When I ask you what types would dominate Monotype, the answers would be pretty standard based on which has dual-typing variety. You would probably say Dragon, due to the sheer power and presence of the Dragon-typing, with so much variety to give. You may also say Steel, due to it's presence defensively, with key players able to shore up their weaknesses. Water is also a strong type, with some being immune to Electric, and others being immune to Grass, combines with great variety and a weather effect. Fire? What about fire monotype? It comes with harsh sun, and a plethora of pokemon who hit hard and fast under weather. Mono-ice is even getting talk lately, due to hail, plus the ability of many ice types to destroy dragons. One type doesn't get too much hype however, and I find it needs to be recognized as king of the Mono-hill.
Team Building Process
It all starts with Alakazam. Anyone who has ever used him realizes why this thing is the king of RBY, and why it very much deserves its spot in OU. It's just so quick, anything without a boost or a scarf (and some even with one) will have trouble going first against it, and you don't want to take any base 80 power attack from it. Darks gamble with this pokemon when they confront it, because if Focus Blast hits, they won't be around for long. Anything that is weak to Psychic/Psyshock will be sorely pressed to find an excuse to take it head on, and God help you, you better be so bulky or so quick that you can strike it before it strikes you down. Alakazam is not without its faults though. It hates non-fighting type priority, Bullet Punch, Extreme Speed, Sucker Punch (if no sub) and Quick Attack and priority moves are everywhere. Alakazam needs partners, and it's team set-up is important. Many things are bulky and need to be crippled beforehand, and the residual damage is often the key difference between a OHKO and a 2HKO.
Enter Deoxys-D, a defensive psychic type and a great user of Stealth Rocks. While Azelf was considered, Deoxys-D makes the cut because he serves as a defensive pivot late-game and racks up plenty of residual damage. His access to many tools make him somewhat unpredictable as a wall, and he's ok with taking hits for the team. But what he needs is a physical-sweeper to look out for dark types. But where will we get a fighting-type among psychic mono?
Medicham is what you'd call a glass cannon, much like Alakazam. But, she comes with one of the best moves in the game: high-jump kick. Able to wreck teams after Stealth Rock damage, Medicham is a great physical sweeper and confronts Darks and Steels head-on, but can also take bug moves without much worry. He doesn't really like Scizor though...
Works as both a lead and a late-game wall. He's also the only reliable way of passing on burn without looking to something that can use Will-o-wisp, and he can do it with greater accuracy too. While he works as a mixed wall and a great staller, I still need something that can take Ice, Rock and Electric attacks without straying from the Psychic typing, in addition to something that can pass on Toxic rather than burn...
Cressellia is one of the best walls I have ever seen. Gargantuan defenses coupled by decent typing, she can sponge even super-effective hits and doll out toxic like shes giving out candy on Halloween. This covers all pokemon who aren't Heatran (who is immune to both), but that is of no consequence, because we have...
Latias! The great she-dragon has arrived and it's her job to destroy all that's in her path with what remains. Able to take a hit and give it back, it's unlikely any pokemon will be left after they are done.
OLMEC (Sigilyph) (M) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Cosmic Power
- Stored Power
This guy. This guy is epic. If sauce was a pokemon, it would wish to be as epic as this guy. It's purpose is simple, dish out the most reliable burn in the metagame to everything, and then raise its own defenses. The burn helps keeping him defending, while Cosmic Power gives him something to do. If you are boosting, he will boost along with you while the burn whittles you down, and when you think its safe to taunt, expect a STAB stored power to the face. He's so good he's 6-0'd 2 teams by himself as a lead. He deals with some threats that are present as well, many threats to psychics are physical attackers, which he cripples with burn. Lucario, Scizor, Ferrothorn, even certain Jirachi variants. His flying-type also makes him quad-resist fighting types, and gives him neutrality to bug and immunity to ground moves. Roost is important due to lack of leftovers and is often useful in out-stalling something that is a severe threat.
SOLID (Deoxys-D) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Stealth Rock
- Night Shade
- Taunt
A quick taunter, guaranteed to survive and get his rocks off and can do some serious damage if he's been taunted himself. Solid is essentially that, solid. Rocky helmet is the item of choice as it allows him to get some nice residual damage that can come back later and ensure a KO from one of my sweepers. Rocks are good for hitting mono-dragon, mono-flying and mono-fire. Night Shade was chosen over Seismic Toss as normal-types aren't a problem in any sense of the word. Taunt is obvious, but it's to prevent becoming set-up bait. Recover is to compensate for no lefties.
FURY (Medicham) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pure Power
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hi Jump Kick
- Psycho Cut
- Ice Punch
- Trick
While dark-mono isn't very common, I see it and other dark-types present in all areas. Offensively, fighting is great. Hi Jump Kick nails every threat that isn't Sableye or Spiritomb, coming from a huge base power makes it unstoppable. Psycho-cut is the standard STAB move of choice, chosen over Zen Headbutt due to its accuracy. Ice Punch nails dragons, which many of them won't expect. Choice Scarf is necessary, because Medicham has terrible speed and defenses, and needs to hit first and hard. Trick is to stop being set-up on, but also to lock something into a boosting move and forcing it out. Being neutral to both dark and bug is always helpful as well. Pure power is amazing, and it makes Medicham's passable base power actually viable.
ANGIE (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Substitute
Latias is built to hit everything except steel types, with both Medicham covering it in Hi-Jump Kick and Alakazam handling it with Focus Blast, Dragon Pulse makes sure to hit everything where it hurts. Calm Mind is to boost its amazing special defense so Ice Beam is no longer a problem, Substitute is to avoid status, and prevent being Pursuit-prone or Sucker Punched. Lefties are lefties and Levitate provides another pokemon that Earthquake can't hit, although by now that's redundant. Recover ensures staying power and as long as she keeps calm minds up, she will have to use it less and less.
KINETICA (Alakazam) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
This is my main man right here, after the rest of the team has cleared the threats and neutralised and dealt residual damage to whats left, Alakazam cleans house scoring OHKO after OHKO. His speed is neutralized by priority and Sucker Punch, which is why Substitute is there. This way, Zam can take a hit and keep on mowing. Life Orb is obvious, but with Substitute, Focus Sash is redundant. Zam carries the 3 moves of doom, Shadow Ball for other psychics, Psyshock to hurt Blissey and Focus Blast to eradicate Darks and Steels. Everything dies. EVERYTHING. He'll be blowing off the residual smoke off his spoons once the match is done, and he'll be on his way.
QUICKSILVER (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Moonlight
Another check to Dragons and the like, Cresselia provides some much appreciated support to the defensive core of the team. Being the one dolling out Toxic (because fire-types are immune to burn), this makes her great for causing switches and promoting stall wars. Mammoth defenses allow her to hit pokemon like Landorous and Salamence hard with Ice Beam, while Psychic is strong for anything that doesn't resist it. Always a safe switch-in, she also eliminates the need for Toxic Spikes, and her Levitate means that entry hazards are less of a problem.
So that's my team, what do you guys think?
Team Building Process
It all starts with Alakazam. Anyone who has ever used him realizes why this thing is the king of RBY, and why it very much deserves its spot in OU. It's just so quick, anything without a boost or a scarf (and some even with one) will have trouble going first against it, and you don't want to take any base 80 power attack from it. Darks gamble with this pokemon when they confront it, because if Focus Blast hits, they won't be around for long. Anything that is weak to Psychic/Psyshock will be sorely pressed to find an excuse to take it head on, and God help you, you better be so bulky or so quick that you can strike it before it strikes you down. Alakazam is not without its faults though. It hates non-fighting type priority, Bullet Punch, Extreme Speed, Sucker Punch (if no sub) and Quick Attack and priority moves are everywhere. Alakazam needs partners, and it's team set-up is important. Many things are bulky and need to be crippled beforehand, and the residual damage is often the key difference between a OHKO and a 2HKO.
Enter Deoxys-D, a defensive psychic type and a great user of Stealth Rocks. While Azelf was considered, Deoxys-D makes the cut because he serves as a defensive pivot late-game and racks up plenty of residual damage. His access to many tools make him somewhat unpredictable as a wall, and he's ok with taking hits for the team. But what he needs is a physical-sweeper to look out for dark types. But where will we get a fighting-type among psychic mono?
Medicham is what you'd call a glass cannon, much like Alakazam. But, she comes with one of the best moves in the game: high-jump kick. Able to wreck teams after Stealth Rock damage, Medicham is a great physical sweeper and confronts Darks and Steels head-on, but can also take bug moves without much worry. He doesn't really like Scizor though...
Works as both a lead and a late-game wall. He's also the only reliable way of passing on burn without looking to something that can use Will-o-wisp, and he can do it with greater accuracy too. While he works as a mixed wall and a great staller, I still need something that can take Ice, Rock and Electric attacks without straying from the Psychic typing, in addition to something that can pass on Toxic rather than burn...
Cressellia is one of the best walls I have ever seen. Gargantuan defenses coupled by decent typing, she can sponge even super-effective hits and doll out toxic like shes giving out candy on Halloween. This covers all pokemon who aren't Heatran (who is immune to both), but that is of no consequence, because we have...
Latias! The great she-dragon has arrived and it's her job to destroy all that's in her path with what remains. Able to take a hit and give it back, it's unlikely any pokemon will be left after they are done.
A Close Observation
OLMEC (Sigilyph) (M) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Cosmic Power
- Stored Power
This guy. This guy is epic. If sauce was a pokemon, it would wish to be as epic as this guy. It's purpose is simple, dish out the most reliable burn in the metagame to everything, and then raise its own defenses. The burn helps keeping him defending, while Cosmic Power gives him something to do. If you are boosting, he will boost along with you while the burn whittles you down, and when you think its safe to taunt, expect a STAB stored power to the face. He's so good he's 6-0'd 2 teams by himself as a lead. He deals with some threats that are present as well, many threats to psychics are physical attackers, which he cripples with burn. Lucario, Scizor, Ferrothorn, even certain Jirachi variants. His flying-type also makes him quad-resist fighting types, and gives him neutrality to bug and immunity to ground moves. Roost is important due to lack of leftovers and is often useful in out-stalling something that is a severe threat.
SOLID (Deoxys-D) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Stealth Rock
- Night Shade
- Taunt
A quick taunter, guaranteed to survive and get his rocks off and can do some serious damage if he's been taunted himself. Solid is essentially that, solid. Rocky helmet is the item of choice as it allows him to get some nice residual damage that can come back later and ensure a KO from one of my sweepers. Rocks are good for hitting mono-dragon, mono-flying and mono-fire. Night Shade was chosen over Seismic Toss as normal-types aren't a problem in any sense of the word. Taunt is obvious, but it's to prevent becoming set-up bait. Recover is to compensate for no lefties.
FURY (Medicham) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pure Power
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hi Jump Kick
- Psycho Cut
- Ice Punch
- Trick
While dark-mono isn't very common, I see it and other dark-types present in all areas. Offensively, fighting is great. Hi Jump Kick nails every threat that isn't Sableye or Spiritomb, coming from a huge base power makes it unstoppable. Psycho-cut is the standard STAB move of choice, chosen over Zen Headbutt due to its accuracy. Ice Punch nails dragons, which many of them won't expect. Choice Scarf is necessary, because Medicham has terrible speed and defenses, and needs to hit first and hard. Trick is to stop being set-up on, but also to lock something into a boosting move and forcing it out. Being neutral to both dark and bug is always helpful as well. Pure power is amazing, and it makes Medicham's passable base power actually viable.
ANGIE (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Substitute
Latias is built to hit everything except steel types, with both Medicham covering it in Hi-Jump Kick and Alakazam handling it with Focus Blast, Dragon Pulse makes sure to hit everything where it hurts. Calm Mind is to boost its amazing special defense so Ice Beam is no longer a problem, Substitute is to avoid status, and prevent being Pursuit-prone or Sucker Punched. Lefties are lefties and Levitate provides another pokemon that Earthquake can't hit, although by now that's redundant. Recover ensures staying power and as long as she keeps calm minds up, she will have to use it less and less.
KINETICA (Alakazam) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
This is my main man right here, after the rest of the team has cleared the threats and neutralised and dealt residual damage to whats left, Alakazam cleans house scoring OHKO after OHKO. His speed is neutralized by priority and Sucker Punch, which is why Substitute is there. This way, Zam can take a hit and keep on mowing. Life Orb is obvious, but with Substitute, Focus Sash is redundant. Zam carries the 3 moves of doom, Shadow Ball for other psychics, Psyshock to hurt Blissey and Focus Blast to eradicate Darks and Steels. Everything dies. EVERYTHING. He'll be blowing off the residual smoke off his spoons once the match is done, and he'll be on his way.
QUICKSILVER (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Moonlight
Another check to Dragons and the like, Cresselia provides some much appreciated support to the defensive core of the team. Being the one dolling out Toxic (because fire-types are immune to burn), this makes her great for causing switches and promoting stall wars. Mammoth defenses allow her to hit pokemon like Landorous and Salamence hard with Ice Beam, while Psychic is strong for anything that doesn't resist it. Always a safe switch-in, she also eliminates the need for Toxic Spikes, and her Levitate means that entry hazards are less of a problem.
Importable
OLMEC (Sigilyph) (M) @ Flame Orb Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Cosmic Power
- Stored Power
SOLID (Deoxys-D) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Stealth Rock
- Night Shade
- Taunt
FURY (Medicham) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pure Power
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hi Jump Kick
- Psycho Cut
- Ice Punch
- Trick
ANGIE (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Substitute
KINETICA (Alakazam) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
QUICKSILVER (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Moonlight
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Cosmic Power
- Stored Power
SOLID (Deoxys-D) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Stealth Rock
- Night Shade
- Taunt
FURY (Medicham) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pure Power
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hi Jump Kick
- Psycho Cut
- Ice Punch
- Trick
ANGIE (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Substitute
KINETICA (Alakazam) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
QUICKSILVER (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Moonlight
So that's my team, what do you guys think?