Mantine dilemma

[Isaac Gravity]

Mantine dilemma

I wasn’t sure where to ask this question but this is strategy related so:

During my generational breeding/persona lockdown process there was always something nagging me concerning Mantine: Which ability would I think be the better poison.

While I lean more towards Swift Swim as the speed boost is nice, I realize I need to use Rain Dance leaving Mantine a sitting duck for one turn.
While Water Absorb though sounds nice, can’t really counted on it since I doubt my foe (if knows Mantine or can see it’s a water type) would actually be “foolish/desperate” enough to slap it with a water move.

Well, that’s my dilemma and some second opinions would be much needed.

[Lucavi]

Water absorb, for sure

Mantine is a defensive pokemon with some hindering weaknesses, which means you need to get as much defense as you can. Water absorb lets you counter opposing water pokemon (as long as you're carrying toxic), and gain back some hp which is essential

Swift swim on the other side is pretty useless on Mantine, since you don't really need to worry about outspeeding anything. Swift swim is for low speed sweepers who need to take advantage from rain. Mantine doesn't have neither the movepool nor the stats to be a sweeper, so Swift swim is essentially useless on it

[Isaac Gravity]

Originally Posted by Lucavi

Water absorb, for sure

Mantine is a defensive pokemon with some hindering weaknesses, which means you need to get as much defense as you can. Water absorb lets you counter opposing water pokemon (as long as you're carrying toxic), and gain back some hp which is essential

Swift swim on the other side is pretty useless on Mantine, since you don't really need to worry about outspeeding anything. Swift swim is for low speed sweepers who need to take advantage from rain. Mantine doesn't have neither the movepool nor the stats to be a sweeper, so Swift swim is essentially useless on it

True, very true, the Mantine I'm trying to create is everything on the defensive corner even bred in Haze so it could null stat changers. I took those kind of ideas in mind, but what I didn't think about (or forgotten as I've been breeding endlessly to the point where both skills looked pretty pointless) was Toxic. Swift Swim sounded cooler esp. on a Mantine which is why I leaned toward it more.

Okay, then, even if I think both skills are useless Water Absorb it is.

EDIT: Thanks for the advice.

[massi4h]

Originally Posted by Isaac Gravity

True, very true, the Mantine I'm trying to create is everything on the defensive corner even bred in Haze so it could null stat changers. I took those kind of ideas in mind, but what I didn't think about (or forgotten as I've been breeding endlessly to the point where both skills looked pretty pointless) was Toxic. Swift Swim sounded cooler esp. on a Mantine which is why I leaned toward it more.

Okay, then, even if I think both skills are useless Water Absorb it is.

EDIT: Thanks for the advice.

The trick with water absorb is not to hope they're dumb to enough to attack with a water move, it is to switch in on a water move. For instance you have your mantine in your party aready damaged, you have a charizard on the field, they bring out blastoise. You bring in Mantine to absorb the hydro pump and regain hp.