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Yes, folks, it looks like the Darkrai Wi-Fi event has taken place a day early (as it often does in North America), meaning you can now hop on your Pokemon Black or White version, go to Mystery Gift, select Nintendo WFC, and then you'll be able to download a really cool Darkrai onto your game!
What moves does that Darkrai know? Well, nothing too fancy: Dark Void (its signature move), Faint Attack, Ominous Wind, and Nightmare. It does, however, come holding an Enigma Berry -- a very rare berry. It's also at level 50. The event has been confirmed for North America and the UK, but it should also work in Australia (confirmed for Australia! Yay!) or anywhere else using an English-language game. Since other European countries received a Darkrai earlier, they may not get them, but if you happen to live somewhere else in Europe and are using a non-English-language game, go ahead and see if you can receive it! I'd love to get confirmation for other countries.
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Competitive Battling:
Special Sweeper Darkrai-
Moveset:
~ Dark Void
~ Dark Pulse
~ Focus Blast / Nasty Plot
~ Nasty Plot / Substitute
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This is the very set that propelled Darkrai to fame, or rather notoriety, last generation. Darkrai's stellar base 125 Speed and Dark Void's decent accuracy make pulling off a sweep very easy. The basic game plan is to switch into a Pokemon slower than Darkrai, put it to sleep with Dark Void, grab a Nasty Plot boost or set up a Substitute, and start sweeping. After a single Nasty Plot, Darkrai's Special Attack reaches a jaw-dropping 738, and Dark Pulse will dent anything not resistant to it. Focus Blast hits the Dark- and Steel-types that resist Dark-type attacks, most notably Tyranitar, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and opposing Darkrai. To put Darkrai's insane power into perspective, even Chansey is 2HKOed by Focus Blast after a Nasty Plot boost. Dark Pulse and Focus Blast have near-perfect coverage, resisted only by Heracross and Toxicroak. Substitute allows Darkrai to avoid crippling status, have a fighting chance against Sleep Talk users, and scout for its counters. Dark has good type coverage in Ubers, so a mono-attacking set without Focus Blast is extremely viable, although Darkrai will then easily be walled by Steel-type Pokemon and Blissey.
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Choice Scarf Darkrai-
Moveset:
~ Trick
~ Dark Void
~ Dark Pulse
~ Nasty Plot / Focus Blast
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This set aims to take care of Darkrai's chronic problems with faster revenge killers. This set works best as a lead since every non-Choice Scarf Pokemon is outsped and crippled by a combination of Trick and Dark Void; Darkrai can then proceed to set up with Nasty Plot and start a sweep. Thanks to Darkrai's monstrous base 135 Special Attack and its great coverage, STAB Dark Pulse packs a real punch, even when resisted. Darkrai can also come in later in the game to pose a threat to the opponent's team. It must be noted that although Trick can completely ruin one of your opponent's Pokemon, it must be used very carefully. Using Trick carelessly on a Pokemon that is immune to it, such as Arceus, or on an opposing Choice user will only give the surprise away. In order to avoid such situations, try to refrain from using Trick on common Choice users, until and unless it can be confirmed that the particular Pokemon is holding some other item.
As with Nasty Plot Darkrai, Choice Scarf Darkrai works well as a lead or a late-game sweeper. With a Choice Scarf, Darkrai outspeeds the omnipresent Deoxys-S and Deoxys-A leads. Darkrai can then put them to sleep with Dark Void, cripple them with Trick to lock them into one attack, or attack them directly with a STAB Dark Pulse. Additionally, Choice Scarf Darkrai is especially useful in taking down fast sweepers such as Adamant Rock Polish Groudon, or Choice Scarf users such as Palkia and Zekrom.
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Other Options
Darkrai can also run a physical Swords Dance set comprising of Sucker Punch, Brick Break, and Dark Void; this set has the advantages of immense surprise factor and STAB priority Sucker Punch. However, once Darkrai's set is revealed, it will be easily walled due to its meager base 90 Attack. Thunder allows Darkrai to destroy Ho-Oh and Kyogre, but has little use outside of that. Ice Beam is usable on the Choice Scarf set to revenge kill Dragon Dance Rayquaza and Salamence, as well as Choice Scarf Garchomp, and also does sizable damage to Zekrom, Groudon, and Ground Arceus. Psychic is Darkrai's most powerful attack against Fighting Arceus and Heracross, but has little use otherwise. Taunt can be used to prevent sleep absorbers from using Sleep Talk, rendering them incapable of countering Darkrai.
Checks and Counters
Darkrai is extremely difficult to counter directly, but there are certain ways by which it can be taken down. The best method to handle Darkrai is to let something absorb Dark Void, and then send in another Pokemon that is either faster or capable of surviving a boosted hit, and that can OHKO it. Sleep Talk users such as Kyogre and Heracross can absorb Dark Void, and do all of the above. Kyogre can take a +2 Dark Pulse and does 92.2% - 108.9% with Surf, a guaranteed OHKO after Life Orb recoil. Heracross resists both Dark Pulse and Focus Blast, and can hit Darkrai super effectively with either of its STAB moves. Heracross has the added benefit of Guts, which powers up its moves when it is inflicted with status. Fighting Arceus and Ho-Oh can switch in on anything except Dark Void and OHKO Darkrai with Judgment or Brave Bird respectively. Once Sleep Clause has been activated, strong Choice Scarf users such as Palkia, Garchomp, Dialga, Kyogre, Reshiram, and Zekrom can revenge kill Darkrai with ease. Scizor can OHKO Darkrai with U-turn and survive all of its attacks bar a +2 Life Orb Focus Blast. Choice Scarf Terrakion can switch in on a Dark Pulse, grab a free potential Attack boost thanks to Justified, outspeed, and threaten an OHKO with its STAB Close Combat.
What moves does that Darkrai know? Well, nothing too fancy: Dark Void (its signature move), Faint Attack, Ominous Wind, and Nightmare. It does, however, come holding an Enigma Berry -- a very rare berry. It's also at level 50. The event has been confirmed for North America and the UK, but it should also work in Australia (confirmed for Australia! Yay!) or anywhere else using an English-language game. Since other European countries received a Darkrai earlier, they may not get them, but if you happen to live somewhere else in Europe and are using a non-English-language game, go ahead and see if you can receive it! I'd love to get confirmation for other countries.
---------
Competitive Battling:
Special Sweeper Darkrai-
Moveset:
~ Dark Void
~ Dark Pulse
~ Focus Blast / Nasty Plot
~ Nasty Plot / Substitute
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This is the very set that propelled Darkrai to fame, or rather notoriety, last generation. Darkrai's stellar base 125 Speed and Dark Void's decent accuracy make pulling off a sweep very easy. The basic game plan is to switch into a Pokemon slower than Darkrai, put it to sleep with Dark Void, grab a Nasty Plot boost or set up a Substitute, and start sweeping. After a single Nasty Plot, Darkrai's Special Attack reaches a jaw-dropping 738, and Dark Pulse will dent anything not resistant to it. Focus Blast hits the Dark- and Steel-types that resist Dark-type attacks, most notably Tyranitar, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and opposing Darkrai. To put Darkrai's insane power into perspective, even Chansey is 2HKOed by Focus Blast after a Nasty Plot boost. Dark Pulse and Focus Blast have near-perfect coverage, resisted only by Heracross and Toxicroak. Substitute allows Darkrai to avoid crippling status, have a fighting chance against Sleep Talk users, and scout for its counters. Dark has good type coverage in Ubers, so a mono-attacking set without Focus Blast is extremely viable, although Darkrai will then easily be walled by Steel-type Pokemon and Blissey.
---------
Choice Scarf Darkrai-
Moveset:
~ Trick
~ Dark Void
~ Dark Pulse
~ Nasty Plot / Focus Blast
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This set aims to take care of Darkrai's chronic problems with faster revenge killers. This set works best as a lead since every non-Choice Scarf Pokemon is outsped and crippled by a combination of Trick and Dark Void; Darkrai can then proceed to set up with Nasty Plot and start a sweep. Thanks to Darkrai's monstrous base 135 Special Attack and its great coverage, STAB Dark Pulse packs a real punch, even when resisted. Darkrai can also come in later in the game to pose a threat to the opponent's team. It must be noted that although Trick can completely ruin one of your opponent's Pokemon, it must be used very carefully. Using Trick carelessly on a Pokemon that is immune to it, such as Arceus, or on an opposing Choice user will only give the surprise away. In order to avoid such situations, try to refrain from using Trick on common Choice users, until and unless it can be confirmed that the particular Pokemon is holding some other item.
As with Nasty Plot Darkrai, Choice Scarf Darkrai works well as a lead or a late-game sweeper. With a Choice Scarf, Darkrai outspeeds the omnipresent Deoxys-S and Deoxys-A leads. Darkrai can then put them to sleep with Dark Void, cripple them with Trick to lock them into one attack, or attack them directly with a STAB Dark Pulse. Additionally, Choice Scarf Darkrai is especially useful in taking down fast sweepers such as Adamant Rock Polish Groudon, or Choice Scarf users such as Palkia and Zekrom.
-------
Other Options
Darkrai can also run a physical Swords Dance set comprising of Sucker Punch, Brick Break, and Dark Void; this set has the advantages of immense surprise factor and STAB priority Sucker Punch. However, once Darkrai's set is revealed, it will be easily walled due to its meager base 90 Attack. Thunder allows Darkrai to destroy Ho-Oh and Kyogre, but has little use outside of that. Ice Beam is usable on the Choice Scarf set to revenge kill Dragon Dance Rayquaza and Salamence, as well as Choice Scarf Garchomp, and also does sizable damage to Zekrom, Groudon, and Ground Arceus. Psychic is Darkrai's most powerful attack against Fighting Arceus and Heracross, but has little use otherwise. Taunt can be used to prevent sleep absorbers from using Sleep Talk, rendering them incapable of countering Darkrai.
Checks and Counters
Darkrai is extremely difficult to counter directly, but there are certain ways by which it can be taken down. The best method to handle Darkrai is to let something absorb Dark Void, and then send in another Pokemon that is either faster or capable of surviving a boosted hit, and that can OHKO it. Sleep Talk users such as Kyogre and Heracross can absorb Dark Void, and do all of the above. Kyogre can take a +2 Dark Pulse and does 92.2% - 108.9% with Surf, a guaranteed OHKO after Life Orb recoil. Heracross resists both Dark Pulse and Focus Blast, and can hit Darkrai super effectively with either of its STAB moves. Heracross has the added benefit of Guts, which powers up its moves when it is inflicted with status. Fighting Arceus and Ho-Oh can switch in on anything except Dark Void and OHKO Darkrai with Judgment or Brave Bird respectively. Once Sleep Clause has been activated, strong Choice Scarf users such as Palkia, Garchomp, Dialga, Kyogre, Reshiram, and Zekrom can revenge kill Darkrai with ease. Scizor can OHKO Darkrai with U-turn and survive all of its attacks bar a +2 Life Orb Focus Blast. Choice Scarf Terrakion can switch in on a Dark Pulse, grab a free potential Attack boost thanks to Justified, outspeed, and threaten an OHKO with its STAB Close Combat.
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