What is a good moveset for Grafaiai?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Grafaiai, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Grafaiai Pokedex & learnset for reference.

Answer 1

For Gen 9 UU (this set exists on the smogon analysis at the time of writing)

Grafaiai @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Gunk Shot
- Parting Shot
- Encore

Grafaiai actually has a legitamate use in gen 9 UU for Prankster being a great ability and a unique Poison/Normal typing that lets you check Gengar with more ease. Parting Shot and Encore are the main uses of Prankster on the set, enabling pivoting out of stuff with lowered offense stats and locking opponents into undesirable moves. Heavy-Duty Boots complements this nicely, enabling Grafaiai to not take hazard damage and therefore pivot more easily.

Knock Off, beyond removing items, also allows you to beat up options like Gengar. Gunk Shot is used to keep Grafaiai from being too passive.

EVs are to outspeed as much as you can and deal as much damage as you can with Knock Off/Gunk Shot.

No Tera type listed because Grafaiai's type combo is already useful to check Gengar. You shouldn't be spending your Tera on Grafaiai.

Answer 2

Gen 9 Monotype Psychic Seed Unburden (Normal)

Grafaiai @ Psychic Seed
Ability: Unburden
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Poison Jab
- Knock Off
- Acrobatics

A Grafaiai set that utilizes Unburden on Normal teams in Monotype. Swords Dance is used to boost Grafaiai's attack so it can break through opposing Pokemon better. Poison Jab is used as the Poison STAB since it doesn't miss. Gunk Shot can be used instead for more power at the cost of less accuracy. Knock Off is used to remove items from oppoisng Pokemon and is a useful coverage move against Ghost-types such as Gholdengo, Dragapult, Ceruledge, Gengar, Psychic-types such as Indeedee, Armarouge, and Slowbro. Acrobatics is used since it has double power upon consuming your Psychic Seed.

This set must, I repeat, MUST be paired with Indeedee to use this set properly. Indeedee is used for Psychic Surge to setup Psychic Terrain, so Grafaiai's Psychic Seed can get consumed while Psychic Terrain is up to activate Unburden. If you use Indeedee-F, you can use a screens with Healing Wish to help Grafaiai setup more easily.

Answer 3

Gen 9 Monotype Specially Defensive (Normal)

Grafaiai @ Black Sludge
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Toxic
- Taunt / Encore
- Parting Shot

A Specially Defensive set for Normal teams in Monotype. This set utilizes Prankster to let Grafaiai act as a stallbreaker, pivot, and utility Pokemon. Knock Off is used to remove items from opposing Pokemon, allowing you to cripple Pokemon who rely on their items. Toxic is used to poison opposing Pokemon and put them on a timer. Taunt allows you to shut defensive Pokemon by making them unable to use their status moves. Encore can be used instead to lock opposing Pokemon into a move they don't benefit being locked into. Encore also discourages setup sweepers from setting up on Grafaiai since it locks them into using that setup move. Parting Shot is used to lower the Attack and Special Attack of opposing Pokemon and it allows Grafaiai to switch out.

252 HP EVs are used for bulk for both defensive stats. I used 252 EVs in Special Defense with a Careful Nature since Prankster giving +1 priority to Grafaiai's status moves means it doesn't really need speed on a Prankster set, allowing Grafaiai to have EVs for bulk. Black Sludge is used to give Grafaiai some passive HP recovery.

Answer 4

Gen 9 NU Pivot

Grafaiai @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Poison Touch
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poison Jab
- Knock Off
- Super Fang
- U-turn

A 4 Attacks Pivot set Grafaiai can use in Gen 9 NU. This set utilizes utility moves along with Posion Touch to make switching into Grafaiai's moves more annoying. Poison Jab is used for the Posion STAB since it has a 30% chance to poison opposing Pokemon. Poison Touch gives Poison Jab another chance to spread poison against opposing Pokemon. Knock Off lets Grafaiai cripple switch ins by removing their item, and most Pokemon don't like switching into Knock Off. With a chance to poison due to Posion Touch, Knock Off is always going to make some sort of progress in battles. Super Fang is a nice utility move to cut down half the HP of opposing Pokemon, which is useful against defensive Pokemon such as Gligar, Copperajah, IronPress Duraludon, Sandslash, and Mudsdale. U-turn allows Grafaiai to escape from checks such as Palossand, Gligar, Sandslash, Mudsdale, and Copperajah. Being able to threaten Pokemon such Palossand and Mudsdale with a poison chance with U-turn is nice to help cripple them. Heavy-Duty Boots is used since this set should be used as a pivot and would not want to get chipped by hazards. Tera Dark is used to turn Grafaiai's Psychic weakness into an immunity as well as making Knock Off a STAB move.

252 Speed EVs with a Jolly Nature allow Grafaiai to be as fast as possible. 252 HP EVs are used for bulk. The reason this set uses 252 HP EVs is because even with 252 Attack EVs, Grafaiai's damage output is rather underwhelming. Besides, you're realistically going to end up using an attack to deal damage to a switch in, then switch out with U-turn. This set is also a utility set, so it doesn't really care if it doesn't have attack EVs.

Answer 5

Gen 9 NU Unburden

Grafaiai @ Psychic Seed / Grassy Seed
Ability: Unburden
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 160 HP / 252 Atk / 96 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Gunk Shot / Poison Jab
- Acrobatics
- Low Kick

A Swords Dance set Grafaiai can use on terrain teams in Gen 9 NU. Swords Dance boosts Grafaiai's attack stat to allow it to clean up weakened teams. Gunk Shot is used since it is Grafaiai's powerful Poison STAB provided it lands. Poison Jab can be used instead for a safer Poison STAB at the cost of power. Acrobatics is a nice move to hit Pokemon who resist Grafaiai's Poison STAB. Low Kick lets Grafaiai have a way to deal super effective damage to Steel- and Rock-types such as Copperajah, Iron Thorns, and Registeel. Psychic Seed is used for Psychic Terrain teams, and Grassy Seed is used for Grassy Terrain teams. Tera Flying is used to make Acrobatics a STAB move, making it more powerful. Tera Flying also gives Grafaiai a ground immunity. Do keep in mind that Grafaiai does lose the benefits of Psychic Terrain once it Teras. Losing the Grassy Terrain benefit doesn't hurt Grafaiai since it will be immune to Ground-type moves instead of just having the power of Earthquake halved when used against it.

252 Attack EVs with an Adamant Nature allow Grafaiai to hit as hard as possible. This set only uses 96 Speed EVs, putting it at 280 Speed EVs (560 when Unburden activates). The reason for this is because Grafaiai doesn't need a lot of speed to outspeed the relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon in NU since its speed will be doubled. (Plus, 280 speed looks nice on the teambuilder) The rest of the EVs are used in HP, which could potentially let Grafaiai live a random hit with the help of the terrain seed.