To briefly summarize Can you Feel the Sunshine, or Sunshine for short, it's centered around the tried-and-true SableZard core. Gigantamax Solar Power Charizard benefits greatly from Sableye's antics, from setting up Sun with Sunny Day to halting a faster Pokemon's advance with Quash. I've had quite a few games where victory was achieved with just these two Pokemon alone.
Our other teammates compliment this core in their own ways. Gastrodon is the premier Water check, redirecting Water-type attacks to it with Storm Drain, and Gastrodon's defensive typing fits like a glove alongside Charizard's, forming a very nice partnership. Venusaur is a secondary Sun abuser with Chlorophyll while acting as a Fairy check and secondary Water check, forming a Fire-Water-Grass core with Charizard and Gastrodon. Conkeldurr molly-whops Tyranitar which can prove to be a huge nuisance for Charizard, and can destroy Aurora Veil from Gmax Lapras's Gmax Resonance and other screens with a strong Brick Break. Lastly, Banded Galarian Darmanitan is our primary Dragon-killer, destroying Goodra, Dracozolt, and even outrunning and killing Dragapult with the aid of Quash Sableye.
With introductions out of the way, let's get on to the team!
Krakatoa the Shiny Gmax Charizard
Krakatoa (Charizard-Gmax) @ Life Orb
Ability: Solar Power
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Blast Burn
- Air Slash
- Solar Beam
Words cannot describe how obscenely strong this Gmax is under sun. Its signature Gmax Wildfire, when is powered by
It's even capable of doing this:
Blast Burn itself may seem like a meme move, but believe me when I tell you that the recharge drawback associated with this move is outweighed by the positives the move brings regardless. As said earlier, it makes Gmax Wildfire the strongest attack it can possibly be, and even when your Gmax is used up, Blast Burn gives you one extra Dynamax-level attack to fire off before going down. That being said, it can be dicey to use outside of Gmax for obvious reasons, so it's best to properly position yourself accordingly before using it.
Air Slash turns into Max Airstream, which needs no in-depth explanation; it boosts Speed for itself and its partners. Sableye's actually not a terrible recipient of Speed-boosts thanks to its access to Snarl, which I'll go over once I reach Sableye. Air Slash is used over Hurricane because Hurricane's accuracy under Sun reaches a paltry 50%.
Solar Beam becomes Max Overgrowth, and outside of Gmax, it can be used without charging for a turn as long as Sun is up. Having access to Max Overgrowth has proven to be very beneficial for a couple reasons. Not only does it provide Venusaur Grassy Terrain to boost the power of its Grass STAB, but it's also able to override opposing Psychic Terrain so Sableye and Conkeldurr can use their priority moves uninhibited.
Charizard does need to worry about the chip damage it's taking each turn with Life Orb and Solar Power, which adds up especially outside of Gmax. It also needs a significant amount of support to get going, but it will go in extremely hard when it does.
Feral Imp the Sableye
Feral Imp (Sableye) @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 84 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sunny Day
- Quash
- Snarl
- Ally Switch
Sableye has always been one of my favorites to use competitively ever since it got Prankster, and I'm glad to report that it's still an amazing pick.
Sableye sets up the Sunny Day for Charizard and Venusaur, both of which appreciate the Sun in their own ways. Having access to manual Sun is great for overriding opposing weather and disrupting their strategies behind them, weakening opposing Water-type moves against Charizard and activating Solar Power, and providing speed control for Venusaur thanks to Chlorophyll. Prankster Quash is such an amazing form of speed control, and everyone on the team greatly appreciates this tool. The fact it can work against Tailwind, Trick Room (providing Psychic Terrain isn't up), and weather-boosted Pokemon is such a boon for this team. Snarl is the attacking move of choice, debuffing the many special attackers that wreak havoc in VGC, most notably Gmax Lapras (-1 SpA makes this mon hit as hard as a wet paper bag). Ally Switch is busted.
I'm not 100% sure what the bulk investment does because I just pulled this spread from Pikalytics, but it's fat enough, combined with Roseli Berry to de-buff Fairy-type moves, to live most special hits at least once or twice. The Speed is to creep on 0 speed Lapras, which is crucial when using Snarl to weaken its attacking power.
Hydrated the Gastrodon
Hydrated (Gastrodon) @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 188 Def / 100 SpA / 4 SpD / 204 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Muddy Water
- Recover
Gastrodon is crucial against the Water-type matchup thanks to Storm Drain re-directing Water-type attacks to it, easing the match-up against Dracovish, Blastoise, Gyarados, etc. Gastrodon's actually a pretty good secondary Dynamax user if I don't bring Charizard.
Not much else to say: if you've seen Gastrodon, it's still doing Gastrodon things. Earth Power for STAB and Max Quake to boost SpDef, Ice Beam for Dragons, Togekiss, Whimsicott, etc, Muddy Water to lower accuracy, and Recover for...well, recovery.
The physdef EVs ensure that Gastrodon survives an Adamant Gyarados's Power Whip from full with the aid of its Rindo Berry. Meanwhile, the Speed is to creep on bulkier Incineroar spreads, with the rest going into Special Attack with a Modest nature for increased damage output.
AmazingFrog? the Venusaur
AmazingFrog? (Venusaur) @ Coba Berry
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power
You have to be evil to dislike Venusaur, especially with what it can do in VGC 2020.
Venusaur is our secondary Sun abuser with Chlorophyll doubling its Speed, and further provides support against opposing Water-types alongside our Gastrodon.
Dual Grass/Poison STAB for dual Grass/Poison STAB things. I originally had Sleep Powder on this set in the early stages of team-building, but I've come to realize how inconsistent it is with its less-than-stellar accuracy, Electric/Misty Terrain being pretty common, and the plethora of one-turn wakes I always get. Instead, I opted for Earth Power on a 3 attacks + Protect set to make Venusaur a better Dynamax candidate. Overgrowth sets Grassy Terrain, Ooze increases SpA, and Quake increases SpDef. Ground-type coverage is especially nice for Incineroar, Toxtricity, and Duraludon.
I opted for Coba Berry as a means to better deal with Togekiss, which is easily the #1 mon in this format by far. Timid nature is used to tie with opposing Venusaur.
Ronda Rousey the Conkeldurr
Ronda Rousey (Conkeldurr) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Drain Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Mach Punch
- Brick Break
Triple STAB Conkeldurr. It sounds gimmicky, but I'll explain myself shortly. As said earlier, Conkeldurr is here to improve the matchup against Tyranitar, Duraludon, and Gmax Resonance/Screens squads.
Drain Punch is an iconic move on Conkeldurr and provides it with a way to sustain itself, while Mach Punch is excellent priority to pick off weakened targets, and is an excellent way to circumvent its very low Speed.
Now, if this were a previous season, Brick Break wouldn't be on this set in favor of other coverage like Poison Jab, Rock Slide, Ice Punch, etc, but it's here in Season 3 because Gmax Lapras is one of the most common Pokemon in the format, and having a way to break Aurora Veil has proven to be game-winning at times. Thunder Punch is my chosen coverage move to better handle Flying-types like opposing Charizard, Togekiss, and especially Gyarados who drops with Quash support.
The bulk combined with Assault Vest is to prevent Togekiss's spread Dazzling Gleam from 2HKOing Conkeldurr.
Hath No Fury the Galarian Darmanitan
Hath No Fury (Darmanitan-Galar) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Flare Blitz
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
This is the Pokemon I admittedly bring the least, but it serves an important role; kill fat Dragons.
Goodra, Dracozolt, and Dynamax Dragapult can be huge nuisances for my other Pokemon, and Galarian Darmanitan busts through them with ease. Choice Band + Gorilla Tactics makes this Pokemon always hit like a freight train no matter the move it chooses to use, and it doesn't miss Choice Scarf thanks to Quash Sableye and Charizard's Max Airstream providing Speed Control.
I'm using Ice Punch for the accuracy and because it's strong enough when combo'd with my other Pokemon + Gmax Wildfire. Flare Blitz hits incredibly hard, especially when sun-boosted, and can kill things like Corviknight and Ferrothorn. Rock Slide and Superpower round out the coverage, both of which happening to hit Incineroar super effectively.
Jolly is used to outrun Jolly Excadrill, Timid Roserade, and everything slower.
===REPLAYS===
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8vgc2020-1076037761
Charizard overrides Psychic Terrain with Max Overgrowth, allowing Sableye to do Prankster shenanigans.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8vgc2020-1075994805
Ally Switch turn 1 allows Charizard to dodge a Parting Shot from Incineroar. Meanwhile, Quash helps counteract Tailwind and Snarl de-buffs Lapras.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8vgc2020-1076032258
Brick Break Conkeldurr + Gastrodon save me from a rocky start.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8vgc2020-1075970284
vs Rain
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8vgc2020-1075572479
Darmanitan-G the Dragon Slayer.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8vgc2020-1075493782
vs Sand
Krakatoa (Charizard-Gmax) @ Life Orb
Ability: Solar Power
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Blast Burn
- Air Slash
- Solar Beam
Feral Imp (Sableye) @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 84 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sunny Day
- Quash
- Snarl
- Ally Switch
Hydrated (Gastrodon) @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 188 Def / 100 SpA / 4 SpD / 204 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Muddy Water
- Recover
Ronda Rousey (Conkeldurr) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Drain Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Mach Punch
- Brick Break
AmazingFrog? (Venusaur) @ Coba Berry
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power
Hath No Fury (Darmanitan-Galar) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Flare Blitz
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
Ability: Solar Power
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Blast Burn
- Air Slash
- Solar Beam
Feral Imp (Sableye) @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 84 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sunny Day
- Quash
- Snarl
- Ally Switch
Hydrated (Gastrodon) @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 188 Def / 100 SpA / 4 SpD / 204 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Muddy Water
- Recover
Ronda Rousey (Conkeldurr) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Drain Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Mach Punch
- Brick Break
AmazingFrog? (Venusaur) @ Coba Berry
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power
Hath No Fury (Darmanitan-Galar) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Flare Blitz
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
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