Face-to-Face: Archetypes of 1v1

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Archetypes in 1v1

1v1 is a metagame where you bring three Pokémon to Team Preview and pick only one to defend you, meaning predictions and tough choices are to be made. We have recently discovered that these Pokémon aren't actually placed randomly in the metagame, but they follow simple archetypes. They are separated by two categories, offensive and defensive, yet both are interesting because they complement each other. Studies have shown that after the rise of offensive archetypes, defensive archetypes will be used to check those. These archetypes are also divided into subcategories, letting us understand that there are four main archetypes, physically offensive, specially offensive, physically defensive, and specially defensive Pokémon. We also have noticed that a Pokémon can fit into more than one archetype. Interesting, right?

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PART I: Offense

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Archetype: Physical Offense

Kyurem-B

Kyurem-B is one of the most outrageous threats in the 1v1 metagame, all thanks to its ability to beat a good portion of the meta. It's no wonder that Kyurem-B became the face of physically offensive archetypes. As shown by its incredible stats of 125 / 170 / 100 / 120 / 90 / 95, Kyurem-B is great defensively and offensively; mix that with its ability in Teravolt, which is solid in the 1v1 metagame, as it helps against Sturdy Pokémon, and you get a destructive force. It can also viably use a plethora of items such as Haban Berry, Choice Band, and Choice Specs, each of which leaves it with different checks and counters. However, its most popular set revolves around Choice Scarf. The fusion of Zekrom and Kyurem is blessed with one of the best attacking stats, but it lacks physical offensive moves, which hinders it a bit. Outrage is used most of the time, as Kyurem-B can make good use of it and can it OHKO a lot of offensive threats such as Porygon-Z, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Dragonite. Second, we have Fusion Bolt, which allows Kyurem-B to deal damage against prominent Water- and Flying-types, specifically Mega Gyarados and Suicune. Iron Head allows the Dragon / Ice Pokémon to go face-to-face against Fairy-types, notably Mega Gardevoir, Mega Diancie, and Sylveon. Last but not least, Earth Power stops Steel-types such as Aggron from walling Kyurem-B.

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As we were told, everything has weaknesses:

• Mega Slowbro: Unfortunately for Kyurem-B, Mega Slowbro stops it, as it can sponge Fusion Bolt and boosts its Defense with Iron Defense, PP stalling the Dragon.
• Chansey: Physically defensive Chansey can also eat a hit and use Counter, knocking out Kyurem-B.
• Bulky Attackers: Defensively invested offensive foes such as Meloetta and Mega Charizard X and Y may absorb Kyurem-B's attack and retaliate with Hyper Beam, Outrage, or Blast Burn, respectively.
• Mega Mawile: Mega Mawile resists all of Kyurem-B's attacks and weakens it with Intimidate, and it survives an Earth Power easily.

But these sets have to wary of different Kyurem-B sets such as Choice Band (which can take on bulky builds), Choice Specs (checking Mega Mawile easily), and even tailored Kyurem-B EVs to go against its checks. Its unpredictability and the usage of defensive sets to check Kyurem-B proves that it is a premium physical offensive Pokémon and leads physically offensive archetypes.

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Kyurem-B enjoys having these Pokémon by its side:

• Mega Charizard X and Y: It likes being protected against Fairy- and Steel-types, so the usage of Mega Charizard X or Y is appreciated with Kyurem-B.
• Special Attackers: Specially offensive Pokémon that can take on physically defensive Pokémon such as Meloetta and Porygon-Z ease Kyurem-B's job and make your opponent think twice before sending out a Pokémon.

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Mega Charizard X

Mega Charizard X has proven to be one of the best physically offensive Pokémon in the metagame. It not only has a surprise factor whether it's Mega Charizard X or Y but it also brings a lot of offensive capabilities on the table in the form of Tough Claws STAB-boosted contact moves coming from a unique typing of Fire / Dragon in 1v1. Mega Charizard X's raw power allows it to take on common defensive and offensive threats in the metagame such as Mega Mawile, Mega Charizard Y, and Chansey. It makes use of Dragon Dance to boost up its already high Attack and Speed, which transforms it into a rampaging beast, as it can make use of Outrage, a move that has limited use normally because it has big drawbacks, and Flare Blitz. The last move is somewhat tricky and depends on your team. Will-O-Wisp makes use of Mega Charizard X's bulk and allows it to beat slower yet bulkier offensive threats or to cripple defensive Pokémon, allowing it to set up more easily. Substitute is, for many people, the better move, as it allows Mega Charizard X to defeat more defensive builds because it blocks status moves and they usually cannot break the Substitute in one attack. This move is also cherished due to its ability to block recharge moves such as Hyper Beam from Meloetta and Sylveon or Rock Wrecker from Rhyperior, allowing Mega Charizard X to take advantage of the free turns it gives.

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Mega Charizard X isn't flawless and suffers in front of some Pokémon:

• Mega Slowbro: Mega Slowbro is a tough foe for the Fire / Dragon Pokémon thanks to its superb Defense stat of 180 and its access to defensive boosting moves such as Iron Defensive and Amnesia. Mega Slowbro's Iron Defense combined with Shell Armor makes it hard to break even with Dragon Dance. In addition, due to its high Special Attack, Mega Slowbro's Scald deals a good amount of damage to Mega Charizard X.
• Choice Band Users: Fast or bulky Choice Band users such as Garchomp and Dragonite can defeat Mega Charizard X without bulk investment. The former outspeeds it and can OHKO with a Choice Banded Outrage, while the latter survives a hit thanks to Multiscale and can also OHKO with Outrage.
• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados imposes itself as a great threat to Mega Charizard X due to its pre-Mega ability in Intimidate, which lowers the fire dragon's Attack by a stage, making it unable to deal a lot of damage due to Mega Gyarados's natural bulk. The water shrimp Pokémon also has moves such as Dragon Dance, Waterfall, and Outrage, which let it easily take on Mega Charizard X.

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Mega Charizard X likes having by its side:

• Mega Mawile: Mega Mawile is a great teammate, as most of its checks and counters are Dragon-, Dark-, and Rock-types. Mega Mawile can easily take on such Pokémon thanks to its great typing in Steel / Fairy and ability in Huge Power.
• Meloetta: Meloetta can defeat most physically defensive Pokémon that can stop Mega Charizard X to an extent, such as Mega Slowbro and Mega Swampert, or Choice Scarf Pokémon such as Kyurem-B and Garchomp. Meloetta can defeat such Pokémon due to its wide movepool, high Special Attack, and bulk that lets it sponge most hits and retaliate with Hyper Beam or with a coverage move such as Energy Ball or Shadow Ball.
• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados is cherished as teammate by the Fire / Dragon Pokémon thanks to its typing in Water / Dark, its bulk, ability and its access to moves such as Dragon Dance, Outrage, and Crunch, which enable it to beat Pokémon that threaten Mega Charizard X such as Garchomp, Dragonite, Meloetta, and Rhyperior.

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Mega Mawile

One of the most dangerous threats in 1v1, Mega Mawile is feared for both its bulk and its offensive capabilities. Its great typing in Steel / Fairy gives it both offensive and defensive advantages thanks to the resistances and immunities it provides. Additionally, it is able to hit various threats in the metagame super effectively due to its great typing and moves, such as Kyurem-B, Mega Gyarados with Play Rough, and Meloetta with Sucker Punch. Mega Mawile is also threatening due to its pre-Mega abilities in Intimidate and the occasionally useful Hyper Cutter to check other Intimidate users, both of which become Huge Power after it Mega Evolves, turning it into a fairy monster. Due to its already low Speed and its inability to outspeed any relevant Pokémon if invested, Mega Mawile likes having HP investment to boost its bulk. This also allows it to run an Adamant nature, maximizing its attacking capabilities. Its offensive typing of Steel / Fairy combined with its STAB moves allows Mega Mawile to take on prominent threats that have Dragon-, Dark-, Fighting-, Rock-, and Fairy-typing such as Garchomp, Mega Gyarados, Mega Lopunny, Togekiss, and even Whimsicott. However, Fire Fang can be used to not get walled by Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Magnezone, and opposing Mega Mawile. Sucker Punch is a great priority move that finishes off Pokémon that have the bulk to survive a hit from Mega Mawile. Swords Dance allows Mega Mawile to power through more defensive Pokémon that can sponge its hits.

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Even though Mega Mawile has a combination of bulk and offense, it still struggles against:

• Mega Charizard X and Y: Mega Charizard X and Y both threaten Mega Mawile due to Tough Claws-boosted Flare Blitz from the former or sun-boosted Blast Burn from the latter.
• Fast Special Attackers: These Pokémon threaten Mega Mawile because it doesn't have good special bulk, and they are often seen carrying Choice Specs or Life Orb, such as Heatran, Porygon-Z, and Greninja.
• Mega Slowbro: Mega Slowbro can stop Mega Mawile due to its high defensive stats, Iron Defense (which negates Swords Dance), and Scald, which does great damage to Mega Mawile and has a chance to burn it.

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Great companions for Mega Mawile are:

• Porygon-Z: Porygon-Z is able to take on most of Mega Mawile's checks with a Choice Scarf thanks to Adaptability Hyper Beam, which OHKOes nearly everything on that counters list.
• Special Walls: Specially defensive Pokémon such as Chansey can sponge any special hit and make your opponent think twice before sending a special attacker against Mega Mawile.
• Dragonite: Dragonite is a good teammate due to its wallbreaking power, typing that can let it take on Fire- and Ground-type Pokémon, and ability in Multiscale, which allows it to sponge hits from Pokémon that can beat Mega Mawile such as Magnezone, Garchomp, and both Mega Charizards while being able to retaliate.

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Mega Gyarados

Another versatile Pokémon splashes its way in the metagame! Mega Gyarados's typing and moveset are behind the success of this sea creature. Its typing allows it to power through important Pokémon in the metagame such as Meloetta and Mega Charizard, while its ability in Mold Breaker breaks through Sturdy and Dragonite's Multiscale. Mega Gyarados is versatile due to its wide movepool that contains Dragon Dance, Taunt, Waterfall, Earthquake, Outrage, and Crunch, which are all great choices. Taunt is a great move on Mega Gyarados, allowing it to defeat most defensive Pokémon such as Chansey, Deoxys-D, and Mega Sableye thanks to Mold Breaker. Waterfall is a STAB move that allows Mega Gyarados to go against Rock- and Ground-types, notably Rhyperior and Diancie, while Earthquake gives it a better chance against Mega Mawile. Dragon Dance, Crunch, and Outrage are usually present on Mega Gyarados's moveset, as they allow the sea monster to beat Psychic- and Ghost-types with Crunch and threatening Dragon-types (such as Kyurem-B and Mega Charizard X) with Outrage.

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Even a terrorizing leviathan has some weaknesses:

• Mega Mawile: Mega Mawile is able to beat Mega Gyarados due to its pre-Mega abilities in Intimidate or Hyper Cutter and its post-Mega ability Huge Power. Play Rough threatens Mega Gyarados, as it deters the Mega Evolution, plus regular Gyarados isn't as bulky to tank hits.
• Mega Venusaur: Mega Venusaur serves as another counter for Mega Gyarados due to its great bulk and typing in Grass / Poison that stops the dark shrimp. Mega Venusaur makes perfect use of the Sleep Power + Giga Drain or Sludge Bomb combo to effectively take down Mega Gyarados.
• Strong Attackers: Some iffy checks to Mega Gyarados (depending on the sets) are Kyurem-B (which can 2HKO with Fusion Bolt if it has no defensive investment), Porygon-Z and Greninja (if Mega Gyarados isn't running specially defensive investment), and Mew (if its not running Crunch). The reason those are iffy checks is because Mega Gyarados is a versatile Pokémon regarding moves and EVs.

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Mega Gyarados picks its partners depending on its set, but here are some of its useful teammates no matter what it's running:

• Meloetta: Choice Specs Meloetta serves as a good friend to Mega Gyarados, as it can go face-to-face against some of its iffy checks such as Mew, Kyurem-B, and Greninja, as it can tank hits from them and retaliate with a strong Hyper Beam. It can also beat Mega Venusaur and other physical walls that dare try to stop Mega Gyarados.
• Mega Charizard X and Y: Mega Charizard X and Y are great partners to Mega Gyarados, as it needs a backup against Grass- and Fairy-types and checks that depends on Will-O-Wisp. Both Megas can defeat these threats.
• Aegislash: Aegislash also supports Mega Gyarados effectively due to its great typing in Steel / Ghost, which enables it to beat numerous Fairy-types such as Whimsicott, Mega Mawile, and Mega Altaria.

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Dragonite

More Dragons? Yes! Dragonite is another Dragon that poses an offensive threat in the metagame. It has some positive traits that distinguish it from others such as its ability in Multiscale, which allows it to run Choice Band, as it does not fear being outsped and attacked first. Dragonite's high base Attack stat of 134 allows it to spam Outrage freely, dealing huge damage against foes that don't resist the move. Don't worry, though, the coverage moves that it gets allow it to power through the foes that resists its primary move. Moves such as Superpower, Fire Punch, Earthquake, and Iron Head are a great way to deal with Steel- and Fairy-types that resist Outrage. Dragonite uses max HP to maximize it bulk, since it doesn't really care if it outspeeds a Pokémon or not.

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Dragonite isn't unbeatable, though—it is hindered by numerous threats such as:

• Kyurem-B: Kyurem-B outspeeds Dragonite and OHKOes it thanks to Teravolt, which negates Multiscale.
• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados lowers Dragonite's Attack due to Intimidate and can finish it off with a Mold Breaker Outrage, but it must be wary of Superpower.
• Greninja: Greninja can actually OHKO Dragonite even through Multiscale. Its high Speed, combined with a STAB-boosted Ice Beam and Choice Specs, allows it outspeed and KO Dragonite.
• Golem: Thanks to Sturdy, this Pokémon can withstand any attack from Dragonite and attack back with Rock Blast, which has a high chance of OHKOing Dragonite.

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Due to the numerous threats that scare Dragonite, it likes having support from:

• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados is able to beat most Pokémon that threaten Dragonite, as it can break though Sturdy Pokémon, survive a hit from Greninja, and go head-to-head against Kyurem-B.
• Greninja: Physical walls? Steel-types? Greninja is here to help! Even though Dragonite has a high base Attack, it is still hindered by some physical walls such as Mega Slowbro and Steel-types such as Mega Mawile. Greninja is enough to take on both due to its versatility.
• Chansey: Chansey plays a big role in helping Dragonite, as it can tank special attacks from Greninja and deal with physically offensive threats such as Golem and Kyurem-B thanks to Counter, while it has Toxic to cripple other defensive walls.

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Archetype: Special Offense

Mega Charizard Y

One of the hardest-hitting Pokémon of all, Mega Charizard Y is by far the most prominent specially offensive Pokémon in 1v1. Mega Charizard Y sports little variety in its ensemble of possible moves, but it hardly needs all that many to begin with, since Blast Burn is usually an automatic win in many situations. Mega Charizard Y has raw stat power backing it up, with a monstrous base 159 Special Attack stat as well as a relatively high base 100 Speed. That being said, this Pokémon isn't all offense, either; with a very solid base 115 Special Defense, it can stand up to many of the other opposing specially offensive Pokémon. Sporting the ability Drought, Mega Charizard Y gains an instant Solar Beam, allowing it to take on Water- and Rock-types, two of many Fire-type Pokémon's most prominent weaknesses, as well as a much more powerful array of Fire-type attacks. Drought also weakens Water-type attacks, giving Mega Charizard Y a chance to withstand hits that otherwise would knock it out like Gyarados's Waterfall and Greninja's Hydro Cannon, given a little bulk investment. Mega Charizard Y's most notable moves are Blast Burn, Solar Beam, Will-O-Wisp, Flamethrower, Overheat, Counter, and Substitute. Blast Burn is Charizard's go-to move for knocking out just about everything in 1v1, other than Pokémon that resist it and specially defensive Pokémon; when boosted by Drought, there is very little that can wall this. Solar Beam is an amazing coverage move that allows Mega Charizard Y to either knock out or at least majorly damage Rock-, Water-, and Ground-types, all of which generally give Charizard a lot of problems. Will-O-Wisp is a viable move on just about every Fire-type, as it allows them to break Sturdy and/or cut an opposing attacker's Attack stat in half. Flamethrower is a convenient attack that Mega Charizard Y can use whenever Blast Burn just doesn't do the job, such as when the foe tries to use Substitute or Endure to counteract Blast Burn. Overheat does a similar job to Blast Burn, though it's slightly less powerful, and instead of having to recharge, the user's Special Attack is instead reduced by 2 stages. Counter is a move Mega Charizard Y can use whenever its moveset just doesn't let it defeat the foe, such as when it's up against Mega Charizard X. Substitute allows Mega Charizard Y to escape being damaged by a powerful attack or statused; if used in the right situations, this move will always net Mega Charizard Y a free turn.

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Prominent Pokémon that threaten Mega Charizard Y are:

• Choice Scarf Kyurem-B: Choice Scarf Kyurem-B can outspeed Mega Charizard Y and attack it with Fusion Bolt.
• Mega Charizard X: Mega Charizard X, due to its superior typing that enables it to tank any Fire-type move that Mega Charizard Y has to offer (even under the sun), can use Dragon Dance easily and use Outrage, though it fears Dragon Pulse.
• Dragonite: Dragonite threatens Mega Charizard Y due to its typing and Multiscale, which allows it to sponge hits and attack back.

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Ideal partners for Mega Charizard Y are:

• Mega Mawile: Mega Mawile handles a large number of Mega Charizard Y's possible checks such as Kyurem-B, Dragonite, and Meloetta, (which can tank Charizard's attack if it has Special Defense investment) and specially defensive walls.
• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados, which can handle many things that potentially knock out Charizard in one hit such as Mega Charizard X and Pokémon with Sturdy such as Golem. It also helps it against specially defensive walls.

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Porygon-Z

One of the most versatile S-ranks in 1v1, Porygon-Z is a hyper offensive Pokémon that either gets the OHKO or faints trying. This Pokémon's stats other than Special Attack are relatively lacking when compared to those of the other powerful and burly S-ranks, but with fantastic boosting abilities and an incredibly varied movepool, Porygon-Z shows remarkable 1v1 prowess. Despite having seemingly low defensive stats, this Pokémon can indeed stand up to attacks, although it requires proper investment to do so, and it sometimes prefers outspeeding foes in place of tanking their attacks. Porygon-Z uses one of two good abilities, Adaptability or Download, both of which boost Porygon-Z's power to make it the hardest-hitting special attacker in all of 1v1, even strong enough to be able to take on Pokémon that resist its attacks. Adaptability boosts Porygon-Z's Normal-type attacks by altering the STAB from 1.5x to 2x, which when calculated out, is very slightly more effective than a Life Orb bonus; this boost to Porygon-Z's Normal-type power is the main reason why Hyper Beam is so prominent. Download, on the other hand, boosts either Porygon-Z's Special Attack or Attack, depending on which of the foe's defensive stats is the lower of the two. Since a lot of Pokémon in 1v1 prefer being physically defensive over specially, Download helps Porygon-Z more often than it hinders it, especially when dealing with certain Pokémon that threaten it, such as Mega Metagross, Rhyperior, and Mawile. Porygon-Z's viable moves include Hyper Beam, Trick, Uproar, Dark Pulse/Shadow Ball, and Psyshock. Hyper Beam will pretty much knock out everything that doesn't have some level of preparation against it in a single hit, other than Mega Gyarados. Trick in combination with a Choice item allows Porygon-Z to smack most stall-oriented Pokémon in the face. Uproar is essentially all the coverage Porygon-Z needs, since with Adaptability, it's the same power as a super effective Thunderbolt, while also granting Porygon-Z the ability to negate sleep-inducing moves. Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball provide nearly the exact same coverage; the main reason they're listed together is because they both serve the purpose of damaging Ghost-types. Psyshock serves Porygon-Z little purpose, but it is an option for possibly OHKOing Gengar, as well as damaging Chansey.

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Threats to Porygon-Z are:

• Choice Scarf Kyurem-B:Scarf Kyurem-B defeats every Porygon-Z because it can outspeed and deal heavy damage to with Outrage.
• Dragonite: Although beatable, Dragonite is able to withstand most moves that Porygon-Z has to offer (except Choice Specs Blizzard) due to Multiscale.
• Sturdy Pokémon: Whether they are offensive like Magnezone or defensive like Aggron, Pokémon with Sturdy can endure a hit from Porygon-Z and retaliate.

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Pokémon that pair up well with Porygon-Z are:

• Mega Gyarados: With the right investment and moveset, Mega Gyarados is able to take down most Dragons and Sturdy users thanks to its good bulk and ability in Mold Breaker.
• Kyurem-B: Who doesn't like having a dragon by his side? Kyurem-B serves as a good check to most Porygon-Z checks, as it can beat Magnezone, Dragonite, and Aggron.

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Mega Gardevoir

The closest rival to Mega Charizard Y for Mega-Evolved nukes, Mega Gardevoir is a decently fast, incredibly powerful special tank. While having less-than-amazing physical stats, Mega Gardevoir more than makes up for it with its raw special stats, a staggering base 165 Special Attack and a very good Special Defense of 135, while not even being slow with a base Speed of 100. Gardevoir is a Pokémon full of tricks; its ability becomes the fantastic Pixilate upon Mega Evolution, boosting the power of its Hyper Voice and Hyper Beam considerably, but that's not all. Gardevoir has the ability Trace before Mega Evolving, making it capable of taking on Pokémon it otherwise would have lost to, such as Tracing Sturdy from Aggron in order to survive an attack before Mega Evolving. As most Psychic types do, Mega Gardevoir has a relatively wide movepool of viable options, including Hyper Beam, Hyper Voice, Psyshock/Psychic, Focus Blast, Encore, Disable, and Protect. Hyper Beam acts similarly to Mega Charizard Y's Blast Burn in that it's just a raw power nuke that lands a lot of OHKOs and finishes off weakened Pokémon, since Mega Gardevoir actually has the bulk to stand up to some attacks. Hyper Voice is a standard damaging move on Mega Gardevoir, especially as it bypasses Substitute. Psyshock and Psychic are both damaging Psychic-type attacks that are relatively standard for Mega Gardevoir. The main reason they're listed together is because Mega Gardevoir only ever needs one of them at a time and that they serve different purposes; Psyshock hits Chansey relatively hard, while Psychic deals considerably more damage to several non-specially defensive Pokémon than a Psyshock would normally. Focus Blast provides Mega Gardevoir with the Fighting-type coverage it needs to stop most Steel-types from walling it. Disable allows Gardevoir to prevent foes from using a move, which does an excellent job at handling slower Choice users and providing strategical advantages in a few other situations. Encore works in tandem with Disable, forcing Pokémon to be locked into using Struggle. Protect grants Mega Gardevoir a safe turn to get to its maximum Speed while also scouting out for the foe's move, giving it a chance to use Disable on the next turn.

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Threats to Mega Gardevoir are:

• Kyurem-B: Kyurem-B is able to beat Mega Gardevoir if it has Iron Head, as it will always outspeed it with Choice Scarf.
• Mega Charizard X: Mega Charizard X generally OHKOes Mega Gardevoir with Flare Blitz due to its mediocre physical bulk.
• Mega Mawile: Due to its typing, Mega Mawile can withstand most attacking moves that Mega Gardevoir has to offer and OHKO back with Iron Head.

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Favorable partners for Mega Gardevoir are:

• Chansey: Chansey is able to stall most of Mega Gardevoir's checks due to its physical and special bulk, with the former allowing it to use Counter effectively.
• Mega Aggron: Mega Aggron survives opposing Pokémon's attacks and reflects damage with Metal Burst or deals direct damage itself to break most of these threats.
• Rhyperior: Rhyperior is able to survive most hits from these threats and retaliate with Choice Band-boosted attacks.

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Greninja

Greninja is the most effective counterteaming device that has ever existed in 1v1. Sporting high Speed and pretty low everything else, you'd wonder why this thing made A rank in the first place, but with its hidden ability Protean, it gains STAB on all of its attacks! With as wide of a range of attacks as Greninja has, and the fact that it gets STAB on all of them, Greninja's offensive stats are essentially 1.5x of what they would have been without Protean, other than moves of its original type. Greninja's viable movepool is pretty much always changing, since 1v1 changes around so often, and as such, Greninja finds itself constantly changing between these moves to handle the meta: Hydro Cannon, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Hyper Beam, Shadow Sneak, and Hidden Power Rock. Hydro Cannon is the one standard move on Greninja, since it's speedy enough to safely run Choice Specs, so the power of this move is high enough to take on a lot of Pokémon. Ice Beam is nice to have because having Ice-type coverage is a safe option, as it gives Greninja a chance to take on Dragon-types and any Flying-type that would have otherwise survived Hydro Cannon. Grass Knot is a strategic move that deals a lot of damage to heavier opponents, Mega Gyarados in particular. Hyper Beam is essentially the same thing as Hydro Cannon on Greninja, other than just providing different coverage. Shadow Sneak is not as much of a damaging move for Greninja as it is a strategic one; Shadow Sneak + Protean causes Greninja to transform into a Ghost-type, which causes it to automatically win against Choice users that are using a Normal or Fighting-type attack. Hidden Power Rock seems like an odd move to have, but it provides Greninja with a borderline guaranteed method of beating every Charizard. All other Greninja moves are mainly used for the sake of countering a specific Pokémon and/or player.

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Greninja is afraid of facing:

• Choice Scarf Kyurem-B: Choice Scarf Kyurem-B is able to OHKO Greninja easily with Outrage due to its mediocre defensive stats.
• Magnezone: Magnezone tanks any attack directed at it with Sturdy and OHKOes back with Thunderbolt.
• Chansey: Chansey outright walls Greninja and stalls it to death.

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Helpful allies to Greninja are:

• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados is able to take on various threats such as Meloetta, Mega Charizard Y, Chansey, and Kyurem-B.
• Mega Aggron: This Pokémon can withstand any attack and make use of Metal Burst to check these Pokémon, while Toxic helps stalling out Chansey.
• Chansey: Chansey is able to easily wall most of these threats, making the opponent think twice before using any Pokémon.

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Meloetta

The other Hyper Beam-happy Pokémon, Meloetta serves a similar purpose to Porygon-Z in that it likes to spam Hyper Beam to win—the main difference is that Meloetta prefers being bulky instead of speedy. Meloetta sports higher stats than Porygon-Z across the board except for its Special Attack, which is slightly lower, and Speed, which it ties for. On top of that, it also lacks the offensive abilities that Porygon-Z uses, making it that much weaker in terms of damage, which is why you won't be seeing a Choice Scarf Meloetta anytime soon. What Meloetta does have is Serene Grace, an ability that doubles the likelihood of secondary effects from attacks, meaning Shadow Ball has a 40% Special Defense drop rate and Thunder has a 60% paralysis rate. Moves that Meloetta likes to use include: Hyper Beam, Hyper Voice/Uproar, Trick, Psychic/Psyshock, Dazzling Gleam, Shadow Ball, and Energy Ball. Hyper Beam is used for the purpose of OHKOing many foes or at least damaging them enough for a second one to finish it off, since Meloetta is bulky enough to last that long, sometimes. Hyper Voice and Uproar are the exact same move in terms of power alone; the differences would be how Uproar locks the user into using it two more times after successfully using it the first time and how it prevents the sleep status. The only reason you'd ever want to use Hyper Voice over Uproar is if you don't have Trick or don't plan on using it. Trick + Choice items is just as prominent of a strategy on this Pokémon as it is on Porygon-Z for crippling stall-oriented Pokémon. Psychic and Psyshock both serve similar roles for dealing Psychic-type damage; the only time you'd ever want to use Psyshock over Psychic is if there are a lot of either Chansey or physically frail Pokémon going around 1v1 at the time. Dazzling Gleam is one of Meloetta's coverage moves, and it likes to have this around whenever a Mega Sableye stands in its way. Shadow Ball is a damaging move that has a semi-reliable 40% Special Defense drop rate, and while the type coverage isn't particularly good against anything in the upper rankings of 1v1 viability, it's mainly used to prevent Meloetta from being OHKOed by Mirror Coat or Metal Burst. Energy Ball is another coverage move for Meloetta that mainly deals with Rhyperior and Slowbro.

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Threats to Meloetta are:

• Mega Mawile: Thanks to its typing in Steel / Fairy, Mega Mawile resists the main move of this set, Hyper Beam, and its alright bulk allows it to survive other moves. Sucker Punch also has a high chance to OHKO Meloetta.
• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados survives any attack from Meloetta and can retaliate with a Crunch.
• Dragonite: Dragonite is able to survive any move used against it due to Multiscale and attack back with a Choice Band Outrage.

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Good Pokémon to back up Meloetta are:

• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados is a good physical attacker alongside Meloetta, as it can take on a lot of specially defensive Pokémon (like Chansey) that otherwise stop Meloetta if it doesn't have Psyshock.
• Mega Ampharos: This Pokémon is able to survive most attacks that are directed to Meloetta, even Dragon or Fairy ones, as it has the bulk before Mega Evolving to tank both an Outrage from Kyurem-B and a Play Rough from Mega Mawile and can strike back with Counter or Thunder Wave and then attack.
• Chansey: Chansey can take on most of Meloetta's checks thanks to its great special and physical bulk, which let it survive at least one attack and fend off its foes with Counter or Toxic.

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Magnezone

One of the strangest yet most effective special attackers in 1v1, Magnezone is quite varied. Sporting high Special Attack, solid defensive stats, and a great defensive typing, Magnezone threatens many Pokémon in 1v1, but not quite to the extent that just seeing a Magnezone will mean that you've lost with whatever Pokémon you're using. The primary ability Magnezone uses is Sturdy, which grants it the capability to withstand any attack with 1 HP left if it is at full health when it takes the hit, meaning that this Pokémon cannot be OHKOed unless the opponent has Mold Breaker or any of its clones. Alternatively, Magnezone can use Analytic, which essentially gives the user a Life Orb boost if it moves after the foe; Magnezone can use this ability against Pokémon it doesn't expect to need Sturdy against, but it is very risky to do so. Moves that Magnezone wants to have are: Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt/Thunder/Discharge, Hidden Power Ice, Hyper Beam, Mirror Coat, and Endure. Flash Cannon is a standard damaging move on Magnezone, as it deals very good damage to Fairy- and Rock-types. Thunderbolt, Thunder, and Discharge are grouped together because Magnezone only needs one damaging Electric attack at a time, and these all serve different purposes. Thunderbolt is the standard damaging attack, while Discharge is slightly weaker but has a very high chance of paralysis, and Thunder is the raw nuke Magnezone needs to get some of the OHKOs that the other two cannot. Hidden Power Ice grants Magnezone an attack to hit Dragonite and Garchomp with. Hyper Beam gives Magnezone something to OHKO Mega Charizard X (other than Substitute variants) with, making Magnezone a possible Charizard counter. Mirror Coat allows Magnezone to reflect damage taken from special attacks at the foe. Endure is mainly used in tandem with the Custap Berry so that way it can guarantee that it will activate to grant Magnezone an additional turn to attack.

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Threats to Magnezone are:

• Chansey: Chansey walls most of Magnezone's sets, as it is a specially defensive behemoth.
• Deoxys-D: Deoxys-D's specially defensive variant can withstand any attack and use Mirror Coat to deal high damage to Magnezone.
• Whimsicott: Thanks to Babiri Berry, Whimsicott is able to survive any attack from Magnezone, use Leech Seed, and stall it.

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Good allies for Magnezone are:

• Mega Charizard X: Due to its high offensive stats, Mega Charizard X is able to break through specially defensive Pokémon that threaten Magnezone.
• Whimsicott: Whimsicott can stall out most of Magnezone's checks, as it can survive hits from offensive Pokémon and defensive Pokémon can't touch it.
• Porygon-Z: Porygon-Z has access to Trick (which cripples defensive Pokémon) and high Special Attack allowing it to take on a lot of defensive foes such as Deoxys-D and Mega Venusaur, and it also has a move that goes through Substitute from Whimsicott and Mega Charizard X in Uproar.

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PART II: Defense

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Archetype: Physical Defense

Deoxys-D

One of the best defensive Pokémon that can use Counter and Mirror Coat effectively, Deoxys-D is more often seen as a physically defensive Pokémon due to its capability of stopping physical attackers even if they use setup moves thanks to Taunt and Counter. It's a pretty standard set that allows Deoxys-D to sponge hits and counterattack with Counter or Mirror Coat. Taunt is used on the set to prevent the foe from using any status move that can cripple it or setting up against it. Protect is used to scout the next move, as some Pokémon are able to run mixed sets without taking any damage, while Recover is used to scout moves as well as ensure the longevity of Deoxys-D against bulkier threats.

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Deoxys-D fears some Pokémon, notably:

• Greninja: Thanks to Choice Specs, Greninja is able to OHKO Deoxys-D with a STAB Dark Pulse, and even if Deoxys-D is running Colbur Berry, Greninja will still be immune to Mirror Coat.
• Trick Users: Trick users, such as Meloetta and Porygon-Z, can lock Deoxys-D into a move, not allowing it to recover. The Trick users then can chip away at Deoxys-D until it's worn down enough to OHKO it with a strong move.
• Mega Gyarados: Thanks to a superior Speed Mega Gyarados can use Taunt or Dragon Dance to defeat Deoxys-D with a boosted Crunch.

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Due to Deoxys-D's weakness to Trick users and Dark-type Pokémon, good teammates for it would be:

• Whimsicott: Thanks to its secondary typing in Fairy this Pokémon resists Dark-type moves, and it can actually defeat Trick users thanks to Prankster Substitute as well as stall out offensive threats due to Leech Seed and Substitute.
• Wallbreakers: Fast wallbreakers such as Mega Charizard X and Y can outspeed and take care of most Pokémon that rely on fast Taunts and status to defeat Deoxys-D, such as Smeargle, Sableye, Whimsicott, and Mew.

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Mega Slowbro

Mega Slowbro is the definition of physical walling thanks to its astounding physical bulk alongside its special bulk. It is also blessed with Shell Armor, which stops critical hits, making it a hard wall to break. Its movepool is wide enough to enable it to run different sets, but its most famous set consists of Iron Defense, Scald, Slack Off, and Amnesia; moves such as Counter and Calm Mind can also be used. Iron Defense and Amnesia boost Mega Slowbro's Defense and Special Defense, stopping the foe's setup tactics, and Counter can be used to catch physical attackers by surprise. Rest is utilized to remove status if Mega Slowbro is poisoned or burned, but it wastes two turns, while Slack Off allows Mega Slowbro to restore its HP more easily but keeps the status condition.

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Mega Slowbro's low Special Defense can easily be exploited, and its common checks are:

• Meloetta, Porygon-Z, and Greninja: All of these have something in common, which is being special attackers. Mega Slowbro can easily be OHKOed by strong special attackers.
• Status Users: If Mega Slowbro doesn't have Rest, status moves hinder it and stop it from stalling. Notable users of status are Chansey, Sableye, and Whimsicott.

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Mega Slowbro likes having bulky offensive Pokémon or specially defensive Pokémon as teammates, such as:

• Chansey: This Pokémon walls special attackers, making the opponent think twice before sending in specially offensive Pokémon.
• Kyurem-B: With a Choice Scarf set this Pokémon can outspeed most specially offensive threats and OHKO them.
• Whimsicott: This works well with this Mega Slowbro, as it can take on both status users such as Chansey and Sableye and specially offensive Pokémon like Meloetta and Greninja.

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Whimsicott

If you were to imagine the face of annoyance, please think of Whimsicott in 1v1. Thanks to its ability in Prankster and great status movepool, this Pokémon can outstall various threats in the metagame. Leech Seed is what makes Whimsicott a great Pokémon, as it can sap the foe's health while healing Whimsicott, and with the help of Substitute and Protect, it can help Whimsicott outstall a lot of Pokémon. Taunt is used to stop the opposing Pokémon from Taunting Whimsicott or healing itself. Babiri Berry ensures that Whimsicott survives any Steel-type move from Pokémon such as Mega Mawile and Magnezone.

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Whimsicott detests facing these Pokémon:

• Mega Charizard X and Y: Both of these Pokémon can OHKO Whimsicott, easily stopping it from performing its strategies thanks to their strong Fire STAB attacks.
• Pokémon that Use Moves that Bypass Substitute: Although rare, moves such as Hyper Voice from Mega Gardevoir and Meloetta and Uproar from Porygon-Z can defeat Whimsicott.

For these reasons, Whimsicott likes having the following Pokémon as partners:

• Mega Gyarados: Mega Gyarados does a great job at fending off Pokémon that threaten Whimsicott, as it can beat a majority of its threats such as Meloetta, and both Mega Charizard X and Y.
• Dragonite: Dragonite can power through most Pokémon that threaten Whimsicott due to Multiscale and its strong attacking capabilities with Choice Band.

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Mega Aggron

Mega Aggron might seem like a mediocre Pokémon to use due to its weakness to prominent threats and because there's other Pokémon that can stall better, but don't judge a book by its cover, as Mega Aggron has the bulk, movepool, and stats to overpower a lot of threats in the metagame. Toxic helps Mega Aggron against setup sweepers and stall Pokémon. Heavy Slam does a lot to most Fairy-types such as Mega Mawile and Whimsicott, while Head Smash targets Fire-types, notably Mega Charizard X and Y. However, Mega Aggron won't use its attacking moves often, but rather use Metal Burst against its foes, as thanks to its Mega Evolution it can tank the attacks of a lot of threats in the metagame, notably Kyurem-B and Mega Charizard X, while thanks to Sturdy, Aggron pre-Mega Evolution can endure a lot of attacks, especially those coming from Choice-locked Pokémon such as Greninja and Porygon-Z, and can OHKO back with Metal Burst.

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Mega Aggron has some weaknesses, including:

• Meloetta: Thanks to its high HP stat and Choice Specs, this Pokémon is able to 2HKO Mega Aggron with Shadow Ball while avoiding the OHKO from Metal Burst.
• Mega Gyarados: Thanks to Taunt or Substitute, Mega Gyarados can evade Toxic, and it takes little damage from both of Mega Aggron's attacks, allowing it to set up and defeat Mega Aggron.
• Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X: Mega Charizard X can burn Mega Aggron, reducing its offensive capabilities, and set up a few Dragon Dance to KO it.

Good partners for Mega Aggron are:

• Whimsicott: This Fairy-type Pokémon effectively helps Mega Aggron by taking on a number of its threats such as Meloetta and Mega Gyarados.
• Dragonite: This Pokémon also has the bulk and power to survive most hits against Mega Aggron and defeat these threats.

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Archetype: Special Defense

Chansey

The true face of Death and Despair, Chansey is 1v1's unbreakable wall of stall. Sporting some of the best bulk in all of Pokémon, Chansey is a thing to fear; despite only having a maximum of 119 Defense, Chansey's massive HP stat combined with the Eviolite boost makes it durable enough to actually be usable, especially in tandem with some of the defensive moves it gets. Chansey's abilities are pretty lackluster; it rarely prefers to use moves with secondary effects, and as such, Serene Grace does little to nothing for Chansey, and Natural Cure at least prevents Trace users from having an edge. Moves that Chansey likes to use are Soft-Boiled, Seismic Toss, Counter, Toxic, Protect, Substitute, Sweet Kiss, and Mud Slap. Soft-Boiled is Chansey's primary form of healing, as all defensive Pokémon need. Seismic Toss allows Chansey to damage foes for a fair amount of damage. Counter allows Chansey to reflect any damage taken from physical attacks, which, when combined with the fact that it's only really bulky physically because of its HP, lets it almost certainly deal a lot of damage back in return. Toxic is part of Chansey's secondary set that it uses to counter opposing stall-oriented opponents. Protect works in tandem with Toxic to make the progressively increasing damage stack up. Substitute also works well with Chansey's Toxic strategy to make it so that Chansey gains a free turn of protection or protects itself from what would have been more damage if it didn't have a Substitute in place. Sweet Kiss works in tandem with Thunder Wave to force the opponent into a state of parafusion, the combination of paralysis and confusion. Mud Slap is another troll move that drops the opponent's accuracy by one level every time it hits.

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Threats to Chansey are:

• Mega Mawile: This Pokémon is able to set up with Swords Dance easily without fearing Toxic and OHKO Chansey, avoiding the Counter.
• Porygon-Z: Trick + Choice item almost always lets Porygon-Z beat Chansey, unless it runs Special Defense EVs.
• Deoxys-D: It outstalls Chansey thanks to Taunt.
• Whimsicott: This Pokémon is able to outstall Chansey with the combination of Leech Seed and Taunt.

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Good partners for Chansey are:

• Greninja: Choice Specs Greninja handles Chansey's threats such as Mega Mawile and Deoxys-D easily.
• Mega Aggron: It takes on all the offensive threats while also taking down Whimsicott with Taunt, as they will expect Heavy Slam turn one.
• Mega Charizard X: This Pokémon can withstand most attacks against Chansey from Mega Mawile and can take on defensive threats thanks to Dragon Dance.

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Mega Blastoise

The underappreciated tank of 1v1, Mega Blastoise has a variety of ways it can tackle the 1v1 meta. Mega Blastoise has solid stats all around, making it great for both taking and dealing damage, especially when backed up by the fantastic offensive ability Mega Launcher. Mega Launcher provides a boost equivalent to STAB to all Aura and Pulse moves, making Mega Blastoise's Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, and Dragon Pulse much more powerful, while Water Pulse becomes an equivalent to Surf in terms of power. Mega Blastoise is listed as a defensive Pokémon mainly because it prefers withstanding damage and dealing it back in place of being purely offensive. Moves that Mega Blastoise likes to use include Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Hydro Cannon, Fake Out, Counter, and Mirror Coat. Aura Sphere, being boosted by Mega Launcher, gives Mega Blastoise the combination of power and coverage that it needs to handle lots of Steel- and/or Dark-types. Dark Pulse provides a solid means of damaging foes neutrally while also hurting Psychic- and/or Ghost-types really badly. Dragon Pulse is the reason why Ice Beam isn't in this list; it does enough damage to handle every Dragon type Mega Blastoise is likely to encounter. Hydro Cannon is Mega Blastoise's means of finishing off a weakened target, and it is ideally used in tandem with Fake Out on an offensively biased Mega Blastoise so that it can pick up a 2HKO on most things that would have otherwise depended on a damage roll, such as Mega Mawile. Fake Out serves the purpose of dealing a little bit of chip damage before going in for the KO; it is also tremendously helpful for breaking Sturdy users, scouting which Charizard Mega Evolution your opponent has, and breaking Dragonite's Multiscale. Counter is a move for a more defensively biased Mega Blastoise that it uses to reflect physical damage at the foe (NOTE: Counter is a Generation III- move, and as such, it is unusable when Aura Sphere or Fake Out is in Blastoise's moveset). Mirror Coat serves a similar purpose to Counter, but instead it reflects special damage.

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Threats to Mega Blastoise are:

• Porygon-Z: Choice Specs Hyper Beam destroys all Mega Blastoise, while Choice Scarf Modest Hyper Beam has a slightly less than 50% chance of OHKOing max HP Blastoise.
• Greninja: Modest Choice Specs Grass Knot very likely OHKOes max HP regular Blastoise, while Timid Specs only has a 1/4 chance of OHKOing (Mega Blastoise is heavier and as such takes more damage from Grass Knot, hence the usage of regular Blastoise).
• Whimsicott: Whimsicott resists everything Blastoise likes to use and stalls it down.
• Chansey: Chansey outright walls Blastoise.

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Good partners for Mega Blastoise are:

• Dragonite: With a Choice Band set, this Pokémon is able to survive and OHKO most threats to Mega Blastoise.
• Meloetta: Choice Specs Meloetta handles all of the defensive threats as well as Greninja and Porygon-Z.
• Whimsicott: Whimsicott outstalls all the defensive threats.

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Togekiss

The most frustrating kiss you will ever receive, Togekiss loves to stall down the opponent with hax. Togekiss sports solid stats all around; its lowest stat that it cares about is base 85 HP, and despite having great Special Attack, it definitely prefers being defensive; if invested right, it can even stand up to nukes like Mega Charizard Y's Blast Burn! Togekiss's ability is Serene Grace, which doubles the likelihood of secondary effects on its attack to occur, meaning Air Slash has a 60% chance to cause foes to flinch! Because of this raw flinch chance, some people just dismiss the possibility of going defensive and make Togekiss into an offensive Pokémon, giving it a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs, but these sets have a narrower range of viability, since 60% isn't all that frequent, and Air Slash isn't all that strong, meaning it would need to hit a lot. This is why Togekiss prefers more stall-oriented sets. Moves that Togekiss likes to use are Air Slash, Thunder Wave, Roost, Charm, Dazzling Gleam, Counter, Sweet Kiss, Trick, and Mud Slap. Air Slash is Togekiss's primary form of hax, as well as damage output, only being slightly weaker than Dazzling Gleam, and it really wouldn't be a Togekiss without it. Thunder Wave cuts the opponent's Speed down to 1/4 of what it originally was and also has a 1/4 chance of immobilizing the victim each turn, which stacks up nicely with Air Slash's 60% chance of flinching. Roost is Togekiss's preferred method of healing; it also gets Soft-Boiled, but this doesn't remove Togekiss's Flying weaknesses the turn it uses it like Roost does. Charm cuts the opponent's Attack stat down by two levels, which goes nicely with how Togekiss prefers to be specially defensive. Dazzling Gleam is a secondary form of damage output if Air Slash just does too little damage to the enemy, but it has no secondary effect to be boosted by Serene Grace. Counter is a unique move that allows Togekiss to reflect physical damage dealt to it, which can be helpful under the right circumstances. Sweet Kiss is a confusion move that can be used if you really want to keep people from being able to do anything, since it also stacks up with Thunder Wave and Air Slash's flinch chance. Trick is a move to be used exclusively on Choice variants, if you're really persistent on using them; just as on any other Choice + Trick user, it takes care of most stall-oriented Pokémon quite nicely. Mud Slap is a weak move that is guaranteed to lower the target's accuracy; it's mainly used for trolling tactics, but you never know, it could save Togekiss's life.

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Threats to Togekiss are:

• Mega Mawile: Mega Mawile is able to withstand any attack from Togekiss and OHKO it back with Iron Head.
• Rhyperior: With a Choice Band, Rhyperior can OHKO Togekiss easily with Rock Wrecker, as it can survive most attacks from the Fairy / Flying Pokémon.
• Chansey: Chansey walls Togekiss, but only if it can actually land Toxic before being immobilization-stalled to death.

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Good partners for Togekiss are:

• Mega Charizard X: This Pokémon is able to take on a good number of Togekiss's threats, especially Steel-type Pokémon such as Mega Mawile.
• Mega Gyarados: Thanks to its typing, this Pokémon can take out Rock-type Pokémon and fend off defensive builds thanks to Taunt.

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Mega Ampharos

I have the power to make you beautiful, even breathtaking. I am the science; L'Oréal.

This fabulous Dragon is an incredibly tanky special attacker with raw power and a fantastic ability helping it out in Mold Breaker. Because non-Mega Ampharos is only weak to Ground with surprisingly solid defensive stats, Ampharos is capable of standing up to just about every nuke, although it would prefer not having to do so, since it would like having the offensive power to land the OHKOs it needs to. Mold Breaker is a fantastic ability that allows this Pokémon to negate many abilities that would otherwise threaten it, such as Sturdy, Filter, and Solid Rock, not to mention it has Static as its non-Mega ability, meaning Fake Out users better think twice before going for the minimal chip damage. Being a slower Pokémon, Ampharos likes to deal with enemies by being able to tank an attack and then knocking them out in either one or two attacks, or simply just stalling them to death. Moves that Mega Ampharos likes to use include: Thunderbolt, Dragon Pulse, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Focus Blast, Counter, Confuse Ray, and Cotton Guard. Thunderbolt and Dragon Pulse both serve the simple purpose of being Mega Ampharos's standard damaging attacks. Thunder is a heavy-duty alternative meant for taking on bulkier foes that a Thunderbolt simply won't do the job for, such as slightly bulky Gyarados and Meloetta. Thunder Wave reduces the target's Speed so Mega Ampharos can safely OHKO without needing to worry about making chanced predictions over using the right move. Focus Blast is Mega Ampharos's greatest coverage attack; it pretty much always OHKOes the things it's meant to Mega Tyranitar. Counter is a damage-reflecting move Mega Ampharos can use when it doesn't feel certain about being able to OHKO something or not. Confuse Ray used in tandem with Thunder Wave makes for a frustrating combination. Cotton Guard allows Mega Ampharos to stall down many physical attackers.

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Threats to Mega Ampharos are:

• Mega Mawile: Mega Mawile can take on Mega Ampharos if it lacks Counter, as it can attack it without fear of being OHKOed.
• Dragonite: Choice Band Outrage very likely OHKOes max HP Mega Ampharos.
• Porygon-Z: This Pokémon can defeat Mega Ampharos with Choice Specs Hyper Beam, as it attacks first.
• Chansey: I guess we all know that Chansey can stop most specially offensive Pokémon.

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Good partners to Mega Ampharos are:

• Greninja: Greninja takes on all the threats except Chansey due to its offensive presence and Speed making it able to outspeed a lot of offensive threats.
• Whimsicott: This Pokémon beats the most prominent threats to Mega Ampharos and stalls them until they faint.

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Conclusion

Even though 1v1 is not six Pokémon fighting against each other, archetypes still exist in this metagame. Yes, there's other Pokémon that fit in these archetypes, but those are the most important and prominent users. Have fun experimenting with Pokémon that aren't listed here, and maybe your set will be famous!

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