Hoopa (Unbound) Movesets & Wettbewerbs-Sets

Moves Hyperspace Fury is a very powerful Dark-type STAB attack that allows Hoopa-U to ignore Protect and Substitute; however, the move has a slight drawback, as it reduces Hoopa-U's Defense. Despite the Defense drop, Hyperspace Fury helps Hoopa-U beat SubSeed users like Jumpluff and deal massive damage to Psychic-type Pokemon like Mega Slowbro, Meloetta, and Deoxys-S. Gunk Shot lets Hoopa-U beat Fairy-type Pokemon like Primarina, Tapu Fini, and give the best chances at beating Tapu Lele. Zen Headbutt is Hoopa-U's secondary STAB attack and is used to hit Venusaur and Kommo-o super effectively. Fire Punch is used to beat foes that are 4x weak to it like Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor; however, it cannot get rid of Kartana because it simply outspeeds and nukes Hoopa-U. Drain Punch is an option that helps beat Mega Tyranitar and Greninja. Trick shuts down Pokemon that carry Leftovers or Eviolite, like Pyukumuku and non-Return Type: Null, while also beating FEAR Pokemon like Aron. Ice Punch can also be used to beat non-Extreme Speed Zygarde. Set Details The given HP and Defense EVs let Hoopa-U take a Meteor Mash from non-Adamant Mega Metagross. Its high Special Defense stat already allows it to naturally tank special hits from Tapu Lele, Greninja, and Heatran, specifically allowing Hoopa-U to take a Hyper Beam from a Modest Choice Scarf Porygon-Z with the given HP investment. 164 Speed EVs allow Hoopa-U to outspeed uninvested base 100 Speed Pokemon, like Victini and Manaphy, and the remaining Attack EVs and Choice Band maximize Hoopa-U's damage output, allowing it to secure KOs on bulky Fairy-types such as Primarina and Tapu Fini. Alternatively, an EV spread of 252 HP / 24 Atk / 12 Def / 124 SpD / 96 Spe can be run in order to beat Magnezone, outspeeding it and surving an Electroweb into Gigavolt Havoc, as well as still tank a Meteor Mash from Mega Metagross, but will lose out on overall power and Speed, making Hoopa-U less reliable against bulkier variants of Mega Metagross and faster variants of Kommo-o. A simpler spread of maximum Speed and maximum Attack, with a Jolly nature, in order to outspeed common Pokemon, like Smeargle. Usage Tips Against Mega Swampert, which uses Yawn, use either Hyperspace Fury on its Yawn to attack through the Protect, or use Zen Headbutt as it uses Earthquake turn 1 because Earthquake can OHKO Hoopa-U after the Defense drop on Hyperspace Fury. Against Serperior, use Hyperspace Fury if it uses Substitute or Leech Seed to 2HKO it; however, use Gunk Shot on a Leaf Storm so you can OHKO it before it 2HKOes Hoopa-U. Furthermore, Serperior can simply fish for Gunk Shot misses by repeatedly using Substitute. Team Options Hoopa-U struggles with 1v1's metagame-defining Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Dragonite, Mega Gyarados, and Magearna because of their ability to tank neutral hits and set up to OHKO Hoopa-U. Pokemon like Garchomp, Heatran, Clefable, and Mega Altaria, which can handle a good number of them, partner well with Hoopa-U. At the same time, Hoopa-U handles stall users such as Mega Slowbro and Deoxys-S that the previous Pokemon struggle with. Hoopa-U lacks the ability to defeat Pokemon with the ability Sturdy such as Donphan, Golem, and Crustle. Pairing it with Mega Gyarados or Primarina helps deal with these Pokemon thanks to their adequate defenses, while Hoopa-U deals with Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Lele, which give them trouble. Despite being able to beat certain Fairy-types, Hoopa-U still can't cover all of them; Mega Mawile and Magearna are immune to Gunk Shot, while Mega Gardevoir is simply faster and OHKOes with a Pixilate-boosted Hyper Beam. Hoopa-U is also 4x weak to Bug. Pair it with Fire-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, or Heatran, as they cover both Bug-types and the Fairy-types Hoopa-U fails to beat. In return, Hoopa-U is able to take out Water-type Pokemon like Primarina and Mega Slowbro, which they typically struggle with.

Moves Dark Pulse is Hoopa-U's primary STAB move, hitting Psychic-type Pokemon like Mega Metagross and Mega Slowbro super effectively, and when paired with Hoopa-U's high base Special Attack, it deals massive damage to Pokemon that take neutral damage from it like Volcanion and Heatran. Thunderbolt allows Hoopa-U to notably beat Mega Gyarados and Celesteela more reliably than Dark Pulse. Alternatively, Hoopa-U can run Grass Knot, as it still beats Mega Gyarados but also covers Mega Swampert; however, this makes the Celesteela matchup more difficult. Psychic is Hoopa-U's secondary STAB move and is used to hit Mega Venusaur and Mega Blaziken super effectively. Alternatively, Hoopa-U can run Hyperspace Hole; although it inflicts less damage than Psychic, it does bypass Protect and Substitute, allowing it to beat Jumpluff and making the Whimsicott matchup much easier. Hidden Power Ice is used to beat Garchomp, Zygarde, and Jolly Landorus-T, while Focus Blast helps beat Incineroar and Mega Tyranitar. Alternatively, Trick shuts down Pokemon that carry Leftovers or Eviolite, like Pyukumuku and Type: Null, while also beating FEAR Pokemon like Aron. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense investment gives Hoopa-U the best chance of tanking two Waterfalls from maximum Attack Mega Gyarados, as well as guarantees Hoopa-U will survive a Tectonic Rage from Garchomp and a Fake Out plus Malicious Moonsault from bulky Incineroar, while its high Special Defense stat already allows it to naturally tank special hits from Greninja, Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, and Heatran. The remaining Special Attack EVs and Choice Specs maximize Hoopa-U's damage output. A faster spread of 148 HP / 184 Def / 4 SpA / 176 Spe with a Timid nature can be run to outspeed Tapu Fini and Adamant Gyarados while still taking a Dragon Dance-boosted Waterfall from Mega Gyarados. However, this frailer set cannot survive a hit from a Garchomp or Incineroar. Usage Tips Avoid using the defensive Hoopa-U spread against Tapu Fini, who will be able to 2HKO you and survive any one attack. Team Options Choice Specs Hoopa-U is great at dealing with Ground-types such as Garchomp, Zygarde, and Jolly Landorus-T, so partnering it with a Steel-type Pokemon such as Heatran and Magearna would be appreciated. At the same time, these Steel-type Pokemon deal with the Fairy-types Hoopa-U struggles with, such as Gardevoir and Tapu Lele. Choice Specs Hoopa-U has no tool to deal with Fairy-types such as Tapu Lele, Mega Mawile, Magearna, and Mega Gardevoir. Thus pairing Hoopa-U with Salazzle or Jirachi, which deal with these Pokemon quite well, is appreciated. At the same time, Hoopa-U deals with the Water-types Salazzle and Jirachi struggle with, such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Swampert. Choice Specs Hoopa-U still fails to beat some of 1v1's strongest Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X and Y, Dragonite, and Magearna. Garchomp, Heatran, and Mega Altaria deal with most of them and appreciate Hoopa-U dealing with stall Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro that they can't take on. Hoopa-U is also great at bluffing sets and baiting. Its Choice Specs set is great at baiting Mega Gyarados, while its Choice Band set baits Primarina and Tapu Fini. Having at least one physical attacking Pokemon and a special attacking Pokemon makes the opponent question what set Hoopa-U could be running.

Moves Hyperspace Fury is Hoopa-U's main attack and the move it will want to click most often. It covers opposing Psychic-types like Bronzong and Cresselia and Ghost-types like Aegislash. Hyperspace Hole nails Amoonguss, which is a very good Trick Room check, as well as offering decent damage after Hoopa-U has incurred Attack drops from Intimidate. Both of these moves have the unique property of breaking Protect, which is especially valuable in Trick Room, as opponents want to use the move to stall out Trick Room turns. Trick Room allows Hoopa-U and its slower teammates to move first for four turns, which can really turn the tables on any team that relies on the Speed of its Pokemon. Protect allows Hoopa-U to shield itself from damage while its partner handles a threat, or to stall out opposing field conditions. Set Details A Brave nature is used to lower Hoopa-U's Speed for Trick Room as well as power up Hyperspace Fury. Hoopa-U can also run 0 IVs in Speed to ensure it is even faster in Trick Room. The given HP and Defense EVs allow Hoopa-U to survive a U-turn from Choice Scarf Victini or an Overheat from Mega Charizard Y in sun. The remaining EVs are placed into Attack to boost the power of Hyperspace Fury. Sitrus Berry is used to indirectly improve Hoopa-U's bulk by allowing it to survive a double target if necessary; oftentimes Hoopa-U will take about 60% damage from both opponents, so Sitrus Berry can prevent those attacks from knocking it out. Sitrus Berry is also useful with Magician, as after it activates, Hoopa-U will be able to steal opposing Pokemon's items. Usage Tips Hoopa-U is usually at its best when it is not the lead Trick Room setter, regardless of whether the team needs Trick Room set up to function. If the team is reliant on Trick Room, a bulkier and more defensive setter is usually a better lead. If Trick Room is not vital to the team's success, it is preferable to wait until the optimal time to set Trick Room presents itself, usually in front of opposing speed control or with the appropriate supporting teammate. Hoopa-U punishes any team that wants to use Protect often, but it works especially well when Trick Room is up, as one of the main ways opposing teams want to stall out Trick Room turns is by using Protect a lot. Hoopa-U essentially prevents opposing teams from doing so, so the opponent has to rely on making defensive switches, which is punishable by making an offensive switch at the same time or by getting off a powerful double target. Keep in mind that firing off Hyperspace Fury will lower Hoopa-U's Defense; however, once Trick Room is set, Hoopa-U is a lot less worried about its Defense stat. Hoopa-U will have a very tough time setting Trick Room if there is no support beside it, such as a Fake Out or redirection user, as the opponent can generally just double target Hoopa-U to prevent its setup. To work around this, try to get Hoopa-U and a supportive Pokemon in as Trick Room is running out so you're immediately ready to set Trick Room again. Team Options Hoopa-U benefits a lot from a Fake Out partner like Scrafty. Fake Out will make setting up Trick Room easier, as it can stop an incoming target or an attack that could knock out Hoopa-U. Scrafty has the added benefit of threatening opposing Dark-types like Incineroar and Tyranitar, both of which wall Hoopa-U. Any team that is reliant on Trick Room will need a defensive setter to pair with Hoopa-U like Diancie or Porygon2. Diancie is an especially good option, as it has a fantastic matchup versus Incineroar and other opposing Dark-types. Amoonguss can also provide a lot of support for Hoopa-U, as it can redirect moves that would stop Trick Room, as well as spread fast Spores while Trick Room is active. Any team with Hoopa-U will need multiple checks for opposing Dark-types like Incineroar, Scrafty, and Tyranitar. Mega Camerupt, Scrafty, and Tapu Fini are all good options that have the added benefit of being able to function effectively in Trick Room. Hoopa-U will not be able to do much damage to any of the Island Guardians, except for Tapu Lele, so a Poison-type like Amoonguss or a Steel-type like Bronzong or Stakataka can shore up that matchup considerably.

Moves Nasty Plot makes this set extremely deadly, turning Hoopa-U into a powerful wallbreaker after just a single boost. Psyshock and Dark Pulse hit a majority of the tier at least neutrally; Dark Pulse also destroys defensive walls such as Lugia, Giratina-O, Mega Sableye, and bulky Arceus formes. Psyshock is used over Psychic in order to deal specially bulky Pokemon, such as Blissey and Ho-Oh, a large amount of damage. Focus Blast hits Tyranitar and Yveltal, which otherwise wall this set, and a +2 Focus Blast is even able to OHKO Chople Berry Tyranitar. Set Details Maximum Special Attack investment with a Modest nature allows Hoopa-U to OHKO Blissey, Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Xerneas before a Geomancy boost, as well as Primal Groudon with maximum Special Defense investment after Stealth Rock damage; the EVs also allow Hoopa-U to OHKO Chople Berry-lacking Tyranitar with maximum Special Defense under sand. The remainder of the EVs are put into Speed to outspeed most Primal Groudon sets and Xerneas without a Choice Scarf. A Timid nature can also be run to outspeed neutral-natured Pokemon with base 90 Speed and full Speed investment, but a Modest nature is usually preferred, as this set functions best against stall. Life Orb is used to boost Hoopa-U's damage output while allowing it to switch moves, capitalizing on its coverage options. 29 HP IVs can be used to minimize Life Orb recoil. Usage Tips Because Hoopa-U is very frail, try to bring it in via a double switch or with pivot moves such as U-turn and Volt Switch. However, do not switch it in to powerful physical or special attackers, as even with a relatively high Special Defense stat, Hoopa-U is unable to reliably survive moves like Latios's Draco Meteor. Opposing Yveltal, if given a free switch in, can deal massive amounts of damage to Hoopa-U, so try to catch it on the switch. As Hoopa-U's worst matchup is against offense, it can be used as fodder to bring a teammate in safely or as a check to some special attackers, such as Dialga and Mega Mewtwo Y; Hoopa-U should not be played conservatively against such teams. It can also heavily damage Primal Groudon, as even fully specially defensive variants are 2HKOed by a Life Orb-boosted Dark Pulse, and check Extreme Killer Arceus, as an unboosted Extreme Speed cannot OHKO Hoopa-U. Against stall teams, Hoopa-U is best used as an early- or mid-game wallbreaker, paving the way for a teammate to sweep late-game. Hoopa-U can also act as a late-game sweeper after its checks and counters have been removed, as it finds itself with many setup opportunities when against stall. Team Options Because Hoopa-U's middling Speed and atrocious Defense leave it with few chances to directly switch in, Scizor, Landorus-T, Zekrom, and Yveltal make for good teammates, as they can pivot Hoopa-U in against something it checks, such as physically bulky Pokemon like Skarmory. However, the aforementioned Pokemon do not typically offer much defensive synergy or general team stability, although Zekrom can check Yveltal for Hoopa-U and Scizor can take on Fairy-types, notably Mega Diancie. Other Fairy-type checks that pair well with Hoopa-U include Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Klefki; the latter is especially appreciated, as it can paralyze faster threats to aid Hoopa-U in wallbreaking. Pokemon that can take on physical attackers, such as Skarmory, bulky Mega Salamence, Giratina-O, and bulky Arceus formes, are mandatory. Pokemon that perform well against offense, such as Choice Scarf Xerneas and Darkrai, also make for good teammates. In addition, late-game cleaners can take advantage of Hoopa-U's wallbreaking to sweep late-game. Double Dance Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground especially appreciate Hoopa-U's ability to break through Lugia and Giratina-O.

Moves Hyperspace Fury is Hoopa-U's main STAB attack, hitting extremely hard and ignoring protection moves such as King's Shield. Drain Punch hits Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Bisharp and allows Hoopa-U to recover some health. Psychic allows Hoopa-U to revenge kill Pokemon that resist Dark such as Keldeo and Mega Diancie as well as 2HKO Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss. Gunk Shot can be used instead to hit Fairy-types, allowing Hoopa-U to revenge kill Mega Gardevoir with ease. Lunar Dance allows Hoopa-U to revive a weakened teammate. Pursuit traps threats that try to switch out of Hyperspace Fury such as Latios, Gengar, and Meloetta. Trick and Switcheroo give Hoopa-U the ability to cripple bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Ferrothorn, but Hoopa-U often prefers hitting them hard instead. Running Parting Shot in the last slot allows Hoopa-U to pivot, but it struggles to fit the move onto its set. Set Details Maximum Speed EVs and a Hasty nature make Hoopa-U as fast as possible. Maximum Attack EVs increase Hoopa-U's general power, and the remaining EVs slightly boost the power of Psychic. If Gunk Shot is used, Hoopa-U should run an EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe and a Jolly nature. Choice Scarf boosts Hoopa-U's Speed, allowing it to outspeed fast threats such as Mega Manectric, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Heatran. Usage Tips Bring Hoopa-U in safely with a pivoting move or after a teammate has fainted, and use it to revenge kill or Pursuit trap threats. Be wary of Hyperspace Fury's Defense drops, as they leave Hoopa-U easily revenge killed or Pursuit trapped itself. Switch out of priority moves such as Fake Out + Extreme Speed, as Hoopa-U is extremely physically frail. Work towards weakening Hoopa-U's checks and counters so that it can sweep late-game. Alternatively, use Lunar Dance to heal up a weakened setup sweeper so it can finish off the opposing team late-game. Team Options Entry hazard support from setters such as Stealth Rock Landorus-T and Spikes Skarmory wears down the opposing team quickly. Mega Scizor can freely set up on physical attackers such as Pursuit Tyranitar, and it appreciates being given a second chance thanks to Lunar Dance. Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Terrakion can take advantage of Pursuit trappers and appreciate Hoopa-U's ability to Pursuit trap Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Latios and Gengar. Normal-types such as Ursaring enjoy Hoopa-U's ability to reliably Pursuit trap Gengar. U-turn, Volt Switch, and Parting Shot users such as Landorus-T, Rotom-W, and Sableye give Hoopa-U opportunities to switch in. These Pokemon can also deal with the physical attackers that threaten Hoopa-U.

Moves Dark Pulse hits physically defensive walls such as Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Mega Slowbro. Psystrike hits specially defensive walls such as Chansey, deals heavy damage to Fairy-types, and hits Mega Venusaur hard. Focus Blast rounds out Hoopa-U's coverage by hitting Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Bisharp and Steel-types such as Ferrothorn extremely hard. Psycho Boost improves Hoopa-U's matchup against bulkyier teams, as it OHKOes physical walls such as Landorus-T and Rotom-W. Alternatively, Sucker Punch allows Hoopa-U to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Latios and Jirachi. Running Nasty Plot in the last slot allows Hoopa-U to run over bulky teams, but it generally prefers the ability to OHKO walls without a boost or revenge kill faster Pokemon. Set Details 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature make Hoopa-U as fast as possible so that it can outspeed threats such as Timid Heatran. Maximum Special Attack EVs increase Hoopa-U's power. If Sucker Punch is used, Hoopa-U should use an EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Hasty nature. Life Orb boosts Hoopa-U's power without locking it into one move. 29 HP IVs minimize Life Orb recoil. Usage Tips Hoopa-U should be used to break down walls early- or mid-game. Bring it in with the use of a pivoting move, after a teammate has fainted, or into special attackers such as Thundurus and Latias. However, it cannot switch into any physical attacks, as it is very physically frail. Make use of the unexpected nature of this set, as opponents usually expect a physically-oriented set. Be careful around opposing Dark-types, as they can switch in on a Dark- or Psychic-type attack and proceed to threaten Hoopa-U with Sucker Punch and Pursuit. Furthermore, Hoopa-U is easily taken advantage of once Psycho Boost has dropped its Special Attack. Make use of Sucker Punch's surprise factor to KO opposing revenge killers. Team Options This set has an excellent matchup against defensive teams, so setup sweepers generally appreciate Hoopa-U's wallbreaking ability; in particular, physical sweepers such as Shift Gear Mega Scizor and Swords Dance Excadrill enjoy Skarmory, Rotom-W, and bulky Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon being KOed. Garchomp and Landorus-T handle priority users and can set up Stealth Rock to wear down Hoopa-U's switch-ins, especially Mandibuzz. Rotom-W and Sableye handle Fake Out + Extreme Speed users and give Hoopa-U opportunities to come in with Volt Switch and Parting Shot, respectively. Sticky Web users such as Mega Scizor are also capable of slowing down the opposing team, which gives Hoopa-U an enormous advantage. Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Terrakion appreciate Hoopa-U threatening Psychic-types and have a good matchup against the Dark-types that threaten Hoopa-U.

Moves Hyperspace Fury is Hoopa-U's primary STAB attack. It doesn't make contact, allowing Hoopa-U to avoid damage from Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs, and Rough Skin; it also breaks through protection moves such as King's Shield. Sucker Punch is a very strong priority move that picks off naturally faster attackers such as Thundurus, Latios, and Aerodactyl, as well as Choice Scarf users such as Magnezone and Heatran. Drain Punch provides excellent coverage by hitting Dark-types such as Bisharp and Tyranitar, as well as allowing Hoopa-U to recover a small amount of health. Gunk Shot allows Hoopa-U to threaten Fairy-types such as Clefable and Togekiss as well as hit Mandibuzz for decent damage. Alternatively, Psycho Boost destroys physical walls such as Hippowdon, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W. Fire Punch can be used in the last slot to hit Klefki and Mega Scizor. Set Details Maximum Attack and Speed EVs make Hoopa-U as fast and strong as possible. 29 HP IVs are used to minimize Life Orb recoil. A Jolly nature allows Hoopa-U to Speed tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon as well as outspeed Timid Heatran. An Adamant nature is generally unncecessary, as Hoopa-U's Attack is already very strong. 4 Special Attack EVs and a Hasty nature should be used with Psycho Boost. Life Orb boosts Hoopa-U's power and allows it to switch moves, giving it the possibility to use Sucker Punch effectively. Usage Tips Hoopa-U should be brought in safely with the use of a pivoting move or after a teammate has fainted, as it is exceptionally physically frail. However, it can switch directly into some special attackers such as Thundurus and Gengar if it does not need to be kept healthy. Hoopa-U should use its powerful STAB attacks early- or mid-game to break down opposing walls, but it can also revenge kill effectively with its powerful Sucker Punch; however, it is important to be wary of the foe taking advantage of this to set up a Substitute or switch out. Don't recklessly spam Hoopa-U's STAB moves against teams with a Pursuit trapper, as they can easily remove it for the rest of the match. Hoopa-U also needs to switch out of priority moves such as the common Fake Out + Extreme Speed, as it cannot tank these attacks. Team Options Entry hazards from setters such as Spikes Garchomp and Stealth Rock Terrakion wear down opposing teams and limit the number of Pokemon that can check Hoopa-U. Steel-types such as Klefki and Skarmory handle opposing Fairy-types, and these two can also set up Spikes. Sticky Web support from Bug-types such as Mega Scizor and Forretress allows Hoopa-U to outspeed threats such as Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Fighting-types such as Mega Lopunny and Keldeo take advantage of the Pursuit trappers that Hoopa-U hates. Special attackers that struggle to break through common walls, such as Tornadus-T, appreciate Hoopa-U's wallbreaking ability. Reliable and powerful setup sweepers such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Scizor enjoy Hoopa-U's ability to break through the walls that they cannot, and in return, they perform well against fast offensive teams. Volt Switch, U-turn, and Parting Shot users such as Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and Sableye give Hoopa-U opportunities to switch in. These Pokemon can also deal with physical attackers, especially Fake Out + Extreme Speed users, that threaten Hoopa-U.

Moves Hyperspace Fury is Hoopa-U's strongest physical attack and often its go-to move to hammer away at the opponent, and, like Feint, it also breaks Protect. Hyperspace Hole is Hoopa-U's main special attack to help it beat Amoonguss as well as still deal heavy damage when it is either burned or Intimidated. Gunk Shot is a coverage move to handle Fairies such as Azumarill and Sylveon, which would otherwise threaten Hoopa-U. Substitute is a little more difficult to set up for Hoopa-U compared to other common users due to its lack of a good defensive typing, but it can often set it up on passive threats like Amoonguss or when it scares out a foe thanks to its offensive pressure. A Hoopa-U behind a Substitute is able to take physical hits it would otherwise not be able to take and respond with heavy damage. Drain Punch gives Hoopa-U a coverage move to hit Dark-type Pokemon that resist its STAB moves. Protect is self explanatory as a staple move in Doubles to help stall out field conditions or get Hoopa-U in a position where its partner can help it threaten the opposing team. Set Details Life Orb boosts Hoopa-U's mixed offensive stats to high levels to pick up key KOs and deal heavy damage. The Hasty nature was chosen to both increase Hoopa-U's Speed and preserve its outstanding Special Defense stat, as it wouldn't be taking most physical hits anyway. The Special Attack investment lets Hoopa-U always OHKO standard Relaxed Amoonguss with Hyperspace Hole. The Speed investment lets it outrun maximum Speed positive-natured base 70 Pokemon such as Breloom. The rest is dumped into Attack to hit as hard as possible with Hyperspace Fury, which easily OHKOes threats like Aegislash. An alternate spread with 116 Atk / 140 SpA / 252 Spe and a Hasty nature can be used to outrun as many Pokemon as possible while still netting an OHKO on both standard Relaxed Amoonguss and standard Aegislash. A Trick Room team may attempt to use an alternate spread of 232 HP / 136 Atk / 140 SpA with a Quiet nature to outspeed as many threats as possible in Trick Room. Zen Headbutt is also a viable option on Hoopa if one wants to forgo the special mechanics of Hyperspace Hole and opt for a full physical set. Usage Tips Hoopa-U should avoid Will-O-Wisp, as it lowers the damage output of Hyperspace Fury, preventing it from picking up OHKOs on some Pokemon and denting others for heavy damage. If Hoopa-U is faster than its partner, you can use a Hyperspace move to break opposing Protect so that the partner can attack through it. The same applies for breaking Wide Guard from Pokemon such as Aegislash, allowing a slower Mega Gardevoir to get off its Hyper Voice. Try not to switch in Hoopa-U too often except on a U-turn or safe switch after a team member faints, because its low Defense and lack of decent resistances make it take heavy damage otherwise. Leading with a Fake Out user alongside Hoopa-U puts on a lot of pressure because people generally try to burn out Fake Out with Protect, but thanks to Hoopa-U's ability to break Protect with its Hyperspace moves, this is no longer very safe. Due to Hoopa-U's awkward mid-tier base 80 Speed, it's best to get speed control into play such as that of Trick Room, Tailwind, Thunder Wave, and Icy Wind. Obviously, Hoopa-U is great for pressuring Pokemon slower than it due to its monstrous offensive stats. Hoopa-U is also very great against Trick Room, as it can hit most Trick Room setters for super effective damage with Hyperspace Fury, either KOing them or weakening them to the point where they will be unable to set up Trick Room again. If you are using the Substitute set on Hoopa-U, do not have it set up a Substitute when it is not anywhere close to full health, because it may end up fainting to Life Orb recoil behind the Substitute before it can get enough hits off. Team Options Tailwind setters are great partners for Hoopa-U because they provide it with necessary speed control. Latios gets a special mention for its offensive synergy with Hoopa-U, appreciating its ability to OHKO Aegislash. Trick Room setters such as Reuniclus, Cresselia, and Porygon2 give speed control for Hoopa to go to town under Trick Room. Redirection support Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Jirachi are good to take physical hits for Hoopa-U, allowing it to safely fire off attacks. Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan and Infernape can help Hoopa-U attack the foes safely, and, as a bonus, they also have a decent matchup versus Dark-types. Mega Kangaskhan also greatly appreciates Hoopa-U, as Hoopa-U helps it by getting rid of pesky Ghost-types like Aegislash and other Mega Kangaskhan checks like Amoonguss, allowing Mega Kangaskhan to plow through teams. Mega Kangaskhan also beats most Fairies, which would otherwise threaten Hoopa-U. Keldeo is a great partner, as it helps get rid of Dark- and Steel-types, as well as big threats like Mega Kangaskhan and Landorus-T that would OHKO Hoopa-U. Aegislash and Amoonguss are good defensive partners for Hoopa-U, as they take Fairy-type attacks and are good switch-ins to threats like Mega Kangaskhan and Keldeo, which would otherwise OHKO Hoopa. Aegislash also offers Wide Guard support to block out spread Fairy-type moves such as Pixilate Hyper Voice. Mega Gardevoir in particular really appreciates Hoopa-U beating Aegislash for it so it can freely spam Hyper Voice, while Gardevoir handles pesky Dark-types for Hoopa-U. Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame are also great partners because they beat threats to Hoopa-U in Dark-types like Bisharp and Scrafty as well as Fairy-types in Sylveon.

Moves Hyperspace Fury and Hyperspace Hole are STAB attacks that can break through Protect and Wide Guard, the former being more powerful and having the better offensive typing and the latter being more spammable because it does not reduce Hoopa-U's Defense upon use and is unaffected by the Attack drop from Intimidate and burns. Trick Room supports the team by providing speed control, allowing Hoopa-U and other slow teammates to move first most of the time. Protect lets Hoopa-U stall out field conditions and allows partners to KO threats without it having to switch. Set Details The given EV spread maximizes the damage from Hoopa-U's Hyperspace Fury while also providing enough bulk to survive a Secret Sword from Keldeo or a Moonblast from Mega Diancie. Safety Goggles allows to set up Trick Room on Amoonguss and other sleep spreaders, while Focus Sash allows Hoopa-U to take at least one hit and set up Trick Room. Life Orb lets Hoopa-U hit harder and notably OHKO Aegislash and Amoonguss, though it sacrifices Hoopa-U's longevity. Alternatively, a spread of 252 Atk / 252 SpA / 4 SpD can be used with a Focus Sash because the defensive benchmarks aren't as relevant when Hoopa-U is guaranteed to survive one hit. Usage Tips Because Hoopa-U is frail, it functions best as a mid- or late-game Trick Room setter, as many of its checks will often be KOed or out of position. Due to Hoopa-U's low Defense, it should avoid taking physical attacks. Spamming Hyperspace Hole and Hyperspace Fury is great to stop the opponent from using Protect to stall out Trick Room turns, also breaking Protect and Wide Guard for Hoopa-U's partner to deal damage. Fake Out support can make setting Trick Room easier. Because some Pokemon are naturally slower than Hoopa-U, setting Trick Room sometimes isn't the priority and when facing Pokemon such as Ferrothorn or Amoonguss, it's best to just attack. Also, don't set Trick Room if you feel that a Taunt user will use Taunt on Hoopa-U; instead, use Protect or attack the Taunt user. Team Options Fake Out users such as Kangaskhan and Scrafty make for good partners, as they help Hoopa-U set Trick Room more easily. An Intimidate user such as Gyarados or Landorus-T can help to alleviate Hoopa-U's poor Defense. Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr and Fairy-types like Sylveon help deal with Dark-types, which Hoopa-U struggles to damage. Amoonguss also helps redirect attacks, which makes setting Trick Room easier and is also great under Trick Room, as it easily spreads sleep to the opposing team thanks to its low Speed. Spread attackers such as Heatran are great because Hyperspace Fury and Hyperspace Hole also break Wide Guard, so fewer Trick Room turns are wasted if the opponent clicks Wide Guard. Make sure these spread attackers are IVed to be slower than Hoopa-U so that Wide Guard is broken when they attack in Trick Room. Other Trick Room setters can be good to further support a team that may require more Trick Room support, preferably a setter that isn't as weak to Kangaskhan such as Bronzong or Jellicent.