==General== [secret]* Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat, Roar, Copycat! * Nice offensive stats and decent speed * Access to stuff like Swords Dance allowing for a potent sweeper * Copycat and Prankster allows for priority on any move. * Nice offensive movepool * Kawaii as fuck.[/secret] Riolu is an interesting Pokémon in Little Cup, perhaps most famous for its much beloved Copycat and Roar antics. While that set is certainly imposing and without a doubt a threat Riolu has a number of tricks up its cute little sleeves that make it anything but a one-trick-pony. Much like its bigger brother Lucario, Riolu has an extensive movepool of attacking and boosting moves, and even a few support moves to boot. This, as you might expect, contributes greatly to Riolu's versatility. To back up his movepool Riolu has one of the powerful Gen V abilities in Prankster, this in combination with Copycat allows it to put priority onto the move that was used last in the previous turn. Riolu is a threat that should be considered for more than just Roar and Copycat, to underestimate its potential is to bring about one's own demise. ==Swords Dance Prankster== Riolu (M) @ Eviolite Trait: Prankster EVs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SDef / 196 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Copycat - Drain Punch / Hi-Jump Kick - Crunch - Swords Dance [secret]* Very potent and powerful late-game sweeper. * Copycat gives you priority on any move in the right situation, incredibly threatening. * Drain Punch is STAB and keeps health high, HJK is very powerful but holds risk and no healing. * Crunch hits Ghost-types[/secret] This set makes use of Riolu's most dangerous boosting move, Swords Dance. Swords Dance boosts Riolu's already respectable Attack stat to sweeping standards. Drain Punch is a reliable STAB move and provides Riolu with some recovery to help it survive. Hi-Jump Kick is an extremely powerful and intimidating move, but it comes with an equally intimidating risk. Crunch is used to hit Ghost-types as one might expect. Copycat is what makes this set click and what sets it apart from other fighting types such as Timburr and Mienfoo. Copycat in conjunction with Prankster allows Riolu to use the previous move with priority. This can be used to endow Riolu's own moves with priority, or the moves of other Pokémon if required, this makes Riolu more or less immune to faster revenge killers such as Diglett or Scarf users. ==Set Checks and Counters== * Protect users in general can break your Copycat chain but Abra especially can OHKO you in return without even losing its Sash. * Bulky Pokémon in general can be hard to break without multiple SDs but most notably Fake-Out Mienfoo prevents you from Copycat abuse and can kill you off. * Murkrow can threaten a straight OHKO with Brave Bird but can also break Copycat with Roost or Sucker Punch ==Set Synergy== * Entry hazards greatly assist Riolu in sweeping, Dwebble is a good setter * Stunky can trap things like Abra and prevent them from ruining Riolu's day * Screens can make setting up a lot easier, Natu is good at this. ==Get Rekt this is totally competitive== Riolu (M) @ Eviolite / Focus Sash Trait: Prankster EVs: 196 HP / 116 Atk / 116 Def / 36 SDef Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Copycat - Drain Punch - Crunch - Roar [secret]* Copycat and Roar make a deadly combination when used with Prankster. Allows for continuous shuffling until the Roar chain is broken by another priority move. * Drain Punch and Crunch allow for some physical attacking if it's more beneficial to do so * Roaring is the main function of this set, not much to say really[/secret] This set takes full advantage of the interesting Roar, Copycat and Prankster trio. Using Copycat after Roaring out an opponent allows for +1 priority Roar until Roar was not the last move to be used. The only way to stop this chain is for an opponent to use another priority move, or for a Pokémon immune to PHazing such as Natu or Suction Cups Lileep to be sent in. The EVs allow Riolu to make use of its defensive stats while retaining some offensive prowess for if it is required. Crunch allows you to hit Natu, who otherwise puts a full stop to this set. While Drain Punch serves as a reliable STAB and a recovery move. ==Set Checks and Counters== * Permanent Hail generated from Snover can eventually kill off a Roaring Riolu if the first hit on it was damaging enough * Priority attacks like Ice Shard, Aqua Jet and Mach Punch can break the Roar chain, but a smart Riolu will Roar when said Pokémon come in. * Protect users can cockblock Copycat and many can OHKO. * Natu completely destroys this if it can avoid Crunch as Roar will bounce out Riolu instead ==Set Synergy== * Obviously entry hazards are useful, another point for Dwebble * Removal of things such as Natu is a job Stunky is good at. ==Other Options== [secret]* Copycat Reversal is a nice gimmick but is generally outclassed due to the prevalence of priority. * Lots of coverage moves such as Ice Punch and Earthquake * Makes a good weather setter with Prankster * Can run a Nasty Plot set, or a Work Up mixed set, but Swords Dance is usually superior * Can run a Bulk-Up set with Substitute to set up on a number of Pokémon and sweep * Protect allows Riolu to serve as a very effective revenge killer as Copycat allows you to copy your opponent's move that was blocked by Protect.[/secret] With access to both Prankster Copycat and Reversal, a Reversal set can be a deadly force, caution should be taken with this however, due to the large amounts of priority and the occasional Snow Warning Snover in Little Cup. As mentioned in the overview, Riolu has access to a large offensive movepool, this includes moves such as Ice Punch, Earthquake and Bullet Punch. Most of these moves have their merits and should be considered depending on your team. Like any Pokémon with Prankster, Riolu makes very good use of the weather moves. Work Up and Nasty Plot can allow Riolu to run a mixed and special sweeper sets respectively, these have decent surprise value and can be hard to stop. The last set up move that Riolu has access to is Bulk-Up, this allows for a bulky sweeper that is able to set up on a number of Pokémon using Substitute. Protect allows Riolu to serve as a very potent revenge killer in conjunction with Copycat as it allows for +1 priority on whatever move your opponent tried to use on you, this is made more effective as the Copycat Roar set is often expected and sweepers will simply try to oust Riolu before he can Roar and are unlikely to try and set up further on your Protect turn. ==Checks and Counters== [secret]* Anything that can break your Copycat chain poses a threat to Riolu, users of Protect and other priority can do this. * Anything that can kill Riolu before it can set up its Roar or Swords Dance is of course good. Things like Murkrow. * Snover's weather can be a hindrance, especially to Sash Roar sets.[/secret] Anything that possesses priority and can break Riolu's Copycat chain is a threat. This is done through the use of priority moves, these are prominent in Little Cup and may come from a number of sources. Murkrow is a notable check to Riolu as it has access to Sucker Punch to break Riolu's Copycat antics and can pose a serious threat with STAB Brave Bird. Snover removes all usefulness of Sash Riolu as the weather will kill off Riolu at the end of the turn. To the offensive sets, Abra is a solid revenge kill regardless of the set, as long as its Sash is in tact. Threats also come from very bulky Pokémon such as Timburr that Riolu can't hit for super effective damage. Although most Timburr can be overcome none the less.
IMHO Focus sash should be slashed first in the CCatRoar. Good overall, I think Bullet Punch and Vacuum Wave deserve mentions, being priority.
I used a Bulky set in LC UU while Riolu was still legal now I haven't tried it much in regular LC and certainly don't think it's Riolu's best option but I believe it could use an OO mention it does fantastically against many Bulky/Stally Pokemon. Riolu (F) @ Eviolite Trait: Prankster EVs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 196 SDef / 36 Spd Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk) - Bulk Up - Substitute - Drain Punch - Crunch 21 Hp lets you sub 4 times Bulk Up and Drain Punch help keep your HP up while priority sub helps against a variety of threats such as Trick and Status. Think of this as you would Bulk Up Conkeldurr in OU but instead of priority Mach Punch you got Priority Sub.
I'd like Protect to be mentioned since with it Riolu becomes the Ultimate Revenge killer and Scout. It also allows Riolu to use moves like Stealth Rock, U-turn, Spore, ect. As Mewthree said Bulk Bulk deserves a OO mention. I don't get why the second set needs Speed EVs since you want to be slower for you to CopyCat your attack and not opponent's. Would you care to explain? QC Approved otherwise.
Added BU to OO. Added Protect revenge killing to OO Changed the second set's EV spread to a bulkier one at the cost of speed.
i think that for the copycat set, SD is not a total necessity and a slash of HJK on that slot is [a good/the best] idea for it, also its spread should be 36 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SDef / 196 Spd