Background
How the Team Was Decided on (Metagame Matchup, Favorite Pokemon, etc.)
I LOVE ALCREMIE! I began playing around with Alcremie once Pokemon Champions dropped. The idea of combing Decorate BEFORE an attacker strikes sounded both incredibly interesting and also unique, while being powerful in the right circumstances. But the biggest problem for a while was Alcremie’s speed stat—the base 64 Speed Stat made ANY kind of speed control awkward for her to be in. Due to this awkward speed stat, actually creating situations where I was Decorating before an attacker striked seemed incredibly difficult, unless I wanted to use ANOTHER awkward Speed Stat Mega like Tyranitar or… Ampharos… yikes. As such, I shelved the idea for a while and pivoted to focusing on other teams: like Floette Balance!
In between that time, I was able to meet many new players and be exposed to MANY great teams—greatly sharpening my fundamentals for how to build teams as well as increase my creativity. And this led to a fateful day where I fought against a great trainer in a weird format, where every trainer could only use Pokemon that shared one type. The great trainer I fought was Lunar (LunarMageMystia) who decided to use IRON BALL Alcremie. Upon reading that team, I was FROZEN. My mind and the possibilities for what I could do with IRON BALL Alcremie, compared to what I could do without it, felt INFINITE. I no longer had to use the awkward Tyranitar or awful Ampharos to do my Decorate combos—I could use the TRUE Trick Room sweepers like Torkoal and Camerupt! (Albeit: they would need to run Modest instead of Quiet so they aren’t TOO slow for Alcremie to combo with them.)
The day after that fascinating discovery, I hit the Teambuilder and built a concept around Alcremie and Iron Ball combined with Camerupt. Because I believed in Camerupt as a Pokemon to build around more than Torkoal, it was my starting point. I then fleshed out the team based on a Camerupt-Vivillon concept I saw MichaelderBeste, a top-level European player, use on his streams. And I REALLY loved the concept. However, I was remarkably busy with making content at the time, so as a whole I could not play Pokemon much nor refine the team concept further.
However, I realized about a week from writing this that M-C would be over REALLY soon! And that combined with the incredible story behind the World Champion, Takuma Yamazaki, inspired me to give this team the SERIOUS look that it DESERVED. That in turn led to me getting two coaching sessions—one from Chuppa Cross IV, and one from Olivia Moldezki, where they gave me pointers in how I could lead better, how k could flesh out the team, and what players I should look to for inspiration. Before my coaching session, I actually went out of the way to study two Team Reports from Johnny Chiou—arguably one of the greatest Hard Trick Room players, and that combined with the tips they gave AND me studying MichaelderBeste’s 2025 Stockholm Hard Trick Room team gave me the knowledge to REALLY elevate this team.
I am sharing the most up-to-date concept of it below, but know that with M-C VERY likely adding Indeedee, there is a tremendous chance the team will need updating for that Regulation!
Current Results of Team (As of: 09 / 08 / 2026)
My first result with the team was a 2-4 drop in VR, where I had the fortune of playing against World Champion Shohei Kimura, NAIC-Champion Federico Camporessi, and Japan Nationals champion Hiroshi Onishi. This gave me the knowledge that the iteration of the team at that time REALLY struggled into a hyper offensive Floette as it could one shot almost any Pokemon on that version of the team with ease.
With my latest dive with the team, I was able to get a 3-3 finish, where I accidentally forgot to check in for a couple of the sets. There’s a very real chance I would have gotten my first Top Cut ever without it! Even though the Balance matchup felt pretty hard, I could tell the refinements to the team gave myself a LOT more flexibility.
I completed a couple Ladder sessions where I was able to get the highest rating I’ve ever gotten so far! And I was able to squeeze out a set win against a very kind and high-level player that helped me practice the team before. I struggled to get any kind of win against that player the first time we played, so that with the rank improvements solidified in my mind that the team, and me as a player, became better.
Team Style(s) + What the Team’s Ideal Scenario Is
This is a Hard Trick Room team where, once TR is set up, Alcremie comes onto the field and sets up a sweeper with Decorates. Most Pokemon that Alcremie could come on to the field with have some way to sweep with her Decorates, such as the Mega Pokemon Camerupt and Abomasnow, but even Farigiraf will so very solid damage after a couple Decorates.
Offensive Support to that Scenario
Several offensive sweepers are laid out, covering a variety of types. Abomasnow has Earth Power to help blow up Steel Types like Kingambit as well as the Fire Type Incineroar. Camerupt having AP in addition to its STABs gives it insane coverage and ways to one hit trickier Pokemon like Zard Y. Farigiraf is sporting a Thunderbolt to hit Pokemon like Charizard, Pelipper, Basculegion and Aerodactyl for Super Effective. Finally Choice Scarf Basculegion gives me a way to deal massive damage out of Trick Room, and its Flip Turn to pivot in and out has been EXTREMELY valuable for giving the team more ways to play.
Defensive Support to Create that Scenario
Farigiraf’s Armor Tail is an incredible Ability, stopping priority attacks from going into it. Vivillon has a BEVVY of Support with Rage Powder to also stop Priority, allow for TRs and give the team more ways to Pin. Sleep Powder buys this team extremely valuable turns to rotate, reset TR, or even Decorate. Alcremie herself has Encore to create situations where, if the opponent locks into Protect or a low-powered move when Trick Room’s almost over, I can Encore them and pin them. (It’s worth noting that this would be a lot better towards the end of the match, and I wasn’t able to practice this move in tournament. I added it after a lot of practice matches with Protect as I noticed I VERY rarely clicked Protect as Alcremie)
Strengths of the Idea
VERY incredible snowball potential. Decorate gives some the highest potential DPS in the game, and the team has several ways to take advantage of it.
Weaknesses to the Idea
Turn 1s can be VERY predictable. While the WAY setting up TR can vary a good bit, from Priority-Blocking, to Sleep Powdering, to pressuring them with Basculegion’s damage, the team ultimately requires TR against many matchups. Protect and effective switching can also be annoying when trying to sweep.
Counterplay to Weaknesses
Many of the direct counterplays to setting up TR are dealt with through leading the correct Pokemon (FO blocked by Farig, Scarf Basculegion punishes setup Pokemon like Delphox, etc.) and having Alcremie uniquely punishes Protect stacking by Decorating—making the sweepers so powerful that they begin to 2HKO Resists (and OHKO glass resists). The Vivillon/Farigiraf and Basculegion mode give me a LOT of Pressure out of Trick Room, but it’s important to get as much value out of Farigiraf’s Armor Tail as possible against Pokemon like Kingambit as they can Sucker Punch Basculegion for Massive damage.