Quality Control Why Didn't Latias Get Flip Turn??? (Mega Latios) (QC 1/2)

[SET]
name: Utility Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Future Sight
item: Latiosite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Bold
evs: 192 HP / 100 Def / 216 Spe or 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
* Mega Latios's stats, typing, Levitate, and access to Flip Turn and Recover allow it to role compress on teams desiring a Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma answer that can also serve as a pivot with more direct longevity compared to Giratina-O thanks to its access to Recover. However, this is Mega Latios's only niche in the tier. Due to underwhelming weight that causes Mega Latios to recieve a 120 BP Heat Crash from Primal Groudon as well as underwhelming defensive stats, Mega Latios suffers from inconsistency issues, and due to its 4MSS, Mega Latios is unable to viably run useful moves such as Refresh, Defog, and Mystical Fire, ultimately leaving Mega Latios rather dependant on teammates to address its many shortcomings.
* Draco Meteor gives Mega Latios power sufficient to OHKO physically defensive Zygarde and Meteor Beam Eternatus while 2HKOing uninvested Primal Groudon and having a good chance to 2HKO Naive Yveltal on the switch.
* Toxic allows Mega Latios to more consistently threaten common bulky defensive Pokemon that can take a Draco Meteor such as defensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh while also allowing for easier handling of Pokemon running both setup and recovery such as Calm Mind Arceus formes. Alternatively, Future Sight aids in Mega Latios's role as a pivot and combos well with Draco Meteor. It can also deny Pokemon such as Eternatus and Primal Groudon easy entry while active, which can be useful for teammates like Arceus-Fairy. Note, however, that because Mega Latios already lures in every possible Steel type, including Necrozma-DM and Zacian-C, as well as every possible Future Sight absorber, including the aforementioned Pokemon on top of Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh, naturally, the effectiveness of these moves can be largely dependent on whether teammates like Marshadow, Primal Groudon, and Arceus-Fairy can force the absorber out timely.
* The first spread, combined with a Timid nature, outspeeds everything up to Modest Palkia-O and Adamant Mega Salamence, allowing Mega Latios to quickly Flip Turn out of most bad matchups, most notably including Yveltal. This Speed is also handy to allow Mega Latios to KO weakened Yveltal, Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes as well as Rayquaza, unboosted Mega Salamence, and the aforementioned Palkia-O. The Defense investment avoids an OHKO from +1 Adamant Ultra Necrozma's Light That Burns the Sky, allowing Mega Latios to check it in a pinch. However, this spread is reliant on outspeeding foes and not having taken prior damage to check most things.
* Alternatively, the bulkier spread more consistently handles the Pokemon Mega Latios should be able to check and slow pivot in more cases at the cost of a lot of Speed and the ability to directly pivot out of bad matchups. With this, Mega Latios outspeeds neutral natured base 90 Pokemon such as Primal Groudon while avoiding 2HKOs from +1 Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser after Stealth Rock and Jolly Primal Groudon's Heat Crash. The increased bulk also lets Mega Latios avoid OHKOs from attacks such as unboosted Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon and Choice Band Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent, letting it trade with them. However, this spread is worse at checking Jolly or Hasty Primal Groudon—Mega Latios cannot switch into Eruption variants unless Primal Groudon is first damaged by Stealth Rock, and it remains a shaky check to Heat Crash Primal Groudon even as it becomes more vulnerable to Toxic and coverage from utility Arceus formes and Yveltal.
* It is desirable to lead with Latios, particularly with the faster spread, as Mega Latios has good matchups into common leads such as Primal Groudon and can use Flip Turn to break Focus Sash on suicide leads while giving it a good opportunity to Mega Evolve. Future Sight, particularly with the slower spread, notably can mess with leads such as Glimmora and Smeargle by forcing them out in the same turn that a slower Defog user like Ho-Oh and Giratina-O uses Defog.
* Getting Mega Latios paralyzed may be beneficial; while this does come at the cost of offensive presence, the status prevents Mega Latios from getting afflicted by poison, which destroys any lasting defensive presence, and allows Mega Latios to slow pivot in more cases. Alternatively, taking bad poison or a burn in bulkier matchups may also be desirable, given Mega Latios generally doesn't stay in for very long and can offset the damage with recovery.
* Mega Latios can be rather passive after using Draco Meteor; as such, if it cannot OHKO the foe with Draco Meteor, it is best to use Toxic or Future Sight and then wait until Draco Meteor can OHKO. Future Sight can alternatively be timed to go off after Flip Turn brings Mega Latios out and clears its stat drops.
* Because Mega Latios can be sensitive to Stealth Rock in more offensive match-ups and has a tendency to lose to Heat Crash Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and Ho-Oh are effective teammates. Both are also effective at spreading status like burns and poison to make it easier for Mega Latios to put in work; Ho-Oh additionally can act as a status absorber, while Giratina-O is particularly effective against Heat Crash Primal Groudon and, because it does not fear Stone Edge coverage nearly as much, Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground.
* Teammates that can address Mega Latios's vulnerability to losses of momentum against switch-ins to Draco Meteor and Future Sight are appreciated. Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Dark are solid answers to Yveltal and opposing Arceus-Dark; Arceus-Dark further is a much safer check to Ultra Necrozma, but is not as immediately threatening to Dark types. Because Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM are problematic in being able to switch easily into Mega Latios and use it as setup fodder, teammates such as Primal Groudon, Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh can be handy to check these.
* Eternatus appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can be handy to absorb incoming Toxic from foes such as Ho-Oh while also setting Toxic Spikes to enable Mega Latios to more easily drop Toxic in exchange for Future Sight.
* For offensive partners, Choice Band Rayquaza can be an excellent partner, forming a pivot core with Mega Latios and threatening Necrozma-DM switch-ins with V-Create. Zacian-C offensively pressures Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus and also benefits greatly from getting consistent switches into these targets. Offensive variants of Marshadow appreciate safely getting in via flip turn, and can finish off threats weakened by dealing with Mega Latios such as Primal Groudon, Ultra Necrozma, and Mega Mewtwo Y; especially given that the chip damage of Flip Turn alone is sufficient to put Ultra Necrozma and Mega Mewtwo Y into OHKO range of Shadow Sneak, the former after hazard damage with Choice Band variants or Tera Ghost with Life Orb variants, as well as ensuring that Marshadow can OHKO Extreme Killer Arceus without any rolls, thus allowing for a direct punish if these threats attempt to set up on Mega Latios. Deoxys-A, while walled by many common Mega Latios switch-ins attempting to block Future Sight or Toxic, can revenge kill Terastallized Zacian-C, and benefits greatly both from free switches from Mega Latios's Flip Turn as well as Mega Latios's ability to rack up chip damage against foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
 
Last edited:
Bobsican this is ready for QC checks.

Because this is rather long, I would appreciate guidance on how to make it shorter. There's a bit of duplication.
 
Last edited:

Bobsican

NatDex Ubers TL
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
Moderator
Ping me after applying this to corroborate for a stamp.

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[SET]
name: Flip Turn Utility Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Future Sight
item: Latiosite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Bold
evs: 192 HP / 100 Def / 216 Spe or 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 90 96 Spe Yeah, that's the proper spread

[SET COMMENTS] Remember we're moving to the use of asterisks " * " for bullet points to ease SCM work, also note that normally I wouldn't do as many GP changes, but I'm asked to do so especially as it seems Zrp is struggling to shorten it (merely asking to reword wouldn't do)

* Mega Latios's stats, typing, Levitate, and access to Flip Turn and Recover allow it to role compress on teams desiring a Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma answer that can also serve as a pivot. Mega Latios's access to Recover distinguishes it from Giratina-O, and its access to Flip Turn distinguishes it from the otherwise-superior Mega Latias. merged bullet points, also don't mention M-Latias until it gets ranked on the VR However, this is Mega Latios's only niche in the tier. Due to underwhelming defensive stats and weight, it suffers from inconsistency issues against the Pokemon it is supposed to check, and due to its 4MSS, Mega Latios is unable to viably run either useful utility moves such as Refresh, add comma and Defog, and or coverage like Mystical Fire. This ultimately causes Mega Latios to rely heavily on teammates to address its shortcomings.
* Draco Meteor, even without Special Attack investment, is sufficient to OHKOes uninvested Zygarde that don't invest in Special Defense, and it 2HKOes offensive variants of Eruption Primal Groudon. After use, however, it leaves Mega Latios passive, forcing it to use Flip Turn afterwards or hard switch out. Move this to usage tips Recover allows Mega Latios to keep itself healthy in free turns, which is especially helpful given that Latios almost always has to be at full HP to check something without trading. Dex information, the following should be a separate bullet point Toxic allows Mega Latios unless you mean it'd act in its base forme, which is unlikely, fix other instances of this to more consistently threaten common bulky defensive Pokemon that can take a Draco Meteor such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh while also allowing Latios to more easily handle Pokemon running both setup and recovery such as Arceus formes should be more specific here IMO. Alternatively, Future Sight in the last slot aids in Mega Latios's role as a pivot; it can even serve as a one-two punch with Draco Meteor by using it, then Draco Meteor, then switching or using Flip Turn to nullify any Special Attack drops. Particularly on slower sets, Future Sight can also let Latios anti-lead many frail suicide leads, most notably Glimmora, in many cases by using Future Sight, using Flip Turn, and then immediately going into a Defog user to remove the hazards. should go in usage tips, reword as needed, in this section instead focus on what sort of offensive Pokemon it supports, Future Sight can also deny Pokemon such as Eternatus easy entry while active. Note, however, that Mega Latios already lures in every possible Future Sight absorber naturally such as? without being able to threaten any of them itself, so the effectiveness of the move is largely dependant on whether teammates can force the absorber out timely.
* The first spread combined with a Timid nature outspeeds everything up to Modest Palkia-O, allowing Mega Latios to quickly Flip Turn out of most bad matchups, notably including Yveltal, as well as safely scout for +Spe natures on Palkia-O, Arceus-formes, and Mega Salamence on top of scouting moves such as Toxic and Thunder Wave against Pokemon like Ho-Oh and Arceus-Dark. Due to this, Mega Latios becomes a relatively consistent anti-lead, making it easy for it to quickly Mega Evolve, and can also be useful for revenge killing these threats on top of Pokemon like Jolly Primal Groudon, Rayquaza, and unboosted Mega Salamence. The Defense investment avoids an OHKO from Adamant Ultra Necrozma's Light That Burns the Sky, allowing Mega Latios to check Ultra Necrozma in a pinch. Special Attack investment is forgone to promote defensive presence, as Mega Latios gets most important benchmarks, such as an OHKO on Zygarde, without investing at all in Special Attack. self explanatory and redundant The same spread also avoids a 2HKO from uninvested Ho-Oh's Brave Bird, which can allow Toxic variants of Mega Latios to Toxic stall it, and it no Ho-Oh set runs both uninvested Atk and Brave Bird avoids an OHKO after Stealth Rock from Leftovers Leftovers doesn't affect the damage output, and merely not saying the item would suffice to imply an item that isn't Silk Scarf or Life Orb Arceus's +2 Extreme Speed.
* Alternatively, the latter bulkier spread trades a lot of Speed to be able to more consistently handle the Pokemon Mega Latios should be able to and slow pivot in more cases. 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 96 Spe with a Bold nature It outspeeds neutral natured base 90 Pokemon such as Primal Groudon while avoiding a 2HKO from Adamant Ultra Necrozma's +1 Photon Geyser after Stealth Rock and Jolly Primal Groudon's Heat Crash. The increased bulk also lets Mega Latios avoid OHKOes from attacks such as Life Orb Marshadow's Spectral Thief, +0 Meteor Beam Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon, and Choice Band Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent, and +2 Zacian-C's Behemoth Blade. For one Behemoth Blade is uncommon here, secondly Latios is still outsped and KOed by the incoming Play Rough, and can't do much back anyways However, this spread is worse at checking +Speed Primal Groudon—Mega Latios cannot switch into Eruption variants unless Primal Groudon is first damaged by Stealth Rock, and despite taking Jolly +2 Heat Crash from full, it cannot OHKO back without sizable prior damage—and it becomes more vulnerable to Toxic from utility Arceus formes and Yveltal. Adamant variants will still usually 2HKO this Mega Latios with +0 Heat Crash, but due to Heat Crash only being a roll, Latios can often still check these variants of Primal Groudon as long as they do not use Swords Dance.
* Backup answers for most everything that Mega Latios checks are handy. Due to its shaky bulk even with investment and light weight, Mega Latios notably can fail to check the things it is supposed to check if Stealth Rock is up, it has taken Toxic, Draco Meteor tragically misses, or if they are running particular movesets or Tera Types, such as in the cases of Heat Crash or and Swords Dance Primal Groudon, X-Scissor or too uncommon Outrage Ultra Necrozma, and when Dragon types such as Zygarde, Rayquaza, and Eternatus terastallize out of their Dragon weakness. Because of this, Mega Latios does not fit easily onto teams and requires extensive support to address its weaknesses and properly make use of its strengths.
* While Mega Latios doesn't care about entry hazards like Spikes, Sticky Web, or Toxic Spikes, Stealth Rock can be extremely disruptive to it, so allies such as Ho-Oh and Giratina-O that can Defog away Stealth Rock are well-appreciated. Ho-Oh also can absorb Toxic for Mega Latios while appreciating Mega Latios's ability to handle Stone Edge variants of Primal Groudon with consistency in return, while Giratina-O provides a solid backup check to Primal Groudon, especially given it handles the Heat Crash variants that Latios does poorly against extremely well, and appreciates Mega Latios's ability to check Primal Groudon in other cases to so as to preserve its HP. Eternatus appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can be handy to absorb incoming Toxic from foes such as Ho-Oh while also setting Toxic Spikes to enable Mega Latios to more consistently drop Toxic in exchange for Future Sight—especially given that Future Sight can make it hard for Poison-types like opposing Eternatus to absorb Toxic Spikes—but the poison spreading also can be helpful in putting more offensive foes such as setup Primal Groudon into Draco Meteor OHKO range. Eternatus can also be handy to absorb Toxic Spikes generated from using Flip Turn against Glimmora for the sake of teammates. Zygarde can be used as a status absorber while also providing a backup check to Primal Groudon and non-Play Rough Zacian-C, though Mega Latios's inability to pivot on Primal Groudon weakens this synergy somewhat.
* For offensive partners, Choice Band Rayquaza can be an excellent partner, forming a pivot core with Mega Latios and threatening Necrozma-DM switch-ins with V-Create while also deeply appreciating Mega Latios's ability to give it a free swap and generate chip damage on targets like Primal Groudon to put them into OHKO range of its attacks. Offensive variants of Marshadow can provide a helpful source of priority, and can prevent reliance on Mega Latios to check Ultra Necrozma. Deoxys-Attack, while walled by many common Latios switch-ins attempting to block Future Sight or Toxic, also deeply appreciates the prospect of getting in safely via Mega Latios's Flip Turn, and appreciates both Future Sight's ability to dissuade revenge killers like Marshadow as well as Toxic and Flip Turn's ability to generate chip against foes like Ho-Oh, defensive Primal Groudon, and Primal Kyogre. Primal Groudon appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can punish Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM hard switches into Mega Latios, and can in some cases check Ultra Necrozma. Zacian-C appreciates the prospect of a free switch into Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus-Fairy either directly from Flip Turn or, in the case of the former two, in cases where they may attempt to absorb Future Sight, and it enjoys Mega Latios's ability to at minimum force damage onto Primal Groudon to reduce Zacian-C's need to Terastal to beat it.
Should reword and considerably simplify the teammates section in general, skip mentioning what each partner checks for Mega Latios. Instead first mention stuff Latios can struggle with, then mention in bulk partners that mitigate or complement against such issues.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
 
Last edited:
Bobsican
I appreciate the GP style edits, but there were some I disagreed with
  • 1715208811501.png

    I've kept the 'and' (and added another 'and' before Outrage Ultra Necrozma) because your change changes the meaning of the clause.
  • I dropped the itemless arceus stuff for silk scarf instead.
  • The bullet points --- I was using them for organization, I'm aware they're invalid for uploading.
  • Removed Marshadow LO Spectral Thief mention since Latios doesn't really do a whole lot back iirc.
  • Teammates:
    • Merged the preceding paragraph with the following; the end of that paragraph was redundant, and they were easily combined.
    • removed Zygarde entirely.
    • cut some extra information about teammates that aren't directly relevant to Mega Latios. However, I believe it is important to discuss what Latios even does for them; that helps justify the pick.
    • Removed the second half of the rayquaza mention due to redundancy
  • Rest of the changes are bolded.
 

Bobsican

NatDex Ubers TL
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
Moderator
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[SET] this got removed somehow
name: Utility Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Future Sight
item: Latiosite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Bold
evs: 192 HP / 100 Def / 216 Spe or 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
* Mega Latios's stats, typing, Levitate, and access to Flip Turn and Recover allow it to role compress on teams desiring a Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma answer that can also serve as a pivot with more direct longevity compared to Giratina-O. Should note this as it's the main competition for the same role However, this is Mega Latios's only niche in the tier. Due to underwhelming defensive stats, awkward Speed tier, the Speed tier isn't that bad given its intended niche and weight, should note that this matters for Primal Groudon's Heat Crash Mega Latios suffers from inconsistency issues, add comma and a strong tendency to trade with foes, and due to its 4MSS, Mega Latios is unable to viably run useful moves such as Refresh, Defog, and Mystical Fire, ultimately leaving Mega Latios rather dependant on teammates to address its many shortcomings.
* Draco Meteor gives Mega Latios power sufficient to OHKO physically defensive Zygarde and Meteor Beam Eternatus while 2HKOing uninvested Primal Groudon.
* Recover distinguishes Mega Latios from Giratina-O and allows Mega Latios to come in multiple times and offset residual damage. Dex info, goes better in the introductory bullet point, which was already reworked for this, although you could emphatize this more over there if you'd deem that appropiate.
* Toxic allows Mega Latios to more consistently threaten common bulky defensive Pokemon that can take a Draco Meteor such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh while also allowing for easier handling of Pokemon running both setup and recovery such as Arceus formes like Arceus-Ground. Alternatively, Future Sight aids in Mega Latios's role as a pivot and combos well with Draco Meteor. It can also deny Pokemon such as Eternatus and Primal Groudon easy entry while active, which can be useful for teammates. Note, however, that because Mega Latios already lures in every possible Steel type, including Necrozma-DM and Zacian-C, as well as every possible Future Sight absorber, including the aforementioned Pokemon on top of Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh, naturally, the effectiveness of these moves can be largely dependent on whether teammates can force the absorber out timely.
* The first spread, combined with a Timid nature, outspeeds everything up to Modest Palkia-O, allowing Mega Latios to quickly Flip Turn out of most bad matchups, most notably including Yveltal. This Speed is also handy to allow Mega Latios to KO weakened Yveltal, Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes as well as Rayquaza, unboosted Mega Salamence, and the aforementioned Palkia-O. The Defense investment avoids an OHKO from +1 Adamant Ultra Necrozma's Light That Burns the Sky, allowing Mega Latios to check it in a pinch. However, this spread is reliant on outspeeding foes and not having taken prior damage to check most things.
* Alternatively, the bulkier spread more consistently handles the Pokemon Mega Latios should be able to and slow pivot in more cases at the cost of a lot of Speed and the ability to directly pivot out of bad matchups. It outspeeds neutral natured base 90 Pokemon such as Primal Groudon while avoiding 2HKOs from +1 Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser after Stealth Rock and Jolly Primal Groudon's Heat Crash. The increased bulk also lets Mega Latios avoid OHKOs from attacks such as +0 Meteor Beam Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon and Choice Band Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent, letting it trade with them. However, this spread is worse at checking +Speed Primal Groudon—Mega Latios cannot switch into Eruption variants unless Primal Groudon is first damaged by Stealth Rock, and it remains a shaky check to Heat Crash Primal Groudon—and it becomes more vulnerable to Toxic and coverage from utility Arceus formes and Yveltal.
* It is desirable to lead with Latios, particularly with the faster spread, as Mega Latios has good matchups into common leads such as Primal Groudon and can use Flip Turn to break Focus Sash on suicide leads while giving it a good opportunity to Mega Evolve. Future Sight, particularly with the slower spread, notably can mess with leads such as Glimmora and Smeargle by forcing them out in the same turn that a Defog user clicks Defog. The following should be a separate bullet point Getting Mega Latios paralyzed may be beneficial; while this does come at the cost of offensive presence, the status prevents Mega Latios from getting afflicted by poison and burns and allows Mega Latios to slow pivot in more cases. Alternatively, taking Toxic in bulkier matchups may also be desirable, given Mega Latios generally doesn't stay in for very long and can offset offset poison damage with recovery.
* Mega Latios can be rather passive after using Draco Meteor; as such, if it cannot OHKO the foe with Draco Meteor, it is best to use Toxic or Future Sight and then wait until Draco Meteor can OHKO. Future Sight can alternatively be timed to go off after Flip Turn brings Mega Latios out and clears its stat drops.
* Because Mega Latios can be sensitive to Stealth Rock in more offensive match-ups and has a tendency to lose to Heat Crash Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and Ho-Oh are effective teammates. Both are also effective at spreading status to make it easier for Mega Latios to put in work; Ho-Oh additionally can can act as a status absorber, while Giratina-O alternatively is particularly effective against Heat Crash Primal Groudon and, because it does not fear Stone Edge coverage nearly as much, Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground. Should make the following a separate bullet point regarding M-Latios's vulnerability to switch-ins to FSight (and by extension Draco Meteor, there's some overlap on that), then mention the allies that help on that Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Dark are solid answers to Yveltal and Arceus-Dark; Arceus-Dark further is a much safer check to Ultra Necrozma, but is not as immediately threatening to Dark types. Because Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM are problematic in being able to switch easily into Mega Latios and use it as setup fodder, teammates such as Primal Groudon, Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and the aforementioned Ho-Oh can be handy to check these.
* Eternatus appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can be handy to absorb incoming Toxic from foes such as Ho-Oh while also setting Toxic Spikes to enable Mega Latios to more easily drop Toxic in exchange for Future Sight.
* For offensive partners, Choice Band Rayquaza can be an excellent partner, forming a pivot core with Mega Latios and threatening Necrozma-DM switch-ins with V-Create. Zacian-C offensively pressures Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus and also benefits greatly from getting consistent switches into these targets. Offensive variants of Marshadow can provide a helpful source of priority. Deoxys-A, while walled by many common Mega Latios switch-ins attempting to block Future Sight or Toxic, can revenge kill Terastallized Zacian-C, and benefits greatly both from free switches from Mega Latios's Flip Turn as well as Mega Latios's ability to rack up chip damage against foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
 
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[SET] this got removed somehow
name: Utility Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Future Sight
item: Latiosite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Bold
evs: 192 HP / 100 Def / 216 Spe or 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
* Mega Latios's stats, typing, Levitate, and access to Flip Turn and Recover allow it to role compress on teams desiring a Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma answer that can also serve as a pivot with more direct longevity compared to Giratina-O. Should note this as it's the main competition for the same role However, this is Mega Latios's only niche in the tier. Due to underwhelming defensive stats, awkward Speed tier, the Speed tier isn't that bad given its intended niche and weight, should note that this matters for Primal Groudon's Heat Crash Mega Latios suffers from inconsistency issues, add comma and a strong tendency to trade with foes, and due to its 4MSS, Mega Latios is unable to viably run useful moves such as Refresh, Defog, and Mystical Fire, ultimately leaving Mega Latios rather dependant on teammates to address its many shortcomings.
* Draco Meteor gives Mega Latios power sufficient to OHKO physically defensive Zygarde and Meteor Beam Eternatus while 2HKOing uninvested Primal Groudon.
* Recover distinguishes Mega Latios from Giratina-O and allows Mega Latios to come in multiple times and offset residual damage. Dex info, goes better in the introductory bullet point, which was already reworked for this, although you could emphatize this more over there if you'd deem that appropiate.
* Toxic allows Mega Latios to more consistently threaten common bulky defensive Pokemon that can take a Draco Meteor such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh while also allowing for easier handling of Pokemon running both setup and recovery such as Arceus formes like Arceus-Ground. Alternatively, Future Sight aids in Mega Latios's role as a pivot and combos well with Draco Meteor. It can also deny Pokemon such as Eternatus and Primal Groudon easy entry while active, which can be useful for teammates. Note, however, that because Mega Latios already lures in every possible Steel type, including Necrozma-DM and Zacian-C, as well as every possible Future Sight absorber, including the aforementioned Pokemon on top of Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh, naturally, the effectiveness of these moves can be largely dependent on whether teammates can force the absorber out timely.
* The first spread, combined with a Timid nature, outspeeds everything up to Modest Palkia-O, allowing Mega Latios to quickly Flip Turn out of most bad matchups, most notably including Yveltal. This Speed is also handy to allow Mega Latios to KO weakened Yveltal, Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes as well as Rayquaza, unboosted Mega Salamence, and the aforementioned Palkia-O. The Defense investment avoids an OHKO from +1 Adamant Ultra Necrozma's Light That Burns the Sky, allowing Mega Latios to check it in a pinch. However, this spread is reliant on outspeeding foes and not having taken prior damage to check most things.
* Alternatively, the bulkier spread more consistently handles the Pokemon Mega Latios should be able to and slow pivot in more cases at the cost of a lot of Speed and the ability to directly pivot out of bad matchups. It outspeeds neutral natured base 90 Pokemon such as Primal Groudon while avoiding 2HKOs from +1 Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser after Stealth Rock and Jolly Primal Groudon's Heat Crash. The increased bulk also lets Mega Latios avoid OHKOs from attacks such as +0 Meteor Beam Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon and Choice Band Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent, letting it trade with them. However, this spread is worse at checking +Speed Primal Groudon—Mega Latios cannot switch into Eruption variants unless Primal Groudon is first damaged by Stealth Rock, and it remains a shaky check to Heat Crash Primal Groudon—and it becomes more vulnerable to Toxic and coverage from utility Arceus formes and Yveltal.
* It is desirable to lead with Latios, particularly with the faster spread, as Mega Latios has good matchups into common leads such as Primal Groudon and can use Flip Turn to break Focus Sash on suicide leads while giving it a good opportunity to Mega Evolve. Future Sight, particularly with the slower spread, notably can mess with leads such as Glimmora and Smeargle by forcing them out in the same turn that a Defog user clicks Defog. The following should be a separate bullet point Getting Mega Latios paralyzed may be beneficial; while this does come at the cost of offensive presence, the status prevents Mega Latios from getting afflicted by poison and burns and allows Mega Latios to slow pivot in more cases. Alternatively, taking Toxic in bulkier matchups may also be desirable, given Mega Latios generally doesn't stay in for very long and can offset offset poison damage with recovery.
* Mega Latios can be rather passive after using Draco Meteor; as such, if it cannot OHKO the foe with Draco Meteor, it is best to use Toxic or Future Sight and then wait until Draco Meteor can OHKO. Future Sight can alternatively be timed to go off after Flip Turn brings Mega Latios out and clears its stat drops.
* Because Mega Latios can be sensitive to Stealth Rock in more offensive match-ups and has a tendency to lose to Heat Crash Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and Ho-Oh are effective teammates. Both are also effective at spreading status to make it easier for Mega Latios to put in work; Ho-Oh additionally can can act as a status absorber, while Giratina-O alternatively is particularly effective against Heat Crash Primal Groudon and, because it does not fear Stone Edge coverage nearly as much, Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground. Should make the following a separate bullet point regarding M-Latios's vulnerability to switch-ins to FSight (and by extension Draco Meteor, there's some overlap on that), then mention the allies that help on that Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Dark are solid answers to Yveltal and Arceus-Dark; Arceus-Dark further is a much safer check to Ultra Necrozma, but is not as immediately threatening to Dark types. Because Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM are problematic in being able to switch easily into Mega Latios and use it as setup fodder, teammates such as Primal Groudon, Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and the aforementioned Ho-Oh can be handy to check these.
* Eternatus appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can be handy to absorb incoming Toxic from foes such as Ho-Oh while also setting Toxic Spikes to enable Mega Latios to more easily drop Toxic in exchange for Future Sight.
* For offensive partners, Choice Band Rayquaza can be an excellent partner, forming a pivot core with Mega Latios and threatening Necrozma-DM switch-ins with V-Create. Zacian-C offensively pressures Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus and also benefits greatly from getting consistent switches into these targets. Offensive variants of Marshadow can provide a helpful source of priority. Deoxys-A, while walled by many common Mega Latios switch-ins attempting to block Future Sight or Toxic, can revenge kill Terastallized Zacian-C, and benefits greatly both from free switches from Mega Latios's Flip Turn as well as Mega Latios's ability to rack up chip damage against foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
Implemented, ready for QC 2/2.
 
ngl i wanna see this again before stamping
add remove comment
[SET]
name: Utility Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Future Sight
item: Latiosite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Bold
evs: 192 HP / 100 Def / 216 Spe or 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
* Mega Latios's stats, typing, Levitate, and access to Flip Turn and Recover allow it to role compress on teams desiring a Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma answer that can also serve as a pivot with more direct longevity compared to Giratina-O thanks to its access to Recover. However, this is Mega Latios's only niche in the tier. Due to underwhelming weight— weight which ok im assuming this says weight causes Mega Latios to recieve a 120 BP Heat Crash from Primal Groudon— and poor defensive stats, Mega Latios suffers from inconsistency issues, and due to its 4MSS, Mega Latios is unable to viably run useful moves such as Refresh, Defog, and Mystical Fire, ultimately leaving Mega Latios rather dependant on teammates to address its many shortcomings.
* Draco Meteor gives Mega Latios power sufficient to OHKO physically defensive Zygarde and Meteor Beam Eternatus while 2HKOing uninvested Primal Groudon it also has a 50% chance to 2hko LO yveltal but thats up to u if u wanna include that.
* Toxic allows Mega Latios to more consistently threaten common bulky defensive Pokemon that can take a Draco Meteor such as defensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh while also allowing for easier handling of Pokemon running both setup and recovery such as Calm Mind Arceus formes like Arceus-Ground. Alternatively, Future Sight aids in Mega Latios's role as a pivot and combos well with Draco Meteor. It can also deny Pokemon such as Eternatus and Primal Groudon easy entry while active, which can be useful for teammates like who?. Note, however, that because Mega Latios already lures in every possible Steel type, including Necrozma-DM and Zacian-C, as well as every possible Future Sight absorber, including the aforementioned Pokemon on top of Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh, naturally, the effectiveness of these moves can be largely dependent on whether teammates can force the absorber out timely. this could probably be moved to the usage tips section
* The first spread, combined with a Timid nature, outspeeds everything up to Modest Palkia-O and Adamant Mega Salamence, allowing Mega Latios to quickly Flip Turn out of most bad matchups, most notably including Yveltal. This Speed is also handy to allow Mega Latios to KO weakened Yveltal, Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes as well as Rayquaza, unboosted Mega Salamence, and the aforementioned Palkia-O. The Defense investment avoids an OHKO from +1 Adamant Ultra Necrozma's Light That Burns the Sky, allowing Mega Latios to check it in a pinch. However, this spread is reliant on outspeeding foes and not having taken prior damage to check most things.
* Alternatively, the bulkier spread more consistently handles the Pokemon Mega Latios should be able to check and slow pivot in more cases at the cost of a lot of Speed and the ability to directly pivot out of bad matchups. With this, Mega Latios outspeeds neutral natured base 90 Pokemon such as Primal Groudon while avoiding 2HKOs from +1 Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser after Stealth Rock and Jolly Primal Groudon's Heat Crash. The increased bulk also lets Mega Latios avoid OHKOs from attacks such as +0 unboosted Meteor Beam Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon and Choice Band Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent, letting it trade with them. However, this spread is worse at checking +Speed Jolly or Hasty Primal Groudon—. (AP) Mega Latios cannot switch into Eruption variants unless Primal Groudon is first damaged by Stealth Rock, and it remains a shaky check to Heat Crash Primal Groudon—and while it becomes more vulnerable to Toxic and coverage from utility Arceus formes and Yveltal.
* It is desirable to lead with Latios, particularly with the faster spread, as Mega Latios has good matchups into common leads such as Primal Groudon and can use Flip Turn to break Focus Sash on suicide leads while giving it a good opportunity to Mega Evolve. Future Sight, particularly with the slower spread, notably can mess with leads such as Glimmora and Smeargle by forcing them out in the same turn that a Defog user like? clicks Defog.
*
Getting Mega Latios paralyzed may be beneficial; while this does come at the cost of offensive presence, the status prevents Mega Latios from getting afflicted by poison and burns why is this beneficial (especially the burns)? and allows Mega Latios to slow pivot in more cases. Alternatively, taking Toxic in bulkier matchups may also be desirable, given Mega Latios generally doesn't stay in for very long and can offset offset poison damage with recovery.
* Mega Latios can be rather passive after using Draco Meteor; as such, if it cannot OHKO the foe with Draco Meteor, it is best to use Toxic or Future Sight and then wait until Draco Meteor can OHKO. Future Sight can alternatively be timed to go off after Flip Turn brings Mega Latios out and clears its stat drops.
* Because Mega Latios can be sensitive to Stealth Rock in more offensive match-ups and has a tendency to lose to Heat Crash Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and Ho-Oh are effective teammates because?. Both are also effective at spreading status like? to make it easier for Mega Latios to put in work; Ho-Oh additionally can act as a status absorber, while Giratina-O alternatively is particularly effective against Heat Crash Primal Groudon and, because it does not fear Stone Edge coverage nearly as much, Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground. ?
* Teammates that can address Mega Latios's vulnerability to losses of momentum against switch-ins to Draco Meteor and Future Sight are appreciated. Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Dark are solid answers to Yveltal and opposing Arceus-Dark; Arceus-Dark further is a much safer check to Ultra Necrozma, but is not as immediately threatening to Dark types. Because Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM are problematic in being able to switch easily into Mega Latios and use it as setup fodder, teammates such as Primal Groudon, Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh can be handy to check these.
* Eternatus appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can be handy to absorb incoming Toxic from foes such as Ho-Oh while also setting Toxic Spikes to enable Mega Latios to more easily drop Toxic in exchange for Future Sight.
* For offensive partners, Choice Band Rayquaza can be an excellent partner, forming a pivot core with Mega Latios and threatening Necrozma-DM switch-ins with V-Create. Zacian-C offensively pressures Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus and also benefits greatly from getting consistent switches into these targets. Offensive variants of Marshadow can provide a helpful source of priority explain why this is relevant. Deoxys-A, while walled by many common Mega Latios switch-ins attempting to block Future Sight or Toxic, can revenge kill Terastallized Zacian-C, and benefits greatly both from free switches from Mega Latios's Flip Turn as well as Mega Latios's ability to rack up chip damage against foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/s0a0m0i0.604820/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
 
ngl i wanna see this again before stamping
add remove comment
[SET]
name: Utility Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Future Sight
item: Latiosite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Bold
evs: 192 HP / 100 Def / 216 Spe or 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
* Mega Latios's stats, typing, Levitate, and access to Flip Turn and Recover allow it to role compress on teams desiring a Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma answer that can also serve as a pivot with more direct longevity compared to Giratina-O thanks to its access to Recover. However, this is Mega Latios's only niche in the tier. Due to underwhelming weight— weight which ok im assuming this says weight causes Mega Latios to recieve a 120 BP Heat Crash from Primal Groudon— and poor defensive stats, Mega Latios suffers from inconsistency issues, and due to its 4MSS, Mega Latios is unable to viably run useful moves such as Refresh, Defog, and Mystical Fire, ultimately leaving Mega Latios rather dependant on teammates to address its many shortcomings.
* Draco Meteor gives Mega Latios power sufficient to OHKO physically defensive Zygarde and Meteor Beam Eternatus while 2HKOing uninvested Primal Groudon it also has a 50% chance to 2hko LO yveltal but thats up to u if u wanna include that.
* Toxic allows Mega Latios to more consistently threaten common bulky defensive Pokemon that can take a Draco Meteor such as defensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh while also allowing for easier handling of Pokemon running both setup and recovery such as Calm Mind Arceus formes like Arceus-Ground. Alternatively, Future Sight aids in Mega Latios's role as a pivot and combos well with Draco Meteor. It can also deny Pokemon such as Eternatus and Primal Groudon easy entry while active, which can be useful for teammates like who?. Note, however, that because Mega Latios already lures in every possible Steel type, including Necrozma-DM and Zacian-C, as well as every possible Future Sight absorber, including the aforementioned Pokemon on top of Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh, naturally, the effectiveness of these moves can be largely dependent on whether teammates can force the absorber out timely. this could probably be moved to the usage tips section
* The first spread, combined with a Timid nature, outspeeds everything up to Modest Palkia-O and Adamant Mega Salamence, allowing Mega Latios to quickly Flip Turn out of most bad matchups, most notably including Yveltal. This Speed is also handy to allow Mega Latios to KO weakened Yveltal, Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes as well as Rayquaza, unboosted Mega Salamence, and the aforementioned Palkia-O. The Defense investment avoids an OHKO from +1 Adamant Ultra Necrozma's Light That Burns the Sky, allowing Mega Latios to check it in a pinch. However, this spread is reliant on outspeeding foes and not having taken prior damage to check most things.
* Alternatively, the bulkier spread more consistently handles the Pokemon Mega Latios should be able to check and slow pivot in more cases at the cost of a lot of Speed and the ability to directly pivot out of bad matchups. With this, Mega Latios outspeeds neutral natured base 90 Pokemon such as Primal Groudon while avoiding 2HKOs from +1 Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser after Stealth Rock and Jolly Primal Groudon's Heat Crash. The increased bulk also lets Mega Latios avoid OHKOs from attacks such as +0 unboosted Meteor Beam Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon and Choice Band Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent, letting it trade with them. However, this spread is worse at checking +Speed Jolly or Hasty Primal Groudon—. (AP) Mega Latios cannot switch into Eruption variants unless Primal Groudon is first damaged by Stealth Rock, and it remains a shaky check to Heat Crash Primal Groudon—and while it becomes more vulnerable to Toxic and coverage from utility Arceus formes and Yveltal.
* It is desirable to lead with Latios, particularly with the faster spread, as Mega Latios has good matchups into common leads such as Primal Groudon and can use Flip Turn to break Focus Sash on suicide leads while giving it a good opportunity to Mega Evolve. Future Sight, particularly with the slower spread, notably can mess with leads such as Glimmora and Smeargle by forcing them out in the same turn that a Defog user like? clicks Defog.
*
Getting Mega Latios paralyzed may be beneficial; while this does come at the cost of offensive presence, the status prevents Mega Latios from getting afflicted by poison and burns why is this beneficial (especially the burns)? and allows Mega Latios to slow pivot in more cases. Alternatively, taking Toxic in bulkier matchups may also be desirable, given Mega Latios generally doesn't stay in for very long and can offset offset poison damage with recovery.
* Mega Latios can be rather passive after using Draco Meteor; as such, if it cannot OHKO the foe with Draco Meteor, it is best to use Toxic or Future Sight and then wait until Draco Meteor can OHKO. Future Sight can alternatively be timed to go off after Flip Turn brings Mega Latios out and clears its stat drops.
* Because Mega Latios can be sensitive to Stealth Rock in more offensive match-ups and has a tendency to lose to Heat Crash Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and Ho-Oh are effective teammates because?. Both are also effective at spreading status like? to make it easier for Mega Latios to put in work; Ho-Oh additionally can act as a status absorber, while Giratina-O alternatively is particularly effective against Heat Crash Primal Groudon and, because it does not fear Stone Edge coverage nearly as much, Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground. ?
* Teammates that can address Mega Latios's vulnerability to losses of momentum against switch-ins to Draco Meteor and Future Sight are appreciated. Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Dark are solid answers to Yveltal and opposing Arceus-Dark; Arceus-Dark further is a much safer check to Ultra Necrozma, but is not as immediately threatening to Dark types. Because Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM are problematic in being able to switch easily into Mega Latios and use it as setup fodder, teammates such as Primal Groudon, Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh can be handy to check these.
* Eternatus appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can be handy to absorb incoming Toxic from foes such as Ho-Oh while also setting Toxic Spikes to enable Mega Latios to more easily drop Toxic in exchange for Future Sight.
* For offensive partners, Choice Band Rayquaza can be an excellent partner, forming a pivot core with Mega Latios and threatening Necrozma-DM switch-ins with V-Create. Zacian-C offensively pressures Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus and also benefits greatly from getting consistent switches into these targets. Offensive variants of Marshadow can provide a helpful source of priority explain why this is relevant. Deoxys-A, while walled by many common Mega Latios switch-ins attempting to block Future Sight or Toxic, can revenge kill Terastallized Zacian-C, and benefits greatly both from free switches from Mega Latios's Flip Turn as well as Mega Latios's ability to rack up chip damage against foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/s0a0m0i0.604820/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
Heh, turns out this program is good at generating implementation notes. Let me know if there was anything I misinterpreted.
[SET]
name: Utility Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Future Sight
item: Latiosite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Bold
evs: 192 HP / 100 Def / 216 Spe or 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpD / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
* Mega Latios's stats, typing, Levitate, and access to Flip Turn and Recover allow it to role compress on teams desiring a Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma answer that can also serve as a pivot with more direct longevity compared to Giratina-O thanks to its access to Recover. However, this is Mega Latios's only niche in the tier. Due to underwhelming weight —which that causes Mega Latios to recieve a 120 BP Heat Crash from Primal Groudon — and as well as underwhelming defensive stats, Mega Latios suffers from inconsistency issues, and due to its 4MSS, Mega Latios is unable to viably run useful moves such as Refresh, Defog, and Mystical Fire, ultimately leaving Mega Latios rather dependant on teammates to address its many shortcomings.

* Draco Meteor gives Mega Latios power sufficient to OHKO physically defensive Zygarde and Meteor Beam Eternatus while 2HKOing uninvested Primal Groudon and having a good chance to 2HKO Naive Yveltal on the switch.

* Toxic allows Mega Latios to more consistently threaten common bulky defensive Pokemon that can take a Draco Meteor such as defensive Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh while also allowing for easier handling of Pokemon running both setup and recovery such as Calm Mind Arceus formes like Arceus-Ground. Alternatively, Future Sight aids in Mega Latios's role as a pivot and combos well with Draco Meteor. It can also deny Pokemon such as Eternatus and Primal Groudon easy entry while active, which can be useful for teammates like Arceus-Fairy. Note, however, that because Mega Latios already lures in every possible Steel type, including Necrozma-DM and Zacian-C, as well as every possible Future Sight absorber, including the aforementioned Pokemon on top of Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh, naturally, the effectiveness of these moves can be largely dependent on whether teammates like Marshadow, Primal Groudon, and Arceus-Fairy added these examples can force the absorber out timely. This specifically applies to both moves in a general sense, so I figure it's appropriate to include here

* The first spread, combined with a Timid nature, outspeeds everything up to Modest Palkia-O and Adamant Mega Salamence, allowing Mega Latios to quickly Flip Turn out of most bad matchups, most notably including Yveltal. This Speed is also handy to allow Mega Latios to KO weakened Yveltal, Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes as well as Rayquaza, unboosted Mega Salamence, and the aforementioned Palkia-O. The Defense investment avoids an OHKO from +1 Adamant Ultra Necrozma's Light That Burns the Sky, allowing Mega Latios to check it in a pinch. However, this spread is reliant on outspeeding foes and not having taken prior damage to check most things.

* Alternatively, the bulkier spread more consistently handles the Pokemon Mega Latios should be able to check and slow pivot in more cases at the cost of a lot of Speed and the ability to directly pivot out of bad matchups. With this, Mega Latios outspeeds neutral natured base 90 Pokemon such as Primal Groudon while avoiding 2HKOs from +1 Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser after Stealth Rock and Jolly Primal Groudon's Heat Crash. The increased bulk also lets Mega Latios avoid OHKOs from attacks such as +0 unboosted Meteor Beam Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon and Choice Band Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent, letting it trade with them. However, this spread is worse at checking +Speed Jolly or Hasty Primal Groudon—Mega Latios cannot switch into Eruption variants unless Primal Groudon is first damaged by Stealth Rock, and it remains a shaky check to Heat Crash Primal Groudon —and even as it becomes more vulnerable to Toxic and coverage from utility Arceus formes and Yveltal.

* It is desirable to lead with Latios, particularly with the faster spread, as Mega Latios has good matchups into common leads such as Primal Groudon and can use Flip Turn to break Focus Sash on suicide leads while giving it a good opportunity to Mega Evolve. Future Sight, particularly with the slower spread, notably can mess with leads such as Glimmora and Smeargle by forcing them out in the same turn that a slower Defog user clicks like Ho-Oh and Giratina-O uses Defog.

* Getting Mega Latios paralyzed may be beneficial; while this does come at the cost of offensive presence, the status prevents Mega Latios from getting afflicted by poison, (AC) and burns which destroys any lasting defensive presence, removed burn, but the effect of burn makes flip turn's damage go from bad to so bad it can't even 2hko deo a, making it practically useless even for chip damage purposes. Normally it's usually inflicting the equivalent of stealth rock chip on a given target or dealing 20% to Ho-Oh to make it easier to deal lasting chip on it and allows Mega Latios to slow pivot in more cases. Alternatively, taking Toxic bad poison or a burn in bulkier matchups may also be desirable, given Mega Latios generally doesn't stay in for very long and can offset offset poison the damage with recovery.

* Mega Latios can be rather passive after using Draco Meteor; as such, if it cannot OHKO the foe with Draco Meteor, it is best to use Toxic or Future Sight and then wait until Draco Meteor can OHKO. Future Sight can alternatively be timed to go off after Flip Turn brings Mega Latios out and clears its stat drops.

* Because Mega Latios can be sensitive to Stealth Rock in more offensive match-ups and has a tendency to lose to Heat Crash Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and Ho-Oh are effective teammates No change here, the 'because' is at the start of the sentence. Both are also effective at spreading status like burns and poison to make it easier for Mega Latios to put in work; Ho-Oh additionally can act as a status absorber, while Giratina-O alternatively is particularly effective against Heat Crash Primal Groudon and, because it does not fear Stone Edge coverage nearly as much, Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground. why did you remove the latter part without an explanation? The clause before explains why. Are you saying that Giratina-O doesn't check Arceus-Ground?

* Teammates that can address Mega Latios's vulnerability to losses of momentum against switch-ins to Draco Meteor and Future Sight are appreciated. Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Dark are solid answers to Yveltal and opposing Arceus-Dark; Arceus-Dark further is a much safer check to Ultra Necrozma, but is not as immediately threatening to Dark types. Because Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM are problematic in being able to switch easily into Mega Latios and use it as setup fodder, teammates such as Primal Groudon, Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh can be handy to check these.

* Eternatus appreciates Mega Latios's immunity to Ground and can be handy to absorb incoming Toxic from foes such as Ho-Oh while also setting Toxic Spikes to enable Mega Latios to more easily drop Toxic in exchange for Future Sight.

* For offensive partners, Choice Band Rayquaza can be an excellent partner, forming a pivot core with Mega Latios and threatening Necrozma-DM switch-ins with V-Create. Zacian-C offensively pressures Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus and also benefits greatly from getting consistent switches into these targets. Offensive variants of Marshadow appreciate safely getting in via flip turn added info , and can provide a helpful source finish off threats weakened by dealing with Mega Latios such as Primal Groudon, Ultra Necrozma, and Mega Mewtwo Y; especially given that the chip damage of priority Flip Turn alone is sufficient to put Ultra Necrozma and Mega Mewtwo Y into OHKO range of Shadow Sneak, the former after hazard damage with Choice Band variants or Tera Ghost with Life Orb variants, as well as ensuring that Marshadow can OHKO Extreme Killer Arceus without any rolls, thus allowing for a direct punish if these threats attempt to set up on Mega Latios Note: Ultra Necrozma may attempt to set up on Mega Latios if it can burst from its base forme, since the base forme walls Mega Latios entirely, thus it is not unlikely for Mega Latios to Flip Turn itself out on the same turn Ultra Necrozma Ultra Bursts and uses Dragon Dance. Deoxys-A, while walled by many common Mega Latios switch-ins attempting to block Future Sight or Toxic, can revenge kill Terastallized Zacian-C, and benefits greatly both from free switches from Mega Latios's Flip Turn as well as Mega Latios's ability to rack up chip damage against foes.
 

Bobsican

NatDex Ubers TL
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
Moderator
Could you also remove those spaces between the bullets? It’s not necessary and makes the analysis look different like this: https://www.smogon.com/dex/sv/pokemon/mewtwo/national-dex-ubers/
Yeah, I support this, in fact thanks for reminding me of that one, after Zrp200 applies the stuff here to the OP, I'll also update that page accordingly as currently it's being used here as an example if why the spaces between bullets aren't ideal.
 

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