Gen 7 VGC / Battle Spot / Doubles OU Cores Thread

[Black117]

Gyarados + Alolan Marowak

- Pokémon featured: Gyarados and Alolan Marowak
- Metagame: S/M VGC 17 
- Core type: Offensive
- Sets:

Gyarados @ Waterium Z / Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate  
Level: 50  
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 244 Spe  
Jolly Nature  
- Waterfall  
- Ice Fang / Crunch
- Dragon Dance  
- Protect

Marowak-Alola @ Thick Club  
Ability: Lightning Rod  
Level: 50  
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe  
Adamant Nature  
- Shadow Bone  
- Flare Blitz  
- Bonemerang  
- Protect

Gyarados has been one of the most threatening Pokemon in the early VGC 17 format do to its high base Attack stat and potential to setup multiple Dragon Dances to further increase it damage output. The Intimidate ability allows Gyarados to reduce the attack stats of the opposing Pokemon by one stage, which can in turn allow opportunities to setup. That said, one of the major issues with Gyarados is its quadruple weakness to Electric-type moves, and to make matters worse, there are now reputable Electric-types such as Tapu Koko or Alolan Raichu who can easily knock it out. Given Gyarados's weakness to Electric-types, one new Alolan Pokemon has seen a dramatic rise to aid in Gyarados's setup: Alolan Marowak. With the Lightening Rod ability, Alolan Marowak can effectively redirect all single-target based Electric moves from Gyarados to it without any harm. In terms of offensive pressure, both the potential of Dragon Dance-boosted Gyarados and the Thick Club Alolan Marowak can inflict massive damage against its foes. Once Gyarados setups Dragon Dances, it can use either Waterfall, Ice Fang, or Crunch. Waterium Z from a +1 Gyarados can almost certainly knock out any Pokemon that's neutral to Water and doesn't have high natural defenses. With Thick Club, Alolan Marowak's attack stat doubles and can threaten Electric-type Pokemon with Bonemerang, Grass-types with Flare Blitz, or Psychic-types with Shadow Bone.