Moves
Volt Switch is Elekid's primary attack, which allows Elekid to act as a pivot and provides decent offensive potential because of Elekid's passable Special Attack stat. Thunderbolt is a more powerful STAB move that doesn't require Elekid to switch out and deals a lot of damage. Psychic is one of Elekid's main coverage moves, allowing it to hit most Fighting- and Poison-types Pokemon super effectively. Hidden Power Grass is used for hit the Ground-types and Chinchou, which can easily survive Elekid's other moves. Cross Chop is another option that Elekid can use to act as a mixed sweeper, hitting Munchlax and Steel-types like Ferroseed.
Set Details
240 EVs in SpA are used to maximize Elekid's offensive capacity, and 236 EVs in Speed maximize its Speed. If Cross Chop is used, 12 EVs in Attack raise Elekid's Attack by one point. Vital Spirit benefits Elekid's Foongus matchup, blocking Spore. Life Orb boosts the power of Elekid's moves. 9 IVs in HP give Elekid 19 HP, which minimizes the recoil of Life Orb. A Timid nature is used to reach a 20 Speed, outspeeding every unboosted Pokemon and tying with Diglett, but a Hasty nature can be used if Elekid is running Cross Chop to avoid lowering its Attack stat.
Usage Tips
This set relies on not taking any hit, as Elekid's low bulk makes every attack dangerous, so Elekid shouldn't switch into an attacking foe. Due to its incredible Speed, Elekid can act as a revenge killer. To increase the efficacy of this set, Chinchou and Ground-types should be removed by Elekid's teammates. Chinchou, thanks to Volt Absorb, can switch into Elekid's STAB moves and recover part of its health, and many Ground-types can stomach Hidden Power Grass, as it has low power. Strong priority attackers should also be removed, as Elekid's low bulk leaves it susceptible to priority moves. Elekid should take advantage of predicted switches by using Volt Switch to gain momentum or by using Hidden Power Grass if you predict a Chinchou or Ground-type to switch in.
Team Options
Elekid appreciates the momentum given by slow pivoting, best provided by teammates such as Mienfoo, Vullaby, and, in some cases, Pancham and Alolan Meowth. Grass-types in general are good partners, as they can check Chinchou and the Ground-types that threaten Elekid. As such, Pokemon like Foongus and Snivy are recommended to use with it. Foongus can tank hits from many Ground-types and cripple them with Spore, and Snivy can act as a speed check with Glare, taking out every Ground-type foe with Leaf Storm. Entry hazards are important for Elekid, as it often forces switches, and the residual damage helps Elekid to knock out many Pokemon. For Stealth Rock support, Onix and Ferroseed are good choices, with the former acting as a utility lead and the latter beating some Ground-types and Shell Smash users such as Omanyte, Tirtouga, and Shellder. Dwebble and Omanyte provide Spikes support, and Mareanie can set Toxic Spikes, doing status damage to ease Elekid's job. Elekid needs Knock Off support in order to function, as many Ground-types can otherwise take Hidden Power Grass. Due to its shared checks, Pawniard is a good choice, as it can help wear down Ground- and Fighting-types. Z-Memento is useful when Elekid is weakened and it's still needed to take down some of the opponent's Pokemon. Diglett and Cottonee are the best options for this. The recoil of Life Orb can put Elekid in a bad situation sometimes, and if there are hazards set on its side of the field, Elekid is left at a disadvantage. Hazard removers like Staryu and Vullaby are useful, as they prevent Elekid from taking more residual damage. If more safety against Ground-types is needed, Slowpoke can take every hit from them thanks to its good defensive stats and Regenerator. As Chinchou and other Electric-types still hinder Elekid, trappers such as Diglett can trap them and knock them out with safety.
