First up, the terror who hovers just out of sight, poised to kidnap.
Drifblim's role is as quick as its ability implies - with an activated Psychic Seed from Slowking's terrain, it flies away with the speed to kidnap children...or not. It helps make the team even faster by setting up Tailwind, or dealing respectable damage with STAB Acrobatics. Finally, Destiny Bond forces a one for one trade and can help pivot in the other team members. Protect helps it stay on the field long enough for Terrain to be set, thereby activating the held seed.
Second up, the terror who was taken over by another terror (would it make more sense for Shellder to be on this team?):
Yes, while this one is
technically more of a Crown Tundra Pokemon, the theme of possession seemed a lot more fitting for a Ghost type addition. Plus, Slowking is the Hexpert Pokemon, and ghosts are all too adept at casting those. More particularly, Slowbro can't learn Hex! Slowking's role is key to this team via one move: Psychic Terrain. Gone are the days of pesky Dark types sniping your ghosts out of the afterlife with a clean sucker punch, now you can fight on equal footing! Expanding Force lays down the hurt on anything that doesn't resist it, while Sludge Bomb offers a reliable single target STAB option. Get lucky with the 30% poison chance, and Hex is going to be piling on the hurt! The held Mental Herb helps allow for setting terrain in the face of Taunt, while Regenerator allows for pivoting out to set it multiple times, gaining health in the process.
Third up, the terror who has an irresistable voice:
Exploud offers some much needed defensive utility by not being weak to either Ghost or Dark. Further, its Boomburst deals nearly no collateral damage due to most of the allies also being ghost types, making it an easily spammable move. Shadow Ball is an obligatory move, given who this Pokemon is designed for, and Hammer Arm punches a hole through Dark types willing enough to stay in. The held Shell Bell also provides some recovery to help complement the high base power moves Exploud aims to use. What's Psych Up for, though? You'll see as we proceed to later members of the team...
Fourth up, the terror who silently floats up from the water:
Jellicent is another all-round balanced member to add to the team. Water Spout deals hefty damage to all foes, and is more likely to strike at full power if Tailwind is still ongoing. Dazzling Gleam is another counter to Dark types, and Poltergeist rounds out the set being another IoA tutor move as well as STAB. One might wonder why Shadow Ball was not chosen here, but it helps offer a way to hit on both sides of the spectrum, as well as tying into the fourth move, which like Exploud is also Psych Up. It makes another return on this moveset, fulfilling the same niche as earlier. But what can this be? You'll find out soon enough as we reach the last member...
Fifth up, the terror who strikes you before you can react:
Accelgor's speed make it a frightening prospect to face off against. However, this one's not here to attack opponents, but rather break their tempo through disruption. Final Gambit is an honorary ghost move, as it accelerates its user towards the afterlife, and that Accelgor has no other good Ghost moves. Final Gambit can deal notable damage, though it's a very situational move given that one might want to keep Accelgor on the field for as long as possible. Skitter Smack is another tutor move that does reasonable STAB damage and helps weaken specially oriented foes, Encore helps lock them into an unfavorable move choice, and finally Water Shuriken. This move could be used to pick off weakened foes who also pack priority of their own, but damage is not the goal of this move. Rather, it's to enable the final member of this team. What will it be?
Last up, the terror who stays stealthily under you:
This one's the ace Pokemon of our specialist, and boy does it come bearing multiple punches. Despite being the ace, it may or may not be the last Pokemon he sends out - in large part due to Psychic Terrain. The ideal place for this Pokemon would be partnered up with Accelgor, as taking three or more hits from its Water Shuriken maximises its defense while also activating its held Weakness Policy, giving it frightening power. But that's not all -
Palossand's chosen to Dynamax too! (notably, not any of the other team members). Max Quake brings up its Special Defense, while the other moves are good to adapt with and support whoever else is the partner.
Shadow Ball is the requisite STAB, but Scorching Sands was more flavorful as a tutor move, and the chance to burn seemed notably more valuable than a Sp. Def drop. The Dynamax power difference isn't significant either. Giga Drain helps add some recovery and as a max move, acts as a way to change terrain if one really wants to activate the Water Compaction + Weakness Policy ASAP, or the opponent stacks Psychic types aplenty. Lastly, Terrain Pulse (another IoA tutor move) helps add two-sided coverage by matching its type to the current terrain.
Now, all these stat boosts on one Pokemon seem like you could use Urshifu and its signature moves to bust down this gigantic castle before it wipes your team, right? Well, this is where Psych Up comes back into play. Now you've got to deal with multiple Pokemon with the same stacked stats - and one Urshifu can easily be outnumbered from there on out! Quite the intimidating combination if it gets rolling.
Item: Air Balloon. Ability: Sturdy. Moves: Discharge, Flash Cannon, Body Press, Explosion. Inanimate object that for some reason is alive, totally a Ghost despite not learning Ghost moves. Discharge hits the immune to it Palossand and paralyzes foes. Explosion is not good on something with low Attack, but at least almost all the team is immune to it.
@ Rocky Helmet
@ Big Root
@ Heavy-Duty Boots
@ Leftovers
so many good themes