[OVERVIEW]
In Little Cup, Zigzagoon can act as an effective physical sweeper thanks to its access to the amazing combination of Belly Drum to maximize its Attack in an instant and Extreme Speed to outprioritize its foes and KO them. Unfortunately, it is hindered by its numerous flaws such as its poor bulk, which makes it struggle to set up Belly Drum reliably. Zigzagoon also requires excessive team support to perform its role with success, and without this, many Pokemon are able to get in the way of its sweep. In most games, Zigzagoon tends to either win the battle for its team with a successful sweep or fail to contribute anything at all.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum Sweeper
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Thief
move 4: Seed Bomb / Protect
item: Berry Juice
ability: Pickup
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 196 Atk / 108 Def / 28 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum turns Zigzagoon into a powerful sweeper, maximizing its Attack. Extreme Speed is the STAB move that Zigzagoon will be using the majority of the time in order to KO its foes. Its incredibly useful +2 priority compensates for Zigzagoon's low Speed stat, allowing it to sweep. Thief enables Zigzagoon to hit Ghost-types such as Gastly and Pumpkaboo-XL super effectively and can steal items once Berry Juice has been consumed. Seed Bomb provides coverage for Mudbray along with Rock-types like Onix and Tirtouga, though Protect is an alternative option that prevents Zigzagoon from being KOed by Fake Out users.
Set Details
========
Berry Juice restores Zigzagoon's HP to ensure it can use Belly Drum without it failing, or in some cases it can restore Zigzagoon's HP after Belly Drum to prepare itself for taking a hit. An Adamant nature is utilized in conjunction with 196 Attack EVs so as to maximize Zigzagoon's Attack stat in order to KO as many Pokemon as possible. EVs are invested into bulk so that Zigzagoon can set up more reliably, and the remaining EVs are dumped into Speed.
Usage Tips
========
Zigzagoon is best used towards the end of the battle once its checks and counters have been removed so that it can sweep without trouble. Zigzagoon should refrain from switching in on attacks because it has very low defensive stats and it can be difficult to set up once Berry Juice has been consumed. This means Zigzagoon should be brought in to battle via a free switch from the likes of a slow VoltTurn user or immediately after a teammate has fainted. Additionally, Zigzagoon should wait for an opportune time to set up. This is usually when the foe cannot stop Zigzagoon from using Belly Drum, KO Zigzagoon, or burn Zigzagoon.
Team Options
========
Being frail, Zigzagoon appreciates Memento support from Pokemon like Diglett and Cottonee, as they can lower a foe's offensive stats and then give Zigzagoon a free switch, allowing it to set up safely. Diglett is arguably Zigzagoon's best teammate option, as not only can it provide Memento support, but it can also trap and KO Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon that resist Extreme Speed. It additionally has access to Stealth Rock. Entry hazard support like Stealth Rock is great because it can break Sturdy and Focus Sashes while also providing chip damage to make opposing Pokemon easier to KO for Zigzagoon. Other Pokemon that provide entry hazards include Dwebble and Onix. Pursuit users are also great partners because they can trap and remove Ghost-types and break Abra's Focus Sash, both of which otherwise cause trouble for Zigzagoon. Alolan Grimer and Stunky are especially good options, as they also provide Memento support. Knock Off users such as Pawniard and Mienfoo also help Zigzagoon sweep by removing bulky Pokemon's Eviolites so that Zigzagoon can KO them later. Furthermore, Pokemon that lure in Gastly, Zigzagoon's main Ghost-type threat, support Zigzagoon because it can then be Pursuit trapped. Likewise, Pokemon that lure in and weaken Steel-types are helpful for Zigzagoon. Snivy and the aforementioned Cottonee are great examples of these, luring in both Gastly and Steel-types.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Iron Tail can be used to grant Zigzagoon the ability to OHKO Spritzee, defensive Archen, and Lileep, while Rock Smash similarly is an option to OHKO Aron and Shieldon once Sturdy has been broken. These are not great choices, however, as these Pokemon are not very common and can be weakened beforehand. Normalium Z can be used instead of Berry Juice to allow Zigzagoon to use Z-Belly Drum, which restores its HP fully just before Belly Drum is used. This means that Zigzagoon can set up on Knock Off users; however, most Knock Off users threaten Zigzagoon anyway with their offensive power or typing. Normalium Z is also flawed because it guarantees that Zigzagoon will only have 50% or less of its HP remaining after Belly Drum, unlike when using Berry Juice. Return can also be utilized to OHKO bulky Pokemon such as Mareanie and Spritzee, but this means Zigzagoon will be missing out on important coverage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Ghost-type Pokemon**: Ghost-types that outspeed Zigzagoon like Gastly are significant threats because of their immunity to Extreme Speed. They can attack or burn Zigzagoon before it gets the opportunity to use Thief.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Steel-type Pokemon resist Extreme Speed, so they are sometimes able to survive an Extreme Speed and stop Zigzagoon's sweep. Pawniard is especially notable because it is able to Knock Off Zigzagoon's Berry Juice to prevent it from using Belly Drum, while it can also discourage Zigzagoon's teammates from using Memento, as it could switch in and gain an Attack boost from Defiant. Ferroseed is also a great threat, since Zigzagoon has no way to deal any considerable damage to it.
**Rock-type Pokemon**: Rock-types such as Onix also resist Extreme Speed, so they can often take a hit and KO Zigzagoon. However, Rock-types that are slower than Zigzagoon can be hit by a super effective Seed Bomb before they are able to attack. Tirtouga is notable despite its 4x weakness to Seed Bomb because of its access to Sturdy along with a STAB priority attack.
**Very Bulky Pokemon**: Very bulky Pokemon can survive an attack from Zigzagoon and then attack back. Bulky Fighting-types like Timburr are a particular threat because they can OHKO Zigzagoon with a super effective STAB move.
**Burns**: Pokemon that can burn Zigzagoon like Ponyta can cripple its Attack stat and therefore prevent it from sweeping successfully.
**Taunt Users**: Pokemon that have Taunt like Cottonee can prevent Zigzagoon from using Belly Drum, making it temporarily unable to sweep.
In Little Cup, Zigzagoon can act as an effective physical sweeper thanks to its access to the amazing combination of Belly Drum to maximize its Attack in an instant and Extreme Speed to outprioritize its foes and KO them. Unfortunately, it is hindered by its numerous flaws such as its poor bulk, which makes it struggle to set up Belly Drum reliably. Zigzagoon also requires excessive team support to perform its role with success, and without this, many Pokemon are able to get in the way of its sweep. In most games, Zigzagoon tends to either win the battle for its team with a successful sweep or fail to contribute anything at all.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum Sweeper
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Thief
move 4: Seed Bomb / Protect
item: Berry Juice
ability: Pickup
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 196 Atk / 108 Def / 28 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum turns Zigzagoon into a powerful sweeper, maximizing its Attack. Extreme Speed is the STAB move that Zigzagoon will be using the majority of the time in order to KO its foes. Its incredibly useful +2 priority compensates for Zigzagoon's low Speed stat, allowing it to sweep. Thief enables Zigzagoon to hit Ghost-types such as Gastly and Pumpkaboo-XL super effectively and can steal items once Berry Juice has been consumed. Seed Bomb provides coverage for Mudbray along with Rock-types like Onix and Tirtouga, though Protect is an alternative option that prevents Zigzagoon from being KOed by Fake Out users.
Set Details
========
Berry Juice restores Zigzagoon's HP to ensure it can use Belly Drum without it failing, or in some cases it can restore Zigzagoon's HP after Belly Drum to prepare itself for taking a hit. An Adamant nature is utilized in conjunction with 196 Attack EVs so as to maximize Zigzagoon's Attack stat in order to KO as many Pokemon as possible. EVs are invested into bulk so that Zigzagoon can set up more reliably, and the remaining EVs are dumped into Speed.
Usage Tips
========
Zigzagoon is best used towards the end of the battle once its checks and counters have been removed so that it can sweep without trouble. Zigzagoon should refrain from switching in on attacks because it has very low defensive stats and it can be difficult to set up once Berry Juice has been consumed. This means Zigzagoon should be brought in to battle via a free switch from the likes of a slow VoltTurn user or immediately after a teammate has fainted. Additionally, Zigzagoon should wait for an opportune time to set up. This is usually when the foe cannot stop Zigzagoon from using Belly Drum, KO Zigzagoon, or burn Zigzagoon.
Team Options
========
Being frail, Zigzagoon appreciates Memento support from Pokemon like Diglett and Cottonee, as they can lower a foe's offensive stats and then give Zigzagoon a free switch, allowing it to set up safely. Diglett is arguably Zigzagoon's best teammate option, as not only can it provide Memento support, but it can also trap and KO Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon that resist Extreme Speed. It additionally has access to Stealth Rock. Entry hazard support like Stealth Rock is great because it can break Sturdy and Focus Sashes while also providing chip damage to make opposing Pokemon easier to KO for Zigzagoon. Other Pokemon that provide entry hazards include Dwebble and Onix. Pursuit users are also great partners because they can trap and remove Ghost-types and break Abra's Focus Sash, both of which otherwise cause trouble for Zigzagoon. Alolan Grimer and Stunky are especially good options, as they also provide Memento support. Knock Off users such as Pawniard and Mienfoo also help Zigzagoon sweep by removing bulky Pokemon's Eviolites so that Zigzagoon can KO them later. Furthermore, Pokemon that lure in Gastly, Zigzagoon's main Ghost-type threat, support Zigzagoon because it can then be Pursuit trapped. Likewise, Pokemon that lure in and weaken Steel-types are helpful for Zigzagoon. Snivy and the aforementioned Cottonee are great examples of these, luring in both Gastly and Steel-types.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Iron Tail can be used to grant Zigzagoon the ability to OHKO Spritzee, defensive Archen, and Lileep, while Rock Smash similarly is an option to OHKO Aron and Shieldon once Sturdy has been broken. These are not great choices, however, as these Pokemon are not very common and can be weakened beforehand. Normalium Z can be used instead of Berry Juice to allow Zigzagoon to use Z-Belly Drum, which restores its HP fully just before Belly Drum is used. This means that Zigzagoon can set up on Knock Off users; however, most Knock Off users threaten Zigzagoon anyway with their offensive power or typing. Normalium Z is also flawed because it guarantees that Zigzagoon will only have 50% or less of its HP remaining after Belly Drum, unlike when using Berry Juice. Return can also be utilized to OHKO bulky Pokemon such as Mareanie and Spritzee, but this means Zigzagoon will be missing out on important coverage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Ghost-type Pokemon**: Ghost-types that outspeed Zigzagoon like Gastly are significant threats because of their immunity to Extreme Speed. They can attack or burn Zigzagoon before it gets the opportunity to use Thief.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Steel-type Pokemon resist Extreme Speed, so they are sometimes able to survive an Extreme Speed and stop Zigzagoon's sweep. Pawniard is especially notable because it is able to Knock Off Zigzagoon's Berry Juice to prevent it from using Belly Drum, while it can also discourage Zigzagoon's teammates from using Memento, as it could switch in and gain an Attack boost from Defiant. Ferroseed is also a great threat, since Zigzagoon has no way to deal any considerable damage to it.
**Rock-type Pokemon**: Rock-types such as Onix also resist Extreme Speed, so they can often take a hit and KO Zigzagoon. However, Rock-types that are slower than Zigzagoon can be hit by a super effective Seed Bomb before they are able to attack. Tirtouga is notable despite its 4x weakness to Seed Bomb because of its access to Sturdy along with a STAB priority attack.
**Very Bulky Pokemon**: Very bulky Pokemon can survive an attack from Zigzagoon and then attack back. Bulky Fighting-types like Timburr are a particular threat because they can OHKO Zigzagoon with a super effective STAB move.
**Burns**: Pokemon that can burn Zigzagoon like Ponyta can cripple its Attack stat and therefore prevent it from sweeping successfully.
**Taunt Users**: Pokemon that have Taunt like Cottonee can prevent Zigzagoon from using Belly Drum, making it temporarily unable to sweep.
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