Mostly Psychic Team

[Vjedi729]

I have been playing on Showdown for a while, but I have always been using mostly standard movesets and Pokémon. With the advent of X/Y, I switched from VGC to Smogon Doubles in order to continue using some of my favorite Pokémon. This is the first team that I put together without copying most of the sets off of Smogon's pages. I have been using it since the beginning of X/Y, and it has served me well.

Keep in mind that I am playing under very specific teambuilding rules. Five of my Pokémon must share a type, and the sixth must be a different type. The type I am using is Psychic, because I found it most flexible, and because I had experience with Psychic types on nearly all of my teams.

I still change bits of the team constantly, so moves that are bolded have been added recently, and haven't been playtested as much (some as little as a week, but for most it has been about a month).

The team has a few different ways to win. Depending on the Pokémon that the opponent is using, the team will sweep with Gardevoir's Hyper Voice and Gallade's Rock Slide; or tank with Bisharp/Gardevoir?Meloetta; or take hits, heal the team with Heal Pulse, Giga Drain, and Wish, and slowly knock out the opponent's Pokémon.

So here is my team:

Clara (Gardevoir) (F) @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Wish
- Protect

Gardevoir is supposed to be a counter to Dargons, and also carries the only Psychic type attack on the team. The most common victory for this team is to weaken the opponents counters to Gardevoir, and then sweep with Hyper Voice. It also supports well by Tracing Intimidate or an immunizing ability (Flash Fire, Water Aborb, etc.) and using Wish to heal a Pokémon as it switches in.

Victor (Gallade) @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Confuse Ray
- Rock Slide
- Heal Pulse
- Protect

Gallade is a support Pokémon. It uses Heal Pulse to heal the team and confusion and flinching to buy turns to set up or switch Pokémon. It can stall with protect for a turn to scout, especially to check for moves that would destroy other Pokémon on the switch. Gallade also takes special attacks well, something the rest of my team has a harder time with.

Cayleb (Victini) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Bolt Strike
- V-create
- Trick (Previously Zen Headbutt)
- Protect (Previously Brick Break)

Victini is half revenge killer, half lead/wall crippler. It also functions as a trick room counter, using the choice scarf and dropping it's own speed with V-create. Also, it takes down common Flying-types.

Sharleyan (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 Spd
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Giga Drain
- Protect

Celebi is physically defensive, and it concentrates on setting up Stealth Rocks and staying healthy. I rarely use Earth Power, but I can't find a better move to fill the slot. Mostly, Celebi absorbs status moves and neutral or resisted Physical attacks.

Nimue (Meloetta) @ Normal Gem
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 88 SAtk / 168 Spd
Lonely Nature
- Relic Song
- Drain Punch
- Energy Ball (Previously Thunderbolt)
- Acrobatics

Meloetta is a flexible mixed attacker. Acrobatics makes a great surprise move. Normal Gem Relic Song deals good damage against physically defensive Pokémon, and doubles the power of Acrobatics.

Ender (Bisharp) @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Brick Break (Previously Protect or Swords Dance)

Bisharp is a revenge killer and late game sweeper with Sucker Punch and Iron Head. It can support early game with it's strong defense and Knock Off and Brick Break.

This team was good enough to put me in the top 50 on Showdown for a little while, but I usually fluctuate between 70 and 80.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!

-Vjedi

 

[Posh_Rev]

Choice scarf doesnt work too well in doubles from experience but great team!

 

[finally]

posh is right that scarf is a little more edgy in doubles, but it fulfills the same role of a fast mon as scarfers do in singles.
scarf victini is a fine mon
id say drop energy ball for protect on meloetta
drop brick break for protect on bisharp
zen headbutt for protect on victini since you are scarf
drain punch over confuse ray for gallade
wish is pretty bad in doubles. consider taunt, shadow ball, hidden power ground, destiny bond, will o wisp, moonblast. for gard

 

[Vjedi729]

Thanks! I'll try these things.

 

[AuraRayquaza]

Ok so there are a few things i would like to suggest for your team Vjedi729. And i understand that you have guidelines you want to work within, so ill try and respect those!

Firstly, i like the idea of sweeping with gardevoir once its checks are gone. Therefore, you want to give gardevoir the best chance of sweeping as possible. I would suggest using a spread of 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe on gardevoir. To maximise its speed for when you get the chance to sweep. I would also run hidden power ground over wish. The main reason for this is because you dont eant gardevoir to have to switch in often to take hits, especially if it is supposed to sweep. HP ground also hits heatran hard, which your team has huge problems with.

On to your gallade. I mentioned your team had huge issues beating heatran for garde to sweep. Well, i think gallade is your best bet at beating it, as it can hit hard with a fighting STAB. However, you arent using gallades potential to the fullest. Therefore, i would go with an ev spread of 192 HP / 236 Atk / 16 SDef / 64 Spe with an adamant nature. This spread gives you enough speed to outspeed 80 Spe heatran and 2HKO it with drain punch, while having enough bulk to always live a charizard y fire blast in the sun, the gold standard in special attacks. I would also go with a moveset of Drain punch over confuse ray, and ice punch over heal pulse. This gives you good coverage on dragons and a strong STAB, which heals hp back.

Victini looks mostly fine, but protect on a scarf set is kinda counter-productive, even with trick. Therefore i would go with U-turn over protect. This allows you to grab some quick momentum when the opponent switches out, as you can go into a check.

I dont think you are using meloetta nearly well enough. I see you are trying to abuse its forme-change, but not to a particularly good effect. I would change meloetta's set to this:

Meloetta @ Life Orb
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 HP / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Protect

With this, you abuse the power of meloettas special side and dont have to spread evs over both offensive stats. Hyper voice and psyshock are nice STABs which hit hard with life orb. Hp fire is for ferrothorn and scizor, which are otherwise issues for your team. Te evs are to maximise meloettas offensive abilities in speed and special attack.

I dont think you are using celebi very well either. With so many ceippling weaknesses, celebi is just not viable in the dubs metagame. I suggest a cresselia set:

Cresselia (F) @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 SDef
Calm Nature
- Psyshock
- Thunder Wave
- Ice Beam
- Rest

This is a psychic type which can actually take strong hits well, unlike celebi. The evs are standard to maximise bulk on both sides. Chesto berry + rest lets cress take status and heal hp when low. Psyshock is a nice STAB, which hurts fighting types. Thunder wave is to slow down fast threats for gardevoir to sweep more easily, and ice beam is another option for dragons.

Finally, bisharp doesnt do much for your team. It only compounds a large weakness to talonflame. I suggest a tyranitar:

Tyranitar @ Lum Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Crunch
- Low Kick
- Protect

Tyranitar is much better because it has bulk to take ghost and dark type attacks, unlike bisharp. It also solves a crippling weakness to talonflame. It even beats charizard y, cancelling out its weather. The evs maximise attack power while still having bulk. Crunch and rock slide are standard STABs. Low kick hurts heatran and opposing ttars. Lum berry protects from will o wisp.

I hope this rate helped!