What is a good moveset for Delcatty?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Delcatty, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Delcatty Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

I personally don't think Delcatty's all that bad. I caught one with Cute Charm and taught it attract so I could defeat wild pokemon more easily and train it faster, and I also taught it Dig, Toxic, and Ice Beam. I know it has low stats, but it helped me defeat the elite four with it without EV training, even if it chewed through a few of my revival herbs.

Answer 1

Delcatty (M) @ Choice Band

Trait: Normalize

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd

Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

• Iron Tail
• Zen Headbutt
• Sucker Punch
• Dig

---

:| --- Normalize gives you STAB on all of your moves, so that makes them more bearable.
Iron Tail has a good hefty 100 base power, and lower accuracy, with a Change to lower defense, type coverage doesn't really matter, he doesn't have any.
Zen Headbutt Has less than perfect accuracy, but has a standard base power, and a decent flinch rate. Sucker Punch is priority, like Extreme Speed that only works when your opponent attacks for Delcatty here. And Dig can hopefully be used in some strategetic manner.

Comments

Why is that not Delcatty?

Answer 2

Delcatty (F) @ Life Orb

Trait: Cute Charm

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)

• Calm Mind
• Ice Beam
• Thunderbolt
• Baton Pass/Wish

Calm Mind boosts SpA and SpD which should hopefully make it take special hits somewhat decent and to decent damage back.
Ice Beam and Thunderbolt have good coverage and hits most things at least neutral, hopefully super effective.
Baton Pass lets Delcatty escape and bass its boost to a teammate which can be helpful.
Wish is healing and can be used to heal teammates as well.
However, if you use Wish, a spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe is better to heal its teammates more.

Answer 3

Gen 7 (USUM)

Delcatty @ Choice Specs
Ability: Wonder Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Uproar
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt

I know what you're thinking. "Uproar? Really?" Well, to that I say go look at it's movepool. It's already Choice-locked anyway. Shadow Ball is for Ghosts, and it has BoltBeam coverage.

Answer 4

Gen 7

Delcatty @ Silk Scarf
Ability: Normalize
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Foresight
- Last Resort

Start with Fake Out. Then use Foresight. Then Last Resort. Boom.

Answer 5

Gen V

Delcatty (F) @ Focus Sash

Trait: Normalize

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd

Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

• Baton Pass
• Thunder Wave
• Wish
• Calm Mind

Answer 6

Gen V Set for Skitty

Skitty (M) @ Eviolite

Trait: Cute Charm

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef

Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)

• Simple Beam
• Charm
• Fake Out
• Wish

Answer 7

I think we can all agree that this is one of the worst pokemon ever.
Ability: Normalize
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 HP
Item: Life Orb/Silk Scarf
- Ice Beam- high power STAB
- Thunderbolt- high power STAB
- Foresight- Ghost types are going to kill Normalize Delcatty so this move is a must
- Charge Beam- boost your SpA

Answer 8

Delcatty (F) @ Normal Gem
Trait: Normalize
EVs: 128 Atk / 252 Def / 128 SAtk
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Ice Beam
- Sucker Punch
- Thunderbolt
- Dig

Answer 9

Delcatty (F) @ Silk Scarf / Life Orb
Ability: Normalize
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant / Jolly Nature

• Fake Out
• Sucker Punch
• Return / Retaliate
• Wish / Thunder Wave

Comments

I feel like you should put Foresight as one of the forth moves so you can hit ghost types too.

Answer 10

Surprised no one at all mentioned the infamous calm pass set. Which is probably Delcatty's best set.
Calm Pass
Ability: Wonder skin
Item: leftovers
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 Spd
Nature:Bold
Moves:
Calm mind
Substitute
Hyper voice
Baton Pass

Answer 11

Skitty (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Wonder Skin
EVs: 252 Def / 4 HP / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+ SDef, - Atk)
- Toxic
- Cosmic Power / Mud Bomb
- Wish
- Protect

Answer 12

STALLER
Delcatty@Leftovers
ABILITY: Wonder Skin
NATURE: Impish (+Def -SpAtk)
IVs: 252 Def/252 SpDef/4 HP

Simple Beam
Tickle
Captivate
Thunder Wave

Use Simple Beam first, then proceed to lower their stats. Thunder Wave to paralyze, then switch out to another Pokemon.
SWEEPER
Delcatty@Normal Gem/Silk Scarf
ABILITY: Wonder Skin
NATURE: Jolly (+Spd-SpAtk)
IVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd/4 HP

Return
Payback
Grass Knot
Zen Headbutt

This set is probably not the best one. Delcatty's not-so-great stats mean that it's not going to do that much damage. However, Normal Gem works well with Normalize, and Return will have a base power of 102 if used with max friendship.

Comments

Normalize. ******* normalize. The single worst ability delcatty has. What do you do against ghost types? The staller set is just as gimmicky as all your sets, but at least it makes sense. But ******* NORMALIZE? You lost coverage for two of 3 types that beat normal n cause you chose NORMALIZE!

Answer 13

Gen 7 ZU

Delcatty @ Life Orb / Silk Scarf / Rowap Berry / Custap Berry
Ability: Normalize
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature

• Return
• Fake Out
• Sucker Punch
• Thunder Wave / Toxic / Natural Gift / Foresight

Return is consistent STAB that is powerful... for Delcatty's standards. Fake Out is free damage. Sucker Punch is decent STAB priority. In the last slot, Thunder Wave can be used to hax the enemy to death (good luck, have fun), Toxic puts the opponent on a timer and makes enemies easier to revenge-kill, Natural Gift with a Rowap Berry becomes an 80 Base Power Dark type move, while Natural Gift with a Custap Berry becomes an 80 Base Power Ghost type move. Or just use Foresight, but that's boring. I'd like to point out that a Normalize Thunder Wave or Toxic does hit Ghost types, since type immunities don't apply to status moves. And yes, Natural Gift is not affected by Normalize.

Answer 14

Delcatty @ Focus Sash / Silk Scarf
Ability: Normalize
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball / Heal Bell
- Nasty Plot / Cosmic Power / Calm Mind
- Baton Pass

• Thunderbolt (Normalize STAB, 10% chance to Paralyze Opponent) / Ice Beam (Normalize STAB, 10% chance to Freeze Opponent)
• Shadow Ball (Normalize STAB, 20% chance to lower Opponent's SpD) / Heal Bell (Team Healing)
• Nasty Plot (+2 SpA) / Cosmic Power (+1 Def, +1 SpD) / Calm Mind (+1 SpA, +1 SpD)
• Baton Pass