Overview:
Yay for Floatzel! He is in one of my four absolute favorite Pokemon families (can you guess what they might be?). Floatzel is a really cool Pokemon, as his family not only has a cool design, but he also has the right stats that he needs to be powerful. Base 105 Attack and 115 Speed allow him to be a deadly physical sweeper, while a base 85 Sp. Attack means that he can use some special moves if needed and still put out some power. Floatzel is also one of the fastest Pokemon who gets a weather-based ability that doubles Speed (in his case, Swift Swim). This means that he is very likely to hit first in the rain.
Sadly, like the rest of my favorites, Floatzel has been throw into the NU tier, and it isn't completely difficult to see why that is. First, while he sports a decent base 85 HP, 55/50 in defenses means that it doesn't take much to KO Floatzel. Secondly, Swift Swim cannot be used with Drizzle outside of Ubers, at which point he faces stiff competition with other Pokemon that either have a better movepool or typing. This still should not discourage anyone from using Floatzel, however, because a well-played Floatzel can and will destroy the opponent's Pokemon.
Abilities:
Swift Swim: The Pokemon's Speed stat is doubled while the weather is rainy. This makes Floatzel go from fast to ridiculously fast. This ability should only be used on dedicated rain teams, but this does allow Floatzel to be very strong.
Water Veil: The Pokemon cannot have BURN condition. This is generally a better option for Floatzel that are not on rain teams. This also prevents a nasty Attack drop and loss of HP from Burn. Not the greatest ability, but it gives Floatzel a usable ability outside of rain.
Movesets:
Choice Band
-Waterfall
-Ice Punch/ Return
-Crunch
-Aqua Jet
Item:Choice Band
Ability:Swift Swim/ Water Veil
Nature: Adamant, Jolly
EVs:4 HP, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
A fairly straightforward set, and one that allows Floatzel to threaten teams with an Attack boost from Choice Band. Waterfall is a great STAB move, and Floatzel's Speed allows the flinch chance to be viable. Ice Punch grants super-effective hits on Grass-types that threaten Floatzel, but Return has better coverage with Waterfall and has more base power at maximum friendship. Crunch is mostly there for coverage, but it is useful against Pokemon like Misdreavus. Aqua Jet is a priority move, which is extremely helpful and helps patch up Floatzel's low defenses, as it makes it very difficult for the opponent to KO Floatzel before it can attack.
The EVs are simple, as they maximize Floatzel's Attack and Speed. The ability and nature are tied together. The best option is to run Floatzel on a rain team with Swift Swim and an Adamant nature, as this maximizes both of Floatzel's important stats. If you are not running him on a rain team, however, Water Veil and a Jolly nature are the safest options. This is weaker than the Swift Swim variety, but it can still function.
Bulk Up Utility
-Waterfall
-Crunch
-Bulk Up
-Baton Pass
Item:Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim/ Water Veil
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Attack, 4 Defense, 252 Speed
Floatzel does not get a great assortment of stat-boosting moves, but it can use Bulk Up to increase both Attack and Defense, which can make him powerful and give him a bit of a cushion against physical attacks. Waterfall and Crunch are chosen for the same reasons as before. Baton Pass is useful for giving the Bulk Up boosts to a teammate, plus Floatzel's high Speed makes Baton Pass a great escape tool to deal with threats that might switch in.
The nature is exclusively Jolly for the Speed boost, since Floatzel can boost his Attack with Bulk Up. The EVs are similar to before, but the extra EVs go to further boost Floatzel's Defense.
Mixed Sweeper
-Waterfall
-Ice Beam
-Hidden Power [Grass]
-Crunch
Item:Life Orb
Ability:Swift Swim/ Water Veil
Nature: Rash/ Naughty
EVs: 240 Attack, 252 Sp. Attack, 16 Speed
While Floatzel's base Sp. Attack is only 85, this set attempts to give Floatzel the flexibility to take down a variety of Pokemon, including the physical walls that usually give Floatzel trouble. Waterfall remains constant to dish out damage. Ice Beam takes on bulky Grass-types like Tangela, while Hidden Power [Grass] hits Alomomola and bulky Water/Ground types for severe damage. Crunch rounds out the set by taking on bulky Ghost and Psychic-types.
The nature chosen either boosts Floatzel's Sp. Attack (Rash nature) or Attack (Naughty nature). Rash is usually the best option, as it gives Floatzel the Sp. Attack boost that he needs. The EVs are shifted to his attack stats while giving him a slight boost to Speed.
Counters:
This is both hard and easy at the same time. Floatzel is incredibly fast, especially in the rain and with Aqua Jet. However, some revenge killers can take on Floatzel with little trouble. Absol is one of the deadliest, as Sucker Punch hits Floatzel first, and it usually hits since Floatzel almost always uses an attack move. Another way to deal with Floatzel is through Paralysis, as a Floatzel without Speed with not be able to attack right away, thus exposing its low defenses. Finally, bulky and powerful Pokemon that are resistant to Water-type moves can sponge a hit and KO Floatzel right back.
Final Comments:
Floatzel is a really awesome Pokemon that can be difficult to deal with if it is played right. It might be outclassed by many Pokemon, but can still be useful. Plus, I love Floatzel no matter what, and in the end, isn't that what matters? Maybe not, but it does not take away from Floatzel's advantages.
