Spoink Movesets & Competitive Sets

Spoink is faster than Solosis and bulkier than Abra, meaning Spoink is best when played between the two extremes as a bulky but somewhat fast attacker. Calm Mind is Spoink's way to boost stats, making Psychic incredibly powerful. Shadow Ball hits Psychic-types and Duskull very hard, providing good coverage alongside Spoink's STAB move. In the last slot, Hidden Power Fighting is preferred for the ability to hit Dark- and Steel-types such as Pawniard and Ferroseed. Spoink could use a Life Orb for more power, but Abra outclasses it as an all-out attacker. Likewise, a bulkier EV spread could be used for extra survivability, but other Pokemon are better at that. Vullaby easily switches into Spoink and can use Whirlwind to ruin any stat boosts Spoink accumulates. Magnemite can cause major problems for Vullaby, making it a great teammate for Spoink. Pawniard can revenge kill Spoink thanks to Sucker Punch, so Timburr is a good teammate to use as a check.

Spoink reaches 22 Speed when holding a Choice Scarf, making it an effective revenge killer. Psychic is Spoink's main way of dealing damage as an STAB move, though it is dangerous to use if the opponent has a Pursuit user waiting. Shadow Ball is used to hit Psychic-types and Duskull, and Hidden Power Fighting is there for Dark- and Steel-types. Trick is used in the last slot to possibly cripple a defensive switch-in such as Vullaby for the rest of the match, and can catch a set-up sweeper off guard in a pinch. This set is especially vulnerable to Pursuit from the likes of Munchlax, Stunky, and Pawniard, so teammates that can check these threats are appreciated. Bulk Up Timburr can easily take advantage of Pawniard, using it as easy setup fodder. Wynaut is another major problem for Spoink, as it can come in on any move other than Trick and Mirror Coat for a clean KO.

Thanks to its decent Speed and good special bulk, Spoink is a good dual screener that can often set up more than once, something Abra has trouble doing. Psychic is used alongside Reflect and Light Screen to allow Spoink to defend itself when needed, and does reasonable damage to most neutral targets. Thunder Wave is the best option for the fourth slot, as paralysis support can allow a slower teammate to set up and sweep. Light Clay is preferred for the extra turns it provides on the screens Spoink sets up, but Eviolite is an option to give Spoink some extra bulk. Some Pokemon don't need the extra turns to set up safely and sweep, meaning that Eviolite is often the better option. Pawniard is the biggest obstacle in Spoink's way, as it can both use Pursuit to KO Spoink and Brick Break to get rid of any screens that were set up. Houndour and Vullaby can both set up while resisting Dark- and Ghost-type attacks aimed at Spoink, allowing them to be great teammates. Lastly, Pawniard itself, along with Magnemite, have excellent synergy with Spoink, and each have ways of boosting their stats, allowing them to take advantage of dual screens.

With a Choice Scarf, Spoink hits 24 Speed, which outspeeds all non-Choice Scarf users, as well as some slower Pokemon who hold Choice Scarf. If Spoink holds Choice Specs, it boosts Spoink's Special Attack stat to 24, hitting much harder with all its attacks. Psychic is Spoink's main attack, gaining STAB, and hitting opponents who don't resist it quite hard. Shadow Ball hits opposing Psychic-types who resist Spoink's main attack. The next slot is completely up to preference. If Aron is troublesome to the team, Hidden Power Fighting should be used, while Hidden Power Fire should be used if Bronzor is causing problems. The last moveslot should be Trick, which allows Spoink to cripple switch-ins such as Munchlax, who would otherwise switch in with ease, and dispose of Spoink with Pursuit. The item choice depends on what your team needs. If your team is lacking a revenge killer, Spoink can fill the job with a Choice Scarf. If your team needs more hard hitters, Spoink can hold a Choice Specs, and devastate opponents with attacks that hit surprisingly hard. Thick Fat is used to allow Spoink to have more opportunities to switch in, as it is relatively frail without EV investment. A Timid nature allows Spoink to outspeed as many opponents as possible, while Modest can be used for more power. The EV spread maximizes Spoink's Special Attack and Speed stats, and increases it's HP stat by two. Thick Fat is especially important on this set, because Spoink will be switching in and out often, and being able to take less from certain attacks really helps it perform its job well. Since Dark-type Pokemon with Pursuit are common switch-ins to Spoink, a Pokemon who can set up on those Dark-types is helpful. Common switch-ins include Stunky, who can checkmate Spoink with Pursuit. A good teammate is Aron, who doesn't mind any of Stunky's attacks, and can proceed to set up Rock Polish. Other teammates include powerful Fighting-types such as Choice Scarf Mankey, who can switch in after Spoink, and either use Close Combat to knock out the Dark-type, or U-turn to gain momentum.

Calm Mind Spoink is a force to be reckoned with once it has set up. After just one Calm Mind boost, Spoink hits 24 Special Attack and 22 Special Defense, meaning it can hit quite hard, while also being able to withstand many special attacks with its above average Special Defense stat. Psychic is Spoink's main attack, gaining STAB, and hitting most opponents quite hard, especially after several Calm Mind boosts. The next slot is used to hit Steel-type Pokemon, who would otherwise wall this set, super effectively. Hidden Power Fighting has great neutral coverage with Psychic, hitting all Pokemon for at least neutral damage bar opposing Psychic-types, and OHKOes Aron, who could otherwise set up a Rock Polish before taking Spoink out with Head Smash. Hidden Power Fire is also an option to hit Steel-types, and hits Bronzor, who does not have much to fear from any of Spoink's other attacks, particularly hard. Finally, Shadow Ball allows Spoink to hit opposing Psychic-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Substitute is also an option instead of Shadow Ball, allowing Spoink to scout for opposing Pokemon, especially Pokemon faster than Spoink, who would otherwise be able to OHKO Spoink before it can switch out or attack. Spoink has a plethora of items it can run. Oran Berry gives Spoink more longevity, and often allows it to set up another Calm Mind before putting the hurt on its opponents. Life Orb trades longevity for power, making Spoink much easier to knock out, but also much harder to wall. If Substitute is opted for the last slot, Salac Berry becomes an option. With Substitute, Spoink can safely activate Salac Berry, and proceed to outspeed Pokemon who are usually faster than it, and KO them with the appropriate move. However, at 25% health, Spoink becomes very easy to knock out by priority attacks, which are rife in the metagame, and so it is not recommended. The EV spread maximizes Spoink's Special Attack and Speed stats, and increases its HP and Special Defense by one point each. A Timid nature allows Spoink to hit 16 Speed, which is slightly above average. A Modest nature can also be used, trading the ability to outrun certain threats for more power, but is usually not worth it given the extremely fast-paced nature of Little Cup. Thick Fat is again used because being able to take Fire- and Ice-type attacks better are very important for Spoink. If Spoink lacks Hidden Power Fire in its movepool, Bronzor will have an easy time against Spoink, so Magnemite then becomes a good teammate, thanks to Magnet Pull. Magnemite can trap Bronzor and take it out with a powerful STAB Thunderbolt. With Bronzor eliminated, Spoink will find it much easier to sweep. As an added bonus, Magnemite also resists all of Spoink's weaknesses. If Hidden Power Fire is absent, Aron will be able to set up a Rock Polish against Spoink, and eliminate it with a Head Smash. Therefore, a Bronzor of your own makes a fine teammate, resisting or being immune to any of Aron's attacks, and being able to dispose of Aron with Earthquake.

Spoink is a great user of dual screens, and it is not outclassed by Abra thanks to its better bulk, which often allows it to set up dual screens more than once, something which Abra finds hard to do. While Abra has access to Encore, Spoink can cripple the opposing Pokemon with Thunder Wave. Reflect and Light Screen are self-explanatory, reducing any damage dealt onto Spoink and its teammates by half, allowing its teammates to easily set up without harm. Psychic is Spoink's only attack, gains STAB, and is its best option to hurt opposing Pokemon. A Timid nature with maximum Speed is used so that Spoink may be more likely to set up dual screens before its opponent attacks, allowing it to reap that much more from it. Then, Spoink's HP stat is maximized to ensure it can take more hits, and the remaining EVs are put into Special Defense, increasing it by two points. Light Clay is the only viable item on the set, because it provides the dual screens with more longevity, allowing for more setup from Spoink's teammates. Thick Fat is used to allow Spoink to absorb Ice- and Fire-type attacks easier. Setup sweepers greatly benefit from the dual screens that Spoink provides. Aron, Gligar, and Mantyke can all become deadly sweepers behind the dual screens, setting up with ease, and being able to plow through the opposing team with little effort. Gligar has the added benefit of having access to Baton Pass, which allows Gligar to pass Attack and Speed boosts to a Pokemon like Machop, that isn't able to boost its stats itself, in order to make it a deadly sweeper.