Espathra-Boosted Mega Glimmora & Dragonite Idea
Summary
On Pokémon Champions | VGC Battles & Tournaments this announcement shares an Espathra-led team concept centered on Mega Glimmora and Dragonite. It outlines leads (Espathra, Talonflame), two core groups, options like Sylveon for Floette, concerns versus Mega Aerodactyl and rain, and notes on Trick Room versus Protect while requesting community feedback before Showdown testing.
https://pokepast.es/d3578c6f6ede983e
Thinking about what I can do with the Espathra I already have built while I don't own Eternal Floette nor Archaludon. Also been wanting to think of fun, non-meta teams.
Came up with this Mega Glimmora/Dragonite idea.
In general, this is the structure:
espathra - lead
talonflame - lead
a-ninetales - core 1
mega glimmora - core 1
sneasler - core 2
dragonite - core 2
Would love thoughts on what would be the big weaknesses that I might be missing or even if probably would not worl at all. Still haven't even tested in Showdown yet, so please be gentle.
Sylveon is very much a reliable replacement for floette, I would recommend it. Yawn and priority fairy quick attacks are always good
And I do have a fully built Sylveon already... been just thinking dual megas as I always feel it's to predictable having only one possible mega
btw about Talonflame I like that it can bait Garchomps and whatnot that then I can deal with the core mons
My main worry I think is Mega Aerodactyl, which + Basculegion and rain teams, the main reason I have Thunderbolt on Mega Dragonite
oh and the Trick Room in Espathra is just an option to deal with TR teams, but I'm thinking Protect would be a better general option
No, not tr espathra
Protect over it
Also you want redirection
And idk if glimm should be the target of passing
My target of passing is floette BC broken
You don't have that ao
So
I waa thinking I bring either glimm+ninetales or dragonite+sneasler depending on the matchup. Ninetales could get the baton pass instead of glimm depending on the situation too, blizzard go brrrr
Not really tho
It's not broken enough
It doesn't OHKO gambit or stuff
You could try something like building a bulky chandelier
Mega
With acid armour
And pass to that
That sounds fun!
And sinistcha to heal it
Should play well into the rain teams because shadow ball is spammable
And beats Cybertron rain due to infiltrator
+1 heat wave should kill gambit?
+1 0 SpA Chandelure-Mega Heat Wave vs. 30 HP / 9 SpD Kingambit: 206-246 (100.4 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Actually insane
so replacing glimm and ninetales with sinistcha and chandelure, keep sneasler and mega dragonite?
I dont feel strongly about mega drago btw, but I like its flexible moveset
Hm this all would be too weak to aero
Maybe I keep a-ninetales and remove talonflame instead, relying on the speed boost for speed advantage
An trick room on sinistcha
Or I ditch dragonite entirely for Sylveon, but again, I like having dual mega so it's less predictable
https://pokepast.es/97546dcbd7554b02
I was thinking something like this
I like everything there except Ditto. I feel I'll end up never using it
Any reason for those specific spread btw? Helps chandelure survive/outspeed any threat?
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2613321173-htlf3l7yts5lhl7gbd6xxyqluwrnfsypw
This is kinda fun
It must come in the stall mus
Aka sun
Or charizards generally
Or drain floette
Ig
Chandelier gets gengar mega at +1
So the perish mu is barely playable
And takes kleave into sucker at +2/reflect
From adamant black glasses gambit
Sinistcha is just a classic spread
Same for sableye
Espathra is my best espathra set after a damn lot of testing
Lives too much stuff it shouldn't
Toxapex beats every yard lead
With those evs
That's all
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2613329173-3u600xl9kpj92rsw7ub8tel0savk7prpw
I'm having fun
It doesn't really work
But it's fun
Problem is I'm bringing the stall mode too much
I must stop myself
I love toxapex
And chandelure too
But you havent used Espathra in those matches, curious to see if it works
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2613347009-uvjsc0nqyewv7ysixtvbuo7d7u2p3nrpw here's one ig
lol poor blastoise
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2613350842-tlx315e1j7owrmjerkpkabyk4nf01o5pw
I guess this was a game
The thing with Showdown is everyone is testing teams there. I would love to see it against the meta
ok hear me out: https://pokepast.es/e28199c4867bfc0d
Here I either go Espathra/Sinistcha lead with Chandelure/Sylveon and Skarmory/Ttar in the back
OR
Skarmory/Ttar lead with Sylveon and Sinistcha in the back
depending on matchups
32+ Atk Skarmory-Mega Rock Tomb vs. 2 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-Y: 196-232 (126.4 - 149.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
If I go against Zard Y, I would go skarmory/sinistcha lead, with ttar in the back to override the sun
Ttar there to override weathers in general
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2613639832-lc7w6p0qf10qaeebiwtjdwq9hib543jpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2613654976-swvy5cq6a7mv8mh312xg3eik37uxldvpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsvgc2026regma-2613656398-l15c8g1jgis2xdl54nmj40iulea5otwpw
mega chandelure is not seeing much game, but Skarmory is good
I like having both Skarmory and Ttar so people might wonder who's the mega
I think the team would be better without Espathra and Chandelure after all though lol
Proceeds to remove all my EVs, remove the espathra supporter and all the ways to deal with sun and gambit
it's basically another team for another thread lol I got tired of Espathra
No but I still will work on Espathra/Chandelure. I even got myself a shint Toxapex via GTS and might be gettinga shiny Chandelure, so I need to use them
I just got excited with Mega Skarmory and pivot to work on a team focused on that lol
