Hydrapple, the Apple Hydra Pokémon. Seven syrpents live inside an apple made of syrup. The syrpent in the center is the commander. These capricious syrpents have banded together. On the rare occasion that their moods align, their true power is unleashed.

Overview

As hinted by Dipplin, Hydrapple has come to tempt trainers with its amazing blend of bulk and offense. A Grass type with Regenerator immediately brings thoughts of Amoonguss. Hydrapple compares quite well with it, having a slightly lower, but still fantastic Base 106 HP, much higher Defense, and the same Special Defense, all but guaranteeing Hydrapple can take a beating, and repeatedly at that thanks to Regenerator and Recover. Hydrapple is far from passive too. 120 Special Attack is impressive to begin with and downright lethal with Nasty Plot, while having just enough coverage to keep checks guessing.

Movesets

Sinister Sweet Serpent

-Nasty Plot
-Giga Drain
-Fickle Beam
-Earth Power
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Leftovers
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SDef
Timid Nature

Hydrapple offers a unique take on a Nasty Plot sweeper, using its incredible bulk to pivot in and setup, while taking advantage of the Recovery provided by STAB Giga Drain and Regenerator to do so repeatedly. Fickle Beam is fantastic for being a reliable STAB that can boost itself up to Draco Meteor levels of power without the downside of sapping your Special Attack. Earth Power provides vital coverage against the Steel types that resist both STABs and boasting wide coverage in general. This set excels on balance teams, being a reliable pivot into Water and Ground attacks and using its boosted STAB to start punching holes into the opposing team and is a good piece of a team’s backbone in general.

Tera Types:
A lot of Hydrapple’s issues are tied to its typing, making it a prime candidate for Terastalization, but Hydrapple’s Water and Ground resistances are often called upon as well, so it pays to be certain that you aren’t opening a hole in your team by Terastalizing, as the recovery granted by Regenerator can make switching a more viable option. Steel and Poison are fantastic defensive options, the former granting resistances/immunities to all Hydrapple’s weaknesses, while Poison still grants valuable resistance to Fairy while not having as many exploitable weaknesses as Steel. Tera Water is a more offensive option, still granting an Ice resistance, and offers a boost if Hydrapple is running Hydro Pump.

EVs and Items:
Max HP is heavily recommended to make Hydrapple as bulky as possible. Investment Defense and Special Defense alike are to make it reasonably bulky on both sides, though this will make Hydrapple’s damage rather lackluster without Nasty Plot. Investment in Special Attack is an option to make Hydrapple far less passive and able to threaten without needing to set up, though Hydrapple’s durability takes a noticeable downturn. As for items, Leftovers is recommended, given persistent passive recovery helps Hydrapple stick around while setting up. Heavy Duty Boots is another stellar option, enabling Hydrapple to get the most out of Regenerator without being eaten alive by hazards. .

Partners:
Due to how the Grass Dragon typing shakes out, Hydrapple very much is a Grass type first when it comes to resistances, meaning Fire types for a Grass-Fire core make for great partners. Moltres is a clear standout partner, despite the lack of resistance to Ice, it more than makes up for that as a defensive Fire type with Flame Body and Will-O-Wisp crippling physical attackers to make Hydrapple nigh immortal as well as punish predicted U-Turns aiming to chip Hydrapple down. Iron Moth is a more offensive option but offers a valuable Poison resistance on top of the base resistances Fire already has and its high Special Defense compliments Hydrapple’s fantastic physical Defense. Water types too love Hydrapple for its ability to wall opposing Grass and Water types as part of a Water-Grass core, or complete a Water-Fire-Grass core. Rotom-Wash is an instant standout thanks to its Sub Electric typing soaking Flying attacks coupled with Will-O-Wisp and Volt Switch for added utility. Azumarill is another great option, offering complimentary offense and the ability to pivot in and destroy opposing Dragon types that otherwise give Hydrapple issues. Slowking is also phenomenal, forming a brutal Regenerator core with Hydrapple and offering status support in Scald and Thunder Wave, as well as threatening potential checks with Future Sight, applying pressure even when Hydrapple is setting up.

Other Options:
Hydro Pump is another great coverage option and synergizes amazingly with Dragon STAB, having very few mutual resists. Recover offers incredible longevity that doesn’t require Hydrapple to switch out or dealing good damage to heal, greatly facilitating grabbing multiple Nasty Plot boosts. Body Press is difficult to fit, but is your best answer against Blissey.

The Eleventh Labor of Heracles

-Fickle Beam
-Giga Drain
-Earth Power
-Dragon Tail
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature

Thanks to Giga Drain and Regenerator, Hydrapple proves to be one of the best Assault Vest users around, greatly appreciating the Assault Vest patching up its lesser Special Defense and using that to repeatedly pivot into all sorts of attacks and grind down opponents who can’t heal as easily. Fickle Beam is Dragon STAB of Choice offering reliable power for no drawback. Giga Drain provides recovery while on the field, making Hydrapple even harder to force out while it is soaking up attacks and threatening some of the most prominent walls in the game like Dondozo, Great Tusk, Hippowdon, Gastrodon, and more. Earth Power offers coverage into Steel types that resist both STABs leaving few reliable answers. Dragon Tail adds a PHazing option to the set, PHazing those who predict the switch to setup, as well as forcing out checks or counters and racking up chip damage. This sets works well on both Stall and Balance teams as an answer to Grass, Water and Ground types as well as Electric to a lesser extent.

Tera Types:
Poison and Steel again remain far and away the best Tera Options, not only giving invaluable resistances to common weaknesses, but also making Hydrapple immune to Toxic and Toxic Spikes, an otherwise reliable method to subvert its bulk. Tera Fairy is also worth mentioning for its ability to blank Dragon attackers that Hydrapple can OHKO back with its own Dragon STAB.

EVs and Items:
Max HP and Max Special Defense are recommended to make Hydrapple as bulky as possible and get the biggest boost from Assault Vest. Special Attack investment is worth considering however, the more Special Attack, the more Hydrapple threatens back. Assault Vest is the namesake of the set and is by far the recommended item, though being able to use status moves does give merit to Leftovers. Heavy Duty Boots is also fantastic to avoid hazards cutting into the recovery wrought by Regenerator.

Partners:
Hazard setters make for excellent partners for Assault Vest Hydrapple who easily forces switches thanks to its typing, bulk, and Dragon Tail, while Hazard setters love Hydrapple in turn for easily threatening out the many popular Ground type Rapid Spinners like Iron Treads, and Great Tusk thanks to its Grass STAB (and Earth Power). Skarmory is an excellent hazard setter to pair up with Hydrapple, considering it loves Hydrapple’s near immunity to Electric attacks and in turn, pivots into Bug, Poison and Fairy attacks nicely. Gliscor may share the crippling quadruple Ice weakness but otherwise it is similarly near immortal wall and hazard setter that loves Hydrapple for enduring Water attacks and handles most of Hydrapple’s less prominent Poison and Bug weaknesses well. Defensive Fire types form a solid Fire-Grass core with Hydrapple and easily cover most of the other’s weaknesses. Moltres excels again here for its ability to spread Burns, while Skeledirge is a fantastic Unaware Wall to attend to boosted threats that would otherwise overwhelm Hydrapple and its teammates.

Other Options:
Draco Meteor is a far stronger option than Fickle Beam most of the time, and the Special Attack drop is more manageable thanks to the healing of Regenerator.
Hydro Pump again deserves mention for its synergistic coverage.
If not running Assault Vest, several support moves do open up. Recover offers incredible on the spot healing that does not sacrifice momentum by having Hydrapple switch out, and Yawn provides soft PHazing along with status disruption that greatly facilitates setup.

Doubles and VGC Options

Hydrapple has incredible potential in VGC thanks to its incredible support and offense options, able to keep your opponent guessing until Hydrapple begins to move. It inherits many of the amazing support options that its pre–Evolution Dipplin boasted, including the speed ruining Syrup Bomb, the ally healing Pollen Puff, and the reliability boosting Supersweet Syrup. Gaining Yawn makes Hydrapple even more disruptive, giving it a reliable Sleep/PHazing option to further disrupt the opposing team. Hydrapple is also anything but passive with its great Special Attack, Nasty Plot and movepool making it a fierce Trick Room attacker. However, Hydrapple’s typing still holds it back, making it vulnerable to Chien-Pao Flutter Mane, and the many Dragon type attackers currently popular. Amoonguss in particular is troublesome given that it outclasses Hydrapple as a Trick Room disruptor given its access to instant Sleep with Spore and redirection with Rage Powder.

Apple Assault Room

-Fickle Beam
-Giga Drain
-Earth Power
-Pollen Puff
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
Tera Type: Poison/Steel
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature

Hydrapple is an excellent Trick Room attacker, able to turn its low Speed into an advantage apply consistent pressure to a team in and out of Trick Room thanks to its incredible base bulk further bolstered by Assault Vest covering its lower Special Defense. Fickle Beam is the main damaging option, applying consistent damage with a chance for more, without Hydrapple having to force itself out thanks to the Special Attack drop. Giga Drain on top of being STAB gives Hydrapple extra recovery, vital for successful Assault Vest users to repeatedly soak attacks. Earth Power offers incredible coverage, threatening Incineroar, Archaludon, Kingambit, and Tera Steel users. Pollen Puff enables Hydrapple to offer support even with Assault Vest, getting more mileage out of healing its already bulky Trick Room abusing allies.

Tera Poison and Steel are the main recommendations, as Flutter Mane is everywhere, and can easily OHKO Hydrapple, so any resistance to Fairy is greatly appreciated. Poison and Steel are preferred thanks to their broad defensive profiles. Max out EVs in HP for bulk and Special Attack for power, with a speed reducing nature to outslow everything in Trick Room.

Other Options & Partners:
Leaf Storm and Draco Meteor give a lot more immediate power compared to Giga Drain and Fickle Beam but come at the cost of sinking Hydrapple's Special Attack. That isn't as great a downside as usual given Hydrapple likes switching thanks to Regenerator. Hydro Pump remains an excellent coverage option given its near unresisted coverage with Dragon STAB and synergizes well with and against Rain. Energy Ball offers an alternative Grass STAB that is stronger than Giga Drain, but without the downside of Leaf Storm.

Any partner that can setup Trick Room is greatly appreciated given Hydrapple's atrocious speed. Indeedee is a clear standout, its Psychic Terrain blocking priority that bypasses Trick Room, and its wide support movepool offering Follow Me, Helping Hand and more. Other setters like Farigiraf and Porygon2 are also appreciated.
Other Trick room abusers are also appreciated. Araquanid is a unique standout, given it forming a Water-Grass core with Hydrapple, while offering complimentary physical Water offense and Wide Guard to block opposing Dazzling Gleams, Bleakwind Storms, Snarls, Rock Slides, etc.

Tempting Wyrms

-Yawn
-Protect
-Pollen Puff
-Syrup Bomb
Ability: Supersweet Syrup
Item: Leftovers
Tera Type: Poison/Steel
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature

A more supportive Hydrapple, aping Amoonguss’ flagship set offering a combination of support and disruption. What helps Hydrapple stand out from Amoonguss is Supersweet Syrup, giving many high powered moves incredible reliability they would not otherwise have. Yawn is fantastic, while not offering immediate pressure like Spore, forces an opponent to pivot or lose a Pokémon to sleep for a few turns taking pressure off Hydrapple’s side. Protect pairs wonderfully with Yawn, helping stall out for Yawn to take effect on top of just being a fantastic move in Doubles for stalling out your opponent’s beneficial field conditions. Pollen Puff offers decent damage and healing, keeping Hydrapple’s team alive while they apply the offense. Syrup Bomb is fantastic Speed control and with Supersweet Syrup afflicted targets is reliable.

As this is a support set, all investment is going into HP and Defense to make Hydrapple as physically bulky as possible. Tera Poison and Steel are the main recommendations, as Flutter Mane is everywhere, and can easily OHKO Hydrapple, so any resistance to Fairy is greatly appreciated. Poison and Steel are preferred thanks to their broad defensive profiles, Poison having a resistance to Fighting for Urshifu and Steel offering valuable resistances to Ice and Dragon.

Other Options & Partners:
Being one of the few Pokémon to get Dragon Cheer, Hydrapple can use it as offensive support. However, stacking Dragon types, the biggest beneficiaries of the move, opens vulnerabilities in a team, and few Pokémon have enough high crit moves to consider abusing with Scope Lens. Regenerator is always worth consideration given the incredible durability it provides to Hydrapple.

Partners that can make the most of Supersweet Syrup’s Evasion Drop are ideal. Landorus-Therian is a key example, loving the accurate Rock Slides and providing a soft bulk increase with Intimidate. Tornadus with Bleakwind Storm and Icy Wind and Iron Bundle with Hydro Pump and Icy Wind are other noticeable beneficiaries of Supersweet Syrup.

Countering Hydrapple

Hydrapple’s offense and defense may be fierce, but its typing leaves noticeable holes in both coverage and weaknesses.

Special Sponges tend to fare the best, able to soak unboosted attacks with ease, though can struggle to provide enough damage output to threaten Nasty Plot and Choice Specs sets. Blissey is noticeable for having the sheer bulk to tank even max Special Attack STABs from Hydrapple, but struggles against Nasty Plot + Recover variants without Ice Beam and is threatened by the rare Body PressAssault Vest Hisuian Goodra works well against unboosted Hydrapple and can even withstand Nasty Plot boosted Hydrapple if not running Earth Power. Specially Defensive Sylveon also does well, and threatens severe damage back with its Fairy STAB.

Corviknight and Enamorus-Therian are hard walls unless Hydrapple is running Hydro Pump, while Azumarill readily handles Hydro Pump + Dragon STAB only sets, all of them threatening back with their own STABs. Enamorus-Incarnate can handle defensive sets not running Hydro Pump, but Specs and Nasty Plot boosted sets deal too much damage with Giga Drain.

Offensively checking Hydrapple is more doable given its pitiful speed enabling even most walls to readily outspeed it. Ice attackers like Weavile, Triple Axel Meowscarada, and Kyurem all threaten easy OHKOs. Pokémon with powerful Super Effective STABs like Specs Hydreigon, Specs Latios, Banded Okidogi, Banded Galarian Zapdos, and Specs Raging Bolt also threaten OHKOs even through Assault Vest for the Special Attackers and max Defense investment for the physical attackers. Setting up against an unknown Hydrapple is not recommended given its access to tools like Dragon Tail, Yawn, and Syrup Bomb to deter such tactics.

If Hydrapple is not running Heavy Duty Boots, Toxic Spike setters work wonderfully, the escalating Poison damage cutting deeply in the stall tactics that Hydrapple enjoys employing.

Anime Appearences

Hydrapple has yet to make an appearance in the anime # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics