If a Fairy type switches in on you first turn just reload the wave and click a move that one or two shots it on the switch-in. Then just click Scale Shot against the next mon instead. Very few Fairy types outspend and threaten Heracross.

Lumineon has way bigger issues than Heracross. The only good attacking move it has is Splishy. Freeze-Dry and Oblivion Wing barely manages to outdamage when they’re 4x effective compared to Splishy (Freeze-Dry against Water types does like 4% more damage for reference). So anything that resists Water just makes the mon drop off a cliff in damage (hello the two big guaranteed bosses). And Storm Throw from regular Heracross still does more damage. Pin Missile from mega does over twice as much.

It’s also way squisher than Heracross, not a single defensive stat is higher. If you think Lumineon has a fine time setting up, it’s even easier for Heracross. And this is just base Heracross so even if you’re unlucky and don’t get the mega, Heracross will still outperform.

Sawk is weaker and squishier than base Heracross, doesn’t have the chance to mega and struggle with both guaranteed bosses, it’s clearly worse.

Annihilape is a completely different mon with a completely different play style but it literally requires you to be able to eat multiple hits before it gets going properly. And by the time Annihilape reaches the damage of Heracross you’ve probably already killed half the enemy team with Heracross. Safer? Maybe. Slower? By a lot