Quaquaval, the Dancer Pokémon. A single kick from a Quaquaval can send a truck rolling. This Pokémon uses its powerful legs to perform striking dances from far-off lands. Dancing in ways that evoke far-away places, this Pokémon mesmerizes all that see it. Flourishes of its decorative water feathers slice into its foes.

Overview

Quaquaval rounds out the excellent Paldaen starters as one of the best late game sweepers to be released. Quaquaval emulates the terror of Max Aistream Moxie Gyarados and Salamence from the previous generation with its own Moxie and its absurd signature move in Aqua Step, the two together enables Quaquaval to get effectively a Dragon Dance every time it scores a KO with Aqua Step. Couple this with fantastic Fighting STAB and great coverage and it is easy to see why Quaquaval closes out games quickly. And Quaquaval isn’t just a great sweeper. Excellent utility moves in Rapid Spin, Taunt, U-Turn give Quaqauval roles outside of the game ending sweep, enabling a bit of flexibility and unpredictability in its role.

Quaquaval’s coverage isn’t without flaw. Its STABs are easily walled by defensive staples in Toxapex, Slowbro and Amoongus. Quaquaval is also extremely reliant on getting a boost from Aqua Step to reliably outspeed the competition and can struggle against more offensive teams where it can’t find the opportunity to boost. Furthermore, the Water type option on a team is always heavily contested and it can be hard to justify Quaquaval when so many other water types bring invaluable utility.
Positives
Aqua Step is an amazing STAB, patching up Quaquaval’s lackluster speed in a single use while simultaneously applying pressure to the opponent.
Base 120 Attack, Moxie, and a myriad of coverage options enable Quaquaval to escalate out of control very quickly.
Good support options in Rapid Spin, Baton Pass, Taunt, U-Turn, etc. prevent Quaquaval from being regulated to the late game and instead become a reliable asset throughout the match.

Negatives
STABs have several popular resists and Quaquaval struggles to fit all the coverage it wants
Base 85 Speed is unimpressive before Aqua Step, leaving Quaquaval prone to taking hits while setting up.
Mediocre defenses and tendency to use Close Combat prevents Quaquaval from taking many hits.

Movesets

Dancer Duck of Destruction

-Swords Dance
-Aqua Step
-Close Combat
-Ice Spinner
Ability: Moxie
Item: Life Orb
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Quaquaval’s flagship sweeping set. Open up with Swords Dance to sky rocket Quaquaval’s Attack and then use the boosted Aqua Step to easily get a KO to further escalate and tear the opposing team apart. Close Combat is secondary STAB of choice, having incredible consistent power and able to tear most Water resistant targets apart. Ice Spinner rounds out the set, giving invaluable coverage against many Dragon, Flying and Grass targets that otherwise resist one or even both of Quaquaval’s STABs.

Tera Types:
Quaquaval is an example of an offensive Terastalizer, often using it to further increase damage or bypass normal would be checks. Electric is invaluable -Quaquaval has no way of hitting Toxapex otherwise and covers many of the bulky water types that do give Quaquaval trouble. Water is good if you can’t fit Tera Blast, further pushing Aqua Step to new heights and facilitating Moxie Boosts. Flying does remove the Grass weakness and synergizes well with Brave Bird.

EVs and Items:
Standard Sweeper array of 252 Attack and Speed to outspeed and KO as many targets as possible. Life Orb gives the largest power boost while enabling Quaquaval to remain flexible so it can continue picking up KOs and ramping up. Choice Band is worth consideration for its incredible power boost making KOs with Aqua Step considerably easier but requires an opposing team’s water checks to be compromised before it can go for a sweep. Jolly Nature is recommended to ensure you get the jump on as many targets as possible -as with an Adamant Nature, you are still outsped by Timid Dragapult and Jolly Chien-Pao even after a single Aqua Step.

Partners:
Cyclizar is a fantastic enabler and pivot for every setup Sweeper under the sun and Quaquaval is no exception. Being able to Swords Dance or Aqua Step safely behind a Substitute can be game determinative, especially if Quaquaval doesn’t have to give up its own health or moveslot to do so.
As getting KOs are invaluable for Moxie, entry hazard setters that enable those KOs are greatly appreciated. Glimmora being the new gold standard for Hazard setup in unsurprisingly a great partner for Quaquaval even before you look at its ability to check Flying and Grass types.
Grass types unsurprisingly make great partners for Quaquaval, being part of the Grass-Fire-Water core. Quaquaval in particular enjoys grass types ability to check the many Water types that wall it, and many of them provide additional utility while doing so, whether it be Meowscarada’s Knock Off’s depriving key defensive items and offering safe pivots in or Amoonguss’ Spore enabling free setup.
Pelipper -Rain Boosts Aqua Step, which can stack with Terastilization for huge damage even without Swords Dance or Moxie, but the weakness stacking does hurt.

Other Options:
Brave Bird -hits Amoonguss and Annihilape harder than Ice Spinner as well as any Grass Teras.
Bulk Up -Not as much immediate power as Swords Dance, but the defense boost can be invaluable in tanking priority Attacks
Aqua Jet -sometimes, you just need to pick up that KO no matter what.
Baton Pass -Passing off Swords Dance and Aqua Step boosts turns any physical attacker into a game ending threat. Do be aware of the negative synergy with Close Combat.
Low Kick -inconsistent, but doesn’t drop your defenses upon use.
Rapid Spin -Hazard removal is at a premium and Quaquaval has decent enough defenses to do so repeatedly.

VGC & Doubles Options

Quaquaval’s excellence does not translate over to a Doubles format. What makes setup sweepers so game endingly threatening in Singles is that if they out speed and OHKO, there is no recourse, while in Doubles, those same sweepers often only have single target moves and cannot handle both threats on their own. That is not to say they aren’t a threat. Aqua Step and Moxie still enables Quaquaval to escalate out of control especially with disruption and support from Quaquaval’s teammate. Respecting and understanding Quaquaval as a win condition is essential for both utilizing and opposing it in Doubles.

Dancing Superstar

-Aqua Step
-Close Combat
-Brave Bird
-Detect
Ability: Moxie
Item: Clear Amulet
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Quaquaval prefers coming out as a late game threat, capitalizing on the opponent being weakened from Quaquaval’s teammates and having setup in place for it to start grabbing Moxie and Aqua Step boosts. Close Combat is fantastic secondary STAB -hitting targets like Hydreigon, Maushold, Tyranitar and Kingambit for massive damage. Brave Bird is recommended for coverage -many opposing Fire types will likely have Tera Grass and Amoongus is very popular in doubles, so the extra power of Brave Bird over Ice Spinner is appreciated. Ice Spinner’s terrain clearing effect does have negative synergy with Indeedee-F, one of Quaquaval’s preferred partners. Detect is the best move in Doubles -being able to stall a turn, punish a double target since Quaquaval does draw attention for being a game ender is quite invaluable. Preferred over Protect to stop Imprison shenanigans.

Clear Amulet blocks Intimidate and Parting Shot, keeping Quaquaval’s attack high.

Partners & Options:
Ice Spinner -Ice Coverage is still excellent no matter how you slice it.
Indeedee-F -Being able to stop Fake Out and Prankster disruption with Psychic Terrain while having STAB for Amoongus, Redirection and Helping Hand support to nab crucial KOs, Indeedee-F is just all around excellent for Quaquaval.
Armarouge -Abuses Indeedee-F’s Psychic Terrain with Expanding Force, forms a Water-Fire core with Quaquaval as well as a Psychic-Fighting Core and Special to Quaquaval’s physical, the two are incredibly complimentary.
Pelipper -Weather strategies are always stronger in doubles and as such, so is Pelipper.

Countering Quaquaval

Bulky Waters are a perennial thorn in Quaquavals side, able to tank its precious Aqua Step and tear it apart in turn. Toxapex is a nightmare for Quaquaval, walling any set that hasn’t boosted sufficiently, clearing all the boosts with Haze and placing Quaquaval on a very short timer with Toxic. Slowbro and Azumarill work similarly, able to tank an unboosted Quaquaval’s STABs and OHKO back with their own. Comparitively, Unaware Dondozo is the single best answer to a setup Quaquaval, disregarding its stat boosts and tanking Close Combat comfortably with its high natural bulk. Amoongus can stop unboosted Quaquaval in its tracks thanks to its own stellar defenses and Spore, but risks the OHKO on Ice Spinner after a Swords Dance. Priority can also help manage Quaquaval, who between Close Combat and Life Orb, tends to rip itself apart. Breloom can pick off a weakened Quaquaval with Mach Punch as can Lokix with Tinted Lens First Impression and Sucker Punch.  

Anime Appearences

Quaquaval has not yet been showcased in the anime # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics