
As most of us are now nearing completion of the story of Pokémon Sun and Moon, the time has come to start putting together our competitive teams. To aid in the tedious task of gathering all of the necessary items, we’ve collated what items you’re going to need for competitive play and where to find them – all conveniently on one page! Whether participating in Smogon style formats or the VGC series, these items are what we have judged to be the most useful. These lists aren’t exhaustive, but it should provide an easy place to start.
Items for Competitive Play
Here is our table of items that we’d consider to be most useful to competitive play.
Item Name | Description and Uses | Location |
---|---|---|
Everstone | Staple breeding Item. The Everstone is used for two purposes. The first one is it prevents a Pokémon from evolving when it levels up or is traded. The second, and arguably more important use, is it passes down the nature of the Pokémon it is equipped on when breeding two Pokémon at the Nursery. This lets you control the nature of the new Pokémon when breeding. | Available for 16BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Destiny Knot | Staple breeding Item. Under normal circumstances, only three of the IVs of a Pokémon's parents are passed down to the child. This means the other three are randomly generated. When one of the parents is equipped with the Destiny Knot, five IVs are passed down instead of the usual three. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Lucky Egg | Increases EXP gain from battles, invaluable for levelling. | Receive from Professor Kukui after obtaining 50 Pokemon in the PokeDex. |
Power Band | Staple training item. In battle, this item will add 8 EVs of Special Defense when a Pokémon faints. When equipped to a Pokémon during breeding, it guarantees the Special Defense stat of that Pokémon will be passed onto the child. | Available for 16BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Power Belt | Staple training item. In battle, this item will add 8 EVs of Defense when a Pokémon faints. When equipped to a Pokémon during breeding, it guarantees the Defense stat of that Pokémon will be passed onto the child. | Available for 16BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Power Lens | Staple training item. In battle, this item will add 8 EVs of Special Attack when a Pokémon faints. When equipped to a Pokémon during breeding, it guarantees the Special Attack stat of that Pokémon will be passed onto the child. | Available for 16BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Power Anklet | Staple training item. In battle, this item will add 8 EVs of Speed when a Pokémon faints. When equipped to a Pokémon during breeding, it guarantees the Speed stat of that Pokémon will be passed onto the child. | Available for 16BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Power Bracer | Staple training item. In battle, this item will add 8 EVs of Attack when a Pokémon faints. When equipped to a Pokémon during breeding, it guarantees the Attack stat of that Pokémon will be passed onto the child. | Available for 16BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Power Weight | Staple Training item. In battle, this item will add 8 EVs of HP when a Pokémon faints. When equipped to a Pokémon during breeding, it guarantees the HP stat of that Pokémon will be passed onto the child. | Available for 16BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Bottle Cap | Most useful for improving IV's on non-breedable Pokémon, to save time on soft resetting. Traded to the Hyper Trainer to maximize one stat of a Pokémon (equivalent of the IV being 31). | Trade 30 colored shards to the man in the Festival Plaza castle, 2nd prize “Tresure Hunt” Lottery |
Golden Bottle Cap | Most useful for improving IV's on non-breedable Pokémon, to save time on soft resetting. Traded to the Hyper Trainer to maximize all stats of a Pokémon (equivalent of all IVs being 31). | Festival Plaza - 1st Prize, "Treasure Hunt" Lottery |
Hondew Berry | Useful berry to allow you to retrain your Pokémon's stats. Lowers a Pokémon's Special Attack by 10 EV's. | Forage for berries at trees on Route 10 |
Kelpsy Berry | Useful berry to allow you to retrain your Pokémon's stats. Lowers a Pokémon's Attack by 10 EV's. | Forage for berries at trees on Route 10 |
Qualot Berry | Useful berry to allow you to retrain your Pokémon's stats. Lowers a Pokémon's Defence by 10 EV's. | Forage for berries at trees on Route 10 |
Grepa Berry | Useful berry to allow you to retrain your Pokémon's stats. Lowers a Pokémon's Special Defence by 10 EV's. | Forage for berries at trees on Route 10 |
Pomeg Berry | Useful berry to allow you to retrain your Pokémon's stats. Lowers a Pokémon's Hit Points by 10 EV's. | Forage for berries at trees on Route 10 |
Tamato Berry | Useful berry to allow you to retrain your Pokémon's stats. Lowers a Pokémon's Speed by 10 EV's. | Forage for berries at trees on Route 10, Royal Avenue |
Assault Vest | Common Battle Item for Pokémon with good coverage moves and power. Increases a Pokémon's Special Defense stat by 50%, however the Pokémon cannot use any status moves. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Tree |
Choice Scarf | Common battle item to gain a speed advantage on opponents. Increases a Pokémon's Speed stat by 50%, but they can only use the first move they select in battle. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Tree |
Choice Specs | Common battle item to increase damage output on strong Special Attackers. Increases a Pokémon's Special Attack stat 50%, but they can only use the first move they select in battle. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Tree |
Choice Band | Common battle item to increase damage output on strong Physical Attackers. Increases a Pokémon's Attack stat 50%, but they can only use the first move they select in battle. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Tree |
Life Orb | Common item to increase damage output on offensive Pokémon without the downside of move locking like Choice items. The damage done by any attack is increased by 30%, however the Pokémon loses 10% of their total HP after each attack. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Tree |
Eviolite | When equipped by a Pokémon capable of evolving, it increases their Defense and Special Defense stats by 50%. Very useful on support Pokémon such as Porygon2, and Chansey. | Konikoni City |
Electric Seed | The Pokémon gains a one stage Defense boost when Electric Terrain is activated. Item is consumed upon use. | Mahalo Trail, and on some wild Togedemaru |
Grassy Seed | The Pokémon gains a one stage Defense boost when Grassy Terrain is activated. Item is consumed upon use. | Malie Garden and on some wild Bounsweet, Steenee and Tsareena |
Misty Seed | The Pokémon gains a one stage Special Defense boost when Misty Terrain is activated. Item is consumed upon use. | Poni Gauntlet, and on some wild Comfey |
Psychic Seed | The Pokémon gains a one stage Special Defense boost when Psychic Terrain is activated. Item is consumed upon use. | Found on some wild Exeggcute |
Focus Sash | Common battle item for frail support or attack Pokémon such as Weavile, Raichu, or Kartana. If the Pokémon is at full health and takes an attack that would knock it out, it instead survives on 1 HP. This only works once. | Available for 32BP at the Battle Tree, Route 15 Z Trainer |
Leftovers | Common battle item use to help bulky Pokémon such as Celesteela stay on the field longer. At the end of each turn, the Pokémon regains 1/16th of their total HP, rounded down. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Lum Berry | Very useful item to help your team maneuver around opposing status users, like sleep or paralysis. If the Pokémon is inflicted with a status condition, it can eat this berry to recover from it. | Forage for berries at trees |
Mental Herb | Very useful item, especially for support Pokémon and Trick Room setters such as Oranguru. If the Pokémon has a move locked for any reason (e.g., Taunt locking status moves, Encore locking all moves except the one Encore allows), they can eat this herb to remove the lock. | Available for 24BP at the Battle Tree |
Sitrus Berry | Common item used to help bulky useful Pokémon, such as Politoed stay on the field longer. If the Pokémon falls below 50% HP, they will eat this berry and recover 25% of their total HP. | Forage for berries at trees |
Eject Button | Useful battle item for teams that favour lots of switching to gain board position, as seen on the 2016 World Champion team. If the Pokémon is hit with an attack, it will automatically switch out of battle. | Available for 32BP at the Battle Tree |
Expert Belt | Grants a small offense boost without recoil or move lock. Useful on Pokémon with good power and coverage options. Super effective attacks used by the Pokémon do an extra 20% damage. | Available for 48BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Damp Rock | If the Pokémon holding this turns the weather to rain, it will remain active for 8 turns instead of 5. This also affects the Drizzle ability. | From girl in the Weather room in the Maile City Community Center after completion of the quiz, Available for 48BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Heat Rock | If the Pokémon holding this turns the weather to sunny, it will remain active for 8 turns instead of 5. This also affects the Drought ability. | From girl in the Weather room in the Maile City Community Center after completion of the quiz, Available for 48BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Icy Rock | If the Pokémon holding this turns the weather to hail, it will remain active for 8 turns instead of 5. This also affects the Snow Warning ability. | From girl in the Weather room in the Maile City Community Center after completion of the quiz, Available for 48BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Smooth Rock | If the Pokémon holding this turns the weather to sandstorm, it will remain active for 8 turns instead of 5. This also affects the Sandstream ability. | From girl in the Weather room in the Maile City Community Center after completion of the quiz, Available for 48BP at the Battle Royal Dome |
Light Clay | If the Pokémon holding this uses a move like Reflect or Light Screen, it will remain active for 8 turns instead of 5. | Found on some wild Baltoy, Claydol, Golett, Golurk, Mudbray, Mudsdale |
Red Card | If a Pokémon attacks the holder of this item but fails to KO them, the attacker will be forced to switch out. A sometimes used item to force out an opponent who has set up some offensive power. | Defeat the Z trainer on route 3 / Available for 32BP at the Battle Tree |
Safety Goggles | Prevents the Pokémon holding it from taking any damage from the weather. It also allows that Pokémon to be unaffected by powder moves such as Spore and Rage Powder. Commonly used on Pokémon that would otherwise have trouble against Pokémon like Parasect or Shiinotic. | Haina Desert / Available for 48BP at the Battle Tree |
Terrain Extender | If the Pokémon holding this uses a terrain move, it will last for 8 turns instead of 5. This also affects the Terrain Surge abilities. | Resolution Cave / Available for 48BP at the Battle Tree |
Thick Club | When held by Cubone or Marowak, their attack stat is doubled. | Found on wild Cubone or Maroawk |
Weakness Policy | The Pokémon gains a two stage attack and special attack stat boost whenever they are attacked with a super effective move. This can be useful on a Pokémon with sturdy defences but several weaknesses, turning them in to a potent attacking force after the item activates. | Available for 32BP at the Battle Tree |
Adrenaline Orb | The Pokémon gains a one stage speed boost when intimidated. Item is consumed on use. This item can be very useful on Pokémon with the ability Defiant or Competitive. | Available for $300 at Pokemon Centers |
Protective Pads | An item to be held by a Pokémon. These pads protect the holder from effects caused by making direct contact with the target. This can help negate Iron Barbs and Rocky Helmet damage, for instance. | Available for 32BP at the Battle Tree |
Air Balloon | This item, when attached to a Pokémon, causes it to be immune from Ground-type attacks and entry hazards. This item may be considered for Fire, Rock or Electric Type Pokémon, but is more easily wasted than a Shuca Berry. | From girl in the north of the gardens when answering the quiz correctly - Answer: Gyarados. Daytime, Available for 32BP at the Battle Tree |
Rocky Helmet | This item, when attached to a Pokémon, causes the attacker to receive recoil damage should they make a Physical hit. This item can be used to punish physical attacks, especially in combination with burn status and intimidate debuffs. | Available for 32BP at the Battle Tree |
Black Sludge | This item is generally used on Poison type Pokémon as a Poison type Leftovers item. It helps to keep Poison type Pokémon like Muk and Crobat on the field longer. When this item is held by a Pokémon, if the holder is of the Poison-type, it restores 1/16th of its maximum HP each turn. If the holder is not a Poison type, it loses 1/16th of its maximum HP each turn. | Wild Hold item (Grimer, Muk, Croagumk, Toxicroak, Garbodor) |
Shuca Berry | A useful defensive berry. Halves the damage taken from a super effective Ground type attack. Item consumed upon use. | Forage for berries at trees on Poni Island |
Yache Berry | A useful defensive berry. Halves the damage taken from a super effective Ice type attack. Item consumed upon use. | Forage for berries at trees on Poni Island |
Roseli Berry | A useful defensive berry. Halves the damage taken from a super effective Fairy type attack. Item consumed upon use. | Forage for berries at trees on Poni Island |
Occa Berry | A useful defensive berry. Halves the damage taken from a super effective Fire type attack. Item consumed upon use. | Forage for berries at trees on Poni Island |
Rindo Berry | A useful defensive berry. Halves the damage taken from a super effective Grass type attack. Item consumed upon use. | Forage for berries at trees on Poni Island |
Wacan Berry | A useful defensive berry. Halves the damage taken from a super effective Electric type attack. Item consumed upon use. | Forage for berries at trees on Poni Island |
We hope that everyone will find this resource to be very useful in initially gathering everything to start playing competitively with the new games! Special thanks to Mindape for putting together the table and Mitchell for our art.
Great guide. Awesome!
Still playing through so a bit always from VGC training yet.