Monotype Trick Room Psychic (SM RMT #4)

[TheCamelDude]

Introduction

So yeah, I play more than just OverUsed. I don't have a specific OU team I want to share right now, so instead I'll be showing you one of my favorite and most effective teams in Monotype.

The Team

Breakdown

Bronzong @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earthquake
- Gyro Ball
- Trick Room
- Stealth Rock

Part of my defensive core, Bronzong resists a lot of hits and thus can switch in quite a bit. Usually I prioritize getting up hazards, then either set up Trick Room or attack. Or switch it out if necessary.

Gardevoir-Mega @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Focus Blast
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Trick Room

A major powerhouse. It can take a hit or 2, set up Trick Room, and do serious damage to almost anything. Hyper Voice can even ignore Substitute, which can be extremely helpful in many situations.

Latias @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Healing Wish
- Psyshock

Choice Scarf seems like an odd choice for a Trick Room team, huh? Believe it or not, I don't always have Trick Room up, so having a couple options to perform well outside of it comes in handy. Beyond offering fast hazard removal, it deals pretty good damage, allowing me to check faster threats that Medicham doesn't want to deal with. But its main purpose is Healing Wish, which brings back one of my sweepers that might be nearly dead or severely crippled. So if 1 sweep from anything nearly destroyed you, another sweep from the same thing will be sure to finish the job.

Medicham @ Life Orb
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Punch

Quite often the star of the show, Medicham does a lot of damage. It has dual priority to help deal with fast threats, and 2 other powerful moves to destroy anything it touches. This spread allows it to function both in and outside of Trick Room, depending on the situation, and Latias' Healing Wish is often used on this if it's been statused and/or is on low health from hazards and/or Life Orb recoil.

Meloetta @ Life Orb
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Focus Blast / Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Trick Room

This usually serves as a back-up for Gardevoir-Mega, but specifically against ghost is extremely helpful thanks to its normal dual typing. Unlike Gardevoir-Mega, Meloetta almost always has to set up Trick Room, but can often clean late game after doing so. Beyond that, it deals good damage to threats such as Muk-Alola, and is overall very effective at helping to cover my bad match-ups. It is ultimately the most expendable team member, but in the match-ups where it's useful, it really shines, and I haven't found anything better to take its place. I'm currently running Focus Blast in its first moveslot; I've tried both and prefer it, but it comes down to whatever you prefer. DO NOT REPLACE SHADOW BALL! You absolutely need it for the ghost matchup.

Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Trick Room

The other part of this team's defensive core. Sure, it doesn't pack a status-inflicting move, but it doesn't need to. Its job is to pivot in, perhaps use Slack Off to scout the opponent's move if it can take a hit, or wear down an enemy with its attacks while keeping itself in good health, or pivoting out once the opponent is forced to switch. Its coverage is especially effective against steel, but works in many situations.

Threats

Dark: You have a couple tools against dark in Meloetta, Medicham, and Gardevoir-Mega, but you honestly won't be able to do much against a well-made and well-played dark mono. Between things like Muk-Alola (which is especially nasty with Pursuit), Bisharp, Mandibuzz, and Sableye-Mega, you'll just get walled and pressured down too hard.

Ghost: Meloetta has the potential to do serious work against Ghost, but you need to deal with Sableye-Mega and Mimikyu first. Getting those out of the way can be quite tricky, but if you can manage it, you should be able to pull it out.

Bug: Bug has so much that can set up on my walls, meaning you have to pressure it at all times. Unfortunately that disrupts the team's playstyle quite heavily, and a single misplay can be extremely costly.

Replays

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/azure-gen7monotype-239003 vs normal
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/azure-gen7monotype-248215 win vs bug
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-628748795 vs dragon
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-626073759 win vs steel
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-628749673 loss vs steel (I should have won, but hax happen. I'm still salty lol.)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-624799506 win vs dark (Rare)

Importable

https://pastebin.com/Z58FzSqW

Conclusion

This team has carried me farther than most of my other Monotype teams, but obviously feedback is welcome. Also, let me know if I should make more Monotype teams, or go back to only OU teams (doing only Monotype teams is not an option though), and let me know if you have any good ideas for something for me to build with for you guys. So far I've only been showing teams I like enough that I think they're worth putting out, so they aren't coming very often. So don't be afraid to give me ideas.

 

[Eien]

Hey there! TR Psychic has always been a super cool concept, so it's nice to see your take on it. I got a few suggestions for you to make your team better against a lot of your threatlist.

First off, as you noticed, you're weak to Bug. This is because you lack the single most necessary Pokemon for every Psychic team: Victini. I would strongly recommend putting Victini over Medicham. Victini often takes on a very similar role as a powerful physical attacker, and it's better because its Fire typing makes it the only reliable way to beat Bug. For Trick Room teams, there is a possible TR Victini set, but you already have four setters, so I would instead recommend using Choice Band. While Choice Band Victini is not as good against Bug as Choice Scarf is, losing Medicham does make your team weaker to Normal, and Choice Band Victini completely breaks Normal. Not only does it help against Normal but it also protects you against Bug. It gets better. Choice Band Victini is a huge threat to Dark and Ghost teams because V-create 2HKOes everything except for Tyranitar on Dark teams. It pretty much does everything Medicham does but even more and even better. Victini is also generally a better Trick Room sweeper what with v-create's downside not being as relevant. (The spread I recommend is max Speed because that makes Victini useful outside of Trick Room and V-create drops its Speed anyway)

Second, this calc is a pretty big problem:

252 SpA Latias Psyshock vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 141-166 (41.2 - 48.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

You're way too weak to Azumarill right now because Psyshock won't be able to revenge kill after Z-Belly Drum. Normally, the usual response to this issue is to replace Latias with Latios, whose Psychic can in fact OHKO Azumarill after Z-Belly Drum. However, I really like your idea of Healing Wish Latias alongside your Trick Room sweepers. As a result, I would suggest using Thunderbolt over Psyshock. Yes, this does mean you don't have Psychic STAB. However, your team is one of the few that actually packs two Psychic STAB users already, so losing Psyshock isn't terrible. The only downside is being a bit weaker to Volcarona, but with the addition of Victini to your team, this will matter much less than it would have otherwise.

Third, this is pretty minor, but Colbur Berry over Leftovers will do wonders for your Slowbro. This will let your Slowbro get up Trick Room against threats like Greninja and Hydreigon that your team would struggle with normally. Leftovers recovery is nice, but having that reliable Trick Room to beat Dark-type attackers is just so much more valuable. This also gives you insurance against Knock Off users, as Slowbro will take rather little from them.

I hope these changes help you out, and good luck with your team!

sets

Victini @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- U-turn
- Trick

Latias @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Healing Wish
- Thunderbolt

Slowbro @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Trick Room

 

[TheCamelDude]

Hey there! TR Psychic has always been a super cool concept, so it's nice to see your take on it. I got a few suggestions for you to make your team better against a lot of your threatlist.

First off, as you noticed, you're weak to Bug. This is because you lack the single most necessary Pokemon for every Psychic team: Victini. I would strongly recommend putting Victini over Medicham. Victini often takes on a very similar role as a powerful physical attacker, and it's better because its Fire typing makes it the only reliable way to beat Bug. For Trick Room teams, there is a possible TR Victini set, but you already have four setters, so I would instead recommend using Choice Band. While Choice Band Victini is not as good against Bug as Choice Scarf is, losing Medicham does make your team weaker to Normal, and Choice Band Victini completely breaks Normal. Not only does it help against Normal but it also protects you against Bug. It gets better. Choice Band Victini is a huge threat to Dark and Ghost teams because V-create 2HKOes everything except for Tyranitar on Dark teams. It pretty much does everything Medicham does but even more and even better. Victini is also generally a better Trick Room sweeper what with v-create's downside not being as relevant. (The spread I recommend is max Speed because that makes Victini useful outside of Trick Room and V-create drops its Speed anyway)

Second, this calc is a pretty big problem:

252 SpA Latias Psyshock vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 141-166 (41.2 - 48.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

You're way too weak to Azumarill right now because Psyshock won't be able to revenge kill after Z-Belly Drum. Normally, the usual response to this issue is to replace Latias with Latios, whose Psychic can in fact OHKO Azumarill after Z-Belly Drum. However, I really like your idea of Healing Wish Latias alongside your Trick Room sweepers. As a result, I would suggest using Thunderbolt over Psyshock. Yes, this does mean you don't have Psychic STAB. However, your team is one of the few that actually packs two Psychic STAB users already, so losing Psyshock isn't terrible. The only downside is being a bit weaker to Volcarona, but with the addition of Victini to your team, this will matter much less than it would have otherwise.

Third, this is pretty minor, but Colbur Berry over Leftovers will do wonders for your Slowbro. This will let your Slowbro get up Trick Room against threats like Greninja and Hydreigon that your team would struggle with normally. Leftovers recovery is nice, but having that reliable Trick Room to beat Dark-type attackers is just so much more valuable. This also gives you insurance against Knock Off users, as Slowbro will take rather little from them.

I hope these changes help you out, and good luck with your team!

sets

Victini @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- U-turn
- Trick

Latias @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Healing Wish
- Thunderbolt

Slowbro @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Trick Room

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll definitely try them out. The only thing that specifically worries me about this is that losing Medicham's dual priority might hurt against fast sweepers if I get caught outside of Trick Room, and that Victini's speed tier is extremely awkward for this team to where it doesnt feel like it checks what it needs to via speed control (too fast for bulky mons in Trick Room till it's at -1, too slow for fast mons outside of Trick Room) and thus has to rely on taking hits (which it can't do too often), but I'll try things out and see what options I have in those situations.

 

[TheCamelDude]

Oh another quick note: I accidentally set Slowbro's HP EVs to 244, it should be 248. The missing 4 are uninvested already, so you don't have to take away from something else.