SM OU ༺Under Silent Skies༻

[Nebuland]

In honor of the ethereal dubstep legend Seven Lions' album Where I Won't be Found

Hello there, my name is Nebuland, or simply Neb. I have been playing pokemon for as long as I can remember, and have been a member of Pokemon Showdown! for about 5 years. I took a break at the end of ORAS due to the meta just not being that fun with all of the Baton Pass, Dugtrio, Stall, etc. I recently returned only about 2 months ago and quickly got an idea of the current meta. I have spent most of my time on PS! testing out different variants of different teams to try and see how I can construct a team around the game to combat the meta. Usually, when you here "anti-meta" used, you either think of innovative teams, or the archetype called Balance. I have been using Balance almost constantly since my return because I have found it to be very consistent and effective, just like it was back in the ORAS metagame. After a lot of research and testing, I have finally produced a team that I think is very effective and consistent in both countering the most common offensive threats, while retaining the ability to dish out large amounts of damage.

And with that, I present my team, Silent Skies

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First off, I started with a core of course. This team was originally two Pokémon that beat each others weaknesses while putting a lot of pressure on the opponent as well as dealing out a lot of damage. These two Pokémon were Mega Charizard-Y and Groundium Z + Dragon Dance Zygarde originally, Zygarde had Iron Tail instead of Substitute, but I found that Substitute was a lot more effective for setting up against more passive teams. Dragon Dance Zygarde is a huge threat and has been throughout the meta for at least as long as I have played it. Its main counters included Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Clefable, and Landorus-Therian. All of these Pokémon will almost always lose to Charizard-Y. It works both ways, however. Common Charizard counters like Toxapex, Tyranitar, and Chansey all lose to Zygarde. These two Pokémon form a very strong core that did not take much support to make work.

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Celesteela and Toxapex have formed one of the best Defensive cores in the game for a while now, and now even with the prominence of Heatran, Magnezone, and Tapu Koko it is still an effective Defensive Backbone. This core in particular is being used with Zygarde + Charizard Y because all of the weaknesses that I just mentioned are free switchins for either of them. The exception would be Tapu Koko, but you can still predict it if it has Choice Specs. Toxapex and Celesteela cover a lot of the meta by themselves, but there are still weaknesses that were too much for the original four to handle.

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Hippowdon was added next for its solid Defensive typing and stats that allow it to fill holes in the team by checking the likes of Tapu Koko, Thundurus, Mega-Loppuny, Mega-Mawile, Mega Charizard-X, Zygarde, and many more. Hippowdon also has a great movepool and can contribute to the team by setting up Stealth Rock and using Whirlwind to stop set up sweepers. Lastly, its Ability allows it to finish off opposing pokemon at low HP.

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The last Pokémon to be added to the team was Mew. Mew preforms a variety of important roles for the team like using Defog to make it easier for Charizard to switch in. Defog will also help out Zygarde and Celesteela, Pokémon that are switching in a lot but don't have reliable recovery. Mew's stats allow it to beat Kyurem-Black and Mega-Medicham, two huge threats to the team. It can also punish toxic users like Mantine and Gastrodon that give especially Hippowdon and Charizard-Y a hard time.


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Zygarde @ Groundium Z
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 176 HP / 180 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Substitute
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed

Zygarde is the Main sweeper for the team, and after two Dragon Dances it can rip apart teams that have been significantly weakened by Charizard-Y. Of course, Thousand Arrows is used as the main STAB. Not much explaining to do there. But with Groundium Z, it turns Zygarde into a powerful nuke to break through walls like Ferrothorn, Clefable, and Mega-Scizor. Extremespeed is really good here of course because not only do you get to outspeed Ice Shard users (and other priority of course like Ash-Greninja), but it lets you finish off weak foes that would otherwise sweep the rest of the team. Zygarde is also the backup Revenge Killer for the team, able to use a vast assortment of threats to setup on. The EV spread is really crucial here as well. It gives you the most damage possible while still breaking 400 HP (to take Seismic Toss) as well as outspeeding Tapu Koko at +1 from Dragon Dance. Use Zygarde to pressure opposing Stallbreakers like Heatran while trying to keep it as healthy as possible for late game. One trick to give Zygarde some HP back is use Leech Seed with Celesteela and if they switch into something like Tapu Koko, you can go hard Zygarde and get a small bit of HP back.


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Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def / 32 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind

This is the Pokemon that you want to keep healthy almost all the time. Hippowdon's stats and moveset make it the main Revenger for the team. It can deal significant damage with Earthquake to big threats to the team like Mega-Mawile and Marowak TR. Slack Off is here of course because it is mandatory hands down. Whirlwind is to help it against sweepers that it can't just spam Earthquake against such as Substitute Zygarde and especially Hawlucha. Hippo is going to be one of the main Pokémon that you will be using as it covers a lot of important roles. Hippo is the teams Rock setter, so it should be used early in the game. Although it is sometimes better to wait until the opposing Rock setter is dead so you can click Defog with Mew and then you can keep your own rocks up. The reason you would do this is of course because of Charizard. Hippo can also act as a pivot for Charizard in a lot of situations such as when you want to use opposing Toxapex as setup fodder for Hippowdon. Be careful of Toxic though, and always scout it with your own Toxapex before engaging in a 1v1. Hippowdon should remain as healthy as possible even sometimes at the expense of other Pokémon, as it is really crucial to the team at all stages of the game.


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Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Protect

Moving right along, we have everybody's favorite metal blob. I am going to first start off by explaining the EVs since Celesteela is pretty straight forward in general. The EVs allow it to take 3 Psyshocks from Specs Tapu Lele after rocks damage, while still acting as a reliable SpD wall to work alongside Toxapex. Celesteela is also the primary check for late game cleaners like Kartana, Mega-Pinsir, and Shift Gear Magearna. It has great synergy with Toxapex and Hippowdon, able to check threats to the two while still providing a semi-offensive presence with Flamethrower and Heavy Slam. Grass types that annoy it like Tangrowth and Amoongus are just Charizard bait, so those should not be aproblem, but especially with Tangrowth you have to keep Charizard healthy for since you don't want to get your Leftovers Knocked. It is also the team's primary wallbreaker check alongside Mew, having the ability to counter Tapu Lele, Hoopa-Unbound in a 1v1 situation, and SD Kartana at 70+ HP.


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Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Recover
- Haze / Block
- Toxic

This is a Toxapex. Honestly fuck this thing. You all already know what Toxapex does and explaining it would just be redundant. The one thing I will talk about though is the option of running Block instead of Haze. While it may seem a bit outlandish at first glance, consider the following: Pokemon like Chansey (huge issue for Charizard) use it as setup fodder and get up Stealth Rock or try and use Wish or Healbell. With Block + Toxic, Chansey is as good as dead unless you have a serious mental illness that prevents you from clicking Toxic + Recover. Its typing lets it absorb Toxic Spikes for you, so you can let Toxic Spikes go up and stay up in most situations so long as you dont let Hippowdon, Mew, or Zygarde touch them. But yeah it is a Toxapex, let's move on.


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Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Roost
- Focus Blast / Ancient Power / Hidden Power [Electric]

Charizard is of course the other centerpiece of the team along with Zygarde. Its ability to exert offensive pressure against bulkier teams really helps the other Pokémon on the team get in safely and do their jobs without being used as setup fodder. Charizard will also be your wincon in a lot of situations, as its damage output is usually the difference between the team being effective versus being passive. I have already said this like 20 times but I will say it again to stress the importance, keep Stealth Rock off your side. Charizard's typing and coverage allow it to function just like the rest of the team: walling things. Charizard can switch into a lot of things like Kartana, Scizor, etc as long as rocks aren't up. Flamethrower is here because you are already missing Focus Blast so no point in missing Fire Blast or Overheat too. Solar Beam is mandatory. Roost is also mandatory on this build. The last slot though has a lot of legroom though. Most of the things that focus blast will hit are already taken care of by the rest of the team. Although Heatran can become a problem if you play carelessly and Tyranitar is still a threat. so it is fine to switch it up as you make small changes to the team. Ancient Power is something I ran after changing Toxapex to Block, since Volcarona became an issue for me. Also it will hit Victini for a good chunk if it tries to switch in. The last move that I have ran here in the past is Hidden Power Electric. This moves main purpose is to let Charizard decimate Rain teams by luring Peliper. Rain is a large issue for the team since there is no solid check to Mega-Swampert. Charizard should be used only when necessary, as risking it can be very costly. Make sure you keep track of how Charizard will pressure your opponent and make a gameplan around that. That is usually what has been working for me, and structuring the way you play around Charizard maximizes its potential to cripple opposing teams.


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Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Ice Beam
- Soft-Boiled
- Defog

The last Pokémon and probably one of the most important is Mew. Mew's typing and ability to learn Defog and Ice Beam make it a fantastic support Pokémon for the rest of the team. It is able to switch in on most Rock Setters, although Spike setters are a different story. But in my personal opinion it is better to have 3 layers of Spikes on my side rather then just Stealth Rock (this mainly just applies to this team, don't take that as a generalization). Additionally, Mew's typing, fast stats, and the fact that it can lerarn Will-O-Wisp make it able to beat strong physical attackers like Mega-Medicham, Mega-Mawile, Zygarde, and Kyurem Black. The EV spread gives you the most physical bulk possible while still out-speeding Jolly Kyurem-Black. Synchronize is usually useless in battle, but it can be used to punish Toxic users that annoy Charizard or Zygarde like Leftovers Landorus-Therian, Quagsire, or Mantine. Lastly and most importantly though, it learns Defog. This one move brings Mew from being one of the least important Pokémon on the team to one of the most crucial. I have been repeatedly mentioning the importance of keeping Stealth Rock off of your side, and this is your primary way to do just that. After Hippowdon, Mew is the second most important member of the team to keep healthy. Its great speed tier comes at the loss of bulk so it cant always sponge hits like it normally can. Mew is still quite bulky however and preforms its role as a support Pokémon very well.


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Using this team can sometimes be a little bit of a challenge. Especially since there is really no form of speed control and you have to plan ahead of time how you are going to deal with sweepers or faster Pokémon. However, I find that after a few games, you start to get the hang of it and it becomes really fun and easy to play. I find the team's charm to be in its simplicity in concept. That said, there are a few hings that you need to keep in mind. The first thing is to analyze your opponents team at the start of the match. Make sure you know how to use the team most effectively against your opponent's playstyle, and don't make sudden changes in plan unless absolutely necessary. The other thing is that doubling is a big part of making the team work. It helps keep momentum and pressure up despite having a relatively passive team. Don't overpredict though. Always try to be unpredictable in what you are going to by staying in control of the pace of the battle.


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The team can handle most of the meta, but there are a few Pokémon that it really can struggle with


Hoopa-Unbound
To be honest, when isn't this an issue for fat teams? You can lure it in and Will-O-Wisp it with Mew and let Celesteela + Hippowdon handle it if it is banded, or beat it with Hippowdon, Zygarde, and Celesteela if it is Specs or Nasty Plot. Also Charizard can do a lot to it with Flamethrower. You have to be super careful though and always play aggressively against it.

Mega-Pinsir
Another problem is everyone's favorite pissed off cockroach. But Celesteela and Hippowdon can usually work together to beat it or at least bring it down within range of Extreme Speed. Just make sure it doesn't SD too much.

Volcarona
Usually this can be handled by Charizard, Zygarde, and Toxapex but you have to play right or it will just rip through everything.

Calm Mind + Shift Gear Magearna
Usually Toxapex can stall it out but Hippowdon can serve as a good immediate check. Also Charizard or Zygarde can of course revenge kill it if it is not +2 in speed. One way to achieve this is by using Toxapex to force it to use CM after you spam Haze and Recover, and on the turn where it has to CM you go hard into either Zygarde or Charizard and kill it (Zygarde is the better option because with Charizard you risk getting hit with a Thunderbolt)

Mega-Swampert
This is one of the team's biggest issues, but you can chip away at it quite easily and you can also stall out Rain turns and use Leech Seed or Toxic on it. Charizard Y can also revenge kill it



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Zygarde @ Groundium Z
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 176 HP / 180 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Substitute
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed

Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 HP / 236 Def / 32 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Protect

Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Recover
- Block
- Toxic

Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Roost
- Focus Blast

Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Ice Beam
- Soft-Boiled
- Defog

On an ending note, thanks so much for reading! I spent a good bit of time working on this and it means a bunch for you to take the time to read through it. I am always accepting of feedback so feel free to tell me your thoughts :)

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[Stories]

This looks really good :]

Heatran kinda annoys the fuck out of the team, and so does Ash Gren if Heatran traps Toxapex. I might change Ice Beam on Mew to Earthquake / Earth Power but then Zygarde might be an issue, although Hippo can always Whirlwind it out.

I'd put Toxic Spikes on Pex over Haze so you can Whirlwind threats in and force them to be Poisoned.

Aside from that, watch out for Physical Breakers like Z Outrage Fire Fang Garchomp and I think you're good, also Psychic Spam + Magnezone fucks you up a bit yeah.