I can't say that I'm one for making teams from scratch. I didn't theorymon for hours on end, coming up with counters for everything. I didn't run damage calcs, IV breed (heck, this is Shoddy), or plan based on the month's what-to-expect list. I'm more of a take-existing-team-and-prune-until-decent kind of person. So that's what I did. I took an old Pearl team onto Shoddy, learned what didn't work anymore, replaced those bad apples with good seeds, and when the dust settled I had these six Pokemon to work with.
It turns out a lot of these Pokemon are variants that I don't see very often. I wouldn't say they're gimmicks, but they're not the standard bread and butter of most teams. Hence the title of this RMT: Expect the Unexpected!
The Team at a Glance:
The Lead:
A Face Only a Mother Could Love
Mamoswine
Adamant
Snow Cloak @ Focus Sash
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
-Stealth Rock
-Endeavor
-Ice Shard
-Earthquake
This may be a massive snow boar, but I don't expect it to live longer than a few turns. It's a suicide lead. Set up SR, survive a hit with Focus Sash, then Endeavor the attacker down to 1 HP, which Ice Shard finishes off. If the opponent doesn't manage to kill me afterwards or doesn't set up his or her own SR, Mamoswine becomes a FEAR type of support character.
The Guiding Force:
Has No One Noticed This Thing is a Giant Shrimp?
Gyarados
Adamant
Intimidate @ Leftovers
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Substitute
-Dragon Dance
-Waterfall
-Bounce
What I find curious is that no one seems to expect Gyarados to throw up a Substitute, and once it does that, it's only a matter of time until it can sweep. This is made easier with the support my Starmie provides, but we'll get to the sea star later. This Gyarados isn't afraid of the status ailments the opponent may throw at it to hinder its power, as it's often fast enough to make a Substitute before the T-Wave, W-o-W, or Hypnoses hits.
I have Leftovers on this Gyara primarily for survivability, as this thing can also stall fairly well. Bounce + Waterfall is almost perfect type coverage, and the two-turn Flying attack can prove useful in forcing out the opponent's Gyara counter. Subbing up and Bouncing wastes an opponent's time and PP, and to do that this Gyara needs Lefties.
The Special Bluff:
So Here's This Giant Enemy Crab
Heatran
Timid
Flash Fire @ Leftovers
4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
-Fire Blast
-Earth Power
-Substitute
-Toxic
Scarved Heatrans are everywhere, so it's no surprise that now people try to bluff the Scarf to scare away the current Pokemon. This is what I'm banking on when I bring this Heatran into battle. Substitute on the switch, then pick my options. Bulky Waters get poisoned, Steels get flame-broiled or...um, earth powered. Heatran's bulk and typing also help sponge some hits.
The Target Practice:
It's a Hormonal Thing
Blissey
Calm
Natural Cure @ Leftovers
252 Def / 80 SpA / 176 SpD
-Wish
-Protect
-Flamethrower
-Thunder Wave
Most of my team is on the bulky side, but since none of them can recover their health outside of Leftovers, Wish support is useful. That's where this massive blob comes in. Blissey can take pretty much any special attack aimed at any of my Pokemon, then recover it off with Wish. When not healing itself, it provides help to the other team members. Wishing on the switch to a physical attacker can be sent to Gyarados for the Intimidate, while any attack can be healed with the Wish.
The set on Blissey's page here recommends Toxic for the last slot, but since Heatran is already spewing poison everywhere, Thunder Wave is for variety. It also helps bluff that this is the standard cleric Blissey.
The Trickster:
It has no Brain, Yet Still Outsmarts People
Starmie
Modest
Natural Cure @ Choice Specs
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Surf
-Ice Beam
-Thunderbolt
-Trick
Starmie is a very threatening Pokemon. I always disliked seeing them on opponents' teams, so after being swept away one too many times I decided to get one of my own. Aside from its amazing offensive capabilities, Starmie can be a support Pokemon too, and this little echinoderm attempts to do both in the same set.
Tricking Choice items has become a favorite toy of mine, and this Starmie pulls it off nicely by being an unexpected practitioner of the art. This Starmie brings the team together by this one move. Tricking onto a stat-boosting move lets me bring in Gyarados or Breloom freely so I too can set up without much fear, while Tricking onto walls neuters their ability to tank.
The Showstopper:
Flying Giga Buster
Breloom
Adamant
Poison Heal @ Toxic Orb
48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Mach Punch
-Seed Bomb
-Spore
Most people think of Breloom as a dangerous nuisance, setting up Spore and Sub to fire off massive Focus Punches. This Breloom is just as scary, only it takes a shorter amount of time to get going. Priority and 130 Atk make it a nice late game cleaner, and what it can't outspeed, it can weather and put to sleep with Spore.
---
Well, I hope you like the team. It's not perfect, but it's gotten a ton of kills on Shoddy. Give these Pokemon the last little boost they need to succeed!
~Xilaa
It turns out a lot of these Pokemon are variants that I don't see very often. I wouldn't say they're gimmicks, but they're not the standard bread and butter of most teams. Hence the title of this RMT: Expect the Unexpected!
The Team at a Glance:
The Lead:
A Face Only a Mother Could Love
Mamoswine
Adamant
Snow Cloak @ Focus Sash
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
-Stealth Rock
-Endeavor
-Ice Shard
-Earthquake
This may be a massive snow boar, but I don't expect it to live longer than a few turns. It's a suicide lead. Set up SR, survive a hit with Focus Sash, then Endeavor the attacker down to 1 HP, which Ice Shard finishes off. If the opponent doesn't manage to kill me afterwards or doesn't set up his or her own SR, Mamoswine becomes a FEAR type of support character.
The Guiding Force:
Has No One Noticed This Thing is a Giant Shrimp?
Gyarados
Adamant
Intimidate @ Leftovers
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Substitute
-Dragon Dance
-Waterfall
-Bounce
What I find curious is that no one seems to expect Gyarados to throw up a Substitute, and once it does that, it's only a matter of time until it can sweep. This is made easier with the support my Starmie provides, but we'll get to the sea star later. This Gyarados isn't afraid of the status ailments the opponent may throw at it to hinder its power, as it's often fast enough to make a Substitute before the T-Wave, W-o-W, or Hypnoses hits.
I have Leftovers on this Gyara primarily for survivability, as this thing can also stall fairly well. Bounce + Waterfall is almost perfect type coverage, and the two-turn Flying attack can prove useful in forcing out the opponent's Gyara counter. Subbing up and Bouncing wastes an opponent's time and PP, and to do that this Gyara needs Lefties.
The Special Bluff:
So Here's This Giant Enemy Crab
Heatran
Timid
Flash Fire @ Leftovers
4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
-Fire Blast
-Earth Power
-Substitute
-Toxic
Scarved Heatrans are everywhere, so it's no surprise that now people try to bluff the Scarf to scare away the current Pokemon. This is what I'm banking on when I bring this Heatran into battle. Substitute on the switch, then pick my options. Bulky Waters get poisoned, Steels get flame-broiled or...um, earth powered. Heatran's bulk and typing also help sponge some hits.
The Target Practice:
It's a Hormonal Thing
Blissey
Calm
Natural Cure @ Leftovers
252 Def / 80 SpA / 176 SpD
-Wish
-Protect
-Flamethrower
-Thunder Wave
Most of my team is on the bulky side, but since none of them can recover their health outside of Leftovers, Wish support is useful. That's where this massive blob comes in. Blissey can take pretty much any special attack aimed at any of my Pokemon, then recover it off with Wish. When not healing itself, it provides help to the other team members. Wishing on the switch to a physical attacker can be sent to Gyarados for the Intimidate, while any attack can be healed with the Wish.
The set on Blissey's page here recommends Toxic for the last slot, but since Heatran is already spewing poison everywhere, Thunder Wave is for variety. It also helps bluff that this is the standard cleric Blissey.
The Trickster:
It has no Brain, Yet Still Outsmarts People
Starmie
Modest
Natural Cure @ Choice Specs
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Surf
-Ice Beam
-Thunderbolt
-Trick
Starmie is a very threatening Pokemon. I always disliked seeing them on opponents' teams, so after being swept away one too many times I decided to get one of my own. Aside from its amazing offensive capabilities, Starmie can be a support Pokemon too, and this little echinoderm attempts to do both in the same set.
Tricking Choice items has become a favorite toy of mine, and this Starmie pulls it off nicely by being an unexpected practitioner of the art. This Starmie brings the team together by this one move. Tricking onto a stat-boosting move lets me bring in Gyarados or Breloom freely so I too can set up without much fear, while Tricking onto walls neuters their ability to tank.
The Showstopper:
Flying Giga Buster
Breloom
Adamant
Poison Heal @ Toxic Orb
48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Mach Punch
-Seed Bomb
-Spore
Most people think of Breloom as a dangerous nuisance, setting up Spore and Sub to fire off massive Focus Punches. This Breloom is just as scary, only it takes a shorter amount of time to get going. Priority and 130 Atk make it a nice late game cleaner, and what it can't outspeed, it can weather and put to sleep with Spore.
---
Well, I hope you like the team. It's not perfect, but it's gotten a ton of kills on Shoddy. Give these Pokemon the last little boost they need to succeed!
~Xilaa
