This is my first Monotype team, and my first RMT. However, I've battled with this team a number of times, and as far as I can see, I've ironed out all of the obvious problems. Obviously, there's a chance I've missed something, and I doubt my team is 100% perfect, but it's served me well so far.
Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Air Slash
- Flamethrower
- Heat Wave
- Dragon Pulse
So the main contender for my team, and often also my lead, is Charizard-Mega-Y. I wanted to have a Mega on my team, and there were only three viable choices for the position, with the other two being Aerodactyl and Pidgeot. I chose Charizard because I felt that he had a better choice of moves, and although he has a type disadvantage to Aerodactyl, I feel he's generally a better choice, and would stand alone better against some other common Mega Pokemon I've come across, such as Aggron, Gardevoir and Gallade. I exploited the fact that Charizard has a decent Special Attack stat, and paired this with a range of special moves. I gave him Air Slash, because I wanted to have a Flying-type STAB, and there is also a chance of the opponent flinching, which can also be useful in a tight situation. Flamethrower and Heat Wave are both for coverage, but their power is boosted immediately by the Drought, and although each move only has 10% chance to burn the target, it still can happen, and is particularly useful against physical attacking Pokemon. Dragon Pulse I chose, because Dragonite is often a contender in many teams, and can learn Rock-, Electric- and Water-type moves, all of which pose a threat to Charizard. The Dragon Pulse addition gives extra coverage and can help to deal with said Dragonite problem.
Dragonite @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
As I've said, Dragonite is a common member of many teams, in many different tiers, and with very good reason. He has high attack, and decent defenses that allow it to see off many different threats. I paired the Leftovers with the Multiscale ability, which is a pairing also commonly used with Lugia teams in Ubers. The reason I chose Dragonite is that there are often cases when Charizard or any of the other Pokemon on the team may be KOed with the opponent on minimal HP. Dragonite serves as a way of quickly finishing opponents that have almost been defeated, while being powerful enough in its own right to take down a completely healthy foe. Hence the addition of Extreme Speed. Its priority means that he can attack before the opponent can do much, if any, damage. As well as that, it can sometimes deal a good blow to the opponent, even on full health. Dragon Claw I gave because I felt like a STAB move was necessary, and I prefer it to Outrage. Yes, it's less powerful, but I don't have to worry about the confusion afterwards like I would with Outrage. Earthquake is a powerful move and is useful against other pokemon like Azumarill, who can learn Ice- and Fairy-type moves, but are resistant to Dragon Claw or Iron Head. I gave Dragonite Iron Head because he has a huge weakness to Ice and Fairy, and this helps to deal with the problem. The additional possibility of the foe flinching just adds to the fact that I feel it's a wise choice to have.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 184 HP / 252 Atk / 72 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Brick Break
- Aqua Tail
- X-Scissor
Gliscor acts as a buffer against the obvious Rock- and Electric-type weakness shared by most of the team, and the Poison Heal/Toxic Orb works in its favour. Earthquake is there as an obvious STAB move, but works against said Electric- and Rock-types that often come up, such as Diancie, Raikou and Magnezone. Brick Break is useful against the obvious Ice-type weakness, but can also be handy against any teams supporting Reflect/Light Screen set, and can assist the other members of my team in helping to combat such sets. Fire types are often common against Gliscor, and Charizard-Mega-Y is often used due to the immunity to Earthquake. Aqua Tail is used in such situations, so that he can defeat any Pokemon with similar typing to Charizard, or with a similar resistance to Earthquake. X-Scissor I gave just because it works as coverage, and there are a large number of Dark- and Psychic-types that could take the upper hand against Gliscor with their wide movepools that allow them to exploit type weaknesses. X-Scissor allows Gliscor to be better prepared for such situations.
Togekiss @ Wide Lens
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Aura Sphere
- Psychic
I chose Togekiss because I wanted to have a Fairy-type Pokemon on the team, and there was only one contender that fitted the requirements. She also works as a good opponent for Dragon-types such as Dragonite, Kingdra and Garchomp. I toyed with the Wide Lens set, but have found it to be very useful in many situations, especially when I need moves to hit first time. Paired with Air Slash, Togekiss is a powerful enemy against many. I chose Air Slash to give Flying-type STAB, but also coverage against any Pokemon such as Infernape, who are more resistant to Fairy-type moves. Air Slash has a good chance of making the enemy flinch anyway. Along with Togekiss' Serene Grace, this means that the foe will flinch more often than not. However, Air Slash doesn't always hit, so that's why I paired it with the Wide Lens. Dazzling Gleam is good as STAB, but also works against common Dragon-types to defeat them. Aura Sphere gives coverage against the Steel-type weakness displayed by Togekiss, and it's the best option due to the fact that it never misses (except from moves like Shadow Force, Dive etc). Psychic is good against Togekiss' other main weakness which is Poison. Common poison types are Scolipede and Nidoqueen, both of whom can be defeated by Psychic.
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Heat Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Toxic
Zapdos is on my team because he is useful to deal with Water-type weaknesses that both Gliscor and Charizard share, but can also deal with other common annoyances such as Skarmory. I gave Zapdos Heat Wave, because it gives coverage against Ground-types, especially Pokemon such as Excadrill and Steelix who also have Steel typing. It also deals with Zapdos' Ice type weakness, which can be crippling. Also, there is a chance that if Zapdos is brought out, the sun might still be active from Charizard's Drought. This will boost the power of Heat Wave, and help against opponents. Thunderbolt is for the aforementioned Water-type weakness that could ruin the chances of both Gliscor and Charizard. It is the main STAB move which can also be good against any other opponents who may take average damage, but against whom I cannot afford to switch out, for whatever reason. Volt Switch is a 'just-in-case' move, preparing Zapdos for the fact that he may need to switch out. His fairly decent speed means that hopefully it will be able to hit and switch before any opponents get a chance to do some serious damage. Toxic is part of the set because a few times I've been lumbered against an opponent that takes little damage from Thunderbolt, Heat Wave and Volt Switch. A potential other choice I was going for would have been Drill Peck, but I decided against that and went for Toxic, in case my opponent happens to be Golem, or another with the same typing - which would render all four moves pretty much useless if I'd chosen Drill Peck.
Hawlucha @ Wide Lens
Ability: Limber
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Flying Press
- Iron Head
- U-turn
Another Wide Lens set, but again paired with a move that can have bad consequences if it misses, particularly here. It is also good to pair with Limber as an ability, because it means that not only will the moves be more likely to hit, there won't be any problem of Thunder Wave or similar moves affecting speed. Many opponents try to combat Hawlucha with Ice-type Pokemon, and High Jump Kick is a way of me countering that. HJK has a high power, but if it misses, which it can do, it will mean that Hawlucha is basically a sitting duck. His defenses are not the best, and if he takes crash damage from HJK, he's pretty much done. When HJK does hit though, even doing regular damage, it can deal a serious blow. Added to Hawlucha's decent attack stat and the STAB gained, HJK can deal with many opponents with ease. Flying Press is the main STAB move, and it can help to swing battles back into my favour, due to it's double typing. The fact that it is both a Fighting- and Flying-type move means that opponents can often underestimate Hawlucha which can work to my advantage. There have been many situations where I've come across a Pokemon that is strong against Fighting, but has both of its types weak to Flying. An example here would be Leavanny. The use of Flying Press means that despite all of the odds, Hawlucha can gain the upper hand. As I've already said, Hawlucha still has a weakness to Ice-types, but he also is weak to Fairy pokemon, which resist Fighting-type moves. Iron Head is useful against both, particularly against Diancie, who appears regularly, and could cripple Hawlucha easily. Adding Iron Head gets rid of this, as well as warding off others like Gardevoir who think they could chance it against Hawlucha
Below are a few examples of my team winning in battle.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-389822538
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-394879146
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-394880866
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-394895007
Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Air Slash
- Flamethrower
- Heat Wave
- Dragon Pulse
So the main contender for my team, and often also my lead, is Charizard-Mega-Y. I wanted to have a Mega on my team, and there were only three viable choices for the position, with the other two being Aerodactyl and Pidgeot. I chose Charizard because I felt that he had a better choice of moves, and although he has a type disadvantage to Aerodactyl, I feel he's generally a better choice, and would stand alone better against some other common Mega Pokemon I've come across, such as Aggron, Gardevoir and Gallade. I exploited the fact that Charizard has a decent Special Attack stat, and paired this with a range of special moves. I gave him Air Slash, because I wanted to have a Flying-type STAB, and there is also a chance of the opponent flinching, which can also be useful in a tight situation. Flamethrower and Heat Wave are both for coverage, but their power is boosted immediately by the Drought, and although each move only has 10% chance to burn the target, it still can happen, and is particularly useful against physical attacking Pokemon. Dragon Pulse I chose, because Dragonite is often a contender in many teams, and can learn Rock-, Electric- and Water-type moves, all of which pose a threat to Charizard. The Dragon Pulse addition gives extra coverage and can help to deal with said Dragonite problem.
Dragonite @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
As I've said, Dragonite is a common member of many teams, in many different tiers, and with very good reason. He has high attack, and decent defenses that allow it to see off many different threats. I paired the Leftovers with the Multiscale ability, which is a pairing also commonly used with Lugia teams in Ubers. The reason I chose Dragonite is that there are often cases when Charizard or any of the other Pokemon on the team may be KOed with the opponent on minimal HP. Dragonite serves as a way of quickly finishing opponents that have almost been defeated, while being powerful enough in its own right to take down a completely healthy foe. Hence the addition of Extreme Speed. Its priority means that he can attack before the opponent can do much, if any, damage. As well as that, it can sometimes deal a good blow to the opponent, even on full health. Dragon Claw I gave because I felt like a STAB move was necessary, and I prefer it to Outrage. Yes, it's less powerful, but I don't have to worry about the confusion afterwards like I would with Outrage. Earthquake is a powerful move and is useful against other pokemon like Azumarill, who can learn Ice- and Fairy-type moves, but are resistant to Dragon Claw or Iron Head. I gave Dragonite Iron Head because he has a huge weakness to Ice and Fairy, and this helps to deal with the problem. The additional possibility of the foe flinching just adds to the fact that I feel it's a wise choice to have.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 184 HP / 252 Atk / 72 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Brick Break
- Aqua Tail
- X-Scissor
Gliscor acts as a buffer against the obvious Rock- and Electric-type weakness shared by most of the team, and the Poison Heal/Toxic Orb works in its favour. Earthquake is there as an obvious STAB move, but works against said Electric- and Rock-types that often come up, such as Diancie, Raikou and Magnezone. Brick Break is useful against the obvious Ice-type weakness, but can also be handy against any teams supporting Reflect/Light Screen set, and can assist the other members of my team in helping to combat such sets. Fire types are often common against Gliscor, and Charizard-Mega-Y is often used due to the immunity to Earthquake. Aqua Tail is used in such situations, so that he can defeat any Pokemon with similar typing to Charizard, or with a similar resistance to Earthquake. X-Scissor I gave just because it works as coverage, and there are a large number of Dark- and Psychic-types that could take the upper hand against Gliscor with their wide movepools that allow them to exploit type weaknesses. X-Scissor allows Gliscor to be better prepared for such situations.
Togekiss @ Wide Lens
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Aura Sphere
- Psychic
I chose Togekiss because I wanted to have a Fairy-type Pokemon on the team, and there was only one contender that fitted the requirements. She also works as a good opponent for Dragon-types such as Dragonite, Kingdra and Garchomp. I toyed with the Wide Lens set, but have found it to be very useful in many situations, especially when I need moves to hit first time. Paired with Air Slash, Togekiss is a powerful enemy against many. I chose Air Slash to give Flying-type STAB, but also coverage against any Pokemon such as Infernape, who are more resistant to Fairy-type moves. Air Slash has a good chance of making the enemy flinch anyway. Along with Togekiss' Serene Grace, this means that the foe will flinch more often than not. However, Air Slash doesn't always hit, so that's why I paired it with the Wide Lens. Dazzling Gleam is good as STAB, but also works against common Dragon-types to defeat them. Aura Sphere gives coverage against the Steel-type weakness displayed by Togekiss, and it's the best option due to the fact that it never misses (except from moves like Shadow Force, Dive etc). Psychic is good against Togekiss' other main weakness which is Poison. Common poison types are Scolipede and Nidoqueen, both of whom can be defeated by Psychic.
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Heat Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Toxic
Zapdos is on my team because he is useful to deal with Water-type weaknesses that both Gliscor and Charizard share, but can also deal with other common annoyances such as Skarmory. I gave Zapdos Heat Wave, because it gives coverage against Ground-types, especially Pokemon such as Excadrill and Steelix who also have Steel typing. It also deals with Zapdos' Ice type weakness, which can be crippling. Also, there is a chance that if Zapdos is brought out, the sun might still be active from Charizard's Drought. This will boost the power of Heat Wave, and help against opponents. Thunderbolt is for the aforementioned Water-type weakness that could ruin the chances of both Gliscor and Charizard. It is the main STAB move which can also be good against any other opponents who may take average damage, but against whom I cannot afford to switch out, for whatever reason. Volt Switch is a 'just-in-case' move, preparing Zapdos for the fact that he may need to switch out. His fairly decent speed means that hopefully it will be able to hit and switch before any opponents get a chance to do some serious damage. Toxic is part of the set because a few times I've been lumbered against an opponent that takes little damage from Thunderbolt, Heat Wave and Volt Switch. A potential other choice I was going for would have been Drill Peck, but I decided against that and went for Toxic, in case my opponent happens to be Golem, or another with the same typing - which would render all four moves pretty much useless if I'd chosen Drill Peck.
Hawlucha @ Wide Lens
Ability: Limber
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Flying Press
- Iron Head
- U-turn
Another Wide Lens set, but again paired with a move that can have bad consequences if it misses, particularly here. It is also good to pair with Limber as an ability, because it means that not only will the moves be more likely to hit, there won't be any problem of Thunder Wave or similar moves affecting speed. Many opponents try to combat Hawlucha with Ice-type Pokemon, and High Jump Kick is a way of me countering that. HJK has a high power, but if it misses, which it can do, it will mean that Hawlucha is basically a sitting duck. His defenses are not the best, and if he takes crash damage from HJK, he's pretty much done. When HJK does hit though, even doing regular damage, it can deal a serious blow. Added to Hawlucha's decent attack stat and the STAB gained, HJK can deal with many opponents with ease. Flying Press is the main STAB move, and it can help to swing battles back into my favour, due to it's double typing. The fact that it is both a Fighting- and Flying-type move means that opponents can often underestimate Hawlucha which can work to my advantage. There have been many situations where I've come across a Pokemon that is strong against Fighting, but has both of its types weak to Flying. An example here would be Leavanny. The use of Flying Press means that despite all of the odds, Hawlucha can gain the upper hand. As I've already said, Hawlucha still has a weakness to Ice-types, but he also is weak to Fairy pokemon, which resist Fighting-type moves. Iron Head is useful against both, particularly against Diancie, who appears regularly, and could cripple Hawlucha easily. Adding Iron Head gets rid of this, as well as warding off others like Gardevoir who think they could chance it against Hawlucha
Below are a few examples of my team winning in battle.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-389822538
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-394879146
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-394880866
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/monotype-394895007
