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The author, a dedicated Umbreon user, spent the entire season tormented by Mega Florges. This article documents that struggle rather than presenting a polished team build. Umbreon's standard counter (Gengar) stopped being reliable once special-attacking Florges — particularly Psyshock variants — became widespread mid-season. Empoleon using the Steel Wing + Leftovers combination became the final answer: it can safely switch into Florges without becoming a Calm Mind setup target, resists Moonblast, and doesn't fear Substitute. With Empoleon added, the author's win rate against Florges teams recovered to around 60%. Final result was 372nd place; the author doesn't plan to return for Season 2.Build article →

The team is built around Mega Froslass as a do-everything starter: high offensive pressure plus Aurora Veil support for the sweepers behind it. Mega Gyarados was added late to handle matchups where Froslass struggles — Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Starmie, etc. — using Intimidate and type change after Mega Evolution. Garchomp pairs Lum Berry with Swords Dance and Scale Shot to snowball speed and attack simultaneously; Volcarona started as a Will-O-Wisp setter and became a wider coverage attacker to threaten Corviknight. Mimikyu covers Fairy angles, though the author admits it's the weakest slot. Hisuian Goodra with Shell Armor, Rest, and Iron Defense stacks under Veil and regularly sweeps three opponents in a row without fearing crits. Final result was 395th place at Rating 2538 (peak 2549).Build article →

A cycle team built around Mega Charizard Y, documented through five iterations of refinement. The initial build used Delphox and Dragonite but kept struggling against Mega Lopunny. The pivotal discovery was Rock Balloon Archaludon, which single-handedly solved five requirements simultaneously: face Garchomp, beat Baton Pass teams, check Mega Gyarados, lay Stealth Rock, and handle Mega Kangaskhan. The final lineup pairs Charizard Y with Archaludon, Scarf Hisuian Samurott, Corviknight (Defog), Sylveon, and Garchomp. Charizard Y smashes through with overwhelming fire power; Samurott's signature move applies entry hazards even when switching; Corviknight clears hazards; Sylveon walls physical attackers with Wish support; Garchomp destroys Corviknight under sun with Swords Dance + Fire Fang. Weaknesses identified: Mega Lucario, Mega Clefable, and Mega Charizard X. Final result: 397th place, peak Rating 2603.Build article →

After long staring at Gengar theory, the author realized a Will-O-Wisp plus Pain Split Mega Gengar adds raw one-on-one matchup power on top of its usual breaking and pivoting, even flipping bad matchups, so he built around it. The base lineup pairs it with Stealth Rock sweeper Garchomp, the resists-and-pivot Corviknight, and Primarina, whose typing plus the burns lets it trap huge swaths of the field. He admits the threat list is endless and the team is flawed, but the feel was good, so he leaned on play and added broadly throwable Mega Kangaskhan and Mimikyu to close games. Mega Gengar is the MVP, since Pain Split's hidden one-on-one power wins games opponents can't see coming. Primarina with Will-O-Wisp, Substitute, Calm Mind, and Draining Kiss reversed countless lost positions; the author warns to treat it like Starmie, not Floette. Mega Kangaskhan is the king of fudging, baiting out Build article →

The author wanted to build around Leech Seed after losing to it in a tournament, and found Scovillain — with its Moody ability threatening every physical attacker — was the best vehicle for it. Scovillain hard-counters most physical attackers and deals heavy damage to Hippowdon and Primarina with its Grass typing, but loses badly to high-powered special attackers and Fire-type physical attackers. The core strategy splits into two: make opponents feel forced to bring Scovillain counters, then punish those counters with other members. Scarf Basculegion is the team's selection pressure tool, forcing out Dark or Normal types that Scovillain loves to face; Sneasler with White Herb + Close Combat cleans up those forced-out threats; Archaludon leads most games and uses Roar to generate Scovillain opportunities. Mega Clefable with Natural Cure blocks status moves and Dark types. Peak Rating 2730, final 2534, missed Champion rank.Build article →

The team uses Mega Charizard Y with heavy bulk investment alongside Sylveon, Samurott (Hisui), Garchomp, Mimikyu, and Mega Skarmory, finishing M-1 at 422nd. The central idea is that Charizard Y reliably draws Garchomp, so Sylveon is positioned at lead to meet it. Sylveon runs Lum Berry with Magical Flame to handle Archaludon's Counteract fully, using Hyper Voice and Quick Attack as supplementary damage. Hisuian Samurott hits mid-speed Megas like Starmie and Mafoxier with Choice Scarf, while Shadow Sneak picks off Meganium and Espathra. Charizard Y uses Weather Ball plus Dragon Pulse for reliable coverage and Nitro Charge to step up its speed tier. Mega Skarmory's Shedder ability catches Mimikyu Fake Out, fires back at higher speed, and uses Spikes plus Drill Peck to pressure Archaludon. Mimikyu runs Scope Lens Shadow Claw for crit fishing against Clefable and Coil Skarmory. The author acknowledges not reaching the target 300 ranking and cites both insufficient effort and strategic ceiling as areas needing improvement.Build article →

The team revolves around Mega Victreebel and partner Hisuian Goodra, finishing M-1 at 423rd. The approach was to pick Mega Victreebel, then address each of its weaknesses outward. Hisuian Goodra counters Dragonite and Skarmory with Ice Beam and Faint, and carries Rocky Helmet to punish Scizor's Close Combat. Mega Victreebel's Suction Cups core pressures through Encore and Acid Bomb debuff stacking alongside Toxic Spikes. Basculegion handles Delphox and Mega Gengar with Sash and Shadow Sneak. Charizard Y handles Archaludon and Skarmory through Overheat even without Stealth Rock support. Scarf Garchomp leads against Charizard and lays Stealth Rock. Sylveon provides Yawn-based flow control and patches Kangaskhan/Lopunny weaknesses. The author names Archaludon as the hardest structural problem, with Garchomp plus Skarmory appearing simultaneously as the team's worst matchup.Build article →

The author built this team entirely around personal favorites rather than pure competitive meta, headlined by Mega Scizor running the classic dual-move plus Swords Dance + Roost set, which was more comfortable here than in ORAS or SV without Hidden Power Fire or Tera threats. Garchomp leads most games using a specially-defensive Sitrus Berry set to guarantee two moves against Primarina and handle surprise coverage like Espathra. Sylveon (Leftovers) acts as a physical cushion and special Dragon answer, setting up yawn loops around hazards and using Mystical Fire for value against Dragon-Steel cores. Mega Greninja plays speed-mind-game lines via Protean, while Mimikyu (Lum Berry) handles Lopunny and Delphox matchups. Corviknight fills the final slot purely as a team slot to deter opponents from freely leading Meowscarada. The author calls this the most genuinely fun season in a decade of competitive play.Build article →

The author adapted a cycle-based team built around Tsareena, Bellibolt and Umbreon that another player had used competitively, swapping Glimmora for Blastoise. The intended core play was to use Tsareena's U-turn to bring in a Mega Evolution and apply raw offensive pressure. Blastoise was included because the author could not find a clean solution to simultaneously handle Gengar plus Garchomp plus bulky Pokemon and the opponent's Mega slot. The author only figured out the correct lead-Tsareena-into-Mega-attacker approach on an all-nighter on the final day, too late to capitalise, finishing at rank 429. The author's honest takeaway is that this team was incomplete, and the broader reflection is that cycle-based strategies are systemically weak in this format: Garchomp and Archaludon can dismantle low-firepower teams with Stealth Rock and Dragon Tail, and the draw rule punishes stall-oriented play more than ever.Build article →

The author was in a slump at rating 1790 when they spotted a Milotic running Cute Charm online, tried it and immediately felt it was strong, so they built around Milotic. Milotic was the undisputed lead for most games: few Electric-types threatened it, and Mirror Coat was largely unknown early in the season so Mega Dragonite and Archaludon would walk into Thunderbolt and get punished. Against Charizard-Y the author would gamble on Mirror Coat for the win; even if it turned out to be Charizard-X, surviving a hit and using Black Mist bought enough time for the Choice Scarf Garchomp in the back to clean up. Mega Gengar was included per the reference team but was barely used at roughly ten percent select rate. Mega Scizor's bulk let it set up Swords Dance and sweep with Bullet Punch; it had the third-highest select rate. Choice Scarf Garchomp was the fastest cleaner, covering Basculegion and Hydreigon, and had the second-highest select rate. Ceruledge replaced the original Mimikyu to check Corviknight and pressure opponents away from using Mega Florges. The hardest match-ups were Substitute Mega Dragonite, which spiked in usage late in the season, Substitute-plus-Nasty Plot Hydreigon, and Araquanid which hard-counters Milotic.Build article →

The author built around their long-time partner Azumarill as the absolute centrepiece, supporting it with Mega Froslass. Azumarill holds Oran Berry and uses the Belly Drum route: after doubling its Attack, it cleans with Aqua Tail, Play Rough and Aqua Jet. The author raised its Speed from 83 to 91 to outspeed Speed-invested Corviknight and some other base-60 Pokemon. Mega Froslass sets Aurora Veil under Hail to boost the whole team's bulk, then stacks Nasty Plot to become a late-game attacker; its blizzard-freeze flips several games. The default lead trio is Garchomp plus Froslass plus Azumarill: Froslass raises the veil, then Azumarill Belly Drums to sweep, with Garchomp cleaning the early turns and controlling the Speed tier. Kingambit with Black Glasses and Supreme Overlord is one of the hardest-hitting cleaners in the field. Mega Dragonite provides wide coverage, flinch rate from Air Slash and burn from Flamethrower for reliable trading. Archaludon on Leftovers handles physically-oriented Mega teams, while Mega Dragonite covers Grass and Fighting threats. The biggest weakness is that Poison-types like Gengar and Glimmora hard-counter Azumarill; if the lead guess goes wrong, the game is very hard to recover, which is why the author named the team around luck.Build article →

Building on a well-known player's framework, the author reached a personal-best 450th place and 2520 rating in Champions S1. The team revolves around two Mega slots: Mega Scizor to handle Florges-based compositions, and Gyarados running Outrage as a surprise partner. The author originally used Mega Delphox to check Scizor, but noticed that whenever the opponent ran both Scizor and Gyarados, lead selection became a coin flip; switching to Gyarados (which Scizor checks but Gyarados ignores) erased that problem entirely. After a Dragon Dance, Gyarados's Outrage OHKOs physically-invested Mimikyu and Florges, and it can push through Corviknight depending on setup. Basculegion was reworked into a Cursed Body plus Agility set for surprise power even after a single teammate faint. The author's key takeaway: pairing two Mega with complementary coverage creates selection dilemmas; instead, find one that attacks from a blind spot the opponent never anticipates.Build article →

The author targeted 452nd place and a peak 2537 rating in Champions S1 by deliberately nudging off the standard template to beat the teams designed to counter it. The core trio is Mega Florges plus Sash Garchomp plus Scarf Basculegion. Mega Florges hits astronomical special attack; one Calm Mind makes it effectively OHKO every neutral target, and the three-Fairy tech set is nearly impossible to prepare for. Garchomp lays Stealth Rock and Spikes while threatening Archaludon, Glimmora, and Gengar. Basculegion covers the fast Mega matchups that Florges cannot out-speed, and its Agility sweep potential after setup is enormous. Araquanid (Sitrus Berry) provides Sticky Web to slow down opposing fast Megas. Skeledirge (Leftovers, Unaware) stabilizes against Corviknight, Mimikyu, and Volcarona. Mega Skarmory fills the second Mega slot to beat Mega Gengar and Mega Venusaur and serve as the Florges mirror answer. The author identifies the lack of reliable Stealth Rock removal as the team's main weakness.Build article →

After studying a streamer's framework, the author refined a core of Sash Garchomp plus specially-defensive Obonn Archaludon and reached 454th place and 2518 rating in Champions S1. Garchomp ran Swords Dance and Scale Shot for aggressive pivoting, though late-season threats like Aqua-Jet Primarina and Will-o-Wisp Mega Delphox became increasingly difficult. Archaludon cushioned with Stealth Rock and Roar to handle setup sweepers, though the author later realized Flamethrower should have been Draco Meteor for better Dragon coverage. Mega Gyarados ditched both STAB Water and Dragon moves entirely in favor of Power Whip, Earthquake, Ice Fang, and Dragon Dance to OHKO Starmie, Basculegion, and Primarina. Mega Scizor's Swords Dance plus Knock Off kit swept Florges-heavy matchups. Scarf Primarina delivered unscouted Moon Force and Hydro Cannon. Skeledirge (Leftovers, Unaware) was the least-used and most regretted slot, cited as the main reason the author stalled out in late-season games.Build article →

Built around Mega Lopunny as a lead-and-win threat, the team reached a peak of 2629 and a final 456th place with 2518 rating in Champions S1. The core four locked-in slots are Mega Lopunny, Garchomp, Archaludon, and Basculegion as a selection-pressure anchor. Lopunny runs Fake Out, Giga Impact, and Hi Jump Kick as fixed moves; Mach Punch was chosen over Ice Punch and others specifically to clean up the Basculegion counters that Lopunny naturally lures, and the author made sure to use a male specimen to bait Milotic. Garchomp's Rock Slide targets specially-invested Charizard, but the author now believes Spikes would be better for the team's trouble matchups. Archaludon only appears against Corviknight-containing teams; its Mirror Armor also blocks stat drops from Meowstic. Basculegion's enormous pre-battle presence pulls out Gyarados, Meowscarada, and Gengar, which prevents opponents from anticipating a Scarf Garchomp. Corviknight with Eerie Impulse dismantles stall teams. Mega Starmie mostly served a threat-in-lead role and was never effectively integrated into battle plans.Build article →

The author built a three-Mega offensive team anchored by Mega Victreebel and reached 457th place with a 2518 rating in Champions S1. The team started as a four-Mega concept that was too inflexible in team selection, so Stealth-Rock White Herb Archaludon and Mega Scizor were added to bring it to three Megas. Mega Victreebel's Innards Out ability punishes the opponent regardless of the matchup by dealing damage equal to its remaining HP before fainting, making it an almost universal lead; Strength Sap hard-counters setup sweepers by recovering HP while depleting Swords Dance PP. Primarina (Leftovers) uses Calm Mind and Misty Terrain to set up on Umbreon and handle sleep tactics. Basculegion with a Sash runs Agility for a surprise finish instead of the expected Scarf, and was used in almost every game. Mega Dragonite brings broad coverage and handles matchups where Archaludon and Corviknight are problematic. Mega Scizor was slotted in only for the final seven games and never actually sent out, but its presence alone was enough to significantly deter opponent Florges selection.Build article →