SwellowThis set may be a bit unconventional, but it's worked wonders for me - my darling Swellow has 37 ribbons thanks to this moveset. Not to mention he's been able to hold his own in battles enough to get to level 92. =) But enough of my bragging. Here you are - a pretty universal moveset.
Swellow @ (insert color here) Scarf
Nature: Naughty, Adamant, Brave, or Lonely
- Aerial Ace
- Theif
- Return
- Steel Wing / Quick Attack / Fly
This moveset is a bit better in the 3rd generation, but it works fine in D/P/Pt. It's just not as universal for contests. In my experience, with the right sheen, a Swellow with this moveset can get at least 2 ribbons in every kind of contest in Hoenn, and should be able to get up to Master Cool in Sinnoh.
No matter which game you're using this in, Aerial Ace is a
must, as it is for any cool contest bird pokemon. I've found it's best to condition Swellow more evenly if used in R/S than if used in D/P/Pt, because in R/S, this moveset can work in just about any kind of contest. Be sure to still max out Coolness, but try to spread out into other areas as well if you want to try and win in multiple kinds of contests.
In R/S, use Aerial Ace first, since you should be first on the first turn, to rack up some points. Then is when your choice comes in. If you want to play it safe on the second turn, and have some usefulness outside of battle, then Fly is probably the best option. However, you may not be able to go first on the next turn. If you want to be sure that you go first again, and don't mind getting startled a bit, then Quick Attack is the best option. Steel Wing is just for a good general cool move, in case you don't like either of those options.
If you manage to go first on the 3rd turn, then great. Use Aerial Ace whenever you're in front, as long as you're not repeating the move. Otherwise, use your 4th move. If not, then check the crowd's excitement. If you have a chance of getting the crowd going, use Return, which excites the crowd in any contest. Otherwise, use Theif and hope that those in front of you do well, so that you will also. Keep playing it turn-by-turn in that manner, and you should do fine. Practice always helps as well.
Now, in D/P/Pt, this set is best used primarily for Cool contests, and you should condition Swellow as such, not worrying about spreading out your sheen as much as a R/S one. Just max out Coolness as much as possible. I reccomend using Quick Attack if using Swellow only in D/P/Pt contests. If you're planning on importing a 3rd gen Swellow into a 4th gen game, or you want to be able to have more type coverage in battle, Steel Wing works well also.
Just as in R/S, start out with Aerial Ace. However, in the new games, this will likely send you to the back. In that case, use either Quick Attack(if you opted for it) to ensure you're first next turn, or Theif, which will give you 0 appeal points and likely make you first next turn. Either option works, but I reccomend Quick Attack. Use Aerial Ace on turn 3, and then whatever will give you the most points on turn 4(if you chose Steel Wing, this would be a good time to use it). D/P/Pt contests don't require quite as much prediction as R/S contests, but they do require more luck.
So there you have it, a good contest Swellow that can also hold it's own in in-game battles. Good luck, and if you want a Taillow with this moveset without having to use a bunch of TMs, PM me and maybe we can work something out.
