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Moves Seed Flare is the main reason to use Shaymin, since it hits extremely hard and can pressure bulkier teams easily due to its high chance to lower the foe's Special Defense. However, it is vulnerable to PP stalling. Earth Power hits Steel-types like Metagross and Registeel the hardest. Hidden Power Ice keeps Noivern from switching in freely and deals decent damage to Grass-types. Synthesis allows Shaymin to consistently switch into threats throughout the match and negates damage from entry hazards. Rest is similar to Synthesis in that it keeps Shaymin healthy, and it works nicely in conjunction with Natural Cure negating sleep; however, although it does restore more HP than Synthesis, has more PP, and is not hindered by sand, it loses momentum by requiring Shaymin to switch out after use. Dazzling Gleam is an option to hit Goodra and Mandibuzz for more damage; it also prevents Umbreon from PP stalling Seed Flare. Set Details Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed increases Shaymin's offensive presence. Life Orb is used to further boost Shaymin's power, as while 100 Special Attack is good, it is not stellar. Natural Cure is Shaymin's only available ability, but it is useful to absorb status such as Toxic poison and Scald burns. Usage Tips Switch Shaymin into Pokemon that it checks, such as Milotic and Gigalith, to threaten them with Seed Flare. Sometimes, especially against bulkier threats such as Umbreon and Snorlax, it is beneficial to fish for Special Defense drops because Shaymin threatens nearly every -2 Pokemon in the tier. However, be careful of using Seed Flare too much; it is prone to being PP stalled. Use Synthesis in order to prevent Shaymin from being worn down by entry hazards and Life Orb recoil so it can switch into Pokemon that it checks throughout the match. Beware of Seed Flare's low accuracy; it is not typically a reliable way to revenge kill Pokemon due to its chance to miss. Team Options Shaymin struggles against extremely bulky special walls such as Umbreon, Porygon2, and Snorlax if it does not get drops with Seed Flare. As a result, Pokemon that threaten these walls, such as Pangoro, Machamp, and Honchkrow, make for decent teammates. Fire-types such as Salazzle and Ninetales can threaten the Steel-types that switch into Shaymin. They also appreciate Shaymin's ability to switch into and threaten Water-types. Similarly, Pokemon such as Tyrantrum, Aerodactyl, Flygon, and Cloyster are vulnerable to Water- and Ground-types so they appreciate Shaymin's ability to check them. Shaymin appreciates entry hazard support to wear down its checks and counters, so Stealth Rock from Nidoqueen and Registeel and Spikes from Mega Glalie are appreciated. Finally, slow setup sweepers such as Snorlax are decent partners, as Shaymin and they can easily wear down each other's checks and counters and they appreciate Shaymin's ability to outspeed strong wallbreakers with average Speed such as Bewear.

Moves Leech Seed is used to annoy typical switch-ins to Shaymin while acting as a passive form of recovery for it. Substitute is used in conjunction with Leech Seed to chip away at typical Shaymin checks such as Bronzong and Escavalier. This Shaymin set does not run a reliable recovery move because it is hard to fit coverage moves on Shaymin as it is. As a result, Protect can be used over Substitute in order to allow Shaymin to switch into threats such as Gigalith and Rhyperior throughout the match more reliably. It can also be used to scout for coverage and moves that Choice item users lock themselves into, which is useful against Choice Scarf Flygon and Gardevoir. Seed Flare is a very powerful STAB move that puts a lot of pressure on bulkier teams due to its chance to lower the foe's Special Defense. Air Slash hits the Grass-types that are not affected by Leech Seed, such as Roserade, Virizion, and opposing Shaymin, as well as Fighting- and Bug-types. Earth Power can be used to hit the Steel- and Fire-types that do not take much damage from Seed Flare, such as Metagross, Registeel, and Salazzle, whereas Psychic hits many threats for neutral damage and does more damage to Venusaur and Roserade than Air Slash. Set Details Leftovers synergizes with Leech Seed by allowing Shaymin to regain a decent portion of its HP every turn; this amount is typically nearly enough to make up for the HP lost to Substitute. Also, because this set does not use a reliable recovery move such as Synthesis, Leftovers is necessary to somewhat make up for that. Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed is used to give Shaymin some offensive presence. An EV spread with maximum HP and maximum Speed is an option, as it prevents Seismic Toss from breaking Shaymin's Substitute. However, the power provided by the Special Attack EVs is usually appreciated more. Natural Cure is Shaymin's only ability, but it is useful because it lets Shaymin switch in without fearing Toxic poison, Scald burns, nor any other status. Usage Tips Switch Shaymin into Pokemon that it checks, such as Milotic and Gigalith, so you can have it set up a substitute or use Leech Seed to wear down the foe. Also use Leech Seed in order to keep Shaymin healthy throughout the match. Once Shaymin uses Leech Seed against a Pokemon, it is a good idea to repeatedly use Substitute if applicable, as it can further wear down the foe and Leftovers recovery combined with Leech Seed recovery typically heals nearly all of the damage Shaymin inflicts on itself using Substitute. Similarly, if Shaymin is using Protect, use Protect as much as you can to heal HP with Leech Seed and Leftovers. However, don't use it if you predict the foe to set up, as doing so can be a costly play. Because Leech Seed is annoying for many Pokemon, some will commonly switch out, especially those that cannot 2HKO Shaymin. As a result, going for Leech Seed again when predicting a switch can be utilized to further pressure the opponent. If Shaymin has to break through bulkier Pokemon, one can repeatedly use Seed Flare to fish for Special Defense drops, at which point Shaymin will likely be able to 2HKO them. Team Options The point of this set is to wear down typical checks to Shaymin, so Toxic Spikes support from the likes of Dragalge and Roserade is very helpful. Pokemon that have similar checks as Shaymin, such as Golisopod, Flygon, Yanmega, and Gardevoir, also make for great partners. Additionally, Shaymin is a great check to Water- and Ground-types, so Pokemon that do not have a good matchup against these types such as Toxicroak, Salazzle, Tyrantrum, and Flygon benefit from Shaymin being a partner. Slow setup sweepers like Snorlax benefit from having Shaymin to help wear down their checks and revenge kill wallbreakers with average Speed.

Moves Celebrate in conjunction with Normalium Z lets Shaymin boost all its stats by one stage. Seed Flare is Shaymin's strongest STAB move and can potentially break past checks like Mandibuzz with Special Defense drops. Air Slash hits Grass-types like Virizion and Roserade and covers targets like Noivern that Shaymin struggles with otherwise. Earth Power handles Steel-types like Registeel and Fire-types like Ninetales. Synthesis and Hidden Power Fire can be used to let Shaymin act as a consistent check to Water-types like Milotic while still covering targets like Virizion and Registeel. Set Details Normalium Z with Celebrate lets Shaymin boost all of its stats by a single stage. 252 Special Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs maximize Shaymin's potential to sweep teams. A Timid nature lets Shaymin outpace Choice Scarf users like Roserade after using Z-Celebrate. Natural Cure lets Shaymin absorb status conditions such as paralysis, which is especially useful when running Synthesis. Usage Tips Wait until late-game to set up, as earlier in the game, there will likely be roadblocks like Registeel that Shaymin struggles with. In a similar sense, make sure that any potential checks are adequately chipped so that Shaymin will be able to KO them. For example, wear down Pokemon like Noivern so that Shaymin doesn't have to worry about them halting its sweep. Capitalize on Choice-locked Pokemon like Choice Band Zygarde-10% locked into Thousand Arrows and Choice Scarf Drapion locked into Knock Off to give Shaymin easy setup opportunities. Team Options Alolan Golem is a great partner, being able to remove Steel-types, mainly Bronzong and Registeel, so that Shaymin has an easier time sweeping. Spikes setters like Golisopod and Forretress can chip down potential checks such as Registeel, giving Shaymin an easier time at sweeping late-game. Pursuit trappers like Sneasel and Drapion are excellent partners, being able to trap and remove problematic Pokemon like Bronzong. Pokemon that have similar checks as Shaymin can work as good teammates. For example, Choice Specs Yanmega can work with it to wear down checks like Registeel. Choice Scarf Gardevoir is great at crippling walls with Trick as well. Pokemon that can take advantage of some of Shaymin's checks are great teammates. Examples are Substitute Mismagius for Registeel and Mega Ampharos for Mandibuzz.

Moves Seed Flare is Shaymin's main STAB move; though it suffers from low accuracy and PP, its raw power and chance to drop the opposing Pokemon's Special Defense are invaluable. Healing Wish allows Shaymin to support its teammates by giving partners such as Nasty Plot Salazzle and Mismagius another chance to set up. Psychic dents Toxicroak, Roserade, and Virizion, which Shaymin fails to do much damage to otherwise. Hidden Power Ice revenge kills Swellow and Yanmega after Stealth Rock and Adamant Dragon Dance Flygon after some chip damage. Earth Power is an option to hit Steel- and Fire-types such as Metagross and Ninetales. Air Slash is a stronger alternative than Psychic to revenge kill Virizion. Set Details A Choice Scarf allows Shaymin to outspeed every unboosted Pokemon in the metagame. Maximum investment in Speed and Special Attack gives Shaymin decent power and the ability to revenge kill many Pokemon in the tier. Finally, while Natural Cure is Shaymin's only ability, it is very useful for absorbing status such as Toxic poison and Scald burns. Usage Tips This Shaymin set should be used to either revenge kill opposing Pokemon or clean up after its checks and counters have been weakened. When faced with a threatening setup sweeper such as Zygarde-10%, the player may have to sacrifice a Pokemon in order to give a free switch to Shaymin and revenge kill the foe. Wear down checks and counters to Shaymin, such as Fire- and Steel-types, if your plan is to have it sweep late-game with Seed Flare. Switch Shaymin into a predicted Toxic or Scald in order to absorb the potential poison or burn for Shaymin's teammates. Additionally, use Healing Wish to revitalize a teammate that lacks recovery or is crippled by status. It can also give setup sweepers such as Agility Metagross a second chance to sweep. Despite this set's lack of recovery, it can still switch into Water-types like Mega Blastoise a few times. However, make these count by only switching in when necessary, as they are limited. Team Options This Shaymin set fits best on balanced or offensive teams that need its revenge killing capabilities or appreciate its ability to clean late-game. Setup sweepers or partners that are easily worn down, such as Flame Orb Machamp, Calm Mind Raikou, Dragon Dance Zygarde-10%, Salazzle, and Golisopod, appreciate the Healing Wish support that Shaymin can provide. Shaymin can also clean late-game, but in order to do this, its checks must be weakened. As a result, Shaymin appreciates entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, which a lot of its checks are weak to. Metagross, Gigalith, and Diancie can provide this support. Other Pokemon that wear down Shaymin's checks, such as Snorlax, Rhyperior, and Metagross, make good partners. Finally, since Shaymin outspeeds most other Choice Scarf users in the tier, Pokemon that are easily revenge killed by those Choice Scarf users such as Swellow, Toxicroak, and Aerodactyl appreciate Shaymin's ability to outspeed and KO them.

Moves Shaymin's signature attack Seed Flare is a powerful STAB move that can allow Shaymin to break past would-be switch-ins such as Florges and Umbreon with a little luck thanks to its amazing side effect. Earth Power provides useful coverage on many types that resist Seed Flare, especially Fire-types such as Entei. Alternatively, Dazzling Gleam can be used to surprise and OHKO Hydreigon and Noivern, but it leaves Shaymin very susceptible to bulky Steel-types. While Air Slash hits all Grass-types super effectively, it has very low Base Power, which makes Psychic the preferred option most of the times, as it provides coverage on Crobat as well as Roserade and Chesnaught. Synthesis heals Shaymin for 50% of its HP at will, although the low PP can be an issue. Rest may seem like a better option, as it heals Shaymin fully and pairs nicely with Natural Cure, but it relinquishes momentum, forcing Shaymin to hard switch out. Healing Wish can be hard to fit on a set but provides fantastic utility, fully recovering another Pokemon once Shaymin has done its job. Set Details The listed spread gives Shaymin as much Speed and power as possible. A Timid nature is needed to Speed tie with other base 100 Speed Pokemon and outspeed the likes of Darmanitan and Entei. Life Orb is required to help Shaymin wallbreak, as it is rather weak without a boosting item, and the recoil can be offset thanks to its reliable recovery anyway. Usage Tips The many bulky Water- and Ground-types that populate the tier, such as Suicune and Mamoswine, respectively, give Shaymin plenty of opportunities to switch in and attack. Seed Flare's low PP and chance to miss can make it an easy move to exploit, so try not to spam it recklessly. However, be aware that going for the 40% chance of a Special Defense drop is often the best way to snowball past would-be checks such as Florges. Team Options Any Pokemon that appreciates the removal of bulky Water- and Ground-types makes for a good offensive partner to Shaymin; in particular, Darmanitan can bring in Shaymin safely with U-turn, and Krookodile can Pursuit trap problematic Pokemon such as Bronzong and to an extent Crobat. Life Orb Shaymin struggles to get past extremely specially bulky Pokemon such as Blissey, so it should be partnered with Pokemon that can either lure and beat them, such as Life Orb mixed Infernape and Hydreigon, or set up on them, such as Cresselia. In addition, Life Orb Shaymin makes really good use of entry hazard support, as it can force a lot of switches with its great coverage and Seed Flare's secondary effect. Stealth Rock in particular hurts most of Shaymin's offensive checks, and Shaymin pairs well with the setters in the tier, most of which appreciate the removal of bulky Water-types in return. Also, as Shaymin dislikes bulky Steel-types, Pokemon such as Entei and Chandelure are useful for removing them.

Moves Leech Seed allows Shaymin to wear down special walls such as Blissey and Florges while also keeping it healthy. Seed Flare is Shaymin's most powerful STAB move and is very threatening once Shaymin is behind a Substitute, although it should be noted that the drop in power due to Leftovers is very noticeable. The choice between Air Slash and Psychic is complicated by the fact that while Air Slash provides insurance against the Grass-types that are unaffected by Leech Seed, Crobat is an even more important target because it can hit through Substitutes. However, some Grass-types, namely Roserade and Chesnaught, are hit super effectively by Psychic as well. Substitute can be used to ease predictions and protect Shaymin from status while allowing Shaymin to stall out Pokemon with Leech Seed. Protect is a decent alternative that doesn't cut Shaymin's health. It should be noted that Earth Power can also be used as the coverage move of choice, as it is much more suited to deal with the offensive checks to this set, namely Fire-types. Set Details Leftovers is used to let Shaymin get enough residual healing alongside Leech Seed to be able to continuously make Substitutes as well as have more longevity in general. The use of an offensive spread is required to keep the benefits of Shaymin's important Speed tier as well as to make up for its average base 100 Special Attack. Going for a more bulky spread is possible but not recommended, as Shaymin then lacks any offensive presence against offensive teams; moreover, 101 HP Substitutes are unneeded when the only common user of Seismic Toss in the tier is Blissey. Usage Tips Using Leech Seed as often as possible is key for this set, as keeping Shaymin healthy is a priority and it will wear down the opponent's team . Once it has Leech Seed a Pokemon, Shaymin can repeatedly use Substitute to wear it down without losing any health or wear it down more quickly with Seed Flare. Against more offensive teams, using Substitute while forcing out a Pokemon can make Shaymin extremely hard to deal with as long as it can get a little luck when using Seed Flare. Team Options This particular Shaymin set forces a lot of switches and as a result works best with entry hazard support. Many Stealth Rock setters such as Krookodile, Gligar, and Mega Aerodactyl benefit in return from the removal of bulky Water-types. A special mention is given to Toxic Spikes, as they add to the residual damage of Leech Seed. In particular, Nidoqueen has decent synergy with Shaymin and thrives when special walls are worn down.

Moves Shaymin's main STAB attack, Seed Flare, becomes very scary with the power of Choice Specs backing it up, and decently bulky Pokemon that resist Grass such as Hydreigon and Rotom-H fall into 2HKO range (even Hydreigon gets 2HKOed after Stealth Rock damage). Earth Power hits most Pokemon that resist Grass-type attacks super effectively, but it is a much more risky move when Shaymin is locked into it, as it can give away easy setup opportunities. Dazzling Gleam hits Hydreigon, Kyurem, and Noivern super effectively. Air Slash hits Grass-types super effectively, but Psychic OHKOes Crobat with Stealth Rock on the field, as well as hitting both Roserade and Chesnaught hard, making it the superior option. Healing Wish is a fantastic support move that Shaymin actually has room for on a Choiced set, giving it the opportunity to fully heal another Pokemon once it has done its job. While Healing Wish is one of the main selling points of this set, Energy Ball is a safe, reliable STAB move with no PP issue that Shaymin can make good use of as well, should your team not require Healing Wish support. Set Details The listed spread gives Shaymin as much Speed and power as possible. Although it might be tempting to run a Modest nature on a Choice Specs set, Shaymin outspeeding Pokemon such as Hydreigon and Darmanitan is usually more important than the increase in damage output that still doesn't allow it to threaten the likes of Blissey. Choice Specs Shaymin packs a hefty punch but is essentially locked out of its great coverage options, exacerbating Seed Flare's PP issue. Usage Tips Because of its lack of a recovery move, Choice Specs Shaymin can be worn down very quickly by Scald burns or simply switching into resisted moves. As a result, prediction is key when using this set, especially if entry hazards are on your side of the field, as Shaymin only gets so many chances to come in and wallbreak. Shaymin's coverage moves, while useful, are also rather weak and easy to take advantage of, so they should be used with caution. Don't hesitate to make full use of Healing Wish, as Shaymin's decent bulk will only carry it so far anyway without recovery. Team Options Choice Specs Shaymin is best used on very offensive teams, which appreciate its high damage output and can put to good use the utility of Healing Wish and in return usually provide the entry hazards Shaymin requires to OHKO some Pokemon such as Crobat or Entei. Threatening setup sweepers that synergize well with Shaymin such as Haxorus and Calm Mind variants of Suicune can do their own wallbreaking with Healing Wish support. Because Choice items lock the user into a move, having a decent switch-in to common Shaymin answers such as Crobat is required should you predict wrong. Pokemon that can handle bulky Steel-types, such as Entei and Darmanitan, are helpful too.

A Life Orb set makes the most of Shaymin's unique coverage and powerful STAB attack. Although its base 100 Special Attack isn't amazing, it is more than adequate, especially with such a powerful signature move. With its resistances to common Water-, Ground-, and Grass-type attacks, Shaymin finds many opportunities to switch in and unleash its powerful attacks. Seed Flare is Shaymin's STAB move of choice; not only does it have the same Base Power as moves such as Hydro Pump and Thunder, it also comes with a secondary effect that sends shivers down the spines of walls. The 40% chance to halve your opponent's Special Defense lets Shaymin get past even the bulkiest of walls like Snorlax and Umbreon. Earth Power allows Shaymin to hit the Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-types that resist Seed Flare; otherwise, excellent Shaymin switch-ins such as Victini and Cobalion are swiftly removed with correct prediction. Psychic patches up Shaymin's coverage, especially against threats like Crobat and Heracross who both resist or are immune to Seed Flare and Earth Power. Psychic is also the strongest move Shaymin has to hit the omnipresent Roserade. However, Hidden Power Ice can be used to hit Flying- and Dragon-types, such as Zapdos, Togekiss, and Flygon, super effectively; while Air Slash deals with Grass-types, such as opposing Shaymin, and has a chance to flinch the opponent. As Shaymin can already hit most of UU with just three moves, it can opt to use a support move in the last slot. Synthesis and Rest both provide Shaymin with a means of restoring HP lost to entry hazards, Life Orb, and stray hits Shaymin is forced to take. Synthesis is a reliable recovery move that grants Shaymin 50% of its HP back with every use, but Rest is a viable alternative as it fully restores Shaymin's HP and removes status. Upon switching out, Shaymin can remove its sleep condition thanks to Natural Cure. Although this Shaymin is being used in an offensive manner, keep in mind that it still has excellent 100 / 100 / 100 defenses which let it take even weak super effective hits if need be, and retaliate with its powerful Life Orb-boosted assaults. Shaymin's Speed is maximized and a Timid nature is used to ensure that Shaymin can at least Speed tie with other Pokemon with base 100 Speed such as Victini. Special Attack is also maximized to allow Shaymin to hit as hard as possible. Even with maximum investment, base 100 Special Attack can only go so far in a tier where attacking stats over 140 are commonplace; to help boost Shaymin's power, a Life Orb should always be used as the item. Although the health gained back from an item such as Leftovers is appealing, without a power boost, Shaymin is too weak to be a threat to most teams. Although the listed moves give Shaymin the best coverage, there are other move options that are viable. Hidden Power Fire incinerates Escavalier and does excellent damage to Bronzong, especially after a Special Defense drop from Seed Flare. It also obtains coverage on Bug- and Grass-types which resist Seed Flare. Leech Seed can act as a more offensive way for Shaymin to regain health, and is especially useful against bulky walls, such as Snorlax and Umbreon, who normally have high HP stats for Shaymin to take advantage of. As Shaymin is a Grass-type, it fits in well on standard Fire / Water / Grass cores, where its teammates can cover its weaknesses. Water- and Fire-types like Slowbro and Victini can take Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type attacks for Shaymin. In return, Shaymin sponges Water- and Grass-type assaults. A Rock- or Steel-type, such as Rhyperior and Registeel, can take Flying-type attacks for Shaymin, and they can also set up Stealth Rock, which helps Shaymin against Pokemon such as Togekiss and Zapdos.

Shaymin can also use a classic strategy in SubSeed to continuously weaken the opponent and restore Shaymin's health. However, Shaymin's excellent offensive presence compared to Pokemon like Whimsicott means that it can run a viable offensive Leech Seed set. While most SubSeed users are dependent on Leech Seed to do damage, Shaymin wields a powerful Seed Flare that can slice through most of the metagame and forces numerous switches for Shaymin to take advantage of. Leech Seed saps the HP from common walls such as Snorlax who often switch into Shaymin; their high HP stats mean that Shaymin and its teammates can potentially recover a lot of health. As Grass-types wall the SubSeed combination as well as resist Seed Flare, Shaymin must use a coverage move to prevent itself from being walled. Psychic hits the most common Grass-type, Roserade, hard, while also taking down common switch-ins to Shaymin, such as Crobat. Air Slash and Hidden Power Ice allow Shaymin to still hit Roserade without being totally helpless against opposing Shaymin. Protect can be used instead of Substitute as it helps Shaymin safely steal more of the opponent's health with Leech Seed, as well as make proper predictions against Choice item users significantly easier. However, be careful when using Protect, as it gives your opponent an opportunity to set up a Substitute or use boosting moves. Although this Shaymin works by using Leech Seed followed Protect or Substitute, it still invests fully in offenses. Shaymin's excellent base 100 Special Attack and Speed stats distinguish it from other SubSeed users, such as Whimsicott and Tangrowth, who don't hit as hard. However, an alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe keeps Shaymin's Speed while maximizing bulk. A Timid nature lets Shaymin keep up with the important base 100 Speed tier which includes dangerous threats such as Flygon and Victini. The choice of item on this set largely depends on how you want to use Shaymin; Leftovers lets Shaymin stall almost infinitely with Leech Seed and Substitute, gradually sapping away the opponent's health. On the other hand, Life Orb is more useful if you want Shaymin to be more offensive and instead use Leech Seed recovery to offset Life Orb recoil. The best teammates for Shaymin are those that can cover its numerous weaknesses. A Water- and Fire-type are great teammates for Shaymin as they have excellent synergy together. Pokemon such as Empoleon, Slowbro, Victini, and Arcanine are all noteworthy options. Entry hazards also benefit Shaymin greatly, as Leech Seed forces many switches. Registeel and Gligar can both set up Stealth Rock, while Qwilfish can set up Spikes. Toxic Spikes are also useful as they help Shaymin stall. Leech Seed and poison damage will quickly take its toll on the opponent's team.

Moves Seed Flare gives Shaymin a niche, as it is the strongest special Grass-type move without drawbacks. Grass Knot has issues hitting low weight Pokemon such as Clefable and Rotom-A, while Leaf Storm has harsh stat drops. Seed Flare OHKOes offensive Suicune after Stealth Rock and comes close to OHKOing Gyarados and Tyranitar after Stealth Rock. Seed Flare's 40% chance to drop Special Defense helps Shaymin power through Clefable, as Clefable is 2HKOed by Seed Flare if the first drops Special Defense. Hidden Power Ice is Shaymin's best option to hit Dragon-types, as it OHKOes Flygon and Dragonite after Stealth Rock. Shaymin has a chance to get through Latias if Latias switches into Seed Flare and gets the Special Defense drop, as that KOs offensive Latias after Stealth Rock and heavily pressures defensive Latias. Hidden Power Fire is another option, as it hits Steel-types such as Skarmory, Scizor, Metagross, and Jirachi hard. Both options at least 2HKO Breloom. RestTalk is Shaymin's best option both for recovery and for helping it with Seed Flare's meager 8 PP. Both Seed Flare and Hidden Power threaten Breloom, the most prominent Sleep user in the tier. Shaymin is unique among Sleep absorbers in that it has Natural Cure, preventing it from being sidelined by Sleep either via Rest or opposing Sleep users until it wakes up after it switches out. That is a double-edge sword though, because it means every time Shaymin tries to absorb sleep, it risks being hit hard instead. Set Details Shaymin needs maximum Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature to be as threatening as possible, since it has poor coverage and relies on Seed Flare's power to handle common threats such as Tyranitar and Gyarados, which aren’t even OHKOed with maximum investment. Maximum Speed EVs gives Shaymin a solid Speed tier, outspeeding Rotom-A (with Hidden Power Ice, as the IV drop from Hidden Power Fire causes it to tie with Rotom-A), offensive Suicune, most defensive Latias, and neutral-natured Lucario. Shaymin has naturally good bulk, but it can also run HP EVs instead of Speed EVs to better survive attacks from Breloom, +1 Gyarados, and Suicune. Usage Tips Shaymin typically comes in on its resistances or on sleep moves to make progress, as Shaymin is so uncommon that its presence is unexpected and can either check what it needs to or absorb sleep in the short term. Shaymin typically comes into the game pretty early to blunt momentum from Water-types, Ground-types, and Breloom to save other defensive walls such as Clefable and Latias from having to take these Pokemon on. However, once Shaymin comes in, it needs to be extremely careful around Spikes users such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Roserade, especially if it doesn’t have Hidden Power Fire for the former two. Entry hazards—not only Spikes but especially Toxic Spikes—are a death knell for Shaymin; Shaymin both lacks reliable recovery and is grounded, so if it can’t get a Rest off, it’s effectively fainted. Try to use Rest before Shaymin is forced out, as it isn’t extraordinarily bulky and can be KOed rather easily by what it’s supposed to check if it’s heavily worn down. Offensively, try to hide Shaymin’s coverage move as long as possible. Early in the game, it can be hard to tell if Shaymin has Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Fire, or even if it’s a more offensive set and potentially has Earth Power. Opponents might be hesitant to send in their Dragonite, Heatran, or Forretress in on Shaymin for fear of its coverage so try to take advantage of this. However, Shaymin doesn’t have a lot of Seed Flare PP and only can get more while asleep, so don’t use it too flippantly. Additionally, be careful against Breloom. Once Shaymin is revealed, every time Breloom comes in, it could just start attacking to get through Shaymin. This gives an opportunity to switch to a stronger, faster Breloom check like Latias to force out Breloom without getting put to sleep. Team Options Shaymin is most common alongside Magnezone or Choice Scarf Magneton support on more defensive teams for a few reasons. The foremost reason is that Shaymin enjoys Skarmory and other Steel-types out of the picture so it can use Hidden Power Ice with impunity. The second reason is that defensive teams with Magnezone often have large defensive holes, especially against Water-types, as they are using a frail Pokemon instead of another wall. Shaymin helps fill that hole, as it is an untrappable check to Water-types and Breloom. Shaymin’s goal against more offensive teams is to keep other walls such as Clefable and especially Latias healthy against strong Water-types such as Empoleon, Gyarados, Kingdra, and Swampert. As such, Clefable and Latias are fantastic teammates. Against more defensive teams, Shaymin is a solid wincon against them once Clefable is incapacitated. To pull this off, Shaymin appreciates teammates that can take a lot of defensive responsibilities such as Hippowdon, Wish + Protect Jirachi, and Swampert. Swampert and specially defensive Hippowdon are especially helpful, as they cover Shaymin’s weaknesses quite well. Shaymin really enjoys defensive Clefable sets that can beat other Clefable, such as one using Encore, Sing, or even Focus Punch. Even if it doesn’t, just having Knock Off is very helpful both to weaken opposing Clefable, but also to Knock Off Skarmory’s Shed Shell should Clefable get the chance early in the game. Additionally, Shaymin can support more offensive Latias sets such as Calm Mind + 2 attacks. Shaymin can fit on more aggressive teams in a Fire-Water-Grass core, but these structures often really struggle to deal with Latias, hyper offense, and entry hazards and Shaymin faces competition from Breloom and Roserade. Common partners for this structure include Heatran for the Fire-type and a host of Water-types such as Swampert, Suicune, Kingdra, Starmie, and Gyarados. Other common partners include revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Flygon, Choice Scarf Rotom-A, and Choice Scarf Latias and strong offensive partners such as Swords Dance + Pursuit Scizor, Metagross, and Jirachi.