Rain is the dominant weather archetype in Pokémon Champions Season M-1, and for good reason. The combination of instant weather setup, boosted Water-type damage, and a free Electro Shot every turn creates offensive pressure that slower teams simply cannot absorb. Getting the most out of it requires knowing exactly which six Pokémon to run, when to lead, and how to handle the weather wars that define high-level play.
What does rain actually do in Pokémon Champions?
Before building the team, it helps to understand what you're working with. According to Game8's weather guide for Pokémon Champions, rain produces the following effects:
- Water-type moves deal 50% more damage
- Fire-type moves deal 50% less damage
- Weather Ball becomes a Water-type move with doubled power
- Electro Shot fires immediately without a charge turn, and boosts the user's Special Attack by 1 stage
- Hurricane becomes 100% accurate
- Pokémon cannot be frozen
That Electro Shot interaction is what makes Archaludon so oppressive. Under rain, you're firing a Special Attack-boosted Electro Shot every single turn, and the only safe switch-ins are Ground-types.
info
When two weather setters enter simultaneously, the slower Pokémon's weather overwrites the faster one's. In a Speed tie, a coin flip determines which effect stays. Keep this in mind when facing opposing weather teams.
Archaludon's rain-boosted Electro Shot
The best rain team roster for Season M-1
Multiple sources covering Season M-1, including Game8, GameRant, and PlayerAuctions, converge on the same core six-Pokémon lineup. The team blends hyper offense with enough support to handle counterplay.
Note that some sources (PlayerAuctions and bo3.gg) list Mega Floette and Sinistcha in place of Sneasler and Mega Starmie. Those are valid alternative builds oriented around a late-game Calm Mind sweep. The Game8 build above prioritizes immediate pressure and is the more established competitive option for Regulation M-A.
Season M-1 rain team roster
Individual builds and movesets
Pelipper (Rain setter)
Pelipper's job is straightforward: enter the field, activate Drizzle, and then either set Tailwind for speed control or threaten damage with Hurricane (which never misses under rain). The Focus Sash keeps it alive through an otherwise lethal hit, giving you a second turn to set Tailwind before it goes down. Timid nature and 32 Speed EVs push it as fast as possible given its modest base Speed.
info
Pelipper is the backbone of the entire strategy. Opponents who know rain teams will target it immediately. Lead with Sneasler alongside Pelipper to threaten Fake Out on the opposing Incineroar before it can Parting Shot your setter away.
Archaludon (Special attacker)
Stamina means Archaludon gains +1 Defense every time it takes a hit, which stacks with Leftovers recovery to make it surprisingly durable for an attacker. Under rain, Electro Shot fires every turn and boosts Special Attack by 1 stage each time, turning Archaludon into a snowball that becomes harder to stop the longer it stays on the field. Flash Cannon handles Fairy and Ice threats, while Draco Meteor gives it a high-power nuke when needed. Ground-types are the only safe answers to a boosted Electro Shot, per Game8's analysis.
Basculegion (Male) (Physical sweeper)
Adaptability is chosen over Swift Swim here because the power boost from Adaptability (100% STAB bonus instead of 50%) can secure OHKOs that Swift Swim cannot, according to Game8. Mystic Water over Choice Scarf keeps Basculegion flexible across different situations. Locking into Last Respects while the opponent still has two Pokémon standing is a position you never want to be in. Basculegion's Ghost typing also makes it immune to Fake Out, letting it safely lead against Incineroar-heavy teams and threaten a Wave Crash KO through Intimidate.
Sneasler (Lead disruptor)
Sneasler opens with Fake Out to flinch a threat while its partner attacks or switches into position. Once the White Herb is consumed, Unburden doubles Sneasler's Speed, making it one of the fastest Pokémon on the field for the rest of the match. Close Combat handles Wash Rotom and Steel-types that would otherwise wall the team's Water attackers, while Dire Claw pressures Fairy-types with a 30% chance of poison, paralysis, or sleep.
Incineroar (Support pivot)
Incineroar has been a VGC staple for years and its role here is unchanged: Intimidate drops opposing Attack on entry, Fake Out flinches threats on turn one, and Parting Shot weakens the opponent's Attack and Special Attack while safely cycling Pelipper or another teammate back into the field. Helping Hand gives a 50% damage boost to an ally's move, which can turn a 2HKO into a clean OHKO when timed correctly.
Mega Starmie (Physical attacker)
Mega Starmie's base 120 Speed lets it outpace Garchomp and Mega Charizard Y. Huge Power doubles the power of its physical moves, making Liquidation hit extremely hard under rain. One important Speed check to track: Mega Starmie and Mega Froslass are tied at base 120 Speed. Since this Starmie runs Adamant rather than Jolly, a Timid Mega Froslass moves first and can land a Shadow Ball unless Starmie uses Aqua Jet that turn, per Game8.
How to play the rain team effectively
What is the best lead combination?
The standard opening is Sneasler + Mega Starmie (or Basculegion as the alternative). Sneasler threatens Fake Out on the most dangerous opponent while Starmie threatens to Mega Evolve and fire off Liquidation. If you expect a double Protect from the opponent, Sneasler can use Coaching instead to boost Starmie's Attack even further.
Against teams without a weather setter, Pelipper can lead freely alongside Archaludon. Pelipper sets rain and Tailwind on turn one, and Archaludon immediately starts firing Electro Shots.
Against Sun teams (particularly Mega Charizard Y builds), the recommended approach from PlayerAuctions is to lead with Incineroar and use Parting Shot to safely bring Pelipper in, overwriting the Sun and weakening the incoming Fire-type threats simultaneously.
warning
Do not Mega Evolve automatically on turn one. Dragonite, for example, has Inner Focus before Mega Evolving, which grants immunity to Fake Out flinches and Intimidate drops. Staying in base form for the first turn can be more valuable than the Mega stats, depending on the matchup.
How do you beat the rain meta?
Knowing the counters matters whether you're playing rain or facing it.
The fastest way to dismantle a rain team is weather replacement. Mega Charizard Y (Drought), Tyranitar (Sand Stream), and Mega Froslass (Snow Warning) all overwrite rain on entry, stripping the team of its offensive shortcuts. Once rain is gone, Archaludon loses the instant Electro Shot and Basculegion loses the Swift Swim Speed boost (if running that ability).
Trick Room is the other major threat. Rain teams depend on outspeeding opponents, and Trick Room reverses that entirely. Farigiraf and Kommo-o can set Trick Room in front of rain attackers, and Wash Rotom resists Water-type attacks while threatening back with Thunderbolt. Sinistcha (on the alternative team build) runs Imprison specifically to shut down opposing Trick Room setters.
If you're playing rain, the answer to opposing Trick Room is Sinistcha's Imprison or careful positioning to KO the setter before it acts. Against weather wars, use Incineroar's Parting Shot to cycle Pelipper back in and reclaim rain control.
For more team-building strategies across every archetype, browse more guides on GAMES.GG.