Primal Kyogre Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Revelation Dance is a decently strong STAB move that can hit Normalize Mega Gengar even after Primal Kyogre has been hit with Entrainment, though Primal Kyogre must be careful, as it can still lose to Quiver Dance variants if they have used Entrainment on the switch. Scald is an alternative STAB move that spreads burns if Normalize Mega Gengar is not a problem. Shore Up is mandatory to keep Primal Kyogre healthy throughout the match. Spectral Thief lets Primal Kyogre steal stat boosts, allowing it to check setup attackers. It also deals respectable damage against super effective targets like Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y. U-turn can allow slow pivots to bring in teammates safely. It is chosen over other pivoting moves because it is unblockable, unlike Volt Switch and Parting Shot, and can break Focus Sash, unlike Baton Pass. Core Enforcer and Entrainment can remove abilities such as Poison Heal from the opposing Pokemon, effectively forcing them out. Note that Core Enforcer also pressures Dragon-types such as Giratina, while Entrainment has more PP and can hit Fairy-types. Nuzzle slows down fast sweepers and helps with Speed ties with non-Choice Scarf Imposter users. Anchor Shot can trap Imposter users lured in by Primal Kyogre and PP stall them. Defog is an option to clear entry hazards and pairs well with Magic Bounce. Topsy-Turvy can be run over Spectral Thief to hit Normal-types like Arceus. Set Details A Sassy nature lets Primal Kyogre take strong special attackers like Mega Mewtwo Y better as well and makes the Primal Kyogre and Xerneas matchup easier. A Relaxed nature, on the other hand, slightly patches Primal Kyogre's lower Defense stat and reduces chip damage from U-turn and Spectral Thief. A Sassy nature is usually the better choice, however, as Primal Kyogre is more suited as a specially defensive Pokemon. Safety Goggles prevents Spore, as some setup attackers carry Spore, which cripples Primal Kyogre and temporarily shuts it down. Leftovers grants passive recovery, which is useful for negating chip damage and increasing Primal Kyogre's longevity. Unaware lets Primal Kyogre ignore opposing stat boosts, which allows it to beat certain setup sweepers. Magic Bounce is an alternative that prevents sleep from Lovely Kiss and blocks Entrainment, letting Primal Kyogre counter Xerneas and Mega Gengar more effectively without getting put to sleep. This also allows Primal Kyogre to run a different item over Safety Goggles. Ghostium Z lets Kyogre safely defeat Normalize Gengar while OHKOing Mega Mewtwo Y as well. Usage Tips Use Primal Kyogre to answer dangerous setup attackers like Mega Gengar and Poison Heal Primal Kyogre and Xerneas. With Unaware, it can also check certain Shell Smash users like Mega Gengar. However, be careful around Mold Breaker, Moongeist Beam, and Photon Geyser, as they ignore Unaware and can heavily damage Primal Kyogre. Also watch out for ability-nullifying moves like Core Enforcer and Entrainment, since they also remove Unaware and make Primal Kyogre much more susceptible to setup. Use Spectral Thief against boosted targets, as it makes them easier to handle for teammates. Stealing defensive boosts can also help Primal Kyogre take more hits, with notable examples being Moongeist Beam and Photon Geyser, as those attacks ignore Unaware but not stat boosts. Revelation Dance and Scald are great for chipping opposing Pokemon and U-turn is a great option against foes that fail to pressure Primal Kyogre. Core Enforcer is effective at annoying the opponent, especially against Pokemon that heavily depend on their ability, such as Poison Heal and Regenerator users. Keep Primal Kyogre's health high with Shore Up, especially against known setup attackers like Mega Gengar, as Primal Kyogre can get 2HKOed if not healthy enough. Team Options Bulky Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash, especially with Flash Fire, can take on -ate Pokemon while being able to answer some threatening physical attackers like Kartana and Regigigas. Checks to powerful physical attackers such as Mega Mewtwo X are appreciated, as Primal Kyogre cannot take them on well. Examples include Mega Slowbro, Zygarde-C, and Prankster Giratina. Bulky walls such as Zygarde-C that struggle against strong setup attackers, especially specially attacking ones, appreciate Primal Kyogre blanket checking them, while they can help against wallbreakers that can use brute force to break through Primal Kyogre. Entry hazard removers are necessary, as Primal Kyogre is vulnerable to chip damage, which forces it to waste momentum recovering, as it needs to have high health to check the appropriate attackers. Defensive Pokemon that can run Defog, Rapid Spin, and Magic Bounce like Registeel, Yveltal, and Mega Audino, respectively, are also good options. Despite Unaware, Primal Kyogre can get overwhelmed by certain setup sweepers like Mega Sceptile and Belly Drum Necrozma-DM. Thus, a secondary setup answer such as Prankster Registeel or Giratina can help.

Moves U-turn allows Primal Kyogre to pivot which allows it to gain momentum and health through Regenerator, and unlike Volt Switch and Parting Shot, it cannot be blocked. Revelation Dance is a decently powerful STAB move that hits Normalize Mega Gengar, as it ignores Normalize when Primal Kyogre gets hit with Entrainment, and can chip opposing Pokemon such as Registeel and Mega Audino. If Mega Gengar is not a problem, Scald can be run to spread burns, and it is also useful to wear opposing Pokemon down and deter Sturdy Shedinja. However, Primal Kyogre becomes more difficult to Imposter-proof because of the threat of burns, most likely requiring a Pokemon with an ability like Comatose or Poison Heal, limiting the team options. Spectral Thief lets Primal Kyogre steal stat boosts from the opposing Pokemon, letting it reliably check threats like Poison Heal Primal Kyogre and Xerneas while preventing Kyogre from being setup fodder. Core Enforcer can nullify useful abilities like Poison Heal and Regenerator and hits Dragon-types like Giratina and Mega Garchomp hard. Nuzzle is an option to be able to slow down fast sweepers and help with non-Choice Scarf Imposter Speed ties. However, Imposter users will be able to paralyze your Pokemon as well, limiting the possible Imposter-proofs for Primal Kyogre to status-immune Pokemon such as Comatose Giratina. Ice Beam provides decent coverage with Revelation Dance or Scald and OHKOes Mega Garchomp, which can usually force Primal Kyogre out. If the team lacks an entry hazard remover, Rapid Spin can be run. However, this is a poor move on Primal Kyogre, as it fails to pressure common spinblockers like Giratina. Rapid Spin should be run along with Scald to effectively annoy Giratina with Scald burns and Core Enforcer nullifying Poison Heal, while also forcing out Shedinja, another spinblocker. Set Details A Sassy nature along with 0 Speed IVs is run to maximize Primal Kyogre's special bulk while letting it Speed tie with opposing mininum investment base 90 Speed Pokemon to slow pivot, letting it bring in frail teammates in safely. As an alternative, 116 Speed EVs and a Sassy nature let Primal Kyogre outspeed everything up to and including base 150 Speed Pokemon after stealing a Shell Smash boost, allowing it to KO the opposing Pokemon before taking another hit. This comes at a cost of almost always outspeeding opposing defensive pivots, however. An Assault Vest further amplifies Primal Kyogre's special bulk, letting it take on powerful special attackers like Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar better. Regenerator allows Primal Kyogre to regain a third of its health every time it switches out, and is the only way for this set to recover health. This differentiates from other healing methods, as it doesn't force Primal Kyogre to lose momentum by using a recovering move. Usage Tips Switch Primal Kyogre in against special attackers it can handle, such as Mega Gengar, opposing Primal Kyogre, and Xerneas. It is important to scout the moveset of the Pokemon you are planning to switch Primal Kyogre into, as it may carry a strong coverage move, such as Bolt Strike on Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y. Be careful with strong physical attackers, as Primal Kyogre's modest physical bulk isn't enough to take strong hits. Since this set does not carry Safety Goggles, beware of Spore, as it cripples Primal Kyogre. Since Primal Kyogre needs its Assault Vest to check the special attackers it is supposed to check, avoid Knock Off, as it will reduce Primal Kyogre's special bulk. If Primal Kyogre is low on HP, switch it in safely and switch out to instantly to regain a third of its health. Because Primal Kyogre is reliant on Regenerator as its only form of recovery, avoid Core Enforcers from slower Pokemon like Registeel and Mega Audino. U-turn is excellent for regaining health with momentum, chipping opposing Pokemon and bringing in teammates safely, and is very easy to spam, especially if the opposing Pokemon is unable to pressure Primal Kyogre. Revelation Dance and Scald are also easy to spam thanks to STAB, being able to chip opposing walls and, in Scald's case, spread burns. If the opposing Pokemon is a setup sweeper, Spectral Thief will steal the stat boosts and neuter their power. While this set is vulnerable to Imposter users, using Scald or Nuzzle can burn or paralyze them, reducing their effectiveness. Team Options Steel-types such as Registeel and Celesteela are appreciated in taking on -ate Pokemon like Mega Diancie and Kyurem-B which can target Primal Kyogre's poor physical bulk. They also can take on strong physical attackers like Kartana that threaten Primal Kyogre. Imposter Chansey is useful for scouting oposing movesets, which help determine if Primal Kyogre can switch in against opposing attackers. Entry hazard removers like Magic Bounce Giratina and Mega Audino are appreciated, as Primal Kyogre hates taking chip damage, even with Regenerator. A Knock Off absorber like Griseous Orb Giratina or a Poison Heal user with its Toxic Orb already activated prevents Primal Kyogre from losing its very important Assault Vest. Dragon-types like Giratina and Zygarde-C can tank the Grass- and Electric- type moves targeted at Primal Kyogre and also help with answering Red Orb Groudon. Physical walls like Mega Slowbro and Prankster Giratina check dangerous physical wallbreakers, which force Primal Kyogre out. It is necessary to have a Pokemon that can take care of an opposing Imposter user that transformed into Primal Kyogre, as this set often gives free recovery for the opponent's Imposter. Examples include Red Orb Groudon, Ferrothorn, and Comatose Giratina. In addition, Toxic Spikes, offensive Poison Heal users like Regigigas and Xerneas, and Mold Breaker attackers such as Mega Gengar that can pressure opposing Imposter users are appreciated. Primal Kyogre's longevity and bulk allow it to be paired with powerful special attackers that it can Imposter-proof, such as Kyurem-W.

Moves Quiver Dance is a reliable setup move to boost Primal Kyogre's offensive presence and special bulk. It also boosts Kyogre's Speed, potentially allowing a sweep and letting it outspeed dangerous offensive threats such as Mega Mewtwo Y at +1. Water Spout is a powerful STAB move that is very threatening to anything that doesn't resist it, while the passive Poison Heal recovery helps keep its power high. However, it only has 8 PP. Scald is a reliable alternative STAB move with good PP and decent power along with a chance to burn the opposing Pokemon, letting Primal Kyogre threaten physical attackers more. However, it is much weaker compared to Water Spout and is less threatening. Also, Scald burns can conflict with sleep Primal Kyogre may want to inflict instead. Moonblast is a good coverage move that hits Dragon-types as well as Mega Gyarados and Mega Mewtwo X hard. It does make Ferrothorn and Red Orb Groudon problems, however. Ice Beam is an alternative coverage move that hits Dragon- and Grass-types and hits Zygarde-C harder than Moonblast. It can also provide potential hax through fishing for freezes, but it does mean Primal Kyogre will struggle with opposing Primal Kyogre and Mega Gyarados. Lovely Kiss puts foes to sleep and bypasses Safety Goggles, opening up free turns that allow Primal Kyogre to regain health with Poison Heal during the sleep turns. It also cripples defensive Pokemon to break past them easier and allows Primal Kyogre to defeat Imposter. Poison Heal also prevents backfiring from Magic Bounce, allowing Primal Kyogre to safely run Lovely Kiss without fear it will be put to sleep if the move is bounced back. Spore is a more reliable way to put foes asleep, though Primal Kyogre prefers Knock Off support to remove Safety Goggles that block it. Tail Glow gives Primal Kyogre an immediate power boost, letting it defeat defensive answers like Poison Heal Giratina. Freeze-Dry is an alternative coverage move that provides perfect neutral coverage with Water, but it is quite weak and worsens the Imposter matchup. Set Details A Modest nature provides extra power; the extra Speed provided by Timid isn't very useful, since Primal Kyogre outspeeds everything up to and including Timid Mega Mewtwo Y at +1 already. On the other hand, the extra power can allow Kyogre to defeat some bulky walls such as RegenVest Registeel with Water Spout at +1 and is useful for chipping down defensive answers when unboosted. A Toxic Orb reliably activates Poison Heal, which provides Primal Kyogre with an immunity to status and gives a passive recovery of 12.5% of the maximum health each turn, making Kyogre durable and difficult to wear down. The immunity to other status also lets it absorb sleep moves and defeat Imposter users by putting them to sleep. Poison Heal also makes Primal Kyogre a decent Knock Off absorber after Toxic Orb activation. Usage Tips Pivot Primal Kyogre in safely to activate the Toxic Orb, as failing to activate Poison Heal greatly diminishes Primal Kyogre's ability by removing its passive healing and status immunity. Once Poison Heal has been triggered, Primal Kyogre can set up in front of defensive Pokemon that cannot threaten it. Beware of Spectral Thief, as it can steal Primal Kyogre's boosts, which not only reduces Primal Kyogre's power but also makes the opponent bulkier. Avoid Core Enforcer, Entrainment, and Worry Seed, because they will nullify Poison Heal and result in Primal Kyogre taking massive poison damage. Unboosted Water Spout can be used to chip opposing Pokemon and scout for the opponent's Primal Kyogre answer. Use Tail Glow against bulky teams to break through them faster, which also leaves Primal Kyogre less susceptible to Spectral Thief, as it will not give the opponent Special Defense boosts. If Primal Kyogre is low on health, bring it in via a slow pivot to gain free Poison Heal health. After a few turns of Poison Heal recovery, Primal Kyogre will often be healthy enough to set up again. If needed, Primal Kyogre can defensively check Refrigerate users. Thanks to Poison Heal negating chip damage and status, Primal Kyogre can sponge U-turn and status as well as Knock Off once Toxic Orb has been activated. Team Options A slow pivot like Registeel or Mega Audino can bring Primal Kyogre in safely to activate Toxic Orb. Attackers such as Mega Sceptile and Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y that can pressure Water-type switch-ins like Primal Kyogre and Giratina are appreciated, as the aforementioned Pokemon can eat a hit and use Core Enforcer, forcing Primal Kyogre out. An entry hazard setter is nice to chip switch-ins and help Primal Kyogre pressure them, as they are generally susceptible to entry hazards, especially Spikes. Since Primal Kyogre often attracts Core Enforcer to negate Poison Heal, a Fairy-type can come in safely to gain momentum. Examples include Mega Audino, Mega Diancie, and Xerneas.

Moves Boosted by rain, STAB, and Choice Specs, Water Spout is ridiculously powerful and can OHKO common defensive Pokemon like Registeel and Mega Audino. Steam Eruption is a good secondary STAB move that is useful for spreading burns and when Primal Kyogre is low on health. The potential threat of a burn also deters Sturdy Shedinja as well as physical revenge killers like Mega Diancie. Ice Beam provides good coverage and hits Pokemon such as Giratina and Zygarde-C hard without consuming Water Spout PP. It also does a good chunk to Red Orb Groudon and OHKOes Zygarde-C, which no other move can, especially on Tinted Lens variants. Volt Switch lets Primal Kyogre pivot out of checks to deal chip damage and gain momentum. U-turn is an option if the Imposter-proof teammate isn't Primal Groudon, letting Primal Kyogre pivot out while not getting blocked by opposing Primal Groudon. Water Shuriken is a decent priority move that can revenge kill some Pokemon or clean up some faster threats. However, the damage output is quite lacking even with rain and Choice Specs, and Primal Kyogre usually appreciates the coverage or pivoting more. Also, running Water Shuriken results in three Water moves and a lot of type redundancy. Earth Power specifically hits Red Orb Groudon, which is immune to the Water moves thanks to Desolate Land, guaranteeing an OHKO with some prior chip damage, but it doesn't hit any other relevant targets. Moonblast is an alternative move to hit Dragon-types while letting a teammate Red Orb Groudon Imposter-proof Primal Kyogre, since it will resist or be immune to all Primal Kyogre's moves. Knock Off can be run to remove Assault Vests from opposing Primal Kyogre and Giratina, Eviolite from Chansey, and even Protective Pads from Shedinja, allowing Primal Kyogre to break past them more easily or making them easier to be dealt with by teammates. However, it is usually better on a teammate instead, as a Choice-locked and unboosted Knock Off can be taken advantage of easily. Set Details A Modest nature provides Primal Kyogre with maximum power, letting it hit important benchmarks such as OHKOing Registeel and 2HKOing Giratina. A Timid nature can be run to outspeed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Impish or Bold Giratina and 2HKO it, but such Pokemon usually don't run max Speed. Choice Specs boosts Primal Kyogre's Special Attack to sky-high levels. Primordial Sea boosts Primal Kyogre's Water-type moves by 50%, and combined with Choice Specs it leaves very few Pokemon capable of taking Water Spout, limited to the most bulky Pokemon that resist or are immune to Water such as RegenVest Primal Kyogre and Giratina. If rain is set by a teammate, Tinted Lens can be run to fully remove all switch-ins, OHKOing non-Assault Vest Giratina. Tinted Lens can also be run outside of rain support to pressure Pokemon that resist harder, but Primal Kyogre misses out on many key OHKOs on other passive Pokemon such as Registeel and Mega Audino. Swift Swim can also be run to outspeed up to and including Mega Mewtwo Y and lets Primal Kyogre take on otherwise faster foes. Usage Tips Bring Primal Kyogre in safely through a slow pivot, as it loses a lot of its wallbreaking power if it takes chip damage that reduces Water Spout's base power. In general, Water Spout will be chosen as the attack due to its astronomical power. Against Imposter users, try to fish for a burn from Steam Eruption or pivot out with Volt Switch to do some chip damage and gain momentum. Scouting opposing sets, such as with Imposter, is important to determine if Primal Kyogre is capable of breaking through walls; for example, RegenVest Dialga is difficult for Primal Kyogre to break through without support, whereas offensive Dialga is 2HKOed. If the opposing Pokemon is faster or Primal Kyogre is unable to handle it, it is ideal to switch out to avoid damage. Do not let Primal Kyogre take any chip damage such as from entry hazards if it is trying to wallbreak effectively, as it needs to have maximum power Water Spout for many crucial benchmarks, so Wish passing and Z-Parting Shot can mitigate this somewhat. If needed, Primal Kyogre can be used to remove a dangerous threat such as Mega Mewtwo Y, as Steam Eruption can still OHKO it while its good bulk allows it to take a hit and retaliate. This is not recommended if you still need Primal Kyogre for wallbreaking later, however. Try to preserve Water Spout's PP, such as by clicking Ice Beam against Giratina, as the PP is very important. Watch out for Prankster Destiny Bond, as this could mean trading away an important wallbreaker that the opponent lacks a switch-in to. Team Options Slow, bulky pivots such as Registeel, Mega Audino, and Mega Slowbro are crucial to bring this set in safely to maintain Water Spout's power, and they also can sponge the opponent's hits when Primal Kyogre switches out. They also can force common defensive answers such as Magic Bounce Registeel and Mega Audino in, both of which Primal Kyogre is capable of OHKOing. Knock Off users such as Mega Tyranitar and Mega Gyarados are appreciated to remove Assault Vests from opposing Primal Kyogre and Giratina, which otherwise wall Primal Kyogre. They can also remove Imposter Chansey's Eviolite, which makes it much easier to chip down. Mega Tyranitar in particular can also threaten Giratina, one common answer to Kyogre. Entry hazard removers are very important to keep Primal Kyogre healthy, and good examples include Magic Bounce Giratina and Magearna. Conversely, hazard setters are appreciated to ease the matchup against bulky switch-ins like Primal Kyogre and Giratina while chipping Imposter users every time they attempt to switch in. Wish passers like Zygarde-C and Z-Parting Shot users such as Soundproof Mega Slowbro can give Primal Kyogre a second chance at breaking by restoring chipped health. Zygarde-C can also remove hazards while Mega Slowbro is a very slow pivot. Depending on the set, Pokemon to Imposter-proof Primal Kyogre such as RegenVest Primal Kyogre and Red Orb Groudon are needed, as this Primal Kyogre set cannot damage Imposter users too much and will require a teammate that can switch in after they come in. A Pokemon that can lure or remove Imposter is valuable by removing an important defensive switch-in. Examples include defensive Pokemon that can trap and PP-stall Imposter users, Mega Gengar, and Poison Heal Regigigas or Xerneas. Toxic Spikes are very helpful, as they deter Imposter and also pressure other switch-ins such as Primal Kyogre and Giratina.

Massive special bulk, pure Water typing, a flexible Speed tier, and forcing out metagame titan Primal Groudon make Primal Kyogre one of the format's best support Wonder Guard users. Scald is an extremely useful STAB move that OHKOes all variants of Primal Groudon and Mold Breaker Mega Diancie. Additionally, Scald's burn chance makes switching in risky for threats like physical Mega Rayquaza. Alternatively, since even the threat of Scald is good at forcing out Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre can forgo its STAB attack to provide pivoting support with Baton Pass. Defog and Aromatherapy are extremely valuable support options on the majority of team structures. However, if a teammate is carrying either one, Primal Kyogre can opt to use King's Shield or Whirlwind. The former gives Primal Kyogre a scouting tool and improves its matchup against physical Mold Breaker users such as Mega Rayquaza. Whirlwind, on the other hand, exploits Primal Kyogre being notoriously difficult for many special Mold Breaker users and powerful special coverage moves, excluding Protean Mega Latios's Grass Knot, to OHKO. Primal Kyogre can also use both Baton Pass and Scald by forgoing one of its standard utility moveslots, though this type of set is usually restricted to teams with room for multiple defensive Wonder Guard users. Finally, recovery is essential for Primal Kyogre to fill its role as a support Wonder Guard user effectively. Wish synergizes well with King's Shield and can support Primal Kyogre's teammates, but Recover is usually preferred for its immediacy and greater ease of use. A Calm nature and a specially defensive EV spread allow Primal Kyogre to tank hits from specially offensive Mold Breaker users like Mega Gengar and Mega Diancie, as well as scouting powerful special coverage moves from attackers such as Wonder Guard + Shell Smash Mega Gardevoir and Protean Mega Mewtwo Y. A physically defensive EV spread with a Bold nature is an equally viable option, however, as this set checks Primal Groudon with greater ease and offers better mixed bulk for scouting Pokemon, such as Mega Rayquaza, that can run both physical and special sets. A Sassy or Relaxed nature alongside 0 Speed IVs can be run on Baton Pass variants of Primal Kyogre to better bring teammates in safely. A Shed Shell is the preferred item to make Primal Kyogre more resilient versus Shadow Tag users. However, Safety Goggles can be used to make Primal Kyogre a harder check to Spore + Mold Breaker users; special ones such as Mega Gengar and Mega Diancie for specially defensive Primal Kyogre, or Primal Groudon and Mega Tyranitar for physically defensive sets. The vast majority of team structures appreciate the utility that Primal Kyogre can provide. Notably, Primal Kyogre works very well alongside the popular Mold Breaker Primal Groudon + Wonder Guard Xerneas + Prankster Giratina core, defensively covering most offensive threats alongside Xerneas and Giratina. Giratina is a notable partner outside of this core as well, though, as it can easily switch into Huge Power- and Protean-boosted Grass- and Electric-type attacks aimed at Primal Kyogre. In return, specially defensive Primal Kyogre can soft check powerful Ghost- and Fairy-type attackers like Mega Gengar and Mega Diancie for Giratina, particularly if running Safety Goggles and Whirlwind. Primal Kyogre's vulnerability to Protean Mega Latios and Huge Power Mega Mewtwo X means it appreciates teammates that can force them out, such Pixilate Mega Diancie, Aerilate Mega Rayquaza, offensive Shadow Tag users such as Mega Mewtwo Y, and faster No Guard users like Mega Aerodactyl. In addition, those same teammates make excellent entry hazard setters, thus synergizing especially well with Whirlwind variants of Primal Kyogre. Many Choice Specs + Mold Breaker users—such as Mega Rayquaza and Mega Mewtwo Y—appreciate specially defensive Primal Kyogre efficiently Imposter-proofing them. On bulkier balance teams, Primal Kyogre can be run alongside another defensive Wonder Guard user—such as Cresselia, Mega Scizor, or Mega Audino—for more flexibility with both their movesets. Finally, Pursuit users such as Huge Power Mega Gyarados, Yveltal, and Mega Tyranitar are excellent teammates to pressure Giratina, Primal Kyogre's most common non-Wonder Guard switch-in.