Resource VGC19 Creative & Underrated Sets

I'm sure you all know how these threads work. Post any creative sets you've come up with and actually tested, and give us a brief explanation of how it works. Hopefully it will give other players some ideas when building their own teams, or at the very least it might generate some more activity on these forums.

I'll start things off!

ACID RAIN

tentacruel.gif

Item: Leftovers
Ability: Rain Dish
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Moves:
- Acid Spray
- Scald/Haze
- Mirror Coat
- Protect

This is my Tentacruel that just surprises people and annoys things. Use it in a team with Kyogre or bring it in against opposing Rain teams to ensure you get Rain Dish healing. Acid Spray works with any Special Sweeper on your team, like Kyogre, Xerneas, Tapu Koko/Lele, Mewtwo, Lunala, Yvetal etc, to soften targets up and allow KO's. This set can survive a Tapu Lele's Psychic in Psychic Terrain, or a Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt in Electric Terrain, and OHKO both back with Mirror Coat! And Haze is great for stopping Geomancy Xerneas in particular, or Calm Mind/Swords Dance users. Other options for this set include Knock Off, Icy Wind, Electric/Psychic Seed, and a 50% healing berry.


SWISS ARMY CAT

liepard.gif

Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moves:
- Fake Out
- Fake Tears
- Foul Play / Snarl / Knock Off
- Rain Dance / Encore / Taunt / Thunder Wave / Charm

I'm splashing this cat on just about every team at the moment because it does so much! Prankster Fake Tears softens up any target you want to KO with your special sweeper like Kyogre or Xerneas. Fake Tears is especially helpful because everyone invests in Special Defense EVs due to the style of the meta and the use of Intimidate support, and it can allow surprise KO's. Fake Out allows your teammate to set up. Encore and Taunt can cripple something when timed correctly. Rain Dance is probably my favourite move on the 4th slot when I run Kyogre, because people bring out Groudon when you lead with Scarf Kyogre and reverse the weather on you, so you just lead with Prankster Rain Dance and sweep with Water Spout. You can even cripple things and force switches with Charm. Just be VERY wary of Tapu Lele and Tsareena and their priority-negating abilities! They like to switch in when they see a Liepard lead.


GO GO GADGET GENGAR

gengar.gif

Item: Safety Goggles / Red Card
Ability: Cursed Body
Nature: Calm
EVs: 240 HP / 36 Def / 232 SpD
Moves:
- Trick Room
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Clear Smog / Sludge Bomb

Admittedly this wasn't my idea, but I'm stealing it because it's brilliant. A bulky Gengar with Trick Room? Yes! The EVs allow it survive more than you'd expect. Kartana's Leaf Blade is a 3HKO, and a Geomancy'd +2 Xerneas can only 3HKO with Dazzling Gleam or 2HKO with Moonblast. Don't think it will tank anything too ridiculous though, you still need to avoid Incineroar's Knock Off, and obvious things like Psychic, Precipice Blades, Moongeist Beam or Photon Geyser. This is your team's Trick Room setter while still also threatening an offensive presence. Sludge Bomb can OHKO Tapu Koko for example, though I prefer Clear Smog to shutdown Xerneas or something else setting up on you. Your opponent will usually predict an offensive Gengar and allow you to surprise them with a crippling Will-O-Wisp or a Trick Room set up. Ghost typing is a blessing this meta because it means you're immune to Fake Out, which is everywhere. Lastly, Safety Goggles means you can completely ignore Amoonguss and focus on the other opponent, though Red Card does have some fun results.
 
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Haze would be a good mention for tentacruel, it’s not very well known that tentacruel can run that. Would be pretty funny vs a Xerneas.
 
Haze is a huge part of the selling point for Tenta, as it was in ‘16 as a niche pick on XRay for the GX matchup https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2016-404679844 , as such I would also expect it to be better in ultra.

Regardless, I think it can be very important to know the context in which these niche/creative picks are made as that often determines their effectiveness. Frequently there might be generally stronger picks for the same or similar roles, but due to a certain combination of teammates these ones in particular shine through. This is especially true in formats such as these where a stronger influence is placed on the restricted slots.
So it would be helpful if people posted the teams they were used on. Doesn’t have to be a full paste, just knowing the 6mons will often be enough.
 
Right.
9689A3CE-82FD-4915-988A-7683464A2B42.gif

XERNEAS DESTROYER 2000
Ferrothorn @ Red Card
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Atk / 28 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Acid Spray
- Protect

Having a problem with a +2 xerneas shredding your team? Switch this guy in and watch him forfeit. Red card switches xerneas out, removing it’s boosts. Evs always OHKO kyogre, rest dumped in hp and Special Defense. Acid spray isn’t mandatory here, but I find it a tad more useful than leech seed.
 

cant say

twitch.tv/jakecantsay
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Right.
View attachment 136233
XERNEAS DESTROYER 2000
Ferrothorn @ Red Card
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Atk / 28 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Acid Spray
- Protect

Having a problem with a +2 xerneas shredding your team? Switch this guy in and watch him forfeit. Red card switches xerneas out, removing it’s boosts. Evs always OHKO kyogre, rest dumped in hp and Special Defense. Acid spray isn’t mandatory here, but I find it a tad more useful than leech seed.
228 Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Xerneas: 212-252 (104.9 - 124.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

why run red card on something that just kills what you're trying to force out..?
 
228 Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Xerneas: 212-252 (104.9 - 124.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

why run red card on something that just kills what you're trying to force out..?
I find it’s really reassuring that when you switch that ferrothorn in your opponent can’t pull any shifty stuff, and that geomancy is gone for good. Without a red card, you’re going to take a lot more damage, and you have the second teammate to deal with too, and possibly a protect. I suppose it’s about the peace of mind, since you take away a lot of the mind games that come in after. It’s also really satisfying and tilts your opponent to no end.

It’s never going to be meta and can backfire on you in a million ways, but it’s fun and very useful in the right situation.
 

Netherious

some call me papa neth
is a Community Leader Alumnus
Klefki_XY.gif

Klefki (F) @ Red Card
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 132 Def / 132 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Crafty Shield
- Light Screen
- Magic Room
- Rain Dance / Reflect / Thunder Wave / Toxic

252+ Atk Groudon Fire Punch vs. 244 HP / 132+ Def Klefki in Sun: 136-162 (83.4 - 99.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 244 HP / 132 SpD Klefki through Light Screen: 34-41 (20.8 - 25.1%) -- Miniscule chance to 4HKO
0- Atk Life Orb Dark Aura Yveltal Foul Play vs. 244 HP / 132+ Def Klefki: 30-35 (18.4 - 21.4%) -- possible 5HKO
252+ SpA Kyogre Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 244 HP / 132 SpD Klefki in Rain through Light Screen: 113-133 (69.3 - 81.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Another anti-Xern set. Priority screens + Magic Rooms (Items have no effect for 5 turns, this means you power herb) makes Klefki a pretty decently solid support mon in this gen. Rain dance is specifically to be on Kyogre-centric teams that want a quick manual rain setter, hence the EV spread that survives a pblades. A set of 252 HP 252 Spdef Calm survives Modest 252 Water Spout from Kyogre. If Kyogre isn't more of a problem for you than Groudon, run the main spread. You will disrupt like no other either by boosting your defenses beyond calcs that people test for and prepare for, or you can stall out with priority status. Klefki a good mon.

EDIT: also Red Card on Klefki makes it a set of work keys, just think of it like a hotel Key Card.
 
You sniped me with the Magic Room thing, but I wanted to share this set because it's come up in Japan and is quite creative and effective:

MAGIC SCARF

tapu-lele.png

Item: Choice Scarf
Moves:
- Magic Room
- whatever else

If you see a Xerneas you lead with Lele, and thanks to Choice Scarf and Psychic Terrain you go first with Magic Room, stopping the effect of Power Herb and leaving Xerneas very exposed next turn. Then you are free to switch attacks with Lele thanks to Magic Room negating the Choice Scarf. Of course this set has other uses than stopping Xerneas, but that's the obvious use. I think it's very clever and something people wouldn't see coming.
 
Here's a set that's maybe not *that* underrated, but nevertheless I've been having a ton of fun with it.

Ho-oh @ Leftovers / Red Card
Ability: Pressure
Careful Nature
EVs: 188 HP / 220 Atk / 100 Spe
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Substitute
- Protect

The basic idea is that Ho-oh doesn't die, and Substitute helps it not die even more. Once you have Substitute up you can start harassing the opponent with 50% burns and good damage. The EVs and Careful nature mean that Dazzling Gleam from boosted non-Modest Xerneas never breaks the Sub. The choice between Red Card and Leftovers is mostly just dependent on how much you hate Xerneas - I personally go for Leftovers, but honestly any Pokemon that can switch into boosted Xerneas can really benefit from Red Card, and Ho-oh is no exception.

now hurry up and release regenerator already gamefreak
 
Another niche yet creative set for you:

VICTORY!

victreebel.gif

Item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Chorophyll
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moves:
- Grass Knot
- Clear Smog / Sludge Bomb
- Encore
- Weather Ball / Protect / Sleep Powder / Acid Spray


Okay so WHY would you use this over Venusaur? Venusaur has the same STAB moves, Sleep Powder and Chlorophyll, much better bulk and is slightly faster. But Victreebel has some niche moves that make it stand out from Venusaur's shadow. Firstly it has Encore. A super fast Encore that nobody will see coming, which can cripple a foe into set up moves or protect and buy you huge momentum. Did you know Victreebel has Encore? Probably not. Secondly, it gets Weather Ball. This is a 100 base power Fire attack when paired up with Groudon's Drought ability, which is obviously the main teammate I would recommend with Victreebel. Though it's worth noting that Weather Ball becomes a strong water attack in the Rain as well. Thirdly, it gets Clear Smog, which can wipe away stat boosts like Geomancy, does STAB damage, and doesn't have drawbacks like Haze does on your own team's stats. You may wish to run Sludge Bomb instead though, because it has a 56% chance of OHKOing Xerneas. As for the item, Life Orb nets you important OHKO's on Groudon, Kyogre and Amoonguss. However Focus Sash does allow Victreebel to wreak havoc for a bit longer on the field, or at least guarantee it can survive +2 Xerneas and Clear Smog it back.
 
Nobody Suspects the Butterfly
vivillon-ocean.gif

Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Friend Guard
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves:
- Rage Powder
- Endeavor
- Sleep Powder
- Electroweb / Protect / Powder / Tailwind

Rage Powder allows your ally to set up, like Geomancy Xerneas, Swords Dance Groudon, Tailwind Lunala, Ho-Oh or Yveltal, etc etc, while Friend Guard also reduces the damage your ally takes. Then from there if Vivillon survives it can become a threat in its own right thanks to Endeavor. People don't often target the Vivillon because it's not the obvious threat, but Endeavor changes that and your opponent will then have to worry about Vivillon as well as a boosted Legendary Pokemon with Friend Guard support. It can also put something to sleep with Sleep Powder, play mind games with Powder or Protect, or can offer speed control with Electroweb and Tailwind.


This next one is a wacky and very effective pairing.

LUNASTIC
lunala_by_alolan_sprites-davaeqe.gif
meowstic.gif


Item: Adrenaline Orb
Ability: Shadow Shield
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves:
- Moongeist Beam
- Focus Blast
- Calm Mind
- Hypnosis

Item: Colbur Berry / Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Moves:
- Gravity
- Fake Out
- Charm / Toxic / Ally Switch / Helping Hand / Yawn
- Psyshock / Helping Hand


Meowstic's role is to allow Lunala to set up a Calm Mind by providing Fake Out support (and because it's Ghost type your opponent can't Fake Out Lunala). Then Meowstic sets up priority Gravity next turn before Lunala uses a surprise 100% accurate Hypnosis to cripple your opponent's biggest threat, which they won't see coming. The Adrenaline Orb seems random but it just about always pays off because people love leading with or switching in Incineroar when they see Lunala. After Calm Mind a +1 Focus Blast under Gravity is also a solid answer to Incineroar or other things like AV Kartana and Stakataka. Meowstic's remaining movepool is up to you, as there's a lot of great choices. Charm can cripple something like Groudon, Kartana and Ho-Oh, though Yawn and Toxic have their uses too. Ally Switch can provide some mind games and can save Lunala from a potential KO. Helping Hand provides solid support for Lunala, but you may prefer Psyshock which prevents it being Taunt bait and is more useful late game when you need to deal damage. A few things to be careful of though, because this entire strategy can come unglued by your opponent's team if you're not careful. Firstly you can't Prankster against Dark pokemon, so look out for things like Incineroar and Yveltal if you're using a Prankster status move. You can't put something to sleep with Hypnosis if Electric or Misty terrain is in effect, so be prepared for Tapu Koko or Fini being switched in if they cotton on to your strategy, and pay attention to what terrain is in effect at all times. You also can't use any Prankster priority moves against your foes if Psychic Terrain is in effect, so watch out for Tapu Lele switching in, as well as Tsareena and her Queenly Majesty. This is a risky strategy, but a lot of fun to pull off and can really take your opponent by surprise and lead to decisive victories.
 

Plague von Karma

Banned deucer.
This is definitely a deviation from the norm but I hate myself enough to do this.:facepalm:

Hitmonlee @ Electric Seed
Adamant Nature
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 200 Atk / 52 Def / 252 Spe
- High Jump Kick
- Helping Hand
- Fake Out
- Wide Guard

I really like using Hitmonlee in VGC at the moment as a more offensive Hitmontop. I don't really like Hitmontop's damage output that much, and Hitmonlee's now-doubled Speed lets it edge out some significant threats. Hell, even Xerneas. And boy, does it back a punch. High Jump Kick hits extremely hard, OHKOing whatever its super-effective against.

The Defense EVs here allow Hitmonlee to tank some useful physical hits such as from Groudon's Precipice Blades, with the Electric Seed Boost. The support moves here can allow for a lot of flexibility, preventing Kyogre from simply blasting through or letting Tapu Koko one shot Dusk Mane Necrozma with Thunder. Fake Out is always nice, and off that attack stat it packs a bit of a punch too.

It's a mediocre alternative to Hawlucha at best, but a fun one.
 
Muk-Alola @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Gluttony
Level: 50
EVs: 188 HP / 52 Atk / 16 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Poison Jab
- Knock Off
- Snarl/Fire Punch/Gunk Shot/Whatever
- Protect

Are you tired of Xerneas, Lunala, Lele, Koko, Gengar, Solgaleo etc. screwing your team? Fret no longer! Aloan Muk's amazing defensive typing allows it to easily take these threats, and its especially useful against Xerneas and Lunala because it hard wall Lunala and Snarl Xerns boosts away.

252 Atk Kartana Smart Strike vs. 188 HP / 56 Def Muk-Alola: 91-108 (44.6 - 52.9%) -- 23.4% chance to 2HKO
252+ SpA Kyogre Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 188 HP / 252 SpD Muk-Alola in Heavy Rain: 138-163 (67.6 - 79.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 188 HP / 252+ SpD Muk-Alola: 171-202 (83.8 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 
Another option for setting Trick Room:

TRICKROOMICLUS
reuniclus.gif


Item: Mental Herb
Ability: Overcoat
Nature: Quiet
EVs: 28 HP / 244 Def / 236 SpD
Moves:
- Trick Room
- Helping Hand
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot / Protect / Gravity / Ally Switch

The EV spread guarantees Reuniclus will survive a full strength 252+ Water Spout from Kyogre in the rain, a 252+ Knock Off from Incineroar, and a 252 Moongeist Beam from non-Specs Lunala, plus anything Kartana and Groudon can throw at it. You just have to watch out for a +2 Moonblast from Xerneas or a Knock Off from Yveltal. With Overcoat giving Reuniclus immunity to Spore, Sleep Powder and Rage Powder, and Mental Herb preventing Taunt, you're almost guaranteed to get Trick Room up, with your only threat being Fake Out. This is remedied by pairing it with Tapu Lele to prevent priority attacks and also power up Reuniclus' Psyshock (Reuniclus has base 125 special attack remember). The rest of the move slots are up to you. Helping Hand is always a great support move, and Gravity is great paired with Groudon and Precipice Blades. Grass Knot hits Kyogre and Groudon hard, but Psyshock actually hits Kyogre harder than Grass Knot in Psychic Terrain, so it only really helps against Groudon. But it could be nice to have dual coverage moves seeing as so many things resist or are immune to Psychic attacks.
 
Doom Drain
160922


Item: Grassium Z
Ability: Storm Drain
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpA
Moves:
- Solar Beam
- Infestation
- Protect
- Recover

EVs let it tank pretty much anything while the 28 SpA EVs guarantee Bloom Doom KO's Kyogre and Groudon. In the replay link below watch it OHKO Kyogre and then defeat Infernape and Amoonguss 1 against 2 all by itself. Not saying there was lots of skill involved but Cradily doesn't die easily and is a solid Kyogre check.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7vgc2019moonseries-864314433
 
...!


Landorus-T @ Normal Gem
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: ?
- Protect
- Explosion

Lunala @ Focus Sash?
Ability: Shadow Shield
Nature: Timid/Modest
EVs: ?
- Protect
- Tailwind

So I got wrecked hard by this. First turn Lunala sets up Tailwind, Landorus uses protect. Second turn Landorus blows up and lunala does what ever it wants sitting pretty on 4 turns of tailwind. Easy 3-2 advantage for my opponent. Worse if you start with one of your restricted Pokemon (I naively thought my Kyogre would come out on top vs Landorus).
 
Landorus-T @ Normal Gem
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: ?
- Protect
- Explosion

Lunala @ Focus Sash?
Ability: Shadow Shield
Nature: Timid/Modest
EVs: ?
- Protect
- Tailwind
Just wanted to point out some things of note with this combination, firstly Focus Sash is basically a useless item on lunala thanks to very few things being able to ko Lunala as a result of Shadow Shield- lunala z, or one of the ghost move boosting items would be a nice replacement option or maybe a more defensive item depending on your team

With the last slots I'd recommend Earthquake, rock coverage or uturn on Lando. Then with Lunala one notable option I see having a lot of value is wide guard which allows the Luna, lando combo to explode on scarf ogre more easily and allows your lando to click eq more freely.
 
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Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
Doom Drain
View attachment 160922

Item: Grassium Z
Ability: Storm Drain
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpA
Moves:
- Solar Beam
- Infestation
- Protect
- Recover

EVs let it tank pretty much anything while the 28 SpA EVs guarantee Bloom Doom KO's Kyogre and Groudon. In the replay link below watch it OHKO Kyogre and then defeat Infernape and Amoonguss 1 against 2 all by itself. Not saying there was lots of skill involved but Cradily doesn't die easily and is a solid Kyogre check.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7vgc2019moonseries-864314433
Do you have any higher ladder replays of this working? Defeating a 1067 opponent who doesn't know what storm drain does or that grass types are immune to spore isn't very notable.
 
Do you have any higher ladder replays of this working? Defeating a 1067 opponent who doesn't know what storm drain does or that grass types are immune to spore isn't very notable.
Very true and I haven’t had time to have more battles with it yet. I only bring it in on Kyogre match ups which for some reason didn’t happen much last night.
I just wanted to show that it can tank and KO things and can be switched into water attacks / spore against a better opponent. Someone else with more time could test it?
 
Just wanted to point out some things of note with this combination, firstly Focus Sash is basically a useless item on lunala thanks to very few things being able to ko Lunala as a result of Shadow Shield- lunala z, or one of the ghost move boosting items would be a nice replacement option or maybe a more defensive item depending on your team

With the last slots I'd recommend Earthquake, rock coverage or uturn on Lando. Then with Lunala one notable option I see having a lot of value is wide guard which allows the Luna, lando combo to explode on scarf ogre more easily and allows your lando to click eq more freely.
Perhaps if I wasn’t wrecked so quickly for being a noob I could have stayed in the game long enough to find out the rest of the set...

Hopefully you get the idea though, I certainly wasn’t expecting it.
 
And let me put mine in...
The amazing, wonderful SCARF SMEARGLE!!
Smeargle @ Choice Scarf
-Spore
-Lovely Kiss
-Transform/instruct
-Follow Me

The idea is to just put the opponent’s entire team to rest. GOOD NIGHT ALL!!!
And then transform into a plus 2 Xerneas and good game
 

SplatPika

Banned deucer.
Let me put one Standard Pika set.
Pikachu @ Light Ball
Ability: Lightning rod
-Volt Tackle/ Thunderbolt/ Thunder
-Fake Out
-HP Ice/ grass Knot/ Nuzzle/Feint/Volt Switch
-Protect

Pikachu can be more of a mixed attacker while also being a semi supporter as well, you can use it as more offensively against other Kyogres, remove electric moves from Kyogre, and etc. People ask me to use Raichu-K. But I wanted something more offensive and mixed, while also being semi supportive as well. Raichu seems like more of a passive Pokemon and used defensively.
 

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