Groudon

The HP EVs allow the maximum number of Life Orb uses and give enough defenses on both sides to take hits if needed. As previously mentioned, the Speed EVs allow Groudon to reach a Speed stat of 500, while the remaining 8 EVs are placed in Defense slightly more bulk. However, another EV spread to consider is 42 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature. This will allow Groudon to outspeed even a Choice Scarf Mewtwo, which also means that Choice Scarf Shaymin-S and Darkrai can no longer stop Groudon's sweep. Unfortunately, this results in a power loss, meaning Groudon has a far lower chance of obtaining vital OHKOs on Pokemon such as Palkia. This becomes a non-issue when using Swords Dance though, as almost every single Pokemon in the game will be OHKOed regardless of the nature. In fact, the only common Pokemon in Ubers that don't have to rely on Stone Edge's accuracy to beat this Groudon are Skarmory and Giratina.

There are three main walls in Ubers that will give Groudon trouble: Skarmory (if Groudon lacks Overheat), Lugia (if Groudon lacks Stone Edge), and Giratina. Even when Groudon uses Stone Edge, its shaky accuracy can give Lugia the advantage if it misses. In addition, there are still a few Pokemon capable of revenge killing it: Choice Scarf Darkrai, Choice Scarf Mewtwo, Choice Scarf Shaymin-S, and Wobbuffet. A Timid Darkrai can KO Groudon with Dark Pulse if Groudon is below 40% health, but the threat of sleep is what makes Darkrai truly problematic, as Dark Void gives it a very reliable way of crippling Groudon. Similarly, Timid Mewtwo can do 85% - 100% to Groudon with Grass Knot. Choice Scarf Shaymin-S is a particularly large problem, because not only can it switch into Earthquake, but it can also OHKO Groudon with Seed Flare. Finally, if Wobbuffet switches into Groudon, Groudon will eventually be forced to attack Wobbuffet, and will thus be KOed by Counter.

Scizor is a fantastic partner for Rock Polish Groudon. It can easily take Dark Pulses and Grass Knots from Darkrai and Mewtwo, respectively, and can shrug off Shaymin-S's Seed Flare like nothing. Scizor can then threaten to OHKO both Darkrai and Mewtwo with U-turn, and do a serious amount of damage to Shaymin-S. It can also use Pursuit to do a heavy amount of damage to Mewtwo and Shaymin-S as they switch out. Pairing Scizor with Wobbuffet can also spell doom for Giratina and Lugia. Wobbuffet can Encore a support move and use multiple Tickles to allow Scizor to come in and Pursuit the fleeing Pokemon. Kyogre is also a great teammate for Groudon, as its gargantuan Special Defense will easily allow it to take attacks from Mewtwo and Darkrai and use the time to set up Calm Minds or to launch off powerful Water-type attacks. It also has very little to fear from Skarmory, Lugia, and Giratina, and can use them as setup fodder or unleash its powerful attacks on them. Spikes should always be considered in conjunction with Stealth Rock support when using Rock Polish Groudon. With Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes, Palkia will always be OHKOed by Dragon Claw, while 4 HP / 0 Def Mewtwo and Kyogre will also be KOed by Earthquake. Garchomp will have a 92.3% chance of being OHKOed by Groudon's Dragon Claw after Stealth Rock and Spikes, a much more favorable position than the meager 7% chance with only Stealth Rock. Deoxys-S is a good choice for laying down Spikes and Stealth Rock, and makes a good lead for many offensive teams. If Deoxys-S is not a suitable option for your team, Forretress makes another excellent choice as a teammate. Forretress can easily set up Spikes and Stealth Rock on Lugia and Skarmory, both of whom are common switch-ins to Groudon.

With an Impish nature and max Hit Points and Defense, Groudon is one of the few Pokemon that can survive a bout with Swords Dance Rayquaza, Garchomp, or Lucario. It will never be OHKOed by Rayquaza's +2 Dragon Claw, Garchomp's +2 Outrage, or Lucario's +2 Close Combat, which are among the most powerful physical attacks in Ubers. In turn, Groudon can score a clean OHKO on Lucario with Earthquake and take Rayquaza out with one Stone Edge provided it has taken one turn of Life Orb recoil. Although Groudon can only 2HKO Garchomp, Groudon will leave Garchomp at such a low health that it can be revenge killed by virtually any attack. If physical walling is not a priority, then there is another EV spread to consider. With a Careful nature and a spread of 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpD, Palkia will be unable to 2HKO Groudon with an unboosted Spacial Rend, while Groudon will 2HKO it with Earthquake. The standard 204 SpA Latias will do 77% maximum with Grass Knot, which means that Groudon can cripple it with Toxic or Thunder Wave before switching out. The 32 Defense EVs are here to survive a +1 Outrage from a Jolly Rayquaza.

This Groudon set can work well as a lead with some small adjustments. When using a lead Groudon, it's best to use the same EV spread as the Careful Groudon, but with a Sassy nature and a Speed IV of 0. Lead Groudon should also be using Thunder Wave over Toxic and hold a Chesto Berry. The reason that Groudon is using minimum Speed is because when facing a Kyogre lead, Groudon’s Drought will cancel out Kyogre’s rain (unless it is a Speed tie, which means that Kyogre is using a Speed-reducing nature and 0 Speed IVs as well). Thanks to Groudon’s heavy investment in Special Defense, Groudon will live through an Ice Beam and be able to use Stealth Rock. However, an Impish nature is fully acceptable if Kyogre isn't an issue and your team requires physical walling throughout the course of the game. When facing a Darkrai lead, Groudon should use Thunder Wave. The Chesto Berry not only guards Groudon from Dark Void, but it also keeps Darkrai paralyzed even if it uses Trick, unlike the Lum Berry. When facing Deoxys-A, it is often best to hit it with Earthquake, and then switch to a faster Pokemon who can take Deoxys-A’s next attack (such as switching Choice Scarf Dialga into a Grass Knot). Unfortunately, Deoxys-S is always going to be able to get Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes up. Because of this, it is recommended to have either Forretress on the team to Rapid Spin the entry hazards away, or to have a team that Stealth Rock and Spikes do not harm too much.

This set still has trouble dealing with Giratina, as it can simply remove its Toxic status by using Rest, while simultaneously threatening a burn with Will-O-Wisp if it runs Sleep Talk. Supporting Groudon, as the name implies, is not meant to sweep, even after the opponent's walls have been brought down. It is best used alongside physical sweepers like Bulk Up Dialga or Dragon Dance Rayquaza, as the pair can beat Giratina one on one. They will also help against powerful special threats like Kyogre whom Groudon cannot handle. On the surface, this set does not look like your typical wallbreaker. However, Supporting Groudon can force pressure on Lugia, Ubers' foremost physical wall. With Lugia crippled by Stealth Rock and afflicted by Toxic, teammates such as Swords Dance or Dragon Dance Rayquaza and Bulk Up Dialga can step in and run through a team unhindered by Reflect or Whirlwind. Choice Band Garchomp can also perform well, as Jolly Outrage will 2HKO a slower Lugia after Stealth Rock and two turns of Toxic damage.

The EVs here seem somewhat complicated but they actually work well together. 200 HP EVs grant 391 HP, effectively minimizing damage taken by poison, burn, and Spikes while retaining a medium amount of Leftovers recovery. The Attack EVs guarantee that Lugia is taken down after a Swords Danced Stone Edge. The rest is thrown into Defense for durability, although 84 EVs can be taken out of Attack and placed in Speed to generate 237 Speed, which is just enough to outpace neutral base 100s with no Speed.

ParaDance Groudon’s focus on paralysis not only helps itself sweep, but is also extremely helpful to the many powerful but slow Pokemon of the Uber environment. A great example of this kind of partner is Choice Specs Kyogre. Some people will be tempted to predict an Earthquake, and switch in either Latias or Shaymin-S. With Shaymin-S crippled by paralysis, it will no longer be able to revenge kill Kyogre. Latias will also be unable to use Recover in time before two Ice Beams from Choice Specs Kyogre finishes it off. Giratina-O benefits in a similar way, as a paralyzed Latias has no chance of stopping a Calm Mind Giratina-O from sweeping. If Lugia is paralyzed, then Swords Dance Rayquaza can outspeed Lugia and OHKO it with a +2 Outrage. Most offensive Dialga of any kind will greatly appreciate the paralysis support, especially mixed Dialga. Mixed Dialga can also destroy both Skarmory and Giratina with almost no problems, which means that Groudon itself will have a much easier time sweeping. Additionally, Wobbuffet can benefit from the paralysis. If Groudon paralyzes a Pokemon such as Lugia, it may attempt to use Reflect. However, if you switch Wobbuffet in, it can use Encore before Lugia moves due to the paralysis Speed drop, and thus easily set up a Pokemon such as Darkrai to sweep.

The EVs given for this set allow for a combination of durability and power. The combination of HP and Defense EVs allows this Groudon to survive a Rayquaza Outrage that is boosted by both a Life Orb and a Dragon Dance. Meanwhile, the small amount in Speed helps it outrun fellow Ubers that rarely invest in Speed, such as Giratina and Dialga.

What stops Choice Band Groudon from dominating the physically frail Uber metagame is its less than staggering Speed. As such, a team that can provide paralysis support will greatly aid Groudon's sweep. Pokemon such as Lugia, which usually lure in special attackers such as Darkrai, Kyogre, and Palkia, can neutralize all such threats with a Thunder Wave on the switch. Similarly, a Kyogre of your own can help lure in Palkia, Latias, and Latios, while also utilizing an uncommon move in Thunder Wave.

While Stealth Rock is a great addition to any sweeper, it presents a pseudo Rock / Ground coverage, a two-type combination that hits hard. For example, Lugia, Shaymin-S, and Rayquaza can switch in to an Earthquake with impunity; however, with Stealth Rock in place, the three will lose 25% of their hit points when switching in. Dialga makes a good candidate for setting up Stealth Rock as it is also capable of slowing down various threats with Thunder Wave. It can also lure in Lugia and cripple it with Toxic. Moreover, there are ways to take advantage of these switch-ins as well. In Lugia’s case, Taunt Mewtwo can switch in and use Lugia as setup time as long as it avoids Toxic. In a similar manner, Darkrai can switch in, put Lugia to sleep, and set up on it. For Rayquaza, Choice Scarf Dialga can put an end to Swords Dance Rayquaza, while Dragon Dance Rayquaza will be beaten by Choice Scarf Palkia. Choice Scarf Gengar has the ability to beat both Dragon Dance and Swords Dance Rayquaza. Mixed Rayquaza is far more difficult to deal with — the best bet against it is a Bold Lugia with 248 Speed EVs. Finally, Shaymin-S’s plans are foiled by Choice Scarf Dialga, which sports a 4x resistance to Seed Flare and can OHKO with Draco Meteor. Offensively, Groudon pairs well with mixed Rayquaza, which can switch in on Grass- and Water-type attacks reasonably well, lure in standard physical walls such as opposing Bulky Groudon or Lugia, and batter them down with Draco Meteor. Likewise, the unpredictable mixed Dialga sets work well at luring in physical walls, then smacking them hard. Wobbuffet with Tickle, alongside a Pursuit user, can also effectively break Lugia and/or Giratina.

The EV spread is almost completely geared to the defensive side, with 56 EVs invested into Speed so Groudon can beat Timid Choice Scarf Kyogre, as well as other base 90 Speed Pokemon at +1, after a Rock Polish. Further investment in Speed can be useful, but it detracts from the main draw of the set, which is bulk. Not to mention, the less bulk Groudon has, the likelier it is your opponent will figure out it's not running a purely defensive set. Still, investing 124 EVs in Speed will allow Groudon to outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon with a Choice Scarf; most notably Palkia, who could otherwise 2HKO with Draco Meteor; which can be useful.

This Groudon is not the kind of Pokemon you should base your team around. In fact, it plays almost identically to a support set besides the potential boosting. If anything, though, Groudon appreciates entry hazard support, particularly Toxic Spikes, so that it may better deal with opposing Groudon and Kyogre. This does not mean that you need to go out of your way to set it up though; many Pokemon enjoy entry hazard support. Forretress is generally the best Toxic Spikes user in Ubers; it can also set up the other entry hazards too or spin them away from your own side of the field as needed. Skarmory, Lugia, and Giratina are troublesome for Groudon to deal with; a combination of Tickle Wobbuffet and Pursuit Scizor can handle the latter two, while Skarmory can be dealt with by a powerful special attacker like Heatran. The aforementioned Wobbuffet is also useful for eliminating Choice Scarf revenge killers such as Shaymin-S and Palkia, among others.