With X and Y releasing today, I want to say farewell to BW. It was during Black and White that I joined the DB. I started competitive battling. And now we are experiencing the end of that era. And coming to the Kalos region.
This team started when I decided to use Sun, but also wanted a Groudon that could survive more than then just physical attackers. So I created my own spread. I then added pokemon as roles were needed, and the team was made.
There are some definite holes, but they are easily worked around. Nothing major.
> Gaia (Venusaur) @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SAtk / 216 Spd
Modest Nature
> - Giga Drain
> - Growth
> - Sleep Powder
> - Sludge Bomb
Originally I had Ho-Oh here, but when the team finished and I had no spinner, I realized I couldn’t keep Ho-Oh on. So I changed it to a sun sweeper, and boy am I happy with this feller. Under Sun they lose a pokemon to Sleep Powder and on the switch I get a +2 boost from Growth. The Dual STAB attacking moves do leave me vulnerable to several pokemon like Dialga, but as Venusaur is my cleaner for late-game, he usually only has to deal with bulky survivors. And for that reason I decided Sludge Bomb > EQ to deal with Ho-Oh who (unless running Tailwind) is utterly decimated by Sludge Bomb. Even powerful walls like Giratina-A will fall to this brutal cleaner. And I absolutely love it when people think Scarf Genesect outspeeds Venu in Sun.
> Problem? (Palkia) @ Lustrous Orb
> Ability: Pressure
> EVs: 56 HP / 252 SAtk / 200 Spd
> Modest Nature
> - Fire Blast
> - Hydro Pump
> - Spacial Rend
> - Thunder
Yeah, there’s a big problem. Lustrous Orb Palkia is WAY too powerful. With Sun Boosted Fire Blast, and Orb boosted Dual STABs Spacial Rend and Hydro Pump, nothing will stand in the way. Most people expect ScarfKia which means that I can Spacial Rend a dragon, they bring in Ferro, and BAM Fire Blast. Thunder is there to deal with rain teams. However quite often I’m likely to use Spacial Rend on a Kyogre that has Zekrom in the back. Normally safer and it deals enough damage to rival Thunder. Also most people will do the switch to Zekrom which ruins them with a Spacial Rend (unless random miss [it’s happened]). Pretty standard EVs, I knew I wouldn’t need max spd, so I decided to run enough to outspeed several different pokemon, and then invest some EVs in HP, allowing me to tank Thunders from Kyogre better. Also it allowed me to choose a Modest nature, which is even more powerful than should be allowed in Ubers.
> Steel Dog (Dialga) @ Choice Scarf
> Ability: Pressure
> EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
> Timid Nature
> - Aura Sphere
> - Draco Meteor
> - Fire Blast
> - Sunny Day
Since most people expect Palkia to carry Scarf, it allows me to fake a support Dialga, and run a Surprise Scarf on him. I have it from two different battlers (Hex being one of them) that ScarfAlga is amazing. I have to agree. It has wicked powerful SAtk, and with Scarf a good speed. Aura Sphere sees almost no use, as Draco Meteor can dent everything except steel types which melt in the face of a Fire Blast. Knowing this I was stymied on the last part until I came to Sunny Day. I figured wth, and slapped it on. It’s saved me many times, when Groudon goes down and rain, sand, or hail is prevailing. Often people become reckless with their weather setters after the opponent loses the weather war, which means that after killing their setter, I get five turns of Scarfed Sunny Day to eliminate their weather, and ofr five turns, mine back.
> EKiller (Arceus) @ Leftovers
> Ability: Multitype
> EVs: 248 HP / 252 SDef / 8 Spd
> Careful Nature
> - Recover
> - Will-O-Wisp
> - Cosmic Power
> - Return
I love this WallCeus. Pretty straightforward really, Burn Physical attackers, set up on Cosmic Power, Return on anything that isn’t ghost type, and Recover when needed. The beauty of WallCeus is that unlike other Arceus walls, he doesn’t need to carry a plate, allowing him to carry Lefties, for better recovery. I would say the only fault behind this set, is that it can’t deal with phazers. But that’s something I’m willing to deal with as he’s so far only here to tank DMeteors for the rest of the team.
> ARGH!!!! (Giratina) @ Leftovers
> Ability: Pressure
> EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spd
> Impish Nature
> - Dragon Tail
> - Rest
> - Sleep Talk
> - Roar
ARGH!!!! Is the correct response to this Giratina. As I’m not running Will-O-Wisp, and Arceus is tanking Special attacks, I went for Max Defense Giratina. Capable of tanking an Outrage from Zekrom, I can Dragon Tail and continue messing around with the opponent. The team has no hazards which makes you think that phasing is completely useless. Well it’s not. So many people like to set up (looks at the two set up sweepers on his own team) that this Giratina set has become an invaluable asset to the team. Also provides a great switch in to any fighting move. The main reason Giratina has not been shipped out in favor of anyone else is because of EKiller. Unless burned, Giratina is the only one capable of tanking a hit and phasing him out, day after day. For that reason Giratina has stayed on the team.
Continued in Answer
