[Finished] Larvesta

Proposed Sets

Set 1 : Offensive
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Timid
IV spread: 31/even/31/30/31/31
Hidden Power: Grass
Egg Moves:
-Morning Sun
-Magnet Rise
-Endure
-Foresight

HP Rock seems to provide the best overall coverage alongside its STABs, giving it a way to deal with Fire and Flying types. I have never bred for hidden powers before though, so I will need help with the spread and someone to lend me a relevant Ditto :)Egg moves are useless but meh. I figure Swarm is a decent ability on more offensive sets as it at least gives it some benefit if you're forced to switch into stealth rocks.

Set 2 : Bulkarona
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Bold
IV spread: 31/xx/31/31/31/31
Hidden Power: Not relevant
Egg Moves:
-Morning Sun
-Magnet Rise
-Endure
-Foresight

This one seems easier to do. Flame Body is used to burn your opponent as they as they try to take you down.

Progress

Discussing now.

No one likes Volcarona? At least need some input on the HP type before I can start breeding.

I've seen HP grass used a lot on the Quiver Dance sets (the set most people would use, I think)

I think I would use this set :

Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Timid
IV spread: 31/x/31/30/31/31 where x must be even
Hidden Power: Grass
Egg Moves:
-Don't care. None of them are useful.

And then you could also make your defensive set. But I think the Quiver Dance set is the only one I've ever seen used competitively, along with the Rain set with Hurricane.

HP Rock is the best way to go, imo. Grass would be good though, I forget that Giga Drain is only a tutor move.

Yeah, I totally overlooked Giga Drain being move tutor only, I thought it learned it via level up :/

This is kinda tricky, as both moves cover different things. Also Volcarona is hovering around the UU cutoff and the threats it has to deal with could be very different in a couple of months (no thanks to Talonflame...)

Will need more opinions.

With Quiver Dance / Flamethrower / Bug Buzz / HP Rock, Volcarona has nothing to hit Rock types and can't do much to all the water/ground types like Quagsire and Gastrodon unless it got at least 2 Quiver Dance. That's the reason I prefer Grass. Rock provides coverage against fire, but Volcatona isn't weak to fire so it doesn't matter as much if it can't OHKO. Against a rock or water/ground pokemon, you OHKO or you die. But both work, I guess it comes down to personal preference and to what other pokemon are on your team.

EDIT: Well I forgot that Talonflame b**ch. XD
But since its flying moves get priority, I guess still see no point in having a move to cover it. o.o

I'm also in favor of HP Grass. Otherwise, as Mademoiselle C said, it will have nothing to touch Rock or Water. Sort of a meh typing though, HP Grass gives you coverage for Rock... but it would already get wrecked by Stealth Rock...

Yeah, a spinner is essential on a team with Volcarona.

Mademoiselle C wrote:

Rock provides coverage against fire, but Volcatona isn't weak to fire so it doesn't matter as much if it can't OHKO.

Ya okay, this is swinging it for me. Rock has much better neutral coverage, but nearly all the stuff that still resists its moves with grass is irrelevant anyway + the SE coverage is more important. Gonna do your set then (with the terrible egg moves, cause that's just the sort of person I am )

EDIT: And as far as I was aware, the Bold set still uses QD anyway, with the aim being to set up 2 or more of them with the added bulk and Roost off any damage. Honestly, who would use Volcarona WITHOUT QD? o_o

Magikarpus wrote:

Mademoiselle C wrote:

Rock provides coverage against fire, but Volcatona isn't weak to fire so it doesn't matter as much if it can't OHKO.

Ya okay, this is swinging it for me. Rock has much better neutral coverage, but nearly all the stuff that still resists its moves with grass is irrelevant anyway + the SE coverage is more important. Gonna do your set then (with the terrible egg moves, cause that's just the sort of person I am )

EDIT: And as far as I was aware, the Bold set still uses QD anyway, with the aim being to set up 2 or more of them with the added bulk and Roost off any damage. Honestly, who would use Volcarona WITHOUT QD? o_o

I have seen a Baton Pass team built around Volcarona where the whole team boosted Volcarona to the point that it would've destroyed my team if I didn't have Talonflame (I do know that Volcarona doesn't have BP. Other Pokemon boosted Volcarona, not the other way around. It was a one-way trip)

I'm in favor of HP rock. But I'm not much of a competitive battler haha. I just think that it would be a good coverage move against dragonite or salamence.

ed819 wrote:

I'm in favor of HP rock. But I'm not much of a competitive battler haha. I just think that it would be a good coverage move against dragonite or salamence.

HP Rock 2x effectiveness: 60*2 = 120
Bug Buzz STAB: 90*1.5 = 135
Bug Buzz is superior ><

PotatoClan wrote:

ed819 wrote:

I'm in favor of HP rock. But I'm not much of a competitive battler haha. I just think that it would be a good coverage move against dragonite or salamence.

HP Rock 2x effectiveness: 60*2 = 120
Bug Buzz STAB: 90*1.5 = 135
Bug Buzz is superior ><

Bug Buzz has 1/2x effectiveness though

The thing is, you're gonna lose to something. If I'm not mistaken, bug is not effective against ground, right? So you either take out ground/water or fire/flying. Hp rock isn't going to take out anything 2x effective without a lot of boosts, especially dragonite. Idk, I'm leaning toward grass since those are pokes you can switch in on (after a kill) and scare away. Talonflame beats you and mega char y beats you with a speed tie if it carries ap. Grass seems to grant you more shots top set up your boosts, but rock under a few boosts is better. That is very tough.

I might just breed both at this rate. One other potential argument in favour of rock is that Z will inevitably come out and the Giga Drain tutor will return xP But we can't guarantee that, so...

For now I'm going with Grass because bash678 offered to lend a HP grass ditto.

If giga drain guy doesn't return, me and my soundproof mega Abomasnow are going to be mighty unhappy.

Oh my, this hatch rate

Now I see why no one wanted to do Larvesta

You can do this!
Gimme an M! Gimme an A! Gimme a G, I, K!
Gimme an A! Gimme an R! Gimme a P, U, S!
Go MAGIKARPUS!!
Whooooo!

Bred a rather nice 31/4/31/30/31/31. That's the HP Grass set done. Just need to do the bulky one now.