Venom On The Dance Floor

Katakiri

Listen, Brendan...
is a Researcher Alumnus
After 2 months of trial and error, I finally feel that this team is solid enough to post. What started as a standard Toxic Stall team evolved into a very solid team that is probably going to be my base concept for any team I may make in 5th gen, but I guess that's neither here nor there. Hopefully with your help I can fix some flaws and get a better understanding of what I should and should not be doing.


Venom

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On The Dance Floor

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Team Building:
1.
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After using Chansey and Rotom in UU, I knew from the start that I wanted to use these 2 as my defensive core. They compliment eachother very well. Rotom sucks up Fighting & Physical attacks and burns physical threats while Blissey sponges Special attacks and can remove status from Rotom after it Rests.

2.
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I knew that this was going to be somewhat of a stall team so I needed one more defensive Pokemon that brings something deferent than what Blissey & Rotom-A bring to the table. Vaporeon fit the part perfectly. Wish lets her be a team cleric, Protect lets her be a scout, & Roar lets her get rid of Pokemon that love to setup stat boosts against defensive teams.

3.
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Now I needed something to not only tear holes in other Pokemon, but I needed somethat FAST that could stop clerics, rapid spinners, and status abusing pokemon. With Gengar's Speed and Sp.Attack with plenty of extra bulk than the likes of Gengar and Alakazam, Espeon was my first choice and hasn't let me down yet.

4.
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Originally this spot belonged to Roserade, but eventually Infernape became my biggest problem so I needed to find something that could stop Infernape's monkey business and still demolish Breloom. After some searching I found Dragonite to be the best at the job and, with some trail and error and a little move/stat fixing here and there, I can safely say I have made one sturdy and scary monster.

5.
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Toxic Spike is godsend to a Semi-Stall Team, so my first choice was Forretress. But, what was originally an easy job for Forretress has become much harder as the Lead metagame progressed. Azelfs became paranoid of Scizor & his Pursuit so they started carrying Fire Blast. Infernapes and Machamps started running wild. It soon became a scary world for Forretress, so I had to find a better Pokemon or in this case an better bug. As long as my search was, I could not find better Toxic Spiker for the current metagame than Venomoth. Roserade's speed and Sleep Powder with Shield Dust blocking the effects of moves like Fake Out guarantee Venomoth will be doing at least one of her jobs if not all of them.

In-Depth View:

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Flutterdust (Venomoth) (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Shield Dust
EVs: 4 Def / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
- Toxic Spikes
- Psychic

I only recently fell in love with this Pokemon. When I was first testing Venomoth, you can imagine all the laughs and confused looks I got from other trainers. But I quickly proved to them exactly why it was worth testing.
Venomoth is the NU equivalent of Roserade. Venomoth has a speed tie with Roserade and both have Sleep Power and Toxic Spikes, but while Roserade has Higher Sp.Atk & Sp.Def, Venomoth has just a tad more Physical bulk and access to the VERY exclusive ability Shield Dust.
The beautify of Venomoth is that it REALLY throws the opponent for a loop by just being a Venomoth. Being the only Pokemon that can effectively use Shield Dust in OU is what makes it so useful. Infernape and Ambipom can't Flinch her with Fake Out, Machamp can't confuse her with Dynamic Punch, and well...Shield Dust just stops all the secondary effects you can think of. What makes it even better is that most opponents doesn't know much about Venomoth and the mistake it's typing & ability. (which happens about 70% of the time) Unless Sleep Powder misses, or she gets Taunted, Venomoth's gonna have her way for the first few turns

The issue with Venomoth is that while it does all of it's jobs very well, it really lacks the power required to handle anything with taunt. At most it will 3HKO Aerodactyl while Aerodactyl can 2HKO her easily.

Not that I'm running Timid on her, she has a Speed tie against Roserade which can lead to some interesting outcome.

Most common outcomes as Venomoth vs common Leads:
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Aerodactyl:
Turn 1 - Aerodactyl: Taunt
Venomoth can't use Sleep Powder after Taunt
Turn 2 - Venomoth is called back
Rotom-C is sent out

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Ambipom:
Turn 1 - Ambipom: Fake Out
Shield Dust blocks Flinch
Venomoth: Sleep Powder
Turn 2 - Ambipom: Asleep
Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Turn 2 - Ambipom: Asleep
Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Turn 3 - Venomoth is called back
Rotom-C is sent out

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Azelf:
Turn 1 - Azelf: Fire Blast
Venomoth Focus Sash Activates
Venomoth: Bug Buzz
Azelf Focus Sash Activates
Turn 2- Azelf: Stealth Rock
Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Turn 3 - Azelf: Fire Blast
Venomoth Faints
Espeon is sent out

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Heatran:
Turn 1 - Venomoth: Sleep Powder
Heatran: Asleep
Turn 2 -Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Heatran: Asleep
Turn 3 - Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Heatran: Earth Power
Venomoth Focus Sash activates
Turn 4 - Venomoth: Sleep Powder
Heatran: Asleep
Turn 5 - Venomoth is called back
Dragonite is sent out

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Infernape:
Turn 1 - Infernape: Fake Out
Shield Dust blocks Flinch
Venomoth: Sleep Powder
Turn 2 - Infernape: Asleep
Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Turn 3 - Infernape: Asleep
Venomoth: Psychic
Infernape faints

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Machamp:
Turn 1 - Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Machamp: Stone Edge
Venomoth Focus Sash activates
Turn 2 - Venomoth is called back
Rotom-C is sent out
Machamp: Bullet Punch

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Ninjask:
Turn 1 - Ninjask: Substitute
Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Ninjask raised it's Speed
Turn 2 - Ninjask: Swords Dance
Venomoth is called back
Vaporeon is sent out
Ninjask raised it's Speed
Turn 3 - Ninjask: Protect
Vaporeon: Laugh (Roar)

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Roserade:
Turn 1 - Venomoth is called back
Rotom-C is sent out
Roserade: Sleep Powder
Turn 2 - Rotom-C (asleep) is called back
Venomoth is sent out
Roserade: Toxic Spikes
Turn 3 - Roserade: Hidden Power
Venomoth Focus Sash actives
Venomoth: Sleep Powder
Turn 4 - Roserade: Asleep
Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Turn 5 - Roserade (asleep) is called back
??? is sent out
Venomoth: Toxic Spikes

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Swampert:
Turn 1 - Venomoth: Sleep Powder
Swampert: Asleep
Turn 2 - Venomoth: Bug Buzz
Swampert: Asleep
Turn 3 - Venomoth: Bug Buzz
Swampert wakes up
Swampert: Stealth Rocks
Turn 4 - Venomoth: Sleep Powder
Swampert: Asleep
Turn 5 - Venomoth: Toxic Spikes
Swampert: Asleep
Turn 6 - Venomoth: Bug Buzz
Swampert Faints




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Luckilucky (Blissey) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def / 4 Spd / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Aromatherapy
- Shadow Ball
- Stealth Rock
- Softboiled

Hi! This is a Blissey. If you need any further explanation, then
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Blissey is the bread of the bread & butter of this team. She switches in on attacks, sets up Stealth Rock, removes status from the team, blocks Ghost type attacks, Shadow Ball Ghosts & Psychics, slices, dices, she does it all! She has amazing synergy with Rotom and Vaporeon, but I'll get into that later.

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Mikaruga (Espeon) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Baton Pass
- Trick

Oh Espeon, how are you NU? With Gengar's Sp.Attack & Speed with the bulk to switch in on attacks, you're just a bulkier Alakazam. Which, to an extent, is how I use her. Choice Scarf lets her out run just about anything but a Choice Scarfed Gengar. (Only because I put 26 of her Speed EVs into her HP) Psychic is murderous to all Fighting types with Stealth Rock/Toxic Spikes support. HP Fire is there for Scizor who LOVE to switch in on Espeon. Baton Pass acts just like U-Turn for other Pokemon where it will let me see an opponents switch so I can go to a reliable counter.

Trick is the gimmick here, allowing Espeon to stop Pokemon like Blissey, Skarmory, Starmie, Bronzong, the Paraflinchers, and any other Pokemon that needs more than one more to be a threat. As a bonus, if the Pokemon is stuck using one move that Dragonite happens to resist, Dragonite can get a free Dragon Dance or two.

The issue with this set is that if Espeon doesn't get rid of the Choice Scarf before Scizor or Tyranitar switches in, Pursuit is a free OHKO on Espeon.

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Rotomu (Rotom-C) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 4 Spd / 40 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest
- Leaf Storm

This is the butter of the bread and butter of this team. Rotom mainly just acts as a safe switch-in against any Pokemon that threaten Venomoth, Blissey, or Dragonite. Rotom works very well with Blissey in that they not only cover each other's type weaknesses, but they also cover each other's weak defensive stat. Blissey can sponge up any Special Attack aimed at Rotom, and Rotom and do the same for Blissey with Physical Attacks. And to add to it, Rotom can nullify Physical threats with Will-o-wisp to the point that Blissey can take the Physical hits unscathed and Blissey can use Aromatherapy to wake-up Rotom after it restores it's heal with Rest.

Will-o-wisp and Toxic Spikes create an amazing opportunity for this team. A lot of physical Pokemon like Scizor, Flygon, Dragonite, Gyrados, Metagross, Jirachi, *que the Pokerap* all resist Toxic Spikes, but despise Burn. On the other hand many walls like Blissey, Vaporeon, Suicune, Swampert, Dusknoir, *more pokerap* are all vulnerable to Toxic Spikes. So, I'll the walls lose their ability to wall, physical attackers can be hit with Burn status which cuts their attack power in half. Now the only issue is Special attackers and Blissey completely walls them. So, Toxic Spikes & Will-o-wisp can bring a team to it's knees is uses correctly which is one of the main tools of this team.


I chose Rotom-C over the others for the fact that I can just mulch Swampert and be done with him. I am concidering Rotom-F for the fact that Flygon is just an annoying little bug. But I might just stick with Rotom-C.

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Ende (Dragonite) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 120 HP / 64 Atk / 84 Def / 240 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch

Dragonite is the Iron Cannon of the team. He usually comes in and cleans up late in the game and he is great at his job. After trying Dragon Rush in the beginning, I decided the accuracy was too big of an issue and I went with Outrage since most Steel types don't carry Ice attacks anyway. The EVs give Dragonite a very nice boost of defense to the point nothing physical and not Super Effective is ever going to 2HKO him if he's Outraging. After a Dragon Dance he can out-speed Jolteon and after 2 Dragon Dances he'll be OHKOing virtually anything that isn't Steel type.

Earthquake is there for Steel coverage. The last move slot is really just up for grabs. Fire Punch lets Dragonite beat down Bronzong and OHKO Exploding Forretress/Scizors while ThunderPunch OHKOs Gyrados without having to Dragon Dance. I'm personally using Fire Punch so Bronzong can't threaten Dragonite.

The only Pokemon that has given me problems was Choice Scarf Flygons, but that's about it.

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Mirokarosu (Vaporeon) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 176 HP / 248 Def / 84 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Roar
- Wish
- Surf
- Protect

Vaporeon is the peanut butter and jelly on toast of this team. With Wish-Protect and Blissey/Rotom sponging Electric attacks Vaporeon will be surviving for a long time. A L-O-O-O-O-O-O-N-G time. Vaporeon is there to ruin setups with roar, Wish teammates heal back, poison stall, PP stall, ruin Heatran's fun time, and just be a buzzkill in general. Blissey can get rid of any status problems that may give Vaporeon trouble so she can live for an even longer time. Wish-Protect lets Vaporeon scout attacks while healing itself. Vaporeon's about as interesting as Blissey, so there's not much else to it.

Closing Statement

That's all I've got for now. Please rate, critic, test it, and help out with it if you can. Thanks for reading! ^^
 
I must admit, I had to look up Venomoth's type myself xD However, having Stealth Rock weakness really kills its ability to come back in and do anything past T1, which is Roserade reallys shines over Venomoth, being able to Leaf Storm at any point in the game effectively.

Not to detour you using Moth, I do think it is quite nice. Also, your Blissey and Rotom defense has an issue in that Blissey cannot touch the ghost Pokemon she is supposed to be dealing with for your Shadowballless Rotom friend. You need Ice Beam/Flamethrower/ dare I say Shadow Ball on Blissey in order for it to not be utterly useless against Gengar. Your Dragonite seems rather unsupported ont he team, as you don't have a steel-trapper so you will easily but trapped into Outrage. You may consider Dragon Claw over Outrage due to this.
 
Venomoth's only problem is her sheer lack of power. Bug Buzz or Psychic coming off 279 Sp.Atk isn't doing to be OHKOing anything with Special bulk. If she can survive the first few turns, she's actually pretty useful for sucking up Toxic Spikes, sponging a physical attack and retaliating, and she's one of the best Breloom counters in OU since she can OHKO him and 4x resists both his STABs.

I tried Shadow Ball on Blissey today and it was just what I needed. I might try Ice Beam next though.

Dragonite is my late game sweeper so I'm not too worried about surprise steel types.

Thanks for your help!

I edited the OP with the changes
 
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