Ask a Question Thread - READ FIRST POST

[Superpower22]

What is the percentage of picking up an ally's item in a double battle with pickup?

[Samboelrod]

I think it's 100%

[Superpower22]

Thank you! Now to build a doubles team around 2 pickup ambipoms...

[winghug]

Hello-
I am completely new to competitive battling. I am considering placing a Jolteon on my team (just evolved from Eevee, lv 1, no training yet). My Jolteon has a careful nature. Is there potential for this pokemon to be a good competitive team member? Does anyone have some tips for me to make this specific pokemon the best that it can be for these kinds of battles? Any advice is much appreciated!

[Zachmac]

Hello-
I am completely new to competitive battling. I am considering placing a Jolteon on my team (just evolved from Eevee, lv 1, no training yet). My Jolteon has a careful nature. Is there potential for this pokemon to be a good competitive team member? Does anyone have some tips for me to make this specific pokemon the best that it can be for these kinds of battles? Any advice is much appreciated!

Careful is a nature that lowers special attack, which is absolutely awful for a pokemon who's only real nice is as a specially offensive pokemon.

Try and breed more eevees until you get one with a modest, mild, timid, or hasty nature.

[redcharzard]

Hello-
I am completely new to competitive battling. I am considering placing a Jolteon on my team (just evolved from Eevee, lv 1, no training yet). My Jolteon has a careful nature. Is there potential for this pokemon to be a good competitive team member? Does anyone have some tips for me to make this specific pokemon the best that it can be for these kinds of battles? Any advice is much appreciated!

You really need Timid or modest and Timid is perfered Jolteon is mainly used for it electric immunity, it speed, and it s.atk. at top speed I think it ties with Crobat and Mewtwo which means unless the opponent is boosted or using Choice scarf Jolteon well most likely outrun them. Timid is the best nature as it allows Jolteon to reach top speed.

My Jolteon has Hidden power(ice 68-69 power so not bad) Thunderbolt, Wish(egg move may remove it), and Baton pass(only Eevee learns it but may remove for Volt switch or Signal beam.) It also has max hp, speed, and s.atk IVs and its EVs are 6 hp 252 s.atk and 252 speed so it reachs its tops speed its top neutral special attack and has decent hp.

If you going to use a Jolteon try to get it close to that although max hp IVs are not required(just got very lucky thanks to my male vulpix with max IVs in everything but atk and def and def has 30 IVs ) and hidden power is a pain to get unless you lucky.

Jolteon
Nature: Timid
Ability: Volt absorb
Item: Life orb/Leftovers/Expert belt
Move:
-Volt switch(Just a good move and works well on Volt turn team)
-Thunderbolt/thunder(main stab attacks. thunder in rain)
-Signal beam/substitute/Rain dance(Signal beam for coverage, Substitute for when you force a opponent out to try to 2 hit ko a counter, and Rain dance for a 2nd way to start rain on a rain team)
-Shadow ball/Substitute/Rain dance/Hidden power(Shadow ball for coverage, Hidden power Ice at 66-70 gives you the best coverage but difficult to get)

[Gothic-Gothorita]

You really need Timid or modest and Timid is perfered Jolteon is mainly used for it electric immunity, it speed, and it s.atk. at top speed I think it ties with Crobat and Mewtwo which means unless the opponent is boosted or using Choice scarf Jolteon well most likely outrun them. Timid is the best nature as it allows Jolteon to reach top speed.

My Jolteon has Hidden power(ice 68-69 power so not bad) Thunderbolt, Wish(egg move may remove it), and Baton pass(only Eevee learns it but may remove for Volt switch or Signal beam.) It also has max hp, speed, and s.atk IVs and its EVs are 6 hp 252 s.atk and 252 speed so it reachs its tops speed its top neutral special attack and has decent hp.

If you going to use a Jolteon try to get it close to that although max hp IVs are not required(just got very lucky thanks to my male vulpix with max IVs in everything but atk and def and def has 30 IVs ) and hidden power is a pain to get unless you lucky.

Jolteon
Nature: Timid
Ability: Volt absorb
Item: Life orb/Leftovers/Expert belt
Move:
-Volt switch(Just a good move and works well on Volt turn team)
-Thunderbolt/thunder(main stab attacks. thunder in rain)
-Signal beam/substitute/Rain dance(Signal beam for coverage, Substitute for when you force a opponent out to try to 2 hit ko a counter, and Rain dance for a 2nd way to start rain on a rain team)
-Shadow ball/Substitute/Rain dance/Hidden power(Shadow ball for coverage, Hidden power Ice at 66-70 gives you the best coverage but difficult to get)

I know Timid or Modest would be better but just a totally random question: Could ye possibly make a decent competitive set with a Careful Nature? Or does it just totally not fit with Jolteon?

[YourPermanentRecord631]

Jolteon is too frail to go Careful plus you lose sp attack which is precious for the Eevo.

[OceanicLanturn]

I know Timid or Modest would be better but just a totally random question: Could ye possibly make a decent competitive set with a Careful Nature? Or does it just totally not fit with Jolteon?

It only has 60 base attack though. I mean, it's special attack is still usable and all but running a -atk would be more suitable.

But a Careful hippowdon? Now THAT's a different story.

EDIT: Yeah, it's also quite frail, spekaing of which.

[a cat]

Would Ampharos fit onto my team?

I have a Ferrothorn, Volcarona, Swampert, Gengar, and Garchamp.

[Summonight]

Would Ampharos fit onto my team?

I have a Ferrothorn, Volcarona, Swampert, Gengar, and Garchamp.

Well if this is ingame, sure. But if this is for competitive, not really. I mean, it could work, but not well. Earthquake is a common move in OU, and very few electrics can find a way around all these ground type moves. I'd seriously suggest using Jolteon or Thundurus-T. Or if you want a more defensive Pokemon, try Magnezone. Ampharos is just too slow to retaliate with HP ICE/GRASS in time like Jolteon and Thundurus-T.

[Ansem1013]

Not sure if this is the place to ask this, but I'm currently breeding Magnemites and I'm wondering if this one is worth keeping:

Magnemite
Modest
Magnet Pull
10-11/31/31/31/18-19/28-29
Hidden Power Ice, Power 64

So, should I keep breeding Magnemite, or is this one worth keeping? The IV stat for HP is what bothers me the most, but the Hidden Power and how long this particular pokemon has been taking me to get is making me consider keeping this one . . .

[Summonight]

Now this has baffled me for awhile. Of course you know Latios and Latias, two very threatening OU dragons. I was looking at the BW OU Threat List on Smogon today, and up there was Latias. I was fine with that, Latias is a very powerful dragon with awesome special bulk. I kept scrolling, scrolling, scrolling...What? No Latios? So why is Latias considered a more dangerous dragon than Latios?

Is it because of Latias's calm-mind set? I'd like to know because if anything, I could replace my Latios for a Latias and start winning more battles!

[OceanicLanturn]

I've been having this question for a long time, awhile ago, I heard from somewhere (not sure where) that Forretress was no longer very useful in the current OU Metagame as it was used to be.

Is this statement true, and if it was, why? It's not like Keldeo outright kill it or something... Or does it?

[Dragonicwari]

Not sure if this is the place to ask this, but I'm currently breeding Magnemites and I'm wondering if this one is worth keeping:

Magnemite
Modest
Magnet Pull
10-11/31/31/31/18-19/28-29
Hidden Power Ice, Power 64

So, should I keep breeding Magnemite, or is this one worth keeping? The IV stat for HP is what bothers me the most, but the Hidden Power and how long this particular pokemon has been taking me to get is making me consider keeping this one . . .

It's definitely useable, my question is how much of a perfectionist are you?

Now this has baffled me for awhile. Of course you know Latios and Latias, two very threatening OU dragons. I was looking at the BW OU Threat List on Smogon today, and up there was Latias. I was fine with that, Latias is a very powerful dragon with awesome special bulk. I kept scrolling, scrolling, scrolling...What? No Latios? So why is Latias considered a more dangerous dragon than Latios?

Is it because of Latias's calm-mind set? I'd like to know because if anything, I could replace my Latios for a Latias and start winning more battles!

It depends on how you want to use it really, do you want an all out attacker (latios) or something a little bulkier but hits softer (latias). In reality unless your running an all out offense latias will probably be your better bet every time, as it can run everything latios can but with more bulk or a cleric set with wish. She can also phase fairly effectively, so it's just a matter of what your team needs.

I've been having this question for a long time, awhile ago, I heard from somewhere (not sure where) that Forretress was no longer very useful in the current OU Metagame as it was used to be.

Is this statement true, and if it was, why? It's not like Keldeo outright kill it or something... Or does it?

If you want I can do the calcs, but Forre was a lot more useful in the older meta games IMO because they were more stall based. So having more hazards on one mon saved you moves on others. Another reason why Forre isn't as liked now is it is set up bait for a LOT of Pokemon, and honestly it just can't hit hard. Forre also is a lot less durable thanks to th power creep that came with the 5th gen.

[redcharzard]

I know Timid or Modest would be better but just a totally random question: Could ye possibly make a decent competitive set with a Careful Nature? Or does it just totally not fit with Jolteon?

If you can get any male pokemon(or a Ditto) that can breed with Eevee and with a timid or modest nature(Ditto is really useful for this) then give the male pokemon(or Ditto) an everstone breed it with a female Eevee and you have a 50% chance on white or black or a 100% chance on white 2 or black 2 to pass down the nature.

[Dracia]

Um... Where to start? The whole thing seems so complicated. Tiers, metagame, sets...

[ChaosBlizzard]

Um... Where to start? The whole thing seems so complicated. Tiers, metagame, sets...

Here and here. Both are excellent resources for general learning about competitive structure. If you have specific questions, you can use this thread, or 95% of the time find an answer here.

[The Mysterious Stranger]

I've been having this question for a long time, awhile ago, I heard from somewhere (not sure where) that Forretress was no longer very useful in the current OU Metagame as it was used to be.

Is this statement true, and if it was, why? It's not like Keldeo outright kill it or something... Or does it?

imo, it depends what you're looking for. Personally, I don't like Forretress much because I prefer a more offensive play style. Sometimes I use it just because I need a spinner and a dragon resist. So I think it more depends how you're using Forretress, and the amount of skill with which you use it.

[Zachmac]

imo, it depends what you're looking for. Personally, I don't like Forretress much because I prefer a more offensive play style. Sometimes I use it just because I need a spinner and a dragon resist. So I think it more depends how you're using Forretress, and the amount of skill with which you use it.

Actually, Forretress isn't all that good on defensive teams either. I believe the only place it really shines now in days is support in volt turn teams. They cause a lot of swaps outs, and swap out a lot themselves, so it's always good for them to maintain the advantage as for as hazards go.

Defensive teams rely a lot on entry hazards, and putting them all onto one pokemon is too risky, especially with hidden power running around. It's more effective to spread the hazards out among your teammates.