Heliolisk

Heliolisk, The Generator Pokémon. They flare their frills and generate energy. A single Heliolisk can generate sufficient electricity to power a skyscraper. It stimulates its muscles with electricity, boosting the strength in its legs and enabling it to run 100 yards in five seconds.

Overview

Heliolisk is a cool Pokemon, but it isn't particularly good, at least not compared to other Electric types like Thundurus or Mega Manectric. Its movepool is decent and it has okay stats though nothing about it is amazing. What it does have are a couple of unique abilities that can let it strike with devastating power, but unfortunately, it doesn't have much that can monopolise on that power
Positives
- One of the best Electric type movepools in the game.
- Decent Speed / Special Attack.
- Good abilities.

Negatives
- Terrible defenses
- Ghost immunity is wasted on something that actually loses to most common ghosts (Gengar, Aegislash etc).
- Its abilities can cause a slight hinderance when they're being utilised.
- Its non Electric-type movepool is just utterly shocking
- It annoyingly doesn't have Sunny Day to set up its Solar Power ability

Abilities

Dry Skin: HP is restored when hit by Water-type moves or when it is raining but also makes the Pokémon weak to Fire-type moves and reduces HP during strong sunlight. Water immunity is pretty cool especially because it lets it easily switch in on Rotom Wash and Scalds.
Sand Veil: Raises the Pokémon’s evasion during a sandstorm by one level. Makes Heliolisk immune to Sandstorm damage. A decent option but one which is fully outclassed by Heliolisk's other two abilities.
Hidden Ability (Available):
Solar Power: During sunshine, the Pokémon’s Special Attack raises to 1.5 times but HP decreases every turn. The sheer power this ability grants is staggering. You end up with about as much Special Attack as Mega Mewtwo X.

Movesets

Beware of its frills!

- Volt Switch
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot / Thunderbolt
Item Attached: Choice Specs
Ability: Solar Power
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature

With Sun support Heliolisk can do some pretty savage damage to almost anything in the game. Volt Switch is very hard to withstand and the switching effect both maintains your offensive momentum and prevents Solar Power damage. Focus Blast is unreliable but lets Heliolisk break Heatran, Kyurem, Tyranitar, and even Blissey. HP Ice decimates Landorus, Gliscor, and Garchomp. The last slot can either run Grass Knot for coverage against Hippowdon and Gastrodon or Thunderbolt for even more power.

Is that rain or venom?

- Thunder / Thunderbolt
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot / Volt Switch
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature

With Rain support Heliolisk can be decent. Thunder has reasonable power, easily wiping out frail Pokemon and taking a chunk out of anything it hits neutral. When boosted by Rain Surf can break through most ground types easily. HP Ice once again smashes Garchomp, Landorus, etc, although Rain boosted Surf will do terrible damage to most ground types anyway. Grass Knot beats Hippowdon but Volt Switch has amazing offensive utility. Dry Skin makes Heliolisk immune to water so it can easily beat Rotom Wash and switch in on Scalds.

Other Options

Hyper Beam, Parabolic Charge... that's it?
While a terrible move in general Hyper Beam is Heliolisk's best Normal STAB. It has so much power it can rip half the HP off a Blissey with Solar Power + Choice Specs.
Parabolic Charge would be good if it had more base power, but it's far too weak.

Double & Triple Battle Options

Nothing. This lizard is barely usable enough in singles.

Countering Heliolisk

Blissey and Chansey laugh off Heliolisk's weak attacks. Latias is faster and doesn't care much about HP Ice unless boosted by Solar Power. Kyurem, Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Heatran all risk 2HKOs by a coverage move but can shrug off its STABs easily enough and easily OHKO back. Checking Heliolisk is much easier. With its bad defenses basically and Choice Scarfer can beat it while anything with 110 base speed or more like Greninja or Gengar can finish the job. Beating Heliolisk isn't very hard. It can't do much damage outside of sun and even with the sunlight shining it usually doesn't last very long.

Locations in Games

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:
Evolve Helioptile

Animé Appearences

Heliolisk has made a few appearances in the anime, most notably it is owned by Clemont and stored at the Gym to be used to defeat foes by Clemont's robot

# -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics
812 Clemont's Got a Secret! Capture Lumiose Gym! Clemont's Secret! Pics
823 Breaking Titles at the Chateau! The Battle Chateau Challenge! Viola VS Grant!! Pics
834 The Cave of Trials! Lucario VS Blaziken! The Cave of Trials!! Pics
863 Showcase, Debut! Aim to Become Kalos Queen! Serena's Grand Debut!! Pics
868 Good Friends, Great Training! Enter Wartortle and Raichu! Sliggoo Does its Best!! Pics
869 Confronting the Darkness! Criminal Investigation in Lumiose City! Clembot VS Black Clembot!! Pics
870 Moment of Lumiose Truth! Lumiose Gym Match! Ash VS Clemont!! Pics
876 A Fashionable Battle! We Will Have a Battle at the Fashion Show! Bagon VS Spritzee!! Pics
881 Lights! Camera! Pika! Pikachu Becomes a Star!? Its Movie Debut!!
"How to Pikachu the Movie! Ready! Action!!"
The Thunderclap Hero! Super Pikachu!!
Pikachu's Thrilling Blooper Award
Pics
908 Party Dancecapades Ash and Serena! Getting One at a Dance Party!! Pics
935 A Towering Takeover! Team Flare Attacks! The Zygarde at the Prism Tower!! Pics
936 Coming Apart at the Dreams! The Shocking Zygarde VS Zygarde! The Breaking World!! Pics
940 Battling With a Clean Slate! We Start at Zero! Clemont's Decision!! Pics
941 The First Day of the Rest of Your Life! One Last Battle with Ash! Serena's Choice!! Pics