Competitive Information for Popplio [Sword/Shield]
Water
Abilities:
Movesets for Singles
What is a good competitive moveset for Popplio? These builds have been optimized for Pokemon competing in Sword/Shield Single Battles. The movesets and EVs have been specifically calibrated to deal the most amount of damage to the largest group of potentially common opponents and typing threats for the Sword/Shield generation metagame.
Popplio is an interesting Water-typed Pokemon. Popplio is not a Pokemon anyone usually expects sees on the battlefield. Popplio can be quite a contender in the LC tier (Little Cup). Popplio's only type-related weaknesses are Electric and Grass.
Item: Life Orb / Choice Band
Ability: Liquid Voice
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 240 Hp / 252 Atk / 16 Def
Moveset:
- Aqua Tail / Waterfall
- Triple Axel
- Play Rough
- Facade / Covet
Physical Sweeper Popplio (Liquid Voice)
Popplio is a fabulous Physical Sweeper for single battles. It is designed to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Choice Band will increase the damage of Popplio's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Popplio's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Liquid Voice, Popplio's sound-based moves become water type. Facade's damage doubles when the user has a status affliction.
◆ Waterfall is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Triple Axel is a physical 20-base power Ice-type move (hits 3 times. Each hit can miss, but power rises).
◆ Play Rough is a physical 90-base power Fairy-type move (10% chance to lower the target's attack by 1 stage).
◆ Facade is a physical 70-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if Popplio is burn/poison/paralyzed).
◆ Covet is a physical 60-base power Normal-type move (if your Popplio has no item, it steals the target's).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is10a2d8
Item: Throat Spray / Life Orb
Ability: Liquid Voice
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 240 Hp / 16 Def / 252 SpA
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Hyper Voice / Surf
- Moonblast / Draining Kiss
- Ice Beam / Icy Wind
- Life Dew
Special Sweeper Popplio (Liquid Voice)
Popplio is a stupendous Special Sweeper for single battles. It is primarily designed to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Throat Spray activates when a Pokemon uses a sound-based move (in this case Hyper Voice) and raises Popplio's special attack stat by 2 stages. Life Orb boosts the power of Popplio's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Liquid Voice, Popplio's sound-based moves become water type.
◆ Surf is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Water-type move (hits adjacent pokemon. Double damage on dive).
◆ Moonblast is a special 95-base power Fairy-type move (30% chance to lower the target's special attack by 1 stage).
◆ Draining Kiss is a special 50-base power Fairy-type move (Popplio recovers 75% of the damage dealt).
◆ Ice Beam is a special 90-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Life Dew is a status move (heals your Popplio and its allies by 1 stage/4 their max hp).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is11a2d8
Movesets for Doubles
What is a good doubles moveset for Popplio? These builds have been optimized for Sword/Shield Double Battles. They have movesets and EVs specifically calibrated to generally work best versus multiple Pokemon at once as well as helping to support other team members and allys in the Sword/Shield generation metagame.
Item: Life Orb / Choice Band
Ability: Liquid Voice
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 240 Hp / 252 Atk / 16 Def
Moveset:
- Aqua Tail / Waterfall
- Triple Axel
- Play Rough
- Facade / Covet
Doubles Physical Sweeper Popplio (Liquid Voice)
Popplio is a phenomenal Physical Sweeper for double battles. It's meant to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Choice Band will increase the damage of Popplio's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Popplio's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Liquid Voice, Popplio's sound-based moves become water type. Facade's damage doubles when the user has a status affliction.
◆ Waterfall is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Triple Axel is a physical 20-base power Ice-type move (hits 3 times. Each hit can miss, but power rises).
◆ Play Rough is a physical 90-base power Fairy-type move (10% chance to lower the target's attack by 1 stage).
◆ Facade is a physical 70-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if Popplio is burn/poison/paralyzed).
◆ Covet is a physical 60-base power Normal-type move (if your Popplio has no item, it steals the target's).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/id10a2d8
Item: Throat Spray / Life Orb
Ability: Liquid Voice
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 240 Hp / 16 Def / 252 SpA
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Hyper Voice / Surf
- Icy Wind / Ice Beam
- Moonblast / Draining Kiss
- Life Dew
Doubles Special Sweeper Popplio (Liquid Voice)
Popplio is an outstanding Special Sweeper for double battles. It's meant to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Throat Spray activates when a Pokemon uses a sound-based move (in this case Hyper Voice) and raises Popplio's special attack stat by 2 stages. Life Orb boosts the power of Popplio's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Liquid Voice, Popplio's sound-based moves become water type.
◆ Surf is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Water-type move (hits adjacent pokemon. Double damage on dive).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Ice Beam is a special 90-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Moonblast is a special 95-base power Fairy-type move (30% chance to lower the target's special attack by 1 stage).
◆ Draining Kiss is a special 50-base power Fairy-type move (Popplio recovers 75% of the damage dealt).
◆ Life Dew is a status move (heals your Popplio and its allies by 1 stage/4 their max hp).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/id11a2d8
Movepool
Wondering what moves can Popplio learn? Here is the list of moves this Pokemon can learn in this selected generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by move type, category, accuracy, and power. Bolded moves will gain the same-type attack bonus (STAB) if this Pokemon uses them.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Popplio can perform in Sword/Shield. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive SS Move and Ability Combos for Popplio
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Perish song + Protect
- Moves: Whirlpool + Perish song
- Ability: Torrent + Item: Focus sash
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Move: Acrobatics + Item: Red Card
- Move: Acrobatics + Item: Flying Gem
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Helping Hand, Protect, Aqua Jet, Baby-Doll Eyes
- Moves that inflict status: Scald, Toxic
Moves that boost Popplio's stats
- Amnesia
- Aromatic Mist
- Work Up
Most notable and possible best moves for Popplio
- Flip Turn
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Rest
- Scald
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Popplio in Sword and Shield
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Optimize Popplio's EV spread for Pokemon Sword and Shield
Related Videos
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