Hoo boy, ever since Paradox Pokémon were allowed in VGC (and disgustingly early at that), Flutter Mane has warped the VGC landscape around it, its superb stats allowing to out speed and OHKO everything in sight, or even become annoyingly difficult to take down thanks to its key stats being so high, Flutter Mane could afford to neglect investment in those stats and focus on bulk while still excelling. Ghost Fairy is arguably one of the best types in VGC, with near perfect neutral coverage and an immunity to Fake Out on top of hard to exploit weaknesses thanks to Steel and Poison being poor offensive types and Flutter Mane outmatching any other Ghost type thanks to the mutual weakness. Ghost Fairy STAB alone gives a lot of what Flutter Mane desires, yet boasting superb and eclettic coverage in Power Gem, Mystical Fire, Thunderbolt, and Energy Ball allowing Flutter Mane to threaten a wide range of foes. Though with the suberp coverage of its STABs, what truly shines is Flutter Mane's support movepool. Taunt to shutdown all sorts of setup, speed control in Icy Wind and Thunder Wave, Fake Tears and Helping Hand for damage support, and Perish Song if you're Wolfe Glick, Flutter Mane compresses damage and support into a single Pokémon. However, with the reintroduction of restricted Pokémon, Flutter Mane lacks the dominance it had of previous formats, with the increased power making it far easier to remove immediately, especially with Calyrex-Shadow Rider giving Flutter Mane a taste of its own medicine as an even faster more powerful Ghost type. This is just fine however, as Flutter Mane is finally in its own weight class. This alone gives Flutter Mane valuable utility being effectively a restricted Pokémon that doesn't take a restricted slot. However, with the increased power levels, Flutter Mane's pitiful Defense and poor HP are much more apparent and using it can be a tightrope act, where a misplay can lead to Flutter Mane's exorcism, but the payoff is well worth the risk.
Chilling Banshee
Flutter Mane
-Taunt
-Icy Wind
-Moonblast
-Protect
Ability: Protosynthesis
Item Attached: Focus Sash
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Tera Type: Fairy/Normal
A Flutter Mane set that shows its supportive prowess. Base 135 Speed that is potentially coupled with Protosynthesis makes Flutter Mane one of the fastest Pokémon in the game, giving one of the fastest non-Prankster Taunts, allowing Flutter Mane to shutdown all sorts of setup and disruption from Trick Room, Incineroar's Parting Shot and Will-O-Wisp, Amoonguss' Spore, to future uses of Protect, Wide Guard, and Follow Me, the list of moves that Flutter Mane shutsdown is insane. That insane speed also lends well to speed control in Icy Wind, making it easier for Flutter Mane and its teammates to handle threats that rely on their speed, such as Calyrex-Shadow Rider, Koraidon, Miradon, Chien-Pao, etc. while dealing chip damage that breaks Focus Sash, though the imperfect accuracy is unfortunate. Moonblast is the preferred Fairy STAB, especially with the popularity of Wide Guard from all of the other spread attacking restricted Pokémon. Moonblast is preferred for its great coverage, especially against the Raidons who must Terastalize, Flee or be KO'd especially when Flutter Mane seals the speed with Protosynthesis. Threatening the Protect breaking Urshifus, Raging Bolt, Chien-Pao, Iron Hands, Brute Bonnet, Grimmsnarl, and more is why Moonblast is preferred. Protect rounds out the set being the best move in Doubles for innumerable reasons.
This set is simple max Speed and Special attack, as Miraidon's base special bulk is good enough that to threaten a OHKO, Flutter Mane needs as much Special Attack as possible. Timid Nature is necessary for getting the Speed boost from Protosynthesis. Investing in HP or Defense to increase Flutter Mane's bulk is a common occurance. 204 HP is enough for Flutter Mane to withstand non Specs Modest Miraidon's Electro Drift. Focus Sash does give Flutter Mane some wiggle room and forces opponents to hit it twice to take it out, while Flutter Mane's Ghost typing preventing doubling up with Fake Out. Tera Fairy is the preferred Tera, boosting Moonblast to a guaranteed OHKO on non Assault Vest Miraidon, and respectable damage to a Terastalized or Assault Vested one. Tera Normal is for Calyrex-Shadow Rider, preventing Flutter Mane from being pressured by Astral Barrage.
Preferred Partners:
Sun setters are important for this set, the speed boost from Protosynthesis giving Flutter Mane much of its utility in the first place. As such Koraidon and Groudon are mainstays when using Flutter Mane, their physical offense nicely complimenting Flutter Mane's special and loving the speed control and anti-Trick Room services it provides. Both being able to smash Steel types and Ground offering the famed Fairy-Ground coverage combination go a long way in covering Flutter Mane's weaknesses.
Ironically, Flutter Mane excelling in the Sun while not directly needing it also makes it a great Anti-Sun Pokémon, threatening opposing Koraidon with its own Speed control and Fairy STAB, a fact that Kyogre greatly appreciates. The fact that Flutter Mane can also setup pins with Fake Tears makes it a strong pick for Kyogre teams in general.
Other Options:
Shadow Ball is Flutter Mane's other STAB with good neutral coverage, but invaluable into opposing Calyrex, Lunala and Flutter Manes.
Fake Tears allows Flutter Mane to give both itself and any special attacking partners an insane power boost.
Thunder Wave is more permanent speed control that isn't wiped upon switching out and the lost turns are amazing when they occur, but it does nothing into Miraidon.
Power Gem obliterates Incineroar as well as theatening opposing Ho-oh and Tera Fire Koraidon and Groudon who can stomach Flutter Mane's Fairy STABs well.
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