Nothing To Sing About (Featuring Meloetta and Gothitelle)

[Xelacalle]

Introduction

Hey again Smogon. A few weeks ago I posted an RMT based around Meloetta. That's how I make my teams, I choose a Pokemon and work around them. Now, I'm bringing you another based on the very same poke.

First Look

Not exactly standard stuff, but bear with it, it seems to be working quite well.

Team Building Process

Hide

This team has been a long time in the making, It's basically an advancement of my old Meloetta team, despite the fact that this team was built from the ground up. For this reason, you can go here to see the original team and get an idea of how I work.

Obviously, I started with Meloetta.

Now, the main things that Meloetta is walled by are bulky Ghost and Psychic types. I already knew that a good pair with Meloetta is Sharpedo - however, Meloetta-P and Sharpedo share a fighting-type weakness, and Meloetta-A and Sharpedo share a bug-type weakness. For this reason, I also added Chandelure, seeing as it is immune to Fighting, 4x Resists Bug and can hit Psychic and Ghost types hard with STAB Shadow Ball.

Now, most Fighting types carry Rock/Ground coverage so I realised that they were still going to be a problem. So I added a Choice Specs Celebi to hit them (among others) hard.

For my defensive core I just stuck with Jirachi/Gliscor. They had worked well in the past and have good synergy with each other. Chandelure also happens to have reasonable synergy with Jirachi, being able to switch into Fighting and Fire types which are often aimed at it.

However, certain Fighting types (Conkeldur, Infernape) were proving troublesome. I often had to out-predict to get around them. Then Shadow Tag Gothitelle was released and I thought, hey. Why not? So far it is working surprisingly well on this team, allowing me to trap dangerous Fighting types and wear them down, as well as certain Scarfed Pokemon and Bulky attackers that don't pack U-Turn (or similar).

In detail

"Rhythmic" (Meloetta) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 56Atk / 252SAtk / 200Spe
Naive nature
-Relic Song
-Hidden Power [Ice]
-Close Combat
-Thunderbolt
Personally, I think Meloetta is a really underrated Pokemon. I find her incredibly useful in the current metagame. She can hit rain teams hard and often catch Tyranitars off-guard (they stay in, seeing a Psychic type, only to be resisted in Pirouette forme, then usually eating a Close Combat). A defensive core which is becoming more and more common is Amoongus / Heatran / Slowbro and Meloetta can hit all three super-effectively (usually 2HKO'ing). What's more, expert belt makes it easy to bluff a Choiced Special set, allowing you to catch that opposing Blissey / Chansey off-guard.

"Soulfyre" (Chandelure) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire (Shadow Tag has potential if/when it's released, but for now Flash Fire has good synergy with Jirachi and allows Chandelure to come in on Heatran easier.)
EVs: 4Def / 252SAtk / 252Spe
Timid nature
-Fire Blast
-Energy Ball
-Shadow Ball
-Hidden Power [Ground]
Chandelure can come in and wreck almost anything it feels like. It is an excellent revenge killer and can also punch holes in teams which Meloetta and Sharpedo might have trouble dealing with. It also has good synergy in the team, able to come in against Bug/Fighting type attacks which might be directed at Meloetta and Sharpedo as well as Fire attacks aimed at Jirachi.

"Vector" (Sharpedo) @ Life Orb
Trait: Speed Boost
EVs: 252Atk / 4Def / 252Spe
Adamant nature
-Waterfall
-Crunch
-Ice Fang
-Protect
Sharpedo is another surprisingly good Pokemon on this team. After a single speed boost, it out speeds many Pokemon in the OU metagame and, if allowed two, it can easily sweep a weakened team. I'm using Ice Fang over Earthquake because I often find myself needing to be able to deal with Salamence and Dragonite more than anything which is hit by EQ.

"Gothique" (Gothitelle) @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252HP / 136Def / 120SDef
Bold Nature
-Psychic
-Torment
-Recycle
-Rest
I was dubious about using Gothitelle in OU, but I decided that, seeing as it recently got it's DW ability, I may as well give it a try. It can work wonders. Choiced pokemon have major problems with Gothitelle due to Torment. While they can only hit Gothitelle hard every two turns, she can quite happily RestRecycle and stall out struggle recoil. However, Gothitelle's main use lies in dealing with Fighting types. Seeing as Fighting types often carry coverage moves like Ice Punch and Earthquake, I can't reliably switch any of my other Pokemon in. Gothitelle resists the main STAB and can take anything else fairly comfortably. Even Payback is unlikely to do much, seeing as Gothitelle is very slow and will likely move after the opponent. In the absence of something Gothitelle directly counters, she can be used to ensure that your opponent is not going to switch out of something Meloetta counters, potentially give her a free chance to set up Relic Song; or she can deal a little damage to a threat to ensure that Sharpedo will be able to OHKO later. tl;dr - Gothitelle WORKS. (Oh, and the EVs and nature grants Gothitelle equal Def / SDef to take everything equally well)

"Whichrachi" (Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252HP / 32Def / 224SDef
Careful nature
-Wish
-Stealth Rock
-Iron Head
-Body Slam
Jirachi is just an annoying Special Wall with enough Def EVs to withstand some Dragon types which happens to be able to Wish-pass, Stealth Rock and Paraflinch. I'm really unsure about my Defensive Pokemon in general because I'm mostly just using them because I know they've worked before. While it's nice to have a Wish passer when I don't have a spinner, and Stealth Rocks definitely help... I'm just feel like maybe there's a couple of defensive Pokemon I haven't thought about which might be better for this team.

"Vlad" (Gliscor) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 244HP / 40Def / 220Spe
Impish nature
-Toxic
-Substitute
-Protect
-Earthquake
Pretty much a standard Toxic Stall Gliscor, with enough Speed to deal with SD Lucario. Again, I'm really unsure as to whether Gliscor is right for this team, for the same reason as Jirachi.

Conclusion:

So that's my team. In the testing that I have done, it seems to work pretty well. I have lost a fair few battles using this team but it was often just because of poor prediction and not really knowing the OU metagame well enough. The Pokemon I would most like advice about are Jirachi and Gliscor. Like I said, I'm not really very happy with them because I don't feel like I have a particular reason for using them other than 'they seem to work'.
Any and all advice or criticism you wish to give is appreciated, but I would like to keep Meloetta on this team but changing Gothitelle is fine if it's niche role is no longer necessary.
Thank-you in advance for your help!

Importable

Hide

Meloetta @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 56 Atk / 252 SAtk / 200 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Relic Song
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
- Close Combat

Chandelure @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Energy Ball
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Sharpedo @ Life Orb
Trait: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Ice Fang
- Protect

Gothitelle @ Leftovers
Trait: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SDef
Bold Nature
- Taunt
- Torment
- Thunderbolt
- Psyshock

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SDef
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Body Slam

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 224 HP / 40 Def / 220 Spd
Impish Nature
- Toxic
- Substitute
- Protect
- Earthquake

Notes

Currently using Skarmory / Dragonite over Jirachi / Gliscor as per The Great Mighty Doom's suggestions.

Notable Problems / Threats (This section will be added to as I come across them)

Gothitelle is 2HKO'd by Choice Band Flare Blitz from Infernape (but with prediction, Chandelure can be switched in to take it) - this is a problem as Gothitelle is supposed to trap and remove fighting types.
Genesect can hit 5/6 Pokemon (assuming Meloetta is in Aria forme) on this team super effectively, while Chandelure is unlikely to be able to continually switch in as Genesect will probably come with hazard support.
Stall teams - My main two Pokemon capable of breaking stall teams are Chandelure and Sharpedo. Once they're down (which seeing as they're fragile is not too difficult) I can't do anything to Deoxys-D (in particular). Now that I'm using Skarmory and Dragonite, I don't have anything to Toxic and wear down these things.
Thundurus-T (in the rain) is another Pokemon I can't deal with due to HP Ice and STAB Thunder
Offensive Rain Teams - a pretty huge flaw. I can't reliably switch anything into an offensive Politoed or Keldeo in the rain, unless it's locked into something. Politoed being the #1 poke in usage last month, as well as the currently offence-focused metagame, means that my team often falls down. Luckily, it seems that people are starting to move away from rain, but that doesn't mean nobody uses it and these teams cause me no end of problems when playing them.

Changes being considered (Again, something I will be adding to)
Change Skarmory to Defensive Heatran
Change Dragonite to Specially Defensive Lanturn
Change Sharpedo to ???

 

[TGMD]

Hey Xelacalle, it's good to see such a unique and interesting team.

The first thing I noticed when looking at your team is that there's literally nothing that can switch in on a rain boosted Hydro Pump from the likes of Politoed and Keldeo. Another thing I noticed was that Offensive Quiver Dance Volcarona can very easliy sweep your team, it can set up on half your team and then sweep you unless you get a double protect on Sharpedo. To help remedy this I highly suggest you run Parashuffler Dragonite over Gliscor. Dragonite solves both of the problems listed above and can tank special hits incredibly well, it also gives you a phaser in case a sweeper gets out of hand and it gives you something to spread paralysis around unprepared teams, making it very easy for a late game sweep.

Now Jirachi fills a very similiar role to Dragonite (para spreading, special wall etc.) Not only this but with the removal of your physical wall prominent physical threats are going to be causing you trouble. For this I suggest you run Physically Defensive Skarmory over Jirachi. Skarmory has some of the most collosal defense in the entire game, having no trouble tanking physical hits. Skarmory covers alot of weaknesses to your team, such as; Landorus, Mamoswine etc. While still resisting Dragons and being able to set up Stealth Rocks. Skarmory is also able to set up Spikes and phase with whirlwind, making it a devastating partner for Dragonite's paralysation and phasing skills. Not only that, but Chandelure can spin block, making it super easy to wear down your opponents team to ridiculously low health for a late game sweep.

Anyway I hope this rate helped, and GL with the team :)

Sets:

Parashuffler Dragonite

Dragonite @ Leftovers
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 SDef / 4 Spe
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave
- Roost
- Dragon Tail

Physically Defensive Skarmory

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Stealth Rock
- Brave Bird

 

[Xelacalle]

Thanks! I'll definitely be trying those two sets out, and I'll edit the team with them if I have some success. I'm glad you suggested changing both Jirachi and Gliscor because I was very iffy about both, and I've never used a Parashuffler set on Dragonite before...
Weirdly, I haven't come across Volcorona or even Keldeo (in the rain) with this team yet, but I did notice recently the problem with Hydro Pump from Politoed. (Or perhaps I did see Keldeo but was using Celebi at the time).
Thank you very much for the rate. I'm going to sleep soon but I will edit the team on showdown now and get to testing it tomorrow.

 

[Electrolyte]

Hi,

You've got a really cool team with an interesting use of Meloetta and Gothitelle- it looks quite solid too. However, your team really lacks power. Your strongest attacker is Chandelure, who you use as a revenge killer. I suggest you throw some set up moves into the fray, so you can break past common walls.

Believe it or not, Sharpedo is an amazing revenge killer, because it has something Chandelure doesn't STAB Sucker Punch. With Speed boost, swords dance, and powerful priority, it can function as both a revenge killer and a set up sweeper. Here's the set:

Sharpedo @ Focus Sash
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly nature
~Swords Dance
~Sucker Punch
~Waterfall / Aqua Jet
~Protect / Ice Fang

As long as Sharpedo can get in scot free, there is not much your opponent can do to stop it. However, you must be wary of burns, because that will end your sweep and your ability to revenge kill.

Now that you have a great revenger / sweeper, giving Chandelure a scarf is kind of unnecessary. I suggest you give it Choice Specs- this allows it to plow through your opponent's team like nothing. With a Flash Fire boost and choice specs, not many pokemon will be able to come in and live to tell the tale.

Chandelure @ Choice Specs
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid nature
~Fire Blast
~HP Fighting
~Shadow Ball
~Energy Ball

You won't have to worry about being too slow now- with Jirachi/Dragonite spreading paralysis, speed won't be much of a problem.

Nice team! Good luck!

 

[Xelacalle]

I actually didn't know Sharpedo could get Sucker Punch. I didn't really spend much time looking at its movepool I guess. That set looks really interesting though and I will definitely give it a shot.

Also, I was looking for an excuse to use specs Chandelure. It's power is ridiculous.

Thank you very much for the rate!

EDIT: According to Showdown, Sucker Punch is illegal on Sharpedo.
(I was wondering how it punches)

 

[Electrolyte]

lol you're right, I mistakenly took Crunch for Sucker Punch.
Well, it gets aqua jet. It's not as powerful nor as fast, but it should work well. I still retain everything else I said.

 

[Xelacalle]

Ok so I just went on Showdown again and found that Swords Dance is also illegal :L (I didn't check before). Are you perhaps thinking of a different Pokemon?

 

[Xelacalle]

The first thing I noticed when looking at your team is that there's literally nothing that can switch in on a rain boosted Hydro Pump from the likes of Politoed and Keldeo. Another thing I noticed was that Offensive Quiver Dance Volcarona can very easliy sweep your team, it can set up on half your team and then sweep you unless you get a double protect on Sharpedo. To help remedy this I highly suggest you run Parashuffler Dragonite over Gliscor. Dragonite solves both of the problems listed above and can tank special hits incredibly well, it also gives you a phaser in case a sweeper gets out of hand and it gives you something to spread paralysis around unprepared teams, making it very easy for a late game sweep.

Now Jirachi fills a very similiar role to Dragonite (para spreading, special wall etc.) Not only this but with the removal of your physical wall prominent physical threats are going to be causing you trouble. For this I suggest you run Physically Defensive Skarmory over Jirachi. Skarmory has some of the most collosal defense in the entire game, having no trouble tanking physical hits. Skarmory covers alot of weaknesses to your team, such as; Landorus, Mamoswine etc. While still resisting Dragons and being able to set up Stealth Rocks. Skarmory is also able to set up Spikes and phase with whirlwind, making it a devastating partner for Dragonite's paralysation and phasing skills. Not only that, but Chandelure can spin block, making it super easy to wear down your opponents team to ridiculously low health for a late game sweep.

Ok, so I tested with these sets and there are couple of problems.
While Dragonite can switch in on a choice-locked Hydro Pump quite happily, it can't switch in to Keldeo or Politoed because some variants of Keldeo run Icy Wind and most variants of Politoed run Ice Beam. So, it doesn't cover that problem at all.
However, Volcarona is very effectively stopped by Dragonite.
Skarmory works just fine at covering the mentioned weaknesses but doesn't do anything to help deal with Keldeo or Politoed in the rain.
I also have trouble with the rare (but present) hail teams, as I don't really have anything to take a Blizzard from Kyurem.

These two Pokemon also make the team a lot more stally in nature. This doesn't really work. It often means I am switching between Chandelure and my walls to set up, phase and spinblock. This sort of team doesn't work at all well with Sharpedo (who is made of Papier Maché) or Meloetta (who doesn't appreciate being worn down).

Basically, I really like this core but it doesn't quite work with the rest of the team.

 

[Xelacalle]

Bump, as it's been 24 hours and this RMT dropped off the bottom of the first page. I would really appreciate any and all feedback, be it positive or negative, with this team as I'm still not completely happy with it.

 

[False Sense]

Hi! Nice looking team there. Really like the presence of Meloetta.

Considering your weak to powerful Rain pokemon with Ice attacks, perhaps an option over Dragonite would be Support Latias. It lacks a 4-times weakness to Ice and has much higher Special Defense than Dragonite, letting it sponge hits more easily. You can also use Wish to heal your teammates, which could be helpful in giving Meloetta or Sharpedo another chance to sweep.

Well, it's an idea.

Hope I helped. Again, cool team!

 

[Shining_Latios]

Hey, cool team. I do see some problems, however. Rain teams look like a huge headache. Sharpedo is your only water-type resist and he is VERY frail. Two Pokemon you mentioned your team cannot switch into are Politoed and Keldeo. A good Pokemon to take both of these threats on would be Amoonguss. A moveset consisting of Spore / Giga Drain / Clear Smog / Hidden Power [Ice] should do just fine alongside an EV Spread of 252 HP / 4 Defense / 252 Special Defense, with a Calm Nature and the item Black Sludge. Amoonguss not only adds a water-type resist but is a good Keldeo counter. Amoonguss only takes 41.89 - 49.3% from a +1 Rain boosted Hydro Pump from Keldeo. Amoonguss can proceed to Spore Keldeo and Clear Smog to eliminate any Calm Mind boosts achieved. You can then just Giga Drain it for the 2HKO. Amoonguss also takes any of Politoed's attacks fine, bar a Choice Specs Ice Beam, which are not as used as much as the defensive set. An alternative to Clear Smog is Sludge Bomb, which hits harder and helps you take down Breloom easier, although Clear Smog is probably the better option as it lets you stop any boosting sweepers from running through your team. Another possible recommendation I have for you is trying out Calm Mind Reuniclus somewhere on your team as it can shred to stall teams, a threat to your team. The moveset consisting of Calm Mind / Psychic / Focus Blast / Recover is what you should be using, along with an EV Spread of 252 HP / 252 Defense / 4 Special Defense for maximizing defensive capabilities. A Bold Nature is your friend here as you will be able to take physical attacks better and you're boosting your Special Defense through Calm Mind anyways. Leftovers is probably superior to Life Orb on CM Reuniclus, as the healing each turn helps in its longevity. CM Reuniclus really just pulverizes through stall teams as it takes no damage from entry hazards and status problems from it's ability, Magic Guard, making it one of the best Stallbreakers in the game. Once Reuniclus gets a sufficient amount of Calm Minds, not much can stop Reuniclus, not even Chansey or Blissey, who are very good special walls. Hope I helped and good luck with the team.