My Team Doesn't Feel Right...

[SilverJakler]

Hey, I know I've been asking for a lot of help lately, but my team just doesn't feel right. I feel like I might have to do an entire overhaul on this team because they either can't take a hit, there's too many weaknesses that they share, or don't do enough damage.

Main Team

Blaziken: Lv 57 (No matter what, I'm keeping him)

Speed Boost

Brave Bird

Hi Jump Kick

Bulk Up

Blaze Kick

Meowstic: Lv 50

Infiltrator

Fake Out

Future Sight

Signal Beam

Psychic

Zoroark: Lv 52 (Keeping him too)

Illusion (which doesn't work )

Rock Smash

Night Daze

Cut

Night Slash

Golem: Lv 52

Sand Veil

Earthquake

Stealth Rock

Rock Blast

Strength

Barbaracle: Lv 53

Tough Claws

Razor Shell

Night Slash

Stone Edge

Shell Smash

Crobat: Lv 53 (Would also like to keep)

Inner Focus

Confuse Ray

Haze

Cross Poison

Acrobatics

Reserves

Granbull: Lv 37

Rattled

Rock Smash

Bite

Outrage

Headbutt

Cofagrigus: Lv 38

Mummy

Hex

Will-O-Wisp

Shadow Ball

Power Split

Exploud: Lv 41

Scrappy

Crunch

Boomburst

Stomp

Supersonic

Rotom: Lv 31

Levitate

Thunder Wave

Shadow Ball

Double Team

Shock Wave

Metang: Lv 31 (His IVs in everything but Attack and Defense are terrible, plus I missed the Ditto event)

Clear Body

Pursuit

Confusion

Metal Claw

Strength

If you guys could give me some suggestions about what to do, who use/replace, or anything else please let me know.

Edited November 6, 2014 by SilverJakler

[Etesian]

Just to clear something up, IVs really don't matter much. The difference between the best and worst IVs for a stat is 31. In contrast, a + Nature and a Neutral nature have a 25-ish point difference between them, EVs (if you EV train, though it's not necessary) give about 70. So really, who cares. And the "Ditto event" is the one in the factory, correct? If so, you'll sorta-soon get another chance to get it.

But to address the issue at hand, Meowstic, Zoroark (yes, I was what you wrote) and Golem could really go now. They've outlived their usefulness.

Anyways, you're missing out on a great opportunity by not giving Blaziken Baton Pass, just check Bulbapedia to see what can be used to get it BP. But, If you go back to E12 or earlier (but back-up your save first), you can breed Drilbur/Farfetch'd/Zangoose>Mawile>Blaziken to get it BP and Swords Dance as well, though Bulk Up can do the job as well.

Whether you'll keep Night Slash on Barbaracle or give it Cross Chop is up to you, but keep in mind that the Psychic and Ghost gyms have both been beaten already. Also, Lens. Stone Edge and Cross Chop/Night Slash both(?) have a +1 crit rate. If you add a Scope Lens on top of that, that's 2 moves with a 50% crit rate each. Razor Shell also doesn't make contact, so you could even give it Sniper instead of Tough Claws.

Or give it Wide Lens. So far, only wild Yanma can get us those, but those things boost moves' accuracy by 10%, so Stone Edge (and Cross Chop?) would have 88% accuracy instead of 80%. It's something.

Special Crobat is best Crobat. Nasty Plot, courtesy of Honchkrow, Air Slash, HP Poison for STAB #2, Shadow Ball/Dark Pulse (soon) TM. There's also a Black Sludge on a container in the Wasteland, search around the forums or run around with the Item Finder to get the thing.

I'd still say to just scrap Zoroark, but if you have to keep it, give it Extrasensory, keep Night Daze, some Hidden Power (Fighting would be neat) and Sucker Punch. Nasty Plot is an option as well, but with that "bulk", you won't get to set it up 90% of the time. You also get TM35 Flamethrower at the end of E13, which Zoroark learns.

Now, you could add a Durant. It's (almost-)unique Hustle ability essentially gives it a 190 Base Attack Stat. Iron Head and X-Scissor are obvious STAB moves, Dig is great coverage. The fourth move can be Hone Claws (E12- Skorupi), Rock Slide (E12- Shuckle or Dwebble(soon)), Thunder Fang (Drapion) or Crunch.

Next, utilize Blaziken.

1)You could bring that Granbull out, it would be a great, but only if you pass it some buffs from Blaziken. Play Rough, Outrage, Crunch, Double-Edge works out, I guess.

2)Krookodile is also a very good option as well. Outrage, Earthquake, Crunch, Double-Edge. It also gets Moxie.

3)Scrafty would be great to utilize those buffs. High Jump Kick and Crunch as STABs, Ice Punch from Hitmonchan>Buneary>Scraggy. The fourth move could be Dragon Dance as back-up-buffing in case Blaziken falls, or Fire/Thunder Punch, gotten the same way as Ice Punch. Just give it 2 speed boost, even if you don't give it any Attack, it has Moxie.

6th, either keep that Zoroark (eh...) or add something like...a Grass type.

Leavanny has a great niche in having access to Sticky Web (technically, only Sewaddle does, at level 31. Swadloon/Leavanny don't learn it, so you'd have to hold off on evolving it. It can also use Blaziken's Buffs.

Although Sleep was nerfed this gen to last only 1-3 turns, Lilligant's QD set still works. Sleep Powder, Quiver Dance, Petal Dance/Energy Ball, HP Rock (Rock covers all of Grass' weaknesses except for Poison).

Gogoat can also take advantage of Blaziken, but it's own set of Bulk Up, Aerial Ace/Brick Break (BB TM soon), Earthquake and Leaf Blade/Horn Leech is quite effective as well.

[SilverJakler]

I haven't actually beat Radomus yet, I only got to the Castle his Gym is at, so I'll keep Night Slash on Barbaracle.

It's gonna hurt to let them go, but I have been planning to bench Golem and Meowstic for a while. I think I'll replace Zoroark as well, but after Radomus is beaten.

Krookodile has always been a Pokemon I've wanted to use in my Pokemon campaigns, but I never got the chance to. So, he'll most likely take Zoroark's place as my Dark Type and my Ground Type.

I think I'll keep Crobat as is because she isn't really a problem right now. Her Acrobatics and Cross Poison are godlike and help me sweep through anything that doesn't resist it.

I've also been meaning to get a Grass Type in the mix as well, and I'm really feeling that Gogoat is the guy for the job.

Meowstic is gonna get replaced by Metagross now.

Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it. I've just been going through the game again and I've noticed that I've been having an increasingly difficult time beating the Gym Leaders and such. My team last time made it a lot easier, especially when I got that Noivern. I was also thinking of adding in Elekid into my team when I finish Ep. 13, but that's further down the road.

For now I think I'll go get those 3 up to speed.

[ShadowDefender]

^^^^^^^^ you know, I can't add anything more than what has been said. I'm emphasizing one thing. If you're wanting bulk, a sleep seed set on a Venusaur(have to go back to episode 12) works quite well. Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Petal dance/Energy Ball(breeding), HP Rock.

Like Etesian said, Lilligant's QD set also works.

I'd train that Metang up though. Sort of a Standard set on Metagross would work. Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch(for priority), ZenHeadbutt, Hammer Arm/EQ(TM isn't available.....yet)

I'd also look for another Special attacker, preferably elecrtic. Since Rotom's other forms are not yet in the game, I would go with Jolteon.

[AnimeFg]

Another good special attacker would be Alakazam, it's one of my favorites because it gets calm mind and psychic naturally, and also learns shadow ball and charge beam/HP through tm.