Hello and welcome to my first RMT! Today, I will be sharing with you a team that has gotten to the lower end of the mid-ladder but has faced trouble going much further than that. I'm not sure if it's my teambuilding skills, my battling skills, or both, so I wanted to find out where my weak spot is. So, without further ado, let's begin!
1. Teambuilding Process
There is no doubt that Mega Rayquaza is the most threatening Pokémon in the Anything Goes metagame. The truth is that because of its versatility and immense power, it has no counters and even if a Pokémon checks one common set, it is bound to lose to another of its many viable sets. However, there are certainly some Pokémon that can handle it much better than others. One such Pokémon is Celesteela, which performs wonderfully against Rayquaza not carrying V-create. Celesteela is also a great defensive Pokémon in general that is capable of stomaching many attacks with relative ease due to great all-around defenses. Therefore, I decided to start off with physically defensive Celesteela.
Now, while Celesteela does well against most common Rayquaza sets, it falls to V-create. It is also threatened by Primal Groudon, one of the most commonly used Pokémon in the tier. To defeat these threats, I resorted to the refuge of God Himself and added a Support Arceus-Water. Like other Arceus, it is quite a force to be reckoned with, capable of defeating a large portion of commonly used Pokémon in the tier, such as Ho-Oh, Arceus-Ground, and the aforementioned Primal Groudon. Its Water typing is great defensively and it has a great movepool to do its job.
Much like the famed OU CelePex core, I now had a glaring Electric-type weakness. Both of my Pokémon were weak to Electric-type moves. While Arceus-Water had Ice Beam to deal with Zapdos and Zekrom, two of the most common Electric-type Pokémon, they could both retaliate with STAB super effective moves. Also, I couldn't deal with other Electric-types very well. I also needed some offensive air on this team - stall is not my thing. So I added the prince of the metagame, Primal Groudon, which, handily, also has access to Stealth Rock. Primal Groudon is partially a Ground-type Pokémon, so it, of course, is immune to Electric-type attacks. It also sports an immunity to the Water-type due to its ability (unless Primal Kyogre or Mega Rayquaza switch in on it) and is a very powerful physical attacker in general.
After filling in the other three slots with Extreme Killer Arceus and playing some battles, I found that this team lost badly to Mega Lucario. After a Swords Dance, Mega Lucario could OHKO or 2HKO every Pokémon on my team with Close Combat. So I added the bane of Wailord's existence: Toxapex. It is somewhat redundant due to my already having a Water-type, but I felt this was necessary to counter the threat of Mega Lucario. Toxapex is another great defensive Pokémon that can stall out many prominent threats in the metagame like Ho-Oh, Marshadow, and the aforementioned Mega Lucario.
Once again, I had a clear weakness to the Electric-type. All it would take for a Pokémon to sweep my team with an Electric-type move was to have support to get rid of Primal Groudon. I already had a Ground-type in Primal Groudon and didn't want more repetition. While Grass-types resist Electric-type moves, they, in my opinion, have far too many weaknesses to be justified on an Anything Goes team. Ferrothorn is probably the only Grass-type Pokémon I would consider using in Anything Goes. But I already had a Steel-type in Celesteela, so I didn't want repetition there, either. Using an Electric-type of my own would fulfill the defensive requirement, but I still wouldn't be able to convincingly defeat a team of multiple Electric-types if Primal Groudon had fainted. That left Dragon-type Pokémon. At first, I was tempted to use Giratina, but its passivity and lack of recovery outside of Rest deterred me from doing so. I ended up using a Pokémon I never thought I would use in an Anything Goes team in Generation 7 - Mega Latios. This gave me another Pokémon that could beat Electric-types. In addition, none of my previous four Pokémon, with the possible and largely situational exception of Primal Groudon, had a way to beat Water-types. Running Thunderbolt on Mega Latios gave me more cushion against them. Also, Levitate provided a valuable second Ground-type immunity, as half the team was weak to Ground-type moves.
Now, I needed entry hazard control. I wasn't really quite sure what else I needed, exactly, so I just did my go-to Anything Goes move: I slapped on an Extreme Killer Arceus to the team. I changed Shadow Claw to Defog for entry hazard removal and adjusted the EVs.
And that's how I got here!
2. The Team
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Toxic
Celesteela is generally my go-to switchin against Mega Rayquaza. Of course, I do have to be cautious of the occasional V-create, but the stat drops from the move usually allow me to revenge kill it with Arceus. Heavy Slam is there so I don't get shut out by Taunt. Given that Celesteela is tied for the heaviest Pokémon in the game with the useless Cosmoem and that it is a STAB move, Heavy Slam often does a lot of damage, even against neutral targets. Celesteela, unfortunately, does not have access to reliable recovery, so I gave it Leech Seed as a way to wear the opponent down as well as recover health for itself and its teammates. Because of Celesteela's massive bulk, Substitute works great against Pokémon it forces out, as it can proceed to badly poison the Pokémon that switches in on the next move while not taking too much off its health. Toxic is there, of course, to wear down opponents and also to catch anticipated switchins as they enter. Beast Boost allows Celesteela to wall even better by giving it even more defense and Leftovers give it more recovery so it doesn't only rely on Leech Seed. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 126-148 (31.7 - 37.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 188-222 (47.3 - 55.9%) -- 26.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Necrozma-Ultra Light That Burns the Sky vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 194-228 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 328-387 (82.6 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 172-204 (43.3 - 51.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Life Orb Marshadow Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 175-208 (44 - 52.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 327-385 (82.3 - 96.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Alakazam-Mega Focus Blast vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 177-209 (44.5 - 52.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
Arceus @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 20 SpA / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Judgement
- Recover
- Toxic
I generally use Arceus-Water against Primal Groudon, Necrozma-Dusk-Mane, Ho-Oh, and Arceus-Ground, which I find often. Ice Beam nails Mega Salamence, Mega Garchomp, Zygarde-Complete, and both Giratina formes. It also deals quite a bit of damage to Mega Rayquaza despite Delta Stream, which is especially valuable (this isn't my primary switchin to it, though). Judgement is a great STAB move that helps me beat Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground. Recover is for longevity - if Arceus-Water is to take on multiple Pokémon, I need it healthy. Finally, Toxic helps it stall out Primal Groudon and beat Lugia, among other Pokémon. Multitype and Splash Plate are required (I don't see any reason to give it a Waterium Z) and boost the power of Judgement. 0 Attack IVs are used to minimize the power of Foul Play. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 341-402 (77.6 - 91.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Groudon-Primal Precipice Blades vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 349-412 (79.4 - 93.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Dark Aura Yveltal Dark Pulse vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 212-251 (48.2 - 57.1%) -- 91.8% chance to 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 172-204 (39.1 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Marshadow Close Combat vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 157-187 (35.7 - 42.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 295-348 (67.1 - 79.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Alakazam-Mega Psychic vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 172-204 (39.1 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Sludge Wave vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 178-210 (40.5 - 47.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Necrozma-Ultra Light That Burns the Sky vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 336-396 (76.5 - 90.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Groudon @ Red Orb
Ability: Drought
EVs: 160 HP / 96 Atk / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Fire Punch
- Precipice Blades
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
Primal Groudon takes on Electric- and Steel- types and I often just use it to dish out huge damage. Desolate Land-boosted STAB Fire Punch hits a lot of bulky Steel-types and is useful to clean late-game due to its power coupled with its 100% accuracy. When in doubt, I often just spam Precipice Blades until a Flying-type comes along. It notably hits Toxapex as well as many Steel-type Pokémon. Rock Tomb rounds out perfect coverage for Primal Groudon and hits the Flying-types that Precipice Blades doesn't. The Speed drop is also useful, as Primal Groudon is quite slow for the tier. Finally, Primal Groudon is my choice for Stealth Rock. It is slow, but it is also bulky enough to not die on the first turn. It also is able to defeat common Defoggers like Ho-Oh and Support Arceus formes. Drought becomes Desolate Land, which is a forced but useful ability, effectively removing Primal Groudon's 4x Water-type weakness (unless a Primal Kyogre or Mega Rayquaza switches in on it) and increasing the power of Fire Punch. It also provides weather control. Red Orb is also a forced item slot for Primal Reversion. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
+3 252+ SpA Xurkitree Energy Ball vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 283-333 (74.2 - 87.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Shadow Ball vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 150-177 (39.3 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 160 HP / 0 Def Groudon-Primal: 307-363 (80.5 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psychic vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 156-184 (40.9 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Precipice Blades vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 270-320 (88.8 - 105.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Rock Tomb vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ho-Oh: 264-312 (63.4 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn in Harsh Sunshine: 568-672 (161.3 - 190.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela in Harsh Sunshine: 336-396 (84.4 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory in Harsh Sunshine: 270-318 (80.8 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Haze
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic
Toxapex is primarily here to deal with Mega Lucario, but I also switch it in against Ho-Oh and Marshadow. When it comes to Fire-types, Toxapex is usually the best Pokémon on my team to beat them (unless, of course, the opposing Pokémon has a secondary typing that is strong against Toxapex or the Pokémon often runs super effective coverage). However, the weakness to Earthquake means I often have to ensure that I have a safe matchup before switching into Toxapex. Haze is how I deal with setup sweepers - it is my only way of dealing with them outside of priority, which is only on one Pokémon on the team. Recover is for longevity and helps Toxapex take Z-Moves and the like while being able to stay respectably healthy. Scald ensures that it isn't completely shut out by Taunt and fishing for burns can end up fruitful. Finally, an unmissable Toxic is great for stalling with its bulk. Black Sludge gives it constant recovery and I used it over Leftovers so that if an opposing Pokémon tries to use Trick, they will lose health every turn instead of gaining it. Regenerator works really well with Recover to help Toxapex get healthy after taking a super effective hit or two. 0 Attack IVs are used to minimize the power of Foul Play. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Ho-Oh Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 118-139 (38.8 - 45.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Black Sludge recovery
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 252-297 (82.8 - 97.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 124-146 (40.7 - 48%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Black Sludge recovery
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 153-181 (50.3 - 59.5%) -- 82.4% chance to 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 28 SpD Toxapex: 127-151 (41.7 - 49.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Black Sludge recovery.
Latios @ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 76 SpD / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Roost
- Thunderbolt
Mega Latios can take on Electric-types and Electric-type coverage and is a good all-around Pokémon. It can also beat Primal Groudon and other Fire-types. Mega Latios can even clean late-game for my team, as its moveset is resisted only by Magnemite, Magneton, Magnezone, and Togedemaru (and Shedinja), none of which are common in Anything Goes (per the usage stats, the most commonly used among them is Magnezone, which had the 174th-highest usage in the most recent rankings). Its 160 Special Attack stat allows me to do so occasionally. Ice Beam deals with threats like Mega Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, and Zygarde-Complete. Psychic is a great STAB move that hits Marshadow, Mega Blaziken, and Toxapex, among others. Roost is for longevity. Thunderbolt helps it deal with other Water-types like Arceus-Water as well as Flying-types like Skarmory and Celesteela. Levitate is required, but it provides a useful immunity to Earthquake and lets it beat Primal Groudon. Latiosite is, of course, required for Mega Evolution. 0 Attack IVs are used to minimize the power of Foul Play. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Groudon-Primal Stone Edge vs. 168 HP / 252+ Def Latios-Mega: 111-131 (32.3 - 38.1%) -- 96.9% chance to 3HKO
+1 252 SpA Necrozma-Ultra Light That Burns the Sky vs. 168 HP / 76 SpD Latios-Mega: 236-278 (68.8 - 81%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rayquaza-Mega in Strong Winds: 196-232 (55.8 - 66%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Ice Beam vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Salamence-Mega: 428-504 (108.9 - 128.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Celesteela: 192-228 (48.2 - 57.2%) -- 46.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Latios-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Skarmory: 260-308 (77.8 - 92.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Ho-Oh: 136-160 (35.8 - 42.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Psychic vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Marshadow: 356-422 (110.9 - 131.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Arceus @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 16 HP / 232 Atk / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Swords Dance
Another much-needed offensive presence on this team, Arceus provides hazard control for my team. It can also be a setup sweeper if necessary. Because of Defog, it does have limited coverage, so I don't use it much outside of that, but it can be useful. I feel like this is a Pokémon I might change. Defog provides essential hazard control and is the only form of hazard control on the team. Earthquake is a powerful coverage move that hits Necrozma-Dusk-Mane, Toxapex, Heatran, and others. Extreme Speed is a great priority STAB move and is the only priority move I have on the team. This helps me pick off the opposing team if it is weakened. Finally, Swords Dance actually makes it useful because it has a relatively low 120 Attack without a boosting item or ability. Lum Berry lessens the extent to which Arceus can be hindered and helps me scout for status-inflicting moves. Multitype is a required and pretty useless ability. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 250-294 (64.9 - 76.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Sacred Fire vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 164-192 (42.5 - 49.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. -1 0 HP / 4 Def Rayquaza-Mega: 399-471 (113.6 - 134.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Toxapex: 308-364 (101.3 - 119.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 28 HP / 8 Def Prism Armor Necrozma-Dusk-Mane: 271-319 (79.2 - 93.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 104 HP / 0 Def Ho-Oh: 292-345 (77 - 91%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Yveltal: 280-330 (71.2 - 83.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
3. Threat List
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 360-424 (82 - 96.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 792-932 (205.7 - 242%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Meteor Mash vs. 168 HP / 252+ Def Latios-Mega: 306-362 (89.2 - 105.5%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 160 HP / 0 Def Groudon-Primal: 376-444 (98.6 - 116.5%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 400-472 (100.7 - 118.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Toxapex: 196-231 (64.4 - 75.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
It is highly unlikely that Mega Lucario will sweep my entire team because while it certainly has the offensive prowess and speed to do so, it does not have the defensive prowess, especially due to the Defense and Special Defense drops that Close Combat causes. However, it is very likely that it is going to take out multiple Pokémon or at least put a major dent in them on its way out if it is able to safely use Swords Dance even once. I usually bring in Toxapex first so that I can use Haze to negate the Swords Dance boosts. However, besides fishing for Scald burns, Toxapex can't do anything against it because it is partially a Steel-type. If it has used Close Combat a couple of times, I try to OHKO it with Extreme Speed on Arceus. In addition, Fire Punch and Precipice Blades both OHKO it, so if I get an opportunity to use one of them, I do.
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Origin Pulse vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal in Heavy Rain: 1924-2268 (504.9 - 595.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Thunder vs. 252 HP / 28 SpD Toxapex: 364-430 (119.7 - 141.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Origin Pulse vs. 16 HP / 0 SpD Arceus in Heavy Rain: 486-573 (126.2 - 148.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Origin Pulse vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela in Heavy Rain: 559-658 (140.8 - 165.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Thunder vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 498-586 (125.4 - 147.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO (Both moves OHKO Celesteela)
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Ice Beam vs. 168 HP / 76 SpD Latios-Mega: 330-390 (96.2 - 113.7%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Thunder vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 430-508 (97.9 - 115.7%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
Maximum speed Primal Kyogre outspeeds my entire team even if it's Modest. My best course of action against Primal Kyogre that has set up Calm Mind is to get Primal Groudon in safely so that it can reset the weather and negate Origin Pulse, in which case:
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Ice Beam vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 175-206 (45.9 - 54%) -- 47.7% chance to 2HKO
Primal Groudon can guarantee a 2HKO with Precipice Blades, but it will probably be slower due to my EV spread. However, I should still be able to get one Precipice Blades in before fainting (hopefully, it hits) and use Extreme Speed on Arceus the next turn. Unlike Mega Lucario, unfortunately, Toxapex is setup fodder for Primal Kyogre due to Thunder, so I cannot Haze out any Calm Mind boosts. I also must rely on the accuracy of Precipice Blades. If it doesn't hit, I'll probably just have to take my chances with Mega Latios and Arceus-Water. I would also benefit from an Origin Pulse miss, although like Precipice Blades, that's out of my hands.
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 168 HP / 252+ Def Latios-Mega: 515-606 (150.1 - 176.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 454-536 (103.4 - 122%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Earthquake vs. 160 HP / 0 Def Groudon-Primal: 528-621 (138.5 - 162.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Toxapex: 551-650 (181.2 - 213.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 252-296 (63.4 - 74.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 497-586 (129 - 152.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Even if Mega Rayquaza runs a Dragon Dance set, it can still damage my team a lot for other Pokémon to clean up. Celesteela can take a boosted hit and badly poison it, but it has to come in safely. I would probably let it take another hit and faint (or switch out depending on the rest of the opponent's team) and bring in Arceus to hit a -2 Mega Rayquaza with Extreme Speed, which, combined with Toxic and Life Orb damage, should be enough to defeat it. Mega Rayquaza can also learn Extreme Speed, but Arceus can take a +2 Extreme Speed from well below full health.
4. Replays
Mrytzkalmyr vs. Branfr0n
Mrytzkalmyr vs. yoada
Mrytzkalmyr vs. Janiz
5. Importable
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Toxic
Arceus @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 20 SpA / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Judgement
- Recover
- Toxic
Groudon @ Red Orb
Ability: Drought
EVs: 160 HP / 96 Atk / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Fire Punch
- Precipice Blades
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Haze
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic
Latios @ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 76 SpD / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Roost
- Thunderbolt
Arceus @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 16 HP / 232 Atk / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Swords Dance
6. Shoutouts
Thank you, damage calculator.
Thank you, usage statistics.
Thank you, Pokémon Showdown.
Thank you, Smogon.
Uh ... yeah. That's it.
Thank you for reading! Feedback would be greatly appreciated!
1. Teambuilding Process
There is no doubt that Mega Rayquaza is the most threatening Pokémon in the Anything Goes metagame. The truth is that because of its versatility and immense power, it has no counters and even if a Pokémon checks one common set, it is bound to lose to another of its many viable sets. However, there are certainly some Pokémon that can handle it much better than others. One such Pokémon is Celesteela, which performs wonderfully against Rayquaza not carrying V-create. Celesteela is also a great defensive Pokémon in general that is capable of stomaching many attacks with relative ease due to great all-around defenses. Therefore, I decided to start off with physically defensive Celesteela.
Now, while Celesteela does well against most common Rayquaza sets, it falls to V-create. It is also threatened by Primal Groudon, one of the most commonly used Pokémon in the tier. To defeat these threats, I resorted to the refuge of God Himself and added a Support Arceus-Water. Like other Arceus, it is quite a force to be reckoned with, capable of defeating a large portion of commonly used Pokémon in the tier, such as Ho-Oh, Arceus-Ground, and the aforementioned Primal Groudon. Its Water typing is great defensively and it has a great movepool to do its job.
Much like the famed OU CelePex core, I now had a glaring Electric-type weakness. Both of my Pokémon were weak to Electric-type moves. While Arceus-Water had Ice Beam to deal with Zapdos and Zekrom, two of the most common Electric-type Pokémon, they could both retaliate with STAB super effective moves. Also, I couldn't deal with other Electric-types very well. I also needed some offensive air on this team - stall is not my thing. So I added the prince of the metagame, Primal Groudon, which, handily, also has access to Stealth Rock. Primal Groudon is partially a Ground-type Pokémon, so it, of course, is immune to Electric-type attacks. It also sports an immunity to the Water-type due to its ability (unless Primal Kyogre or Mega Rayquaza switch in on it) and is a very powerful physical attacker in general.
After filling in the other three slots with Extreme Killer Arceus and playing some battles, I found that this team lost badly to Mega Lucario. After a Swords Dance, Mega Lucario could OHKO or 2HKO every Pokémon on my team with Close Combat. So I added the bane of Wailord's existence: Toxapex. It is somewhat redundant due to my already having a Water-type, but I felt this was necessary to counter the threat of Mega Lucario. Toxapex is another great defensive Pokémon that can stall out many prominent threats in the metagame like Ho-Oh, Marshadow, and the aforementioned Mega Lucario.
Once again, I had a clear weakness to the Electric-type. All it would take for a Pokémon to sweep my team with an Electric-type move was to have support to get rid of Primal Groudon. I already had a Ground-type in Primal Groudon and didn't want more repetition. While Grass-types resist Electric-type moves, they, in my opinion, have far too many weaknesses to be justified on an Anything Goes team. Ferrothorn is probably the only Grass-type Pokémon I would consider using in Anything Goes. But I already had a Steel-type in Celesteela, so I didn't want repetition there, either. Using an Electric-type of my own would fulfill the defensive requirement, but I still wouldn't be able to convincingly defeat a team of multiple Electric-types if Primal Groudon had fainted. That left Dragon-type Pokémon. At first, I was tempted to use Giratina, but its passivity and lack of recovery outside of Rest deterred me from doing so. I ended up using a Pokémon I never thought I would use in an Anything Goes team in Generation 7 - Mega Latios. This gave me another Pokémon that could beat Electric-types. In addition, none of my previous four Pokémon, with the possible and largely situational exception of Primal Groudon, had a way to beat Water-types. Running Thunderbolt on Mega Latios gave me more cushion against them. Also, Levitate provided a valuable second Ground-type immunity, as half the team was weak to Ground-type moves.
Now, I needed entry hazard control. I wasn't really quite sure what else I needed, exactly, so I just did my go-to Anything Goes move: I slapped on an Extreme Killer Arceus to the team. I changed Shadow Claw to Defog for entry hazard removal and adjusted the EVs.
And that's how I got here!
2. The Team
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Toxic
Celesteela is generally my go-to switchin against Mega Rayquaza. Of course, I do have to be cautious of the occasional V-create, but the stat drops from the move usually allow me to revenge kill it with Arceus. Heavy Slam is there so I don't get shut out by Taunt. Given that Celesteela is tied for the heaviest Pokémon in the game with the useless Cosmoem and that it is a STAB move, Heavy Slam often does a lot of damage, even against neutral targets. Celesteela, unfortunately, does not have access to reliable recovery, so I gave it Leech Seed as a way to wear the opponent down as well as recover health for itself and its teammates. Because of Celesteela's massive bulk, Substitute works great against Pokémon it forces out, as it can proceed to badly poison the Pokémon that switches in on the next move while not taking too much off its health. Toxic is there, of course, to wear down opponents and also to catch anticipated switchins as they enter. Beast Boost allows Celesteela to wall even better by giving it even more defense and Leftovers give it more recovery so it doesn't only rely on Leech Seed. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 126-148 (31.7 - 37.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 188-222 (47.3 - 55.9%) -- 26.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Necrozma-Ultra Light That Burns the Sky vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 194-228 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 328-387 (82.6 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 172-204 (43.3 - 51.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Life Orb Marshadow Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 175-208 (44 - 52.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 327-385 (82.3 - 96.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Alakazam-Mega Focus Blast vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 177-209 (44.5 - 52.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
Arceus @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 20 SpA / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Judgement
- Recover
- Toxic
I generally use Arceus-Water against Primal Groudon, Necrozma-Dusk-Mane, Ho-Oh, and Arceus-Ground, which I find often. Ice Beam nails Mega Salamence, Mega Garchomp, Zygarde-Complete, and both Giratina formes. It also deals quite a bit of damage to Mega Rayquaza despite Delta Stream, which is especially valuable (this isn't my primary switchin to it, though). Judgement is a great STAB move that helps me beat Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground. Recover is for longevity - if Arceus-Water is to take on multiple Pokémon, I need it healthy. Finally, Toxic helps it stall out Primal Groudon and beat Lugia, among other Pokémon. Multitype and Splash Plate are required (I don't see any reason to give it a Waterium Z) and boost the power of Judgement. 0 Attack IVs are used to minimize the power of Foul Play. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 341-402 (77.6 - 91.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Groudon-Primal Precipice Blades vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 349-412 (79.4 - 93.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Dark Aura Yveltal Dark Pulse vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 212-251 (48.2 - 57.1%) -- 91.8% chance to 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 172-204 (39.1 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Marshadow Close Combat vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 157-187 (35.7 - 42.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 295-348 (67.1 - 79.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Alakazam-Mega Psychic vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 172-204 (39.1 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Sludge Wave vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 178-210 (40.5 - 47.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Necrozma-Ultra Light That Burns the Sky vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 336-396 (76.5 - 90.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Groudon @ Red Orb
Ability: Drought
EVs: 160 HP / 96 Atk / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Fire Punch
- Precipice Blades
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
Primal Groudon takes on Electric- and Steel- types and I often just use it to dish out huge damage. Desolate Land-boosted STAB Fire Punch hits a lot of bulky Steel-types and is useful to clean late-game due to its power coupled with its 100% accuracy. When in doubt, I often just spam Precipice Blades until a Flying-type comes along. It notably hits Toxapex as well as many Steel-type Pokémon. Rock Tomb rounds out perfect coverage for Primal Groudon and hits the Flying-types that Precipice Blades doesn't. The Speed drop is also useful, as Primal Groudon is quite slow for the tier. Finally, Primal Groudon is my choice for Stealth Rock. It is slow, but it is also bulky enough to not die on the first turn. It also is able to defeat common Defoggers like Ho-Oh and Support Arceus formes. Drought becomes Desolate Land, which is a forced but useful ability, effectively removing Primal Groudon's 4x Water-type weakness (unless a Primal Kyogre or Mega Rayquaza switches in on it) and increasing the power of Fire Punch. It also provides weather control. Red Orb is also a forced item slot for Primal Reversion. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
+3 252+ SpA Xurkitree Energy Ball vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 283-333 (74.2 - 87.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Shadow Ball vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 150-177 (39.3 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 160 HP / 0 Def Groudon-Primal: 307-363 (80.5 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psychic vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 156-184 (40.9 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Precipice Blades vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 270-320 (88.8 - 105.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Rock Tomb vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ho-Oh: 264-312 (63.4 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn in Harsh Sunshine: 568-672 (161.3 - 190.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela in Harsh Sunshine: 336-396 (84.4 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
96+ Atk Groudon-Primal Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory in Harsh Sunshine: 270-318 (80.8 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Haze
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic
Toxapex is primarily here to deal with Mega Lucario, but I also switch it in against Ho-Oh and Marshadow. When it comes to Fire-types, Toxapex is usually the best Pokémon on my team to beat them (unless, of course, the opposing Pokémon has a secondary typing that is strong against Toxapex or the Pokémon often runs super effective coverage). However, the weakness to Earthquake means I often have to ensure that I have a safe matchup before switching into Toxapex. Haze is how I deal with setup sweepers - it is my only way of dealing with them outside of priority, which is only on one Pokémon on the team. Recover is for longevity and helps Toxapex take Z-Moves and the like while being able to stay respectably healthy. Scald ensures that it isn't completely shut out by Taunt and fishing for burns can end up fruitful. Finally, an unmissable Toxic is great for stalling with its bulk. Black Sludge gives it constant recovery and I used it over Leftovers so that if an opposing Pokémon tries to use Trick, they will lose health every turn instead of gaining it. Regenerator works really well with Recover to help Toxapex get healthy after taking a super effective hit or two. 0 Attack IVs are used to minimize the power of Foul Play. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Ho-Oh Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 118-139 (38.8 - 45.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Black Sludge recovery
+1 252 Atk Marshadow Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 252-297 (82.8 - 97.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 124-146 (40.7 - 48%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Black Sludge recovery
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Toxapex: 153-181 (50.3 - 59.5%) -- 82.4% chance to 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ SpA Gengar-Mega Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 28 SpD Toxapex: 127-151 (41.7 - 49.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Black Sludge recovery.
Latios @ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 76 SpD / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Roost
- Thunderbolt
Mega Latios can take on Electric-types and Electric-type coverage and is a good all-around Pokémon. It can also beat Primal Groudon and other Fire-types. Mega Latios can even clean late-game for my team, as its moveset is resisted only by Magnemite, Magneton, Magnezone, and Togedemaru (and Shedinja), none of which are common in Anything Goes (per the usage stats, the most commonly used among them is Magnezone, which had the 174th-highest usage in the most recent rankings). Its 160 Special Attack stat allows me to do so occasionally. Ice Beam deals with threats like Mega Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, and Zygarde-Complete. Psychic is a great STAB move that hits Marshadow, Mega Blaziken, and Toxapex, among others. Roost is for longevity. Thunderbolt helps it deal with other Water-types like Arceus-Water as well as Flying-types like Skarmory and Celesteela. Levitate is required, but it provides a useful immunity to Earthquake and lets it beat Primal Groudon. Latiosite is, of course, required for Mega Evolution. 0 Attack IVs are used to minimize the power of Foul Play. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Groudon-Primal Stone Edge vs. 168 HP / 252+ Def Latios-Mega: 111-131 (32.3 - 38.1%) -- 96.9% chance to 3HKO
+1 252 SpA Necrozma-Ultra Light That Burns the Sky vs. 168 HP / 76 SpD Latios-Mega: 236-278 (68.8 - 81%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rayquaza-Mega in Strong Winds: 196-232 (55.8 - 66%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Ice Beam vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Salamence-Mega: 428-504 (108.9 - 128.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Celesteela: 192-228 (48.2 - 57.2%) -- 46.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Latios-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Skarmory: 260-308 (77.8 - 92.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Ho-Oh: 136-160 (35.8 - 42.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
4 SpA Latios-Mega Psychic vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Marshadow: 356-422 (110.9 - 131.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Arceus @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 16 HP / 232 Atk / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Swords Dance
Another much-needed offensive presence on this team, Arceus provides hazard control for my team. It can also be a setup sweeper if necessary. Because of Defog, it does have limited coverage, so I don't use it much outside of that, but it can be useful. I feel like this is a Pokémon I might change. Defog provides essential hazard control and is the only form of hazard control on the team. Earthquake is a powerful coverage move that hits Necrozma-Dusk-Mane, Toxapex, Heatran, and others. Extreme Speed is a great priority STAB move and is the only priority move I have on the team. This helps me pick off the opposing team if it is weakened. Finally, Swords Dance actually makes it useful because it has a relatively low 120 Attack without a boosting item or ability. Lum Berry lessens the extent to which Arceus can be hindered and helps me scout for status-inflicting moves. Multitype is a required and pretty useless ability. The given EV spread and nature allow for the following damage calculations:
252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 250-294 (64.9 - 76.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Sacred Fire vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 164-192 (42.5 - 49.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. -1 0 HP / 4 Def Rayquaza-Mega: 399-471 (113.6 - 134.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Toxapex: 308-364 (101.3 - 119.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 28 HP / 8 Def Prism Armor Necrozma-Dusk-Mane: 271-319 (79.2 - 93.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 104 HP / 0 Def Ho-Oh: 292-345 (77 - 91%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 232+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Yveltal: 280-330 (71.2 - 83.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
3. Threat List
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 360-424 (82 - 96.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 792-932 (205.7 - 242%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Meteor Mash vs. 168 HP / 252+ Def Latios-Mega: 306-362 (89.2 - 105.5%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 160 HP / 0 Def Groudon-Primal: 376-444 (98.6 - 116.5%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 400-472 (100.7 - 118.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Adaptability Lucario-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Toxapex: 196-231 (64.4 - 75.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
It is highly unlikely that Mega Lucario will sweep my entire team because while it certainly has the offensive prowess and speed to do so, it does not have the defensive prowess, especially due to the Defense and Special Defense drops that Close Combat causes. However, it is very likely that it is going to take out multiple Pokémon or at least put a major dent in them on its way out if it is able to safely use Swords Dance even once. I usually bring in Toxapex first so that I can use Haze to negate the Swords Dance boosts. However, besides fishing for Scald burns, Toxapex can't do anything against it because it is partially a Steel-type. If it has used Close Combat a couple of times, I try to OHKO it with Extreme Speed on Arceus. In addition, Fire Punch and Precipice Blades both OHKO it, so if I get an opportunity to use one of them, I do.
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Origin Pulse vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal in Heavy Rain: 1924-2268 (504.9 - 595.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Thunder vs. 252 HP / 28 SpD Toxapex: 364-430 (119.7 - 141.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Origin Pulse vs. 16 HP / 0 SpD Arceus in Heavy Rain: 486-573 (126.2 - 148.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Origin Pulse vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela in Heavy Rain: 559-658 (140.8 - 165.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Thunder vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Celesteela: 498-586 (125.4 - 147.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO (Both moves OHKO Celesteela)
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Ice Beam vs. 168 HP / 76 SpD Latios-Mega: 330-390 (96.2 - 113.7%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Thunder vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Arceus-Water: 430-508 (97.9 - 115.7%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
Maximum speed Primal Kyogre outspeeds my entire team even if it's Modest. My best course of action against Primal Kyogre that has set up Calm Mind is to get Primal Groudon in safely so that it can reset the weather and negate Origin Pulse, in which case:
+1 252+ SpA Kyogre-Primal Ice Beam vs. 160 HP / 252 SpD Groudon-Primal: 175-206 (45.9 - 54%) -- 47.7% chance to 2HKO
Primal Groudon can guarantee a 2HKO with Precipice Blades, but it will probably be slower due to my EV spread. However, I should still be able to get one Precipice Blades in before fainting (hopefully, it hits) and use Extreme Speed on Arceus the next turn. Unlike Mega Lucario, unfortunately, Toxapex is setup fodder for Primal Kyogre due to Thunder, so I cannot Haze out any Calm Mind boosts. I also must rely on the accuracy of Precipice Blades. If it doesn't hit, I'll probably just have to take my chances with Mega Latios and Arceus-Water. I would also benefit from an Origin Pulse miss, although like Precipice Blades, that's out of my hands.
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 168 HP / 252+ Def Latios-Mega: 515-606 (150.1 - 176.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 232 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 454-536 (103.4 - 122%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Earthquake vs. 160 HP / 0 Def Groudon-Primal: 528-621 (138.5 - 162.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Toxapex: 551-650 (181.2 - 213.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 252-296 (63.4 - 74.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Rayquaza-Mega Dragon Ascent vs. 16 HP / 252 Def Arceus: 497-586 (129 - 152.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Even if Mega Rayquaza runs a Dragon Dance set, it can still damage my team a lot for other Pokémon to clean up. Celesteela can take a boosted hit and badly poison it, but it has to come in safely. I would probably let it take another hit and faint (or switch out depending on the rest of the opponent's team) and bring in Arceus to hit a -2 Mega Rayquaza with Extreme Speed, which, combined with Toxic and Life Orb damage, should be enough to defeat it. Mega Rayquaza can also learn Extreme Speed, but Arceus can take a +2 Extreme Speed from well below full health.
4. Replays
Mrytzkalmyr vs. Branfr0n
Mrytzkalmyr vs. yoada
Mrytzkalmyr vs. Janiz
5. Importable
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Toxic
Arceus @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 20 SpA / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Judgement
- Recover
- Toxic
Groudon @ Red Orb
Ability: Drought
EVs: 160 HP / 96 Atk / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Fire Punch
- Precipice Blades
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Haze
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic
Latios @ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 76 SpD / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Roost
- Thunderbolt
Arceus @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 16 HP / 232 Atk / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Swords Dance
6. Shoutouts
Thank you, damage calculator.
Thank you, usage statistics.
Thank you, Pokémon Showdown.
Thank you, Smogon.
Uh ... yeah. That's it.
Thank you for reading! Feedback would be greatly appreciated!
