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The Pokémon Champions meta

What you’ll face, at a glance: the pairs teams bring together, how many set up Tailwind, Trick Room or weather, the items they hold, the Speed to beat and who’s climbing. From Smogon’s Sep 2026 stats on Pokémon Showdown and the game’s own ranked ladder, updated Oct 28: the label on each section says which.

Top cores

The pairs most often on the same team

Smogon · Showdown Champions VGC · Sep 2026 · 1,631,943 battles

  1. Rillaboom + IncineroarOn 41.0% of Rillaboom teams and 60.4% of Incineroar teams19.1%
  2. Rillaboom + SneaslerOn 34.2% of Rillaboom teams and 43.0% of Sneasler teams16.0%
  3. Rillaboom + Mega SalamenceOn 34.0% of Rillaboom teams and 56.5% of Mega Salamence teams15.9%
  4. Sneasler + Mega SalamenceOn 37.9% of Sneasler teams and 50.1% of Mega Salamence teams14.1%
  5. Rillaboom + GholdengoOn 27.7% of Rillaboom teams and 67.8% of Gholdengo teams12.9%
  6. Sneasler + KingambitOn 31.1% of Sneasler teams and 45.6% of Kingambit teams11.5%
  7. Rillaboom + KingambitOn 22.2% of Rillaboom teams and 40.9% of Kingambit teams10.3%
  8. Archaludon + PelipperOn 59.4% of Archaludon teams and 68.8% of Pelipper teams10.2%
  9. Sneasler + IncineroarOn 26.2% of Sneasler teams and 30.6% of Incineroar teams9.7%
  10. Mega Salamence + KingambitOn 33.5% of Mega Salamence teams and 37.2% of Kingambit teams9.4%
  11. Rillaboom + Mega Raichu YOn 19.7% of Rillaboom teams and 73.2% of Mega Raichu Y teams9.2%
  12. Rillaboom + Hisuian ArcanineOn 17.5% of Rillaboom teams and 70.2% of Hisuian Arcanine teams8.1%

Share of all Champions VGC teams that bring both, from Smogon’s teammate stats: one Pokémon’s usage × how often its teams have the other. Worked out from either side, the two agree within 0.2 points; this is their mean. The stats only pair Pokémon two at a time, so there are no trios.

Smogon · Showdown Champions BSS · Sep 2026 · 69,462 battles

  1. Mega Salamence + PrimarinaOn 46.9% of Mega Salamence teams and 61.3% of Primarina teams19.5%
  2. Mega Salamence + GholdengoOn 40.7% of Mega Salamence teams and 58.8% of Gholdengo teams16.9%
  3. Mega Salamence + HippowdonOn 35.9% of Mega Salamence teams and 63.8% of Hippowdon teams14.9%
  4. Primarina + GholdengoOn 37.0% of Primarina teams and 41.0% of Gholdengo teams11.8%
  5. Primarina + GarchompOn 37.0% of Primarina teams and 41.6% of Garchomp teams11.7%
  6. Mega Salamence + Mega GolisopodOn 27.7% of Mega Salamence teams and 43.0% of Mega Golisopod teams11.5%
  7. Mega Salamence + ArchaludonOn 27.3% of Mega Salamence teams and 49.2% of Archaludon teams11.3%
  8. Mega Salamence + GarchompOn 25.3% of Mega Salamence teams and 37.3% of Garchomp teams10.5%
  9. Primarina + HippowdonOn 32.0% of Primarina teams and 43.5% of Hippowdon teams10.2%
  10. Primarina + Mega GolisopodOn 31.7% of Primarina teams and 37.6% of Mega Golisopod teams10.1%
  11. Gholdengo + HippowdonOn 32.8% of Gholdengo teams and 40.3% of Hippowdon teams9.4%
  12. Primarina + ArchaludonOn 27.9% of Primarina teams and 38.5% of Archaludon teams8.8%

Share of all Champions BSS teams that bring both, from Smogon’s teammate stats: one Pokémon’s usage × how often its teams have the other. Worked out from either side, the two agree within 0.2 points; this is their mean. The stats only pair Pokémon two at a time, so there are no trios.

Team styles

How many teams set up weather, a terrain, Trick Room or Tailwind

Smogon · Showdown Champions VGC · Sep 2026 · 1,631,943 battles

  • Tailwind≈53%
    MoveTailwind
    • 20.1%
    • 11.0%
    • 7.5%
    • 4.3%
    • 2.5%
  • Grassy Terrain≈47%
    Ability
    • 46.5%
    Ability
    • 0.1%
  • Trick Room≈42%
    MoveTrick Room
    • 15.4%
    • 14.9%
    • 5.6%
    • 3.2%
    • 3.0%
  • Psychic Terrain≈26%
    Ability
    • 20.0%
    • 6.2%
  • Rain≈24%
    Ability
    • 14.8%
    • 7.6%
    MoveRain Dance
    • 1.0%
    • 0.7%
    • 0.5%
  • Sun≈19%
    Ability
    • 12.2%
    • 5.1%
    • 0.3%
    MoveSunny Day
    • 0.9%
    • 0.2%
  • Snow≈9%
    Ability
    • 4.8%
    • 3.0%
    • 0.5%
    • 0.2%
    MoveChilly Reception
    • 0.1%
  • Sand≈8%
    Ability
    • 5.7%
    • 2.3%
    • 0.2%
  • Electric Terrain≈2%
    Ability
    • 1.8%
    • 0.4%
  • Misty Terrain–

    No setters in this month’s stats

≈ is an estimate of the share of teams with at least one setter. Each Pokémon that sets the style up (by an ability that summons it, like Drought, or a move that starts it, like Trick Room, both found in Showdown’s data) adds its usage × how often its sets run that ability or move: the number under its sprite. Teams that bring two setters together are then taken off once, from the teammate stats, as if each ran its setter as often with the other as overall. Smogon’s stats don’t say which sets share a team, so this is an estimate, not a count.

Smogon · Showdown Champions BSS · Sep 2026 · 69,462 battles

  • Sand≈24%
    Ability
    • 23.3%
    • 0.7%
    • 0.4%
  • Grassy Terrain≈15%
    Ability
    • 14.7%
    Ability
    • 0.5%
  • Snow≈14%
    Ability
    • 10.2%
    • 0.9%
    • 0.6%
    MoveChilly Reception
    • 1.2%
    • 0.4%
  • Rain≈7%
    Ability
    • 4.6%
    • 0.5%
    MoveRain Dance
    • 1.7%
    • 0.4%
  • Psychic Terrain≈7%
    Ability
    • 6.7%
    • 0.2%
  • Trick Room≈5%
    MoveTrick Room
    • 1.5%
    • 1.4%
    • 1.1%
    • 0.4%
    • 0.2%
  • Sun≈5%
    Ability
    • 5.1%
    • 0.2%
    • 0.1%
  • Tailwind≈2%
    MoveTailwind
    • 1.6%
    • 0.3%
    • 0.2%
    • 0.1%
  • Misty Terrain<1%
    MoveMisty Terrain
    • 0.4%
  • Electric Terrain<1%
    Ability
    • 0.4%
    • 0.1%

≈ is an estimate of the share of teams with at least one setter. Each Pokémon that sets the style up (by an ability that summons it, like Drought, or a move that starts it, like Trick Room, both found in Showdown’s data) adds its usage × how often its sets run that ability or move: the number under its sprite. Teams that bring two setters together are then taken off once, from the teammate stats, as if each ran its setter as often with the other as overall. Smogon’s stats don’t say which sets share a team, so this is an estimate, not a count.

Items

What teams hold, and the Megas they bring

Smogon · Showdown Champions VGC · Sep 2026 · 1,631,943 battles

  1. Focus Sash62.8%
  2. Sitrus Berry57.6%
  3. Life Orb54.2%
  4. Leftovers33.6%
  5. Miracle Seed29.1%
  6. Choice Scarf27.5%
  7. Grassy Seed17.4%
  8. Psychic Seed16.9%
  9. Chople Berry16.7%
  10. Rocky Helmet12.6%
  11. Colbur Berry11.8%
  12. White Herb10.9%
  13. Fairy Feather10.0%
  14. Light Clay7.3%
  15. Charcoal5.2%
  16. Black Glasses5.2%

Mega Stones

Teams bring 1.7 Mega Stones on average; only one Pokémon can Mega Evolve each battle.

Mega Salamence28.1%Mega Golisopod15.7%Mega Raichu Y12.5%Mega Charizard Y12.2%Mega Floette10.8%Mega Gardevoir9.4%Mega Garchomp Z7.9%Mega Gengar6.3%Mega Metagross6.3%Mega Staraptor6.3%

Share of teams with a Pokémon holding it. Item Clause allows one of each item per team, so each Pokémon’s usage × how often it holds the item adds up to it. Sprites: who holds it most.

Smogon · Showdown Champions BSS · Sep 2026 · 69,462 battles

  1. Leftovers62.7%
  2. Focus Sash60.4%
  3. Sitrus Berry59.4%
  4. Choice Scarf50.6%
  5. Life Orb35.5%
  6. Rocky Helmet26.4%
  7. Air Balloon25.3%
  8. Light Clay14.8%
  9. Mystic Water5.8%
  10. Terrain Extender5.6%
  11. Damp Rock5.2%
  12. Miracle Seed4.6%
  13. Chesto Berry3.5%
  14. Black Glasses3.4%
  15. Grassy Seed3.1%
  16. Spell Tag3.0%

Mega Stones

Teams bring 1.8 Mega Stones on average; only one Pokémon can Mega Evolve each battle.

Mega Salamence41.5%Mega Golisopod26.8%Mega Lucario Z20.7%Mega Garchomp Z7.5%Mega Baxcalibur6.6%Mega Gengar5.2%Mega Charizard Y5.1%Mega Blastoise4.8%Mega Swampert4.8%Mega Metagross4.7%

Share of teams with a Pokémon holding it. Item Clause allows one of each item per team, so each Pokémon’s usage × how often it holds the item adds up to it. Sprites: who holds it most.

Speed tiers

The most used Pokémon’s Speed at Lv 50, in bands

Smogon · Showdown Champions VGC · Sep 2026 · 1,631,943 battles

  • Tailwind ×2 for its side, 4 turns
  • Choice Scarf ×1.5
  • Trick Room slowest first, 5 turns
  1. 180+Fastest
  2. 150–179Fast
  3. 100–149Middle
  4. Under 100Slow: first underTrick Room

Lv 50 Speed of the 30 most used Pokémon in Smogon’s Champions VGC stats, each with its most common Stat Points and Stat Alignment, as its Mega when it holds a Mega Stone. Equal Speeds go in random order.

Smogon · Showdown Champions BSS · Sep 2026 · 69,462 battles

  • Tailwind ×2 for its side, 4 turns
  • Choice Scarf ×1.5
  • Trick Room slowest first, 5 turns
  1. 180+Fastest
  2. 150–179Fast
  3. 100–149Middle
  4. Under 100Slow: first underTrick Room

Lv 50 Speed of the 30 most used Pokémon in Smogon’s Champions BSS stats, each with its most common Stat Points and Stat Alignment, as its Mega when it holds a Mega Stone. Equal Speeds go in random order.

This week on the ladder

Today’s most picked in-game, and who’s moving

In-game ladder Pokémon Champions ranked Doubles · updated Oct 28

Most picked today

  1. 1Sneasler▲1
  2. 2Rillaboom▲1
  3. 3Garchomp▼2
  4. 4Incineroar=
  5. 5Archaludon▲1
  6. 6Charizard▼1
  7. 7Raichu=
  8. 8Pelipper=
  9. 9Kingambit=
  10. 10Female Indeedee=

This week

Climbing in the top 50

  1. Female Basculegion#36 → #31▲5
  2. Sinistcha#29 → #25▲4
  3. Whimsicott#14 → #11▲3
  4. Primarina#39 → #36▲3
  5. Golisopod#15 → #13▲2

Falling in the top 50

  1. Gholdengo#12 → #15▼3
  2. Garchomp#1 → #3▼2
  3. Metagross#26 → #28▼2
  4. Armarouge#27 → #29▼2
  5. Hisuian Arcanine#35 → #37▼2

The full in-game ladder →Smogon’s Champions VGC stats →

Daily usage rank on the game’s own ranked Doubles ladder; ▲▼ places moved over the past week, among the top 50 today (climbing) or a week ago (falling). Battle data provided by Pokémon Champions Battle Data.

In-game ladder Pokémon Champions ranked Singles · updated Oct 28

Most picked today

  1. 1Garchomp=
  2. 2Primarina=
  3. 3Mimikyu=
  4. 4Hippowdon=
  5. 5Golisopod=
  6. 6Charizard▲1
  7. 7Lucario▼1
  8. 8Archaludon=
  9. 9Basculegion▲1
  10. 10Gholdengo▼1

This week

Climbing in the top 50

  1. Hydreigon#35 → #29▲6
  2. Wash Rotom#32 → #27▲5
  3. Volcarona#36 → #33▲3
  4. Charizard#7 → #6▲1
  5. Basculegion#10 → #9▲1

Falling in the top 50

  1. Blastoise#29 → #35▼6
  2. Aegislash#28 → #31▼3
  3. Eternal Floette#33 → #36▼3
  4. Greninja#26 → #28▼2
  5. Lucario#6 → #7▼1

The full in-game ladder →Smogon’s Champions BSS stats →

Daily usage rank on the game’s own ranked Singles ladder; ▲▼ places moved over the past week, among the top 50 today (climbing) or a week ago (falling). Battle data provided by Pokémon Champions Battle Data.