RMT - VGC 17 - Follow Me + Shell Smash Core

Question

Hey all. With the upcoming VGC 17 tournaments, I was wondering if I could get some advice on this team of mine I built. I usually lead with Clefairy and Cloyster, to set up a Shell Smash and get rid of threats like Arcanine an Krookodile - but more on that later. If you could offer any constructive feedback, that would be great. Thanks!

Moves/sets I want special attention to are in italics
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Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Friend Guard
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Follow Me
- Calm Mind
- Aromatherapy
- Moonblast
My Follow Me lead. Typically spams follow me to allow Cloyster a Shell Smash and attempt a sweep. Calm Mind is for extra bulk, Aromatherapy for obvious reasons and Moonblast in case Clef gets taunted.

Cloyster @ Focus Sash
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Hydro Pump
A normal Shell Smash set. Main sweeper with capacity to take out top threats such as Chomp, Krookodile, Arcanine and Koko.

Wishiwashi-School @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Schooling
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SpA / 12 SpD
Modest Nature
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Grass]
A secondary powerhouse. Usual kind of Wishiwashi set, with Berry to keep it in School Form.

Arcanine @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Morning Sun
Normal Intimidate pivot set. Has Survivability with Morning Sun, STAB with Flare Blitz, coverage with CC and priority with ESpeed.

Pheromosa @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Bug Buzz
- High Jump Kick
- Roost
- U-turn
Standard high power Pheromosa set. Nothing much to say here.

Butterfree @ Lum Berry
Ability: Compound Eyes
Level: 50
EVs: 228 HP / 28 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rage Powder
- Sleep Powder
- Tailwind
- Substitute
I was looking for another Follow Me Pokemon and I stumbled upon Butterfree - but it has performed poorly in my test matches. any suggestions for another Pokemon to go here?

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Thanks for any feedback!

Comments

Yeah, Butterfree doesn't really have the stats to hold up as a Rage Powder user.  As far as Follow Me / Rage Powder users go, Clefairy / Clefable are your best options with Pokémon like Togekiss banned this VGC.  However, Fake Out could serve as a form of Pseudo-Follow Me.

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Venomoth is also a good option for rage powder support.

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I think I'll just swap Butterfree for Kartana or Fini

Answer 1

What you have here is a single team used in VGC17, and that's not good. First of all:
Clefairy-> in this meta clefairy needs a bit more in special defense and moves like calm mind and aromatherapy make no sense, i suggest:
Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Friend Guard
Level: 50
EVs: 228 HP / 172 Def / 108 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Follow Me
- Ice Beam
- Encore
- Protect
ice beam for garchomps, encore to encore porygon2 if it uses trick room

for cloyster i don't have much to say but i prefer to have protect on a pokemon with focus sash so i would go with:

Cloyster @ Focus Sash
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Protect

i like wishiwashi but, as always, use protect on every pokemon unless there is better moves that you can not get rid off and surf hit your partner so use scald (burn chance is a good thing):

Wishiwashi-School @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Schooling
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SpA / 12 SpD
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Protect

Arcanine is ok, same thing, protect over morning sun, arca doesn't need recovery

That pheromosa set is bad, roost on a pokemon so fragile is nonsense, bug buzz isn't a good move, in this metagame bug isn't a very good offensive typing and i prefer poisinium-z for a surprise kill on all tapus with poison jab or fightinium-z for easy KO on many pokemon, especially on porygon2 and i'll go for adamant because even adamant pheromosa will be faster that koko and aerodactyl, the fastest pokemon after pheromosa

Pheromosa @ Fightinium-Z
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Poison Jab
- High Jump Kick
- Protect
- U-turn

On the last pokemon is not easy, there aren't many follow me users, the best thing i can think of is a fake out user like salazzle but is very frail, Alolan persian is a good choice, so it is Alolan raichu to use the opposing electric or psychic terrain or togedemaru, it can redirect electric type move that threatens your cloyster, it has a fast encore, a simple set can be:

Togedemaru @ Air Balloon
Ability: Lightingrod
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 PS / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Zing Zap
- Nuzzle
- Fake Out
- Encore

Hope i helped.