Ranked Series 9 Double is the stove the main dishes are really cooking on. Doubles has been the primary format for VGC battles for as long as the meta has been standing, making an understanding of what Pokemon do well in them absolutely essential. This overview will cover our top three picks for the format. We will be covering their base stats, ideal abilities and natures, recommended sets, and last, but not least, ideal types of teammates to put them on a team with. There’s nothing more important than having the right Pokemon for a job than having the right ones to back them up and synergize with them. These 3 Pokemon will help make any team be the best that no one ever was in Ranked Series 9 Double Battles.
Regieleki
The new electric golem created by Regigigas has taken the Ranked Series 9 Doubles meta by storm, becoming the fastest electric type in the game. Created by Regigigas from pure electric energy, this Regi absorbs electrons to stay alive and is said to have the greatest power of all electric type Pokemon (despite being able to be beaten by a fire rabbit cough cough Cinderace). This Pokemon also has the highest speed of any electric type in the game, boasting an incredible base stat of 200 speed. It can be seen in its base stat spread below.
Base Stats
HP: 80
Atk: 100
Def: 50
Sp. Atk: 100
Sp. Def: 50
Spd: 200
If that 100 base stat total wasn’t bad enough, its ability, Transistor, boosts electric type moves by 50%! This makes both physical and special attacking electric moves exponentially more deadly. Let’s look at Thunder Cage as an example. Regieleki’s signature move rocks a base power of 80, increasing that with Transistor raises the power up to 80.5.
Ideal Build
Regieleki’s ideal set requires it to have been obtained with a Modest nature, a personality type that boosts Special Attack and nerfs Attack. Regieleki should also be equipped with a Life Orb to further boost the power of all attacking moves, even if it loses a bit of HP after each attack. The electric titan should know these four moves,
Rising Voltage: For Same Type Advantage Bonus and to use on Electric Terrain when its partner can set it up in order to double the power from 70 to 140. And this is on top of the bonus it gets from Transistor.
Thunder Cage: Regieleki’s signature move and along with being boosted, can trap opponents in a cage that causes them damage every turn.
Volt Switch: To help pivot into other Pokemon after cousin substantial damage. This is useful for switching in Pokemon that will give a strategic upper hand on opponents. One could switch in a Pokemon that’s super effective against an opponent’s mon or bring in a Pokemon that might also synergize with its current partner Pokemon.
Ancient Power: This rock-type coverage move can also raise Regieleki’s other stats while relying on its amazing base speed.
It should be noted that while this may not seem like it gives the best coverage for a moveset, that is not the prime worry with this build. This build makes Regielecki a good sweeper by relying on STAB, Transistor, and Life Orb. Go with doing a ton of damage and allow Regieleki’s partner to support it.
Recommended Teammates
Ideal teammates for Regieleki require Pokemon that can set up Electric Terrain. That way moves like Rising Voltage can be used at their optimum damage output. Examples of Pokemon that are good to pair Eleki with are Tapu Koko and Pinchurchin with its hidden ability. Any Pokemon that can dynamax and use Max Lightning are also good picks, as well as dynamaxing Regieleki to give him this boost without other aid.
Another recommendation is to pair Regieleki with a Pokemon that can learn Soak, such as Tapu Fini. This move turns the opponent’s type to Water and will give Regieleki super-effective damage output every time this is pulled off. This Regi is finally awake and is ready to send its rivals to the electric chair.
Rillaboom
Ever seen a grass-type monkey with a rock dream? Players get to see Grookey evolve from ultimate lawn groupie to a drumming legend that goes ape on water, rock, and ground type alike. While Cinderace dominates the Singles format, Rillaboom has grown to take his spot as starter king of Galar Doubles. Rillaboom plays the song of a pure grass-type Pokemon and has two abilities being Overgrow, which buffs grass type moves in a pinch, and Grassy Surge, which triggers a Grassy Terrain upon entering the fight. Rillaboom’s base stats are as follows:
Base Stats
HP: 100
Atk: 125
Def: 90
Sp. Atk: 60
Sp. Def: 70
Speed: 85
Ideal Build
Rillaboom’s ideal Ranked Series 9 Doubles build requires one with a Jolly nature, a personality type that boosts Speed and lowers Special Attack. The best item is either a Choice Scarf or Choice Band. Rillaboom needs to have Grassy Surge as its ability for this build to work. It is ideal moveset consists of these four moves:
U-Turn: This move allows Rillaboom to escape unideal matchups and switch in Pokemon that can counter the attacks of the Pokemon’s current mons.
Drum Beating and Grassy Glide: Since the reasoning for these two go hand and hand, they will be covered in one entry. These two grass moves will be boosted by Grassy Terrain and will lower the speed of the opponent and always hit first on Grassy Terrain, respectively. These moves will also serve as Rillaboom’s stat moves.
Knock Off:
This allows Rillaboom to knock off the enemy’s held item, leaving them without the benefits of items such as Leftovers, Life Orb, and any and all held items.
Recommended Teammates
Lastly, Rillaboom is lucky to be a Pokemon that can handle itself without support, but it is still good to have Pokemon that can cover Rillaboom’s weaknesses such as Water, Fire, and Psychic. Pokemon that can also benefit from Grassy Terrain are good calls. Take a nice seat on the soft grass, Trainers, this monkey’s going to play the metagame a funky beat.
Urshifu-Single Strike
The karate cub of Galar, Kubfu is a legendary Pokemon hailing from the Isle of Armor. The Dojo Master gives this bear to the worthiest students and evolves into the ballistic bear. Kubfu evolves into Urshifu when shown one of two scrolls from the Tower of Two Fists. The player obtains Urshifu Single Strike Style when shown the Scroll of Darkness. On the other hand, they get Urshifu Rapid Strike Style when showing it the Scroll of Water. The Single Strike Style Urshifu is especially good on the Doubles battlefield. This Urshifu rocks the dual Fighting/Dark-type and has the ability Unseen Fist, which ignores moves like Protect if the user is using a contact move.
Urshifu’s base stats read as such.
Base Stats
HP: 100
Atk: 130
Def: 100
Sp. Atk: 63
Sp. Def: 60
Speed: 97
Ideal Build
Urshifu’s best Ranked Series 9 Doubles build requires the player to have a Jolly nature, as well as the Life Orb, held item. Urshifu’s moveset should consist of:
Wicked Blow: Single Strike Style’s signature move and one of its STAB moves. Wicked Blow always deals a critical hit and can go through moves like Protect.
Close Combat: This will serve as another stab move working off of Urshifu’s Life Orb.
Iron Head: Coverage against Fairy types.
Aerial Ace: When dynamaxed, access to Max Airstream will boost Urshifu’s speed, allowing it to use other more fatal moves first.
Recommended Teammates
Ideal teammates for Urshifu include Pokemon that can look out for its weaknesses being Fairy, Fighting, and Flying. Electric, Psychic, Flying, Steel, and Poison will prove to be invaluable assets. Lapras and Mimikyu also prove to be good allies as Lapras’ G-Max Resonance will help Urshifu and Mimikyu benefit from the Aurora Veil boosting their survivability.
You Are Now Set
The battles going on in Ranked Series 9 Doubles are electrifying, to say the least. However, with these three Pokemon on anyone’s team, along with the proper composition, the rhythm of the battle shall stay to the liking of those who wield them. With this knowledge in hand, get in there Trainers, and finish the competition with a wicked blow.
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