I started off this team wanting to use a sivally. Sivally is just a cool pokemon, whether or not he's any good is another matter. This team aims to beat the tiers main threats at the moment by stealing momentum and checking them. Such threats include tapu koko, tapu lele, xurkitree, toxapex and of course, pheromosa.
Silvally @ Choice Band
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Shadow Claw
- Parting Shot
- Explosion
Unfortunately sivally was a bit of a let down. His stats are a bit jack of all trades, master of none. Movepool wise, it's not any better. he has great coverage in ice beam and thunderbolt but not special stab, and his signature move is physical. I decided to use a choice band so that he could pack a bit of power with double edge. shadow claw is only for ghost types, as double edge hits neutral targets a lot harder anyway. Parting shot is a great pivot move but try to use it on predicted switch. Explosion hits pretty much everything for >70% and can kill toxapex after stealth rock 100% of the time if it has the standard 248/176/80 bold spread.
Pelipper @ Life Orb
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Ice Beam
Pelipper has suddenly become a proper threat after it received a 10+ in special attack and drizzle. life orb works really well over choice specs because pelipper has roost and the bulk to use it. hydro pump destroys most things anyway and 2hko's max special defense celesteela. Hurricane slaughters grass type switch ins and ice beam gets a bit more damage off against zygarde than hydro pump does. The speed evs are to speed creep those trying to creep base 70's.
Marowak-Alola @ Leftovers/ Thick Club
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Flare Blitz
- Shadow Bone
- Will-O-Wisp/ Stealth Rock
Alolan marowak has incredible defensive typing for the current metagame. Leftovers is better than thick club in most cases because its a defensive set, and the things you can beat with it take enough damage from your moves already. Marowak hard counters special tapu koko, xurkitree and magnezone, and checks pheromosa. Will-o-wisp can be useful but most of the time you are just attacking, so stealth rock is also a great option.
Pinsir-Mega @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Return
- Earthquake/ Swords dance
Mega pinsir is a bit under appreciated in this metagame because tapu koko outspeeds and ko's it, and aerialate got a bit of a nerf. Fortunately, mega pinsir can still deal a ton of damage and marowak solves the problem of tapu koko, so pinsir can still roam around and ohko pheromosa with quick attack, so long as psychic terrain ins't active. There isn't a lot of room to set up swords dance at the moment but its still a viable option above earthquake if you don't mind doublade. Return ohko's Buzzwole and golisopod.
Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
So far the team is incredibly weak to stealth rock, so scizor is a great defensive pokemon the throw in. He isn't as good as mega scizor, but the slot is already taken up, so we don't have a choice. U turn is probably the best move to spam, as its best to keep him out of the line of fire until rocks or other hazards need to be removed. Bullet punch is still pretty powerful without attack investment against weak targets, but don't expect it to OHKO anything, unless its a alolan ninetails.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 140 SpD
Brave Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Fire Blast
- Substitute
Celeteela is great. On paper, its a mixed bag, as it has awesome typing and stats, but no reliable recovery and it can't defog hazards either. It is the heaviest pokemon in the game though, which makes heavy slam a pretty safe 100-120 power move every time. Leech seed lets you stall out pokemon like toxapex and landorus, and works really nicely with substitute. The evs look pretty complicated, but they just give him a lot of attack and balanced special bulk. Fire blast destroys ferrothorn and scizor, and is the reason for the brave nature. After a kill, you get an attack boost, but this set can work well if you decide to make it get a defense boost by altering the evs.
This team is pretty weak to fire. Drizzle from pelipper helps a little but theres only so much that can do. It also struggles with stealth rock, so if the opponent can keep scizor out then its pretty much gg. Any advice on the team would be greatly appreciated.
Silvally @ Choice Band
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Shadow Claw
- Parting Shot
- Explosion
Unfortunately sivally was a bit of a let down. His stats are a bit jack of all trades, master of none. Movepool wise, it's not any better. he has great coverage in ice beam and thunderbolt but not special stab, and his signature move is physical. I decided to use a choice band so that he could pack a bit of power with double edge. shadow claw is only for ghost types, as double edge hits neutral targets a lot harder anyway. Parting shot is a great pivot move but try to use it on predicted switch. Explosion hits pretty much everything for >70% and can kill toxapex after stealth rock 100% of the time if it has the standard 248/176/80 bold spread.
Pelipper @ Life Orb
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Ice Beam
Pelipper has suddenly become a proper threat after it received a 10+ in special attack and drizzle. life orb works really well over choice specs because pelipper has roost and the bulk to use it. hydro pump destroys most things anyway and 2hko's max special defense celesteela. Hurricane slaughters grass type switch ins and ice beam gets a bit more damage off against zygarde than hydro pump does. The speed evs are to speed creep those trying to creep base 70's.
Marowak-Alola @ Leftovers/ Thick Club
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Flare Blitz
- Shadow Bone
- Will-O-Wisp/ Stealth Rock
Alolan marowak has incredible defensive typing for the current metagame. Leftovers is better than thick club in most cases because its a defensive set, and the things you can beat with it take enough damage from your moves already. Marowak hard counters special tapu koko, xurkitree and magnezone, and checks pheromosa. Will-o-wisp can be useful but most of the time you are just attacking, so stealth rock is also a great option.
Pinsir-Mega @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Return
- Earthquake/ Swords dance
Mega pinsir is a bit under appreciated in this metagame because tapu koko outspeeds and ko's it, and aerialate got a bit of a nerf. Fortunately, mega pinsir can still deal a ton of damage and marowak solves the problem of tapu koko, so pinsir can still roam around and ohko pheromosa with quick attack, so long as psychic terrain ins't active. There isn't a lot of room to set up swords dance at the moment but its still a viable option above earthquake if you don't mind doublade. Return ohko's Buzzwole and golisopod.
Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
So far the team is incredibly weak to stealth rock, so scizor is a great defensive pokemon the throw in. He isn't as good as mega scizor, but the slot is already taken up, so we don't have a choice. U turn is probably the best move to spam, as its best to keep him out of the line of fire until rocks or other hazards need to be removed. Bullet punch is still pretty powerful without attack investment against weak targets, but don't expect it to OHKO anything, unless its a alolan ninetails.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 140 SpD
Brave Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Fire Blast
- Substitute
Celeteela is great. On paper, its a mixed bag, as it has awesome typing and stats, but no reliable recovery and it can't defog hazards either. It is the heaviest pokemon in the game though, which makes heavy slam a pretty safe 100-120 power move every time. Leech seed lets you stall out pokemon like toxapex and landorus, and works really nicely with substitute. The evs look pretty complicated, but they just give him a lot of attack and balanced special bulk. Fire blast destroys ferrothorn and scizor, and is the reason for the brave nature. After a kill, you get an attack boost, but this set can work well if you decide to make it get a defense boost by altering the evs.
This team is pretty weak to fire. Drizzle from pelipper helps a little but theres only so much that can do. It also struggles with stealth rock, so if the opponent can keep scizor out then its pretty much gg. Any advice on the team would be greatly appreciated.