Hoppip Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Sleep Powder is able to put one foe out of commission entirely; thanks to Hoppip's ability, Infiltrator, not even Substitute will be enough to prevent this. Acrobatics becomes a powerful STAB move once Berry Juice is activated and annihilates a good portion of the Grass-types that may attempt to switch in to absorb Sleep Powder. Bullet Seed is another viable choice, dealing heavy damage to frailer foes due to how damage rolls work at level 5. Substitute gives Hoppip a reliable means to activate Berry Juice and thus pairs well with Acrobatics; it's also generally useful for scouting attacks and switch-ins. U-turn allows Hoppip to scout the opposing team and provide momentum for its own team after crippling the opposition with Sleep Powder in a similar manner to Compound Eyes Yanma before it was banned. Hoppip's powerful STAB moves and ability to bypass Reflect make it a potent attacker, so Swords Dance is a good option for Hoppip to sweep even more easily. However, Aromatherapy allows Hoppip to further support its own team, as well as remove its own paralysis or burn. Set Details This set aims to take advantage of Hoppip's unique strengths to allow it to support its team and damage the opposing team in a single set. The given EVs maximize Hoppip's Attack and Speed stats for as much sweeping potential as possible, with the remainder of the EVs dumped in HP so that Hoppip is able to switch into Stealth Rock eight times instead of seven. Berry Juice extends Hoppip's lifespan and, after it has been used, allows Hoppip to take advantage of a fully powered Acrobatics. Infiltrator is useful for allowing Hoppip to get around Substitute and Reflect. A Jolly nature is preferred to most notably outspeed bulky variants of Archen and Chinchou, but an Adamant nature can be used for more overall power. Usage Tips Berry Juice allows Hoppip to switch into weaker attacks and fire off powerful Acrobatics. Use Substitute to activate Berry Juice if a fully powered Acrobatics is needed. It can also be used when Hoppip initially comes in so that you can decide whether to follow up on the switch-in with Sleep Powder or another attack. Hoppip can take advantage of a sleeping foe to set up a Substitute or a Swords Dance, or U-turn out to a teammate that can appropriately deal with the switch-in. Team Options Pokemon that can deal with sleep absorbers are appreciated. For example, Roost Archen beats Vullaby, and defensive Mienfoo beats RestTalk Munchlax. As with most offensive Pokemon, Hoppip appreciates having entry hazards on the opposing side to obtain key KOs. Sticky Web support allows Hoppip to outspeed a larger portion of the metagame and sweep more easily. Hoppip is fantastic at removing potent threats such as Mienfoo, Tyrogue, and Sunkern with its STAB attacks, so teammates weak to these Pokemon will benefit from Hoppip's presence. Fighting-types such as Timburr are appreciated, as they can check Ice-types such as Snorunt.

The purpose of a lead in a Pokemon battle is to intimidate the other trainer and leave a streak in their undergarments that they won't soon forget. I have no idea why you'd want to use the cute innocuous Hoppip for this role, but just in case you do, Smogon's here to walk you through the stages. Start off with a little sprinkling of Sleep Powder, and then while the foe's snoozing, use Sunny Day to do your part to exacerbate global warming. That'll show those locavore idiots and their fancy schmancy herb gardens and homemade compost. By this time, Hoppip will have been carried away by a strong breeze and you'll be forced to forfeit the battle on the third turn in order to chase it back, but if by some miracle of weather your Hoppip is still by your side, feel free to use one of the remaining moves, though I don't recommend Memento since it's really confusing the first time you see it and you'll have to replay the battle at least twice to understand what actually happened. So apparently Hoppip's Chlorophyll ability gives it a massive boost in Speed under intense sunlight, which is good news for Hoppip but not so good for you, since if Hoppip floats away you'll be chasing a leafy pink balloon floating away at 30 Speed, whatever the hell that means. Hoppip is holding Heat Rock too, which means the rays lasts 60% longer, so be sure to slap on some sunscreen beforehand. You wouldn't want to get skin cancer like my Aunt Hilda. Yeah, I know she has cancer and all but that woman is dreadful. Hoppip is pretty much guaranteed to get its nuts toasted by an incoming Fire attack, so be sure to pack a Flash Fire Pokemon of your own, such as Growlithe, Ponyta, or Houndour to take that hit. Wait, is Hoppip itself a nut? Or is it a fruit? Or maybe a vegetable? Oh, great, now I'll be thinking about that for the rest of the day. Just greeeeeeaaaaaaaat.

As dangerous as it sounds, Hoppip can actually pull off a Swords Dance if you give it the right equipment, but I'd still dull the edges of the blades first, just to be safe. Seed Bomb and Acrobatics are Hoppip's reliable STABs, with Acrobatics hitting especially hard in conjunction with Flying Gem; it's not like Hoppip will be able to up and join Cirque Du Soleil any time soon, but still, you get a good show. Protect and Synthesis are there because Hoppip has no other moves worth using. I suppose you could use Splash in that slot to get a whole splash/dance/acrobatics combo going to showcase Hoppip's performance talents, but that would be rather silly wouldn't it? That's almost as silly as using Hoppip itself. Sunlight is a necessity in order for this set to work. Without intense sunshine, Hoppip will get outsped and maimed by many Pokemon, sun-dried tomatoes wouldn't exist, and Jessica Alba wouldn't look nearly as good as she does now. It is really is quite scary if you think about it. Also in some cases Hoppip may refuse to perform unless Aram Khachaturian's Sabre Dance is playing, so be prepared to lug around a boombox all day if you are using this set. It's quite possible that sometime in the distant future, our lexicon will evolve to the point where Hoppip becomes a byword for kindling, but for now, just make sure that you have some Flash Fire Pokemon, such as Growlithe, Ponyta, or Houndour to neutralize the impending incineration. This Hoppip tends to switch in and out a lot, so be sure to have a Rapid Spinner such as Staryu handy to remove the Stealth Rock that Hoppip dreads so much. What? No, lexicon is not a new Pokemon, what the hell are you thinking?

Here's the plan: switch Hoppip in while the opposing Pokemon is picking its nose or something and Encore it, and while the opponent dies of embarrassment, feel free to throw a little Sleep Powder or Leech Seed their way to really mess with them. Now I'm normally someone who wouldn't shell out their hard-earned cash on this alternative medicine crap, but since Hoppip is your own Pokemon it's free of charge, so go ahead and treat the rest of your team to a little Aromatherapy. Be aware that after using Aromatherapy Hoppip has the tendency to float away again, so get those scents of lavender and rose petals out of your head and have those butterfly nets ready. Using U-turn is not recommended by any means; have you ever seen a Hoppip successfully parallel park? Me neither. This variation of Hoppip carries an Eviolite, and though you may think that means Hoppip becomes a little more bulkier and resilient for it, the truth is that Hoppip is still woefully weak. How weak you ask? Let's just say that if this Hoppip were a cup of coffee, you'd be asking for your money back! Yeah I know, I know, but it's not like Rodney Dangerfield ever said anything about Hoppips. I tell ya, I get no respect. If you don't want your Hoppip to become a fresh plate of grilled salad, then I'd recommend that you pack on your team a Flash Fire Pokemon such as Growlithe, Ponyta, or Houndour to absorb the inevitable inferno. Also be aware that Hoppip's Aromatherapy may attract hippies if used in one of those neighborhoods where they are likely to congregate, so packing a Dark-type, such as Houndour or Stunky, to handle them is recommended.

With this moveset, Hoppip can support the team by scouting the opposition, while crippling a few of their Pokemon along the way. Hoppip can easily switch into a non-damaging move and proceed to Encore, forcing the opponent to switch. When the opponent switches, Hoppip can then cripple the switch-in with Sleep Powder, rendering it useless. At this point, the opponent is most likely going to switch out again, so you have a choice of using either Leech Seed, to gain some health back, or using U-turn, to scout the switch-in and procure some offensive momentum. Oran Berry allows Hoppip to recover health, and is very useful in prolonging Hoppip's ability to stall. Hoppip greatly benefits from sunlight, which doubles its Speed to 30, allowing it to more effectively do its job. Substitute can be used over Sleep Powder to ease prediction, and works well in tandem with Leech Seed to slowly stall out the opponent's health. Choice Scarf Pokemon with U-turn pair well with Hoppip. Since Sleep Powder and Stun Spore will be forcing lots of switches, Pokemon with U-turn can effectively scout the opponent's team.

Hoppip can beat many common leads by putting them to sleep with Sleep Powder, then using Memento on the switch-in, allowing easy setup for your next Pokemon. If you stray from this method though, then Hoppip can also Encore an opponent, forcing it to repeatedly use a non-threatening move or switch. This lets Hoppip stay useful mid-game, if it survives, after having put another Pokemon to sleep. Protect allows Hoppip to preserve its Focus Sash from the common Fake Out leads of Little Cup. Hoppip's goal is to incapacitate the opponent in numerous ways to help its teammates set up. Setup sweepers and Pokemon with U-turn make good teammates. Setup sweepers can generally set up without danger, while U-turn allows you to scout the opponent's switch-in, giving you the momentum to more easily switch Hoppip in. Substitute Houndour makes a great teammate, having good synergy, and being able to set up Substitute before firing off powerful STAB attacks. Swords Dance Gligar is quite bulky already, and with the help from Memento, it can set up a Swords Dance even more easily, allowing it to destroy many teams with its power. Agility Mantyke is also a good teammate, as it greatly benefits from Memento to help it set up and proceed to do tons of damage to the opponent.