Any False Swipe users that are also good playthrough Pokémon for DPP?

Question

So I am looking a playthrough one of the Gen 4 games, Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum. I want to catch as many Pokémon as possible whilst playing through the main story. So, I am looking for a story-viable Pokémon that I can get early that can use false swipe and status moves to make catching Pokémon as easy as possible. What are my options? I am asking here because all lists I have found mention Pokémon that require the Gen 3 games or are national dex Pokémon.

Thank you for any help

Comments

It's easier and faster overall to just toss a Quick Ball turn one.

---

There just might not be any good ones. Kricketune has bad stats, Garchomp, Drapion, and Weavile all evolve very late, and all the other false swipe users are post-game. It's a lot easier to go back and catch the low catch rate Pokemon after you have access to post-game false swipers like Breloom and Gallade.

Answer 1

If you can get a trade and a metal coat from the underground, I would recommend Scizor. Scizor has great typing with only one weakness, and it has a great defense. Scizor also has good recovery with roost and has great priority moves with bullet punch and quick attack, which help scizor's low speed. For catching Pokemon, scizor knows toxic, which badly poisons the opposing Pokemon, and makes it easier tocatch, even though it may die from the poison. To help scizor's low speed, scizor also learns agility and tailwind, the latter of which is a great setup move for scizor and other Pokemon on the same team. if another Pokemon uses trick room, this can make scizor a fast Pokemon. Scizor's attack is also great allowing it to be a good offense option for your team. Scizor can improve its already high defense with the move Iron defense. For boosting attack, Swords dance is very good for boosting its already high attack. For a STAB move, I recomend Iron Head or X-scissor, Since both are physical STAB moves. One con to scizor is that scizor doesn't have a good special attack and special defense. Good items for scizor are the focus band, focus sash, leftovers (good for any Pokemon), and the muscle band. I recomend EV training for Attack and Defense Since these are Scizor's good stats. For EV training, I recommend Farming goldeen and seaking for attack, and hippopotas for defense EV's. I also recomend saving money to buy proteins and irons from the Veilstone department store. The best ability for scizor would be technician. Technician would be the best because all moves under 60 damage get boosted, which is good for the aforementioned bullet punch. Overall, scizor is a very effective Pokemon in many ways that also knows false swipe. If there is anything I missed or got incorrect (Eg. strategy, EVs, Moves), please let me know and I will update it.

Comments

Parasect, Smeargle, Breloom, and Gallade are better than Scizor because they can learn sleep moves, which raise the catch rate more than toxic does and also won't damage anything.

You shouldn't recommend 6 moves when Scizor can learn only 3 of them. Tailwind is a bad setup move because it lasts only 4 turns, and Scizor doesn't need speed very much because it's technician-boosted bullet punch is so powerful. I don't think any NPCs use trick room in DP. Moves and EVs that raise defense stats are usually useless in playthroughs because they leave the user vulnerable to status moves, and you can often end battles faster just by attacking the opponent. Focus band is unreliable, focus sash gets consumed when you use it, and muscle band boosts less than almost all other damage-boosting items, like silver powder, iron plate, and expert belt. EV training is almost always useless in playthroughs because you can raise your stats faster just by battling trainers and leveling up.

---

While I do understand your opinion, I still believe Scizor is the best available. Gallade doesn't have hypnosis in Gen 4, Breloom is a good attacker but has 5 weaknesses, Parasect has 2 4x weaknesses among more weaknesses, and on top of Smeargle having terrible stats, you would need to find a Pokemon that has false swipe and hope that it will use it so you could use sketch and get it. These Pokemon would be good (if you can get it on Smeargle) for false swipe on Pokemon to catch them, but other than Gallade, all of these Pokemon have at least one outlying weakness that would prevent them from being good playthrough Pokemon. With the six available moves, I intended that you could choose the moves that you want and choose the moves that you want/need for a strategy. Pokemon don't have only one good move. There are many different strategies and uses to just put 4.

---

Kirlia learns hypnosis at level 50.

Answer 2

I somehow completely forgot that the question asked about Pt as well as DP. Pt gives you a bunch of options that are either post-game exclusive or just more difficult to get in DP.

Gliscor @ earth plate/sky plate/expert belt
Ability: hyper cutter
EVs: 100 Spe
- earthquake
- aerial ace
- swords dance
- false swipe/stone edge
Stone edge covers ice and flying.

Gallade @ mind plate/fist plate/expert belt
EVs: 100 Spe
- brick break/close combat
- psycho cut/zen headbutt
- swords dance
- false swipe/night slash/rock slide/stone edge
Zen headbutt averages more damage than psycho cut, but it requires shards to learn. Night slash covers psychic and ghost. Rock slide and stone edge cover flying. Kirlia also learns hypnosis at level 50, if you're willing to carry a Kirlia with 38 HP and 65 special attack all the way to Victory Road.

Scyther @ silver powder/sky plate/expert belt
Ability: technician
EVs: 100 Atk
- wing attack
- X-scissor
- swords dance
- false swipe/brick break
Brick break covers ice, rock, and steel.

Weavile @ black glasses/never melt ice/expert belt
EVs: 100 Atk
- ice punch
- night slash
- swords dance
- false swipe/dig
Dig covers fire, rock, and steel.

Answer 3

The probable best False Swipe Pokémon for D/P is Absol, with access to False Swipe and Thunder Wave, while also having great in-game value. The problem is you can only encounter Absol through a horde battle on Route 213.

Gallade is also a suggestion, having the moves mentioned with Absol. Ralts can be found by the PokéRadar on Routes 203 and 204.

Probably the most convenient Pokémon to choose would be Kricketune. The Pokémon is easy to find although it provides worse in-game value. Kricketune’s choice of status in Toxic isn’t extremely safe, so you would probably need someone to put the Pokémon your trying to catch asleep first(or paralyzed). Hope I could help!

Comments

Absol is only available via Swarm in Diamond and Pearl, which requires the National Dex. Poke Radar isn't available until after you get the National Dex. Kricketune isn't really worth carrying around all game.