RicePigeon

Singles OU - Smogon Version (can only be used in AG, Ubers & OU Singles matches) (Last updated 08/19/15) Banned Moves: Double Team, Minimize Banned Abilities: N/A Banned Items: Gengarite, Kangaskhanite, Lucarionite, Mawilite, Salamencite, Soul Dew Restricted Moves: Baton Pass (only 1 per team, cannot pass Speed + any other stat boost) Restricted Items: N/A Current Suspect Test(s): N/A Queued Suspect Test(s): N/A Singles BL - Smogon Version (can only be used in AG, Ubers & OU Singles matches)

Singles Ubers - Smogon Version (can only be used in AG & Ubers Singles matches) (Last updated 06/05/15) Banned Moves: N/A Banned Abilities: N/A Banned Items: N/A Banned Mega Evolutions: Restricted Moves: N/A Restricted Items: N/A Current Suspect Test(s): N/A Singles Ubers - Pokemon Online Version (can only be used in AG & Ubers Singles matches) (Last updated 06/05/15) Banned Moves: Swagger Banned Abilities: N/A Banned Items: N/A Banned Mega Evolutions: Restricted Moves: N/A Restricted Items: N/A Current Suspect Test(s): N/A

Singles Global Bans & Clauses (All tiers except AG): Banned Moves: Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, Sheer Cold, Swagger Banned Abilities: Moody Banned Mega Evolutions: Restricted Items: Leppa Berry (cannot be used with Heal Pulse+Recovery move, Recycle+Pain Split, or Recycle+Fling) Sleep Clause: Cannot induce sleep to more than one Pokémon on the opposing team at the same time, except through the move Rest. Species Clause: Cannot use more than Pokemon with the same Pokedex number on the same team. This includes alternate formes and Mega Evolutions. Untiered (Pokemon that do not currently belong to any tier as they have either not yet been released, have been released but are still pending tiering based on their OU useage, or cannot be tiered independently from another form of the same species.) Projected tiering: (RU with ) Singles AG (can only be used in AG Singles matches) Banned Moves: N/A Banned Abilities: N/A Banned Items: N/A Banned Mega Evolutions: N/A Restricted Moves: N/A Restricted Items: N/A Current Suspect Test(s): N/A

Singles Ubers Updates: : A- -> B+ : A- -> B+ : A- -> F/Unranked (Grass): B+ -> C+ (Rock): B- -> B+ : B+ -> B : B+ -> B : B+ -> F/Unranked : B -> F/Unranked : B -> F/Unranked : B- -> B : B -> B- : B- -> F/Unranked : C+ -> B- : C -> C+ : C -> F/Unranked Singles NU Updates: : A+ -> BANNED : A -> BANNED

Singles OU update: : B- ---> B Cresselia is a great fit for Balance and Stall teams, as it has some of the best mixed bulk in the game. Survives a Bisharp's Knock Off and Paralyzes in return, and can easily tank a Life Orb Latios's Draco Meteor while beating it 1-on-1 with Moonblast. Very good at setting up Light Screen + Reflect and/or stalling with Toxic, and also provides additional team support with Lunar Dance, but held back by its general lack of offensive presence. : B- ---> C+ Doublade is no longer a staple on stall teams, as Mega Sableye easily beats Mega Gallade, which was Doublade's primary role in XY OU with Mega Medicham. Jirchi has seen a surge in usage, and beats Mega Gardevoir, a Mega previously capable of 6-0ing stall teams. Simply put, not as effective as it used to be. : B- ---> B Mega Houndoom threatens both Mega Slowbro and Mega Sableye simultaneously, and uses the latter as setup fodder for Nasty Plot, a huge boon in this metagame as Mega Sableye is such a huge boon to stall teams right now. 115 base speed isn't bad as it allows it to outpace Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Mega Metagross and easily score a KO against them. Yeah, it sucks that there are no viable sun setters in OU outside of Mega Charizard Y, which is incompatible with Mega Houndoom for obvious reasons, but with the above traits it doesn't even need Solar Power to be effective. : B- ---> B With stall teams being much more viable in ORAS now, Gothitelle's viability has gone up as a result, with its ability to come in and shut down any defensive Pokemon barring Mega Sableye, trapping them with Shadow Tag while whittling away at them with its attacks or crippling them by Tricking away its Choice Scarf, easily opening holes for its team to take advantage of. Its also a very nice partner for Mega Sableye on stall teams, as it helps deal with Manaphy, which Mega Sableye has trouble with. : B- ---> B+ Klefki got much better in the transition to ORAS, acting as a great setter of Light Screen + Reflect. Prankster Thunder Wave stops setup sweepers like Mega Altaria cold. Steel/Fairy is an excellent typing as Mega Mawile proved prior to its ban. It's also an effective Spikes setter, so it definitely puts in work for Hyper Offense teams. Also acts as an auxiliary rain setter on rain teams due to Prankster Rain Dance. Prankster Magnet Rise also puts a stop to some of its would-be checks and counters. Oh and did I mention it also threatens Mega Metagross with Foul Play? : B- ---> B Mega Sharpedo is a very effective cleaner in OU. It puts in alot of work against bulkier threats, so it performs well against defense, and by abusing the base form's Speed Boost prior to Mega Evolving, can outpace offensive teams as well. Obviously its frail and hates priority, and cannot afford to switch out once it Mega Evolves since it loses Speed Boost for the rest of the match, so it is forced to run Protect in order to safely acquire the Speed Boost and Mega Evolve on the next turn. : B- ---> C+ Birdspam teams have gotten worse in ORAS. Staraptor's speed tier is not as good as it used to be. The Choice Band set is much easier to revenge kill and loses to all of S rank, while the Choice Scarf set renders it unable to get past Mega Slowbro and Mega Sableye. : B- ---> B Togekiss acts as a nice wallbreaker that also has nice defensive utility. It annoys Stall teams with Nasty Plot boosted Air Slashes, coupled with its annoying 60% flinch rate due to Serene Grace, allowing it to counter Mega Slowbro and Mega Sableye. Thunder Wave helps against offense teams, and also counters Mega Sceptile while acting as a check to Mega Gallade and Mega Lopunny. It can also play a more defensive role with Heal Bell if needed. It can also outspeed and threaten Bisharp with Aura Sphere. : B- ---> B Weavile's combination of powerful priority, blazing Speed stat, decently powerful STAB moves, and Pursuit trapping abilities makes it a great option for many offensive teams in need of a solid revenge killer as well as something to pressure common Defoggers and checkmate Gengar. It checks 4/5 of the Pokemon in S Rank and several Pokemon in the A ranks. With a great coverage move in Low Kick, and priority in Ice Shard, Weavile is a deadly cleaner and revenge killer. Also, Icicle Crash is now legal with Knock Off as of ORAS, another great plus for it. : C+ ---> C While Entei getting Ho-oh's former signature move is nice, 50% burn doesn't mean anything for Mega Altaria when it has many ways to circumvent this (Refresh, Substitute, or even Facade). Mega Slowbro and Mega Diancie also don't care about Sacred Fire, making Entei's job harder. : C+ ---> C Mediocre tank at best. easily worn down and is complete dead weight against Stall teams. : C+ ---> C While Infernape can still function as an anti-lead Pokemon, new threats such as Mega Slowbro and Mega Sableye make its life difficult. Mega Altaria and Mega Latias are also hard counters, so it lost viability in practically all of its roles. : C+ ---> B- Choice Scarf Magneton outspeeds and revenge kills Greninja, something that its evolution Magnezone cannot do even with a Choice Scarf, thus giving it a niche over its evolution while still providing a similar role. : C+ ---> C While Sableye definitely didn't change much from X/Y, that fact that it got a mega evolution leaves even less reason to use it as a stand alone mon, as people usually utilize its regular form along with its mega. Prankster Will-o-Wisp is really all its got going for it, as Mega Sableye has better defenses, an awesome ability, and overall utility. Even with prankster Recover, Sableye will die quickly and swiftly due to its shit defenses, and isn't too hard to play around. To put it simply, there is almost no reason to not use Sableye in tandem with its mega form unless you REALLY love prankster WOW's. The combined utility of Sableye and its mega form far outclasses what its base form can do alone. : C+ ---> B- Toxicroak checks a good handful of very threatening OU mons like Bisharp, Mega Gyarados, Keldeo, Azumarill, and nearly all other relevant Fairies (and most Greninja lol). It is extremely valuable for offense to have something that checks all of these dangerous pokes in just one team slot. It can basically check most Fighting, Dark, and Fairy Pokemon. An amazing team player for offense. Because of its great ability, it counters Pokemon like Suicune and Alomomola that rely on water moves for damage. Due to it being so anti-meta, with SD and LO it can do crazy damage to many teams. Only the bulkiest of Pokemon can take a neutral +2 Gunk Shot and survive. Sucker Punch provides priority for the team. After setting up, it KO's Mega Metagross after SR with Sucker Punch. It doesn't get worn down as easily because of Drain Punch. It can also run interesting coverage options like Knock Off, Ice Punch, Earthquake, Stone Edge, and has some utility options like Taunt/Thunder Wave/Fake Out. With its crazy amount of coverage options, it's pretty much impossible to pin down something that perfectly counters it. Even Skarmory is 2HKO'ed by a Sub-Punch set. Toxicroak does have its problems, however. It is very frail, and doesn't like directly switching into the stuff it checks. It is also on the slow side. This isn't a huge problem because it can still check what it wants to with 85 speed and Sucker Punch. Also, Gunk Shot's 80% accuracy is potentially annoying. Finally, even though it has a plethora of coverage/utility options, it cannot cover everything in 4 moves. : C+ ---> B- Tangrowth enjoys the increased usage of Mega Gyarados and the declining use of both Mega Pinsir and Mega Charizard Y. It is a bulky pivot with Assault Vest and Regenerator that works great for Balanced and Bulky Offense teams, walling Keldeo and beating Mega Slowbro, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Sceptile. It can run Earthquake to screw over Heatran, or provides utility with Knock Off to cripple item-reliant Pokemon. Singles UU Updates (XL): Unranked --> C : B --> B+ : A --> A+ : A- --> A : C --> B- : B+ --> A- : C --> B- : B+ --> A- : A --> A+ : C --> B- : A --> A- : C --> D Singles RU Updates: : A+ -> S : A+ -> S : A+ -> S : A -> A+ : A -> A+ : A -> A+ : A+ -> A : A- -> A : A- -> A : B+ -> A- : A- -> B+ : B+ -> B : B -> B+ : B -> B+ : B -> B+ : B- -> B+ : B- -> B : B- -> B : B- -> B : B- -> B : B -> B- : C+ -> B- : C- -> C+ : Unranked -> C

Rayquaza and Mewtwo are also popular Pokemon, doesn't change the fact that they're both stupidly broken, and dont even get me started on Mega Rayquaza.

Greninjas about to be banned from OU anyway so I wouldnt worry too much about it. No seriously fuck you Gunk Shot tutor why did you have to exist in ORAS?

This

Alright because people keep wishing for this thing; Flygon base stats: 80 / 100 / 80 / 80 / 80 / 100 Mega Flygon base stats: 80 / 150 / 80 / 110 / 80 / 120 Mega Flygon type: Ground/Dragon -> Ground/Dragon Mega Flygon Ability: Levitate -> Sand Rush Flygon has always been glanced over for other Dragon types due to its mediocre base stats and lack of apparent niche in the higher tiers. As a levitating Defogger, it is outclassed by Latios and Latias, while as a Dragon/Ground type it is outclassed by Garchomp. Sand Rush rectifies this by doubling Flygon's base speed, turning it into a powerful cleaner with mixed 150/110 offenses. One flaw that Sand Rush has is that the speed boost does not activate until the turn after it Mega Evolves, a problem which currently plagues Mega Swampert. Unlike Swampert, Flygon still has a respectable 100 base speed prior to Mega Evolving compared to Swampert's 60. During the sand, Mega Flygon becomes the fastest Pokemon in OU, outspeeding even Sand Rush Excadrill. With access to U-turn, Flygon can Mega Evolve early and preserve momentum by switching back out immediately, allowing it to come in when the sand is up without suffering from the 100 base speed on the first turn. Sample moveset: Mega Sand Cleaner Ability: Levitate (Sand Rush) / Item: @Flygonite Nature: Lonely w/ EVs: 252 Attack / 252 Sp.Attack / 4 Sp.Defense Moves: Earthquake / Dragon Claw or Outrage / Fire Blast / U-Turn or Draco Meteor With no speed investment, Flygon outspeeds everything up to and including max speed Sand Rush Excadrill. Alternate spreads include maxing out Speed with a Jolly/Naive nature, which allow it to speed tie with other positive natured base 100 speed Pokemon prior to Mega Evolving, as well as outspeed Tailwind Mega Charizard X after Mega Evolving in the sand. Bulkier variants with max HP and Roost can also be used for longevity. Calcs: 252+ Atk Mega Flygon Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 300-354 (99.6 - 117.6%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO 252+ Atk Mega Flygon Outrage vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Thundurus: 321-378 (107.3 - 126.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252+ Atk Mega Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 318-375 (45.1 - 53.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and sandstorm damage 252+ Atk Mega Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Sableye: 148-175 (48.6 - 57.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and sandstorm damage -1 252+ Atk Mega Flygon Outrage vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Landorus-T: 175-207 (54.8 - 64.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery 252 SpA Mega Flygon Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Skarmory: 284-336 (85 - 100.5%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock 252 SpA Mega Flygon Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 328-388 (93.1 - 110.2%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock 252 SpA Mega Flygon Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 100 SpD Mega Scizor: 384-456 (111.9 - 132.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252 SpA Mega Flygon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Hippowdon: 246-291 (58.5 - 69.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery 252 SpA Mega Flygon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Sableye: 267-315 (87.8 - 103.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock 252 SpA Mega Flygon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 228-268 (59.6 - 70.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Thats only because Letty needs to learn to "let it go"

I figured since MFFA doesn't have one of these yet and with the year almost at a close that we should get this started to see if it will generate any interest. The Character of the Month selection will be done in two phases: Nominations and Voting Nominations & Voting Rules You may nominate up to 5 characters per month. You may only nominate a character that was released and/or updated during the given month. You cannot nominate characters that have previously won Character of the Month. Be specific as to which character you are nominating; include both the name and the author name and, if applicable, the release thread of the character. To make things easier, we suggest that you append the number of nominations that the character has, including your own, when you make your nominations. Characters that have been nominated by at least 4 different people will become candidates for voting. Candidates for voting cannot be nominated any more (as there is no real purpose to this) Voting begins 15 days after the nomination period began, or once 20 characters have been nominated as candidates. The voting period lasts for 15 days. The winner will be announced at the end of this period. During this time, you will be permitted to vote for as many of the candidates as you want, but we strongly urge you to vote only for those characters that you actually want to see as CotM. When nominating a character, please include a description on why you feel that this character should be nominated for CotM. It doesn't have to be lengthy explanation, as long as you can provide an argument. We reserve the right to reject any nominations if we feel that the given explanation is misinformed or not adequate enough. No collusion of any kind. If we find out that anyone has conspired with other users to nominate characters for the sole purpose of preventing another character from being nominated as a candidate by flooding the list of candidates until it reaches maximum capacity, those nominations will be null and void and all parties involved will be banned from participating in future CotM. That being said, December 2014 Nominations will end on January 13th, 2015.

110 is still usable, but a full physical set for Mega Sceptile is trash. Generally you want either Substitute + 3 Sp.Attacks or Mixed All-out Attacker. If you do go mixed, though, you'll generally want to be using Earthquake as your sole physical move. Mega Sceptile shouldn't be staying in against Flying types anyway, unless you KNOW for certain that you can outspeed and KO them.

Fixed, Letty actually hates Cirno in canon (same with Patchouli's opinion of Marisa, even though fanon says otherwise) That being said, Im not sure if this warrants its own thread.

Okay Delibird shenanigans aside, here's the real holiday present; I get to bring the next PotW a few days early. This one is a Pokemon that was previously covered a few weeks ago, but has been updated due to drastic shifts in the Ubers metagame (and Ubers in general): Rayquaza (revisited) Tier Status (Singles, Normal): Ubers Tier Status (Singles, Mega): AG Tier Status (Doubles, Normal): DUbers Tier Status (Doubles, Mega): DUbers Type (Normal): Dragon/Flying Type (Mega): Dragon/Flying Base Stats (Normal): 105 / 150 / 90 / 150 / 90 / 95 Base Stats (Mega): 105 / 180 / 100 / 180 / 100 / 115 Abilities (Normal): Air Lock: For as long as this Pokemon is on the field, negates the effect of all weathers. Abilities (Mega): Delta Stream: For as long as this Pokemon is on the field, the Strong Winds weather is in effect. Cannot be overwritten by other weathers and reduces the damage of Rock, Electric, and Ice attacks by 50% when used against Flying types. This weather disappears once the Pokemon is switched out. Table of Contents Singles Ubers Overview Doubles Ubers Overview Singles Ubers Overview ORAS Singles Ubers Viability: A- ORAS Singles Ubers Viability: BANNED Rayquaza is a Pokemon that was already covered as a PotW and the first one for ORAS. However, many drastic changes have taken place since then that Rayquaza deserves being looked at again. The first and foremost change is that, days after the original PotW for Rayquaza was written, its Mega Evolution became the first Pokemon in competitive Pokemon history to be banned from the Ubers tier. Because of Mega Rayquaza's sheer offensive power and virtual lack of checks, counters, AND opportunity cost, the entire Ubers tier had to be redefined as Mega Rayquaza forced Smogon to acknowledge Ubers as a legitimate tier instead of just an OU banlist with its own metagame. For those who are curious as to why this behemoth was banned from Ubers, the reasons are outlined in Smogon's official ban announcement: As a result of Mega Rayquaza's ban and the redefining of the Ubers tier, a new metagame called AG (short for Anything Goes) was created as the spiritual successor to the old Ubers tier; many of the things that were banned from Ubers such as OHKO moves, Moody, Swagger, and even Mega Rayquaza are allowed. As such, an AG analysis for Mega Rayquaza will not be covered here (and you should probably seriously rethink your definition of fun if you think using this thing in Ubers is fun). Normal Rayquaza, despite having its Mega Evolution banned from Ubers, is still a great mixed wallbreaker. Air Lock also received a slight buff in that it can negate the effects of Desolate Land and Primordial Sea, the two new abilities introduced in ORAS that are exclusive to Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, so Rayquaza can act as a soft check to them. Prior to ORAS, Rayquaza had to rely on V-Create, a powerful physical 180 base power Fire move that it obtains from a Gen 5 event. However, ORAS granted Rayquaza a signature move in the form of Dragon Ascent, which is basically a Flying type version of Close Combat, which also happened to be the only requirement for Rayquaza to Mega Evolve (don't you dare press that button though), giving Rayquaza a much more reliable option. Many of Rayquaza's old checks and counters from X&Y Ubers have decreased in usage in ORAS due to the presence of Primal Groudon. However, Rayquaza is still prone to being revenge killed and its typing isnt too great defensively, especially when its left with a Stealth Rock weakness. NOTE: It is interesting to note however that the ban of Mega Rayquaza in Ubers is one of the few differences between Smogon's tiers and Pokemon Online's tiers in that, while only Mega Evolving Rayquaza is banned from Smogon's Ubers tier, Pokemon Online's Mega Rayquaza ban extends to cover Dragon Ascent as well, mostly due to technical limitations within the simulator. Thus, this PotW will assume that Smogon's ruleset is in effect, in that Mega Rayquaza itself is banned while Dragon Ascent is not. ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Mixed Wallbreaker Ability: Air Lock / Item: @Life Orb Nature (1): Naive w/ EVs: 252 Attack / 40 Sp.Attack / 216 Speed Nature (2): Naive w/ EVs: 40 Attack / 252 Sp.Attack / 216 Speed Moves: Draco Meteor / Dragon Ascent / Earthquake or Fire Blast / Extremespeed or Earthquake Tips: Draco Meteor allows Rayquaza to plow through physical walls, even going as far as to 2HKO Defensive Primal Groudon, while potentially OHKOing Offensive sets after Stealth Rock. Dragon Ascent is a powerful physical Flying type STAB that, alongside Draco Meteor, allows Rayquaza to act as a mixed wallbreaker, hitting the Specially Defensive Pokemon that Draco Meteor can't touch. The third slot is dedicated to hitting Steel types who don't care about Draco Meteor or Dragon Ascent. Earthquake hits on the physical side and smashes Heatran. Fire Blast, however, hits on the special side and decimates Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Bronzong, and Scizor. For the last slot, Extremespeed allows Rayquaza to perform against Offensive teams, hitting faster yet frail Pokemon and letting Rayquaza act as a revenge killer. If extra coverage is necessary to fare against Stall and Balanced teams, Earthquake can be used here if Fire Blast is run in the third slot. The above EV spreads allow Rayquaza to outspeed positive natured base 90 speed Pokemon, including Jolly Primal Groudon and Timid Kyogre. The nature remains the same for both spreads, the only difference being whether to maximize Attack or Sp.Attack. The most notable thing about the second EV spread is that it allows Draco Meteor to OHKO all variants of Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock damage, but greatly limits the power of Dragon Ascent. This Rayquaza set's first priority is as a wallbreaker; it should be brought in early to the middle of the match, either KOing or weakening bulky and defensive Pokemon on your opponent's team, so that a sweeper can be brought in later. Due to Life Orb recoil, it is crucial to keep Rayquaza as healthy as possible for as long as possible, to avoid being revenge killed. Both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent 2HKO most of the Ubers Metagame, so there isnt that much pressure choosing between the two of them. Even with the Sp.Attack drop from Draco Meteor, you're not forced to immediately switch out afterward as you can still hit hard on the physical side with Dragon Ascent. Honorable Mentions: Surf can be used on the Mixed wallbreaker set specifically for Primal Groudon, as Air Lock negates the Water immunity provided to Primal Groudon through the use of Intense Sunlight, easily scoring an OHKO. Although being able to score an OHKO on the most threatening Pokemon currently in Ubers is huge, Surf does not have much use outside of this purpose, and it is difficult to find a moveslot for it as running Surf limits Rayquaza's other coverage options unless you drop Extremespeed. However, if you need a check to Primal Groudon and if you can fit Surf in on Rayquaza, then by all means go for it. Recommended Teammates: Despite sharing the exact same type, Mega Salamence is the perfect teammate for Rayquaza, as they are able to KO most of each others checks and counters aside from Lugia and support Arceus formes. Because Lugia is a problem, Stealth Rock setters can lay them down and break its Multiscale the moment it switches in. It also helps to break Focus Sash on fast and frail Pokemon so that Rayquaza can KO with Extremespeed. Defog and Rapid Spin users from Arceus forms, Latias, Latios, Origin Giratina, and Excadrill can keep Stealth Rock off of Rayquaza's side of the field. Users of Volt Switch and U-turn can provide Rayquaza with opportunities to safely switch in and break down walls. ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Swords Dance Ability: Air Lock / Item: @Life Orb Nature: Adamant or Jolly w/ EVs: 252 Attack / 4 Sp.Defense / 252 Speed Moves: Swords Dance / Dragon Ascent / Earthquake / Extremespeed, Dragon Dance, or V-Create Tips: Swords Dance turns Rayquaza into a threatening physical wallbreaker Dragon Ascent is a powerful physical Flying type STAB that smashes anything that doesn't resist it. Earthquake pairs wonderfully with Dragon Ascent, breaking any Steel or Rock type not named Skarmory. For the last slot, Extremespeed allows Rayquaza to punish faster offensive threats and hits hard after a Swords Dance boost. Dragon Dance can be used here to give Rayquaza an option against offensive teams, turning it into a cleaner. V-Create can also be used to get past Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory, but otherwise has limited use. The given EV spread maximizes Rayquaza's Attack and Speed. Adamant nature gives it the best physical wallbreaking power, but Jolly allows Rayquaza to outspeed Lugia and positive natured base 90 speed Pokemon. The 4 Sp.Defense EVs are there specifically to avoid giving Genesect a Sp.Attack boost from Download, pressuring it to use U-turn instead and capitalizing on your opponent's lost momentum from doing so. If using both Swords Dance and Dragon Dance, know that very rarely will you be able to get to use both in a single match. Instead, you must use the boosting move that is most beneficial against the opponent's team; Swords Dance is used for Defensive teams, while Dragon Dance is to be used against Offensive teams. If running Extremespeed, only use it to score revenge kills, and avoid using it to clean an opponent's team unless it has been weakened beforehand. Take caution if your opponent has any potential Choice Scarf or priority users, as they can take advantage of Rayquaza's lowered defenses after using Dragon Ascent, forcing you to switch out. Recommended Teammates: Despite sharing the exact same type, Mega Salamence is the perfect teammate for Rayquaza, as they are able to KO most of each others checks and counters aside from Lugia and support Arceus formes. Because Lugia is a problem, Stealth Rock setters can lay them down and break its Multiscale the moment it switches in. It also helps to break Focus Sash on fast and frail Pokemon so that Rayquaza can KO with Extremespeed. Primal Groudon, in particular, can use its Fire type STAB to help eliminate Steel types so that Rayquaza can use Extremespeed to clean up. Defog and Rapid Spin users from Arceus forms, Latias, Latios, Origin Giratina, and Excadrill can keep Stealth Rock off of Rayquaza's side of the field. Users of Volt Switch and U-turn can provide Rayquaza with opportunities to safely switch in and break down walls. Klefki can lay down Spikes for Rayquaza, wearing down switch ins further while also checking Latios, Latias, and Xerneas. ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Choice Band Ability: Air Lock / Item: @Choice Band Nature: Adamant or Jolly w/ EVs: 252 Attack / 4 Defense / 252 Speed Moves: Dragon Ascent / Earthquake / Extremespeed / V-Create or Waterfall Tips: Dragon Ascent hits stupidly hard after a Choice Band boost, 2HKOing even Arceus formes and Lugia after Stealth Rock damage. Earthquake hits Steel and Rock types that don't care about Dragon Ascent, and also deals a chunk of damage to Primal Groudon. Extremespeed allows Rayquaza to punish faster offensive threats and hits hard with a Choice Band boost. V-Create get past Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, Genesect and Skarmory. Waterfall is an option to use to OHKO Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock, as Air Lock negates Primal Groudon's water immunity, but otherwise has limited use. The given EV spread maximizes Rayquaza's Attack and Speed. Adamant nature gives it the best physical wallbreaking power, but Jolly allows Rayquaza to outspeed Lugia and positive natured base 90 speed Pokemon. Because of its absurd power after a Choice Band boost, Dragon Ascent still dents Pokemon that resist it, so don't be afraid of being locked into it. Recommended Teammates: Despite sharing the exact same type, Mega Salamence is the perfect teammate for Rayquaza, as they are able to KO most of each others checks and counters aside from Lugia and support Arceus formes. Because Lugia is a problem, Stealth Rock setters can lay them down and break its Multiscale the moment it switches in. It also helps to break Focus Sash on fast and frail Pokemon so that Rayquaza can KO with Extremespeed. Primal Groudon, in particular, can use its Fire type STAB to help eliminate Steel types so that Rayquaza can use Extremespeed to clean up. Defog and Rapid Spin users from Arceus forms, Latias, Latios, Origin Giratina, and Excadrill can keep Stealth Rock off of Rayquaza's side of the field. Users of Volt Switch and U-turn can provide Rayquaza with opportunities to safely switch in and break down walls. Klefki can lay down Spikes for Rayquaza, wearing down switch ins further while also checking Latios, Latias, and Xerneas. Singles Ubers Checks & Counters to Rayquaza Lugia can wall Rayquaza while setting up Reflect, and can Whirlwind out the Swords Dance set, but has to watch out for Stealth Rock, as the Choice Band set can 2HKO. Even though Offensive Primal Groudon risks being OHKOed by Draco Meteor, it can handle the Swords Dance set and sets lacking Waterfall or Surf, while burning Rayquaza with Lava Plume or using Stone Edge to put Rayquaza out of its misery. Revenge killers, such as Choice Scarf Kyogre and Choice Scarf Zekrom can outspeed and KO Rayquaza. Mewtwo and Mega Mewtwo Y are fast enough to outspeed most Pokemon including Rayquaza and deal serious damage with Psystrike, or OHKO with Ice Beam if they run it. Arceus formes that commonly run support sets, including Ghost, Fairy, Grass, Rock, Water, Ground, can take a hit from Rayquaza, outspeed and burn it with Will-o-Wisp while Recovering off the damage. All of them except Arceus-Grass avoid a 2HKO from a burned Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent. Doubles Ubers Overview ORAS Doubles Ubers Viability: N/A ORAS Doubles Ubers Viability: N/A Doubles Ubers is normally not covered in PotW posts, as the metagame is still immature and has a marginally small player base, which also means a lack of viability rankings. That being said, Doubles Ubers is the only metagame other than AG where Mega Rayquaza is allowed. Delta Stream was clearly made for Doubles, as while Delta Stream was one factor that contributed to Mega Rayquaza's ban from all tiers in Singles, Delta Stream becomes even more prominent in Doubles as not only does Mega Rayquaza get to enjoy the benefit of receiving 50% less damage from Rock, Ice, and Electric attacks, but so do all Flying type partners to Mega Rayquaza. This includes Pokemon like Ho-oh, Yveltal, Lugia, Landorus-Therian, Thundurus-Incarnate, Sky Shaymin and more. ORAS Ubers Doubles Moveset: Mega Physical Attacker Ability: Air Lock (Delta Stream) / Item: @Life Orb Nature: Adamant or Jolly w/ EVs: 4 HP /252 Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Dragon Ascent / Earthquake / Extremespeed / Protect Tips: Dragon Ascent hits stupidly hard after Life Orb and Mega Evolving. Earthquake hits Steel and Rock types that don't care about Dragon Ascent Extremespeed allows Mega Rayquaza to punish faster offensive threats and bypass Tailwind. Protect is a staple move of many Pokemon, punishing double targeting as well as scouting the opponent or stalling out field conditions. The given EV spread maximizes Mega Rayquaza's Attack and Speed. Adamant gives it the most physical attack possible while Jolly lets it outspeed as many threats as possible on the turn it Mega Evolves. Recommended Teammates: Mega Rayquaza still doesn't like Ice attacks, so Follow Me users such as Togekiss and Jirachi help. In addition to being able to provide Follow Me support, Togekiss can also provide Mega Rayquaza with Tailwind, turning its already high base 115 speed into a lightning fast 722 with Jolly and max investment. Togekiss also becomes much more effective at using Follow Me as it now loses its Rock, Electric, and Ice weaknesses thanks to Delta Stream, redirecting Ice attacks aimed at MegaRayray and only taking neutral damage from them. Doubles OU Checks & Counters to Rayquaza & Mega Rayquaza Due to Air Lock, Desolate Lands, and Primordial Sea, Normal Rayquaza, Primal Groudon, and Primal Kyogre can negate the effects of Delta Stream, causing Mega Rayquaza to regain its 4x Ice weakness. It should be noted that Rayquaza and Primal Kyogre will be OHKOed by Dragon Ascent due to their mediocre physical Defense, while Primal Groudon risks being OHKOed after a single Dragon Dance boost. Mamoswine can live a +1 Extremespeed while it can only 2HKO with Ice Shard, but if Delta Stream is overwritten by one of the above weathers, Ice Shard can OHKO. Situational check at best. Choice Scarf Yveltal can outspeed and revenge kill Mega Rayquaza with Foul Play and prior damage, while only being 3HKOed by Extremespeed. Choice Scarf Xerneas can live a +2 Extremespeed while it OHKOs Mega Rayquaza with Moonblast. Mega Diancie is in a similar position in that it can OHKO with Moonblast, but it cannot outspeed and gets OHKOed by Earthquake at +0 and by Dragon Ascent at +1. Due to mostly being a physical attacker, Initimidate and Burns can mitigate the damage from Mega Rayquaza. Many of Mega Rayquaza's attacks can be redirected with Follow Me or Rage Powder. While this may KO the user in question, it opens up Mega Rayquaza to its other checks and counters. Togekiss, in particular, is immune to Earthquake, the only spread move Mega Rayquaza carries. Aegislash can play around Mega Rayquaza's attacks with King's Shield and 2HKO with Shadow Ball, though it is 2HKOed by Earthquake. Users of speed control such as Tailwind, Trick Room, or Thunder Wave can circumvent Mega Rayquaza's 115 base speed, either by causing its team to outspeed it or by turing MegaRay's speed into a liability. Latios, in particular, can OHKO with STAB Draco Meteor, while Talonflame and Thundurus-Incarnate both have priority Tailwind and Thunder Wave, respectively. Due note that Mega Rayquaza can circumvent speed control with Extremespeed. External Links Smogon Analysis (Singles Ubers)

Helper trigger = movehit with p2 postype Random, with clever workarounds, possibly in conjunction with Varset Judging from the fact that you made several stuff for Mugen before that this should be enough to give you what you need.

The same could be said of Mugen 1.0, doesn't mean its true. Be careful with how you word things like that.

Smogon has decided to suspect test Greninja in Singles OU to see if it should be banned to Ubers.

+6 252 Atk Huge Power Power Trick Shuckle Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lv. 1 Delibird: 319308-375660 (2660900 - 3130500%) -- You're pretty fucked right now Not that you'll ever encounter this in an actual scenario but...

And now a special PotW that will happen once a year, let me tell you a tale featuring a bird that spreads holiday cheer. Delibird (aka "How Delibird 'saved' Christmas") Tier Status (Singles): NU Tier Status (Doubles): DUU Type (Normal): Ice/Flying Type (Mega): Ice/Flying Base Stats: 45 / 55 / 45 / 65 / 45 / 75 Abilities: Hustle: All physical attacks have their accuracy lowered by 20%, but with x1.5 more power so please don't lament. Insomnia: When hit by moves like Spore from Breloom the creep, this Pokemon will refuse to go to sleep. Vital Spirit (Hidden Ability): Immunity to sleep is good but this ability is sad, because its a clone of an ability Delibird already had. Table of Contents Singles NU Overview Singles RU Overview Singles UU Overview Singles OU Overview Singles NU Overview ORAS Singles NU Viability: C- In a tier far from OUville where the shitmons play, there lives a special bird who flies on his sleigh. Every year he brings lots of presents and toys, for all Feraligatr and Uxie girls and boys. Inside each gift that this special bird bring, is a base power and effect more inconsistent than Fling. Gimmicky at best, the potential 120 base power is nothing more than a ruse, because the chance of healing the foe, this move should never be used. But inside his bag of gifts, lay Spikes and Spinners and all the Hoo-Hifts. Then the holiday bird realized, " Rather than gifts I can bring my utility", yet he was completely unaware of his typing's own futility. ORAS PU Singles Moveset: Utility Ability: Vital Spirit or Insomnia / Item: @Focus Sash Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 4 Defense / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Spikes / Destiny Bond / Rapid Spin / Ice Beam or Freeze Dry Tips: Spikes is the new gift Delibird gets with his holiday wishes, as it punishes the foe's switches. Destiny Bond ensures that even if Delibird is knocked out by attacks, that your opponent's sweeper will be stopped in their tracks. But the opponent can use his own Spikes, or perhaps even Stealth Rocked, but with Rapid Spin the foe's efforts will be cockblocked. For the last slot, there is Ice Beam, which makes Grass and Flying scream, while if you go Freeze Dry, you'll make even Feraligtr cry. The above EV spreads gives Delibird the most power that it need, while the spread also maximizes Delibird's speed. The item of choice is the Focus Sash, which will guarantee that Delibird lays 1 Spikes layer before running out of HP. The mission is simple, and here I'll tell you why; the bird should be used first, lay Spikes, and then die. Singles NU Checks & Counters to Delibird With Ice and Flying, our special bird will be crying, as it faces all the attacks common attackers can give, as the Delibird cries out "Its Super Effective!". While our poor bird starts spinning away Stealth Rock, it won't be for long they say, as they say that Stealth Rock cut its life in half that day. Singles RU Overview ORAS Singles RU Viability: F Hoping to spread some holiday cheer, the Delibird left NU, smirking at those who mocked him with a sneer. As the Bird flew over RUtown, it saw below, a tier dominated by the mighty Moltres and Mega Sharpedo. It saw other high ranking threats during its christmas raid, including Mega Camerupt, Cobalion, Fletchinder and Doublade. And with the savior doge Houndoom ready to roast our bird to stew, the Delibird then exclaimed "Theres no place for me here, I must move on to UU." Singles UU Overview ORAS Singles UU Viability: F As the Bird flew over UUville it then landed with glee, until it met face to face with the mighty Jirachi. With Aggrons and Aerodactyls all gone Mega powered, Delibird ran as the clock struck the hour. Then it saw, over there yonder in the distance, a snow girl with grace; a yukionna named Froslass, which took Delibird's place. While she was beautiful and lacked any crass, with the same moves but better typing, Delibird knew he was outclassed. Sad and dejected, the bird then ran, until it realized "there's still OUland!" Singles OU Overview ORAS Singles OU Viability: F The bird landed in the hostile OUland, and met with the boss, who introduced himself as Mega Metagross. An affectionate punch as a show of good will for the holiday bash, the poor bird was knocked out by a single Meteor Mash. Even those that Delibird would normally be strong against like Latios and Landorus who were both Ice weak, it was their powerful attacks that exposed Delibird as the one who was meek. Then the terrifying Greninja wearing fancy holiday hats, took one look at the bird and said "lol what shitty base stats!" The poor bird stood hopeless, dejected and defeated, with blood gushing from its beak. Poor poor Delibird then realized he was weak. He thought to himself deeply... and pondered as he lay on the ground... what could he do to bring his holiday cheer around. "Wait..." he said as he thought as he thought of an idea so crazy and odd... "Yes! It might work! I must go find God!" Singles Ubers Overview ORAS Singles Ubers Viability: F So the little Delibird loaded back on his sleigh, and traversed the heavens to find the land of Ubers that day. His resolve was renewed, it would not break this time as he held on, but his sleigh was suddenly decimated by an attack from Primal Groudon. ...and from that base 180 attack our poor Delibird was dead. He could not hold out in Ubers, it was said. At least he wasn't shredded into molecules by Palkia's Spacial Rend, but our tale is now over, and with that, I say... The End

Small OU Singles update Rises: None Drops: : A+ -> A : A+ -> A

As the PotW tier rotation goes, we now have our lower tier PotW: Raikou Tier Status (Singles): UU OU Tier Status (Doubles): DUU Type: Electric Base Stats: 90 / 85 / 75 / 115 / 100 / 115 Abilities: Pressure: Opponent's attacks that target this Pokemon lose 2 PP instead of 1. Outside of battle, the wild Pokemon encounter rate increases if this Pokemon is in the lead spot. Volt Absorb (Hidden Ability) (UNRELEASED): If this Pokemon is targeted by an Electric-type attack, the attack will fail and this Pokemon restores 25% of its max HP (rounded down) instead. Table of Contents Singles UU Overview Singles OU Overview Singles Ubers Overview Doubles OU Overview Singles UU Overview ORAS Singles UU Viability: A- Viability changes from X&Y Singles UU: A- -> A- Raikou was blessed with just the right stats to make it a threat in UU. Having only one weakness and decent defensive stats, Raikou can run a variety of sets in UU, and has just the right coverage moves available to it. However, there are certain flaws that hold Raikou back. It cannot break past special walls such as Blissey, Snorlax, or Florges, even when holding a Choice Specs. While Raikou makes an effective Assault Vest user in OU, the Assault Vest set is sadly not as effective in UU. Another flaw lies with Aura Sphere; while Aura Sphere is a great coverage move for Raikou, Raikou only obtains Aura Sphere from a Gen 4 event, and all legally obtained Aura Sphere Raikou come with Rash (+Sp.Attack, -Sp.Defense) natures, so Raikou is not only forced to sacrifice the speed increase from Timid in order to run Aura Sphere, but also forced to lower its otherwise good Sp.Defense. ORAS UU Singles Moveset: Calm Mind + Substitute Ability: Pressure / Item: @Leftovers Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Calm Mind / Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Ice / Substitute Tips: Calm Mind turns Raikou into a boosting sweeper. Thunderbolt is a powerful and reliable STAB move. Hidden Power Ice is mandatory for hitting the Ground and Dragon types that don't care about Thunderbolt, and forms great neutral coverage with Thunderbolt Substitute blocks status and also gives Raikou a buffer against revenge killers. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack and Speed, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible while outspeeding as many threats as possible. Leftovers is chosen to increase Raikou's longevity, allowing it to regain health lost from using Substitute and switching in to entry hazards. The best time to use Calm Mind is on a predicted switch, as Raikou tends to cause a lot of them. Avoid setting up if your opponent has a Special wall in reserve, as even with a Calm Mind boost, Raikou cannot wear them down while they wear Raikou down in return. Recommended Teammates: Removing entry hazards with Rapid Spin or Defog is crucial to preserving Raikou's longevity. Donphan, Starmie, Forretress and Mega Blastoise can all accomplish the former while Mega Aerodactyl, Crobat, and Flygon can accomplish the latter. Pokemon resistant or immune to Ground also make for nice partners. Both Rotom-Heat and Rotom-Mow can burn them with Will-o-Wisp and strike them with Hidden Power Grass and Leaf Storm, respectively. Grass types like Rotom-Mow, Celebi, and Shaymin can also get rid of Swampert and Mega Swampert, both of which can wall Raikou. As a Calm Mind sweeper, Raikou appreciates having entry hazards to make its job easier. Swampert, Gligar, Nidoqueen and Nidoking can set up Stealth Rock, Roserade and Chesnaught can set up Spikes, Roserade and Nidoqueen can use Toxic Spikes, Galvantula can set up Sticky Web to slow down Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed Raikou, and Forretress can set up any of them. ORAS UU Singles Moveset: Choice Specs Ability: Pressure / Item: @Choice Specs Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Ice / Volt Switch / Extrasensory Tips: Thunderbolt is a reliable STAB move that hits hard with Choice Specs. Hidden Power Grass is the preferred Hidden Power type on this set for its ability to smash through Swampert, Mega Swampert, Gastrodon, and Rhyperior, all of which can otherwise hard counter. Hidden Power Ice can still be used as it provides great neutral coverage with Thunderbolt. Volt Switch, while weaker than Thunderbolt, still hits pretty hard with Choice Specs, but its main purpose is to allow Raikou to pivot out of unfavorable matchups, potentially providing a teammate with a safe switch. Hidden Power Ice is mandatory for hitting the Ground and Dragon types that don't care about Thunderbolt and Volt Switch, and OHKOs both Landorus formes, Gliscor, and Garchomp, while also 2HKOing physically defensive Hippowdon. Extrasensory allows Raikou to hit Roserade, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen harder than Hidden Power Ice, while also smashing Fighting types such as Mienshao, Machamp, and Infernape. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack and Speed, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible while outspeeding as many threats as possible. Prediction is necessary for this set, as Raikou will be locking itself into its moves with Choice Specs. Volt Switch can alleviate this somewhat, allowing you to scout and gain momentum. Because of their immunity to Volt Switch, avoid using it if you predict a Ground type coming in as being unable to switch will hurt your momentum. Instead, use one of Raikou's coverage moves or hard switch out. Recommended Teammates: Due to Raikou's tendency to lure in Ground types to block Volt Switch, Grass types make for good partners. Rotom-Heat is not only immune to Ground due to Levitate, but can also burn Ground types with Will-o-Wisp, as many of them tend to be physical attackers. Removing entry hazards with Rapid Spin or Defog is crucial to preserving Raikou's longevity. Donphan, Starmie, Forretress and Mega Blastoise can all accomplish the former while Mega Aerodactyl, Crobat, and Flygon can accomplish the latter. Raikou appreciates having entry hazards to make its job easier. Swampert, Gligar, Nidoqueen and Nidoking can set up Stealth Rock, Roserade and Chesnaught can set up Spikes, Roserade and Nidoqueen can use Toxic Spikes, Galvantula can set up Sticky Web to slow down Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed Raikou, and Forretress can set up any of them. ORAS UU Singles Moveset: Choice Scarf Ability: Pressure / Item: @Choice Scarf Nature (1): Timid w/ EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Nature (2): Rash w/ EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Ice / Volt Switch / Extrasensory or Aura Sphere Tips: Choice Scarf aims to turn Raikou into a potent revenge killer in UU. The first three moves are pretty much staples of Raikou's arsenal. The last move comes down to coverage. Extrasensory allows Raikou to take down the many Poison and Fighting types found in UU. Aura Sphere can be used instead to hit Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Snorlax, Umbreon, Lucario, Mega Absol and Mega Aggron hard, but forces Raikou to run a Rash nature. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack and Speed, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible while outspeeding as many threats as possible. The only time you will be running any nature other than Timid is if you are running Aura Sphere, as Aura Sphere Raikou is incompatible with any other nature. Like the Choice Specs set, prediction is necessary for this moveset. As always, Volt Switch should be used to retain momentum, as Raikou tends to force a lot of switches, but be wary of Ground types that try to block Volt Switch and halt your offensive momentum. Recommended Teammates: Because of this set's lack of power compared to the Calm Mind and Choice Specs set, entry hazards are almost mandatory to enable Raikou to effectively revenge kill. Swampert, Gligar, Nidoqueen and Nidoking can set up Stealth Rock, Roserade and Chesnaught can set up Spikes, Roserade and Nidoqueen can use Toxic Spikes, Galvantula can set up Sticky Web to slow down Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed Raikou, and Forretress can set up any of them. Removing entry hazards with Rapid Spin or Defog is crucial to preserving Raikou's longevity. Donphan, Starmie, Forretress and Mega Blastoise can all accomplish the former while Mega Aerodactyl, Crobat, and Flygon can accomplish the latter. As a revenge killer, Raikou will be prone to being worn down from repeated switching, so clerics and Wish users are handy to have. Jirachi, Alomomola, Vaporeon, Umbreon, and Florges can all pass Wishes to Raikou, while the latter two also have the advantage of using Heal Bell and Aromatherapy, respectively. Grass types make nice partners to take on Swampert and Mega Swampert. Rotom-Cut in particular can also spread burns against physical attackers that trouble Raikou while also being immune to Ground moves. Rotom-Heat is not only immune to Ground due to Levitate, but can also burn Ground types with Will-o-Wisp, as many of them tend to be physical attackers. ORAS UU Singles Moveset: Calm Mind + Life Orb Ability: Pressure / Item: @Life Orb Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Calm Mind / Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Ice / Extrasensory Tips: Calm Mind turns Raikou into a boosting sweeper. Thunderbolt is a powerful and reliable STAB move. Hidden Power Grass is the preferred Hidden Power type on this set for its ability to smash through Swampert, Mega Swampert, Gastrodon, and Rhyperior, all of which can otherwise hard counter. Hidden Power Ice can still be used as it provides great neutral coverage with Thunderbolt. Extrasensory allows Raikou to hit Roserade, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen harder than Hidden Power Ice, while also smashing Fighting types such as Mienshao, Machamp, and Infernape. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack and Speed, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible while outspeeding as many threats as possible. Unlike the Substitute Calm Mind set, this set utilizes a Life Orb in order to get Raikou to deal as much damage as possible. Because of the lack of Substitute, this Raikou is even more prone to status. The best time to use Calm Mind is on a predicted switch, as Raikou tends to cause a lot of them. Avoid setting up if your opponent has a Special wall in reserve, as even with a Calm Mind boost, Raikou cannot wear them down while they wear Raikou down in return. Recommended Teammates: Due to the lack of Substitute to block status and recoil taken from Life Orb, Raikou will be prone to being worn down, so clerics and Wish users are handy to have. Jirachi, Alomomola, Vaporeon, Umbreon, and Florges can all pass Wishes to Raikou, while the latter two also have the advantage of using Heal Bell and Aromatherapy, respectively. Raikou appreciates having entry hazards to make its job easier. Swampert, Gligar, Nidoqueen and Nidoking can set up Stealth Rock, Roserade and Chesnaught can set up Spikes, Roserade and Nidoqueen can use Toxic Spikes, Galvantula can set up Sticky Web to slow down Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed Raikou, and Forretress can set up any of them. Removing entry hazards with Rapid Spin or Defog is crucial to preserving Raikou's longevity. Donphan, Starmie, Forretress and Mega Blastoise can all accomplish the former while Mega Aerodactyl, Crobat, and Flygon can accomplish the latter. Rotom-Heat is not only immune to Ground due to Levitate, but can also burn Ground types with Will-o-Wisp, as many of them tend to be physical attackers. Water and Grass types make nice partners to handle Ground types, with the latter being able to take on opposing Swampert and Mega Swampert. Rotom-Cut in particular can also spread burns against physical attackers that trouble Raikou while also being immune to Ground moves. Singles UU Checks & Counters to Raikou Ground types are a nuisance as not only are they immune to Raikou's Electric-type STAB moves, but also prevent Raikou from using Volt Switch to pivot out. It should be noted that Hidden Power Grass will threaten Swampert, Mega Swampert, Rhyperior and Gastrodon, Extrasensory threatens Nidoqueen and Nidoking, and Hidden Power Ice threatens Zygarde, Gligar and Krookodile, while Hippowdon is the only one that can avoid a 2HKO from any of Raikou's moves. Specially defensive Pokemon can easily wall any of Raikou's attacks. Umbreon, Blissey, Snorlax, and Florges easily fit this role, and the former three dont care about Aura Sphere despite hitting super effectively. Umbreon can also pose a threat to Raikou with Foul Play. Do note however that Florges can be setup bait for Raikou, allowing it to accumulate multiple Calm Minds. Revenge killers, specifically Choice Scarf Krookodile and Choice Scarf Flygon, can outspeed Raikou and threaten to KO. Dugtrio has the added niche of being able to trap Raikou. Mega Beedrill can pick off any Raikou below 70% health with U-turn while preserving momentum. Rotom-Heat and Magneton both resist Raikou's STAB moves and both types of Hidden Power that Raikou commonly carries, but both lose 1vs1 to both Calm Mind sets, while Magneton also needs to watch out for Aura Sphere. Bronzong is only 3HKOed by Thunderbolt from every set other than the Choice Specs set, while it can either 2HKO with Earthquake, Toxic Raikou, set up Trick Room, or set up Reflect and Light Screen. Dragalgae has just enough bulk to avoid a 2HKO from Extrasensory even after taking Stealth Rock damage, while Dragalgae can OHKO Raikou with a Choice Specs boosted Adaptabiity Draco Meteor, even against Assault Vest Raikou. Singles OU Overview ORAS Singles OU Viability: B+ Viability changes from X&Y Singles OU: B+ -> B+ Raikou is often compared to Mega Manectric in OU, and its not that hard to see why. While Raikou's B+ ranking in OU may indicate that its outclassed by the A rank Mega Manectric due to its 135 Sp.Attack and Speed, Raikou has several niches that set it apart from Mega Manectric, despite playing similarly. For starters, Raikou has better special bulk than Mega Manectric, and since Raikou doesn't need to hold a Mega stone, Raikou can make for a viable user of Assault Vest, allowing it to fit better on balanced teams than Mega Manectric. With Choice Specs, Raikou can become a nuke, hitting much harder than Mega Manectric, though still has trouble getting past some special walls. Raikou also has slightly different coverage options in Extrasensory and Shadow Ball, with the latter allowing it to 2HKO Latios while serving as a better check to it than Mega Manectric. Like Mega Manectric, Raikou also checks Birdspam teams, which have been falling in usage lately. The transition to ORAS was a kind of a mixed bag for Raikou. On the one hand, many new fast threats in the 110 base speed tier still fail to outpace Raikou, and one of the most notable new Megas, Mega Slowbro, is checked by Raikou. On the other hand, ORAS also brought Mega Lopunny and Mega Sceptile, both of which outpace and 2HKO Raikou (and in Mega Sceptile's case, OHKO if Raikou is lacking Assault Vest), though the latter must be wary of Hidden Power Ice. Additionally, ORAS also granted Greninja access to Gunk Shot and Low Kick, so Assault Vest Raikou can no longer check Greninja like it could in X&Y OU. Nonetheless, Raikou can still act as a glue for balanced teams. ORAS OU Singles Moveset: Choice Specs Ability: Pressure / Item: @Choice Specs Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 32 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 224 Speed Moves: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch / Hidden Power Ice / Shadow Ball or Extrasensory Tips: Thunderbolt is a reliable STAB move that hits hard with Choice Specs. Volt Switch, while weaker than Thunderbolt, still hits pretty hard with Choice Specs, but its main purpose is to allow Raikou to pivot out of unfavorable matchups, potentially providing a teammate with a safe switch. Hidden Power Ice is mandatory for hitting the Ground and Dragon types that don't care about Thunderbolt and Volt Switch, and OHKOs both Landorus formes, Gliscor, and Garchomp, while also 2HKOing physically defensive Hippowdon. For the last slot, Shadow Ball is the preferred option, as it lets Raikou 2HKO Latios, Latias, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Gallade, and Mega Metagross while having a guaranteed OHKO against Gengar, and is also Raikou's best option against Excadrill. Extrasensory can be used instead if hitting Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss is needed, as they can fare well against this set otherwise. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible. 224 Speed with a Timid nature allows it to outspeed everything up to and including Thundurus-Incarnate. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to give it a little more bulk. Generally, you will want to be spamming Volt Switch most of the time as it allows you to maintain momentum against the opponent while getting off chip damage. Because Ground types can block Volt Switch entirely, it is better to manually switch out if you predict them to switch in. Generally, you will only want to be using Thunderbolt instead of Volt Switch when you need to clean late in the Because of lack of recovery and repeated Volt Switching, Raikou is prone to being worn down by entry hazards and even resisted attacks, enough that Pokemon that this Raikou is meant to check, such as Thundurus, Talonflame, and Mega Pinsir, will have a much easier time against it. This Raikou moveset works best as part of a Volt-Turn core on offensive teams. Recommended Teammates: Because of this Raikou set's ability to fit into offensive Volt-Turn cores, users of Volt Switch and U-turn pair well with it. Wash Rotom, Landorus-Therian, and Talonflame are all immune to the Ground type moves that threaten Raikou, while the former two can also handle the physical attackers that give Raikou problems with Will-o-Wisp and Intimidate, respectively. Mega Scizor has the added benefit of not only being able to provide Defog support to remove entry hazards that can wear Raikou down, but can also make use of Knock Off to help Raikou break through defensive teams. Being able to remove entry hazards through Defog or Rapid Spin is essential to preserve this Raikou's longevity. Mega Scizor, Skarmory, Mandibuzz, Latios and Latias can all utilize the former while Excadrill and Starmie use the latter. Using Skarmory or Mandibuzz are generally reserved for balanced teams while Latios and Latias are more suited for more offensive teams. Wish users such as Clefable and Alomomola can keep Raikou healthy, while the latter can also check Greninja. ORAS OU Singles Moveset: Assault Vest Ability: Pressure / Item: @Assault Vest Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 252 Sp.Attack / 32 Sp.Defense / 224 Speed Moves: Thunderbolt / Volt Switch / Hidden Power Ice / Shadow Ball or Extrasensory Tips: Thunderbolt is a powerful and reliable STAB move. Volt Switch, while weaker than Thunderbolt, allowa Raikou to pivot out of unfavorable matchups, potentially providing a teammate with a safe switch. Hidden Power Ice is mandatory for hitting the Ground and Dragon types that don't care about Thunderbolt and Volt Switch. For the last slot, Shadow Ball is the preferred option, as it lets Raikou 2HKO Latios. Extrasensory can be used instead if hitting Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss is needed, as they can fare well against this set otherwise. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible. 224 Speed with a Timid nature allows it to outspeed everything up to and including Thundurus-Incarnate. The rest of the EVs are put into Sp.Defense in order to capitalize on the Sp.Defense boost provided by Assault Vest. With Assault Vest, Raikou is able to take some of OU's most powerful Special Attacks, such as Latios's Draco Meteor, Keldeo's Hydro Pump, Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast, and avoids a 2HKO from Mega Diancie's Earth Power 50% of the time while Raikou outspeeds all of them except Choice Scarf variants of Keldeo and Latios and 2HKOs all of them. Assault Vest Raikou tends to operate better on Bulky Offense and Balanced teams due to its ability to take special attacks rather well. Like the Choice Specs set, this set lacks recovery, so it can be worn down rather quickly. Generally, you will want to be spamming Volt Switch most of the time as it allows you to maintain momentum against the opponent while getting off chip damage. Because Ground types can block Volt Switch entirely, it is better to manually switch out if you predict them to switch in. Recommended Teammates: Because of this Raikou set can also fit into offensive Volt-Turn cores, users of Volt Switch and U-turn pair well with it. Wash Rotom, Landorus-Therian, and Talonflame are all immune to the Ground type moves that threaten Raikou, while the former two can also handle the physical attackers that give Raikou problems with Will-o-Wisp and Intimidate, respectively. Mega Scizor has the added benefit of not only being able to provide Defog support to remove entry hazards that can wear Raikou down, but can also make use of Knock Off to help Raikou break through defensive teams. Being able to remove entry hazards through Defog or Rapid Spin is essential to preserve this Raikou's longevity. Mega Scizor, Skarmory, Mandibuzz, Latios and Latias can all utilize the former while Excadrill and Starmie use the latter. Using Skarmory or Mandibuzz are generally reserved for balanced teams while Latios and Latias are more suited for more offensive teams. Skarmory and Mandibuzz, in particular, can also handle physical attackers. Wish users such as Clefable and Alomomola can keep Raikou healthy. The former can also set up Stealth Rock to punish opposing switches and further wear down the opponent while the latter can also check Greninja. Mega Gallade and Bisharp appreciate Assault Vest Raikou's ability to not only check Birdspam, but also its ability to check Keldeo, especially Choice Scarf Keldeo, who outspeeds both and KOs Bisharp while threatening Mega Gallade with Scald burns. Mega Gyarados appreciates Raikou's ability to act as a secondary check to Azumarill, as Mega Gyarados can't touch it with either of its STAB moves. In return, Mega Gyarados can switch in to check Ground types before Mega evolving, and also helps Raikou break through specially defensive Pokemon. Also forms a very nice core for Balanced teams when used with both Raikou and Clefable. ORAS OU Singles Moveset: Calm Mind Ability: Pressure / Item: @Leftovers or Life Orb Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 32 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 224 Speed Moves: Calm Mind / Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Ice / Shadow Ball, Extrasensory or Substitute Tips: Calm Mind can turn Raikou into a boosting sweeper. Thunderbolt is a powerful and reliable STAB move. Hidden Power Ice is mandatory for hitting the Ground and Dragon types that don't care about Thunderbolt and Volt Switch. For the last slot, Shadow Ball 2HKO Latios. Extrasensory can be used instead if hitting Mega Venusaur. Substitute can be used if the extra coverage isnt needed, as it blocks status and also gives Raikou a buffer against revenge killers. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible. 224 Speed with a Timid nature allows it to outspeed everything up to and including Thundurus-Incarnate. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to give it a little more bulk. For the item choice, Leftovers can improve Raikou's longevity, especially if running Substitute. Life Orb, however, is an option to bolster Raikou's sweeping abilities. As a sweeper, this Raikou set should be saved until late game when its checks and counters have been removed. Due to its natural speed and special bulk, this Raikou set can easily set up against Thundurus-Incarnate, as its Electric typing gives it an immunity to Thunder Wave's Paralysis thanks to Gen 6's changes to the game mechanics. Try not to get too greedy with Calm Mind boosts, as you don't want Raikou to be worn down to where it can be revenge killed. Recommended Teammates: Choice Scarfers such and Landorus-Therian and Garchomp, as well as Mamoswine, Excadrill, and Hippowdon, can pose problems to this set, so Pokemon that can handle them are recommended. Choice Scarf Keldeo can handle the Choice Scarfers easily, while also being able to handle Chansey. Even with Calm Minds under its belt, Raikou still appreciates Stealth Rock support to make its job easier. Heatran can also handle Unaware Clefable, who doesn't care about how many Calm Minds Raikou accumulates. Landorus-Therian and Terrakion are still good teammates even if not running Stealth Rock, as Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian is still an effective revenge killer, while Terrakion is still a good wallbreaker that can threaten Chansey. ORAS OU Singles Honorable Mentions Aura Sphere is a move that Raikou obtains from a Gen 4 event, and would have been a good option to allow Raikou to get past Tyranitar, Mamoswine, Heatran and Ferrothorn, except that all legally distributed Aura Sphere Raikou have Rash natures (+Sp.Attack, -Sp.Defense), meaning that running Aura Sphere on Raikou will cause Raikou to fail to outspeed the relevant threats in OU that it needs to outspeed, so it is generally not worth the moveslot unless Raikou runs a Choice Scarf to compensate for the drop in speed, but there are much better Choice Scarf users than Raikou. Singles OU Checks & Counters to Raikou Entry Hazards & Status Due to Raikou's ability to take hits and lack of recovery, it is prone to being worn down from taking hits and constant switching. Ground types and Pokemon with Lightning Rod are a nuisance as not only are they immune to Raikou's Electric-type STAB moves, but also prevent Raikou from using Volt Switch to pivot out, while the former can also hit Raikou super effectively with their Ground type STAB. Mega Sceptile also gains a +1 Sp.Attack boost from Raikou's Electric STAB due to Lightning Rod, allowing it to easily KO Raikou with Leaf Storm if it lacks an Assault Vest and 2HKOing Raikou if it doesn't. Many of these Pokemon risk being OHKOed by Hidden Power Ice, however, namely Landorus-Therian, Garchomp, Gliscor, and Mega Sceptile, and only Hippowdon and Excadrill avoid being 2HKOed. Specially defensive and/or bulky Pokemon can stomach most of Raikou's attacks. Bulkier Mega Altaria variants can avoid a 2HKO from Hidden Power Ice even if Raikou is running Choice Specs. Clefable can avoid a 2HKO from Thunderbolt, while Unaware variants can stop Calm Mind Raikou. Chansey can wall even a +6 Calm Mind Raikou all day. Mega Venusaur can eat any of Raikou's attacks aside from a Choice Specs boosted Extrasensory. Mega Charizard X is only 2HKOed 50% of the time from a Choice Specs boosted Shadow Ball, and can OHKO back with Flare Blitz even with no boosts. Physical attackers that take neutral damage from Thunderbolt can pose problems for Raikou. Mega Gallade, Mega Heracross, and Mega Lopunny can OHKO with Close Combat and High Jump Kick, respectively. Bisharp, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and Mega Beedrill can all outspeed (or in Bisharp's case, Sucker Punch) and 2HKO. Latios, Latias, and Mega Latias are all outsped by Raikou (unless Latios is running Choice Scarf) but can 2HKO with Psyshock, bypassing Assault Vest's Sp.Defense boost by hitting Raikou's weaker physical Defense. Of the three, only Mega Latias avoids the 2HKO from Shadow Ball unless Raikou is running Choice Specs. Singles Ubers Overview ORAS Singles Ubers Viability: F Viability changes from X&Y Singles Ubers: F -> F Raikou simply cannot hit hard enough to perform well in the Ubers metagame. It performs poorly against many top threats in Ubers, and is even outclassed by Arceus-Electric, who sports higher speed and Sp.Attack, and overall better bulk both physically and defensively, not to mention it also gets Ice Beam which is far superior to Hidden Power Ice as a coverage move, and reliable recovery in the form of Recover. Doubles OU Overview ORAS Doubles OU Viability: C+ Viability changes from X&Y Doubles OU: C -> C+ While Raikou already competes with Mega Manectric in Singles OU, the competition becomes even more fierce in Doubles. While Intimidate is great ability in Singles, its utility is even more necessary in Doubles where threats like Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence, two Pokemon who have been banned from Singles OU, run rampant. Raikou lacks this utility, but even then Mega Manectric sits at a B rank in Doubles OU, causing Raikou to be ranked even lower. For the most part, Raikou is completely outclassed by Mega Manectric in Doubles OU, but it does have some pluses over Mega Manectric. The fact that it does not take up your Mega Evolution slot allows it to be paired with the much more viable Megas in Doubles, such as the aforementioned Kangaskhan and Salamence. Raikou also has access to Snarl, allowing it to support the team by softening the blows of Special attackers, which are common in Doubles due to the omnipresence of Intimidate and Will-o-Wisp to keep Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence in check. ORAS OU Singles Moveset: Special Attacker Ability: Pressure / Item: @Shuca Berry or Assault Vest Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 24 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 232 Speed Moves: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Ice / Snarl / Protect or Volt Switch Tips: Thunderbolt is a powerful and reliable STAB move. Hidden Power Ice is mandatory for hitting the Ground and Dragon types that don't care about Thunderbolt. Snarl is a 55 Base Power (41.25 in Doubles) Dark type spread move that lowers the Sp.Attack stats of both opponents, supporting the team and further amplifying Raikou's Special bulk. For the last slot, Protect allows Raikou to scout the opponent's moves and punish Double targeting, while also stalling out field effects such as Trick Room. Because Assault Vest prevents the use of Protect, Volt Switch should be used instead to get Raikou out of unfavorable matchups while also getting chip damage off on the opponent. The EV spread maximizes Raikou's Sp.Attack, ensuring it can hit as hard as possible. 232 Speed with a Timid nature allows it to outspeed everything up to and including Mega Lucario. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to give it a little more bulk. For the item choice, Shuca Berry is preferred, as it allows Raikou to bait in Garchomp and Landorus-Therian, smack them hard with Hidden Power Ice, and allow Raikou to safely switch in against them as Shuca Berry temporarily removes its weakness to Earthquake. Assault Vest can be used instead of further bolster Raikou's special bulk, but prevents it from using Protect and also leaves it susceptible to Earthquake. The best time to switch Raikou in is when the opponent has a Flying or Electric type such as Togekiss or Thundurus-Incarnate on the field. If your opponent has any special attackers out, Snarl should be used liberally, but be wary of Bisharp, as it gains a free +2 Attack boost from Snarl due to Defiant. If running Assault Vest, it is crucial to know when to switch out manually or when to use Volt Switch, as you do not have Protect to guard you from Earthquake. Recommended Teammates: Pokemon that dislike Flying and Electric types appreciate having Raikou around to wall them. Sky Shaymin, Amoonguss and Breloom, for instance, dislike Flying types, while Gyarados and Talonflame dislike Thundurus-Incarnate. Gyarados is notable for also being able to soften blows from physical attackers with Intimidate, while Raikou can Snarl the special attackers who aren't crippled by it. Aegislash and Hitmontop can provide Wide Guard support, blocking Earthquake entirely, and is especially useful if Raikou is running an Assault Vest instead of Chople Berry. The number one reason to use Raikou over Mega Manectric is so that it can be used alongside other, more viable Megas. Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence immediately come to mind, being two S-rank threats in Doubles OU. Mega Kangaskhan also has the benefit of providing Fake Out support to the team. Pokemon that can handle opposing Ground types can make Raikou's life easier, especially against the ones that Raikou can't touch such as Mamoswine and Excadrill. Rotom-Wash handles the former while Conkeldurr KOs the latter. Due to Raikou's lower physical bulk, Pokemon with Intimidate and/or Will-o-Wisp make for good partners, as they cripple the physical attackers that can give Raikou problems while also baiting Special attackers to come in for Raikou to use Snarl. Doubles OU Checks & Counters to Raikou Ground types can come in against Raikou's Thunderbolt and threaten to KO with Earthquake. Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian, Sand Rush Excadrill, Mega Swampert, and Mega Camerupt under Trick Room can all outspeed and KO. Of the above Ground types, only Landorus-Therian and Garchomp worry about Hidden Power Ice, but these two will sometimes carry a Yache Berry to guarantee surviving stray Ice attacks. Black Kyurem and Ferrothorn resist Thunderbolt and aren't fazed by Hidden Power Ice, while they can smack Raikou with physical attacks. In Black Kyurem's case it set up Substitute, though Raikou can cut into its mixed attacking potential with Snarl. Speed control such as Trick Room, Tailwind, and Icy Wind can circumvent Raikou's speed and turn it into a liability. However, most setters of Tailwind are weak to Raikou's Thunderbolt, and those who aren't (namely Latios, Hydreigon, and Zapdos) are usually special attackers who dislike Snarl cutting into their Sp.Attack stats. Specially Bulky Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan, normal Diancie, normal Tyranitar, Assault Vest Conkeldurr, Assault Vest Scrafty, Mega Metagross, normal and Mega Latios & Latias, Heatran and Rotom-Heat can easily absorb a hit from Raikou and fire back with powerful physical attacks or, in the case of the Latis, Heatran and Rotom-Heat, use hard hitting Draco Meteor, Earth Power and Overheat, respectively. Amoonguss is only 5HKOed by Hidden Power Ice after Sitrus Berry recovery, while it can redirect Raikou's attacks with Rage Powder or shut it down with Spore. External Links Smogon Analysis (Singles, OU) Smogon Analysis (Doubles, OU)

Even if Regirock doesnt end up OU with Recover, it'll still be OU viable at worst. Also the fact that Registeel gets Thunder Wave to slow down offense only makes it better for Stall and Balance teams. Nothing really changes for the three of them matchup wise, they still take the same hits they currently do, they just have reliable Recovery so they aren't 100% outclassed by another Pokemon that can do the same thing like, in Regirock's case, Rhyperior. Also Registeel still loses to Greninja: 40 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Registeel: 198-237 (54.3 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Singles OU Update: : B+ ---> A- Celebi rose to A- due to its ability to handle new omnipresent threats such as Mega Slowbro, Mega Diancie, and Mega Lopunny with its NastyPass set, and versatility, as it can run at least 4 differents sets effectively (NastyPass, offensive NP, Scarf, defensive utility) : B+ ---> A- [Normal] Gyarados rose to A- because it pairs excellently with new physical MEvos on offensive teams, such as Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, Mega Altaria, which automatically makes it more viable. With physical offense becoming so potent, Gyarados is an excellent sweeper to pair your MEvos with, and it can also bypass Thundurus with Lum Berry. : B+ ---> A- Hippowdon rose to A- because of all the new physical threats it deals with, as well as being one of the best counters to Thundurus and Mega Diancie with a specially defensive set. : B+ ---> B Rhyperior dropped to B because physical offense has become way too unfavorable to it, and every single new physical MEvo either 2HKOes it (Mega Metagross, Mega Lopunny) or sets up on it (Mega Altaria). Birdspam is also not such a huge focus of physical offense right now, due to the big amount of amazing physical sweepers and cleaners available, which means that Rhyperior is not keeping in check as much stuff as it used to anymore. Plus, Mega Sableye does its SR job harder, and Dragonite and Mega Tyranitar also dropped a lot in viability, two dangerous Pokemon that Rhyperior was a great check to. : B+ ---> B Suicune dropped to B because Mega Slowbro is the preferred CM bulky Water-type on teams, and the metagame has also adapted to dealing with bulky boosting threats due to the introduction of Mega Slowbro, and the influx of Pokemon that make Suicune's life miserable, such as TG + Energy Ball Manaphy, NP Celebi, NP Thundurus, SubDD Mega Gyarados, DD Heal Bell Mega Altaria, etc. : B+ ---> B Mega Swampert dropped to B because of heavy competition in the Swift Swim and MEvo department. As a Swift Swim user, Mega Swampert is a bit lacking in power and also needs one turn to MEvolve, which can be detrimental against a boosted foe. It does somewhat makes up for it with its bulk and great typing, but the fact that it's a MEvo puts it one rank lower than Kingdra and Kabutops, which provide better cleaning and sweeping potential and don't occupy your Mega slot. : B+ ---> B Tornadus-T dropped because the metagame is more focused around physical hitter, which Tornadus-T can't switch into. Furthermore, the majority of the popular special attackers beat Tornadus-T, such as Greninja, Thundurus, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Slowbro, Mega Diancie, Mega Manectric, Mega Latias, and Mega Sableye. Finally, Torn-T received new checks in Mega Metagross and Mega Diancie, making it easier to check with offensive teams. : B+ ---> B Victini dropped because Mega Altaria, Mega Diancie, and Mega Slowbro are new checks and counters, making Victini's job more difficult. : B ---> B- Alomomola dropped because set up sweepers being everywhere really hurts its viability, as no matter how prepared you are for them, Pokemon such as SD Mega Gallade and SubPass Mega Lopunny will just give you a hell of a time. : B ---> B+ Amoonguss rose to B+ because it deals with some important new threats, namely Mega Altaria, Mega Diancie, and Mega Slowbro. Plus with Mega Venusaur getting harder to fit on teams due to the increased opportunity cost, Amoonguss enjoys the slightly decreased competition as Grass / Poison type. Although Celebi gives it big competition, Poison-typing, Spore, Clear Smog, and Regenerator give Amoonguss plenty of reasons to be used. : B ---> C+ Mega Camerupt dropped to C+ because it's too slow, doesn't hit that hard, and takes up your MEvo slot. Many Pokemon can avoid the 2HKO from it while OHKOing back, such as Latios, Rotom-W, and AV Azumarill, while even more Pokemon can check it once and force it out, which is a big problem for a Pokemon as slow as Mega Camerupt, without any kind of recovery and not that impressive bulk. : B ---> B+ Chesnaught rose to B+ because Drain Punch is amazing, providing Chesnaught with a reliable STAB move that can restore it to (almost) full health after KOing foes such as Bisharp, Mega Gyarados, Mega Lopunny, and Terrakion, plus Chesnaught deals with a few new or improved threats, such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Lopunny. : B ---> B- Lucario dropped to B- because the new MEvos make its life miserable, with Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross being great checks for offense, and Mega Slowbro being a hard counter for defensive or balance teams. Also, Mega Sableye and Mega Altaria force Lucario to run Iron Tail, which in turn leaves it vulnerable to Pokemon such as Gliscor, Landorus-T, and regular Slowbro. : B ---> B- Scolipede dropped to B- because full Baton Pass teams took a hit with the introduction of Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Diancie. The two Magic Bounce users can't be Taunted, put to sleep, or phazed, and can start boosting to sweep the whole BP team, while Mega Slowbro can do the same if it has Oblivious in its base form and uses a RestTalk set. : B ---> B- Zapdos dropped to B- because flying spam is less popular and most top tier therats have no trouble getting past Zapdos, a Pokemon that is already Stealth Rock weak and doesn't have impressive bulk.

Time for some theorymon discussion that doesn't involve Mega evolutions. As everyone knows, ORAS granted Greninja access to Gunk Shot, which turned it from a good Pokemon in OU to THE most threatening Pokemon in OU currently, enough that people are calling for it to be suspect tested for a ban. This is evidence that one or two moves can make or break a Pokemon: + Recover Enter Regirock, a Pokemon introduced in Gen 3 that, looking at its 80 / 200 / 100 defenses, should make an excellent physical wall, yet without any form of recovery there are much better options. Recover rectifies this problem, and it isn't too out of place on Regirock as its Pokedex entries state: Greatly improving Regirock's longevity, it can now operate in the higher tiers about NU where it currently resides. Even without investment, it still has enough defense to stomach physical attacks, while setting up Stealth Rock. Just to show what Regirock is already capable of: +2 252 Atk Mega Pinsir Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Regirock: 294-348 (80.7 - 95.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery 252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Regirock: 58-69 (15.9 - 18.9%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery 252 Atk Choice Band Staraptor Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Regirock: 182-216 (50 - 59.3%) -- 80.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery 252 Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Regirock: 176-210 (48.3 - 57.6%) -- 50.8% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery With Recover, Regirock can find its way onto defensive or balanced teams, setting up Stealth Rock and Recovering off the damage. Still not convinced Regirock can function in the higher tiers even with Recover? Fair enough... Normal base stats: 80 / 100 / 200 / 50 / 100 / 50 Mega base stats: 80 / 130 / 230 / 50 / 140 / 50 Clear Body -> Regenerator

Since I have a few PotW already in mind, I'd like to hold a vote to see which one you want to see next: Low Tier PotW Candidates (for 12/22): OU PotW Candidates (for 01/05): Uber PotW Candidates (for 12/29): &(Revisited) & &