Using weather conditions as a cornerstone is common in Pokémon teambuilding. Harsh sunlight is no exception, even though Heat Rock is unavailable in Pokémon Champions at this time.
Sunlight remains as effective as ever in competitive battling, so learning to harness it properly helps you bring the best from your Fire-type Pokémon.
1. What Is Sunny Day
Sunny Day is a unique move that summons harsh sunlight to the battlefield for five turns. Any other weather condition will overwrite it prematurely, though. Any Pokémon with Drought summons sunlight when it’s sent out.
Primarina’s Water-type attacks are weaker in sunlight in Pokémon Champions.
Harsh sunlight applies numerous effects to all Pokémon on the battlefield.
- Increases Fire-type damage by 50%
- Halves Water-type damage
- Allows Solar Beam and Solar Blade to be used instantly
- Changes Weather Ball’s Type to Fire and boosts its base Power to 100 (it becomes 150 from the Fire-type damage buff)
- Growth boosts its user’s Attack and Special Attack by two stages instead of one
- Ensures Pokémon cannot be frozen (though it doesn’t thaw a Pokémon that’s already frozen)
- Synthesis, Morning Sun, and Moonlight restore two-thirds of their users’ maximum HP instead of half
- Thunder and Hurricane’s Accuracy drops to 50% from 70%
2. Use Drought To Summon Harsh Sunlight
There are three Pokémon in Champions with access to the Drought Ability. It’s unnecessary to use them all in the same team since they’re all Fire-type Pokémon. They also partner well with teammates possessing Abilities that take effect in sunlight.
Garchomp basks in the sunlight in Pokémon Champions.
Best Mega Charizard Y Build
Mega Charizard Y is the only Mega Evolution with Drought, and the strongest of the three. It can’t be used if one of its teammates has already Mega Evolved, which limits potential team composition. It also loses half of its maximum HP from Stealth Rock, so having entry hazard support is mandatory.
- Stats: 78 HP / 104 Atk / 78 Def / 159 Sp. Atk / 115 Sp. Def / 100 Spe
- Types: Fire / Flying
Mega Charizard Y uses a sun-boosted Heat Wave in Pokémon Champions.
Sunnybeam Mega Y
As Mega Charizard Y is already one of the strongest Pokémon in the Single Battle Format, it only has one build worth using.
- SP Allocation: 32 Sp. Atk, 32 Spe, 2 HP
- Nature: Modest
- Held Item: Charizardite Y
- Moves: Weather Ball, Solar Beam, Scorching Sands, Roost
- Strategy: With its own sunlight, Charizard can use fire boosted Weather Balls and Solar Beams. Scorching Sands hits other Fire-types while Roost wipes off damage. Double Battle variants may replace Weather Ball with Heat Wave and Roost with Protect, but otherwise replicate this build.
Best Ninetales Builds
If you don’t want to use up your Mega Evolution on Charizard, Ninetales is an alternative. It plays very similarly to Charizard, even having the same base Speed. A good Ninetales build depends on the battle format.
- Stats: 73 HP / 76 Atk / 75 Def / 81 Sp. Atk / 100 Sp. Def / 100 Spe
- Type: Fire
Ninetales summons harsh sunlight with its Drought Ability in Pokémon Champions.
Sunnybeam Singles
Ninetales’ Speed is maximized at 167, guaranteeing it outspeeds Excadrill and Rotom-Wash without a Choice Scarf.
- SP Allocation: 32 Sp. Atk, 32 Spe, 2 Sp. Def
- Nature: Timid
- Held Item: Focus Sash
- Moves: Weather Ball, Solar Beam, Encore, Memento
- Strategy: Just like Charizard’s Sunnybeam build, Ninetales has boosted Weather Balls and Solar Beams. Encore locks down Support and Setup Sweepers while Memento is guaranteed to enfeeble a Pokémon thanks to Focus Sash.
Drought Doubles
Since Ninetales’ Special Attack is too low, it focuses on disruptive moves to be useful in Double Battles.
- SP Allocation: 32 Sp. Atk, 32 Spe, 2 HP
- Nature: Timid
- Held Item: Charcoal
- Moves: Heat Wave, Will-O-Wisp, Encore, Protect
- Strategy: Ninetales’ only attack, Heat Wave, hits both opponents and gets boosted by its sunlight and Charcoal. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers while Encore locks Support Pokémon. This build is completely redundant if you use Mega Charizard Y.
Best Torkoal Builds
Torkoal is the most common Drought user in Champions, making it a core option for dedicated Sun teams. Its high defenses and support moves let it provide weather control, hazard utility, and burn pressure.
- Stats: 70 HP / 85 Atk / 140 Def / 85 Sp. Atk / 70 Sp. Def / 20 Spe
- Type: Fire
Torkoal channels a massive Eruption in Pokémon Champions.
Physical Wall
Torkoal’s Defense reaches a massive 211, letting it switch in to any non-super-effective physical attack and threaten its opponent with a burn.
- SP Allocation: 32 HP, 32 Def, 2 Sp. Def
- Nature: Relaxed
- Held Item: Leftovers
- Moves: Stealth Rock, Overheat, Will-O-Wisp, Rapid Spin
- Strategy: Torkoal’s main role is to deter physical attackers, but it can also set up and clear out Stealth Rock. Torkoal’s only attack, Overheat, hits very hard with its sun despite its average Special Attack.
Trick Room Doubles
Torkoal turns its incredibly slow Speed into an asset with a partner that can use Trick Room.
- SP Allocation: 32 HP, 32 Sp. Atk, 2 Def
- Nature: Quiet
- Held Item: Charcoal
- Moves: Eruption, Heat Wave, Earth Power, Protect
- Strategy: With full HP and Trick Room in effect, Torkoal hits both opponents with a 150 base Power Eruption boosted by its sunlight and Charcoal. Heat Wave is the stronger Fire-type attack once Torkoal’s HP is below 112. Earth Power hits other Fire-types that resist its STABs.
3. Use Sun-Boosted Abilities
Five Abilities in Champions require harsh sunlight to be effective (not counting Dry Skin). Most of them are regulated to Grass-type Pokémon. This can be risky, as their weakness to Fire-type attacks is magnified by the sun.
Trevenant heals itself with a Sitrus Berry in Pokémon Champions.
Each Ability applies a different effect while the Pokémon is in harsh sunlight.
| Ability | Effect | Compatible Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll | Doubles the Pokémon’s Speed stat. | Leafeon, Scovillain, Venusaur, Victreebel, Whimsicott |
| Forecast | The Pokémon’s Type becomes Fire. | Castform |
| Harvest | If the Pokémon has used a Berry, it’s guaranteed to create another (up from 50% chance without harsh sunlight). | Trevenant |
| Leaf Guard | The Pokémon is immune to status conditions. | Leafeon, Meganium, Tsareena |
| Solar Power | The Pokémon’s Sp. Atk stat is boosted by 50%, but it loses 1/8 of its max HP at the end of every turn. | Charizard, Heliolisk, Mega Houndoom |
Chlorophyll Speed Tiers
As Chlorophyll’s doubled Speed boost surpasses a Choice Scarf’s 50%, these Pokémon easily outspeed all Mega Evolution Speed Tiers. If outspeeding Scarfed opponents isn’t a concern, the Pokémon can safely have more SP distributed to its bulk. Just remember to double your Pokémon’s Speed on the stats screen to determine its Speed Tier with Chlorophyll.
Victreebel’s stats screen shows that its Speed is 90. If Chlorophyll is in effect, it will be 180.
These numbers represent the minimum and maximum Speed of each Pokémon while Chlorophyll is in effect, with and without a 10% boost from its Nature.
| Pokémon | Nature+ | Normal |
|---|---|---|
| Whimsicott | 298 – 368 | 272 – 336 |
| Leafeon | 252 – 322 | 230 – 294 |
| Venusaur | 220 – 290 | 200 – 264 |
| Scovillain | 208 – 278 | 190 – 254 |
| Victreebel | 198 – 268 | 180 – 244 |
4. Teammate Options
Not every Pokémon on a Sun team has to benefit from sunlight. Some Pokémon can be used to cover a teammate’s weaknesses, as there are typically multiple Fire and Grass-types in a Sun team. The fundamental rule is that they should have a Type resistance to Fire-type attacks, so your opponent can’t use your own sunlight against you.
With or without Mega Evolution, Dragonite resists two Grass-type weaknesses (Fire and Bug) and two Fire-type weaknesses (Water and Ground).
These Pokémon don’t have defined builds as their purpose is to hold their team together.
| Teammate Options | Reasons |
|---|---|
| Dragonite | Resists multiple Grass and Fire-type weaknesses, can learn Fire-type attacks, Mega Evolution can counter Rain teams with Hurricane and Thunder |
| Glimmora | Weakness to Water-type attacks nullified by Sun, resists most Grass-type weaknesses, easily sets up Toxic Spikes, wipes off entry hazards |
| Snorlax | Fire-type attacks used against it are weakened by Thick Fat, abuses Sun-boosted Heat Crash with its massive weight |
| Rhyperior | Extreme weakness to Water-type attacks lessened by Sun and Solid Rock, resists most Grass-type weaknesses, takes out other Fire-type Pokemon with STABs |
| Paldean Tauros (Aqua) | Resists most Fire-type weaknesses, Close Combat STAB makes Wave Crash unnecessary, has Intimidate |
