What is a good moveset for Mesprit?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Mesprit, 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 explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Mesprit Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Note: Mesprit's Attack and Special Attack are equal.

Mesprit @ Spelon Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 100 HP / 152 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Natural Gift
- Zen Headbutt
- Acrobatics
- Iron Tail

Everyone overlooks Mesprit's high Attack potential which can be used to your advantage. Contrary to popular belief, Natural Gift is a physical attack. The Spelon Berry turns it into a Dark type move with 90 base power to deal with Ghost types (an Iapapa Berry works the same). After using, Acrobatics is now at double power and will also counter any Bug types. The last 2 moves are self-explanatory, with Zen Headbutt having a chance to cause Flinch with Mesprit's maximised Speed, and Iron Tail good for lowering Defense.

Comments

I have an Adamant Mesprit too, and this helped a lot moveset-wise! Thanks!

Answer 2

Gen 8 (SwSh)

Mesprit @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot
- Psyshock
- Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Dazzling Gleam

Nasty Plot allows Mesprit to have the ability to break past defensive Pokemon more easily. This set can work in Gen 8 PU, where moves like Ice Beam targets Pokemon such as Galarian Articuno and Eldegoss, and Thunderbolt being used to target Flying- and Water-types such as Charizard, Galarian-Articuno, Wishiwashi, and Jellicent since the coverage moves hit the mentioned Pokemon harder than a STAB Psychic. Dazzling Gleam can be used to hit Dark-types super effectively. Substitute allows to let Mesprit setup against passive Pokemon who can't do much to Mesprit.

Answer 3

Mesprit @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 6 HP
Timid Nature
- Charge Beam
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball / Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Charge Beam boosts Special Attack and provides decent coverage. Psyshock is STAB. Shadow Ball is for coverage over Ghosts and other Psychics while Ice Beam would be to make a BoltBeam combo. Hidden Power [Fighting] for more coverage.

Comments

Psychic is better so i would choose that over Psyshock but awesome set:)

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i would also replace charge beam with thunderbolt

Answer 4

Gen 8 NU

Mesprit @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Zen Headbutt / Psycho Cut
- Knock Off
- Fire Punch
- U-turn / Stealth Rock / Healing Wish

Mesprit is useable in NU, so if you want to use it in NU for some reason, here you go. Expert Belt is to fake a Choice Band. Zen Headbutt is for STAB it has a chance to flinch. Psycho Cut can be used as your Psychic STAB instead to avoid being hurt by Rocky Helmet Pokemon when you use your STAB move. Knock Off is useful for removing items from opposing Pokémon. Fire Punch is useful for dealing with steel types like Copperajah and Bronzong. Fun fact, Knock Off into Fire Punch can allow you to KO Copperajah and Bronzong. U-Turn can be used for the last slot for pivoting. Stealth Rock can be used instead for setting up rocks if you don't already have a Stealth Rock user. Healing Wish is also an option to give wallbreakers another chance at wallbreaking should they be weakened. If you're going for the Knock Off into Fire Punch for Copperajah kill, Adamant nature is needed. Jolly Nature is fine if you want to outspeed Timid Decidueye.

Comments

Think you can recommend Jolly Nature if you're running Stealth Rocks? I dunno about speed tiers in NU so if it doesn't outspeed as Jolly does it's fine I guess.

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Yeah Jolly Nature is fine for this set, so I added it, as it can outspeed Timid Decidueye.

Answer 5

Gen 9 NU Choice Specs

Mesprit @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Fairy / Psychic / Electric
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Thunderbolt / Ice Beam
- U-turn

A Choice Specs set Mesprit can use in NU. Choice Specs Mesprit is a good wallbreaker in NU due to the lack of Steel-types in addition to the coverage moves Mesprit has. Psychic is used for a consistent STAB that is powerful, while Psyshock allows Mesprit to break past special walls such as Blissey. Dazzling Gleam provides coverage against Dark-types in the tier such as Cacturne, Sableye, and Bombirdier. Thunderbolt allows Mesprit to hit Flying-types such as Articuno, Braviary, Oricorio, Scyther, and Bombirdier super effectively. Ice Beam can be used instead to fit Flying-types in addition to hitting Pokemon such as Sandaconda, Appletun, and Lurantis harder than a STAB Psychic would. U-turn allows Mesprit to keep up momentum vs Pokemon that it cannot beat and can also take advantage of the switches forced by its Choice Specs set.

Choice Specs Mesprit has a few options it can use for its Tera Type. Tera Fairy turns Mesprit's Dark weakness into a resist in addition to making Dazzling Gleam a STAB move. Tera Psychic can be used to make Psychic hit really hard with a x2 STAB boost and Choice Specs. Tera Electric is an option if you use Thunderbolt to make Thunderbolt a STAB move. Tera Electric means Mesprit would have no weaknesses due to Levitate.

Answer 6

Mesprit @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpA / 56 Spe
Modest Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Healing Wish
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Energy Ball / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Reflect

Mespirit can easily set up Stealth Rock. If your team members are low on HP, just use Healing Wish and switch into that Poke. Psychic and Psyshock is great STAB. Energy Ball / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt is coverage. Reflect is another support move.

Answer 7

Gen 9 NU Calm Mind

Mesprit @ Electric Seed / Grassy Seed
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Mystical Power
- Draining Kiss
- Stored Power

Mesprit is in NU in Gen 9, so here is a set for it. Mesprit has a couple of new tools in Gen 9: Mystical Power and being able to Tera. These tools allow it to use a Calm Mind set in Gen 9 NU. This set should be used on either Electric Terrain teams or Grassy Terrain teams, with the seed you use being dependent on which terrain you use this set in.

Being sent out when Electric/Grassy Terrain is up will activate Mesprit's corresponding seed, giving it a Defense boost. Calm Mind boosts Mesprit's Special Attack and Special Defense to make it harder to break past while making it a scary offensive threat. Mystical Power is a Psychic STAB that is used alongside Calm Mind that allows Mesprit to boost its Special Attack while being able to damage opposing Pokemon. Draining Kiss is used for the Fairy move on this set to hit most of the Dark-types in the tier super effectively and recover HP. Stored Power is used for another Psychic STAB that takes advantage of the boosts Mesprit gets from the terrain seed, Calm Mind, and Mystical Power. Yes, I know this set has two Psychic STAB moves, but Mystical Power can be useful should Mesprit not have enough stat boosts to make Stored Power a powerful Psychic STAB. Also, there aren't much Steel-types in the tier, so there isn't really a need to worry about Steel-types. Tera Fairy is used to not only turn Mesprit's Dark weakness into a resist, but it also makes Draining Kiss a STAB move, as well as making Draining Kiss BP of 50 increasing to 60 as well as getting a x2 STAB boost.

252 HP EVs are used for bulk. 96 Speed EVs allow Mesprit to outspeed Pokemon such as Clawitzer and Grimmsnarl using max speed EVs without a +speed nature. The rest of the EVs are used in Defense. You can get away with swapping the HP and Defense EVs to get a spread of 160 HP / 252 Def / 96 Spe should you want to focus more on Mesprit having physical bulk since this set has Calm Mind.