SM OU Sincerely (1K RMT)

[TPP]

Introduction

Howdy, my name is Team Pokepals (soon to be TPP) and I'm here with an RMT for my 1K post. When I first started on smogon, my first post was in the RMT section and I wanted to make the official 1000th post in the section I started with. In my 3 years on here, I've had my fair shares of ups and downs, and the reason I'm still here today is because of the countless friends I've met across both PS and Smogon. I've been close to quitting multiple times and I've had a lot of friends quit over the years, and though the parting hurts, it pays to still be here today. I know I'm not that smart or great at mons or worth talking to or worth dealing with, but I'm truly grateful for those that have put up with me over the years. I could probably go on forever, but no one likes reading a massive block of text, so I'll just cut to the team and throw in the shoutouts at the end. The title and the song are both from Violet Evergarden, which I probably overhype, but it's something I really enjoyed and has been one of the best things for me in 2018. Dragon Ball Super was the other best thing for me this year and I decided to include a little bit of both in this RMT. I honestly spent over a week of trying to coming up with a good and unique enough team to use, and this is what I ended up with. Hope you enjoy :]​

Team Building Process

I was building another team and asked a friend for feedback, and they recommended Mega Heracross, and so I decided to build around it. It's a fun solid mon that can Sub up against Lando and can potentially 1HKO Clefable after setting up SD. I enjoy using Sub to set up on stuff in general, so this mon was kind of a good fit for me. That and it's blue.

Clefable is a common switch in to both and I wanted to use Greninja to help KO it for Heracross to pressure the opponent. Greninja also appreciates Heracross being able to pressure or KO switch ins like Gastrodon.

Heatran was added as a direct counter to Clefable and works well in general with Ash Greninja. Heatran also gives Heracross a chance to switch in against Zygarde, as Zygarde will come in against Heatran and after nailing it with Toxic or Magma Storm, I can go freely into Heracross and get a Sub up.

Team had no answer to Koko nor Ash Greninja and AV Bulu does just that. It also gives an answer to Mega Latios and can also switch into Tapu Lele and Alakazam.

This is OU so you were bound to find a Lando-T. Gives me a Defog user, an option against Hawlucha and physical mons like Medicham, electric immunity, and a revenge killer that provides momentum.

I actually added Clefable + Lando at the same time since together they handle Medicham, Zygarde, Hawlucha and most physical attackers. Clefable gives me Stealth Rock, Wish support for the rest of the team and can switch into Gastrodon and Zapdos and support the team.

In Depth Analysis

Heracross-Mega (M) @ Heracronite

Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Def / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Rock Blast​

Heracross is a great mon for bulky offense as it able to provide defensive utility against common threats while also putting a ton of offensive pressure on the opposing team. Substitute is really nice because you have lots of chances to set one up, and after you get a KO, you're not immediately forced to switch out from a revenge killer. Heatran and Torn-T and Zapdos can all come in to force you out, but with a Substitute, you can most likely get a 2nd KO or deal a lot of damage. Swords Dance is needed to allow Heracross to break Clefable, Toxapex, Lando-T, Coil Zygarde and Mega Scizor. Close Combat + Rock Blast is perfect coverage and you won't really need more than that unless you're willing to sacrifice SD or Substitute, both of which are invaluable. EV spread allows Sub to survive a HP Ice and EQ from Lando-T, unless they have Attack EV's, which would cause it to be a roll. 176 speed outspeeds max speed Pelipper to help with the rain matchup.

Greninja-Ash @ Waterium Z

Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Work Up

Ash Greninja is really fun to use thanks to its speed tier and offensive potential to pressure opposing teams. Standard Ash Greninja's are choice locked, and I've always hated forcing myself to make a 50/50 while choice locked, as you could either KO the opponent in front of you, try and KO a switch in or set up Spikes. That and once you click a move, the opponent can basically force you out by going another mon that resists the move you chose. That last point is actually easy to abuse by not running choice specs, and with a Z move, you're able to net some surprise KO's. Work Up was chosen to make up for the loss of power from not running Choice Specs, and it also allows you to 1HKO Clefable with the Z move. Waterium Z can also 1HKO Mega Scizor after you transform and Torn-T also drops to Waterium Z unless they have bulk. The reason I chose Water Shuriken over Spikes is because with most teams relying on Lando-T as their scarf mon, if you're able to have Water Shuriken without being choice locked, then that prevents them from revenge killing you, which can be huge for some games once their main switch ins are gone. The reason I don't have Spikes is because between Clefable, Torn-T, Mega Latios, Lando-T, and Wish support, it doesn't seem as valuable as it used to be. There's a lot more Defog now and I'd rather double into Heracross or Heatran to force things out. Greninja is also useful as a Dark type, as you're able to potentially switch in against Medicham's Zen Headbutt, Lele's Psychic moves and Mega Latios's Psychic. It's risky no doubt, but it's still an option.

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers

Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Toxic

Heatran is really good in the meta right now, being able to trap and cripple every switch in with Toxic and Taunt. It's here to switch into Clefable and handle Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Magearna. It can also trap Toxapex and Chansey for Greninja, and switch into Torn-T if necessary. Losing leftovers sucks, but it's not entirely bad because Clefable can heal it up with Wish. It's also nice for switching into Mega Mawile and it's nice to double into for Greninja's switch ins, which aside from Gastrodon, you'll be able to force out and hit another switch in with Toxic. From there you'll probably go Clefable or Heracross and the cycle should continue until Heracross breaks everything or until you miss a move.

Tapu Bulu @ Assault Vest

Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 36 Def / 76 SpD / 68 Spe
Impish Nature
- Horn Leech
- Wood Hammer
- Stone Edge
- Nature's Madness

Bulu is here to switch into Tapu Koko, Mega Latios, Ash Greninja, Tapu Lele and opposing Tapu Bulu at times. EV spread allows it to avoid 2HKO's from Specs Lele's Psyshock and Psychic. It also outspeeds Tyranitar that have 176 Speed. Stone Edge was chosen over Close Combat to hit Torn-T, Zapdos, Mega Pinsir, Volcarona and Charizard (if you face one). The other 3 moves are standard and for this team, Bulu needs to be healthy in order to avoid being pressured by Ash Greninja and Tapu Koko, so be careful with it.

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 96 HP / 136 Def / 24 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Defog
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Lando is here to provide an Electric resist, Defog, defensive utility with Intimidate, and act as a revenge killer/speed control. The moveset is pretty standard, with Earthquake + U-turn to revenge kill and grab momentum, and HP Ice to handle Zygarde, opposing Lando-T and Hawlucha (kind of). I went max speed to outspeed other Lando-T or at least speed tie. HP and Defense EV's allow Lando to avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Zygarde with Stealth Rock, and the 24 SpD EV's allow Lando to survive a Draco Meteor from Mega Latios without rocks (with rocks it goes from 93.8% to 75%). The chance for non choice specs Lele to 1HKO with Psychic with Stealth Rock on the field also goes down from 31.3% to 12.5%. Intimidate is extremely helpful with handling physical attackers, and most of the time you can send in Lando and then U-turn into Clefable or Heracross or Bulu. You could also go with 208 Speed to outspeed Hawlucha if they don't get the Unburden boost and then dump the rest of the EV's somewhere else.

Clefable (F) @ Leftovers

Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Soft-Boiled
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast

Clefable is one of the best support mons in the tier and it's here to provide Stealth Rock, Wish support, and defensive utility by checking Mega Medicham, Choice Banded Hoopa (or at least tanking/discouraging Hyperspace Fury), Zygarde, and Hawlucha. It also switches into Torn-T and against passive attackers like Gastrodon and Zapdos. Max defense is run to handle physical threats like Hawlucha and Medicham as well as possible.

Alternate Options

Just wait until someone rates this team. If you're not capable of wielding a Non Choice Specs Ash Greninja and think it's the only set in existence worth using, you're free to do so. Just put the Z move on Heatran and you'll probably be fine. There's like 9000 Scarf Lando-T EV spreads, so if you have a better one, feel free to use it.

Threat List

SM OU can be annoying with how matchup is. Some games you'll be fine and others you'll be in a tough position before it even begins. Here are some of the more annoying mons/sets to watch out:

- I'm not kidding when I say that Greninja, Lando-T and my own Heatran are the only switch ins to this thing. It can technically come in against everything except Greninja and Heracross behind a Sub (which is part of the reason I really like Sub), so be careful when facing it. Dodging Magma Storm more than 5 times will most likely work but it will also piss off your opponent.

- It technically can't set up unless it's on Lando-T or Clefable, but it's still really dangerous as Ash Greninja's basically the main revenge killer for this.

- Don't let Bulu die. You got Lando-T and Ash Ninja to revenge kill and Heatran to tank a hit, but be careful.

- Don't let Bulu die. This one's a bit more manageable because it's always choice locked, allowing Lando-T to revenge kill it. If it's not choice locked and Bulu is dead, then your best bet is Clefable and/or dodging Hydro Pump.

- You got Heracross to tank everything except Smart Strike, and if it's scarfed, you got Heatran as well, but once those 2 are gone, you're in for a lot of Leaf Blades.

- Scarf Lando-T + Clefable can kind of work, but this thing is still a huge pain. Sometimes you can risk going hard with Greninja into a Zen Headbutt or Ice Punch, but it's still incredibly risky. It has a 44.7% chance to 2HKO Clefable without Intimidate, and so try and get Lando-T to drop it's attack before going into Clefable if possible.

Replays

I don't play too much nor do I ladder, so I apologize for the low number of replays. I'll try and get more when I can. Second game I misplayed a little bit but also got a bit unlucky but it's still a good replay of seeing the team in action against a fatter build.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-743095616

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-743006835

Closing Thoughts

This isn't the greatest team, but it's not that bad either. I know it's easy to blame matchup (which in SM OU is more annoying than before), but we just gotta make the most of it and do our best. Generally I tend to worry too much about being judged for everything to where you could say it's like social anxiety and I'm like that irl too. However, with this team, I don't care much if you hate it or like it. It's something slightly original, something fun, and it works for me. I'm curious to see how raters can improve this team, so I'll be looking forward to seeing feedback from them. You're free to make whatever adjustments needed to make it feel more comfortable to use. Just having other people use the team is enough to satisfy me. Hope you guys enjoy.

Importable

Heracross-Mega (M) @ Heracronite
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Def / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Rock Blast

Greninja-Ash @ Waterium Z
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Work Up

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Toxic

Tapu Bulu @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 36 Def / 76 SpD / 68 Spe
Impish Nature
- Horn Leech
- Wood Hammer
- Stone Edge
- Nature's Madness

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 96 HP / 136 Def / 24 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Defog
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Soft-Boiled
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast

 

[TPP]

Shoutouts

There's a lot of these to where I needed a 2nd post. Really thankful for everyone I've met on here and wish you all nothing but the best.

LL - I told you I'd start with you since you helped me find a ton of posts to delete to give me time to make this. We've both come a long way from when we first met and you're a fun dude to talk to, whether it's sports or mons or anime or irl stuff. I'll be honest, anytime I make a team, whether I have 6 rain answers or 1, I know you're probably gonna trash me but I'm okay with it. I'll just hax back and say the rain matchup is manageable :p

Celticpride34 - You were the first role model/person I looked up to when I started out on here and I got involved with RMT and eventually the OU forum because of you. You've helped me a ton and I'm glad I had someone as great as you to look up to and work with.

IronBullet - It's your fault I'm still here. You're one of the (if not the )hardest working people on this site and having time to chat with you and work with you and the others in RMT has truly been fun and I'm truly grateful for it. You and Celtic are great leaders that I was fortunate enough to work with. Keep up the good work, good luck with your exam, and I look forward to working with you and the others more to make the RMT section the best it'll ever be.

Indigo Plateau - I don't know how I did it, but we started hosting tours in the OU forum and now we're great friends. You're fun to talk to and fun to work with and I look forward to working more with you in the future. Thanks a ton for helping out with the 20+ teams I made and trashed as potential RMT's and thanks for helping out replays. You're a great friend I like having around :D

Anish - I remember the days when you were stuck as voice in the RMT room, and it took a long time, but you got promoted to room moderator and even got your TR badge on forums. I joke around a lot with you, but you're a good friend and remind me that my time on here can be fun.

laser火circus - I'm pretty sure you were the only reason I even stayed on showdown a couple of months ago. You're fun to talk to, especially about anime and movies, and having a friend that's been watching Naruto as long as you have is truly a blessing.

Skarmx2 - What's poppin famburgers. I remember meeting you a long time ago in the OU room during the dead hours. We had so much fun back then and you've come a long way as a player to where you're giving me a hard time every time we play. I'm glad we're both still around, and here's to hoping we can both keep improving.

Gross Sweep - Hope you're not too mad I put Anish before you, but you know what they say, first is the worst and second is the best! You've been a cool friend that helps me with a ton of stuff and I hope we get to work on more stuff together in the future.

Qplaz - Like skarmx2, you were another Australian friend I hit it off with during the dead hours and the RMT Room was more fun for me with you around. I know you're a bit busier with irl, but it's nice seeing you every once in a while on discord and showdown, and I'm grateful to having you around.

Snowy - You are one helluva a guy. You and Sonired and Yagura made our old RMT Skype group insanely fun and the memories and stories from back then are ones I won't forget. You and I and IB and Celtic are kind of all that's left from those old days, and it's been great having you in RMT. Keep up the good work and thanks for still being around.

Yagura - You've been dead for a while, but you were my best friend in RMT while you were around. From reviving the RMT of the Week project to the skype group to talking about all sorts of things, you made RMT from a place strangers that share a badge to a family that has fun together. I know you're busy now and want to wish you good luck with everything. You and Enki never hit 1K, and I didn't think I would either, but I somehow did and so this one is partially for you guys too :)

Enki - You've been dealing with some irl stuff and I really hope everything works out. I miss you and wish you were around and wanted to thank you for being an awesome co-host for all the TR competitions we hosted. Like I mentioned above, you were close to 1K but never made it, so here's one for you and me and Yagura!

3017 - You're a fun guy that I met first by noticing you in the RMT forum and later the room. Dragon Ball Super was fun to chat with while you were around and I can't wait for it to return. I'll try and limit the number of free wins you give me, and I hope you're around to play mons with. ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA

perry - You're probably mad by now that I put Anish and Gross Sweep and even 3017 above you, but don't worry, I didn't forget about you. You're a hard worker and you're fun to chat to about lots of things. I remember back when I thought you were just "Sado's cute friend" and you've grown and become a fantastic user. Stay cool my dude.

1Surgeon - I'm not gonna lie, I felt like I was forgetting someone and it was probably you. I remember when I first met you, you had some insane levels of activity in the RMT room, to where you got online before I went to bed, and I woke up and you were still rating in the room. Thanks for liking a shit ton of my posts and you're lucky I like Mariah Carey too ;)

Baloor - TPP MEANT TO PROMOTE BALOOR! I know you messed around a lot, and like Anish, you made the RMT room fun for me and I've always enjoyed helping you and roasting you. You're better than you think, and you just gotta put in the time and effort and you'll see for yourself that your future is bright.

@A - This probably won't tag you, but you are a hard worker with crazy amounts of activity and you're a big help across the OU and RMT sections. You got 99 problems and I hope you can survive them all. Best of luck to you and don't worry about stuff too much.

A Cake Wearing A Hat - MY DUDE, finding someone else that watches TyranitarTube was great for me and I am grateful to have you to talk with. We've both been through some rough moments, and I'm glad we're here for each other to support each other.

BlazeLatias - We have probably LOL'd more than half the people on this list. OU room was fun with you and we've done some great work together. I hope we're both still around to talk to and you're a great friend to chat with. I watched SAO because of you and it wasn't as bad as someone say it is (for season 1 at least), and it was a nice recommendation because I really need more animes where the ships go through.

FMG - You have become such an incredible player and I'm proud of you. From the days you were FireMonkeyGamer to today, you have grown a lot and I swear Rampecker gave you his skill before quitting. You'll get even better and I wish you the best of luck with tour stuff. Thanks for helping me test all my garbage teams and for helping teambuild and stuff :D

vivalospride - We don't talk much, but you're a cool dude (as anyone that watches Dragon Ball Super is). I look forward to chatting with you more, especially when the movie drops in December :]

vsomani - You've been helping me test teams lately and just like Anish, you're great and getting better. I hope we get to battle some more and maybe one day you'll overpower Anish in every way. I swear I don't think I've ever beaten that Dragon team you've been using lately and I'm like 0-3 against it. Quit handling me L's and go conquer everyone else instead ;)

curiosity - We're new friends and I'm glad you're enjoying Crew. Much like most of this list, you'll grow and probably get better than me in the near future, and here's to wishing both of us the best of luck.

streams - You and panther and Tibbz were like the 2nd wave of fun of RMT for me. We made some videos and I had a blast working and laddering with y'all, and it's thanks to y'all and another friend that I'm not as afraid to chat in voice calls with others. We got summer to meet up, so here's to seeing that through.

Panther-T - We have had our moments and sometimes we're almost like polar opposites, but we get along well. I'm glad you got me into Pokemon Reborn and making videos for RMT and you seriously gave me a ton of laughs that I am grateful for. You're a great smart guy and you definitely got a good future ahead of you.

Rampecker - You were really fun to have in the OU room and I miss you a ton. You're a great player that liked a ton of the same anime and you were a funny guy. Come back so I can beat you in CC1v1 :(

BM - Good name change btw. We've been friends for a while and just like Slampecker, you were great to have in the OU room. It's nice to see you around after you said that you'd be too busy to have time for mons, and if you ever need advice on irl stuff, I'll be here and on discord.

dogknees - Dogknees-kun, ogenki desuka? You are really funny and really cool. I forgot how we met, but I do remember you watching One Piece and you're like the only guy besides bludz that watches it. Irl can be rough for the both of us, but we got each other (don't you dare make a disappointed face when I say that), and I look forward to seeing you more.

bludz - I was gonna put you near the top of the list, but you're probably not gonna come back on forums for a while (if ever) and so I kinda stuck you down here. You were like the older brother I never had and I'm grateful for having you around. I caused you and Celtic some trouble, and I've probably annoyed you more times than I can remember, but you've helped me become a better user and someone that has enjoyed One Piece and Jojo. Thanks for recommending both of those. I hope work treats you well and if you ever see this, thanks for being apart of my life.

Charmflash - You're an incredible player and I'm glad things are going well for you in OST. You've made it farther than I probably ever will and I'm also glad you asked me to revive the Crew discord, as it's active now and it's all because you asked me to improve it. I wish you the best of success for the rest of OST and in tours in general. I'm not good enough to get to participate in higher level tours like WCOP or SPL, and I'm kinda okay with that. My role in this life is to help others reach their full potential, and I'll be here to help you and everyone else out if you ask for it.

CZ. - You're fun and awesome and great at ADV OU. You've been fun to have in the OU room and I always enjoy our talks. Keep up the good work and I hope things work our for both of us :]

Finchinator - OUFL that has probably been the best forum leader in the history of the OU forum. You're one of the hardest working people on here and you've helped me a ton and I'm grateful to have met you and also grateful to have been given the opportunity to work alongside you in the OU forum again. #FINCHTOUR2019 and every year to come.

Blazenix - I don't even know how we became friends. You beat me in like R2 or R3 of OST a year or 2 ago and we sorta started talking and ended up friends. As a fellow big baller, I hope we get to work on some heat in the future together :D

playerW17 - Great avatar and you got a good taste in anime (except for the fact you dropped Violet Evergarden :/). I swear the number of Australians I befriend in the dead hours on showdown is actually high. You're fun to be around and you're fun to talk to about anime. Here's to hoping everything will be daijobu ;)

N01syBoy - I swear I didn't forget about you. This list is actually long enough to where it's taken me over 2 hours to get here. You're a fun guy that's good at mons and you're fun to have around. As for handing me L's whenever I ask to test a team, YAMETE KUDASAI!!!!!

yogi - Now I'm sure you're probably going to kill me for putting you literally under everyone else. You're cool and while everyone jokes around with hating on you, we only do it because we know you're more than capable of handling it. Keep working hard and I hope everything works out for you :]

sedertz - You've worked hard and you've had to deal with a lot of shit and I hope you're still good to go. You're a solid contributor with a lot of potential, and I'm confident that you got plenty of gas in the tank to keep on keeping on. Thanks for your work in the OU room!

Gotham Paladin - I'm not gonna lie, I remembered about you and forgot TWICE. We're really good friends that watch a ton of the same stuff and that makes it so much easier to get along with you. I still remember working on that Mega Tyranitar team you used for OLT and I'm really glad you won that game too. You're an incredible friend that I'm glad to have met and I hope we get to chat more in the future. I also hope both of our futures irl are solid to where we can meet up or just hang out.

roman - You're a fun guy that I met recently and it's nice having you around. Keep up the good work in RMT and in RU and I look forward to working more with you in the future.

Sun - I can't believe I almost forgot you. You and ez were great tutees for me for RMT and I'm proud of you both for getting TR and for you for getting RMT forum mod! You're a great player and I know you're only getting started :D

Sonired - I haven't talked to you in a while, but you were one one of the new guys that turned our RMT skype group into a fun chat. Hopefully there's more funny stories to come and I wish you the best of luck with school :]

explodingdaisies - We have a lot of fun and serious discussions and I love having you to talk to. We've both been there through tough times in the OU room and it's great having you around. Good luck with irl, because a new chapter is about to start for you and you're gonna need all the luck in the world to survive it ;)

Eclipse - CrystalRampecker, you got an interesting taste in smogon avatars, and you're a cool friend. We haven't done that much together, but I do remember the few times we got stuff done and they were fun. Stay cool my dude

quziel - You're a smart guy and you got a lot on your plate, and I know you'll get through it all with flying colors. You're cool, and one of the few people I know that plays NU. Thanks for being with the RMT room and the OU room :D

CKW - You've helped me grow into a better person, and you're a good friend that's willing to take action to support your friends. That's a great characteristic to have and I know we haven't talked much, but I hope you'll contribute to RMT every once in a while. As someone that loves Violet Evergarden, I'm glad to see and know other people that have enjoyed it as much as I did. Let's hope that the Season 2 or movie doesn't take too long. I also hope Perry doesn't annoy you too much ;)

Simia - You're a great rater and you love Violet Evergarden, so you had to be on this list. Keep up the good work and thanks for helping out in the RMT forum. I know it's not that active and it's a lot of work, but having someone work and be dedicated to rating is truly wondrous have, so thank for you for both RMT, and for loving Violet :D

patlop2307 - We sorta just started talking and you're a cool dude that's been doing great in the RMT forum. Keep up the good work and I'm sure we'll get to work on more stuff together in the future. That team we started recently is gonna rock the meta once it's polished. Also, you're a great player and I wish you the best of luck in tours :)

double switches - We don't talk much, but I enjoyed having you around while you were still in the discord servers. I know you're probably busy with school and college or about to start being busy with that, and I hope you're able to get the results you want.

Reverb - You've been a great help to me in the OU room over the years and I love how you're willing to help me and others. Good luck with work and I hope to see you around some time.

false - I know we've had our differences in the past, but in all honestly, your way of doing things is pretty efficient and I'm glad I got to see you in action. You're a great room owner and a hard worker, and probably one of the most efficient people on here, and I hope everything goes well for you.

Lost Thoughts - Thanks for being my first friend on smogon and in the OU room. Hard to believe that I'd find the first person that commented on my RMT in the OU room using my team on the ladder. We're great friends and you're on to better things and I wanted to thank you for starting things for me on Smogon on a good note.

FrozenCold - Frozencold sips 7up ~desu. You were part of the original gang in the OU room when I was a reg and I've always loved having you around. I hope you still love 7 Up, because now I can't drink it without remembering you.

MFJr King - We don't get to see or talk much because of our time zones, but we always have fun when we do. Thanks for rating in the RMT forum and I hope you keep up the good work there :)

Sundar - I met you on the Frost server a long time ago, and I'm glad I did. We had fun with that league we had and I think I started becoming a slightly better player around then. I had a lot of fun and I know it's gone, but I'm glad you're still here today :D

Contact - You're lucky I know Da Wae and Da Wae won't stop me from reminding you about it. I don't even remember how you got me to get Skype let alone do my first voice call ever with you, but it was fun and we've become great friends. We've had so much fun, both on here and in reborn with bdhb and I'm grateful to have you in my life. I know you don't come on here much at all and don't play mons anymore, but it was really fun and probably equally as frustrating (probably because I'd hax you any chance I had). Thank you for being a great friend that'd help me have fun in this game during those frustrating episodes I'd have where I'd nearly quit.

OrdA - You were a great RO and a great leader to have in the OU room. You did a tremendous amount of work and made it easy to look up to you. Thanks for making the OU room great again :D

Lil Blaine - You're a cool dude that's fun to have in OU. Thanks for helping me test a ton of teams and here's to hoping we do more great things in the OU room.

KlefkiHolder - We might've argued from time to time with OU stuff, and I'm sorry since half the time it was probably my fault, but in the end, we get work done, have a good time bullying FMG, and we got blue names, so I think we're more than good :]

Pish - You're fun to talk to, whether it's mons or school related. Good luck with work and I hope to entertain you on the big screen again.

cuzzie - I somehow found you again and you've been busy, but I won't forget how much I laughed while watching you play. Between laddering for reqs and then nearly losing and then lucking your way against opponents, to making bad plays against low ladder, it was a blast and I hope to see you more.

Mur - You need to quit being dead. We've had a ton of fun even just battling each other with heat sets and it's been wild.

Analytic - I think I'm actually grateful I lost to you in RMT of the week, since that kind of forced me to become a better user to avoid looking like a salty kid in the RMT section. We've done a lot of work in RMT and in the Team Building workshop and you're a cool dude to have around. Good luck in WCOP!

dream light - Thanks for helping me tutor ez and Sun a year or 2 ago. I think the first time I met you was when Based Godfish made me get skype and you specifically remembered my custom title of "Mfw you diss my Torterra" but didn't realize it was me until later that call. I also have that Starpator fail video I made where I clicked Quick Attack with Staraptor because I thought it was a Mega Pinsir and choked like a legend lol. Thanks for the fun times.

Ramses - You've spent a lot of time working when you started, and it didn't work out, but I'm glad you came back and you've improved tremendously. I look forward to seeing what you can do in the future, and I hope to see you around the RMT section.

Manipulative - I still remember when you were only Toon Linked's friend and then we became friends. That and I eventually learned you were a beast at UU afterwards and felt cool knowing someone as good as you. Good luck in tournaments, I'm sure you'll get a trophy in no time ;)

Iloveleague - I remember the days when you literally challenged me over 20 times in a row as soon as I came on PS. I somehow lucked you through over half of them and it was pretty satisfying not gonna lie. However, the best wins were when I brought Zoroark and won, especially when it was late game, and you know it was Zoroark and you still clicked the wrong moves to choke a guaranteed win. Thanks for the fun times, it was great seeing you rise in the tour section, and I wish you were still here.

MegaStarUniverse - I think we get along because we both have blue names. You're a cool friend to have and regardless of what anyone says or does, if you need or want someone to build something wild or just to chat to, I'll be here or on Discord.

ez - Your senpai is proud of you for not only becoming a badged team rater, but for also beasting and feasting in tours. You're a fun guy to have around, and I wish you good luck in your future tours.

mil - Rating competition was fun with you as a participant, and with you as a co-host for me and Enki. RMT League was a fantastic idea and I loved how you tried to make RMT a better place. Hope to see you again soon.

Stevan's Sceptile - You're probably busy with school, but I wanna thank you for basically motivating me to improve RMT on here and in the room. Right now the room is doing well thanks to false, and I'm still trying to make the forums even better. Hope whenever you come back, you can let me know what you think.

Leo - I can't look at a Dugtrio or a Shinx without thinking of you. That and the phrase "inhale my dick" is forever stuck in my head, so thanks for that. It took a while, but you became good enough in the OU forum to go from a random to a forum mod. Great work on that and I look forward to working with you and the others in the future.

GMars - It's ya boy GEEEEEEEEMARS. We haven't really talked much, but you're a cool dude and I look forward to working with you and the other forum mods.

Colonel M - You're a hard worker that literally has over 6 times the number of posts I have. Good luck with work and I hope it doesn't keep you too busy.

Gary - You're a better forum mod than I'll ever be and I enjoyed the time I had to work with you. I'm sorry things went downhill, and I'm not asking for forgiveness or anything since I don't deserve it, but I wanted to say thanks for being an awesome mod that made the forum a better and funnier place. You and Finch definetely made the OU forum a lot more entertaining and I sincerely wish the best for you. You've put in a ton of work, and I'm gonna work twice as hard from here on out to try and be even half as good as you were.

zCheshrye - We don't talk much anymore, but I enjoyed talking with you in RMT whenever I could. Hope to see you again soon.

Webcamparrot - Thanks for having me in your discord server. We had lots of fun making fun of Baloor and Anish, and I hope that never ends.

Wob - Thanks for being in the rating competitions. Hope to see you in RMT. Good name name change btw.

RedzoneX - Testing testing 123, is Redzone X actually alive? I remember once upon a time you were the only active person in RMT during the dead hours to promote. We've had a lot of fun chatting on discord and if you're still alive, then you should come back so we can continue the fun.

Nedor - How is soccer going for you? Last time we talked, you were the busiest kid on the planet and something tells me that hasn't changed. It's been fun getting to see you jump from being in RMT chat to badged TR to OU RO to a WCOP and to SPL. You're an awesome building that's good at writing long blocks of text, and maybe one day, I'll get lucky and get an excuse to talk or battle with you once more. I'll probably lose, but I'll do my best to make sure it isn't easy ;)

HQuaze - Thanks for being in the RMT section. I hate to see you go, but if you believe it's for the best, then go for it. You did extremely well in OST, and I can only hope I get a chance to get as far as you did. Take care and if you ever come back, we'll be waiting for you in RMT :)

Reymedy - Thanks for helping me get involved with RMT, both before my badging and afterwards. I loved how you'd encourage other people to continue their good work in rating, especially considering how easy it is for people to quit before getting badged. It's thanks to you that I try and encourage people to continue rating and I'm glad I had you when I started out. I know you're retired from RMT, but know that the work you put in will always be around and that you definetely helped RMT become a better place.

Jirachee - Jirachee-sama I think I've talked to you like 4 times and you didn't really post much, but it was really cool when you did. It was cool seeing you jump from RMT leader to a TD and eventually head TD. I wasn't around when you became RMT leader, but I'm sure that you helped shape RMT a bit into what it is today, so thank you for helping improve the section that I was able to start out with.

Rekeri - We've had lots of fun talks on PS and I don't think that'll change anytime soon. As long as LeBron's in the league, then we'll get some quality basketball discussion for sure.

BaSr - Thanks for drafting me for DPL. I had fun and I'm really glad we won it too. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do better, but I'll have you know I'll try and get better so next time, we'll have less to worry about. All I have to say is well played my nigga.

Srn - Like KH, you're an old mod like us and it's always nice to have people from the old days around. Let's hope we don't quit on each other too soon.

lyd - Thanks for the Bulu EV spread and for the feedback on the teams! Like some people on this list, you're becoming a better user and I'm sure you'll probably have more badges than me one day. I'll try and get more if a I can, but if not, then it's okay because I know you deserved them.

nui - I'm not sure how we did it, but we're friends after playing CC1v1 and it's really fun to talk to you. You got a good taste in anime and here's to hoping we get to play each other again.

DennisEG - My man, you were on fire back when we were doing the Team Building workshop and you were awesome in RMT too. Had lots of fun and I hope to see you around.

Jytcampbell - Thanks for making fun of FMG. I really enjoyed it and look forward to future roasts of our esteemed FireMonkeyGamer.

Sorry if I forgot some of y'all, but sincerely, thank for everything in the past 3 years and thank you for being amazing people :)​

 

[vso]

hey Team Pokepals extremely solid team and thanks for the shoutout. I feel as if Superpower Tornadus-T can capitalize on both Heracross and Tapu Bulu and severely weaken Heatran, which opens up holes for Celesteela and SD Mega Scizor, however, you do have Wish Support to somewhat compensate this. As you stated, Mega Pinsir and Kartana are both annoyance as nothing can switch into either of them, and Mega Pinsir can potentially boost its attack late game to threaten the team. I feel as if a few changes would be good alternative options for the team.

A rocky helmet Static Zapdos with volt switch instead of Clefable would help the team with all of the listed threats. It can provide Volt Switch support for the team to abuse, spread paralysis to Lopunny, Medicham, Mega Scizor and Kartana for Heracross to pressure opposing teams further. It will also improve the Toxic Spikes matchup considerably. Clefable was doing little except for giving Wish support and having Stealth Rock as many other Pokémon that it checked listed such as Zygarde and Mega-Latios were already checked to a decent extent with the combination of Tapu Bulu and Landorus-T for the former and Tapu Bulu + Greninja-Ash for the latter. The team does miss both Wish support and Stealth Rock with Clefable removed.

Next, I feel as if Stealth Rock > Toxic would give the team Stealth Rock at the cost of extra counter play against Latios-Mega.

Megahorn > Wood Hammer would help trade some breaking potential for the ability to check Mega Latios better.

Knock Off > Defog would be nice to Knock items from the likes of Zapdos, Celesteela, Mantine, Tapu Fini, and even Pokémon such as Tapu Bulu and the team already has Defog support.

Running a Jolly Heracross would help it outspeed Heatran pre mega which eases the matchup further as Heatran cannot capitalize on Heracross leads or Heracross early game.

import

Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Rock Blast
- Substitute

Greninja-Ash @ Waterium Z
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Work Up

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock

Tapu Bulu @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 36 Def / 76 SpD / 68 Spe
Impish Nature
- Horn Leech
- Stone Edge
- Megahorn
- Nature's Madness

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 96 HP / 136 Def / 24 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Zapdos @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def /8 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Heat Wave
- Defog
- Roost

 

[MANNAT]

Hey there TPP, I don't usually rate teams on forums anymore, but I figured I'd come around and give your team a rate since I promised you and it's actually a pretty fun team that I'm excited to rate. We've already talked pretty extensively about this team's weaknesses on discord, so I'm going to just going to jump into the changes I'm making here. There seems to be a lot of changes here, but I only swapped out 2 mons and did my best to keep the focus of the team the same overall so not to "build a new team".

Changes in Blue, Threats in Red

--->

You've mentioned your concerns against Tapu Koko and Ash Greninja several times throughout the RMT and while I don't agree with the assessment that they are threats to your team, Gastrodon provides a more consistent answer to both of these Pokemon, having Recover for reliable recovery to more easily maintain its health throughout the match, which makes it formidable to take down coupled with Clefable's Wish support. Next and more importantly, Gastrodon provides a consistent switch in and counter to Heatran, which can absolutely blow through this team currently with your only fire resist being your own Heatran. With Gastrodon, you have a consistent switch into Heatran and fire types in general. You didn't mention it before, but this team struggles mightily with QD Volcarona, and Gastrodon provides a solid check to it that can wear it down with Toxic and threaten it with Earthquake, so you have a way to beat it after it sets up, provided that it's taken a bit of chip damage first. Another mon that you didn't mention is a threat to this team is Protean Greninja, which runs coverage moves that can blow past the original team with ease, and Gastrodon puts a hard stop to all sets lacking Grass Knot, which is basically extinct.

--->

At this point, your team still struggles with most Kartana variants in general, with Swords Dance variants being the most concerning. Running Flyinium Z Defog Tornadus-T over Greninja provides a much more consistent answer for Kartana, as it can switch into any move that Kartana wants to go for, as Knock Off has reduced power against it and threatens it out with the threat of STAB Hurricane, which OHKOes Kartana. Additionally, Tornadus-T maintains having a soft check against Mega Pinsir, with Hurricane constantly threatening it out and being able to come in off pivots from Landorus-T or double switches. Normally, one would immediately suggest Defog Zapdos over Tornadus-T here due to its ability to more consistently deal with Mega Pinsir, but Tornadus-T is needed on the team here because without it the team would not have a single Pokemon over base 100 speed, making the team have an abysmal matchup against opposing offensive teams, and would only exacerbate the issues that the team has against Mega Medicham. Therefore, Tornadus-T provides a much more fluid Defogger to run in this slot while maintaining the team's solid matchup against offensive teams, making the team much more consistent overall.

HP Ice+Defog--->Rock Slide+Punishment - Another significant threat to this team is Mega Pinsir, who can just click SD against Clefable and proceed to blow past the team, or just spam Return to break down the team. While Rock Slide doesn't completely secure your team against Mega Pinsir, it definitely eases the pressure of the matchup a lot and gives you room to outplay the threat. Now that Tornadus-T can remove hazards for the team, I think that having Punishment as the filler move on this set is the best choice for you because it allows you to completely secure the team vs Calm Mind users, particularly Reuniclus and Mega Latias, which are both very threatening for this team in general. You can go with a couple other options like HP Fire/Earth Power for Kartana and Explosion for general use in revenge killing threatening Pokemon, but Punishment is my favorite move to use in this slot for the aforementioned reasons.

Substitute--->Pin Missile - This team really struggles against Reuniclus as it currently stands, with it setting up on half the team and blowing back Greninja and Heatran with Focus Blast and being able to eat attacks from both with a boost, so running Pin Missile over Substitute allows you to better check Reuniclus, threatening to OHKO it while maintaining your ability to bust past bulkier teams. Obviously losing out on Substitute means you can't use things like Toxapex as setup bait as easily, but the increased pressure against Reuniclus significantly helps the team. Keep in mind that this change isn't mandatory if you go with Punishment Landours-T, just recommended for consistency reasons.

Conclusion - After these changes, the team is a tad weaker to Zygarde, but you can still deal with it it between Mega Heracross and Clefable pretty handily, as those two can take on the majority of viable Zygarde sets. Tapu Lele becomes a headache to deal with after these changes, but it's not too common right now and you have a couple of checks that scare it out, you can easily take it down via smart pivoting + hazard pressure here. Additionally, Mega Pinsir is still a pretty big threat against this team with no real flying resist besides Heatran, but you still have a couple offensive checks in Tornadus-T and Scarf Landorus-T, so you'll be able to deal with it as long as you prioritize keeping up rocks and pressuring it throughout the game After this conclusion is an importable with the team after all the changes I made! I hope you enjoyed my rate and have a wonderful day :D

New Import

Heracross-Mega (M) @ Heracronite
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Swords Dance

Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Wish
- Soft-Boiled

Gastrodon-East (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 200 SpD / 24 Spe
Sassy Nature
- Earthquake
- Scald
- Toxic
- Recover

Tornadus-Therian @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 120 HP / 20 Def / 116 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Defog

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 60 Def / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Punishment
- Rock Slide
- U-turn

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Toxic