ORAS PU Xiangjiao

[Raiza]

Hey, welcome to my 2nd PU RMT, I hope you'll enjoy it. Making this RMT just to share my creation with you as I think this might be one of the most weird teams I ever built during my time spent playing PU because of how the team is structured and the addition of weird sets. Being a PU player since almost 11 months now, I saw many metagame trends come and go, so this time I decided to take advantage of them and build a team that punished hard the use offensive teams, which is the most prominent playstyle by far right now, while still being threatening to balanced and bulkier builds. The team is built around Audino, a Pokemon that is a pain for most offensive teams and able to check most popular offensive powerhouses, but then I decided to give it an offensive shape to not be steamrolled by offensive pressure and to still threaten bulkier builds. It turned out to be a pretty effective team, also gaining me a seasonal game win. I hope I can catch some good rates from this thread, since it was the main reason I posted the team, and not because I wanted to showcase it.

Team In-Depth

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Audino @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Atk / 224 SpD
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Double-Edge
- Knock Off

Audino is the Pokemon I started building this team from, and it didn't disappoint for sure. Its high special bulk and access to Wish have been fundamental in most of the team's victories, serving as the first member of my defensive backbone of the team. 252 investments in HP are used to maximize Wish healing, and along fully investments in Special Defense, make Audino one of the most solid special walls out there in PU, capable of switching into powerhouses such as Choice Specs Floatzel, Kadabra, Electric-types such as Zebstrika, Rotom-F, Electrode and so on. Wish + Protect combo is mandatory on Audino, as it provides a reliable source of healing that can also be passed to teammates. Protect is also useful to scout the opponent's moves, fundamental in an offensive meta such as this one where many offensive threats run coverage moves to get around most walls. Now, using Double-Edge along with 32 EVs in Attack might look weird at first, but it is there for a specific purpose. Double-Edge and investments basically allow Audino to scout and break through Bouffalant's Substitute, which can be a threat to my team. Knock Off is there to cripple Eviolite users such as Vullaby and Tangela to support its offensive teammates, and hit Ghost-types. Leftovers for additional little recovery which is always nice.

Stunfisk @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Discharge
- Earth Power
- Protect

Stunfisk is the second member of my defensive backbone and provides me with a Stealth Rock user, and along with investment in physical defense, a solid check to physical threats such as Pawniard, birds, and Monferno. Despite lacking a recovery by itself, Stunfisk has a fantastic synergy with Wish users such as Audino, allowing it to stay alive through the early-game and mid-game with ease. This allowed me to run Rocky Helmet over Leftovers, which is useful to further wear down foes for the teammates clean. Rocky Helmet also has nice synergy with its Ground-type, making it annoying for most VoltTurn teams. Discharge and Earth Power are the classic STAB combo ran by Stunfisk and it's able to hit most of the metagame. Even if not hitting really hard, Discharge is also able to net me some paras along with Static.

Floatzel @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Aqua Jet

From this slot, I decided to give the team a more offensive shape, so I decided to add Floatzel, which is my cleaner and primary source of damage along with Monferno. Floatzel takes advantage of what my backbone works for, which is wearing down the opponent, crippling Eviolite users, so basically bringing the opposing Pokemon to Floatzel's KO ranges. Also Floatzel provided me with a Water-type resistance, that even if can't switch directly on most Water-types, can still deal pretty decent damage to them using Hidden Power [Electric], and a sort of wallbreaker, even if later on we'll add Monferno. The investments are put where they are along with a Life Orb to maximize Floatzel's offensive potential and to clean up more efficiently. Hydro Pump is Floatzel's main STAB and allows it to break through most offensive and balanced builds along with Ice Beam, the preferred coverage option, that helps Floatzel dealing with Grass-types that are resistant to Hydro Pump, such as Tangela, Roselia, and Jumpluff. Aqua Jet may look weird on a special attacking set but Floatzel still carries enough Attack to use Aqua Jet as an useful tool to revengekill weakened faster Pokemon, also I've never had the necessity to change it.

Jumpluff
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sleep Powder
- Acrobatics
- Bullet Seed

Jumpluff serves as my main and only set up sweeper, but it is also useful to revengekill Grass-types that might not be KO'd by Floatzel such as specially defensive Roselia, and Fighting-types such as Monferno and Machoke, which otherwise would tear apart my team once Stunfisk perishes. Maximum Speed and Attack EVs along with a Jolly nature allow Jumpluff to deal most damage possible while outspeeding most of the tier, allowing it to be effective as a sweeper. Swords Dance is used to boost Jumpluff's Attack stat to higher levels and allow it to at least pose as a threat to the opposing team. Sleep Powder is useful against bulkier and slower Pokemon that threaten Jumpluff, especially if Jumpluff can't at least 2HKO them. Also is pretty nice to find set up opportunities by itself. Acrobatics is the only viable STAB Flying-type move Jumpluff can run, it has decent power without items and can hit most of the tier. I choose Bullet Seed as my secondary STAB move instead of Seed Bomb as it is able to 1HKO Golem through Sturdy if gets 4 hits off, so the matchup isn't that risky unless it misses Sleep Powder. Other than Golem and other Ground- and Rock-types, the Grass-type STAB is also useful to hit things such as Water-types.

Solrock @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Will-O-Wisp

Ok this is where it gets most weird. Choice Scarf Solrock. Honestly, I don't suggest running this on any team apart from this one, as here Solrock has a really good typing synergy with its teammates, and Solrock is just needed to revengekill frailer faster threats if they get out of hand by my backbone, so it's also kind of filler. Also gives me an insurance against Fighting- and Flying-types if Stunfisk or Jumpluff perish, and also something to deal with SubSD Bouffalant. The EVs in Attack and Speed along with a Jolly nature are needed to make this an ok revengekiller, otherwise it would be straight-up terrible. Solrock actually carries decent coverage, which allows it to hit most of the tier, and Rock-type STAB in Stone Edge is just so good to spam even if the user is Solrock, as usually offensive teams have no switch ins for it. Zen Headbutt and Earthquake form the rest of the coverage, and are basically used to hit hard Fighting-, Rock-, Electric-, and other Pokemon Stone Edge can't deal much damage to. Oh yeah also Will-O-Wisp is great for handling set up sweepers this can't take down with attacking moves and to find more set up opportunities with Jumpluff.

Monferno @ Choice Band
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- Mach Punch
- Thunder Punch

The last member of the team is Monferno. Monferno rounds up my offensive side of the team, and is my main wallbreaker. It deals well with most balance builds and cores, while having nice type synergy with the rest of the team. Monferno also works as an insurance against Dark-types such as Pawniard and Mightyena once Stunfisk can't tank their hits anymore, though it won't be able to tank hits and will need to be used as a revengekiller with Mach Punch. In fact, with Mach Punch boosted by Iron Fist and Choice Band, Monferno also provides me another kind of revengekiller against frailer threats and specifically Regice, which can be threatening if it manages to set up. Close Combat and Flare Blitz is the mandatory STAB combo ran by Monferno, and is able to hit most of the metagame REALLY hard with a Choice Band, but have some drawbacks such as lowering its bulk and recoil. In the last slot I'm running Thunder Punch instead of U-Turn, as Pelipper can be annoying to my team and it won't fall for Hidden Power Electric Floatzel most of the time, also I don't really need momentum given I carry two big walls and momentum sponges in my team in Audino and Stunfisk.


I hope you've enjoyed my RMT and will help me improve this team, importable is following.

importable

Audino @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Atk / 224 SpD
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Double-Edge
- Knock Off

Stunfisk @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Discharge
- Earth Power
- Protect

Floatzel @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Aqua Jet

Jumpluff
Ability: Infiltrator
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sleep Powder
- Acrobatics
- Bullet Seed

Solrock @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Will-O-Wisp

Monferno @ Choice Band
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- Mach Punch
- Thunder Punch

 

[ManOfMany]

This is a really cool team Raiza :D and covers a surprisingly high amount of the meta. The weakest point does seem to be Scarf Solrock, but that is what makes the team special so I doubt you want to change that.

One thing I do suggest is changing Jumpluff to Chlorophyll > Infiltrator. Reason being that you struggle against Exeggutor Sun if Lickilicky is lured and 2HKOd by Psyshock or put to sleep. It actually literally 6-0es you in Sun if Lickilicky is gone.

 

[Raiza]

This is a really cool team Raiza :D and covers a surprisingly high amount of the meta. The weakest point does seem to be Scarf Solrock, but that is what makes the team special so I doubt you want to change that.

One thing I do suggest is changing Jumpluff to Chlorophyll > Infiltrator. Reason being that you struggle against Exeggutor Sun if Lickilicky is lured and 2HKOd by Psyshock or put to sleep. It actually literally 6-0es you in Sun if Lickilicky is gone.

Thank you, I didn't have the occasion to face sun yet so I always felt comfortable with Infiltrator, I'll try out running Chlorophyll and see if the loss of Infiltrator is big or not relevant enough to change it.

 

[Anty]

I saw many metagame trends come and go, so this time I decided to take advantage of them

So why are you 6-0d by LO PuP floatzel??!

Anyway, cool team and good use of Lickilicky.

Im not sure if you remember, but we did talk about the benefits of Audino over Lickilicky. It is a difficult choice, as you have to put more EVs into attack to break Bouff's sub, making the drop of bulk much more noticeable, but Stunfisk (and the rest of your team really) appreciate more reliable Wish support, then again its not impossible to pass a wish off, especcially because Stunfisk is a primary switch in to mons like Stoutland which would want to pressure Lickilicky. Overall there isnt a better choice, but use what you feel more comfortable with, which I imagine is Lickilicky.

As much as I like your edgy decision to go with Scarf Solrock, I do think Choice Scarf Dodrio and Bulky Solrock would help your team out more, over Jumpluff and regular Solrock. Looking at your description for Solrock, there isn't much you lose out on by making this swap, as this set checks Bouffalant even better due to your access to recovery, while also being able to take on Flying attacks and Fighting-types (though i feel like you should run Colbur Berry for this reason), and even though you cannot break Bouffalant's Substitute in one hit unless you run Stone Edge (which i don't think is worth it as your team appreciates zen headbutt to pressure Roselia), as you wall Bouffalant anyway. Dodrio fulfills the role of a Scarfer, to check mons like Floatzel as you mentioned, but can also check faster scarfers like Simipour (which can be problematic if Licklicky is baited by superpower and Jumpluff got weakened by rocks) and even provide Pursuit support. Although you said you liked Jumpluff's Grass coverage and Sleep Powder, I don't think that is necessary (well sleep would definitely help), as pretty much the rest of your team can take on the targets, like Stunfisk/Lickilicky walls Probopass, Solrock for Golem, Monferno baits Stunfisk, etc. Also not having a set up sweeper isn't bad, as SD Pluff is more of a wall weakener (most teams can RK it anyway), and you have Monf + Floatzel for that. The biggest issue I see with this change is that it weakens your matchup vs Choice Band Floatzel, however it really lacks many opportunities to come in other to revenge kill, but you may want to consider running Choice Specs or even Mystic Water on Floatzel to prevent you from getting warn down, in case you have to tank a Water move. Normally I would dislike Rocky Helmet on Stunfisk but on this team it is alright as you have another check for pretty much all of the things it needs to wall (Monferno being the main target im worried about, but Helmet can put it in range of Floatzel Aqua Jet just in case its set up super high somehow).

changes

Dodrio @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Return
- Knock Off
- Pursuit

Solrock @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Morning Sun
- Will-O-Wisp
- Zen Headbutt
- Rock Slide / Filler (anything can go here like explosion/rock coverage)

Even if you don't like the changes you still have to appreciate bc i removed the black background from that avatar ;)

 

[Raiza]

Thanks for your rates, I made some changes to the team in replacing Lickilicky with Audino, which revealed to be more efficient and durable in most games, and giving Protect to Stunfisk, which was needed to scout Choice Specs Exeggutor, which gave me a bit of trouble regarding switching into it. I want to test some more drastic changes such as replacing Jumpluff with Dodrio and making Solrock bulky before editing them in. Changes are in red.