Team Builder's Guide

Version 0.24 ©2002 Phil Erwin Last Updated: 10/14/2002

Credits

Normally, I put the credits at the bottom of my FAQs, but since there were so many people that helped me, directly or indirectly, create this that I wanted to recognize them right up front.

• GameFAQs.com All the contributors to the Pokémon Gold/Silver and Crystal forums there. This is first and foremost the best source of users and information about the game. The boards there are always active with a combination of new blood and expert old-timers.
• ThEUbErSqUiD and Strider Shshwi Quite the masters of team ratings at GameFAQs, along with MegaCell. They appear to have the strengths and weaknesses of every Pokémon memorized by heart. They know their stuff and have helped clarify many things. Strider has an immense FAQ on this subject at http://oocities.com/paulsfaqplace/PPF.txt. I highly recommend checking it out. It's got more examples than I've ever seen.
• Cloud9X Also at GameFAQs. He doesn't know it, but one of his posts was what got me interested in team creation in the first place.

Introduction

Disclaimer: As the version implies (0.22), this is a very rough outline that is a work in progress. It has gaping holes in it, missing stuff that I can't add to right now, and needs many examples thrown in. But I wanted to get this out where people could at least check it out.

The purpose of this guide is to introduce you to the complex world of advanced Pokémon team creation. It covers topics not necessary, nor required, of the storyline of the game. You can complete the Pokémon game itself without ever needing to know what is covered here. This is tournament-league competition. The fact is, you can complete the game itself with pretty much any team. Raise some big bruisers, blast your way through the uncoordinated trainers that stand in your way, and you eventually attain the title of King of All Amateurs when you beat the Elite 4 and Ash. Fortunately, there is another competitive plateau to reach.

What is covered herein applies primarily to head-to-head linked battles, on-line arenas like GSBot and mIRC, and to a lesser extent the Battle Tower in Pokémon Crystal. If you want to win in these forums, you have to learn the fundamentals of superior team design.

What is a Team?

The loosest definition of a team might be a group of individuals attempting to reach or attain a goal. However, a great team is not an amalgamated mass of six unrelated members. A truly remarkable team is made up of members whose strengths and weaknesses have been carefully weighted for optimum performance.

A good real-world example of this would be football. (I don't care for the game myself, but it applies here.) A football team is not six unilaterally average members, equally average in throwing, running, dodging, thinking, etc. A group of commoners. It isn't even six above average members. It consists of individuals who have some amazing abilities in key areas. This is why they have positions in the game. You don't just have eleven players. You have a quarterback who is fast, with an excellent throwing arm, and has leadership qualities. Receivers are good runners with plenty of bulk and muscle to keep them moving toward the goal. There are wide-receivers, tight ends, etc. They all have their positions that they excel in and that is why they are on the team.

Synergy

The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

- The American Heritage College Dictionary, 3rd Edition

Imagine two teams are playing one another. Team A consists of 6 identical above-average players. Now consider Team B which consists of 6 players, some of whom have just average stats in some areas (and maybe a few with below-average) but excellent stats in other areas. These members have been placed in positions emphasizing the positives and play down the negatives. Which team do you think will win? Team B, every single time.

This methodology applies in Pokémon team creation. Choosing what roles your team players will fill is of paramount importance.

The Basics

Up to this point, you may have just been playing the game itself and not been suitably motivated to examine the underlying aspects of the mechanics of the game. If you are new to team development strategies, there are basic concepts you should be aware of.

How Stats Work

When a Pokémon uses an Attack move against another, the move involves stats from both the attacker and the defender. What stats are involved is predicated on what type of Attack is being used. This can be one of two general types, a Physical-type attack or a Special-type attack. This is determined by checking the Type of the move being used (see Table 1). For example, if Flamethrower is being used (which is a Fire-type move), it is a Special-type attack.

When you know the general move type (either Physical or Special) then you also know what stats are going to be involved (see Table 2). If an attack is Physical-based, it will involve the attackers Attack stat and the defenders Defense stat. If the attack is Special-based, the attackers Special Attack stat and the Special Defense stat of the defender will be used.

So, the ramifications of this distinction should be clear. It is in your best interest to choose moves that will be effectively used by your Pokémon.

You have a Blissey who you are choosing moves for. If you check Blisseys base stats, you'll see that she has absolutely horrid Attack but reasonabe Special Attack. What moves should you choose? It is definitely in your best interest to choose Special-based moves such as Flamethrower, Ice Beam, or Psychic. However, one thing you also consider as a counter-point to this is that if Blissey used Double-Edge (which is a Normal-type, Physcial-based attack), Blissey would get the STAB bonus, which might offset her horrid Attack stat in this case.

How Stat Boosts Work

Ever wonder what it really means when you use Agility and get the message "Your Speed went way up!"? How high is high and what are the limits? This will help explain the mechanics behind stat boosts.

Each stat (Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed, Evasion, and Accuracy) has a stage associated with it. Not the singing-and-dancing kind of stage, a number describing how boosted or penalized it is. This stage is a variable who starts out at 0, which means no adjustments either way. It may range up to as high as +6 and as low as -6. Positive boosts are a good thing, negative boosts are bad.

So, what does this mean? If a move gives the message "<ability> fell", then the stages for the ability decreased by 1 level. If a move gives the message "<ability> went up!", the ability stage increased by 1 level. If the message "<ability> went way up!", the appropriate stage increased by 2 levels.

Any combination of moves may be used to increase or decrease the stages, but may never in any event exceed 6 stages either positive or negative.

Evasion and Accuracy are like two branches from the same tree. Having a positive Evasion stage (by using a move such as Double Team) means the accuracy of enemy moves is reduced by the indicated Multiplier. Accuracy, on the other hand, increases the accuracy of your moves.

Note: Table 4 shows values for both evasion and accuracy. Evasion stages go positive on the scale (higher evasion equals lower chance for opponent hitting you). Accuracy stages are the opposite; a negative accuracy means a lower chance for hitting. The easiest way to handle accuracy is simply to change the sign of the stage and consult the table normally. For example: if your Snubbull has an evasion stage of +1 and an accuracy stage of -2, against an opponent with no stage adjustments, any moves used against Snubbull by the opponent will only have 75% of their normal accuracy. Moves used by Snubbull, on the other hand, are reduced to 60% of their normal accuracy (the -2 accuracy stage is viewed on Table 4 as +2).

Unfortunately, there are no moves that directly increase your accuracy, only reduce it (by the opponent using Flash or Sand-Attack). There is one move, however, that does indirectly increase your accuracy: Sweet Scent. Reducing the opponents evasion is the same thing as increasing your accuracy.

As with the ability stages, any combination of moves may be used to achieve stage bonuses or penalties, but can never exceed 6 stages in either direction.

There is one caveat regarding the limitation of 6-stages. In the case of evasion and accuracy, they both affect the same thing (accuracy) even though they are seperate stages. Evasion and accuracy are both factored in (i.e. multiplied together) when determining whether a move has hit or not. In this fashion, it is possible to effectively exceed the 6-stage limitation.

Your Kabutops has used Double Team 6 times and Sand-Attack against it's opponent 4 times. Double Team reduces the opponents accuracy to only 33% of normal, plus the Sand-Attack also reduces it by 43%. These are multiplied together and the final accuracy adjustment for the enemy is a little over 14%. This effectively is like a stage 10 adjustment and made you almost unhittable!

Where For Art Thou, Critical Hit?

In a system where damage reins supreme, Critical Hits have a high place of honor. When a CH is scored, the damage done to the opponent is roughly doubled, which is always a good thing. So, how are Critical Hits done and how can you improve your chances? The good news is you have some control of this.

Most, but not all, attack moves may score a Critical Hit. A move starts out with a base CH stage of 0, which means roughly a 6.6% chance per attack of registering a Critical Hit. There are, as you may have guessed, ways of raising your CH stage.

You have a Machamp named Rocky (I know, how original). Rocky is equipped with a Scope Lens and has been Baton Passed Focus Energy. He attacks his opponent with Karate Chop. He starts out with a base CH stage of 0, increased by 1 by Scope Lens. Focus Energy bumps up the stage 1 level, and finally his Karate Chop increases his CH level by 2 more. He is maxed out at Stage 4, which means a whopping 50% chance that he will register a Critical Hit with Karate Chop! Since Focus Energy stays in effect for him until he switches, he will continue to be at Stage 4 while using Karate Chop. If he decided to use Body Slam the next round, he would only be at Stage 2 (1 level for Scope Lens, 1 level for Focus Energy).

Strategies

Always consider Pokémon strengths and weaknesses in conjunction with the  position he/she/it fills on the team. I find it most helpful to compare base stats. Others compare max-stats and that's fine too. I have created a rudimentary Base Stat Comparison where you can get an idea (in graphical form) of what the strengths and weaknesses of each Pokémon is.

• Do not allow more than two of any team members to have the same type weaknesses in any category. For example, having Skarmory, Forretress, and Steelix on the same team (Fire weakness). A standard Typhlosion would mop the floor with them until it finally went down. Any team that requires three players to take down one is in serious trouble!
• Never have two attack moves of the same power type. Thunder and Thunderbolt is a waste. Waste of your time, waste of a slot. This does not apply if one or both are not attack moves, i.e. Thunder Wave (Paralysis) and Thunderbolt (Attack).
• Take advantage of STAB moves (Same Type Attack Bonus). STAB moves get a boost of 50% Attack. So Double-Edge (Normal) used by Blissey (Normal) is a 180 Attack move. Tasty!

• Table 5: Sources of Moves

  Source
  Pokémon R/B/Y Level-ups, TM's, and HM's
  Pokémon G/S/C Level-ups, TM's, and HM's
  Pokémon G/S/C Breedable Moves
  Pokémon Stadium 1 and 2 Promotional Moves
  New York City Pokémon Center Promotional Moves

  Consider all sources of moves when creating your teams. Gold/Silver and Crystal are almost identical move pools, but there are a few differences (like Eevee being able to learn Baton Pass in Crystal only). Hybrid movesets are possible through trading from all of these versions. Want a Blissey that knows Counter? Trade Chansey to R/B/Y, use TM18, and trade back. (One setback about trading across time is you can't send a Pokémon back having moves that don't exist. This can create an either/or situation [i.e. knowing Seismic Toss or Heal Bell, but not both.]) Don't forget about breedable baby moves too, you can get some good moves through breeding, though if you breed moves, this then forbids other promotional moves.
• When choosing movesets, beware of choosing status-affecting moves that conflict with one another. For example, selecting both Toxic and Body Slam. Toxic poisons the opponent, while Body Slam can paralyze. Putting both moves on the same Pokémon might want to be re-thought. Another example would be Paralysis and Counter.

• Table 6: Base Stat Rule of Thumb

  Base Stat (Add 50 for Health)	Max Stats (Add 105 for Health)	Description
  < 45	< 188	Horrid
  45-60	188 - 218	Shoddy
  61-75	220 - 248	Okay
  76-95	250 - 288	Good
  > 95	> 288	Excellent!

  Pay very close attention to your attack move power types with regard to the Pokémon. Take advantage of a Pokémon's high stats in Attack or Special Attack by choosing moves for it that are in those categories. For example, Blissey has horrid Attack but passable Special Attack. So don't put Shadow Ball on her, capitalize on her Special Attack and go with Ice Beam or Fire Blast. Of course, there are exceptions: Double-Edge has a power of 120 with 15 PP and she can take the damage recoil, so that might be okay.
• Flinching moves (Heatbutt, Snore, Rock Slide, etc.) are a very useful part of Attack strategy. However, it relies on Pokémon Speed to get the first blow in. A flinching move that ends up going last is not a flinching move! Agility can help boost Speed up enough to ensure first strike.
• Moves that take away your decision-making are bad news, namely Outrage, Rollout, Thrash, and Petal Dance. Avoid them unless you are absolutely sure you know what you're doing.

Team Member Types

Starter

Objective: Status Affecting

As the name implies, this Pokémon is used as the starter of your team (used in Slot #1 and is first in battle). Usually it has at least one status-affecting move such as paralysis or confusion. Common starters are Dragonite, Starmie, and Nidoking.

Annoyer

Objective: Damage / Chaos

This is a common and very important type for any team. It is designed to promote opponent pandemonium and keep the him off balance and unable to form a good attack or defense. The guerilla fighter intent on harassing the enemy. It always has at least one status afflicting move, usually a paralysis move.

The example below typifies an Annoyer. Thunder Wave paralyzes the opponent (25% chance of being unable to attack), Sweet Kiss confuses it (30% chance to attack itself instead of you), Attract (if used on the opposite gender) makes it 50% likely that the opponent won't attack you, and Headbutt causes flinching 30% of the time! If you get all these setup, the opponent will be so turned around bass-ackwards, it won't know who, what, when, or where!

Example:
Raichu@Quick Claw
Thunder Wave | Sweet Kiss | Attract | Headbutt

Of course, the defense for this is the Hazer or Heal-Beller. This pretty much requires the other player to switch out. Combine this with a previously setup Spikes and he'll take damage when he switches.

Baton Passer (a.k.a. BP)

Objective: Attack / Defense Enhancement

Baton Pass lets you switch from one Pokémon to another, but all beneficial attack and defense boosts are carried to the new Pokémon. Moves that enhance abilities that you want passed on are commonly: Agility, Double Team, Swords Dance, Barrier, and Growth. Remember, put at least one Attacking move on a Baton Passer! Nothing is more embarrassing having your Baton Passer being the last member of your party and you can't attack the enemy. Common Pokémon are Scizor, Mr. Mime, and the Eeveeloutions.

 Note: If you Baton Pass Perish Song, the song stays with the Pokémon that you passed to.

Example:
Jolteon@Bright Powder
Baton Pass | Curse | Double Team | Headbutt

Strategy: Assumes an Annoyer has suitably incapacitated the opponent. First DT up to 5 times, then Curse up, then BP to a Physical Sweeper that can take advantage of the ultra-raised Attack.

Mean Looker

Objective: Trap and Damage

Pokémon with either Mean Look or Spider Web. Designed to trap the opponent so he can't run or switch. If you intend on having Toxic on your Pokémon, you also want a trapping move to keep him from just switching out. Mean Look should be used in conjunction with Confusion moves like Confuse Ray, Swagger, Sweet Kiss, etc., for the same reason as Toxic. Mean Look and Perish Song have to be used together, it keeps the opponent from switching just before the song is over. (Mean Look is cancelled if you switch unless you use Baton Pass).

Example:
Umbreon@Quick Claw
Mean Look | Confuse Ray | Toxic | Screech

Strategy: ML to trap, then Toxify, then confuse the poor bugger and Screech his Defense to zero. Screech really takes bites out of his Defense each time you use it, and when he hits himself being confused, he'll take increasingly enormous chunks out of himself. Devious.

Toxifusioner

Objective: Trap and Poison

This is a good combination, though not as evasive as Parafusion. Toxifusion first traps, then poisons, then confuses. This makes the Toxic increasingly waste away the opponent and confusion keeps it off-balance.

Example:
Crobat@Bright Powder/Leftovers
Toxic | Mean Look | Confuse Ray | Fly or
Toxic | Swagger | Mean Look | Screech

Sweeper (Physical or Special)

Objective: High Damage

These hulks are bred to take it and give it with little thought to strategy. Good types to use are Rock, Ground, Fighting, and Dragon. Able to take out several Pokémon with their movesets before being taken down. Use strong attacks like Body Slam, Cross Chop, Earthquake, and Rock Slide. Works splendidly (but fairly predictably) in conjunction with a Baton Passer. The Baton Passer amps up the stat enhancement, then switching to a Sweeper turns them into a Howitzer. Common types are Tyranitar (T-tar), Dragonite, and Snorlax.

Example: (Physical)
Machamp
Cross Chop | Earthquake | Rock Slide | Counter

Example: (Special)
Magmar
Fire Blast | Thunder Punch | Confuse Ray | Barrier

Tank

Objective: Defense Enhancement

This Pokémon uses moves like Amnesia, Curse, Acid Armor and Barrier to pump up its Defense to ungodly proportions. Usually, but not always, have lots of HP to spare.

Example:
Curselax (Physical Sweeper)
Snorlax@Leftovers/Mint Berry
Curse | Body Slam/Return | Earthquake | Rest

Strategy: This behemoth can take heaps and gobs of damage while is uses Curse repeatedly to raise its Attack and Defense. After a restorative Minty Rest, it mops the floor with the enemy.

Confuser

Objective: Damage Prevention / Opponent Damage

This is a basic type: the opponent is confused and therefore keeps the opponent from hitting you as much, instead hitting himself. There are several Confusion moves, such as Confuse Ray, Swagger, and Supersonic. Swagger is pretty dangerous (to you and the opponent), if used properly. The opponents Attack goes way up, then it confuses them. This is an incredible double-edged sword: if he hits you then you're toast but if he hits himself then he gets massacred. Confusion damage is based on the Attack and Defense of the opponent. The higher the Attack and the lower the Defense, the more damage is dealt. Used in conjunction with Screech, the opponent puree's himself. Of course, if the opponent has a Bitter Berry or Miracle Berry, then you've just helped him, period.

Example:
Cloyster@Kings Rock
Swagger | Screech | Surf | Return

Paracon / Parafusioner

Objective: Damage Prevention

Paracon is a deadly combination. Its goal is to make the opponent very unlikely to hit you. First, trap the opponent, then paralyze, then confuse.

Example:
Lanturn@Bright Powder
Whirlpool | Thunder Wave | Confuse Ray | <Attack Move>

Paralysis

One good strategy is utilization of paralysis. There is a 25% chance that a Pokémon suffering Paralysis will take no action that round. This can be a nice advantage.

There are several sub-categories that primarily use paralysis, the Para-Shuffler and the Para-Flincher.

Para-Shuffler

Objective: Damage Reduction

A Pokémon with a good Paralyze move, such as Thunder Wave, and Roar/Whirlwind. The goal is to paralyze the majority of the opponents Pokémon. This gives you a huge edge.

Example:
Jolteon@Quick Claw
Thunder Wave | Roar | Agility | <Attack Move>

Para-Flincher

Objective: Damage Reduction /  Harassment

Basically, this Pokémon paralyzes the opponent and uses a move that causes Flinching. This attempts to keep the opponent from getting an attack in.

Example:
Dragonite@Kings Rock
Thunder Wave | Headbutt | <Attack Move> | <Defense Move>

Miscellaneous

Pseudo Passer

Objective: Power Enhancement / Damage Reduction

This Pokémon uses moves that stay in effect even if you switch. This includes Reflect, Light Screen, Safeguard, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Mist, etc.

Example:
Mr. Mime@Bright Powder
Reflect | Light Screen | Sunny Day | Psychic

Strategy: Uses Reflect and Light Screen to shield its fellow teammates for 5 rounds. Sunny Day was thrown in to support another Pokémon who can make use of it, like a good Grass type that might have weak defense. Psychic for STAB and taking advantage of its excellent Special Attack. If you wanted to be strong against Water, Ground, and Rock, replace Psychic with Solar Beam, which takes advantage of Sunny Day, removing the charge-up round of SB.

Pseudo Hazer

Objective: Hazing

Uses moves that cause some form of indirect form of hazing such as Perish Song, Roar, Whirlwind or Psych Up. Whereas a  Hazer directly nullifies stat-modifiers, Pseudo-Hazers force the opponent to switch, thus nullifying the stat-modifiers indirectly. It either accomplishes this through force (Roar, Whirlwind), or just making the opponent so uncomfortable that he switches (Perish Song, Psych Up, Toxic, Mind Reader, Lock-On).

Common Pseudo-hazers are any of the legendary beings (the Dogs, the Birds, Lugia, Ho-oh) and Blastoise.

Example:
Lugia@MiracleBerry
Whirlwind | Rain Dance | Hydro Pump | Ancient Power

TSS (Toxic Spikes Sandstorm)

Objective: Opponent Harassment / Debilitation

This one is rarely used, and it is a nasty devil. A good flying Pokémon with high Defense and Special Defense can pull this off well. Works best if set up with Spikes from Cloyster, Quilfish, etc. Start with Sandstorm, then Toxic the opponent. Then use Whirlwind repeatedly. This makes the opponent's random Pokémon take damage (1/8 of their HP) from Sandstorm, plus damage for the Spikes. Then use Toxic on the opponent and soon the opponents whole team is poisoned.

Example:
Skarmory@Bright Powder
Toxic | Sandstorm | Whirlwind | Steel Wing

Rester

Objective: Restorative

This simple type uses Rest combined with Mint Berry for instant awakening (also called Minty Rest).

Heal-Rester

Objective: Healing

This one is more a theme for an entire team. It has a focused, narrow purpose and isn't used very often. All the Pokémon on the team have Rest except one who is a Heal-Beller. One by one the Pokémon are switched in and Rest is used. Finally, the Heal-Beller is brought in, Heal Bell is employed, and all are awoken. Devious but effective.

Sleep Talker

Objective: Restorative / Attacking

Uses Sleep Talk while Resting. Usually not equipped with Mint or Miracle Berry which conflicts with Sleep Talk.

Example:
Snorlax@Leftovers
Rest | Sleep Talk | <Attack Move> | <Defense Move>

Healing

One of the most important types to have on a team is a Healer.

Hazer

Objective: Status Healing

The goal of this one is simply to stop Baton Passing teams. Use of Haze cures all status conditions for both you and your opponent and normalizes all stat boosts for both.

Example:
Crobat@Quick Claw
Haze | Wing Attack | Confuse Ray | Return

Heal-Beller

Objective: Status Healing

Heals the status conditions of your team. There are only five Pokémon who can be Heal Bellers: Miltank, Granbull, Celebi, Smeargle, and Blissey.

Example:
Blissey@Leftovers
Heal Bell | Softboiled | <Attack Move> | <Defense Move>

Hazer Baiter / Hazer Killer

Objective: Hazer Elimination

These devious and evil Pokémon are Kamikazes whose mission is to take out the opponents Hazer at any cost. They have at least one Status-raising move (such as Double Team) and either Explosion or Mean Look. The status-raising move(s) are used repeatedly, prompting the opponent to use their Hazer (if they have one). If Explosion is used, it shreds the Hazer as soon as he comes out. If Mean Look, then trap the enemy and attack the Hazer without mercy. This is also referred to as Hazer-trappers.

Example: (Exploder)
Weezing@Quick Claw
Explosion | Double Team | Sludge Bomb | Haze

Example: (Hazer Trapper)
Gengar@Leftovers
Giga Drain | Mean Look | Perish Song | Double Team

Items

There are several held items which are preferred above all others for tournament battling. These items are listed below.

Note: As a firm rule, do not bother to use attack boosting items, such as Miracle Seed, Black Glasses, Pink Bow, Magnet, etc. The added 10% boost in damage is usually irrelevant.

Common

• Scope Lens Increases chance of critical hit from 6.25% to 12.5%.
• Mint Berry Used in conjunction with Rest to instantly awaken the Rester. This is referred to as Misty Rest.
• Miracle Berry Can be used for Minty Rest, but applies to all status changes.
• Leftovers Very popular because it heals 1/8 of total HP every round. This is extremely useful especially in conjunction with an Annoyer who uses Roar or Whirlwind to constantly keep the opponent switching in and out.
• Kings Rock Flinching can be an wonderful level of security against preventing damage. Used in conjunction with paralysis, Attraction, or Confusion can really keep the enemy busy instead of attacking you. Just make sure that the user has the Speed to make use of it! Also keep in mind that it does not increase the flinch % of moves that already flinch.
• Bright Powder Equipping with this item imparts a 12.5% evasion. This gives a chance of any move used by the opponent (whether against you or not) to fail. This even includes can't-miss moves such as Swift. This can be highly-advantageous.
• Quick Claw Usually used with your Starter. When held, gives about a 10% chance that you will attack first irrespective of Speed. This is desirable when you want to lead off with something important to your strategy, like Sleep or Confusion, that you want to happen first.
• Focus Band Can be helpful in keeping your Pokémon barely alive in the event of catastrophic damage. Frequently used by Hazer Killers employing Explosion. Instead of the Hazer Killer fainting too, it sometimes can hang on with 1 HP.

Special-Use

These are not-so-common items used in special circumstances.

• Light Ball Doubles the Special Attack power of the user. Only usable by Pikachu, not Pichu, Raichu, or anyone else.
• Thick Club Doubles the Attack power of the user. Only usable by Cubone or Marowak. There is one important concern when using this item. Using this item in conjunction with multiple Swords Dances, Curses, etc. can and will overrun the Attack value in the game. What this means is your Attack should be sky-high but it resets to, like, zero. Rule of thumb: only one Swords Dance when using this item.
• Lucky Punch Increases the chance the user performs a critical hit. Usable only by Chansey.
• Metal Powder Increases Ditto's Defense. (Who's going to battle with Ditto anyway?!)
• Stick Increases critical hit ratio of user. Only usable by Farfetch'd.

Type Weaknesses

The choices you make concerning your team members are important. It is useful to know how it will fare against damaging moves against it. A Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses is controlled by its Types. It will either be single-typed (Type 1 only, i.e. Fire) or dual-typed (Type 1 and 2, i.e. Fire/Flying).

The following Type Weaknesses Analysis Table shows each Pokémon and it's weaknesses against all the move power types. They are in order by the sum total of all the damage modifiers for each type. The lower the total, the less attacks affect it and the better the ranking.

Common Move Strategies

• Minty Rest The move Rest completely restores the HP of the Pokémon, but puts it to sleep for two entire rounds. If, however, it is equipped with a Mint Berry, it cures it of sleep immediately and is fully restored and ready to go the very next round. May also be accomplished with the less common Miracle Berry.

Team Creation Example

Okay, the discussion up to this point has been theoretical. It is now time to apply these practices in a real-world example (well, as real-world as you can get in a fantasy-setting).

Choose your Pokémon carefully. There are several Standard Pokémon that are used frequently by others on their teams. Sometimes it is useful to compare your weaknesses against these standards, ensuring that your team isn't completely vulnerable to one or more of them.

Step 1: Choose Member Types

Examining all the types or classifications of members, I chose the following as my team:

1. Starter / Baton Passer
2. Physical Sweeper
3. Special Sweeper
4. Mean Looker
5. Hazer
6. Heal-Beller

Step 2: Choose Pokémon

The next step is to choose the Pokémon types that will fill the roles assigned to them. Again, note that a Pokémon itself (for purposes of tournament playing) is simply a contrivance wrapped around a particular move pool and, ultimately, moveset.

There are several reasons why we choose Pokémon type first. This is to:

• Evaluate type weaknesses. Remember, no 3x weaknesses or greater! You don't want your team to be overly vulnerable to a particular attack type.
• Give advance thought to potential movesets associated with the tentative Pokémon selected.
• Evaluate how effective the Pokémon will be filling its assigned role and moves associated with the role.

1. Starter / Baton Passer
   Espeon
2. Physical Sweeper
   Machamp
3. Special Sweeper
   Dragonite
4. Mean Looker
   Misdreavus
5. Hazer
   Blastoise
6. Heal Beller
   Blissey

Now I check for type weaknesses. I seem to have gotten lucky straight from the gate, no 3x or greater weaknesses to any one type. Great, no modifications needed at this point.

Step 3: Choose Movesets, Genders, and Items

Now we choose the actual movesets and genders. Gender factors in with only with certain moves (Attract) and with Attack DV's (males always have the higher Attack DV's).

Factors that affect moves selected include STAB bonuses and Pokémon Base/Max Stats.

Items are selected for maximum effectiveness supporting the movesets chosen.

1. Starter / Baton Passer
   Espeon/Female@Quick Claw
   Baton Pass | Attract | Curse | Psychic
   
   Description: Attract is used to keep the opponents Starter busy while she Curses up to six times, then BP's to the Physical Sweeper. It would be nice to have a second stat-raising move to pass, but no Baton Passer should be without an Attack move, so Psychic is chosen for STAB and to take advantage of its superb Special Attack. Quick Claw was chosen to help get Attract going first.
2. Physical Sweeper
   Machamp/Male@Kings Rock
   Cross Chop | Earthquake | Counter | Body Slam
   
   Description: Fairly standard Machamp. Cross Chop for STAB, Earthquake for damage potential, Counter for going against another Physical Sweeper, and Body Slam for damage plus paralysis. Kings Rock for added flinch potential.
3. Special Sweeper
   Dragonite/Female@Scope Lens
   Dragonbreath | Surf | Fire Blast | Attract
   
   Description: Dragonbreath for STAB, Surf for overall damage potential, Fire Blast for effectiveness against Ice types that might be switched in. Attract to hopefully keep the opponent busy swooning whilst you pound on him. Scope Lens helps increase critical hits.
4. Mean Looker
   Misdreavus/Male@Bright Powder
   Mean Look | Swagger | Screech | Shadow Ball
   
   Description: Fairly straight-forward Mean Looker. Mean Look to trap, Swagger to confuse the enemy while raising his Attack sky-high. Screech until he is defenseless while he tears his own throat out. Shadow Ball's STAB takes the attack from 80 to 120, which isn't bad and partially makes up for Missy's poor Attack. The possibility of lowering the opponents Special Defense is an added benefit. Bright Powder was selected to foul opponent attacks.
5. Hazer
   Blastoise/Male@Leftovers
   Haze | Surf | Rain Dance | Earthquake
   
   Description: Haze to nullify the opponents stat-raising. Surf for an effective STAB attack with plenty of PP. Rain Dance to power up Surf, and Earthquake for a good, effective attack that utilizes its above average Attack stats. Leftovers to keep him happy and healthy, especially if he has to play double-duty as an Attacker.
6. Heal Beller
   Blissey/Female@Leftovers
   Heal Bell | Double-Edge | Softboiled | Psychic
   
   Description: Heal Bell to cure allies of status-afflictions. Double-Edge for a high-power STAB attack, and Blissey can has the Health to spare. Softboiled in case its Health gets too low, and Psychic for a powerful attack taking advantage of Blissey's good Special Attack. Leftovers to assist recovering damage taken by throwing around Double-Edge.

Copyright ©2002 Phil Erwin All rights reserved