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HAPPY 200 MESSAGES ON SMOGON TOOK ME 3 YEARS OMEGALUL
Checks: Phantdurr and uhuaggron
Counters: I have to go with Tangang it's too op (Mambotang and TangelaKafka)
Persian-Alola @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Fur Coat
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Parting Shot
- Thunderbolt
Alolan Persian, while it can't safely switch in (unless you like switching into Psychic and risking tbolt or z-tbolt lol), can revenge kill alolan raichu thanks to its high Speed. Z-Dpulse always kills and Alolan Persian can also use Parting Shot on a predicted switch. A nice check.
Dugtrio-Alola @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Tangling Hair
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
Scarf Alolan Dugtrio can function as an offensive check to Alolan Raichu. Full Speed investment, a Jolly nature, and a Choice Scarf lets it easily outspeed Alolan Raichu and full Attack investment means it can OHKO Alolan Raichu with Earthquake. It is naturally resistant or immune to Alolan Raichu's STAB attacks which means it lives and can break Raichu's Substitute upon switch-in even with Raichu at +2 Special Attack.
If Raichu is unboosted, it can also live one Grass Knot to break a Substitute and then threaten Raichu out or kill it with Earthquake. However, if Raichu is boosted then Grass Knot is a possible OHKO. With that being said, both Focus Blast (20.129% usage) and Surf (19.819% usage) both outright OHKO Alolan Dugtrio even with Raichu unboosted, so care should be taken to scout for these moves and not allow Raichu to get a substitute off if it has them or to carry a secondary check to it.
Other options for this set include switching the item out to a standard life orb which turns this matchup into a speed tie but allows for an OHKO with Sucker Punch which the current set does not reach. An Adamant Nature and alternative EV spread of 168 HP / 84 Attack / 252 Speed can also be run which allows Dugtrio to survive an unboosted Raichu's Surf and makes Grass Knot not be able to OHKO Dugtrio unless Raichu reaches +4 Special Attack.
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psychic vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 80-94 (37.9 - 44.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psychic vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 159-187 (75 - 88.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dugtrio-Alola: 80-94 (37.9 - 44.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Dugtrio-Alola: 159-187 (75 - 88.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 95-112 (45 - 53%) -- 28.9% chance to 2HKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 188-222 (89 - 105.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 282-334 (133.6 - 158.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Surf vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 214-252 (101.4 - 119.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 168 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 188-222 (74.3 - 87.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 168 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 95-112 (37.5 - 44.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Surf vs. 168 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio-Alola: 214-252 (84.5 - 99.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
There are a few Pokemon in PU that resist all of Alolan Raichu's standard attacks, and even fewer that have the bulk to stand up to a boosted Stoked Sparksurfer. With just the EVs it would run using Choice Specs, Exeggutor would have a 25% chance to be OHKOed: +2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Stoked Sparksurfer vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Exeggutor: 290-342 (87.6 - 103.3%) -- 25% chance to OHKO. But, given this is OTR Exeggutor, and its Speed EVs are reallocated toward its bulk instead, it is guaranteed (barring a crit) to live through Alolan Raichu's most powerful hit. In return, Exeggutor can turn the tables on Alolan Raichu and its teammates by setting up Trick Room, then nuking something on the following turn. IMO, Sleep Powder is generally better than HP Fire on this set for putting Sucker Punch users to sleep that try to RKO Exeggutor during Trick Room.
This is a pretty fun set, so if you wanted to try it, here's a team I made (prior to Houndoom dropping):
Spiritomb is a solid check to Alola-Raichu because of its ability Infiltrator due to which it is able to bypass Alolachu's Substitute and deal damage via its super-effective STAB Moves in Foul Play, Pursuit and Sucker Punch.
Alola-Raichu not only has to be wary about the Sucker Punch mindgames but it can also get trapped by Pursuit which deals a good chunk of damage to Alolachu if it stays in and koes it in case the user tries to withdraw.
On the other hand Foul Play is a clear OHKO since Alola-Raichu is very fragile due to its lackluster Defenses.
Spiritomb's Dark Typing and overall decent defenses render Alola-Raichu useless as it is immune to Alolachu's Psychic STAB and can also tank a +2 thunderbolt or a non boosted Stoked Sparksurfer from it. The Aguav Berry is an additional bonus to outlast and beat it 1 v 1.
Overall Spiritomb is one of the best checks to Alola-Raichu in the PU Tier.
Important Calcs:
252+ Atk Spiritomb Pursuit vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 198-234 (75.8 - 89.6%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Spiritomb Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 342-404 (131 - 154.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Spiritomb Foul Play vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 276-326 (105.7 - 124.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb: 111-132 (36.6 - 43.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb: 222-262 (73.2 - 86.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Stoked Sparksurfer vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb: 216-255 (71.2 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb: 83-98 (27.3 - 32.3%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb: 164-194 (54.1 - 64%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Stoked Sparksurfer vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb: 216-255 (71.2 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb: 222-262 (73.2 - 86.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psychic vs. 252 HP / 248+ SpD Eviolite Type: Null: 118-141 (29.9 - 35.7%)
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 8 Def Eviolite Type: Null: 145-172 (36.8 - 43.6%)
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Stoked Sparksurfer vs. 252 HP / 248+ SpD Eviolite Type: Null: 229-271 (58.1 - 68.7%)
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 248+ SpD Eviolite Type: Null: 88-104 (22.3 - 26.3%)
0 Atk Type: Null U-turn vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 166-196 (63.6 - 75%)
0 Atk Type: Null Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 181-214 (69.3 - 81.9%)
0 Atk Type: Null Punishment (100 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 238-280 (91.1 - 107.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Submitting Type: Null as a counter, though to be fair it's probably trading its life in the process.
I've played around with Punishment Null in the past (and I know others like poh, curiosity and yogi have as well), and it does a pretty solid job of checking the likes of Jynx, Oricorio-G, and of course, Raichu-Alola. Type: Null can switch into any attack and either U-Turn out into something faster/with priority (Kangaskhan, Abomasnow, Kabutops etc. all kill with their choice of priority move after U-Turn) or just go for Punishment, which is a roll to kill, or guaranteed with rocks up.
Return also 2HKOs Raichu-Alola, but +2 Z-Thunderbolt into +2 Thunderbolt does kill you, so it's far less consistent.
Sandslash-Alola @ Leftovers
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 HP / 208 SpD / 48 Spe
Careful Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
Sandslash-Alola is a fantastic Alolachu check. At +2, Sandslash can't switch into a Thunderbolt but can at +0. As for Psyshock and Grass Knot, well, the calcs will tell you that :). Spdef Sandslash can OHKO Raichu with EQ as a sort of RK and at +0, it is able to either spin or set up rocks of its own before ending Raichu's dreams of sweeping you.
Raichu at +0
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 208+ SpD Sandslash-Alola: 118-139 (33.3 - 39.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Sandslash-Alola: 45-54 (12.7 - 15.2%) -- possible 9HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 208+ SpD Sandslash-Alola: 35-41 (9.8 - 11.5%) -- possibly the worst move ever (lol)
Raichu at +2
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 208+ SpD Sandslash-Alola: 234-276 (66.1 - 77.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Sandslash
0 Atk Sandslash-Alola Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 248-292 (95 - 111.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Scarf Shiftry is a check against Raichu-Alola. With a Choice Scarf set, it is able to outspeed Raichu and kill it guaranteed with a Knock Off. Leaf Blade also has a low chance of OHKO as well (Raichu's defence stat is pretty poor). You can switch in to all its moves (except +2 Z move)
Stunfisk @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Discharge
- Earthquake
- Protect
Stunfisk is a counter to Alolan Raichu thanks to it's naturally solid special bulk and Electric immunity allowing it to switch in and take hits from any other move. If you wanted to you could run SpDef but it takes the same amount of hits as PhysDef does and I opt for PhysDef because Psyshock does more base damage. Because of how light this glorified whoopee cushion is, Grass Knot isn't an issue either.
0 SpA Stunfisk Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Raichu-Alola: 186-222 (71.2 - 85%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (breaks sub and kills after)
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Stunfisk: 85-102 (20.1 - 24.1%) -- guaranteed 5HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psychic vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Stunfisk: 118-141 (27.9 - 33.4%) -- 0% chance to 3HKO
+6 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Stunfisk: 339-400 (80.3 - 94.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+4 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psychic vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Stunfisk: 357-420 (84.5 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Grass Knot (40 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Stunfisk: 72-86 (17 - 20.3%) -- possible 5HKO
Rampardos @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Head Smash
- Rock Slide
- Pursuit
- Zen Headbutt
Totally didn't reserve this because I wrote the analysis. Anyway, what's really cool about Choice Scarf Rampardos is that it outspeeds all the base 110s of the tier so this mon can be used to check any Alolan Raichu that isn't any weird af Electric Terrain set. Rock Slide hilariously OHKOs Alolan Raichu so you don't need to risk recoil and if the Alolan Raichu thinks it can escape you, you Pursuit trap it smoothly.
252 Atk Sheer Force Rampardos Rock Slide vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 330-388 (126.4 - 148.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Lycanroc @ Lycanium Z
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- Drill Run
- Accelerock
Lycanroc is a solid offensive check to Alolan Raichu, as it outspeeds and OHKOs with Drill Run. Since you threaten it out, this is also an opportunity to set up if you predict correctly.
Also, for the future, please only consider what’s on the example set when making your posts, so no need to mention Surf or Focus Blast Alolan Raichu(especially when Surf is illegal with Nasty Plot).
Drampa @ Choice Specs
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 136 HP / 252 SpA / 120 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Hyper Voice
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
Check. Drampa will comfortably switch in on an unboosted Raichu-A, but sitting at +2 eliminates that option via Psyshock(+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 136 HP / 0 Def Drampa: 241-285 (72.8 - 86.1%)). Allowed to hit the field cleanly, Drampa will soak up any hits +0 Chu musters here(being 3HKO's) as well as any single hit from +2, whilst picking up the OHKO in return via Meteor/Voice. Hyper Voice being the straightforward option in this case as it will pop Chu attempting to hide behind Substitute.
Dramp > Raichu
252+ SpA Choice Specs Drampa Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Raichu-Alola: 411-484 (157.4 - 185.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Drampa Hyper Voice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Raichu-Alola: 285-336 (109.1 - 128.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Raichu > Dramp
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 136 HP / 0 Def Drampa: 241-285 (72.8 - 86.1%)
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Stoked Sparksurfer vs. 136 HP / 0 SpD Drampa: 124-147 (37.4 - 44.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Stoked Sparksurfer vs. 136 HP / 0 SpD Drampa: 249-293 (75.2 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
So many good submissions have been posted already, but I thought itd be fun to post some more niche sets that might hold some value in the current meta, some of which arent thought of at first sight when building, this is particularly beneficial for this submission, since Raichu-Alola is a mon with a great speed, offensive typing and ability to boost itself, which is also rarely prepped for in the tier since its not the most common mon ever.
Skuntank is a very interesting scarfer thats able to function as a very reliable check to Raichu-Alola thanks to its speed tier and STAB moves. Being immune to Psychic, resisting Grass Knot and being able to outspeed the psychic mouse comes incredibly handy for a scarfer thats also able to threaten Pokemon such as Lilligant and Houndoom. I cant asses to the efficiency of scarfed Skunk since Ive admittedly not used it yet, but it seems have a series of perks that makes it really interesting, similarly to the Duggy Alola submission (I use SE instead of SP but the set is solid). Its very good to notice all of these different sets that are able to threaten so much thanks to the added speed.
252 Atk Skuntank Crunch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 356-422 (136.3 - 161.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Skuntank Pursuit vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 180-212 (68.9 - 81.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Skuntank Foul Play vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 276-326 (105.7 - 124.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Skuntank Poison Jab vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 178-211 (68.1 - 80.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Raichu-Alola Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Skuntank: 178-210 (51.1 - 60.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Back to the mouse, Skunk is able to OHKO it with Crunch, Foul Play, Explosion, and Pursuit when its switching out. On the other hand, Skunk will always 2HKO the mouse with Poison Jab and Pursuit when it decides to stay in. In return, Raichu Alola is only able to only OHKO Skunk with its Stoked Sparksurfer or a boosted Thunderbolt (Skunk only functions as an offensive check). The one downside of this is that Skunk is still susceptible to it when Raichu is able to sub up on it, but sub isn't very common from what I've seen.
This is a cool underrated set that seems really interesting right now, also being able to catch a lot of players of guard( people know how much I like my unorthodox scarfers lol). Thats all, thank you for reading! (Also shoutout to Gum for giving me the idea to submit this, definitely interesting and worth using in certain builds).
Kecleon @ Assault Vest
Ability: Protean
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Shadow Sneak
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
Check. Kecleon can come in on Thunderbolt and then Sucker Punch and OHKO right back. If Alolachu is running Psyshock, it has to beware of coming in on that. At +2, Alolachu can possibly OHKO. If Kec comes in on rocks, it WILL OHKO.
252+ Atk Protean Kecleon Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raichu-Alola: 338-398 (129.5 - 152.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 SpA Raichu-Alola Psyshock vs. 172 HP / 0 Def Kecleon: 282-333 (92.7 - 109.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock