Milotic Movesets & Competitive Sets

This spread avoids being 2HKOed by Nidoqueen's Thunderbolt and outspeeds Adamant Golurk. Haze can be run if the team really needs it, but Milotic is much more useful with any of the other options given.

RegenVest and naturally high Special Defense make Milotic a reliable check to certain primal weather users like Desolate Land Volcanion and Primordial Sea Inteleon, as well as a generic specially defensive switch-in. Dragon Tail can be used to phaze out opposing setup sweepers like Volcarona and Cosmic Power Mew. Scald is a great STAB option that also threatens to burn typical Regenerator switch-ins like Swampert and Jirachi and Water-resistant foes like Swampert and Toxapex, as well as generally deterring physical attackers from switching in. Mirror Coat takes advantage of Milotic's high special bulk to survive even super effective special attacks and deal huge damage back to opposing special attackers and is especially useful against aggressive special attackers like Tapu Koko and Zapdos. Running minimum Speed allows Milotic to underspeed certain pivots such as Careful Corviknight and RegenVest Jirachi. Milotic fits well on bulky offense and balance teams that appreciate its ability to take special hits and maintain momentum through Flip Turn. Offensive Pokemon such as Galarian Zapdos, Barraskewda, and Talonflame benefit from Milotic switching into powerful special attacks and pivoting them in safely. Milotic's Defense is fairly average, so it appreciates teammates like Intimidate Corviknight that can check physically offensive threats like Zarude. Teammates like Tapu Fini that can take Knock Off are also helpful to allow Milotic to preserve its Assault Vest. It also pairs well with entry hazard removers like Mandibuzz and Dhelmise to minimize the amount of chip damage it takes while pivoting. Milotic struggles to check opposing Heatran, as it is immune to Flip Turn and can retaliate with Toxic, making teammates like specially defensive Garchomp valued partners.

For full USUM 1v1 analyses, you can check out the USUM format page.

Moves Scald is the obligatory Water-type STAB move, dealing decent damage and having a 30% chance to burn its target. Ice Beam is also highly recommended, as it is Milotic's best option for handling Salamence and Garchomp. Recover allows Milotic to heal off some of the damage it's taken, which can be helpful for longevity after Sitrus Berry is consumed or if it simply doesn't hold a Sitrus Berry. Protect is a standard VGC move, allowing Milotic to protect itself from a threat like Tapu Koko or Tapu Bulu for a turn as its teammate handles them. Toxic is an option to give Milotic something to do against Gastrodon, which otherwise fears nothing from Milotic, as well as making Milotic not completely useless without a Competitive boost. Set Details Sitrus Berry gives Milotic some extra health once it drops below 50%, giving it some more longevity. However, Leftovers is an option as well for passive recovery if Milotic's team already has a Sitrus Berry user. Adrenaline Orb allows Milotic to punish Intimidate even more by giving it a boost to Speed. 252 HP / 76 Def EVs enable Milotic to take Garchomp's Tectonic Rage, and a Calm Nature allows it to take Timid Tapu Lele's Shattered Psyche in Psychic Terrain. The remaining investment is placed into Special Attack to give Milotic as much power as possible. Adrenaline Orb Milotic should run 100 Speed EVs, as this enables it to outspeed Garchomp after the Adrenaline Orb boost. If Milotic needs to be faster, 164 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow it to outspeed Tapu Koko with the Adrenaline Orb boost. Usage Tips If you see Pokemon with Intimidate on the opposing team, Milotic is generally an easy pick. However, should your opponent's team lack such a Pokemon, Milotic probably isn't a good pick unless it is needed to handle another threat, such as Alolan Marowak. If Milotic's opponent has an Intimidate user, leading with Milotic will ensure its opponent regrets leading with said user. Milotic should tread lightly against Tapu Koko; while Milotic can take any of non-Life Orb Tapu Koko's non-Gigavolt Havoc attacks, it can't threaten Tapu Koko without a Competitive boost. Team Options Alolan Marowak and Milotic are perfect teammates for each other; Alolan Marowak redirects threatening Electric-type attacks, especially those from Tapu Koko, away from Milotic, while Milotic discourages Intimidate users from coming in to weaken Alolan Marowak. Alolan Muk also makes for a good teammate, as it handles Grass-types for Milotic while Milotic handles Ground-types for it. Teammates that can handle Grass-types like Tapu Bulu and Kartana are a necessity. As such, Pokemon like Arcanine and Alolan Marowak make for good teammates, although the latter doesn't enjoy taking Tapu Bulu's Wood Hammer. Celesteela makes for another good teammate, being able to take on Tapu Bulu more reliably thanks to its 4x resistance to Wood Hammer. The aforementioned Grass-types like Tapu Bulu and Kartana make for good teammates for Milotic due to their ability to handle Gastrodon, which walls Milotic unless it carries Hidden Power Grass or Toxic.

Moves Scald is Milotic's primary STAB attack and source of damage, with the added possibility to inflict burns, allowing it to take physical hits better and cripple physical threats. Icy Wind is used mainly for speed control on both targets, helping Milotic's partner to outspeed threats it normally would not. Ice Beam may be used if there is preference for a more offensive attack to hit Flying- and Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tapu Bulu, and Zapdos much harder. Being a supportive Pokemon with access to recovery is great, since Recover gives Milotic longevity and helps it carry out its role of switching in and crippling opposing Pokemon. Last but not least, Protect allows Milotic to stall out field conditions and is used to protect Milotic from being targeted while its partner clears threats on the field. Haze can also be used over Protect if the team struggles with setup Pokemon, but the latter two moves are useful more often. Set Details With 56 EVs in Speed, Milotic outspeeds -1 Kyurem-B, allowing it to hit Kyurem-B with Icy Wind and Recover off the damage before being hit again. Maximizing Defense gives Milotic good physical bulk to complement its high natural special bulk with Psychic Seed or Maranga Berry. Competitive gives Milotic a niche in the Doubles metagame, as it allows it to check Intimidate users by deterring Intimidate switch-ins and to even become a threat of its own after a boost, making up for its lackluster offensive presence. Finally, whether to use Maranga Berry or Psychic Seed for an item depends on if you have a Tapu Lele on your team. Psychic Seed also avoids forcing Milotic to risk being hit by a strong special move to activate Maranga Berry. If using a Psychic Seed, Milotic can opt for a spread of 240 HP / 156 Def / 56 SpD / 56 Spe with a Calm nature. With this, Milotic can take Tapu Koko's Z-Thunderbolt in Electric Terrain after the seed boost. Usage Tips Milotic is usually sent out if you think the opponent will send out an Intimidate user or if you predict a switch to one. Competitive provides a nice boost when this happens, but it isn't worth going out of your way to force it. It's also to be kept in mind that Pokemon switch order also depends on speed, so avoid switching in Milotic if your Pokemon is slower than the departing foe, as Intimidate would have already been activated. Milotic's presence on the field can also be used for the opposite effect; discouraging the foe from sending out Intimidate users to avoid triggering Competitive and making Milotic a bigger threat. It's also smart to switch in Milotic in case you predict a stat-lowering move such as Snarl or Icy Wind, since Milotic generally doesn't mind them and appreciates getting the Competitive boost in return. While out on the field, Milotic's job consists mostly of supporting its teammates by lowering opposing Pokemon's Speed with Icy Wind or by attempting to cripple physical threats with a Scald burn. This is facilitated by Milotic's good bulk and typing, which allow it to take hits fairly well and make it generally a good switch-in option, and it can also activate Psychic Seed on a switch to take a hit even better. It should be kept in mind that Maranga Berry and Psychic Seed are one-time-use items, so use them wisely. Lastly, preserving Milotic is important because it usually requires being healthy to perform its sponging role, so finding the opportunity to safely recover health is crucial. Team Options Thanks to Competitive, most physical attackers appreciate having Milotic on their team and out on the field, since it greatly discourages opponents from sending out Intimidate Pokemon, notably Landorus-T and Incineroar, to cripple these teammates. This makes Milotic a great teammate for Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, which relies on its naturally high base Attack to do damage considering its poor offensive typing. Zygarde is another notable example, as it suffers from an already low Attack stat further aggravated by the spread reduction on its main move Thousand Arrows, making Intimidate really harmful to it, especially as it neutralizes a potential Dragon Dance. If using Icy Wind support, offensive Pokemon that lack high Speed such as Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, and Heatran become able to outspeed and KO opposing threats after the Speed drop on both targets. Due to the lack of offensive pressure it exerts, Milotic has little way to play around its offensive threats and thus relies on its teammates to do so. Pokemon like Incineroar and Landorus-T make good teammates in this regard due to their ability to check common offensive Grass- and Electric-types, respectively. Another important partner is Tapu Lele, since Psychic Seed is usually the optimal item on Milotic and is less risky than Maranga Berry. On the other hand, Milotic's passivity makes it setup bait for Pokemon like Tapu Fini, which can ignore Milotic to a certain degree, making teammates that deter setup, such as the aforementioned Tapu Lele with Taunt, appreciated partners.

Moves Scald is Milotic's most reliable STAB move, as it has 100% accuracy, decent power, and a 30% chance to burn the target. Icy Wind provides speed control and can also do good spread damage when Milotic has a Competitive boost. Alternatively, Ice Beam enables Milotic to hit Flying- and Grass-types such as Thundurus and Amoonguss for much greater super effective damage. Icy Wind should be used on teams that require the speed control granted by the move, but Ice Beam is a stronger option on teams that already have speed control options in place. Recover gives Milotic reliable recovery, allowing it to stick around longer and continue to check Intimidate users and provide speed control. Protect allows Milotic to scout for moves, stall out opposing speed control, and avoid taking damage while its partner handles a threat. Set Details The Special Attack EVs allow Milotic to 2HKO Mega Kangaskhan with Scald at +2 and OHKO Landorus-T with Ice Beam when unboosted. The Speed EVs let Milotic outspeed uninvested Rotom formes. Milotic's HP is maximized and the remaining EVs are put into Defense to maximize its bulk. Sitrus Berry provides instant recovery, which is especially handy against Mega Kangaskhan due to the possibility of Parental Bond activating it between hits. Leftovers is an alternative that gives Milotic permanent passive recovery, which can help later in the game as Milotic attempts to stall out opposing Pokemon. Another option is Safety Goggles, which grants Milotic an immunity to Spore and lets it ignore redirection from Rage Powder, allowing Milotic to improve its matchup against Grass-types by avoiding sleep and attacking its intended target. Usage Tips Switching Milotic in when you think the opponent's Intimidate user is going to come in is a good way to get a Competitive boost. Milotic can also switch in on an Icy Wind or Snarl and gain a Competitive boost that way. A +2 Special Attack boost can turn Milotic into a very capable offensive threat that the opponent has to deal with immediately, which can provide an incredible momentum swing in any game. Milotic's bulk, access to recovery, and ability to burn foes with Scald are all very valuable for the mid- and late-game. Milotic can stall out foes with Recover and Scald, allowing you to win games even when you are down or when Milotic isn't in a particularly favorable matchup. The speed control granted by Icy Wind will prove to be consistently valuable as the game goes on into the mid- and late-game, so it is smart to not let Milotic get KOed in the early-game. Team Options Physical attackers such as Landorus-T and Mega Kangaskhan benefit from Milotic's deterrence of Intimidate users. Strong attackers with average Speed such as Mega Gardevoir and Hoopa-U benefit from the speed control provided by Milotic's Icy Wind. Milotic will also need teammates like Talonflame and Breloom that can defeat the Pokemon that can do big damage to it while taking very little damage from its attacks, such as Ferrothorn and Rotom-W. In return, these two appreciate Milotic's ability to discourage Intimidate users from switching in.

Moves Hydro Pump is Milotic's best STAB move, letting it do serious damage to most Rock-, Ground-, and Fire-types, such as Mega Diancie, Landorus-T, and Heatran, as well as good damage to neutral targets. Ice Beam allows Milotic to hit Flying- and Grass-types such as Thundurus and Amoonguss super effectively. Recover allows Milotic to have a reliable way to recover its health, a trait missed out on by many other Water-types, notably Suicune and Keldeo. Protect allows Milotic to scout for moves, stall out opposing speed control, and avoid taking damage while its partner handles a threat. Set Details Competitive sharply boosts Milotic's Special Attack every time one of its stats is lowered, allowing it to take advantage of certain abilities and moves such as Intimidate and Snarl. Life Orb increases Milotic's damage output, giving it some much-needed extra power. The Special Attack EVs provided allow Milotic to OHKO 4 HP Bisharp with Hydro Pump at +0 and 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan while at +2. The given Speed EVs let Milotic outspeed neutral-natured, fully invested, base 70 Speed Pokemon, particularly Bisharp. The remaining HP and Defense EVs allow Milotic to survive Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Return. Usage Tips Milotic is a good option to choose as a lead if the opponent has an Intimidate user such as the very common Landorus-T. There are two different situations in which it is optimal to switch in Milotic. One is when you have two threatening physical attackers on the field and the opponent is going to bring in their Intimidate user to try to lower their Attack. The other situation is when your opponent is going to go for Icy Wind or Snarl, which Milotic takes little damage from and can use to activate Competitive. Remember to take into account that Milotic will only be affected by Intimidate if it comes onto the field before the Intimidate user. Team Options Milotic requires a decent amount of support, so there are a good number of teammate options to keep in mind when using it. For starters, Pokemon that benefit from not having to fear Intimidate are great partners for Milotic, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Diancie, and Landorus-T. Many Grass-type Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn and Ludicolo, are good checks to Milotic, so having a Pokemon to beat them is also beneficial. A good choice to fulfill this role is Talonflame, as it also benefits from Milotic's deterrence of Intimidate users. Opposing Water-types, such as Keldeo and Rotom-W, will also cause trouble for Milotic, as they resist both of its attacks. Good options to beat them are Grass-types such as Serperior and Electric-types such as Thundurus and Zapdos. Lastly, Milotic will benefit heavily from the speed control provided by Tailwind users such as Talonflame, Zapdos, and Latios.

Moves Scald is a is STAB move and has a good chance to burn foes. Ice Beam offers great coverage, hitting threats such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Salamence, as well as Grass-types super effectively. Icy Wind, however, still hits targets with a 4x weakness to Ice hard, is a spread move, and offers Milotic the ability to provide speed control. Recover greatly increases Milotic's longevity, but it is unusable with Assault Vest. For the last slot, Protect is great option for Milotic to scout dangerous super effective attacks. On other hand, Mirror Coat allows Milotic to annoy powerful threats such as Rotom-W and Thundurus. Set Details 236 HP and 140 Defense EVs allow Milotic to survive Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge, while 132 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature allow Milotic to hit as hard as possible. Leftovers increases Milotic's longevity and works great with Recover. Sitrus Berry gives Milotic one-time healing, but in the long run it doesn't heal as much as Leftovers. With Assault Vest, Milotic can't use status moves, but it becomes very specially bulky. If you use Assault Vest, Icy Wind and Mirror Coat should be used over Recover and Protect. You can also invest more into Speed if you want to outspeed Rotom-W, or even base 100 Speed Pokemon after Icy Wind. Usage Tips Milotic should be paired with physical attackers. Opponents will have two choices: either deal with a +2 Milotic or a physical attacker at normal power. Milotic can do lot of damage on the field if it manages to get a Competitive boost, and thanks to its great bulk, it is hard for opponents to take down. Typically, Milotic should tank hits while using Scald and occasionally Ice Beam or Icy Wind. Milotic can either lead for a potential Competitive boost if the opponent leads with an Intimidate user, or it can be saved for late-game to finish off weakened targets. You can also switch Milotic into a predicted Icy Wind to get a Competitive boost. Team Options Pokemon that hate Intimidate are good partners to Milotic; examples include almost every physical attacker, including Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Mawile, Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, and Talonflame. Intimidate users are also good partners, because they help patch up Milotic's physical bulk. Arcanine deserves a special mention, as it has overall good type synergy with Milotic and has access to Will-O-Wisp, Intimidate, and Snarl to make itself and Milotic really annoying to take down. Bulky Grass-types are great partners to Milotic; for example, Amoonguss can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at Milotic. Milotic also has good synergy with Mega Venusaur, which enjoys Milotic's ability to provide Icy Wind support and beat Mega Salamence. Mega Venusaur also beats bulky Water-types, which Milotic hates.

Despite having a low base Defense, Milotic's pure Water typing, which gives it neutrality to almost all common physical attacks, makes it an acceptable choice for a physical tank. Scald provides Milotic with a useful STAB move while also packing the burn chance that can cripple almost any physical attacker (Pokemon with the Guts ability being the exception). Once burned, even the strongest physical attackers, such as Mienshao, struggle to break Milotic. Recover is another vital move; it allows Milotic to stall any burned physical attacker and heal damage taken from switching into powerful physical attackers such as Darmanitan. Ice Beam lets Milotic check several important physical attackers, specifically Flygon and Tornadus, and also deals super effective damage to Grass-types that switch into it. However, the high Special Defense of UU's Grass-types and Milotic's uninvested Special Attack mean the overall effectiveness of the hit is low. Haze makes Milotic a good counter to some setup sweepers, such as Bulk Up Scrafty and Swords Dance Bisharp. Dragon Tail can be used instead to increase passive damage taken by entry hazards and phaze Pokemon that try to force Milotic out, but its low Base Power means that Milotic can no longer reliably check Substitute sweepers. As this set aims to take as many physical attacks as possible, its Defense is maximized. Milotic can also run a specially defensive set of 248 HP / 196 Def / 56 SpD / 8 Spe with a Calm nature to take special hits, such as Yanmega's Bug Buzz, a little better. However, the difference is so little that it usually isn't worth the extra damage Milotic now takes from Darmanitan and Victini's powerful physical Fire-type moves. Grass-types are Milotic's biggest enemy as they don't fear Scald, take very little from Ice Beam, and force Milotic out of battle with their super effective STAB moves. Roserade has a 4x resistance to Grass-types' STABs, threatens them with a super effective STAB Sludge Bomb, and can support its team with Spikes and sometimes Aromatherapy, which can heal Milotic of crippling status. Umbreon is a great special wall that can take special Grass- and Electric-type attacks easily and can also save a statused Milotic with Heal Bell. RestTalk Snorlax is a similarly great special wall, and Choice Band Snorlax can check most special attackers while adding some much-needed power to the team. Even though its Defense is maximized, Milotic still cannot switch into neutral, powerful, STAB moves, namely powerful Fighting-type attacks such as Mienshao's High Jump Kick. Cofagrigus is immune to Fighting-type attacks and serves as a secondary physical wall in case Milotic is defeated. Golurk is also immune to Fighting-type attacks, and while it cannot function as a wall due to its low bulk, it can check Electric-type Pokemon and set up Stealth Rock to support its team.

With sturdy defenses, excellent type coverage, instant recovery, and a solid 100 Base Special Attack, Milotic has all the tools to be a premier tank in UU. Hydro Pump is the main attack and absolutely tears through most of UU. Ice Beam is for coverage and will make Venusaur think twice about switching in freely. The final attack is a general coverage attack to battle with opposing Water-types. Hidden Power Grass gives you a solid way to deal with Stockpile Gastrodon and can at least dent Lanturn, but Hidden Power Electric has better neutrality as a whole, which can make it more difficult for opponents to switch in. Recover allows Milotic to switch in multiple times throughout the course of the battle and replenish any health lost from Life Orb recoil. The magic in this set is all in the EVs. The HP investment is enough to reach 369, which rounds Life Orb recoil down. The 56 Speed EVs allow Milotic to reach 212, which is enough to outpace slower variants of Mixed Blaziken, Jolly Marowak, and Adamant Torterra. Although the prospect of using a Timid nature and additional EVs may be tempting, Milotic will lose a significant amount of power and durability. Notable Pokemon between 210 and Milotic's maximum Speed usually have priority, like Absol's Sucker Punch, or have a method to increase their speed, such as Feraligatr, Altaria, and Swift Swimmers like Kabutops. With a Modest nature and 220 Special Attack EVs, Milotic reaches its highest possible bonus point total at 319, which makes it an effective wallbreaker. Hydro Pump has enough juice to score 2HKOs on most Uxie, Spiritomb, and Registeel, as well as a very slight chance to 2HKO Clefable. The rest of the EVs are put into defenses to make it an effective check against Fire-type Pokemon. Arcanine will never manage a 2HKO with Choice Banded Extreme Speed while Stealth Rock is in play, and defensive Moltres are unable to 3HKO with Air Slash despite the lack of Leftovers. Since this Milotic is more geared toward wallbreaking or tanking hits than simply walling, its allies should be able to take advantage of the damage that Milotic can deal to opposing teams. If Milotic can catch a crucial Water resist on the switch with either Hidden Power Grass or Ice Beam, it can clear the way for any other Water-type attacker, such as Choice Band Azumarill or Dragon Dance Feraligatr, who can easily deal plenty of damage to opposing teams once their Water resisters are removed. Venusaur can switch into Grass- and Electric-type attacks that can threaten Milotic, as well as bulky Water-types that can otherwise prevent Milotic from dealing damage. Altaria can switch into Grass- and select Electric-type attacks, and potentially use the damage dealt by Milotic to open up for a Dragon Dance sweep. If you're looking to maximize Milotic's offensive potential, Absol can Pursuit opposing Chansey, which can clear the way for Milotic to deal plenty of damage to the opposing team.

Even though Milotic has access to Recover, there are certain advantages to a Sleep Talk set for a Pokemon such as Milotic. The most significant one is Marvel Scale. Milotic's unique ability increases its Defense by 50% whenever it is affected by a status, which means that while Resting, Milotic is extremely difficult to take down. The other is that Milotic often finds itself as the target of status such as Toxic, which it wants to get rid of as quickly as possible. Surf and Ice Beam comprise the standard Water-Ice offensive pairing, giving the best two-move coverage that Milotic can find. Hidden Power Grass also provides useful coverage, allowing Milotic to hit opposing Water-types such as Feraligatr and Slowbro, but renders you unable to hit Altaria or Grass-types. The EVs give maximum physical bulk, while still preventing Moltres from 3HKOing Milotic with Hidden Power Grass. This also makes Milotic an extremely effective mixed wall with the Defense boost from Marvel Scale, achieving 394 HP / 366 Defense / 330 Special Defense while sleeping. As with the previous set, this Milotic needs two things: a way to deal with Electric and Grass attacks, and a way to deal with bulky Water-types that will wall this set endlessly. Venusaur is once again the best teammate for Milotic, being able to deal with both of Milotic's main threats. Registeel, Altaria, and Tangrowth also provide the required resistances, but none of them perform as well against Milotic's counters as Venusaur.

Milotic's base 100 Special Attack and base 81 Speed make it a perfectly viable offensive Pokemon. With Choice Specs, Milotic makes an exceptionally bulky Choice user, backed by a STAB Hydro Pump, one of the strongest attacks with one of the best offensive typings in the game. Surf is more reliable, having perfect accuracy but significantly less power. Ice Beam is the staple coverage move for Water-type Pokemon, providing coverage against Grass-types and Altaria. Hidden Power Grass hits Water-types attempting to wall the first two moves and works especially well against Gastrodon and Quagsire. The final move is up to personal preference. Hypnosis can take one of Milotic's counters out of the game relatively early, but its shaky accuracy often makes it little more than a gamble. Surf may seem redundant, but given that Milotic is short on offensive options, having the option of attacking with either Hydro Pump or Surf on the same set can come in handy. Speed is maximized in order to outspeed all base 80 Pokemon, such as Blaziken and Altaria, as well as all neutral variants of base 90 Pokemon such as Moltres and Porygon-Z. Item choice is a matter of preference. Choice Specs provide the maximum amount of power to punch through teams. Choice Scarf gives a solid method of revenge killing many scarfed or speed boosted threats, such as +1 Dragon Dance Altaria or Scarfed Medicham. Finally, Life Orb trades bulk for versatility. If Life Orb is used, Recover is an option in the last slot, as Milotic can use the ability to recover the HP sheared off by Life Orb. Since this Milotic is more offensively minded, it is best complemented by offensive teammates. Venusaur once again comes to mind, as it synergizes well with Milotic defensively, inflicts Sleep on opponents, and deals damage with its strong Special attacks or with Swords Dance boosted Power Whips and Earthquakes. Altaria also does well, as it can use Grass- and select Electric-type attacks as setup fodder for a Dragon Dance sweep. Feraligatr and Azumarill are strong Water-type attackers, who can profit from a predicted Ice Beam or Hidden Power Grass taking out the opponent's Water resist, allowing them to inflict heavy damage on the opposing team. Azumarill is especially notable, as it can easily switch into Chansey and threaten it with either Choice Band Waterfall or a 101 HP Substitute and Focus Punch. Absol can also do the same with a powerful Pursuit, Night Slash, or Superpower.

This set is focused to make great use of Milotic's special bulk, giving it the role of Toxic staller or Hazer. Surf gives Milotic a reliable STAB move and allows Milotic to do a significant amount of damage to those that don't resist it, thanks to Milotic's decent Special Attack stat. Toxic allows Milotic to inflict status on fellow bulky Water-types who might otherwise be troublesome for the team and forces offensive teams to keep switching out, thereby racking up passive damage. In the third slot, any of the three listed moves are effective depending on Milotic's teammates. For example, a team lacking a hazer/phazer and no reliable way to get rid of bulky set-up sweepers will certainly benefit from Haze on Milotic. Ice Beam can prove useful if your team has problems with Grass-types such as Venusaur and Sceptile; with the correct prediction Milotic can inflict great damage to the opponent's Grass-type Pokemon. Ice Beam can also be used to pick off weakened sweepers that are immune to or resist Surf, such as Toxicroak and Ludicolo. Hidden Power Grass can be used if you like to get rid of annoying entry hazard setup Pokemon such as the Rock/Water type brothers, Omastar and Kabutops, though it is worth noting that this move will be more effective on a more offensive Milotic spread. Milotic can definitely benefit from the use of Hidden Power Psychic to hit Toxicroak, who could prove dangerous if it sets up on Milotic's switch and you lack necessary counters. Although it seems quite unnecessary, Hypnosis may be used instead of Haze to give Milotic double status, automatically hindering 1/3 of the opponent's team. Mirror Coat can come in extremely handy at times, especially in late-game scenarios where the last Pokemon can threaten to sweep your team. Milotic can take almost any unboosted super effective special attack and use Mirror Coat for a guaranteed OHKO. Mirror Coat coupled with Toxic puts the opponent's Pokemon on a timer, forcing it to either switch or attack, so Haze is not necessarily needed. Milotic can be used as an effective Toxic staller or Phazer due to its sheer natural bulk. This set's primary focus is to allow Milotic to Toxic stall other bulky Pokemon such as Milotic, Blastoise, Slowbro, Slowking and even Lanturn. Combined with Haze Milotic can easily win stall wars against other tanks that don't have access to Toxic, as well as defeating many of the common UU sweepers such as Dragon Dance Feraligatr, Bulk Up Hitmontop and Dragon Dance Altaria. Milotic's great defenses on both sides allow it to take all sorts of hits, especially from notorious special sweepers. Milotic enjoys having bulky Grass-type Pokemon on its team, such as Venusaur and Tangrowth, who can absorb almost all the attacks that threaten Milotic. Weezing and Donphan are great allies as they can come in on hard hitting physical sweepers such as Rhyperior and Aggron and hit back with Will-O-Wisp and Earthquake respectively. Any bulky Pokemon that has recovery as well as status healing moves such as Rest/Aromatherapy/Heal Bell can easily take anything Milotic throws at them. Prime examples of these Pokemon are the fairy twins, Chansey and Clefable. Venusaur can deal with Milotic but should try to avoid switching into an Ice Beam. Tangrowth and Leafeon can also dominate provided Milotic lacks Ice Beam. Rest + Sleep Talk variants of Milotic and Blastoise can stall out this set.

Milotic's excellent 95/79/125 defenses combined with its superb Water typing cement it as an exceptional defensive Water-type. Milotic is capable of sponging hits from many top attackers in UU and either Recovering off the damage or hitting back from 100 base Special Attack. Hidden Power Grass is used to hit threats such as Feraligatr, Azumarill, and other Water-types who Milotic can wall effectively. Recover gives Milotic great utility as a self-healing bulky Water and makes it very difficult to take down. The last move is an issue of choice. Ice Beam can hit Altaria, Venusaur, and Torterra. However, be wary of faster Venusaur and Torterra variants, as they can easily outspeed Milotic and OHKO with their STAB Grass-type attacks. Haze is incredibly useful to remove stat boosts from opponents such as Feraligatr, Calm Mind Slowbro/Spiritomb, and others. Finally, Toxic is useful for hitting walls such as Slowbro, Tangrowth, and opposing Milotic, who are more than happy to switch into Milotic. In UU, Milotic can't help but be compared to the other bulky Water-types in the metagame. The two top contenders for the Bulky Water title are Slowbro and Azumarill, and each provides a significant advantage over the other. Milotic's main advantages are Haze, which allows it to take on bulky stat-increasing threats, something that Slowbro cannot do. In addition, Slowbro's secondary Psychic typing gives it weaknesses to Ghost and Dark that Milotic does not have to deal with. Milotic also has 45 more base Special Defense than Slowbro, meaning that while Slowbro makes a much better physical wall, Milotic can act as an incredibly efficient mixed tank. Despite Water's excellent defensive typing, it still has its issues. Powerful Electric and Grass-type attacks can still put a large dent in Milotic. As such, it is always a wise idea to have a go-to Pokemon for this purpose. Venusaur is an excellent Pokemon with which to support Milotic, as it resists Grass and Electric, can absorb Toxic aimed at crippling Milotic's walling abilities, and can also threaten opposing bulky waters with its powerful STAB Energy Ball or Leaf Storm. Registeel also resists Grass and is neutral to Electric, as well as possessing an immunity to Toxic. It also has much better Defense than Venusaur, allowing it to take physical attacks as well as special ones. Altaria has a 4x resistance to Grass and neutrality to Electric as well, and it has the potential to be more offensive than either of the aforementioned teammates.