Rules
A while back, Twitter user @8989takoyaki made a post where they played a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors with their Hitmonchan. Said Hitmonchan only knew 3 moves: Focus Punch, Mach Punch, and Upper Hand. Each move countered another move, essentially creating the weakness triangle of traditional RPS within their movesets. My friend and I decided to add onto this concept and take it to the extreme.
Premise: Each team member may only have a moveset consisting of Focus Punch, Upper Hand, and a damage-dealing move with increased priority. These must be Pokémon who can legitimately learn these 3 moves on-cartridge.
The format will use 1v1 as a base, allowing for quick and simple games while still allowing players to bring multiple Pokémon and play around their opponent's picks. Players are still allowed to bring a maximum of 3 Pokémon and the first to get a KO will win.
Only Pokémon with the exact moveset of Focus Punch, Upper Hand, and a priority move that deals direct damage will be allowed, with a 4th move not being allowed.
Consequently, any Pokémon without access to any of those 3 moves are banned, leading to a small handful of them forming the entire metagame.
The only clauses active (and needed) are:
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Species Clause (of course)
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View attachment 597128Hax Item Clause (to be in line with 1v1 and Smogon-wide bans)
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Moody Clause (solely due to Smeargle)
Every other clause simply does not come into play due to the small handful of available Pokémon to use not having access to overpowered abilities, alongside their movepools being restricted to 3 moves per member. For example, there is no need for Sand Cloak to be banned since no Pokémon who learn the 3 moves has it as an ability, and there is no need to ban sleep / OHKO moves because they don't fit the criteria of the 3-move moveset. If any Pokémon with problematic abilities / moves were to be added to this small pool, the appropriate clauses could easily be added to stop them in their tracks.
With that said, there
are a couple of banned items.
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View attachment 597138 Rocky Helmet is banned due to it rewarding failed predictions / getting hit. Your opponent should not be able to make more progress than you by being worse.
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Covert Cloak is banned since giving the ability to ignore flinches from Upper Hand to any Pokémon would defeat the purpose of the entire metagame.
There are also a couple of strategies that might look banworthy, but seemed balanced enough in testing.
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Inner Focus is (very barely) allowed. Only 6 Pokémon have this ability, and only 3 have enough bulk to use it viably. Even so, Hitmonchan and Mienshao are still very frail, unable to survive repeated Upper Hands, have relatively low damage output compared to other meta threats, and cannot reduce damage they take in any way, aside from focus sash. Mienshao is also forced to run Fake Out, Feint, or Vacuum Wave as its priority, reducing its damage even further. The main user of Inner Focus is Lucario, who is weak to at least 2 moves on every Pokémon, forcing it to run Chople Berry to make any use of its ability. Even so, it only counters Pokémon that fail to deal ~67% of its health with one Upper Hand, and will also just die to Focus Punches in general. Due to this, Inner Focus should be monitored, but is currently not banned.
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View attachment 597142 Jaboca Berry is allowed since 1.) it is a one-time use consumable item and 2.) it deals 1/8 of the attacker's HP as opposed to 1/6 from rocky helmet, being outdamaged by most attacks.
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Sucker Punch, Fake Out, and
First Impression are allowed as the damage-dealing priority moves in a Pokémon's moveset. Due to the nature of the metagame, Sucker Punch acts like a regular damage dealing move with +1 priority (there are no status moves to select in battle). Fake Out might be able to beat out Upper Hand given the user is faster than its target, but using it and First Impression on subsequent turns will have no effect, making them effectively there to allow a slightly broader range of Pokémon into battle. If you know the matchup, you can abuse this to fire off focus punches, and if you choose to use a Pokémon with them, you would be willingly neutering yourself to have a chance of winning specific matchups.
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View attachment 597141 Poison Touch is allowed due to games being fast. While 12% chip per turn is strong, no doubt, Sneasler already deals enough damage to get kills regardless of poison damage and Toxicroak has pitiful KO potential regardless of if the opponent is statused. None of the Pokémon who can use this ability have bulk to back up passive playstyles and will not be able to reliably stall out poison damage to 100% secure kills (thank goodness Okidogi is unable to learn any damage-dealing priority). Having it as a pressure tool should not be damaging to the metagame and adds a layer of depth to teambuilding and strategy.
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Speed Boost, while a powerful ability, does not pose a massive threat to the rest of the metagame. Not only does it give diminishing returns, not giving any speed advantage after boosting past Steadfast Pokémon or Sneasler, Blaziken (the only Pokémon with access to the ability) is frail, which risks it taking massive damage before it can fully utilize the speed boosts. Even if it gets set up properly, its damage output is still middling to the point where an opponent has many opportunities to take back the momentum of the game.
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Steadfast is a similar ability to Inner Focus in that it punishes the opponent for flinching your Pokémon. But while Inner Focus walks a fine line between legality and the ban hammer, Steadfast's speed boost isn't nearly as disruptive and even gives Gallade its entire niche. It and Speed Boost are the only way to overcome the speed tiers set in place by the meta, so planning around it is smart.
There might still be some lingering questions:
Why not ban every Pokémon except Hitmonchan (or other strong Pokémon)?
My friend and I really wanted to push the RPS mechanics to their limits, so allowing more Pokémon will allow more team diversity, counterplay, and advanced strategies that utilize varying stats, type matchups, movepools, and abilities.
Why allow items?
Items are half the fun in teambuilding and strategizing, and we felt that keeping items in did not negatively impact the flow of the game in any way. In fact, it made the gameplay much more varied and exciting, further rewarding prediction and mindgames! P.S: you might not want to witness the terrifying power of Choice Band…
What about speed ties and outspeeding mechanics?
Speed ties are unfortunately unavoidable, but can be strategized around by different Pokémon with niche speed tiers or making specific stat spreads (max speed Conkeldurr is a personal favorite). Speed is a valuable resource since it allows you to beat opposing Focus Punches and Upper Hands with your own, and it is definitely important to plan out what threats to outspeed when selecting your 3 Pokémon. Honorable mentions go to Extreme Speed and Feint, both of which have +2 priority to snag wins against opponents selecting +1 priority moves and to deny Sucker Punch.
I think X ability/item/Pokémon is broken!
That's completely fair! This is the first ever metagame I've tried to make, so if something slips through the cracks, please do let me know! Constructive criticism is welcome, and explaining why a certain strategy is too powerful can bring other problematic parts of the meta to light. However, my friend and I did do quite a bit of testing, both of us playing to win and using the most effective strategies we could think of. Hopefully the reasoning above helps highlight what is/isn't balanced as well.
Can you make Nat Dex Pokémon available so I can use X?
Unfortunately, OMs can't have national dex support, as well as 1v1 not supporting the expanded dex. Personally, this is one of the metas where I am grateful that dexit happened, otherwise there would be serious problems with Inner Focus Mega Gallade and such. This meta will only use Pokémon available in generation 9 (or whatever generation is current).
…and that should be it! Everything in this metagame would be entirely replicable on-cartridge, with no extra battle coding needed. With that being said, here are a list of strong Pokémon and items my friend and I used during testing. Obviously we couldn't fully study every possible battle scenario, but testing felt thorough enough without needing additional games for insanely flawed Pokémon like Weavile and Raichu. If someone finds an incredibly broken strategy for Scraggy, they've earned it (but do let us know).
Pokémon
View attachment 597144 Conkeldurr
The pillar of balance in this fast-paced metagame, Conkeldurr does it all. Boasting a monstrous base 140 attack, strong HP and defense, this titan is not lacking in the stats department. Not only does it get STAB on Upper Hand, Focus Punch, and Mach Punch, but the latter two are boosted by Iron Fist to reach staggering damage. There isn't a single Pokémon that walls it completely, and its bread-and-butter status allows it to run a plethora of different spreads. It isn't without weaknesses, however. One could target its 65 base special defense with strong Vacuum Waves, tag it with Poison Touch, or most importantly resisting its moves. There are a handful of viable poison, psychic, and bug type options that can not only take a few hits, but outspeed it to reduce its options. Overall, Conkeldurr should be what the meta revolves around, as it promotes a healthy dose of teambuilding and acts as a strong generalist option (comparable to something like RBY Snorlax).
View attachment 597174 Sneasler (yes I know that's the Sneasel sprite)
Sneasler is Upper-Hands-down the fastest Pokémon in this metagame, off the rip. A blistering 120 base speed makes its Upper Hands and Focus Punches nigh uncontested, and it certainly isn't held back by that 130 in attack, either (seriously, who at Game Freak designed this cruel beast?). To add insult to injury, it's got the poison typing - a huge boon in this fighting-centric metagame - and insane utility in Poison Touch. Going fast and nuking with predicts is the way to use it, but do be wary of its middling bulk and tendency to miss 3HKOs with Upper Hand on bulkier/resisted opponents. Quick attack rounds out its moveset quite well, though certainly still being outshined by other priority moves on other fast options. Despite the very real risks of using it, Sneasler is definitely a good pick to slap onto any team with its strong speed advantages.
View attachment 597191 Gallade
As the mild-mannered cousin of Medicham, Gallade is certainly the more well rounded psychic type in the meta. It’s got a respectable 125 base attack, and while its other stats aren’t much to write home about, the key to unlocking Gallade’s potential lies within getting flinched. It’s the premier user of Steadfast, and it uses it well with its fighting resistance, usable bulk, and the important ability to outspeed Sneasler after a boost with only partial speed investment. Don’t overlook its priority in Shadow Sneak either, as while it doesn’t benefit from STAB, supereffective damage is dealt against Medicham and other Gallade, only being resisted by weaker picks like Weavile and normal types. TL;DR, don’t get careless flinching Gallade.
View attachment 597192 Medicham
Make no mistake, Medicham’s Huge Power might as well give it the wallbreaking power of 2 coked-up wrecking balls. It’s got the highest damage output of all Pokémon in the meta, and even higher risk to fitting it on a team, thus also giving it the most nebulous placement in viability. Does it deserve to be S-tier for OHKOing Conkeldurr with Focus Punch, chunking any resists for >50% of their HP? Or does it hang about in B-tier given that it has the worst combined speed and bulk of any meta threat? Bullet punch being its main priority move could worsen its viability by not getting STAB and being resisted by Lucario and fire types, but also means it isn’t resisted by the likes of poison, psychic, and bug types. Medicham’s damage can be further boosted by Black Belt for cataclysmic results, so if you’re the type longing for high highs and low-ish lows, it’s the perfect choice. Just don’t let it get ahold of any Choice Bands…
View attachment 597193Lucario
Inner Focus is the strongest ability in the meta. You gain the ability to ignore Upper Hand’s flinching effect to blast the opponent with your priority move. Lucario’s Extreme Speed hits hard enough to justify spamming it while healthy and moving before other priority moves is always a plus. Its fighting STABs hit hard enough to keep up with other Pokémon, and it even has an immunity to Poison Touch. So what’s the catch? Well, it’s got a crippling weakness to fighting type moves, forcing it to run Chople Berry to not be folded like a lawn chair. Lucario needs to survive Upper Hand (and preferably be healthy) to make use of its ability. Unfortunately, even with the reduced fighting type damage, sometimes strong wall breakers can Focus Punch right through its defenses and score a clean OHKO. So despite its first impressions, Lucario is actually pretty healthy for the meta in that it encourages strategic aggression.
View attachment 597194 Blaziken
Speed Boost in such a fast-paced metagame can make Blaziken feel like a noob trap. It probably is. But that doesn’t stop it from performing its niche of being a mixed attacker with almost constant speed advantage. It’s got one of the most powerful Vacuum Waves in the meta, dealing great chunks of damage to unresisted Pokémon, as well as a decent defensive typing that resists the common Bullet Punch. Still, it’s frail, and you’d be lucky if faster opponents don’t take advantage of your initially lacklustre speed stat. There’s not much else to say about Blaziken, but it certainly fills its niche and gets the job done in a pinch.
View attachment 597195 Heracross
Contrary to what you might think, being the sole bug type in the meta doesn’t come with any huge perks or downsides. Heracross’ fighting resistance is shared by many top threats, and there aren’t any moves that hit it for supereffective damage. Instead, it’s got the appealing trait of being the bulkiest Pokémon to resist fighting, allowing it to shrug off Focus Punch from Conkeldurr and survive the same from Medicham, even with Choice Band. Unfortunately, Heracross doesn’t have the best speed and relies on the weak Feint as its priority move, so it has to fight a constant uphill battle against tanks that invest in speed. You should never bring Heracross as a primary win condition, using it instead as a backup plan to face super offensively oriented teams.
Useful Items
View attachment 597184 Pinch-Heal Berries (and Sitrus Berry maybe)
Oftentimes, your Pokémon will be left at <25% HP, so the immediate healing of pinch berries is always a good thing. Sitrus Berry’s lower healing makes it harder to benefit from, since most attacks will deal an average of ~33%.
View attachment 597213 Jaboca Berry
Don’t be discouraged by the above comparison of it against Rocky Helmet, Jaboca Berry still has its uses. 1/8 of your opponent’s HP might not seem like much, but free damage is free damage. Certain 2HKOs become OHKOs with the extra chip, so don’t overlook it!
View attachment 597185 Black Belt / Fist Plate
When at least 2/3 of your moves are fighting type, multiplying their damage by 1.2x is great. If you’re not feeling too creative or need some extra wallbreaking action, Black Belt is
the go-to.
View attachment 597187 Custap Berry / Salac Berry
These are more niche than the healing berries, but are equally if not more potent in the right hands. Outspeeding and knocking out a faster opponent that thought they had you cornered is a very satisfying feeling, and these berries will get the job done.
View attachment 597189 Chople Berry
This is here purely because it is by far the best item to use on Lucario. This is, in fact, NOT a justification of viability for Weavile, Zangoose, Ambipom, or any other Pokémon with a fighting weakness. Lucario has Inner Focus and can live Upper Hand. They cannot.
View attachment 597190 Choice Band…?
The ultimate mindfuck. Use if you transcend strategy itself.
Misc.
The Twitter post by @8989takoyaki mentioned:
Berry Blitz 
Great Tusk - Hustle, Filter
Kyurem - Hustle, Sheer Force
Regigigas - 
Slaking - 
,
,
for rain and 
, 
(tera fire Flare Blitz),
. And added viability to 
, and 
for being tera weather setters over 
and 
.
/
people are able to be great tera abusers since they are no longer tera hogs and have stupid physical bulk while still packing a punch with body press and strong ice stab, and utility in rapid spin.
is finally able to have more useful defensive typing without burning tera, making it much better on stall.
this wallbreaking monster has been ou/uubl most gens with its insane wall breaking power now boosted even more with ether a free adaptability boost while still able to use its amazing ability options, or able to get stab facade or stab knock off.
unburden + tera is quite strong and without flexible defensive tera to stop it, I could see it being to much.
is probably going to make a splash since its quite strong with a solid speed stat.
is probably quite solid since its got good bulk and power and can pick a tera type to effectively trap whatever steels it needs to without being a tera hog and having solid triple stab should mean it can put in work even without any effective trapping targets.
can work as a tera normal extreme speed with swords dance and stab cc to hit steels/rocks.
can tera normal espeed with flare blitz and close combat for steels/rocks/ghosts that would otherwise block espeed.
can tera dragon for huge numbers or get stronger coverage with one of steel/fire/posion/fighting/ground.
could with tera ground act as a bulky ground with a ice neutrality, and fire resist thanks to thick fat, with pretty good stab moves in ether double-edge or body slam + earthquake.
tera normal stab punk rock boosted boomburst.
tera normal boomburst / tera fire flamethrower + stab draco.
