Zorua-Hisui @ Eviolite
Ability: Illusion
Level: 5
EVs: 36 Def / 236 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Beam
- Nasty Plot
- Bitter Malice / Dig
- Snarl / Icy Wind
Hisuian Zorua is likely the best Pokemon in LC 1v1. With an excellent typing and a hardly abusable statline, it hits absurdly hard as the only user of STAB Hyper Beam, and can Nasty Plot against anything trying to bulk it. Bitter Malice doubles as perfectly acceptable STAB damage and a defensive option to prevent physical nukes from doing their job. Snarl, mirroring Bitter Malice as a specially defensive option, and Icy Wind, denying counterplay with Scarf or opposing speed control, are both great options that heavily limit how one can play around Zorua. Dig can also be run over Bitter Malice to tech Specs Magnemite, one of Zorua's most viable answers.
SpDef Specs (Magnemite) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 236 SpA / 156 SpD / 76 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Electroweb
- Flash Cannon
- Thunder
- Thunderbolt
Magnemite is another Pokemon that will nail any team that doesn't have it specifically in mind while building. Its primary wincon of leveraging Sturdy to land a 2HKO with Specs Electroweb is a headache to stop. 156 Special Defense allows Magnemite to live a Snarl into Bitter Malice from Zorua and 3HKO with Electroweb.
Let Me Be Clear (Magnemite) @ Clear Amulet
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 36 Def / 236 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Electroweb
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder
Clear Amulet makes Magnemite notably worse at being Magnemite, but it allows it to deny opposing speed control from the likes of Bulldoze Crabrawler and Cufant, as well as both Snarl and Icy Wind from Zorua. This allows it to consistently beat standard Zorua even if it runs Dig, as Electroweb into Thunderbolt will always land a kill.
Bonsly @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 196 HP / 196 Atk / 76 SpD / 36 Spe
Lonely Nature
IVs: 0 Def
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Counter
While not quite the premiere Sturdy abuser, Bonsly is a consistent answer to the two above threats, and makes easy work of unprepared teams with the combination of its powerful StoneQuake and a strong finisher in Sucker Punch. Minimum Defense creates an unwinnable situation for Counter-prone physical attackers such as Crabrawler who neglect to run a safe Sturdy-breaking move.
Toedscool @ Eviolite
Ability: Mycelium Might
Level: 5
EVs: 196 HP / 116 SpA / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Leaf Storm
- Mud Shot
- Mirror Coat
Toedscool makes for an excellent teammate to Zorua, knocking the Steel- and Rock-types that make up much of Zorua's counterplay. 196 HP reliably lives Iron Head + Sucker Punch from Eviolite Pawniard. Despite its unfortunate Ice weakness, Toedscool is a highly solid and highly clickable option.
EVs: 116 HP / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 116 Spe
Modest Nature
This alternate EV spread sacrifices the Pawniard matchup to create some fighting chances against Zorua. Modest Mud Shot + Leaf Storm lands a kill, and Mirror Coat prevents Zorua from just spamming Icy Wind or Snarl. While not at all a reliable answer, having less of a Zorua weakness on a team is always appreciated.
Mudbray @ Eviolite
Ability: Stamina
Level: 5
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 116 HP / 116 Atk / 36 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Tomb
- Heavy Slam
- Rest
Mudbray serves a similar role to Toedscool as an anti-meta Ground-type, trading the valuable Grass typing for a much better physically defensive spread that is invaluable against the likes of Eevee and Deino. Rest allows Mudbray to get full leverage out of Stamina and heal Will-O-Wisp from Growlithe.
Stall (Fuecoco) @ Eviolite
Ability: Unaware
Level: 5
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 220 HP / 44 Def / 12 SpA / 196 SpD
Calm Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Slack Off
- Flamethrower
- Flame Charge
Fuecoco has everything a stall Pokemon could dream for. Its excellent HP alongside its almost-unique Unaware (shared only by Wooper) allows it to sit in the way of Zorua and live to tell the tale, and Will-O-Wisp of course allows it to beat most physical attackers with ease. Flame Charge + Flamethrower also reliably beats Magnemite.
Anti Toedscool (Fuecoco) @ Eviolite
Ability: Unaware
Level: 5
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 140 HP / 196 SpD / 148 Spe
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Slack Off
- Flare Blitz
- Flame Charge
Don't be fooled, however; Fuecoco is perfectly willing to take matters into his own hands and start biting people. This set takes advantage of Toedscool's much more abusable physical Defense to guarantee a KO with Flame Charge into Flare Blitz while also tanking Mud Shot into Earth Power. It doesn't sacrifice many matchups, but it does make your time against Zorua a little harder due to your lower HP.
Crabrawler @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Fist
Level: 5
EVs: 180 Atk / 60 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Bulldoze
- Thunder Punch / Ice Punch / Rock Tomb
- Thunder Punch / Ice Punch / Rock Tomb
In a tier where most Flying-, Psychic- and Fairy-types are quite underwhelming, Crabrawler is given a perfect environment in which to thrive; a great speed tier and highly spammable Close Combat are really all that it needs. Its last two moveslots can cover Shellder, Toedscool, and Bonsly respectively.
Shellder @ Eviolite
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 236 Atk / 116 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Liquidation
- Ice Shard
Speaking of, Shellder lives up to its Water typing by being very splashable. Shell Smash alongside its ridiculously powerful Rock Blast gives it excellent chances against anything it can tank a hit from, which is easier than you may think looking at its admittedly pitiful Special Defense.
Buizel @ Choice Band
Ability: Water Veil
Level: 5
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wave Crash
- Ice Spinner
- Chilling Water
- Dig / Brick Break
Buizel was blessed in Generation 9 with the incredible Wave Crash, only made more incredible by Buizel's top-notch speed tier allowing to outspeed Zorua even with Adamant and OHKO with its new toy. Its Water typing and coverage in Ice Spinner also secures the matchup against many of Zorua's best teammates, making it a threat Zorua teams must keep in mind. Chilling Water 2HKOs Bonsly while preventing both Counter and Stone Edge + Sucker Punch.
Deino @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Hustle
Level: 5
EVs: 20 HP / 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Outrage
- Ice Fang
- Head Smash
Deino's Hustle Outrage is the strongest unboosted attack in the tier, and its monstrous power level makes it one of few Pokemon that can afford to run Choice Scarf. This gives it a quite unique matchup spread, most notably landing clean OHKOs on both Zorua and Toedscool. The unreliability inherent to Hustle is worth keeping in mind, however.
Eevee @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 76 SpD / 156 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Double Kick
- Dig
- Bite
Eevee's Choice Banded Adaptability Double-Edge is one of the strongest attacks in all of Little Cup, which is especially scary thanks to its highly consistent Normal typing. It faces hefty competition from Zorua, but can still thrive thanks to Double Kick handling practically any Magnemite set.
Cufant @ Eviolite
Ability: Heavy Metal
Level: 5
EVs: 20 HP / 196 Atk / 44 Def / 124 SpD / 116 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Bulldoze
- Earthquake
- Rock Tomb
Heavy Metal over Sheer Force may look silly, but you won't be laughing when a 120 BP Heavy Slam comes your way, which is true for every Pokemon in the tier lighter than Slowpoke. Heavy Metal also gives Cufant access to vanilla Bulldoze, allowing it to become a potent answer to Zorua and Specs Magnemite. Rock Tomb breaks Bonsly’s Sturdy without risking a death to Counter.
Skrelp @ Choice Specs
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 5
EVs: 116 Def / 196 SpA / 196 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Sludge Bomb
- Icy Wind
- Thunderbolt
Skrelp serves a similar role to Eevee while also consistently beating Shellder (who can EV around Eevee without much trouble with 116 HP), but the weakness to types like Electric and Ground stings.
Growlithe @ Eviolite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 5
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 156 HP / 76 Def / 36 SpA / 116 SpD / 116 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Morning Sun
- Flamethrower
- Snarl
What if Fuecoco had Intimidate? Growlithe has an easier time than Fuecoco against most stock physical attackers, notably Eevee, as well as being able to use Snarl without it being invalidated by its own ability; however, it's difficult to justify the choice with Growlithe unable to stop setup, especially from Zorua.
Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
- Night Slash
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Aerial Ace
Pawniard generally has worse matchups than Bonsly, but it's notable as being an answer to all of Bonsly, Zorua and Magnemite. It also beats Toedscools that opt not to run max HP, but that shouldn't be relied on.
Glimmet @ Life Orb
Ability: Toxic Debris
Level: 5
EVs: 20 Def / 236 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Mud Shot
- Protect
Glimmet also finds it difficult to compete with Bonsly, but it's a good choice for teams that are confident with their Magnemite matchup and would prefer an option against Shellder and Fuecoco. Protect prevents Dig cheese, as the two moves have the same PP.
