Overview:
Back in the Fall of 2015, my then Tutor (and now Retiree) Audiosurfer helped me build a team that, instead of being used in a few test matches and then forgotten, has risen above and beyond expectations. This team has been used by many strong players other than myself in the Doubles tournament scene, perhaps most notably by Stratos, when he used it in the Winners Finals of the Fall Doubles Seasonal tournament vs. KyleCole and won. Stratos also used the team 2 or 3 times during that tournament, in which he got all the way to the Grand Finals. I used this team frequently in tournaments, easily using it in at least one game per round, in both the Fall and Winter Doubles Seasonals, both of which I did quite well in. (Better in Winter than Fall, but you get the idea.) This team is tried, true, and while it may not quite fit the framework of many other Mega Gardevoir teams, it does one thing: it wins.
The Team:
A short disclaimer: I will post here my current version of the team and what I think is best. Numerous other players have made changes to this team, and may have different opinions on what is better. I will do my best to mention all possible options.
Gardevoir-Mega @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Protect
Mega Gardevoir is the centerpiece of this team. The entire team is built so that Mega Gardevoir sweeps with Hyper Voice. My complex gameplan with this team involves: 1. Remove Hyper Voice checks and 2. Click Hyper Voice. This Pokemon is the entirety of step 2, and the next 5 make up step 1. This Mega Gardevoir set is both standard and not standard. More recent Mega Gardevoir sets use tons of bulk, and I use those sets too, but on this team, I go with max Speed because I have Focus Blast. Focus Blast catches Mega Kangaskhan for big damage, but it is mainly on this set for Ferrothorn, which is a pretty big... thorn... in this team's side. There are a lot of other options for Mega Gardevoir's 3rd move, but trust me, you need all the help vs. Ferrothorn and Mega Kangaskhan you can get.
Landorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Earth Power
- Focus Blast
- Rock Slide
- Protect
Landorus is Step 1 of the aforementioned Step 1. Landorus-I removes Steels, one of the biggest threats to Mega Gardevoir, and with Rock Slide, can take out Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, two other big threats. And, I know what you're thinking. Focus Blast again? Yes, because Ferrothorn. (and Mega Kangaskhan) Anyway, This is the standard Landorus I set, with Focus Blast as my coverage move. Other good options are Psychic, for hitting Keldeo and Amoonguss, Sludge Bomb, for hitting Azumarill and Grass-types, and Hidden Power Ice for opposing Landorus'. I think Naive or Hasty is arbitrary on Landorus-I, as I haven't found a calc that really says otherwise, and I like being better vs. physical hits.
Kyurem-Black @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Stone Edge
Scarf Kyurem-Black removes Landorus-T and Thundurus, which are threats to the team, and therefore Mega Gardevoir, and it also has a nice time versus bulky Water-types, which Mega Gardevoir can struggle against. Dragon Claw hits Dragons, and Stone Edge knocks out Mega Charizard Y, which, as I said before, is a Garde check. Scarf Kyurem-Black is great, by the way. Fast and Strong Ice Beams decimate a lot of the metagame. I've run Sleep Talk on this before, over Stone Edge, for an extra sleep switch-in, but Stone Edge is much better.
Suicune @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 132 SpA / 40 SpD / 28 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Snarl
- Tailwind
Suicune is one of my favorite Pokemon, and I love it on this team. It's super fat and provides crucial Tailwind support that lets Mega Gardevoir sweep. It helps remove Fire-types and the ever-present Landorus-T, and it's general bulkiness is just all around great. Not to mention the Scald burns, neutralizing physical attackers that can trouble Mega Gardevoir so much. This is the standard EV spread with a little speed creep, I believe.
Thundurus @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 244 HP / 104 Def / 8 SpA / 128 SpD / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
Bulky Thundurus is amazing. This Pokemon spreads Thunder Waves throughout the opposing team, crippling anything faster than Mega Gardevoir, putting it in even a better position to sweep. Taunt is there to prevent Trick Room, redirection, set up, opposing Thunder Wave, etc, and Thundurus helps beat bulky Waters, a struggle for Gardevoir. Thundurus single-handedly won me a series in the Winter Seasonal vs. a very strong player in Memoric: See here
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 164 HP / 252 SpA / 92 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute
- King's Shield
And finally, Aegislash. Aegislash is a good Mega Kangaskhan pseudo-check and a good check to Trick Room. Substitute helps vs. Amoonguss and for taking advantage of free turns and Aegislash's great typing. Aegislash helps check Diancie, other Aegislash, and Ghost types like Gengar and Jellicent, which Gardevoir may struggle with. Also, it's my personal belief that you can't build a Doubles OU team without a Steel-type, so here's this team's Steel.
Conclusion:
As I said above, there is one way to play this team: remove Hyper Voice checks, click Hyper Voice. Do that, and you will win games with this team. There are two main checks to this team, Ferrothorn and Mega Kangaskhan. If played correctly, the team deals with both just fine. Players who don't preserve Mega Gardevoir, and then can't win with this team, please do not complain about "how bad it is". That being said, if you've used this team, and would like to attest to its success, or point out its weaknesses, please do so. I know other noteworthy players have used the team and done well.
Thank you for reading! Be sure to leave your thoughts below!
