As Pokemon Champions heads into Season M-5, the developers have posted the rankings of the top ten most-used Pokemon on teams in doubles ranked battles. Whether you are building a new team or refining an existing one, these Pokemon define the current competitive landscape.
1. Garchomp
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Garchomp tops the list as the most-used Pokemon competitively in Season M-4. This comes as no surprise , Garchomp has been an incredibly powerful competitive Pokemon since its introduction to the series. With the limited roster available in Champions, it functions as a premier offensive threat.
Moveset
The preferred moveset includes Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Rock Slide, and Protect. Dragon Claw and Earthquake serve as Garchomp's main attacks: Dragon Claw for single targets and Earthquake to hit the entire field. Rock Slide deals decent spread damage and carries a 30% chance to flinch, which can drastically change the outcome of a turn. Protect lets Garchomp shield itself from disadvantageous situations , allowing its partner to eliminate a threat while it stays safe, or stalling out field conditions set by the opponent.
Item
Life Orb is Garchomp's favored item. It increases the power of damaging moves by 30% at the cost of 10% of the user's HP per attack. With Garchomp specializing as an offensive threat, Life Orb allows it to secure knockouts on more defensive Pokemon that would otherwise survive.
Ability
Rough Skin is Garchomp's most-used ability. It damages any Pokemon that makes contact with Garchomp, dealing chip damage whenever it is hit by opposing physical attacks. This is far more useful than its alternative, Sand Veil, which only boosts evasiveness during Sandstorm , the least popular weather condition in the current meta.
Nature and EVs
The most-used nature is Jolly, boosting Speed at the cost of Special Attack. Since Garchomp is a pure physical attacker, the Special Attack drop is irrelevant. Stat investment focuses on Attack and Speed to maximize offensive output, with remaining points placed into HP for a small amount of extra bulk.
2. Kingambit
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Much like Garchomp, Kingambit is popular for its raw physical damage output. It focuses on offense as much as possible, using Sucker Punch to take opponents out quickly while investing heavily in bulk.
Moveset
Kingambit's most-used moves are Sucker Punch, Kowtow Cleave, Iron Head, and Protect. Sucker Punch compensates for Kingambit's lower Speed , if the target is preparing an attack, Sucker Punch moves first; otherwise, it fails. Reading an opponent's move correctly allows Kingambit to deal high damage early in the turn order without Speed investment. Kowtow Cleave is Kingambit's signature move, a Dark-type attack that never misses, providing a reliable damage option when Sucker Punch might fail. Iron Head is Kingambit's best Steel move, carrying a 20% chance to flinch. Protect rounds out the set to play around opposing removal attempts.
Item
Black Glasses boost the damage of Dark-type moves by 20%, amplifying Kingambit's strongest attacks. Some Kingambit also run the Chople Berry, which reduces the damage of super effective Fighting-type moves. Since Kingambit is a Dark/Steel type, it takes four times the damage from Fighting attacks, and the Chople Berry can allow it to survive an otherwise lethal hit once.
Ability
Defiant triggers whenever one of Kingambit's stats is lowered, raising its Attack by two stages. This is especially valuable against Incineroar, whose Intimidate ability and Parting Shot move lower opposing Attack stats. Defiant turns those debuffs into buffs, negating the drops and increasing Kingambit's Attack by one stage.
Nature and EVs
Kingambit typically uses the Adamant nature, raising Attack and lowering Special Attack , a stat it never uses. Stat investment focuses on Attack and HP to maximize damage while maintaining survivability, with the final points placed into Defense or Special Defense.
3. Incineroar
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Incineroar is an incredibly strong support Pokemon that consistently reaches high usage in competitive play. Its ability to control the field and weaken opposing offensive threats earns it the number three spot.
Moveset
Incineroar typically runs Fake Out, Parting Shot, Flare Blitz, and Darkest Lariat. Fake Out and Parting Shot are its bread and butter. Fake Out can only be used on the first turn after Incineroar enters the battlefield, but it always flinches its target, controlling which opposing Pokemon gets to move. Parting Shot then lets Incineroar switch out while lowering one opponent's Attack and Special Attack, reducing the effectiveness of opposing threats , and switching out resets Fake Out for the next time Incineroar returns. Flare Blitz and Darkest Lariat provide Fire and Dark-type damage for situations where Incineroar cannot repeatedly swap and must contribute offensively.
Item
Sitrus Berry heals 25% of Incineroar's HP when it drops below half, allowing it to sustain itself and remain on the field longer.
Ability
Intimidate is Incineroar's most-used ability by a wide margin. It lowers the Attack of all opposing Pokemon when Incineroar enters the field. Combined with the constant switching encouraged by Fake Out and Parting Shot, Intimidate passively reduces the damage the opposing team can deal throughout the match. It is one of the primary reasons Incineroar remains a staple in competitive doubles.
Nature and EVs
Incineroar always runs a nature that lowers Special Attack , Careful for Special Defense, Impish for Defense, or Adamant for Attack. Stat investment depends on the team composition. On teams with multiple strong attackers, Incineroar focuses on HP, Defense, and Special Defense to maximize longevity. On teams built around one or two main threats, it invests more in Attack to provide damage if those threats go down.
4. Sinistcha
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Sinistcha is a newer Pokemon that provides support by healing teammates while dealing respectable damage, making it a great fit on many team compositions.
Moveset
Sinistcha's most popular moves are Matcha Gotcha, Rage Powder, Protect, and Trick Room. Matcha Gotcha is Sinistcha's signature move , a Grass-type spread attack that heals Sinistcha for half the damage dealt and carries a 20% chance to burn each target. Burns deal damage over time and halve the target's Attack. Rage Powder redirects all enemy attacks toward Sinistcha, protecting its partner from super effective moves. Protect keeps Sinistcha in the fight longer. Trick Room reverses the Speed order of Pokemon on the field for a few turns, and Sinistcha's ability to set it up makes it a strong option on Trick Room teams. On teams that do not use Trick Room, Sinistcha can replace it with Life Dew to heal both itself and its partner.
Item
Sinistcha typically runs the Sitrus Berry for emergency healing, or the Kasib Berry to reduce the damage of super effective Ghost-type moves , useful in matchups against Basculegion using Last Respects or opposing Sinistcha running Shadow Ball.
Ability
Hospitality heals Sinistcha's partner for 25% of their HP when Sinistcha enters the field. This healing can be the difference between a teammate surviving another hit or not, and perfectly complements Sinistcha's supportive role.
Nature and EVs
Sinistcha uses the Bold nature to raise Defense at the cost of Attack. It invests stat points into HP, Defense, and Special Defense, typically favoring Special Defense to compensate for its lower base stat in that area.
5. Charizard
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Charizard earns its spot on the list thanks to its powerful Mega Charizard Y form. It has all the tools needed to take advantage of Harsh Sunlight and functions as the core of sun teams.
Moveset
Charizard's best moves are Protect, Heat Wave, Solar Beam, and Weather Ball. Protect is a doubles staple for defending important Pokemon and aiding repositioning. Heat Wave hits both opposing Pokemon with a 10% burn chance. Solar Beam is a high-damage Grass move that normally requires a turn to charge, but fires immediately in Harsh Sunlight , covering Charizard's Water-type weakness. Weather Ball is a Normal move with low base power that changes type and doubles in power when used in weather, functioning as a powerful single-target Fire attack in Harsh Sunlight.
Item
Charizardite Y allows Charizard to Mega Evolve into Mega Charizard Y, granting major boosts to Special Attack, Attack, and Special Defense. It also changes Charizard's ability to Drought, which sets up Harsh Sunlight upon entry.
Ability
While most players leave Charizard with its base ability Blaze, it is almost always Mega Evolved and will use Drought in practice. Drought sets up Harsh Sunlight whenever Mega Charizard Y enters the field , the weather condition that the entire team is built around. Teammates typically benefit from Harsh Sunlight through increased Fire attack damage, reduced Water attack damage, or moves with secondary effects tied to the weather.
Nature and EVs
Charizard uses the Modest nature to boost Special Attack at the cost of Attack. It invests heavily into Speed and Special Attack to move before opponents and maximize damage output, with remaining points placed into HP for a small survivability buffer.
6. Whimsicott
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Whimsicott is a fast and frail Pokemon whose primary role is to provide speed control through Tailwind and the Prankster ability.
Moveset
The typical Whimsicott moveset is Tailwind, Moonblast, Encore, and Protect. Tailwind doubles the Speed of all Pokemon on the user's side for four turns, ensuring allies move as early in the turn as possible. Moonblast is Whimsicott's main attack, dealing decent damage with a 35% chance to lower the target's Special Attack. Encore locks the target into its last-used move for three turns , particularly effective against Pokemon using stat-boosting moves or Protect. Protect helps Whimsicott survive given its low defenses.
Item
Focus Sash compensates for Whimsicott's poor defensive stats by ensuring it survives any single hit that would otherwise knock it out, leaving it at 1 HP. This guarantees it always takes two hits to knock out Whimsicott, allowing players to safely use it without investing in its weak defenses.
Ability
Prankster increases the priority of status moves that do not target Dark types, meaning Tailwind and Encore will almost always move first. This also guarantees that when Whimsicott uses Encore, it knows exactly which move will be locked in based on what was used the previous turn.
Nature and EVs
Whimsicott uses the Timid nature to boost Speed at the cost of Attack, a stat it does not use. It invests in Special Attack to increase Moonblast damage and in Speed to ensure it is the fastest Pokemon on the field. Even with Prankster's priority boost, Speed remains important for Moonblast and for ties within the same priority bracket.
7. Basculegion
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Basculegion is a strong physical attacker whose Water typing makes it a natural fit on rain teams. It also functions as a late-game finisher through the move Last Respects.
Moveset
Basculegion's most common moves are Last Respects, Aqua Jet, and Wave Crash. Last Respects is a Ghost-type attack that grows stronger for each fainted Pokemon on the user's team, enabling Basculegion to enter late in the game and threaten almost any opponent. Aqua Jet and Wave Crash are both Water-type attacks that leverage Basculegion's high Attack stat and Rain weather for heavy damage. Its fourth move slot is typically Flip Turn , a Water attack that also switches Basculegion out, providing a useful pivoting option , or Protect for stalling in difficult situations, though Protect has limited value when paired with Choice Scarf.
Item
Choice Scarf addresses Basculegion's below-average Speed by increasing it by 50%, at the cost of locking it into the first move selected after switching in. This makes Basculegion fast enough to compete with other strong attackers, with the trade-off of needing to switch out to change moves.
Ability
Adaptability increases the Same Type Attack Bonus from 50% to 100%, meaning Basculegion's Ghost and Water moves deal double the damage they normally would. This plays a major role in its offensive output.
Nature and EVs
Basculegion uses the Adamant nature to raise Attack at the cost of Special Attack. Stat investment focuses on Attack and Speed to maximize the value of Choice Scarf and Adaptability, with remaining points placed into HP for a small survivability buffer.
8. Farigaraf
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Farigaraf is best known in competitive Pokemon as one of the most reliable Trick Room setters. Beyond enabling Trick Room teams, it brings additional support utility that can boost the damage of its teammates.
Moveset
Farigaraf's typical moveset is Trick Room, Psychic, Thunderbolt, and Helping Hand. Trick Room reverses the turn order so the slowest Pokemon move first , and since Speed is Farigaraf's weakest stat, building around Trick Room helps it and its teammates compete. Psychic and Thunderbolt serve as damage options for chipping down opponents when no strong attacker is available, with Thunderbolt covering Water and Flying types. Helping Hand boosts the power of Farigaraf's partner by 50%, making it most effective alongside slow, high-damage Pokemon.
Item
Sitrus Berry provides emergency healing to keep Farigaraf in the fight, ensuring Trick Room stays active and Helping Hand continues to support the team.
Ability
Armor Tail is Farigaraf's signature ability. It blocks all priority moves used against Farigaraf's team, including those with priority granted by abilities like Prankster. This directly counters other strong support Pokemon on this list, including Incineroar's Fake Out and Whimsicott's Prankster-boosted moves.
Nature and EVs
Farigaraf uses the Bold or Relaxed nature to increase Defense at the cost of Attack or Speed. It invests stat points into HP, Defense, and Special Defense to maximize longevity and keep supporting its team.
9. Sneasler
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Sneasler is a fast physical attacker with a signature move capable of inflicting three different status conditions, making it a uniquely disruptive threat.
Moveset
Sneasler's top moves are Close Combat, Fake Out, Dire Claw, and Protect. Close Combat is a high-damage Fighting move that lowers Sneasler's own Defense and Special Defense after use. Fake Out is a priority move that guarantees a flinch on entry, giving Sneasler an unusual ability to help its team position against powerful threats despite being an attacker rather than a support. Dire Claw is Sneasler's signature Poison-type move that deals solid damage and carries a 30% chance to Poison, Sleep, or Paralyze the target , each status condition is debilitating, and the unpredictability of all three can dismantle opposing strategies. Protect rounds out the set for defensive utility.
Item
White Herb synergizes directly with Close Combat and Unburden. When Sneasler's stats are lowered, White Herb is consumed to prevent the stat change. The first time Close Combat is used, White Herb negates the Defense and Special Defense drop , and its consumption then activates Unburden.
Ability
Unburden doubles Sneasler's Speed when its held item is used or lost. Once White Herb is consumed by Close Combat, Sneasler's Speed doubles for the rest of the battle. Sneasler is already a fast Pokemon, so Unburden makes it the fastest on the field in the vast majority of cases.
Nature and EVs
Sneasler uses Jolly or Adamant to raise Speed or Attack at the cost of Special Attack, then invests in Speed and Attack to maximize the value of Unburden and Close Combat. Remaining points go into HP, though Sneasler remains quite frail and relies on eliminating threats before they can strike back.
10. Sylveon
Pokemon Champions Season M-4 Usage Rankings Overview
Sylveon is a bulky special attacker that uses its ability to convert Normal-type moves into powerful Fairy-type attacks.
Moveset
Sylveon's main attacks are Hyper Voice, Quick Attack, and Hyper Beam. Hyper Voice is a spread move that hits both opposing Pokemon. Quick Attack is a priority move that deals low damage but can secure knockouts on low-health targets. Hyper Beam deals very high damage but requires a recharge turn afterward. All three become Fairy-type through Pixelate. For its fourth move, Sylveon typically uses Detect or Protect , both function similarly, but Detect remains usable in situations where an opponent uses Imprison to block Protect.
Item
Fairy Feather increases the power of Fairy-type moves by 20%, maximizing the effectiveness of Sylveon's converted Normal moves. Fairy is one of the stronger offensive types in Pokemon, making Sylveon an effective attacker against the many Dragon and Dark types found in Pokemon Champions.
Ability
Pixelate converts Sylveon's Normal-type moves to the Fairy type and provides a 30% damage boost to those converted moves. Combined with the Same Type Attack Bonus and Fairy Feather, Hyper Voice, Quick Attack, and Hyper Beam all deal significantly more damage than their base stats suggest.
Nature and EVs
Unlike most attackers on this list, Sylveon invests in bulk. It uses the Modest nature to raise Special Attack at the cost of Attack, then spends points in HP, Defense, and Special Defense. Its high base Special Attack combined with Pixelate and Fairy Feather means it does not need to max out Special Attack investment to hit hard.
Looking Ahead to Season M-5
Those are the ten most-used Pokemon from Season M-4. As the meta transitions into Season M-5, these Pokemon are worth keeping a close eye on , many of the best teams will continue to feature them in their compositions. Looking to build around these Pokemon right away? Check out our Trick Room teams full build guide or our best sun team composition for battle-ready teams featuring the most popular picks from this season.