Is Focus Punch any good at all?

[Richard]

So I'm training my Zangoose for competitive fighting when I come across the TM containing'Focus Punch' in my bag. Well, being that my Zangoose is a Speed Attacker(Evs in Speed and Attack), I figured a fighting move would be an good addition to her moveset(Sword Dance, Return, Bite).

Now that she knows FP, I naturally want to try it out in battle so I go find the nearest trainer and challenge him. I select Focus Punch and, what's this?, you have to WAIT a turn before the Pokemon actually attacks with it;But why is this so bad you ask? Well, taking a hit from the opponent drops the focus making the attack useless.

Maybe I'm using it wrong or perhaps I'm just blind, but I honestly can't see a use for this attack on ANY Pokemon who doesn't Double Team to the max before using it.

Someone mind explaning a good use for it and cheering me up over the loss of a TM?

 

[Forci Stikane]

Substitute. That's my answer.

Of course, in this case it doesn't help much...it's more useful in competitive battles when you can "predict" your opponent's moves, like when they take a turn to buff their Pokemon up or switch for a different one.

 

[dugtrio's diglet]

i really don't like focus punch at all... so its not like u waisted it

 

[linkinpark187]

i didn't think of using Double Team or Substitute. but if your Pokémon doesn't know either attack, then i deam this attack pretty much worthless.

 

[Faceless*]

If its a double battle, well for me i have a pokemon use "Follow Me", then i use focus punch after using several bulk ups

 

[linkinpark187]

that makes some sense, too. i'm not much into double battles, though. lol

 

[Faceless*]

that makes some sense, too. i'm not much into double battles, though. lol

yeah you're right, no one plays double battles like you, maybe its cause so many cheap strats could be thought up of EASILY

 

[Deleted member 12729]

Aaand this belongs to Strategies & Movesets, so I'll just go ahead and move this for ya.

Moved~

 

[kohei]

Substitute. That's my answer.

Of course, in this case it doesn't help much...it's more useful in competitive battles when you can "predict" your opponent's moves, like when they take a turn to buff their Pokemon up or switch for a different one.

Basically what he said.

However when the opponent is around the same skill level as you, he may trick you into thinking he's going to switch, therefore making you launch a FP, but actually attacks you.

But obviously thinking too much is bad as well, since you can just over-predict and do something really stupid.