Moveset Help & Other Questions (FAQ in first post)

Thanks! I may look into coming back to battling after school is less cray cray.

Sheerow said:

Thanks! I may look into coming back to battling after school is less cray cray.

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Commday is Saturday if you want to spectate some tournaments and what not to get an idea of things. Also the PCL is going on and watching replays from that will give you a good idea :)

Zekrom said:

How does Flash Fire and Storm Drain work in doubles in regards to spread moves? Like let's say that I have a Pokemon with Flash Fire/Storm Drain on my side, and the opponent uses Heat Wave/Surf. Obviously the Flash Fire/Storm Drain 'mon will be unaffected and get the boost, but will it also prevent my other Pokemon from taking damage as well?

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As far as I know, Storm Drain = yes, Flash Fire = no.

Where to begin? First Competitive Team

Which Tier best suits a beginner? What are the basics in making a successful and enjoyable team? How do I select which Pokemon to use? Which pokemon are most common in the meta, that I should be wary of? How do I know when my team is ready? Any and all help required and appreciated. ~_~

I've just bred a Lucario (non mega) for battle spot in game but i'm curious as to what moves would be recommended, currently she's as follows

Poledra, Jolly, 31/31/31/xx/31/31
Inner focus
Wide Lens (for high jump kick and Zen Headbutt/stone edges lower accuracy)
High Jump Kick
Extreme Speed
Zen Headbutt
Drain Punch

HJK seems nicer to me than close combat and wide lens makes up the deficiency, Extreme speed is good with its +2 priority and beats bullet punch as I'm not using mega.

Drain punch was to keep her topped up in health but she's probably a bit weak to need it too much so this can go, Zen headbutt was at the tutor so I picked that up too but that's not a definite keeper.

Was thinking Ice punch is nice to replace one of these and maybe earthquake/stone edge from reading some other movesets?

Oblox said:

I've just bred a Lucario (non mega) for battle spot in game but i'm curious as to what moves would be recommended, currently she's as follows

Poledra, Jolly, 31/31/31/xx/31/31
Inner focus
Wide Lens (for high jump kick and Zen Headbutt/stone edges lower accuracy)
High Jump Kick
Extreme Speed
Zen Headbutt
Drain Punch

HJK seems nicer to me than close combat and wide lens makes up the deficiency, Extreme speed is good with its +2 priority and beats bullet punch as I'm not using mega.

Drain punch was to keep her topped up in health but she's probably a bit weak to need it too much so this can go, Zen headbutt was at the tutor so I picked that up too but that's not a definite keeper.

Was thinking Ice punch is nice to replace one of these and maybe earthquake/stone edge from reading some other movesets?

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Zen Headbutt doesn't let Lucario hit anything notable. Close Combat is better over High Jump Kick because of its better accuracy; Lucario is frail, so the defensive drops don't really matter. Despite its frailty, Lucario can afford to set up Swords Dance on forced switches. It also lacks a way to reliably deal with Fairy Pokemon. Drain Punch isn't that strong when not boosted by Swords Dance, a power-boosting item, or an incredibly high Attack, things that Lucario doesn't have. Mega Lucario is better in every way in Battle Spot formats, but if you're not using it for whatever reason, fine:
-Swords Dance
-Close Combat
-Extreme Speed
-Crunch/Iron Tail/Ice Punch
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Lum Berry

Thanks for the help.

Help with evolving my shiny eevee

So I finally found the shiny eevee I was looking for after days of searching and over 999 encounters, and now that I have it I'm not sure what I should do with it.

It's a lv.25 male
Quirky
HA: Anticipation
IVs: x/31/x/31/31/x

According to an IV calculator I consulted it's Def. is also pretty high (28-30), it's HP is average, but it's Speed is pretty low.
It's a newly caught pokemon so it hasn't been trained at all, and its moveset as of now is pretty basic with the exception of one egg move: tickle.

What would you do?

I'd say either Sylveon or Espeon. The Hidden Abilities on the other Eeveelutions are either crap, they have an arguably better normal ability, or their ability requires weather to activate (and it's simpler to not go with a weather related ability so you don't have to make a weather team). Sylveon gets Pixilate, turning it into a big offensive threat, and Espeon gets Magic Bounce, which is a really good ability in general. Sorta leaning towards Sylveon since the IVs you have work a little better for it than Espeon, but it's your choice.

Is it a bad idea to have analytic Magnezone?
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Signal Beam

With a special attack stat of 393, boosted by choice specs and analytic together, coupled with it's low speed and good defenses and typing, it can hit extremely hard, but it loses out on magnet pull.

Is it really that good off an ability? My team isn't particularly weak to steel types. Actually, is it enough that people think I have magnet pull and don't bother trying to switch out?

Also, how are the evs and moves?

EvanGalea said:

Is it a bad idea to have analytic Magnezone?
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Signal Beam

With a special attack stat of 393, boosted by choice specs and analytic together, coupled with it's low speed and good defenses and typing, it can hit extremely hard, but it loses out on magnet pull.

Is it really that good off an ability? My team isn't particularly weak to steel types. Actually, is it enough that people think I have magnet pull and don't bother trying to switch out?

Also, how are the evs and moves?

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It's actually preferable to have Magnet Pull over Analytic mainly because the former ability is Magnezone's biggest niche. Outside of hitting Celebi, Signal Beam doesn't really do Magnezone much, and other Grass Pokemon are hit by Flash Cannon anyway. It's better to have Thunderbolt over Signal Beam as a reliable Electric STAB that doesn't force Magnezone out. 84 Speed EVs are also ideal to let Magnezone outrun Skarmory, something that it counters very effectively:
-Thunderbolt
-Volt Switch
-Flash Cannon
-Hidden Power (Fire)
Nature: Modest
EVs: 172 HP/252 SAtk/84 Spe
Item: Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull

EvanGalea said:

Is it a bad idea to have analytic Magnezone?
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Signal Beam

With a special attack stat of 393, boosted by choice specs and analytic together, coupled with it's low speed and good defenses and typing, it can hit extremely hard, but it loses out on magnet pull.

Is it really that good off an ability? My team isn't particularly weak to steel types. Actually, is it enough that people think I have magnet pull and don't bother trying to switch out?

Also, how are the evs and moves?

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I would say it depends on your situation and stuff, obviously in singles, especially if you need to deal with ferrothorn or other popular steel types promptly magnet pull is invaluable. Buuuut I would disagree in saying it's always preferable. Analytic is obviously gonna help it punch holes in things in conjunction with that set and choice specs, you just have to play it right. Expect switch ins etc. Trick room'd help yo. Doubles wise, I'm seriously battling a very similar analytic set without specs right now, literally as I type this and it's bothering things with its typing stabs and damage alone. So yeah; viable I'd say. Not fantastic but threatening at the least.

So I happened to get this yesterday in a trade:


Garchomp (M) @ Garchompite
Level: 100
Ability: Rough Skin---->Sand Force
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Stone Edge

Yup, it came like that, even has all 6 perfect IVs. I understand that a +Speed nature is preferrable to Naughty, but Naughty's not bad and that's what I have to work with. I understand that it's not the best Mega out there and that the Speed drop sucks balls.
What I was wondering though was what would be the best way to make use of it in Battle Spot. Singles or Doubles (note that I already have a Garchomp for doubles running the standard VGC set but with Yache Berry)? Teammates? Tips for making the most of it in battle?

Garchomp is one of my favorite Pokemon and this just dropped into my lap so I thought that I might as well make use of it.

Nah said:

So I happened to get this yesterday in a trade:

Garchomp (M) @ Garchompite
Level: 100
Ability: Rough Skin---->Sand Force
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Stone Edge

Yup, it came like that, even has all 6 perfect IVs. I understand that a +Speed nature is preferrable to Naughty, but Naughty's not bad and that's what I have to work with. I understand that it's not the best Mega out there and that the Speed drop sucks balls.
What I was wondering though was what would be the best way to make use of it in Battle Spot. Singles or Doubles (note that I already have a Garchomp for doubles running the standard VGC set but with Yache Berry)? Teammates? Tips for making the most of it in battle?

Garchomp is one of my favorite Pokemon and this just dropped into my lap so I thought that I might as well make use of it.

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You want something to set up sand for it if you're going to use it in Doubles, and you'll need a lot of support, primarily speed control. It appreciates Tailwind and Follow Me! from Togekiss if you decide to run EQ over Earth Power. Otherwise, Clefairy or Clefable will be a good choice (Thunderwave recommended), with Suicune or Talonflame running Tailwind. The problem with running EQ is that it is hands down the most expected move on Megachomp. And that will probably lose you some turns to Wide Guard, etc.

Earth Power deals with certain threats more effectively:

252 SpA Mega Garchomp Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Mawile: 152-180 (96.8 - 114.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

4+ Atk Mega Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Mawile: 122-146 (77.7 - 92.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4+ Atk Sand Force Mega Garchomp Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Metagross in Sand: 134-162 (85.8 - 103.8%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

252 SpA Sand Force Mega Garchomp Earth Power vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross in Sand: 176-210 (112.8 - 134.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

... I'd probably also run Rock Slide over Fire Blast and Protect over Stone Edge.

Here goes something. . . Odd. A Gardevoir (Not mega, remember this) took a full blast of Iron Head to the face from a MEGA FREAKING STEELIX!!!!!!! And survived with no buffs to defence, and no help from Reflect or any item/move that lowers physical or steel damage. Can someone explain how? Note that Mega Steelix has 252 EV's to attack.

Juxapose said:

Here goes something. . . Odd. A Gardevoir (Not mega, remember this) took a full blast of Iron Head to the face from a MEGA FREAKING STEELIX!!!!!!! And survived with no buffs to defence, and no help from Reflect or any item/move that lowers physical or steel damage. Can someone explain how? Note that Mega Steelix has 252 EV's to attack.

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Normally, an Iron Head from a max Attack Mega Steelix (whether it's Adamant/Brave or a neutral nature), would've OHKOed the offensive Mega Gardevoir variant, but my speculation is that the Mega Gardevoir variant you were up against ran significant defensive EV investment, despite what you said. Bulky Mega Gardevoir is a thing, you know; it still has enough Speed to outspeed other walls like (Mega) Steelix:

Level 100:
252 Atk Mega Steelix Iron Head vs. 248 HP / 244 Def Mega Gardevoir: 266-314 (78.4 - 92.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Mega Steelix Iron Head vs. 248 HP / 244 Def Mega Gardevoir: 290-344 (85.5 - 101.4%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

Level 50:
252+ Atk Mega Steelix Iron Head vs. 248 HP / 244 Def Mega Gardevoir: 152-180 (87.3 - 103.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Mega Steelix Iron Head vs. 248 HP / 244 Def Mega Gardevoir: 138-164 (79.3 - 94.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Edit: Let me ask you a question: was the Steelix burned? The burn status halves the victim's Attack.

Level 100:

252+ Atk burned Mega Steelix Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 24 Def Mega Gardevoir: 192-226 (69.3 - 81.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Level 50:

252+ Atk burned Mega Steelix Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 24 Def Mega Gardevoir: 100-118 (69.9 - 82.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

This is a very strange question, but I was wondering... how do I get a pokemon suspect tested? There's a pokemon I think should be in a higher tier than what it's in right now. I have five replays I've collected as proof so far. Who do I turn to with the replays? And will my opinion not be taken seriously unless I'm famously good at battling?

ShivaDF said:

This is a very strange question, but I was wondering... how do I get a pokemon suspect tested? There's a pokemon I think should be in a higher tier than what it's in right now. I have five replays I've collected as proof so far. Who do I turn to with the replays? And will my opinion not be taken seriously unless I'm famously good at battling?

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You don't suspect test a Pokemon, Smogon does. If their tiering council or whatever sees a Pokemon as too overpowered for their current tier, then they will perform a suspect test.

Are you using the same team in all of these replays? If so, you're really going to want to find a way to counter this Pokemon, since it does a lot of damage to your team.

Emboar said:

Are you using the same team in all of these replays? If so, you're really going to want to find a way to counter this Pokemon, since it does a lot of damage to your team.

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But I'm the one using the pokemon. Not my opponents.
Yes, I'm using pretty much the same team in all of the replays.

ShivaDF said:

But I'm the one using the pokemon. Not my opponents.

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...what Pokemon is this?