This is my first time creating a competitive team or a good team for random online battles, and also ev training.
So my team is going to be a Rain team, and I won't be using Drizzle Politoed. Also, I looked around the internet for good moveset for my pokemon, so it'll be great if someone can tell me if it they work well and what changes can be made.
Swanna- Damp Rock
Ability- Hydration Nature- Modest
EV: 4 Hp; 252 Sp.atk; 252 Spd
- Rain Dance
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Hurricane
This will set rain dance, giving a boost to scald and 100% accuracy to hurricane. Ice Beam is for coverage on dragons and grass. Rain will also activate its ability and keep it healed in case of a status move.
Galvantula- Focus Sash
Ability- Compound Eyes Nature- Modest
EV: 4 Hp; 252 Sp.atk: 252 Spd
- Bug Buzz
- Sticky Web
- Volt Switch
- Thunder/ Energy Ball
Sticky Web will work as entry hazards to give me advantage on speed. Bug Buzz passes through subs, and volt switch is for scouting. Lastly thunder would have 100% accuracy on rain, and good accuracy even without it thanks to its ability. But energy ball is good against ground types.
Lapras- Undecided
Ability- Shell Armor Nature- Quiet
EV: 4 Hp; 252 Sp.atk; 252 Df
- Freeze Dry
- Psychic
- Surf
- Toxic/ Perish Song
Freeze Dry is the STAB with Surf. Also Freeze Dry is super effective to water types so I can replace thunderbolt or thunder for something else. Psychic is for coverage and neutral damage to some types. Now toxic to cripple the other pokes or perish song to force a switch or an easy win if he only haves one poke and I have more than one. Also a good defensive power.
Jolteon- Magnet
Ability- Volt Absorb Nature- Timid
EV: 4 Hp; 252 Sp.atk; 252 Spd
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Thunder Wave
- Undecided
Thunderbolt works as STAB. Thunder Wave for parahax, and Shadow ball for coverage. Also since I have 2 pokemon with weakness to electric types volt absorb is a safe switch in and also recovers health. The last one is up for suggestions.
Girafarig- Power Herb
Ability- Early Bird Nature- Timid
EV: 4 Hp; 252 Sp. atk; 252 Spd
- Thunderbolt
- Calm Mind
- Baton Pass
- Razor Wind/ Future Sight
Thunderbolt is the attacking move. Calm Mind to set and baton pass to give a boost to the next pokemon. Power Herb if I run Razor Wind a STAB move. Or future sight that deals typeless damage and it received a power boost.
Gothitelle- Light Clay
Ability- Competitive Nature- Modest
EV: 4 Hp; 252 Sp.atk; 252 Sp. df
- Psyshock
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Undefined
Psyshock for STAB and deals with sp. df bulky pokemon. Both screens for extra support and light clay for more turns. The last slot is yet undefined, so I guess it depends what other role it can play.
So that's my improvised rain team. I'll gladly receive constructive criticism and ideas for the things I'm missing and/or can improve on. Thanks a lot in advance
This team might work; I haven't tried it out. But I see several glaring issues with this team:
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You have chosen 6 very frail Pokemon, and they don't have any wall support to tank hits for them.
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You have two huge weaknesses: Electric and Fighting. Electric-types and Grass-types aren't very common in Wifi battles, I'll give you that, but Electric moves and Fighting Pokemon are. When you use a Rain team, you usually have a lot of Water-types, and you've set yourself up to get hit by the Thunder attacks that you want to use, so you need to think about that.
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You're using too many of the same-type Pokemon: Water and Electric. If your opponent sends out a Mega Venusaur or a Ferrothorn, you're in trouble, because Venusaur can both tank hits and hit hard, AND both of these Pokemon are resistant to your Water and Electric attacks, and Ferrothorn to Psychic attacks. Mega Venusaur could destroy your whole team without Galvantula. But, that doesn't mean your team is bad. It just means it's weak to Venusaur. No team is perfect.
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You have three Pokemon that are made to set-up: Girafarig, Gothitelle, and Swanna. In battles, you usually have time for one or two Pokemon to set up, and usually that Pokemon is your lead. This is why Sand Stream Tyranitar is so popular - his Ability sets up the Sandstorm while he sets up Stealth Rock, therefore saving you a move. If more than one Pokemon sets up, then you are wasting precious time and moves, because while you're still setting up 6 moves down the line, your opponent is sweeping you. Think about how many set-up moves you have to do: Rain Dance, Reflect, Light Screen, Calm Mind... that's 4 set-up moves, IF you only use Calm Mind once. The other problem here is the frailty of your Pokemon. You might be able to make all of that set-up work, IF you didn't choose frail Pokemon. Your Pokemon could all be taken out by a boosted Earthquake or Close Combat before you even get to attack.
- On the frailty of your Pokemon -
you REALLY need a Wall. You need something that will tank hits, because most of your Pokemon can be OHKO'd. I recommend Ferrothorn because in Rain, you lessen his Fire weakness, making him weak only to Fighting, with 9 Resistances, notably Dragon and Fairy, and he's not affected by Poison at all. However, this does add another Fighting-weakness to your team, which is bad.
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Lapras. Lapras can either be really good or really bad. If I were you, I would be dumping ALL of its EVs into HP and Special Attack. Lapras has a Stealth Rock weakness and a weakness to Fighting, but its Ice Beams can do some damage. Also, you have a Rain Team. Lapras needs Hydration, not Shell Armor! People are going to want to status it. Also, you want to use Perish Song on Lapras. This is a problem for two reasons: 1), it will only work on the last Pokemon, because your opponent can just switch out and 2) Lapras has to survive for three turns if you use it, which most of the time, it is not capable of doing because of all of its weaknesses. If you want to use Perish Song, the best Pokemon to do it with is Mega Gengar, because Mega Gengar has Shadow Tag as its ability, preventing your opponent from switching.
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Girafarig. If you want to pass Calm Minds, Girafarig is not the Pokemon to do it. A Baton Passer needs to be able to take hits while it sets up, and Girafarig is not capable of doing this at all. A good Calm Mind passer is Magic Bounce Espeon.
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You are also missing a good Sweeper. Scizor would be a good choice for you because the Rain covers his 4x Fire weakness.
There are some things I do like about your team. Galvantula is a beast and I hate facing him. He's fast and he hits hard, and he's a great choice for your Rain Team because he has two weaknesses: Rock and Fire, and you're negating his fire weakness with the rain. Galvantula is a great choice.
Swanna is often overlooked, but she can be powerful. However, Swanna is also frail, and she might take a hit after setting up Rain Dance. If I were you, I would choose a different Pokemon to set up Rain Dance and use Swanna to spam Hurricane later. Or you could just use Dragonite for Hurricane.
It seems like you've put a lot of thought into this and I'm not saying your team won't work, because I haven't tested it out. Good luck!