Metagame Max Berries: A Genetically Modified Metagame

[berry]

Idea commandeered from Cookie Butter and G-Luke
Approved by drampa's grandpa and SectoniaServant

(art by In The Hills)
Max Berries: A Genetically Modified Metagame
​

Max Berries is a metagame that aims to maximize the effects of every berry! For example, Oran Berry typically only restores 10 HP, but in this metagame, it restores 100% of the holder's HP! Pokemon with abilities like Harvest and Gluttony benefit greatly from this metagame, but every Pokemon has the chance to thrive with the help of Max Berries!

Rules:
Mechanic: In Max Berries, all berries have their effects maxed out. Note: All berries are still single-use, and retain any activation restrictions. The following list details every berry with an increased effect:

Berries & Enhanced Effects

Oran, Sitrus Berries: Heal 100% of holder's HP.
Figy, Wiki, Mago, Aguav, Iapapa Berries: Heal 100% of holder's HP (confusion depending on Nature still applies).
Enigma Berry: Heal 100% of holder's HP if hit by a supereffective move.
Leppa Berry: Heal 100% of holder's PP.
Occa, Passho, Wacan, Rindo, Yache, Chople, Kebia, Shuca, Coba, Payapa, Tanga, Charti, Kasib, Haban, Colbur, Babiri, Roseli Berries: Decreases damage taken by the holder from their respective super-effective moves by 100%. The user takes 0 damage from the attack on the turn this berry activates.
Chilan Berry: Decreases damage taken by the holder from a Normal-type move by 100%. The user takes 0 damage from the attack on the turn this berry activates.
Liechi, Ganlon, Petaya, Apicot, Salac Berries: Raises respective stat by +12.
Lansat Berry: Raises critical hit ratio by +4.
Micle Berry: Holder's next move has max accuracy.
Kee Berry: Raises Defense by +12 if holder is hit by a Physical move.
Maranga Berry: Raises Special Defense by +12 if holder is hit by a Special move.
Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, Rawst, Aspear, Persim, Lum Berries: No change. (You can't heal status harder.)
Custap Berry: No change. (It doesn't give +1 Priority, but rather makes the holder move first in its priority bracket.)

Banned Berries
Jaboca, Rowap Berries: If holder is hit by a physical or special move respectively, attacker loses 100% of its max HP.
Starf Berry: Raises a random stat by +12.

Ruleset: Obtainable, Species Clause, Nickname Clause, OHKO Clause, Evasion Moves Clause, Team Preview, HP Percentage Mod, Cancel Mod, Dynamax Clause, Sleep Clause Mod, Endless Battle Clause
Bans:
Pokemon: Calyrex-Ice, Calyrex-Shadow, Darmanitan-Galar, Dialga, Dracovish, Eternatus, Genesect, Giratina, Giratina-Origin, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Kyurem-Black, Kyurem-White, Landorus-Base, Lugia, Lunala, Magearna, Marshadow, Mewtwo, Naganadel, Necrozma-Dawn-Wings, Necrozma-Dusk-Mane, Palkia, Pheromosa, Rayquaza, Reshiram, Solgaleo, Spectrier, Urshifu-Single-Strike, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zacian, Zacian-Crowned, Zamazenta, Zamazenta-Crowned, Zekrom, Zygarde-Base
Abilities: Arena Trap, Moody, Power Construct, Shadow Tag
Items: Starf Berry, Jaboca Berry, Rowap Berry
Moves: Baton Pass, Block, Bug Bite, Knock Off, Mean Look, Pluck, Substitute

Strategy:
Pokemon with Harvest such as Trevenant and Exeggutor-Alola are able to reuse Berries, making them formidable threats in this metagame. Moves such as Incinerate, Corrosive Gas, and Trick are especially good in this metagame, as they can remove or even benefit from opponent's berries.

Sample Sets and Teams

Sample Sets

by In The Hills
Tsareena (F) @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Queenly Majesty
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Power Whip
- Rapid Spin
- Endure

Tsareena is able to take advantage of moves like Endure to safely activate her Liechi berry, maxing out her attack and allowing her to fire off continuous +6 Power Whips. Queenly Majesty gives Tsareena the opportunity to dodge high-powered Extreme Speeds and other priority moves from threats like Linoone.

by Drampa's Grandpa
Kartana @ Salac Berry
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance / Smart Strike
- Endure
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword

This Kartana set works very similarly to the Tsareena set above, using Endure to safely activate its berry, allowing it to snowball with Beast Boost.

by Drampa's Grandpa
Jirachi @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recycle
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Iron Defense

A combination of recycle and Sitrus Berry allows Jirachi to effortlessly click Calm Mind and Iron Defense, boosting up its stats manually to later fire off high-powered Stored Powers.


Quagsire @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic

Unaware and Haze users are extremely important in this metagame with their ablity to dodge or clear boosts from devastating sweepers. Rindo berry also allows Quagsire to avoid its one weakness, potentially tanking a deadly hit to neutralize an attacker.


Clefable @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Recycle
- Calm Mind
- Aromatherapy

Another Unaware user, Clefable is able to recycle its Sitrus berry for 100% healing under 50% while setting up Calm Minds and Moonblasting at opponents.


Snorlax @ Salac Berry
Ability: Gluttony
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch

Gluttony allows Snorlax to eat its Salac berry early, giving it access to a +6 in both Attack and Speed after a belly drum.


Greedent @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Cheek Pouch
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stuff Cheeks
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Body Press

Stuff Cheeks can be an interesting choice, instantly eating the user's berry and giving them a +2 defense boost as well.



Landorus-Therian (M) @ Yache Berry / Passho Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock / Rock Polish

Landorus is able to completely choose a weakness to ignore for a turn, allowing it to set up Stealth Rocks or even boost one of its stats to become a devastating setup sweeper.



Grimmsnarl (M) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Pickpocket
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thief
- Darkest Lariat
- Endure
- Spirit Break

Grimmsnarl is able to use a combination of Pickpocket, Thief, and Endure to safely set up its Salac Berry and potentially steal from opponents.


by Cookie Butter
Linoone @ Lansat Berry
Ability: Gluttony
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Extreme Speed
- Stomping Tantrum
- Seed Bomb

Linoone can boost its already high attack after Belly Drum with guaranteed critical damage from Lansat Berry, allowing it to break through opponents' defenses more easily.

by Roldski32
Magnezone @ Oran Berry
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon / Steel Beam
- Endure / Thunderbolt
- Recycle

This Magnezone set is reminiscent of Magnemite + Berry Juice sets found in LC, and it is able to activate (or re-activate) sturdy easily by using Recycle.

by Unwizardly Kid
Blaziken @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Blaze Kick
- Earthquake / Protect

Blaziken is able to use endure and speed boost to gain access to 200 Base Power reversals and easily activate its berry, maxing out its attack.

Q&A:
Q: Are other activated items, such as Grassy Seed, maxed out in this metagame as well?
A: No, only Berries are effected by this metagame.

Q: Does Sticky Hold prevent Incinerate users from removing their berries?
A: Yes!

Watchlist:
Unburden: Unburden sweepers such as Slurpuff, Hawlucha, and Sceptile may prove to be dangerous with boosting berries, though for now we will be testing out their presence in the metagame.
Magnezone/Sturdy+Recycle: The Magnezone line is the only one that currently has Sturdy+Recycle, and this strategy may prove to be problematic with any healing berry, though unlikely.
Belly Drum: Belly drum can be abused to activate another +6 boost alongside the +6 attack boost, which may lead to mons like Snorlax becoming devastating sweepers if left unchecked.
Endure: This is one of the easiest ways to activate stat boost berries, with the user able to reliably tank a hit and get their boost.

Council:
berry (Tier Leader)
In The Hills

Playable on:
Code for this meta has been graciously provided by Kris here, and Max Berries is eligible for OMOTM voting!

 

[berry]

reserved

 

[Roldski32]

Magnezone @ Oran Berry
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon / Steel Beam
- Endure / Thunderbolt
- Recycle
Nice strat that almost always survived a hit with Sturdy, then recover full hp instantly, this is what Magnemite can do in Little Cup(besides Scarf), so i already know most of its strenght and how to deal with this; Stealth Rock and Knock Off being the most effective one, and playing around potential Endure set. As for the set, Endure is used to survived a hit if Sturdy has broken by some chip damage, and heal back with the berry. Steel Beam is an alternative to Flash Cannon for a strong STAB, and will always put Magnezone into range of berry activation. EVs are put on Special Attack and Speed, you don't need extra bulk from max hp/def or max hp/spd as you're already surviving hits with just SturdyBerry Recycle.

 

[Byleth]

Gonna drop some sets but first I would like to say R.I.P Appletun's signature ability.


Magearna @ Salac Berry
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Iron Defense
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Draining Kiss

Everyone loves a kiss power Magearna. Now what if we capitalized on its ability to buff its defenses in order to reach the 25% range, to then boost its speed to the max while putting stored power to astronomical levels and draining kiss to heal its health back? A little unsure about this one as it seems it could be very unreliable but just the thought of it makes it satisfying. This mon was banned for a much more broken set lul.


Jirachi @ Oran Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 188 SpD / 72 Spe
Careful Nature
- Iron Head
- Thunder Wave / Stealth Rock
- U-turn
- Recycle

Bronzong @ Oran Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Toxic
- Recycle

Recycle mons are your friend. Steel types with better recovery is a plus, with rachi no longer having to waste two slots for wish + protect as it can have good recovery while pulling off the paraflinch and pivoting out. Bronzong has a nice typing along with levitate and seems like a capable rocker so I included it here.


Trevenant @ Oran Berry
Ability: Harvest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Poltergeist / Horn Leech / Foul Play

As stated in the OP, this mon gets quite the buff. Leech protect is already a goat combo, but protect also helps in stalling turns for another 50% chance to get the berry back if you aren't under sun.


Blaziken @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Blaze Kick
- Knock Off / Earthquake / Protect

As for the last set for now, we have a funny blaziken that likes to get to 1 HP and max its attack while gaining a 200 BP reversal. On top of that, you get a near guaranteed speed boost which allows you to clean late game provided absolutely no priority is present.

Hope to see this playable sometime soon, the concept is really fun. May come with more sets later.

 

[flying moose]

How do Bug Bite and Pluck interact with Sticky Hold? Are Gastrodon and Accelgor immune from having their berries eaten by others? If so, that could give them something of an anti-meta niche, although neither of them have Recycle or notable boosting moves. But Accelgor carries a Bug Bite of its own and decent support moves (maybe a Spikes setter with Encore to mess up Belly Drum, Stuff Cheeks, etc.) and Gastrodon is bulky enough that it could perhaps fulfill its usual defensive role.

EDIT: Trick/Switcheroo could be unusually effective in this metagame, depriving opponents of their entire strategy in addition to sticking them with a choice item.

Also, RIP Embargo. This would have been your time to shine.

EDIT 2: Magic Room exists. As of Gen 6 it has normal priority, allowing it to prevent berry strategies as long as the user outspeeds. This means the best users will probably be things like Prankster Klefki, Alakazam, and Latias, though there are some other interesting users with perks like recovery (Mew and Cresselia), hazard support (Araquanid and Ribombee), and the ability to take a free hit (Mimikyu). Apparently Magic Room does not stop Pluck and Bug Bite from gaining the opponent's effects (nice for Araquanid).

EDIT 3: Incinerate is another newly relevant move. While it is weaker than Knock Off and doesn't affect other held items, it does benefit from a wide distribution. Also, if you just employed the aforementioned Trick strategy, you can spam Incinerate without worrying about them switching in to try to shed their new Choice item.

 

[berry]

How do Bug Bite and Pluck interact with Sticky Hold? Are Gastrodon and Accelgor immune from having their berries eaten by others? If so, that could give them something of an anti-meta niche, although neither of them have Recycle or notable boosting moves. But Accelgor carries a Bug Bite of its own and decent support moves (maybe a Spikes setter with Encore to mess up Belly Drum, Stuff Cheeks, etc.) and Gastrodon is bulky enough that it could perhaps fulfill its usual defensive role.

I added this as an FAQ in the OP: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1270642369 . I'm fully expecting all sorts of strange interactions to happen, but I believe most of them are testable in Gen 8 OU.

I also added some (theoretical) sample teams and a bunch more sample sets based on some ideas in this thread.

Blaziken Sun

https://pokepast.es/3e3d42497aec1d6f

Kartana Webs

https://pokepast.es/f0b5b0f9f3ebff90

It turns out, some of my favorite sets in this meta just completely forgo carrying a berry. Berries do have to be activated in the first place, so some mons are able to outpace berry carrying mons that rely on their activation to become devastating sweepers. This Zapdos-Galar set is super cool, and it gets around itself not having a berry by being able to instantly activate and benefit from opponents' boosts.


Zapdos-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pluck
- Thunderous Kick
- Blaze Kick
- U-turn

Similar story with this Galvantula set that is able to prevent opponents from even using their berries with unnerve, all while using Bug Bite and setting up webs.


Galvantula @ Focus Sash
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Volt Switch
- Bug Buzz
- Bug Bite
- Sticky Web

I also fully expect Choice users to remain viable. Salac berries might give you an insanely good speed tier, but it takes a turn or two to actually activate them and get going. On the webs team, I used pluck on my scarfer to hopefully be able to steal some healing or boosts from opponents.


Dracozolt @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pluck
- Bolt Beak
- Earthquake
- Outrage

 

[shnowshner]

Interesting meta! My immediate thoughts went towards how we can ignore the cool features it brings and ruin people's fun.

Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 192 HP / 92 Def / 224 SpD
Careful Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Body Press/Defog
- Pluck/Defog

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Heal Bell

Unnerve looks really good and thankfully Corviknight doesn't rely on its "best" ability too much to function, meaning abandoning Pressure is definitely worth it in a meta where people are going to go ham on berries. Unaware Clefable meanwhile appears good against people looking to abuse +6 berries by just sitting there and clicking Soft-Boiled as you slowly die to Toxic or run out of PP.

Noivern @ Choice Specs
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Draco Meteor
- Hurricane
- Boomburst

Because certain berries flat-out make you immune to certain attacks it'd be good to know what your opponent is running, and Frisk becomes immensely helpful. Noivern isn't amazing but it does have good Speed and Draco Meteor + U-Turn so it'll be alright, and the ability to learn your opponent's potential strategies or techs could be the game-winning moment. I think Gourgeist also has potential in this regard as it comes with Incinerate as well, but it might not be strong enough to cut it.

Onto actual Berry users

Drapion @ Maranga Berry
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 68 Def / 192 SpD
Careful Nature
- Iron Defense
- Rest
- Toxic
- Knock Off

We have two berries which boost defenses on hit, and I was wondering how best to utilize them. Obviously, just max out your defenses and stone wall your opponent. If this set takes one Special Attack it immediately becomes really hard to break on that side, and can then continue with setting up Iron Defense. Battle Armor means no worries about stray crits. At that point Rest is free stalling recovery and Toxic + Knock Off should get you far while also being potentially useful outside of late-game. Is this the best possible kind of set? Probably not, but it does exist. I think if you hazard-stacked and replaced Toxic with Whirlwind you'd have a very scary wincon, as it could beat other set-up Pokemon while not dying itself.

On a side not if a move does 0 damage will that count as the move still successful just without hurting the opponent, or will it be treated as an immunity? Because if the Berries cause the immunity effect that mean you can stuff a U-Turn with Tanga Berry and that sounds pretty sick.

 

[flying moose]

I'm very interested in the three categories of attack-triggered berries--I will call them immunity berries (e.g. Tanga and Occa), defensive berries (Enigma, Kee, and Maranga), and backlash berries (Jaboca and Rowap). These have a huge advantage over stat-boosting, healing, and status berries in that you don't need to get to 25% to trigger them, and thus don't need to make any movepool concessions to use them safely. They are just there, ready to activate if you are hit by the right move, which is either a low bar or (any physical attack!) or serves as a weakness reduction. I am particularly interested in the backlash berries. Being able to KO an opponent just by taking a hit actually sounds quite broken. Stall teams could 6-0 the opponent just by switching into the right moves. Corviknight in particular would be deadly.

In light of this, I have several mechanics questions relating to the priorities of berry activation, removal, and theft:

• If I use Knock Off on any of the physical-activated berries (Kee, Jaboca) or Incinerate on any of the special-activated berries (Maranga, Rowap), does the berry trigger first or is it removed without activation?
• If I use Knock Off on a Colbur (dark immunity) or Incinerate on an Occa (fire immunity), does the berry-holder take damage and lose the berry, take no damage but lose the berry, or take no damage and keep the berry?
• If I use Bug Bite on a Tanga (bug immunity) or Pluck on a Coba (flying immunity), does the berry-holder take damage or not? Does the Bug Bite/Pluck user consume the effect? Does that even mean anything in this context? For instance, would eating a foe's Tanga Berry make me immune to the opponent's bug attacks for the rest of the turn, or is nothing gained?
• Repeating the last question for using Bug Bite/Pluck on any immunity berries of the wrong type. For instance, would eating a foe's Passho Berry make me immune to water attacks for the rest of the turn, or is nothing gained?
• If I use Bug Bite or Pluck on a Jaboca Berry, who faints? Is the Jaboca triggered by the physical move, causing the Bug Bite/Pluck user to faint, or is the Bug Bite/Pluck user stealing the Jaboca's effect, causing the Jaboca holder to faint? If the latter is true, then that will be huge for balancing the strategy. Rowap would not have this counterplay.

EDIT: Okay, so Jaboca and Rowap are banned, that's good, I should have double-checked the banlist. I may suggest either removing them from the list of affected berries or also noting the ban in said list, so people who just read the berry list don't think it's part of the meta.

 

[Heavyweapons Mann]

Being able to KO an opponent just by taking a hit actually sounds quite broken.

Which is why Jaboca and Rowap Berries are banned. In this metagame, they’d OHKO the user of a physical or special attack, respectively.

 

[Dratios]

Love the metagame idea! I think Corviknight has a lot of potential - its access to Unnerve and Pluck have already been mentioned, but I think Power Trip and Body Press might be options as well - something like the following:

Corviknight @ Ganlon Berry
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Agility / Substitute
- Roost / Substitute / Pluck
- Power Trip
- Body Press

I could see this having potential as a late-game sweeper. Some caveats: you have to get into Ganlon range in the first place, which can only be done reliably with Sub, and that almost needs to be paired with Roost to work reliably. If you opt to forego Sub, you're more vulnerable to status. Even if you're able to get an Agility off, some mons might outspeed it at +2.

Awesome concept, and looking forward to seeing what ideas other people have!

 

[dhelmise]

code

ty to In The Hills and drampa's grandpa for helping me test

config/formats.ts

    {
        name: "[Gen 8] Max Berries",
        desc: `All berries have their effects maximized.`,
        threads: [
            `&bullet; <a href="https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/3677136/">Max Berries</a>`,
        ],

        mod: 'maxberries',
        ruleset: ['Standard', 'Dynamax Clause'],
        banlist: [
            'Calyrex-Ice', 'Calyrex-Shadow', 'Darmanitan-Galar', 'Dialga', 'Dracovish', 'Eternatus', 'Genesect', 'Giratina',
            'Groudon', 'Ho-Oh', 'Kyogre', 'Kyurem-Black', 'Kyurem-White', 'Landorus-Base', 'Lugia', 'Lunala', 'Marshadow',
            'Mewtwo', 'Naganadel', 'Necrozma-Dawn-Wings', 'Necrozma-Dusk-Mane', 'Palkia', 'Pheromosa', 'Rayquaza', 'Reshiram',
            'Solgaleo', 'Urshifu-Base', 'Xerneas', 'Yveltal', 'Zacian', 'Zamazenta', 'Zekrom', 'Zygarde-Base',
            'Arena Trap', 'Moody', 'Power Construct', 'Shadow Tag', 'Jaboca Berry', 'Rowap Berry', 'Starf Berry', 'Baton Pass',
            'Block', 'Mean Look', 'Substitute',
        ],
    },

data/mods/maxberries/items.ts

const items: {[k: string]: ModdedItemData} = {
    chilanberry: {
        inherit: true,
        desc: "Blocks damage taken from a Normal-type attack. Single use.",
        onSourceModifyDamage(damage, source, target, move) {},
        onDamage(damage, target, source, effect) {
            const move = effect;
            if (!move || move.effectType !== 'Move') return;
            if (
                move.type === 'Normal' &&
                (!target.volatiles['substitute'] || move.flags['authentic'] || (move.infiltrates && this.gen >= 6))
            ) {
                if (target.eatItem()) {
                    this.debug('-50% reduction');
                    this.add('-enditem', target, this.effect, '[weaken]');
                    return 0;
                }
            }
        },
    },
    enigmaberry: {
        inherit: true,
        desc: "Restores 100% max HP after holder is hit by a supereffective move. Single use.",
        onHit(target, source, move) {
            if (move && target.getMoveHitData(move).typeMod > 0) {
                if (target.eatItem()) {
                    this.heal(target.baseMaxhp);
                }
            }
        },
    },
    lansatberry: {
        inherit: true,
        desc: "Holder gains +4 Critical Hit ratio when at 1/4 max HP or less. Single use.",
        onEat(pokemon) {
            pokemon.addVolatile('lansatberry');
        },
        condition: {
            onStart(target, source, effect) {
                if (effect?.id === 'zpower') {
                    this.add('-start', target, 'move: Lansat Berry', '[zeffect]');
                } else if (effect && (['imposter', 'psychup', 'transform'].includes(effect.id))) {
                    this.add('-start', target, 'move: Lansat Berry', '[silent]');
                } else {
                    this.add('-start', target, 'move: Lansat Berry');
                }
            },
            onModifyCritRatio(critRatio) {
                return critRatio + 4;
            },
        },
    },
    leppaberry: {
        inherit: true,
        desc: "Restores the first of the holder's moves to reach 0 PP to maximum PP. Single use.",
        onEat(pokemon) {
            const moveSlot = pokemon.moveSlots.find(move => move.pp === 0) ||
                pokemon.moveSlots.find(move => move.pp < move.maxpp);
            if (!moveSlot) return;
            moveSlot.pp = moveSlot.maxpp;
            this.add('-activate', pokemon, 'item: Leppa Berry', moveSlot.move, '[consumed]');
        },
    },
    micleberry: {
        inherit: true,
        desc: "Holder's next move can't miss when at 1/4 max HP or less. Single use.",
        condition: {
            duration: 2,
            onSourceAccuracy(accuracy, target, source, move) {
                if (!move.ohko) {
                    this.add('-enditem', source, 'Micle Berry');
                    source.removeVolatile('micleberry');
                    if (typeof accuracy === 'number') {
                        return true;
                    }
                }
            },
        },
    },
    starfberry: {
        inherit: true,
        desc: "Raises a random stat by 12 when at 1/4 max HP or less (not acc/eva). Single use.",
        onEat(pokemon) {
            const stats: BoostName[] = [];
            let stat: BoostName;
            for (stat in pokemon.boosts) {
                if (stat !== 'accuracy' && stat !== 'evasion' && pokemon.boosts[stat] < 6) {
                    stats.push(stat);
                }
            }
            if (stats.length) {
                const randomStat = this.sample(stats);
                const boost: SparseBoostsTable = {};
                boost[randomStat] = 12;
                this.boost(boost);
            }
        },
    },
};

const berries = {
    heal: ['oran', 'sitrus'],
    supereffective: [
        ['occa', 'Fire'],
        ['passho', 'Water'],
        ['wacan', 'Electric'],
        ['rindo', 'Grass'],
        ['yache', 'Ice'],
        ['chople', 'Fighting'],
        ['kebia', 'Poison'],
        ['shuca', 'Ground'],
        ['coba', 'Flying'],
        ['payapa', 'Psychic'],
        ['tanga', 'Bug'],
        ['charti', 'Rock'],
        ['kasib', 'Ghost'],
        ['haban', 'Dragon'],
        ['colbur', 'Dark'],
        ['babiri', 'Steel'],
        ['roseli', 'Fairy'],
    ],
    pinchheal: [
        ['figy', 'Atk'],
        ['iapapa', 'Def'],
        ['wiki', 'SpA'],
        ['aguav', 'SpD'],
        ['Mago', 'Spe'],
    ],
    pinchstat: [
        ['liechi', 'atk', 'Attack'],
        ['ganlon', 'def', 'Defense'],
        ['petaya', 'spa', 'Sp. Atk'],
        ['apicot', 'spd', 'Sp. Def'],
        ['salac', 'spe', 'Speed'],
    ],
    keemaranga: [
        ['kee', 'def', 'Defense'],
        ['maranga', 'spd', 'Sp. Def'],
    ],
    jabocarowap: [
        ['jaboca', 'physical'],
        ['rowap', 'special'],
    ],
};

for (const berry of berries.heal) {
    items[`${berry}berry`] = {
        inherit: true,
        onEat(pokemon) {
            this.heal(pokemon.baseMaxhp);
        },
        desc: `Restores 100% max HP when at 1/2 max HP or less. Single use.`,
    };
}

for (const [berry, type] of berries.supereffective) {
    items[`${berry}berry`] = {
        inherit: true,
        desc: `Blocks damage taken from a supereffective ${type}-type attack. Single use.`,
        onSourceModifyDamage(damage, source, target, move) {},
        onDamage(damage, target, source, effect) {
            const move = effect;
            if (!move || move.effectType !== 'Move') return;
            if (move.type === type && target.getMoveHitData(move).typeMod > 0) {
                const hitSub = target.volatiles['substitute'] && !move.flags['authentic'] && !(move.infiltrates && this.gen >= 6);
                if (hitSub) return;

                if (target.eatItem()) {
                    this.debug('-100% reduction');
                    this.add('-enditem', target, this.effect, '[weaken]');
                    return 0;
                }
            }
        },
    };
}

for (const [berry, stat] of berries.pinchheal) {
    items[`${berry}berry`] = {
        inherit: true,
        desc: `Restores 100% max HP at 1/4 max HP or less; confuses if -${stat} Nature. Single use.`,
        onEat(pokemon) {
            this.heal(pokemon.baseMaxhp);
            if (pokemon.getNature().minus === this.toID(stat)) {
                pokemon.addVolatile('confusion');
            }
        },
    };
}

for (const [berry, stat, statName] of berries.pinchstat) {
    items[`${berry}berry`] = {
        inherit: true,
        desc: `Raises holder's ${statName} by 12 stages when at 1/4 max HP or less. Single use.`,
        onEat(pokemon) {
            this.boost({[stat]: 12});
        },
    };
}

for (const [berry, stat, statName] of berries.keemaranga) {
    items[`${berry}berry`] = {
        inherit: true,
        desc: `Raises holder's ${statName} by 12 stages after it is hit by a ${statName.startsWith('S') ? 'Special' : 'Physical'} attack. Single use.`,
        onEat(pokemon) {
            this.boost({[stat]: 12});
        },
    };
}

for (const [berry, category] of berries.jabocarowap) {
    items[`${berry}berry`] = {
        inherit: true,
        desc: `If holder is hit by a ${category} move, attacker loses 100% of its HP. Single use.`,
        onDamagingHit(damage, target, source, move) {
            if (move.category === category[0].toUpperCase() + category.slice(1)) {
                if (target.eatItem()) {
                    this.damage(source.baseMaxhp, source, target);
                }
            }
        },
    };
}

export const Items = items;

 

[flying moose]

I got a few potential sets involving Trevenant, the classic berry-abuse mon, and Corviknight, who I expect to be the classic anti-berry mon. Also, a bonus set for Drapion, a potential breaker of Kee Berry users.

In general, I actually don't think Trevenant and Exeggutor will be leading forces in the meta, due to their extreme vulnerability to all of the berry removal moves and the pressure to keep the Sun up. They are also weak to status and their statlines are far from ideal. But when things align for them, they have the potential to be very good against the right opponents.

So here's my (probably gimmicky) Trevenant set:


Trevenant @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Harvest
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Curse
- Protect
- Endure/Leech Seed
- Poltergeist/Horn Leech/Leech Seed/Sunny Day

Yes, I know Curse has always been a gimmick, and it may very well continue to be. But Curse Trevenant has a couple things going for it in this meta that it doesn't usually have. First, it can automatically get back to full health, allowing it to repeat the process. Second, the health loss from Curse can actually help it get into the range to activate its berry and return to full health in certain situations. In a meta where Substitute--the typical HP control move--is banned, Curse gives a ~75% HP Trevenant a degree of HP control to get where it needs to be. Finally, this meta will be filled with berry-based setup strategies that can only be performed once, so the ability to severely punish them or force them out could be very helpful. Pair this set with hazards for maximum effect.

Curse + Heal + Harvest + Repeat is the obvious game plan. Protect is to gain extra Curse damage or to scout for Knock Off/Incinerate/Bug Bite/Pluck/Trick/Status. Endure provides an alternative means of health control, allowing you to survive a hit and shoot back up to full health, while Leech Seed is an additional method to chip health (and heal yours)--it is a good move to use as cursed foes switch out to replacements, and in general it greatly benefits from the lack of Substitute in this meta. The last slot is used to allow for both moves or provide a damaging attack. Poltergeist is the strongest option and reveals your opponent's berry strategy, but is useless once they consume it, while Horn Leech helps you recover extra health. Alternatively, you could use the slot to restore your own sun when it runs out.

In this meta, Wiki > Oran/Sitrus. That's because Bug Bite and Pluck will be rampant in this tier, and in the extremely unfortunate event that you lose your berry to them, it would at least be nice to have a chance of confusing the berry thief. Wiki is chosen to punish the Jolly and Adamant natures that are likely to be run alongside these moves, though in this case it does force you to run a speed-reducing nature to avoid getting confused yourself. A defensive special attacker would be the ideal mon to run Wiki Berry without drawback.


Corviknight @ Maranga Berry/Enigma Berry
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Serious Nature
- Iron Defense
- Roost
- Body Press
- Power Trip/Pluck/Brave Bird

I'm not sure if this is the most optimal set, but I have no doubt that Corviknight will excel at performing this general strategy--blocking the opponent from consuming berries while setting itself up to become unbreakable. The choice of berry is the main distinction. Maranga allows you to max out on Special Defense to become unbreakable on both sides (and supercharge Power Trip) and should be easy enough to activate with the special attacks that you'll draw, but is contingent on surviving that first special hit, so Fire and Electric attacks with high initial power could break the strategy. Enigma Berry on the other hand, gives you a single opportunity to not just receive no damage from a special attack, but benefit from it, restoring you to maximum health. This doesn't allow you to play the long game against special attackers, so Enigma Berry is probably more optimal for a dedicated physical wall, while Maranga Berry users may benefit from some SpDef investment.

(I think Enigma will generally be better than all of the resistance berries, as it confers one-time immunity against any of your weaknesses rather than just one, and actually allows you to recover rather than take no damage. The main situation where I could see a specific resistance berry being preferred is for something with a 4x weakness like Ground/Flying that wants to save its get-out-scot-free card for an Ice Attack rather than a Water move that it might be able to survive. Otherwise, I think the healing and wider breadth of the Enigma Berry makes it far superior.)

Corviknight could probably also make good use of Liechi Berry, especially if it wants to utilize its STAB Flying options, although this berry is harder to activate safely, so I suspect that it will mainly thrive by becoming unbreakable. It could also forgo Iron Defense and use a Kee Berry to immediately reach maximum physical bulk and leave more room in its movepool. Defensive sets like these are the sort that Curse Trevenant would be theoretically great at punishing, but unfortunately Trevenant will be face pressure to do so if Corv has already charged up its Power Trip or if it carries Pluck. I think there will be real need to identify reliable Corviknight-breakers.

I'm very interested in hearing other people's ideas on how to break Corviknight, as I think it will easily be the best Pokemon in the tier.



Drapion @ Lansat Berry
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Leech Life/Earthquake/Bug Bite
- Endure/Swords Dance

Unfortunately, thanks to Unnerve, this Drapion set won't be able to use its alluring Sniper + Lansat Berry combo to bust Corviknight. But against other users of Kee Berry or Iron Defense, this scorpion's your hero. There are a few other potential users of this combo (namely Barbaracle, Kingdra, and Inteleon, who have better speed or set-up options) but Drapion benefits from having access to anti-meta moves like STAB Knock Off and Bug Bite (choose one--they don't synergize together). The hardest part of this set is activating the Lansat Berry in the first place, so Endure is probably best for the last move.

 

[VoolPool]

https://pokepast.es/340e579bf84df8b0


Wrath (Magnezone) @ Oran Berry
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 196 HP / 252 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Recycle
Star of the show thats acts as a semi breaker and revenge killer.


Sloth (Quagsire) @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic
Walls most non power trip or stored power sweepers and haze them, disabling future sweeps with berries.


Lust (Tapu Lele) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Psychic Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Moonblast
- Endure
Really nice late game cleaner with psysurge that also helps with espeed and stored power lets It beat quag. Endure can be swapped with focus blast but that decreases the chance that you can enable a sweep. Also is semi speed control against offense that can only be activated once.


Pride (Corviknight) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unnerve
Relaxed Nature
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
- Body Press
- Pluck
- Roost
- U-turn
Anti berry mon and synergies nicely with quag. Body press can be swapped with defog for hazard control but body press helps magnezone beat steels.


Gluttony (Zapdos-Galar) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pluck
- Thunderous Kick
- Blaze Kick
- U-turn
Steel type destroyer and berry stealer. Also a breaker with Thunderous kick.


Envy (Heatran) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Burning Jealousy
- Earth Power
- Roar
Helps with sun and givs rocks.

Major Threat(s): Exegutor on sun is preetty scary as it can hit everything on the team hard. Your best bet is to switch into heatran for weather ball and swapping to zapdos for quake or grass moves.

Rain: You see it you lose (lmao this team is probably trash.)

I literally have not played this yet but I'm just gonna submit a team that I think would be good and maybe even a sample. Seems like a fun little mag balance team with generic mons and a tapu lele sweeper. This seems fun cant wait to actually play it!

Edit: Switched corv to physical def and added descs

 

[urkerab]

        onDamage(damage, target, source, effect) {
            const move = effect;
            if (!move || move.effectType !== 'Move') return;
            if (
                move.type === 'Normal' &&
                (!target.volatiles['substitute'] || move.flags['authentic'] || (move.infiltrates && this.gen >= 6))
            ) {
                if (target.eatItem()) {
                    this.debug('-50% reduction');
                    this.add('-enditem', target, this.effect, '[weaken]');
                    return 0;
                }
            }
        },

onDamage never runs if the move hit a Substitute, so strictly speaking you don't need to check that.

 

[Glaci4444]

Happy March, fellas. Or unhappy if you hate Corviknight, because it seems like this metagame will be great for Corviknight.

Corviknight @ Maranga Berry
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bulk Up
- Power Trip
- Roost
- Taunt / Brave Bird / filler

The more I think about it, the better Corviknight looks. With Maranga Berry, if it's hit by a non-unnerve special move it gets +6 special defense for free. Then it can set up Bulk Up for days, and heal up at will with Roost. When it's finished setting up, it starts to show its true power with a very powerful Power Trip, with a maximum base power of 380.

(At +4/+4/+6)
+4 0 Atk Corviknight Power Trip (300 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 306-360 (100.6 - 118.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

...yeah.

Corviknight, with its really good defensive typing, is also naturally bulky, and does well against Lansat Linoone.

+6 252+ Atk Linoone Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight on a critical hit: 199-234 (49.7 - 58.5%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO

Power Trip/Stored Power is insane in this meta, and Corviknight truly shows this off. The only bad thing about this set is that if you're not hit by a special move, Maranga Berry never activates. However, you can always switch into a special move to trigger your Maranga Berry.

Another option for this set is Apicot Berry, which, although risky, has a better presence against physical monsters.

Yeah, that's Corviknight. Insane mon, shuts down opposing berries, gets Power Trip. What's not to love?

Edit: I actually got to top 10 using this set so there's that lol

 

[VoolPool]

I think quag would probably be a staple alongside corviknight on balance teams just because quag shuts down soo many sweepers and corv doesn't even let them use their berry. Using them in tandem is also really good synergy typing wise.

 

[berry]

Very exciting start to the first day of the meta!

Some things to note:

Sticky hold is currently slightly bugged. Kris knows about this problem, and he will work on a solution soon.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8maxberries-1292316644 (turns 12 / 13)

confusion berries not healing fully

I will update this post with any other issues I see, I'm currently jumping through battles, so feel free to say hi!

 

[alephgalactus]

Here’s a fun set I’m running that has netted me almost all of my wins:

Blissey @ Kee Berry
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Recycle
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Soft-Boiled

All you really need to do is remove Unaware users, Galarian Zapdos, and Hawlucha from the field and switch this thing in on a U-Turn or something and it’s basically unstoppable. (If Galarian Zapdos is running Close Combat instead of Thunderous Kick, Blissey beats that too.)

It’s an incredible wincon that everyone should be aware of.

 

[AIPS]

So eating a confusion berry doesn't heal you up to full
Bug

 

[necrobones]

(long time lurker here, never made an account to post with since I only recently got back into actually playing)

Kee/Maranga berries seem really strong as they don't require reaching a specific HP threshold and make setting up with Bulk Up/Calm Mind and the like very easy. Volcarona seems like one of the strongest users on paper as its naturally excellent special stats and speed + Quiver Dance make it incredibly hard to stop after it eats its Kee Berry - it can even beat non-Aromatherapy variants of Unaware Clefable with Toxic if it so chooses. It serves as a good check to the likes of Magearna, Corviknight and Rillaboom (as well as Scizor if it doesn't mind losing its berry to Bug Bite) so long as sufficient hazard control/removal is provided. Volcarona isn't naturally immune to paralysis or Toxic, but has options such as Safeguard and Rest to stave it off, so that isn't a reliable answer anyway.

Volcarona @ Kee Berry
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA OR 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Bold / Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower / Mystical Fire
- Psychic / Giga Drain / Bug Buzz / Toxic / Safeguard
- Roost / Rest
- Quiver Dance

I've also liked Archeops as a lead in the few games I've played so far. It outspeeds the most common webs setter in Galvantula, as well as other potential leads such as Mew and Landorus-Therian, and packs a very nice combo of Taunt + Pluck to shut down opposing hazards and berries. Aerodactyl is a potential alternative that trades Pluck and Endeavor for Unnerve and an even better speed tier.

Archeops @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Pluck / U-turn
- Endeavor / U-turn

Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Blast / Stone Edge / Dual Wingbeat / Earthquake
- Rock Blast / Stone Edge / Dual Wingbeat / Earthquake

Other mons that have caught my eye include Gengar thanks to its excellent utility between its speed tier, typing, and Taunt, Spectrier as both the fastest Salac + Endure + boosting ability snowballer and the one that cares the least about priority thanks to its immunities, and Zygarde-10% for its extremely spammable STAB, high speed tier, and both Extreme Speed and Scale Shot to deal with faster threats, which can potentially make for a nasty Liechi + Endure set.

Looking forward to playing more and seeing how this develops!

 

[urkerab]

Sticky hold is currently slightly bugged. https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8maxberries-1292316644 (turns 12 / 13)

If the Pokémon is knocked out by the attack, Sticky Hold does not protect the held item.

 

[HazeNova]

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8maxberries-1292625045
Not sure if i'm doing something wrong or if Roseli Berry is simply not working.

 

[Ban Ice Scales]

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8maxberries-1292625045
Not sure if i'm doing something wrong or if Roseli Berry is simply not working.

Roseli berry might be bugged, not sure if other immunity berries.

 

[Enderevilherobrine]

Ignoring the question of why Magearna is legal here, I have crafted a few interesting sets.

Golurk @ Iron Ball
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Punch
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Trick

Kind of a gimmick set. Basically Golurk gets punched in the face and then swaps items leaving the opponent with a bad one. From there it is usually at low enough hp to eat the berry and if not just switch out to prevent it from being stolen. It also shuts down endure sets though you likely have to leave to prevent bug bite or pluck from being used. Shadow punch is used over Poltergiest because with all of the berries running around I wanted a move that wasn't item reliant. There might be better bulk distribution and lagging tail might be a better bad item (I went with Iron Ball to ground flying types) but it has done well for me.

Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam

No gimmicks whatsoever just a standard OU Nidoking set that does surprisingly well in taking out quite a few things. Just hope they don't have a Maranga Berry and don't try using it on Magnezone.

 

[in the hills]

Quickban Update: Magearna

To the shock of nobody, Magearna has proven to be far too broken in this metagame as a setup sweeper. Shift Gear Calm Mind sets in combination with Kee Berry made it incredibly difficult to stop outside of Unaware Quagsire. As such, we have decided to quickban Magearna! Tagging Kris to implement.

While this is the first of most likely a few bans to come, we are keeping an eye on quite a few things for now. Our watchlist as of right now below:

• Pluck / Bug Bite: Pluck and Bug Bite are very potent options to remove opponents Berries and eat them, with notable users such as Zapdos-Galar, Corviknight, Scizor, and Heatran. While the abusers are all strong in their own right, the moves themselves dissuade Pokemon from running Berries too much on some teams, so the moves are our primary focus for the time being.
• Unburden: Unburden sweepers such as Hawlucha, Hitmonlee, and Slurpuff are potentially too much for the metagame when combined with Liechi Berry. We'll be keeping an eye on these threats for now.
• Belly Drum: Belly Drum is another strong option that when paired with either priority or Salac Berry can sweep unprepared teams with ease. While Unaware or offensive pressure are able to stop Belly Drum, we're still looking into whether or not this move is healthy for the metagame.
• Endure: Endure is an odd case; on paper, it is a very powerful option that can proc Berries more easily that has a very wide distribution. Endure's weak point comes from a weakness to priority, and the fact that most Endure users are physical attackers, Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs, and Rough Skin are all able to stop this option without much trouble. However, as time progresses we may end up seeing new and more powerful Endure users that may prove that Endure is too much, though specific abusers may be targetted as well.

These are our most immediate pieces on our watchlist, though as the meta develops we may look into specific Pokemon such as Spectrier, Melmetal, or others. That's all for now, hope everyone is enjoying the metagame so far!