Groudon
|
Names:
|
Name Meaning:
|
|
Japanese: Groudon
German: Groudon
French: Groudon
|
Ground + Don ("Lord"
in Spanish, "Tooth" in Latin)
Same as Japanese Name
|
|
Type
|
Height:
|
Weight
|
|
Ground
|
11'06" (1.7 m)
|
2094.4 lb (950 kg)
|
|
Species:
|
Trait(s):
|
|
Continent
|
Drought
|
|
EXP. to Level 100
|
|
|
|
1,250,000
|
Slow
|
5
|
|
|
Gender Ratio
|
|
+3 Atk
|
Genderless
|
|
Egg Group
|
# of Steps to Hatch from Egg
|
|
No Eggs
|
30,720 Steps
This number exists even though Groudon can't
have eggs
|
Base stats
100 HP / 150 Atk / 140 Def / 100 SAtk / 90 SDef / 90 Spd
Weaknesses: Ice (x2), Grass (x1/2), Water (x2)
Resistances: Rock (x1/2), Poison (x1/2)
Immunities: Electric
Movesets
( Look up any words you don't know in the Battle
Dictionary)
Swords Dance Sweeper
|
Moves
|
How to obtain
|
| 1)
Earthquake |
Level 35/TM 26 |
2)
Stone Edge
|
TM71 |
3)
Dragon Claw
|
TM02 |
| 4)
Swords Dance |
TM75 |
| Trait: Drought |
Nature: Adamant (+Atk,
- SAtk) |
| Item: Leftovers/Life Orb |
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252
Spd |
Strategy:
With monstrous Attack, excellent Defense, and great stats everywhere else, Groudon is one of the best physical sweepers in the game. Swords Dance makes your already incredible Attack even more ridiculously
high. Always give him Earthquake, which will do massive amounts of damage to anything not resistant or immune to Ground moves. Use Stone Edge to take on Flying types, especially the likes of Lugia and Ho-oh.
Dragon Claw is there to hit Latios and Latias, who are two very popular Groudon counters.
The EVs are pretty standard for a physical sweeper. Simply max out its Attack and Speed and use an Adamant nature to boost your Attack to the highest it can be. You can use a Life Orb to increase your Attack even further at the cost of your HP. Go with Leftovers if you don't want to be losing health every turn you attack.
Choice Band
| Moves |
How to
obtain |
| 1)
Earthquake |
Level 35/TM 26 |
2)
Stone Edge
|
TM71 |
| 3)
Dragon Claw |
TM02 |
| 4)
Overheat |
TM50 |
| Trait: Drought |
Nature: Adamant (+Atk,
- SAtk) |
| Item: Choice Band |
EVs: 4 HP /
252 Atk / 252 Spd |
Strategy:
A Choice Banded Groudon can be a very scary opponent since it can hit you right away with a massive 657 Attack. Overheat is reserved for Steel-types that are immune to Earthquake, including Skarmory and Bronzong. They may be rare sights on an uber team, but it helps to be prepared.
RestTalk
Moves |
How to
obtain |
| 1) Earthquake |
Level 35/TM 26 |
2) Stone Edge
OR
Dragon Claw
|
TM71
TM02 |
| 3) Rest |
TM44 |
| 4) Sleep Talk |
TM82 |
| Trait: Drought |
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SAtk) |
| Item: Leftovers |
EVs: 252 HP / 102 Atk / 48 Def / 104 SDef |
Strategy:
This set takes advantage of Groudon's defensive abilities and makes it a good counter against physical attacking ubers. This Groudon doesn't mind taking a beatdown since it can simply Rest away the damage and use Sleep Talk to attack while it's slumbering. Earthquake is mandatory, of course, and you can choose either Stone Edge to hit Lugia and Ho-oh or Dragon Claw to take on Latios, Latias, and other Dragons.
The EVs here are the key to surviving many common threats found among ubers. Impish nature with Max HP and a little bit of Defense means it can live through an Outrage from an Adamant Dragon Danced Rayquaza as well as an Earthquake from an Adamant Swords Danced Groudon. With those Special Defense EVs, this Groudon can even take special hits relatively well since it will almost always survive a Grass Knot from a Timid Soul Dew Latias. Put the remaining EVs into Attack since you still want to be able to hurt your opponents.
Other options: Shadow Claw (TM65), Substitute (TM90, FR/LG/Em Tutor), Bulk Up (Lv. 30, TM08), Rock Polish (TM69), Thunder Wave (TM73), Choice Scarf (Battle Tower Prize), Fire Punch (Em Tutor)
Shadow Claw can be an alternative to Dragon Claw on any set. It's slighty weaker than Dragon Claw, but it's supereffective against virtually all of Groudon's counters.
Substitute is nice since it prevents Groudon from getting infected by nasty status effects.
Groudon has pretty low speed for an uber, but there are a few ways it can overcome this. Rock Polish doubles its Speed and can surprise your opponent since many people aren't prepared for a speedy Groudon. Thunder Wave cripples enemies with paralysis and can make them easier to finish off. Finally, Choice Scarf allows Groudon to outrun fast ubers like Timid Mewtwo.
Bulk Up is slightly inferior to Swords Dance since it only boosts your Attack by one stage instead of two, but the Defense boost may come in handy against physical sweepers.
Groudon can learn Fire Punch, which may seem like a good idea since it's a physical move that gets boosted by the sun. But it's actually not that useful since Overheat will still do more damage even though Groudon has lower Special Attack.
How to counter Groudon:
Groudon can hit incredibly hard with powerful physical moves, so it can often be a challenge to find a good Pokemon to counter it. Since Earthquake is its most powerful and commonly used move, a good counter should be resistant or immune to that move.
With an Earthquake immunity along with high HP and Defense, Lugia makes a great counter. It can use Reflect to hinder Groudon's physical attacks and if Groudon tries to Swords Dance, it can simply Whirlwind it away. Sure, it's weak to Stone Edge, but it takes a critical hit to actually do major damage. Latios and Latias also have Earthquake immunity, though they can't take physical hits as well and have to beware of Dragon Claw. Both twins can learn Grass Knot. Against a Pokemon as heavy as Groudon, Grass Knot has the same power as Solarbeam and will almost always OHKO unless Groudon invests in HP and Special Defense EVs.
Exeggutor can take advantage of the sun that Groudon brings out. Switch it in on an Earthquake or a Dragon Claw, get a speed boost with its Chlorophyll ability, and fire a Solarbeam that can kill Groudon in one hit.
Links to Pokedex Entries
Bulbapedia
LegendaryPokemon
Psypoke
Serebii
Smogon
Veekun
