Azumarill, the Aquarabbit Pokémon. Its long ears are superb sensors. It can distinguish the movements of things in water and tell what they are. By keeping still and listening intently, it can tell what is in even wild, fast-moving rivers..
Overview
Azumarill returns to Generation 9 finding itself relatively unchanged as opposed to the environment that surrounds it. Thanks to the relative lack of Fairy types, Azumarill has excelled in Scarlet and Violet, the hero of the first two Unrivaled raids and finding a place on many teams thanks to many Dragon and Dark types running around. Water Fairy is an excellent type combination leaving few weaknesses and a complimentary STAB that isn’t resisted by any one type. Good 100/80/80 defenses make Azumarill rather bulky and difficult to take out in one shot. But Azumarill’s true claim to fame is Huge Power, boosting its otherwise forgettable attack to threatening levels, and is complimented with powerful boosting options in Belly Drum and priority in Aqua Jet.
Azumarill is not without flaw, however. Base 50 Speed is rather pitiful, forcing Azumarill to rely on Aqua Jet more often that it would like, giving it power issues that can miss KOs. And while 100/80/80 defenses are good, they aren’t unbreakable and with low speed and no recovery, Azumarill can get worn down quickly. And while Azumarill’s Fairy typing and prowess gives it a niche, its Water typing strains team building due to the large number of excellent Water types available. Azumarill’s benefits do outweigh its flaws, and is worth considering both to use and to face.
Positives
Water Fairy is an amazing typing both defensively and offensively, giving Azumarill several resistances, few weaknesses and complimentary STABs.
100/80/80 Defenses is rather bulky. Azumarill can tank a hit if need be without much issue.
Huge Power gives Azumarill considerable teeth and it has just wide enough of a moveset to make the most of it, with tools like
Negatives
Poor Base 50 speed forces Azumarill to tank attacks or rely on Aqua Jet against faster opponents
Lack of reliable recovery coupled with the above prevents Azumarill taking many hits before going down.
Can be hard to fit on teams due to Water typing.
Movesets
Watership Down
-Liquidation
-Play Rough
-Aqua Jet
-Ice Spinner
Ability: Huge Power
Item: Choice Band
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
Classic Choice Band Azumarill. Pivot into a resisted attack or switch in after a KO, force the opponent out with a Super Effective attack and force them to take considerable damage. Rinse and Repeat until Azumarill or the opposing team is knocked out. Liquidation and Play Rough are the STAB moves of choice, having considerable power, with Liquidation's Defense drop being occasionally useful in breaking through bulkier targets. Aqua Jet is invaluable priority, patching Azumarill's lacking speed and providing a reliable means to pick off weakened targets. Ice Spinner rounds out the set, hitting a few of the targets that resist both of Azumarill's STABs like Amoongus and Water Absorb Clodsire.
Tera Types:
Tera Water is far one of the best Tera Types for Azumarill, keeping most of its resistances and boosting Aqua Jet and Liquidation, picking up KOs on otherwise safe targets. Tera Fairy is worth consideration, boosting a STAB while keeping some of Azumarill's great defensive profile. Tera Fire is also worth noting, making Azumarill immune to Will-o-Wisp and Flame Body while greatly improving its matchup against Grass types like Amoongus, Breloom and Iron Leaves.
EVs and Items:
Max HP and Attack is recommended to balance Azumarill's Power and bulk. Investing Speed is tempting for Azumarill to get the jump on more opponents, but it is so slow that it is not to be recommended. Choice Band gives Azumarill the most power for its buck enabling it to pick up KOs with Aqua Jet that would be missed elsewhere. Assault Vest is an excellent alternative, greatly improving Azumarill's matchup against Special Attackers alongside the number of times it can pivot in, as well as enabling Azumarill to switch moves, enabling it to go Liquidiation/Play Rough into Aqua Jet to pick up safe KOs.
Partners:
Steel types make for great partners with Azumarill, pivoting into Grass and Poison attacks it draws while Azumarill readily answer the Fire, Ground and Fighting types that give them trouble. Iron Treads stands out for checking Electric types as well as offering invaluable Hazard control that enables Azumarill to reach KOs.
As water resistant physical walls are Azumarill's bane, having teammates that can reliably answer them are always welcome. Volcarona and Iron Moth stand out, forming a Fire Water core with Azumarill and both having the coverage to answer Toxapex, who Azumarill struggles with. Dragapult and Iron Valiant fill a similar niche, though their typings aren't as synergistic.
Other Options:
Superpower -hits Orthworm, Kingambit and Tera Steel targets like Hydreigon harder than Azumarill's other coverage moves.
Water Drum
-Belly Drum
-Aqua Jet
-Play Rough
-Liquidation
Ability: Huge Power
Item: Sitrus Berry
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
Azumarill ratchets its power to the extreme with Belly Drum, becoming a late game ending sweeper in one fell swoop. Azumarill maximizing its Attack turns Aqua Jet into a tool of mass destruction, 2 Hit KOing defensive staples like Corviknight while anything frailer and not packing a resist like Flutter Mane, Gholdengo, Scizor, etc. are all in danager of being OHKO’d by Aqua Jet. And unlike Choice Band, Azumarill has flexibility, so Water resists thinking to take advantage of Aqua Jet can find themselves being clobbered into oblivion by Play Rough. Liquidation rounds out the set, being an alternative reliable water STAB with increased power for when Aqua Jet doesn’t cut it.
Tera Types:
Tera Water is far and away the best choice for Belly Drum Azumarill, pushing Aqua Jet and Liquidation to superlative defying levels of power. Other than that, defensive Teras can cut down on what your team must answer beforehand, such as Grass enabling Azumarill to reliably beat Rotom Wash, Brute Bonnet and Breloom, while Tera Fire offers a shield against Will-o-Wisp.
EVs and Items:
Max HP and Attack is recommended to balance Azumarill’s Power and bulk. Sitrus Berry gives Azumarill some of its health back, either to recover to the range where it can Belly Drum or recover post Belly Drum for additional bulk.
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Partners:
Hazard Controllers are heavily recommended for Belly Drum Azumarill as extra hazards are great for reaching more OHKOs with Aqua Jet while keeping it as bulky as possible for the Belly Drum sweep. Great Tusk and Iron Treads stand out here thanks to their typing answering problematic Electric and Poison types.
Partners that can remove defensive walls that can stop a sweep are paramount to Azumarill’s success. Dondozo, whose Unaware outright ignores Belly Drum is paramount to being removed. Lures like mixed Iron Valiant and Dragapult are great for eliminating Dondozo and Toxapex.
Pivots to get Azumarill in safely for a sweep are also appreciated. Rotom Wash and Orthworm stand out, albeit for differing reasons. Rotom Wash’s typing is great for dealing with many problematic Water types and can Paralyze/Burn key targets such as Iron Leaves to facilitate a sweep. Orthworm contrasts with the amazing Shed Tail given Azumarill an extra buffer when coming in as well as a shield against status, enabling it to Belly Drum Safely.
Countering Azumarill
Toxapex is a hard wall for Azumarill, who lacks any coverage to reliably deal with it and will likely force it out though it must be careful of the Belly Drum set. Water Absorb Clodsire and Amoongus also perform well but must be wary of Ice Spinner. Dondozo is another hard wall but also struggles to damage Azumarill without several Curse boosts or the rare Earthquake. Tera Water or Tera Poison Garganacl can be a wall, easily buffering the STAB it resists alongside Aqua Jet, but a banded attack from the move Garganacl does not resist will likely 2HKO before Garganacl can boost up.
Rotom Wash deserves mention for its bulk and typing enabling it to resist Water STABs and easily OHKO back while having Will-o-Wisp to shutdown Azumarill completely.
Faster Water resistant attackers also perform well against Azumarill, as Azumarill is forced to eat one of their powerful attacks before striking back. Iron Leaves, and Meowscarada stand out, doing horrific damage with their Grass STAB, and can easily fend off an Aqua Jet, even if they can’t directly OHKO.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Evolve Marill
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Evolve Marill
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Marill (LeafGreen)
Trade from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/LeafGreen (FireRed)
Colosseum/XD:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Victory Road (Platinum)
Evolve Marill (Diamond/Pearl)
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Marill
Black/White:
Evolve Marill (White)
Black 2/White 2:
Route 20, 6, 11, 22, Floccesy Ranch, Pinwheel Forest, Relic Passage, Village Bridge, Abundant Shrine, Victory Road
X/Y:
Route 22, Friend Safari
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Route 102, Route 111, Route 114, Route 117, Route 120, Route 123, Petalburg City
Sun/Moon:
Evolve Marill
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Transfer from Sun & Moon
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Soothing Wetlands, Forest of Focus, Challenge Beach, Training Lowlands
Max Raid Battles: Fields of Honor, Soothing Wetlands, Forest of Focus, Insular Sea
Dynamax Adventures
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve Marill
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
Casseroya Lake, West Province Area Two
Tera Raid Battles: 4 Star Raid Battles
Anime Appearences
