GP 3/6 :D
i'm done here
Triples Advice
In Maison triples battles, your team consists of six Pokemon, with three starting in battle and three in reserve. Strategies are fairly similar to those in doubles, but there are some key format-specific differences. The biggest mechanical change is attack range. When you send out your Pokemon, your first and third are on the left and right sides, while your second is in the middle of the field, with your opponent's Pokemon in the same alignment. Normal single-target attacking moves cannot hit a Pokemon on the opposite side of the field, and even spread moves can only hit Pokemon one space over. This means that if you want a spread move to be able to hit your opponent's entire team, the user must be in that middle spot. Similarly, if you place a bait Pokemon on one of the flanks, it often won't be able to draw attacks from the foe on the far side. Flying-type and pulse moves (Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, etc.) get around this limitation and can attack at any range, making such moves valuable for side Pokemon. You should be very careful when aligning your Pokemon, to be sure you get best value from your attacks. Typically, you'll want your biggest attacker in the middle, while a support Pokemon, with moves that can help its entire team regardless of range such as Tailwind, is better suited to the sides.
Another triples difference is that with six Pokemon on your team, it's easier to limit variance than in other formats. This facilitates generally longer streaks and makes playing a balanced goodstuff team particularly viable. With three Pokemon active at once, however, you can also set up some particularly nice combos, perhaps sending out a Pokemon that brings favorable weather, using Tailwind, attacking, and protecting your team, all in the same turn (that's four things though ?_?). More generally, many doubles strategies work well in triples and can even be supercharged thanks to the presence of an additional active Pokemon. Just as moves that boost or protect your whole team are better in doubles than in singles, they are typically even better in triples than in doubles. A successful Mat Block, for example, lets two of your Pokemon get a free attack in, not just one. Just like doubles battles, triples battles move quickly, and Pokemon should typically spend their turns attacking or supporting their team, not merely boosting themselves or trying to set up defensively.
After nineteen battles in regular triples, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Dana, with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Magneton @ Shuca Berry
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Screech
- Metal Sound
Dragalge @ Bright Powder
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Waterfall
- Facade
- Double Team
- Poison Tail
Piloswine @ Persim Berry
Nature: Bashful
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Blizzard
- Trash (what)
- Earthquake
- Hail
Magcargo @ White Herb
Nature: Quiet
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Overheat
- Earth Power
- Gyro Ball
- Body Slam
Whimsicott @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Energy Ball
- Moonblast
- Leech Seed
- Tailwind
Girafarig @ Colbur Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Energy Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
After forty-nine battles in super triples, you'll again face Dana, this time with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Articuno @ Charti Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Frost Breath
- Reflect
- Steel Wing
- U-turn
Zapdos @ Petaya Berry
Nature: Naive
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Thunder
- Light Screen
- Rain Dance
- Drill Peck
Moltres @ White Herb
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Overheat
- Air Slash
- Tailwind
- Will-O-Wisp
Regirock @ Luminous Moss
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
- Ice Punch
- Rock Slide
- Drain Punch
- Earthquake
Regice @ Zoom Lens
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD
- Thunder
- Blizzard
- Focus Blast
- Thunder Wave
Registeel @ King's Rock
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Rock Polish
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Thunder Punch
Triples Recommended Pokemon
Note that most Pokemon that are strong in doubles can effectively use similar sets in triples, so they won't be discussed again here.
Talonflame: Wonderful at both support and cleaning, Talonflame is a great flank Pokemon for a triples team. With Tailwind, Talonflame can give its team a Speed advantage for the next three turns, while STAB Brave Bird and Flare Blitz combine for good coverage and hit hard, even coming off Talonflame's mediocre Attack. Brave Bird can hit foes on the far side of the field, and with Gale Wings, it gets priority, allowing it to outspeed even Choice Scarf users and most +1 priority attacks. Protect rounds out Talonflame's set well, as due to its low defenses and a 4x weakness, Talonflame will draw its share of attacks. Other more than viable move options include Taunt and Quick Guard; Taunt is particularly useful on a goodstuff team, neutering otherwise annoying or even downright threatening foes such as Stockpile and Double Team users and Trick Room setters, while suicide Tailwind setters can get good mileage out of Quick Guard to block opposing Fake Outs. Sharp Beak is probably the best item on Tailwind Talonflame because it will use Brave Bird far more than the non-mandatory Flare Blitz and you avoid a fight over items like Life Orb, which other teammates will want more. An Adamant nature with maximum Attack investment maximizes the power of Talonflame's attacking moves. While maximizing Speed is an option, Talonflame is very fast even without EV investment, and most of its moves have priority, so maximizing HP is often better to be able to better take hits and take more recoil damage. However, when using Talonflame as a suicide Tailwind setter with Quick Guard, full Speed investment is worth considering to outspeed as many opposing Fake Outs as possible.
Sample set:
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
- Brave Bird
- Taunt / Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect
Blastoise: Thanks to its Mega Evolution and access to Water Spout, Blastoise can finally live the Pokemon Blue dream of smashing into battle, water cannons blazing, blasting away at all before it. With 150 Base Power at full health and coming off a base 135 Special Attack, Mega Blastoise's Water Spout can dish out some pretty ridiculous damage to all three foes if positioned in the middle of your line. With rain support, the damage can be upped even further. Because of a relatively low base 78 Speed and the fact that Water Spout's power decreases as Mega Blastoise takes damage, Tailwind and Mat Block support are highly recommended. While Mega Blastoise's good defenses mean it can often take several hits before fainting, because these hits can weaken Water Spout to the point of uselessness, it's important to have good supplemental moves. Aura Sphere receives a 50% damage boost due to Mega Launcher, making it a particularly strong option, and Ice Beam provides excellent coverage; alternatively, Dark Pulse, which also receives a Mega Launcher boost, provides good coverage on opposing Trick Room setters, a big threat to typical Mega Blastoise teams. Protect is probably the best bet for the final move. For such an attacking set, you naturally want maximum Special Attack EVs. With Tailwind support, a Modest nature with maximum Speed EVs will allow Mega Blastoise to barely outrun everything you'll face after battle 40.
Alternate options for a powerful spread attacker include Pixilate Hyper Voice and Eruption users, such as Choice Specs Sylveon and the aforementioned Mega Gardevoir and Typhlosion, Oblivia Heatran, and Entei, respectively.
Sample set:
Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
Nature: Modest
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Water Spout
- Dark Pulse / Ice Beam
- Aura Sphere / Ice Beam
- Protect
Manectric: When looking at a Mat Block Greninja opening as a two-turn affair, it should be obvious that this provides several different possibilities of setting up. One way of capitalizing on the free turn provided by Mat Block is by pairing up Greninja with a Volt Switch user; the momentum and flexibility provided by the possibility to completely safely bring in a backup of choice while weakening or KOing a foe in the process are downright enormous and have been the backbone of multiple successful triples teams. Mega Manectric is one of the best options for this role, mainly due to its pre-Mega ability Lightningrod, which allows it to completely shut down the several fast Electric-types that are notorious for giving Greninja trouble, as well as its ability to outspeed and OHKO other notorious Greninja checks in Aerodactyl and Crobat after Mega Evolving. Mega Manectric's set is incredibly straightforward, with a Timid nature and maximum Special Attack and Speed investment making it as fast and powerful as possible while movewise, Thunderbolt and Protect are mandatory alongside Volt Switch for a good STAB move and the general utility provided by the latter move, respectively. In the final slot, Flamethrower is generally preferred over Hidden Power Ice, as using the latter move will leave Mega Manectric shut down completely by opposing Lightningrod users and Greninja generally runs Ice Beam anyway, leaving Hidden Power Ice's coverage redundant. As for teammates, as stated Mega Manectric is best paired up with Greninja in order to fully capitalize on the Mat Block / Volt Switch combo; however, other Electric-weak Pokemon naturally appreciate its Lightningrod support as well, such as Talonflame and Gyarados. Additionally, Mega Manectric really appreciates a Flying-type or Levitate user as a backup, as it attracts Earthquakes like a magnet and the ability to bring in a Ground-immune Pokemon allows it to safely Volt Switch out even after the Mat Block turn. Good options include Hydreigon, Latios, and Talonflame. An alternate Volt Switch user is Rotom-W, which trades Lightningrod for a Ground immunity that allows it to be paired up with a Ground-weak Pokemon such as Mega Lucario; alternatively, Raikou is a usable option that is similar to Mega Manectric statwise but doesn't use the Mega slot and has a less barren movepool than Rotom-W.
Sample set:
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower / Hidden Power Ice
- Protect
Rotations Advice
In rotation battles, your team consists of four Pokemon, with three active and one in reserve. Rotation battles are a little like singles battles in that you'll only have one Pokemon attacking each turn, but the ability to rotate between Pokemon without losing a turn makes for a very fast-paced fight. Of your three Pokemon in the field, one will be "leading," while the other two will be visible but unable to attack or be attacked. Additionally, if a Pokemon has a one-time activation ability such as Intimidate or Sand Stream, it will only trigger if it is sent out in the lead position, not if it is sent out in one of the backup positions. At the start of each turn, both you and the AI have the option to rotate to either of the other two active Pokemon, and unlike switching, your new leading Pokemon will attack immediately, without losing a turn; however, you won't know if or how the AI is rotating until you've already chosen your attack. When you rotate, the departing Pokemon's stat boosts or drops, attack lock (e.g. Outrage or Petal Dance), and volatile status (e.g. confusion) remain unchanged and will still affect the Pokemon if it later rotates it back in.
The ability to freely rotate complicates things relative to singles battles, as you'll have thirteen possible actions (any of the four attacks from all three of your active Pokemon or a switch to your inactive one), far more than the six possibilities in singles. You'll also have to deal with AI rotations, as the Earthquake that is super effective against your opponent's active Excadrill will be useless if the AI rotates to its Gengar. In return, you'll have much better knowledge of your opponent than in singles, as you begin knowing three of four enemy Pokemon rather than just one of three, often letting you better plan an overall strategy for the battle.
In general, setup sweepers are your best bet in rotation battles, as the AI's rotations are for all intents and purposes impossible to predict, which makes predicting your best attack difficult but also gives the AI lots of ways to choose a poor move, allowing you many chances to boost. Therefore, when building a team, it is of the utmost importance that your Pokemon's defensive typings complement each other extremely well so as not to give the AI a 'right' move to choose and to have them make as many stupid plays as possible (poor AI). This also makes Substitute a highly potent move in rotation battles, as it's surprisingly easy to get up a free Substitute on a poorly chosen move by the AI. Furthermore, as rotating does not reset a Pokemon's stats, you can boost and rotate out and still keep the boosted stats for future attacks when you rotate that Pokemon back in. Additionally, because rotating is free, dual screeners and clerics can be very helpful in rotation battles, as you don't lose a turn rotating between a sweeper and a cleric. Lastly, because of the unpredictability of the AI's rotations and the consequent impossibility of "targeting" your attacks, it is highly discouraged to use coverage moves for specific targets; as far as attacking moves go, you should generally stick with just a Pokemon's STAB moves, and other moveslots should be dedicated to utility or recovery moves or Substitute. The seeming randomness of rotation battles can sometimes be frustrating, but with solid play and a team built to take advantage of the AI's erratic choices, you can build a lengthy streak.
After nineteen battles in regular rotations, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Morgan, with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Klefki @ Apicot Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 SpD
- Flash Cannon
- Recycle
- Draining Kiss
- Metal Sound
Mantine @ Wacan Berry
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spd
- Air Slash
- Scald
- Wide Guard
- Aqua Ring
Swalot @ Black Sludge
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Stockpile
- Toxic
- Protect
- Earthquake
Sawsbuck @ Shell Bell
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Horn Leech
- Double-Edge
- Megahorn
- Leech Seed
After forty-nine battles in super rotations, you'll again face Morgan, this time with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Latias @ Lax Incense
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def
- Calm Mind
- Mist Ball
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
Cobalion @ Maranga Berry
Nature: Brave
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
- Metal Burst
- Sacred Sword
- Quick Attack
- Iron Head
Terrakion @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Sacred Sword
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Virizion @ Coba Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Leaf Blade
- Stone Edge
- Sacred Sword
- Protect
Rotations Recommended Pokemon
Note that many Pokemon that are strong in singles can effectively use similar sets in rotations, so they won't be discussed again here.
Klefki: With its strong defensive typing and ability Prankster, Klefki makes for an amazing support Pokemon that can consistently set up dual screens for its sweeper teammates. Furthermore, though Klefki's stats might appear low for the role of Calm Mind booster, thanks to the AI's penchant for strange rotation and attack choices, Klefki can be used as a remarkably effective rotations sweeper as well. As Klefki receives Prankster priority on all its support moves, Speed is irrelevant to support Klefki, and it will want a Defense- or Special Defense-boosting nature, typically Bold or Calm, with EVs distributed amongst HP, Defense, and Special Defense. Many specific EV spreads are viable, but maximizing HP is probably best for maximum mixed durability. Reflect and Light Screen with a held Light Clay are obvious choices for a dual screener, Safeguard is a good supplemental support move, and Foul Play makes for a reasonable choice of attacking move because it uses the target's Attack stat rather than Klefki's own anemic one. Depending on team needs, weather setting moves are also possibilities. Sweeper Klefki should run Dazzling Gleam as its attack, as a STAB move to which nothing is immune is wonderful in the unpredictable world of rotations. Prankster-quickened Calm Mind and Substitute help Klefki set up in the face of all sorts of attacks, while the combination of Protect and Leftovers will help it stall out threatening attacks and sneak in extra recovery. Sweeper Klefki takes advantage of the fact that even if the foe has a move that can reliably break Klefki's Substitute, the AI will often rotate around and choose poor attacks. Because Klefki's priority Substitute will almost always go first, Klefki knows each turn whether it can safely use Calm Mind or whether it needs to set up a Substitute again, and so it can often safely set up on foes that initially appear to be serious threats. Because sweeper Klefki can boost its Special Defense and Special Attack with Calm Mind, a Bold nature with EVs in HP and Defense is recommended.
Sample sets:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
Nature: Bold
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Def / 28 SpD
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect
- Dazzling Gleam
Klefki @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Safeguard
- Dazzling Gleam / Flash Cannon / Foul Play
Sharpedo: Due to the average rotations team's high reliance on setup moves, it comes as no surprise that you must be wary of the AI setting up alongside your team; therefore, your team should include a way to stop opposing setup sweepers in a pinch. One way to account for this is by including a Destiny Bond user; Sharpedo is an excellent option for this role, as its ability Speed Boost allows it to keep up with Speed-boosting sweepers and use Destiny Bond before they move even after they have fully set up. The typical Sharpedo set runs an Adamant nature with full Attack and Speed investment for maximum Speed and power; itemwise, Focus Sash is mandatory, not only due to Sharpedo's abysmal bulk but also in order to be able to attack much more freely initially without having to fear being OHKOed without being able to use Destiny Bond successfully. Its moves don't allow much customization: aside from Destiny Bond, Waterfall and Crunch are recommended for strong, reliable STAB moves, and Protect should be run in order to nab additional Speed boosts. As an added benefit, Sharpedo's reliance on Protect and Focus Sash makes it synergize naturally with Wish passers.
An excellent alternate Destiny Bond user is Gengar, which has a perfectly accurate Toxic as its most distinguishing feature and, unlike Sharpedo, doesn't rely on contact moves and therefore doesn't have to fear abilities such as Flame Body, Static, and Rough Skin. Additionally, Gengar's defensive typing is considerably better than Sharpedo's; however, Sharpedo's defensive typing is marginally better-suited for taking priority moves, and its offensive typing is much better than Gengar's.
Sample set:
Sharpedo @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Destiny Bond (you used spaces after the dashes before)
-Waterfall
-Crunch
-Protect
Sylveon: A terrific way to support your team's main sweeper is by including a cleric. Sylveon is an excellent option, setting itself apart from its Wish-passing brethren with its great offensive presence and its Fairy typing. A straightforward set should be your best bet, containing Wish to restore its teammates' HP, Protect to reliably make use of the Wish itself, and Heal Bell to remove otherwise crippling status ailments such as burn and paralysis from your sweeper. Lastly, Hyper Voice should be run as an attacking move, bypassing Substitutes and turning into a powerful Fairy-type STAB move thanks to Pixilate. Otherwise, Sylveon should use its EV spread and item to maximize its defensive capabilities; as such, Leftovers should be run alongside a Bold nature with full HP and Defense investment to patch up its otherwise underwhelming physical bulk.
Other options for a Wish passer include Vaporeon and Alomomola, both of which can pass much larger Wishes than Sylveon, with Vaporeon also having access to Haze as a means to stop setup sweepers; however, they lack Sylveon's great offensive presence, and Alomomola doesn't have access to Heal Bell or Aromatherapy. They also set themselves apart from Sylveon via their Water typing, which may be preferred for your team's typing synergy.
Sample set:
Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
-Wish (spaces after dashes)
-Protect
-Heal Bell
-Hyper Voice
Multi Advice
In Maison multi battles, you pair with another Trainer, either another human or the AI. Each of you selects two Pokemon, with one of each starting in play and the others in reserve, and face a pair of AI Trainers. If a Pokemon is KOed or switched out, it may only be replaced by its Trainer's other Pokemon, so if you KO both of a Trainer's Pokemon, you'll only be facing one Pokemon at a time for the rest of your battle, even if both of that Trainer's partner's Pokemon are still in good health. Other than this clause, multis with a human partner play mostly like double battles, and similar strategies should lead you to success. Do note, however, that each of you can use a Mega Evolution, which really skews things in your favor. Additionally, Species Clause and Item Clause only apply to an individual Trainer's team, meaning you and your partner can technically take on the challenge using the same two Pokemon.
Multis with with an AI partner are much more challenging. First, on XY, you need to acquire an AI partner with a decent pair of Pokemon. All players have the option to partner with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor, but if you review their Pokemon's sets, you'll see they are very lacking in power. To acquire more partner Trainers, you need to start obtaining Friend Codes. When you friend someone, you'll be able to use that Trainer's randomly assigned pair of two Pokemon. While many of these pairings will of course be pretty poor, friend enough people, and you should be able to find a reasonable set of partner Pokemon. Note that a Trainer will give the same partner Pokemon to all of his or her friends, so if you know that a person gave a great pairing to someone else, see if you can friend him or her to access the same pairing yourself. The non-default AI partners use the set 3 Pokemon from the master list of AI Pokemon.
Because the AI uses non-attacking moves in an erratic manner, such as using Protect when an attack would be a far better choice, it's best if you try to find a partner with all attacking moves. Similarly, Pokemon with one clear best attack are very valuable AI allies, as they are the easiest to predict and build a team around. Choice Scarf Typhlosion and Entei are of particular note, as they almost always lock themselves into a very powerful Eruption, but there are a number of other attacking Pokemon that can serve you fairly well. On ORAS, on the other hand, it isn't possible to obtain additional partners via Friend Codes; however, this time the defaults actually are good enough to reliably beat the Chatelaines. People have had most success with Steven, but Archie (on Alpha Sapphire) has a very usable team as well. Additionally, it should be noted that both on XY and on ORAS the default partners' lead Pokemon are determined only when you embark on your challenge, which can be rather frustrating. This setback doesn't apply to Friend Code-generated partners on XY, however.
When building and playing your team, it's important to keep the AI's tendencies in mind. Notably, the AI doesn't pay attention to its partner when using moves that affect all other Pokemon, so if your ally is leading with a Pokemon with Earthquake, you really want a lead (and perhaps a backup too) that is either Flying-type or has the Levitate ability. Likewise, the AI will use powerful attacks such as Focus Blast to finish off weakened enemies even when a more accurate but less powerful move would do the trick, so if your ally has such moves, you can't assume it will safely finish off a weakened target. One way to try to gain an advantage is to try to take out both of one enemy Trainer's Pokemon, so you can fight with a two-on-one advantage against the other Trainer, which should be favorable to you even if your partner is making poor move choices. An important difference between building in multis and doubles, or all other formats for that matter, is the unfeasibility of switching; as you and your partner's teams are separate and the AI for all intents and purposes doesn't switch to begin with, it's not realistic to try finding backups that can switch in on whatever threatens your lead and still function well with your AI partner. As such, you should try finding a backup that can simply revenge kill threats to your lead as opposed to switching in on them.
Sadly, the resulting inflexibility, among many, many other things, makes it considerably harder to net long streaks in multis; AI multi battles are particularly high variance, and you are very likely to lose in frustrating ways from your AI partner's bad decisions. Most players tend to focus on just getting through battle 50 of super multis so that they can get the multi battle trophy and then move on, but even with a reasonable AI partner, it can take a lot of persistence to get there.
After nineteen battles in regular multis, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Evelyn partnered with Battle Chatelaine Dana. Evelyn will use two of the following four Pokemon:
Lumineon @ Expert Belt
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Rain Dance
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Silver Wind
Primeape @ Scope Lens
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Cross Chop
- Stone Edge
- Retaliate
- Earthquake
Pachirisu @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Volt Switch
- U-turn
- Super Fang
- Light Screen
Persian @ Life Orb
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Round
- Fake Out
- Power Gem
- Dark Pulse
Dana will usewith two of the following six Pokemon:
Magneton @ Shuca Berry
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Screech
- Metal Sound
Dragalge @ Bright Powder
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Waterfall
- Facade
- Double Team
- Poison Tail
Piloswine @ Persim Berry
Nature: Bashful
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Blizzard
- Trash (what?)
- Earthquake
- Hail
Magcargo @ White Herb
Nature: Quiet
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Overheat
- Earth Power
- Gyro Ball
- Body Slam
Whimsicott @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Energy Ball
- Moonblast
- Leech Seed
- Tailwind
Girafarig @ Colbur Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Energy Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
After forty-nine battles in super multis, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Nita partnered with Battle Chatelaine Morgan. Nita will use two of the following three Pokemon:
Tornadus @ Yache Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA
- Substitute
- Double Team
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
Thundurus @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Wild Charge
- U-turn
- Crunch
- Sky Drop
Landorus @ Choice Scarf
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Earth Power
- Extrasensory
- Focus Blast
- Grass Knot
Morgan will use two of the following four Pokemon:
Latias @ Lax Incense
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def
- Calm Mind
- Mist Ball
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
Cobalion @ Maranga Berry
Nature: Brave
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
- Metal Burst
- Sacred Sword
- Quick Attack
- Iron Head
Terrakion @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Sacred Sword
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Virizion @ Coba Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Leaf Blade
- Stone Edge
- Sacred Sword
- Protect
Because ofthe multi's considerable similarity to doubles, the list of recommended doubles Pokemon is a good place to start when building multi battle teams, so there's no need for a separate list here; however, remember that if you are using an AI partner rather than a human, you might have to make some unusual choices to best complement your partner's team.
Threatlist
Naturally, when planning your team, you should be able to have a reliable way of dealing with some of the Maison's more threatening Pokemon. The following list isn't intended to be comprehensive, but to cover a few select threats that are generally considered to be difficult to handle and to show what kinds of foes to be on the lookout for.
OHKO Move Users
879 | Walrein4 | Bold | Lax Incense | Sheer Cold | Fissure | Rest | Sleep Talk | Def/SpD
Perhaps the most notorious foe the Battle Maison has to offer, Walrein4 is a very threatening and utterly luck-based foe to face. Its OHKO moves speak for themselves, it is unnervingly hard to OHKO due to its bulk investment, and it can negate attempts to Toxic stall it, recover back to full, and recycle its OHKO move PP via Rest + Sleep Talk. On top of all this, it has Lax Incense to dodge an otherwise fatal move and proceed to use Rest. A reliable way to deal with Walrein is via Substitute, stalling for a miss and then KOing it, setting up on it, or (if you're using Gliscor) simply stalling it out of all its attacking PP and fully setting up on it with a different Pokemon. Otherwise, you should simply try to overcome it with offensive pressure and hope for the best. OHKO move users aren't too common, but the most notable other ones are Donphan4 and Pinsir4; Donphan4 also has Sturdy as well as a Quick Claw to throw even more hax into the mess, but because it only has Fissure it can generally be outstalled via switch stalling, whereas Pinsir4 has a very fast Guillotine courtesy of its Choice Scarf but usually prefers other moves and doesn't appear too often in the first place.
Powerful Attackers
161 | Tyrantrum4 | Adamant | Choice Band | Crunch | Dragon Claw | Earthquake | Head Smash | Atk/Spd
Tyrantrum4's Choice Band-boosted Head Smash is one of the most powerful moves in the entire Maison, and if it comes out against something slower or something that can't OHKO it, one of your Pokemon is going to take an enormous amount of damage - (dash check) and especially if (in?) a format such as singles, where you can only use three Pokemon, having a single team member take heavy damage or be KOed will severly cripple your team. As Tyrantrum outruns most defensive Pokemon and has surprisingly good physical bulk—for instance, Mega Kangaskhan requires an Adamant nature to OHKO it with Earthquake—it isn't easily OHKOed at all, either.
The easiest way to account for Tyrantrum4 in singles is by using a lead that OHKOes it before it gets a chance to wreak havoc, such as Greninja, Dragonite, or Mega Kangaskhan; if your lead isn't capable of doing so, one of your other Pokemon must be able to switch in on its Choice Band-boosted Head Smash. Only very few Pokemon are capable of this, but a good example is Aegislash. In doubles and triples, Tyrantrum4 is considerably less threatening; while it hits still just as hard, its defensive typing and Speed are still just as mediocre, and seeing as you're sending out multiple Pokemon at the same time and your team will be more focused on offense, it is not at all unlikely that your preferred lineup will check it by default. Powerhouses such as Mat Block Greninja and Mega Gardevoir can OHKO it before it has a chance to even move, and naturally it can also be KOed much more easily by double targeting. The same thing applies to other powerful attackers, such as Tornadus1, which require a dedicated gameplan in singles but are more easily checked by default or taken care of with standard gambits in doubles and triples.
Setup Sweepers
898 | Volcarona4 | Bold | Leftovers | Hurricane | Quiver Dance | Bug Buzz | Heat Wave | HP/Def
Even without any offensive investment, Volcarona is one of the most feared Pokemon in the entire Maison, as after even a few Quiver Dance boosts, it becomes capable of running through teams and nearly impenetrable to special attacks. It is not easy to KO with physical attacks either due to its full bulk investment, and matters are made worse by its dumb, uncompetitive ability Flame Body, which will shut down your physical attacker if the dice rolls go against you; Mega Kangaskhan, which wouldn't have any trouble with it otherwise, will most likely come out burned, as it cannot KOit Volcarona even with a +2 Earthquake. The best way to handle Volcarona is simply to overwhelm it and hope Flame Body doesn't trigger; Dragon-types such as Dragonite and Garchomp generally match up well against it, while Pokemon such as Greninja and Gliscor can beat it one-on-one but cannot switch in on it. Once again, it is more easily overwhelmed in doubles and triples, and fortunately it matches up horribly against a triples staple in Talonflame. A similar threat is Gyarados4, which also has enormous bulk but has an excellent defensive typing and recovery in ChestoRest on top of this, whereas Garchomp4 is threatening because of its way greater power after just a single boost and inability to be OHKOed courtesy of its Focus Sash.
Evasion boosters (you capitalized "Sweeper" above, so should "boosters" be capitalized?)
929 | Zapdos2 | Bold | BrightPowder | Charge Beam | Heat Wave | Double Team | Roost | HP/SpD
While this Zapdos set does not pose an immediate threat, it is easily one of the most threatening foes you will run into, as it can quickly snowball out of control due to the combination of Double Team and Bright Powder. Additionally, it is annoyingly hard to KO because of its good defensive typing, bulk investment, and access to Roost; to make matters worse, while it doesn't immediately threaten your Pokemon offensively, Charge Beam boosts can rack up quickly and its spread Heat Wave can be really annoying in doubles and triples. The most reliable way to deal with it is to quickly KO it before it snowballs out of control, but unless you're packing one of the very few hard counters in Gliscor or Chansey or reliable checks in Clear Smog Gastrodon, it always has the potential of snowballing out of control; Ground-types in general can take it on somewhat reliably due to their immunity to Charge Beam. Its access to Static may make it even harder for physical attackers to take on, however. Other evasion boosters such as Blissey4 and Tauros4 are not as threatening due to their lack of offensive presence and lack of recovery, respectively.
Field conditions (capitalization)
Weather conditions and speed control moves such as Tailwind and Trick Room are well-known for their ability to turn a battle around in the blink of an eye, and the Battle Maison is no exception. Trick Room setters generally aren't too much of a problem in singles, as most of them don't pose an offensive threat, leaving their Trick Room turns easily stalled out; they are threatening in doubles and triples, where they have dangerous allies they can support. Similarly, Tailwind, Drizzle + Swift Swim, and Sand Stream + Sand Rush can put you at a huge disadvantage by turning the Speed tiers in your opponent's favor. The easiest way to counteract these is by bringing your own Tailwind as a situational option; however, this doesn't work against Trick Room. One way to account for this move is by bringing a Taunt user, but due to the presence of Oblivious Slowbro and Slowking and Aroma Veil Aromatisse, this isn't enough; therefore, it is also recommended to pack a couple Pokemon that can function decently well under Trick Room, such as Scizor and Talonflame, and to pack a Pokemon that matches up well against Trick Room setters and can KO them before they can set it, such as Greninja. Fake Out users are also an excellent way to stop Trick Room from going up, unless the setter is a Ghost-type. Additionally, Fake Out users are of great help against opposing Tailwind and weather-based Speed-boosting abilities to enable an allied Pokemon to remove the threatening sweeper. Another efficient way to account for Tailwind and weather is by packing Pokemon that match up well against them; an Electric-type such as Mega Manectric or Thundurus-T can help KO Tailwind setters before they can use the move, whereas you won't have to worry as much about rain if you pack a Gastrodon or Rotom-W. Trick Room, rain, and sand can generally be handled without too much trouble due to the AI's unsynergetic teams; however, a few Trainers, namely Hex Maniac Mara, Beauty Claire / Lana, and Worker Rasmus, respectively, specialize in these field conditions, so you should be on your guard against them.
Resources
In Maison triples battles, your team consists of six Pokemon, with three starting in battle and three in reserve. Strategies are fairly similar to those in doubles, but there are some key format-specific differences. The biggest mechanical change is attack range. When you send out your Pokemon, your first and third are on the left and right sides, while your second is in the middle of the field, with your opponent's Pokemon in the same alignment. Normal single-target attacking moves cannot hit a Pokemon on the opposite side of the field, and even spread moves can only hit Pokemon one space over. This means that if you want a spread move to be able to hit your opponent's entire team, the user must be in that middle spot. Similarly, if you place a bait Pokemon on one of the flanks, it often won't be able to draw attacks from the foe on the far side. Flying-type and pulse moves (Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, etc.) get around this limitation and can attack at any range, making such moves valuable for side Pokemon. You should be very careful when aligning your Pokemon, to be sure you get best value from your attacks. Typically, you'll want your biggest attacker in the middle, while a support Pokemon, with moves that can help its entire team regardless of range such as Tailwind, is better suited to the sides.
Another triples difference is that with six Pokemon on your team, it's easier to limit variance than in other formats. This facilitates generally longer streaks and makes playing a balanced goodstuff team particularly viable. With three Pokemon active at once, however, you can also set up some particularly nice combos, perhaps sending out a Pokemon that brings favorable weather, using Tailwind, attacking, and protecting your team, all in the same turn (that's four things though ?_?). More generally, many doubles strategies work well in triples and can even be supercharged thanks to the presence of an additional active Pokemon. Just as moves that boost or protect your whole team are better in doubles than in singles, they are typically even better in triples than in doubles. A successful Mat Block, for example, lets two of your Pokemon get a free attack in, not just one. Just like doubles battles, triples battles move quickly, and Pokemon should typically spend their turns attacking or supporting their team, not merely boosting themselves or trying to set up defensively.
After nineteen battles in regular triples, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Dana, with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Magneton @ Shuca Berry
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Screech
- Metal Sound
Dragalge @ Bright Powder
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Waterfall
- Facade
- Double Team
- Poison Tail
Piloswine @ Persim Berry
Nature: Bashful
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Blizzard
- Trash (what)
- Earthquake
- Hail
Magcargo @ White Herb
Nature: Quiet
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Overheat
- Earth Power
- Gyro Ball
- Body Slam
Whimsicott @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Energy Ball
- Moonblast
- Leech Seed
- Tailwind
Girafarig @ Colbur Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Energy Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
After forty-nine battles in super triples, you'll again face Dana, this time with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Articuno @ Charti Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Frost Breath
- Reflect
- Steel Wing
- U-turn
Zapdos @ Petaya Berry
Nature: Naive
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Thunder
- Light Screen
- Rain Dance
- Drill Peck
Moltres @ White Herb
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Overheat
- Air Slash
- Tailwind
- Will-O-Wisp
Regirock @ Luminous Moss
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
- Ice Punch
- Rock Slide
- Drain Punch
- Earthquake
Regice @ Zoom Lens
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD
- Thunder
- Blizzard
- Focus Blast
- Thunder Wave
Registeel @ King's Rock
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Rock Polish
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Thunder Punch
Triples Recommended Pokemon
Note that most Pokemon that are strong in doubles can effectively use similar sets in triples, so they won't be discussed again here.
Talonflame: Wonderful at both support and cleaning, Talonflame is a great flank Pokemon for a triples team. With Tailwind, Talonflame can give its team a Speed advantage for the next three turns, while STAB Brave Bird and Flare Blitz combine for good coverage and hit hard, even coming off Talonflame's mediocre Attack. Brave Bird can hit foes on the far side of the field, and with Gale Wings, it gets priority, allowing it to outspeed even Choice Scarf users and most +1 priority attacks. Protect rounds out Talonflame's set well, as due to its low defenses and a 4x weakness, Talonflame will draw its share of attacks. Other more than viable move options include Taunt and Quick Guard; Taunt is particularly useful on a goodstuff team, neutering otherwise annoying or even downright threatening foes such as Stockpile and Double Team users and Trick Room setters, while suicide Tailwind setters can get good mileage out of Quick Guard to block opposing Fake Outs. Sharp Beak is probably the best item on Tailwind Talonflame because it will use Brave Bird far more than the non-mandatory Flare Blitz and you avoid a fight over items like Life Orb, which other teammates will want more. An Adamant nature with maximum Attack investment maximizes the power of Talonflame's attacking moves. While maximizing Speed is an option, Talonflame is very fast even without EV investment, and most of its moves have priority, so maximizing HP is often better to be able to better take hits and take more recoil damage. However, when using Talonflame as a suicide Tailwind setter with Quick Guard, full Speed investment is worth considering to outspeed as many opposing Fake Outs as possible.
Sample set:
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
- Brave Bird
- Taunt / Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect
Blastoise: Thanks to its Mega Evolution and access to Water Spout, Blastoise can finally live the Pokemon Blue dream of smashing into battle, water cannons blazing, blasting away at all before it. With 150 Base Power at full health and coming off a base 135 Special Attack, Mega Blastoise's Water Spout can dish out some pretty ridiculous damage to all three foes if positioned in the middle of your line. With rain support, the damage can be upped even further. Because of a relatively low base 78 Speed and the fact that Water Spout's power decreases as Mega Blastoise takes damage, Tailwind and Mat Block support are highly recommended. While Mega Blastoise's good defenses mean it can often take several hits before fainting, because these hits can weaken Water Spout to the point of uselessness, it's important to have good supplemental moves. Aura Sphere receives a 50% damage boost due to Mega Launcher, making it a particularly strong option, and Ice Beam provides excellent coverage; alternatively, Dark Pulse, which also receives a Mega Launcher boost, provides good coverage on opposing Trick Room setters, a big threat to typical Mega Blastoise teams. Protect is probably the best bet for the final move. For such an attacking set, you naturally want maximum Special Attack EVs. With Tailwind support, a Modest nature with maximum Speed EVs will allow Mega Blastoise to barely outrun everything you'll face after battle 40.
Alternate options for a powerful spread attacker include Pixilate Hyper Voice and Eruption users, such as Choice Specs Sylveon and the aforementioned Mega Gardevoir and Typhlosion, Oblivia Heatran, and Entei, respectively.
Sample set:
Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
Nature: Modest
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Water Spout
- Dark Pulse / Ice Beam
- Aura Sphere / Ice Beam
- Protect
Manectric: When looking at a Mat Block Greninja opening as a two-turn affair, it should be obvious that this provides several different possibilities of setting up. One way of capitalizing on the free turn provided by Mat Block is by pairing up Greninja with a Volt Switch user; the momentum and flexibility provided by the possibility to completely safely bring in a backup of choice while weakening or KOing a foe in the process are downright enormous and have been the backbone of multiple successful triples teams. Mega Manectric is one of the best options for this role, mainly due to its pre-Mega ability Lightningrod, which allows it to completely shut down the several fast Electric-types that are notorious for giving Greninja trouble, as well as its ability to outspeed and OHKO other notorious Greninja checks in Aerodactyl and Crobat after Mega Evolving. Mega Manectric's set is incredibly straightforward, with a Timid nature and maximum Special Attack and Speed investment making it as fast and powerful as possible while movewise, Thunderbolt and Protect are mandatory alongside Volt Switch for a good STAB move and the general utility provided by the latter move, respectively. In the final slot, Flamethrower is generally preferred over Hidden Power Ice, as using the latter move will leave Mega Manectric shut down completely by opposing Lightningrod users and Greninja generally runs Ice Beam anyway, leaving Hidden Power Ice's coverage redundant. As for teammates, as stated Mega Manectric is best paired up with Greninja in order to fully capitalize on the Mat Block / Volt Switch combo; however, other Electric-weak Pokemon naturally appreciate its Lightningrod support as well, such as Talonflame and Gyarados. Additionally, Mega Manectric really appreciates a Flying-type or Levitate user as a backup, as it attracts Earthquakes like a magnet and the ability to bring in a Ground-immune Pokemon allows it to safely Volt Switch out even after the Mat Block turn. Good options include Hydreigon, Latios, and Talonflame. An alternate Volt Switch user is Rotom-W, which trades Lightningrod for a Ground immunity that allows it to be paired up with a Ground-weak Pokemon such as Mega Lucario; alternatively, Raikou is a usable option that is similar to Mega Manectric statwise but doesn't use the Mega slot and has a less barren movepool than Rotom-W.
Sample set:
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower / Hidden Power Ice
- Protect
Rotations Advice
In rotation battles, your team consists of four Pokemon, with three active and one in reserve. Rotation battles are a little like singles battles in that you'll only have one Pokemon attacking each turn, but the ability to rotate between Pokemon without losing a turn makes for a very fast-paced fight. Of your three Pokemon in the field, one will be "leading," while the other two will be visible but unable to attack or be attacked. Additionally, if a Pokemon has a one-time activation ability such as Intimidate or Sand Stream, it will only trigger if it is sent out in the lead position, not if it is sent out in one of the backup positions. At the start of each turn, both you and the AI have the option to rotate to either of the other two active Pokemon, and unlike switching, your new leading Pokemon will attack immediately, without losing a turn; however, you won't know if or how the AI is rotating until you've already chosen your attack. When you rotate, the departing Pokemon's stat boosts or drops, attack lock (e.g. Outrage or Petal Dance), and volatile status (e.g. confusion) remain unchanged and will still affect the Pokemon if it later rotates it back in.
The ability to freely rotate complicates things relative to singles battles, as you'll have thirteen possible actions (any of the four attacks from all three of your active Pokemon or a switch to your inactive one), far more than the six possibilities in singles. You'll also have to deal with AI rotations, as the Earthquake that is super effective against your opponent's active Excadrill will be useless if the AI rotates to its Gengar. In return, you'll have much better knowledge of your opponent than in singles, as you begin knowing three of four enemy Pokemon rather than just one of three, often letting you better plan an overall strategy for the battle.
In general, setup sweepers are your best bet in rotation battles, as the AI's rotations are for all intents and purposes impossible to predict, which makes predicting your best attack difficult but also gives the AI lots of ways to choose a poor move, allowing you many chances to boost. Therefore, when building a team, it is of the utmost importance that your Pokemon's defensive typings complement each other extremely well so as not to give the AI a 'right' move to choose and to have them make as many stupid plays as possible (poor AI). This also makes Substitute a highly potent move in rotation battles, as it's surprisingly easy to get up a free Substitute on a poorly chosen move by the AI. Furthermore, as rotating does not reset a Pokemon's stats, you can boost and rotate out and still keep the boosted stats for future attacks when you rotate that Pokemon back in. Additionally, because rotating is free, dual screeners and clerics can be very helpful in rotation battles, as you don't lose a turn rotating between a sweeper and a cleric. Lastly, because of the unpredictability of the AI's rotations and the consequent impossibility of "targeting" your attacks, it is highly discouraged to use coverage moves for specific targets; as far as attacking moves go, you should generally stick with just a Pokemon's STAB moves, and other moveslots should be dedicated to utility or recovery moves or Substitute. The seeming randomness of rotation battles can sometimes be frustrating, but with solid play and a team built to take advantage of the AI's erratic choices, you can build a lengthy streak.
After nineteen battles in regular rotations, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Morgan, with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Klefki @ Apicot Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 SpD
- Flash Cannon
- Recycle
- Draining Kiss
- Metal Sound
Mantine @ Wacan Berry
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spd
- Air Slash
- Scald
- Wide Guard
- Aqua Ring
Swalot @ Black Sludge
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Stockpile
- Toxic
- Protect
- Earthquake
Sawsbuck @ Shell Bell
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Horn Leech
- Double-Edge
- Megahorn
- Leech Seed
After forty-nine battles in super rotations, you'll again face Morgan, this time with, in no particular order, the following Pokemon.
Latias @ Lax Incense
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def
- Calm Mind
- Mist Ball
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
Cobalion @ Maranga Berry
Nature: Brave
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
- Metal Burst
- Sacred Sword
- Quick Attack
- Iron Head
Terrakion @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Sacred Sword
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Virizion @ Coba Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Leaf Blade
- Stone Edge
- Sacred Sword
- Protect
Rotations Recommended Pokemon
Note that many Pokemon that are strong in singles can effectively use similar sets in rotations, so they won't be discussed again here.
Klefki: With its strong defensive typing and ability Prankster, Klefki makes for an amazing support Pokemon that can consistently set up dual screens for its sweeper teammates. Furthermore, though Klefki's stats might appear low for the role of Calm Mind booster, thanks to the AI's penchant for strange rotation and attack choices, Klefki can be used as a remarkably effective rotations sweeper as well. As Klefki receives Prankster priority on all its support moves, Speed is irrelevant to support Klefki, and it will want a Defense- or Special Defense-boosting nature, typically Bold or Calm, with EVs distributed amongst HP, Defense, and Special Defense. Many specific EV spreads are viable, but maximizing HP is probably best for maximum mixed durability. Reflect and Light Screen with a held Light Clay are obvious choices for a dual screener, Safeguard is a good supplemental support move, and Foul Play makes for a reasonable choice of attacking move because it uses the target's Attack stat rather than Klefki's own anemic one. Depending on team needs, weather setting moves are also possibilities. Sweeper Klefki should run Dazzling Gleam as its attack, as a STAB move to which nothing is immune is wonderful in the unpredictable world of rotations. Prankster-quickened Calm Mind and Substitute help Klefki set up in the face of all sorts of attacks, while the combination of Protect and Leftovers will help it stall out threatening attacks and sneak in extra recovery. Sweeper Klefki takes advantage of the fact that even if the foe has a move that can reliably break Klefki's Substitute, the AI will often rotate around and choose poor attacks. Because Klefki's priority Substitute will almost always go first, Klefki knows each turn whether it can safely use Calm Mind or whether it needs to set up a Substitute again, and so it can often safely set up on foes that initially appear to be serious threats. Because sweeper Klefki can boost its Special Defense and Special Attack with Calm Mind, a Bold nature with EVs in HP and Defense is recommended.
Sample sets:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
Nature: Bold
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Def / 28 SpD
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect
- Dazzling Gleam
Klefki @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Safeguard
- Dazzling Gleam / Flash Cannon / Foul Play
Sharpedo: Due to the average rotations team's high reliance on setup moves, it comes as no surprise that you must be wary of the AI setting up alongside your team; therefore, your team should include a way to stop opposing setup sweepers in a pinch. One way to account for this is by including a Destiny Bond user; Sharpedo is an excellent option for this role, as its ability Speed Boost allows it to keep up with Speed-boosting sweepers and use Destiny Bond before they move even after they have fully set up. The typical Sharpedo set runs an Adamant nature with full Attack and Speed investment for maximum Speed and power; itemwise, Focus Sash is mandatory, not only due to Sharpedo's abysmal bulk but also in order to be able to attack much more freely initially without having to fear being OHKOed without being able to use Destiny Bond successfully. Its moves don't allow much customization: aside from Destiny Bond, Waterfall and Crunch are recommended for strong, reliable STAB moves, and Protect should be run in order to nab additional Speed boosts. As an added benefit, Sharpedo's reliance on Protect and Focus Sash makes it synergize naturally with Wish passers.
An excellent alternate Destiny Bond user is Gengar, which has a perfectly accurate Toxic as its most distinguishing feature and, unlike Sharpedo, doesn't rely on contact moves and therefore doesn't have to fear abilities such as Flame Body, Static, and Rough Skin. Additionally, Gengar's defensive typing is considerably better than Sharpedo's; however, Sharpedo's defensive typing is marginally better-suited for taking priority moves, and its offensive typing is much better than Gengar's.
Sample set:
Sharpedo @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Destiny Bond (you used spaces after the dashes before)
-Waterfall
-Crunch
-Protect
Sylveon: A terrific way to support your team's main sweeper is by including a cleric. Sylveon is an excellent option, setting itself apart from its Wish-passing brethren with its great offensive presence and its Fairy typing. A straightforward set should be your best bet, containing Wish to restore its teammates' HP, Protect to reliably make use of the Wish itself, and Heal Bell to remove otherwise crippling status ailments such as burn and paralysis from your sweeper. Lastly, Hyper Voice should be run as an attacking move, bypassing Substitutes and turning into a powerful Fairy-type STAB move thanks to Pixilate. Otherwise, Sylveon should use its EV spread and item to maximize its defensive capabilities; as such, Leftovers should be run alongside a Bold nature with full HP and Defense investment to patch up its otherwise underwhelming physical bulk.
Other options for a Wish passer include Vaporeon and Alomomola, both of which can pass much larger Wishes than Sylveon, with Vaporeon also having access to Haze as a means to stop setup sweepers; however, they lack Sylveon's great offensive presence, and Alomomola doesn't have access to Heal Bell or Aromatherapy. They also set themselves apart from Sylveon via their Water typing, which may be preferred for your team's typing synergy.
Sample set:
Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
-Wish (spaces after dashes)
-Protect
-Heal Bell
-Hyper Voice
Multi Advice
In Maison multi battles, you pair with another Trainer, either another human or the AI. Each of you selects two Pokemon, with one of each starting in play and the others in reserve, and face a pair of AI Trainers. If a Pokemon is KOed or switched out, it may only be replaced by its Trainer's other Pokemon, so if you KO both of a Trainer's Pokemon, you'll only be facing one Pokemon at a time for the rest of your battle, even if both of that Trainer's partner's Pokemon are still in good health. Other than this clause, multis with a human partner play mostly like double battles, and similar strategies should lead you to success. Do note, however, that each of you can use a Mega Evolution, which really skews things in your favor. Additionally, Species Clause and Item Clause only apply to an individual Trainer's team, meaning you and your partner can technically take on the challenge using the same two Pokemon.
Multis with with an AI partner are much more challenging. First, on XY, you need to acquire an AI partner with a decent pair of Pokemon. All players have the option to partner with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor, but if you review their Pokemon's sets, you'll see they are very lacking in power. To acquire more partner Trainers, you need to start obtaining Friend Codes. When you friend someone, you'll be able to use that Trainer's randomly assigned pair of two Pokemon. While many of these pairings will of course be pretty poor, friend enough people, and you should be able to find a reasonable set of partner Pokemon. Note that a Trainer will give the same partner Pokemon to all of his or her friends, so if you know that a person gave a great pairing to someone else, see if you can friend him or her to access the same pairing yourself. The non-default AI partners use the set 3 Pokemon from the master list of AI Pokemon.
Because the AI uses non-attacking moves in an erratic manner, such as using Protect when an attack would be a far better choice, it's best if you try to find a partner with all attacking moves. Similarly, Pokemon with one clear best attack are very valuable AI allies, as they are the easiest to predict and build a team around. Choice Scarf Typhlosion and Entei are of particular note, as they almost always lock themselves into a very powerful Eruption, but there are a number of other attacking Pokemon that can serve you fairly well. On ORAS, on the other hand, it isn't possible to obtain additional partners via Friend Codes; however, this time the defaults actually are good enough to reliably beat the Chatelaines. People have had most success with Steven, but Archie (on Alpha Sapphire) has a very usable team as well. Additionally, it should be noted that both on XY and on ORAS the default partners' lead Pokemon are determined only when you embark on your challenge, which can be rather frustrating. This setback doesn't apply to Friend Code-generated partners on XY, however.
When building and playing your team, it's important to keep the AI's tendencies in mind. Notably, the AI doesn't pay attention to its partner when using moves that affect all other Pokemon, so if your ally is leading with a Pokemon with Earthquake, you really want a lead (and perhaps a backup too) that is either Flying-type or has the Levitate ability. Likewise, the AI will use powerful attacks such as Focus Blast to finish off weakened enemies even when a more accurate but less powerful move would do the trick, so if your ally has such moves, you can't assume it will safely finish off a weakened target. One way to try to gain an advantage is to try to take out both of one enemy Trainer's Pokemon, so you can fight with a two-on-one advantage against the other Trainer, which should be favorable to you even if your partner is making poor move choices. An important difference between building in multis and doubles, or all other formats for that matter, is the unfeasibility of switching; as you and your partner's teams are separate and the AI for all intents and purposes doesn't switch to begin with, it's not realistic to try finding backups that can switch in on whatever threatens your lead and still function well with your AI partner. As such, you should try finding a backup that can simply revenge kill threats to your lead as opposed to switching in on them.
Sadly, the resulting inflexibility, among many, many other things, makes it considerably harder to net long streaks in multis; AI multi battles are particularly high variance, and you are very likely to lose in frustrating ways from your AI partner's bad decisions. Most players tend to focus on just getting through battle 50 of super multis so that they can get the multi battle trophy and then move on, but even with a reasonable AI partner, it can take a lot of persistence to get there.
After nineteen battles in regular multis, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Evelyn partnered with Battle Chatelaine Dana. Evelyn will use two of the following four Pokemon:
Lumineon @ Expert Belt
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Rain Dance
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Silver Wind
Primeape @ Scope Lens
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Cross Chop
- Stone Edge
- Retaliate
- Earthquake
Pachirisu @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Volt Switch
- U-turn
- Super Fang
- Light Screen
Persian @ Life Orb
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Round
- Fake Out
- Power Gem
- Dark Pulse
Dana will use
Magneton @ Shuca Berry
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Screech
- Metal Sound
Dragalge @ Bright Powder
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Waterfall
- Facade
- Double Team
- Poison Tail
Piloswine @ Persim Berry
Nature: Bashful
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Blizzard
- Trash (what?)
- Earthquake
- Hail
Magcargo @ White Herb
Nature: Quiet
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA
- Overheat
- Earth Power
- Gyro Ball
- Body Slam
Whimsicott @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Energy Ball
- Moonblast
- Leech Seed
- Tailwind
Girafarig @ Colbur Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Energy Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
After forty-nine battles in super multis, you'll face Battle Chatelaine Nita partnered with Battle Chatelaine Morgan. Nita will use two of the following three Pokemon:
Tornadus @ Yache Berry
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA
- Substitute
- Double Team
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
Thundurus @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Wild Charge
- U-turn
- Crunch
- Sky Drop
Landorus @ Choice Scarf
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Earth Power
- Extrasensory
- Focus Blast
- Grass Knot
Morgan will use two of the following four Pokemon:
Latias @ Lax Incense
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def
- Calm Mind
- Mist Ball
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
Cobalion @ Maranga Berry
Nature: Brave
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
- Metal Burst
- Sacred Sword
- Quick Attack
- Iron Head
Terrakion @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Sacred Sword
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Virizion @ Coba Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Leaf Blade
- Stone Edge
- Sacred Sword
- Protect
Because of
Threatlist
Naturally, when planning your team, you should be able to have a reliable way of dealing with some of the Maison's more threatening Pokemon. The following list isn't intended to be comprehensive, but to cover a few select threats that are generally considered to be difficult to handle and to show what kinds of foes to be on the lookout for.
OHKO Move Users
879 | Walrein4 | Bold | Lax Incense | Sheer Cold | Fissure | Rest | Sleep Talk | Def/SpD
Perhaps the most notorious foe the Battle Maison has to offer, Walrein4 is a very threatening and utterly luck-based foe to face. Its OHKO moves speak for themselves, it is unnervingly hard to OHKO due to its bulk investment, and it can negate attempts to Toxic stall it, recover back to full, and recycle its OHKO move PP via Rest + Sleep Talk. On top of all this, it has Lax Incense to dodge an otherwise fatal move and proceed to use Rest. A reliable way to deal with Walrein is via Substitute, stalling for a miss and then KOing it, setting up on it, or (if you're using Gliscor) simply stalling it out of all its attacking PP and fully setting up on it with a different Pokemon. Otherwise, you should simply try to overcome it with offensive pressure and hope for the best. OHKO move users aren't too common, but the most notable other ones are Donphan4 and Pinsir4; Donphan4 also has Sturdy as well as a Quick Claw to throw even more hax into the mess, but because it only has Fissure it can generally be outstalled via switch stalling, whereas Pinsir4 has a very fast Guillotine courtesy of its Choice Scarf but usually prefers other moves and doesn't appear too often in the first place.
Powerful Attackers
161 | Tyrantrum4 | Adamant | Choice Band | Crunch | Dragon Claw | Earthquake | Head Smash | Atk/Spd
Tyrantrum4's Choice Band-boosted Head Smash is one of the most powerful moves in the entire Maison, and if it comes out against something slower or something that can't OHKO it, one of your Pokemon is going to take an enormous amount of damage - (dash check) and especially if (in?) a format such as singles, where you can only use three Pokemon, having a single team member take heavy damage or be KOed will severly cripple your team. As Tyrantrum outruns most defensive Pokemon and has surprisingly good physical bulk—for instance, Mega Kangaskhan requires an Adamant nature to OHKO it with Earthquake—it isn't easily OHKOed at all, either.
The easiest way to account for Tyrantrum4 in singles is by using a lead that OHKOes it before it gets a chance to wreak havoc, such as Greninja, Dragonite, or Mega Kangaskhan; if your lead isn't capable of doing so, one of your other Pokemon must be able to switch in on its Choice Band-boosted Head Smash. Only very few Pokemon are capable of this, but a good example is Aegislash. In doubles and triples, Tyrantrum4 is considerably less threatening; while it hits still just as hard, its defensive typing and Speed are still just as mediocre, and seeing as you're sending out multiple Pokemon at the same time and your team will be more focused on offense, it is not at all unlikely that your preferred lineup will check it by default. Powerhouses such as Mat Block Greninja and Mega Gardevoir can OHKO it before it has a chance to even move, and naturally it can also be KOed much more easily by double targeting. The same thing applies to other powerful attackers, such as Tornadus1, which require a dedicated gameplan in singles but are more easily checked by default or taken care of with standard gambits in doubles and triples.
Setup Sweepers
898 | Volcarona4 | Bold | Leftovers | Hurricane | Quiver Dance | Bug Buzz | Heat Wave | HP/Def
Even without any offensive investment, Volcarona is one of the most feared Pokemon in the entire Maison, as after even a few Quiver Dance boosts, it becomes capable of running through teams and nearly impenetrable to special attacks. It is not easy to KO with physical attacks either due to its full bulk investment, and matters are made worse by its dumb, uncompetitive ability Flame Body, which will shut down your physical attacker if the dice rolls go against you; Mega Kangaskhan, which wouldn't have any trouble with it otherwise, will most likely come out burned, as it cannot KO
Evasion boosters (you capitalized "Sweeper" above, so should "boosters" be capitalized?)
929 | Zapdos2 | Bold | BrightPowder | Charge Beam | Heat Wave | Double Team | Roost | HP/SpD
While this Zapdos set does not pose an immediate threat, it is easily one of the most threatening foes you will run into, as it can quickly snowball out of control due to the combination of Double Team and Bright Powder. Additionally, it is annoyingly hard to KO because of its good defensive typing, bulk investment, and access to Roost; to make matters worse, while it doesn't immediately threaten your Pokemon offensively, Charge Beam boosts can rack up quickly and its spread Heat Wave can be really annoying in doubles and triples. The most reliable way to deal with it is to quickly KO it before it snowballs out of control, but unless you're packing one of the very few hard counters in Gliscor or Chansey or reliable checks in Clear Smog Gastrodon, it always has the potential of snowballing out of control; Ground-types in general can take it on somewhat reliably due to their immunity to Charge Beam. Its access to Static may make it even harder for physical attackers to take on, however. Other evasion boosters such as Blissey4 and Tauros4 are not as threatening due to their lack of offensive presence and lack of recovery, respectively.
Field conditions (capitalization)
Weather conditions and speed control moves such as Tailwind and Trick Room are well-known for their ability to turn a battle around in the blink of an eye, and the Battle Maison is no exception. Trick Room setters generally aren't too much of a problem in singles, as most of them don't pose an offensive threat, leaving their Trick Room turns easily stalled out; they are threatening in doubles and triples, where they have dangerous allies they can support. Similarly, Tailwind, Drizzle + Swift Swim, and Sand Stream + Sand Rush can put you at a huge disadvantage by turning the Speed tiers in your opponent's favor. The easiest way to counteract these is by bringing your own Tailwind as a situational option; however, this doesn't work against Trick Room. One way to account for this move is by bringing a Taunt user, but due to the presence of Oblivious Slowbro and Slowking and Aroma Veil Aromatisse, this isn't enough; therefore, it is also recommended to pack a couple Pokemon that can function decently well under Trick Room, such as Scizor and Talonflame, and to pack a Pokemon that matches up well against Trick Room setters and can KO them before they can set it, such as Greninja. Fake Out users are also an excellent way to stop Trick Room from going up, unless the setter is a Ghost-type. Additionally, Fake Out users are of great help against opposing Tailwind and weather-based Speed-boosting abilities to enable an allied Pokemon to remove the threatening sweeper. Another efficient way to account for Tailwind and weather is by packing Pokemon that match up well against them; an Electric-type such as Mega Manectric or Thundurus-T can help KO Tailwind setters before they can use the move, whereas you won't have to worry as much about rain if you pack a Gastrodon or Rotom-W. Trick Room, rain, and sand can generally be handled without too much trouble due to the AI's unsynergetic teams; however, a few Trainers, namely Hex Maniac Mara, Beauty Claire / Lana, and Worker Rasmus, respectively, specialize in these field conditions, so you should be on your guard against them.
Resources
- Smogon's Battle Maison thread and leaderboard, maintained by NoCheese;
- A full list of the Pokemon used by the AI, courtesy of Team Rocket Elite;
- A full list of the Trainers you'll encounter in the Maison, courtesy of Team Rocket Elite;
- A quick reference Trainer guide fit for printing or browsing on a smartphone, courtesy of NoCheese;
- Battle Maison Speed tiers, courtesy of Snail489;
- A more elaborate Super Singles threatlist, courtesy of VaporeonIce;
- A more elaborate guide to Super Triples, courtesy of turskain;
- Battle Maison organized and searchable full Trainer / Pokemon spreadsheets, available from here, courtesy of sb879.
i'm done here
