Greetings everyone! I’m Ethereal Sword, an active player in the Monotype community, first joining in late Gen 8 but only entering the tournament scene this generation. Today, I wanted to share a team that is very close to me, and with Teal Mask now over two years old, there is no better time to share it! During those two years, I used this team extensively in both ladder and tournament play, featuring in my victories in the 2024 and 2025 Monotype Ladder Tournaments. It is not an exaggeration to say that Fez Fairy has defined my Monotype experience throughout this gen.
Ever since the first DLC was released in September 2023 and introduced Fezandipiti to the world, Fez Fairy has undergone countless changes and revisions in response to two years of tiering action. However, the core of the team remains remarkably unchanged. My goal today is threefold: first, to describe the metagame factors that led to Fez Fairy ending up in its current form; second, to defy conventional wisdom and make the argument that this team structure is in fact the best Fairy archetype; and third, to encourage you, the reader, to adapt this team for your own purposes and firmly establish Fezandipiti’s rightful place in the meta.
Without further ado, it is with great pleasure that I finally share the team that has always been at my side during my journey through SV Monotype.
All teams are clickable links.
Sep 2023 — Teal Mask DLC released
Nov 2023 — Urshifu-S banned
Dec 2023 — Indigo Disk DLC released
Mar 2024 — Baxcalibur banned
May 2024 — Ursaluna-Bloodmoon banned
May 2024 — Chien-Pao banned
Aug 2024 — Kingambit banned
Sep 2024 — Espathra banned
Sep 2024 — Fezandipiti: UR → D
Nov 2024 — Fezandipiti: D → C, Tinkaton: C → B
Nov 2024 — Smogon Pokemon Spotlight
Jan 2025 — Zamazenta banned
Mar 2025 — Gouging Fire banned
Nov 2023 — Urshifu-S banned
Dec 2023 — Indigo Disk DLC released
Mar 2024 — Baxcalibur banned
May 2024 — Ursaluna-Bloodmoon banned
May 2024 — Chien-Pao banned
Aug 2024 — Kingambit banned
Sep 2024 — Espathra banned
Sep 2024 — Fezandipiti: UR → D
Nov 2024 — Fezandipiti: D → C, Tinkaton: C → B
Nov 2024 — Smogon Pokemon Spotlight
Jan 2025 — Zamazenta banned
Mar 2025 — Gouging Fire banned
Before getting into the actual team, I’d first like to introduce the context in which it arose and what the “standard” Fairy teams were.
Throughout SV, Fairy has generally been considered to be a mid-tier type. It has access to some of the strongest offensive threats in the tier such as Flutter Mane and Iron Valiant, yet its defensive options are extremely limited. Thus, the only archetype in common usage, from the day Gen 9 was released to the present, is screens — with an adept screens setter in Klefki and potent setup sweepers like Belly Drum Azumarill, Fairy has a reputation for being a type that has the potential to beat or lose to any type.
A more unfortunate part of Fairy’s reputation over the past two years, and thankfully one that is on its way out, is its lack of innovation. Just looking at the ladder stats from this period makes for stark reading. It would be fair to say that only a single Fairy team was in common usage, and it looked like this:
The appeal of this team is obvious; being easy to learn with a very clear gameplan and a favorable matchup spread, at least on paper, made this team many players’ first and last introduction to what Fairy could do. With Dragon being the longstanding dominant force in the meta and Dark and Fighting being very solid high-tier types, this team gained immense popularity among aspiring Fairy practitioners.
Yet it does not take long to realize that Fairy’s vaunted matchup spread is merely a mirage. This team suffers from several severe shortcomings — lack of recovery, inability to remove hazards, and a defense consisting of hopes and prayers make this team highly inconsistent even in “good” matchups. It is telling that even Dragon can only be considered a neutral matchup due to the strength of its defensive core of Archaludon and Goodra-Hisui combined with the total absence of answers to Specs Dragapult. Indeed, this team routinely loses to the types it is “supposed” to beat. So goes the only popular Fairy team in the meta.
Consequently, inconsistency has been an attribute inseparable from the type. For most, reaching that conclusion is enough. Yet such a conclusion overlooks a world of possibilities. In fact, the introduction of a single Pokemon is sufficient to solve so many of the problems so often deemed intractable.
Throughout SV, Fairy has generally been considered to be a mid-tier type. It has access to some of the strongest offensive threats in the tier such as Flutter Mane and Iron Valiant, yet its defensive options are extremely limited. Thus, the only archetype in common usage, from the day Gen 9 was released to the present, is screens — with an adept screens setter in Klefki and potent setup sweepers like Belly Drum Azumarill, Fairy has a reputation for being a type that has the potential to beat or lose to any type.
A more unfortunate part of Fairy’s reputation over the past two years, and thankfully one that is on its way out, is its lack of innovation. Just looking at the ladder stats from this period makes for stark reading. It would be fair to say that only a single Fairy team was in common usage, and it looked like this:
The appeal of this team is obvious; being easy to learn with a very clear gameplan and a favorable matchup spread, at least on paper, made this team many players’ first and last introduction to what Fairy could do. With Dragon being the longstanding dominant force in the meta and Dark and Fighting being very solid high-tier types, this team gained immense popularity among aspiring Fairy practitioners.
Yet it does not take long to realize that Fairy’s vaunted matchup spread is merely a mirage. This team suffers from several severe shortcomings — lack of recovery, inability to remove hazards, and a defense consisting of hopes and prayers make this team highly inconsistent even in “good” matchups. It is telling that even Dragon can only be considered a neutral matchup due to the strength of its defensive core of Archaludon and Goodra-Hisui combined with the total absence of answers to Specs Dragapult. Indeed, this team routinely loses to the types it is “supposed” to beat. So goes the only popular Fairy team in the meta.
Consequently, inconsistency has been an attribute inseparable from the type. For most, reaching that conclusion is enough. Yet such a conclusion overlooks a world of possibilities. In fact, the introduction of a single Pokemon is sufficient to solve so many of the problems so often deemed intractable.
The day after Teal Mask was made playable on PS, I made my first post on the Smogon forums. In it, I discussed an interaction between the ability Toxic Chain and multi-hit moves which, among the Loyal Three, Fezandipiti uniquely has access to. Beat Up, when it hits 6 times, gives a staggering 88% chance of inflicting Toxic. I immediately wanted to build a team utilizing this interaction, and initially I tried to make it work on Poison. These attempts were unsuccessful, which led me to pivot to the more offensive Fairy type, and immediately Fezandipiti began to show its worth.
My first version of Fez Fairy was as such:
Clearly this is a bit different from the current version; yet the core of this team remains intact even today. Here, we have the heavy hitters in Flutter Mane and Iron Valiant, versatile supports in Ninetales-Alola and Tinkaton, and speed control in Enamorus. Finally, we have the defensive bastion in Fezandipiti to link the team together with its pivoting capabilities and longevity.
With this team, I was able to reach Rank 2 on the ladder within a month. That could have been the end of the story, and it would have been a successful showcase of an underused Pokemon. But it wasn’t. In fact, this was merely the beginning of a journey that would last another 23 months and counting. This would become a journey of adaptation and refinement, for no meta stays stationary for that long. This would become a journey of learning and self-improvement, and I would be a much worse player today without it. This would become a journey of experimentation, of ridicule, of heartbreak, all to make this team the best it can be.
Let us now recount the meta shifts that occurred during this time and how Fez Fairy changed alongside it.
My first version of Fez Fairy was as such:
Clearly this is a bit different from the current version; yet the core of this team remains intact even today. Here, we have the heavy hitters in Flutter Mane and Iron Valiant, versatile supports in Ninetales-Alola and Tinkaton, and speed control in Enamorus. Finally, we have the defensive bastion in Fezandipiti to link the team together with its pivoting capabilities and longevity.
With this team, I was able to reach Rank 2 on the ladder within a month. That could have been the end of the story, and it would have been a successful showcase of an underused Pokemon. But it wasn’t. In fact, this was merely the beginning of a journey that would last another 23 months and counting. This would become a journey of adaptation and refinement, for no meta stays stationary for that long. This would become a journey of learning and self-improvement, and I would be a much worse player today without it. This would become a journey of experimentation, of ridicule, of heartbreak, all to make this team the best it can be.
Let us now recount the meta shifts that occurred during this time and how Fez Fairy changed alongside it.
The biggest change came quickly — in December 2023, the Indigo Disk DLC was released, marking the final addition to the SV Pokedex. Returning with Indigo Disk was Primarina, a bulky setup sweeper that instantly became a staple on Fairy. To accommodate Primarina, Enamorus was removed and its speed control responsibilities given to Iron Valiant instead. By early 2024, Fez Fairy had morphed into a team that is already very close to its final form:
Indigo Disk also brought with it Archaludon, making Dragon far and away the best type in the meta with a Pokemon that heavily punishes Fezandipiti using Beat Up due to its Stamina ability. This was the first and certainly not the last time that I felt the meta has shifted decisively against Fez Fairy. But every time this happened, adaptation proved to be the key to continuing to develop the team I loved. The way I played this team during 2023 bears little resemblance to the way I play it now.
The Baxcalibur ban in March 2024 did not change much, but the Ursaluna-Bloodmoon ban in May and Kingambit ban in August were quite significant, weakening two problematic types. As the meta evolved with threatening Pokemon like Scizor and Balloon Sneasler increasing in usage and demanding specific counters, the final major change to the team was made, replacing Ninetales-Alola with Klefki:
With these two changes, we essentially arrived at the version of the team that I used the most. With the help of this team, I won the 2024 Monotype Ladder Tournament in August and peaked ladder in October. I often brought it to individual and team tournaments and I also qualified for the 2025 Monotype Ladder Tournament with it.
Indigo Disk also brought with it Archaludon, making Dragon far and away the best type in the meta with a Pokemon that heavily punishes Fezandipiti using Beat Up due to its Stamina ability. This was the first and certainly not the last time that I felt the meta has shifted decisively against Fez Fairy. But every time this happened, adaptation proved to be the key to continuing to develop the team I loved. The way I played this team during 2023 bears little resemblance to the way I play it now.
The Baxcalibur ban in March 2024 did not change much, but the Ursaluna-Bloodmoon ban in May and Kingambit ban in August were quite significant, weakening two problematic types. As the meta evolved with threatening Pokemon like Scizor and Balloon Sneasler increasing in usage and demanding specific counters, the final major change to the team was made, replacing Ninetales-Alola with Klefki:
With these two changes, we essentially arrived at the version of the team that I used the most. With the help of this team, I won the 2024 Monotype Ladder Tournament in August and peaked ladder in October. I often brought it to individual and team tournaments and I also qualified for the 2025 Monotype Ladder Tournament with it.
Just looking at the Pokemon involved, this team might not look too different from the standard Fairy I mentioned earlier. Yet Fezandipiti completely changes how the game is played. Whereas standard teams aim to protect your glass cannons by putting two screens in front of them and calling it a day, Fezandipiti has enough bulk even without screens and thus allows these glass cannons to come in without taking a hit at all. Whenever a scary special attacker shows up, Fezandipiti is a get out of jail free card:
It also provides a rare Poison neutrality and resists most of Meowscarada’s moveset.
Why Fezandipiti, then, and not Clefable, who has Magic Guard, or Florges, who has more bulk? The answer is that both options are passive. Fezandipiti has the ability to tank a hit and then pivot back to Flutter Mane or Iron Valiant or whomever. Since Fezandipiti does not invest in speed, it is usually outsped by the offensive mons it checks and therefore provides safe entry to these glass cannons. In fact, Fezandipiti is the only Pokemon on Fairy that has the three components necessary for a defensive pivot — bulk, recovery, and pivoting.
And what is the payoff for running Fezandipiti? Consistency and cohesion. By providing a real defensive answer to Specs Dragapult, Meowscarada, Greninja, and others, Fez Fairy is able to lock down these matchups. By making the team no longer so one-dimensional, Fez Fairy is able to adapt to many situations. While it lacks the explosive power of Belly Drum Azumarill, for instance, Fairy has enough offensive threats already — what it needs is a defensive Pokemon to make the team a cohesive unit, and Fezandipiti is by far the best option in this role.
Code:
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Fezandipiti: 102-120 (26.8 - 31.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Fezandipiti: 142-168 (37.3 - 44.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Flutter Mane Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Fezandipiti: 126-148 (33.1 - 38.9%) -- 99.9% chance to 3HKO
252 SpA Enamorus Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Fezandipiti: 124-148 (32.6 - 38.9%) -- 99.4% chance to 3HKOWhy Fezandipiti, then, and not Clefable, who has Magic Guard, or Florges, who has more bulk? The answer is that both options are passive. Fezandipiti has the ability to tank a hit and then pivot back to Flutter Mane or Iron Valiant or whomever. Since Fezandipiti does not invest in speed, it is usually outsped by the offensive mons it checks and therefore provides safe entry to these glass cannons. In fact, Fezandipiti is the only Pokemon on Fairy that has the three components necessary for a defensive pivot — bulk, recovery, and pivoting.
And what is the payoff for running Fezandipiti? Consistency and cohesion. By providing a real defensive answer to Specs Dragapult, Meowscarada, Greninja, and others, Fez Fairy is able to lock down these matchups. By making the team no longer so one-dimensional, Fez Fairy is able to adapt to many situations. While it lacks the explosive power of Belly Drum Azumarill, for instance, Fairy has enough offensive threats already — what it needs is a defensive Pokemon to make the team a cohesive unit, and Fezandipiti is by far the best option in this role.
I want to conclude this section by briefly talking about my own experience as the only proponent for Fezandipiti. As enlightening as this adventure has been for me, it has also been a solitary one. Fezandipiti has always been uncommon on ladder, and at its nadir as much as 99% of its ladder usage was attributable to me. Despite my efforts, Fezandipiti was rarely considered a serious choice, its stellar tournament and ladder record notwithstanding, and it is only relatively recently that other players have begun exploring Fez Fairy at all.
Therefore, I consider it an accomplishment that I was able to get Fezandipiti and its co-conspirator Tinkaton moved up on the viability rankings where they remain today, with tangible effects on their exposure.
Therefore, I consider it an accomplishment that I was able to get Fezandipiti and its co-conspirator Tinkaton moved up on the viability rankings where they remain today, with tangible effects on their exposure.
Fez Fairy
Fezandipiti
Code:
Fezandipiti @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Toxic Chain
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Atk / 16 Def / 160 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 16 Spe
- Beat Up
- Roost
- U-turn
- Gunk ShotThe protagonist of this team, providing the defensive backbone that allows Pokemon like Flutter Mane and Iron Valiant to shine. Whenever the opponent threatens to deal heavy damage to your Pokemon, swap to Fezandipiti and watch all your problems disappear.
Beat Up is the core mechanic that I originally aimed to exploit. Beat Up will hit once for each non-fainted, non-statused Pokemon on your side (Fez will still hit even if statused) with base power equal to 5 + (Base ATK / 10), rounded down. On this team, Beat Up has a combined 79 Base Power, giving it respectable chip damage while also inflicting Toxic 88% of the time.
Roost and U-Turn are necessary for longevity and pivoting respectively. I originally used Taunt as the last moveslot, but Gunk Shot is a far better choice by giving Fez a high-damage option. In fact, with the given EVs, Fez will live a weather-boosted Ivy Cudgel from Ogerpon-Hearthflame and Ogerpon-Wellspring and pick up the OHKO in return! The remaining EVs maximize Fez’s special bulk, and the IVs are chosen to set Fez’s Speed to 219, letting it be as slow as possible while still outspeeding Azumarill and Ursaluna.
This EV spread is a very solid generalist spread, but more specialized spreads are available to handle specific threats. Here are a few of the key thresholds that you can consider when designing your own EV spread.
- 52 Atk EVs are sufficient for Gunk Shot to deal 75% to Azumarill, denying Belly Drum or getting the OHKO after it is already used.
- 132 Def EVs will let Fez live Azumarill’s +6 Aqua Jet from full HP.
- 88 SpD EVs with a beneficial nature will let Fez completely avoid a 2HKO from Specs Greninja’s Hydro Pump.
Tinkaton
Code:
Tinkaton @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 16 HP / 252 Atk / 240 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Gigaton Hammer
- Knock Off
- EncoreTinkaton is a Pokemon who made it from the original team to the present with minimal change. It is an extremely reliable Pokemon that can be used in any situation with its valuable utility moves. Being the only relevant Stealth Rock setter on Fairy helps ramp up the pressure on teams like Flying or Dragon compared to only having Spikes as a hazard option, and its stallbreaking capabilities make it the hero of the Poison matchup. Even with little investment in bulk, Tinkaton is still naturally bulky enough to be able to handle lighter hits.
Tinkaton no longer has a clear best speed tier. In the first version of the team, the best speed tier was 301 Spe to outspeed Baxcalibur. After its ban, any speed from 294 (for Gholdengo) to 315 is acceptable. The provided set reaches 312 to outspeed Lokix.
Flutter Mane
Code:
Flutter Mane @ Choice Specs
Ability: Protosynthesis
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Power Gem
- PsyshockFlutter Mane is the primary reason for Fez’s viability as it is by far the best target of Fez’s pivoting. A fairly standard Choice Specs set allows it to come in and out and threaten a KO each time. Other coverage options like Thunderbolt and Energy Ball are usable to prioritize certain matchups; here, Power Gem is used to help with Fire and Psyshock is used to hit Clodsire.
Iron Valiant
Code:
Iron Valiant @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Quark Drive
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spirit Break
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- TrickIron Valiant is the other heavy damage dealer on the team and can be a recipient of Fez’s pivoting as well should the need for a physical attacker arise. A fairly standard Choice Scarf set is used to provide speed control and potentially cripple opposing Pokemon with Trick. Other options for coverage include Ice Punch to hit Gliscor, Leaf Blade for Swampert, Shadow Sneak for priority, or running a mixed set with Moonblast or Thunderbolt.
Primarina
Code:
Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Draining Kiss
- Psychic NoisePrimarina is one of the best setup sweepers on the type and provides a very valuable defensive profile with its Water typing. It can easily sweep opposing teams once the critical Pokemon are weakened, making it an excellent late-game resource. I previously dabbled with a Liquid Voice set but the standard set is better.
Klefki
Code:
Klefki @ Lagging Tail
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Foul Play
- Switcheroo
- ReflectFinally we arrive at the most mysterious set of them all. This slot was previously taken by Ninetales-Alola, but the defensive utility provided by Klefki was critical against Pokemon like Scizor and Air Balloon Sneasler. But Fez Fairy doesn’t really need screens, so I decided on a Lagging Tail set instead. This allows Klefki to cripple opposing offensive threats and greatly ease the pressure off the rest of the team.
Since Fez is SpD-invested, Klefki is expected to be the main physical wall. Reflect can be used in a pinch in case Klefki is about to faint and another Pokemon needs to tank physical attacks. The more generic Thunder Wave is usable but overlaps with Switcheroo.
This team is a rare example of team order making a difference. The reason for this is one Pokemon: Ceruledge. Recall that Beat Up hits six times with each hit’s base power depending on each teammate’s base Atk. The order of these hits is the same as the team order. Against a Pokemon with Weak Armor, Weak Armor will trigger after every hit, so for optimal damage we want the highest-power hits to hit the target when they have as many Def drops as possible. Consequently, the team should be in increasing base Atk order. This does make a difference — a team with increasing base Atk will consistently OHKO Ceruledge from full, while a team with decreasing base Atk risks missing the OHKO with all the consequences that follow.
By far, the worst matchup is Sand Ground. With no Ground immunity or even a Ground resistance nor anything that outspeeds Excadrill, the matchup is untenable in the long run, though with perfect play it is still winnable. However, this matchup can easily be fixed by adding an Azumarill.
Steel is also a very difficult matchup, but if the opposing team lacks Scizor and (to a lesser extent) Goodra-Hisui, it is much easier than Ground. Every other matchup can be played with confidence. Flying can be tricky but is overall close to even. Poison is a type that standard Fairy can heavily struggle with but is completely playable here, primarily because of Tinkaton.
On the flip side, Dragon and Dark, two types that can cause standard Fairy so much trouble, are heavily favorable matchups here.
Steel is also a very difficult matchup, but if the opposing team lacks Scizor and (to a lesser extent) Goodra-Hisui, it is much easier than Ground. Every other matchup can be played with confidence. Flying can be tricky but is overall close to even. Poison is a type that standard Fairy can heavily struggle with but is completely playable here, primarily because of Tinkaton.
On the flip side, Dragon and Dark, two types that can cause standard Fairy so much trouble, are heavily favorable matchups here.
This team has undergone countless changes since its inception. But for every successful iteration there were even more that were unable to live up to their promise. Here, I wanted to share some of those attempts, what prompted them, and why they ultimately failed.
This set is an early attempt to alleviate one of Fez Fairy’s worst matchups, especially for the earlier versions of the team that used Ninetales-Alola, where the only counterplay available to Scizor was the half-measures of Tinkaton and Primarina. The idea behind this set is that with the given EV spread and Heat Wave, Fezandipiti can now live Bullet Punch and get a surprise kill on Scizor. However, it comes at a cost: with no SpD investment, Fezandipiti’s original role as a bulky pivot is weakened. In the end, Klefki was a more reliable Scizor answer that did not require compromising on Fezandipiti’s special bulk.
This set was an attempt to improve the team’s matchup against stall while also providing a stopgap for opposing setup sweepers. But this set is slow and clunky and too often fails to get value. Stall has never been prominent in the meta, and a simple Calm Mind set still provides ample defensive value while being much more threatening in most matchups.
This set was a response to the common issue of Ninetales-Alola getting chipped down throughout a battle. On paper, Pain Split provides both offensive and defensive value and it would allow Ninetales to come in more often to set up Aurora Veil. However, I eventually came to the realization that screens were simply not very important for Fez Fairy, and the value provided by using Pain Split and running a bulkier set does not make up for the loss in momentum.
If there’s anything to take away from this section, it’s that you should not be afraid of failure. When exploring uncharted territory, you will at times go the wrong way. That does not mean that the entire team is a lost cause; instead, recognize which parts don’t work, learn from your mistakes, and press on.
Code:
Fezandipiti (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Toxic Chain
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 184 SpA
Relaxed Nature
- Beat Up
- Roost
- U-turn
- Heat WaveThis set is an early attempt to alleviate one of Fez Fairy’s worst matchups, especially for the earlier versions of the team that used Ninetales-Alola, where the only counterplay available to Scizor was the half-measures of Tinkaton and Primarina. The idea behind this set is that with the given EV spread and Heat Wave, Fezandipiti can now live Bullet Punch and get a surprise kill on Scizor. However, it comes at a cost: with no SpD investment, Fezandipiti’s original role as a bulky pivot is weakened. In the end, Klefki was a more reliable Scizor answer that did not require compromising on Fezandipiti’s special bulk.
Code:
Primarina @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Whirlpool
- Perish Song
- Protect
- RestThis set was an attempt to improve the team’s matchup against stall while also providing a stopgap for opposing setup sweepers. But this set is slow and clunky and too often fails to get value. Stall has never been prominent in the meta, and a simple Calm Mind set still provides ample defensive value while being much more threatening in most matchups.
Code:
Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Encore
- Pain SplitThis set was a response to the common issue of Ninetales-Alola getting chipped down throughout a battle. On paper, Pain Split provides both offensive and defensive value and it would allow Ninetales to come in more often to set up Aurora Veil. However, I eventually came to the realization that screens were simply not very important for Fez Fairy, and the value provided by using Pain Split and running a bulkier set does not make up for the loss in momentum.
If there’s anything to take away from this section, it’s that you should not be afraid of failure. When exploring uncharted territory, you will at times go the wrong way. That does not mean that the entire team is a lost cause; instead, recognize which parts don’t work, learn from your mistakes, and press on.
Conclusion
Throughout this RMT, my aim was to show the boundless potential of Fez Fairy. For too long, Fairy has fixated on a team structure that is inconsistent and in many ways inferior. For too long, I have developed an alternative almost entirely by myself. That needs to change.
In this year’s Monotype Ladder Tournament, I uncorked a new version of Fez Fairy featuring Choice Specs Ninetales-Alola. This aims to alleviate the terrible Ground matchup and improve the common Flying matchup but it comes at the cost of making Steel virtually unwinnable. Whether this trade-off is worth it will require further testing. However, one thing is clear — there are still optimizations to be made in this archetype.
Fez Fairy’s story is far from over. Perhaps you will be the one to push it to the next level.
(Ladder, vs Ghost) — Fez at its best 
(MFPL, vs Flying) — leave it to Fez to save the day
(Ladder, vs Dragon) — the peculiar Klefki set showing its worth 
(Fall Seasonals, vs Water) — Fez Fairy can afford to be patient
(Ladder, vs Normal) — access to recovery gives Fez excellent longevity
(MLT, vs Ground) — Specs Ninetales-A makes Ground much easier to handleTournament record: 11 wins, 2 losses
I'll keep this section brief.
To ArkenCiel Neko RoyalReloaded Leafium Z Scarfire schwipper adjustments ken and all of my Flutter Mane friends - thanks for making Monotype such a welcoming place and for always pushing me to improve.
To Jolly Togekiss Mateeus - thanks for being fellow bird Pokemon enjoyers :)
To Pengairxan - thanks for getting me to actually finish writing this :D
To you: thanks for reading!
To ArkenCiel Neko RoyalReloaded Leafium Z Scarfire schwipper adjustments ken and all of my Flutter Mane friends - thanks for making Monotype such a welcoming place and for always pushing me to improve.
To Jolly Togekiss Mateeus - thanks for being fellow bird Pokemon enjoyers :)
To Pengairxan - thanks for getting me to actually finish writing this :D
To you: thanks for reading!
