Week 5 - ROTOM-WASH

ROTOM-WASH ( )



Type: Electric/ Water

Ability:

Levitate - Immune to Ground-type attacks, Spikes, Toxic Spikes and Arena Trap.

Stats: (HP/ Atk/ Def/ SpA/ SpD/ Spe)

50/65/107/105/107/86

Introduction:

Charon, the sneakiest and the least loyal of the four Commanders of Team Platinum, discovered Rotom when it suddenly appeared from his toy robot, during one of his childhood days. Because the new Pokémon could enter appliances and literally turn any 'motor' upside down, Charon aptly named it 'Rotom'. Since then, Rotom was available for capture to any player in the Old Chateau.

What is Rotom's story now? After possessing different forms in ovens, lawn-mowers, fans and refrigerators. However, Rotom's best appliance form is definitely its washing-machine, and after being granted the Water type instead of Ghost in 5th Gen, it kept on being better.

Positives:
• Excellent Electric/ Water typing gives it resistances to a lot of common attacking types in OU.
• Due to the typing, Rotom-Wash is weak to only Grass-type attacks, which are relatively uncommon in OU.
• Levitate is the perfect Ability for a Pokémon that would have been otherwise weak to Earthquake. Also, it cannot be worn down by Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
• 107 Defense and Special Defense lets it take many hits can still stay strong.
• 105 Special Attack is good for a tank, using Hydro Pump/ Volt Switch to dent teams.
• Speaking of Volt Switch, this STAB move lets Rotom-Wash reliably scout teams and provide a general annoyance.
• Thanks to its typing, Ability, stats and movepool, Rotom-Wash is able to check a lot of powerful OU Pokémon like Talonflame, Aegislash, Greninja etc.
• Even though it has a small number of moves, EV spread and Nature changes can make it extremely versatile and unpredictable in a lot of aspects.
Negatives:
• 86 Base Speed might be disappointing at times.
• Lack of recovery moves except Rest (even though it can pull off Rest quite well).
• Base 50 HP is not satisfactory, even with 107 Defenses. Rotom-Wash will be worn down quickly if Rest/ Leftovers is not present.
Set #1: "First, I Wash Your Clothes, Then I Wash the Metagame"

Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Completely Physically Defensive Rotom-Wash, with the ability to take hits from Talonflame, Scizor, physical Aegislash, Mega Pinsir and just about all the Physical Attackers that are always seen in OU. Being able to resist Fire, Flying, Water, Steel and Ice, it can get fantastic switch-in opportunities can with a timely Will-O-Wisp, can shut down the opponent's Physical offense completely. In fact, Rotom-Wash is one of the best possible counters for the OverUsed Talonflame, which cannot be burned, but is weak to both of Rotom-Wash's STAB.

Volt Switch for good STAB damage and retreating from stuff Rotom-Wash doesn't want to handle, and the signature move, STAB Hydro Pump, deals heavy damage to even neutral targets.
Pain Split to recover HP when Rotom-Wash is at low health and the opponent is at high health. This also provides good stalling whenever necessary.
Set #2: The Sleeping Washing Machine

Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Def / 172 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Hydro Pump
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Discharge is good, accurate STAB that has a solid 30% of causing a pesky paralysis, which can stop sweepers in their track.
Hydro Pump because it is Rotom-Wash's signature move, and does good neutral STAB damage.

The moves of notice here are Rest and Sleep Talk.
With Rest, Rotom-Wash is able to recover from any HP loss and status such as poison or burn, and renews it chances to wall teams and stay alive.
Sleep Talk ensures that the plasma monster doesn't stay as a sitting duck. Calling upon Discharge and Hydro Pump will always be deadly, and even while sleeping, Rotom-Wash will have no problem providing both a defensive and offensive presence, even at the same time.
Set #3: Trick or Treat

Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Trick

Everyone who has used a Genesect knows how fun it is to use a fast and damaging U-Turn, get out and provide momentum for your own team. This Rotom-Wash set aims to do the same with STAB Volt Switch and fantastic Speed provided by Choice Scarf. Talonflame, Mega Pinsir, Gyarados are mostly everything weak to Electric are threatened by this rather surprising set.
To top off coverage, there is STAB Signature Hydro Pump, and Hidden Power Fire simply because Ferrothorn is very very annoying. Hidden Power Ice can be kept for Dragonite, though.

The treat part being dealt with, we now move to the 'Trick'. By slapping a Choice Scarf on walls such as Chansey, Blissey, Skarmory or Ferrothorn, Rotom-Wash can not only completely neuter them for the rest of the match, it gets a good chance to get across walls that it can't otherwise beat (like Blissey and Ferrothorn).
Other Options:

Volt Switch, Hydro Pump, Will-O-Wisp are basically what every Rotom-Wash sets use. So there are few viable options left because just these three moves let Rotom-Wash do what it does best: Checking important metagame threats.

Chesto Berry is a good item to consider when using Rest. It saves the spot for Sleep Talk and allows you to use a 4th move for better coverage/ walling.

Assault Vest is always usable for Rotom-Wash, but it then loses Wisp, Rest and Pain Split.

Thunder Wave can provide paralysis to any non-Ground/Electric Pokémon, but burn is better in most scenarios. Same goes for Toxic which can help Rotom-Wash stall.

Thunderbolt/ Thunder are great moves with good Base Power, but Volt Switch's momentum and Discharge's good paralysis rate make them better choices.

Signal Beam is there to hit Grass-types for super-effective damage. Shadow Ball/ Dark Pulse for Ghosts.

Substitute can be a good surprise move in any set, if timed right.

Checks/ Counters:

Grass-types. They are resistant to both of Rotom-Wash's STAB and can hit with a super-effective STAB. There's always Trick for Ferrothorn and Wisp for Breloom, but any Grass-types with reliable recovery and status heal makes the washing machine cry soap-bubbles. Mega Venusaur, Celebi, Amoonguss, Roserade etc. are among the best counters.

Mold Breaker Earthquakes ruin Rotom-Wash's cleaning days. Excadrill, especially, is immune to Electric attacks, is naturally faster, and has STAB EQ to completely destroy the cleaner. Same goes for Haxorus but it lacks STAB in EQ.

Storm Drain Gastrodon gets a mention here for being immune to both of Rotom-Wash's STAB and can apply Toxic+Recover stalling to defeat Rotom-Wash.

Chansey and Blissey doesn't mind a burn, and can take Rotom-Wash's special attacks any day, time, place.

Assault Vest Conkeldurr doesn't take too much damage from Volt Switch/ Hydro Pump, and enjoys a burn, being able to spam Drain Punch to wear Rotom-Wash down and recover its own health.

Damage Calculations:

Spoiler: