Ash's Journeys

Team: Ash's Journeys, Tailwind Sun

Constraint: Ash's Journeys six (Pikachu, Charizard, Lucario, Gengar, Dragonite, Sirfetch'd), built to actually win games Regulation: Regulation M-C (Pokémon Champions, VGC 2026) Core idea: Dragonite sets Tailwind while Pikachu covers it. Mega Charizard Y then fires sun-boosted spread Fire at double speed, and Sirfetch'd one-shots the Pokémon that stop Charizard.

Game plan

• Win condition: Dragonite sets Tailwind behind Multiscale while Pikachu uses Fake Out and draws Electric attacks with Lightning Rod. Mega Charizard Y then spams sun-boosted Heat Wave and Solar Beam at double speed, and Sirfetch'd's Meteor Assault removes the Steel, Dark and Rock answers to Charizard.
• What beats it:

1. Rock Slide, mainly from Sneasler, which OHKOs Mega Charizard Y (113.5–134.2%). 2. Rain replacing the sun (Pelipper). 3. Opposing Trick Room (Indeedee-F, Farigiraf). 4. Fake Out on Dragonite before it can set Tailwind. 5. Electric attacks into Charizard. 6. Psychic Terrain, which blocks our Fake Out against grounded targets.

• What answers those:

1. Sirfetch'd Brave Bird OHKOs Sneasler (147.8–174.5%). Gengar takes nothing from Sneasler's Fighting STAB, and Pikachu's Fake Out buys the turn. 2. Pikachu's Light Ball Thunderbolt OHKOs Pelipper (335.8–397.1%), and the second Mega Stone means Lucario Z can be the Mega instead. 3. Gengar Taunts the setter, Mega Lucario Z hits Indeedee-F super-effectively with Dark Pulse, and Sirfetch'd is slow enough to keep working under Trick Room. 4. Pikachu has its own Fake Out, and Dragonite carries Protect. 5. Lightning Rod makes Pikachu immune to Electric and pulls those attacks onto itself.

• Plan B, Mega Lucario Z mode: against rain or Rock-heavy teams, leave Charizard in the back and Mega Evolve Lucario instead. At 223 Speed it outruns max-Speed Sneasler (189) without Tailwind. It fires Aura Sphere, Flash Cannon and Dark Pulse next to Sirfetch'd's Meteor Assault. Pikachu's Electroweb becomes the speed control and Dragonite's Ice Beam handles the Dragons.

Two Mega Stones, one Mega per game. Charizardite Y and Lucarionite Z are two options, not two Megas at once. When you pick your four, you decide which of the two Mega Evolves. The second stone is there because Charizard Y's plan falls apart in rain, and Lucario Z doesn't care about weather.

The six

1. Pikachu: Fake Out + Lightning Rod support

• Type: Electric | Ability: Lightning Rod | Item: Light Ball
• Why it's here: it keeps Dragonite safe on the Tailwind turn and pulls Electric attacks away from Charizard. That covers Electric attacks from Mega Raichu Y and Mega Raichu X, Archaludon's Electro Shot, and any Thunderbolt aimed at Charizard. Lightning Rod and Light Ball are both what nearly every Pikachu runs.
• Moves:
• Fake Out: protects the Tailwind turn. It does nothing to Ghosts, and Psychic Terrain blocks it against grounded targets.
• Thunderbolt: Light Ball doubles Pikachu's Sp. Atk, so it OHKOs standard Pelipper (335.8–397.1%). That is the rain answer.
• Electroweb: on almost no Pikachu sets, on purpose. It is the team's second speed control for games where Tailwind gets blocked or Taunted, and it hits both foes. Never fire it into Defiant Kingambit or Annihilape, because the Speed drop gives them +2 Attack.
• Protect.
• Spread: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe, Timid. This is the most common build. Full Speed is for Thunderbolt and Electroweb; Fake Out has +3 priority, so it goes first regardless of Speed.

2. Charizard: the Mega win condition

• Type: Fire/Flying | Ability: Blaze before Mega Evolving, Drought after | Item: Charizardite Y
• Why it's here: it is how the team closes games. Drought sets sun the turn it Mega Evolves (5 turns; there's no Heat Rock, so switching it back in resets the timer). Its Ground immunity also covers the team's shared Ground weakness.
• Moves:
• Heat Wave (95 BP spread, 90% accuracy). In sun it OHKOs Rillaboom (150.7–177.8%), Kingambit (125.6–148.8%) and Mega Raichu Y (100.7–119.0%). It 2HKOs Archaludon (63.1–74.4%) and has 4 of 16 rolls to OHKO Sneasler (87.9–103.8%).
• Weather Ball: single-target Fire in sun.
• Solar Beam: no charge turn in sun. It hits Pelipper for 85.4–100.7%, which is a 2HKO if Pelipper holds Sitrus. It also covers Mega Swampert.
• Protect.
• Spread: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe, Modest. That gives 152 Speed, which beats the fastest Rillaboom (150). Under Tailwind it reaches 304, ahead of max-Speed Mega Garchomp Z (223).

3. Lucario: Plan B Mega and anti-Trick Room

• Type: Fighting/Steel | Ability: Inner Focus before Mega Evolving (no Fake Out flinch, ignores Intimidate), Aura Guard after (halves contact damage) | Item: Lucarionite Z
• Why it's here: it is the second Mega for rain and Rock-heavy matchups, and the team's Dark-type hit into Indeedee-F and Farigiraf.
• Moves:
• Aura Sphere: OHKOs Kingambit (179.7–210.6%). If Kingambit holds Chople Berry, only 5 of 16 rolls KO.
• Flash Cannon: 2HKOs Sylveon (65.3–77.2%) and covers Glimmora.
• Dark Pulse: 2HKOs Indeedee-F (57.6–68.9%). Colbur Berry softens the first hit to 28.8–34.5%, which makes it a 3HKO most of the time, and Sitrus leaves 9 of 16 rolls for the 2HKO.
• Detect.
• Spread: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe, Timid. That is 223 Speed: it outruns max-Speed Sneasler (189), and only 2 Speed SPs would have been needed for that. The rest is maxed to stay ahead of other fast attackers.

4. Gengar: Trick Room breaker, Fighting and Normal immunity

• Type: Ghost/Poison | Ability: Cursed Body | Item: Focus Sash
• Why it's here:
• Fighting and Normal moves don't touch it. That means immunity to Sneasler's Close Combat and to Fake Out.
• Taunt shuts down Trick Room setters.
• Focus Sash replaces Gengarite because this team's Megas are Charizard and Lucario. The Sash gives a guaranteed turn for Taunt.
• Moves:
• Shadow Ball: 91.5–107.3% on Gholdengo, 7 of 16 rolls to OHKO.
• Sludge Bomb.
• Taunt: on no other Gengar sets, on purpose. It is the team's Trick Room answer. I left out Perish Song (most Gengar run it) because counting down turns fights our 4-turn Tailwind clock, and it doesn't stop Trick Room from going up.
• Protect.
• Caveats: Follow Me redirects Taunt, and Good as Gold makes Gholdengo immune to it.
• Spread: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe, Timid. Speed lets Taunt land before a slower setter moves.

5. Dragonite: the Tailwind setter

• Type: Dragon/Flying | Ability: Multiscale | Item: Sitrus Berry
• Why it's here: Multiscale (half damage at full HP) makes it the surest Tailwind setter Ash's roster has. Tailwind lasts 4 turns, and it is immune to Ground.
• Moves:
• Tailwind.
• Dragon Pulse.
• Ice Beam: used here instead of the usual Heat Wave, since Charizard already brings Fire. It OHKOs Adamant Garchomp (116.8–138.4%) and Mega Salamence (120.9–144.2%).
• Protect.
• Spread: 32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA, Modest. That gives 198 HP, 167 Sp. Atk and 100 Speed.
• Most Dragonite run max Speed. I moved those points to HP because a Tailwind setter's job is to live through the turn, not to move first.
• At full HP it takes 18.2–21.7% from Sneasler's spread Rock Slide.
• Mega Garchomp Z's Draco Meteor does 44.4–53.0%.
• Sitrus over Dragoninite because Dragonite isn't one of the Megas; the berry heals it once Multiscale is gone.

6. Sirfetch'd: removes Charizard's checks

• Type: Fighting | Ability: Scrappy (its Fighting and Normal moves hit Ghosts) | Item: Leek (raises the crit rate only; every roll below is a non-crit)
• Why it's here: it OHKOs the Pokémon that wall or kill Charizard, and its slow Speed is a plus under opposing Trick Room.
• Moves:
• Meteor Assault (170 BP in Champions):
• OHKOs Incineroar (138.0–163.0%). Chople Berry turns that into a 2HKO (69.0–81.5%).
• OHKOs Archaludon (133.3–157.9%).
• 2HKOs Farigiraf (73.0–86.5%, still a 2HKO through Sitrus).
• Close Combat: Fighting damage without Meteor Assault's recharge turn. Scrappy lets it hit Gholdengo, where Fighting is super-effective, and it OHKOs (147.6–175.6%).
• Brave Bird: over the usual Leaf Blade (about half of sets run it) because it OHKOs Sneasler (147.8–174.5%), the main Charizard killer. Solar Beam already gives the team Grass coverage.
• Detect.
• Spread: 32 HP / 32 Atk / 2 SpD, Adamant. This is the most common build: max power, max HP, 0 Speed so it moves early under Trick Room.

Synergy map

• Speed control:
• Tailwind from Dragonite (4 turns) and spread Electroweb from Pikachu.
• Against opposing Tailwind: our own Tailwind cancels the gap, Electroweb cuts their Speed, and Lucario Z's 223 Speed is fast with no help.
• Against Trick Room: Gengar Taunts the setter and Lucario hits Indeedee-F and Farigiraf with Dark Pulse. If the room goes up anyway, Sirfetch'd (0 Speed) and Dragonite (100 Speed) act early inside it.
• Defensive web:
• Charizard and Dragonite are immune to the Earthquake that Pikachu, Lucario and Gengar are weak to.
• Gengar is immune to Fighting, which threatens Lucario.
• Charizard resists Fire, which threatens Lucario.
• Lightning Rod makes Pikachu immune to Electric, which threatens Charizard.
• Offensive coverage: Fire, Grass, Electric, Fighting, Steel, Dark, Ghost, Poison, Dragon, Ice and Flying. The team has no super-effective hit on Fire/Ground or pure Fire Pokémon (see Known weaknesses).
• What protects the plan: Pikachu's Fake Out plus Lightning Rod, Multiscale and Sitrus on the setter, Protect or Detect on all six, and Focus Sash on Gengar.

Final checklist

• [x] Win condition: stated in the Game plan.
• [x] What beats it: Rock Slide, rain, Trick Room, Fake Out, Electric attacks, Psychic Terrain.
• [x] Answers: a named member for each.
• [x] Plan B: Mega Lucario Z mode.
• [x] Speed control, plus answers to Trick Room and Tailwind.
• [~] Redirection: partial. Lightning Rod only pulls Electric moves; there's no Follow Me. Win-condition protection comes from Fake Out, Multiscale and Protect instead.
• [~] No shared 4× weakness: nothing is shared, but individually Charizard is 4× weak to Rock and Dragonite to Ice.
• [~] Full coverage: Fire/Ground and pure Fire Pokémon (Torkoal, Mega Camerupt) have no super-effective hit from us.

Matchup spread & gameplans

Structural edges:

• Fake Out does nothing to Gengar.
• Earthquake does nothing to Charizard or Dragonite.
• Lightning Rod absorbs Electric attacks.
• Under Tailwind, Charizard's 304 Speed outruns everything in the format at base Speed.

Archetype	How it threatens us	Our plan	Difficulty
Rillaboom / Mega Salamence / Sneasler (+Kingambit), the most common structure	Rillaboom's Fake Out and Grassy Glide, Sneasler's Rock Slide on Charizard, Salamence's Flying moves into Sirfetch'd	Lead Pikachu + Dragonite: Fake Out Sneasler (unless Psychic Terrain is up), Tailwind. Bring Charizard in: Heat Wave OHKOs Rillaboom and Kingambit. Dragonite's Ice Beam OHKOs Mega Salamence. Sirfetch'd's Brave Bird OHKOs Sneasler. Don't Electroweb into Kingambit.	Even, slightly favored
Incineroar / Rillaboom / Sneasler (+Mega Floette)	Intimidate cuts Sirfetch'd, Fake Out pressure	Pikachu + Dragonite lead for Tailwind. Meteor Assault OHKOs Incineroar (unless Chople). Charizard is special, so Intimidate does nothing to it. Gengar soaks Fake Out and Close Combat.	Even
Gholdengo / Mega Raichu Y / Rillaboom (+Hisuian Arcanine)	Raichu's speed and Electric damage, Gholdengo's Good as Gold (immune to Taunt)	Pikachu's Lightning Rod absorbs Raichu's Electric STAB. Under Tailwind, Charizard (304) outruns Raichu (200), and you double into Raichu. Shadow Ball has 7 of 16 rolls to OHKO Gholdengo. Heat Wave OHKOs Rillaboom.	Favored
Rain (Pelipper + Swift Swim / Archaludon)	Rain cancels the sun, Water hits Charizard, Swift Swim speed	Don't bring Charizard. Lead Pikachu + Lucario Z. Thunderbolt OHKOs Pelipper. Lightning Rod absorbs Archaludon's Electro Shot. Meteor Assault OHKOs Archaludon.	Even (Plan B)
Trick Room (Indeedee-F / Farigiraf)	5 turns of reversed Speed; Psychic Terrain blocks Fake Out	Lead Gengar + Lucario Z. Taunt the setter that isn't using Follow Me. Dark Pulse 2HKOs Indeedee-F. If the room goes up, Sirfetch'd's Meteor Assault 2HKOs Farigiraf even through Sitrus.	Even
Opposing sun (Mega Charizard Y, Torkoal, Venusaur)	Shared sun, Chlorophyll speed	Their sun powers our Charizard too, and Fire is resisted by it. Pikachu's Thunderbolt is our Electric answer to their Charizard. Venusaur takes super-effective Fire, Flying and Ice.	Favored

Default leads:

• Pikachu + Dragonite, with Charizard and Sirfetch'd in the back.
• Against rain: Pikachu + Lucario Z (never lead Charizard into rain).
• Against Trick Room: Gengar + Lucario.

Remaining top threats:

• Mega Garchomp Z / Garchomp: Ice Beam OHKOs Adamant Garchomp. Charizard under Tailwind (304) outruns Mega Garchomp Z (223), and Dragonite and Charizard are immune to Earthquake.
• Mega Golisopod: Charizard's Fire is super-effective.
• Mega Metagross: Fire, Dark or Ghost (Charizard, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball).
• Excadrill: Fighting or Fire (Lucario, Sirfetch'd, Charizard).
• Mega Swampert: Grass only, meaning Solar Beam. That needs our sun back first, so switch Charizard back in to reset Drought.
• Glimmora: Lucario's Flash Cannon (Steel).
• Annihilape: Brave Bird or Shadow Ball. Never Electroweb it (Defiant).

Known weaknesses

• Ground spread moves: Pikachu, Lucario and Gengar are all weak to Ground. Don't pair two of them in front of an Earthquake user. Keep Charizard or Dragonite on the field beside them.
• Fire/Ground and pure Fire Pokémon (Torkoal, Mega Camerupt): we have nothing super-effective against them. Their Fire is resisted by Charizard, and Torkoal's own Drought helps us. Keep Lucario protected or benched, focus damage on the partner, and keep them slowed under Tailwind or with Electroweb.
• Psychic Terrain + Follow Me: this blocks Fake Out against grounded targets and pulls Taunt away. Taunt the Pokémon that isn't redirecting, or just attack through with Heat Wave.
• Sirfetch'd's two-turn rhythm: Meteor Assault means it skips the next turn. Line it up with Tailwind turns, or use Close Combat when you can't afford the recharge.
• Mega choice is final: once one Pokémon Mega Evolves, the other stone is just a held item for the rest of the game. Pick sun or Lucario Z at team preview based on whether the opponent has a rain setter.

Pikachu @ Light Ball
Ability: Lightning Rod
Level: 50
EVs: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fake Out
- Thunderbolt
- Electroweb
- Protect

Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Weather Ball
- Solar Beam
- Protect

Lucario @ Lucarionite Z
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe
Timid Nature
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
- Dark Pulse
- Detect

Gengar @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
Level: 50
EVs: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Taunt
- Protect

Dragonite @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Multiscale
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA
Modest Nature
- Tailwind
- Dragon Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Sirfetch'd @ Leek
Ability: Scrappy
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 32 Atk / 2 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Assault
- Close Combat
- Brave Bird
- Detect