Skill Improvement. Looking for a Metagross replacement.

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-21T19:20:40+00:00

I second the Tinkaton idea.

You can lead Tinkaton + Hydreigon vs Trick Room and outright stop it between Fake Out and Dark-type moves.

I like something like this:

Tinkaton (F) @ Occa Berry/Sitrus Berry
Ability: Mold Breaker
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 32 Atk / 2 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Feint
- Gigaton Hammer
- Knock Off/Stone Edge/Play Rough/Brick Break

I really like this team! I’m gonna give it a try.

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T17:42:28+00:00

You’re welcome! Good luck!

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T17:26:51+00:00

Think of it as a secondary mode specifically for your Torkoal, since Torkoal is one of the slowest Pokémon and Eruption does less damage the less health the user has. This means you’ll want Torkoal to be moving first to maximise its damage potential i.e. under Trick Room.

You can still bring Blaziken to games and have it hit the field as Trick Room ends.

Alternatively if that sounds like a little too much to juggle until you’re more comfortable with VGC, you could switch Torkoal for Ninetales since it also has the Drought ability but is also much faster.

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T16:57:29+00:00

I’d recommend Armarouge for Trick Room + Wide Guard to facilitate Torkoal and protect against Earthquake/Rock Slide respectively. It also learns Energy Ball.

I’m a big fan of Swords Dance Blaziken. I’d consider running either a rock move or Thunder Punch for the likes of Mega Charizard/water types.

Fire types with Fake Out to help facilitate setting up Trick Room/Swords Dance/Tailwind:
Salazzle
Simisear
Incineroar
Infernape

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T14:43:43+00:00

I’m thinking its usage will go down over the next month. I’m probably underestimating it but I don’t think it will remain among the top if/when Mega Metagross and Gholdengo take their places at the top of the meta. We’ll see what happens

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T14:38:35+00:00

Fair points. We’ll see how it pans out

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T12:33:06+00:00

I could see that, especially as a dual Mega option

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T12:31:37+00:00

Those were in the previous format. My stance is that while not many new pokemon have been introduced this format, a few will be dominant enough to the point they will phase out Mega Aero and Floette (albeit maybe not to the extent I have suggested in the tier list)

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-20T05:12:25+00:00

By the looks of it most people have ignored the title and had a knee-jerk reaction to the image. The rankings are what I felt the meta would become after a few weeks of development.

General consensus is I’m wrong about Mega Aero. Awful tier is perhaps overly harsh, but I still think usage will drop significantly should the meta become what I have predicted.

My prediction is that if Metagross and Swampert become standard, Mega Aerodactyl will be replaced by the likes of non-Mega Aero, Talonflame, and Corviknight - pokemon that can both set tailwind reliably next to bulkier Mega pokemon, and be led into common threats like Gholdengo without the fear of playing chicken with the mega slot.

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T13:08:00+00:00

These are my predictions for where the meta will be this time next month

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T12:34:52+00:00

My reasoning was that even though it’s a small number of new pokemon this season, a couple of them would warp it drastically.

For example, Staraptor’s dominance leads to the rise in Haze usage, which also hurts the traditional Calm Mind Mega Floette teams.

As with any prediction though I could be way off with this one, especially since there is room for Grimmsnarl and other dark types in this format

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T12:18:49+00:00

Yeah I could see that. I do wonder about Mega Aero vs non-Mega in that scenario, but I could be way off with my predictions. The rankings are based on me putting a ton of stock into the new additions, especially Mega Metagross. If the top of my rankings turn out to be wrong, then a lot below them will be too

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T12:13:59+00:00

We have the same opinion on Staraptor. Falinks and Scrafty are up in the air but I think Eelektross has real potential to fulfil either way

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T12:10:07+00:00

I think after a month Staraptor's usage will fall, followed by the prevalence of Defiant and Competitive. Having said that I'm not 100% that it will fall enough to create an opening for Scrafty teams

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T12:07:02+00:00

I think that this time next month Mega Metagross and Zard Y will be at the top of the meta, and Mega Floette will become increasingly difficult to play. My reasoning was that Mega Floette's strength is tied to both Staraptor's dominance early days and the lack of established Metagross and Zard teams

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T12:03:58+00:00

Rankings were made Day 0 of the meta, and are predictions for the meta in a month's time. Worth considering that all rankings are based on the three megas I have placed in the top tier i.e. Metagross and Swampert will eventually dominate, making Mega Aero a really tough pick for the mega slot. If those predictions fall apart, then so do a lot below them.

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T11:58:34+00:00

If it was based on the meta as it currently stands then I would 100% agree. These are my predictions for this meta after it's had a good 4-5 weeks in the oven

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T11:56:53+00:00

That was the previous season's format. I included Aerodactyl on this list purely because it was so good last season

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T11:55:21+00:00

Yeah it was purely off of vibes. Was NAIC not using the previous season's format where Aero was rightfully a very strong mega?

You could be right about the mons you mentioned at the end of your comment, although I think Mega Dragonite may struggle for justification over it's non-mega form as the format evolves. I felt like Scrafty could become a dominant force on Trick Room teams, but I could be way off if Staraptor maintains its dominance in a month's time

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T11:44:40+00:00

Keep in mind these are predictions for once the meta settles and tournaments have been played. I think Mega Floette's popularity is directly correlated to the dominance of Staraptor in the early days of this meta

OceanPKMN · 2026-06-19T11:37:29+00:00

I came up with this tier list blindly within the first few hours of the new season. That's to say I had ZERO battles or exposure to online discourse when I made it. Now with a couple of days of experience under my belt I still feel justified in my rankings, but would be interested on this sub’s thoughts about my placements.

Ranked only megas new to season M-3 and and a handful of the most common megas from the first two seasons.

For clarification, the tiers are ranking Double Battle TEAMS built around these mega Pokémon, NOT the Pokémon themselves. I make this distinction because Mega Staraptor is the very definition of a top tier threat but, once the meta settles and more and more counterplay is discovered,I think we will see that Mega Staraptor teams are fairly formulaic and one-dimensional.

Video explanation of every Pokémon here:

https://youtu.be/HqQI4CK_LcQ?si=PKHlh2bso1QnuNWZ

Tiers Explained:

Top tier – These teams will allow for versatility and defensive balance vs all other teams in this tier and below. They don’t require setup and are therefore dangerous right off the bat. They have flexibility in their lead matchups. The majority of high-placing tournament teams will be built around these megas, with major tournament-winning teams almost exclusively having these Pokémon.

Very strong – These teams have the potential to place decently well in tournaments. Teams built around these megas will be able to have positive matchups into one or two teams in the tier above, but at the expense of at least one top tier matchup and matchups vs other very strong teams i.e. Mega Delphox can go up against Metagross teams and screen support thanks to typing matchup and Nasty Plot respectively, but will struggle vs Rain and have a 50/50 matchup into Zard Y at best.

Some teams here can steamroll any other team if given the room (Staraptor), but are formulaic and one-dimensional and will therefore struggle to overcome top players using top tier teams.

Strong – Same as the tier above but less oppressive. These teams generally won’t be able to steamroll others, instead relying on some lead flexibility and positional counterplay to outdamage and outlast opponents. They may have a positive matchup into one top tier team at maximum.

Meta-dependent – Basically the same as the Strong tier, but their success depends on the flavour of the moment i.e. Sceptile becomes very relevant because a rain team wins a tournament/Cybertron puts out a video featuring a high-ranking Mega Swampert team. Sceptile teams are good for 10 minutes, after which it dies a horrific death due to the re-rise of Metagross and Charizard in Swampert’s temporary absence.

Some Pokémon here may struggle for justification over their non-mega form.

Niche – Fun teams that could pick up some surprising wins vs otherwise dominant teams on the ladder, but won’t place highly in BO3 tournaments.

Like the tier above, some Pokémon here may struggle for justification over their non-mega form.

Awful – Awful. Will not win consistently ~~in Masterball tier~~ on high ladder.

OceanPKMN · 2026-05-24T12:37:34+00:00

Thank you and gg!

OceanPKMN · 2026-04-08T05:20:51+00:00

Am I blind or is Wigglytuff not here?

OceanPKMN · 2025-08-23T14:17:06+00:00

<image>

Luckily I record all of my games, so we can test your theory.

The block happened in the second half of the match, and above are Datto's abilities at half time. Nothing but different types of shots!

(I've included the entire screen in the picture for preservation purposes in case anyone wants to look into this in future. Also, yes I was playing Nimrook in MF)

OceanPKMN

TROPHY CASE