Introduction to Competitive Battling

Common Team Types

Some of the most straightforward Pokémon teams are:

• Offensive
• Defensive
• Reactionary

Offensive teams are swift, strong and sometimes fragile, and hope to knock out their enemy before he or she can set-up. They often feature a strong leading twosome that support each other; the other four Pokémon provide coverage the twosome does not. Controlling momentum is essential for these teams. These teams are simple to run, but often fail when countered.

Defensive teams stall their enemies until status effects, hazards or PP-stalling wins the day. These teams usually have all sturdy Pokémon who check each other's weaknesses and allow safe switching. They also usually have Pokémon who can lay entry hazards, inflict status conditions and heal. The time limit and Team Preview has hampered the strength of these teams.

Reactionary teams respond to an opponent, rather than control the match. They feature Pokémon who counter the most popular threats around.

Common Team Roles

Lead

Leads go into battle first. They are usually swift enough to move first, or bulky enough to take a hit. A lead might try to:

• Attack early, scoring a KO or inflicting some status
• Set up entry hazards, such as Stealth Rock
• Set up win conditions, like Trick Room or Tailwind
• Taunt the enemy lead to prevent it from laying hazards
• Absorb status conditions from the enemy lead
• Self-murder to wreak last-minute damage

Attackers

Attackers, such as Sweepers and Tanks, specialize in knocking out their enemy using either special or physical attacks. Attackers can:

• Wreak lots of damage quickly against many Pokémon
• Kill common Walls
• Quickly switch in and kill an enemy attacker
• Prevent enemies from switching out
• Slowly kill enemies using attacks like Leech Seed or Toxic
• Steal momentum from enemies by inflicting confusion, attraction or paralysis; raising evasion; or lowering accuracy

Wall

Walls soak up damage using their high defense or special defense and HP. Walls usually can:

• Inflict gradual damage with Toxic, and then wait out the enemy
• Heal themselves
• Use one attacking move, in case they are Taunted
• Fight through status conditions, such as sleep
• Force enemies to switch out, using moves like Whirlwind or Roar

Support

Supporters specialize in things other than attacking and walling. Some common supporter roles are:

• Setting up entry hazards, such as Spikes, Toxic Spikes or Stealth Rocks
• Clearing entry hazards, using Rapid Spin or Defog
• Preventing enemies from clearing your entry hazards
• Setting up stat boosts, and maybe passing them on using Baton Pass
• Removing or preventing enemy stat boosts, using moves like Haze or Taunt
• Setting up Light Screen, Wish or Reflect, and maybe passing it on
• Acting as a pivot between two other Pokémon
• Setting up win conditions, such as Trick Room or Tailwind

Common Items

Rocky Helmet

This item, when attached to a Pokémon, causes the attacker to receive recoil should they make a Physical hit.

Eviolite

This item, when attached to a Pokémon that is capable of evolution, will boost the Pokémon's Defense and Special Defense by 50%

Assault Vest

When held by a Pokémon, it increases the Sp. Defense stat by 50% but requires the Pokémon to only use damaging attacks.

Focus Sash

When this item is held by a Pokémon, if the Pokémon has full HP but is hit by an attack that would knock it out, this item prevents the holder from fainting and keeps it at 1HP. The Focus Sash disappears after use.

Choice Specs

When this item is being held, the user's Special Attack is increased by 50%, but the Pokémon is limited to using the first attack it uses until it is withdrawn from battle.

Choice Scarf

When this item is being held, the user's Speed is increased by 50%, but the Pokémon is limited to using the first attack it uses until it is withdrawn from battle.

Choice Band

When this item is being held, the user's Attack is increased by 50%, but the Pokémon is limited to using the first attack it uses until it is withdrawn from battle.

Life Orb

When this item is held by a Pokémon, the damage from the moves used by the holder is increased by 30%. The holder loses 10% of their maximum HP each turn.

Leftovers

When this item is held, at the end of every turn, the holder regains 1/16th of their maximum HP.

Air Balloon

This item, when attached to a Pokémon, causes it to be immune from Ground-type attacks and entry hazards.

Bright Powder

This hold item raises the holder's evasion by 10%

Lum Berry

Cures any status condition.

Shuca Berry

Reduces damage received by a super-effective ground attack by 50%

Yache Berry

Reduces damage received by a super-effective ice attack by 50%

Chesto Berry

Cures sleep

Status Ailments

Burn

Reduces HP by 1/8 at the end of every turn. Halves Attack stat.
Moves: Will-o-Wisp (100%; 85%); Scald (30%; 100%)

Freeze

Prevents frozen Pokémon from using moves all moves except  Fusion Flare, Flame Wheel, Sacred Fire, Flare Blitz and Scald.
Moves: Ice Beam (10%; 100%)

Paralysis

Prevents Pokémon from attacking 25% of the time. Reduces Speed by 25%.
Moves: Glare (100%; 100%); Nuzzle (100%; 100%); Thunder Wave (100%; 100%)

Poison (Specifically bad poison)

Badly-poisoned Pokémon loose 1/16 of maximum HP at the end of the first turn they are poisoned. Every subsequent turn, unless interrupted by switching out, the damage increases by 1/16 of maximum HP (1/16; 1/8; 3/16; 1/4; asf.). If a badly-poisoned Pokémon switches out, the damage ration resets to 1/16 of maximum HP.
Moves: Toxic (100%; 90%); Toxic Spikes (entry hazard; must be used twice)

Sleep

Prevents attacking for up to three turns, except for Sleep Talk and Snore.
Moves: Dark Void (100%; 80%); Grass Whistle (100%; 55%); Spore (100%; 100%);

Confusion

Causes a Pokémon to hurt itself with a 40-power typeless attack half the time it chooses to attack. Confusion lasts up to four turns.
Moves: Confuse Ray (100%; 100%); Teeter Dance (100%; 100%); Swagger (100%; 90%); Dynamic Punch (100%; 50%)

Curse

Immediately damages Ghost-type user by half its maximum HP (rounded down); the cursed foe loses a quarter of its maximum HP and the end of every following turn until it faints or switches out.

Embargo

Prevents the foe from using items, and the trainer from using items on the foe, for five turns. This also prevents Fling.

Encore

Forces the foe to repeat its last move for three turns.

Flinch

Prevents the foe from attacking, but only if the flinch-causing move hits first. King's Rock and Razor Fang give damaging moves without a flinch chance a 10% flinch 

Moves: Fake Out (100%; 100%; must be user's first turn); 

Attract

Prevents attacking half the time.

Partial Trap

Damages the trapped Pokémon for 1/8 of its maximum HP at the end of the turn, for four-to-five turns.

Moves: Infestation (100%; 100%); Wrap (100%; 90%)

Perish Song

All Pokémon without Soundproof who hear the song will faint in three turns. Switching out cancels this effect.

Leech Seed

Damages the foe for 1/8 its maximum HP, and heals the user for the same amount. Grass-type Pokémon cannot be seeded.

Taunt

Prevents using non-damaging moves for three turns.

Torment

Prevents using the same move twice in a row. Pokémon who can use only one move, either because of PP or Choice items, will use Struggle every other turn.

Trapped

Prevents non-Ghost-type Pokémon from switching out.

Moves: Mean Look (100%; 100%); Spider Web (100%; 100%)

Stat Stages

Stat stages range from -6 to +6. The multiplier for a stat begins at 2/2 (1). One stat increase increments the numerator by one; one decrease increments the denominator by one. So:

[-2] 2/4 (0.5)  

[-1] 2/3 (0.67)

[0]  2/2 (1)

[+1] 3/2 (1.5)

[+2] 4/2 (2) 

... and so on.

Moves that cause a stat to rise or lower change the stage by one; moves that "sharply" raise or lower do so by two.

Weather

Weather effects are created by moves and abilities. The four conditions are sunshine, rain, hail and sandstorm. 

Sunshine

Created by Sunny Day move, or Drought ability, sunshine:

• Increases Fire-type move base power by 50%
• Decreases Water-type move base power by 50% (100% in Harsh Sunlight)
• Allows Solar Beam without charging
• Reduces accuracy of Thunder to 50%
• Reduces accuracy of Hurricane to 50%
• Causes Synthesis, Morning Sun and Moonlight to recover 66% of user's HP
• Cause Growth to raise Attack by an extra stage
• Raises the Speed of Pokémon with Chlorophyll
• Causes Leaf Guard to protect user from status ailments
• Raises Special Attack, but lowers HP, of Pokémon with Solar Power

Rain

Created by Rain Dance move, or Drizzle ability, rain:

• Increases Water-type move base power by 50%
• Decreases Fire-type move base power by 50% (100% in Heavy Rain)
• Requires Solar Beam to charge for two turns
• Increases accuracy of Thunder to 100%
• Increases accuracy of Hurricane to 100%
• Causes Synthesis, Morning Sun and Moonlight to recover 25% of user's HP
• Causes Pokémon with Hydration to cure all status ailments
• Raises Speed of Pokémon with Swift Swim
• Heals Pokémon with Rain Dish for 1/16 of maximum HP each turn

Hail

Created by move Hail or the Snowing Warning ability, hail:

• Damages non-Ice-type Pokémon at the end of each turn
• Increases Blizzard's accuracy to 100%
• Causes Synthesis, Morning Sun and Moonlight to recover 25% of user's HP
• Heals Pokémon with Ice Body for 1/16 of maximum HP each turn

Sandstorm

Caused by the move Sandstorm or the Sandstream ability, a sandstorm:

• Damages non-Rock, Ground or Steel-type Pokémon at the end of each turn
• Increases Rock-type Pokémon's Special Defense by 50%
• Causes Synthesis, Morning Sun and Moonlight to recover 25% of user's HP
• Boosts the Evasion of Pokémon with Sand Viel by 20%
• Doubles the Speed of Pokémon with Sand Rush
• Increases by one stage the base strength of Ground, Steel or Rock-type moves

Usually, these conditions last for five turns, but some items increase the duration to eight turn. They are:

Damp Rock; Rain

Heat Rock; Sun

Icy Rock; Hail

Smooth Rock; Sandstorm