ORAS LC The Night Ticklers

[Arkanada]

Hey guys, I picked up LC after realizing that it was a really really fun tier. So I fiddled around with the sample teams for a while, and finally tried to do some teambuilding(which usually I'm bad at), and I did alright. I peaked somewhere around 1350s(not that good I know). Pls don't be harsh >.<

Ah-Boo-Rah (Abra) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 SpA / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

I needed a good Psychic-type, and Abra fits in really well. It’s high SpA and Speed allows to kill a majority of LC threats, and will always take one hit before going down because of focus sash. Protect is to block things like Fake Out from the likes of Mienfoo and Aipom, and the rest of the moves are mainly just coverage.

The Night Tickler (Chinchou) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 76 HP / 212 Def / 152 SpA
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Thunderbolt

Chinchou acts as a nice check to stuff like Carvahna, Fletching, and other pretty threatening physical sweepers. It also provides a bunch of momentum for my team simply by spamming Volt Switch, tanking hits, and hitting back with reasonable damage with Scald/Thunderbolt. HP Ground is for Magnemite, but I chose Scald over Hydro Pump for the burn chance.

Zakir the Indian (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 236 Atk / 8 SpD / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance

My main late-game sweeper and general win condition, Pawniard can basically OHKO most pokemon that don’t resist it with a +2 Sucker Punch. Pawniard comes in after all it’s checks have been removed, and it can sweep very easily. The set is just standard SD Pawniard, and it’s able to set up on a lot of things in LC.

Kawaii~ (Ponyta) @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 Def / 200 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Wild Charge
- Will-O-Wisp


Ponyta can take a couple hits pretty well, and can recover with a really fast Morning Sun. Even though I didn’t invest any EVs in Atk, Flare Blitz still hits really hard and can kill 2HKO or even OHKO a lot of pokes. Ponyta acts as deterrent for things that are frail and hit hard, as Ponyta reaches the godly 19 Speed tier.

0 Atk Ponyta Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aipom: 16-21 (72.7 - 95.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 Atk Ponyta Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Abra: 25-30 (131.5 - 157.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

New Sweater (Cottonee) @ Eviolite
Ability: Prankster
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 116 HP / 162 Def / 162 SpD
Bold Nature
- Encore
- Giga Drain
- Taunt
- Knock Off


Cottonee usually acts as my lead, against things like shell smashers and hazard setters, as priority taunt shuts them down very quickly. Considering that all LC shell smashers bar Dwebble are have a 2x weakness or more to Giga Drain, Cottonee can taunt them and proceed to try and KO them with Giga Drain, which also helps Cottonee stay alive and prolong the annoyance. Encore is for things like Fake Out Aipom, and most setup sweepers so that another one of my pokes can come in and take them out.

Choice Specs (Drilbur) @ Eviolite
Ability: Mold Breaker
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 236 Atk / 204 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake

Drilbur is my SR setter, rapid spinner, and check to Fletchling if Chinchou is dead(faints?). Rock Slide and Earthquake form pretty much neutral coverage on a majority of LC and SR is to screw over Fire-types and Flying-types. I am debating whether or not to trade out Rapid Spins/SR for something like Swords Dance, but I’m really not too sure.

 

[Goddess Briyella]

Hi there, ISuckLolSup!

This is a pretty solid team you have here, but the EV spreads for some of the team are inefficient. EVs function differently in LC than in other tiers, and a guide for this can be found here.

Zakir the Indian (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 236 Atk / 8 SpD -> 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature -> Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance

Jolly nature is preferred over Adamant here so that Pawniard fits into a more ideal Speed tier, which is 16; the extra point in Speed is well worth losing one point in Attack. 8 points does nothing for a base stat that ends in 0 in Little Cup, as it would require at least 36 to increase by a point. The remaining EVs after maxing Attack and Speed here can be allocated to Defense and Special Defense with this amount to add a point to each.

Kawaii~ (Ponyta) @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 Def / 200 Spe -> 36 HP / 236 Atk / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Wild Charge
- Will-O-Wisp

196 Speed EVs with Jolly nature is enough to secure 19 Speed, while Ponyta's offensive prowess is a lot better off with 236 EVs in Attack to maximize it after Speed, and 36 EVs can go into HP to raise it by a point as well. If you absolutely want to use a defensive Ponyta set, you can still afford to add 36 EVs into HP, but only 236 EVs are required. It already has Eviolite and Morning Sun to help it with taking hits, so it shouldn't be held back from dealing damage to mitigate a drawback that is already accounted for.

Cottonee @ Eviolite
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 116 HP / 162 Def / 162 SpD -> 196 Def / 196 SpD
Bold Nature
- Encore
- Giga Drain
- Taunt
- Knock Off

You had the right idea for Cottonee, but it actually has the EVs for this more optimal spread, which gives it a nice 16 Defense and 14 Special Defense, perfect for Eviolite. I'd say Taunt and Encore on the same set isn't the best idea, but the way Cottonee works with this team, it needs both moves to mess up hazards and setup whether it's already in or has to switch in, and the other moves seem fine. There's no need for Memento on this team.

Choice Specs (Drilbur) @ Eviolite
Ability: Mold Breaker
Level: 5
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 204 Spe -> 212 Spe
Adamant Nature -> Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake

Jolly nature and 212 EVs in Speed are paramount here to ensure that Drilbur reaches 17 Speed, an important benchmark which is especially useful for outspeeding the likes of Dwebble and Pawniard, as well as being able to at least tie with Trubbish, Mienfoo, and Archen. There are enough EVs remaining for another point in HP as well. I don't recommend running Swords Dance on this set because this team needs hazard control. Drilbur also isn't really considered a check to Fletchling, as you mentioned, but Chinchou and Pawniard are enough to keep it at bay if used properly.


A good point of reference for maxing EVs is that a beneficial nature with 196 EVs is enough to max out a stat that has a base stat ending in 0, and a beneficial nature with 236 EVs is enough to max out one with a base stat ending in 5. The only time you'd need to bring it up to 200 or 240 in these cases would be if using Hidden Power lowers the IV value from 31 to 30, which is where 4 EVs make up for the loss. This concludes my rate and I wish you success with your team! :)

 

[Oma]

Hey ISuckLolSup , nice team here. In addition to the ev changes suggested by Goddess Briyella , I have a few suggestions of my own to make.

-The set you're running on Ponyta seems defensive in nature, so imma just leave the defensive evs here in case you'd rather have better bulk than increased firepower. 236 Def/76 Sp Def/196 Spe with an Impish Nature hits eviolite numbers in both defense and sp def while outspeeding everything it needs to check, while still packing a powerful flare blitz. On this team the offensive evs might fit better, as you don't seem to want to lose much momentum, but bulky pony is a way more solid switch-in to Pawniard, and none of your other Pokemon can switch in on Pawniard comfortably.

-Instead of running Giga Drain and Taunt on Cottonee, try using Dazzling Gleam and Stun Spore. One problem i quickly noticed about this team is that Choice Scarf Mienfoo has a field day with your team, 2HKOing Pony switchins, U-turning away from Abra, and killing Chou and Drilbur after a little prior damage. Cottonee seems to be your best answer to it, but a Giga Drain doesn't scare off Mienfoo. Running Stun Spore on your Cottonee will allow it to cripple Foo before it U-turns out, and Dazzling Gleam will give it the power to beat it and other fighters. (Energy Ball can be run on Abra in exchange for Gleam if you miss Grass coverage)

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

 

[Corporal Levi]

On top of Briyella's and Omastar's suggestions for the EV changes, an EV spread of 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe on Pawniard with a Jolly nature will allow Pawniard to avoid the 2HKO from Spritzee's Moonblast after Stealth Rock and the OHKO from Croagunk's Vacuum Wave from full health, allowing it to better check Fairy-types in case Ponyta has been lured out previously, or attempt a sweep earlier.

I'm agreeing with Omastar's suggestions for changing Cottonee's moves. In addition, several members of your team are heavily impeded by status; for this, I think Heal Bell over Thunderbolt on Chinchou would help.

One thing your team seems very weak to is the Fletchling + Diglett combination, as all of your Fletchling checks are trapped and KOed by Diglett, or, in Abra's case, brought down to its Focus Sash. Porygon over Abra would remedy this issue; furthermore, it would provide a back-up check to Bellsprout and opposing Focus Sash Abra, since Ponyta is unable to avoid the 2HKO from Bellsprout after Stealth Rock and Pawniard loses to Hidden Power Fighting. You don't really lose anything because an offensive variant is able to avoid the OHKO from every relevant unboosted Fighting-type attack except for High Jump Kick, allowing Porygon to hit back with a Psychic that is around as powerful as Abra's if Download is activated; furthermore, because Fighting-types tend to switch in on Porygon, Porygon is actually more effective at removing them from the match by luring them in instead of just having them switch out. Porygon also has the statistical bulk to avoid the OHKO from just about every important set-up sweeper except for Scraggy, which Cottonee should suffice for (and who can carry Dual Chop to break through Abra regardless).
Porygon @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 40 Def / 240 SpA / 40 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Tri Attack
- Recover
- Hidden Power [Fighting] / Ice Beam / Hidden Power [Fire]
Psychic hits Fighting-type switch-ins, Tri Attack is a reliable STAB attack, Recover allows Porygon to stick around, and the final slot allows Porygon to easily take out Pawniard/Magnemite, Drilbur/Archen, or Ferroseed/Magnemite. The EVs outspeed Timburr.

That's it for now. Good luck!