VGC once again posting here, can y’all rate my vgc rain team?

[viivian]

hello, i am back again, and this time i’ve made another rain team, can y’all give me your thoughts on it?

Seismitoad (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Liquidation
- Stomping Tantrum
- Power Whip
- Bounce

seismitoad is the team’s premier rain abuser, as it benefits a lot from kyogre’s rain thanks to its swift swim ability and wide movepool. i initially wanted to give it a special moveset with choice specs (and give dragapult a physical moveset with the life orb) but i realized that people were using the physical set more than the special set so i decided to switch seismitoad to being a physical attacker.

Dragapult (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder

as i said earlier, I decided to make dragapult a special attacker and utilize its similarly wide movepool, since it gets both hydro pump and thunder to abuse the rain. its dragon/ghost typing is also huge as it gives it plenty of useful resists (and an immunity to fake out) in conjunction with its amazing speed tier and solid special attack stat, especially when equipped with choice specs.

Tornadus @ Mental Herb
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Taunt
- Protect
- Tailwind

tornadus is a great pokemon to pair with kyogre, because of its 100% accurate hurricanes, tailwind for speed control, taunt to shut down opposing support pokemon and mental herb to ensure that it can get off a tailwind or a taunt turn 1 to really cripple the opposing team.

Regieleki @ Focus Sash
Ability: Transistor
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Electroweb
- Volt Switch
- Protect

regieleki beats down any opposing water and/or flying types who try to abuse kyogre’s rain themselves, and provides more speed control for rest of the team. i considered running electro ball because of its unrivaled speed tier and the fact that its boosted even further via transistor.

Zacian-Crowned @ Rusted Sword
Ability: Intrepid Sword
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Play Rough
- Behemoth Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Protect

zacian is the perfect restricted pokemon to pair with kyogre, because of the defensive benefits rain provides for it and how it handles most kyogre checks. i wanted to run substitute to provide some defensive utility but decided against it because sacred sword was necessary to beat opposing steel types i might come across.

Kyogre @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Drizzle
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Water Spout
- Ice Beam
- Thunder
- Scald

the main restricted pokemon, kyogre’s rain is a very influential force in the current metagame, due to its rain-boosted water type moves. summoning the rain can enable lots of different pokemon and make them significantly more potent than they otherwise would be, as seen with most of the pokemon seen on this team. i decided to run scarf to really outrun any opposing pokemon, especially after tornadus’ tailwind, even after they set up their own tailwind. I initially wanted to give it a timid nature but decided to go for a modest nature to give it an extra bit of firepower.

let me know your thoughts on this team!

 

[Omastar68]

Your team is extremely fast, does Tornadus even get taunted much? I think you don't need Mental Herb, but I wouldn't know. In the same vein Electroweb on Regieleki seems almost redundant-every mon is max Spe Evs and only 2 aren't a boosting nature. Ferrothorn looks to be a problem, Regieleki can actually hit it ok w. Electro Ball. That's about all I can think of, I just play BSS, so idk doubles very much.

 

[Yourwelcomethanku]

Hello Real_Corviknight

Seismitoad rain is kind of dated, Rillaboom's rise in popularity isn't ideal for it. You could either go with Seismitoad rain and add better Grass-type and Rillaboom answers or remove Seismitoad, and add let's say a Kingdra, not that rain needs Swift Swim Pokemon at all.


Choice Scarf Kyogre should be Timid to outpace Zacian-C and Calyrex-S guaranteed. I also feel it should've Origin Pulse somewhere on the moveset as an alternative to Water Spout for when Kyogre is injured.


Zacian-Crowned benefits a lot from bulk, being able to take Calyrex-S's Life Orb Max Quake and take Incineroar's flare blitz comfortably is good. (I'll put a fatter EV spread in the pokepast)


->
Your team is already pretty fast and I feel the role of a Dark-type is important to have a check to Calyrex-S, hence the format's best support Pokemon Incineroar. I went with physically defensive for Zacian-C and put Shuca Berry on to help in the matchup against Groudon (yes rain can struggle against sun).

Incineroar

Incineroar @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Parting Shot
- Fake Out
- Darkest Lariat

: ->
Zapdos can also check Water and Flying-types, while also beating Grass-types, and it might even do the former better than Regieleki with a Eerie Impulse Roost set. Went with a Roost Eerie Impulse set, since Life Orb for a more offensive set is taken. Safety Goggles guard Zapdos from Amoonguss's Spore.

Zapdos

Zapdos @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Static
Level: 50
EVs: 20 HP / 4 Def / 228 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hurricane
- Eerie Impulse
- Roost

-> /
I doubt Choice Specs Dragapult is that good, especially in a Zacian-C, Yveltal, and Calyrex-S format. Dragapult isn't that good this format Choice Specs or not. If you go with Seismitoad you could make this an Indeedee-F for that important Rillaboom answer, or if you go with Kingdra it could be Amoonguss, for a redirection user and a Grass-type to thwart Gastrodon with.

Amoonguss / Indeedee-F

Amoonguss @ Coba Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 172 Def / 100 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Energy Ball
- Protect
- Spore
- Rage Powder


Indeedee-F (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Expanding Force
- Follow Me
- Helping Hand
- Protect

Kingdra team https://pokepast.es/866e503042c11b0c
Seismitoad team https://pokepast.es/4beaa867c2129423
I don't think Swift Swim Pokemon are great currently especially with Gastrodon and Rillaboom being strong common meta presences, but, here's what I came up with.