Additional Items: Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, Damp Rock, Expert Belt, Fightinium Z, Normalium Z
Additional Moves: Low Kick, Me First, Rain Dance, Signal Beam, Snatch, Thunder, Wild Charge
Notes:
- 29 HP IVs reduces Life Orb damage. If Life Orb is not used then Zebstrika should return to 31 HP IVs.
- The primary reasons to utilize Zebstrika over other Electric types are its unique speed stat and Sap Sipper, with Lightning Rod being suited to specific teams.
- Expert Belt allows Zebstrika to avoid being quickly worn down by pivoting while still allowing Zebstrika to switch moves.
- Choice Specs allows Zebstrika to do greater damage at the cost of switching moves.
- Damp Rock allows Zebstrika to perform a similar function to Rotom-Frost on a rain team, but with better speed and a more relevant immunity in return for significantly lesser offensive prowess. This is the only set that should be utilizing Thunder.
- Choice Scarf allows Zebstrika to prey upon weather teams with prediction, but should otherwise not be used.
- Normalium Z with Me First also allows Zebstrika to prey upon weather teams, but requires an opportunity to set up and is otherwise rarely useful.
- Fightinium Z with Low Kick gives Zebstrika the ability to significantly damage Rock and Normal types while threatening Dark types and maintaining consistency.
- Hidden Power [Ice] super effects Ground types that would otherwise try to prevent Zebstrika from performing its function as an offensive pivot while still threatening Grass types without relying on Overheat.
- Hidden Power [Grass] can surprise KO Golem and allows choice sets to reduce prediction against Water/Ground cores, but does not cover Dragon types and leaves Zebstrika more dependent on Overheat.
- Signal Beam hits Psychic types like Grumpig and Dark types like Liepard, but is generally less useful than Hidden Power [Ice].
- Snatch allows Zebstrika to steal boosts from Pokemon that would otherwise try to set up on it or steal recovery moves such as Heal Bell and Wish, but requires a lot of prediction and is generally niche.
- Wild Charge should only ever be considered on a set with Low Kick, and only if that set is significantly invested on the Physical side. The most significant Water types in ZU bias their defenses towards the physical side, meaning that Thunderbolt generally hits significantly harder and lacks the self-destructive recoil of Wild Charge, and what things it hits hard enough to matter are often better handled by Volt Switch into an appropriate check or counter.
