Scream Tail
VGC Guide
Scream Tail is the most flexible support Pokémon on sun teams: Prankster grants Tailwind, Encore, and Charm +1 priority, completing support before any threat can act. 115 HP and 115 SpDef provide exceptional bulk, and Protosynthesis further boosts Speed or SpDef in sunlight. Fairy typing grants Dragon resistance, making Scream Tail the comprehensive support core for sun teams.
Prankster: Priority Support Moves Core
Prankster grants all non-attacking moves +1 priority, allowing Tailwind, Encore, Charm, and Helping Hand to complete before all opponents act. Scream Tail can set Tailwind before even the fastest opponents move, lock opponents into their last move with Encore, or drop a target’s Attack by -2 with Charm — all before opponents can respond in their turn. Note that Prankster fails against Dark-type Pokémon.
Charm: -2 Attack Wipes Physical Threats
Charm combined with Prankster priority lowers a target’s Attack by -2 stages before they can act. This equals the combined effect of two Intimidates, reducing physical output to approximately 50% of original damage. Against high-Attack restricted legends like Koraidon or Zacian, one Charm plus Incineroar’s Intimidate compresses their Attack to manageable levels. Helping Hand boosts ally output by 50% when Charm isn’t needed, providing flexible utility.
EV Spreads
Team Partners
Koraidon’s Orichalcum Pulse activates Scream Tail’s Protosynthesis, boosting Speed or SpDef in sun. Scream Tail’s Charm protects Koraidon from physical attacks; Tailwind accelerates Koraidon ahead of opposing threats. Bidirectional support creates one of sun teams’ most stable cores.
Scream Tail’s Helping Hand boosts Calyrex-Shadow’s Astral Barrage by 50%, KOing both opponents on the field. Tailwind ensures Astral Barrage completes before opponents act — forming one of VGC’s most threatening restricted legendary pairings.
Incineroar’s Intimidate -1 Attack combined with Scream Tail’s Charm -2 Attack drops opponents’ Attack by -3 total (roughly 33% original output). This is VGC’s most complete Attack suppression combination, nearly eliminating all physical attacker threats.
Flutter Mane’s Protosynthesis activates in sunlight alongside Scream Tail’s, creating a dual Fairy special attacker core. Flutter Mane’s Dragon and Dark vulnerabilities are covered by Scream Tail’s Charm and Helping Hand support, forming highly synergistic dual Fairy offense.
How to Counter Scream Tail
Prankster completely fails against Dark-type Pokémon — Tailwind, Encore, Charm, and Helping Hand all lose priority against Dark types. Incineroar (Dark/Fire) or Tyranitar (Rock/Dark) can freely ignore Scream Tail’s Prankster support, rendering its utility ineffective.
Taunt (itself usable with Prankster priority) completely blocks all of Scream Tail’s status support moves. If an opponent Taunts Scream Tail first through their own Prankster user, all support capabilities are completely blocked for the duration. Mental Herb is the one-time cure.
Steel and Poison types resist or are immune to Scream Tail’s Fairy offensive moves, leaving it with minimal offensive contribution. As a pure support Pokémon, if the opponent runs Steel or Poison types throughout, Scream Tail’s damage output becomes negligible.
Scream Tail’s Psychic-type moves (like Psychic or Psyshock) have no effect against Dark-type Pokémon. Steel types are immune to Poison coverage. If Scream Tail lacks broad offensive coverage, opponents can use these types to safely pivot, forcing it into support-only usage.