Silvally

Silvally, The Synthetic Pokémon. A solid bond of trust between this Pokémon and its Trainer awakened the strength hidden within Silvally. It can change its type at will. The final factor needed to release this Pokémon's true power was a strong bond with a Trainer it trusts. It has the ability to change its type based on the memory it's holding.

Overview

Silvally is the epitome of Jack of All Trades, Master of None. Silvally does have a lot going for it. Balanced stats, an extremely diverse movepool and the ability to become any type make an extremely flexible Pokémon able to fit a slot in any team. Even the generational shift was kind, buffing Silvally’s signature Multi-Attack to a variable STAB base 120 Attack with no drawbacks, as well as the rise of Knock Off, which Silvally ignores if holding a memory.

However, this does not compensate for Silvally’s shortcomings. Aside from HP, its balanced stats are just below average, preventing it from excelling against more specialized Pokémon. Its expansive movepool is still missing key moves that would have it excel at any role, namely entry hazards and reliable recovery. Finally, the fact that its type changing ability eats up the Item Slot prevents Silvally from making the most out of its other typings. Silvally is a fun and flexible gimmick Pokémon that struggles to make a niche against other Pokémon of its current type.
Positives
The RKS system, wide range of coverage and balanced offensive stats ensures Silvally has a coverage move for nearly every situation.
Parting Shot is an excellent Pivot move that helps Silvally setup for a teammate.
Multi-Attack is arguably the best STAB move in the game.
Negatives
Lackluster stats and an ability tied to its gimmick prevent Silvally from excelling at any role, meaning that it is outclassed regardless of form.
Only the Normal Form can use other Items, hampering Silvally’s effectiveness.
Moveset is missing key moves such as recovery for defensive sets, Nasty Plot and Speed boosting moves for offensive sets, hindering Silvally’s capability at those roles.

Movesets

Operation: Saboteur

-Parting Shot
-Thunder Wave
-Flamethrower
-Multi-Attack
Item Attached: Fairy Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature

Silvally exercises its good speed and bulk to disrupt the enemy team sabotaging enemy sweepers while creating setup opportunities for Silvally's own teammates. Fairy typing is preferred here thanks to its wide array of resistances including to Knock Off, while only having rare weaknesses, allowing it to pivot into threats like Noivern, Grimmsnarl, and Urshifu-Single, hinder the switch-in with Thunder Wave (or KO them with Multi-Attack), and Parting Shot out to a team mate how can capitalize on the paralyzed weakened target. Rinse and repeat until Silvally is Knocked Out. Multi-Attack is impressive STAB even uninvested and can 2HKO most neutral targets that don't invest in bulk. Flamthrower rounds out the set, melting Steel types that otherwise can come in on Silvally unhindered.

DYNAMAX:
This Silvally set is not recommended to Dynamax as that locks you out of Parting Shot and Thunder Wave, the crux of this set.

EVs and Items:
Max Speed enables Silvally to get the jump on as many targets as possible, so it can pivot out without taking too much damage. Max HP is to maximize Silvally's durability, to maximize the hits Silvally can take while spreading paralysis. Fairy Memory is the recommended item due to Fairy's good match up, but the Steel, Ghost, and Fire memories also have good defensive spreads and may be considered.

Other Options:
Toxic -Better option than Thunder Wave against defensive teams, but Silvally-Fairy draws in Poison Immune Pokémon fairly often and the chance to not attack from Thunder Wave is always useful.
Defog -Fantastic team support move though Silvally can't run Heavy Duty Boots without giving up its Memory.
Surf/Grass Pledge -Coverage options for Silvally-Fire that pair well with both Multi-Attack and Flamethrower.

Partners:
Setup Sweepers love this set, able to take advantage of the hinderd state that Silvally leaves its opponents in to setup and go for the sweep. Salazzle, Crawdaunt, and Toxicroak are examples of setup Sweepers that can capitalize on the opportunity. Dracovish enjoys the Paralysis spreading for its own Fishious Rends while taking advantage of Silvally-Fairy's ability to answer Dragons. Pokémon that can provide healing help Silvally recover from repeated hits and remain as an active pivot on the team. Rillaboom stands out for providing recovery in Grassy Terrain and being a fellow pivot with U-Turn as does Mesprit. Blissey and Vaporeon can address status with Heal Bell in addition to their ability to pass Wish.

Operation: Assault

-Swords Dance
-Flame Charge
-Multi-Attack
-Crunch/Iron Head
Item Attached: Fighting Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature

Double Dance Silvally. Use Swords Dance and Flame Charge to boost Silvally’s Attack and Speed depending on the situation and go for the sweep in the late game. Multi-Attack Fighting and Crunch have complimentary coverage aside from the shared resistance to Fairy, while Iron Head does cover against Fairy ands the other Fighting resists for neutral damage.

DYNAMAX:
Double Dance Silvally can utilize Dynamax effectively after setting up, using Dynamax to further setup and devastate the opposing team. Silvally-Fighting can utilize Max Knuckle to further boost its attack, or skip the Swords Dance and go straight for the Dynamax after a Flame Charge. Silvally-Flying can escalate its Speed after setting up a Swords Dance with Max Airstream, as can Silvally can do in a roundabout way with Max Strike.

EVs and Items:
Standard Sweeper Array of Max Attack and Speed to enable as much damage as possible post setup. In addition to the Fighting memory, Flying, Ground and Dragon memories all have excellent typings for a physical sweeper, though gaps in Silvally’s moveset ensures that it can’t cover everything. Life Orb can also be considering due to how complimentary normal and Crunch are.

Other Options:
Rock Slide -Silvally-Ground has its Grass and Bug resistances covered by Flame Charge, leaving Rock Slide as the premier answer against Flying types.

Partners:
Double Dance Silvally’s partners are largely dictated by what gaps it has in its moveset. Almost universally, special attackers like Nidoqueen, Galarian Articuno, and Inteleon compliment Silvally’s physical prowess, breaking through walls that otherwise could otherwise stymie a Swords Dance boosted assault.
Silvally-Fighting enjoys teammates that can answer Fairy, Flying, Ghost and Psychic types, like Drapion, Aggron, and Aegislash. Silvally-Flying appreciates Ground types like Passoland, Quagsire, and Mamoswine who can cover its weaknesses/resistances to its STAB. Silvally-Dragon prefers Steel types that cover opposing Steel, Ice, Dragon and Fairy types such as Magnezone, Lucario, and Bronzong. Finally, Silvally enjoys answers to Fighting types such Ribombee, Scoliopede, and Hatterene.

Countering Silvally

No single Pokémon can cover every Silvally. Even with its mediocre stats, Silvally is far too flexible to guarantee a one hit knock out. However, gaps in its moveset and its own shortcomings means that some answers work more often than others.
Thanks to Multi-Attack, access to Swords Dance and lack of Special boosting moves outside of Work Up, and Special boosting items locked to normal form, most Silvallys are predominantly physical, so answers against Physical Attackers such as Weezing, Muddsdale, and Skarmory suffice against the Swords Dance variants.
Special Silvally find Blissey and Chansey impossible walls to overcome thanks to lack of boosting moves and no Special Fighting coverage.
Silvally has no Ground and Fairy coverage moves and only Reversal for Fighting coverage, so Silvally types that struggle against these types can be forced out. Support Silvally is more difficult to handle than others, as Silvally’s job is to create openings for its teammates. Competitive and Defiant Pokémon like Milotic, Bisharp and Falinks all punish Parting Shot hard, turning it into free setup for them. Entry Hazards add up quickly as well, due to the amount of switching and lack of Heavy Duty Boots and Leftovers on non-normal Silvally.

Locations in Games

Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game

Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in game

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game

Colosseum/XD:
Not in game

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game

Black/White:
Not in game

Black 2/White 2:
Not in game

X/Y:
Not in game

Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Not in game

Sun/Moon:
Evolve Type: Null

Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Evolve Type: Null

Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game

Sword/Shield:
Not in game

Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Not in game

Legends: Arceus:
Not in game

Anime Appearences

Silvally made a few appearances. Most notably, Gladion had one that he raised from a Type: Null and used in the Alola Pokémon League.

# -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics
992 Mission: Total Recall! Lillie & Silvally: Memories Reborn! Pics
993 Faba's Revenge! Faba Strikes Back! Nebby Gets Abducted!! Pics
994 Family Determination! EffortfuLillie! A Determined Runaway Act! Pics
995 Revealing the Stuff of Legend! The Altar of the Sunne! Solgaleo Descends!! Pics
996 Rescuing the Unwilling! Hurry Up! Operation: Rescue Lusamine!! Pics
997 10,000,000 Reasons to Fight! Shine, Z-Power Ring! A Super Fully Powered 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!! Pics
998 The Professors' New Adventure! Thank You, Solgaleo! You are Our Nebby!! Pics
1030 Filling the Light with Darkness! Crisis in Alola! The Darkness that Eats Radiance!! Pics
1031 Full Moon and Many Arms! Lunala VS UB: BLACK! A Battle at Full Moon!! Pics
1032 The Prism Between Light and Darkness! A Prism of Light and Darkness: Its name is Necrozma! Pics
1033 Securing the Future! Connect to the Future! The Legend of the Blinding One!! Pics
1039 Don't Ignore the Small Stufful! Team Rocket & Stufful! Pics
1048 Showdown on Poni Island! Lycanroc Showdown! Ash VS Gladion!! Pics
1051 Memories in the Mist! In Tapu Fini's Mist Pics
1072 Battle Royal 151 Brawl! Battle Royal 151!! Pics
1073 Battling Besties! Mallow & Lana! A Fully Powered Battle of Friendship!! Pics
1078 The Final Four! The Semifinals! Kiawe VS Gladion! Pics
1079 Getting Down to The Ire! Rising Fire! More Than One Rival!! Pics
1080 The Wisdom Not to Run! Guzma the Undefeated! Pics
1081 Final Rivals! The Finals! The Ultimate Rival Showdown!! Pics
1082 Enter the Champion! He's Born! The Alolan League Winner! Pics
1083 Z-Move Showdown! Guzzlord Attacks! Decisive Z-Move Battle!! Pics
1087 From Z to Shining Z! The Greatest Z in Alola! Tapu Koko VS Pikachu! Pics
1089 Thank You, Alola! The Journey Continues! Thank You, Alola! Respective Departures!! Pics
1126 The New Old Gang of Mine I Am Back! Nice to See You, Alola! Pics
1200 The Homecoming Crown! Mohn and Lillie: A Reunion on the Tundra! Pics
1201 Helping the Hometown Hero! A Triumphant Return! The Alola Champion!! Pics