Rattata Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Double-Edge is Rattata's main attacking move and is necessary for picking up all of the OHKOs or 2HKOs it needs. Return, while less powerful than Double-Edge, doesn't have recoil. Sucker Punch helps mitigate Rattata's susceptibility to revenge killing and hits Ghost-types such as Gastly. Crunch is another option that hits Ghost-types without them having to attack, so it is helpful for catching Pokemon such as Pumpkaboo on the switch for massive damage. Flame Wheel is Rattata's only move for hitting Steel-types and is able to OHKO Ferroseed after Stealth Rock. U-turn maintains offensive momentum and gets chip damage on counters, while Quick Attack is another priority move useful for finishing off weakened foes. Quick Attack should only rarely be used with Sucker Punch. Set Details Life Orb and Hustle are important to make sure the set manages to deal enough damage towards its foes; otherwise, there is very little reason to use Rattata. The EVs are optimized to hit a Speed stat of 17 and to have as much attacking power as possible. The other EVs are put into Defense to help take most priority attacks better. Usage Tips Rattata should never be switching into an attack, as it is simply too frail to survive a hit comfortably, and it should rely on its teammates to bring it in through slow pivoting moves such as Volt Switch and U-turn. Attacking is only worth it if there is a good chance of knocking out what is in front of Rattata. Rattata is easily worn down by entry hazards and Life Orb recoil, especially alongside the use of Double-Edge, so keeping it alive and healthy before it knocks itself out is important. Team Options Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Archen and Drilbur are useful for picking up KOs that Rattata normally wouldn't; Archen further is notable for having both a usable offensive presence and the ability to switch into Fletchling. Users of Volt Switch and U-turn such as Chinchou, Magnemite, and Larvesta are useful for safely bringing Rattata onto the field without it having to take damage. Snubbull is notable for being a good partner to Rattata because of its ability to switch into common Fighting-types bar Croagunk. Timburr and Abra can revenge kill setup sweepers such as Omanyte and Dwebble, which threaten Rattata. Users of Knock Off such as Timburr, Croagunk, Archen, and Abra lure in defensive walls and remove their Eviolite, making them easier for Rattata to take on.

Facade is this moveset's main STAB move; once Rattata is inflicted with a status condition, its base power doubles, allowing Rattata to KO Pokemon it might otherwise struggle against. Sucker Punch is a very handy move, as it not only gives Rattata good coverage, but also allows Rattata to attack first. Flame Wheel allows Rattata to hit Pokemon such as Ferroseed hard, while Protect can be used as to ensure the activation of the orb, activating Rattata's full power Facade. Wild Charge can damage several of Rattata's checks, for instance Kabuto, Tirtouga, and Omanyte, yet U-turn can also be extremely helpful to Rattata. If you do choose to run U-turn, carrying a Rapid Spin user also becomes important to get rid of entry hazards, which will limit Rattata. Instead of Sucker Punch, Rattata can use STAB Quick Attack as a priority move. Though Quick Attack is more reliable, it is less powerful and offers inferior coverage, and as such, it is not the primary option. Given Rattata's frailty, it will often have to switch out to avoid being KOed. Thus, to prevent Rattata from being worn down, a Rapid Spin user such as Squirtle is recommended. Aside from this, having Stealth Rock support from Pokemon such as Bronzor, Dwebble, and Ferroseed is helpful. Priority moves such as Fake Out, Extreme Speed, and Mach Punch can swiftly eliminate Rattata, so having a Ghost-type teammate can be very useful. Pokemon such as Diglett and Wynaut also make good teammates, as they can counter Croagunk, a major threat to Rattata.

Rattata can be an effective revenge killer with a Choice Scarf. STAB Return is Rattata's most powerful move, allowing it to dish out massive amounts of damage in conjunction with Hustle. U-turn is a useful move for scouting, and is particularly effective on Choice Scarf users, where prediction is crucial. Flame Wheel destroys Pokemon such as Ferroseed, whereas Wild Charge can damage Pokemon such as Tirtouga, Mantyke, Kabuto, Omanyte, and Archen along with other checks to Rattata. Crunch and Sucker Punch are present to hit Ghost-types super effectively. Both attacks have the same power, but Crunch is more consistent, as Sucker Punch only works when the opponent attacks. Sucker Punch does offer strong priority, however. STAB Retaliate deserves at least a mention as it doubles in power if Rattata is switching in after a teammate has been KOed. However, Return is better when Stealth Rock support can help Rattata in revenge killing. Physically defensive Ground-type Pokemon do very well against this set, so Water-type Pokemon such as Mantyke and Wingull make excellent teammates.

At first glance it seems like Rattata would be completely outclassed by Teddiursa and Taillow as a status sweeper. However, it has a higher Attack stat than Quick Feet Teddiursa after Guts, and also has a few quirks that give it the edge over the other Pokemon you might be considering to fill this role on your team. The Normal / Dark combination is a staple on many Normal-type Little Cup sweepers such as Munchlax and Eevee, and Rattata is no exception to the rule. With access to a very good STAB in the form of Facade, Sucker Punch, and extra coverage moves, Rattata is a Pokemon to fear. Toxic Orb is the item of choice for two reasons. Firstly, it is unrealistic to assume that there is a good chance of Rattata being statused spontaneously, due to the lower amount of status used in Little Cup than in most other tiers. Secondly, in the fast-paced metagame that is Little Cup, Rattata is unlikely to be alive for very long and Toxic Orb results in the least amount of health lost over the first three turns, which is about Rattata's lifespan in most situations. The choice between the last two moves determines how you will play Rattata. If you run Quick Attack, Rattata can then function as a back-up revenge killer, and it is always useful to have priority in Little Cup. Protect lets you bring Rattata in after one of your Pokemon has fainted and enables Rattata to activate Guts without any harm. U-turn lets Rattata work as a pseudo-scout and can be useful in letting your team trap Rock-types who your team can then use to set up on. Therefore if you are using U-turn it is useful to have a Pokemon that can set-up on Rock-types, such as dual screen Bronzor and even Rock Polish Aron. Crunch gives a more reliable option to hit slower Pokemon such as Bronzor and Duskull, who may try to stall you out until you die due to status. Flame Wheel is also a reasonable option to hit Steel-type switch-ins.

Rattata makes a decent revenge killer thanks to its access to STAB priority in addition to access to Sucker Punch. There are obviously other Pokemon that look better on paper, but none of them have the added ability to take on some Steel-types, which Rattata can do with Flame Wheel. This point in itself is enough reason to consider Rattata for a place on your team. The choice of moves depends on what you want Rattata to do. Pursuit is the best option to make the most of Rattata's typing and to give it something over some of the other revenge killers that may be vying for the spot. It is also the best counter around to Will-O-Wisp Gastly, or any Ghost-type that uses that move. For example, a Duskull takes 14 damage minimum from Pursuit even when it doesn't switch out after a Guts boost. U-turn is also a good choice as it can also help support the team. A fast U-turn is always useful to bring a teammate in for whatever your opponent chooses to switch into Rattata. Both of these moves make the most of an opponent's switching, so the choice is up to you. The last slot is mainly reserved for taking on slower, healthier threats. Slow and bulky Pokemon take a chunk of damage from a strong, STAB-boosted Return. Flame Wheel is also an option thanks to its ability to not leave Rattata completely helpless against Steel-types as well as taking out slow Grass-types. Of course, whichever move you don't use in the third slot can also go in this slot if that is what your team needs. Normal has good type coverage overall, being ineffective only against Steel-, Rock-, and Ghost-types. Coupled with Rattata's other moves, this means that the only type of Pokemon Rattata will have difficulty revenge killing are Rock-types. For this reason it is good to partner Rattata with a strong Fighting-type priority user like Croagunk who, alongside Rattata, can revenge kill most threats your team will come up against. Croagunk also has the added benefit of resisting Fighting-type moves aimed at Rattata. Another good partner to consider is Baltoy. Baltoy resists Fighting-type attacks, while Rattata is immune to Ghost-type attacks and can punish their STAB users with Pursuit. As a Pokemon that will be switching in and out a lot, Rattata really enjoys Rapid Spin support, which Baltoy can provide. Baltoy also has the quirk of being able to switch into entry hazards with little damage thanks to its Stealth Rock resistance and Spikes immunity. Rattata also has the ability to beat some of the deadly Choice Scarf users that other priority revenge killers have difficulties with, namely Gastly, thanks to Sucker Punch. Alternatively, if Gastly is locked into Shadow Ball, Rattata can take it out of the game with Pursuit. The same process works with other Ghost-types as Rattata is the only viable Pursuit user that benefits from the ever common Will-O-Wisp.