Proof of 1500 ELO:
There is a lot of interest in Gen III, and ORaS is the best remake for any prior gen I ever played. Because of this interest, 1500 ELO is not in the Top 500 and some of the ideas on this team appear to have been manually discovered by other players I only knew about when I was titling my RMT and the forum kept bringing up older threads which had similar titled to what I was going to put as my title. I think it's my first time getting to 1500 in Gen III OU.
(Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 120 SpD / 136 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Rain Dance
- Thunder Wave
I believe the EVs are an imported EV spread. Despite there being no HP and only Sp.Def, I kept the EVs because I knew that (a) Opposing Dragon-type moves are all Special (b) opposing Swampert's Ice Beam is, and is still Special and (c) I don't want to be less prepared than an opposing Zapdos. These EVs, including Thunder Wave, help me beat nearly any opposing Zapdos that doesn't switch. It's after adding Rain Dance that I was able to get to the 1500s, as it takes away Tyranitar's Sp.Def increase in a Sandstorm and lets Kingdra come in to reveal more information about the opponent's team. The Rain Dance also makes a minor difference by pausing Tyranitar's Sand Stream's residual damage, as my opponents are more likely to have Pokemon that either don't take the chip damage and that have good switching momentum on me and often carry Leftovers + Recovery to make it worse: Leech Seed Celebi, Claydol, Skarmory, Flygon, Metagross, but I don't have any of those Pokemon even though I tried all of them at some point and don't play them like pros do.
Wz NR OH (Blaziken) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Blaze
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 30 Def
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Reversal
- Fire Blast
I only noticed just now, when importing the team that I have 30 Defense IVs and a nature that decreases the damage output of my Fire Blast. Now that I have noticed, I am nervous to correct it, because it might be here to cause opposing Pokemon to do exactly enough damage to activate my Salac Berry or change Reversal's power to a high amount. Anyone else have a Blaziken spread or that uses a move that isn't Fire Blast for any reason?
Having some Fire attack is a must just in order to check Skarmory and Celebi.
...Fire Blast has 85% accuracy.
Cyber Dragon (Kingdra) (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Swift Swim
Happiness: 62
EVs: 112 HP / 240 SpA / 156 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Rain Dance
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
I imported the default four moves for Rain Dance Kingdra. I don't use Rain Dance when Kingdra is already out, but there is no better move to use in that slot. The best ways to stop a Kingdra sweep for the opponent are Blissey and Suicune and if I were to run, say, Toxic, then Blissey would just heal with Natural Cure and Suicune might set up a Substitute or just Rest it off. Under this logic I feel I am better off just attacking or having a secondary way to activate Rain if my Zapdos gets critted and faints in the first 2-3 turns.
This is the second Lum Berry I have on the team and I do not think it is useful. I want to change this item and need a suggestion.
The EVs are bit faster than what I expect other Kingdra to run. I want to have at least some HP because Kingdra's base Def/Sp.Def stats are higher than its base HP stat, meaning I can get some more benefit from HP benefit than I would by adding HP to the average Pokemon.
I also added this because I am way too weak to Claydol but having added this, that problem is solved.
CA $vaness82love (Dugtrio) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Arena Trap
Shiny: Yes
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Aerial Ace
- Rock Slide
Dugtrio was one of the earliest members of my teams and there have been many games where I can save either Blaziken, but usually Dugtrio, for the end. What does stop both of these Pokemon from an endgame sweep is a balanced Leftovers Flygon but I added a Kingdra for that purpose. I haven't gotten to test the Kingdra against a Flygon that often. Inspiration to run it is getting killed by opposing Magneton when I had Skarmory and then realizing I can trap those Magneton.
What next bro (Salamence) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 116 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
What next bro?? is what I mentally ask the opponent every time I bring this Dragon out which is why I changed Salamence's name to it. It will never not fit it. The Lum Berry is always triggered and since the Charti and Yache berries didn't exist in Hoenn until ORaS it couldn't be a better item choice. I know it looks like a DD sweeper, but it mostly functions as a switch in with Intimidate and a Celebi-killer. The move Earthquake is used the least and my Salamence is often killed by really fast special attackers like Alakazam.
Gtm V & ?? (Gyarados) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 188 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Earthquake
- Double-Edge
The Leftovers really postpones the number of turns it takes for Toxic to get to me, and since there is no Stone Edge from opposing Pokemon to worry about it can take both my Gyarados and the opponent several turns to get KOs in or get KO'd. No Waterfall or Ice Fang means I don't get to kill opposing Flygon fast enough. Flygon with at least 3 attacks, ideally 4, is usually one of the toughest Pokemon for me to play against and many of the changes I made were all to improve my Flygon matchup.
There is a lot of interest in Gen III, and ORaS is the best remake for any prior gen I ever played. Because of this interest, 1500 ELO is not in the Top 500 and some of the ideas on this team appear to have been manually discovered by other players I only knew about when I was titling my RMT and the forum kept bringing up older threads which had similar titled to what I was going to put as my title. I think it's my first time getting to 1500 in Gen III OU.
(Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 120 SpD / 136 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Rain Dance
- Thunder Wave
I believe the EVs are an imported EV spread. Despite there being no HP and only Sp.Def, I kept the EVs because I knew that (a) Opposing Dragon-type moves are all Special (b) opposing Swampert's Ice Beam is, and is still Special and (c) I don't want to be less prepared than an opposing Zapdos. These EVs, including Thunder Wave, help me beat nearly any opposing Zapdos that doesn't switch. It's after adding Rain Dance that I was able to get to the 1500s, as it takes away Tyranitar's Sp.Def increase in a Sandstorm and lets Kingdra come in to reveal more information about the opponent's team. The Rain Dance also makes a minor difference by pausing Tyranitar's Sand Stream's residual damage, as my opponents are more likely to have Pokemon that either don't take the chip damage and that have good switching momentum on me and often carry Leftovers + Recovery to make it worse: Leech Seed Celebi, Claydol, Skarmory, Flygon, Metagross, but I don't have any of those Pokemon even though I tried all of them at some point and don't play them like pros do.
Wz NR OH (Blaziken) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Blaze
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 30 Def
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Reversal
- Fire Blast
I only noticed just now, when importing the team that I have 30 Defense IVs and a nature that decreases the damage output of my Fire Blast. Now that I have noticed, I am nervous to correct it, because it might be here to cause opposing Pokemon to do exactly enough damage to activate my Salac Berry or change Reversal's power to a high amount. Anyone else have a Blaziken spread or that uses a move that isn't Fire Blast for any reason?
Having some Fire attack is a must just in order to check Skarmory and Celebi.
...Fire Blast has 85% accuracy.
Cyber Dragon (Kingdra) (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Swift Swim
Happiness: 62
EVs: 112 HP / 240 SpA / 156 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Rain Dance
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
I imported the default four moves for Rain Dance Kingdra. I don't use Rain Dance when Kingdra is already out, but there is no better move to use in that slot. The best ways to stop a Kingdra sweep for the opponent are Blissey and Suicune and if I were to run, say, Toxic, then Blissey would just heal with Natural Cure and Suicune might set up a Substitute or just Rest it off. Under this logic I feel I am better off just attacking or having a secondary way to activate Rain if my Zapdos gets critted and faints in the first 2-3 turns.
This is the second Lum Berry I have on the team and I do not think it is useful. I want to change this item and need a suggestion.
The EVs are bit faster than what I expect other Kingdra to run. I want to have at least some HP because Kingdra's base Def/Sp.Def stats are higher than its base HP stat, meaning I can get some more benefit from HP benefit than I would by adding HP to the average Pokemon.
I also added this because I am way too weak to Claydol but having added this, that problem is solved.
CA $vaness82love (Dugtrio) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Arena Trap
Shiny: Yes
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Aerial Ace
- Rock Slide
Dugtrio was one of the earliest members of my teams and there have been many games where I can save either Blaziken, but usually Dugtrio, for the end. What does stop both of these Pokemon from an endgame sweep is a balanced Leftovers Flygon but I added a Kingdra for that purpose. I haven't gotten to test the Kingdra against a Flygon that often. Inspiration to run it is getting killed by opposing Magneton when I had Skarmory and then realizing I can trap those Magneton.
What next bro (Salamence) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 116 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
What next bro?? is what I mentally ask the opponent every time I bring this Dragon out which is why I changed Salamence's name to it. It will never not fit it. The Lum Berry is always triggered and since the Charti and Yache berries didn't exist in Hoenn until ORaS it couldn't be a better item choice. I know it looks like a DD sweeper, but it mostly functions as a switch in with Intimidate and a Celebi-killer. The move Earthquake is used the least and my Salamence is often killed by really fast special attackers like Alakazam.
Gtm V & ?? (Gyarados) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 188 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Earthquake
- Double-Edge
The Leftovers really postpones the number of turns it takes for Toxic to get to me, and since there is no Stone Edge from opposing Pokemon to worry about it can take both my Gyarados and the opponent several turns to get KOs in or get KO'd. No Waterfall or Ice Fang means I don't get to kill opposing Flygon fast enough. Flygon with at least 3 attacks, ideally 4, is usually one of the toughest Pokemon for me to play against and many of the changes I made were all to improve my Flygon matchup.
