Nice another NatDex sun team
Overall thoughts: The team has severe issues when it comes to type diversity. Generally, having three Fires and three Grasses is not a good idea, especially when half your team hinges on the fact that sun is active. Case in point, something like TTar or Ninetales-Alola can easily KO certain mons after they remove the weather. Rain in general is also terrifying for this team, with near nothing being able to stand multiple barrages of Mega Swampert's attacks. In terms of offense, having only one physical attacker in Lilligant means that special walls like Blissey can easily outplay this team with a mixture of status and it's teammates. Finally, this entire team basically crumbles at the sight of Dragon Dance Dragapult, as there is no defensive counterplay to it after the +1 boost.
Alright individual mons
Houndoom-Mega: I respect the decision to use Mega Houndoom, but this is a fundamentally flawed choice on NatDex Sun teams for two reasons. Firstly, only having one sun setter in a metagame where opposing weather is decently common is not a good idea, especially since Torkoal's lack of recovery, vulnerability to hazards, and slow speed makes it easy to be picked off and KOed. Secondly, Zard Y is just a better mon overall. Yes, Mega Doom is faster and has Nasty Plot, not to mention a great secondary STAB, but the fact that Torkoal needs to take a turn to switch into MDoom means that it is susceptable to being hit with a strong move, compounded with the fact that MDoom is hit by Spikes. The metagame is in quite an odd position right now considering tera just got unbanned, but the combination of hazard stacking and Gholdengo is decently common right now, and you do not want your main Mega to faint due to damage from switching in and hazards. Zard Y's access to Roost and immunity to Spikes makes it have an easier time switching in, along with having access Scorching Sands to threaten Heatran, which can be helpful in facilitating a Volcarona sweep. Finally, the higher speed isn't as helpful when considering speed demons like Zamazenta, Iron Valiant, and Mega Lopunny.
I feel like Mega Doom can actually work if there is another viable sun setter, but as it stands, full sun teams enjoy the extra security two sun setters bring. As for the Charizard Y set, it will just be standard.
Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Weather Ball
- Solar Beam
- Scorching Sands
- Roost
Serperior: Serperior does fit, although I would recommend Substitute over Dragon Pulse, as Serperior fits more as a late game cleaner and doesn't require as much coverage. Sub allows Serperior to play around Pokemon like Alomomola and its Toxic. As for HP Rock, I actually experimented with it in the past, and you can definitely keep it if you feel like Seperior often faces against Zardy, Moltres, and Volcarona. The other viable HP type is Ground, allowing Serp to hit most of the Steels and Raging Bolt. This is a decision I feel like you should make after playing around with the team yourself.
Torkoal: Torkoal is good, one niche option you can try is Yawn over Lava Plume to allow teammates to come in easier, but Lava Plume is a perfectly fine option in it of itself. However, there is one change I would definitely prefer to make to Torkoal, but it is better explained after the rest of the team is addressed.
Lilligant-Hisui: This is when I will start addressing the type diversity issue. Sure, H-Lilli is good, but Sun is not guaranteed to be up all the time. Just by looking at the team, Volcarona and Serperior are definitely meant to be more late-game and clean up the game, but Lilligant and Venusaur don't provide much immediate power (Zard Y does, but that's only one mon). Instead, I recommend a classic sun staple, Great Tusk. The reason why Tusk is preferred over Lilligant is not only due to the added Ground typing, but also because of it's superior STAB combination. Ground is just able to smack around so much of the metagame, with few resists that want to take a Protosynthesis boosted Headlong Rush. Additionally, Lillgant's 105 attack, while not bad, is quite pitiful without a Swords Dance, and it's frailty means that it can struggle to set one up in the face of any decently strong Pokemon. Protosynthesis-boosted Tusk hits almost 500 attack right off the bat, meaning it can be an immediate threat.
Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Headlong Rush
- Close Combat
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Spinner / Stone Edge
This Great Tusk set leverages its great Attack and Rapid Spin's combined utility and Speed boosting. Everything else is more standard; Ice Spinner serves the same purpose as Triple Axel on Lilligant. Leftovers allows Tusk to shrug off weak attacks by defensive Pokemon, like Flip Turn from Alomomola. This does mean that you can potentially remove Rapid Spin on Torkoal; however, having two methods of hazard removal is better for sun teams. The given EV spread gives Tusk a Speed boost from Protosynthesis, allowing it to outspeed Pokemon like Dragapult and opposing Charizard Y. Stone Edge is a niche option to hit not only Mega Charizard Y, but to also dole big damage against the likes of Moltres and unboosted Volcarona, and it also allows Serperior to run a different Hidden Power other than Rock.
Venusaur: Yes, Venusaur is a speed demon, but it largely suffers from the same issues as Lilli: reliant on sun and setup. Looking at the list of popular mons, we see Pokemon like Dragapult, Heatran, and Volcarona who have no trouble taking an unboosted hit and striking back hard. You really want your teammates to do big damage against opposing Pokemon to have a better chance of sweeping with one of your cleaners, like Serperior, who isn't the strongest but can definitely snowball out of control. The Pokemon I think fits best is Raging Bolt for two reasons. First, it not only is strong, it also provides a solid defensive backbone for its teammates to fall back into. As an example, a Great Tusk can never survive an opposing Zard Y's Weather Ball unless it switches into Raging Bolt. Secondly, it provides a valuable momentum-controlling tool in Volt Switch, which, coupled with its low speed, allows it to bring its teammates in safely.
Raging Bolt @ Assault Vest
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD OR 124 HP / 252 SpA / 132 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 20 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Thunderclap
- Draco Meteor
Assault Vest Raging Bolt is one of my favorite bulky attacking Pokemon. The extra special defense given by Assault Vest allows it to take a plethora of special attacks, including various Fairy moves from unsuspecting Pokemon that think they can land a KO. 132 Speed allows it to outspeed defensive Landorus-T, a common Volt Switch blocker, but maximizing HP can also be helpful if you think Bolt's teammates can deal with Lando. I do recommend maximizing Bolt's bulk due to the speediness of the rest of the team.
Volcarona: It is preferable to have Timid over Modest, as Timid allows it to outspeed Pokemon like unboosted Iron Crown, Great Tusk, and non-Scarf Lele. At +1, Timid Volc also outspeeds Scarf Lele, who can threaten Modest Volc using Psyshock.
Now back to Torkoal. After removing both Chlorophyll Pokemon, the team is starting to be a lot less dependant on Sun, something good in a format where Rain and Sand are equally powerful. This is why I propose using Pursuit Kingambit over Torkoal. As Tensa mentioned below (and I foolishly ignored during the first iteration of this RMT), Dragon Dance Dragapult is a massive threat that can set up and bowl over many Pokemon, chief among them, semipassive walls like Torkoal. Pursuit Kingambit gives this team a nigh guaranteed method to deal with Dragon Dance Dragapult, and even if it has to get burned in the process, the rest of the team can back it up with power.
Kingambit (M) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
This is a standard Pursuit Gambit set with Black Glasses to maximize the power of Sucker Punch, now that Swords Dance is not an option to boost. This should deal with not only Dragon Dance Dragapult, but with all common variants, barring some incredibly bulky Will-O-Wisp spreads that doesn't pose as much of a threat anyways.
Here's the Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/10aa78c15d4b1dc6
Sorry for providing a flawed RMT in my first rendition, and I hope the addition of Kingambit can remedy such flaws. Thank you to Tensa for always nitpicking my RMTs and letting me know when I overlook something, even if it's incredibly stupid like DD Pult.
Hope I helped!
