First Team

[Octave]

Alright so I've got a battle with a friend coming up that I want to win and so I turn to you for assistance. iirc, he uses Typhlosion, Tyranitar, Togekiss, Scizor, Sceptile, and one more that I can't be sure of because while he trained a Mewtwo, he promised not to use it. This team isn't tailored to counter his team at all. He isn't really into the competitive scene and all the tactics used, either. He probably wont be using spikes/stealth rock, wish support, baton pass or rapid spin. My team comes mostly from OU with one from UU and all of this is done on the cartridge.

Team List (in no particular order):
Absol
Salamence
Vaporeon
Ninjask
Forretress
Roserade


1. Absol

Absol is the one from UU on my team.

Absol@ Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Super Luck
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Sucker Punch
Night Slash
Swords Dance
Aerial Ace

This Absol, boasting an impressive 590ish attack after swords dance, is obviously a physical sweeper. The problem, however, is its lack of a good speed stat. This would be remedied by Baton Passing after a few turns from Ninjask. I put it on my team mainly as a counter to his Mewtwo and also because Absol is one of my favorites, although both reasons don't factor in too highly here. Then I realized the damage it could do with some speed from Ninjask. I also realize at the time of this post that Swords Dance would be redundant as Ninjask would also pass that. I'm thinking a move like Superpower could be put in place of it to deal with the Steel-type Pokemon that Absol has such a hard time against. Aerial Ace is obviously for the Bug-types that it also has trouble with.

2. Salamence

Salamence@ Choice Scarf
Nature: Naughty
EVs: 252 Atk / 176 Spe / 80 SpA
Outrage
Earthquake
Fire Blast
[This last spot was supposed to be for Hydro Pump but I learned after breeding that it was an egg move and didn't feel like doing it again. tl;dr open spot]

A mixed sweeper with the Choice Scarf for added speed. It is used as a late-game sweeper and would be augmented by Baton Pass from Ninjask. I had a hard time deciding between Dragonite and Salamence but ended up going with Salamence because I figured between Forretress and Vaporeon I would have enough bulk (not that Salamence isn't decently bulky anyway).

3. Vaporeon

Vaporeon@ Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 188 HP / 252 Def / 68 Spe
Wish
Protect
Surf
Toxic/Ice Beam [I could use some help deciding this. His team would be pretty vulnerable to both moves but I'm leaning towards Ice Beam]

Standard wish support. Wish + switch to heal others, wish + protect to heal itself, and surf for STAB. Can't decide between Toxic and Ice Beam, though.

4. Ninjask

Ninjask@ Leftovers
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 176 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Spe
Substitute
Swords Dance
Baton Pass
X-Scissor

I am either going to lead with this or Forretress. Cookie cutter Baton Passer of Attack and Speed for the physical/mixed sweepers on the team.

5. Forretress

Forretress@ Leftovers
Nature: Relaxed
EVs: Trying to decide between a Physical and Special EV spread [252 HP / 112 Atk / 144 Def ||||| 252 HP / 44 Atk / 212 SpD]
Spikes
Stealth Rock
Gyro Ball
Revenge

The main Spiker on the team. The reason I'm not running toxic spikes here is because Roserade will have it. Gyro Ball and Revenge make use of Forretress' atrocious speed. This will most likely be my Lead.

6. Roserade

Roserade@ Focus Sash
Nature: Timid
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Sleep Powder
Toxic Spikes
Leaf Storm
Sludge Bomb

A mix of a special attacker and a crippler. Put an annoyance to sleep and poison it, forcing switch ins to Stealth Rock/Spikes from Forretress. Leaf Storm for any bulky waters he may use (He's got a Lapras somewhere) and Sludge Bomb for STAB.


You might notice that most of these are taken straight from Smogon's strategies. I made a few changes I thought would be good but I've never really made a team like this before. Constructive criticism is very much welcomed and appreciated.

 

[UltiMario]

Since this is in-game, and just for matches against friends, the fact you're using absol shouldn't be a problem, but really, organize your team so YOUR LEAD IS FIRST.

Also, Roserade AND Ninjask both function as leads EXCLUSIVELY (Or 99% exclusively), so you need to get rid of one of them and train another. Its bad that you have to train another Pokemon for this, but thats what you get when you simply take sets from Smogon without researching their purpose or the Metagame in general at all. You MIGHT be able to have them work together without SR or Spikes in play, but thats even iffy.

 

[Octave]

Since this is in-game, and just for matches against friends, the fact you're using absol shouldn't be a problem, but really, organize your team so YOUR LEAD IS FIRST.

Also, Roserade AND Ninjask both function as leads EXCLUSIVELY (Or 99% exclusively), so you need to get rid of one of them and train another. Its bad that you have to train another Pokemon for this, but thats what you get when you simply take sets from Smogon without researching their purpose or the Metagame in general at all. You MIGHT be able to have them work together without SR or Spikes in play, but thats even iffy.

Ah, I guess I forgot to say I haven't trained all of them yet. Just Absol and Salamence. You were saying that Roserade and Ninjask both function as leads exclusively but did you mean the two sets I posted or them on a whole?

 

[UltiMario]

Both of them are almost exclusively leads, Ninjask being absolutely stupid to not use as a lead, while Roserade not being too much beyond a lead, really.

However, due to the style of this team, Absol is the only Pokemon you can Pass to with Ninjask and it not be wasteful, and with Toxic Spikes on Roserade, you'd be able to Drop Toxic on Vaporeon for Ice Beam. So Roserade would be the better lead here, since Forry really isn't a good lead, its best coming out when it can switch into something that can't hit it hard, and getting a free SR or layer of Spikes. The question is, who to drop Ninjask for? Hmmm, the best I can pull out of this is Infernape, it has great Synergy with the rest of the team, and can serve as a Mixed Sweeper to balance this team out.

Also, two things, Psycho Cutter OR Superpower over Aerial Ace for Absol, and for that last slot on ScarfMence, you could use Draco Meteor.

Also#2- Lol I'm ur sig.

 

[Terywj [태리]]

UltiMario basically covered everything.
But you get props for using Absol on your OU team.

-Terywj

 

[Octave]

So I'm only dropping Ninjask, then? Roserade becomes my lead and Forretress comes in against weaker pokemon to lay down SR/Spikes?

Btw, I didn't do absolutely no research. I'm just new. :B

 

[Pink Reaper]

Absol has 1025 attack after a SD, I dont know where you're getting 590 from.

Anyways, on to whats wrong:

Ninjask is a one trick pony and also mostly a terrible pokemon in general. If you have the ability swap it for something(anything really) else. Considering it's 100% dead weight. I suggest something that beats Skarmory cus you have a total of 1 move on your entire team that even slightly worries it(Mence's Fire Blast and he's Scarfed so he doesn't even always get the choice to use it) A special attacker in general would be useful, possibly Magnezone just so you KNOW you wont have a skarm problem.

 

[Octave]

Absol has 1025 attack after a SD, I dont know where you're getting 590 from.

Anyways, on to whats wrong:

Ninjask is a one trick pony and also mostly a terrible pokemon in general. If you have the ability swap it for something(anything really) else. Considering it's 100% dead weight. I suggest something that beats Skarmory cus you have a total of 1 move on your entire team that even slightly worries it(Mence's Fire Blast and he's Scarfed so he doesn't even always get the choice to use it) A special attacker in general would be useful, possibly Magnezone just so you KNOW you wont have a skarm problem.

Ah.. my mistake. Though I'm new to building teams I have known about the whole thing for a while. When I had first started I was using smogon's choice band build for the Absol and it says "It’s capable of reaching a whopping 591 Attack, making Absol a fierce competitor." My bad. 1025 is better anyway so I'm not complaining.

I do believe my friend has a Skarmory trained so I'll replace Ninjask with either a Mixape or Magnezone, then.