Dark Armed (Tyranitar) @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Atk
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Brick Break
- Protect
At first, I tried Assault Vest Tyranitar because of how ridiculous its Special Defense would be, but then I realized how much I hated not having Protect its moveset. Tyranitarite not only boosts its defensive stats along with its offense, but also allows me to use Protect, which is a highly crucial move for playing Doubles. Stealing the weather from Charizard Y is also hilarious. I decided to copy the same suggested EV spread from VGC 2012, thinking that it would still be optimal. Aside from Brick Break, the rest of the moveset does not require an explanation. As for Brick Break, I decided to add it to make up for not being able to learn Superpower nor Low Kick for coverage and it comes in handy for opponents using screens.
Shark Drake (Garchomp) @ BrightPowder
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Substitute
As mentioned in my introduction, the purpose of this Garchomp is to make use of its Sand Veil ability with Brightpowder to make it difficult to hit. Substitute is especially helpful not only making it even harder to land a hit, but also to protect itself from status moves or Intimidate. Double Team was a funny idea to increase its accuracy further, but it was not as Substitute for its guaranteed protection from what I had mentioned. The moveset should not require an explanation, though I do like Rock Slide for further coverage as well as the flinch factor.
Elec Virus (Rotom-Wash) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
Rotom-W continues to be one of most versatile Pokémon in the game. I am using the same Specially Offensive set from previous VGC formats. Will-O-Wisp is a very great move against physical attackers and for inflicting burn damage in addition to sandstorm damage. Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt help provide coverage for the team, and Sitrus Berry helps to support its bulk. In addition, its Levitate ability makes it easier for me to use Earthquake with Garchomp.
Rescue Cat (Meowstic) (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Charm
- Swagger
- Safeguard
- Psychic
I did not know how amazing this cute little kitty was until my first VGC 2014 games. Against physical Pokémon, Charm is really such an annoying move, enough to make physical moves not too reliable this year. At first, I thought that Klefki should be my Prankster choice, but Charm really makes Meowstic much more desirable along with its higher speed.
The Bold nature and investment in defense EVs make it even harder for physical Pokémon to do much damage to Meowstic. Swagger and Safeguard have also been amazing, as using them together allows me to Sword Dance its partner to inflict significant damage to the opponent. Safeguard by itself has been very helpful for evading Spores and Will-O-Wisps, and Meowstic's speed allows it to out speed every other Prankster aside from Liepard, allowing me to set it up quick enough.
Swagger of course has always been a great VGC move against special attackers to interfere with their plays. I opted for Psychic as an offensive move to give it something to attack with in the event that it was taunted, or to finish off a Pokémon who does not have much health left. Mental Herb is given to ensure that Meowstic is not vulnerable to Taunt.
Mushroom Man (Amoonguss) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Effect Spore
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Spore
- Rage Powder
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
Amoonguss is intended to be a counter against other Rotom-Ws, Trick Room teams, and physically-based teams. While it does serve well against the listed threats, the presence of Reuniclus in Trick Room teams makes this not such a reliable pick. After already having a Sitrus Berry and a Mental Herb in my party, Black Sludge felt like the next best item to attach.
Blue-Eyes (Salamence) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Protect
I am still unsure about choosing Salamence for this slot, and I would especially appreciate feedback for this. One of the things that annoy me the most are Fighting-Type Pokémon, so I wanted a Pokémon that I could rely on as a check. The problem about Talonflame is that it is a physical Pokémon, and therefore is crippled by Scrafty's Intimidate. This means that a special attacker would be preferable. The first idea that came to mind was a Fairy-Type, but Gardevoir is the fastest Fairy in the VGC Meta, its 80-base speed still leaves it slower than Dragon-Types and exposing its frail physical defense.
The idea of Salamence is that its Intimidate could cripple Fighting-Types and benefit my anti-physical strategy. I am unsure about Hidden Power Flying because Draco Meteor will always do more damage, and HP Flying itself was crippled in sixth gen to only a 60 base power. Draco Meteor of course is risky, making Dragon Pulse a possible better option. The Life Orb helps to ensure that its attacks will KO what I want to hit. I was also unsure of an EV spread, so I went for a generic special sweeper one. Its Flying-Type also gives me another partner that can evade my Garchomp's Earthquake. If I were to use a Fairy-Type instead, it would need to be something that is not frail like Gardevoir, but still strong enough to answer the common Fighting-Types.