What it does
Chilly Reception sets Snow weather and then forces the user to switch out, replaced by a random party member. Priority is +0 — this is not a fast move.
Snow weather buffs Ice-type Pokémon's Special Defense by 50%. Unlike older hail, it doesn't chip passive damage from either side. That SpDef buff matters a lot for Ice-types absorbing special hits — it makes them meaningfully more durable on the special side.
The switch-out is where the real value sits. Switching out triggers Regenerator, healing the user for 1/3 of its max HP on exit. One move: weather set and health recovered.
Who runs it
Slowking — specifically Galarian Slowking — runs Chilly Reception at 82%. It has Regenerator, which is the entire reason this move is so efficient on it. A regular pivot just repositions. Chilly Reception pivots, heals, and sets the weather your Ice-type partners want, all from the same action slot.
The team structure around it usually involves one or more Ice-type attackers who benefit from the Snow boost, with Slowking acting as the hub that keeps weather up and stays healthy through repeated exits.
How to use it
Timing matters in doubles. Don't burn Chilly Reception when Slowking is healthy and under no pressure — that wastes the pivot by pulling a functioning fighter for no clear reason.
The right moment is when Slowking is taking damage and either the weather is wrong (not Snow) or Snow is about to expire. You get health back and reset the weather in one action.
The incoming Pokémon is random, which is a real constraint. Before clicking Chilly Reception, have a plan for whichever of your remaining party members comes in. Going in blind and hoping for the best is how you lose doubles turns.
Tips & strategy
If the opponent overwrites Snow with their own weather, Chilly Reception is the cheap way to take it back. Weather wars are often decided by who can most efficiently re-establish their weather, and Slowking can do it while also healing.
Snow's SpDef buff only applies to Ice-types, and only on the special side. Against a team with mostly physical attackers, the Snow boost does nothing for your Ice-types' bulk. In those matchups, the value of Chilly Reception comes almost entirely from the Regenerator heal — set weather for later, bank the HP.
Because the incoming Pokémon is random, some teams built around Chilly Reception will have two viable options as the non-Slowking leads so any random swap-in is usable.