To round out our team, we've gone with a Swampert. Out of all the starters from all the Pokemon games, Swampert is one of our favorites. Although it's lacking in speed and special attack, its attack, defense, and special defense complement our Mewtwo and Mew nicely. Being a water/ground mix gives it access to some fantastic moves. Our competitive Swampert is armed with Waterfall, Earthquake, Ice Beam, and Rest.
Waterfall is definitely the way to go with Swampert since its attack is higher than its special attack. Too many times we've seen people trot out their Swamperts with Surf. This is stupid, since Surf is based on the special attack stat. Don't do it! Earthquake is one of the best physical moves in the game and Swampert gets a type bonus for using it. Ice Beam is very much optional in this move set - it's more for brain farts and unfortunate encounters with opposing grass types (Swampert's huge weakness).
Using Rest with Swampert only makes sense if you're giving it a Lum Berry or a Chesto Berry. These hold items awaken Swampert from the self-imposed sleep that comes with this restorative move. With its high defense and powerful attacks, we don't mind giving Swampert a berry to hold. Speaking of which...
...hold items are vital in the Battle Tower and in competitive play. Since you can't use medicinal items in these modes and most tournaments (including the Battle Tower) only let you use one kind of hold item per party, acquiring and using powerful hold items is essential. We'll write more about that at a later date. For now, we'll tell you to go out and grab items like Leftovers and Choice Specs.
Last but not least, don't underestimate boost and defensive moves when it comes to competitive play. While they're generally only moderately useful in the main game, moves like Dragon Dance, Whirlwind, Thunderwave, Calm Mind, Spikes, etc. are exponentially more valuable in competitive play. Again, that's a whole other story that we'll delve more deeply into at a later date. For now, we encourage you to experiment with these moves and to implement them into your party.
Now let's get to this week's Pokemon giveaway!
