"A Little Help?!" - A Guide to the Intricacies of LC
By Mambo, taken over from Ray Jay. Sample team provided by Corporal Levi and Vileman. Approved by macle.
Little Cup was introduced in Pokemon Stadium 2 as one of the "Stadium Cups," or particular modes in which the player had stipulations on his or her team. The stipulation for Little Cup was that only Pokemon hatched from eggs could participate, which included only Pokemon that could evolve but had just been hatched at, in accordance with ADV mechanics, level 5.
Though players slowly began to pick up this odd tier due to its uniqueness in star Pokemon and viable strategies, it was not until DPP that Little Cup (LC) finally had a chance as a competitive metagame at Smogon under the direction of vader, who brought it over from Stadium 2 with the earliest medium for LC communication, the Little Cup Forum. A few mechanics had changed with breeding, and the logistics of the tier had changed as well; for example, eggs now hatched at level 1, but LC was still played at level 5, which allowed easy application of EV spreads.
DPP LC brought forth a small, tightly knit community and strategies that predominantly revolved around hyper offense. By BW, LC began to progress both as a metagame and as a community. The introduction of Eviolite allowed more balanced strategies to prosper, and the community thrived. Now that XY LC has arrived, the metagame is entirely fresh, the playerbase is growing quickly, and playing LC has never been more fun. Hopefully, this guide will provide you with all of the tools you need to join the fun!
Rules
Pokemon Eligibility
In order to be used in LC, a Pokemon must comply with the following criteria:
Little Cup, like other metagames, uses clauses to ensure the most competitive environment. These are:
Scyther
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 70 HP / 110 Atk / 80 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 105 Spe
Abilities: Swarm / Technician / Steadfast
Scyther's base stats, which are actually the same in total as its evolution, Scizor, are simply too good to allow Scyther to battle with the rest of LC. Scyther has access to everything it needs to abuse these high stats, including boosting moves (Swords Dance and Agility) and strong STAB (Technician-boosted Aerial Ace and Bug Bite). It even has priority, again boosted by Technician, in Quick Attack. Scyther has never been unbanned and likely never will be.
Sneasel
Type: Ice / Dark
Base Stats: 55 HP / 95 Atk / 55 Def / 35 SpA / 75 SpD / 115 Spe
Abilities: Inner Focus / Keen Eye / Pickpocket
While not as extreme as Scyther in stats, Sneasel still has excellent offensive STAB moves and a simply brilliant stat spread for its role. Sneasel was actually temporarily allowed in early XY LC, but it was banned due to its extremely strong Knock Off (which also was buffed in the transition to XY), which by itself, or in conjunction with Ice Punch and Brick Break, was able to wear down Sneasel's common switch-ins. Furthermore, Sneasel was difficult to revenge kill due to its access to a priority move, Ice Shard.
Tangela
Type: Grass
Base Stats: 65 HP / 55 Atk / 115 Def / 100 SpA / 40 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard / Regenerator
Tangela was of the first Pokemon banned by the LC Council in XY. Tangela was originally allowed into the metagame, but it was found to be simply too strong and bulky, especially when running its signature set of Sleep Powder, Solarbeam, and Ancient Power with support from Drought Vulpix. Even outside of the sun, Tangela could run a devastatingly resilient defensive set or an extremely strong and durable Life Orb set that used Leaf Storm and Regenerator. Tangela was banned by a unanimous vote from the LC council.
Yanma
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 65 Atk / 45 Def / 75 SpA / 45 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Speed Boost / Compound Eyes / Frisk
Yanma was the second Pokemon banned by the LC Council in XY. Yanma had two destructive sets that were simply too strong for the Little Cup metagame: a Speed Boost set, which easily sweep opponents late-game when priority users had been eliminated, and a Compound Eyes set that utilized Hypnosis and Yanma's 20 Speed to cripple all potential counters and either set up with Substitute or get out with STAB U-turn. Ultimately, the proliferation of the second set, one that was simply too fast, strong, and unstoppable for LC, was what pushed Yanma over the edge and led to a unanimous vote.
Gligar
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 75 Atk / 105 Def / 35 SpA / 65 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Immunity
Gligar's unique typing and great offensive and defensive stats were what led to its inevitable ban from XY LC. It could run a variety of sets, from a support hazard setter to a Swords Dance sweeper. After the ban of Yanma and Tangela, Gligar became the most over-centralizing Pokemon in the tier, proved by an astounding 47% usage rate. Little Cup became a metagame filled with Choice Scarf Hidden Power Ice Pokemon with the intent of taking on Gligar, and the "Fly Scorpion"'s versatility was deemed to much for the tier.
Swirlix
Type: Fairy
Base Stats: 62 HP / 48 Atk / 66 Def / 59 SpA / 57 SpD / 49 Spe
Abilities: Sweet Veil / Unburden
Aw, look at how cute and innocent Swirlix looks. Wrong! This new Fairy-type sweeper was one of, if not, the most terrifying Pokemon in Little Cup. Capable of running a variety of sets, Swirlix began to dominate the tier with its fantastic combination of Belly Drum, Cotton Guard, Calm Mind, and Unburden, being even further bolstered by a diverse movepool. There was no way to know if your "Swirlix counter" would actually counter the opposing Swirlix, and this versatility was just too much for Little Cup to handle.
Murkrow
Type: Dark / Flying
Base Stats: 60 HP / 85 Atk / 42 Def / 85 SpA / 42 SpD / 91 Spe
Abilities: Insomnia / Super Luck / Prankster
Murkrow's fantastic offensive stats, coupled with access to solid STAB moves in Brave Bird and Dark Pulse, made it a huge threat in Little Cup. It could effectively sweep with an extremely threatening Life Orb set, an annoying Substitute + Thief set, or even a Prankster + Haze utility set. Its offensive capabilities, useful support movepool, and ability to disrupt an opponent's entire plan led to its ban from the tier.
Meditite
Type: Fighting / Psychic
Base Stats: 30 HP / 40 Atk / 55 Def / 40 SpA / 55 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Pure Power / Telepathy
At first glance, Meditite's stats seem underwhelming, but it was blessed with Pure Power, an amazing ability that doubled its Attack to a toppling 28. This, in conjunction with a solid movepool and decent bulk, made Meditite the most devastating wallbreaker in Little Cup. A Choice Scarf would patch up Meditite's average Speed stat, and an Eviolite would mend its rather mediocre bulk, increasing Meditite's viability as a threat.
Misdreavus
Type: Ghost
Base Stats: 60 HP / 60 Atk / 60 Def / 85 SpA / 85 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Levitate
Misdreavus's ban was rather controversial, as many users were unsure of their feelings towards the Ghost-type. The omnipresent Knock Off and emergence of Choice Scarf Pawniard seemed to keep Misdreavus in check, and the variety of bulky Normal- and Dark-types proved to be a challenge for Misdreavus to switch into and perform its role effectively. However, its 19 Speed, 18 Special Attack, and access to a variety of great support and offensive moves led to its ban from the tier.
EV Spreads and Stats
One of the biggest differences between LC and other metagames is the effect of EVs on stats. The maximum number of EVs a Pokemon can have is still 510, and the maximum in any one stat of a Pokemon is also still 252, but a few other things change. Base stats are less decisive in determining the final stat of a Pokemon; the range of stats at level 5 is not nearly as wide as it is at level 100. For example, Wingull has base 85 Speed and Abra has base 90 Speed. For Abra, achieving 19 speed takes a Speed-boosting nature and 196 EVs; for Wingull, it takes a Speed-boosting nature and 236 EVs.
At level 100, it takes 4 EVs to boost a stat by one point, but in LC, it takes a whopping 80 EVs. As with every rule, this too has an exception: the number of EVs necessary for the first stat point increase depends on the Pokemon's base stat. Going back to the previous example, Wingull's base Speed stat ends in a 5, so it takes 76 EVs to raise the stat by one point, 156 EVs to raise it by another, and 236 EVs to reach its maximum. Abra's base Speed stat ends in a 0, so it takes 36 EVs to raise it by one point, 116 to raise it by another, and 196 EVs to max it out. Below are the number of EVs a Pokemon must invest to increase its stats based on the number that its base stats end in:
Base stat ending / EVs required for stat gain
xx0 / 36 /116 / 196 EVs
xx1 / 28 / 108 / 188 EVs
xx2 / 20 / 100 / 180 EVs
xx3 / 12 / 92 / 172 / 252 EVs
xx4 / 4 / 84 / 164 / 244 EVs
xx5 / 76 / 156 / 236 EVs
xx6 / 68 / 148 / 228 EVs
xx7 / 60 / 140 / 220 EVs
xx8 / 52 / 132 / 212 EVs
xx9 / 44 / 124 / 204 EVs
Pokemon with base stats ending in 3 or 4 can increase their stats four times with their EVs. For example, Magby's base Speed is 83; with a Speed-boosting nature and 0 EVs, it has a Speed stat of 15. With just 12 EVs, it can reach 16, and with 252 EVs, it can reach the 19 Speed. If Magby had a base Speed stat of 82, it would still start at a Speed stat of 15, but it would only be able to reach a maximum Speed stat of 18 through investing 180 EVs.
IVs can also slightly alter stats in LC; everything previously mentioned applies in most cases, where IVs are presumed to be 31. For every IV point missing, your Pokemon needs 4 more EVs to increase the stat point. For example, 30 IVs in Magby's Speed would not allow it to hit 19 Speed, as it would need 256 EVs to max out, but the maximum number of EVs for a single stat is 252.
Items
What You Should Use
Berry Juice
Aside from being simply delicious, Berry Juice restores 20 HP when the holder's HP drops below 50%. This allows most Pokemon in Little Cup to completely or almost completely restore their HP after taking a hit or two. This is exceptional on most setup sweepers that are comfortable taking a hit, as it allows them to potentially sweep while being at full health. Some Pokemon that synergize particularly well with Berry Juice include Drifloon, Archen, Tirtouga, and Dwebble. Drifloon uses Berry Juice and Unburden to begin sweeping after accruing a few boosts; Archen heals with Berry Juice and then attacks with a boosted Acrobatics; and both Tirtouga and Dwebble have the combination of Sturdy and Shell Smash, which allows them to set up a Shell Smash and still have the potential to take another hit with Sturdy after regaining full HP with Berry Juice.
Choice Scarf
Choice Scarf boosts the holder's Speed by 1.5x but forces it to only select one of its moves each time it switches in. This makes Choice Scarf perfect for letting a Pokemon revenge kill specific threats, and it is frequently seen on Pokemon that have wide coverage, have some sort of method of maintaining momentum, reach at least 14 Speed (21 with a Choice Scarf, which is enough to outspeed all unboosted LC Pokemon), or have any combination of the above. Magnemite is a prime example of such a Pokemon, as it hits 14 Speed, can revenge kill many of the large threats in the metagame (such as Fletchling), can 2HKO many switch-ins before they get a chance to strike, and has the added bonus of a Steel typing, which can aid its longevity. Chinchou is also a common Choice Scarf user, as it has good coverage and Volt Switch. Inkay is almost never seen without a Choice Scarf. This allows it to spam Superpower and gain boosts from it via Contrary. Bunnelby is also a frequent user, as its middling Speed is repaired through Choice Scarf, and it likes to spam Huge Power-boosted Returns anyway.
Eviolite
Eviolite gives any unevolved Pokemon a 1.5x boost to both its Defense and Special Defense stats. In Little Cup, every single Pokemon can take advantage of this boost. The most notable users are walls and defensive pivots with some form of recovery (e.g. Vullaby and Mienfoo) or Pokemon with a boosting move who appreciate the added bulk while trying to set up (e.g. Scraggy and Honedge). Eviolite is a big reason why Little Cup has slowed down since DPP, which featured mostly heavily offensive teams. Eviolite was suspected at the beginning of BW LC, but it was not banned and is now firmly accepted as a staple of the Little Cup metagame.
Life Orb
Life Orb gives a 1.3x boost to the holder's attacks at the cost of 10% of its HP per attack. In Little Cup, this is typically paired with Pokemon that simply have excellent attacking stats or coverage. A good example is Abra, which can 2HKO most of the tier with 1.3x boosted Psychic, Shadow Ball, or Energy Ball while taking no recoil due to its ability, Magic Guard. Due to the fact that most calculations in Pokemon round down, any Pokemon with an HP stat of 19 will take 1.9 damage from Life Orb recoil, which rounds down to only 1 damage, allowing a 19 HP Life Orb user to survive 19 rounds of Life Orb recoil instead of 10. Elekid and Houndour are two Pokemon that appreciate the power boost from Life Orb but also minimize the effects of recoil.
What You Should Not Use
Assault Vest
Assault Vest gives the holder a 1.5x boost to its Special Defense stat, but the holder can only use attacking moves. This is inferior to Eviolite, which provides a 1.5x boost to both the holder's Defense and Special Defense stats with no downsides.
Leftovers
Leftovers restores 1/16 of the holder's HP at the end of each turn. This is almost never enough HP to be useful in LC, as the holder would require a whopping 32 HP to restore just 2 HP per turn. Instead, Berry Juice should be used if one wants some form of recovery, and Eviolite should be used to provide greater longevity in general.
Oran Berry
Oran Berry restores 10 HP to the holder when its HP drops below 50%, which is objectively inferior to Berry Juice. Berry Juice also is unaffected by Incinerate, Pluck, and Bug Bite, giving it further advantages. You should only use Oran Berry if you have a Pokemon with the ability Harvest, which is only notably used by Phantump.
Sitrus Berry
Sitrus Berry restores 25% HP to the holder when its HP drops below 50%, which is objectively inferior to both Oran Berry and Berry Juice for all LC Pokemon (no LC Pokemon can reach an HP stat of 40, meaning Sitrus Berry can never restore 10 HP or more).
Situational
Choice Band / Choice Specs
Choice Band and Choice Specs have the same adverse effect as Choice Scarf, but Choice Band gives a 1.5x boost to the holder's Attack and Choice Specs gives a 1.5x boost to the holder's Special Attack. Most of the time, LC Pokemons' stats are so low that the ability to switch moves is preferred over the difference between Life Orb (1.3x) and Choice Band or Choice Specs. The only exceptions occur when Pokemon are prone to priority and therefore do not want to whittle down their HP, and when they are likely to only use a single attack anyways. Choice Band Bunnelby is a good example.
Damp Rock
LC has plenty of rain sweepers, but no Pokemon with Drizzle. Damp Rock can be used on any of the tier's bulkier Pokemon with Rain Dance, such as Bronzor or Mienfoo, to allow these Pokemon to shine when the sun does not.
Deep Sea Tooth
Deep Sea Tooth doubles Clamperl's Special Attack, putting it at around 36 before any boosts. This allows Clamperl to fire off exceedingly strong Surfs and Ice Beams. Deep Sea Tooth can also be used alongside Shell Smash to simply devastate teams without strong priority attacks or Water-type immunities.
Focus Sash
Focus Sash allows the holder to survive any attack when at full HP. It is commonly used by Abra, which can ensure that it will live any attack except those that hit more than once through its ability Magic Guard, which negates all effects that indirectly damage the user, such as burn, Stealth Rock and Spikes.
Heat Rock
Heat Rock extends the number of turns with intense sunlight from five to eight. It is commonly used by Vulpix, which uses Drought to instantly change the weather to sunlight.
Normal Gem
Normal Gem boosts the power of the first Normal-type move used by the holder. It is the only gem that is currently available in XY. It is commonly used by Meowth, which can use it up with Fake Out and then steal an opponent's item with Covet or Thief.
Move / Ability Legality at Level 5
Little Cup is played at level 5, which makes for some interesting situations regarding move legality. This section will briefly cover the main sources for why something that might be legal at level 100 is not legal at level 5. Also, know that it is impossible for simulators to detect all of these sources for legality that is different at level 5 than level 100.
One nice thing to note is that XY has fortunately changed the way egg moves work, so now either parent may pass on egg moves to their offspring. This has removed virtually all previously impossible egg move combinations, including Budew with Spikes and Sleep Powder, Shelmet with Spikes and Encore, and Tentacool with Rapid Spin and Mirror Coat.
New Abilities / Moves and Old TMs / Move Tutors
This is probably the largest source of move illegality for Little Cup Pokemon and Pokemon in general. At its simplest level, this means that new moves or abilities are incompatible with old moves that can't be bred onto a child.
In ADV, the Pomeg Berry, which removed 10 HP EVs upon use, could be used to faint one's party Pokemon in the overworld and then enter battle with only an Egg. In battle, this Egg could gain experience points and learn level-up moves, but when it was hatched, it would still be at level 5. Most Pokemon do not have any problem with level-up moves bred onto them, as the only prerequisite is that both parents know the move. The exceptions are genderless and male-only Pokemon, which must breed with Ditto. As Ditto cannot learn any of said Pokemon's level-up moves, this would cause their level-up moves to be illegal; however, the Pomeg Glitch could be used to remedy this situation. Some notable benefits of the Pomeg Glitch include Tri Attack and Recover on Porygon, and Rapid Spin, Recover, and Hydro Pump on Staryu.
Genderless / Single Gender Pokemon and Level-Up Moves After ADV
After ADV, the Pomeg Glitch was removed from the game, and genderless and single-gender Pokemon could no longer learn moves while in Egg form. As female-only Pokemon can breed with male fathers, they have the least problems; virtually all competitive egg moves are available to the female-only Pokemon of DPP, BW, and XY. Male-only Pokemon have many more problems, as they can only breed with Ditto; the only casualty of this post-ADV change is Rufflet, who unfortunately misses out on Brave Bird in LC. Genderless Pokemon have an equal number of problems, with Bronzor missing out mostly on irrelevant level-up moves, Klink losing Shift Gear and Gear Grind, and Golett tragically losing access to Shadow Punch and Focus Punch.
Ability Capsule
Many people theorized that the introduction of Ability Capsule, an item that allows you to change your Pokemon's ability, would solve many of Little Cup's legality issues with hidden abilities. Unfortunately, Ability Capsule only allows a Pokemon to switch between its two main abilities and not among all three. For this reason, it does not solve any legality problems regarding past generation move tutors and hidden ability introduction, although many of these were solved by BW2 move tutors or can be expected to be resolved with future move tutors. It is notable that via Ability Capsule, Pokemon that did not originally have two abilities but had an ability added in DPP have access to old moves; for example, Ability Capsule can be used on a Pomeg Glitch Tri Attack Porygon (which would have Trace from ADV) to get a Porygon with Tri Attack and Download.
Sample Teams
Now that you're finally beginning to understand the world of Little Cup, it's time to have a go at the tier. Maybe you're not quite ready to build a team for yourself just yet, but do not fear! We have graciously provided you with a standard team for hyper offense that will help you learn the metagame from a hands-on perspective.
This is a hyper offense team; it aims to overwhelm the opponent's defensive Pokemon with powerful wallbreakers to facilitate an Omanyte sweep. Due to the team's low overall bulk, most of these Pokemon are easily expendable to make up for the lack of switch-ins to common threats.
Bunnelby @ Life Orb
Ability: Huge Power
Level: 5
EVs: 228 Atk / 52 Def / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 23 HP
- Quick Attack
- Return
- Earthquake
- Wild Charge
Due to Huge Power, Bunnelby is easily one of the most dangerous wallbreakers in the tier; when it dons a Life Orb, Bunnelby can 2HKO anything with the appropriate attack. Return packs enormous power when backed by STAB, and Earthquake provides decent coverage alongside it (keep in mind that Bunnelby has Normal, not Normal / Ground, typing, so it does not receive STAB on Earthquake). Wild Charge is primarily for defensive Archen, which would otherwise be able to wall Bunnelby. Wild Charge is also able to cleanly OHKO Gastly switch-ins. Bunnelby is quite slow for a Pokemon with such low defenses, so Quick Attack is a great move to pick off weakened threats and ensure that Bunnelby isn't dead weight against opposing hyper offensive teams; frail offensive Pokemon are hit hard (such as Carvanha, who is always OHKOed after Stealth Rock). The 23 HP IVs lower Life Orb recoil; since Life Orb recoil rounds down, Bunnelby only takes 1 HP damage when it has 19 HP, as opposed to 2 damage if it were to have 20 HP. The given EVs maximize Bunnelby's Attack and Speed, with the rest dumped into Defense.
Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
Pawniard weakens walls using a different method; instead of simply crushing them with raw damage output, it gets rid of Eviolites with STAB Knock Off, permanently crippling opposing Pokemon. Knock Off also deals heavy damage to most Pokemon that don't resist it, partly due to Pawniard's naturally high Attack stat. Iron Head is Pawniard's other STAB move, which provides decent neutral coverage alongside Knock Off and Sucker Punch. Coupled with Pawniard's high base Attack stat, Sucker Punch is very threatening when boosted by STAB, making it a great priority option despite its unreliability. Every offensive team should utilize Stealth Rock to wear down key defensive Pokemon and aid important OHKOs and 2HKOs, and Pawniard does a great job at setting up Stealth Rock due to the amount of switches it forces. The given EVs maximize Pawniard's Speed so that it can have more opportunities to utilize Stealth Rock and Knock Off. The defensive EVs hit Eviolite numbers; Eviolite boosts round down, so when you hit an even number, you get more out of the Eviolite boost. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack to give Pawniard more offensive presence.
Carvanha @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 9 HP
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Aqua Jet
- Protect
Carvanha is a dangerous cleaner that utilizes Speed Boost to move first against everything without priority. It takes advantage of its high Attack and the excellent coverage offered by its STAB moves, Waterfall and Crunch, to dish out heavy damage. Protect ensures that Carvanha reaches at least +1 Speed and can outspeed the entire unboosted metagame, and Aqua Jet picks off weakened threats, especially priority users. The given EVs maximize Attack and Speed because Carvanha is far too frail to run a bulky set. The leftover EVs are put in Defense and Special Defense anyway since Carvanha has nothing better to do. For Carvanha to put out adequate damage, it requires a Life Orb, since its main STAB moves have low Base Power. 23 HP IVs allow Carvanha to reach 19 HP, which reduces Life Orb recoil.
Omanyte @ Eviolite
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 196 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shell Smash
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
Omanyte is easily one of the most potent win conditions available in the metagame; unless it is obvious that the opposing team either resists Omanyte to a great extent or is especially weak to another member of this team, a good goal early-game is to try to eliminate anything impeding a sweep. Omanyte's access to Shell Smash, which instantly doubles its already very impressive Special Attack and mediocre Speed at the cost of its defenses, allows it to easily pull off a sweep. Surf is a reliable STAB move for Omanyte and provides Omanyte with good neutral coverage. Ice Beam and Earth Power, a nearly perfect neutral coverage combination, serve to take out the few Pokemon that Surf cannot; most notably, Ice Beam hits Foongus and other Grass-types hard, and Earth Power decimates Chinchou and Croagunk. Omanyte's EVs and nature allow it to deal as much damage as possible, while outspeeding most threats after a Shell Smash boost. The remaining EVs are put in HP. Swift Swim doesn't offer much as an ability because rain teams are rare, but Weak Armor is not recommended because it leaves Omanyte vulnerable to common priority moves.
Doduo @ Life Orb
Ability: Early Bird
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 23 HP
- Knock Off
- Brave Bird
- Quick Attack
- Return
Usually, Doduo is seen paired with Fletchling to crush anything that might be in Fletchling's way, but Doduo can still function as an excellent standalone wall breaker. Brave Bird is ridiculously powerful when backed by STAB and Doduo's sky high Attack stat. Knock Off is a great coverage move and, in tandem with Brave Bird, can 2HKO anything that doesn't resist the combination. Quick Attack is useful for dealing with weakened threats: although Doduo is fast, several important threats, including Choice Scarf users, still outspeed it. This Doduo is designed to lure in and eliminate Chinchou so that Carvanha can clean more easily; Knock Off gets rid of Chinchou's Eviolite, allowing Doduo to crush it with a STAB Return. Early Bird allows Doduo to check Foongus with ease, and Life Orb lets Doduo deal heavy damage without restricting it from switching moves. The given EVs allow Doduo to do as much damage as it can while hitting the 18 Speed tier; many common threats, such as Mienfoo, Drilbur and Archen, sit at 17 Speed, so being able to outspeed them is very useful for a Pokemon as frail as Doduo. The remaining EVs do not actually boost any stats. Doduo, like Bunnelby and Carvanha, has 23 HP IVs to reduce Life Orb recoil.
Foongus @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 124 HP / 160 Def / 160 SpD
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Foongus may seem like an odd choice for an offensive team when considering its defensive nature, but Foongus's strengths are so prominent and useful that it fits into even hyper offense teams. Spore is an incredible move that instantly incapacitates anything that isn't Grass-type or has a specific ability to counteract it. One of the benefits of Foongus's Poison typing is its access to STAB Sludge Bomb, which provides Foongus with an answer to many Grass-types that would otherwise love to switch into Spore for heavy damage, such as Cottonee. More importantly, its Poison typing allows Foongus to reliably check an enormous number of incredibly dangerous Pokemon that this team has trouble with, namely Fighting-types and Fairy-types. Hidden Power Fighting is primarily for Foongus to be able to heavily damage Pawniard, almost always OHKOing non-Eviolite variants. Regenerator is what turns Foongus into one of the most effective Pokemon around; with it, Foongus is able to repeatedly check important Pokemon over and over without having to find the opportunity to use healing moves, often rendering certain Pokemon on the enemy team deadweight. The given EVs and nature let it hit Eviolite numbers, which are especially important for a Pokemon like Foongus that relies on its bulk.
Resources
By Mambo, taken over from Ray Jay. Sample team provided by Corporal Levi and Vileman. Approved by macle.
- Introduction and Background
- Rules
- EV Spreads and Stats
- Items
- Move / Ability Legality at Level 5
- Sample Team
- Resources
Little Cup was introduced in Pokemon Stadium 2 as one of the "Stadium Cups," or particular modes in which the player had stipulations on his or her team. The stipulation for Little Cup was that only Pokemon hatched from eggs could participate, which included only Pokemon that could evolve but had just been hatched at, in accordance with ADV mechanics, level 5.
Though players slowly began to pick up this odd tier due to its uniqueness in star Pokemon and viable strategies, it was not until DPP that Little Cup (LC) finally had a chance as a competitive metagame at Smogon under the direction of vader, who brought it over from Stadium 2 with the earliest medium for LC communication, the Little Cup Forum. A few mechanics had changed with breeding, and the logistics of the tier had changed as well; for example, eggs now hatched at level 1, but LC was still played at level 5, which allowed easy application of EV spreads.
DPP LC brought forth a small, tightly knit community and strategies that predominantly revolved around hyper offense. By BW, LC began to progress both as a metagame and as a community. The introduction of Eviolite allowed more balanced strategies to prosper, and the community thrived. Now that XY LC has arrived, the metagame is entirely fresh, the playerbase is growing quickly, and playing LC has never been more fun. Hopefully, this guide will provide you with all of the tools you need to join the fun!
Rules
Pokemon Eligibility
In order to be used in LC, a Pokemon must comply with the following criteria:
- The Pokemon must be able to evolve.
- The Pokemon must be at its earliest evolution stage.
- The Pokemon must be at level 5.
Little Cup, like other metagames, uses clauses to ensure the most competitive environment. These are:
- Species Clause: Only one Pokemon from each species may be on a team.
- Sleep Clause: Only one Pokemon per team can be put to sleep by an opponent at a time.
- OHKO Clause: Moves that score a guaranteed OHKO on the opponent (Sheer Cold, Horn Drill, Guillotine, and Fissure) are banned.
- Evasion Clause: Moves that boost evasion (e.g. Double Team and Minimize) are not allowed. Note that moves with an alternative purpose that also incidentally affect evasion (such as Defog and Acupressure) are allowed.
- Dragon Rage: This move always inflicts 40 damage on the foe, unless it is a Fairy-type. This move is an absurdity in LC, where no Pokemon can even reach an HP stat above 40.
- Sonic Boom: This move always inflicts 20 damage on the foe, unless it is a Ghost-type. Although it is less brutal than Dragon Rage, it is still enough to instantly take out a large portion of the tier.
- Swagger: In conjunction with moves such as Thunder Wave, this move could successfully immobilize an opposing Pokemon while dealing rather consistent damage. It was deemed uncompetitive and banned from the tier.
- Moody: This ability increases a random stat by 2 and decreases a random stat by 1 at the end of each turn. It is considered too random to be competitively relevant.
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 70 HP / 110 Atk / 80 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 105 Spe
Abilities: Swarm / Technician / Steadfast
Scyther's base stats, which are actually the same in total as its evolution, Scizor, are simply too good to allow Scyther to battle with the rest of LC. Scyther has access to everything it needs to abuse these high stats, including boosting moves (Swords Dance and Agility) and strong STAB (Technician-boosted Aerial Ace and Bug Bite). It even has priority, again boosted by Technician, in Quick Attack. Scyther has never been unbanned and likely never will be.
Type: Ice / Dark
Base Stats: 55 HP / 95 Atk / 55 Def / 35 SpA / 75 SpD / 115 Spe
Abilities: Inner Focus / Keen Eye / Pickpocket
While not as extreme as Scyther in stats, Sneasel still has excellent offensive STAB moves and a simply brilliant stat spread for its role. Sneasel was actually temporarily allowed in early XY LC, but it was banned due to its extremely strong Knock Off (which also was buffed in the transition to XY), which by itself, or in conjunction with Ice Punch and Brick Break, was able to wear down Sneasel's common switch-ins. Furthermore, Sneasel was difficult to revenge kill due to its access to a priority move, Ice Shard.
Type: Grass
Base Stats: 65 HP / 55 Atk / 115 Def / 100 SpA / 40 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard / Regenerator
Tangela was of the first Pokemon banned by the LC Council in XY. Tangela was originally allowed into the metagame, but it was found to be simply too strong and bulky, especially when running its signature set of Sleep Powder, Solarbeam, and Ancient Power with support from Drought Vulpix. Even outside of the sun, Tangela could run a devastatingly resilient defensive set or an extremely strong and durable Life Orb set that used Leaf Storm and Regenerator. Tangela was banned by a unanimous vote from the LC council.
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 65 Atk / 45 Def / 75 SpA / 45 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Speed Boost / Compound Eyes / Frisk
Yanma was the second Pokemon banned by the LC Council in XY. Yanma had two destructive sets that were simply too strong for the Little Cup metagame: a Speed Boost set, which easily sweep opponents late-game when priority users had been eliminated, and a Compound Eyes set that utilized Hypnosis and Yanma's 20 Speed to cripple all potential counters and either set up with Substitute or get out with STAB U-turn. Ultimately, the proliferation of the second set, one that was simply too fast, strong, and unstoppable for LC, was what pushed Yanma over the edge and led to a unanimous vote.
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 75 Atk / 105 Def / 35 SpA / 65 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Immunity
Gligar's unique typing and great offensive and defensive stats were what led to its inevitable ban from XY LC. It could run a variety of sets, from a support hazard setter to a Swords Dance sweeper. After the ban of Yanma and Tangela, Gligar became the most over-centralizing Pokemon in the tier, proved by an astounding 47% usage rate. Little Cup became a metagame filled with Choice Scarf Hidden Power Ice Pokemon with the intent of taking on Gligar, and the "Fly Scorpion"'s versatility was deemed to much for the tier.
Type: Fairy
Base Stats: 62 HP / 48 Atk / 66 Def / 59 SpA / 57 SpD / 49 Spe
Abilities: Sweet Veil / Unburden
Aw, look at how cute and innocent Swirlix looks. Wrong! This new Fairy-type sweeper was one of, if not, the most terrifying Pokemon in Little Cup. Capable of running a variety of sets, Swirlix began to dominate the tier with its fantastic combination of Belly Drum, Cotton Guard, Calm Mind, and Unburden, being even further bolstered by a diverse movepool. There was no way to know if your "Swirlix counter" would actually counter the opposing Swirlix, and this versatility was just too much for Little Cup to handle.
Type: Dark / Flying
Base Stats: 60 HP / 85 Atk / 42 Def / 85 SpA / 42 SpD / 91 Spe
Abilities: Insomnia / Super Luck / Prankster
Murkrow's fantastic offensive stats, coupled with access to solid STAB moves in Brave Bird and Dark Pulse, made it a huge threat in Little Cup. It could effectively sweep with an extremely threatening Life Orb set, an annoying Substitute + Thief set, or even a Prankster + Haze utility set. Its offensive capabilities, useful support movepool, and ability to disrupt an opponent's entire plan led to its ban from the tier.
Type: Fighting / Psychic
Base Stats: 30 HP / 40 Atk / 55 Def / 40 SpA / 55 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Pure Power / Telepathy
At first glance, Meditite's stats seem underwhelming, but it was blessed with Pure Power, an amazing ability that doubled its Attack to a toppling 28. This, in conjunction with a solid movepool and decent bulk, made Meditite the most devastating wallbreaker in Little Cup. A Choice Scarf would patch up Meditite's average Speed stat, and an Eviolite would mend its rather mediocre bulk, increasing Meditite's viability as a threat.
Type: Ghost
Base Stats: 60 HP / 60 Atk / 60 Def / 85 SpA / 85 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Levitate
Misdreavus's ban was rather controversial, as many users were unsure of their feelings towards the Ghost-type. The omnipresent Knock Off and emergence of Choice Scarf Pawniard seemed to keep Misdreavus in check, and the variety of bulky Normal- and Dark-types proved to be a challenge for Misdreavus to switch into and perform its role effectively. However, its 19 Speed, 18 Special Attack, and access to a variety of great support and offensive moves led to its ban from the tier.
EV Spreads and Stats
One of the biggest differences between LC and other metagames is the effect of EVs on stats. The maximum number of EVs a Pokemon can have is still 510, and the maximum in any one stat of a Pokemon is also still 252, but a few other things change. Base stats are less decisive in determining the final stat of a Pokemon; the range of stats at level 5 is not nearly as wide as it is at level 100. For example, Wingull has base 85 Speed and Abra has base 90 Speed. For Abra, achieving 19 speed takes a Speed-boosting nature and 196 EVs; for Wingull, it takes a Speed-boosting nature and 236 EVs.
At level 100, it takes 4 EVs to boost a stat by one point, but in LC, it takes a whopping 80 EVs. As with every rule, this too has an exception: the number of EVs necessary for the first stat point increase depends on the Pokemon's base stat. Going back to the previous example, Wingull's base Speed stat ends in a 5, so it takes 76 EVs to raise the stat by one point, 156 EVs to raise it by another, and 236 EVs to reach its maximum. Abra's base Speed stat ends in a 0, so it takes 36 EVs to raise it by one point, 116 to raise it by another, and 196 EVs to max it out. Below are the number of EVs a Pokemon must invest to increase its stats based on the number that its base stats end in:
Base stat ending / EVs required for stat gain
xx0 / 36 /116 / 196 EVs
xx1 / 28 / 108 / 188 EVs
xx2 / 20 / 100 / 180 EVs
xx3 / 12 / 92 / 172 / 252 EVs
xx4 / 4 / 84 / 164 / 244 EVs
xx5 / 76 / 156 / 236 EVs
xx6 / 68 / 148 / 228 EVs
xx7 / 60 / 140 / 220 EVs
xx8 / 52 / 132 / 212 EVs
xx9 / 44 / 124 / 204 EVs
Pokemon with base stats ending in 3 or 4 can increase their stats four times with their EVs. For example, Magby's base Speed is 83; with a Speed-boosting nature and 0 EVs, it has a Speed stat of 15. With just 12 EVs, it can reach 16, and with 252 EVs, it can reach the 19 Speed. If Magby had a base Speed stat of 82, it would still start at a Speed stat of 15, but it would only be able to reach a maximum Speed stat of 18 through investing 180 EVs.
IVs can also slightly alter stats in LC; everything previously mentioned applies in most cases, where IVs are presumed to be 31. For every IV point missing, your Pokemon needs 4 more EVs to increase the stat point. For example, 30 IVs in Magby's Speed would not allow it to hit 19 Speed, as it would need 256 EVs to max out, but the maximum number of EVs for a single stat is 252.
Items
What You Should Use
Berry Juice
Aside from being simply delicious, Berry Juice restores 20 HP when the holder's HP drops below 50%. This allows most Pokemon in Little Cup to completely or almost completely restore their HP after taking a hit or two. This is exceptional on most setup sweepers that are comfortable taking a hit, as it allows them to potentially sweep while being at full health. Some Pokemon that synergize particularly well with Berry Juice include Drifloon, Archen, Tirtouga, and Dwebble. Drifloon uses Berry Juice and Unburden to begin sweeping after accruing a few boosts; Archen heals with Berry Juice and then attacks with a boosted Acrobatics; and both Tirtouga and Dwebble have the combination of Sturdy and Shell Smash, which allows them to set up a Shell Smash and still have the potential to take another hit with Sturdy after regaining full HP with Berry Juice.
Choice Scarf
Choice Scarf boosts the holder's Speed by 1.5x but forces it to only select one of its moves each time it switches in. This makes Choice Scarf perfect for letting a Pokemon revenge kill specific threats, and it is frequently seen on Pokemon that have wide coverage, have some sort of method of maintaining momentum, reach at least 14 Speed (21 with a Choice Scarf, which is enough to outspeed all unboosted LC Pokemon), or have any combination of the above. Magnemite is a prime example of such a Pokemon, as it hits 14 Speed, can revenge kill many of the large threats in the metagame (such as Fletchling), can 2HKO many switch-ins before they get a chance to strike, and has the added bonus of a Steel typing, which can aid its longevity. Chinchou is also a common Choice Scarf user, as it has good coverage and Volt Switch. Inkay is almost never seen without a Choice Scarf. This allows it to spam Superpower and gain boosts from it via Contrary. Bunnelby is also a frequent user, as its middling Speed is repaired through Choice Scarf, and it likes to spam Huge Power-boosted Returns anyway.
Eviolite
Eviolite gives any unevolved Pokemon a 1.5x boost to both its Defense and Special Defense stats. In Little Cup, every single Pokemon can take advantage of this boost. The most notable users are walls and defensive pivots with some form of recovery (e.g. Vullaby and Mienfoo) or Pokemon with a boosting move who appreciate the added bulk while trying to set up (e.g. Scraggy and Honedge). Eviolite is a big reason why Little Cup has slowed down since DPP, which featured mostly heavily offensive teams. Eviolite was suspected at the beginning of BW LC, but it was not banned and is now firmly accepted as a staple of the Little Cup metagame.
Life Orb
Life Orb gives a 1.3x boost to the holder's attacks at the cost of 10% of its HP per attack. In Little Cup, this is typically paired with Pokemon that simply have excellent attacking stats or coverage. A good example is Abra, which can 2HKO most of the tier with 1.3x boosted Psychic, Shadow Ball, or Energy Ball while taking no recoil due to its ability, Magic Guard. Due to the fact that most calculations in Pokemon round down, any Pokemon with an HP stat of 19 will take 1.9 damage from Life Orb recoil, which rounds down to only 1 damage, allowing a 19 HP Life Orb user to survive 19 rounds of Life Orb recoil instead of 10. Elekid and Houndour are two Pokemon that appreciate the power boost from Life Orb but also minimize the effects of recoil.
What You Should Not Use
Assault Vest
Assault Vest gives the holder a 1.5x boost to its Special Defense stat, but the holder can only use attacking moves. This is inferior to Eviolite, which provides a 1.5x boost to both the holder's Defense and Special Defense stats with no downsides.
Leftovers
Leftovers restores 1/16 of the holder's HP at the end of each turn. This is almost never enough HP to be useful in LC, as the holder would require a whopping 32 HP to restore just 2 HP per turn. Instead, Berry Juice should be used if one wants some form of recovery, and Eviolite should be used to provide greater longevity in general.
Oran Berry
Oran Berry restores 10 HP to the holder when its HP drops below 50%, which is objectively inferior to Berry Juice. Berry Juice also is unaffected by Incinerate, Pluck, and Bug Bite, giving it further advantages. You should only use Oran Berry if you have a Pokemon with the ability Harvest, which is only notably used by Phantump.
Sitrus Berry
Sitrus Berry restores 25% HP to the holder when its HP drops below 50%, which is objectively inferior to both Oran Berry and Berry Juice for all LC Pokemon (no LC Pokemon can reach an HP stat of 40, meaning Sitrus Berry can never restore 10 HP or more).
Situational
Choice Band / Choice Specs
Choice Band and Choice Specs have the same adverse effect as Choice Scarf, but Choice Band gives a 1.5x boost to the holder's Attack and Choice Specs gives a 1.5x boost to the holder's Special Attack. Most of the time, LC Pokemons' stats are so low that the ability to switch moves is preferred over the difference between Life Orb (1.3x) and Choice Band or Choice Specs. The only exceptions occur when Pokemon are prone to priority and therefore do not want to whittle down their HP, and when they are likely to only use a single attack anyways. Choice Band Bunnelby is a good example.
Damp Rock
LC has plenty of rain sweepers, but no Pokemon with Drizzle. Damp Rock can be used on any of the tier's bulkier Pokemon with Rain Dance, such as Bronzor or Mienfoo, to allow these Pokemon to shine when the sun does not.
Deep Sea Tooth
Deep Sea Tooth doubles Clamperl's Special Attack, putting it at around 36 before any boosts. This allows Clamperl to fire off exceedingly strong Surfs and Ice Beams. Deep Sea Tooth can also be used alongside Shell Smash to simply devastate teams without strong priority attacks or Water-type immunities.
Focus Sash
Focus Sash allows the holder to survive any attack when at full HP. It is commonly used by Abra, which can ensure that it will live any attack except those that hit more than once through its ability Magic Guard, which negates all effects that indirectly damage the user, such as burn, Stealth Rock and Spikes.
Heat Rock
Heat Rock extends the number of turns with intense sunlight from five to eight. It is commonly used by Vulpix, which uses Drought to instantly change the weather to sunlight.
Normal Gem
Normal Gem boosts the power of the first Normal-type move used by the holder. It is the only gem that is currently available in XY. It is commonly used by Meowth, which can use it up with Fake Out and then steal an opponent's item with Covet or Thief.
Move / Ability Legality at Level 5
Little Cup is played at level 5, which makes for some interesting situations regarding move legality. This section will briefly cover the main sources for why something that might be legal at level 100 is not legal at level 5. Also, know that it is impossible for simulators to detect all of these sources for legality that is different at level 5 than level 100.
One nice thing to note is that XY has fortunately changed the way egg moves work, so now either parent may pass on egg moves to their offspring. This has removed virtually all previously impossible egg move combinations, including Budew with Spikes and Sleep Powder, Shelmet with Spikes and Encore, and Tentacool with Rapid Spin and Mirror Coat.
New Abilities / Moves and Old TMs / Move Tutors
This is probably the largest source of move illegality for Little Cup Pokemon and Pokemon in general. At its simplest level, this means that new moves or abilities are incompatible with old moves that can't be bred onto a child.
- Lickitung gets Wish and Heal Bell in ADV from a special event and the ability Cloud Nine from the Dream World in BW. There is no way to have these older moves on a Lickitung with the newer Cloud Nine ability.
- Stunky gets Sucker Punch in DPP from move tutors and Play Rough as an egg move in XY. There is no way to have a level 5 Stunky with Sucker Punch and Play Rough bred onto it.
- Staryu can obtain Hydro Pump and Rapid Spin in ADV via the Pomeg glitch and the ability Analytic from the Dream World in BW. There is no way to have these older moves on Staryu with the newer Analytic ability.
In ADV, the Pomeg Berry, which removed 10 HP EVs upon use, could be used to faint one's party Pokemon in the overworld and then enter battle with only an Egg. In battle, this Egg could gain experience points and learn level-up moves, but when it was hatched, it would still be at level 5. Most Pokemon do not have any problem with level-up moves bred onto them, as the only prerequisite is that both parents know the move. The exceptions are genderless and male-only Pokemon, which must breed with Ditto. As Ditto cannot learn any of said Pokemon's level-up moves, this would cause their level-up moves to be illegal; however, the Pomeg Glitch could be used to remedy this situation. Some notable benefits of the Pomeg Glitch include Tri Attack and Recover on Porygon, and Rapid Spin, Recover, and Hydro Pump on Staryu.
Genderless / Single Gender Pokemon and Level-Up Moves After ADV
After ADV, the Pomeg Glitch was removed from the game, and genderless and single-gender Pokemon could no longer learn moves while in Egg form. As female-only Pokemon can breed with male fathers, they have the least problems; virtually all competitive egg moves are available to the female-only Pokemon of DPP, BW, and XY. Male-only Pokemon have many more problems, as they can only breed with Ditto; the only casualty of this post-ADV change is Rufflet, who unfortunately misses out on Brave Bird in LC. Genderless Pokemon have an equal number of problems, with Bronzor missing out mostly on irrelevant level-up moves, Klink losing Shift Gear and Gear Grind, and Golett tragically losing access to Shadow Punch and Focus Punch.
Ability Capsule
Many people theorized that the introduction of Ability Capsule, an item that allows you to change your Pokemon's ability, would solve many of Little Cup's legality issues with hidden abilities. Unfortunately, Ability Capsule only allows a Pokemon to switch between its two main abilities and not among all three. For this reason, it does not solve any legality problems regarding past generation move tutors and hidden ability introduction, although many of these were solved by BW2 move tutors or can be expected to be resolved with future move tutors. It is notable that via Ability Capsule, Pokemon that did not originally have two abilities but had an ability added in DPP have access to old moves; for example, Ability Capsule can be used on a Pomeg Glitch Tri Attack Porygon (which would have Trace from ADV) to get a Porygon with Tri Attack and Download.
Sample Teams
Now that you're finally beginning to understand the world of Little Cup, it's time to have a go at the tier. Maybe you're not quite ready to build a team for yourself just yet, but do not fear! We have graciously provided you with a standard team for hyper offense that will help you learn the metagame from a hands-on perspective.
This is a hyper offense team; it aims to overwhelm the opponent's defensive Pokemon with powerful wallbreakers to facilitate an Omanyte sweep. Due to the team's low overall bulk, most of these Pokemon are easily expendable to make up for the lack of switch-ins to common threats.
Bunnelby @ Life Orb
Ability: Huge Power
Level: 5
EVs: 228 Atk / 52 Def / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 23 HP
- Quick Attack
- Return
- Earthquake
- Wild Charge
Due to Huge Power, Bunnelby is easily one of the most dangerous wallbreakers in the tier; when it dons a Life Orb, Bunnelby can 2HKO anything with the appropriate attack. Return packs enormous power when backed by STAB, and Earthquake provides decent coverage alongside it (keep in mind that Bunnelby has Normal, not Normal / Ground, typing, so it does not receive STAB on Earthquake). Wild Charge is primarily for defensive Archen, which would otherwise be able to wall Bunnelby. Wild Charge is also able to cleanly OHKO Gastly switch-ins. Bunnelby is quite slow for a Pokemon with such low defenses, so Quick Attack is a great move to pick off weakened threats and ensure that Bunnelby isn't dead weight against opposing hyper offensive teams; frail offensive Pokemon are hit hard (such as Carvanha, who is always OHKOed after Stealth Rock). The 23 HP IVs lower Life Orb recoil; since Life Orb recoil rounds down, Bunnelby only takes 1 HP damage when it has 19 HP, as opposed to 2 damage if it were to have 20 HP. The given EVs maximize Bunnelby's Attack and Speed, with the rest dumped into Defense.
Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
Pawniard weakens walls using a different method; instead of simply crushing them with raw damage output, it gets rid of Eviolites with STAB Knock Off, permanently crippling opposing Pokemon. Knock Off also deals heavy damage to most Pokemon that don't resist it, partly due to Pawniard's naturally high Attack stat. Iron Head is Pawniard's other STAB move, which provides decent neutral coverage alongside Knock Off and Sucker Punch. Coupled with Pawniard's high base Attack stat, Sucker Punch is very threatening when boosted by STAB, making it a great priority option despite its unreliability. Every offensive team should utilize Stealth Rock to wear down key defensive Pokemon and aid important OHKOs and 2HKOs, and Pawniard does a great job at setting up Stealth Rock due to the amount of switches it forces. The given EVs maximize Pawniard's Speed so that it can have more opportunities to utilize Stealth Rock and Knock Off. The defensive EVs hit Eviolite numbers; Eviolite boosts round down, so when you hit an even number, you get more out of the Eviolite boost. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack to give Pawniard more offensive presence.
Carvanha @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 9 HP
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Aqua Jet
- Protect
Carvanha is a dangerous cleaner that utilizes Speed Boost to move first against everything without priority. It takes advantage of its high Attack and the excellent coverage offered by its STAB moves, Waterfall and Crunch, to dish out heavy damage. Protect ensures that Carvanha reaches at least +1 Speed and can outspeed the entire unboosted metagame, and Aqua Jet picks off weakened threats, especially priority users. The given EVs maximize Attack and Speed because Carvanha is far too frail to run a bulky set. The leftover EVs are put in Defense and Special Defense anyway since Carvanha has nothing better to do. For Carvanha to put out adequate damage, it requires a Life Orb, since its main STAB moves have low Base Power. 23 HP IVs allow Carvanha to reach 19 HP, which reduces Life Orb recoil.
Omanyte @ Eviolite
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 196 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shell Smash
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
Omanyte is easily one of the most potent win conditions available in the metagame; unless it is obvious that the opposing team either resists Omanyte to a great extent or is especially weak to another member of this team, a good goal early-game is to try to eliminate anything impeding a sweep. Omanyte's access to Shell Smash, which instantly doubles its already very impressive Special Attack and mediocre Speed at the cost of its defenses, allows it to easily pull off a sweep. Surf is a reliable STAB move for Omanyte and provides Omanyte with good neutral coverage. Ice Beam and Earth Power, a nearly perfect neutral coverage combination, serve to take out the few Pokemon that Surf cannot; most notably, Ice Beam hits Foongus and other Grass-types hard, and Earth Power decimates Chinchou and Croagunk. Omanyte's EVs and nature allow it to deal as much damage as possible, while outspeeding most threats after a Shell Smash boost. The remaining EVs are put in HP. Swift Swim doesn't offer much as an ability because rain teams are rare, but Weak Armor is not recommended because it leaves Omanyte vulnerable to common priority moves.
Doduo @ Life Orb
Ability: Early Bird
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 23 HP
- Knock Off
- Brave Bird
- Quick Attack
- Return
Usually, Doduo is seen paired with Fletchling to crush anything that might be in Fletchling's way, but Doduo can still function as an excellent standalone wall breaker. Brave Bird is ridiculously powerful when backed by STAB and Doduo's sky high Attack stat. Knock Off is a great coverage move and, in tandem with Brave Bird, can 2HKO anything that doesn't resist the combination. Quick Attack is useful for dealing with weakened threats: although Doduo is fast, several important threats, including Choice Scarf users, still outspeed it. This Doduo is designed to lure in and eliminate Chinchou so that Carvanha can clean more easily; Knock Off gets rid of Chinchou's Eviolite, allowing Doduo to crush it with a STAB Return. Early Bird allows Doduo to check Foongus with ease, and Life Orb lets Doduo deal heavy damage without restricting it from switching moves. The given EVs allow Doduo to do as much damage as it can while hitting the 18 Speed tier; many common threats, such as Mienfoo, Drilbur and Archen, sit at 17 Speed, so being able to outspeed them is very useful for a Pokemon as frail as Doduo. The remaining EVs do not actually boost any stats. Doduo, like Bunnelby and Carvanha, has 23 HP IVs to reduce Life Orb recoil.
Foongus @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 124 HP / 160 Def / 160 SpD
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Foongus may seem like an odd choice for an offensive team when considering its defensive nature, but Foongus's strengths are so prominent and useful that it fits into even hyper offense teams. Spore is an incredible move that instantly incapacitates anything that isn't Grass-type or has a specific ability to counteract it. One of the benefits of Foongus's Poison typing is its access to STAB Sludge Bomb, which provides Foongus with an answer to many Grass-types that would otherwise love to switch into Spore for heavy damage, such as Cottonee. More importantly, its Poison typing allows Foongus to reliably check an enormous number of incredibly dangerous Pokemon that this team has trouble with, namely Fighting-types and Fairy-types. Hidden Power Fighting is primarily for Foongus to be able to heavily damage Pawniard, almost always OHKOing non-Eviolite variants. Regenerator is what turns Foongus into one of the most effective Pokemon around; with it, Foongus is able to repeatedly check important Pokemon over and over without having to find the opportunity to use healing moves, often rendering certain Pokemon on the enemy team deadweight. The given EVs and nature let it hit Eviolite numbers, which are especially important for a Pokemon like Foongus that relies on its bulk.
Resources
- The Little Cup Forum Section is where most things pertaining to LC take place, including discussion megathreads and community challenges.
- The Introduction Thread is a great place to start in this forum if you are new.
- #LittleCup is the IRC channel and is a great place to get advice from LC veterans and discuss other things pertaining to Little Cup.
- Pokemon Showdown! is our official simulator, which includes a Little Cup chat room and ladder.
- Little Cup Speed Tiers contain resourceful information regarding EVs and maximum / common Speed stats attained in competitive Little Cup.
- The Little Cup Viability Rankings is a tiering list that separates Little Cup Pokemon by their effectiveness in battle, using an A-F grading system.
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