Moves
Double-Edge is Bewear's strongest Normal-type STAB attack, with recoil as its only drawback. Superpower scores easier KOs against Pokemon like Diancie, Bronzong, and Stealth Rock Metagross after a boost. Shadow Claw allows Bewear to hit Ghost-types such as Mismagius, Palossand, and Alolan Marowak. Drain Punch is not as strong as Superpower, but it can let Bewear heal itself after taking damage from entry hazards, resisted attacks, or Double-Edge recoil.
Set Details
An Adamant nature gives Bewear the most wallbreaking power possible, but a Jolly nature can be used to outpace certain variants of Mantine and Metagross. Normalium Z powers up Double-Edge into Breakneck Blitz, which does not inflict recoil damage and allows Bewear to OHKO bulkier Pokemon like Cresselia, Slowbro, and Mandibuzz after a boost. Silk Scarf is a viable alternative if a Z-Crystal is being used elsewhere, as it gives Double-Edge more consistent power and can allow unboosted Double-Edge to potentially OHKO Florges after Stealth Rock damage. Fluffy is an excellent ability that eases setup while also allowing Bewear to actively check certain physical threats such as Barbaracle and Tyrantrum, although it leaves Bewear threatened out by most Fire-types like Salazzle.
Usage Tips
Thanks to Fluffy, Bewear can easily come in against physically offensive Pokemon like Barbaracle, Golisopod, and Rhyperior. It can also be brought in safely with the help of a pivot or after a teammate has fainted. Once in battle, Bewear can begin wallbreaking early- and mid-game or even sweep late-game, assuming all of its checks and counters have been dealt with. Fluffy can also allow Bewear to tank moves such as Virizion's Close Combat if needed, but don't let Bewear take too much damage if it is needed to check threats like Snorlax long-term. Bewear should begin setting up with Swords Dance after it has forced out the foe; then, it can threaten bulkier switch-ins such as Slowbro, Cresselia, and Donphan with its Z-Move. However, if a more offensive check like Noivern, Gardevoir, or Nidoqueen is expected to switch in, attacking immediately, even with Breakneck Blitz, can heavily dent or KO these threats and make Bewear much harder to revenge kill. Ghost-types can switch into either STAB move with no issue, so predicting this play with Shadow Claw can open up Bewear to use its stronger STAB attacks.
Team Options
Stealth Rock support from Pokemon like Metagross, Registeel, and Rhyperior assists in many of Bewear's KOs, and these Pokemon can also alleviate Bewear's weakness to Fairy-, Flying-, and Fire-type Pokemon. Bewear can often struggle with Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Gardevoir, as they handle Superpower easily and can tank unboosted Normal-type moves, so partners such as Mismagius, Houndoom, and Drapion can assist Bewear by taking advantage of Psychic-types as well as Ghost-types. Houndoom and Drapion further assist Bewear with Pursuit. Pokemon like Shaymin and Ribombee can threaten physical sponges like Donphan and Tangela and bait in Registeel and certain Rock-types, which can give Bewear an opening to wallbreak. The former also provides Healing Wish support, which can give Bewear another chance to wallbreak if it has taken too much damage early-game. Bewear's vulnerability to many faster threats such as Salazzle, Noivern, and Mega Blastoise means that it appreciates partners such as Aerodactyl, Tyrantrum, and Mega Sceptile, which are capable of offensively checking such Pokemon. Cleaners like Zygarde-10% and Lycanroc-D are capable of capitalizing on Bewear's ability to wear down or remove Pokemon like Donphan and Golisopod. Pivots such as Flygon, Noivern, and Raikou can safely bring Bewear into battle so it can begin wallbreaking.