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Ponyta


Statbasemin-minmax max+
HP50N/A2124N/A
Att8513151819
Def5510121516
Sp.A6511131617
Sp.D6511131617
Spe9013151819


SET 1
name: Sweeper
move1: Flare Blitz
move2: Return
move3: Will-o-wisp/Hypnosis
move4: Iron Tail
item: Focus Sash/Life Orb
nature: Jolly/Adamant
evs: 236 Atk/196 Spd/36 HP

SET COMMENTS

Ponyta's base 90 speed and base 85 attack make it built to be a sweeper. Unfortunately, Ponyta has a limited movepool. Flare Blitz is the STAB, Return is the next strongest move in its arsenal. Will-o-wisp or Hypnosis is for incoming walls, and Iron Tail will hit rock-types hard. For the nature, Jolly will tie you with any max speed base 83-92's (Abra, Murkrow), and Adamant will give you the extra power. Jolly will probably be preferrable because of the tendency of the Little Cup metagame to be speed-centric.

SET 2
name: Standard Choice
move1: Flame Wheel/Flare Blitz
move2: Return
move3: Iron Tail
move4: Quick Attack/Overheat
item: Choice Band/Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly/Adamant
evs: 236 Atk/196 Spd/36 HP

SET COMMENTS

Again, Ponyta's small movepool hinders this set. Quick Attack is a third-gen-only move, meaning that it is impossible to obtain a level 5 Ponyta with Flare Blitz and Quick Attack. Ponyta is then stuck with Flame Wheel for its STAB, and because of its low base power, Jolly nature and Choice Band are recommended here. This can be avoided by replacing Quick Attack with Overheat, in which case Flare Blitz can be used. It will be outpaced by a modest-scarfed Abra, but it will also always survive that Abra's psychic. The same is true for a adamant-scarfed Murkrow's Drill Peck. It can then OHKO Abra back, but not necessarily OHKO Murkrow.

SET 3
name: Mixed Scarf
move1: Flare Blitz
move2: Return/Hypnosis/Will-o-Wisp
move3: Overheat
move4: HP Grass
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Lonely
evs: 240 Atk/196 Spd
ivs: 30 Atk/30 SpAtk

SET COMMENTS

A mixed scarf Ponyta that can hit very quickly or get a fast status off. HP Grass will OHKO incoming Kabuto, Rhyhorn, Omanyte, and the like that resist Ponyta's STAB. Overheat's high base power can surprise other defensive Pokemon expecting a physical attack. Using Hypnosis would result in one of the faster sleep attacks in Little Cup.

OTHER OPTIONS

Ponyta can access three status moves: Will-o-wisp, Hypnosis, and Toxic, so a double-status set is possible. Agility with max speed (neutral nature) would put you at 36 speed, which, from the speed tiers, is faster than everything but Unburden-Salac Drifloon and +2 positive-speed-natured Yanma. If you wanted Flare Blitz on the choice set, the last slot would have to be filled by Double Kick or a special attack.

Ponyta's base 65 special attack may make him a decent sunnybeamer. The set would be something like Sunny Day, Solarbeam, Flamethrower/Fire Blast, and Hypnosis/Will-o-wisp.

Illegal Moves

Quick Attack is a third-gen-only move, so it cannot be used with Flare Blitz. Otherwise, Smeargle's Sketch makes any combination of egg moves possible.

EV's

Basic sweeper build: always max out speed and an offensive stat (usually attack). The last point should generally go to HP. Ponyta does have solid defenses, but they aren't really worth an investment because of the weaknesses to Surf and Earthquake that come from being a fire-type.

OPINION

Movepool, movepool, movepool. Ponyta would benefit from a larger selection of attacks, but it has some good stats to work with. Base 90 speed makes it the fastest fire-type available (Magby can tie it with maxed EVs) and base 85 attack makes it the hardest-hitting fire type, physical or special. Couple that with base 50/55/65 defenses and you have yourself a horse that could prove to be a real threat in the Little Cup.

COUNTERS

Bulky rock-types like Rhyhorn and Onix will be a problem for a physical Ponyta; the only thing Ponyta can do to them is 2KO with a CB Iron Tail or burn them. Omanyte and Kabuto resist both fire and normal, so they counter Ponyta fairly easily. All four of those must watch out for HP Grass, though. Other water types can switch in on the STAB, but will take damage from Return. Stealth Rock hinders Ponyta especially since it may be hurting itself with Flare Blitz. Ponyta is easy to revenge kill with a powerful priority move or a scarfed super-effective attack.