Galar Beginnings, Not looking so hot...

So....
I signed up to participate in Galar Beginnings. I built a team, equipped some items and went into practicing and ranked. I had one good win then I couldn't get a win since. I'm highly discouraged.
What I'm asking, is there anyone that could help me... I don't know. Get better? I feel stupid... I been playing Pokemon for awhile, I know the type disadvantages. I have perfect IV team. Worked out some movesets.
Help, anyone. What am I doing wrong?
My team:
Mimikyu Disguise
Dragapult Cursed Body
Gyarados Movie
Hatterene Magic Bounce
Snorlax Thick Fat
Charizard Solar Power

I could probably answer some questions, I notice your team has no defense besides Snorlax(which I'm unsure of its actual potential atm >_<) and Mimikyu is good to defend against Dynamax IIRC

Do you have a strategy going in? When you see the other team do you feel you have an answer for the threats you see on theirs? Are you too predictable with your gameplay? Stuff like that is important to know.

Theres more to the game then having a flawless stat team. I would know, I've been so preoccupied with school(least until end of this month...can't come soon enough.) all I've really been able to use for online are un-ev'd and rental teams from the game itself lol I still however do things like use a move not effective on the current poke the opponent has out for the poke he inevitably switches in. Things like that are key to success in pokemon, and sometimes the most basic moves are the best ones : ).

EVs and natures are important parts of stats too, so that's something else you'll want to work out for your team.

After that, competitive Pokemon battles largely boil down to building a team that effectively handles common threats+predicting the opponents actions or strategy.

Also what items are you using?

Lil MuDkiP849 said:

I could probably answer some questions, I notice your team has no defense besides Snorlax(which I'm unsure of its actual potential atm >_<) and Mimikyu is good to defend against Dynamax IIRC

Do you have a strategy going in? When you see the other team do you feel you have an answer for the threats you see on theirs? Are you too predictable with your gameplay? Stuff like that is important to know.

Theres more to the game then having a flawless stat team. I would know, I've been so preoccupied with school(least until end of this month...can't come soon enough.) all I've really been able to use for online are un-ev'd and rental teams from the game itself lol I still however do things like use a move not effective on the current poke the opponent has out for the poke he inevitably switches in. Things like that are key to success in pokemon, and sometimes the most basic moves are the best ones : ).

Click to expand...

I use Mimikyu as my visual and chance to set up, depending on their pokemon I'll choose between offense or defense. Mimikyu will use Baby Doll Eyes and Shadow Sneak if I feel threatened. Copycat if they have additional stat moves or their own weakness. Mimikyu had focus sash not realizing originally. I'll use Gyarados if I know their team is easily taken out using Moxie and Life Orb. I use Rain and/or Dragon Dance if I know I have the opportunity. In doubles I'll pair Hateena with Gyarados because she uses Life Dew has been pretty sturdy in doubles
I use dragapult for speed and snorlax if I see I'll need a fighting chance with the opponents team or they have a lot of ghost type. That seems to have been popular.
As for items, Dragapult has choice scarf. I can't remember the others off hand. I didn't have a lot. One has heavy boots because I know ferrothorn has been popular too with traps.

Nah said:

EVs and natures are important parts of stats too, so that's something else you'll want to work out for your team.

After that, competitive Pokemon battles largely boil down to building a team that effectively handles common threats+predicting the opponents actions or strategy.

Also what items are you using?

Click to expand...

I replied prior above to try to tackle both of your questions. I didn't think about paying attention to natures unless I see something i want a bonus in. I also aimed where there were not faults or bonuses if I didn't know what to run with.

LuminaryX said:

I use Mimikyu as my visual and chance to set up, depending on their pokemon I'll choose between offense or defense. Mimikyu will use Baby Doll Eyes and Shadow Sneak if I feel threatened. Copycat if they have additional stat moves or their own weakness. Mimikyu had focus sash not realizing originally. I'll use Gyarados if I know their team is easily taken out using Moxie and Life Orb. I use Rain and/or Dragon Dance if I know I have the opportunity. In doubles I'll pair Hateena with Gyarados because she uses Life Dew has been pretty sturdy in doubles
I use dragapult for speed and snorlax if I see I'll need a fighting chance with the opponents team or they have a lot of ghost type. That seems to have been popular.
As for items, Dragapult has choice scarf. I can't remember the others off hand. I didn't have a lot. One has heavy boots because I know ferrothorn has been popular too with traps.

Click to expand...

Okay..from what your telling me its a mix match of muddled strategies and roster as well as just a general lack of experience. What I mean specifically is lets take what you said about Mimikyu. Mimikyu is much, MUCH more threatening using it disguise ability to get off a Swords Dance vs Baby Doll Eyes. The opponent can also switch out their pokes at anytime to get rid of stat debuffs like that, vs your Swords Dance where your the one in the drivers seat.

Mimikyu@Life Orb
Adamant/Jolly
252 atk, 252 spe, 4 SpD
-Swords Dance
-Shadow Sneak
-Shadow Claw
-Play Rough

This is not only the standard yet more threatening Mimikyu set, but its also how we share our pokes online to be "rated" by other battlers. Listing all your pokes in this format makes it much easier for people online to observe your team more closely.

To be honest, I think the best advice I can give for you is probably just to keep on battling, even if you do lose. Back when I first started in Diamond and Pearl it was the same thing. Getting into pokemon where it feels like everybody else makes the right decisions, has the pokes with answers to yours all the time, and it feels like its just impossible to win. However, while many other forums will say "learn from your losses" as a blanket statement to that, and its not untrue, the more valuable piece of the puzzle your picking up here is Experience. Its the best teacher afterall, and noticing what you DO lose to and strats other people use, eventually you start to not only adapt those strategies and better them, eventually you'll soon come to realize many people are unoriginal, use the same strats, and a majority of people you will face there was never anything to fear in the first place.Just don't get disheartened and give up. Its fine if you lose 10 or even 20 times in a row, its only when we quit the game were trying to get better at do we truly lose.

Anyway outside of that, more specific advice: Natures are extremely important, Jolly vs Adamant Gyarados is a big deal since Jolly outspeeds more pokes then Adamant does, but loses some dmg that Adamant gets in some places. I think a good fit for you is a "balanced" team.

I do have to ask since you mentioned you did it in another post- Is this a doubles or singles team? Very important to know since major strategies are different for each.

Just to add a little bit more to what lilmudkip said, you should put a bit more time into research too. Learn the meta you'll be playing in. If you're going to do well in competitive you need to know the meta you'll be playing in - learn the good/common Pokemon and sets and how to deal with them/use them. You should look into building a synergistic team with a clear strategy as well, right now you have a fairly janky team with no clear strategy or win condition in mind with a lot of easy to capitalise on weaknesses.

Best of luck and keep at it.