Ghetto Lizard meets Sun Cat (Reboot)

Hey i made some changes to my team and thought i could use another rate

At A Glance:



Team Building Process
In Depth:



Deoxys-D @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Recover


Role: Deoxys-D is purely here for entry hazards because, with good prediction, my team tends to cause a lot of switch ins so entry hazards lets me utilize that.
Moveset: Stealth Rock, Spikes and Taunt are there for obvious reasons while Recover is there to heal off taunted the damage. Although this moveset is ruined by Taunt Espeon's ability Magic Bounce lets me pull off double switches to set up.
EV's: The EV spread is to make it as bulky and speedy as possible to Taunt and set up to the best of its ability
Replacements: None.



Starmie @ Expert Belt
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin

Role: Starmie's main role on my team is for Rapid Spin Support and a late game cleaner for my team. Starmie is useful on my team because it is riddled with set up sweepers which leaves me vulnerable to dedicated counters, phazers and dedicated walls, thus having a pokemon that can hit right off the bat is a crucial asset to the team.
Moveset: The moveset a fairly standard Starmie moevset; BoltBeam for coverage, Hydro Pump for a powerful STAB and Rapid Spin because Espeon can't always be there to bounce the entry hazards back. Expert Belt can also help fake a choice item, which is situationally advantageous, and deal maximum damage while being free to spin away entry hazards without being locked into anything.
EV's: The given EV's and nature are quite self-explanatory, maximum special attack and speed to maximise offensive capabilities.[/B][/COLOR]
Possible Changes: None.





Espeon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Stored Power
- Calm Mind
- Morning Sun

Role: Espeon and Scrafty form the core of this team. Espeon is often overlooked as a sweeper due to its largely support based move pool, bad typing and lack of offense. This set proves that Espeon’s sweeping potential is nothing short of amazing. Espeon is also a great counter for sun teams due to its ability to bounce across Sleep Powders and Willo-Wisp from Lilligant, Venusaur and Ninetales. Espeon works well with Scrafty because it can take focus blasts, from the likes of Virizion, aimed at Scrafty to the knee and still be an adventurer while Scrafty can set up on physical powerhouses which threaten Espeon like dragonite, metagross and haxorus to name a few.
Moveset: Calm Mind allows Espeon's special bulk to go sky high as well as boosting it's Special Attack; It becomes a neat special wall of sorts. Morning Sun is for instant recovery so it can last longer and to milk out more Calm Minds. Plus, it practically fully heals you in the sun. The real star of this set is stored power. Most People just assume you are going to simply Baton Pass off your Calm Minds to someone else so their reaction when you unleash a stored power is priceless. After 4 Calm Minds it reaches a base power of 180, 270 after STAB, plus the special attack boost makes it a 270 base power move off a whopping 871 SpAtk. After 6 calm minds it becomes base 420 move off a stupendous 1188 SpAtk. The former enough to OHKO a Choice Band Scizor and the latter enough to OHKO anything that you can think of in the OU metagame unboosted. You might say that easy enough to say but getting to 4 Calm Minds is nigh on impossible but that is the beauty of Espeon, it cannot be simply toxicstalled or crippled or phazed by the likes of Skamory, due to its ability magic bounce, and any special powerhouse or an attempted stall will be set up fodder for Espeon. How many special sweepers can boast not being paralysed, poisoned, or burned or crippled in general? Basically any special attacking or stall Pokémon you can think of, Espeon can set up without hesitation and even some neutral physical attackers don't intimidate Espeon.
EV's: The EV spread is designed to maximise initial bulk while the 252 Spe and the timid nature is to maximise Espeon’s speed because its offensive capabilities don’t need boosting at all. The only real counter for Espeon are pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Scizor if they switch in before Espeon get too many calm minds up. A choice banded Tyranitar can be OHKO'd 87% of the time with Hidden Power fighting after one calm mind while Scizor remains Espeon’s best counter.
Possible Replacements: A Calm Mind Reuniclus can perform the same role forgoing speed for extra bulk.




Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Wish
- Fire Punch

Role: Jirachi provide support to Espeon and Scrafty tying to two together as fearsome and dreaded foes. It is a great mixed wall being able to switch into Scizor, Rotom and any other threats to my team, be it physical or special. Jirachi also takes some pressure off Espeon as a Special wall pokemon. Jirachi also has good synergy with Gyarados, sponging off rock and electric moves while Gyrados can take the fire and ground moves aimed at Jirachi.
Moveset: It really is a pretty standard Specially Defensive Haxrachi but it fits in nicely to the team. Due to their low HP stat Scrafty and Espeon greatly benefit from Jirachi's not so stellar 202 HP wishes, healing about 2 thirds of their HP providing them both with a second wind. Body Slam + Fire Punch are to, cripple while Iron Head is to maim and weaken. Fire punch is a silver bullet aimed at Scizor and Ferrothorn.
EV's: The EV's are to maximise bulk with a strong special edge. The rest goes into speed to outrun a Jolly Tyranitar.
Possible Replacement: I have been thinking about a Specially Defensive Ferrothorn or a Gastrodon because they can take on rain teams and they have good synergy with the team; Gastrodon is immune to thunder moves aimed at Gyarados and powerful water moves in the rain, it can also take rock moves, and Scizor can't touch it. Ferrothorn can wall practically anything and it can make rapid spinners really pay for spinning out entry hazards with Iron Barbs + Rocky Helmet. It can sponge off powerful outrages which can decimate my team.




Scrafty (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Dragon Tail
- Rest

Role: Scrafty forms the other half of the Scrafty plus Espeon core. I always thought that scrafty was somewhat of a gimmick but then thought I might try it out. It has now become, along with espeon, my favourite pokemon. it is hard to put on paper its capabilities but when you see the ghetto lizard in action it is amazing. it can simply sponge up hits and set up all day long. I prefer the bulk up variant because I am more than happy to forgo the speed boosts for the extra physical bulk and the ability to make physical sweepers cower in fear against a 4 foot harlem lizard. Scrafty's bulk coupled with shed skin makes scrafty sponge of hits and recieve status conditions all while saying "Like a boss".
Moveset: Drain Punch gives Scrafty a powerful STAB while Dragon Tail is amazing for simply phazing out set up sweepers. I used to run Ice punch soley for dragons and Drain punch resistors although i found it is largely redundant because Drain Punch + Dragon tail can take care of just about anything so i have replaced it with Rest for the instant recovery as well as the synergy it has with Shed Skin. Dragon Tail allows me to capitalizeon the Entry hazards while simple resting off accumulated damage.
EV's: The EV's are to maximise special bulk so it can take special hits with impunity seeing as is boosting defense. The rest goes in attack. Careful nature is also to maximise special bulk. Scrafty is my main physical powerhouse and works together nicely with Deoxys-D because it can abuse entry hazards.
Possible Replacements: Lately i have been thinking about replacing it with a Dragon Dance counterpart because i am sick of it being revenge killed due to its abysmal speed. I have also been considering Hi Jump Kick because Drain Punch lacks enough punch while Rest provides recovery enough.



Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 176 HP / 128 Atk / 204 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Substitute
- Stone Edge


Role: Gyarados has been, in my opinion, since Gen 1 the most fearsome Pokemon. It runs a similar set to Scrafty in that it is more orientated towards bulk than straight up hitting power. Gyrados can set up with impunity on Scizor, a primary threat most of my team, and can destroy stallers and walls with Substitute + Dragon Dance combo. Gyrados fills the final gap in my Scrafty, Espeon, Jirachi unit making it largley impenetrable. Gyrados takes a good deal of pressure off Scrafty as a bulky physical powerhouse and works nicely together with Jirachi.
Moveset: Substitute is to prevent status and leech seeds etc which Gyrados hates, I use to run Taunt but i was sick of scald ruining my day. Dragon Dance is quite self explanatory while Waterfall is his main attack. Stone Edge is to hit water resists and dragons such as Salamence and Dragonite. I choose Intimidate over Moxie to maximise the amount of hits Gyarados can take initially.
EV's: The given EV's are to maximise bulk which allows me to get more Dragon Dances off and the Adamant nature is to make his hits just that much harder.
Possible Replacements: Maybe switching back to Taunt so that i can't be phazed out by Skarmory.





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thanks for reading everyone, any suggestions would be great.

This team is extremely weak to Bug lol.

You could get rid of Starmie for Tentacruel, who gives your team a bug resistance and it can help against annoying rain teams with rain dish plus Toxic Spikes.

This is a cool team, and I'm glad someone is using Scrafty.

Like Lasers said, this team is extremely bug weak, and a tentacruel over starmie would help fix these problems, as well as being resistant to both scizor's and volcarona's STAB combos.

Another thing to consider, morning sun is kind of unreliable with tons of weathers around, so unless you can keep them from using a weather other than sun, it won't help much. I would suggest replacing it with baton pass, so you can transfer the calm mind boosts to something that would benefit from it, such as scrafty having both physical and special defense boosts, turning him into an unstoppable monster. Alternatively, seeing as how Jirachi is specially defensive, that would help him stop special attackers and hax them to death more easily when he is not providing wish support.

Another move to consider is reflect.
This would help espeon take physical moves much better, helping it against stuff that can outspeed you with a choice scarf, like Tyranitar. T-tar ohkos Espeon with crunch (122.2% - 143.7%), so if it is scarfed, your sweep has ended. If reflect is used, crunch does only 61.1% - 72.5%, assuming you have set up reflect on the switch or in a turn before, meaning you can either ko back if you have enough boosts, or not get severely maimed by a pursuit if he carries that (if you set up reflect on the switch, this would be helpful). It also gives better protection against revenge killing on the physical side, unless you're low on health. It can also help protect scrafty's physical defense if he isn't boosted, or ensure that your jirachi isn't vulnerable to strong physical moves.

King of Blades said:

Another thing to consider, morning sun is kind of unreliable with tons of weathers around, so unless you can keep them from using a weather other than sun, it won't help much. I would suggest replacing it with baton pass, so you can transfer the calm mind boosts to something that would benefit from it, such as scrafty having both physical and special defense boosts

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I used to have baton pass and it was fairly useful but it makes me very vulnerable to things like fire blast and solarbeam in the sun whereas with it i could simply calm mind, morning sun... until they did pitiful damage or switched out. Though, Scrafty is an excellent Baton Pass receiver so i think my next team will be based around that.

King of Blades said:

Another move to consider is reflect.
This would help espeon take physical moves much better, helping it against stuff that can outspeed you with a choice scarf, like Tyranitar. T-tar ohkos Espeon with crunch (122.2% - 143.7%), so if it is scarfed, your sweep has ended. If reflect is used, crunch does only 61.1% - 72.5%, assuming you have set up reflect on the switch or in a turn before, meaning you can either ko back if you have enough boosts, or not get severely maimed by a pursuit if he carries that (if you set up reflect on the switch, this would be helpful). It also gives better protection against revenge killing on the physical side, unless you're low on health. It can also help protect scrafty's physical defense if he isn't boosted, or ensure that your jirachi isn't vulnerable to strong physical moves.

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Another great move which i will try out but i fear i will still have the same problem as the other one.

Lasers said:

You could get rid of Starmie for Tentacruel, who gives your team a bug resistance and it can help against annoying rain teams with rain dish plus Toxic Spikes.

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I will definitely try this as it seems to cover a lot of my weaknesses albeit with the loss of my cleaner and late game sweeper.


Thanks for the reviews any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Hey nice team! as you proballyalready know i am using a Deoxys Quite Similar to your and i can suggest Recover> Night shade for two main reasons. Reason Number 1 is it is quite a big burden even for a defensive ppokemon to set up 4 layers of entry hazrads 3 is much much easier. with little predictoin Espeon can come in and Bounce a stealthrock attempt back at your opponent anyway. Reason number 2 You are completely shut down by faster taunters. they can come in and taunt you making Deoxys only optoin to switch i know you have espeons magic bounce but it is always and optoin great team! and i always saw Deoxys D to be a great user of entry hazards due to its quite good speed and acces to recover unlike Forretress