Last time, a few months ago, my idea was to have this team:
However, I realized that it lacked synergy and that's an understatement. 3 out of the 6 Pokemon (4 if Greninja becomes Grass-type due to Grass Knot) are weak towards Fire and MegaZard Y's Drought ability would only become detrimental and disadvantageous in the end. In the end, I realized it might be the better to give Lucario the position of "Mega Evolution'er".
Even though Mega-less Charizard is considered useless when it comes to OU, I still want to use it even for the mere novelty or pleasure out of using it. However, I still want to bring the best out of my team despite its "cookie cutter" status. To compensate for Charizard, I guess Golurk should take a break for now and give room to either Empoleon or Togekiss.
Just like the first version of the team, it's 3 specials and 3 physical (although Aegislash is mixed), but with Lucario becoming a Physical Sweeper whereas a Special Sweeper or Supporter will take Golurk's spot.
So, this is the team I currently have in mind. However, if necessary I could replaceeither Greninja or Empoleon with Togekiss. Here it goes:
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Steadfast*
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Bullet Punch
- Crunch
- Earthquake
"The Aura Pokemon has gotten a Mega Evolution that makes him an opponent you should definitely not mess with. Its ability Adaptability turns Bullet Punch into a Steel-type Extreme Speed and Close Combat into a powerful attack with 240 Base Power.
Close Combat and Bullet Punch are self-explanatory whereas Crunch functions as an attack that keeps Pokemon that are resistant towards both Fighting as Steel-type moves at bay. Earthquake is very useful when up against the likes of Aegislash or Pokemon that could bring Lucario at a disadvantage when using contact moves. I know a lot of people tend to give Lucario Swords Dance, but it seems too frail to pull it nicely off since Lucario is basically a 'Glass Cannon'.
I think Jolly is better than Adamant because it needs as much speed as possible or else it'll go #wrekt easily. Again, feel free to comment on the choices."
*I don't think it makes much difference which ability Vanillacario has (instant morphin' time), but I guess Steadfast can have more use compared to Inner Focus just in case.
Charizard @ Life Orb
Ability: Solar Power
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Air Slash
- Dragon Pulse
- Focus Blast
"There's no denial that I try to make use out of Vanillazard due to fanboyism. However, I still want to pull it off effectively. Solar Power is undoubtedly the superior ability compared to Blaze. If an opponent were to use the sun for its advantage, then I guess I should make advantage of that situation as well, how common or rare it may be.
While I'm not much of a gambler, I believe Fire Blast is the better choice compared to Flamethrower even though Flamethrower has 100% accuracy. Air Slash is a nice STAB move that can damage and hopefully flinch opponents that are resistant towards Fire-type moves. Dragon Pulse keeps most Pokemon (except Fairies and Steel-types) at bay and seems to be more reliable compared to Hidden Power Grass or SolarBeam. Focus Blast's function is a gamble effort to get rid of the likes of Tyranitar and Heatran.
Charizard shares the Glass Cannon status with Lucario, so Timid > Modest (More Speed over More Power due to fragility)."
Scizor @ Iron Plate
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Aerial Ace
- Defog
"Scizor, the crimson warrior of the OU-tier. Two of its moves benefit from Technician, which increases the Base Power of moves with 60 or less by 50%. Adding Iron Plate and STAB into the equation, its Bullet Punch gets a higher Base Power (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.3 x 40 = 108) compared to Mega Lucario's (2.0 x 40 = 80).
U-turn is an useful 'Escape Button' attack that benefits from STAB. Bug Bite might be a bit more powerful, but it's less useful compared to U-turn I believe. Aerial Ace gets a Base Power of 90 thanks do Technician, and it gets rid of Bug-, Grass- and Fighting-type Pokemon. Alternatives might be Thief or Quick Attack, but a Dark-type attack would, for the most part, only hurt the Pokemon who were weak or unresistant to Bug/Steel-type moves to begin with. Same goes to a Normal-type attack, obviously. Superpower's drawbacks are too severe and it's not as if Heatran already outspeeds Scizor to begin with. Due to its bulkiness, Scizor is a worthy Defog'er that can protect its allies from Sneaky Pebbles (especially Charizard and Togekiss if it were to replace Empoleon/Greninja)."
Greninja @ Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
-Surf Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
"True to its ninja origins, this Tokusatsu frog takes the type of its move before it gets used, guaranteeing STAB boost no matter what. Due to its fragile defenses, I've opted to use Expert Belt to give it a boost when facing Pokemon that are weak to one of Greninja's moves: Fire-, Ground-, Rock-, Dragon-, Flying-, Grass-, Ghost-, Psychic- and Water-type Pokemon."
I'm still thinking whether I should replace Grass Knot with Extrasensory or not.
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SAtk
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Ball
- King's Shield
"Aegislash's a Power House, as long as its Blade Forme isn't exposed to sudden attacks. To prevent Aegislash from attack first, it's Speed needs to be as low as possible. Shadow Sneak only gets used when the situation is either way too urgent or safe enough to successively pull off. Sacred Sword hits everything that resists or is immune to Ghost-type moves. Shadow Ball is a nice attack that can take on Physical Walls such as Skarmory, Gliscor and Metagross. King's Shield is self-explanatory.
Since there's more emphasis on its Physical moves than its Special ones, I have chosen Brave nature over Quiet nature."
Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Defog
"While the royal penguin cannot shine on the battlefield in terms of sweeping potential, it can be a welcoming Staller lead for my team. Despite having a low Special Attack, Scald still has 30% chance of burning going on and that will hurt. Ice Beam keeps Grass- and Dragon-type Pokemon at bay. I've chosen Toxic over Grass Knot because Empoleon is more of a Staller/Wall instead of a Sweeper, and I believe poisoning the opponent will be more effective compared to a tricky STAB-less Grass-type move. I'd like to have an extra Defog'er, just in case."
==Alternatives I have in mind if current team idea is far from do-able or competent==
So, I mentioned Togekiss before as a replacement for Empoleon/Greninja if the team would rather need Togekiss than one of the two Water-type Pokemon. However, if it were necessary, I could replace Aegislash/Scizor with Dragonite, so here's the idea I have for these two Pokemon if they were to replace.
Togekiss @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Def / 216 SDef
Calm Nature
- Air Slash
- Aura Sphere
- Thunder Wave
- Defog
"It basically replaces Empoleon's role for the most part. However, I believe it could very well be a replacement for Greninja in terms of Sweeping potential - but that would mean it has to get rid of its Defog'er status, of course."
Dragonite @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Jolly Nature
-Outrage Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
"The Multiscale ability truly makes Dragonite a powerhouse of high caliber. First, I was thinking of Extreme Speed instead of Earthquake, but the first Dragon Dance will ensure Dragonite to outspeed its opponent (hopefully) anyway. Outrage and Fire Punch are self-explanatory, obliterating any Pokemon possible (with the exception of Azumarill, Carbink and Heatran - but that's why there's Earthquake)."
=========================================================
Again, feel free to suggest alternative hold items, abilities, EV spreads, natures and move sets for the above Pokemon -- and if necessary, which Pokemon I should replace with the alternatives if necessary.
However, I realized that it lacked synergy and that's an understatement. 3 out of the 6 Pokemon (4 if Greninja becomes Grass-type due to Grass Knot) are weak towards Fire and MegaZard Y's Drought ability would only become detrimental and disadvantageous in the end. In the end, I realized it might be the better to give Lucario the position of "Mega Evolution'er".
Even though Mega-less Charizard is considered useless when it comes to OU, I still want to use it even for the mere novelty or pleasure out of using it. However, I still want to bring the best out of my team despite its "cookie cutter" status. To compensate for Charizard, I guess Golurk should take a break for now and give room to either Empoleon or Togekiss.
Just like the first version of the team, it's 3 specials and 3 physical (although Aegislash is mixed), but with Lucario becoming a Physical Sweeper whereas a Special Sweeper or Supporter will take Golurk's spot.
So, this is the team I currently have in mind. However, if necessary I could replace
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Steadfast*
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Bullet Punch
- Crunch
- Earthquake
"The Aura Pokemon has gotten a Mega Evolution that makes him an opponent you should definitely not mess with. Its ability Adaptability turns Bullet Punch into a Steel-type Extreme Speed and Close Combat into a powerful attack with 240 Base Power.
Close Combat and Bullet Punch are self-explanatory whereas Crunch functions as an attack that keeps Pokemon that are resistant towards both Fighting as Steel-type moves at bay. Earthquake is very useful when up against the likes of Aegislash or Pokemon that could bring Lucario at a disadvantage when using contact moves. I know a lot of people tend to give Lucario Swords Dance, but it seems too frail to pull it nicely off since Lucario is basically a 'Glass Cannon'.
I think Jolly is better than Adamant because it needs as much speed as possible or else it'll go #wrekt easily. Again, feel free to comment on the choices."
*I don't think it makes much difference which ability Vanillacario has (instant morphin' time), but I guess Steadfast can have more use compared to Inner Focus just in case.
Charizard @ Life Orb
Ability: Solar Power
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Air Slash
- Dragon Pulse
- Focus Blast
"There's no denial that I try to make use out of Vanillazard due to fanboyism. However, I still want to pull it off effectively. Solar Power is undoubtedly the superior ability compared to Blaze. If an opponent were to use the sun for its advantage, then I guess I should make advantage of that situation as well, how common or rare it may be.
While I'm not much of a gambler, I believe Fire Blast is the better choice compared to Flamethrower even though Flamethrower has 100% accuracy. Air Slash is a nice STAB move that can damage and hopefully flinch opponents that are resistant towards Fire-type moves. Dragon Pulse keeps most Pokemon (except Fairies and Steel-types) at bay and seems to be more reliable compared to Hidden Power Grass or SolarBeam. Focus Blast's function is a gamble effort to get rid of the likes of Tyranitar and Heatran.
Charizard shares the Glass Cannon status with Lucario, so Timid > Modest (More Speed over More Power due to fragility)."
Scizor @ Iron Plate
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Aerial Ace
- Defog
"Scizor, the crimson warrior of the OU-tier. Two of its moves benefit from Technician, which increases the Base Power of moves with 60 or less by 50%. Adding Iron Plate and STAB into the equation, its Bullet Punch gets a higher Base Power (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.3 x 40 = 108) compared to Mega Lucario's (2.0 x 40 = 80).
U-turn is an useful 'Escape Button' attack that benefits from STAB. Bug Bite might be a bit more powerful, but it's less useful compared to U-turn I believe. Aerial Ace gets a Base Power of 90 thanks do Technician, and it gets rid of Bug-, Grass- and Fighting-type Pokemon. Alternatives might be Thief or Quick Attack, but a Dark-type attack would, for the most part, only hurt the Pokemon who were weak or unresistant to Bug/Steel-type moves to begin with. Same goes to a Normal-type attack, obviously. Superpower's drawbacks are too severe and it's not as if Heatran already outspeeds Scizor to begin with. Due to its bulkiness, Scizor is a worthy Defog'er that can protect its allies from Sneaky Pebbles (especially Charizard and Togekiss if it were to replace Empoleon/Greninja)."
Greninja @ Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
-
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
"True to its ninja origins, this Tokusatsu frog takes the type of its move before it gets used, guaranteeing STAB boost no matter what. Due to its fragile defenses, I've opted to use Expert Belt to give it a boost when facing Pokemon that are weak to one of Greninja's moves: Fire-, Ground-, Rock-, Dragon-, Flying-, Grass-, Ghost-, Psychic- and Water-type Pokemon."
I'm still thinking whether I should replace Grass Knot with Extrasensory or not.
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SAtk
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Ball
- King's Shield
"Aegislash's a Power House, as long as its Blade Forme isn't exposed to sudden attacks. To prevent Aegislash from attack first, it's Speed needs to be as low as possible. Shadow Sneak only gets used when the situation is either way too urgent or safe enough to successively pull off. Sacred Sword hits everything that resists or is immune to Ghost-type moves. Shadow Ball is a nice attack that can take on Physical Walls such as Skarmory, Gliscor and Metagross. King's Shield is self-explanatory.
Since there's more emphasis on its Physical moves than its Special ones, I have chosen Brave nature over Quiet nature."
Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Defog
"While the royal penguin cannot shine on the battlefield in terms of sweeping potential, it can be a welcoming Staller lead for my team. Despite having a low Special Attack, Scald still has 30% chance of burning going on and that will hurt. Ice Beam keeps Grass- and Dragon-type Pokemon at bay. I've chosen Toxic over Grass Knot because Empoleon is more of a Staller/Wall instead of a Sweeper, and I believe poisoning the opponent will be more effective compared to a tricky STAB-less Grass-type move. I'd like to have an extra Defog'er, just in case."
==Alternatives I have in mind if current team idea is far from do-able or competent==
So, I mentioned Togekiss before as a replacement for Empoleon
Togekiss @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Def / 216 SDef
Calm Nature
- Air Slash
- Aura Sphere
- Thunder Wave
- Defog
"It basically replaces Empoleon's role for the most part. However, I believe it could very well be a replacement for Greninja in terms of Sweeping potential - but that would mean it has to get rid of its Defog'er status, of course."
Dragonite @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
-
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
"The Multiscale ability truly makes Dragonite a powerhouse of high caliber. First, I was thinking of Extreme Speed instead of Earthquake, but the first Dragon Dance will ensure Dragonite to outspeed its opponent (hopefully) anyway. Outrage and Fire Punch are self-explanatory, obliterating any Pokemon possible (with the exception of Azumarill, Carbink and Heatran - but that's why there's Earthquake)."
=========================================================
Again, feel free to suggest alternative hold items, abilities, EV spreads, natures and move sets for the above Pokemon -- and if necessary, which Pokemon I should replace with the alternatives if necessary.
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