Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The matches in this video feature one of the hot new Mega Evolutions, Mega Staraptor. I think I’ve shown it in some battles prior; its big thing is that it can use Close Combat to boost its Defense and Sp. Defense via Contrary, allowing it to outlast anything in its way if you don’t stop it in time. In double battles, Mega Staraptor is also often accompanied by a Prankster user using stat-drop moves to boost its stats further, though these are single battles, so Mega Staraptor will be fihting without assistance whenever it turns up in these videos.
The Forretress Team is ready to fight Mega Staraptor and has some outs against it, and you’ll see some of them in this video.
00:00 - Battle #1
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: ほると (Horuto)
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (X & Y)
My Pokémon: Victoria (Victreebel), Rex (Tyrantrum), Forrest (Forretress)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Dragapult, Staraptor, Kingambit
This was a long, drawn out match, characterized by a couple of risky switch-outs. Even with Clear Body preventing the Attack drop, I can still heal with the move, but as they swapped out for Staraptor, they had to Mega Evolve with -1 Attack (though I think they knew this). This Dragapult did not have Clear Body though.
The second one was a switch-in from Dragapult to Kingambit, but I guess they didn’t know this one knows Body Press.
06:25 - Battle #2
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: bee
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Battle Arena
My Pokémon: Rex (Tyrantrum), Samantha (Toucannon), Victoria (Victreebel)
Opponent’s Pokémon: (Garchomp), Bad guy (Toxapex), Staraptor
This time, the switch-in was to Staraptor again, but now I had a Giga Drain lined up, which…wasn’t as potent as switching in to get hit by Strength Sap.
I was wondering why they immediately switched out Bad guy (Toxapex) upon seeing Victreebel, but I see that this Toxapex was focused entirely on winning via accumulating Poison damage. Victreebel, being a Poison-type, could not be damaged by this Toxapex. People don’t normally pick Poison attrition strategies against this team due to it having two Pokémon who can’t be Poisoned (except via Corrosion) right at the top of the lineup.
12:26 - Battle #3
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: JeffersonCe
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainr (FireRed & LeafGreen)
My Pokémon: Samantha (Toucannon), Dolores (Basculegion) (Female), Shirley (Meowstic) (Female)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Staraptor, Incineroar, Dragonite
Contrary may invert stat drops and stat boosts, but one stat drop it cannot invert is the one from Burn, which Samantha (Toucannon) can readily inflict with Beak Blast due to Close Combat and Brave Bird, Mega Staraptor’s two main attacks, both being contact moves. Furthermore, Mega Staraptor, being Fighting/Flying, is weak to Flying-type moves, meaning she has a positive matchup against Mega Staraptor.
16:09 - Battle #4
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: Mathyus
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Let’s Go! Pikachu & Eevee)
My Pokémon: Samantha (Toucannon), Victoria (Victreebel), Dolores (Basculegion) (Female)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Infernape, Garchomp, Staraptor
Dolores (Basculegion) (Female) also poses a challenge for Mega Staraptor: being a Ghost-type, Mega Staraptor cannot use Close Combat on her. (Well, they can, but they’ll waste a turn doing that.) Meanwhile, this one can use a super-effective move on Mega Staraptor—Ice Beam doesn’t have the power for a one-hit KO, but it does put Mega Staraptor in the red.
Also, Gunk Shot on Infernape against Samantha (Toucannon)? Surely there must be better moves to use…
The matches in this video feature one of the hot new Mega Evolutions, Mega Staraptor. I think I’ve shown it in some battles prior; its big thing is that it can use Close Combat to boost its Defense and Sp. Defense via Contrary, allowing it to outlast anything in its way if you don’t stop it in time. In double battles, Mega Staraptor is also often accompanied by a Prankster user using stat-drop moves to boost its stats further, though these are single battles, so Mega Staraptor will be fihting without assistance whenever it turns up in these videos.
The Forretress Team is ready to fight Mega Staraptor and has some outs against it, and you’ll see some of them in this video.
00:00 - Battle #1
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: ほると (Horuto)
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (X & Y)
My Pokémon: Victoria (Victreebel), Rex (Tyrantrum), Forrest (Forretress)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Dragapult, Staraptor, Kingambit
This was a long, drawn out match, characterized by a couple of risky switch-outs. Even with Clear Body preventing the Attack drop, I can still heal with the move, but as they swapped out for Staraptor, they had to Mega Evolve with -1 Attack (though I think they knew this). This Dragapult did not have Clear Body though.
The second one was a switch-in from Dragapult to Kingambit, but I guess they didn’t know this one knows Body Press.
06:25 - Battle #2
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: bee
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Battle Arena
My Pokémon: Rex (Tyrantrum), Samantha (Toucannon), Victoria (Victreebel)
Opponent’s Pokémon: (Garchomp), Bad guy (Toxapex), Staraptor
This time, the switch-in was to Staraptor again, but now I had a Giga Drain lined up, which…wasn’t as potent as switching in to get hit by Strength Sap.
I was wondering why they immediately switched out Bad guy (Toxapex) upon seeing Victreebel, but I see that this Toxapex was focused entirely on winning via accumulating Poison damage. Victreebel, being a Poison-type, could not be damaged by this Toxapex. People don’t normally pick Poison attrition strategies against this team due to it having two Pokémon who can’t be Poisoned (except via Corrosion) right at the top of the lineup.
12:26 - Battle #3
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: JeffersonCe
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainr (FireRed & LeafGreen)
My Pokémon: Samantha (Toucannon), Dolores (Basculegion) (Female), Shirley (Meowstic) (Female)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Staraptor, Incineroar, Dragonite
Contrary may invert stat drops and stat boosts, but one stat drop it cannot invert is the one from Burn, which Samantha (Toucannon) can readily inflict with Beak Blast due to Close Combat and Brave Bird, Mega Staraptor’s two main attacks, both being contact moves. Furthermore, Mega Staraptor, being Fighting/Flying, is weak to Flying-type moves, meaning she has a positive matchup against Mega Staraptor.
16:09 - Battle #4
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: Mathyus
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Let’s Go! Pikachu & Eevee)
My Pokémon: Samantha (Toucannon), Victoria (Victreebel), Dolores (Basculegion) (Female)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Infernape, Garchomp, Staraptor
Dolores (Basculegion) (Female) also poses a challenge for Mega Staraptor: being a Ghost-type, Mega Staraptor cannot use Close Combat on her. (Well, they can, but they’ll waste a turn doing that.) Meanwhile, this one can use a super-effective move on Mega Staraptor—Ice Beam doesn’t have the power for a one-hit KO, but it does put Mega Staraptor in the red.
Also, Gunk Shot on Infernape against Samantha (Toucannon)? Surely there must be better moves to use…
