ORAS LC Little Cup, Big Power

[espeonguy]

I've always wanted to play in the little cup environment. It seemed like such a change of pace from the OU spectrum, and that has never been more true than with the introduction of Mega Evolution a few years ago. After studying up on the meta game, I've built a team that will fare well. Here's the details:
Lead:
Diglett @ Focus Sash
Arena Trap
Jolly Nature(36 HP/236 Atk/236 Spe)

• Earthquake
• Protect
• Stealth Rock
• Sucker Punch

I chose Diglett as a lead as it is almost guaranteed a KO with Focus Sash. Protect is to scout threats, and Stealth Rock early game tips the game in my favor, assuming they haven't set up. Sucker Punch is a great priority move that lets it finish off foes after surviving with Focus Sash. The EV investment gives Diglett some HP to let it survive neutral attacks, while the Attack and Speed spread gives it revenge killing potential.

Wish Support:
Spritzee @Eviolite
Aroma Veil
Bold Nature(212 HP/196 Def/12 Spa/76 SpD/12 Spe)

• Wish
• Aromatherapy
• Draining Kiss
• Calm Mind

My cleric pokemon. Creates great core with my Pivot Mienfoo and Sweeper Zorua. The three carry a great deal of resistances and immunities between them. Wish and Aromatherapy provide support for the team, while Draining Kiss helps keep Spritzee healthy. The EV spread gives enough bulk to allow it to set up a calm mind sweep if threats such as Drillbur and Ferroseed are taken care of.

Pivot:
Mienfoo @Eviolite
Regenerator
Impish Nature(76 HP/76 Atk/116 Def/196 SpD)

• Baton Pass
• Substitute
• Drain Punch
• Bulk Up

My set here is mainly bulky to allow Mienfoo to safely come in on resisted moves. Typing works well with Spritzee and Zorua to create a core. Bulk Up allows Mienfoo to Sub Pass Attack and Defense into a predicted move. The EV spread allows it to set up, and Drain Punch is STAB recovery.

Pivot:
Chinchou @ Berry Juice
Volt Absorb
Bold Nature(76 HP/212 Def/152 SpA/60 Spe)

• Volt Switch
• Thunderbolt
• Heal Bell
• Hydro Pump

Chinchou is a greatly useful pokemon that creates a great synergy with Fletchling, covering it's electric weakness, as well as allowing momentum to build with VoltTurn. The set is, like the first few utilities this team has, bulky to allow it to flaunt its resistances and immunities. The Special Attack spread gives him a fair amount of power to play with, and makes Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt hit relatively hard without sacrificing bulk.

Physical Sweeper:
Fletchling
Gale Wings
Adamant Nature(56 HP/196 Atk/92 Def/52 SpD)

• Acrobatics
• Swords Dance
• U-Turn
• Roost

My late game sweeper. Acrobatics without an item is a 110 BP priority move that can finish off many teams once it's threats are removed. Given a little bulk, Swords Dance can be safely used. Roost is also priority recovery. I chose this set as it works fantastically in conjunction with Baton Pass Mienfoo, as Bulk Up is an exceptional move to pass to Fletchling.

Special Sweeper
Zorua Life Orb
Illusion
Timid Nature(36 Def/196 SpA/36 SpD/236 Spe)

• Calm Mind
• Extrasensory
• Dark Pulse
• Taunt

This set works well with Mienfoo as if it transforms into that, it can sponge a super effective Psychic attack while setting up Calm Mind. By then, they will know what Zorua is, but this set still covers many weaknesses on my team. Dark Pulse is it's main STAB move, while Extrasensory hits fighting types for good damage. Taunt stops opposing pokemon from crippling it with status.

So, give me any suggestions!

 

[Shrug]

Hi espeonguy , nice lc team. I have a few suggestions that allow it to function better in the current lc meta.

First lets look at your team structure and flow, starting with your mons and their roles. Currently you bring: Mienfoo / Chinchou / Diglett / Spritzee / Fletchling / Zoura. Mienfoo and Chou provide a bulky volt-turn core that is very effective in the current meta, but Mienfoo might be better utilized with a more effective set, which i will get to later. Fletch provides solid offensive pressure with its nice high base power priority Acrobatics. Diglett currently seems to be employed as a suicide lead. It has better uses, mainly as an offensive trapper that opens holes for other mons on your team to sweep. I'll suggest a set change later in the rate. Similarly, Spritzee is being deployed as a hybrid bulky sweeper / cleric, dampening its import on a given battle. You should decide one way or the other; for reasons i'll expound on later, I feel going to CM set is a better option. The set will be later. You have Zoura to provide special attacking pressure. However, it is outclasses in this role by Gastly. Although Zoura has both Calm Mind and Illusion as advantages over Gastly, those two things are not as helpful as they seem. Illusion is easily determined to be active circumstantially - Life Orb damage, damage from rocks, weird switchins. Calm Mind seems helpful, but is never really that effective; Zoura is easily outrun and KO'd before it can use a CM-boosted move, and doesn't find that many oppertunities to set up in the first place. Gastly replaces Zoura in that role more effectively for your team.

Overall, the team syngergizes well. I would use Fletchling vs more offensive teams to try and get sweeps after Diglett eliminates their counters, and Spritz vs. bulkier teams to try and build enough CM momentum to sweep. Keep vturn pressure and lob special bombs with Gastly to give your team space to operate and set up its sweeps. Here, I'll give sets and explanations:

@ Life Orb
Trait: Arena Trap
Nature: Jolly
Evs: 36 HP / 236 Attack / 236 Speed
- Earthquake
- Substitute
- Stealth Rock
- Sucker Punch

This Diglett allows for easy trapping of mons Spritzee and Fletchling don't like, Steel-types for both, Poison-types for Spritz, and Electric types for Fletch. Bring it in off of a Volt-turn action or a death, use the appropriate move, and rack up KOs. Rocks are not necessary right away; try and get a KO with diglett then get
Rocks up in aid of the sweep you just opened.

@ Eviolite
Trait: Aroma Veil
Nature: Bold
Evs: 196 Hp / 212 Def / 12 SpA / 76 SpD / 12 Spe
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind

Your Spritzee tries to act as a cleric and a sweeper at once. You already have a status healer in Chinchou, and a decent Fighting-answer in Fletch. These, plus the fact Dig + CM Spritz is a potent core, are why you should commit fully to the CM Spritz life. Wish is for bulky healing, and Protect ensure that turn is given. Calm Mind boosts Spritzee to the point where it is hard to take down from either side and allows it to hit like a tank. Draining Kiss is too weak for a sole STAB; Moonblast hits much harder.

@ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
Nature: Timid
Evs: 200 SpA / 40 Def / 40 SpD / 200 Spe
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Substitute

This Gastly applies oodles of offensive pressure with two powerful STABs, good coverage in HP Fight, and Sub to play Sucker mindgames. Evs nice and standard, use this in place of Zoura.

@ Eviolite
Trait: Regenerator
Nature: Jolly
Evs: 196 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- U-Turn
- Acrobatics

This Foo works better than your current BP one. It has the general bulk to switch in to a lot of attacks w/ Regen as a backbone, and from there can support your team in a lot of ways. Fletch and Spritz appreciate Knock Off support, and U-Turn picks up important momentum. Drain Punch is good STAB that recovers HP. Acro is added because I removed a Fight counter and made it a Fight check by switching Spritz to full CM. Switch Foo into a predicted Knock Off against a Croagunk or something and fire off a strong Acro to pressure Fighting types and the occasional Foongus switchin.


Overall, nice team! Try out my changes and give me some feedback if you want.
hehehe got to this before Fiend Hound

 

[Oma]

Hiya espeonguy, this is a cool LC team you've built. I have a few changes of my own that are a little different than Shrug's. (tho that Dig set is cool and should be used)

-Shrug's Mienfoo is a good replacement for your current BP Foo, but I would recommend running Taunt over Acrobatics. Since you have Diglett, luring Croagunk is as easy as just U-turning away on a predicted switch and then trapping it. What your team lacks is hazard removal, and right now Stealth Rock and Spikes will easily wear down your team. Running Taunt on Foo will help alleviate this by preventing hazards from being set.

-This team seems to be played offensively, and right now Spritzee drains momentum from your team. A more offensive replacement would be using Berry Juice Snubbull over Spritzee. Thanks to Intimidate, Snubbull checks a ton of physical attackers while having more offensive presence than Spritzee. This will help your team keep momentum while also being able to tank hits.

Snubs

Snubbull @ Berry Juice
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def / 116 SpD / 36 Spe
Impish Nature
- Play Rough
- Earthquake
- Thief
- Thunder Wave

-On Chinchou, I would recommend using Scald over Hydro Pump. Pump is cool for bluffing Choice Scarf but since you're only running 14 speed, the idea on your Chinchou is clearly to take hits and pivot out. Scald is a much more consistent attack that not only always hits but also has a handy burn chance that can help Chinchou's defensive capabilities.

-Gastly is a decent replacement for Zorua, but then your team suffers from a notable Abra weakness. To help beat Abra, I would recommend replacing Zorua with Houndour. Houndour not only has priority in the form of Sucker Punch and a way to trap Abra with Pursuit, but it also forms a good core with Snubbull. Houndour will help deal with Abra while also being a very powerful special attacker.

Houndour

Houndour @ Life Orb
Level: 5
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 36 Atk / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit

That's all I had for this team. Good luck with it and your battles in LC!

 

[espeonguy]

Thank you both for the suggestions! After you explained everything, I completely agree with Snubbull being a viable replacement for Spritzee, especially since Chinchou is a cleric as it is. I'll certainly miss the calm mind set up, but intimidate can help cut a sweep short. I like the idea of swapping Zorua for Gastly or Houndoom. I'm going to play test both sets you provided to see which works best with this team. Thanks guys, I appreciate the input!

 

[Mr. Spidly]

Hiya espeonguy

-This team seems to be played offensively, and right now Spritzee drains momentum from your team. A more offensive replacement would be using Berry Juice Snubbull over Spritzee. Thanks to Intimidate, Snubbull checks a ton of physical attackers while having more offensive presence than Spritzee. This will help your team keep momentum while also being able to tank hits.

Snubs

Snubbull @ Berry Juice
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def / 116 SpD / 36 Spe
Impish Nature
- Play Rough
- Earthquake
- Thief
- Thunder Wave

I think that snubbull is a great choice, but I am a bit cautious at your use of berry juice over eviolite. Seems like it would be easier to avoid random poison or steel move knock outs (like defiant pawniard's iron head. ouch) with eviolite.

 

[Oma]

I think that snubbull is a great choice, but I am a bit cautious at your use of berry juice over eviolite. Seems like it would be easier to avoid random poison or steel move knock outs (like defiant pawniard's iron head. ouch) with eviolite.

Im glad you asked this cause I guess I didn't make it clear, but using Berry Juice lets you return to full health while still being really bulky with Intimidate. Then, when the Berry Juice is used up, you can use Thief to steal other Berry Juices or become bulkier with Eviolite. Berry Juice gives it a form of recovery, and Thief lets you stay in the game by removing items and hopefully recover more health. Also, Eviolite is still OHKOed by +1 Pawniard, because Snubbull is not meant to check Steel and Poison types.