Charizard-Y Doubles Trouble (RMT)

[ShiraBliss]

Hey guys! Long time no see!

It's been a while since I've been on the forum, and even longer since I've done any proper competitive battling. Furthermore, most of my competitive battling prior to this team was singles-oriented, so please forgive me if the team seems a little... strange/rusty.

Basically this team is centered around Charizard-Y (which is in my opinion the best Mega there is outside of Rayquaza, because RayRay can mega AND hold a life orb at the same time which is super scary???). I love Charizard-Y so much, but the main problem that I see in doubles is that most people structure their teams into a glaringly obvious Drought/Sunny Day team strategy, which has been around for so long that veterans know how to counter it pretty easily (IMO, at least).

My hope is to create a team that utilizes Charizard-Y and Drought effectively without being easily read, or be just surprising enough to be effective and efficient.

That being said, here we go!

Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze -> Drought
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Solar Beam
- Air Slash
- Protect

Charizard is the centerpiece of this team. Drought on a fire Pokemon whose special attack reaches almost 500 with a modest nature is just plain mean.

Solar Beam is a go-to against any Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types that decide to take Charizard on, and I picked Air Slash over Focus Blast for accuracy's sake. The 70% is cringe worthy, honestly. Air Slash also gives Charizard a little bit more coverage, too, allowing it to take out Fighting-types like Blaziken and Heracross out faster.

Heat Wave can be replaced with Flamethrower or Fire Blast (I don't honestly remember if Fire Blast still hits 100% in sun anymore, but if it does then it's a toss-up between damage and hitting both opponents at once).

Klefki @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 152 SpD / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Foul Play
- Thunder Wave
- Reflect
- Light Screen

Klefki is one of my favorite additions from XY. However, Klefki's found its niche in the status area, so one good Taunt shuts down almost he entire operation. If the opponent who uses Taunt is faster than Klefki, i.e. has Prankster, Klefki is rendered almost completely useless and loses a turn before I can even set up properly.

You see the 4 EVs put into speed? It looks a little silly, but that small investment ensures that my Klefki outspeeds every other 0 Spe-Prankster not named Meowstic, Liepard, Whimsicott and Thundurus, allowing my Klefki to slip in at least ONE screen, or slip in at least ONE thunder wave before being Taunted. It may not sound like much, but with this Klefki build I've been able to Thunder Wave oncoming Sableye and Klefki and Mega Banettes without fail, and that paralysis can give me extra time on Klefki to set up properly without Taunt interruption.

Klefki basically arrives on the scene with Charizard-Y to set up some screens, possibly throw out a Thunder Wave or two, and then gets switched with another player (usually Trevenant).

Trevenant @ Lum Berry
Ability: Harvest
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Drain Punch
- Leech Seed
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest

Harvest Trevenant in the sun is a nightmare. Leech Seed or Will-O-Wisp the opponent, take any incoming damage with ease, rest if it gets too dangerous, immediately wake up thanks to Lum Berry, immediately regenerate Lum Berry thanks to Drought + Harvest, Drain Punch anything that tries to fight back... this guy is mean.

I chose Drain Punch over Horn Leech because while Horn Leech has more power and gets STAB, Drain Punch has better coverage. Horn Leech hits Ghost-types, but Drain Punch can hit Ferrothorn, Scizor, Metagross, etc. with far greater power.

Snorlax @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 156 HP / 252 Def / 100 SpD
Impish Nature
- Belly Drum/Power-Up Punch
- Crunch
- Rest
- Stockpile

I found a nasty Snorlax build involving Stockpile + Belly Drum and it is one of my favorite things ever. Unfortunately, while Snorlax is super versatile, only one attacking move for all of these boosts would be a downright SHAME if that last move was resisted, or worse, immunized. Now, while nothing is immune to dark, I could run Power-up Punch instead of Belly Drum just for extra coverage, but it means that I don't get that instant +6 like I would with Belly Drum.

Cloyster @ King's Rock
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Spikes / Rapid Spin / Surf

MMMMmmmmMMMMmmmm I Love Cloyster. Shell Smash was an AWESOME addition to Cloyster, and each generation since my Cloysters have been rocking the smash. Icicle Spear and Rock Blast are absolutely evil with Skill Link, and with boosts from Shell Smash Cloyster becomes a scary sweeper.

The last move is a toss-up: do I want to set up an entry hazard, destroy entry hazards on my own side, or go from Adamant to Naughty and have a water-type attacking move? Protect thyself, enrage thy opponent, or thwart thy opponent? That is the question.

Grumpig @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Calm Nature
- Psychic
- Teeter Dance
- Magic Coat
- Heal Bell

I love Grumpig on this team! Team him up with Trevenant in the sun, use Teeter Dance, and watch all hell break loose. Trevenant's confusion is healed almost instantly with the Lum Berry, and watch the two of them go to status-inducing town together. Opponent tries to status Grumpig back? MAGIC COAT, bounce that status right back at them! Feel like switching out to cure confusion? Oh, that's ok, their team will just get IMPALED BY SPIKES anyway (if Cloyster runs Spikes. If not, it gives my team an extra turn, and those are oh so delicious anyway).

As much as I love Grumpig on this team, I feel like of all the Pokemon listed so far Grumpig might need the most work. Suggestions encouraged!

And that's what I have so far! If you guys have any suggestions or feedback please let me know

~ ShiraBliss

P.S.: It's good to be back!

[ShiraBliss]

((Apologies for the double post!))

An alternative to Grumpig in this build is a nasty piece of work that I used back in the DPPt days.

Drifblim @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
Bold Nature
- Ominous Wind
- Stockpile/Disable
- Minimize/Recycle
- Baton Pass

C:

This Drifblim was a piece of work. Really the only thing that can shut it down is a hazing move like Haze or Clear Smog. If Drifblim has enough Minimizes in there, it can dodge Roar/Dragon Tail/Circle Throw/Whirlwind. Minimize + Stockpile is a nasty combination, especially on a high HP Pokemon like Drifblim, who can absorb hits like a champion. Baton Passing those boosts to a teammate usually spells the end (usually from forfeit, from my experience ;p). Ominous Wind is there so that Drifblim can, if Taunted, still gets some hits in and still potentially get some boosts in. Ominous Wind has a chance of raising Speed, too, meaning that Drifblim has a chance of Baton Passing to one of its slower teammates like Trevenant or Snorlax (even without the Speed boost, max Stockpile + even 1 Minimize makes any of her teammates almost unbeatable).

Disable can be used over Stockpile, shutting down Choice users and granting Drifblim a free turn to use Minimize. An alternative to Disable + Minimize is Stockpile + Recycle. With the Stockpile buffs, it encourages the opponent to use super-effective moves. If the enemy hits Drifblim with a super-effective move, that's a free +2 to Atk and Sp.Atk. Recycle allows Drifblim to use it again, so if the enemy tries to take Drifblim down again with a super-effective move, that's another free Weakness Policy boost, taking Drifblim's stats to +4 Atk and +4 Sp.Atk. The main issue with Recycle Drifblim, however, is that it doesn't get reliable healing, so if Drifblim is hit super hard it's forced to Baton Pass early.

Drifblim having Stockpile makes Snorlax's Stockpile redundant, which means that Snorlax's Stockpile can be exchanged for something like Recycle which allows Snorlax to use Rest again without fail. Or, Snorlax can replace Stockpile with another attacking move like Earthquake or even Focus Punch thanks to Minimize.

The main issue with switching Grumpig for Drifblim is that the team looses access to Heal Bell, which means if they run into someone who runs a wall/stall team the battle is going to get long and messy.

Critique appreciated and encouraged! Thanks guys!