Monotype Analysis: Normal

Art by Iyarito.

Introduction

Normal has had a defining presence over multiple generations and is a great balance pick for players that are new to the Monotype scene thanks to the type's access to quite possibly the greatest defensive core in Porygon2 + Chansey. This core is supported by defensive Staraptor, which can provide Defog support and a solid switch-in to Fighting-types, and Choice Scarf Ditto, which revenge kills most setup sweepers that try to threaten the core. Normal also has access to strong offensive picks like Mega Lopunny, Diggersby, and Porygon-Z. Having such options gives Normal a good or at least winnable matchup against the majority of the metagame, only having a few bad matchups and a single nearly unwinnable matchup.

Defining Pokémon of the Type

Staraptor @ Leftovers

@ Leftovers Ability: Intimidate

EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spe

Impish Nature

- Brave Bird

- Roost

- Defog

- U-turn

Chansey @ Eviolite

@ Eviolite Ability: Natural Curse

EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe

Bold Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Soft-Boiled

- Toxic

- Stealth Rock

- Seismic Toss

Porygon2 @ Eviolite

@ Eviolite Ability: Download

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA/li>

Bold Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Hidden Power Fire

- Discharge

- Ice Beam

- Recover

The defensive core of Porygon2 + Chansey + Staraptor is important on all balanced Normal-type teams, simply because it walls such a large portion of the metagame while providing amazing support for the rest of the team. For example, this core has the potential to single-handedly wall types like Bug, Electric, and Ice and simultaneously grant invaluable team support for the offensive core in Toxic, Thunder Wave, slow U-turn, the ability to consistently switch into revenge killers, and Stealth Rock. The core synergizes very well defensively, with Chansey soaking up special attacks from threatening attackers like Tapu Koko and Greninja while Porygon2 acts as its physically defensive counterpart, switching in and checking massive threats like Mega Scizor. Staraptor acts as the answer to Fighting-types, checking threatening Pokémon like Breloom and Choice Scarf Heracross and providing Defog support to prevent the core from being easily chipped by entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes. This core has many potential other options that can help improve its matchup against certain threats. For example, Staraptor can run Close Combat over U-turn to let it take care of Pokémon like Bisharp and Tyranitar, Chansey can run Counter to beat Pokémon like Choice Scarf Heracross and Choice Scarf Terrakion, and Porygon2 can opt for a set with Trace and a moveset of Thunder Wave (or Toxic) / Foul Play / Ice Beam / Recover. Porygon2 can also run some Special Attack investment with Thunderbolt to prevent Toxapex from switching into it reliably, making the matchup against Water- and Poison-type teams much easier.

Other Good Pokémon

Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite

@ Lopunnite Ability: Limber

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Power-Up Punch

- Encore

- High Jump Kick

- Return

Mega Lopunny is irreplaceable on Normal teams, acting as a check to very troublesome threats like Mega Sableye and Bisharp that the defensive core can't handle. It has access to Power-Up Punch + Encore, which lets it power through walls like Toxapex that the defensive core struggles to get through. It also has access to Limber, which lets it freely come into Pokémon like Klefki and get around other Thunder Wave users like Stealth Rock Cobalion and Jirachi. Mega Lopunny can also support the defensive core well as a Knock Off absorber and revenge killer to threats such as Keldeo thanks to its amazing Speed tier.

Diggersby @ Choice Band

@ Choice Band Ability: Huge Power

Happiness: 0

EVs:252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Quick Attack

- Frustration

- Earthquake

- Fire Punch

Although Diggersby can be checked offensively quite well, its outstanding wallbreaking power means that defensive teams are forced to run Protect users like Mega Sableye and Ferrothorn or hope to check it with unreliable switches. Coverage in Fire Punch along with its dual STAB attacks means that the entire metagame barring Mega Slowbro fails to switch in reliably. This lets Diggersby support the defensive core by taking out threats like Gliscor and Toxapex. Diggersby also has access to Quick Attack, which lets it revenge kill opposing threats like Belly Drum Azumarill.

Ditto @ Choice Scarf

@ Choice Scarf Ability: Imposter

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA / 0 Spe

Relaxed Nature

- Transform

Ditto is Normal's standard revenge killer that can beat setup sweepers such as Kommo-o, Belly Drum Azumarill, and Mega Altaria, supporting the defensive core greatly. The IVs give it Hidden Power Fire, letting it trap opposing Magnezone, and the 0 Speed IVs and all of its EVs improve its matchup against opposing Ditto. Its infinite source of PP helps improve the matchup against bulky staples like Mega Sableye and Toxapex.

Porygon-Z @ Normalium Z

@ Normalium Z Ability: Adaptability

Shiny: Yes

EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Shadow Ball

- Conversion

- Thunderbolt

- Ice Beam

Porygon-Z is the best setup sweeper Normal has access to, with the potential to completely run through types like Flying and Psychic thanks to Normalium Z + Conversion and great coverage in BoltBeam + STAB Shadow Ball. However, it can struggle to get through some types and should be preserved for late-game in most cases, as it takes a turn to set up and its mediocre bulk and Speed stat even after boosting mean that it'll be revenge killed easily.

Compare and Contrast

During the teambuilding stage, it's very important to understand what combination of Pokémon will affect your matchup against any given type. For example, an offensive core of Mega Lopunny + Diggersby is the most common and standard core and will have a decent matchup against a good bit of the metagame. However, you'll find yourself with an extremely good matchup against types like Psychic and Flying when using a core of Mega Lopunny + Porygon-Z. Similarly, Mega Lopunny + Porygon-Z will do much worse in the matchup against opposing Normal teams as well as other types like Poison and Dark when being compared to the Mega Lopunny + Diggersby core. Other Pokémon like Mega Pidgeot can be used to improve the matchup against types like Grass, Bug, Fighting, and Steel, but it is heavily reliant on prediction to accomplish much in Steel's case and loses out on good matchups that other cores have.

Bad Matchup Analysis

Fighting

Normal struggles to switch into staples like Terrakion, Mega Gallade, and Keldeo that are commonly found on Fighting-type teams. In fact, Normal has no way to revenge kill Choice Scarf Terrakion and has to rely on winning the Speed tie with Ditto or try to get Ditto in against Mega Gallade. Furthermore, while Normal can switch into Choice Scarf Terrakion with correct prediction, it fails to find any sort of switch-in against strong Fighting-types like Choice Specs Keldeo. Cobalion can also keep Stealth Rock up against Staraptor thanks to its quick Taunt, which allows other Fighting-types like Choice Scarf Heracross to more easily pressure the core.

Steel

Normal is disadvantaged against Steel teams from Preview for a few reasons. Firstly, all of the hazard setters on Steel —Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory —can take advantage of their good matchup against Staraptor to keep entry hazards up consistently. Steel teams also commonly carry Mega Scizor, which can only be answered with Porygon2 and Diggersby. The easiest way to win is by pressuring the opposing team with Download Porygon2, avoiding Toxic poison from Pokémon like Heatran and Mold Breaker Excadrill, and chipping down Mega Lopunny's switch-ins like Skarmory so that it can more easily wallbreak. It's also wise to capitalize on Diggersby's wallbreaking capabilities to destroy key threats, but look out for Protect users like Celesteela and Ferrothorn, as they can scout Diggersby and switch to the appropriate counter.

Water

Similarly, Water teams generally have a fantastic matchup against Normal thanks to factors like Keldeo, Toxic Spikes + Suicune, and Baneful Bunker Toxapex. Toxapex can capitalize on its good matchup against Staraptor to stack Toxic Spikes, which destroy both the defensive and offensive cores. It can also stop Choice Band Diggersby in its tracks, scouting with Baneful Bunker and switching to the appropriate counter. Choice Specs Keldeo preys on entire Normal teams, as Normal teams as a whole have no switch-in to it and will often have to sacrifice multiple Pokémon trying to revenge kill it, as most of the type's possible revenge killers fail to OHKO it. Suicune stalls through Normal teams with Substitute + Protect, provided Toxic Spikes are up and Staraptor has been eliminated. However, Normal's bad matchup against Water can be remedied with niche options like Swords Dance Diggersby, which exploits its unpredictability and raw power to destroy opposing Water-type teams.

Poison

Although Poison struggled against Normal at the beginning of SM, this has changed with time, as it started running techs such as Baneful Bunker Toxapex to improve the matchup. Baneful Bunker Toxapex does the same thing it does in the Normal vs Water matchup, being able to do very well against Normal's offensive tools, Mega Lopunny and Diggersby, while simultaneously providing Toxic Spikes to pressure the defensive core. Poison completely controls the entry hazard game, with Stealth Rock users like Nihilego and Nidoking that completely run through Staraptor. It also has access to Crobat, which can keep Stealth Rock off the field easily, and Alolan Muk, which can be a massive nuisance with Knock Off and can utilize Poison Touch + Knock Off and glean from its teammates ability to keep up Stealth Rock freely to annoy its main switch-in, Staraptor.

Dark

Normal has a disadvantage from Preview against Dark teams carrying Protect Mega Sableye, as Normal teams can’t get Stealth Rock up and have to play mind games with Mega Lopunny and Choice Band Diggersby to manage the defensive Dark core. On the other hand, Dark teams can easily get Stealth Rock up against most Pokémon found on Normal teams as well as pressure Staraptor. Dark also has a good advantage against the defensive core thanks to Mega Sableye + Taunt Mandibuzz and can wall offensive options like Mega Pidgeot and Porygon-Z easily with Tyranitar and Alolan Muk. Once Staraptor has been eliminated, the game is pretty much over, since Mandibuzz can heavily chip Power-Up Punch + Encore Mega Lopunny with Foul Play, and then Greninja can stack hazards to limit its potential to break mid- and late-game.

Sample Team

Chansey @ Eviolite

Ability: Natural Cure

EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

Bold Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Soft-Boiled

- Stealth Rock

- Toxic

- Seismic Toss



Porygon2 @ Eviolite

Ability: Download

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA

Bold Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Hidden Power Fire

- Discharge

- Ice Beam

- Recover



Staraptor @ Leftovers

Ability: Intimidate

EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe

Impish Nature

- Brave Bird

- U-turn

- Defog

- Roost



Ditto @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Imposter

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA / 0 Spe

Relaxed Nature

- Transform



Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite

Ability: Limber

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Power-Up Punch

- Encore

- High Jump Kick

- Return



Diggersby @ Choice Band

Ability: Huge Power

Happiness: 0

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Quick Attack

- Frustration

- Earthquake

- Fire Punch



