To decide once and for all who is the best trainer, my friend and I decided to have a battle. The rules are as follows: we both make our ultimate team using only pokemons/moves/items you can get in the games we own (Leafgreen and Emerald for me). The battle will be gen 3, single 6v6, no legendary/mythical pokemon and no duplicate items/pokemons. Since there is no way I'm going to be called the second best trainer for the rest of our time together, I'm hoping you could help make my team as viable as possible (my friend and I have never played pokemon competitively, so I have no idea if I'm doing it right).
Note 1: with 'ultimate' team we mean using our favorite pokemon, as in if pokemon were real, what team would you use in real life. Every pokemon in my team is in there for a special reason, so even though they might not have the best synergy, I'm not going to change them. The moves/items/EVs/strategies/... are all up for improvement though.
Note 2: remember that everything has to be obtainable in the either Leafgreen or Emerald, so if you're wondering why I'm not using stuff like a Salac Berry, it's because they don't exist in those games unfortunately.
Note 3: While I want feedback or general tips on everything in my team (except the pokemon themselves of course), next to the stuff I'm least sure about I will put a (*), so those are the ones I need help with the most.
Alright, let's go!
The Tank
Metagross @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk/-SpA)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Explosion
In this team because he is my favorite pokemon ever! The physical wall/offense. Metagross's job is to switch into a physical attack, tank it like a boss, retaliate and switch out again. He is incredibly sturdy and his offense is great. Definitely one of the MVPs of this team. However, even despite Leftovers and his great Defense, he usually doesn't survive very long. Meteor Mash and Earthquake for strong offense, Explosion defeats pretty much anything in the game, Protect to get an extra turn of Leftovers.
The Support
Venusaur @ Lum Berry
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD/-Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Leech Seed
- Razor Leaf
- Synthesis
In this team because Leafgreen was my first pokemon game, and the first time I played it I chose Bulbasaur as my starter, in other words, Venusaur was my very first pokemon ever! The special wall/support. Venusaur is usually in the thick of the action. His great bulk lets him take a lot of hits and he has very good recovery, which makes him stay alive for a very long time, and the Lum Berry sure helps with that. His job is to support his teammates by tanking special hits, making dangerous pokemon sleep with Sleep Powder and heal them back up with Leech Seed. Synthesis is so he can stay in the game as long as possible. His only problem is that he gets hit super effectively by quite a bit of special types. I chose Razor Leaf over Sludge Bomb because my team has a lot of trouble with bulky water types and I felt like my team needed extra special attack more than physical attack. He is also incredibly good in slowly wearing down even the strongest opponents.
The Speedster
Alakazam @ Twisted Spoon (*)
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe/-Atk)
- Psychic
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch
In this team because I've always had a weird obsession with him? The special offense/speeddevil. I have a love/hate relation with Alakazam. He is incredibly good in what he does, which is outspeeding almost everything (great for finishing of almost-defeated pokemon) and hitting them with insane power. In terms of attacking power, he is the special equivalent of Metagross. BUT he is so incredibly frail. Alakazam really is all about OHKO the other guy or die yourself, even when hit with a special attack. Another issue with this is that you can't switch him in unless one of my pokemon gets defeated. It's for this reason I usually lead with him. Psychic and the elemental punches so his coverage is as wide as possible, since I start with him so I don't know what he will be up against. I tried using Calm Mind for a while but I never used it anyway.
The Trickster
Gengar @ Sitrus Berry (*)
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 172 HP / 148 SpA / 188 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA/-Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond
In this team because I think he has the best design out of all pokemon. The special offense/general annoyance. At first I used him as a special speedster, like Alakazam, but while testing him out I found he works much better as sort of annoyance to the opponent. His job is to switch into one of his immunities and then either burn physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp or do some damage with Thunderbolt or Ice Punch and switch out again when he senses danger. And he is great at this. He might not do as much damage as Alakazam, but his purpose is more to wear them down over time. Destiny Bond is a great move because of Gengars speed it's basically a free kill. His only problem might be that he is outspeeded by quite a lot of pokemon and has a lack of recovery. Gengar is really one of the MVPs as well, together with Metagross.
The Mixer
Blaziken @ Scope Lens (*)
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 196 Atk / 80 SpA / 232 Spe
Quirky Nature (-/-)
- Swords Dance
- Sky Uppercut
- Fire Blast
- Quick Attack (*)
In this team because he is my third favorite pokemon. The mixed sweeper. Blaziken takes care of Blissey and Snorlax, who are otherwise deadly for my team and he can take care of a wide arrange of pokemon due to him being both a physical (Sky Uppercut) and special (Fire Blast) attacker. For this reason, especially after a Swords Dance, he is a great sweeper. But he also has his problems. He's pretty frail so he usually doesn't survive very long, this is made worse by the fact he also isn't very fast. For these reasons I usually keep him for late game where he's at his best. I didn't go with Rock Slide because I switch out against Flying-types. Quick Attack is good for finishing off weakened Pokemon and after a Swords Dance it can do quite some damage, but it isn't that useful most of the time.
The Finisher
Tyranitar @ Shell Bell
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk/-SpA)
- Dragon Dance
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Taunt (*)
in this team because he is my second favorite pokemon. The finisher. Tyranitar is an incredible good pokemon, I don't need to say that for you to know, but there are 2 problems: 1) he gets walled by bulky water types or physical walls and defeated by fast Fighting/Ground/Steel type pokemon before he can set up (he does have a lot of type weaknesses), 2) his Sand Stream ability is really bad for the rest of the team (Venusaurs Synthesis gets weaker and only Metagross is immune to it). And it's here that my general strategy developed (see below). Once the path has been cleared Tyranitar is basically unstoppable with Dragon Dance. For the final slot I didn't really know what to take, since Rock Slide and Earthquake already cover pretty much anything. I went with Taunt because it's good sometimes because a lot of pokemon throw utility moves at him and it makes him set up Dragon Dances easier. Shell bell is also great, even better than Leftovers most of the time, because he OHKOs a lot and the HP gained from that is a lot more than with Leftovers.
General Strategy
In early and mid game, I use Metagross, Venusaur, Alakazam, Gengar and Blaziken to fight against the opponent and scout through their team to find the pokemon that can stop Tyranitar when he starts sweeping, I keep Tyranitar himself in the back so the Sandstorm doesn't get in the way of the others. Metagross, Venusaur and Gengar really are the core of this team and I constantly switch between them. Their reliability and longevity keeps the team on their feet. Once the pokemon that can stop Tyranitar have been identified, I do whatever it takes to take them down. Especially Explosion Metagross and Destiny Bond Gengar shine at this. Alakazam is great for threats like Salamance or Gengar, but he usually dies pretty fast due to his low defenses. Blaziken is usually, though not exclusively, saved for mid to (early-)late game, because as I've said above he's at his best there (and also because he is my spare finisher in case something happens with Tyranitar). A great thing about Blaziken though is that he has very similar counters to Tyranitar (bulky water types and fast, strong-hitting pokemon), so he is great at bringing them out. Once his counters are gone, the finisher Tyranitar comes out, sets up and continues to destroy. The great thing about this strategy is that it doesn't really matter how many of my pokemon gets defeated in the beginning. Say there are 3 pokemon that can stop Tyranitar, then it doesn't matter if all 5 of my pokemon faint just to take down those 3, because I know Tyranitar can finish it.
Now, like always, theory and reality are sometimes different. A lot of times Tyranitar is forced to come out sooner, like when there is a pokemon rampaging that only he can stop or Metagross gets taken out sooner than expected and I need a new physical wall. Even when all his counters are gone and he has set up he sometimes still loses. It's like everyone is so used to deal with Dragon Dance Tyranitar they can do it with their eyes closes. Well I guess the advantage of battling against my friend instead of you guys is that he is as inexperienced as I am haha.
Note 1: with 'ultimate' team we mean using our favorite pokemon, as in if pokemon were real, what team would you use in real life. Every pokemon in my team is in there for a special reason, so even though they might not have the best synergy, I'm not going to change them. The moves/items/EVs/strategies/... are all up for improvement though.
Note 2: remember that everything has to be obtainable in the either Leafgreen or Emerald, so if you're wondering why I'm not using stuff like a Salac Berry, it's because they don't exist in those games unfortunately.
Note 3: While I want feedback or general tips on everything in my team (except the pokemon themselves of course), next to the stuff I'm least sure about I will put a (*), so those are the ones I need help with the most.
Alright, let's go!
The Tank
Metagross @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk/-SpA)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Explosion
In this team because he is my favorite pokemon ever! The physical wall/offense. Metagross's job is to switch into a physical attack, tank it like a boss, retaliate and switch out again. He is incredibly sturdy and his offense is great. Definitely one of the MVPs of this team. However, even despite Leftovers and his great Defense, he usually doesn't survive very long. Meteor Mash and Earthquake for strong offense, Explosion defeats pretty much anything in the game, Protect to get an extra turn of Leftovers.
The Support
Venusaur @ Lum Berry
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpD/-Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Leech Seed
- Razor Leaf
- Synthesis
In this team because Leafgreen was my first pokemon game, and the first time I played it I chose Bulbasaur as my starter, in other words, Venusaur was my very first pokemon ever! The special wall/support. Venusaur is usually in the thick of the action. His great bulk lets him take a lot of hits and he has very good recovery, which makes him stay alive for a very long time, and the Lum Berry sure helps with that. His job is to support his teammates by tanking special hits, making dangerous pokemon sleep with Sleep Powder and heal them back up with Leech Seed. Synthesis is so he can stay in the game as long as possible. His only problem is that he gets hit super effectively by quite a bit of special types. I chose Razor Leaf over Sludge Bomb because my team has a lot of trouble with bulky water types and I felt like my team needed extra special attack more than physical attack. He is also incredibly good in slowly wearing down even the strongest opponents.
The Speedster
Alakazam @ Twisted Spoon (*)
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe/-Atk)
- Psychic
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch
In this team because I've always had a weird obsession with him? The special offense/speeddevil. I have a love/hate relation with Alakazam. He is incredibly good in what he does, which is outspeeding almost everything (great for finishing of almost-defeated pokemon) and hitting them with insane power. In terms of attacking power, he is the special equivalent of Metagross. BUT he is so incredibly frail. Alakazam really is all about OHKO the other guy or die yourself, even when hit with a special attack. Another issue with this is that you can't switch him in unless one of my pokemon gets defeated. It's for this reason I usually lead with him. Psychic and the elemental punches so his coverage is as wide as possible, since I start with him so I don't know what he will be up against. I tried using Calm Mind for a while but I never used it anyway.
The Trickster
Gengar @ Sitrus Berry (*)
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 172 HP / 148 SpA / 188 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA/-Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond
In this team because I think he has the best design out of all pokemon. The special offense/general annoyance. At first I used him as a special speedster, like Alakazam, but while testing him out I found he works much better as sort of annoyance to the opponent. His job is to switch into one of his immunities and then either burn physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp or do some damage with Thunderbolt or Ice Punch and switch out again when he senses danger. And he is great at this. He might not do as much damage as Alakazam, but his purpose is more to wear them down over time. Destiny Bond is a great move because of Gengars speed it's basically a free kill. His only problem might be that he is outspeeded by quite a lot of pokemon and has a lack of recovery. Gengar is really one of the MVPs as well, together with Metagross.
The Mixer
Blaziken @ Scope Lens (*)
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 196 Atk / 80 SpA / 232 Spe
Quirky Nature (-/-)
- Swords Dance
- Sky Uppercut
- Fire Blast
- Quick Attack (*)
In this team because he is my third favorite pokemon. The mixed sweeper. Blaziken takes care of Blissey and Snorlax, who are otherwise deadly for my team and he can take care of a wide arrange of pokemon due to him being both a physical (Sky Uppercut) and special (Fire Blast) attacker. For this reason, especially after a Swords Dance, he is a great sweeper. But he also has his problems. He's pretty frail so he usually doesn't survive very long, this is made worse by the fact he also isn't very fast. For these reasons I usually keep him for late game where he's at his best. I didn't go with Rock Slide because I switch out against Flying-types. Quick Attack is good for finishing off weakened Pokemon and after a Swords Dance it can do quite some damage, but it isn't that useful most of the time.
The Finisher
Tyranitar @ Shell Bell
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk/-SpA)
- Dragon Dance
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Taunt (*)
in this team because he is my second favorite pokemon. The finisher. Tyranitar is an incredible good pokemon, I don't need to say that for you to know, but there are 2 problems: 1) he gets walled by bulky water types or physical walls and defeated by fast Fighting/Ground/Steel type pokemon before he can set up (he does have a lot of type weaknesses), 2) his Sand Stream ability is really bad for the rest of the team (Venusaurs Synthesis gets weaker and only Metagross is immune to it). And it's here that my general strategy developed (see below). Once the path has been cleared Tyranitar is basically unstoppable with Dragon Dance. For the final slot I didn't really know what to take, since Rock Slide and Earthquake already cover pretty much anything. I went with Taunt because it's good sometimes because a lot of pokemon throw utility moves at him and it makes him set up Dragon Dances easier. Shell bell is also great, even better than Leftovers most of the time, because he OHKOs a lot and the HP gained from that is a lot more than with Leftovers.
General Strategy
In early and mid game, I use Metagross, Venusaur, Alakazam, Gengar and Blaziken to fight against the opponent and scout through their team to find the pokemon that can stop Tyranitar when he starts sweeping, I keep Tyranitar himself in the back so the Sandstorm doesn't get in the way of the others. Metagross, Venusaur and Gengar really are the core of this team and I constantly switch between them. Their reliability and longevity keeps the team on their feet. Once the pokemon that can stop Tyranitar have been identified, I do whatever it takes to take them down. Especially Explosion Metagross and Destiny Bond Gengar shine at this. Alakazam is great for threats like Salamance or Gengar, but he usually dies pretty fast due to his low defenses. Blaziken is usually, though not exclusively, saved for mid to (early-)late game, because as I've said above he's at his best there (and also because he is my spare finisher in case something happens with Tyranitar). A great thing about Blaziken though is that he has very similar counters to Tyranitar (bulky water types and fast, strong-hitting pokemon), so he is great at bringing them out. Once his counters are gone, the finisher Tyranitar comes out, sets up and continues to destroy. The great thing about this strategy is that it doesn't really matter how many of my pokemon gets defeated in the beginning. Say there are 3 pokemon that can stop Tyranitar, then it doesn't matter if all 5 of my pokemon faint just to take down those 3, because I know Tyranitar can finish it.
Now, like always, theory and reality are sometimes different. A lot of times Tyranitar is forced to come out sooner, like when there is a pokemon rampaging that only he can stop or Metagross gets taken out sooner than expected and I need a new physical wall. Even when all his counters are gone and he has set up he sometimes still loses. It's like everyone is so used to deal with Dragon Dance Tyranitar they can do it with their eyes closes. Well I guess the advantage of battling against my friend instead of you guys is that he is as inexperienced as I am haha.
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