ORAS PU Fun Little Team I Threw Together

[JTrussell]

THE TEAM

Clay (Marowak) (M) @ Thick Club
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Knock Off

I began building this team around the idea of a defensive marowak. I saw its 110 base defense and thought that maybe its worth a try. It can be a lead to set rocks and it often counters other rock setters, such as golem and gigalith. Earthquake is its main attack, but knock off can be used to catch opposing flying/levitate pokemon upon switch in. Iron head is used either against clefairy after its eviolite has been knocked off or against carbinks.

Hudson (Pelipper) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
- Scald

After marowak I knew I needed a special wall so I decided to use Pelipper. It has the sitrus berry so that if it switches in to an attack with stealth rocks up it can instantly regain HP be be back at a respectable amount. Toxic and roost are used to wear down the opponents defensive walls. Pelipper is also my defogger. It stinks that it is a flying type so it takes 25% from rocks and that it takes away the hazards from my opponents side, but its better than nothing. Scald is its only offensive attack, but due to the lack of special attack investment it doesn't have much power behind it. I tried to add protect to this moveset, but I couldn't find a move to replace. They are just too important to this pokemon.

Flicker (Ninetales) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Energy Ball
- Calm Mind
- Will-O-Wisp

To complete my core I then added ninetales. I opted for leftovers rather than the life orb just for the increased longevity of ninetales. Flamethrower is its main STAB attack. Energy ball is to catch the opposing rock/ground/water switch ins, especially floatzel if the opponent is predicting will-o-wisp. I opted for calm mind over nasty plot for the added defense, although I usually don't set up with this pokemon. Will-o-wisp is to cripple opposing offensive threats and add residual damage to opposing walls.

Luxray (Luxray) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Volt Switch
- Superpower
- Ice Fang
- Wild Charge

After that I knew I needed speed, so I added scarfed electabuzz. That didn't work out so I then chose luxray and I am in love. Its intimidate ability allows it to switch in to offensive threats and weaken them. With its scarf it out speeds anything in the tier without a scarf and the usual scarfed pokemon, such as floatzel and dodrio, it can handle with ease. Volt switch allows me to scout what the opponent is doing and lets me switch to the appropriate counter. Superpower allows me to handle large walls, such as lickilicky, bastiodon, and regigigas. Ice fang is for coverage, allowing me to hit dragons and ground types for super effective damage. Wild charge is other there if necessary, the large recoil and no way to recover health makes me hesitate to use it too often.

Clover (Leafeon) (F) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Return
- X-Scissor

Leafeon was actually originally my roselia counter, with it being able to knock off its eviolite, survive a sludge bomb due to its assault vest, and then knock it out with return, but sadly roselia isn't too abundant in PU anymore. I decided to keep it on the team though, just because I was comfortable using it and liked the set. The set is fairly self-explanatory, leaf blade is my main move of choice. Return is there for pokemon who resist grass, such as opposing ninetales and rapidashs. Knock off is just such a good move I couldn't not have it once I saw leafeon get it. X-scissor is just added coverage, although I rarely have to use it.

Macadania (Kadabra) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Dazzling Gleam
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Psychic

And finally I added Kadabra. Kadabra is my main way to deal with pokemon that have set up, or are simply too much for the rest of my team to handle. It comes it and takes no damage from hazards due to its magic guard ability. It usually outspeeds, but if not it has its focus sash to allow it to usually get off at least one hit. Psychic is its main move of choice, although it has energy ball to hit the floatzels and rampardoses. Dazzling gleam is for the dragon dancing fraxures and shadow ball is just for other psychic or ghost types.

THREAT LIST

Floatzel can be quite a threat to this team if it has ice punch. My only way to take it down would be with my healthy kadabra or a healthy leafeon.

Lapras is also a large threat to this team with its dual ice/water typing and access to freeze dry. My only way to beat it is with luxray and wild charging.

Gourgeist-Super is also a threat just because of its bulk and access to will-o-wisp and synthesis. A flamethrower from ninetales is the only way I can beat it.

Priority is also a large threat to this team due to its lack of priority itself.


Thank you for reading this. I am open to any and all feedback you may have for me. I am still fairly new to PU and competitive battling so I still have a lot to learn and would greatly appreciate any advice I can get.​

 

[MZ]

Hey JTrussell. So rather than sugarcoat this, I should say off the bat that none of the sets you're running are actually viable. While the Pokemon themselves aren't terrible, there are plenty of wholly inferior move and item choices here. In addition there's almost no synergy across the entire team and it's built around a wholly unviable set, defensive Marowak, which is just totally outdone by the likes of Golem, Stunfisk, and Hippopotas. I'm going to do my best with this, but it's gonna need some massive changes. Ideally you should change Marowak to just about anything else, defensive just really isn't a good set, but since that's what you've built around I'll be leaving that alone. However, there's little reason to run Iron Head as the targets you listed take plenty from EQ (once Clef is knocked off) so you could go with something like Toxic there. Pelipper, on the other hand, could benefit from U-Turn more on this team to bring in your harder hitters in. I generally prefer Air Slash but since you sorta have a lack of pivoting this should work out better. On Kadabra, Energy Ball is fairly useless coverage, you could benefit a lot more from Encore to mess with defensive Pokemon, although Thunder Wave is always an alternate option. Dazzling Gleam is also generally bad as it only really hits Vullaby, Hidden Power Fighting can help with Pawniard and Probopass.

As for the last 3 mons, while none of their sets are good (AV is awful on Leafeon, Scarf is awful on Luxray, and Ninetales is far better with max speed), I think you could use more to your offensive core. As it stands you have a bit of an Electric and Ice weakness and the 3 mons don't really complement each other well. The best I could make up is changing Scarf Luxray to a Scarf Mr. Mime, making Ninetales a fast Passho Berry variant, and changing Leafeon to a dual dance set. This gives you a more reliable revenge killer along with some psychic spam, a way to lure both waters and fires and break down opposing Ice- and Steel-types, and giving you a solid boosting cleaner. The core remains a bit weak to fast Electrics as all are slower and can be hit with neutral STAB or super effective coverage, but this can be helped with a better defensive Ground-type over Marowak or potentially Occa Berry on Leafeon to lure Zebstrika assuming it can get an Overheat KO. Hopefully this helps you out with the team, sorry that I don't have too much time for fancy formatting and graphics right now. And, as a final note, Macadamia is spelled with an M :v

An importable with all of the suggested changes

Clay (Marowak) (M) @ Thick Club
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Knock Off

Hudson (Pelipper) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Roost
- U-turn
- Defog
- Scald

Flicker (Ninetales) (F) @ Passho Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Energy Ball
- Nasty Plot
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Mr. Mime @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Healing Wish
- Focus Blast

Clover (Leafeon) (F) @ Yache Berry
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Sunny Day

Macadamia (Kadabra) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Encore
- Shadow Ball
- Psychic

 

[2xTheTap]

Hi, JTrussell - this is looking like the start of a nice balance team, with Pelipper / Ninetales / Scarf Mon / Leafeon / SR user / Kadabra. But, like Megazard has already said, there are some unviable sets here that I wouldn't recommend using.

Firstly, physically defensive Marowak is not great in this meta, as such a spread would be better done by a Normal-, or Flying-type resist, like Metang / Probopass / Golem / Relicanth because of the popularity of Pokemon like Dodrio, Purugly, Stoutland, and many others. If anything, I would make Marowak specially defensive here with 36 Atk EVs to OHKO Golem through Sturdy with Bonemerang. Making it specially defensive lets it take on Raichu and Zebstrika comfortably with its immunity to Electric as well, even if they HP Ice on the switch. Alternatively, if you were looking for a specially defensive SR user with an Electric immunity, SpDef Camerupt or SpDef Golem would work really well here. And finally, if you wanted to beat HO Golem leads through Sturdy, Jolly is definitely an option here with max Speed / max Attack (Jolly over Adamant to prevent the Speed tie with Adamant Golem).

Spdef Marowak

Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Atk / 220 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Bonemerang
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge

Next, on Balance, I'm of the opinion that (as Megazard also said already) running a slow U-Turn on Pelipper works much better over Toxic in order to bring in any Choiced / setup sweepers for free by taking the hit on Pelipper before switching out. Given you have both Luxray (works best with a Choice Band) and Leafeon (works best with Swords Dance), U-Turn is much better here. While Sitrus Berry is at least usable for times when you need to switch into SR in order to Defog when you're low on HP, I would still recommend Leftovers for more reliable longevity. If you're not happy with Pelipper + Marowak, there are many other balance SR setting / removal cores you can use, such as Probopass + Vibrava, or Vullaby + Metang for example. I also think that enough Speed for Adamant Golem could work here (although, this is optional), with a physically defensive set being more useful for combating things like Monferno without Thunder Punch and Pawniard.

Pelipper set

Pelipper @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 100 Spe
Bold Nature
- U-turn
- Defog
- Scald
- Roost

Ninetales' standard set is Nasty Plot / Fire Blast / Energy Ball / HP Ground or Dark Pulse (with Substitute as an option for that 4th slot on slowTurn Balance teams as well). With Leafeon and Luxray already threatening Probopass enough, I would recommend Dark Pulse for hitting predicted Grumpig switch-ins over Hidden Power Ground. Setting up Nasty Plot after you've been brought in via SlowTurn (or Volt Switch, if you're using your own Probopass) is a really effective way of setting up Nasty Plot and picking up 1-2 kills.

Ninetales set

Ninetales @ Passho Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Energy Ball
- Nasty Plot

To me, Luxray is your most questionable slot here. If you're going to run Luxray, I find that Choice Band works better, as the extra Attack is useful in breaking walls such as Audino or Stunfisk for your Ninetales to break past here. Not only that, but CB Luxray competes for this wall breaker slot with better options such as CB Scrappy Stoutland. However, if you use Specially Defensive Marowak here over a Stealth Rocker that would provide you with a Flying resistance, such as Stunfisk / Probopass / Golem, then you should use CB Luxray to keep that Flying resistance in tact.

Luxray set

Luxray @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wild Charge
- Ice Fang
- Superpower
- Volt Switch

Next, I really like Kadabra on Balance, as Focus Sash + Magic Guard gives you a blanket check for all those other threats that may have slipped through the cracks during teambuilding, while Pelipper is able to give it a free switch via U-Turn in order to prevent its Sash being broken prematurely. For example, Gorebyss is pretty threatening here, but with Kadabra, you can at least paralyze and revenge it if Gorebyss has already set up. While it is a nice choice here, the set you're using could use improvement. Energy Ball was better during Barb / Costa meta, meaning it is outdated, so I would suggest something like this instead. The IVs lower your Attack as much as possible in order to minimize Foul Play damage done to you, while maintaining a max power HP Fighting. If you use Thunder Wave over Shadow Ball, it means Kadabra will be walled by options like Grumpig and Metang, which in turn makes CB Stoutland with Crunch an option (to beat Solrock / Metang). Using CB Stoutland would in turn mean Probopass could work here to replace Marowak as your Flying resist, however all these changes are up to you.

Kadabra

Kadabra @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Encore
- Thunder Wave / Shadow Ball
- Psychic

Finally, with Luxray running CB over Scarf, you no longer have a Choice Scarf user here to revenge faster threats. For example, with nothing to revenge kill LO Floatzel other than Kadabra, a Scarfer with the ability to outspeed and hit Floatzel super effectively will work really nicely here. I'll leave that choice up to you, but Scarf Rotom-Frost / Scarf Floatzel / Scarf Simipour / Scarf Sawsbuck / Scarf Gourgeist-Small will be options for you to choose from. Sawsbuck can lend Marowak an immunity to Grass, while being able to Baton Pass and force switches to make the most of Ninetales' ability to set up on Sawsbuck's counters, such as Gourgeist-Super and Tangela, so I'm recommending that here.

Scarf Sawsbuck set

Sawsbuck @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Baton Pass
- Horn Leech
- Jump Kick
- Double-Edge

You have a lot of options here for your breaker in Luxray's slot + your scarfer in Sawsbuck's slot. You could use something like CB Leafeon + Scarf Simipour, and it'd work fine tbh.

At this point though, you still need a Normal resist, and the most obvious answer for that would be to replace Marowak with something like SpDef Golem, but you mentioned building around Marowak specifically as your focal point, so I didn't want to remove the team's centerpiece. If you need any more help with building a Balance team, feel free to message me here or on Showdown. :]

 

[Raiza]

Hi JTrussell, I like the idea behind the team, but as Megazard already said, most of your sets aren't viable and need replacement. Overall, the typing synergy here is nice so you aren't weak to a lot of things especially after having changed some unviable sets, so other than that I won't change much. So yeah let's get into it:

Starting from Marowak, replace Earthquake with Bonemerang, Bonemerang is better than Earthquake 9/10 of the times, it allows you to win the lead matchup against stuff such as Golem, and break through Pokemon that run Focus Sash such as Kadabra and other Sturdy users. Also allows you to have an answer to Substitute + Swords Dance Bouffalant, which gives you some problems. Following this change I also agree with 2xthetap on giving 36 EVs in Attack to Marowak, as it allows to have the guaranteed OHKO on Golem. You also might want to replace Iron Head with Stone Edge: Knock Off + Bonemerang is already taking care well of Clefairy, and Stone Edge comes in hand more often against common Defog users, other Flying-types such as Dodrio, and basically hits harder the stuff immune to Marowak's main STAB. I don't agree on giving Marowak a specially defensive spread, and making Pelipper your physically defensive wall, especially if you are following my rate: first of all, doing this, you lose your main switch in against all specially attacking Water-types, secondly, you don't need a specially defensive spread on Marowak to take on Electric-types better, as Choice Scarf Luxray is actually not bad and provides insurance against them. Also this makes you weaker to stuff such as Thunder Punch Monferno, Machoke, especially if not running Air Slash, Pawniard, and other physically attacking powerhouses. Also makes you kinda weaker and totally reliant on Marowak, which doesn't carry any recovery, to deal with Fire-types such as Ninetales and Simisear.

Then, on Pelipper, Sitrus Berry is ok, but Leftovers is more reliable in the long run and provides you more substantial recovery especially if Pelipper has to switch into stuff such as Water- and Fire-types which won't bring you in Sitrus Berry range most of the time, unless Pelipper switches into like HP Electric, but then it has to switch out and Sitrus Berry isn't giving you back enough health to switch in again anyway, so Pelipper is basically boned. Another change I suggest you is to replace Toxic with Air Slash. While U-Turn is nice and can create momentum + some VoltTurn chains with Luxray, Air Slash + Scald burns give you a way to deal with Gourgeist-Super, which as you said is annoying to your team if Ninetales dies or gets weakened in the early / mid game. Air Slash is also nice and allows you to deal better with Machoke when it isn't running a Thunder Punch variant.

Going into Leafeon, as others already said, you should probably give it a Swords Dance set. You lack a decent win condition, and Calm Mind Ninetales is really underwhelming especially against offensive teams. SD Leafeon takes much more advantage of your team structure than an AV variant would, for example it appreciates Thunder Wave by Kadabra, its ability to lure Vullaby with Dazzling Gleam, Volt Switch by Luxray and its ability to bait in Stunfisk, which is setup fodder for Leafeon in most cases. Running a Yache Berry also allows you to lure Floatzel and Lapras, and KO them with Leaf Blade. Also I don't think losing Assault Vest is much valuable here, as Leafeon wasn't going to be an answer to most special attackers anyway because of its still poor special defense and defensive typing. While Sunny Day is better in most cases, you can also consider running X-Scissor in the 4th slot. With following changes, you'll have Thunder Wave support so you won't need Sunny Day to boost your Speed as much, and X-Scissor helps you to not be walled by stuff such as Pawniard and Tangela, but your team can account for them already, so it's up to you.

Following this, you should replace Ninetales with offensive Grumpig. I just feel like Grumpig is a straight upgrade, and while it still checks Ice- and Fire-types decently, it can provide more valuable utility to your team. In fact, I think Thunder Wave is way more appreciated in this case than Will-O-Wisp, as your team is pretty slow and would appreciate both enemies slowed down and fully paras are nice to find more set up opportunities with Leafeon. Grumpig is also able to outspeed Normal-types such as Stoutland, which are a pain, and KO them with Focus Blast, unless it misses, and gives you an insurance against stuff such as Pawniard, because of Colbur Berry, and Monferno, lowering the constant pressure put on Marowak, which isn't going to hold them forever, as it doesn't even carry any recovery. Grumpig is also able to be a soft check to specially attacking Floatzel, in case Pelipper is caught by HP Electric, and Lapras, which Pelipper can't hold because of Freeze Dry.

Regarding Kadabra, I also agree on removing Energy Ball for Thunder Wave. Energy Ball doesn't provide any useful coverage, and most Pokemon it would are already dealt with by Thunder Wave + Psychic or just Leafeon. Thunder Wave allows Kadabra to soft check most setup sweepers and has a nice synergy with your team, given it is slow. I don't agree on replacing Dazzling Gleam, as it can come in hand against Vullaby, something you might struggle with given it walls a big portion of your team, especially Leafeon.

TL;DR
Marowak: 36 EVs in Atk, Bonemerang>Earthquake, Stone Edge>Iron Head
Pelipper: Leftovers>Sitrus Berry, Air Slash>Toxic
Leafeon: Swords Dance set > Assault Vest
Grumpig>Ninetales
Kadabra: Thunder Wave>Energy Ball

sets

Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Atk / 220 Def / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Bonemerang
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge

Clover (Leafeon) (F) @ Yache Berry
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Sunny Day / X-Scissor

Grumpig @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Thunder Wave
- Shadow Ball

 

[JTrussell]

Thank you Megazard, 2xTheTap, and Raiza for the help on the team. I will definitely have to try out all of these sets and I definitely can see and understand why you guys suggested these changes. And again thanks.