SS OU PORYGON-Z RAIN - PEAKED #1, 2006 ft. Seismitoad (4 Choice Items!)

[Pinkacross]

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Introduction
2. Proof of Peak
3. Team + Description
4. Team Building Process
5. Team usage tips
6. Threat List
7. Replays
8. Shoutouts
9. Importable
10. Other Teams
11. Outro

1. INTRODUCTION

Hello! It’s Pinkacross, and I’ve got another team. After the Kyurem ban, I knew Rain would be incredible. I even built a more standard Rain that’s currently on the samples. However, what really excited me is that I could use unconventional pokemon on Rain-- especially Porygon-Z. Porygon-Z has an ability called Download, meaning that when it switches in on a Pokemon with a lower Special Defense than Defense, it gets a Special Attack boost. With Modest Nature and Choice Specs, this gives Porygon-Z a starting Special Attack stat of 910, making it easily the strongest Special attacker in the entire game. It is so strong after a Download boost that it’s Ice Beam is stronger than that of Kyurem. The question is, how to get that Download boost? Porygon-Z is relatively slow and frail, and there’s no guarantee that what you bring it in on will have lower Special Defense. That’s where Barraskewda comes in… Barraskewda brings in slow, physically defensive walls better than anything in the game, clicks Flip Turn… and the duck is all charged up and ready to get a kill. Without further ado, here is “A Powerful Error.”

2. PROOF OF PEAK

This peak was achieved by me laddering alone-- I got carried by this team.

3. TEAM + DESCRIPTION

Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm / Sassy Nature with IVs: 0 Spe
- Scald
- Defog
- U-turn
- Roost

Role / General Tips: Rain setter. Pelipper is often the correct lead, especially if the opponent has no opposing weather setting pokemon. Make sure to preserve it’s health, and don’t sack unless you’re absolutely sure you won’t need the Rain turns later. Pelipper’s Specially Defensive investment means it can sometimes stay in on leads such as Dragapult, but be careful
Item: Damp Rock gives Rain 8 turns, which is vital for all full Rain teams.
Moves: Standard Pelipper moveset. Scald gives Pelipper a strong STAB move with a burn chance to hit and scare out Pokemon like Landorus-Therian and Heatran. Defog is great for removing hazards, though Pelipper often isn’t given an easy opportunity to use it. Generally Defog is most useful against bulky teams that can’t pressure Pelipper enough to prevent a Defog. Roost helps keep Pelipper healthy throughout the game, especially against bulkier teams. Often it’s not worth using Roost in offensive matchups, but sometimes it’s necessary to give Pelipper another entry on hazards. U-turn is the move you will likely use most with Pelipper. It’s great in lead situations and can help frail breakers like Barraskewda and Porygon-Z enter.
EVs & Nature: Pelipper is maximum invested in Special Defense to be better against Dragapult and Tapu Lele leads. It also lets Pelipper reliably take at least one hit from Specs Aegislash and Blacephalon. This Pelipper set is not minimum speed so that Pelipper can outspeed lead Clefable, click U-turn, and based on the damage, tell whether Clefable is Defensive or specially defensive. If the Clefable is Defensive, say, a CM lead trying to click Thunderbolt on Pelipper, you can U-turn into Porygon-Z, get a Special Attack Download boost, and likely get a kill.
Other Options: You can run a minimum speed Pelipper if you prefer, the difference is quite minute and often it won’t have a large impact on the game. One other option is running Knock Off over Scald or Roost, this can help cripple Toxapex, Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, and Blissey.
Notable Calcs:

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Psychic vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Pelipper in Psychic Terrain: 258-304 (79.8 - 94.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Pelipper: 238-282 (73.6 - 87.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Blacephalon Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Pelipper: 198-234 (61.3 - 72.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Barraskewda @ Choice Band
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flip Turn
- Liquidation
- Crunch
- Close Combat

Role / General Tips: Barraskewda is a breaker, Speed control, and the primary pokemon that helps get in Porygon-Z. Be careful to not let Barraskewda get chipped too much by Rocky Helmets and hazards, often it’s vital late game. Often Seismitoad or Barraskewda will wear down Water types for the other, keep your eyes peeled for opportunities where chipping a Water type (like Tapu Fini) may lead to Seismitoad winning, even if Barraskewda faints.
Item: Choice Band helps significantly boost Barraskewda’s power, especially it’s main move Flip Turn.
Moves: Flip Turn is the main move you’ll be clicking. It’s an extremely powerful move from Barraskewda in the Rain, and it often brings in pokemon that lead to a Download boost from Porygon-Z. Liquidation is a stronger Water move that’s often good in late game situations and picking up a lot of OHKOs in the Rain. Close Combat hits Steels like Ferrothorn as well as hitting Water Absorbers like Volcanion and Gastrodon. Crunch is great for OHKOing Dragapult and hitting Slowking and Slowbro.
EVs & Nature: Adamant Nature for additional power, as Barraskewda under Rain doesn’t need to be Jolly. Max Attack and Speed investment for speed and strength.
Other Options: You can run Aqua Jet, Psychic Fangs, or Assurance over Crunch if you prefer, but I’ve found Crunch to be the best.
Notable Calcs:

252+ Atk Choice Band Barraskewda Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 188-222 (47.7 - 56.3%) -- 84.8% chance to 2HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Barraskewda Liquidation vs. 248 HP / 92 Def Tornadus-Therian in Rain: 357-420 (98.8 - 116.3%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Barraskewda Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn: 248-292 (70.4 - 82.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Barraskewda Flip Turn vs. 248 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian in Rain: 338-398 (88.7 - 104.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Porygon-Z @ Choice Specs
Ability: Download
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder / Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
- Tri Attack
- Psyshock

Role / General Tips: Porygon-Z is the primary breaker of the team, and it also acts as a Shadow Ball immunity. It loves to enter on slow pokemon that will give it a Special Attack boost from Download. It 6-0s all non Shedinja stall (unless you run Shadow Ball) and it easily breaks most Balances. Make sure to calculate even the smallest hits you get against your opponent’s team to find out if their Pokemon have more Physical Defense or Special Defense. Download gets a Special Attack boost if the opponent has lower Special Defense, an Attack Boost (useless) if the opponent has lower Defense, and a Special Attack boost if the stats are even. Note, however, this does not mean you’ll get a Special Attack boost on a Victini or other even-stat pokemon, as it is common practice to put 4 EVs in Special Defense. Also note that on top of the other moves, a Download boosted Tri-Attack is stronger than an Adaptability Tri-Attack, the multiplier for Adaptability being 2x and for Download, 2.25x. Some prime candidates for Download boosting include Slowbro, Toxapex, Tapu Koko, and Zapdos. It’s often important to keep Porygon-Z alive if the opponent has a Dragapult. Sometimes people will lead Tornadus, Porygon-Z gets a Special Attack boost from standard Tornadus and it can OHKO with an Ice Beam even if Tornadus uses Knock Off.
Item: Choice Specs gives Porygon-Z a massive amount of power, letting it crack open Stall and Balance, and get a lot of OHKOs.
Moves: Tri Attack is Porygon-Z’s powerful STAB move, with a 20% chance to inflict Paralysis, a Freeze, or a Burn. Thunder lets Porygon-Z OHKO Specially Defensive Corviknight and 2HKO Specially Defensive Heatran when boosted. Ice Beam is a great spammable coverage move that 2HKOs Ferrothorn (and is actually stronger than Kyurem’s Ice Beam). Finally, Psyshock is used because it 2HKOs Slowking-Galar and Blissey, letting Porygon-Z break Stall easily.
EVs & Nature: Modest Nature is chosen for maximum power. The EVs give Porygon-Z as much speed and power as possible.
Other Options: You can run Timid Porygon-Z. You can also run Shadow Ball over Ice Beam or Thunder to hit Shedinja. A Download Boosted Shadow Ball will be about as strong as a Specs Shadow Ball from an Aegislash. Life Orb can also be used over Choice Specs, but this is quite risky as Porygon-Z is already frail and weak to hazards.
Notable Calcs:

+1 252+ SpA Choice Specs Porygon-Z Tri Attack vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Clefable: 363-427 (92.1 - 108.3%) -- 50% chance to OHKO

+1 252+ SpA Choice Specs Porygon-Z Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Blissey: 401-472 (56.1 - 66.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 252+ SpA Porygon-Z Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tornadus-Therian: 362-428 (100 - 118.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 252+ SpA Choice Specs Porygon-Z Thunder vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 209-247 (54.1 - 63.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Porygon-Z Thunder vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Corviknight: 326-384 (81.7 - 96.2%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

+1 252+ SpA Choice Specs Porygon-Z Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Slowking-Galar: 266-314 (67.5 - 79.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Ferrothorn @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Body Press
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed

Role / General Tips: Ferrothorn serves as a hazard setter, a Kartana switch in, a Weavile switch in, and a Rillaboom switch in. Don’t let Ferrothorn die if you need it to answer one of these pokemon (although we do have backup answers). Setting Stealth Rock is often very important in a game, but don’t lose momentum by setting Stealth Rocks when it would be more beneficial to start pressuring your opponent with Barraskewda and Porygon-Z. Often it’s better to have no Stealth Rocks up than both you and your opponent having Stealth Rocks up. Usually trading Ferrothorns with your opponent by Body Pressing each other is worth it for Barraskewda.
Item: Rocky Helmet helps Ferrothorn deal more damage to Kartana, Rillaboom, Weavile and occasional Urshifu-Rapid-Strike. Also, Ferrothorn will likely get Knocked Off, so it will at least do some damage as it loses its item.
Moves: Stealth Rocks are great for residual chip and pressure. Body Press lets Ferrothorn OHKO Weavile and Bisharp, and deal significant damage to Kartana. Knock Off is great for removing items, notably Heavy Duty Boots and Leftovers when facing bulky teams. Leech Seed helps Ferrothorn regain health, and it allows Ferrothorn to force Corviknight out and set Stealth Rock.
EVs & Nature: Impish Nature with max Defense for walling Physical attackers. 8 Speed is for winning Speed ties with other Ferrothorn.
Other Options: You could run Gyro Ball over Knock Off for Tapu Fini and Tornadus.
Notable Calcs:

252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn: 105-125 (29.8 - 35.5%) -- 27.5% chance to 3HKO

252 Atk Kartana Sacred Sword vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn: 150-178 (42.6 - 50.5%) -- 2.3% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Weavile Triple Axel (40 BP) (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn: 111-135 (31.5 - 38.3%) -- approx. 93.9% chance to 3HKO

252+ Def Ferrothorn Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kartana: 154-182 (59.4 - 70.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Rillaboom U-turn vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn: 73-87 (20.7 - 24.7%) -- possible 6HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery

Tapu Lele @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Future Sight
- Moonblast
- Thunder
- Psyshock

Role / General Tips: Tapu Lele acts as Speed control and a secondary answer to Rillaboom, as Ferrothorn is usually fainted or weakened by late game. Make sure to keep Tapu Lele around if the opponent has a Weavile, Rillaboom, or Garchomp, as it is often instrumental in taking down those pokemon with minimal damage to the team.
Item: Choice Scarf lets Tapu Lele reliably check Weavile, Garchomp, Kartana, and act as a late game cleaner.
Moves: Moonblast is the main move I click, very good for taking out unsuspecting Dragapult or Weavile, and finishing off Kartana. It also frequently sweeps late game. Psyshock is Tapu Lele’s other main STAB move, good for 2HKOing Slowking-Galar and Blissey, and it’s very spammable if the opponent doesn’t have a Dark type. Future Sight helps Tapu Lele apply pressure to bulky teams with hard walls like Specially Defensive Ferrothorn or Heatran, since it can click Future Sight as the opponent switches to their wall, leaving you free to double with the looming threat of the most powerful Future Sight in the game in your opponent’s head. Lastly, Thunder is a great coverage move with 100% accuracy in the Rain that lets Tapu Lele 2HKO Specially Defensive Corviknight and OHKO offensive Tornadus-Therian.
EVs & Nature: Modest is used for more power, Speed and Special Attack investment for speed and strength.
Other Options: You can run Timid Tapu Lele. You could run Focus Blast over Future Sight or Thunder, but I would heavily advise against this.
Notable Calcs:

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dragapult: 434-512 (136.9 - 161.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Weavile: 390-458 (138.7 - 162.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rillaboom: 229-270 (67.1 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana: 203-239 (78.3 - 92.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Thunder vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Corviknight: 212-250 (53 - 62.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Tapu Lele Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Blissey in Psychic Terrain: 339-399 (47.4 - 55.8%) -- 80.1% chance to 2HKO

Seismitoad @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Weather Ball
- Earth Power
- Icy Wind
- Grass Knot / Surf

Role / General Tips: Seismitoad is the Electric immunity for the team, as well as Speed control and a breaker. Do not let Seismitoad get burnt or poisoned if there is a Regieleki alive. Often Seismitoad can weaken Water types for a Barraskewda win, or vice versa. Keep your eyes open to this possibility.
Item: Choice Specs gives Seismitoad maximum power, and it often doesn’t need to click anything other than Weather Ball (or occasionally Earth Power).
Moves: Weather Ball is a 100 BP Water move in Rain, providing an aquatic onslaught that most teams crumble to in conjunction with Barraskewda. Earth Power helps Seismitoad hit Slowbro, Slowking, Ferrothorn, and Water Absorbers very hard. Grass Knot is helpful for Gastrodon and hitting weather setters like Hippowdon and Tyranitar that Weather Ball will do almost nothing to. Finally, Icy Wind lets Seismitoad consistently stop Dragon Dance Dragonite from setting up and it beats it on switchin in the Rain. Dragonite would otherwise be a problem. This Icy Wind tech can also be used to prevent other Speed Boosting pokemon from becoming too fast for Barraskewda, like a Dragon Dance Kommo-o.
EVs & Nature: Timid Nature is used because it lets Seismitoad outspeed base 110 (350 speed) Choice Scarfers, as well as Scarf Kartana and Scarf Blacephalon. Max Speed and Special Attack investment is for speed and strength.
Other Options: You can run Surf over Grass Knot, though this does leave you more vulnerable to Gastrodon.
Notable Calcs:

252 SpA Choice Specs Seismitoad Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon: 244-288 (57.2 - 67.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Seismitoad Weather Ball (100 BP Water) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp in Rain: 313-370 (87.6 - 103.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Seismitoad Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 242-288 (79.6 - 94.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Seismitoad Weather Ball (100 BP Water) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tornadus-Therian in Rain: 301-355 (83.1 - 98%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Seismitoad Icy Wind vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Multiscale Dragonite: 136-160 (42.1 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

4. TEAM BUILDING PROCESS

Kyurem was banned, the meta was more free, so I decided to take another crack at making Porygon-Z work. Being the strongest Special Attacker in the game, it made an appealing project.

I knew Porygon-Z needed to be paired with a pokemon that could reliably bring in slow pokemon with a higher Defense than Special Defense, and Barraskewda fit this role perfectly. I also knew that Rain teams appreciated a Ghost immunity, so I added on a Pelipper and decided to go full rain.

I added a Ferrothorn as a Stealth Rocker, a Rillaboom answer, and because Ferrothorn is basically too good to turn down on Rain.

Tapu Lele fit perfectly, as my team was still a bit weak to priority, and I wanted a secondary answer to Weavile and Rillaboom. Scarf Tapu Lele also provided a great option for late game sweeps from the special side, which Porygon-Z is not fast enough to perform.

I needed an Electric immunity, and since I had a lot of Special Attackers on the team, I decided to go with Seismitoad to abuse Rain and continue hammering the opponent on the Special side. I did notice that my team had 4 Choiced Pokemon-- this isn’t really a big issue, Choice items are really good.

5. TEAM USAGE TIPS

1. Calc a LOT to find out whether a set is Defensive / Specially Defensive / Offensive, this is often crucial information as it will tell you what kind of boost Porygon-Z will receive.
2. Keep Pelipper healthy, especially if your opponent sets Stealth Rock you’ll probably wish it had more health.
3. Watch out for Toxapex leads trying to click Toxic Spikes. This is very bad for us, so you can try to scare off Toxapex leads with Tapu Lele or Porygon-Z. If a Toxapex does get up Toxic Spikes, you can always Defog with Pelipper.
4. Don’t always lead Pelipper. Often your opponent will anticipate this. The most frequent other leads I use are Porygon-Z, Tapu Lele, and Barraskewda.
5. Play aggressively and go for reads when needed. Sometimes, you’ll have a great MU and you can just click to victory, but other times you’ll have to make some call-outs. Don’t be afraid to do this, especially with Porygon-Z. With a Special Attack boost, it OHKOs most of the tier, so if you click the right button you’ll often get a kill.
6. Don’t let Porygon-Z die if the opponent has a Dragapult, usually.
7. Don’t be afraid to let Barraskewda or Seismitoad faint chipping checks if it leads to the other winning.
8. Ferrothorn trades are often a good idea, but in the case that you need Ferrothorn for some reason, Porygon-Z can switch in on Defensive Ferrothorn, live a Body Press, and do 60-70% with an Ice Beam.
9. Check out the Replay section, it should help if you’re struggling to play the team.
10. Be patient with yourself, learning a new team can be difficult. :)
11. Try the Zapdos version of the team, see which one feels better for you. The Zapdos and Tapu Lele versions both have detriments and benefits, but perhaps one is more suited to your playstyle. I think the Zapdos version is a bit easier to use, which may be good if you're newer or struggle with predictions.

6. THREAT LIST

Everything gets OHKOd other than Ferrothorn and Tapu Lele. That’s solid enough, but if you let both of them die and Rillaboom is still around, it’s game over. Make sure you don’t let the game extend for too long if your opponent has a Rillaboom, and make sure to not be in a situation where you lose to Grassy Glide.

Toxapex isn’t an issue, Toxic Spikes are. You can scare out Toxapex leads trying to use Toxic Spikes with Porygon-Z or Tapu Lele. If they do get up Toxic Spikes, you can Defog with Pelipper, possibly with Future Sight support from Tapu Lele to avoid the pex simply re-entering and re-setting them.

We have no Dark type, so this thing is a problem. Often people will lead with their Specs Tapu Lele hoping for Pelipper, you can lead with Barraskewda and get off to a good start by clicking Flip Turn. Ferrothorn can tank 2 Psychic hits without fainting, and Tapu Lele can take one or two before fainting depending on roles. Generally it’s ideal to keep Tapu Lele out with offensive pressure (Both Barraskewda and Seismitoad OHKO after Stealth Rock).

7. REPLAYS

(Note that some of these replays show past versions of the team, with Protective Pads Barraskewda, Thundurus-Therian over Seismitoad, and Urshifu-Rapid-Strike over Barraskewda. The version posted is the best based on my testing.)

Vs HO: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477148857-ro88wns1kapty7liu3zre9px8tuibm0pw
PZ destroys stall: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477165370-nvj934o7wx5611vtnzvnb535effi5eqpw
PZ breaks balance: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477168403-9qseit559vba5ykv2a235p99qrkbc8bpw
Vs Stall: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477583671-hc7x5be6tpznfrjami61qk1i3qyqlchpw
PZ lead gets 2 kills: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477587876-deabfsjaihu9h5rp6eagdvkmdjjxeezpw
Vs Sand: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477604683-26cnrg8ylg89avffjwxwd450vaj3qnrpw
PZ wrecks Hail: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477802500-knr8zhpvof78hn12nfycv7osymjsrybpw
Vs Glowking Balance: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477805502-0lkylh11afebpewce5g6vy98gdez7g3pw
Clutch PZ: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1477814316-4nddphigmrccrzn8jysayylf99enpeipw
PZ smashes Semistall: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1495778114-30hysmc5o1d86kw1y51izqcev2w1xe2pw
Vs Sun: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1495787183-cca1q7fyubf3oqt7p1cyhr2llhizdazpw
Vs Reuniclus Semistall: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1495787183-cca1q7fyubf3oqt7p1cyhr2llhizdazpw
Vs Kingdra Rain: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1495791989-v7pcga1jefu4blwchprpveuwccb3bnhpw
Vs Ox HO: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1495804623-5amgap473a80ya2vqvjvq252a3d941wpw

8. SHOUTOUTS

Shoutouts to Storm Zone for helping improve the team and test, he helped a lot with getting this team to be as strong as it is. Also big thanks to Tenebricite for helping with banner design!

9. IMPORTABLE

The Team: https://pokepast.es/869088376ea39df3

Zapdos Version: https://pokepast.es/e2c87ec6aedb638d

My Nicknames: https://pokepast.es/d38a6175b98dd0a9

Storm Zone’s Nicknames: https://pokepast.es/fc43194fa61748a3

10. OTHER TEAMS

Flame Charge Blacephalon Balance - Peaked #1: POSSIBLY OUTDATED DUE TO METAGAME CHANGES
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/blacephalon’s-disco-party-peaked-1-2117-ft-flame-charge-blacephalon.3678209/

Alolan Raichu Balance (UPDATED) - Peaked #3:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...s-ft-gravity-vanilluxe-hail-tailwind.3693369/

OR

Hail Offense - Peaked #1: POSSIBLY OUTDATED DUE TO METAGAME CHANGES
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...ft-alolan-sandslash-alolan-ninetales.3681004/

Regieleki Rain - Peaked #1:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...1-2131-ft-specs-pelipper-barraskewda.3687991/

Galarian Zapdos Hazard Stack - Peaked #1:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...1-2041-90-0-gxe-ft-regieleki-weavile.3691380/

Alakazam Psyspam - Peaked #1: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/alakazam-psyspam-peaked-1-2086-ft-galarian-moltres.3694416/

Nihilego Offense - Peaked #1: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/nihilego-offense-peaked-1-2040-all-100-accurate-moves.3695221/

11. OUTRO

Thank you to all of you who read this far. I’ve got more things cooking for gen 8, and I’m excited to keep bringing you all fun, unconventional teams. I hope you enjoy the team!

 

[Vørtex]

This is actually really cool! Might try this one out

 

[RaikouLover]

Hey man, props for using Porygon-Z on rain. Sounds cool.

That being said, I don't think most average, non-elite players will find this build more successful or easier to use than a conventional rain build. There are some easily exploitable defensive holes that are pretty common. The weakness to SD versions of Rillaboom and Kartana is significant. Grass spam + Magnezone is not uncommon so it is easy to exploit Ferrothorn.

I can also see a problem with opposing Zapdos, Tornadus-Therian, Tapu Fini, and rain mirror matches. You have no Hurricane sponge and Ferrothorn being your only true Water Resist is easy to wear down, especially with no Leftovers.

Most suggestions I have make it look more conventional:

-Zapdos > Tapu Lele. It covers almost all of the defensive holes mentioned above, while still being a solid offensive mon

-Ferrothorn can be special defensive with less responsibility vs. Grass types. Better for taking Draco Meteors and enemy Tapu Lele

-Pelipper should be physically defensive, it can use Ice Beam and 1v.1 Dragon Dance Dragonite if needed. Blace shouldn't be an issue for a rain team with a Ghost immunity

-Seismitoad with Specs is awesome but Timid is not. Timid loses OHKOs on Garchomp and Tapu Lele with Weather Ball just to outspeed Scarf Kartana, who shouldn't even be a concern on a team with Barraskewda + Ferrothorn. Also, Grass Knot should be Scald or Hydro Pump. Gastrodon is ~3% usage, where as Tyranitar + Hippowdown + Ninetales is >20% usage. Scald is better most of the time but Modest Specs Hydro Pump is useful because it can OHKO opposing Zapdos.

 

[Pinkacross]

Hey man, props for using Porygon-Z on rain. Sounds cool.

That being said, I don't think most average, non-elite players will find this build more successful or easier to use than a conventional rain build. There are some easily exploitable defensive holes that are pretty common. The weakness to SD versions of Rillaboom and Kartana is significant. Grass spam + Magnezone is not uncommon so it is easy to exploit Ferrothorn.

I can also see a problem with opposing Zapdos, Tornadus-Therian, Tapu Fini, and rain mirror matches. You have no Hurricane sponge and Ferrothorn being your only true Water Resist is easy to wear down, especially with no Leftovers.

Most suggestions I have make it look more conventional:

-Zapdos > Tapu Lele. It covers almost all of the defensive holes mentioned above, while still being a solid offensive mon

-Ferrothorn can be special defensive with less responsibility vs. Grass types. Better for taking Draco Meteors and enemy Tapu Lele

-Pelipper should be physically defensive, it can use Ice Beam and 1v.1 Dragon Dance Dragonite if needed. Blace shouldn't be an issue for a rain team with a Ghost immunity

-Seismitoad with Specs is awesome but Timid is not. Timid loses OHKOs on Garchomp and Tapu Lele with Weather Ball just to outspeed Scarf Kartana, who shouldn't even be a concern on a team with Barraskewda + Ferrothorn. Also, Grass Knot should be Scald or Hydro Pump. Gastrodon is ~3% usage, where as Tyranitar + Hippowdown + Ninetales is >20% usage. Scald is better most of the time but Modest Specs Hydro Pump is useful because it can OHKO opposing Zapdos.

I disagree with most of this, but you make some good points.

1. Yes this team is harder to use than conventional Rain. The whole point is that it's not conventional, and in many ways it functions better than a conventional rain.
2. Grass Spam + Magnezone is uncommon. With pokemon like Heatran, Melmetal, and Tornadus-Therian, grass spam + Magnezone is almost entirely unviable. Furthermore, we do have offensive answers for Grass spam such as Tapu Lele, and doubling with Ferrothorn to avoid being trapped is not too difficult.
3. Ferrothorn cannot afford being Specially Defensive at all as Kartana and Rillaboom are quite threatening.
4. This is actually a solid recommendation, you can use Zapdos over Tapu Lele. I tested this and personally preferred Tapu Lele but either one works structurally. It makes the team more defensively sound but a bit easier to abuse lategame. Furthermore it can make Choice Band Rillaboom more threatening as you no longer have Psychic terrain. Additionally, this makes Draco Meteor a safe click vs the team as we wouldn't have a fairy type. Nonetheless, this is a valid change. You can run Zapdos over Tapu Lele. I've added a Zapdos pokepaste to the importable.
5. Opposing Rain likely comes down to a Barraskewda speed tie. Not really anything that can be done about that, the same can be said for most Rains.
6. Pelipper being Physically Defensive doesn't really make much sense, it has very little benefit and Specially Defensive has been much better in testing.
7. Timid Seismitoad outspeeds Kartana and 350 speed scarfers which is huge. Modest nature can be run, though I prefer Timid. As for Grass Knot, I agree that Scald or Hydro Pump would be better in most matchups but Gastrodon stall has been rising in popularity recently, and I believe gastrodon will continue to grow in popularity as Rain becomes more common. I'm anticipating a trend, but I believe it will rise and I don't want this Rain to be helpless against Gastrodon balance.

Thank you for the input!

 

[Pokeemon noob]

A new pinkacross team! My elo is about to get a boost!

 

[Pinkacross]

A new pinkacross team! My elo is about to get a boost!

I absolutely love your name & profile picture and I couldn't agree more. The Zapdos version of the team is likely a bit easier for new players, try that if you're having issues. :)

 

[shadowpea]

lets go a team with the goat PZ of all things this is absolutely beautiful

 

[MrHands]

I assume Static > Pressure on the Zapdos? Anyway excellent team. PZ is one of my favorite Pokémon so I'm happy to see it get some attention!

 

[Pinkacross]

I assume Static > Pressure on the Zapdos? Anyway excellent team. PZ is one of my favorite Pokémon so I'm happy to see it get some attention!

Woops! I'll fix that ASAP

 

[Vroxxz]

Lets gooo! Another Pinkacross team :D
This one is absolutely insane omg, I got full 6-0 sweeps against stall!
(I tried Zap Cannon + Nasty Plot + Blunder Policy Porygon instead of Specs, and its pretty decent with this team ngl)

 

[Pinkacross]

Lets gooo! Another Pinkacross team :D
This one is absolutely insane omg, I got full 6-0 sweeps against stall!
(I tried Zap Cannon + Nasty Plot + Blunder Policy Porygon instead of Specs, and its pretty decent with this team ngl)

Stall sweeping, niiiice. As for that Pz set, I definitely don't recommend the change if your goal is winning but the set sounds super fun

 

[Vroxxz]

Stall sweeping, niiiice. As for that Pz set, I definitely don't recommend the change if your goal is winning but the set sounds super fun

I definitely agree with you, the Specs set is much better for winning, but the Blunder Policy is just so fun to use lol, sweeps entire teams with the speed boosts...I just hate when Zap Cannon DOES hit lmao :P

 

[Pinkacross]

I definitely agree with you, the Specs set is much better for winning, but the Blunder Policy is just so fun to use lol, sweeps entire teams with the speed boosts...I just hate when Zap Cannon DOES hit lmao :P

Yaknow PZ does get Agility...

 

[Vroxxz]

Yaknow PZ does get Agility...

Tru...tru but it wastes a move slot, so that kinda sucks, I'd rather have a coverage move



Also, why not mixed Life Orb Seismitoad in this team? I also tried that out, and surprisingly it does pretty decent...especially against Blissey and other special walls like Glowking

Mixed Seismitoad Set

Seismitoad @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Weather Ball
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Grass Knot

Maybe more Atk EVs to guarantee an OHKO on Dragapult?

 

[Stunfisk2140]

Pinkacross Bro why not adaptability on the porygon z

 

[Ninjakiwis]

Why not run spikes over rocks on ferrothorn? It lets you hit rillaboom harder and stack against other ferrothorns. Stealth rock weak pokemon are using hdb too

 

[Ninjakiwis]

Pinkacross Bro why not adaptability on the porygon z

I think its cuz download gives a boost to all attack types as long as you switch into something physically defensive

 

[Stunfisk2140]

I think its cuz download gives a boost to all attack types as long as you switch into something physically defensive

Thanks

 

[Tio Chico]

Another wonderful team, congratulations to you and Storm for the peak and motivation to always step forward in this boring metagame.

I would just like to comment on a possible alternative effort for Pelipper; EVs: 248 HP / 44 Def / 216 SpD (Calm / Sassy)

Here are some benefits;
Always survives Knock off LO Adamant Crawdaunt. (84.5 - 99.6%)
Always survives CB Brave Bird Jolly Galarian-Zapdos. (84.5 - 99.6%)
Always survives CB Leaf Blade Jolly Kartana (ignore crits) (83.9 - 98.7%)
Always survives CB Triple Axel Jolly Weavile. (83.5 - 98.4%)
You still survives Specs Timid Dragapult U-Turn (7.7 - 9.2%) + Draco Meteor (76.4 - 90.4%)
You still survives Specs Timid Psychic Tapu Lele. (82.6 - 97.5%)
Always survives against Psyshock Specs Modest Lele (82.9 - 97.8%), Psychic is still a favorable roll. (91 - 107.1%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO. There's no way you can only have benefits against Tapu Lele anyway.
You still survives Specs Shadow Ball Timid Blacephalon with enough HP to re-enter after Stealth Rock. (63.1 - 74.6%)

Obviously nobody wants to take the risk and draw Pelipper on turn 1 but it can be useful in some situations. Have a good day!

 

[Pinkacross]

Another wonderful team, congratulations to you and Storm for the peak and motivation to always step forward in this boring metagame.

I would just like to comment on a possible alternative effort for Pelipper; EVs: 248 HP / 44 Def / 216 SpD (Calm / Sassy)

Here are some benefits;
Always survives Knock off LO Adamant Crawdaunt. (84.5 - 99.6%)
Always survives CB Brave Bird Jolly Galarian-Zapdos. (84.5 - 99.6%)
Always survives CB Leaf Blade Jolly Kartana (ignore crits) (83.9 - 98.7%)
Always survives CB Triple Axel Jolly Weavile. (83.5 - 98.4%)
You still survives Dragapult Timid's U-Turn (7.7 - 9.2%) + Draco Meteor (76.4 - 90.4%)
You still survives Specs Timid Psychic Tapu Lele. (82.6 - 97.5%)
Always survives against Psyshock Specs Modest Lele (82.9 - 97.8%), Psychic is still a favorable roll. (91 - 107.1%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO. There's no way you can only have benefits against Tapu Lele anyway.
You still survives Specs Shadow Ball Timid Blacephalon with enough HP to re-enter after Stealth Rock. (63.1 - 74.6%)

Obviously nobody wants to take the risk and draw Pelipper on turn 1 but it can be useful in some situations. Have a good day!

This set is very good, and it is 100% a viable option for anyone using the team. Thank you for optimizing this Pelipper!

 

[Pinkacross]

Tru...tru but it wastes a move slot, so that kinda sucks, I'd rather have a coverage move



Also, why not mixed Life Orb Seismitoad in this team? I also tried that out, and surprisingly it does pretty decent...especially against Blissey and other special walls like Glowking

Mixed Seismitoad Set

Seismitoad @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Weather Ball
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Grass Knot

Maybe more Atk EVs to guarantee an OHKO on Dragapult?

This set hardly even 3HKOs Blissey, and while it's a viable option I prefer Choice Specs. Most mixed sets ive tried simply end up unable to do a good job of breaking typical walls such as Tapu Fini and the Slowtwins.

Pinkacross Bro why not adaptability on the porygon z

Barraskewda consistently brings in pokemon with lower Special Defense than Defense, giving Porygon-Z a special attack boost. This lets it have 1.5x power to all moves, including Tri-Attack. Due to the multiplier of 1.5 for stab and 1.5 for download, this makes Tri Attack have a 2.25x boost instead of the 2x boost offered by Adaptability. This make Download the better ability in almost every situation, especially considering I don't even click Tri-Attack that frequently (as people almost always switch into their Steel types).

Why not run spikes over rocks on ferrothorn? It lets you hit rillaboom harder and stack against other ferrothorns. Stealth rock weak pokemon are using hdb too

Stealth Rock is better for things like Blacephalon, Choice Band Weavile, Corviknight, and Alolan Ninetales. You could run Spikes but it's generally worse. Not all SR weak pokemon run Heavy Duty Boots, and Stealth Rock has served me mucher butter than Spikes could have.

 

[Ninjakiwis]

How do you beat calm mind substitute protect suicune? it sweeps everythng

 

[Pinkacross]

How do you beat calm mind substitute protect suicune? it sweeps everythng

Sweeps everything? Not at all. Suicune is threatening due to its ability to run Protect, but Zapdos beats Suicune fairly easily, as does Porygon-Z (especially if the Suicune is defensive). Try to pressure Suicune with Stealth Rock, and using Tapu Lele Future Sight or Zapdos to pressure Suicune to dissuade the Suicune user from staying in and clicking Protect. The only real way you could get swept by Suicune is by staying in with Ferrothorn and not immediately switching into PZ / Lele / Zapdos, which is generally the correct procedure. Suicune also struggles to come in easily, this can be capitalized on if you can predict when your opponent will try to get in their Suicune.

 

[Ninjakiwis]

Sweeps everything? Not at all. Suicune is threatening due to its ability to run Protect, but Zapdos beats Suicune fairly easily, as does Porygon-Z (especially if the Suicune is defensive). Try to pressure Suicune with Stealth Rock, and using Tapu Lele Future Sight or Zapdos to pressure Suicune to dissuade the Suicune user from staying in and clicking Protect. The only real way you could get swept by Suicune is by staying in with Ferrothorn and not immediately switching into PZ / Lele / Zapdos, which is generally the correct procedure. Suicune also struggles to come in easily, this can be capitalized on if you can predict when your opponent will try to get in their Suicune.

I feel like the problem is pp stalling from subprotect suicune, cuz after a calm mind, it doens't take over 50% from anything besides barrascuda close combat and pz thunder. If u go future sight, itll do 50% and u'll have to switch out, letting them cm for free

 

[Giyu]

I feel like the problem is pp stalling from subprotect suicune, cuz after a calm mind, it doens't take over 50% from anything besides barrascuda close combat and pz thunder. If u go future sight, itll do 50% and u'll have to switch out, letting them cm for free

It's still fairly easy to beat due to the lack of a recovery move, you can set up Leech Seed with Ferrothorn and instantly switch into either Porygon-Z or Zapdos and pressure it by spamming Thunder. Forcing out a setup Pokemon like Substitute Protect Suicune should be of higher priority so staying in with Ferrothorn isn't the play. Suicune just doesn't sweep the team, its calculations against Pelliper are insanely low so Pelliper with Leech Seed recovery out stalls if you don't want to risk losing Porygon-Z or Zapdos.