2025 gimmicks/sets - part 1

 Here's a bunch of stupid gimmicks that I've come up with over the last year or so, in no particular order of viability/discovery

I have way more, I'm just taking too long to write them all so I'll release in smaller chunks

Dragonite @ Choice Band  

Ability: Inner Focus  

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe  

Adamant Nature  

- Outrage  

- Superpower  

- Extreme Speed  

- Fire Punch

I might do a bit more of a deeper dive on double or even triple Dragon structures a bit later if I ever work up the motivation (questionable). For now, let's talk about CB Dragonite.

I've written a paragraph about Dragonite before, but this is a different idea. The thing about Dragonite is that it like about 90% outclassed by not only one, but two Dragon-types in DPP Ubers (Rayquaza and Salamence), so you really need to hone in on what Dragonite has over the other two. Agility and subtle movepool advantages are the only things that it really has over both, but if you want to use it in a double-Dragon team, then you have a few more advantages over Salamence you can use (and keep Rayquaza). The one here is its ability to speed check because of access to Extreme Speed. I'd normally couple this with like DD Ray so you're not both totally beaten by both Scarf Dialga.

You might be wondering why not just use CB Ray and DD Mence - the main advantage is that DD Ray also has access to Espeed so you have 2 sets of speed control instead of one, and it's a bit better defensively as a result. Having some other movepool options like Fire Punch and Superpower are cool too, but don't really add a huge deal. The idea is just to send this in, click Outrage to soften a check or two (like Bronzong) and then send in DD Ray to win. Kind of.

Arceus-Wat (Vaporeon) @ Leftovers  

Ability: Water Absorb  

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD  

Bold Nature  

IVs: 0 Atk  

- Wish  

- Protect  

- Roar  

- Heal Bell / Toxic

Vaporeon is cool because you can take advantage of the CM/Twave Kyogres that are more common these days because you utter wall them. Pair this with Groudon and you really make it hard for Kyogre to make much progress - they really have to be non-Choiced and go for 50/50 Thunders to get past this.

There are actually 2 ways to EV this, seeing as you're probably using this on sun balance. The two threats you really want to have a handle on is Kyogre or Ho-oh. Unfortunately, you really need to fully in invest in SpD or Def to check either properly - ScarfOgre does too much with Thunder without full SpD investment and you can't avoid getting 2HKOed by Ho-oh without full Def investment. This should reflect your team - if you're doing like a Heatran team then SpD is better on Vappy because Kyogre is a bigger threat than Ho-oh, while if you're using Blissey and stuff then Def is probably better. You still lose to the new and annoying Sub/CM Ho-oh though.

This might be a decent addition to Hariyama lead teams since it can take on both Ho-oh and Kyogre - run with sun I guess because lead Ogres still use Thunder and use with Def investment.

Kyogre @ Leftovers  

Ability: Drizzle  

EVs: 240 HP / 236 SpD / 32 Spe  

Calm Nature  

IVs: 0 Atk  

- Calm Mind  

- Surf  

- Ice Beam  

- Thunder Wave / Roar

BW players know how ridiculously specially tanky Kyogre is. When you're fully (or near fully invested in SpD), you take stupidly little from opposing Thunder. Here's some calcs:

252 SpA Soul Dew Latios Thunder vs. +1 240 HP / 236 SpD Kyogre: 166-196 (41.3 - 48.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

120 SpA Soul Dew Latias Thunder vs. +1 240 HP / 236 SpD Kyogre: 132-156 (32.9 - 38.9%) -- 5.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Palkia Thunder vs. +1 240 HP / 236 SpD Kyogre: 124-146 (30.9 - 36.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

0 SpA Dialga Thunder vs. +1 240 HP / 236 SpD Kyogre: 104-124 (25.9 - 30.9%) -- 4.6% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

As you can see, Latios is probably the only thing that's doing anything close to meaningful damage. Thunder paralysis is still annoying, but you tank all of these easily and get an easy Twave off in return. Latios you can just straight up 2HKO with +1 Ice Beam when they're 3HKOing you.

The option between Twave and Roar is an interesting one. On one hand, Twave is broken as fuck and basically invalidates all of its non-Blissey checks except one - SpD Dialga (even then if you get lucky af you can still beat this). This is where Roar gets you the upper hand. You can bait in a Thunder and when they see they're doing like nothing they'll try and Roar you out, only for you to Roar them out first. If Spikes are up they're really screwed. That being said, they can still paralyse you with Thunder then you're still owned :(

Hello There (Dugtrio) @ Choice Band  

Ability: Arena Trap  

EVs: 216 Atk / 80 SpD / 212 Spe  

Adamant Nature  

- Earthquake  

- Toxic  

- Reversal  

- Stone Edge

This thing is so underwhelming, but if played correctly, does have some merit. The main mission for this shit mon is to eliminate Blissey and/or SpD Dialga, or at the very least severe damage in the case of SpD Dialga. The EVs let you live a 0 SpA Dragon Pulse from Dialga, although the other way to EV is to use 72 HP so you don't get 2HKOed by Stoss from Blissey after Spikes (LOL?). Toxic Spikes absorption is ideal too (so probably run Qwilfish or something) because if they're up then Blissey can actually just Softboiled stall you to death unless you land a crit on it.

Your goal is then to try and take advantage of this key removal of Blissey or Dialga. The most obvious team that comes to mind is just rain special offense since those teams generally hate both of those things - stack CM Ogre, Kingdra, special Mewtwo and go ham after that. You just need to remember you're essentially playing 5-6 because Duggy doesn't really count as a Pokemon.

I got about 6 more mons/sets that I want to showcase, it's just I'm taking way too long and may as well publish something rather than wait forever to see if I can finish the rest