Pokemon Focus: #229 - Houndoom

Introduction

And so we begin coverage of what was the "Big Six" of my old Pokemon Silver games. These were six Pokemon, covering twelve different types, that represented my core fighting team. Even now, many of them are favorites, and with the upcoming remakes, it is only fair that each one of them gets some time in the spotlight. With all the different battle changes and new moves that have come about since the second generation, these Pokemon have all sorts of new tricks up their sleeve.

We start with our team's Fire- and Dark-type, the Doomy Houndooms of Doom.

About the Pokemon

Houndoom, the Dark Pokemon. Apparently, if you get burned by its flame, the pain from it will never go away. OUCH. Granted, the fact that said flame is compounded with toxins (a.k.a. sulfur) in its body would do that. They also make said flame rather putrid-smelling. How's that for fire and brimstone? Thankfully, this effect only occurs if Houndoom is angry; in normal battle the flames will just be regular-ol' painful flames.

Its howls will scare other Pokemon into going straight back to their nests. Probably for good reason, considering those eternal-burn flames... As for what people think of those howls... apparently, they think it summons the Grim Reaper. *shrug* The Houndoom with raked-back horns is the leader of the pack, determined as always by competition.

Sounds like an evil Pokemon, but really, it can be every bit as nice as its Trainer.

Height: 4'7"; Weight: 77.2 lbs.

Capture/Training

Houndour can be found on Route 7, so you won't be able to catch any in-game until you find yourself in Kanto after beating the Elite Four. Houndour will be a mite bit difficult to catch, due to their having Roar. Putting one to sleep is a good idea; Early Bird can present problems, but we don't want a Houndour with Early Bird anyways.

A possibly easier way to catch Houndour is in the Safari Zone. Place 4 Forest Blocks in the Savannah area and they'll start appearing. They're at a higher level, too, which is nice. However, there is no way to check for Flash Fire on these guys.

Due to their relatively low spawn rate, trying to go for any sort of a good Nature or IV build is going to be difficult. Stick with the one you have and breed more if you want more. Catching at least one male Houndour, regardless of ability, so it can learn Nasty Plot which can then be Egg Moved to its offspring, is recommended.

If Nasty Plot has already been Egg Moved, there is no need to delay Houndour's evolution at level 24, as Houndoom only learns Flamethrower 5 levels later anyways.

Statistics

75 HP, 90 Atk, 50 Def, 110 Sp. Atk, 80 Sp. Def, 95 Spd

Special Attack is Houndoom's strongest suit. Speed is decent and Attack is usable though most prefer special attacks. Houndoom really does not have any sort of a defensive build, though; with only base 75 HP and a paltry base 50 Defense, pretty much any strong physical attack, especially Earthquake, Fighting-type and Rock-type moves, could knock it out in one hit. Plan carefully to avoid such a fate.

As normal for these types of Pokemon, Natures that hinder Special Attack and Speed should generally be avoided. It's better to make Houndoom a little weaker than normal than to try to buff it up defensively at the cost of power. EV-refocusing isn't as big of a deal, though obviously throwing some towards Special Attack and Speed are good; Attack EVs can be useful if you're going for a mixed set of sorts.

Movesets

Early Bird is a decent ability, but Flash Fire is key here. One notable weakness of the "Big Six" team was that four of its members were weak to Fire attacks. Flash Fire allows us a free switch-in if you think an enemy is tempted to use a Fire attack, and while the enemy then switches out to someone that can actually damage Houndoom, we can pull off a Nasty Plot... or just attack for free damage. Or use Pursuit.

Primary Special Attacks are fairly obvious: Flamethrower for Fire and Dark Pulse for Dark. Other options do exist for Fire, though. Fire Blast can be substituted as a less-accurate but more-powerful attack. Overheat is extremely powerful but has that Special Attack-dropping side effect. There are, of course, two ways around this. On one hand, switching always works, and you likely will have to switch anyways. On another hand, if you use a Nasty Plot first, the first Overheat strike will be deadly, and your Special Attack will just return to normal levels afterward, leaving you able to make still-powerful strikes or kick off one more still-powerful Overheat. The only reason to use Heat Wave is for double-battles.

Options on the Physical side are less plentiful, but having Crunch to hit defensively-weak Psychics and Ghosts could work. There's also the Pursuit option, to chase after fleeing Psychics. As usual, Faint Attack serves as a never-miss attack to be used against evasive foes. Sucker Punch has a potential use against any counter that you suspect is faster than you are, to help you get in a hit before you go down. Obviously, it works better on counters that are Water, Ground, or Rock-typed or those that otherwise don't resist the attack. (Houndoom's options for physical Fire attacks, though, are laughable.)

Secondary attacks for Houndoom are extremely limited. In general, it's better to double-up on Fire attacks of two different sorts, and/or complementing Dark Pulse with a Physical Dark-type move. Hidden Power is an option, particularly the Fighting and Ground typed variations. Other than that, though, Houndoom's only other secondary attack of worth is, believe it or not, Solarbeam. Obviously, it'll need sunlight support from somewhere for that attack to be of use... Reversal could be usable under the right conditions, too.

...which, of course, does bring up the option of using Sunny Day yourself, boosting your Fire-type attacks and having a Solarbeam handy for blasting your weaknesses. The other stat-boosting attack is, of course, Nasty Plot. Arguably, that one is better as it will also boost your Dark Pulse and the boost is greater.

Houndoom has a nice assortment of disruptive attacks. Will-o-Wisp probably won't leave your opponent in pain for eternity, but it will certainly hurt their chances of knocking you (and others) out with their physical attacks for the duration of the battle, not to mention chip away at their HP. You could also send some Toxic toxins to an enemy; they probably won't keep your enemy in eternal pain, either, but it'll help bring about their temporary doom. Taunt is a good way to keep certain enemies from trying to cripple you.

Substitute can pair well with a Salac Berry for a more concentrated sweeping attempt, plus it helps block status problems.

Counter can be paired with a Focus Sash. Since Houndoom can easily die in one hit from a physical attack, Counter can screw over a physical attacker by knocking them out without being quite knocked-out itself. Make sure entry hazards and adverse weather are out of the picture, though.

General Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- (primary special Fire attack)
- (buffing attack)/(secondary attack)
- (disruptive attack)/(secondary attack)

In this case, "secondary attack" can mean an additional special Fire attack, a physical Dark attack, or an actual secondary attack. Obviously, a Choice item can be used if you use four attacks.

Effective Movesets

1. Nasty Plot
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Fire Blast

2. Choice Specs
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Overheat
- Solarbeam

3. Choice Scarf
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Overheat
- Pursuit

4. Mixed 1
- Overheat
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Thunder Fang

5. Mixed 2
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Fang

6. Lead
- Fire Blast
- Sucker Punch
- Counter
- Taunt/Protect
Item: Focus Sash

7. Mixed Nasty Plot
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Pursuit

8. Sunny Day
- Sunny Day
- Flamethrower
- Solarbeam
- Dark Pulse

9. Hellfire
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Will-o-wisp