Competitive Pokémon is not the easiest to learn for a beginner trainer. It is for those who want to battle more seriously than just the regular story gameplay of the franchise. When starting in competitive Pokémon, it may seem a bit confusing at first, but it is easy to get into it after a bit of practice and memorization.
While it may not be for everyone, it most definitely is something to try if someone wants a bit more out of the Pokémon games. What things should a trainer know before entering the competitive scene?
10 Type Advantages
When battling, it is important to know what move types are super effective against certain types of Pokémon. While it is commonly known that Water-type moves are good against Fire-types, some Pokémon type advantages are not always common knowledge.
Some types even have no effects against certain types, for example; Ghost-type moves have no effect on Normal-types and Psychic-type moves cannot hurt Dark-type Pokémon. There are type charts that have been made to help beginner trainers when battling to make it easier, but it is helpful to memorize the chart.
9 Pokémon Abilities
Every Pokémon has certain abilities that give them a unique advantage when battling. Some Pokémon even have access to more than one ability. It is important to know some of the most popular abilities so that the battler knows what to do against said abilities. For example, Levitate makes a Pokémon float, so therefore they are not affected by Ground moves. Rotom-Wash is a good example of a meta Pokémon that uses this ability to its advantage because it is weak against Ground-type attacks.
Another good example is Politoad having the ability Drizzle that causes rain, therefore empowering Water-type moves. It is good to know what most abilities do for the sake of the trainer
8 Items to use on specific Pokémon
In the Pokémon games, there are a variety of items that can be obtained that benefit certain Pokémon. A lot of the popular items that are used are Choice Band, Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, Sitrus Berry, Ippapa Berry, Weakness Policy, etc just to name a few popular ones. These items are necessary for battle because they can make a Pokémon battle go very differently from if there were no items. These items can go as far as enhancing attacks, raising a Pokémon's defense, recovering a monster's health if it gets too low, etc.
They are crucial to have on Pokémon in order to win battles. It is also important to know what items Pokémon might be holding so it will be good to predict an opponent's tools.
7 Pokémon IVs
IVs are known as Individual Values in a Pokémon. These are the natural stats that a Pokémon is born with. In each Pokémon, there are six IVs: HP, Attack, Special Attack, Special Defense, Defense, and Speed. The ways these IVs are calculated is out of 31; 31 being perfect and 1 being terrible
It is important for a competitive Pokémon to have almost perfect IVs because they can make a difference in a battle. Therefore, it is always important to try to breed a Pokémon team for perfect or at least semi-perfect IVs.
6 Pokémon EVs
EVs are known as Effort Values within a Pokémon. Unlike IVs, Pokémon are born with 0 EVs but can have a max of 510. A Pokémon gains Effort Values by beating certain Pokémon. The EVs can be put in HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. Each Pokémon gives 1 or 2 specific EVs when they are defeated.
A good way to calculate EVs is by putting 252 EVs (the maximum that can be put into a stat) into the two most important stats on the Pokémon. The remaining EVs can go into whatever stat is the third most important.
5 Popular Pokémon Moves
It is important to know what moves are most popular on certain Pokémon, as it provides insight into an opponent's tactics in battle. It also helps to know what certain moves do and what effects they may have. An example is Rock Slide, a Rock-type move that can make the opposing Pokémon flinch.
By knowing what a Pokémon's moves might be, a trainer can switch their Pokémon out if need be. Giving a Pokémon a certain moveset can be the difference it takes to win in a match.
4 Different Pokémon Rulesets
In competitive Pokémon, there are many different ways and formats to play in, each with its own rules. Firstly there is a Singles format and a Doubles format. In Singles, there are different tiers that a trainer can play in like OU, UU, RU, etc. These tiers have rules that ban certain Pokémon and moves.
In Doubles, there is Pokémon VGC, which is the most common tournament type and allows two Pokémon on the field from each trainer. This format also has a certain set of rules that changes from time to time. Knowing what format and ruleset are in place is essential for preparing a team.
3 Research When Tournaments Are
In the competitive Pokémon world, there are many tournaments that are going on, be it in person or online. These tournaments are good for healthy competition with fellow trainers and to build off of each other and learn.
While a beginner trainer may struggle at their first tournament, it is good to experience an event to get some practice. There might also be prizes for winning a tournament.
2 Pokémon Team Building
Building a team is one of the most important parts of competitive Pokémon. In order to start building a team, a trainer needs to figure out what their core Pokémon is going to be. Once that is figured out, then the trainer has to build around it with type coverage.
This means if the main Pokémon is a Fire-type, then it needs Water-type coverage, so a Grass, Electric, Ground, or Rock-type move will be needed on another Pokémon in the team.
1 Practice Battling!
Practice makes perfect. It helps the trainer get a handle on how to use the Pokémon in a battle. It also gives the trainer an idea of how to handle a competitive team. In Pokémon Sword & Shield, a trainer can rent someone else's team to practice battling with.
By using these teams, a trainer can know what kind of Pokémon they might prefer to use in battle. It will also help them understand the Pokémon that are in the meta of the competitive scene. The more a trainer practices, the better they will be at the game.