-A-UB-TI-FUL
-Focus Blast
-Ice Beam
-Bug Buzz / Poison Jab / U-turn
-Protect
Item Attached: Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest or Mild Nature
Intimidate is very common because many teams carry Arcanine or Gyarados, so a special-based set can be very effective to work around this. Unfortunately, Pheromosa's strongest special attack is Focus Blast, which has terrible accuracy. The fighting z move makes this set a little more viable as you will not need to rely on the poor accuracy when using All Out Pummeling. Beast Boost is again your only ability choice, but still can help Pheromosa become even more powerful. The EV spread and nature pair depend on what moveset is chosen. Both spreads maximize special attack and speed, while still giving Porygon2 an attack boost from Download in case it is able to attack.
Focus Blast is mainly on this set to pair with the z crystal, but it can still be a strong attack even after that (assuming it hits). Ice Beam is a great offensive move, especially against Garchomp or flying types. Bug Buzz completes a special set with a strong STAB move, but Poison Jab will again give a strong attack to hit the Tapus with, and U-turn can switch Pheromosa out while also doing strong damage. Protect is more necessary on this set since it is not designed to carry a Focus Sash.
Other Options & Team Ideas
-Many trainers will EV train their Pokemon to just outspeed a neutral speed-nature with a Choice Scarf or Tailwind support, so a positive speed nature can be chosen to surprise the opponent, but you will lose out on some power, and gain Beast Boosts in speed instead of either attack stat.
-Life Orb increases Pheromosa's damage output.
-Poisonium Z can OHKO any Tapu with Acid Downpour and quickly give Pheromosa a Beast Boost.
-Low Kick has better accuracy, but will not be as strong against lighter opponents.
-Lunge is another strong bug move (that will also lower the target's attack) to choose over U-turn.
-Feint gives Pheromosa a priority move and a way to break through Protect.
-Though very niche and it does not see much usage, Hidden Power can give Pheromosa some additional coverage moves to help make up for its rather shallow special movepool.
-Blizzard is Pheromosa's only strong spread move, though it requires Hail support.
-Speed Swap is a cool tech move to swap Pheromosa's speed with the target, meaning you can speed up a slow teammate or an opponent trying to take advantage of setting up Trick Room.
-Quiver Dance boosts Pheromosa's already-impressive special attack and speed, and is typically used on Dancer teams with Oricorio.
-Taunt can shut down certain setup strategies.
-Substitute is cool move to use if your opponent predicts a Hi Jump Kick and Protects their Pokemon.
-Quick Guard is nearly obsolete with the creation of Psychic Terrain, but may still have its niche uses.
-Tapu Lele and its Psychic Terrain are perfect for Pheromosa. Priority moves, especially Fake Out, are blocked by this terrain.
-When using Pheromosa, you need a way to either prevent Trick Room or counter it, because fighting under Trick Room is a disaster for this Ultra Beast.
-Speed Control like Tailwind can be necessary to counter your opponent's Tailwind and make sure Pheromosa still attacks first.
-Oricorio pairs very well with Pheromosa on Dancer teams to copy Pheromosa's Quiver Dances. Torkoal and Chlorophyll Lilligant (with Quiver Dance) are also often on these teams.
-Redirection such as Follow Me or Rage Powder to keep Pheromosa safe from damage can be important, as can Wide Guard.
-Defiant or Competitive users such as Braviary and Milotic are great to ward off Intimidate from Pokemon like Arcanine. An Arcanine counter in general is good to have when using Pheromosa.
-Gravity is a good way to boost Focus Blast's accuracy and make a special set more reliable.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
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:
Not in game
Black 2/White 2:
Not in game
X/Y:
Not in game
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Not in game
Sun/Moon:
Verdant Cavern (Moon)
Trade from Moon (Sun)
Animé Appearences
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Pheromosa has yet to make an appearance in the anime.
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