XY Doubles Underrated Monsters (A Rain Dance Team)

[codyjamesfs]

After recently building a Sandstorm team, I found a passion for the ability Storm Drain. I used a Cradily in my sandstorm team, and I wanted to continue using Storm Drain. What better to use in conjunction to Storm Drain than Rain Dance and Surf! So I set out to put my own spin on a doubles Rain Dance team.

Quick Look:

Like all Rain Dance teams, you have to decide whether you want to set the stage with Politoed, or use quick running swift swim users. I played with the idea of using a Politioed, but in the end decided that I would rather use that team slot for a Prankster user. Which brings up the first member of my team:

Sableye @ Damp Rock
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP/154 Def/100 SpDef
Impish Nature
-Rain Dance
- Will-o-Wisp
- Knock Off
-Taunt

Sableye is one of my two leads 95% of the time. He has been gifted with one of the most extraordinary abilities in the game: Prankster. Any move that doesn't do direct damage gets to go first. And I like Rain Dance to go first. I considered many other Pokemon for this role, but in the end, the combination of moves that he earns beat out any other Prankster user I may want to use. Taunt is there to stop any Trick Room users.

Gyrados @ Mystic Water
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk/4 SpD/252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
-Dragon Dance
-Waterfall
-Protect
-Stone Edge

The destroyer of worlds turns up again to wreak havoc upon anything it touches. Gyarados is my main sweeper, and sometimes all it takes to take out an entire team. A pretty standard movepool is given to him, with Dragon Dance setting up for sweeping, Waterfall being my main option, Protect to keep momentum, and Stone Edge for coverage. The combination of Rain, Mystic Water, and boosts from Dragon Dance and Moxie, makes it a one hit KO for almost anything that attempts to stand in it's way.

Ludicolo @ Assault Vest
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpAtk/252 Spe
Modest Nature
-Surf
-Ice Beam
-Giga Drain
-Fake Out

Don't let his fun-loving looks fool you, the sombrero-toting party duck can quickly make a mess of your team if left unchecked. The combination of Swift Swim, his excellent movepool, and his light-hearted air made him almost an instant choice for my team. He can easily come in, use Fake Out to check a potential threat, and start swinging with his Absorb-Bulb-boosted special attack. He partners well with both Heliolisk and Gastrodon.

Heliolisk @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 4 Atk/252 SpAtk/252 Spe
Modest Nature
-Thunder
-Surf
-Grass Knot
-Volt Switch

An interesting 6th gen edition, Heliolisk was given three wonderful abilities to work well in any weather (except hail of course, which isn't really a viable weather condition). This little reptile packs quite a punch, with a perfect accuracy Thunder, and a wonderful rain-boosted Surf. Grass Knot is to take down the likes of Gastrodon and Swampert. He like to partner up with Gastrodon for free Surfs to give that boost to Gastrodon's Special Attack.

Gastrodon @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP/100 SpAtk/156 SpDef
Modest Nature
-Muddy Water
-Earth Power
-Ice Beam
-Recover

Gastrodon is the best partner any rain dance attacker could hope for. His amazing ability in Storm Drain lets him soak up any Surfs, and it gives him a nice Special Attack boost. His great typing and high HP means that usually he will be around for awhile. Recover seals the deal and makes sure he's on the field for quite a while.

Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk/156 Def/100 Spd
Impish Nature
-Bullet Punch
-U-turn
-Rain Dance
-Night Slash

Mega-Scizor is my last ditch effort. I only ever employ him to mop up any special walls that I can't push past, or to get the Rain going again if Sableye is down. His stab Bullet Punch rips through anything not defensively sound, while night slash gets rid of pesky Ghost and Psychic types. U-Turn gets him out of the way of any slower Fire-Type moves, while still dealing enough damage to make the turn worth-while. He makes a nice counterpart to Ludicolo, picking off anything that resists Ludicolo's strong special attacks.



Feel free to leave any comments and suggestions. Some of these sets may not be the most popular, but I've found that they work great for me.​

 

[Arcticblast]

codyjamesfs, I'm moving this to the Rate My Team subforum where this belongs. My only comment for now is that you should look into using Protect, as it's one of the best moves you can carry on any Pokemon that learns it (lol Regigigas).

 

[codyjamesfs]

codyjamesfs, I'm moving this to the Rate My Team subforum where this belongs. My only comment for now is that you should look into using Protect, as it's one of the best moves you can carry on any Pokemon that learns it (lol Regigigas).

Thank you for moving it. I wasn't too sure where to put it. I've thought about Protect, and I would like to keep going hyper aggro like I have been.

 

[Arcticblast]

Thank you for moving it. I wasn't too sure where to put it. I've thought about Protect, and I would like to keep going hyper aggro like I have been.

Protect is actually a staple because it allows you to retain offensive momentum without sacrificing any field position you may have. You're able to keep one Pokemon alive while your other Pokemon takes out whatever tried to kill the first (e.g. Gastrodon uses Protect against a Shaymin-S while you kill it with Heliolisk, allowing both Pokemon to stay on the field). Proper use of Protect can turn a match from a guaranteed loss to a good chance for a win.

And trust me, as someone who uses an offensive team with only two Pokemon with Protect, it's really an amazing move to have, and not having it significantly limits what you can do in battle (especially when team synergy is lacking, like with this team).

Also, Storm Drain gimmicks are bad.

 

[finally]

Also, Storm Drain gimmicks are bad.

do u mean ur bad :]

anyways hi m8
intimidate>moxie on gyarados. in doubles intimidate is really farkin good
protect>bounce on gyara. 2 turn moves are really bad in doubles
life orb>lefties on gastro
scizor should be more like this: swords dance, bullet punch, bug bite, protect mega scizor does a really good job at swords dance late game.

good start to a rain team m8. try these

 

[realiti]

Hi
I would suggest Politoed over Sableye. This change allows you to not waste a turn setting up Rain, as well as allowing you a reliable Rain setter. Sableye's defences aren't the best and isn't really good in general, but Politoed has good bulk and can support his teammates through Helping Hand.
Politoed @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Protect
- Helping Hand
- Icy Wind

This Politoed can support its teammates with Icy Wind and Helping Hand. Protect can be used for scouting and dodging an attack while Scald is strong with rain and STAB and can also burn for extra utility.

Assault Vest over Life Orb on Ludicolo. Absorb Bulb is just a one time boost that can be useless as you might need to switch, saccing your boosts. Assault Vest on the other hand can prevents KOs or 2HKOs, and is useful for general bulk. It also prevents you from using Protect, but it is still much better than Absorb Bulb. I also recommend Hydro Pump over Surf as you can then hit harder and not hit your teammate

Add Protect to Heliolisk. Like Arcticblast stated, it's really a great move to have, especially with Heliolisk's not so good bulk. I suggest you replace it with either Surf or Grass Knot since those moves aren't used much.

Follow finally's directions as well, they are good, good luck with the team!

 

[codyjamesfs]

do u mean ur bad :]

anyways hi m8
intimidate>moxie on gyarados. in doubles intimidate is really farkin good
protect>bounce on gyara. 2 turn moves are really bad in doubles
life orb>lefties on gastro
scizor should be more like this: swords dance, bullet punch, bug bite, protect mega scizor does a really good job at swords dance late game.

good start to a rain team m8. try these

The main reason I'm using Moxie on Gyarados is to continue getting boosts when taking out opposing pokemon. Without that he sometimes lacks the power to rip through certain bulky pokemon that resist Waterfall.
I'll definitely try protect out.
Leftovers makes sure that Gastro stays on the field longer. The boosts he's getting from Storm Drain give him more than enough power. I don't want Life Orb taking his health up.
I've never been able to run a decent swords dance set on Scizor, so I gave up trying.

 

[codyjamesfs]

Hi
I would suggest Politoed over Sableye. This change allows you to not waste a turn setting up Rain, as well as allowing you a reliable Rain setter. Sableye's defences aren't the best and isn't really good in general, but Politoed has good bulk and can support his teammates through Helping Hand.
Politoed @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Protect
- Helping Hand
- Icy Wind

This Politoed can support its teammates with Icy Wind and Helping Hand. Protect can be used for scouting and dodging an attack while Scald is strong with rain and STAB and can also burn for extra utility.

Assault Vest over Life Orb on Ludicolo. Absorb Bulb is just a one time boost that can be useless as you might need to switch, saccing your boosts. Assault Vest on the other hand can prevents KOs or 2HKOs, and is useful for general bulk. It also prevents you from using Protect, but it is still much better than Absorb Bulb. I also recommend Hydro Pump over Surf as you can then hit harder and not hit your teammate

Add Protect to Heliolisk. Like Arcticblast stated, it's really a great move to have, especially with Heliolisk's not so good bulk. I suggest you replace it with either Surf or Grass Knot since those moves aren't used much.

Follow finally's directions as well, they are good, good luck with the team!

As far as I'm aware, Swift Swim and Drizzle are not allowed on the same team. If I'm incorrect I'll look into it.
I definitely like the assault vest option, and might use that.
And I will probably use Surf, as I generally pair Heliolisk up with Gastrodon and Surf will help boost him.

 

[Haki]

As far as I'm aware, Swift Swim and Drizzle are not allowed on the same team. If I'm incorrect I'll look into it.
I definitely like the assault vest option, and might use that.
And I will probably use Surf, as I generally pair Heliolisk up with Gastrodon and Surf will help boost him.

Swift Swim + Drizzle is indeed allowed on the same team in Doubles. I'll fully rate this team later on, but one thing that stands out to me is the fact Gastrodon doesn't have a Rindo Berry to survive an incoming Grass-type attack such as Giga Drain. Therefore, I recommend utilizing a Rindo Berry > Leftovers on Gastrodon to increase his survivability throughout the course of the match.