its all in your head
QC 3/3 (Minority, Dominatio, Fireburn)
GP 1/1 (The Dutch Plumberjack)
[OVERVIEW]
* Psychic Terrain gives Arceus-Psychic somewhat of a newfound defensive niche in counteracting opposing teams utilizing it. The immunity to Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak while Psychic Terrain is active is another welcome bonus.
* Psychic typing is somewhat useful, as it allows Arceus-Psychic to be one of the best Deoxys-A checks in the game, fearing only the rather rare Dark Pulse. It can check most Psychic-types in SM Ubers, but it can have trouble with Lunala.
* That's about where Arceus-Psychic's fun ends, however, as it is completely destroyed by all the Dark- and Ghost-types running around in the tier, usually giving them free switches when teams can already have trouble keeping them down.
* There is an insanely high opportunity cost to using Arceus-Psychic, as its usage removes the option of an Arceus that offers far more to a team via either offensive or defensive capabilities, while also increasing strain on a team due to its very clear weaknesses.
* It's also vulnerable to status moves, Shadow Tag, and all entry hazards while also being a very passive wall, giving away free switches to many Pokemon in the tier.
* Avoid using this Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Ice Beam
item: Mind Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 64 SpD / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Fire Blast hits all the Steel-types that may assume they can switch freely on Arceus-Psychic. Thanks to this set's Speed investment, it can also act as a check to Mega Lucario.
* Dark Pulse is a necessity to enable Arceus-Psychic to make the most of its typing to check opposing Psychic-types while also hitting Ghost-types such as Lunala and Mega Gengar for a 2HKO.
* Recover is necessary to maintain longevity, as Arceus-Psychic can even switch into Deoxys-A's Psycho Boost and Recover off the damage easily.
* Toxic is mainly to avoid giving free turns to Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, as they can usually play without caring for Arceus-Psychic.
* Ice Beam can hit Yveltal switch-ins while also taking out a Mega Salamence or Rayquaza in a pinch, but can leave the set rather passive against Pokemon that aren't hit super effectively by the other moves.
Set Details
========
* Maximum HP gets the most use out of Arceus-Psychic's bulk, allowing it to better take on Mewtwo and Deoxys-A, as well as other general threats.
* 192 Speed EVs lets Arceus-Psychic outspeed everything up to Adamant Mega Lucario while also getting the jump on Timid Yveltal and Lunala. The rest goes into Special Defense with a Calm nature to offer some form of a buffer against Deoxys-A when in Psychic Terrain, as Psycho Boost can put Arceus-Psychic into Knock Off range without any Special Defense investment.
* A Timid nature is a possibility to outspeed Jolly Mega Lucario sets, but it comes with a hit to its usual Special Defense investment.
* Despite not typically utilizing Judgment, Mind Plate is still preferred over Psychium Z, as Arceus-Psychic cannot fit a Z-Move on its sets without bringing more opportunity cost to the table. The Z-Move slot is better suited to its teammates in most cases.
Usage Tips
========
* This set can be used as a primary switch-in to Psychic-types such as Deoxys-A and Mewtwo, but you must keep an eye out for Ghost- or Dark-type coverage from either of them. Psycho Boost from Deoxys-A while in Psychic Terrain still does a lot of damage, and if Deoxys-A is running two STAB attacks, then the combination of Psychic and Psycho Boost combined with Stealth Rock damage can actually beat Arceus-Psychic in the worst case scenario.
* Avoid Dark-type Pokemon completely. Yveltal, Arceus-Dark and even Darkrai can switch in with Arceus-Psychic's only option being the usage of Toxic to really punish them. Refresh Arceus-Dark is a complete counter to this set and should never be taken on in any circumstance, so switch out when encountering it.
* While Arceus-Psychic has Dark Pulse to hit Ghost-type Pokemon super effectively, the damage output is very lacking, only dealing around 60% to Mega Gengar. If Arceus-Psychic is weakened, it may find itself being revenge killed by the very Ghost-types that Dark Pulse can hit, so keep it healthy unless the idea of trading damage on opposing Psychic- and Ghost-types is worth it.
Team Options
========
* Fairy-types such as Magearna, Klefki, and Xerneas are necessary partners to help cover Arceus-Psychic's crippling weakness to Dark-types.
* Yveltal and Darkrai can help to counteract Ghost-types for Arceus-Psychic, while Arceus-Psychic does nothing notable in return for them. Unfortunate.
* Primal Groudon helps against Primal Kyogre and opposing Fairy-types for Arceus-Psychic.
* Partners that can take advantage of Arceus-Psychic's ability to lure and take out Steel-types and deal with Psychic Terrain cores make for good partners. Xerneas and Mega Salamence are examples.
* Tyranitar can help deal with Yveltal via its attacks, via sandstorm damage, and by setting up Stealth Rock to keep it from switching in freely. The residual damage Tyranitar puts out will also break Lunala's Shadow Shield, or it can even Pursuit trap it for Arceus-Psychic if given the opportunity.
* The remaining slots on a team should aim to patch up the weaknesses that using Arceus-Psychic brings to the table, such as a lack of Defog and checks to physical attackers, things that a different Arceus forme could be doing instead of it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Judgment can be used for a stronger neutral hit on Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Xerneas, but it lacks real targets outside of Mega Gengar, which Dark Pulse can already hit, and Toxapex.
* Future Sight can force the opponent into a mind game. If a Dark-type switches in as Arceus-Psychic uses Future Sight, and Arceus-Psychic switches to a teammate that handles said Dark-type, it can potentially force a tough situation on the opponent. However, if the teammate is a Fairy-type, a Steel-type switch from the opponent can likely handle both the Fairy-type and the incoming Future Sight at the same time, making the situation far less threatening.
* Psychium Z when combined with Arceus-Psychic's numerous non-attacking Psychic-type moves can yield different Z-Move effects, but none of them stand out enough or help Arceus-Psychic achieve any new niches.
* Calm Mind + Focus Blast can act as a bulkier Calm Mind Mewtwo, but it is outclassed, as Mewtwo is much stronger and has a higher Speed.
* Magic Coat can be used alongside Dark Pulse to anti-lead Deoxys-S and bounce back other entry hazards or status moves; however, there is little room on Arceus-Psychic's moveset as it is.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, Alolan Muk, and Tyranitar all switch into Arceus-Psychic with little to no fear and can do whatever they want.
**Ghost-types**: Lunala, Giratina-O, and Mega Gengar can't play recklessly against Arceus-Psychic due to Dark Pulse, but they can easily deal heavy damage or take out Arceus-Psychic if it is weakened. Mega Gengar can keep Arceus-Psychic from switching with Shadow Tag to take it out of the picture with Hex or Shadow Ball.
**Bulky Attackers**: Primal Kyogre, Primal Groudon, and other Arceus formes can take advantage of how passive Arceus-Psychic is to create advantages for themselves. Most Dragon-types in the metagame can do this as well, with Mega Salamence using this set as setup fodder unless Arceus-Psychic is using Ice Beam. Pretty much anything bulky that doesn't take much damage from Arceus-Psychic's usual moves and aren't prone to being Toxic stalled are threats.
**Walls**: Blissey, Chansey, Toxapex and Clefable can all switch into Arceus-Psychic and use the free turns to do anything from clearing Status moves from their team, to recovering their HP, or just Toxic stalling out Arceus-Psychic.
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