Rain is probably as good as it will be for a while, so what better time to try and make a rain team. This team isn't the best, but I've been able to climb into the top 500 a few times with this team, so it's gotta be decent. Any changes to the team would be greatly appreciated. So lets get into this.
First up, rain setter number 1
Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Hurricane
- Scald
- U-turn
- Protect
Designed to take rock slides and most physical moves. Rock slides from Adamant scarf lando are 3hkos which allow you to keep the rain up for most of the game.
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Rock Slide vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Pelipper: 106-126 (32.8 - 39%) -- 99.5% chance to 3HKO
Careful around any electric types or something with electric coverage. This also gives you someone to earthquake alongside and is your best rain setter for the team so try and keep him around.
The big guy.
Swampert-Mega @ Swampertite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Protect
Was originally running rock slide over ice punch, but the lando-t switch in as well as potential zygarde's were too common in the meta game to leave rock slide on pert. Adamant nature with max speed to help outside of rain, but in rain it is only outsped by 1 nonscarfer (deoxys-speed, but nobody runs that). Adamant max attack waterfall just destroys things in the rain and earthquake is nice stab that you can spam alongside your rain setter.
I guess this works
Tapu Lele @ Leftovers
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Substitute
- Protect
A decent special attacker that probably can be replaced. It was originally placed on the team to prevent priority moves. Fake out is annoying, especially when you have limited turns of rain, ice shard is neutral on your rain attackers, aqua jet is also neutral against swampert, and e speed could pick off your weakened rain attacker. Could definitely replace this for something better.
Kingdra.standard
Kingdra @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Protect
If it doesn't have a resistance, or immunity to dragon, your z move will crush it. Modest nature with max sp atk to hit as hard as possible and like swampert, it outspeeds about everything in the rain. Ice beam wont hit dnite, garchomp, and zygarde as hard as draco meteor but it will hit hard enough to do damage without the sp atk drop. Also allows you to always hit lando-t and kill that thing.
Other rain man
Politoed @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Encore
- Scald
- Protect
- Rain Dance
Not as popular as pelipper, but as a support pokemon its great. Rain dance to help deal with opposing weather either switching in, or a charizard-y mega evolving. Encore catches slow pokemon in a protect cycle to allow you to double up on a pokemon, and can deal with trick room at times if you catch it right. Scald is your only move to hit back but chance of burn is nice. Sitrus berry over something like leftovers or damp rock because it's job isnt about setting the weather but more of a support mon and this is a one time recovery to allow it to live more hits.
Can't kill won't kill
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Gyro Ball
- Stealth Rock
In the rain, this thing just doesn't die. Leech seed, leftovers, and protect just let you sit there for days and slowly wittle away both of your opponents pokemon. Power whip or gyro ball can be run as your main attacking move depending on how you want to deal with certain threats. Stealth rocks are your way of beating sun, torkoal and ninetales taking 25% and zard taking 50 upon switch in, and can also help you deal with late game switching. When your opponent is looking to free themselves from leech seed, they will need to switch allowing you to get 12% usually off on them everytime they switch. If your 1v2 with this at the end and they can't do 40% damage to this, you will probably win.
Threats-
Other weather. If you don't win the weather war, you don't win. Period.
Tailwind/trick room- Tailwind negates your swift swim which means they will probably outspeed and kill you. This team also has 1 and a third answers to trick room. Ferrothorn and hoping you catch their trick room setter in an encore from politoed to set it back. Otherwise, try and stall them out.
First up, rain setter number 1
Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Hurricane
- Scald
- U-turn
- Protect
Designed to take rock slides and most physical moves. Rock slides from Adamant scarf lando are 3hkos which allow you to keep the rain up for most of the game.
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Rock Slide vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Pelipper: 106-126 (32.8 - 39%) -- 99.5% chance to 3HKO
Careful around any electric types or something with electric coverage. This also gives you someone to earthquake alongside and is your best rain setter for the team so try and keep him around.
The big guy.
Swampert-Mega @ Swampertite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Protect
Was originally running rock slide over ice punch, but the lando-t switch in as well as potential zygarde's were too common in the meta game to leave rock slide on pert. Adamant nature with max speed to help outside of rain, but in rain it is only outsped by 1 nonscarfer (deoxys-speed, but nobody runs that). Adamant max attack waterfall just destroys things in the rain and earthquake is nice stab that you can spam alongside your rain setter.
I guess this works
Tapu Lele @ Leftovers
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Substitute
- Protect
A decent special attacker that probably can be replaced. It was originally placed on the team to prevent priority moves. Fake out is annoying, especially when you have limited turns of rain, ice shard is neutral on your rain attackers, aqua jet is also neutral against swampert, and e speed could pick off your weakened rain attacker. Could definitely replace this for something better.
Kingdra.standard
Kingdra @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Protect
If it doesn't have a resistance, or immunity to dragon, your z move will crush it. Modest nature with max sp atk to hit as hard as possible and like swampert, it outspeeds about everything in the rain. Ice beam wont hit dnite, garchomp, and zygarde as hard as draco meteor but it will hit hard enough to do damage without the sp atk drop. Also allows you to always hit lando-t and kill that thing.
Other rain man
Politoed @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Encore
- Scald
- Protect
- Rain Dance
Not as popular as pelipper, but as a support pokemon its great. Rain dance to help deal with opposing weather either switching in, or a charizard-y mega evolving. Encore catches slow pokemon in a protect cycle to allow you to double up on a pokemon, and can deal with trick room at times if you catch it right. Scald is your only move to hit back but chance of burn is nice. Sitrus berry over something like leftovers or damp rock because it's job isnt about setting the weather but more of a support mon and this is a one time recovery to allow it to live more hits.
Can't kill won't kill
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Gyro Ball
- Stealth Rock
In the rain, this thing just doesn't die. Leech seed, leftovers, and protect just let you sit there for days and slowly wittle away both of your opponents pokemon. Power whip or gyro ball can be run as your main attacking move depending on how you want to deal with certain threats. Stealth rocks are your way of beating sun, torkoal and ninetales taking 25% and zard taking 50 upon switch in, and can also help you deal with late game switching. When your opponent is looking to free themselves from leech seed, they will need to switch allowing you to get 12% usually off on them everytime they switch. If your 1v2 with this at the end and they can't do 40% damage to this, you will probably win.
Threats-
Other weather. If you don't win the weather war, you don't win. Period.
Tailwind/trick room- Tailwind negates your swift swim which means they will probably outspeed and kill you. This team also has 1 and a third answers to trick room. Ferrothorn and hoping you catch their trick room setter in an encore from politoed to set it back. Otherwise, try and stall them out.