I wanted to make a team using my fav mons and some less used mons.
Arcanine@Firium Z
Intimidate
Adamant
160 spe / 252 att / 96 hp
Flare Blitz
Wild Charge
Extreme Speed
Protect
I chose Arcanine first up as it is regarded as the best fire type in the format, intimidate is great, and Arcanine pulls its weight in almost every battle due to good stats, great ability and good coverage options and versatility. A Z crystal is a good option for Arcanine, as it was mostly a user of life orb/choice band in the past. Arcanine is one of my fav all time Pokemon, and I'm glad it is so good in VGC this year.
I bring this guy literally every time. The speed evs are to outrun max speed Pelipper by 2 points, some scrubs go + spe Pelipper.
Celesteela@Leftovers
Calm
252 hp / 88 def / 164 sp def
Flash cannon
Flamethrower
Leech seed
Protect
This thing puts pressure on the other team during their pre game selection. Sometimes I see all they have to beat this thing is an Arcanine, so I bring it and go about trying to eliminate said Arcanine. If they have an electric + a fire type I tend not to bring Celesteela. I went a special attacking set for flamethrower and just to be different and maybe throw someone off, I don't see heavy slam + sub as that much different in overall effectiveness. Having a ground immunity for equakes is nice.
Def evs to tank flare blitzes and the like.
Lapras@Iappa berry
Quiet
Water Absorb
252 sp def / 188 sp att / 64 def
Freeze dry
Hydro Pump
Perish song
Ice shard
Water absorb on this thing is nice, some scrubs don't see it coming. Freeze dry is a nice move as it is SE vs many types. Ice shard primarily for Garchomp as it has no att investment and priority for sashes and low hp mons is always nice. Lapras is tanky, fares ok vs Gastrodon, and water and ice stab attacks hit almost everything for good damage.
Gengar@focus sash
Timid
252 spe / 252 sp att / 4 sp def
Shadow ball
Sludge bomb
Thunderbolt
Haze
Gengar has always been another of favourite mons, poison and ghost stabs grant it great coverage in this VGC, esp against tapus. Thunderbolt for Celesteela, Haze for crazy stat up shenanigans like Eevee or water shuriken Smeargle + Pallosand/Mudsdale or just calm mind/weakness policy. Being quite fast makes Gengar a good hazer. Being faster than Ninetales allows me to to pick it off before it gets up aurora veil with the help of priority in my team. Gengar is not considered a top threat this gen, but I like its immunity to fake out, unpredictability and cursed body can sometimes screw a choice mon.
I think they got rid of levitate to stop this thing dominating VGC 17.
Garchomp@Choice scarf
rough skin
Jolly
252 spe / 252 att / 4 sp def
Earthquake
Rock slide
Outrage
Dragon claw
This thing and Arcanine make up the 2 most common pokes this VGC. Ground is just such a great attacking type and paired with dragon makes for a great defensive typing too. Dragon seems to be a poor attacking type this VGC but is still useful for other chomps/mence.
A lot of people tell me scarf chomp is a bad choice, but it outspeeds Lele/koko and a fast rock slide is nice for flinch hax. Sometimes people just don't see the scarf coming and it costs them the game. Just have to be careful not to get locked into equake when it can hamper me.
Golisopod@Life Orb
252 att / 252 hp / 4 sp def
Brave 0 spe IV
First Impression
Sucker Punch
Wide Guard
Liquidation
When I played through Sun and Moon, I thought "Wow Golisopod sux'. Most people think this thing sux. People seeing it in team preview think 'wow what an easy beat chump, Golisopod'. No one really has much experience vs a well used Golisopod and no one expects much of it. First impression does good damage vs even some fast mons that resist it. On the ladder people are like 'What, that thing gets wide guard?' It is slower than Araqaunid and I mainly only bring Golisopd vs trick room teams, and never against Lele. It shits all over Torkoal eruption shenanigans, and east Alolan Raichu for breakfast. Life orb recoil activates emergency exit, and I use this thing as pivot. I can switch out Arcanine, then fire off a priority move with Golisopd, either activating emergency exit thru recoil or an opponents attack to bring Arcanine straight back in for intimidate again. Bug Water is great typing, and this thing takes about 20% from Garchomp equake, I quite often hit it with my own Chomp. When it comes back in it gets another First impression to fire off.
People say thins thing sux, that I definitely should use Araquanid instead, but I've found it to be very successful at its role on my team, and I just like this mon.
OAK "Gary, do you know why you have lost? You have failed to treat your Pokemon with trust and love, and without them, you will never be trainer again."
I find I am far more successful when I am having fun and using my fav Pokemon, Pokemon I know inside and out.
Arcanine@Firium Z
Intimidate
Adamant
160 spe / 252 att / 96 hp
Flare Blitz
Wild Charge
Extreme Speed
Protect
I chose Arcanine first up as it is regarded as the best fire type in the format, intimidate is great, and Arcanine pulls its weight in almost every battle due to good stats, great ability and good coverage options and versatility. A Z crystal is a good option for Arcanine, as it was mostly a user of life orb/choice band in the past. Arcanine is one of my fav all time Pokemon, and I'm glad it is so good in VGC this year.
I bring this guy literally every time. The speed evs are to outrun max speed Pelipper by 2 points, some scrubs go + spe Pelipper.
Celesteela@Leftovers
Calm
252 hp / 88 def / 164 sp def
Flash cannon
Flamethrower
Leech seed
Protect
This thing puts pressure on the other team during their pre game selection. Sometimes I see all they have to beat this thing is an Arcanine, so I bring it and go about trying to eliminate said Arcanine. If they have an electric + a fire type I tend not to bring Celesteela. I went a special attacking set for flamethrower and just to be different and maybe throw someone off, I don't see heavy slam + sub as that much different in overall effectiveness. Having a ground immunity for equakes is nice.
Def evs to tank flare blitzes and the like.
Lapras@Iappa berry
Quiet
Water Absorb
252 sp def / 188 sp att / 64 def
Freeze dry
Hydro Pump
Perish song
Ice shard
Water absorb on this thing is nice, some scrubs don't see it coming. Freeze dry is a nice move as it is SE vs many types. Ice shard primarily for Garchomp as it has no att investment and priority for sashes and low hp mons is always nice. Lapras is tanky, fares ok vs Gastrodon, and water and ice stab attacks hit almost everything for good damage.
Gengar@focus sash
Timid
252 spe / 252 sp att / 4 sp def
Shadow ball
Sludge bomb
Thunderbolt
Haze
Gengar has always been another of favourite mons, poison and ghost stabs grant it great coverage in this VGC, esp against tapus. Thunderbolt for Celesteela, Haze for crazy stat up shenanigans like Eevee or water shuriken Smeargle + Pallosand/Mudsdale or just calm mind/weakness policy. Being quite fast makes Gengar a good hazer. Being faster than Ninetales allows me to to pick it off before it gets up aurora veil with the help of priority in my team. Gengar is not considered a top threat this gen, but I like its immunity to fake out, unpredictability and cursed body can sometimes screw a choice mon.
I think they got rid of levitate to stop this thing dominating VGC 17.
Garchomp@Choice scarf
rough skin
Jolly
252 spe / 252 att / 4 sp def
Earthquake
Rock slide
Outrage
Dragon claw
This thing and Arcanine make up the 2 most common pokes this VGC. Ground is just such a great attacking type and paired with dragon makes for a great defensive typing too. Dragon seems to be a poor attacking type this VGC but is still useful for other chomps/mence.
A lot of people tell me scarf chomp is a bad choice, but it outspeeds Lele/koko and a fast rock slide is nice for flinch hax. Sometimes people just don't see the scarf coming and it costs them the game. Just have to be careful not to get locked into equake when it can hamper me.
Golisopod@Life Orb
252 att / 252 hp / 4 sp def
Brave 0 spe IV
First Impression
Sucker Punch
Wide Guard
Liquidation
When I played through Sun and Moon, I thought "Wow Golisopod sux'. Most people think this thing sux. People seeing it in team preview think 'wow what an easy beat chump, Golisopod'. No one really has much experience vs a well used Golisopod and no one expects much of it. First impression does good damage vs even some fast mons that resist it. On the ladder people are like 'What, that thing gets wide guard?' It is slower than Araqaunid and I mainly only bring Golisopd vs trick room teams, and never against Lele. It shits all over Torkoal eruption shenanigans, and east Alolan Raichu for breakfast. Life orb recoil activates emergency exit, and I use this thing as pivot. I can switch out Arcanine, then fire off a priority move with Golisopd, either activating emergency exit thru recoil or an opponents attack to bring Arcanine straight back in for intimidate again. Bug Water is great typing, and this thing takes about 20% from Garchomp equake, I quite often hit it with my own Chomp. When it comes back in it gets another First impression to fire off.
People say thins thing sux, that I definitely should use Araquanid instead, but I've found it to be very successful at its role on my team, and I just like this mon.
OAK "Gary, do you know why you have lost? You have failed to treat your Pokemon with trust and love, and without them, you will never be trainer again."
I find I am far more successful when I am having fun and using my fav Pokemon, Pokemon I know inside and out.
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