How to Read a Smogon Set: The Competitive Pokémon Notation Explained

Open any Smogon analysis, watch any VGC stream, or scroll any competitive Discord and you’ll see Pokémon “sets” written like this:

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Iron Head

If you can’t read that fluently, you’re locked out of half the competitive Pokémon conversation. This guide teaches you how to parse Smogon’s notation line by line — what every symbol means, how to translate it, and how to write your own sets.

This is the single most important reference for new competitive players.

Key Takeaways

• A Smogon set is a structured format describing every part of a competitive Pokémon: species, item, ability, Tera Type, EVs, nature, and four moves.
• The @ symbol after the Pokémon’s name introduces the held item.
• EVs are written as HP / Atk / Def / SpA / SpD / Spe — typically 252 in two stats and 4 in a third for a total of 508.
• A Nature affects stats by +10%/-10%. “Jolly” boosts Speed and lowers Special Attack.
• The four moves listed (with dashes) are the only moves the Pokémon will use in battle.
• Sets are designed to be pasted directly into Pokémon Showdown’s teambuilder — the formatting is machine-readable.
• Smogon’s set notation has been the competitive standard since 2003 and is used by VGC, OU, every Smogon tier, and most third-party tools.

Table of Contents

1. What is a “Set” in Competitive Pokémon?
2. The Anatomy of a Smogon Set
3. Line by Line: Reading Every Field
4. Understanding the EV Notation
5. Natures: What “Jolly” and “Adamant” Mean
6. The Four Moves Section
7. Tera Type in Modern Sets
8. How to Use a Set in Pokémon Showdown
9. Common Notation Variations
10. How to Write Your Own Set
11. Frequently Asked Questions

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What is a “Set” in Competitive Pokémon?

A set is the complete configuration of a single Pokémon for competitive play. Same Pokémon species can have many different “sets” — a Choice Scarf set, a Trick Room set, a Stallbreaker set — each with different items, EVs, and moves.

The set defines:

• Species — which Pokémon
• Held item — what they hold (Choice Scarf, Leftovers, Focus Sash, etc.)
• Ability — which of the Pokémon’s possible abilities they use
• Tera Type — their Tera Type assignment (Gen 9 only)
• EVs and IVs — stat investments
• Nature — stat-boost/lower personality
• Four moves — the Pokémon’s moveset for the battle

A set is essentially a “build” — like a class build in an RPG. Get the build right and the Pokémon is competitive; get it wrong and the Pokémon underperforms.

The Smogon set format is the universal standard for sharing this information. You can paste a Smogon-formatted set directly into Pokémon Showdown’s team builder and it auto-fills everything. This is why the format exists in the structured way it does.

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The Anatomy of a Smogon Set

Here’s the full template with every possible field:

[Pokémon Species] @ [Held Item]
Ability: [Ability Name]
Tera Type: [Tera Type]
EVs: [HP] HP / [Atk] Atk / [Def] Def / [SpA] SpA / [SpD] SpD / [Spe] Spe
[Nature] Nature
IVs: [HP] HP / [Atk] Atk / [Def] Def / [SpA] SpA / [SpD] SpD / [Spe] Spe
- [Move 1]
- [Move 2]
- [Move 3]
- [Move 4]

In practice, most sets omit fields that use default values:

• IVs are usually 31 across the board, so they’re typically not listed.
• EVs that are 0 are omitted from the spread.

A minimal set looks like:

Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Encore

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Line by Line: Reading Every Field

Let’s parse a real Smogon set line by line.

Line 1: Garchomp @ Choice Scarf

• Garchomp — The Pokémon species. Always the first word.
• @ — A separator that signals “held item follows.”
• Choice Scarf — The held item this Pokémon will carry in battle.

This single line tells you: Garchomp holding a Choice Scarf.

Line 2: Ability: Rough Skin

• The Pokémon’s selected ability. Pokémon can have multiple possible abilities (regular + hidden); this line locks in which one.
• Common abilities: Levitate, Intimidate, Sand Stream, Tough Claws, Booster (Quark Drive/Protosynthesis), Adaptability, Mold Breaker.

Line 3: Tera Type: Steel (Gen 9 only)

• The Pokémon’s Tera Type for the Terastallization mechanic.
• This line is only relevant in Gen 9 (SV) and Pokémon Champions.
• Common picks: Steel, Fairy, Ghost, Fire, Water, Ground.

Line 4: EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

• The Pokémon’s EV (Effort Value) spread.
• Format: [number] [stat abbreviation] separated by /.
• This line says: 4 EVs in HP, 252 in Attack, 252 in Speed (total: 508 of max 510).
• See the EV section below for full breakdown.

Line 5: Jolly Nature

• The Pokémon’s Nature. Affects stats by +10%/-10%.
• Common natures: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA), Adamant (+Atk, -SpA), Modest (+SpA, -Atk), Timid (+Spe, -Atk), Bold (+Def, -Atk), Calm (+SpD, -Atk).

Line 6 (often omitted): IVs: 0 Atk

• Used only when overriding the default 31 IV across the board.
• 0 Atk means 0 Attack IV — used on Foul Play / confusion damage mitigation, or to ensure a specific damage roll.

Lines 7-10: - Move Name

• The Pokémon’s four moves, one per line, each prefixed with - (dash + space).
• These are the only moves the Pokémon can use in battle.

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Understanding the EV Notation

EVs are the most confusing part for new players. Here’s the full breakdown.

What EVs Do

Effort Values (EVs) are stat-investment points. Each Pokémon can hold up to 510 EVs total, with a maximum of 252 per stat. Every 4 EVs in a stat gives +1 to that stat at Level 100.

This means:

• 252 EVs = +63 to that stat at Level 100 (rounded down: 252/4 = 63).
• 4 EVs = +1 to that stat.
• 0 EVs = no bonus.

Why is the standard 252 / 252 / 4? Because 252 + 252 + 4 = 508, which is just under the 510 max. The remaining 2 EVs are wasted because EVs only add stat points in groups of 4.

Reading the Spread

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

This reads as: “4 Effort Values in HP, 252 in Attack, 252 in Speed.”

The order is always the same:

1. HP
2. Atk (Attack)
3. Def (Defense)
4. SpA (Special Attack)
5. SpD (Special Defense)
6. Spe (Speed)

Stats with 0 EVs are typically omitted.

Common Spreads

• 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe — Fast physical attacker, default offensive.
• 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe — Fast special attacker.
• 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def — Bulky physical attacker, slow but durable.
• 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD — Physical wall, maximum HP and Defense.
• 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def — Special wall.
• 0 HP / 0 Atk / 0 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe — Sometimes written out explicitly for emphasis.

”EV-Maxing”

The shorthand “maxing” a stat means investing 252 EVs there. “Max Speed” = 252 EVs in Speed. “Max bulk” = 252 EVs in HP + 252 in either defense.

EV Notation Variations

• 252+ Atk — 252 EVs with a positive nature (Adamant for Atk).
• 252- Atk — 252 EVs with a negative nature (Modest for Atk).
• 0- Atk — 0 EVs with a negative nature (minimum Attack stat — common on special attackers to lower confusion/Foul Play damage).

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Natures: What “Jolly” and “Adamant” Mean

A Pokémon’s Nature is a personality trait that affects stats. There are 25 natures, each one of which:

• Boosts one stat by 10%
• Lowers a different stat by 10%
• Or is “neutral” (boosts and lowers the same stat — no effect)

Competitive players almost always pick natures that boost their key attacking stat or speed.

Common Natures and Their Effects

Nature	+Stat	-Stat
Adamant	Atk	SpA
Modest	SpA	Atk
Jolly	Spe	SpA
Timid	Spe	Atk
Bold	Def	Atk
Calm	SpD	Atk
Impish	Def	SpA
Careful	SpD	SpA
Brave	Atk	Spe
Quiet	SpA	Spe
Sassy	SpD	Spe
Relaxed	Def	Spe
Hasty	Spe	Def
Naive	Spe	SpD
Lonely	Atk	Def
Mild	SpA	Def
Naughty	Atk	SpD
Rash	SpA	SpD
Gentle	SpD	Def
Lax	Def	SpD

(Plus 5 “neutral” natures: Hardy, Docile, Bashful, Quirky, Serious — they boost and lower the same stat, no net effect.)

Nature Selection Logic

• Physical attacker → Adamant (boost Atk) or Jolly (boost Spe).
• Special attacker → Modest or Timid.
• Slow physical attacker for Trick Room → Brave (boost Atk, lower Spe).
• Bulky wall → Bold, Calm, Impish, or Careful (boost a defense).

You won’t usually pick a nature that lowers the stat you actually use — it’s bad math.

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The Four Moves Section

The bottom of every Smogon set lists four moves, each on its own line, prefixed with - (dash + space):

- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Iron Head

A Pokémon learns many moves throughout its life, but in competitive Pokémon, you only bring four to battle. These four define what the Pokémon can do.

Move Notation

Most moves are written by their full English name: “Earthquake,” “Flamethrower,” “Iron Head,” “Will-O-Wisp.”

Some abbreviations appear in casual conversation but rarely in sets:

• EQ = Earthquake
• WoW = Will-O-Wisp
• TR = Trick Room (the move, when discussing setup; not the format)
• T-Wave = Thunder Wave

Move Order Doesn’t Matter

The order moves are listed doesn’t affect anything in-game. Players list them in a personal-preference order: highest-power STAB first, then coverage, then utility.

Set Compatibility

The four moves must be legal for the Pokémon to learn in the current game/generation. Smogon’s calculator and Showdown’s teambuilder will reject illegal move combinations.

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Tera Type in Modern Sets

For Gen 9 sets (Scarlet/Violet and Pokémon Champions), Tera Type is now an essential field.

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Iron Head

The Tera Type: Steel line tells you what type Garchomp will become if Terastallized. In this example, Garchomp’s Tera Type is Steel, suggesting the player plans to use Tera defensively (to remove Garchomp’s Dragon/Ice weaknesses).

For pre-Gen 9 sets, the Tera Type line is omitted. For Pokémon Champions’ Reg M-A format, Tera Type isn’t legal but most sets still include it from habit.

See our Tera Types Explained guide for the full breakdown of what each Tera Type does.

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How to Use a Set in Pokémon Showdown

Pokémon Showdown’s team builder is designed to accept Smogon-formatted sets directly.

1. Go to play.pokemonshowdown.com.
2. Click “Teambuilder.”
3. Click “New Team” → choose your format (VGC, OU, etc.).
4. Click “Add Pokémon” → “Import Pokémon.”
5. Paste the Smogon set into the text box.
6. Click “Save.”

Showdown will auto-fill the Pokémon’s species, item, ability, Tera Type, EVs, IVs, nature, and moves. You can edit individual fields after import.

This is how every competitive player builds teams — they copy proven sets from Smogon analyses or tournament reports and paste them in to start.

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Common Notation Variations

You’ll see variations on the standard format. Here are the common ones.

Compact Notation

Some posts compress sets onto one line:

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf / Rough Skin / Jolly / 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP / Earthquake / Outrage / Stone Edge / Iron Head

This is functional but harder to read.

Tier-Specific Markers

Sometimes you’ll see:

• **OU** or **VGC** — denoting the tier the set is built for.
• (M) or (F) after the Pokémon name — the Pokémon’s gender (rare; usually only for breeding-relevant species).
• (Shiny) — denoting a Shiny Pokémon (cosmetic).

Multiple Move Slashed

A move slot might list two options:

- Earthquake
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Stone Edge
- Iron Head

Outrage / Dragon Claw means “either Outrage or Dragon Claw” — the set author is suggesting both as valid choices. Pick one when actually building the team.

Generation-Specific Sets

Smogon analyses often label sets by generation:

• “Gen 9 OU set”
• “VGC Reg I set”

Make sure you’re using a set built for your current format.

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How to Write Your Own Set

When you’ve built a team and want to share it:

1. Start with the Pokémon name and item. Garchomp @ Choice Scarf

2. Add the Ability. Ability: Rough Skin

3. Add Tera Type if Gen 9. Tera Type: Steel

4. Write the EV spread in HP/Atk/Def/SpA/SpD/Spe order. Omit 0s. EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

5. Write the Nature. Jolly Nature

6. List the four moves with - prefix.

   - Earthquake
   - Outrage
   - Stone Edge
   - Iron Head

That’s the full set. Copy-paste-ready.

You can export your entire team from Showdown’s teambuilder by clicking the team name → “Import / Export” → “Export” — it’ll output every Pokémon in this format, ready to share or paste back into another teambuilder.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Smogon set? A Smogon set is a structured text format that describes every part of a competitive Pokémon — its species, held item, ability, Tera Type, EV spread, nature, and four moves. It’s the universal standard for sharing competitive Pokémon configurations.

What does the @ symbol mean in a Pokémon set? The @ symbol separates the Pokémon’s name from its held item. “Garchomp @ Choice Scarf” means “Garchomp holding a Choice Scarf.”

What does “252 / 252 / 4” mean? It’s the standard offensive EV spread. 252 EVs in your main attacking stat, 252 in Speed, and 4 in a third stat (usually HP). Total = 508 EVs out of the 510 maximum.

Why is the EV order HP / Atk / Def / SpA / SpD / Spe? That’s the order stats appear in the game’s stat screen. Smogon’s notation follows this convention so the spread maps left-to-right.

Do I need to memorize all 25 natures? Not really. You need to know maybe 10-12 common ones (Adamant, Modest, Jolly, Timid, Bold, Calm, Impish, Careful, Brave, Quiet, Hasty, Naive). The others appear rarely.

What if a set has only three moves? The fourth slot is optional from a typesetting standpoint, but in practice every Pokémon in competitive play uses four moves. A three-move set usually has the fourth slot intentionally left to the player’s discretion.

Can I paste a Smogon set directly into Pokémon Showdown? Yes. Open Showdown’s team builder, click “Add Pokémon” then “Import Pokémon,” and paste the set text. Showdown auto-fills everything.

What’s the difference between “Sets” and “Builds”? “Set” is the formal Smogon term — the configuration of one Pokémon. “Build” is more general — sometimes used for a single Pokémon, sometimes for a whole team. Most players use the two interchangeably.

Why are EVs sometimes capped at 252 instead of 255? A Pokémon’s EVs cap at 252 per stat because additional EVs past 252 give no benefit — the 252/4=63 stat bonus is the maximum, and 255 would just waste 3 EVs.

Do IVs ever get listed? Only when overriding the default 31 across all stats. The most common case is IVs: 0 Atk for special attackers (to minimize Foul Play damage and confusion damage).

Are sets the same across generations? The format is the same. The contents differ: Tera Type is only in Gen 9, Mega Stones only in Gens 6-7 and now Gen 9 (via Z-A and Champions), Z-Crystals in Gen 7, etc.

Why are abilities sometimes hidden / not listed? If a Pokémon only has one ability, sometimes the line is omitted. But for any Pokémon with multiple options, the ability is always specified.

Can I have two of the same Pokémon on my team? No, in standard formats. The “Species Clause” prevents two of the same Pokémon (by species number) on your team. Some formats (Anything Goes, certain randoms) allow it.

Do I have to follow Smogon notation, or can I make my own? You can use whatever notation you want privately. But to share with other players or import into Showdown’s teambuilder, use the Smogon standard. It’s machine-readable.

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Pair this with our Competitive Pokémon Lingo Cheat Sheet to decode the rest of the jargon.

Want to see real sets in action? Use the Pokémon Showdown Damage Calculator Tutorial to test how a set performs against opposing teams.

Build your own Showdown-ready sets at the Pokedexgenerator.com team builder — exports directly in Smogon format.