Gen 9 NU SubPunch
Breloom @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Tera Type: Rock / Ghost / Normal / Steel
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Rock Tomb / Facade / Mach Punch / Leech Seed
Due to the banning of sleep moves by OU, Breloom, who was OU and UUBL (for Gen 7) for its career in competitive Pokemon, now finds itself in NU. Here is a SubPunch set Breloom can use in Gen 9 NU, a set that was originally from DPP OU.
Substitute is used to allow Breloom to use Focus Punch easier. You'll need to utilize Breloom's typing, predict the opponent not using an attacking move, or predict the opponent switching Pokemon to get a Substitute off. You can use not very effective moves such as Swampert's Flip Turn, Scarf Flygon's Earthquake, etc to help get up a Substitute. Tera also helps gives opportunities to setup a Substitute, depending on what Tera Type you use. With Substitute up, Breloom can use its powerful Focus Punch that can even dent Dragalge that isn't physically defensive. Seed Bomb is used for a reliable STAB move, targeting Water- and Ground-types such as Swampert, Quagsire, Basculegion, and Vaporeon. Rock Tomb is used to OHKO Talonflame on the switch even without the Technician boost. Rock Tomb is also useful to deal super effective damage to Chandelure and Hisuian Typhlosion. There are other moves you can use in the Rock Tomb slot. Facade takes advantage of Breloom being poisoned and is a nice neutral move to hit Pokemon who resists Breloom's STABs. Mach Punch is an option to give Breloom a priority move to pick off faster Pokemon that are weakened. Leech Seed is an option so Breloom can have more HP recovery while slowly chipping the opposing Pokemon's HP.
Tera Rock allows Breloom to resist Fire and Flying moves and is useful if Rock Tomb in the last slot. Tera Ghost is a neat Tera Type to become immune to Fighting moves, which can be useful to get a Substitute up against a Pokemon such as Mienshao locked into a Fighting move. Tera Normal is used if you use Facade so Facade can be a powerful STAB move. Tera Steel gives Breloom a type that can resist Flying and Fairy moves, and be immune to Poison move. The given Speed EVs allow Breloom to outspeed Max Speed Adamant Incineroar and Max Speed Modest Sylveon.
If you don't mind dedicating Tera Steel and Leech Seed on this Breloom set, you can try a EV spread of 252 Atk / 76 Def / 132 SpD / 48 Spe. This requires Breloom to use Tera Steel, as the 76 Defense EVs helps with Talonflame's Brave Bird not breaking Breloom's Sub immediately. The 132 Special Defense EVs are used to give a good chance of Vileplume's Giga Drain not breaking Breloom's Substitute immediately, allowing you to 1v1 it. Like I said, in order for the alternate EV spread to work, you HAVE TO USE TERA STEEL on Breloom for the two situations.
