POKE-FOCUS #15: ROSERADE

Introduction
Roserade was a much-needed evolution to Roselia. With much-improved stats and an expansive movepool, Roserade can wreak havoc in many different ways. It's difficult to find a better sweeping Grass-type, and there have been few Pokemon to improve so much between Generations 3 and 4 like the Roselia line.



Capture/Training

There are a couple ways to get either a Budew or a Roselia.

What was the punchline, again?

Budew is fairly easy to get: use the Sinnoh Sound in Ilex Forest or Viridian Forest. Budew evolves by happiness during daylight hours, and due to its inability to learn significant moves on its own, it is recommended to do so as quickly as possible. Roselia can be caught at the Safari Zone, if 25 forest blocks are used in the Marshland and 20 days are waited out.

Either way, Roselia evolves into Roserade when a Shiny Stone is used. Roserade cannot learn new attacks, so make sure any important attacks like Toxic Spikes (Lv. 28) or Aromatherapy (Lv. 43) are learned first.

Stats

60 HP, 70 Atk, 55 Def, 125 Sp. Atk, 105 Sp. Def, 90 Spd
Great Special Attack, good Special Defense, decent Speed. Terrible defensive stats, but in retrospect, they aren't especially needed.

Abilities

Poison Point is okay, but it pales in comparison to Natural Cure, which cures Roserade of status simply by switching. A hugely-handy ability to have.

Moves

Special attacking is the name of Roserade's game. Energy Ball, Grass Knot, and Leaf Storm represents the core of Roserade's Grass offensive, whether it be reliable damage, situationally-powerful damage, or lunacy-inducing single-strike power. Solarbeam can be used on a Sunny Day set. Roserade also gets Sludge Bomb for Poison STAB.

Check out Shadow Ball and Extrasensory (egg move on Budew) for additional Special Attacks. Weather Ball can be used to great effect on a weather-based set. Hidden Power might work out, too.

Toxic Spikes is a fun move to play around with, and can really make it hard for some Pokemon to switch in. Roserade also has access to regular Spikes as an egg move. Beware, as Spikes cannot co-exist with some of Roserade's other Egg Moves, like Sleep Powder and Leaf Storm.

Sleep Powder is great for shutting down a Pokemon, but if breeding limitations prevent you from having the move, GrassWhistle is okay as a substitute. Roserade can also throw out Stun Spore to paralyze foes. Toxic is a more direct way to inflict poison damage, and Leech Seed rounds out the package. Aromatherapy cures your own team of status, which can be extremely helpful. Synthesis is a good way to heal HP. If inclimate weather is getting in your way, though, you can consider using Rest, then switching out to let Natural Cure wake it up.

Substitute works well with Leech Seed for the infamous SubSeeding strategy. Roserade can offer Sunny Day and Rain Dance support. The former goes well with Synthesis and Solarbeam, while both also work well with Weather Ball. Roserade can use Growth for a SpA boost. It can also Swords Dance, if you want a novelty physical attacking set.

Effective Movesets

1. Toxic Spikes

- Toxic Spikes
- Sleep Powder
- Leaf Storm/Grass Knot/Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball/Weather Ball

2. Spikes
- Spikes
- Energy Ball/Grass Knot
- Shadow Ball/Weather Ball
- Stun Spore/Synthesis/Rest

Note: This Roserade is to be played more defensively, if possible.

3. Choice
- Leaf Storm
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball/Weather Ball
- Sleep Powder

Item: Choice Specs/Choice Scarf

Note: Try having a Speed-boosting nature with Specs, and a SpA boosting nature for Scarf. Use Sleep Powder and switch if you absolutely cannot hurt something.

4. SubSeed
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Sludge Bomb
- Spikes

Note: Sludge Bomb is great here for hitting Grass-types immune to Leech Seed. Spikes punish foes trying to switch out of Leech Seed.

5. Sunny Day Support
- Sunny Day
- Solarbeam
- Weather Ball
- Synthesis

Item: Heat Rock

Note: This variation plays more defensively than the Lead variant below.

6. Sunny Day Lead
- Sunny Day
- Solarbeam
- Weather Ball
- Sleep Powder

Item: Heat Rock

Note: This set works best as a lead. Separate from the above because Sleep Powder cannot be re-taught once forgotten, so the two sets are not interchangeable.

7. Rain Dance
- Rain Dance
- Energy Ball/Grass Knot/Leaf Storm
- Weather Ball
- Sleep Powder

Item: Damp Rock

8. Aromatherapy Support
- Aromatherapy
- Leaf Storm
- Sleep Powder
- Rest

Note: The strategy here is a bit unusual. Put a Pokemon to Sleep, use Aromatherapy, hit someone hard with Leaf Storm, Rest off any damage taken, then switch to cure sleep.


9. Toxic Spikes Variant
- Toxic Spikes
- Energy Ball/Grass Knot/Leaf Storm
- Extrasensory
- Synthesis/GrassWhistle

Note: The key here is to hit any Poison-types trying to switch in to absorb Toxic Spikes with a super-effective Extrasensory. As this set is more defensive, Energy Ball and Synthesis are preferable.

10. Double Status
- Sleep Powder
- Stun Spore
- Energy Ball/Grass Knot/Leaf Storm
- Sludge Bomb

Note: Works best on human opponents, who tend to switch after getting put to sleep.

11. Growth
- Growth
- Sleep Powder
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb/Shadow Ball


CONCLUSION

The addition of Roserade into the mix in Generation 4 has changed the field for Grass-types and taken a mediocre evolution line and turned it into something extraordinary. Roserade is a top-notch special attacker and can even cover quite a few of his weaknesses, which puts him in an elite category of Pokemon alongside the likes of Alakazam, Espeon, Typhlosion, and Jolteon.




WE ARE...CULLINATION!