Alola and welcome to this new series about Pokemon moves! Every week I’ll be covering the ins and outs of featured moves. From locations to lore and even competitive strategies, I will be covering it all. This week we’ll be having a double feature, Reflect & Lightscreen.
Lightscreen (TM16)
Description: “A wondrous wall of light is put up to reduce damage from special attacks for five turns.”
A fun fact about Lightscreen is that it started out as a learned ability. It wasn’t until Generation III that it finally gained TM status, and has since been known as TM16.
Lightscreen has had many changes over the years. From doubling special damage, to reducing it, and now halving it. It currently reduces all incoming special damage by 50% for 5 turns. Brick break, Shadow Shed, Defog, and Psychic fangs will all ignore and remove the effects of Lightscreen. The effects of Lightscreen can be raised from 5 turns to 8 if the user is holding “light clay”. If powered up by Psychium Z, light screen will also raise the users special defense stat by one stage.
Competitively Lightscreen is used by support Pokemon. Carbink can be one such Pokemon, and would generally be built bulky so that he can set up screens for his team. Klefki, Meowstic, Xatu, Espeon, Magnezone, and Cresselia have also been popular Lightscreen users.
Reflect (TM33)
Description: “A wondrous wall of light is put up to reduce damage from physical attacks for five turns.”
A fun fact about reflect is that it hasn’t always been a TM. After being a TM in Generation 1, it had its TM status revoked in Generation II. It then made a reappearance in Generation III, and has since forever been known as TM33.
Originally Reflect halved all incoming physical damage, but now it just reduces 50% of it. Sometimes things just need clarification. Reflect behaves a lot like its counterpart Lightscreen, in that it can be removed by Defog, ignored by the ability Infiltrator, extended by holding light clay, and broken by Brick Break and Shadow Shed. Holding Psychium Z while using Reflect will raise the users Defense Stat by one stage.
Competitively Reflect is used just like Lightscreen. While one raises Defense, the other raises Special Defense. Both are generally used by the same Pokemon, and are considered support abilities.
Locations of TM’s
In Pokemon Sun & Moon, both TM’s can be found on Akala Island in Heahea City at the Pokemon Center. They can be purchased for 10,000 poke dollar’s a piece.
Competitive Picks of the Week
A couple of my favorite screen setters are Magnezone and Espeon. Crescelia is also a favorite of mine but is not available in Sun & Moon. Here are some suggested move sets for the above mentioned.
Magnezone: Relaxed with 252 Hp, 96 Def, & 160 SpD
*Reflect*
*Lightscreen*
Thunderbolt (STAB)
Explosion (Nice finish) or Flash Canon (Coverage)
Espeon: Timid with 252 Hp & 252 Spe
*Relfect*
*Lightscreen*
Psychic (STAB)
Wish (Healing) or Shadow Ball (Coverage)
Crescelia: 252 Hp & 252 Spe
*Reflect*
*Lightscreen*
Psychic (STAB)
Moonblast (coverage) or Moonlight (healing)
