Duo of the Week: Kyogre – Manaphy

1st Set

Kyogre is the best friend of the “Prince of the Sea”. Manaphy was born to team up with the creator of the ocean. Kyogre’s ability to cause heavy rain in the colosseum power up water STAB moves, let him use Thunder with 100% accuracy but most important activate Manaphy’s Hydration. At the end of the turn any statuses that are affecting Manaphy are automatically cured. This is the standard Kyogre, a special sweeper with a speed boost nature, which covers many types with its attacks. For the last slot Protect is better than Calm Mind and Rest in double battles to defend itself from strong physical hits. Water Spout has a base power of 150 if Kyogre’s health is on 100%, x1.5 by STAB, x1.5 by the weather, x1.1 by Wise Glasses, it can reach the significant power of 371.25. With Timid nature and with Kyogre’s great Sp.Attack stat if you take the first strike you will deal a huge amount of damage right from the start of the battle to both of your foe’s pokemons. The disadvantage of Water Spout is that the lower the Kyogre’s HP, the less powerful it becomes. For that reason I suggest Wise Glasses or Expert Belt than Life Orb. If your Kyogre isn’t fast enough to overspeed the other pokemons in the Uber environment, it will better to go with Surf and Life Orb. It’s less powerful but you will have more chances to use your water attack in the second turn. While Kyogre is sweeping let Manaphy to use Calm Mind twice to double its Special Stats. After that it will have Sp.Atk over 405 and it will be free to hurt a lot your opponent with Ice Beam. Although the STAB and the boost by rain dance, Surf isn’t preferable because you will also hurt Kyogre and weaken its Water Spout. In addition to, Ice Beam hurts more Ubers especially Zapdos, Lugia, Groudon, Rayquazza and Giratina. When it’s raining Manaphy can use Rest to restore its health and its sleep status will be cured at the end of the turn because of Hydration. The Duo relies on the raining and your opponent will try to change the weather. That’s why Rain Dance should exist in Manaphy’s moveset and you have to make sure that raining will be continuing to fall in the colosseum.

2nd Set

Manaphy has access to Tail Glow a move that boosts its Special Attack by two stages and can make it a very good sweeper. Ice Beam and Shadow Ball cover more than half of the Ubers like Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Celebi, Latios, Latias, Groudon, Rayquazza, Deoxys, Cresselia, Giratina. Manaphy can learn and other special moves like Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Psychic, and Surf, Brine but can’t offer anything more than Ice Beam and Shadow Ball. The Rain Dance-Rest combo is very important and because of that it is worth Rest to be in the moveset. Probably your opponent will change the weather so you should have another pokemon in your team to start the rain again, don’t waste a Kyogre’s moveslot with Rain Dance. With a Timid nature and 222EP in Speed, Manaphy outruns Modest Latios-Latias and all natures of Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquazza and the defensive form of Deoxys. If you have less than 31IVs in Speed you should invest more EPs to hit 320 Speed Stat. You don’t need any more EP to raise your Sp.Atk, Tail Glow will boost your stat nearly at 500 that is enough to deal serious damage. 252EPs and around 400HP will let you to endure a strike and double your Sp.Atk with Tail Glow and you will offer you a nice recovery with leftovers. Kyogre’s EPs distribution focuses on its defenses, so it can start raise its special stats with Calm Mind. With Rest and Chesto Berry it can recover anything lost in the process, maximize its health and with the addition of a few Calm Minds will unleash a powerful Water Spout against the opposite corner. Thunder is for the case you face another Kyogre.

Counters

It’s easier to face this Duo if you change the weather. You can start the battle with Abomasnow that resists Water Spout and Thunder and kill Kyogre and Manaphy with Wood Hammer. Or Hippowdon to summon a sandstorm, but switch it out immediately or attract the Duo attacks, while Protect itself. Tyranitar raises its Sp.Def during a sandstorm, but don’t start to use Dragon Dance because the 1.5x boost in Sp.Def by sandstorm it won’t save you from Water Spout. Instead of that, Protect yourself in the first turn and let your partner strike to cover you. Also, a slower Groudon will cause the sunrays to intensify, remove the water weakness and attract Ice Beams from both Kyogre and Manaphy. Switch it out and have a special wall to absorb the Ice Beams like Blissey or even better Regice. After that, your special sponge can use Thunder Wave to paralyze the Duo and hit them with Thunderbolt or Charge Beam. Another option is to try to switch the dimensions. A Rhyperior with Lighting Rod and Protect can attract Kyogre’s Water Spout and give the time to its partner Slowbro, Slowking or Bronzong with Charge Beam to activate the Trick Room. At the next turn Rhyperior will attack and Kyogre will be a goner. You can also take advantage of the Rain Dance using some Thunderdancers or pokemons with swift swim ability. Raikou is the number one choice, along with Jolteon, Electrode, Manectric and Timid Zapdos. Lanturn resists all of the Duo’s attacks except of Manaphy’ Shadow Ball, Electivire can take advantage of Kyogre’s Thunder and become faster and Magnezone can switch in only if Kyogre has low HP to avoid be KOed by Water Spout. Ludicolo is the only Pokemon that can take down Kyogre with relative ease but also a Dragon Dancer Kingdra is a good option. Mewtwo is always a threat in Uber environment especially when it carries Thunder/Thunderbolt. The same attacks can have the Eon pokemons, Latios and Latias and deal great damage. A faster Lugia with Roost can wall them and force them to hit it by both of them at the same turn. Also, Cresselia can make a good wall, only in case Shadow Ball isn’t at Manaphy’s moveset. Dialga and Palkia can face the Duo because neither Kyogre nor Manaphy have a supereffective move against them while they can hit them hard with their STAB dragon moves like Roar of Time, Draco Meteor and Spacial Rend.

Opinion and Notes

Manaphy and Kyogre are ideal partners for each other. Manaphy can take advantage of Kyogre’s Drizzle just like Cherrim can use Groudon’s Drought. From the above sets I prefer the first one, as Manaphy can be a long lasting Wall with its defensive capabilities and Hydration. These two pokemons are difficult to obtain and because of that you have to train them according to the Natures you got. The couple relies on the heavy rain and it will be wise to have in your team some other pokemons that have access to Rain Dance, a Swift Swim ability or be effective thunderdancers. Gorebyss and Kingdra are very good swift swimmers, Ludicolo with Rain Dish is very annoying and for the positions of thuderdancers prevail Raikou and Zapdos along with Manectric with Lighting Rod or an explosive Electrode to accompany Zapdos’ Detect. To sum up, the Duo of Kyogre and Manaphy are one of the best Uber couples and you should combine them with around one more swift swimmer and two or three thunderdancers to build a very powerful Rain Dance team.