Pansage Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Bullet Seed is Pansage's strongest attack and the only reason to include Pansage on a team; it's capable of 2HKOing every Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Knock Off weakens many switch-ins to Pansage such as Pumpkaboo-XL and Foongus, and Low Sweep hits Steel-types such as Pawniard and Magnemite. Rock Tomb can 2HKO bulky Fire-types and Vullaby after Stealth Rock and allows Pansage to outspeed faster threats. Alternatively, Gunk Shot lets Pansage heavily damage Grass- and Fairy-types and is its best way of dealing any sort of meaningful damage to Foongus. Set Details The EV spread increases Pansage's Attack as much as possible while allowing it to reach 17 Speed. Life Orb significantly increases the power of Pansage's attacks. Overgrow is Pansage's most useful ability, as it makes Bullet Seed even stronger when Pansage is at low health. Usage Tips Use Pansage to break down walls with its powerful Bullet Seed. Pansage's coverage options should be used to heavily damage or KO incoming checks and counters. Pansage as a whole isn't a very good Pokemon and will lose many matchups, making it important to only use it against walls and Pokemon it can threaten to KO. Take advantage of weak attacks, Life Orb recoil, and damage from entry hazards to activate Overgrow and empower Bullet Seed. Team Options Pansage appreciates Stealth Rock support to weaken its Flying-, Fire-, and Ice-type checks and ensure extra KOs such as the 2HKO on Ponyta. Slow pivots can compensate for Pansage's poor bulk and allow it to come into play and begin firing off powerful attacks. Pansage struggles to damage Foongus in any meaningful way, making Vullaby and Sleep Talk + Rest Skrelp great teammates. Gothita can also deal with Foongus along with trapping other Poison-types and fast threats to Pansage. Skrelp and other Water-types are also good for dealing with Fire-types that threaten Pansage. Chinchou is a particularly good Water-type teammate because it can check Flying-types on top of its ability to pivot Pansage in with a slow Volt Switch. Finally, Snivy and Fletchling appreciate Pansage's abilities to break down walls for them and they can return the favor.

There isn't too much Pansage can do with such a shallow movepool, but it can abuse Leaf Storm somewhat. Energy Ball is used to hit things without lowering Pansage's Special Attack stat. Hidden Power Ice hits Flying- and Dragon-types on the switch while dealing with other Grass-type Pokemon that may try to take a Leaf Storm. Nasty Plot is mostly filler, but can see use if you can somehow manage to scare out a Pokemon with Pansage. Substitute can be used over Nasty Plot to help ease prediction, while also protecting Pansage from priority moves and crippling status. Pansage reaches a Speed stat of 17, so finding an opportunity to use Nasty Plot while Focus Sash protects Pansage from fainting is easy, and a STAB +2 Leaf Storm will cause huge damage. Hidden Power Fire can be used to hit Steel- and Grass-type Pokemon, instead of Hidden Power Ice. Water-type Pokemon such as Frillish and Slowpoke can take care of the Fire-type Pokemon that otherwise outright wall Pansage, and this is a big help for the monkey. A Rapid Spin user that can spin away entry hazards in order to preserve Focus Sash is useful if you're not one to want to lead with Pansage. Overgrow should be used if not using Nasty Plot. However, they are not obtainable together.