Explanation of idea behind the Team: I played through most of violet main story with a Protean Sprigatito that I got as a mystery gift for downloading pokemon home app on smart phone. I knew from previous games that Greninja had protean; and looking at wiki, I found that Cinderace also had Libero which is just Protean under a different name. 3 Starters, of 3 different types, all with Protean and I wanted to make a team around it. That's the first half of the team.
The second half I don't have much strong feelings for. Just 3 strong pokemon to pick up the slack for nerfed (this gen) Protean and Libero. I didn't want to use any legendary on the team because I think it's cooler to win (or at least try to) with non legends. I kinda wanted Iron Treads on the team because the game gives you one with 30 IVs in all stats. Iron Hand looked cool while I was looking for pokemon to fit into the team and it has great typing (fighting/electric). For the last pokemon, I thought I might as well put in another paradox future 'Iron' pokemon with Quirk Drive so it makes a theme for the team.
I like a team having a solid theme over being good at winning.
The Choice was between Iron Bundle and Iron Valiant and Iron Valiant is clearly the better pokemon for this team but I instead went with Iron Bundle because I had fond memories of trading Delibird with present during holiday season in pokemon sun and moon.
This team desperately needs a flying pokemon to switch into predicted STAB earthquakes. I could use a Air Balloon... but it keeps poping...
I am not using any berries or one time use items because I am still using this team in the single player post game stuff. If I used this team for solely Battle Stadium I would use stronger items like choice bands, choice scarf, choice spec, energy boosters, etc : I hate being forced into using a single move by the choice items. I dislike refilling red cards and Booster Energy after every battle.
Another theme that this team has, (That happened by coincidence while building the team), is that they all have U-Turn or variation of U-Turn (U-Turn, Volt Switch, Flip Turn.) This helps Protean and Libero activate multiple times. Even Iron Treads have Volt Switch if I get rid of Stealth Rock or Electric Terrain.
Volt switch on Iron Hands and Flip Turn on Iron Bundle only tickles the opposing pokemon: which makes me sad
. But U-turn on the 3 Starters have STAB and matches their physical attack stat and does good damage. Wish I could make Volt Switch and Flip Turn work on Iron Hands and Iron Bundle and Iron Treads.
Meowscarada (M) @ Expert Belt
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Grass
Level: 75
Shiny: Yes
Jolly Nature
- Flower Trick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Play Rough
The Weed Cat. (I am more of a Hoppip fan but it's hard to use Jumpluff competitively.). Maybe it would be better with the Life Orb?
Greninja (M) @ Quick Claw
EVs: 166 Atk / 92 SpA / 252 Spe
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Poison
Level: 75
Shiny: Yes
Hasty Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
I am considering changing poison tera to ice tera... not sure...
Greninja used to be a ninja god tier before they nerfed Protean.
Cinderace (M) @ Red Card
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Ability: Libero
Tera Type: Flying
Level: 75
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Acrobatics
I gave Cinderace a red card because it's a football player theme pokemon and you get red cards in football.
I can't believe none of the sample build for Cinderace on smogon strategy dex mention Acrobatics. Did people forget that it's 110 power 100% acuracy flying move (with STAB because of Libero) on Cinderance when it's not holding an item. Just give Cinderance a consumable held item or not give it any item. With Flying Tera, you can boost this move even futher.
I am not much of a foot ball guy but that Pyro Ball animation is damn FIRE.
Iron Hands @ Assault Vest
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpD
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ground
Level: 75
Shiny: Yes
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Wild Charge
- Earthquake
- Volt Switch
Volt Switch*tickle*
Iron Treads @ Terrain Extender
EVs: 78 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ground
Level: 75
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Electric Terrain
180 Spe instead of 252 Spe because I want Atk to be boosted by Quark Drive instead of Speed.
I use Stealth Rock for 6v6 Link battles and I use Volt Switch for Battle Stadium.
Volt Switch*tickle*
Iron Bundle @ Life Orb
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost
Level: 75
Modest Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Hydro Pump
- Tera Blast
- Flip Turn
Flip Turn*tickle*
Modest Nature instead of Timid Nature because I want SpA to be boosted by Quark Drive instead of Speed.
Ghost Tera to avoid Normal Tera boosted Extreme Speed.
I want to use Booster Energy so bad but it's a one time item and I accidently use them up in single player battles. I don't like swapping items in and out between single player and multiplayer content.
With this team, I am just a Rank 5 - Rank 4 pokeball tier trainer. I could get higher rank if I played more seriously and put in effort to learn my opponents team.
So far, I am enjoying Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. I love changing my pokemon's type and activating my trap UNO-reverse card. Still missing Mega Evolutions though...
Suggestion for the team are appreciated. I just want to keep the 3 Protean+Libero Starter Pokemon. I don't care much about the other 3 pokemon slot. I would love to keep U-Turn on all 3 starters so that I can reset their nerfed ability mutiple times in battle.
I hate 1 time use items and items that restrict my playstyle. Hack! I am using protean team, just so that I have STAB on all moves instead of just 1 or 2 moves. But because of the nerf, I have to take an extra turn swapping in or out to get that STAB and super effective moves that I crave. It's really satisfying when it work out and it's soul crushing when my opponents already know my playstyle.
My main opponent is a kid with full uber legendary team Mewtwo, Ogerpon (Wellspring), Chien-Pao, Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Koraidon/Hisuian Arcanine, Annihilape. Would love to beat this joker. I think he is currently playing through pokemon sword to add Zacian and/or Eternatus to his team.
The second half I don't have much strong feelings for. Just 3 strong pokemon to pick up the slack for nerfed (this gen) Protean and Libero. I didn't want to use any legendary on the team because I think it's cooler to win (or at least try to) with non legends. I kinda wanted Iron Treads on the team because the game gives you one with 30 IVs in all stats. Iron Hand looked cool while I was looking for pokemon to fit into the team and it has great typing (fighting/electric). For the last pokemon, I thought I might as well put in another paradox future 'Iron' pokemon with Quirk Drive so it makes a theme for the team.
I like a team having a solid theme over being good at winning.
The Choice was between Iron Bundle and Iron Valiant and Iron Valiant is clearly the better pokemon for this team but I instead went with Iron Bundle because I had fond memories of trading Delibird with present during holiday season in pokemon sun and moon.
This team desperately needs a flying pokemon to switch into predicted STAB earthquakes. I could use a Air Balloon... but it keeps poping...
I am not using any berries or one time use items because I am still using this team in the single player post game stuff. If I used this team for solely Battle Stadium I would use stronger items like choice bands, choice scarf, choice spec, energy boosters, etc : I hate being forced into using a single move by the choice items. I dislike refilling red cards and Booster Energy after every battle.
Another theme that this team has, (That happened by coincidence while building the team), is that they all have U-Turn or variation of U-Turn (U-Turn, Volt Switch, Flip Turn.) This helps Protean and Libero activate multiple times. Even Iron Treads have Volt Switch if I get rid of Stealth Rock or Electric Terrain.
Volt switch on Iron Hands and Flip Turn on Iron Bundle only tickles the opposing pokemon: which makes me sad


Meowscarada (M) @ Expert Belt
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Grass
Level: 75
Shiny: Yes
Jolly Nature
- Flower Trick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Play Rough
The Weed Cat. (I am more of a Hoppip fan but it's hard to use Jumpluff competitively.). Maybe it would be better with the Life Orb?

Greninja (M) @ Quick Claw
EVs: 166 Atk / 92 SpA / 252 Spe
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Poison
Level: 75
Shiny: Yes
Hasty Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
I am considering changing poison tera to ice tera... not sure...
Greninja used to be a ninja god tier before they nerfed Protean.

Cinderace (M) @ Red Card
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Ability: Libero
Tera Type: Flying
Level: 75
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Acrobatics
I gave Cinderace a red card because it's a football player theme pokemon and you get red cards in football.
I can't believe none of the sample build for Cinderace on smogon strategy dex mention Acrobatics. Did people forget that it's 110 power 100% acuracy flying move (with STAB because of Libero) on Cinderance when it's not holding an item. Just give Cinderance a consumable held item or not give it any item. With Flying Tera, you can boost this move even futher.
I am not much of a foot ball guy but that Pyro Ball animation is damn FIRE.

Iron Hands @ Assault Vest
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpD
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ground
Level: 75
Shiny: Yes
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Wild Charge
- Earthquake
- Volt Switch
Volt Switch*tickle*

Iron Treads @ Terrain Extender
EVs: 78 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ground
Level: 75
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Electric Terrain
180 Spe instead of 252 Spe because I want Atk to be boosted by Quark Drive instead of Speed.
I use Stealth Rock for 6v6 Link battles and I use Volt Switch for Battle Stadium.
Volt Switch*tickle*

Iron Bundle @ Life Orb
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost
Level: 75
Modest Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Hydro Pump
- Tera Blast
- Flip Turn
Flip Turn*tickle*
Modest Nature instead of Timid Nature because I want SpA to be boosted by Quark Drive instead of Speed.
Ghost Tera to avoid Normal Tera boosted Extreme Speed.
I want to use Booster Energy so bad but it's a one time item and I accidently use them up in single player battles. I don't like swapping items in and out between single player and multiplayer content.
With this team, I am just a Rank 5 - Rank 4 pokeball tier trainer. I could get higher rank if I played more seriously and put in effort to learn my opponents team.
So far, I am enjoying Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. I love changing my pokemon's type and activating my trap UNO-reverse card. Still missing Mega Evolutions though...
Suggestion for the team are appreciated. I just want to keep the 3 Protean+Libero Starter Pokemon. I don't care much about the other 3 pokemon slot. I would love to keep U-Turn on all 3 starters so that I can reset their nerfed ability mutiple times in battle.
I hate 1 time use items and items that restrict my playstyle. Hack! I am using protean team, just so that I have STAB on all moves instead of just 1 or 2 moves. But because of the nerf, I have to take an extra turn swapping in or out to get that STAB and super effective moves that I crave. It's really satisfying when it work out and it's soul crushing when my opponents already know my playstyle.
My main opponent is a kid with full uber legendary team Mewtwo, Ogerpon (Wellspring), Chien-Pao, Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Koraidon/Hisuian Arcanine, Annihilape. Would love to beat this joker. I think he is currently playing through pokemon sword to add Zacian and/or Eternatus to his team.
Below
Changed almost every held item beside assault vest on iron hand.
Change Iron Hand's ground tera to fighting or electric feels like a waste.
The suggested set in strategies dex under Battle Stadium Singles suggests a ground / grass / water or fairy tera: not electric or fighting.
The reason is because Iron Hands is slow and by using ground tera you can avoid an otherwise super effective hit and also get stab on EQ.
The problem with tera stab fighting is that ghost and ghost tera is immune to it; and you don't have a super effective move against ghosts on iron hands. The problem with tera stab electric is that ground is immune to it; and you don't have a supper effective move against grounds and ground teras on iron hand. Tera stab earth quick is perfect for Iron hands because flying is immune to it but iron hands can answer flying types with it's electric stab that it already has.
So if they predict your tera EQ, you can predict their predict and go for stab wild charge. Only ground/flying is safe but those are 4x weak to ice and easy to take-out with greninja or iron bundle.
Can't justify using Zapdos over Iron Hands. Iron Hands is just better for the team from my data crunching and theorycrafting. I would use it if it had higher stats or if it worked with electric terrain. It's a fast pokemon but my team does not lack fast pokemon. My team lacks bulk and Iron Hands with Assault Vest is that bulk. I would try running a defensive zapdos with assault vest but it still less bulky than Iron Hands.
Final nail on the coffin for zapdos is that it breaks the current theme the team has. Quark Drive/Paradox Pokemon/Future 'Iron' Pokemon.
The main reason for Tera Blast on Iron Bundle is something a little petty.
STAB Fighting - Iron Hands
STAB Flying - Cinderace
STAB Poison - Greninja
STAB Ground - Iron Treads
STAB Rock - Greninja
STAB Bug - All 3 Starters
STAB Steel - Iron Treads
STAB Fire - Cinderace
STAB Water - Iron Bundle
STAB Grass - Meowscarada
STAB Electric - Iron Hands
STAB Ice - Iron Bundle
STAB Dark - Meowscarada
STAB Fairy - Meowscarada
STAB Ghost - Ghost Tera Tera Blast
Out of the 18 types in the game. I have 14 STAB move on just 6 pokemon with out relying on Terastallization. Normally you can only get 12 max. All of them do decent damage and none of them are weak stall type pokemon.
The STABs that are missing are:
STAB Normal - but normal is never super effective against anything; so I never cared about STAB normal.
STAB Dragon - but dragon is only super effective against other dragon and nothing else; so I don't care about STAB Dragon.
STAB Psychic - I can easily fix this by changing Cinderace's High Jump Kick into Zen Headbutt. Or by changing greninja's ice beam into Extrasensory. I can also sacrifice a u-turn instead.
The reason I am not running STAB Psychic is because it's a sacrifice I decided to make to make the team slightly more competitive.
I would obviously love to have STAB psychic but the meta is such that I require 2 STAB Fighting (Iron Hands and Cinderace) and 2 STAB Ice (Greninja and Iron Bundle).
There are exactly 3 pokemon that are 4x weak to psychic. Sneasler, Toxicroak and Okidogi. Okidogi is a new DLC pokemon that I did not plan for. And I hope I never run into a competitive Sneasler or Toxicroak.
To make up for the loss of STAB Psychic, there is compromise: psychic is 2x effective against fighting and poison. I am running 1 STAB Ground on Iron Treads and Tera Ground EQ on Iron Hands. To compromise for fighting, I have STAB fairy with meow and STAB flying with Cinderace.
Poison type is probably the strongest type to use against my team because I can't always rely on Tera ground EQ on Iron Hands if I already used up tera on something else.
Fighting type is probably the second strongest type to use against my team because my grass/dark meow might get 1 shot if it gets outspeed before it can change type with protean into a STAB Fairy.
The reason for not using Dark Pulse on greninja is also petty. The great advantage Greninja-protean has is that it has a more popular relative ash-greninja or battle-bond greninja. They overshadowed protean-greninja for all the promotions that ash-greninja got. I wanted to add to this even further. I wanted greninja to not have any STAB that a casual player would think it has. No STAB Water , No STAB Dark.
More reason for ghost tera terablast is that I am struggling against an extremely bulky mewtwo and a fast annihilape. Mewtwo can learn any move and my opponent can keep changing moves between battle to keep countering my protean sets. I can't 2HKO the mewtwo... I need an answer to mewtwo outside the 3 protean starters. Fighting against legendary team without using legendaries just sucks. Normally you can win against full legendaries if your opponent is a child but my opponent is experienced and good at knowing what moves I'll use. Only way I can keep up with him is by predicting his switches with my own Voltturn Core and using chump-blocks and getting revenge kills. I think that mewtwo is way too bulky. Maybe even an assault vest. He also runs multiple will-o-wisp to half my attack stat with burn. I really want to beat him without using legendaries...
Mewtwo, Ogerpon (Wellspring), Chien-Pao, Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Koraidon/Hisuian Arcanine, Annihilape.
The bigger threat than personal battle against mewtwo and the damn monkey is Multiscale Dragonite in battle stadiums, so I am going to give Iron Bundle Ice Tera and change tera blast to Ice Beam.
Using Modest Nature instead of Timid Nature to boost sp. atk with quark drive (from electric terrain) instead of speed.

Iron Bundle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Quark Drive
Level: 75
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Flip Turn
Ghost Tera -> Ice Tera
Tera Blast -> Ice Beam
Life Orb -> Focus Sash
6 HP EVs -> 6 SpD EVs
Odd Nature: Using Modest Nature instead of Timid Nature to boost sp. atk with quark drive (from Iron Treads' electric terrain) instead of speed.
Focus Sash so as to survive with less speed and still get at least 1 stab hit.
Booster Energy is wasted on something with VoltTurn because the boosted stat resets when you swap out: Iron Treads is not running Volt Switch.

Iron Treads @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Level: 77
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 78 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Electric Terrain
Terrain Extender -> Booster Energy
Odd EV Spead: 78 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe instead of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe because I want Quark Drive to increase Attack and not Speed. Extra EVs are spent into HP.
My intuition is telling me Meow with Expert Belt and Greninja with Life Orb is better. Meow has just enough HP and defensive stats to survive one nutrual hit but Life Orb depletes the rest of the HP. Greninja is too glass cannon to survive a nutrual hit.

Greninja (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
Level: 77
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 166 Atk / 92 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam
- U-turn
- Rock Slide
Quick Claw -> Life Orb
Hasty Nature -> Naive Nature
This greninja build is based on: https://www.smogon.com/dex/sv/pokemon/greninja/national-dex/
the 2nd Choice Scarf build on the page.
Refer to it for the Mixed EV Spread.

Meowscarada (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
Level: 78
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flower Trick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Play Rough
6 HP EVs -> 6 SpD EVs

Cinderace (M) @ Red Card
Ability: Libero
Level: 78
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Acrobatics
6 HP EVs -> 6 SpD EVs

Iron Hands @ Assault Vest
Ability: Quark Drive
Level: 77
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 6 Def / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Wild Charge
- Earthquake
- Fake Out
Volt Switch -> Fake Out
6 HP EVs -> 6 Def EVs
Planning to make a casual fun Forest's Curse Team for Halloween
I tired out Palafin. It's a great pokemon. Sadly I won't be using it on this team because I dislike it's pure water typing. I don't want to give up Iron Bundle's Ice STAB and Freeze-Dry for Palafin. Replacing Greninja would completely break the team's core concept. Maybe I'll find a place (team) for it in the future.
Zapdos is disregarded for now.
Considering changing out Iron Bundle for Iron Valiant so that this Uber Team becomes a OU Team. Also that would let me have stab physic without compromising the other stabs. Edit: Just realized its not physic - its fairy/fighting.
Last edited: