Pidgeot, The Bid Pokémon. By flapping its wings with all its might, Pidgeot can make a gust of wind capable of bending tall trees. Its well-developed chest muscles make it strong enough to whip up a gusty windstorm with just a few flaps. It spreads its beautiful wings wide to frighten its enemies. It can fly at Mach 2 speed.

Overview

Pidgeot. If you were around since the first generation, or picked up the Red and Blue remakes you probably raised a little Pidgey at some point in your Pokemon career. Sadly, despite being one of the most frequently raised Pokemon ever it's battling ability does not translate over to competitive matches well. It's sitting at the bottom of the barrel in the Neverused tier. Normal / Flying is not a very good type but even among other Normal / Flyers Pidgeot is bad. It lacks pretty much everything Braviary, Dodrio, Staraptor, Swellow and even Noctowl have. Pidgeot is a sad middleman with no particularly good stats (well besides Speed.. sort of). It does have decent Special Attack alongside usable Attack however. Its 91 base speed is JUST enough to outrun a fair number of things in NU".

Abilities

Keen Eye: Opponent cannot lower this Pokémon’s accuracy. Pretty useless as almost no one uses Flash, or similar moves.
Tangled Feet: Pokémon’s evasion raises one level when Confused. Also a bad ability.. You might sometimes see Confuse Ray and Swagger. But even if you activate it you have a 50% chance of attacking yourself, and they just have a 20% chance of missing. Not a good trade.
Big Pecks: Its defense cannot be lowered. Not a great ability but.. it's much better than the other two. It might protect you from some bad luck with Crunch or.. Tail Whip?

Movesets

Work Up Sweeper!

- Work Up
- Brave Bird
- Return / Roost / Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass] / [Fighting]
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Big Pecks
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Atk / 32 SAtk / 224 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)

So you may be asking yourself.. if Pidgeot is so bad why use it? That's a good question.. one that I had some trouble answering myself. The key is to find something Pidgeot can do that the other bird Pokemon can't. Pidgeot is pretty weak but has decent Speed and Attack. After a Work Up It's Brave Birds do impressive damage to anything in NU that does not resist it. Magmortar, Skuntank, Cryogonal and Samurott are all easily obliterated by a boosted hit. Return is the second STAB move that lets Pidgeot crack open some frailer things like Absol without taking Brave Bird recoil. Another option is Roost which may let you pick up some extra boosts. Heat Wave is a powerful move against Tangela that you can use to OHKO it but doesn't really hit anything else in NU. Also Heat Wave is impossible to get alongside Big Pecks so you have to use Tangled Feet. The final attack is the main reason to use Pidgeot at all.. usable Special Attack. After a boost Hidden Power Grass OHKOs Golem, Relicanth, Rampardos and Water Absorb Quagsire. It also 2HKOs Alomomola! Another option is Hidden Power Fighting although this pretty much only hits Bastiodon for a 2HKO. Speed EVs outrun Timid Rotom special forms and Adamant / Modest base 100s.

Brave Bird Everything

- Brave Bird
- Return
- U-turn
- Steel Wing
Item Attached: Choice Band
Ability: Big Pecks
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 220 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

Ok so say you want to use Pidgeot. You don't care what people say when they tell you that Pidgeot is an inferior bird. You want your flyer to crush them where they stand. Dodrio? Hah. Swellow? Never heard of it. Braviary? Doesn't have pecks nearly big enough for you. Here is what you should use if you just want to power through anything you face. This is not the best use of Pidgeot as most other normal / flying birds do it better but its's still hard to shrug off the motto "Brave Bird everything". One way to abuse this set is to run it alongside something like a Choice Band Dodrio or Choice Scarf Braviary. Once one of them wears its counters down the other one can sweep. EVs outrun neutral nature base 100s, max attack and put the rest in HP. 32 makes your HP odd so you can survive 4 hits from Stealth Rock. The last EVs are placed in defense as Pidgeot's physical bulk is decent.

Psychic Predator

- Toxic
- Roost
- Pursuit
- Brave Bird
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Big Pecks
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 240 HP / 220 SDef / 48 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)

Pidgeot has pretty good bulk. It also gets Roost and Pursuit allowing it to act as a sort of Psychic and Ghost predator. Pursuit can catch fleeing Exeggutor, Drifblim and Musharna for heavy damage while Toxic hits them if they stay in (especially Misdreavous). Brave Bird is a primary damage dealing move that packs a reasonable punch off 80 base attack and with 120 base power. 48 Speed outruns Timid Exeggutor. 240 HP hits an odd number to lower the damage from Stealth Rock while 220 Special Defense gets a bonus point.

EVs & Natures

Pidgeot
As said before a speed boosting nature with 224 Speed EVs outruns neutral nature base 100s and Timid Rotom forms. You can max speed but there isn't much to outpace besides Kangaskhan.. and it runs an Adamant nature anyhow. Make sure your HP is odd to reduce damage from Stealth Rock.

Other Options

Quick Attack, Featherdance, Whirlwind, Hurricane / Air Slash, Fly, Ominous Wind and Heat Wave
If you want to get some speedy damage Quick Attack can pick off a hurt foe. Only use it on a Choice Band set though, as it is very weak.
Featherdance might work on a bulky set but any attempts at running a physically bulky set is outclassed by Eviolite Intimidate Staravia.
Whirlwind is ok on the Specially Defensive but remember Noctowl exists and has much better Special Defense.
Hurricane or Air Slash can work on a Specially Offensive set. Its just a bad Charizard or Swanna however.
Fly is worth mentioning as it's probably the most legitimate use Pidgeot has. It's not a good battler but it's common, easy to catch and can Fly you around.
Ominous Wind can strike Ghosts and Psychics sort of hard hit is actually weaker than Brave Bird even when hitting super-effective.
Heat Wave was mentioned a little before but gets a final mention as the only way Pidgeot can function in standard play. After a Work Up Heat Wave OHKOs most of the major Steels in standard allowing it to muscle through Pokemon that the other Normal / Flying birds can't.

Double & Triple Battle Options

Pretty much nothing. Heat Wave spam is about all it does. In a tier that loves Rock Slide, Blizzard, Discharge etc..

Partners

Rapid Spin is nice. Stealth Rocks strips 25% of Pidgeot's health each time it switches in. Spinning the rocks away is always a good way to keep the bird flying. Pidgeot has a knack for luring in and either killing or hurting generic bird counters so things that take advantage of that work well. You can just slap a bunch of Normal / Flying birds together and try to break through your opponent through sheer Brave Bird power. Even if you lose you will be doing so in style.

Countering Pidgeot

Besides Stealth Rocks them self the biggest one is Light Bulb Rotom. It resists or is immune to your STAB moves, it's faster, has Thunderbolt (or Volt Switch), and takes minimal damage from any other coverage move. Electric types in general work well though they take a pretty heavy hit from Life Orb or Choice Banded Return. Regirock is 3HKOed by +1 Hidden Power but usually is able to beat it with a Stone Edge (unless it misses). Miltank takes even Choice Band Brave Birds well and can paralyze with Body Slam or just Milk Drink off the damage until Pidgeot's recoil kills itself. Tauros takes a hit easily thanks to Intimidate and punished Pidgeot with hard hitting STAB moves of its own. If you can't directly switch into Pidgeot it's easy to revenge kill with and strong attacker like Charizard or Zebstrika.

Pre-Evolution Corner

I'm going to be honest here. There is no reason to ever use Pidgeotto or Pidgey in NU, Little Cup or Middle Cup. So many Pokemon do their jobs better. Golbat and Zubat alone outclass them at virtually everything.

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen/XD.

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Pidgeotto.

Colosseum/XD:
Evolve Pidgeotto (XD)
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen (Colosseum)

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Pidgeotto.

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Pidgeotto.

Black/White:
Evolve Pidgeotto (White)
Trade from White, Transfer from Generation IV (Black)

Animé Appearences

Pidgeot has made a few appearances. First, Ash had one for a while. Next, various trainers used some including Falkner. However, the rest were cameos. # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics 9 The School of Hard Knocks Pokemon Ensured-Victory Manual Pics M1 Mewtwo Strikes Back Mewtwo's Counterattack Pics P1 Pikachu's Vacation Pikachu's Summer Vacation Pics 83 Pallet Party Panic Pallet Town! Another Departure! Pics 105 Misty Meets Her Match! Trovita Gym Type Battle! 3 vs. 3! Pics 106 Bound For Trouble Pikachu Vs. Meowth!? Pics M2 The Power of One Revelation Lugia Pics P2 Pikachu's Rescue Adventure Pikachu's Exploration Party Pics 133 Fighting Flyer with Fire! Violet Gym! Sky Battle! Pics 171 Beauty and the Breeder Sayonara Vulpix! Beauty Contest! Pics S2 Mewtwo Returns Mewtwo! I am Here Pics 276 Hoenn Alone! The Parting with Pikachu! Pics 360 Who's Flying Now? Fortree City's Feather Carnival! Pics M8 Lucario & The Mystery of Mew Mew & The Wave-Guiding Hero - Lucario Pics 421 A Hurdle For Squirtle Pokémon Contest! Saffron Conference (Part 2)! Pics 445 Three Jynx & A Baby! Smoochum & The Three Jynx Sisters! Pics 448 Pokémon Ranger! Deoxys Crisis! Pokémon Ranger! Deoxys Crisis! Pics 452 The Ole' Berate and Switch Team Rocket's Disbandment!? Respective Roads! Pics 458 Channeling the Battle Zone May VS Drew! The Final Battle! Pics 481 A Staravia Is Born Good Luck Starly!! Pics 524 The Keystone Pops Spiritomb & The Odd Keystone Pics 532 Riding the Winds of Change! Gliscor and Gligar! Getting Through the Wind Maze! Pics M11 Giratina & The Sky Warrior Giratina & The Bouquet of the Sky - Shaymin Pics M12 Arceus & The Jewel of Life Arceus - Towards Conquering Space-Time Pics 637 Pokémon Ranger: Heatran Rescue Pokémon Ranger! Heatran Rescue Mission!! Pics M13 Zoroark - Master of Illusions Phantom Champion Zoroark Pics S37 Pokémon Mega Evolution Special I Strongest Mega Evolution ~Act II~ Pics S38 Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Mega Special Animation Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Mega Special Animation Pics M19 Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel Volcanion & The Ingenious Magearna Pics 985 Alola, Kanto An Alola! in Kanto! Brock & Misty! Pics 1091 Legend? Go! Friends? Go! On Lugia They Go, Ash and Gho! Pics 1095 Working My Way Back To Mew! I'm Gonna Get a Ton of Pokémon! The Road to Mew!! Pics 1109 Dreams are Made of These! Go Towards Your Dream! Ash and Goh!! Pics 1135 Getting More Than You Battled For! Battling & Getting! Mewtwo Comes Back Pics 1173 An Adventure of Mega Proportions! The Lucarionite! Adventure on Mega Island!! Pics 1221 Partners in Time! The Finals IV: Partner Pics 1224 Heroes Unite! Pokémon! I Am Glad I Got To Meet You Pics 1225 These Could be the Start of Something Big! Ash and Goh! Setting Off Anew!! Pics 1236 The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! Pics 1 The Pendant That Starts It All: Part One The Pendant It All Started With! (Part 1) Pics