Spikes Pixilate

Pixie Plate Rash Boomburst is immensely powerful, Extreme Speed finishes off weakened mons and closes out games, and Spikes make consistent progress against resists. Rash is the chosen nature to deal more to Imposter with Boomburst and to take less from Zamazenta-C's Anchor Shot, though Naive can be used if you value the speed more than the extra power.

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This Xerneas is typically happy to rush into trades against nearly all neutral targets, because it boasts not only immense initial power but also the ability to quickly heal itself via Strength Sap. For example, let's say you land a Boomburst on an opposing PH Regigigas and take a Facade in return. Xerneas will likely find a quick opportunity to Strength Sap or just continue punching holes with its Fairy moves in the future, but Regigigas will need quite a lot of defensive maneuvering before it can pose a threat on the field again.

Typically the imposter-proofing core with Xerneas entails a Fairy switchin that can threaten paralysis, and an Eviolite (usually Imposter) Chansey, which if healthy can sapblock opposing Imposter transformed into Xerneas.

Outplaying Xerneas in the game, playing to deny it easy Spikes and trades, is a much better way around it than hard-prepping against it in the builder. Bounce Ho-Oh is the only counter that can block Spikes. Most RegenVest or Ice Scales users can live 2 Boombursts and threaten to paralyze Xerneas or remove it with Anchor Shot. Eviolite Imposter Chansey can also hold on for quite a while, as this Xerneas is expensive to sapblock and imposter-proofing with Chansey can allow Spikes and cause a momentum swing. Nearly all defensive play against Xerneas will be vulnerable to Spikes, but Xerneas itself is also vulnerable to Spikes. Lastly, it's possible to sapblock a low-HP Xerneas with very soft counters like Bounce Zamazenta-C and Bounce Eternatus.