Top 5 Pokemon VGC teams pros are using, and you should too

To get better at the Pokemon VGC, it may be a good idea to follow the team combinations used by the pros. As of now, Regulation G ends in a few days, on April 30, 2025, at 4:59 PDT. According to the format, each team can use all mons in the game, including one creature that is usually Restricted in the regular Pokemon VGC.

In this article, we go over some of the best teams piloted by professional players in Pokemon VGC.

Top 5 Pokemon VGC teams pros are using

5) Eric Bush's (Eric B.) San Juan Special Event runner-up team

Eric B.'s San Juan Special Event runner-up team (Image via The Pokemon Company)

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Pokemon	Item	Ability	Tera Type	Nature	IVs	EVs	Moves
Raging Bolt	Booster Energy	Protosynthesis	Fairy	Modest	20 Atk	4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe	- Protect - Thunderclap - Draco Meteor - Thunderbolt
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike	Choice Scarf	Unseen Fist	Water	Adamant	-	236 Atk / 20 SpD / 252 Spe	- Surging Strikes - Aqua Jet - Close Combat - U-turn
Pelipper	Safety Goggles	Drizzle	Grass	Modest	0 Atk	252 HP / 4 Def / 196 SpA / 4 SpD / 52 Spe	- Protect - Hurricane - Weather Ball - Wide Guard
Chien-Pao	Focus Sash	Sword of Ruin	Ghost	Jolly	-	252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe	- Protect - Sucker Punch - Throat Chop - Ice Spinner
Amoonguss	Rocky Helmet	Regenerator	Dark	Bold	0 Atk / 27 Spe	236 HP / 164 Def / 108 SpD	- Protect - Spore - Rage Powder - Sludge Bomb
Zamazenta	Rusted Shield	Dauntless Shield	Grass	Impish	-	4 HP / 4 Atk / 244 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe	- Protect - Body Press - Iron Head - Wide Guard

Eric B. picked this team to counter Sun Teams with Pelipper's Drizzle. Additionally, both Zamazenta and Pelipper have Wide Guard to protect them from Calyrex-Shadow's Astral Barrage, which, as a spread move, is stopped by Wide Guard. Raging Bolt and Urshifu-Rapid-Strike are excellent partners for Pelipper, taking advantage of the Rain it sets up to deal massive damage.

Also read: Best Pokemon VGC pick from every region

4) Justin Tang's (Panda) San Antonio Regional champion team

Panda's San Antonio champion team (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon	Item	Ability	Tera Type	Nature	IVs	EVs	Moves
Calyrex-Ice	Clear Amulet	As One (Glastrier)	Fairy	Adamant	-	252 HP / 116 Atk / 4 Def / 20 SpD / 116 Spe	- Glacial Lance - High Horsepower - Protect - Trick Room
Landorus	Life Orb	Sheer Force	Water	Modest	0 Atk	244 HP / 4 Def / 124 SpA / 4 SpD / 132 Spe	- Earth Power - Sludge Bomb - Sandsear Storm - Protect
Amoonguss	Covert Cloak	Regenerator	Fairy	Relaxed	0 Atk / 0 Spe	244 HP / 156 Def / 108 SpD	- Pollen Puff - Spore - Protect - Rage Powder
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike	Mystic Water	Unseen Fist	Water	Adamant	-	204 HP / 188 Atk / 20 Def / 4 SpD / 92 Spe	- Surging Strikes - Taunt - Close Combat - Detect
Roaring Moon	Booster Energy	Protosynthesis	Flying	Jolly	-	148 HP / 84 Atk / 116 Def / 4 SpD / 156 Spe	- Knock Off - Acrobatics - Protect - Tailwind
Ogerpon-Hearthflame	Hearthflame Mask	Mold Breaker	Fire	Impish	-	220 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 20 Spe	- Ivy Cudgel - Horn Leech - Follow Me - Spiky Shield

Justin Tang won the Pokemon VGC San Antonio 2025 Regionals with a team built around dealing damage and redirecting opposing attacks. Both Ogerpon-Hearthflame and Amoonguss provide their team with redirection support, with the latter even having 0 Speed IVs to outspeed other Amoonguss under Trick Room set up by Calyrex-Ice.

Also read: Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should bring back the Regulation H ruleset

3) Luca Ceribelli's (Yume) World Champion team

Yume's World Champion team (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon	Item	Ability	Tera Type	Nature	IVs	EVs	Moves
Miraidon	Choice Specs	Hadron Engine	Fairy	Modest	-	44 HP / 4 Def / 244 SpA / 12 SpD / 204 Spe	- Electro Drift - Draco Meteor - Volt Switch - Dazzling Gleam
Whimsicott	Covert Cloak	Prankster	Dark	Timid	0 Atk	236 HP / 164 SpD / 108 Spe	- Moonblast - Tailwind - Light Screen - Encore
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike	Focus Sash	Unseen Fist	Stellar	Adamant	-	252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe	- Surging Strikes - Close Combat - Aqua Jet - Protect
Ogerpon-Hearthflame	Hearthflame Mask	Mold Breaker	Fire	Adamant	-	188 HP / 76 Atk / 52 Def / 4 SpD / 188 Spe	- Ivy Cudgel - Wood Hammer - Follow Me - Spiky Shield
Farigiraf	Electric Seed	Armor Tail	Water	Bold	6 Atk	204 HP / 164 Def / 4 SpA / 108 SpD / 28 Spe	- Foul Play - Psychic Noise - Trick Room - Helping Hand
Iron Hands	Assault Vest	Quark Drive	Bug	Brave	0 Spe	76 HP / 180 Atk / 12 Def / 236 SpD	- Drain Punch - Low Kick - Wild Charge - Fake Out

The current World Champion, Luca Ceribelli, used a team focused on Miraidon to lift the trophy. The Pokemon Violet box art Legendary has an insane level of damage output, and while Iron Hands was emerging as a check to it, Luca gave it the Fairy Tera type and dazzling Gleam to tackle it.

With Miraidon setting up Electric Terrain, Luca brought his own Iron Hands (who gets a boost in Electric Terrain) and a Farigiraf holding an Electric Seed (boosts defense once under Electric Terrain). The rest of the team was fairly standard – Whimsicott for Prankster support, Ogerpon for redirection, and Urshifu for raw power.

Also read: The most successful Pokemon in VGC is not one you'd expect

2) Kyle Livinghouse's (Animus) Top 16 EUIC team

Animus' Top 16 EUIC team (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon	Item	Ability	Tera Type	Nature	IVs	EVs	Moves
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike	Choice Scarf	Unseen Fist	Water	Adamant	-	236 Atk / 20 SpD / 252 Spe	- Surging Strikes - Close Combat - U-turn - Aqua Jet
Iron Hands	Assault Vest	Quark Drive	Water	Brave	0 Spe	60 HP / 212 Atk / 236 SpD	- Fake Out - Heavy Slam - Wild Charge - Low Kick
Chien-Pao	Life Orb	Sword of Ruin	Stellar	Jolly	-	252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe	- Throat Chop - Sucker Punch - Ice Spinner - Protect
Calyrex-Shadow	Focus Sash	As One (Spectrier)	Ghost	Timid	0 Atk	252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe	- Astral Barrage - Encore - Psychic - Protect
Weezing-Galar	Rocky Helmet	Neutralizing Gas	Water	Bold	0 Atk	252 HP / 244 SpD / 12 Spe	- Dazzling Gleam - Taunt - Protect - Toxic Spikes
Dragonite	Choice Band	Inner Focus	Normal	Adamant	-	252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def	- Extreme Speed - Outrage - Stomping Tantrum - Aerial Ace

The most interesting mon on Kyle Livinghouse's team is the Galarian Weezing. With its ability, Neutralizing Gas, it stops other Pokemon's abilities from activating. It is also built defensively, holding a Rocky Helmet to discourage contact moves, 0 Atk IVs to lower Foul Play damage from opponents, and a Bold nature that further boosts its defense.

The rest of his team includes staples like Tera Normal Extreme Speed Dragonite, Calyrex Shadow with a Timid nature, and four attacks Assault Vest Iron Hands.

Also read: How important are Pokemon abilities in competitive games?

1) Alex Underhill's (Lexicon) Top 16 Global Challenge I team

Lexicon's Top 16 Pokemon VGC Global Challenge I team (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon	Item	Ability	Tera Type	Nature	IVs	EVs	Moves
Calyrex-Ice	Assault Vest	As One (Glastrier)	Water	Adamant	-	244 HP / 116 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 108 Spe	- Glacial Lance - High Horsepower - Crunch - Seed Bomb
Indeedee-F	Psychic Seed	Psychic Surge	Fairy	Bold	0 Atk	252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD	- Follow Me - Psychic - Trick Room - Heal Pulse
Annihilape	Focus Sash	Defiant	Stellar	Jolly	-	4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe	- Close Combat - Rage Fist - Coaching - Taunt
Heatran	Zoom Lens	Flash Fire	Bug	Quiet	-	252 HP / 4 Atk / 108 Def / 76 SpA / 68 SpD	- Magma Storm - Will-O-Wisp - Heavy Slam - Protect
Sinistcha	Rocky Helmet	Hospitality	Dark	Bold	0 Atk	252 HP / 108 Def / 4 SpA / 140 SpD / 4 Spe	- Matcha Gotcha - Protect - Trick Room - Rage Powder
Iron Valiant	Booster Energy	Quark Drive	Ghost	Timid	0 Atk	204 HP / 44 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe	- Moonblast - Encore - Coaching - Disable

Lexicon brings a mix of offense and defense to his Top 16 Global Challenge team focused on Trick Room. Two of his mons — Sinistcha and Indeedee-F — carry the move, but not his Calyrex-Ice, which is built to deal damage and take hits. Additionally, when Trick Room isn't set up, he has Annihilape and Iron Valiant as speedy attackers who also have the move Coaching to support their teammates.

Also read: 5 best strategies you should use to climb Pokemon Scarlet and Violet competitive ladder in VGC

Check out our other Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guides here:

About the author

Akash Sil is an Esports and Gaming writer at Sportskeeda with a focus on covering Pokemon — a world he says he wouldn't mind living in, "alongside the wonderful creatures ranging from cute to dangerous."

Despite earning a Masters of Applied Chemistry, a passion for writing and a desire to be part of the gaming industry steered him towards this role. Among industry notables, he is inspired by Jason Schreier's investigative journalism.

In his spare time, Akash enjoys reading comic books.

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Edited by Ripunjay Gaba