Cyclizar, the mount Pokémon. Apparently Cyclizar has been allowing people to ride on its back since ancient times. Depictions of this have been found in 10,000-year-old murals. It can sprint at over 70 mph while carrying a human. The rider's body heat warms Cyclizar's back and lifts the Pokémon's spirit.

Overview

The present form of the box legendaries, Cyclizar seems to be a pale shadow of the supreme power its paradoxes wield. However, as fitting of the mount Pokémon, Cyclizar makes up for this with supreme utility. Shed Tail is arguably the most busted move in the game, turning every use into a free switch, getting an ally in safely. Cyclizar’s incredible speed makes it difficult to deny Shed Tail and the hefty HP tax is largely refunded by Cyclizar’s Regenerator, allowing Cyclizar to Shed Tail repeatedly, equating to multiple free switches and the powerful positioning that it entails. Shed Tail isn’t all there to Cyclizar either. Hazard control with Rapid Spin, item disruption with Knock Off, and a speedy Taunt all offer fantastic disruption and support, allowing a well-played Cyclizar to control the pace of the battle.

Cyclizar’s speed and support are all that it has going for it. Base 95/85 offenses are not taking any awards. While Cyclizar can rectify its Attack with Shift Gear, and its frankly wide coverage movepool, the payoff isn’t impressive. On defense, Cyclizar isn’t much better, with the great resistances offered by Dragon Normal contrasted by pitiful defenses and exploitable weaknesses that limit any defensive utility Cyclizar can provide. Those same defenses means that Cyclizar is entirely reliant on its speed to safely Shed Tail or support and if it can’t outrun the opponent, it becomes far easier to deny Shed Tail and the bulk of Cyclizar’s utility. Additionally, Cyclizar’s speed and frailty often means the substitute is not surviving the turn Shed Tail is used, limiting the utility one can get out of it. These flaws have not stopped Cyclizar from being a steadfast partner and carrying many trainers to victory.
Positives
Base 121 Speed is incredible, with only a small pool of Pokémon able to outspeed Cyclizar natively. Great utility movepool, between Taunt, Rapid Spin and Knock Off, allowing for Cyclizar to provide tons of support. Regenerator is an amazing ability, offering Cyclizar an incredible amount of free healing. Shed Tail is a strong contender for the best move in the game and in Cyclizar’s hands a source of numerous free switches.

Negatives
Offenses are unimpressive, causing Cyclizar to miss crucial KOs
70/65/65 defenses are rather poor with unresisted hits knocking Cyclizar out of Shed Tail range.

Movesets

Axing an Opening

-Shed Tail
-Rapid Spin
-Knock Off
-Draco Meteor
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Sitrus Berry
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Cyclizar's flagship pivot set getting the most out of Shed Tail and generating free switches for its teammates. So many Pokémon can check their opponent if simply given the ability to switch in safely without taking damage and that is precisely what Cyclizar's speedy Shed Tail enables. Even more so, Shed Tail forces opponents to play aggressively into Cyclizar, as giving Cyclizar's teammate a free undamaged Shed Tail Substitute means free setup sweep that can massively shift the game into Cyclizar's team's favor. Even pressuring an opponent to attack can work to Cyclizar's advantage, making them much more predictable and this facilitating the decision of which teammate to switch to. Rapid Spin supports Cyclizar's pivoting nicely, removing the entry hazards that punish Cyclizar's constant pivoting as well as protect its allies who come in with Shed Tail since the Substitute does not protect against Entry Hazards. Knock Off is here purely for item disruption and the chip damage, enabling Cyclizar's teammates. Draco Meteor ensures Cyclizar is not entirely passive and can allow Cyclizar to pick off a weakened target between its high speed, and the incredible power and wide neutral coverage of the move. Furthermore, Draco Meteor's drawback is completely negligible due to Shed Tail and Regenerator as Cyclizar gains momentum via switching.

Tera Types:
Dragon Normal is contrasted between good resistances and bad weaknesses, both giving strong arguments on to both Terastalize and not to Terastalize Cyclizar. However, pivoting Cyclizar should avoid Terastalizing. Cyclizar's roll revolves around outspeeding the opponent and switching out to get an ally in safely, a task that rarely requires resistances or boosted attacks, something better saved for the partners Cyclizar is enabling. If running Draco Meteor, Tera Dragon is tantalizing, allowing Cyclizar to better revenge KO, or even outright eliminate opposing Dragon types. Tera Fairy is a decent defensive option blanking opposing Dragon attacks from faster Dragons like Koraidon, Dragapult and Scarf Latios as week as giving Cyclizar resistance to Fighting attacks like Mach Punch, which can make Cyclizar that much harder to remove.

EVs and Items:
Max HP and Speed are recommended. Cyclizar excels by being the fastest Pokémon around, so max Speed investment is a given with a Speed boosting nature. Max HP gives Cyclizar some bulk, so it is better able to survive and continue supporting the team, as well as getting the most healing out of Regenerator and the largest Substitutes from Shed Tail. 20 Special Attack EVs can be argued, gauranteeing Cyclizar to OHKO opposing Dragapult and Max HP Cyclizar with Draco Meteor. Sitrus Berry is recommended as the item as between that and Regenerator, fully recoups the cost of the first Shed Tail as well as insulate Cyclizar against a single attack by making it harder to knock it out of Shed Tail range. Heavy-Duty Boots is a staple for any Pokémon that constantly pivots or is responsible for hazard removal, let alone both like Cyclizar. If commonly dealing with naturally faster Pokémon like Koraidon, Calyrex-Shadow Rider, Flutter Mane, etc. in a restricted format, Choice Scarf becomes a stronger pick, allowing Cyclizar to maintain its niche despite the increased speed of the competition.

Partners:
: Setup Sweepers love the pivoting that Cyclizar provides, enabling them to come in safely at the right moment for easy setup, and if the Substitute isn't broken, that can mean the end of the battle right there. Sweepers that self-escalate, like Calyrex-Shadow Rider, Moxie Salamence, Quaquaval and Gyarados, Speed Boost Blaziken and Espathra are particularly threatening since they don't need to waste a turn setting up to boost, getting more mileage out of the free switch. Zacian Crowned also deserves mention for being able to do well into all of Cyclizar's weaknesses and thus prey on opponents looking to take advantage of super effective STAB to remove Cyclizar. Sash users and Pokémon that rely being at full health like Mimikyu, Dragonite and Terapagos love Cyclizar's hazard control and Shed Tail Support, allowing them to come in unscathed with their item/ability intact, allowing for more aggressive pivoting than otherwise possible on such Pokémon. Aggressive hazard setters also love Cyclizar, with Knock Off removing enemy Heavy-Duty Boots and Taunt denying opposing Defogs make Cyclizar a key piece of many team's hazard control plans.

Other Options:
U-Turn is a powerful pivoting option irrespective of Shed Tail, allowing Cyclizar to chip the opponent and get extra recovery from Regenerator for even more Shed Tails. Taunt on a fast Pokémon is always valuable and Cyclizar makes great use of this, shutting down opposing setup and disruption.

Scaly Davidson

-Shift Gear
-Double Edge
-Knock Off
-Temper Flare
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Sitrus Berry
EVs and Nature:
168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Jolly Nature

While having Cyclizar go on the offensive is a disservice to its immense supporting talents, Shift Gear is an absurd boosting move that can make the effort worth it. Doubling Speed on a Pokémon as fast as Cyclizar is insane, effectively requiring priority to outrun. Add in the boost to Attack to remedy Cyclizar’s lacking attack and the sheer power of STAB Double Edge and Cyclizar can do a shocking amount of damage to offensive attackers and defensive walls alike, easily 2HKOing Pokémon as bulky as Alomomola, Enamorus-Therian, Milotic, Okidogi, and Suicune. Knock Off remains as Cyclizar’s best answer into Ghost types, while the item disruption is always useful even if Cyclizar can’t get a KO. Temper Flare rounds out the set, hitting Steel and Tera Steel types looking to stomach its boosted offenses.

Tera Types:
Normal Dragon providing valuable resistances to prominent types would normally make one hesitant to Terastalize Cyclizar, but its lacking power often requires Terastalization to make up the difference. Tera Fire is incredible offensive defensive option with Temper Flare, boosting it up to better handle Steel types while providing valuable resistances to Ice and Fairy. Tera Water is great if running Aqua Tail, for breaking Rock types with a resistance to Ice on top. Tera Fairy offers a resistance to Fighting and immunity to Dragon, helping with the Shift Gear setup on top of being a great Tera Blast choice. If all else fails, Tera Normal is powerful for buffing Double Edge, allowing for OHKOs on a wide range of targets including Conkeldurr, Fezandipiti, Iron Jugulis, Keldeo, Kyurem, Alolan Muk, Necrozma, Regidrago, and more.

EVs and Items:
Given Cyclizar’s lacking Attack, max investment there to get the most out of Shift Gear is mandatory, though the real question is how much speed one wants to invest in Cyclizar, as in most cases maxing out speed is overkill after the Shift Gear. 88 Speed ensures Cyclizar outruns Base 150 Attackers at +1 as well as Chlorophyll sweepers like Venusaur. One can even forgo Speed investment entirely, given at +2 it outruns even Max Speed Booster Energy Iron Bundle, but leaves Cyclizar far more vulnerable while setting up. Any EVs not going into attack or Speed go into HP, allowing Cyclizar to better absorb Double Edge’s recoil and survive setup.

Partners:
: Given Cyclizar’s struggles to cover all of Normal’s resistances, allies that can handle the Rock, Steel and Ghost types are greatly appreciated. Krookodile is an excellent partner for this goal, its STAB Earthquake and Knock Off covering everything that Cyclizar fears, while Intimidate, Stealth Rock and Taunt are all fantastic enabling tools for Cyclizar’s own sweep. Krookodile’s ability to draw in physical walls also helps Cyclizar as Krookodile will chip them down, making them less able to survive Cyclizar’s follow up assault. Basculegion-Female also does well into Rock and Ghost types and contrasts Cyclizar’s physical offense with special, drawing in more easily dispatched special sponges and threatening physical walls with its own STAB.

Other Options:
Aqua Tail is fantastic for Rock types that can stop Cyclizar’s sweeping ambitions short.

Countering Cyclizar

While Cyclizar’s poor defenses and lackluster offenses prevent it from being a direct threat, Cyclizar’s biggest headache is the support it provides, especially Shed Tail. The best way to handle Cyclizar is to prevent it from doing anything in the first place, though this is easier said than done given Cyclizar’s impressive speed. In formats where restricted Pokémon are allowed, there is no lack of natural speedsters, with the Raidons, Chien-Pao, Zacian, Flutter Mane, Iron Bundle and Zamazenta Crowned all naturally outrunning Cyclizar and preying on its frailty for an easy OHKO, though Cyclizar is more prone to running Choice Scarf when such Pokémon are available. Booster Energy Flutter Mane and Iron Bundle match Cyclizar in speed boosts and thus can dispatch it easily, while Chien-Pao’s Sucker Punch and Dragonite’s and Arceus’ Extreme Speed may not KO, they will knock Scarf Cyclizar out of Shed Tail range. If restricted Pokémon aren’t allowed, there are still a wealth of options like Meowscarada, Greninja, Weavile and Dragapult, though it is unlikely that Cyclizar would switch in the face of these faster threats, making a surprise Choice Scarf user to outrun and strike down Cyclizar more reliable.

Another option is to prevent Cyclizar’s ally from gaining any benefit from Shed Tail’s Substitute. Dragapult is especially apt at this thanks to its wide coverage limiting safe switch-ins and Infiltrator ignoring Substitute entirely. Sound based attackers like Primarina, Volcarona’s Bug Buzz, and Ursaluna-Bloodmoon’s Hyper Voice all bypass Substitute and damage the unfortunate target behind it. Multi-hit attacks also quickly dispatch the Substitute and damage the Pokémon behind it like Meowscarada’s Triple Axel, Koraidon’s, and Dragonite’s, Scale Shot, Scizor’s Dual Wingbeat and Breloom’s Bullet Seed.

While Cyclizar rarely goes on the offense, answers when it does do so should be considered. Standard support sets tend to only have Draco Meteor and Knock Off for any serious damage, so Fairy types in general are safe switch ins. Shift Gear sets are harder to deal with due to Cyclizar’s ability to boost and being nearly impossible to outspeed once it gets going. Unaware walls like Quagsire work regardless of the number of boosts Cyclizar has and Cyclizar will lose the war of attrition thanks to Double Edge’s recoil. Sturdy physical walls like Avalugg and Registeel can tank boosted Double Edges and Temper Flares but must come in healthy to be able survive the follow up attack. Other walls are dependent on the gaps in Cyclizar’s coverage. If lacking Aqua Tail, Rock types like Diancie, Rhyperior and Tyranitar can join this list. Sets without Temper Flare find Steel types like Forretress, Cobalion, and Skarmory are difficult to break through.

Anime Appearences

Cyclizar has made a few anime appearances. Most of the time they are being used as Ride Pokémon for trainers in Paldea # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics 9 Welcome to Paldea! Arrival in Paldea! Pics 16 Quaxly, We Can Do It! As Long As I'm With Quaxly... Pics 49 Dot and Nidothing Dot & Nidothing Pics 50 Trending Terastallisation! Dance, Dance, Quaxly! Terastallize for Social Media! Dance Dance Quaxly!! Pics 63 Ice Battle! Cold-Eyed Grusha An Ice Battle! Cold-Eyed Grusha! Pics 71 TBC An Encounter at Crystal Pool! Pics 89 TBC At the End of the Adventures Pics