Introduction :
The 5th generation is now behind us, and as we dive head-first into a new generation of Pokemon, it's about time the team is retired. Though I only recently made the team it still had success in the times I used it, acheiving a high ladder ranking and faring quite well against players of a higher skill level within the doubles community. The team was originally to be made around Gyarados, stemming away from my normal gimmicks, but it turned its self into more of a semi Trick Room using Gyarados and Cresselia to counter more dedicated Trick Room teams as well as being able to pick apart the Good Stuffs team.
Turn the Page is a song by Bob Seger that was released in 1973. To me the song speaks about moving on in life, starting a new chapter, turning the page, we're starting a new generation of Pokemon, transitioning from something known, into the great unknown, where turning the page on a metagame that was loved by many and fought to be official, we achieved our goal, and now it's time to turn the page to explore the new.
The 5th generation is now behind us, and as we dive head-first into a new generation of Pokemon, it's about time the team is retired. Though I only recently made the team it still had success in the times I used it, acheiving a high ladder ranking and faring quite well against players of a higher skill level within the doubles community. The team was originally to be made around Gyarados, stemming away from my normal gimmicks, but it turned its self into more of a semi Trick Room using Gyarados and Cresselia to counter more dedicated Trick Room teams as well as being able to pick apart the Good Stuffs team.
Turn the Page is a song by Bob Seger that was released in 1973. To me the song speaks about moving on in life, starting a new chapter, turning the page, we're starting a new generation of Pokemon, transitioning from something known, into the great unknown, where turning the page on a metagame that was loved by many and fought to be official, we achieved our goal, and now it's time to turn the page to explore the new.
On a long and lonesome highway
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine
Moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before
But your thoughts will soon be wandering
The way they always do
When you're ridin' sixteen hours
And there's nothin' much to do
And you don't feel much like ridin',
You just wish the trip was through
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Well you walk into a restaurant,
Strung out from the road
And you feel the eyes upon you
As you're shakin' off the cold
You pretend it doesn't bother you
But you just want to explode
Most times you can't hear 'em talk,
Other times you can
All the same old cliches,
"Is that a woman or a man?"
And you always seem outnumbered,
You don't dare make a stand
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Out there in the spotlight
You're a million miles away
Every ounce of energy
You try to give away
As the sweat pours out your body
Like the music that you play
Later in the evening
As you lie awake in bed
With the echoes from the amplifiers
Ringin' in your head
You smoke the day's last cigarette,
Rememberin' what she said
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
There I go
There I go
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine
Moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before
But your thoughts will soon be wandering
The way they always do
When you're ridin' sixteen hours
And there's nothin' much to do
And you don't feel much like ridin',
You just wish the trip was through
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Well you walk into a restaurant,
Strung out from the road
And you feel the eyes upon you
As you're shakin' off the cold
You pretend it doesn't bother you
But you just want to explode
Most times you can't hear 'em talk,
Other times you can
All the same old cliches,
"Is that a woman or a man?"
And you always seem outnumbered,
You don't dare make a stand
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Out there in the spotlight
You're a million miles away
Every ounce of energy
You try to give away
As the sweat pours out your body
Like the music that you play
Later in the evening
As you lie awake in bed
With the echoes from the amplifiers
Ringin' in your head
You smoke the day's last cigarette,
Rememberin' what she said
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
There I go
There I go
The team -
On the Road Again
Gyarados @ Normal Gem
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Double-Edge
- Protect
- Taunt
I said I was going to stay away from gimmicks, and here I am using a Normal Gem Taunt Gyarados... well I tried. Gyarados is a underrated Pokemon in Doubles, thanks to Intimidate, Gyarados can not only shrug off nearly any physical attack but can also lower the opponent's attack stat at the same time. Gyarados laughs Hitmontop and other Fighting-type Pokemon. It also gets access to Taunt, which can shut down Trick Room users and other supporting Pokemon like Togekiss and Cresselia. Waterfall is used as the main STAB move while Normal Gem Double Edge allows Gyarados to hit the bulky Water-types of the tier, Rotom-W, Gastrodon, and Politoed, for heavy damage.
Spotlight
Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 2 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Flying]
When using Gyarados, you need a way to absorb Electric-type attacks, being a team that wanted to perform inside and out of Trick Room, I need something that was fast and could hit hard at the same time. What better than Choice Specs Thundurus. Volt Absorb allows it to support Gyarados by scaring opponents away from using Electric-type moves and with base 145 special attack it hits like a truck at the same time. Thunderbolt is the main stab while HP-Flying and Volt Switch allow for secondary STAB and a way to keep momentum going respectively. Grass Knot rounds out the coverage on the set, allowing it to hit Ground-Type Pokemon that think they can come in on an immunity.
Same Old Cliche
Cresselia (F) @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 12 Def / 216 SDef / 40 SAtk
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Trick Room
- Rest
Cresselia has always been the best supporting Pokemon in the Doubles environment, with amazing defensive stats, 120 / 120 / 130, and an even better move pool it's no wonder why. Though Cresselia is known for being able to do damn near everything, it only has 2 jobs on this team: 1) Counter opposing Trick Room against Full Trick Room teams 2) Set up Trick Room against more fast paced teams, it does both perfectly. Ice Beam allows Cresselia to hit annoyers such as Zapdos, Thundurus, and Togekiss, while Psyshock can let you 2hko Amoongus and 2HKO every Fighting-type in the metagame. Though Cresselia has many perks, like in singles, it has a problem with reliable recovery. Rest in tandem with a Chesto Berry allows it reliably heal of all damage taken from it in a single turn, allowing Cresselia to support its team for usually the whole battle.
Up on Stage
Metagross @ Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Bullet Punch
- Protect
Metagross was lost in the shadows of BW OU due to just being not that good, but in Doubles, it's one of the top Pokemon. The ability Clear Body allows it to be a reliable check to common Pokemon such as Hitmontop or Scrafty without having to worry about Intimidate. Not only does Metagross have amazing stats, but the combination of base 70 speed paired with amazing 130 defense allows Metagross to perform against many common Pokemon while it's in or out of Trick Room. Meteor Mash and Zen Headbutt are the two main attacks of the set, allowing it to hit nearly every Pokemon in the Metagame for neutral damage while Bullet Punch gives it a way to pick of weakened foes that may be faster.
Ringin' In
Conkeldurr @ Fighting Gem
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Hammer Arm
- Mach Punch
- Ice Punch
- Detect
Conkeldurr is a machine, this guy walks around with 2 pillars. It's another Pokemon that was lost in the shadows of BW OU, but shines in Doubles simply due to its sheer power. Thanks to Iron Fist, Hammer Arm becomes one of the scariest moves to see while Conkeldurr is in Trick Room allowing it to become the "fastest" Pokemon in Trick Room. Ice Punch is used for coverage, allowing Conkeldurr to hit many Dragon- and Grass-type Pokemon that wouldn't take much from Hammer Arm such as Latios, Latios, Salamence, Amoonguss, and Virizion. Like Metagross, a priority move allows it to hit weakened Pokemon that may outspeed it and score a KO.
Playin' Star Again
Hydreigon @ Dragon Gem
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 HP / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Protect
Hydreigon, in my opinion, is the best Dragon-type Pokemon in the metagame. Thanks to having the best offensive typing and movepool out of all the Dragons. The reason its on this team is that it's fast, but not too fast, having only base 98 speed, it allows it to be the "fastest" Dragon-type in Trick Room, as well as being able to nuke opponents with a Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse are used to round out coverage, Fire Blast hits those annoying Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Scizor while Dark Pulse nails bulky Psychic-types like Cresselia without having to lower Special Attack.
Gyarados @ Normal Gem
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Double-Edge
- Protect
- Taunt
Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 2 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Flying]
Cresselia (F) @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 12 Def / 40 SAtk / 216 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Trick Room
- Rest
Metagross @ Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Bullet Punch
- Protect
Conkeldurr @ Fighting Gem
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Hammer Arm
- Mach Punch
- Ice Punch
- Detect
Hydreigon @ Dragon Gem
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Protect
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Double-Edge
- Protect
- Taunt
Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 2 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Flying]
Cresselia (F) @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 12 Def / 40 SAtk / 216 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spd
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Trick Room
- Rest
Metagross @ Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Bullet Punch
- Protect
Conkeldurr @ Fighting Gem
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Hammer Arm
- Mach Punch
- Ice Punch
- Detect
Hydreigon @ Dragon Gem
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Protect
Final Thoughts:
Being a VGC player, at first I was reluctant to join #doubles, asking why it was needed, but after a short visit I found my new home. After a year and some change of modding PS, I decided it was time to focus my efforts on Doubles, got my Sim Mod greyed out and started focusing on c&c once we were made official, and I couldn't be happier. I would personally like to thank everyone in the Doubles community for helping the community grow and become what we are today, we couldn't of done it without any of you. Though we have had some ups and down, some arguments here and there, it's been one hell of a ride. I would also like to thank everyone on PS staff for putting up with me for that long and not kicking me in the teeth, Zarel , you're my homie dude, because of you we have a simulator to play on, and a replay system (well that was indirectly me so shout out to that guy with the 252/252+ bold zam), Hugendugen , one of my best Smogon friends, you've helped me see what path is right for me and you've always been there for me, I would of quit Smogon 5 times already if it wasn't for you. Bloo , I still remember the talk we had when my tutor bailed on me in B101, and you went and found some scrub named Iconic to tutor me, you've helped me grow as a singles player and indirectly given me opportunities I wouldn't of had. Team Canada was one of the best times ive had on Smogon, though we sucked and I sat, it was still great. Finally, BKC , you knew you were getting one, you've been there for me when I needed to bitch, or bounce a team idea off of, you're a pretty baller dude, and I don't know what i'd do without you, or any of you basically I love all of you, you're all amazing people, and you've helped me grow as a person and as a player. So once again, I would like to say Thank you for everything. This seems like a retirement, but trust me, i'll be around for a very long time.
(don't ask about 0 ivs on special attacking pokemon in Doubles, its so swagger confusion does less)
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