Doubles, anyone?

[TBF Bri 10]

Team at a quick glance:

Team:

Whimsicott @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Def / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Nature: Timid (+Spd, -Att)
- Taunt
- Light Screen
- Helping Hand
- Beat Up

Terrakion @ Wide Lens
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Att / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Nature: Jolly (+Spd, -SAtt)
- Taunt
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Close Combat

If you have never encountered this combination in doubles before, you get raped. There are very few ways to completely stop both of them on the first turn. Taunt is on both of them to stop double combos (Sunny Day + Power Swap, Rage Powder + Trick Room, Follow Me + Belly Drum, etc.) and also to stop the standard Gastro Acid, Skill Swap, etc. moves used on Regigigas and Slaking. Beat Up maxes out Terrakion's attack in one-go (and even with Double Intimidate, that's +4, which is still pretty nice). Terrakion will then go after the Pokémon that poses the most threat to it. Helping Hand gives Terrakion the ability to OHKO just about anything that isn't a super fortified wall or has Focus Sash/Sturdy, and even if it has Sturdy, Whimsicott can do a low-damage Beat Up on it first to break it. Earthquake is standard in doubles, and Rock Slide is for powerful stab. Close Combat was chosen over Holy Sword since the opponent rarely gets the chance to set up any stat changes, and even if it does, I've yet to come across a Pokémon that isn't 2KO'D by a max attack Terrakion. Strangely enough, my Whimsicott only loses about 52% of its HP whenever it feels the hit of a max attack Terrakion's earthquake, so it can usually survive a blow or two to set up a Light Screen.

Vaporeon @ Damp Rock
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 252 SAtt / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Nature: Modest (+SAtt, -Att)
- Rain Dance
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- HP Electric

With a Light Screen set up, this thing is incredibly hard to OHKO, and with Rain Dance in effect, it becomes a powerhouse. Ice Beam and HP Electric are on there for coverage (against grass and water types).

Kingdra @ Haban Berry
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SAtt / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Nature: Modest (+SAtt, -Att)
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Draco Meteor
- Protect

Ludicolo @ Leftovers
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SAtt / 252 Spd /E 4 HP
Nature: Modest (+SAtt, -Att)
- Surf
- Energy Ball
- Rain Dance
- Protect

This is getting pretty standard now. We all know how powerful Kingdra and Ludicolo are in the rain, but put them together at the same time, and you get a near unstoppable duo. Surf is for the massive stab, Energy Ball is for coverage, Draco Meteor is meant to deal a powerful final hit, and Rain Dance is there for the rare occasion that the opponent blocks my first Rain Dance. Protect is there for strategic purposes, one of them being...

Cloyster @ Choice Band
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Att / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Nature: Adamant (+Att, -SAtt)
- Explosion
- Rock Blast
- Icicle Spear
- Shell Blade

I'm tempted to nickname it "Blissey Killer", but that would be too obvious. It has been proven via Psypoke's damage calculator that an exploding Adamant Cloyster with 252 EVs in Att will do 1,305 - 1,536 HP damage to a Bold Blissey with 252 EVs in HP and Def, but this is including the halfed defense, so in Gen V, it will now do 652 - 768. Unless the opponent is aware of the strategy beforehand, Blissey is toast. I usually wait for Blissey to kill one of my Pokémon with its stalling and then use Cloyster to explode on it, but if Blissey is doing a constant Protect-stall pattern, I'll switch in right as it uses Protect and explode on the next turn. If the pink whore paralyzes one of my Pokémon, whether my Protect goes through is up to pure luck, and I have come to terms with that. Outside of Blissey, Cloyster is an excellent way to deal just enough damage with Explosion for my Kingdra/Ludicolo to finish the job on the next turn. The other three moves are there to utilize its ability and stab.

I used to use Cloyster as a covert means of killing Blissey, but now in Gen V, it's doesn't OHKO it as often as it used to, so I'm thinking up some more powerful options in exchange for the element of surprise, such as Cross Chop Toxicroak, but I've come across a lot of Blisseys with Chople Berry.

Any thoughts on this team are welcome.

 

[Benlisted]

Just at a glance, I'd advise you to go for that Toxicroak you've been thinking of over Cloyster. Not only does it synergise better, it can function well as a reserve lead breaking sashes with Fake Out, as well performing an even more valuable function - Feinting to break Wide Guard and to a lesser extent Protect. This lets Terrakion not be walled every other turn by anything with WG, as well as allowing your Surf users to spam away happily (restoring Croak's health in the process). Also, go for Drain Punch - it works hilariously well VS Blissey, especially as it cannot Toxic you. So for sure use Feint and Drain Punch, and go for some of Fake Out, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, or Bulk Up in the last two slots - he can take unboosted hits excellently with +1 Def if you invest in HP.

Now, on Whimsicott I'd try out Mental Herb over Light Clay. With Beat Up being used the first turn (and the possibility of faster genies) you may need to use a status move the second turn, and Mental Herb guarantees a Light Screen - unless someone's willing to use two turns taunting you when there's a +6 Terrakion staring them down. Moreover, Light Clay isn't that important in doubles where battles are much shorter in general, so consider it at least. If you aren't making good use of it, then run Lefties instead.

I'd consider Water Absorb over Hydration on Vappy - you don't take advantage of it with Rest, and healing whenever a teammate hits you with Surf is far better than status immunity (you can use Heal Bell over an attack if you value it that much).

With Croak I'd consider strongly trying out something over Protect on Kingdra and Ludicolo. Ludi can Fake Out or leech Seed, Kingdra could run RD or Dragon Pulse, etc, or they could help make up for Vappy's lack of coverage if you use Heal Bell.

Give these a shot and see how it works for you.