Pokemon VGC Trick Room: How to use, tips, counter, and more

In Pokemon VGC, Trick Room is one of the premier moves around which an entire competitive team archetype is developed. Usually used by Psychic-type Pocket Monsters, Trick Room reverses the move order within a battle's priority brackets, causing Pocket Monsters with lower Speed stats to move first and those with higher Speed stats to move after them.

Trick Room, once activated, will last for five turns, and using the move itself is included as the first turn in this duration. Thanks to the speed-flipping effects of Trick Room, countless teams have been developed in the current and previous Pokemon VGC to allow hard-hitting, slower Pocket Monsters to move as though they were lightning fast.

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How to use Trick Room in Pokemon VGC

Dusknoir uses Trick Room in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Trick Room can be used in the Pokemon VGC on both offense and defense. However, regardless of whether you are using Trick Room to attack your foes or set up your opponents, it's vital that you choose the right Pocket Monsters to set the move. While Cresselia has been considered a top pick in this regard, Regulation H's ruleset has banned the Pokemon as an option for Trick Room teams in the format.

As an alternative to the incredibly popular Cresselia, you can look to other Pocket Monsters including Indeedee(Female), Farigiraf, Armarouge, and Bronzong. Try to use Trick Room as soon as possible in a VGC battle, and at least a second time if the battle continues for longer than five turns.

If you have Trick Room active on offensive teams, you can rely on slow but hard-hitting fighters like Ursaluna or Torkoal to deal heavy damage to opponents. Meanwhile, defensive and slow Pocket Monsters like Amoonguss can set up defensive strategies such as putting opponents to sleep with Spore and opening them up for attacks.

Tips for using Trick Room in Pokemon VGC

• Be aware that opponents who see certain monsters like those named above paired with very slow creatures will likely realize a Trick Room setup is coming. Take this into consideration and be wary of the opponent using moves like Fake Out or Protect.
• By incorporating a Pokemon with the move Follow Me into your team, you can use this move to draw attention to another Pocket Monster and allow the Trick Room setter to activate their move without getting hit with flinching moves that can interrupt the process.
• You can also incorporate Trick Room into other themed teams like weather teams, allowing hard-hitters with low Speed stats to set up moves like Sunny Day/Rain Dance faster and throw out their high base damage moves sooner. This is typically referred to as a semi-Trick Room team, but it can still be very effective.

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Counters for Trick Room in Pokemon VGC

Moves like Protect can stall out Trick Room's turn timer in the Pokemon VGC (Image via The Pokemon Company)

When it comes to countering Trick Room in Pokemon VGC, your only real options are to prevent Trick Room from being used or, when it's activated, to stall out its five-turn timer and avoid taking damage from bruisers and bullies that benefit from the reversed priority order. Both are great strategies, even if they don't have a perfect success rate when used in a live VGC match.

To prevent Trick Room usage, you can use Fake Out on the opponent team's Pokemon that often uses Follow Me to force them to flinch, then use Taunt and force the Trick Room setter to use other moves until the setter is switched out. You may also counter Trick Room by responding with the same move, as this will return the priority order to normal.

For the stalling method, you can use creatures in the Pokemon VGC who know Protect to avoid damage from the hard-hitting species that benefit from Trick Room, shortening the timer from effectively five turns to two turns. You can also use this time to switch out to other Protect users or Pokemon with the Intimidate ability to lower the damage output of attackers.

Countering or stalling Trick Room takes practice, but that can be said for nearly anything in the Pokemon VGC, especially in the Doubles format-heavy Scarlet and Violet meta. Still, with the right awareness of how Trick Room works and how its teams are composed, you should be able to overcome it effectively with regularity.

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Final notes on Trick Room in Pokemon VGC

Trick Room has been a staple of the Pokemon VGC for well over a decade in the Double Battle format, but it doesn't apply quite as effectively in Singles formats due to speed control gameplay being less vital overall. If you hope to use Trick Room effectively, you'll want to try your chances in Double Battles first and foremost before risking it in Singles battles where its efficacy can drop off.

Implementing a Trick Room team well in the ongoing meta requires plenty of practice and even more planning before the battle has even begun, especially with the ongoing meta changes after Regulation H. However, with plenty of dedication and a sharp mind for VGC battling, Trick Room can be devastating in the Scarlet and Violet era.