You are a type specialist in a hostile region. How do you best represent your chosen element?

[DrPumpkinz]

"It takes a lot of work getting your crop to flourish. Let me show you!"

Gen 6 introduced a lot of tools specifically to support Grass-types allies in double battles, and the most iconic one in my mind is the Ground-type Rototiller. With that in mind, I designed a doubles team where one Grass-type is the ace, and the entire rest of the team are non-Grass types whose sole job is to support the Grass-type.

Hide

Simisage
Ability: Overgrow
- Giga Drain
- Solar Beam
- Seed Bomb
- Grass Whistle

First up is the crop. I considered Gogoat for Grassy Pelt, but it didn't really have the stats or movepool I was looking for, it didn't have the same connection to food that Simisage does, and using one monkey was funnier.



Florges
Ability: Flower Veil
- Flower Shield
- Grassy Terrain
- Light Screen
- Dazzling Gleam

Flowers to attract pollinators. Because the entire team's gameplan revolves around supporting Simisage, it's important that the monkey not go down too quickly. Therefore, Florges is Simisage's first ally. Flower Shield and Light Screen boost its defenses, Flower Veil protects it from debuffs and status, and Grassy Terrain gives it healing while also giving all of Simisage's attacks a 50% power boost.




Wormadam
Ability: Anticipation
- Struggle Bug
- Sunny Day
- Earthquake
- Rock Tomb

The ground to be farmed. Sunny Day enables Solar Beam, while Struggle Bug weakens special attacks should Light Screen wear off. Between Grassy Terrain and Simisage's natural Ground resistance, Earthquake friendly fire isn't too big of an issue.



Diggersby
Ability: Huge Power
- Rototiller
- Earthquake
- Quick Attack
- Giga Impact

The plow.



Masquerain
Ability: Intimidate
- Sweet Scent
- Water Sport
- Sticky Web
- Air Slash

Masquerain serves many purposes on the farm. It pollinates the plants, Itimidate lets it serve scarecrow duty, and Water Sport waters the crops. Water Sport also protects Simisage against Fire-types who might want to take advantage of Sunny Day, while Sweet Scent enables Grasswhistle to shut down the player's entire team.


Swalot
Ability: Liquid Ooze
- Acid Spray
- Sunny Day
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam

The fertilizer. In addition to packing a backup Sunny Day, Acid Spray supports Giga Drain and Solar Beam, granting Simisage extra power and healing.

 

[Bog Monster]

team

Wormadam-Sandy (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Anticipation
- Fissure
- Toxic
- Protect
- Rollout


Ninjask @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
Serious Nature
- Double Team
- Baton Pass
- Toxic
- Mud Slap


Smeargle @ Focus Band
Ability: Moody
IVs: 0 Atk
- Gravity
- Fissure
- Mind Reader
- Sheer Cold


Snorlax @ Quick Claw
Ability: Thick Fat
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Fissure
- Smack Down


Diggersby @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Huge Power
Happiness: 0
Serious Nature
- Earthquake
- Foul Play
- Frustration
- Smack Down


Haxorus @ Salac Berry
Ability: Mold Breaker
Serious Nature
- Swords Dance
- Outrage
- Guillotine
- Iron Tail

Degenerate OHKO specialist. I wanted to have more gravity support for fissure but smeargle is the only legal mon that learns it before oras

 

[Psi in the sky]

My psychic powers let me do anything with my mind

 

[Gimmicky]

When looking through the central Kalos dex, I noticed two main trends:
1) There is basically zero ground types!
2) A lot of the Pokemon available have some very unique abilities

With that in mind, I built this team with one main idea in mind: Teach the hypothetical player about abilities, how they can benefit you, and how they can be played around.

the team

Scolipede @ Salac Berry
Ability: Speed Boost
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Bug Bite
- Poison Jab
- Toxic Spikes

Scolipede was one of my first choices for the team. Thematically, centipedes and other creepy crawlies tend to stay in or near the ground, making it a good fit there, while mechanically, Scolipede teaches the player about passive buffing abilities. Speed Boost is the most obvious example, but abilities like Unburden, Defiant, and Moxie all loosely fall under that category. Scolipede teaches the player that you can play around these abilities by either directly attacking the threat with a super effective move, switching to a Pokemon that doesn't care about the buffs, or by setting up alongside them.


Bibarel @ Normal Gem
Ability: Simple
Relaxed Nature
- Curse
- Quick Attack
- Bulldoze
- Waterfall

Beavers are pretty low to the ground, good enough. Bibarel's combintion of Simple and Curse instantly turns it into a threat, but also teaches the player that some abilities have drawbacks, and you have to take the good with the bad. While Bibarel's Attack and Defense are getting higher, it's Speed is only getting lower, and Quick Attack isn't powerful enough to entirely make up for it. Bibarel packing Bulldoze is meant to teac the player a way they themselves can play around their weaknesses; Bibarel is getting slower, so it will try to make the opponent slower as well. Bibarel is still a threat that, with enough free turns, can take down anything that can't kill it fast enough, but it's not the team's hardest hitter by any means.


Scrafty
Ability: Intimidate
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Sand Attack
- Ice Punch

While Bibarel indirectly shows the player that brute force isn't always enough, Scrafty serves to reinforce that point with Intimidate. If the player is using a physical attacker, they suddenly find themselves at a disadvantage. Not only does this teach the player about passive debuff abilities like Intimidate and Gooey, but it also forces them to think on their feet and adapt to the presence of these abilities. Sand Attack is typical gym leader degen stuff, it'd be blasphemous to not include a little bit of it. Thematically, Scrafty is almost always found in desert biomes, so it fits.


Gogoat @ Leftovers
Ability: Sap Sipper
Impish Nature
- Milk Drink
- Leech Seed
- Horn Leech
- Bulldoze

Gogoat is meant to stick around for a long time and be annoying. It's the only Pokemon on this team to have a non-Mega Stone item, and it's taking full advantage of it. Gogoat also serves to teach the player about immunity abilities; if Diggersby or Bibarel feel threatened by a Grass-type move, suddenly Gogoat may find itself at +1 Attack firing off dangerously powerful Horn leech. Thematically... it's a goat. They tend to stay on the ground. Except the mountain ones..


Diggersby
Ability: Huge Power
Adamant Nature
- Quick Attack
- U-turn
- Power-Up Punch
- Earthquake

DAMAGE. AMPLIFICATION. ABILTIES. Obligatory only Ground-type that isn't a Wormadam, and easily one of the most threatening Pokemon on the team. The sheer power of Huge Power boosted Earthquake teaches trainers that they better have a gameplan in mind against offensive threats or else they risk getting torn to shreds.


Alakazam-Mega @ Alakazite
Ability: Synchronize
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shock Wave
- Recover
- Shadow Ball

The final boss of desert dwellers and ability aficionados alike, Mega Alakazam is not only the most powerful special attacker available, but with Trace, it teaches the player to think on their feet when faced with their own abilities. Did you happen to be using a Sheer Force Pokemon to take out Diggersby? Now Alakazam has an incredibly poweful Psychic that you must find a way to switch in with. Do you have a Flygon with Levitate on the field? Suddenly, your Earthquake can't do any damage to Alakazam. Alakazam gives players a chance to test what they've learned about abilities throughout the rest of the battle and rewards them for adapting to the curveballs thrown at them.

 

[QuentinQuonce]

snip

Welcome!

snip

Also welcome!

snip

Also welcome! Nice to see so many new people in the thread.

My psychic powers let me do anything with my mind View attachment 638700

Um. What?

 

[Psi in the sky]

Espathra (M) @ Clear Amulet
Ability: Speed Boost
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Lumina Crash
- Roost
- Stored Power

Armarouge (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Weak Armor
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Armor Cannon
- Energy Ball
- Dragon Pulse
- Stored Power

Slowking-Galar (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Chilly Reception
- Eerie Spell
- Expanding Force
- Stored Power

 

[Psi in the sky]

Articuno-Galar @ Wide Lens
Ability: Competitive
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Freezing Glare
- Shadow Ball
- Hurricane
Braviary-Hisui (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Tinted Lens
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Hurricane
- Shadow Ball
- Esper Wing
Hatterene (F) @ Room Service
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Nuzzle
- Mystical Fire
- Psychic Noise
- Trick Room

 

[QuentinQuonce]

Articuno-Galar @ Wide Lens
Ability: Competitive
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Freezing Glare
- Shadow Ball
- Hurricane
Braviary-Hisui (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Tinted Lens
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Hurricane
- Shadow Ball
- Esper Wing
Hatterene (F) @ Room Service
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Nuzzle
- Mystical Fire
- Psychic Noise
- Trick Room

Oh jesus christ alive, read the guidelines

 

[seta0052]

Welcome!

Thank you! Hopefully my submission doesn't upset people lol

 

[Pikachu315111]

Thank you! Hopefully my submission doesn't upset people lol

You read the rules (very important in this thread that not every new poster does) and created a team with a nice and interesting theme (I'd say the team you presented for this challenge will be a contender). You'll fit in just fine!

 

[WarriorGallade]

I will say that this felt by far the hardest topic of the ones I've participated in, primarily because I couldn't seem to pick another motif that would gel well together with my Pokemon choices (and that there are basically no Ground types in here lol). I ended up typing out another idea and scrapping it at the end because using it on Kalos with no strong link didn't feel right. The one I went with still feels like a somewhat iffy concept in relation to the theme, but hey better than nothing at all.

Anyway, the theme I'm going with for this week is being grounded in reality. A specific idea for this team's user is a character who used to be a local gangster in Lumiose but learnt the error of their ways. Now, they seek to impress upon youth the value of a simple life at home, the niche of earthly peacefulness, Why isn't this NPC a Dark type specialist? Because they left their darkness behind!

@ Eviolite
Ability: Bulletproof
- Spikes
- Pain Split
- Leech Seed
- Dig
First up, Quilladin.
A somewhat unexpected fit for a gangster's team, Quilladin's meant to signify that it's not always necessary to change, and that one can be useful as they are, even when others look down upon them (referencing its unpopular design). The things you do early on can serve to have long lasting consequences - that's Spikes in a nutshell. Pain Split and Leech Seed keep it healthy, possibly forcing switches leading to even more Spikes damage.

@ Soft Sand
Ability: Lightning Rod
- Drill Run
- Mud Shot
- Surf
- Bounce
Second up, Seaking.
One might wonder how this fish is related to the Ground type. Well, that's because a lightning rod is a form of grounding! Seaking specializes in fire-extinguishing, adept at quashing both conventional and electrical fires that are somewhat common in an urban place like Lumiose city, especially if two gangs faced off against each other. It runs a mixed set to both use its higher attacking stat and its ability, should an Electric move be aimed its way,

@ Metal Coat
Ability: Overcoat
- Stealth Rock
- Flash Cannon
- Endeavor
- Sucker Punch
Third up, Wormadam.
Contrary to Quilladin, Wormadam is an example of how one can be influenced by their surroundings, sometimes negatively. As much as our hypothetical leader might want to make it have its Sandy Cloak, Lumiose (and Central Kalos as a whole) has nearly no sandy areas to be found - evolving in the heat of battle left no time to think of alternative places. It aims to set up Stealth Rock, and chip down the foe with either Endeavor or Flash Cannon. It holds a Metal Coat with the ability Overcoat because its cloak does not make for a great insulator, and it needs all the coats it can get.

@ Expert Belt
Ability: Anticipation
- Nasty Plot
- Mud Bomb
- Vacuum Wave
- Icy Wind
Fourth up, Toxicroak.
Also another scary face to add to the roster, Toxicroak is an example of the phrase "If you put your mind to it, you can do anything". Thanks to Nasty Plot, it's able to do just that - even if it's not the best way to convey positivity. It still can do almost anything with the pretty impressive coverage its three moves carry. This helps balance out the fact that all the moves have somewhat low base powers. Mud Bomb especially is a move rarely seen outside of Ground types.

@ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Sneak
- Dig
- Final Gambit
Fifth up, Shedinja.
Shedinja being a Ghost type has plenty of symbolism with the regrets people have as they pass to the afterlife - which might have happened often during our leader's gang days. While the rest of its moveset is standard Shedinja fare, Final Gambit sticks out as an odd choice. However, attacks need not be just physical, but psychological. Seeing this tactic actually be used in battle this would unnerve most opponents or catch them by surprise, even if it was ineffective at dealing damage.

@ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Mold Breaker
- Bulldoze
- Zen Headbutt
- Circle Throw
- Hone Claws
Last up, Pangoro.
This large bear was our leader's ace through times in the local gangs, and it plays the part in this team too. It aims to mow over foes with Bulldoze lowering Speed, giving it more chances to strike. However, its claim to fame is Circle Throw with the propensity to force switches - showing that choices made early on can affect the tide of battle. As opponents try to pivot back to a strong position, Pangoro can boost up with Hone Claws to make it even more unstoppable. Zen Headbutt is a neat nod to the fact that Pangoro is in a state of zen, happy to leave the life of crime behind.

 

[Wriothesley<3]

Hi. New here.

Backstory for my team: Decided to make a team themed around a cop who is usually undercover as some street thief or gang member to intervene on any secretive crime/mafia scheme. Competitively though. It's a doubles team that is agile and disruptive, even though the team doesn't have agility or any speed boosting moves/abilities, it's patched up by their priority and evasion moves. So hypothetically this team could hit hard and be annoying.

The "Gangsta's" W.I.P rn:

Linoone @ Mental Herb
Ability: Quick Feet
Serious Nature
- Hone Claws
- Facade
- Dig
- Extreme Speed

It's the fastest memeber of the team. It can be seen as a mon that digs into any outlaws hidden base as a way for the police force to raid in. Or it can be seen as a "was caught, but can escape with ease" thanks to extreme speed. Hone Claws helps linoone hit the target with much greater strength and also increases accuracy as a "just in case" situation where you try to outplay me by using evasion as well. It has Mental Herb to prevent any slow mons or prankster mons trying to use encore against linoone.It is also the status absorber in the team thanks to it having facade and quick feet, making this mon go even faster, so better think twice before you put a status ailment on this linoone!

Diggersby @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
- Dig
- Payback
- Earthquake
- Last Resort

The only actual ground type mon in this team and also serves as the heavy hitter wall and last resort (literally and metaphorically) member of the team. He is seen as the shield/damage absober in this team when things go totally wrong thanks to it being bulky, and Payback is a great move for this slow mon as it doubles the power if it moves last. Assault Vest helps it take on some special moves and to also keep it in theme as a shield/damage absorber.

Scrafty @ King's Rock
Ability: Intimidate
Relaxed Nature
- Fake Out
- Sand Attack
- Low Kick
- Poison Jab

The undercover member of this team, he is used to disguise as a gang member to intercept any meetings with any criminal gangs in some alleyway or underground hub. He is in this team as some down-to-earth guy. And also disguising to be an underground criminal for Lumiose city. It can disrupt the opponents with fake out and weaken their attacks with intimidate and be evasive with sand-attack lowering the opponents accuracy. Poison Jab is for those cocky enough to try and use a fairy type against him since this is Gen 6 after all.

Greninja @ Power Herb
Ability: Torrent
Careful Nature
- U-turn
- Dig
- Shadow Sneak
- Water Shuriken (Physical)

The stealthiest member of the gang. It's a pivot revenge killer with two priority moves. Shadow Sneak as a figurative and literal way to "they disappear into the shadows and appear when you least expect it". Since Water Shuriken was physical in gen 6, in this police-undercover team, Greninja uses it Water Shurikens as if it were bullets, shooting out when things go wrong. Dig is here to symbolise the same as Shadow Sneak but instead goes underground. Greninja is in this team since frogs are amphibious creatures, meaning they can explore both land & water, totally not an excuse to use a popular mon on this team.

Toxicroak @ Black Glasses
Ability: Anticipation
- Double Team
- Sucker Punch
- Bulldoze
- Pursuit

Another amphibian added to this team! Toxicroak is your usual "Bad cop". Anticipation is chosen over Iron Fist as a way to detect on who is the bigger threat in terms of firepower, making it easier for us to pick on a more dangerous threat in battle. He has double team for evasiveness and in my headcannon as a jokey way to call him a "one man army". Sucker Punch is a move used to disrupt any mons faster than toxicroak with a strong punch. Bulldoze to make sure most mons go last in priority. And pursuit for those thinking they can easily switch out and use a more suitable opponent but nope! They get pursuitted before they switch out. And it goes hand in hand with Pangoro's Circle throw but we'll go more about that on pangoro's description.

Pangoro @ Red Card
Ability: Scrappy
Hardy Nature
- Quick Guard
- Circle Throw
- Earthquake
- Sky Uppercut

Pangoro is here since he is a Panda and most Pandas are usually eating bamboo and from what I remember cprrectly is that, some seeds fall onto their fur and drop to the ground which inadvertently helps the ecosystem by giving the seeds a better chance to grow in the forests it live in. Thanks to it learning Circle Throw, it can force a mon to switch to another pokemon and also synergises well with Toxicroak's pursuit. Red Card is on him as well since he can take on most hits and make the opponent switch out, which in theory if predicted right, toxicroak can also give some nasty damage even potentially OHKO'ing the opponent that's about to switch by the red card with pursuit. Sky Uppercut for those bold enough to think they can fly or bounce and hit him and it's members while avoiding damage. Quick Guard is here just incase there is any mon with higher priority than the team. Earthquake is a good 50 BP (Double battles) move to hit the opponents with but I won't use it a lot since most of the members know dig or are actually weak to ground type moves so I only use this as a last resort.

 

[Hugin]

The ground is our life, everything living comes from it, everything living relies on it.

The team here is 6 mons that are all from IRL species known for digging, but all for different reasons. Frogs hibernate underground for winter, ferrets dig through existing burrows to chase prey, cicadas mature for years underground, cats dig to bury waste, rabbits make burrows underground, and Crawdaunt...well, let me introduce y'all to lawn crayfish, lobsters that live in below-ground water, and will come tunneling up through the earth when it's particularly wet and just hang out in your yard until the water level goes back down.

Movesets

Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Toxic
- Dig
- X-Scissor
- Swords Dance

Linoone @ Salac Berry
Ability: Gluttony
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Extreme Speed
- Seed Bomb
- Dig

Crawdaunt @ Leftovers
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Dive
- Dig
- Crunch
- Toxic

Meowstic (M) @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Toxic
- Gravity

Toxicroak @ Assault Vest
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Cross Chop
- Bulldoze
- Power-Up Punch

Diggersby @ Life Orb
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Quick Attack
- Fire Punch
- Return

I started this focusing on Dig plus stall moves, but shifted it to being a combination of that plus other solid Ground offenses. Lead Shedinja to start the Toxic spam and discourage setup, Belly Drum Linoone to capitalize on an oppt forced to switch or otherwise weakened by that, Crawdaunt to reapply Toxic and waste turns with Dig+Dive, Meowstic with Gravity and Light Clay(best I could do for Ground with him), Toxicroak with low-accuracy moves and setup to take advantage or Screens+Gravity, and Diggersby as the obvious ace.

I tried every damn dog or cat in the Meowstic slot and wasn't happy with any of them TBH. I also tried 3 bugs/3 rodents doubles to use Wormadam/Nincada, but they suck so badly and the team had more normal types than Ground types. And then this team concept did not work with Wormadam at all. Shedinja over Nincada might be stretching it, but how often do you get to use Shedinja?

 

[QuentinQuonce]

Good morning/evening, depending on your orientation. New poll is up:

https://strawpoll.com/e2naXN5lAyB​

You have until June 19th, 9PM GMT to cast your vote!

Let's do some analysis.

numbers

Diggersby: 12

Wormadam: 4

Nincada: 2

Shedinja: 5

Linoone: 4
Toxicroak: 4

Haxorus: 3
Scrafty: 3

Ninjask: 2
Bibarel: 2
Crawdaunt: 2
Dunsparce: 2
Pangoro 2
Quilladin 2
Scolipede: 2
Smeargle: 2
Snorlax: 2

Gogoat: 1
Aromatisse: 1
Azumarill: 1
Beedrill: 1
Florges: 1
Furfrou: 1
Furret: 1
Chesnaught: 1
Meowstic: 1
Crobat: 1
Talonflame: 1
Alakazam: 1
Masquerain: 1
Charizard: 1
Raichu: 1
Seaking: 1
Dodrio: 1
Exploud: 1
Lucario: 1
Simisage: 1
Simisear: 1
Greninja: 1
Swalot: 1


Wormadam, my love, once again you must suffer

This round was a LOT more popular than I expected for one so artificially scarce. I didn't even expect it to get picked, nor for there to be so many entries.

So this one really was quite a free-for-all when all's said and done. Did the extreme openness make things easier, or more difficult?

What I think this round has done really interestingly is expose the weird linkage between Normal and Ground. Think about it. There's an overlap in design: a lot of Ground-types are burrowing animals, and so are many Normal-types. When one looks at the various Normal-type rodents, plenty could easily pass as Ground: Furret, Linoone, Bibarel, Stoutland, Dunsparce.

And Ground is perhaps the major type other than Normal in which most of its moves just feel like fairly basic techniques lots of things learn by default. Dig is just burrowing, Bone Club is just... clubbing something with a bone, Spikes is a lot more anodyne than its actual mechanics imply. Even Earthquake, which on paper should be a specialised move, is something most attackers learn, and is commonly portrayed in the games as a simple ground-pound rather than elemental manipulation or mastery of the terrain. Moreover, Sand-Attack was curiously a Normal-type move originally, which makes a certain sense when you think about it: again, it's basic technique, and no more inherently Ground-type for being a dirt- and sand-based move than Mega Punch is a Fighting move. So many things learn Ground-moves (both status and offensive) as a matter of course; Linoone is a prime example of both these phenomena, as one of the Pokemon I most associate the move Mud Sport with.

Interestingly, there's even a linkage when one considers OHKO moves. Fissure is in some ways the most notable example of the four, yet it's Normal that has the most OHKO moves - something I frequently forget, as Guillotine is a move I never think of as Normal because it isn't actually learned by a single Normal-type.

Given that Ground Pokemon frequently capitalise on the idea of being big and heavy and slow, it's not surprising that several of the team concepts here leaned into that. Equally, you can emphasise the linkage of Grass and Ground: two types which often emphasise differing approaches to nature, but sometimes do come together. Some of the wilder and more off-piste concepts here really made me think, but I liked that there was no easy consensus. Sometimes with these setups I think your concepts are much more likely to be strong if you consciously incorporate and build around whatever Pokemon of the round's element are present, and other times you're best served by going off on a tangent. In this round, I think, both ways of doing things were of equal merit.

 

[QuentinQuonce]

Voting closed - congratulations to seta0052 for winning by a landslide! (I'll get my coat)

Will DM you shortly.

 

[QuentinQuonce]

Hi there. Our last round's winner has judiciously decided on our next theme. Let's get into it.

You are a Psychic-type specialist in SM Ula'ula Island. How do you best represent your chosen type?​

A reminder to please read the guidelines in the OP before commenting, especially if you're new to the thread. You have until July 3rd, 9PM GMT to make your case!

A reminder that you may only select Pokemon from the Sun/Moon Ula'ula Pokedex, i.e. Pikipek-Vanilluxe. Any teams which include Pokemon from any of the other three island dexes will not be valid for this round and will be disqualified

Ula'ula dex can be found here:

Teams so far

igiveuponaname: Metagross, Minior, Porygon2, Magnezone, Vikavolt, Clefable
Gimmicky: Metagross, Slowbro, Goodra, Gengar, Klefki, Ditto
Eeveeto: Metagross, Slowking, Slowbro, Mimikyu, Parasect, Porygon2
Pikachu315111: Metang, Slowking, Slowbro, Bruxish, Blissey, Drampa
Ironmage: Metagross, Slowbro, Bruxish, Golem, Persian, Klefki
Cobalt Empoleon: Metagross, Slowking, Bruxish, Vanilluxe, Parasect, Magneton
WarriorGallade: Oricorio, Bruxish, Lilligant, Castform, Porygon-Z, Drampa
Hugin: Porygon-Z, Ninetales, Clefable, Gengar, Absol, Oricorio
DrPumpkinz: Metagross, Bruxish, Minior, Lurantis, Dugtrio, Muk
Bedal Roscoe: Metagross, Slowbro, Oricorio, Bruxish, Gengar, Golduck
CTNC: Metagross, Slowbro, Bruxish, Klefki, Porygon-Z, Gengar
Bog Monster: Metagross, Slowking, Slowbro, Klefki, Porygon-Z, Clefable

 

[igiveuponaname]

The Psychic typing in Pokemon is oftentimes associated with space and the comsos, and as it turns out Ula'ula Island is home to Hokulani Observatory, a research center that studies distant galaxies and planets. Our trainer is a worker at this observatory who helps maintain the equipment used in the facility and who also takes care of the Pokemon who live there and who are used to study the cosmos.


Metagross @ Psychium Z
Ability: Clear Body
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Hone Claws

With its four brains granting it the processing power to surpass supercomputers, Metagross helps the observatory process large quantities of data they receive from space. It's also very hepful at moving equipment around the research center thanks to its immense strength.


Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
IVs: 0 Atk
- Charge Beam
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Mirror Coat

Magnezone is here to both power the equipment used at the observatory with its electrical powers and to quite literally help hold them together with its magnetic capabilities. In addition to it helping power the observatory, it is studied as many of its dex entries mention how it is believed by some to have originated from space, how it sends and receives signals into space with the antenna on its head, and how it is often mistaken for a UFO.


Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
- Moonblast
- Moonlight
- Cosmic Power
- Meteor Mash

The Clefable evolution line, commonly believed to have originated from the moon, is studied at the observatory to try and understand the vast energy residing within space and how Pokemon such as Clefable are able to harness it with such ease. Our trainer spends much of their time observing how Clefable is able to harness the energy from the moon and space in order to launch powerful blasts of energy, heal themselves up, and increasing their strength to both withstand hits better and to be able to launch punches with the strength of a meteor. Clefable is still treated well at the observatory though, as our trainer gives it tons of its favourite food, and can always be seen munching on some of its leftovers.


Minior @ White Herb
Ability: Shields Down
- Shell Smash
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Gravity

Minior is studied at the observatory since it makes its home in the ozone layer before falling down to earth, oftentimes just outside the research center on Mount Hokulani. The main subject of research our trainer takes on with regards to Minior is the durability of its shell and its composition, as such our trainer has Minior use Shell Smash on occasion to be able to collect fragments of it to analyze more closely. The set listed is a standard Shell Smash sweeper with the addition of Gravity to both represent how Minior falls towards the earth from the ozone layer and in order to make Stone Edge more accurate as well as letting Earthquake hit usually non-grounded targets.


Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Conversion
- Recover
- Tri Attack

Porygon was originally created with the hopes of being able to explore space one day, and its evolution Porygon2 has been upgraded so that it can help with future planetary development. Having such a Pokemon at a reserach center focused on the cosmos would naturally make sense in that case; it spends much of its time helping to download and manage data the research center collects. While it is a Normal type by default, it can use Conversion in order to become a Psychic type while in battle.


Vikavolt @ Occa Berry
Ability: Levitate
Level: 29
- Charge
- Bug Bite
- Spark
- Vise Grip
(I didn't see anything about having non level 100 pokemon in the guidelines but if this isn't allowed I'll bump it right up)

Lastly we have Vikavolt, another Pokemon who is here to help power the equipment at the observatory. However this isn't just any regular Vikavolt, this is the Totem Vikavolt that the player encounters at the observatory in Sun and Moon. As such everything about this Pokemon's set is 1-to-1 with the Totem Vikavolt the player must defeat, same moveset, same item, even the same level.

 

[Gimmicky]

"It's the code of a magician to not reveal our secrets!"

wizards 101 is fucking awesome

This team is based around the different schools of magic, with the goal of weakening and slowing down the opponent's team for either Metagross or, depending on your strategy, Ditto to sweep in the end.



Klefki @ Iron Ball
Ability: Prankster
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Magic Coat
- Switcheroo
- Flash Cannon

Klefki is a bit of an unorthodox pick here, but it's here to represent Enchantment, as it's quite literally a set of enchanted keys. You thought the other sets were annoying? This one is a whole new beast. Fairy/Steel is an incredible typing for a team like this, giving the team a real Dark-type resistance as well as two valuable immunities. Switcheroo allows Klefki to force an Iron Ball onto the opponent while taking their item for itself, slowing them down significantly. Thanks to Prankster, the Iron Ball has no effect on Klefki if it's clicking status moves. Spikes is here to weaken the opponent over time, dissuading them from switching in and out, which goes hand-in-hand with the status-heavy teammates that will be coming later. Magic Coat is a more niche option, but if it gets predictions right, it allows Klefki to bounce back status effects like Taunt and Thunder Wave-- plus, doesn't it just fit with the whole magician thing? Flash Cannon is here for a deceptively strong STAB move.


Gengar @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Focus Blast
- Destiny Bond

Gengar is here representing necromancy, a form of magic often seen as dirty and looked down upon due to its innate association with death. Given that, Gengar's goal is to cause as much disruption as possible in the few turns it's on the field. A Focus Sash guarantees it gets at least one move off, but it's high speed and the annoyance of Cursed Body means it's not unlikely for it to get 2 or even 3 moves off before going down, and that's assuming you play optimally against it. Will-O-Wisp is here to intensely nerf any physical attackers while chipping down any opponent that isn't a Fire-type. Hex has great natural synergy with Will-O-Wisp, being a very "ghostly" move that does ludicrous damage if Gengar gets the burn off, which it most likely will. Focus Blast is another powerful, albeit inconsistent move, with the express purpose of countering the Fire-type starter Incineroar if it lands while also hitting any Normal- and Dark-types thinking they can take advantage of Hex. Destiny Bond is the final move, and perhaps the most devious, as the combination of Focus Sash and Gengar's good Speed makes it very likely that you're gonna have to trade with it.


Slowbro @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
- Thunder Wave
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Calm Mind

Slowbro is here representing abjuration, Magic of a defensive nature. A Colbur Berry plays into this, while also giving the team another early answer to Dark-types. Thunder Wave is here to nerf anything Will-O-Wisp couldn't while also giving the potential for free turns, letting Slowbro heal up with Slack Off, set up with Calm Mind, or safely switch into another teammate if needed (still healing with Regenerator!) Scald is a weaker option than Surf, but more than makes up for it with it's chance to burn, ensuring that the opponent isn't safe even if they switch into a Ground-type to soak up the Thunder Wave. Calm Mind allows Slowbro to be an immense threat if left unhandled for too long while also boosting up it's weaker Special Defense, making it an incredibly potent mixed wall AND a terrifying sweeper if you can't handle it quickly enough.


Goodra @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Gooey
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower

Goodra is another unorthodox pick, but it's one of the purest representations of Evocation, or the magic of channeling energy without a tangible form. There's no status here, only pure elemental energy off of a really high Special Attack. Draco Meteor represents Goodra's native magic type, Draconic, while being powered up to ludicrous levels (while ignoring the Special Attack drop!) by Dragonium Z. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are both self explanatory Cryo and Electro magic respectively, giving Goodra the powerful BoltBeam combination, and Flamethrower is Pyro magic to hit Steel-types looking to tank Draco Meteor. Not too much to elaborate on here, Goodra is coming in to weaken as much as possible for the final two hitters while still bringing some defensive utility thanks to it's sheer bulk as well as the Speed drop on contact from Gooey.


Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
- Transform

Ditto is the purest form of transmutation magic. If your strategy for this fight was to set up to +6 with something bulky, Ditto is here to outspeed you and threaten you back just as hard. Even if this wasn't your strategy, fighting yourself head-on but with a Speed disadvantage is a terrifying prospect for any player, demanding you think on your feet against it and not get too comfortable.


Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Light Metal
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Grass Knot

Mega Metagross is the most powerful supercomputer in existence. I don't know about you all, but that screams Divination to me. Mega Metagross is the final boss on this team, and it's an absolute powerhouse of one. Tough Claws boosted Meteor Mash and Zen Headbutt are absurdly powerful even without a boosting item, and Earthquake is consistent damage against opposing Steel-types. Grass Knot takes advantage of Mega Metagross's decent Special Attack to hit heavy physical walls hard while still being boosted by Tough Claws, for whatever reason. This is an absolute doozy of a Pokemon to face, and the best physical attacker that the Psychic type, and maybe the Ula'ula Pokedex as a whole, has to offer.

 

[Eeveeto]

Doubles based team with many unortodox Psychic moves:

Item: Tanga Berry. Ability: Oblivious. Moves: Trick Room, Nasty Plot, Surf, Psyshock. First Psychic Mon. Puts Trick Room and tries to sweep.
Item: Focus Sash. Ability: Dry Skin. Moves: Spore, Reflect, Light Screen, Bug Bite. Mushrooms are associated with hallucinations and this one controls the body of the Bug too. Parasect sleeps everything, abusing Trick Room to the fullest. It can also put Screens and steal opposing berries. Parasect can be healed by Slowking's Surf.
Item: Life Orb. Ability: Oblivious. Moves: Blizzard, Scald, Dream Eater, Fire Blast. Second Psychic Mon. Hits hard. If some opponent is still asleep due to Parasect's Spores, will hit even harder with Dream Eater.
Item: Eviolite: Ability: Download. Moves: Trick Room, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Tri Attack. A Pokemon made by science with artificial intelligence. Its (according to the Dex) able to learn new gestures and emotions on its own. Fits for a Psychic type. Porygon2 is yet another bulky attacker that can put Trick Room.
Item: Mimikium Z. Moves: Play Rough, Shadow Claw, Magic Room, Telekinesis. Very misteryous Pokemon in general, Psychic trainers often use Ghost types too and this is also the only native to Alola Pokemon of the team (I refuse to use the ugly Bruxish). Mimikyu will almost always get to attack at least once with his Z Moves. It can also neutralize opposing items with Magic Room (which doesn,t affect to its Z Move and to the Megastone of the ace). Its last function is to support the ace by removing its Ground weakness with Telekinesis, while at the same time, if used on the opponent, will help the ace to hit with its low accuracy moves.
Item: Metagrossite. Moves: Meteor Mash, Zen Headbutt, Rock Slide, Dynamic Punch. Ace Pokemon, the most powerful Psychic Mega. By the time Metagross appears, Trick Room will be very likely to have ended. Metagross ignores Mimikyu's Magic Room and abuses Telekinesis in 2 ways: it will be immune to Ground if Mimikyu uses the move on it and it will hit the opponents with its powerful but low accuracy moves.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Aether House Assistants
On Ula'ula Island the Aether Foundation has its largest base on the main islands, simply called the Aether House. It's one of the more unique facilities run by the organization as it's an orphanage for both humans and Pokemon (one of the children being Acerola). While there are Aether Foundation members on staff, the headmaster of the Aether House is an Oranguru who makes sure the needs of the children are met and they're getting a proper education. But Oranguru isn't the only Pokemon helper, other friends and island natives chip in to assure the enrichment and safety of the children:

Slowking (Deputy Headmaster) (Oblivious. Light Clay. Psychic, Scald, Trick Room, Light Screen)
(Mega) Slowbro (Mascot) (Own Tempo/Shell Armor. Slowbronite. Psyshock, Surf, Yawn, Slack Off)
Metang (Monitor) (Clear Body. Eviolite. Zen Headbutt/Bullet Punch/Brick Break/Reflect)
Bruxish (Lifeguard) (Strong Jaw. Expert Belt . Psychic Fangs/Aqua Jet/Ice Fang/Trick Room)
Blissey (Nurse) (Serene Grace. Leftovers. Psychic/Flamethrower/Soft-Boiled/Reflect)
Drampa (Grandpa) (Berserk. Psychium Z. Extrasensory/Dragon Pulse/Roost/Light Screen)

Be Mindful When Visiting

Slowking (Deputy Headmaster): Slowking is an old friend and rival of Oranguru, their beachside wit matches were described as legendary. When Oranguru was assigned to be headmaster of the Aether House he asked Slowking to be his deputy. Both have different philosophies when it comes to education, Oranguru prefers classroom instructing while Slowking likes to take his lessons outside for natural experiences. However when things need to get done Slowking can get right to things and prepare itself for any challenge to face him.

(Mega) Slowbro (Mascot): Slowbro is Slowking's brother. And while Slowking is sharp as a tack and ready to face challenges head-on, Slowbro rather slack off. However the kids love Slowbro because he doesn't mind how rough they are with him. So to have him help out by keeping an eye on the kids (and Slowking keep an eye on him), Oranguru assigned Slowbro to be their mascot. He doesn't do much, but what he does do he does best: with the power of Mega Evolution he can become the ultimate playtime buddy, letting the kids push and roll him around and never wear down. And when it's time for the younger kids to take a nap, he gives out a big Yawn and joins in.

Metang (Monitor): Metang was a Aether Foundation rescue, it lived in the Aether House since it was a Beldum. While it was a Beldum it couldn't really do anything but got to know the Aether House inside and out. When it finally evolved to a Metang it was able to pay back the kindness it was given by helping carrying and fetching supplies, knowing where everything went. Oranguru would promote it to Monitor after it helped find a kid who hid themselves in a secluded spot and cheered them up, leading them back to the group. Metang mostly stays inside the Aether House, but it can keep track where everyone is in the house and who is in or out.

Bruxish (Lifeguard): A beach friend of Oranguru and Slowking, as the Aether House is right next to body of water she was asked if she could move into it and act as lifeguard when the kids go swimming. Bruxish is attentive whenever someone is close to the water, making sure they don't bump into a Wild Pokemon. She can be forceful when she needs to be, sometimes a bit too forceful as most of her solutions involve biting, but she's never slow to come to someone's aid.

Blissey (Nurse): A local volunteer from the other side of the island, Blissey was naturally attracted to the Aether House sensing there were children who needed caring for. Oranguru is more than happy to have her on staff, her natural medical knowledge and healing abilities helps to keep the kids safe and funds for medical supplies low. No matter the injury Blissey knows how to take care of it and provide motherly bedside manner, but she's also no pushover and will provide punishments to any naughty kids (or especially anyone who would lay a finger on her kids).

Drampa (Grandpa): Who doesn't love grandpa! Drampa lives on nearby Mount Lanakila and comes down to play with the kids when he hears them playing outside. With Slowking's approval, Drampa watches over the kids when they're outside and makes sure they don't get into too much mischief (at least not without him). And the kids like having Drampa around, as he's not only fun-loving but also incredibly fierce and protective over them; if anything targets the kids it'll not hesitate to utilize a Psychium Z gifted to it by Slowking to blow them away... and then go back to adventuring with the kids.

 

[Eeveeto]

WIP

I think Psychic Oricorio is not valid, he is not the one of Ula'ula island (I checked that first before submitting my team, never played Alola games so might be wrong and he is found somewhere).

 

[Pikachu315111]

I think Psychic Oricorio is not valid, he is not the one of Ula'ula island (I checked that first before submitting my team, never played Alola games so might be wrong and he is found somewhere).

Fix'd.

 

[Ironmage]

So the overlap between "stage magician" and "fortune teller" resulted in me falling into a rabbit hole of looking up the history of playing cards. Something something sunk cost fallacy.


Persian-Alola @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Fur Coat
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Knock Off
- Parting Shot
Playing cards are believed to have originated in China, starting out as aids for drinking games sometime in the Tang dynasty. The most likely candidate for the rest of the world's inspiration happened to be fully themed around money: four suits that were all increasing groupings of coins. Represented here by the greedy Meowth line.



Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
- Meteor Mash
- Power-Up Punch
- Agility
- Zen Headbutt
The next steps towards what we think of as playing cards occurs in India and Persia. The most common variant has changes to the suits based on appearances or alternate names, arriving at staves (from coins stacked in strings), cups (from a shared name for myriad), swords (because the chinese glyph for 10 is +-shaped), and keeping coins intact. However, several other variants are listed, including several that further increase the number of suits (with alternate themes like mythological/religious characters). As such, I chose to have the stand-in be made of four components sometimes and 8 components other times.



Bruxish @ Expert Belt
Ability: Dazzling
- Aqua Jet
- Psychic Fangs
- Waterfall
- Swords Dance
The previous four suits were also used for Spanish and Italian games (though with fancier staves used interchangeably with basic clubs) and tarot decks, which was designed for gameplay first and the fortune-telling tradition is relatively recent. While the underlying form is still the same (and the newer Major Arcana aren't tied to suits), they often get renamed to be fancier, or I suppose in this case, more Dazzling: Wands, Goblets, Pentacles, and keeping Swords.


Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
- Spikes
- Draining Kiss
- Flash Cannon
- Toxic
There is considered to be particular suit lineups of both German and Swiss origin. While they are distinct for two of their four suits, they share both bells and acorns. I chose to go with bells here for the representative, and while Chimecho would have been really nice to have here, there is another mon that jingles.


Golem-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Galvanize
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Brick Break
- Stone Edge
Then, we have the French deck, the one you've heard about already. They mostly shake out to be in-between the Spanish and German sets, with the German heart, Spanish club, and Spanish-named espada with the shape of the German deck's leaves. What seems fully unique is diamonds instead of a round shape like both bells and coins. Hence, a mineral mon in this slot.


Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
- Psyshock
- Thunder Wave
- Slack Off
- Calm Mind
So where do we go from the most widespread type of playing card deck? Into the chaotic pile of TCGs, of course! Slowbro's first TCG appearance had it taking damage for (okay, from) its allies while threatening paralysis and damage from a move called Psyshock (in the English version at least).

 

[Cobalt Empoleon]

I think Psychic Oricorio is not valid, he is not the one of Ula'ula island (I checked that first before submitting my team, never played Alola games so might be wrong and he is found somewhere).

I think Pa'u Oricorio is fine? You can't catch it in that form on Ula'ula but you can catch a Baile Oricorio and then transform it with the Pink Nectar obtained on Akala, so imo it's no less valid than having Egg moves on your Pokemon despite Ula'ula not having a Pokemon Nursery.

 

[Pikachu315111]

I think Pa'u Oricorio is fine? You can't catch it in that form on Ula'ula but you can transform it from the Baile form with Pink Nectar obtained on Akala, so imo it's no less valid than having Egg moves on your Pokemon despite Ula'ula not having a Pokemon Nursery.

I also had this thought and I think its a fair point for anyone who wants to use Pa'u Oricorio.
That said, for my team's theme (which is island focused), I think it was best to consider other island native Pokemon.