[RATE MY TEAM] Mega Absol team

[Croza015]

Hey guys, I've started playing competitive battling on battlespot for double battles. So far, I feel anxious when I begin to go on battle spot because I always tend to panic when seeing my opponents pokemon and comparing it to my own. Since mostly I hadn't played competitive pokemon in my life, I sometimes tend to get nervous facing other people that have more experience than me. So as the new rating season begins to roll along, battlespot has started to help me build confidence to practice.

As the season continues, I've had a bad start with three loses in rating battle doubles. Being a losing streak is bad, but it gave me the chance to build a new team that can be used with Mega Absol. Through many team building experiments, I've found a decent set-up to use with Mega Absol in doubles. Once the team was build, I put it to the test at the battle maison in Super Double battle to see the results. In the aftermath, they were ideas I wanted to add to this team like adding sword dance to mega absol or rock slide to lucario, but I'm not sure. Since my aspect in my team is to slow down my opponents so Mega Absol can out speed many opponents. So that's begin with my team setup:

[VGC] Mega Absol moveset- Mixed attacker(sweeper)



(Absol) @ (Absolite)
Ability: (Justified/Magic Bounce)
EVs: 60 HP /25 ATK/ 4 Def / 100 SpA / 115 SpD / 204 SP
IVs: 0 Def
(Hasty) Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Icy Wind
- Shock Wave or Sword Dance
- Fire Blast

Explaination:
Ever since it was first announced in x and y, Mega Absol is my all time favorite mega evolve pokemon. The reason why I choose absol as my mega in doubles is that when it mega evolves, it gets magic bounce for its ability so it can bounce back various status inflictions such as burn, paralysis, or even stealth rocks. Giving icy wind to mega absol was a decent idea because to slow down faster opponents to out speed them next turn or force a switch out. I was mostly confuse for either sword dance and shock, but shock wave is my better choice because even though it does sixty power it never misses (expect for protect).  Sucker Punch is another good move for absol because it is absol only move that has a stab and has priority over any attack moves (expect for extreme speed, quick attack,etc.).  Finally, I have fire blast on this moveset to put extra fire power for any grass type.

The reason why I have made this ev spread because since absol defenses weren't really strong and can get one shotted by almost everything, I've decided to made this spread to make sure Absol can endure powerful moves such as earthquake and dash out powerful attacks. Also choosing this ev spread is helpful in competetive battling since absol doesn't have good speed so improving speed help out speeding many opponents.

[VGC] Lucario moveset-physical attacker(sweeper)



(Lucario) @ (Life Orb)
Ability: (Justified)
EVs: 0 HP /252ATK/ 4 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD / 252 SP
IVs: 0 Sp.Def
(Jolly) Nature
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Protect
- Rock Slide

Explaination
Lucario in many cases is rarely used or least common since it gains a steel typing. However my reason of using Lucario in my team is that Lucario takes neutral damage from fairy and physic moves. Also Lucario can be ridiculously speedy and outspeed many opponents regardless of its defenses it helps change the tide of battle in my favor. For this case I have lucario use a life orb to boost all moves because Lucario can't get a sword dance without getting one-shotted by a super-effective attack. For its moveset, I gave lucario rock slide to cover flying types and it will give mega absol a free turn to sword dance if I get an flinch. Close Combat is great move to use in my team because due to Lucario weak defenses, its better to go for a risky move knowing that its attack stat won't drop like super power. Also keeping a proirity move such as extreme speed and protect to move first and get quick damage or predicting my opponent's next move.


Ev spread explaination

As explain due to lucario weak defenses, I invested most evs in speed and attack to make it a force to be wrecked with. Also Lucario can be found a physical or special wall because of its weaknesses with fire, ground, and fighting. Once after investing these ivs in speed and attack can help mega absol setup in double battles because if rock slide manage to get a flinch, it is a free turn for absol to get a sword dance.


[VGC] Garchomp moveset-physical wall (tank)




(Garchomp) @ (Rocky Helmet)
Ability: (Rough Skin)
EVs: 8 HP /244 ATK/ 4 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD / 252 SP
IVs: 0 Sp.Def
(Hardy) Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Stealth rocks


Explaination
Garchomp to my perspective wasn't going to much help to my team, but once after a couple games I've found that garchomp is great asset for my team. I've made garchomp to get stealth rocks out to give people a hard time switching into flying types such as talonflame. Also using Garchomp rough skin ability, I've gave a rocky helmet to give extra damage to any physical attackers. Giving earthquake is tough because it hits your ally, but having protect on my team can minimize the chances to hitting an ally.

EV spread evalution:

Since Garchomp is responsible for getting stealth rocks out, I needed to maximize its speed to make sure I am able to get stealth rocks out first. Also maximizing attack is good idea to me to dish out good damage after setting up stealth rocks. However, I invest little on special defense and normal defense because one good ice beam, ice punch, or blizzard will take Garchomp down since it is quad weakness.


[VGC] Suicune moveset-special wall (support)



(Suicune) @ (Leftovers)
Ability: (Pressure)
EVs: 252 HP /0 ATK/ 0 Def / 4 SpA / 252 SpD / 0 SP
IVs: 0 Def
(Mild) Nature
-Tailwind
- Scald
- Blizzard
- Protect

Explaination

Suicune can be a great support to my mega absol team. Suicune is good assets to my team because Suicune is responsible for setting up tailwind to boost the speed to my team. Also I find using scald as good move to get a burn while giving good damage to my opponents. Also getting a burn from scald can be beneficial to my doubles team because it cut attack damage towards my team. Also giving Suicune protect to stall burn to finish it off.

Ev explaination

Since Suicune's main role in my team is get off tailwind, I maxmize both HP and Special because Suicune is very bulky towards many moves that do normal or super effective damage. As for the rest of the Evs went into SP. ATK in order to do decent damage, even though I am relying on Suicune to get a burn off.


[VGC] Sylveon moveset-tank (support)



(Sylveon) @ (Assualt Vest)
Ability: (Pixilate)
EVs: 252 HP /0 ATK/ 0 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 0 SP
IVs: 0 ATK
(Modest) Nature
-Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball
- Physhock
- Hidden Power

Explanation
Sylveon is the top tier Pokemon in the rating double which made considered to have a sylveon as a great special attacker. Since Sylveon can be very bulky towards many types, I've decided to run an assault vest in increase Sylveon defense by using only attack moves. Also Sylveon hidden ability, pixilate, is a great asset to normal moves such as hyper voice to be turn into powerful fairy move. Sylveon main role in my doubles team is to put pressure in my opponent to force switch outs.


Ev Explaination
As for Ev, I've fully maxed out Sylveon's Sp.ATK in order to deal great damage while having it hold a assault vest to boost Sylveon defenses. Also, I have use the rest of Sylveon's EV into maxing HP to take the hardest of attack such as sludge bomb or flash cannon. Once after it was fully trained, Sylveon can be to my perspective as a very bulky powerhouse.


[VGC] Arcanine moveset (support)-Intimidate



(Arcanine) @ (Focus Sash)
Ability: (Intimidate)
EVs: 220 HP /108 ATK/ 92 Def / 0 SpA /0 SpD / 88 SP
IVs: 0 Sp.Def
(Adamant) Nature
-Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Mourning Sun
- Flare Blitz

Explanation:
Though a tough debate between using intimidate Landorus or an Arcanine with the same extract ability, I've decided to use Arcanine instead. The reason why I am using Arcanine (since Landorus is use practically used alot and I wanted to try something different) is that Arcanine can be like Landorus to Intimidate your opponents' pokemon. Arcanine would asset well with Mega Absol in doubles because since my absol is hasty nature, Arcanine's intimidate will cut my opponents' pokemon in half to minimize damage on Absol.


Ev explanation:
Since Arcanine isn't best for outspeeding my opponents, I've put most Evs into HP to endure some attack and being able to do risky moves such as flare blitz and close combat. However none Evs were invested into Special Defense because it can one shot by powerful special move like Earth power or Hydro Pump. Also the rest of Arcanine EVs went into defense to reduce damage from any super effective physical move such as rock slide or Earthquake.



I haven't tried this team yet on battlespot because I got nervous on over predicting my opponent. But in the end, we need to give it our all, regardless if we lose because we can learn from our mistakes.