Running a Monotype Team - 1
One of the more popular things people do with competitive teams is create their own Pokémon Leagues: they create 8 Pokémon Gyms that each specialize in a specific type, and challenge other players to try and defeat their Gyms. Running teams that are limited in their type diversity requires a lot of thought and prediction, and it can be quite difficult to be successful with teams like these.
The strategies that must be run to find success with monotype teams are very complicated, which is why I've also included a battle I recently had with my friend, who challenged my Normal-type Gym. My team is in the bottom left corner, and my opponent's is in the top right corner (Disregard my character avatar. For some reason it showed a different avatar from the one I normally choose).
The strategies that must be run to find success with monotype teams are very complicated, which is why I've also included a battle I recently had with my friend, who challenged my Normal-type Gym. My team is in the bottom left corner, and my opponent's is in the top right corner (Disregard my character avatar. For some reason it showed a different avatar from the one I normally choose).
Kyle (MazinKaiser21) VS Danny (Black Kick)
Turn-by-Turn Analysis
- We send our lead Pokémon out: I send out Persian while my opponent sends out Swampert. I go ahead and use Fake Out, which allows me to do damage to the opponent and guarantee that they flinch and end the turn without doing anything. The main reason for this is to check for Focus Sash leads: Focus Sash only prevents OHKOs if the holder has full health, and Fake Out allows me to make sure that it doesn't work if they happen to be holding it. Current Score: 0 - 0
- Persian has done his job. I know it will outspeed Swampert, so I go ahead and have it do Return, which does Normal-type damage and is more deadly the higher the user's happiness is. Persian is at max happiness, and thus does a good amount of damage. However, Swampert pulls out an Earthquake, and gets a lucky critical hit, defeating my Persian. Current Score: 0 - 1
- I send out my next Pokémon, Bouffalant. Swampert outspeeds it and goes for another Earthquake, but Bouffalant has enough defenses to survive it. I have it use Head Charge, which is a very powerful that causes recoil damage. Bouffalant is also holding a Choice Band, which locks him into the first attack I use but greatly boosts the power of that attack. All of this combined allows my Bouffalant to defeat his Swampert. Current Score: 1 - 1
- My opponent sends out his next Pokémon, Electivire. He also outspeeds Bouffalant, and lands a critical hit with Ice Punch, but Bouffalant's defense still allow it to survive. I have Bouffalant use Head Charge once more, and would have been able to defeat Electivire had it not been holding a Focus Sash, protecting it from a OHKO. Current Score: 1 - 1
- My opponent finishes off my Bouffalant with a ThunderPunch. Current Score: 1 - 2
- I now send out what I consider to be the best Pokémon in my Normal-type Gym: Kangaskhan. I predict that my opponent will try to attack Kangaskhan with some kind of offensive attack (attack that does direct damage), so I have Kangaskhan use Sucker Punch, which is guaranteed to go first if the opponent uses an offensive attack. My prediction is correct, and Kangaskhan is able to defeat Electivire without taking any damage. Current Score: 2 - 2
- My opponent next sends out his Blastoise. I opt to take this time and Mega-Evolve my Kangaskhan to Mega-Kangaskhan, and my opponent chooses to do the same to get a Mega-Blastoise. I predict that my opponent will try to use a status move or weather starter like Rain Dance, so I opt to have Kangaskhan attack with Return instead. However, my prediction turns out to be wrong, as my opponent has Blastoise use Aura Sphere, which is a Fighting-type attack and super-effective (does double damage) to Normal-types. Luckily, Kangaskhan survives. Current Score: 2- 2
- I predict that my opponent will again try to attack me with Aura Sphere, so this time I use Sucker Punch. The attack doesn't defeat Blastoise, but Mega-Kangaskhan's Ability allows it to attack twice each turn, so the second Sucker Punch allows me to defeat my opponent's Pokémon. Current Score: 3 - 2
- My opponent next sends out his Scizor, which is defensively good against Normal-types thanks to his Steel typing. I predict that my opponent will use Bullet Punch, but am very surprised to see it use Extrasensory instead, which confuses me because Scizor does not learn that attack. This makes me predict that this is not my opponent's Scizor at all. Current Score: 3 - 3
- I send out Fearow to confirm this suspicion. Scizor attacks with a Flamethrower, which again is not in Scizor's moveset. I have Fearow retaliate with U-Turn, which allows me to switch Pokémon after the attack is done. Before I get a chance to switch, however, my suspicions are confirmed: The Pokémon I just fought was actually Zoroark, which has an Ability that lets it look like another Pokémon in your party. Current Score: 4 - 3
- U-Turn allowed me to switch out Fearow, so I put in Lopunny in his place. My opponent sends out his real Scizor. I have Lopunny holding on a Choice Scarf, which like Choice Band locks the holder onto one attack. However, the holder's Speed is greatly improved. I have Lopunny use Switcheroo, which lets my Pokémon switch items with the opposing Pokémon. Now Scizor is locked on to whatever attack it first does, severely limiting its options. My opponent doesn't predict this and chose to have Scizor use Swords Dance, which raises the user's Attack stat. However, Choice Scarf prevents Scizor from utilizing that increased Attack with any other moves. Current Score: 4 - 3
- With Scizor trapped with Swords Dance, I am free to take my time in defeating it. I switch out Lopunny for Chansey. Scizor can't do anything but Swords Dance. Current Score: 4 - 3
- I have Chansey use Seismic Toss, which does the same amount of damage as the user's Level (in this case, 100), and begin whittling down Scizor's health. Scizor is still stuck with doing Swords Dance. Current Score: 4 - 3
- Chansey again uses Seismic Toss, and Scizor is again stuck with Swords Dance. Current Score: 4 - 3
- Chansey once again uses Seismic Toss on Scizor, who is still using Swords Dance. I have gotten its HP to critical levels, and the next turn it should fall. Current Score: 4 - 3
- Chansey uses one more Seismic Toss on Scizor, who finally falls in battle after several turns. Current Score: 5 - 3
- My opponent is down to his last Pokémon, Gardevoir. Gardevoir has a powerful Special Attack stat and decent defenses to back it up, so it will be tricky for me to take this one down. I have Chansey use Protect, which allows me to avoid any direct damage for the turn. This allows me to see what my opponent plans to do. I see that he is trying to use the same tactic I had Lopunny use on Scizor; switching items and letting my Pokémon take the detrimental effects. Gardevoir is stuck holding on to its Black Sludge, which damages it every turn. Current Score: 5 - 3
- I decide that the item won't harm me too much, and that my item won't benefit my opponent at all, so I opt to keep Chansey in the battle. I have Chansey use Toxic on Gardevoir, which badly poisons it and guarantees that in a couple of turns it will faint. At this point I just have to survive however many turns it takes for Toxic to fully poison Gardevoir and I will win. However, Gardevoir has the Synchronize Ability, which allows it give Chansey the same status effect it is carrying. Chansey is also holding Black Sludge, so it will be taking a lot of residual damage each turn. Current Score: 5 - 3
- Gardevoir uses Thunderbolt to try and start whittling down Chansey's health. I have it use Wish so that in two turns, it will heal a large amount of health. Current Score: 5 - 3
- I have Chansey use Protect again both to avoid Gardevoir's next attack, Psychic, and to allow Wish to heal Chansey. At the end of the turn, Chansey is back to near full health. Current Score: 5 - 3
- I try to have Chansey use Protect again to avoid another attack and let Gardevoir take even more poison damage, but the attack fails and Gardevoir is able to land a powerful Psychic attack. After a combined loss of HP from Black Sludge and poison, Chansey faints in battle. Current Score: 5 - 4
- I send out Fearow, confident that it will outspeed Gardevoir and win the battle for me. Thanks to the damage Gardevoir racked up over the turns with poison, one U-Turn from Fearow is enough to defeat it, allowing me to be victorious. Final Score: 6 - 4