Ruko
Bearded Trout Warrior
Just a random team I felt like throwing together... please rate and give suggestions ^^
Lead and switch
Smeargle @ Choice Scarf
Own Tempo
Jolly/Timid
-Spore
-Thunder wave
-Rapid Spin [for later]
-Destiny Bond / Seismic Toss / Ice Shard
Depending on my opponent's lead, I'll most likely Spore to take it out of commision, and then switch... hopefully they won't lead with something that has insomnia/Early bird XP
In the event they do have Early Bird/Insomnia, I can Thunder Wave them, and can also use that if I need to cripple a second pokemon later [in the event the first is still asleep]
Rapid Spin in the event their lead was a spiker and comes back into play later, I'll save smeargle for this purpose until I've dispatched the spike throwing threat.
Destiny Bond Effectively destroy any tank my opponent may have built up at the cost of smeargle's life.
Seismic Toss the least likely for me to put on Smeargle, but can do some half-decent damage to something if it's defensively tanked up.
Ice Shard would allow me to kill anything that's focus sashed/Endured on my opponent's team. Priority would still be necessary in the event I face something that used a Salac + Endure + Reversal.
EVs in speed, and some in defenses unless I decide to go with Destiny Bond.
Drifblim @ Kasib Berry [I think that's the right name XD]
Unburden
Modest/Quiet Nature
-Ominous Wind
-Thunderbolt
-Psychic/Silver Wind
-Memento/Explosion/Substitute
A ghost-type counter. I send it out against my opponent's ghost, am hit with a ghost attack that is weakened by the berry and then doubles my speed. Because I'd be slower the first turn and faster on the second, I'd get to hit with Ominous Wind twice, and have a small, but still worthwhile chance of raising all of my stats.
Ominous Wind The setup move and primary attack for boosting all of my stats... even if it's weakened, a STAB'd shadow ball will still do decent damage to Drifblim, so the boost to defenses could save it's life from any second attack that comes in from the next Pokemon, like shadow sneak. I don't even need to mention how nice the offensive boost would be XD
Thunderbolt Coverage and filler... not much more to be said XD
Psychic again, Coverage and filler, or Silver Wind for surprise Dark coverage, as well as another chance at raising all stats.
Memento/Explosion Depending on whether I want to try and KO the pokemon, or just weaken it so the next pokemon out can have a turn to set up...
Substitute if I decide I want insurance against being Thunder Wave'd by the next pokemon out.. protects from a few other significantly more minor threats.
EVs:
Enough speed to have 209, which will give me what I need to outdo Electrode after Unburden
Full Special attack, or near full
Whatever is left in special defense, to help against what is likely to be Shadow ball it's facing for the Berry
Nidoking@Black Sludge
Poison Point
Relaxed nature
-Poison Jab
-Earth Power
-Sucker Punch
-Stealth Rock
Already trained and works great, the last move I swap around from time to time, but is usually Stealth Rock or Thunderbolt/Thunder
Poison Jab for STAB and because I like to poison anything that moves... and because this Nidoking isn't trained for power or OHKOs
Earth Power because most Rocks and Steels have such lower special defense than defense, this will OHKO them, and because of a lack of attack training [and 31 special attack IV] this Nidoking's special attack is only marginally lower than its physical. Mixed attack set makes me harder to wall too.
Sucker Punch compliments the Relaxed nature, because someone won't expect me to suddenly be faster... also makes for a very nice Psychic killer, which the poison type draws out.
Stealth Rock because laying this with a pokemon that -isn't- your lead is unconventional, and my opponent may have already expended their spinner thinking I wouldn't lay spikes... also because it greatly benefits my next pokemon's strategy.
EVs in Defense, Special Defense and HP.
Shroomish @ Toxic Orb
Poison Heal
Impish/Calm/Careful/ [another I can't remember]
-Flash
-Substitute / Protect
-Leech Seed
-Toxic
Shroomish vs Breloom
20 base defense lost
35 base speed lost
Psychic and half of the flying weakness lost
Dark, Rock, and Bug resistances lost
Opponent might think I'm insane XP
Stel doesn't kill me for using a Breloom that doesn't attack
I can always evolve it later if I think it will benefit more.
The point of this shroomish is to toxic as many of my opponent's pokemon as possible while they try to switch away from Leech Seed/flash... with any luck I can toxic at least two pokemon with Toxic, or pull it out at the end when they don't have many pokemon left to switch with.
Flash over spore for two reasons: it gets around evasion clause, and it's not blocked by sleep clause. After I've flashed enough, my opponent will likely be annoyed into switching, and if not, I'll just leech seed them away slowly
Substitute/Protect for fairly obvious reasons: delay as my HP restores, as well as setting up for Leech Seed/Toxic. Substitute will likely work better with my opponent switching around on me.
Leech Seed to further restore my HP, as well as give me something to damage Steel/Poison types with.. since I won't be HP training Shroomish, and it transfers 1/8 of my opponent's HP to me, chances are this will be restoring at least 1/8 of my HP or more, combined with Poison Heal, I could be making a new substitute every turn and still be gaining HP overall.
Toxic the main attack I'm going to be trying to leave on my opponents, when I can get it in
EVs: Full defenses, with nothing else
Relicanth @ Life Orb/Liechi Berry
Rock Head
Adamant Nature
-Rock Polish
-Head Smash
-Waterfall
-Earthquake
Send out against something physical, because 130 base defense and 100 base HP can take even an SE attack with STAB from certain pokemon.. so long as they don't have stat boosts. Then get off my speed boost and sweep away... If I go with Liechi berry, the hope is the attack I take will knock me down into range for it to activate.
Rock Polish to turn Relicanth's lackluster speed above that of even Electrode
Head Smash because STAB'd Head Smash REALLY FREAKING HURTS, especially with Life Orb.. we're looking at a base power of 292, and Rock Head takes the recoil for me. I think I can live with the innaccuracy of it and sacrifice the flinch that Rock Slide offers for that.
Waterfall for ground, Steel and fighting types, also as an alternative if I prioritize the flinch chance.
Earthquake because it looks pretty in the moveset... not really for anything but Empoleon and water absorbing Quagsire... am still walled by Breloom, however, I think Head Smash can kill it through the resistance. if Empoleon weren't as popular as it is, I'd consider replacing this for Amnesia.
Flygon @ Yache Berry, if I can't think of something better
Levitate
Hasty/Naive Nature
-Dig/Earth Power/Earthquake
-Dragon Claw/Dragon Pulse
-Fire Punch/Flamethrower
-U-turn/Rock Slide/Crunch/Quick Attack/Silver Wind
Ye gods, the choices x_x
Dig first let's consider the switch ins... Flying types have to deal with Stealth rock, which will do plenty of damage in place of dig, in my opinion. Skarmory will have to face my Flamethrower. Out of the levitators, only Gengar and Azelf are faster, both posing an actual threat to me, and then other Flygon as a possibility. Bronzong will have to face Flamethrower just like Skarmory. Aside from luring people into a switch, Dig delays for my previous Shroomish/Nidoking's poison to possibly set in.
Earthquake/Earth Power Depends on what I decide for the rest of the moveset; will most likely pick Earth Power unless I go with both Dragon Pulse and Flamethrower over their physical counterparts.
Fire Punch/Flamethrower For the sake of skarmory above all else, I'm most likely to pick Flamethrower, that and I don't have Platinum yet >>;
Rock Slide especially if I choose dig, to further catch flying types hit by stealth rock, and the flinch chance is something I've always loved XD
U-turn Will most likely be my choice if I don't go with Dig, just because I love being able to get off a bit of damage before switching.
Crunch would be for a bit of extra coverage and one alternative
Quick Attack if I thought I needed priority; another alternative
Silver Wind because it does offer dark and Psychic coverage, and I just adore the 10% boost chance it offers, probably not my choice, but is still a possibility.
EVs:
Enough speed to have 307; this will outspeed base 90 pro speed natures, and neutral natures up to base 100.
Split special attack and Attack, rather than doing what I typically do to even them out, I'd place attack at about 20-30 points higher, and only use special attacks for pokemon with higher defenses..
If I decided to go with special STABs and Fire Punch, I can't say I wouldn't put in a bit more Special attack training, however XD
I'd lead with Smeargle, Spore/Thunderwave [depending on my foe's ability], and then switch to something that can hopefully set up depending on what their lead was... I'd most likely send Nidoking out, because he's the safest choice in the event my opponent also switches. Has a resistance to fighting, should they have tried switching to that on smeargle, and can handle just about anything else for at least long enough to get stealth rock out... The only real time I'd consider something other than Nidoking, is if their lead was a spinner, or could be a spinner.
After Nidoking, I'd just let the battle flow as needed, and would probably try to use Drifblim's Memento to set up for Shroomish to get going.
Smeargle offers for the team an annoyer to devastate my opponent's lead, a sure spinner[though will likely die from the hit it took while spinning], and a cheap way to take care of at least one overpowered pokemon on my opponent's team later in the match
Drifblimoffers fighting, Normal and ground immunity, as well as a very effective ghost counter... Memento makes it a very useful tool for one of my two pokemon needing a setup turn
Shroomish is here because I love it, and to annoy/poison most of my opponent's team while forcing them to switch into the stealth rock with Flash and leech seed... overall, just very annoying to kill if it gets itself setup properly.. may run the risk of running out of PP for substitute especially.
Relicanth is here because, as I said above, STAB'd Head Smash REALLY FREAKING HURTS.. just makes a really nice sweeper after Rock Polish, and I don't see it apreciated enough
It offers a double fire resistance, if I need to switch shroomish away from that, and can survive an Infernape's Close Combat without defense training... gotta watch out for Breloom, because Seed bomb will kill.. other grass types can also murder me if I fail to murder them.
Nidoking is in just because he's never let me down before, and I need a Stealth Rocker that can defend itself.
Nidoking offers poison resistance, and can't be poisoned, as well as an electric immunity.
Flygon because I needed an able mixed attacker, and Flygon just wins XD
I'll probably save flygon for right after using smeargle's destiny bond, since I'd have no clue what I'm up against next... a mixed attacker fills that role pretty well.
Flygon offers another electric immunity and another ground immunity.
I do have to admit that I think a mixed Lucario I came up with would fit better, but I refuse to use something as abused as a Lucario.
So... Rate my team and strategies please ^^
The most immediate thing that stands out to me about this team, is lack of anything with decent special defense.
[edit]
As Katie pointed out, I have a major Ice weakness here... I'd like to have some mixed sweeper replace flygon to fix that, but I don't know what x_x
Jynx is the best I've got to help with my team's weaknesses, but it can't physically attack... Would help with my ice weakness by giving me a resistance, and also aide somewhat in the lack of special defense.
Lead and switch
Smeargle @ Choice Scarf
Own Tempo
Jolly/Timid
-Spore
-Thunder wave
-Rapid Spin [for later]
-Destiny Bond / Seismic Toss / Ice Shard
Depending on my opponent's lead, I'll most likely Spore to take it out of commision, and then switch... hopefully they won't lead with something that has insomnia/Early bird XP
In the event they do have Early Bird/Insomnia, I can Thunder Wave them, and can also use that if I need to cripple a second pokemon later [in the event the first is still asleep]
Rapid Spin in the event their lead was a spiker and comes back into play later, I'll save smeargle for this purpose until I've dispatched the spike throwing threat.
Destiny Bond Effectively destroy any tank my opponent may have built up at the cost of smeargle's life.
Seismic Toss the least likely for me to put on Smeargle, but can do some half-decent damage to something if it's defensively tanked up.
Ice Shard would allow me to kill anything that's focus sashed/Endured on my opponent's team. Priority would still be necessary in the event I face something that used a Salac + Endure + Reversal.
EVs in speed, and some in defenses unless I decide to go with Destiny Bond.
Drifblim @ Kasib Berry [I think that's the right name XD]
Unburden
Modest/Quiet Nature
-Ominous Wind
-Thunderbolt
-Psychic/Silver Wind
-Memento/Explosion/Substitute
A ghost-type counter. I send it out against my opponent's ghost, am hit with a ghost attack that is weakened by the berry and then doubles my speed. Because I'd be slower the first turn and faster on the second, I'd get to hit with Ominous Wind twice, and have a small, but still worthwhile chance of raising all of my stats.
Ominous Wind The setup move and primary attack for boosting all of my stats... even if it's weakened, a STAB'd shadow ball will still do decent damage to Drifblim, so the boost to defenses could save it's life from any second attack that comes in from the next Pokemon, like shadow sneak. I don't even need to mention how nice the offensive boost would be XD
Thunderbolt Coverage and filler... not much more to be said XD
Psychic again, Coverage and filler, or Silver Wind for surprise Dark coverage, as well as another chance at raising all stats.
Memento/Explosion Depending on whether I want to try and KO the pokemon, or just weaken it so the next pokemon out can have a turn to set up...
Substitute if I decide I want insurance against being Thunder Wave'd by the next pokemon out.. protects from a few other significantly more minor threats.
EVs:
Enough speed to have 209, which will give me what I need to outdo Electrode after Unburden
Full Special attack, or near full
Whatever is left in special defense, to help against what is likely to be Shadow ball it's facing for the Berry
Nidoking@Black Sludge
Poison Point
Relaxed nature
-Poison Jab
-Earth Power
-Sucker Punch
-Stealth Rock
Already trained and works great, the last move I swap around from time to time, but is usually Stealth Rock or Thunderbolt/Thunder
Poison Jab for STAB and because I like to poison anything that moves... and because this Nidoking isn't trained for power or OHKOs
Earth Power because most Rocks and Steels have such lower special defense than defense, this will OHKO them, and because of a lack of attack training [and 31 special attack IV] this Nidoking's special attack is only marginally lower than its physical. Mixed attack set makes me harder to wall too.
Sucker Punch compliments the Relaxed nature, because someone won't expect me to suddenly be faster... also makes for a very nice Psychic killer, which the poison type draws out.
Stealth Rock because laying this with a pokemon that -isn't- your lead is unconventional, and my opponent may have already expended their spinner thinking I wouldn't lay spikes... also because it greatly benefits my next pokemon's strategy.
EVs in Defense, Special Defense and HP.
Shroomish @ Toxic Orb
Poison Heal
Impish/Calm/Careful/ [another I can't remember]
-Flash
-Substitute / Protect
-Leech Seed
-Toxic
Shroomish vs Breloom
20 base defense lost
35 base speed lost
Psychic and half of the flying weakness lost
Dark, Rock, and Bug resistances lost
Opponent might think I'm insane XP
Stel doesn't kill me for using a Breloom that doesn't attack
I can always evolve it later if I think it will benefit more.
The point of this shroomish is to toxic as many of my opponent's pokemon as possible while they try to switch away from Leech Seed/flash... with any luck I can toxic at least two pokemon with Toxic, or pull it out at the end when they don't have many pokemon left to switch with.
Flash over spore for two reasons: it gets around evasion clause, and it's not blocked by sleep clause. After I've flashed enough, my opponent will likely be annoyed into switching, and if not, I'll just leech seed them away slowly
Substitute/Protect for fairly obvious reasons: delay as my HP restores, as well as setting up for Leech Seed/Toxic. Substitute will likely work better with my opponent switching around on me.
Leech Seed to further restore my HP, as well as give me something to damage Steel/Poison types with.. since I won't be HP training Shroomish, and it transfers 1/8 of my opponent's HP to me, chances are this will be restoring at least 1/8 of my HP or more, combined with Poison Heal, I could be making a new substitute every turn and still be gaining HP overall.
Toxic the main attack I'm going to be trying to leave on my opponents, when I can get it in
EVs: Full defenses, with nothing else
Relicanth @ Life Orb/Liechi Berry
Rock Head
Adamant Nature
-Rock Polish
-Head Smash
-Waterfall
-Earthquake
Send out against something physical, because 130 base defense and 100 base HP can take even an SE attack with STAB from certain pokemon.. so long as they don't have stat boosts. Then get off my speed boost and sweep away... If I go with Liechi berry, the hope is the attack I take will knock me down into range for it to activate.
Rock Polish to turn Relicanth's lackluster speed above that of even Electrode
Head Smash because STAB'd Head Smash REALLY FREAKING HURTS, especially with Life Orb.. we're looking at a base power of 292, and Rock Head takes the recoil for me. I think I can live with the innaccuracy of it and sacrifice the flinch that Rock Slide offers for that.
Waterfall for ground, Steel and fighting types, also as an alternative if I prioritize the flinch chance.
Earthquake because it looks pretty in the moveset... not really for anything but Empoleon and water absorbing Quagsire... am still walled by Breloom, however, I think Head Smash can kill it through the resistance. if Empoleon weren't as popular as it is, I'd consider replacing this for Amnesia.
Flygon @ Yache Berry, if I can't think of something better
Levitate
Hasty/Naive Nature
-Dig/Earth Power/Earthquake
-Dragon Claw/Dragon Pulse
-Fire Punch/Flamethrower
-U-turn/Rock Slide/Crunch/Quick Attack/Silver Wind
Ye gods, the choices x_x
Dig first let's consider the switch ins... Flying types have to deal with Stealth rock, which will do plenty of damage in place of dig, in my opinion. Skarmory will have to face my Flamethrower. Out of the levitators, only Gengar and Azelf are faster, both posing an actual threat to me, and then other Flygon as a possibility. Bronzong will have to face Flamethrower just like Skarmory. Aside from luring people into a switch, Dig delays for my previous Shroomish/Nidoking's poison to possibly set in.
Earthquake/Earth Power Depends on what I decide for the rest of the moveset; will most likely pick Earth Power unless I go with both Dragon Pulse and Flamethrower over their physical counterparts.
Fire Punch/Flamethrower For the sake of skarmory above all else, I'm most likely to pick Flamethrower, that and I don't have Platinum yet >>;
Rock Slide especially if I choose dig, to further catch flying types hit by stealth rock, and the flinch chance is something I've always loved XD
U-turn Will most likely be my choice if I don't go with Dig, just because I love being able to get off a bit of damage before switching.
Crunch would be for a bit of extra coverage and one alternative
Quick Attack if I thought I needed priority; another alternative
Silver Wind because it does offer dark and Psychic coverage, and I just adore the 10% boost chance it offers, probably not my choice, but is still a possibility.
EVs:
Enough speed to have 307; this will outspeed base 90 pro speed natures, and neutral natures up to base 100.
Split special attack and Attack, rather than doing what I typically do to even them out, I'd place attack at about 20-30 points higher, and only use special attacks for pokemon with higher defenses..
If I decided to go with special STABs and Fire Punch, I can't say I wouldn't put in a bit more Special attack training, however XD
I'd lead with Smeargle, Spore/Thunderwave [depending on my foe's ability], and then switch to something that can hopefully set up depending on what their lead was... I'd most likely send Nidoking out, because he's the safest choice in the event my opponent also switches. Has a resistance to fighting, should they have tried switching to that on smeargle, and can handle just about anything else for at least long enough to get stealth rock out... The only real time I'd consider something other than Nidoking, is if their lead was a spinner, or could be a spinner.
After Nidoking, I'd just let the battle flow as needed, and would probably try to use Drifblim's Memento to set up for Shroomish to get going.
Smeargle offers for the team an annoyer to devastate my opponent's lead, a sure spinner[though will likely die from the hit it took while spinning], and a cheap way to take care of at least one overpowered pokemon on my opponent's team later in the match
Drifblimoffers fighting, Normal and ground immunity, as well as a very effective ghost counter... Memento makes it a very useful tool for one of my two pokemon needing a setup turn
Shroomish is here because I love it, and to annoy/poison most of my opponent's team while forcing them to switch into the stealth rock with Flash and leech seed... overall, just very annoying to kill if it gets itself setup properly.. may run the risk of running out of PP for substitute especially.
Relicanth is here because, as I said above, STAB'd Head Smash REALLY FREAKING HURTS.. just makes a really nice sweeper after Rock Polish, and I don't see it apreciated enough
It offers a double fire resistance, if I need to switch shroomish away from that, and can survive an Infernape's Close Combat without defense training... gotta watch out for Breloom, because Seed bomb will kill.. other grass types can also murder me if I fail to murder them.
Nidoking is in just because he's never let me down before, and I need a Stealth Rocker that can defend itself.
Nidoking offers poison resistance, and can't be poisoned, as well as an electric immunity.
Flygon because I needed an able mixed attacker, and Flygon just wins XD
I'll probably save flygon for right after using smeargle's destiny bond, since I'd have no clue what I'm up against next... a mixed attacker fills that role pretty well.
Flygon offers another electric immunity and another ground immunity.
I do have to admit that I think a mixed Lucario I came up with would fit better, but I refuse to use something as abused as a Lucario.
So... Rate my team and strategies please ^^
The most immediate thing that stands out to me about this team, is lack of anything with decent special defense.
[edit]
As Katie pointed out, I have a major Ice weakness here... I'd like to have some mixed sweeper replace flygon to fix that, but I don't know what x_x
Jynx is the best I've got to help with my team's weaknesses, but it can't physically attack... Would help with my ice weakness by giving me a resistance, and also aide somewhat in the lack of special defense.
