After a year, Feraligatr is finally back after its appearance in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
The big alligator is gracing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet following Regulation F, which ends on April 30.
Although it's underused since there are better Pokemon than it, Feraligatr can still wreak havoc with the right PVP build. All it takes is the right way to use it.
Here's how to turn Feraligatr into a Singles menace in Paldea.
Choosing Feraligatr's Ability
Feraligatr has two Abilities. The most common and the default ability among all Water-type starters is Torrent, which increases the damage of Water-type moves in a pinch. However, the Johto monster can have Sheer Force, another ability that inflicts more damage in exchange for ignoring the secondary effect.
Torrent could be a great ability if you aim for increased STAB damage, but Sheer Force will remain a game-changer for the big-jawed Pokemon.
How to Make a Singles-Viable Feraligatr
Let's start by taking advantage of Sheer Force. Since secondary effects are ignored, the best-held item for Feraligatr is Life Orb. When you attack an enemy, you won't receive damage from Life Orb since the secondary effect is nullified. What's more, you will receive the damage boost it needs.
- Jolly Nature @Life Orb
- 4 HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
- Tera Type: Dark
- Held Item: Life Orb
- Moves: Crunch, Ice Punch, Liquidation, Dragon Dance
Liquidation will be your key STAB, while Dragon Dance will be your setup trick. Ice Punch is a coverage for hard matchups, especially against Dragon-type Pokemon. Crunch provides a hard-hitting STAB when you go Tera-Dark.
Alternatively, if you find Feraligatr unsurvivable, you can replace Life Orb with Sitrus Berry for a revenge kill.
If you want a speedy Feraligatr, you can equip it with Choice Scarf. The EV spread stays the same, but there are some differences in the moveset. Instead of Dragon Dance, you can use Flip Turn for an easy pivot.
Earthquake is also a good move for Feraligatr if you want anti-Earth type coverage.
For fans who grew up with Feraligatr from Johto, there are better options that could perform well.
If you want to use it in VGC, the setup is quite the same, but you can consider replacing one of its moves with Protect.
