I'd like to thank whoever takes the time to read this. It has been a while since I've played any Pokémon with even semi-serious intent. I could never get into gen 8 and I didn't think gen 9 would be any different. As a long time OU player I had found myself growing bored with the game to the point I inevitably stepped away from not just my Smogon duties but Pokémon all together. However, I've recently been having fun with VGC. I don't know if it's the difference in team structures or relearning basic battling principals since the two formats are so different, but I have actually enjoyed myself. Now I do not see myself going to a bunch of VGC events in the future, but I do see myself playing for the rest of set 2 at the very least, which is more or less why I want to make this Rate My Team. As someone who currently would describe their VGC skills as subpar, I'd like to see what I can do over the course of a few months. As the title suggests this team is a rough draft, and over the course of the season I plan to refine it and by the end of the season showcase what the team has become in a much more polished format. In the meantime though I'd like to showcase my starting point. This is honestly a team with more questions than answers. I have a few decisions to make and things to test, but I'd like to vocalize my initial thoughts with a list of what still needs to be done. As far as a plan my goal was to build a Pseudo Trick Room team, either my opponent would lose the battle of speed control to my Trick Room. Or I win versus other Trick Room teams by denying its initiation. That is if I decide to utilize Trick Room at all in a specific game.
I decided to start building with Farigiraf, since it fulfills a couple of really interesting niches in my opinion. Firstly it stops priority which is one of the points of emphasis Trick Room has to deal with, and in a meta with Jet Punch Palafin, Extreme Speed Dragonite, and the ever popular Fake Out having ways to mitigate the threat of priority is essential to maintaining speed control under Trick Room. Before I also mentioned this is a semiroom team that could deny opposing teams from setting Trick Room, which is where Imprison + Trick Room comes into play.
With an initial Trick Room setter in place I needed to add an abuser, and honestly the best Trick Room abuser right now might be Torkoal. TeraFire Eruption in the Sun does major damage to anything that doesn't resist. Torkoal also sets the Sun which helps win the weather war + enable more combinations that we'll go over later on.
The next addition to the team was Iron Hands. I really liked what Iron Hands brought to the table as it is a Pokémon that provides the team with utility by way of Fake Out, but also applies a lot of pressure under Trick Room with its 140 base attack. Typing wise it is also a good fit helping against Dark types and Water types which are common in the format and pressure my first two Pokémon.
Kingambit was my fourth choice. It is a slower heavy hitter that can wreak a lot of havoc with its 135 attack. It also provides the team with a bit more priority that helps with speed control outside of Trick Room. Have been running a Room Service set since it is an item I've been wanting to use for a while now, and it also pairs well with the lack of full commitment to Trick Room.
For my fifth Pokémon I wanted something a bit on the faster side that could turn into an offensive threat outside of Trick Room, but also could function within Trick Room against a more fast and offensive team. This criteria lead me to Slither Wing, which provides me with another offensive force + strong priority in First Impression + a non-overwhelming speed stat that can become scary after a Flame Charge + a way to abuse Sun by way of Protosynthesis.
Finally we have Mimikyu. The 6th slot on this team has been the most volatile as I tried a lot of fast offensive mons that can also run Trick Room like Flutter Mane and Meowscarada. None of them really fit and this lead me to Mimikyu. Who once again provides the team with Priority, which is something I have tried to emphasize with this team. Also thanks to Disguise it gives me a very safe method of setting Trick Room turn one when needed, which gives a lot of comfort for matchups that want to utilize Trick Room.
Torkoal (M) @ Charcoal
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Eruption
- Solar Beam
- Clear Smog
- Protect
I decided to go with a Torkoal set that would maximize the damage of Eruption while not hindering its other utility. While I could get more damage out of Choice Specs and Life Orb initially, I want to switch moves and reserve as much health as possible. Earth Power is a commonality on Torkoal right now, but I was definitely having a hard time fitting it. There are also probably better options than Clear Smog on Torkoal, but this team struggles with Dodonzo a lot on paper so the ability to reset its stats is very enticing. I also really like Solar Beam since it provides a method to hit Gastrodon reliably which has been a small problem for me in testing, more so than other fat Water types since Iron Hands cannot pressure it naturally with Wild Charge.
Slither Wing @ Life Orb
Ability: Protosynthesis
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 60 HP / 252 Atk / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- First Impression
- Close Combat
- Flame Charge
- Protect
Slither Wing is an interesting Pokemon that takes advantage of the Sun. The EV spread is one of the few that I put any amount of work into. The EVs allow Slither Wing to outpace Flutter Mane and Iron Bundle at +1, while still being slower than a lot of more offensive mons at neutral. First Impression is also a strong form of priority that puts pressure on opposing teams late in the game, as I do not often lead Slither Wing. While Torkoal, Kingambit, and Iron Hands are my most common Teras, a Fighting Tera Close Combat from Slither Wing can do major damage in a pinch.
Farigiraf (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Armor Tail
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dazzling Gleam
- Trick Room
- Imprison
- Protect
Farigiraf is an interesting Pokémon to me. It honestly seems lackluster in terms of bulk and power, but the utility is kind of crazy. Decided to run Gleam over Hyper Voice since there is so much Throat Chop running around right now, and with a single attack I didn't want anything immune to my attack. Leftovers is a generic filler, hope to find something better for that slot over time. The EVs help me be slow, but just faster than other setters so I can Imprison them, as I outpace minimum speed Indeedee by a single point so that I can Imprison. Honestly I don't know if this is the right logical path to take with Trick Room blocking, so I'd appreciate guidance from someone more familiar with the topic. Also I really wanted to run Protect on this set to pair it with Imprison. Stopping opposing Protects also really aids the advancement of Trick Room fulfilling its potential over 5 turns.
Kingambit (M) @ Room Service
Ability: Defiant
Level: 50
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
IVs: 7 Spe
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
Kingambit is one of my favorite Pokémon of the generation. I decided to use Room Service because it plays into the Pseudo-Trick Room idea. Kingambit retains a minuscule amount of speed outside of Trick Room, but is able to outslow Pokemon like Gastrodon within Trick Room. I decided to run Flying Tera as it helps me resist Ground and Fighting to help Kingambit's longevity. My biggest question for this set is honestly Protect. I have a feeling Substitute may be a cool option that helps me take advantage of some of the dead turns Trick Room creates.
Iron Hands @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Level: 50
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Fake Out
- Wild Charge
- Drain Punch
- Protect
I still have trouble accepting that this thing isn't a Steel type, but I have still grown quite fond of this Pokémon. Solid bulk, power, and utility make Iron Hands a great addition to the team. Tera Electric with Wild Charge is extremely potent. I haven't figured out how I want to properly EV this thing, so I started with simply going max HP and Attack. The biggest question I have for Iron Hands is probably whether Drain Punch or Close Combat is the right choice. I have been preferring the longevity, but it requires proper testing.
Mimikyu @ Mental Herb
Ability: Disguise
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Shadow Sneak
- Trick Room
- Will-O-Wisp
- Play Rough
I really wasn't sure on this slot. I tried using several really offensive Pokémon that could throw on Trick Room for use in a pinch and it just didn't feel right. So I decided to use Mimikyu as my setter that has speed control from Shadow Sneak + built in bulk with Disguise. Will-O-Wisp is a nice additional utility option that also helps the teams lack luster Dodonzo matchup. I went full bulk just feeling it's probably the correct choice, but I don't know if Mimikyu will actually be better defensive or offensive in this metagame.
Well that's the team for now. I can't say I'm satisfied with it, but it's a good start for my lack of understanding of the tier. There are a few more things I want to try with the team and get figured out before I'm remotely happy, so I am welcoming any and all advice. As long as Torkoal remains a prevalent Metagame threat with Eruption I will continue to improve this team.
