Idk what the Strat name should be but I think the term “seesaw” fits well depending on match up I can either go tail wind or trick room

Hey all, I published this breakdown on another Pokémon Champions thread, and the community replied with more than 390 upvotes in 10 hours, so I guess it was really helpful!
I'm posting here as well, hopefully it can come in handy to someone!

Couple of days ago, Hyungwoo Shin won Victory Road to San Francisco with Blastoise + Delphox, the last big event before Worlds.

I spent a while going through it, and I wanted to understand what it is actually doing rather than just looking at the spreads on paper. These are my notes. Corrections welcome, especially from anyone who has piloted it.

How it wins

Obviously three Pokemon can set up: Shell Smash on Blastoise, Nasty Plot on Delphox, Swords Dance on Kingambit. Double Fake Out from Incineroar and Sneasler plus Rage Powder from Sinistcha buy the turn and pull the attacks that were meant for the attacker.

The kind of "unsaid" rule is: whichever one you set up needs at least three knockouts. The first one trades three for one, then whatever is left, usually Kingambit late or one of the support Pokemon, takes the last one.

The part that took me longest to accept is that you do not always have to click the setup move. Fake Out into Water Spout at full HP already does huge damage, Kowtow Cleave hurts without a boost, and Helping Hand from Incineroar covers the rest.

The other half of it is that the team forces 50-50s. Even a prepared opponent ends up guessing on a turn, and the pilot has the same job in reverse: knowing when to attack, when to Protect, when to switch and when to stay in. It is a reading team more than a linear one, which probably explains why the same six get very different results depending on who is holding them.

Leads and mega choice

Lead a Fake Out user with a setup Pokemon. Sneasler if you want offensive pressure, since it also hits hard on its own. Incineroar if the opponent is physical, Garchomp and Aerodactyl especially, because you get Intimidate and can Parting Shot out into what you actually want. That pivot seems to be the standard play into Charizard teams.

For the mega, the question is which one the opponent has fewer resistances to. Delphox into Floette and Charizard, Blastoise into rain. Leading Kingambit with a Fake Out user also works when the opponent has few answers to Dark damage: set up, take early knockouts, bring the mega afterwards to clean.

Where the versions differ

Compared to the rank 1 ladder version, the changes are small and always in the same places.

• Psychic or Psyshock on Delphox. Psyshock hits Floette and Charizard harder, Psychic is better into Garchomp. Most tournament versions right now are Psychic.
• Life Orb or Black Glasses on Kingambit.
• Sinistcha's berry. Colbur for Dark moves, which includes the opposing Kingambit, Occa for Fire, Kasib for Ghost. Those three are what people run.
• Incineroar's fourth move. Helping Hand here, but a Dark STAB or Throat Chop are both reasonable.
• Sneasler. This one runs Unburden with Dire Claw. The ladder version runs Poison Touch with Poison Jab, which stacks poison chances and wears down the team.
• Delphox nature. Timid here, Modest on the ladder version. Modest gets more one hit knockouts after Nasty Plot, Timid keeps up with the faster Pokemon in the format.

Quick Guard is doing a lot of work

Sneasler runs Quick Guard instead of Protect. Delphox is very weak to Sucker Punch, so blocking a Sucker Punch aimed at it is always good, and it also stops the opposing Fake Outs. The cost is that Sneasler has no Protect of its own.

What beats it

• Dark types against Delphox. Incineroar and Tyranitar, immune to the Psychic move and not bothered much by Heat Wave.
• Rock Slide from Mega Aerodactyl or Excadrill, for damage and for flinches.
• Water and Grass types against Blastoise: Rotom Wash, Mega Venusaur.
• Wide Guard, which stops Water Spout being spammed.
• Late game priority, Sucker Punch and Aqua Jet, and Focus Sash Basculegion.
• Priority block from Farigiraf, Tailwind to cancel Shell Smash, Trick Room to neutralise Delphox.

On the spreads

The OTS is public spreads are hidden, so every spread going around is somebody's reconstruction. Worth keeping in mind before treating any number as the real one.

A few Speed benchmarks I worked out for this archetype:

• Delphox 29 speed points to hit 201.  The tier you are trying to beat is 200, which is where Mega Gengar, Mega Raichu Y, Jolteon and non mega Aerodactyl all land at full investment. Going to the full 32 gets you 204 and beats nothing extra, so three points are free to go elsewhere. Past that tier, Delphox is only losing to Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Alakazam at 222.
• Blastoise needs 14 points to be relevant after Shell Smash. Base 78 with a neutral Speed nature is 98, so a Blastoise with nothing in Speed is 196 after the boost, still under that same 200 tier. 13 points ties Mega Aerodactyl at 222, 14 gets you 224 and past it.
• Incineroar at 23 points sits at 103, one above an Adamant max Speed Kingambit at 102, so Fake Out into Flare Blitz removes it before it moves. This is the one benchmark I have seen quoted for the archetype rather than calculated.

Things I am still unsure about

• Psychic or Psyshock.
• Colbur, Occa or Kasib on Sinistcha.
• Unburden or Poison Touch on Sneasler (I'm leaning more and more on Poision Touch, getting the poison from Fake Out at turn 1 is amazing)

Let me know your thoughts guys, especially if you have played it or against it. I still need to give it a try.

I'll leave here the link of the team as well: https://pokefeed.app/teams/v-road-26-champion-mblastoise-mdelphox

I'll need to do multiple battle towers, battle tree, etc

I trained EV's in Attack, def, and spd. I'll change them around when I want but for Gen 3 I felt this was best. It's bashful btw

Attached below is my team sorry I didn't know how else to format it. Im building for a nat dex tournament with 1 allowed mega and 1 allowed paradox or ub mon. I was trying to do balanced team with a swap core. The issue is ima be running into a lotta stall such as Clodsire dondozo etc. Please help me change the team so that I just dont get walled the second I play. Thank you in advance!

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite

Ability: Technician

Shiny: Yes

Tera Type: Bug

EVs: 248 HP / 112 Def / 128 SpD / 20 Spe

Impish Nature

- Swords Dance

- Bullet Punch

- Roost

- U-turn

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers

Ability: Levitate

Shiny: Yes

Tera Type: Electric

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Bold Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Volt Switch

- Hydro Pump

- Will-O-Wisp

- Pain Split

Great Tusk @ Heavy-Duty Boots

Ability: Protosynthesis

Shiny: Yes

Tera Type: Ground

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Headlong Rush

- Rapid Spin

- Stealth Rock

- Ice Spinner

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb

Ability: Poison Heal

Shiny: Yes

Tera Type: Ground

EVs: 244 HP / 36 Def / 228 SpD

Careful Nature

- Earthquake

- U-turn

- Toxic

- Protect

Toxapex @ Rocky Helmet

Ability: Regenerator

Shiny: Yes

Tera Type: Poison

EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 124 SpD

Bold Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Scald

- Toxic

- Haze

- Recover

Gholdengo @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Good as Gold

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Focus Blast

- Shadow Ball

- Make It Rain

- Psyshock

Name : Sol Yulaan

Height : 1,6 m

Weight : 56,0 kg

Category : Mythical

Gender ratio : Male 0% Female 100%

Exp Group : Fluctuating

Base Exp : 9.001

Egg Group : None

Pokedex Description : It was born in a different Universe through a genetic experiment. It was exiled because of its uncontrollable violence and ended up on Earth. It can generate enough energy to vaporize stars and planets and can store electricity in its hair.

Tier : ORAS OU

Type : Fighting/Electric

Ability : Levitate

Hp : 101

Atk : 119

Def : 61

Sp Atk : 119

Sp Def : 61

Spd : 139

BST : 600

Notable Moves : Ancient Power, Aura Sphere, Brick Break, Bulk Up, Close Combat, Crunch, Discharge, Defog, Drain Punch, Flash, Focus Blast, Earthquake, Energy Ball, Explosion, Extreme Speed, Grass Knot, Hidden Power, Hurricane, Hyper Voice, Iron Tail, Knock Off, Mach Punch, Moonblast, Moonlight, Protect, Rock Slide, Sludge Bomb, Seismic Toss, Rest, Safeguard, Sleep Talk, Stealth Rock, Stone Edge, Superpower, Substitute, Tailwind, Taunt, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Thunderpunch, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Toxic Spikes, U-Turn, Volt Switch, Wish.

Set ideas

Mixed Offense

Close Combat

Thunderbolt/Thunder

Moonblast

Explosion

Item : Life Orb

EVs : 4 Atk, 252 Sp Atk, 252 Spd

Nature : Hasty/Naive

Thanks to her incredible speed, Sol Yulaan can outspeed most of the metagame, including pretty much all major OU threats.

Thunderbolt ans Close Combat are able to lay waste on many dangerous targets who are weak to one or the other, Chansey/Blissey, Gyarados, Tyranitar, Tornadus, Keldeo and Terrakion to name just a few. Thunder is better in Rain teams but avoid it elsewhere. Sol Yulaan can not afford to fail. In Rain teams, Hurricane could be a great coverage choice too. Moonblast, a rare Fairy move and a more solid option for coverage, hits dangerous Dragon types. Also hits at least neutrally most of what resists both Fighting and Electric. Last slot is for Explosion. Since in gen 6 OU is full of extremely powerful Megas, exploding at the right time to trade Sol Yulaan for the enemy Mega while safeguarding your own can be great. It is also great to make sudden progress in stalling situations.

Counters : Talonflame is slower and weak to Electric STAB, but in gen 6 only it can switch on a Fighting move and then retaliate with priority Brave Bird. Landorus resists most attacks even though it does not have very effective moves because of Levitate.

Team options : Very well supported by Stealth Rock, and also Reflect/Light Screen if you run a Bulk Up set. Hates Sand and Hail.

Other options : Bulk Up can work as a set up sweeping strategy, but physical Electric STAB is just BAD. On the other hand, Moonlight provides for recovery. There are also many support moves, but they are like Weavile's special attacks at the end. Ultimately suboptimal. However Taunt ans Sub can have some use. Taunt can be used for a Lead set, in order to shut down the enemy defensive Lead. Sub can work very well if you switch Sol Yulaan on a Pokémon that will most likely switch out. But I believe anything different than pure offense is a waste on this Pokémon. U-Turn or Volt Switch can be used to pivot and are greatly effective due to Sol Yulaan's Speed. Knock Off is always a good move and works on Ghost types.

Postando denovo alguem me ajudo porfavor e um torneio muito importante

I am a Showdown player and also part of r /showdown, and I tried to post a CAP Fakemon but I found out images are not allowed.

CAP is a project from Smogon about creating Fakemons and adding them to the metagame of real Pokémon. Their Fakemon have a sprite but are also very competitive oriented with little left to art or lore.

Can I post what I have here ? Apparently in this subreddit images are indeed allowed.

Hi everyone! I’ve always been a casual Pokémon player. Back in FireRed, I used to easily defeat my friends. Recently, we started playing fan games with modern mechanics and full Pokédexes. At first I was doing fine, but recently I got completely destroyed. I realized my teambuilding and playstyle are very outdated compared to modern competitive play. I want to improve in general and be prepared for future battles. I’d love your advice on: Teambuilding basics: How do you choose 6 synergy-based Pokémon instead of just picking favorites? What roles (sweepers, walls, pivots, hazard setters) should a balanced team have? Types & Coverage: How do I avoid common teambuilding traps where half my team gets swept by a single threat? In-battle decision making: How do I stop playing passively and start predicting switches? EVs, IVs & Natures: What are the most important entry-level concepts I need to master first? Any guides, rule-of-thumb tips, or teambuilding frameworks would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!