Project SV OU - Pokemon Matchmaking (Week 4: Volcarona)

veti

Supreme Overlord
is a Pre-Contributor
Hosted by veti
Cohosted by leng loi and FireWizard312
Previously hosted by Hyper bol and Foufakirby
OP copied from here with small alterations
Approved by SetsuSetsuna


Hello everyone and welcome to Pokémon Matchmaking—the project in which we aim to create magic pairings that help to pull out a Pokémon's full potential!

Every week, the host(s) will nominate a Pokémon and set, and you then need to post a partner along with a brief explanation of what makes them a solid teammate for the nominated Pokémon. At the end of each submission phase, I will archive the partners that I think are the best and will highlight any posts that I found to be particularly good before moving onto public voting for the best.

Rules and Notes
  • Submissions phases will last 5 days and voting will last 2 days. Feel free to DM me if I've not posted the next phase in time.
  • When you reserve a Pokémon, please state what set you are reserving.
  • Reservations expire 24 hours after they're posted. If you do not post in that time frame, someone else may take it. I'd delete expired nominations but I'm not an OU mod so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (if you are a mod and you see an expired reservation feel free to delete it in my stead :muscle:)
  • Please only nominate OU viable Pokémon. This generally means Pokémon on the viability rankings, although I will make exceptions if an unranked Pokémon is well explained.
  • An explanation is mandatory. It doesn't need to be very long—two or three concise sentences should suffice—but make sure it's there.
  • You may nominate a different set for a Pokémon that has already been submitted. However, it's important that the set is distinct from the other submission—I won't accept submissions where the only difference is something simple like 1 move or an EV spread unless the change substantially alters how the core functions.
  • You may nominate a second Pokémon if three days pass and no one else reserves it.
  • I understand that a little theorymonning is inevitable in a project like this, but please try to post based on your experience using and/or facing the Pokémon in question rather than just listing something you have no experience using and/or facing.
  • It's completely fine (encouraged, in fact) to give feedback on other people's submissions, but please be nice!
Posting Tips
I recommend using the following format when posting:
:sv/excadrill:
Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- High Horsepower / Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Rapid Spin

Excadrill is an excellent partner for Hippowdon as it can take advantage of Sand Stream with Sand Rush. It can also threaten Pokémon like Kyurem that can take advantage of Hippowdon's passivity and lacking special bulk. In exchange, Hippowdon acts as a hard response to Cinderace and Zeraora if Sandstorm expires while Excadrill is active. It's worth noting, however, that this core is largely shut down by Rotom-A, Corviknight, Skarmory, Tangrowth, and Slowbro, so I recommend pairing it with attackers that can take advantage of such Pokémon, such as Rotom-A, Keldeo, Hydreigon, and/or Kyurem.

No specific types of detail are mandatory, but things that are worth considering when writing your explanation include:
  • How the Pokémon listed is useful to the nominated partner and vice versa
  • Why the set listed is chosen over other variants, if applicable
  • Strengths and/or weaknesses of the core in question
  • Potential options for additional partners when using the core
  • Replays that show off the core in full force
Try and avoid using superfluous formatting (it's usually very ugly) and try to cut out any fluff in your paragraphs if you can (Give details on why you have something, not literally what it does. "Sand Rush doubles Speed" for example isn't useful info, but giving a couple relevant mons that Sand Rush allows you to outspeed is.).

If you want to remove colour formatting, please use the eraser icon in the top left of the rich text editor or in the bottom right of the colour picker instead of changing the text colour to black. This is to ensure that it's readable for people using dark mode.

If you want an easy way to include Pokémon sprites, please use the following BBcode and substitute in the appropriate Pokémon:
:hoppip:
Code:
:hoppip:
:sv/hoppip:
Code:
:sv/hoppip:
:bw/hoppip:
Code:
:bw/hoppip:
:pmd/hoppip:
Code:
:pmd/hoppip:
 
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veti

Supreme Overlord
is a Pre-Contributor
Archive
Clicking on minisprites links to the post
Week 1: SD Wellspring
Viable Partners: :Kingambit::Heatran::Iron Treads::Darkrai: :Landorus-therian::Ninetales-alola:
Highlighted Posts: :Kingambit::Iron Treads::Landorus-therian:
Vote Winner: :Landorus-therian:

Week 2: CM Raging Bolt
Viable Partners: none yet!
Highlighted Posts: :Rillaboom:
Vote Winner: :Rillaboom:

Week 3: Nasty Plot Darkrai
Viable Partners: none yet!
Highlighted Posts: none yet!
Vote Winner: none yet!
 
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veti

Supreme Overlord
is a Pre-Contributor
Round 1: Swords Dance Ogerpon-W
:sv/ogerpon wellspring:
Ogerpon-Wellspring (F) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip / Horn Leech
- Encore / Play Rough / Knock Off

Swords Dance Ogerpon Wellspring is one of the tiers best wallbreakers, and for good reason. Water/Grass is a phenomenal offensive/defensive typing, hitting most Pokemon for at least neutral damage, while it's good Speed stat of 110 backed up with 80/84/96 bulk and boosts from Embody Aspect ensure that it can hold its own against fast offensive threats, and 120 Attack with a drawbackless item granting its moves a 1.2× damage boost ensure it isn't lacking power. What Pokemon are good partners to allow Ogerpon to unlock its full potential?

Deadline for submissions is Friday, March 1 at 11:59 GMT-8. Read the OP before submitting.
 
:Kingambit: @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Low Kick
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance

Pretty obvious mon that I think synergizes really well with ogerpon wellspring, especially the encore variant. Kingambit typically struggles against dedicated physical walls like dondozo and skarm/corv, which encore wellspring completely stuffs. On top of that, ogerpon wellspring provides valuable resistances to ground, allowing it to switch into pokemon like great tusk when they try to take advantage of kingambit. Kingambit also provides crucial resistances to all priority in the tier, something that wellspring is quite vulnerable to against pokemon like dragonite and rillaboom. The sets are very customizable for both of these pokemon depending on what they need to break through, and I recently used a combination of these two pokemon as a powerful physical breaking core in a team I hit 2000 with.
 
:Heatran:
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Magma Storm
- Dragon Pulse
- Power Gem
Heatran was chosen because it resists all the moves that are super effective against Waterpon. This set can hit every mon that Ogerpon's stab moves are not very effective against and also hitting super effectively against those mons that can hurt waterpon for super effective damage. This means that waterpon does not need to run play rough or knock off as much, freeing it to use encore more often if it desires. Will-O-Wisp also cripples physical attackers meaning waterpon can potentially get a sd of on an opponent it would normally struggle against, such as rillaboom which can only 3hit ko it. Flame body also means that rillaboom can not threaten waterpon without risking a burn from tran. Tera dragon dragon pulse gives Heatran some defensive utility and can threaten dragon types which may switch in such as bolt. I've tried tera dragon dragon pulse on Heatran, and it can have some oomph into it while being nice defensively.
 
Iron Treads @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 136 HP / 160 Atk / 96 SpD / 116 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Spinner / Knock Off
- Volt Switch / Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin

Iron Treads is a decent partner for Ogerpon-W on more offensive teams. A key issue Ogerpon-W has is that it is weak to every form of entry hazard, making it difficult to consistently weave in and out of battle. Futhermore, Ogerpon-W can struggle with Raging Bolt and other Dragons such as Dragapult, which are currently quite common. While it doesn't fair well against Dragpult, Iron Treads does OK against Raging bolt (though it will take a fair amount of damage in the process) and can spin away rocks setup by offensive leads like Glimmora and Deo-S decently well. It can also provide either pivoting and Rocks support & is quite good at luring other ground-types such as Great Tusk and Gliscor for Ogerpon-W to take advantage of .
 
:sv/darkrai:
Darkrai @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Bad Dreams
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Tera Type: Poison
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb / Trick
- Focus Blast / Trick
- Ice Beam

Darkrai is an excellent teammate for Ogerpon-W, as it can hit effectively Dragon and Grass-types who counter Ogerpon-W with Ice Beam. Scarf is chosen over the Nasty Plot plot set to certainly outspeed and OHKO Pokemon who can outspeed Ogerpon-W like Iron Valiant. Trick is an option to hinder defensive Pokemon. The core is very weak to U-Turn, so Pokémon who resists it can be useful.
 
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leng loi

Twinkaton!
is a Tiering Contributor
No one has done what I think is the most ubiquitous core for this mon in tour/high ladder. Here's the greatest defensive pivot in the history of mons.
1709394747611.png

There are two main sets getting used right now: taunt with max or near-max speed and defensive with speed for Raging Bolt. Both tend to run special for Zamazenta because it tends to find homes on offense teams that otherwise struggle with the dog.

:sv/landorus-therian:
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Steel / Water
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- U-turn

This set runs speed for jolly Excadrill and aims to underspeed other fast Landorus-Therians for U-turn induced Rocky Helmet chip.

:sv/landorus-therian:
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Steel / Grass
EVs: 248 HP / 132 Def / 128 Spe
Bold Nature
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock
- Grass Knot
- U-turn

This set runs speed for Modest Bolt and carries Grass Knot for Great Tusk.

Both sets are great partners for Ogerpon-W because they offer pivot opportunities and they have great defensive synergy based on type and role. For example, Landorus is a solid pivot into Rillaboom, Raging Bolt, and Skarm/Corv (which it can Taunt and U-Turn out of) which switch in to Ogerpon. Ogerpon takes advantage of Water types which Landorus is threatened by and Gliscor which can pivot in to Landorus and get Taunted or U-Turned out of. I searched for replays but haven't been playing enough or with enough team variety to pull this up. However, this core occupies a lot of my building atm.
 
:sV/NINETALES:

I did the wrong Tales LMAO
:sv/ninetales-alola:
Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Roar
- Freeze-Dry
- Moonblast
First, provides Veil to get SD stonks.
Second, can remove Dozo.
Third, can yeet annoying mons.
 
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FayaWizard

Amnesia
is an official Team Rater
And the winner of this week is :Landorus-Therian: by Leng Loi! Thank you all for your participation!

Round 2: Calm Mind Raging Bolt
:sv/Raging Bolt:
Raging Bolt @ Booster Energy / Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fairy / Flying
EVs: 64 Hp / 28 Def / 252 SpA / 164 Spe
IVs: 20 Atk
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Thunderclap
- Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt / Weather Ball

Released in The Indigo Disk DLC, Raging Bolt has established itself as a towering threat in OU, boasting a strong 137 Special Attack backed by the offensive coverage of its Electric/Dragon typing. While Raging Bolt's speed stat isn't outstanding, its solid bulk of 125/91/89 allows it to survive a few attacks, and its signature move, Thunderclap, gives Raging Bolt a powerful priority move to threaten the frailer offensive threats of the metagame.
What Pokemon are good partners to allow Raging Bolt to unlock its full potential?

Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, March 19th at 11:59 GMT-8. Read the OP before submitting.
 
Double Dance Jirachi
:sv/jirachi:
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpA / 32 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Iron Defense
- Stored Power
- Dazzling Gleam
Bolt has a weakness to fairy, ice and dragon. What resists this? Steel. We have Jirachi here as a Double Dancer who pairs well with screens, which can be used with Bolt, and it can muscle past Unaware mons.
 
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Sunny Day/Rain Dance Weavile
:sv/weavile:
Weavile @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Triple Axel
- Sunny Day/Rain Dance
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
Raging bolt's most problematic matchup is ground types, which can blank bolt's thunderclap and deal massive damage back to it. Weavile is an amazing mon against these ground types as only iron treads is neutral to ice, but is still 2hit ko'd by weavile. This allows raging bolt to spam its electric moves with more ease. It also helps that the two other types that resist electric, grass and dragon, are weak to ice. This means that the core of raging bolt and weavile can threaten a lot of mons in the tier. Ice shard even deal with boosted dragons such as dragapult or roaring moon that may be able to resist thunderclap, but are too fast for weavile to hit with a triple axel on the switch.
The key move here is sunny day/rain dance (didn't know it got both). With these moves, if you are running weather ball then raging bolt gets an extra coverage move to sting either ground or steel/grass types respectively. Even if you are not, sunny day gives raging bolt a protosynthesis boost which means booster energy is not needed as much and leftovers can be run for the added longevity.
Overall, weavile can keep up the offensive pressure for raging bolt while supporting it by either giving it a coverage move or a proto boost.
 
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FayaWizard

Amnesia
is an official Team Rater
Reserving Sunny Day weavile
Man it's always fun seeing what you can cook up

:SV/Ribombee:
Ribombee @ Focus Sash
Ability: Shield Dust
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stun Spore
- Skill Swap
- Moonblast

Raging Bolt too slow for your liking? Try Sticky Webs! For the low cost of ~50 elo, your "slow" Raging Bolt will suddenly be blitzing past threats left and right! Iron Valiant threatening your Raging Bolt? Splat! Roaring Moon staring you down with a +1 Earthquake? Bam! And so, so much more! If you order now, we'll throw in a free Paralysis with your shipment! That's right, a free Paralysis! So what are you waiting for? Buy now!

(Disclaimer: Product may not work as advertised. Please report to your doctor if you experience "Dying to Weavile TAxel", "Cinderace", or "Forgetting to Skill Swap Hatterene". Prices may vary. OU is not responsible for any accidents that may occur due to mishandling of this product.)
 
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Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 176 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Grassy Glide
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Raging Bolt pretty much immensely benefits from any steroids you give it, whether it be rain, sun, chilly support, veil, etc. Grassy Terrain Rillaboom is similarly an excellent partner, as it provides Raging Bolt with additional passive healing and neutralizes its Earthquake weakness, letting it more easily setup on foes such as Iron Treads without expending Tera. It also supports Raging bolt by threatening high damage against most of Raging Bolt's checks, namely Clodsire and Ting-Lu. In turn, Raging Bolt supports Rillaboom by sniping the birds like Zapdos, Corviknight, and Moltres, which are otherwise difficult for it to handle.
 
:sv/kingambit:
Kingambit @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head

Double priority may seem redundant and the set too classic, but it is so powerful! Kingambit and Raging Bolt form a very nice priority core, doing both a great job in endgame by exerting pressure on the opponent. Tera Flying for the Ground-type immunity (which is super effective against both Pokemon).

P.S.: thanks for having extended the deadline :)!!
 
I make another proposition if it's okay.

:sv/roaring moon:
Roaring Moon @ Choice Band
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 32 HP / 220 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Outrage
- Iron Head
- U-turn

Choice Band Roaring Moon completes Raging Bolt offensively. They form a strong wallbreaking Dragon-core (Gen 5 vibes ~~). On sun teams they do incredible damage. Knock Off can also help Raging Bolt by depriving some Pokemon of Leftovers recovery or Heavy-Duty Boots. The Choice Band set is chosen here over the Booster Energy one, for the pivoting option and for Iron Head to touch Fairy-types effectively, as both are weak to it. Tera Steel for the Fairy-resistance and the STAB on Iron Head. The spread boosts the Speed under sun, but you can run 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with a Jolly nature if you don't play a sun team.
 

FayaWizard

Amnesia
is an official Team Rater
Round 2 Voting and Highlights
:SV/Raging Bolt:

:Rillaboom: by Magcargo
Voting
:Jirachi: by NotDaProGamer
:Rillaboom: by Magcargo
:Kingambit: by Valteyek
:Roaring Moon: by Valteyek
:Jirachi:: A good idea on paper, and can certainly leverage its bulk to muscle past some Raging Bolt checks. However, stacking a Ground weakness with Raging Bolt really sucks, and it's setup fodder for Encore mons Iron Valiant and Ogerpon-Wellspring, which sucks. Still, definitely has potential and can be a good teammate when leveraged properly.
:Rillaboom:: Grassy Terrain synergizes with anything and everything, with Raging Bolt being no difference. It also really improves Raging Bolt's matchup against stall, as Tera Grass Wood Hammer smashes every single stall mon and forces a Tera easily. Good pick.
:Kingambit:: Raging Bolt's physical doppelgänger, while powerful and offering a strong option against Ice and Dragon types that would otherwise threaten Raging Bolt, unfortunately struggles with a lot of the same issues Raging Bolt does. Chiefly, Ground types like Landorus-Therian or Great Tusk, as well as pesky Encore users, especially Iron Valiant. It has some potential, but it's not my cup of tea.
:Roaring Moon:: While you might only see this combo on sun, they form a very strong offensive core. Raging Bolt threatens the rare checks that can withstand Banded Roaring Moon's attacks, mainly bulky waters like Dondozo or Alomamola, while Roaring Moon can smash the pesky Encore users that try to punish Thunderclap. Good pick, albeit slightly niche.
Clicking on minisprites links to the original post. You may vote on 2 options. Voting closes at 11:59 PM March 24th GMT-7.
(Unfortunately, we voted to exclude weather setting Weavile, as it is an unviable set. Sorry Heatranator).​
 

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