Arboliva, the Olive Pokémon. This calm Pokémon is very compassionate. It will share its delicious, nutrient-rich oil with weakened Pokémon. This Pokémon drives back enemies by launching its rich, aromatic oil at them with enough force to smash a boulder.
Overview
Arboliva started out the generation as a fascinating, and somewhat effective gimmick Pokémon. Initially, the only available passive Grassy Terrain setter, the activation method ensuring that Arboliva is all but guaranteed to outslow other Terrain setters and get its favored terrain up. Even outside the synergies between Seed Sower, Arboliva’s low speed and Terrain Pulse, it has a lot more going for it. Base 125 Special Attack hits the same fantastic benchmark Pokémon such as Zapdos, Moltres and Exeggutor have been using for generations to hit incredibly hard regardless of investment. Arboliva has the coverage to back up its already synergistic Grass and Normal STABs, with Earth Power and Dazzling Gleam enabling it to hit almost every target in the game neutrally. Its bulk is also relatively decent, Grass providing valuable resistances coupled with good Base 109 Special Defense and a frankly absurd amount of self-recovery options gives Arboliva a surprising amount of staying power.
However, Arboliva’s flaws only became more apparent as the season wore on. Grass Normal is rather poor defensively, with numerous weaknesses to exploit. Add in unimpressive HP and Defense and Arboliva’s impressive recovery seems moot when it struggles to take hits. Arboliva’s poor Speed further exasperates this, leaving it struggling to do anything in most matchups. What truly fells Arboliva is the reintroduction of Pokémon that perform its niches better. Rillaboom’s Grassy Surge is wholly superior to Arbolivia’s Seed Sower, not being reliant on the opponent to activate and it wholly better able to abuse Grassy Terrain thanks to Grassy Glide. Stiff competition from other bulky offensive Grass types such as Serperior, and Hydrapple all but dooms Arboliva to obscurity.
Positives
Base 125 Special Attack is fantastic, and Arboliva has plenty of options to boost its power passively.
Fantastic offensive movepool with synergistic Grass Normal STABs on top of fantastic Fairy Ground coverage leaves scarce few safe targets for Arboliva.
Seed Sower is a fantastic ability, passively setting up Grassy Terrain, boosting Arboliva’s STAB and providing additional passive recovery.
Negatives
Grass Normal is poor defensively, with many common weaknesses that cut into Arboliva’s bulk.
Poor Speed often forces Arboliva to tank a hit before acting, further lessening its already unimpressive bulk.
Outclassed by other Grass types, most crucially Rillaboom whose Grassy Surge outclasses Seed Sower.
Movesets
Olive Oil Panic
-Leaf Storm
-Tera Blast
-Earth Power
-Strength Sap
Ability: Seed Sower
Item: Life Orb
EVs and Nature:
248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature
Arboliva makes the most of its unique traits with this set, being a bulky attacker with wide coverage along with the passive support that Seed Sower provides. Leaf Storm is recommended for the Grass STAB, its immense power potentially bolstered by Grassy Terrain. Tera Blast is for Normal/Terastalization STAB, showing the intrinsic synergy between the two types. Grass has many resistances, most of which Normal hits neutrally, while Grass hits Ghosts neutrally while annihilating Normal resistant Rock types. Tera Blast is recommended for maintaining STAB when Arboliva Terastalizes, making it more offering multiple coverage options in a single move slot. Earth Power rounds out Arboliva’s coverage, hitting the Steel types that resist both STABs, though threatening Fire types that threaten Arboliva is a great disincentive for Fire types to switch in. Strength Sap gives Arboliva invaluable longevity, sapping physical attackers that target Arboliva’s weaker Defense, and healing off any damage Arboliva has incurred from attacks and Life Orb. The attack drop is also useful in creating pivoting opportunities for Arboliva’s teammates.
Tera Types:
Given Arboliva’s Grass Normal typing is lacking defensively, Terastalization is a welcome boon to help stick around longer. Being a natural Normal type provides further synergy, making Tera Blast a STAB move before Terastalization, giving it utility even if Arboliva doesn’t Terastalize, and making offensive Teras as valuable as defensive ones. Tera Fire is recommended for providing resistances to nearly all Grass’ weaknesses while threatening Steel, Bug, Ice and opposing Grass types that can frustrate Arboliva’s normal Grass STAB. Tera Fire is especially invaluable in hitting ungrounded Steel types, one of the few combinations that Arboliva’s movepool does not naturally cover. Tera Fairy is another popular option, being an all-around good defensive/offensive type though the shared Poison weakness is a pain point. Tera Steel is another popular Tera, given the huge amount of resistances it provides, albeit at the cost of maintaining Arboliva’s Fire and Fighting weaknesses.
EVs and Items:
As befitting a bulky attacker, placing everything into Special Attack and everything else going into bulk. 248 HP is recommended to avoid having an HP value evenly divisible by 16 regarding hazard damage, slightly decreasing the damage Arboliva takes and increasing the number of times it can switch in. While Speed investment is not usually recommended on a Pokémon so slow, 36 Speed EVs is enough to outspeed uninvested Vikavolt, a powerful Special Attacker that normally requires Arboliva to Terastalize to handle. Life Orb is recommended for the item, giving a persistent boost while the drain effect is mitigated by Grassy Terrain and Arboliva’s self-healing moves, though it is far from the only option. Throat Spray is highly recommended if running Hyper Voice and not Leaf Storm, giving a one time pseudo Specs boost without locking items once Hyper Voice is used. Eject Pack pairs well with Leaf Storm, allowing Arboliva excel as a slow pivot, getting a Grassy Terrain sweeper in safely after Seed Sower is activated, though requires good prediction if Seed Sower hasn’t been activated yet.
Partners:
Allies that can make the most of Grassy Terrain are recommended. Unburden users like Hitmonlee, Hawlucha and Sceptile are recommended, using Grassy Seed to trigger their Unburden abilities and receive an incredible bulk boost between Grassy Terrain and the Defense boost from the Seed to setup and sweep. Hitmonlee’s Fighting STAB gives it a STAB option against Steel types and Snorlax that can trouble Arboliva, while Arboliva’s immense Special Attack breaks physical walls that can hinder a Hitmonlee sweep.
Other Options:
Hyper Voice is by far Arboliva’s best Normal STAB and pairs well with Throat Spray.
Giga Drain is an alternative STAB that heals Arboliva, pushing damage while keeping Arboliva healthy, but runs into Grass’ many resists.
Alluring Voice is decent Fairy coverage and can punish opponents trying to setup and avoid activating Seed Sower.
Terrain Pulse is gimmicky, but an incredible Grass STAB if Seed Sower has been activated. Energy is otherwise greatly preferred as primary Grass STAB.
Memento has Arboliva go all in in its ability as a Grassy Terrain enabler, having it sack itself after Seed Sower to all but guarantee setup for its teammates.
Heart Healthy Olive Oil
-Leech Seed
-Strength Sap
-Giga Drain
-Earth Power
Ability: Harvest
Item: Sitrus Berry
EVs and Nature:
248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Bold Nature
This set is Arboliva at its bulkiest, pivoting into Water, Ground and Electric attacks for its teammates and staying alive with all the healing Leech Seed, Strength Sap and the infinite recycling of Sitrus Berries afforded by Harvest that punishes any opponent incapable of OHKOing Arboliva. Leech Seed and Strength Sap are also potent pivoting tools, draining health from opponents and blunting physical attacker’s offense respectively, greatly facilitating Arboliva’s teammates getting in safely. Giga Drain furthers this game plan, being a STAB attack that also heals Arboliva. Earth Power rounds out the set, breaking Steel and Fire types that trouble Arboliva and threaten the Electric types that Arboliva is tasked to handle. Both Giga Drain and Earth Power shine further thanks to Arboliva’s immense Special Attack, doing considerable damage even though Special Attack is uninvested.
This Arboliva finds its home on Stall teams, or as the backbone to balance teams, acting as a soft cleric and lynch pin given the damage blunting it provides between Leech Seed and Strength Sap.
Tera Types:
This Arboliva set excels with Defensive Terastalizations helping it tank super effective attacks when need be. Tera Fire is still by far the best option, pivoting Arboliva’s many weaknesses, while having an offensive niche with Fire Tera Blast annihilating the Leech Seed immune Grass types that otherwise can freely switch into this set. Otherwise, Tera Fairy and Tera Steel are good fallbacks giving the strengths of their base typings.
EVs and Items:
As a purely defensive set, it is recommended to invest everything in bulk to improve Arboliva’s hit taking ability, especially its weaker Defense. One can also invest in Special Defense, having Arboliva act as a pseudo Sponge and leave physical walling to other teammates, though balanced bulk is generally preferred given Arboliva’s roles as a soft cleric and pivot. Sitrus Berry is recommended for Harvest abuse. Even without Sun, its base 50% chance to activate is quite valuable and offers a lot of passive healing, irrespective of PP. If one wants to run Seed Sower instead, Leftovers is recommended for stacking with the passive healing of Grassy Terrain, restoring an eighth of Arboliva’s HP each turn.
Partners:
Weezing works well with Arboliva, being a general physical wall to Arboliva’s special, easily resisting Poison, Bug and Fighting attacks while shutting down such attackers with Will-O-Wisp and placing everything on a timer with Toxic Spikes. Arboliva in turn provides an invaluable Ground pivot and passive recovery that Weezing otherwise lacks. Overqwill also works well, trading Will-O-Wisp for Intimidate, though its Fighting matchup isn’t as impressive.
Other Options:
Tera Blast is invaluable for handling other Grass types, before and after Terastalization, who otherwise wall this set.
Countering Arboliva
Arboliva’s coverage is wide and vast, leaving reliable defensive checks few and far in between, even before considering disruption like Leech Side. For example, looking at typings alone, Orthworm seems like a solid wall given its Immunity to Ground and resistance to everything else Arboliva has, but its Special Defense is so low, Leaf Storm will easily 2HKO, if not OHKO if Grassy Terrain is active, though non-Leaf Storm sets do honestly struggle. Bronzong is a hard wall requiring Terastalization given its fantastic bulk but loathes Leech Seed variants. Snorlax doesn’t have any resistances, but its immense Special Bulk allows it to tank even Leaf Storms comfortably and can beat down Arboliva with its physical STAB, but too loathes Leech Seed and Strength Sap. Articuno also possesses the requisite Special Bulk, and can outlast Arboliva with Roost.
Opposing Grass types are ironically one of the most reliable checks into Arboliva, provided it isn’t running Normal STAB, which can rip holes into frailer Grass types. Wo-Chien is one of the few Grass types outright bulky enough to stomach Arboliva, but it struggles to do damage in turn, though its access to Knock Off makes it Harvest Arboliva’s worst nightmare. Decideye is immune to Normal STAB, but also struggles to deal damage without U-Turn and takes horrific damage from a Grassy Terrain boosted Leaf Storm.
Offensively checking Arboliva is far preferable given its immense power and coverage is contrasted by its atrocious speed. Pyroar, Emboar, Specs Clawitzer, Vikavolt, Typhlosion, Hitmonlee, Passimian, etc. just about every faster attacker with Super Effective STAB or coverage can if not OHKO Arboliva, completely compromise it.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
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:
Not in game
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Not in game
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Not in game
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Not in game
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
Evolve Dolliv
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles
Anime Appearences
