X & Y — Competitive Reference
Generation 6 introduced Mega Evolution, the Fairy type, and the most consequential type chart rebalance the franchise has ever performed. Weather durations were nerfed to 5 turns, ending the Gen 5 permaweather era.
Released
Oct 2013
Region
Kalos / Hoenn
Mechanic
Mega Evolution
DLC sequel
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
One Pokémon Mega-Evolves per team, once per battle, and stays Mega until the end. Picking the Mega slot is the team-builder's first decision and the one every other choice flows from.
At a glance
Gen 6 reset the franchise's competitive baseline. Mega Evolution, the Fairy type, and the weather nerf produced a meta that looked nothing like Gen 5's permaweather environment.
The shift was deliberate. Game Freak's decision to nerf weather abilities and add a hard counter to Dragon-types reset the offensive ceiling that BW2 had reached. Mega Evolution restored a one-shot transformation pattern, but bound to one Pokémon per team for the entire match.
- ReleasedOctober 2013 (X & Y)
- Sequel / paired releaseOmega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (Nov 2014)
- RegionKalos (XY), Hoenn (ORAS)
- Signature mechanicMega Evolution + Primal Reversion (ORAS)
- New typeFairy — first new type since Gen 2
- Type chart changesSteel lost Ghost/Dark resistances; Dragon now weak to Fairy
- Weather change5 turns base / 8 with rock — Drizzle, Drought etc. no longer permanent
- Singles tiersUbers, OU, UU, RU, NU, PU, LC
- Doubles formatsDoubles OU (Smogon), VGC 2014, VGC 2015, VGC 2016
Mega Evolution & Primal Reversion
One Pokémon per team Mega-Evolves once per battle. The transformation is bound to a held Mega Stone — no Mega Stone, no Mega — and persists for the rest of the match.
Mega Evolution is the franchise's first persistent transformation mechanic. Unlike Z-Moves (single-turn) or Dynamax (three turns) introduced later, a Mega-Evolved Pokémon stays Mega until it faints or the battle ends. The held Mega Stone is consumed at activation and cannot be transferred during battle.
How activation works
- Cost — instantaneous, takes the same turn as a regular move.
- Requirement — the Pokémon must hold the matching Mega Stone (Charizardite Y for Mega Charizard Y, Lucarionite for Mega Lucario, etc.).
- Persistence — Mega form persists until the Pokémon faints or the match ends. Switching out keeps the Mega form.
- Limit — one Pokémon per team per battle. The Mega Stone cannot be transferred.
- Stat & ability change — the Pokémon's stats redistribute, its ability changes (Mega Charizard X → Tough Claws, Mega Charizard Y → Drought), and sometimes its typing changes (Mega Charizard X gains Dragon, Mega Pinsir gains Flying).
What Mega Evolution changes
Mega Evolution alters three properties simultaneously: stats, ability, and (in many cases) typing. The combination produces a fundamentally different Pokémon during battle while keeping the moveset locked in at team preview.
1×
Per battle
One Pokémon, one Mega Evolution
∞
Persistence
Stays Mega until faint or battle end
3
Properties changed
Stats + ability + sometimes type
100
BST gain
+100 to total Base Stat Total at Mega
Mega Evolution vs Primal Reversion
ORAS introduced Primal Reversion — a parallel transformation mechanic exclusive to Groudon (Red Orb) and Kyogre (Blue Orb). Functionally similar to Mega Evolution but with critical rules differences.
Mega Evolution — most Pokémon
Eligibility
Specific Pokémon line + matching Mega Stone (Charizardite, Lucarionite, etc.).
Limit
One per team per battle. Activation consumes the team's Mega slot.
Properties
Changes stats, ability, and (often) typing. Stays Mega until faint or end of battle.
Ability suppression
Pre-Mega ability does not trigger on entry — Mega ability activates at Mega-Evolution.
Primal Reversion — Groudon / Kyogre
Eligibility
Limit
Does not consume the Mega slot. A team can have a Mega AND a Primal simultaneously.
Properties
Massive stat boosts + new abilities (Desolate Land for Groudon, Primordial Sea for Kyogre).
Weather
Sets permanent weather while active — Sun (Groudon) or Rain (Kyogre) — overriding the 5-turn rule.
The three strategic uses of Mega Evolution
Wallbreaker
Burst offensive ceiling
Mega-Evolve a Pokémon whose offensive output rises significantly — Mega Charizard Y (159 SpA + Drought), Mega Mawile (105 Atk × Huge Power = effective 210), Mega Salamence (145 Atk + Aerilate). Reserve the Mega slot for the team's highest-impact breaker.
Defensive
Become unkillable
Mega-Evolve a Pokémon whose defensive output rises — Mega Slowbro (180 Def + Shell Armor), Mega Venusaur (105/123/120 with Thick Fat), Mega Latias (130/100/120 with Levitate). The Mega slot becomes a defensive wincon instead of an offensive one.
Speed shift
Outpace the format
Mega-Evolve into a Speed tier the team needs. Mega Lopunny gains 135 Spe + Scrappy. Mega Manectric gains 135 Spe + Intimidate. Mega Pinsir gains 105 Spe + Aerilate. The Mega slot can also reposition the Pokémon's priority bracket.
The Fairy type & type chart rebalance
Gen 6 added Fairy as the franchise's 18th type — the first new type since Dark and Steel arrived in Gen 2 — and rebalanced the existing chart to absorb it.
Fairy type — defensive profile
- Weak to Steel, Poison
- Resists Bug, Fighting, Dark
- Immune to Dragon — the entry that reshaped competitive Singles
- Super-effective on Dragon, Fighting, Dark
Type chart edits
| Edit | Effect |
|---|---|
| Dragon now weak to Fairy | Dragon-types lose their previous status as a near-uncounterable offensive type. Fairy walls Dragon at the type level. |
| Steel no longer resists Ghost | Ghost-type wallbreakers (Aegislash, Gengar) gain neutral coverage on Steel walls. |
| Steel no longer resists Dark | Dark-type wallbreakers gain neutral coverage on Steel walls. Knock Off, in particular, becomes universal coverage. |
| Knock Off rebuffed | Power raised to 65 BP + 1.5× boost when removing an item — most-used move in Gen 6 OU by a wide margin. |
Battle mechanics baseline
Gen 6 changed two engine-level values that shaped the format: critical-hit damage was reduced from 2× to 1.5×, and weather-summoning abilities lost their permanent duration.
1/16
Crit rate
Unchanged from Gen 5; dropped to 1/24 in Gen 7
1.5×
Crit damage
Down from 2× in Gens 1–5
25%
Paralysis Speed
Quartered Speed; raised to 50% in Gen 7
5 / 8
Weather turns
Default / with rock — ended permaweather
Status conditions
| Status | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paralysis | Speed × 0.25 + 25% chance to fail acting | Quartered Speed — Gen 5 baseline retained. Gen 7 changed this to halved Speed. |
| Burn | Physical Attack × 0.5 + 1/8 max HP per turn | Heavy DoT — Gen 5 baseline retained. Gen 7 halved the DoT to 1/16. |
| Freeze | Cannot act until thawed | 20% thaw per turn. Ice-type moves can still freeze on secondary effect in Gen 6. |
| Sleep | Cannot act for 1–3 turns | Counter resets on switch-out (Gen 5+). |
| Poison | 1/8 max HP per turn | Toxic doubles each turn up to 15/16. |
Weather & field effects
| Effect | Default duration | With rock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun / Rain / Sand / Hail | 5 turns | 8 turns | Drizzle, Drought, Sand Stream, Snow Warning all set 5-turn weather since Gen 6 — ending Gen 5 permaweather. |
| Trick Room | 5 turns | — | Reverses action order; not item-extended in Gen 6. |
| Tailwind | 4 turns | — | Doubles team Speed in Doubles formats. |
| Primal weather | Permanent | — | Primal Groudon (Desolate Land) and Kyogre (Primordial Sea) are the exception — their weather lasts as long as the Pokémon is on the field. |
Abilities introduced
Gen 6 introduced abilities that redefined the offensive baseline — Pixilate, Aerilate, and Refrigerate turned Normal-type moves into super-effective offensive tools.
Normal-type moves used by the holder become Fairy-type and gain a 30% (later 20%) damage boost. Hyper Voice + Pixilate became one of the era's strongest STAB combinations.
Normal-type moves become Flying-type with a 30%/20% boost. Mega Salamence used Return + Aerilate as effective 165-BP STAB on a 145-Atk frame.
Normal-type moves become Ice-type with a 30%/20% boost. Less impactful than Pixilate or Aerilate but still produced viable Mega Glalie sweeper sets.
Boosts contact moves by 30%. Mega Charizard X with Tough Claws + Dragon Claw + Flare Blitz produced one of the era's most consistent physical wallbreakers.
Flying-type moves gain +1 priority. Talonflamewith Gale Wings + Brave Bird produced one of the era's defining priority engines until Gen 7 nerfed the ability to require full HP.
On hit, steals the target's held item. Niche but unique — no other ability lets the user actively pick up the opponent's gear mid-battle.
The user's type changes to match the move it's about to use. Effectively grants STAB on every move. Earned Greninja a permanent place in the OU conversation; nerfed in Gen 9 to once-per-switch-in.
Magic Bounce reflects status moves back at the user. Mega Absol and Mega Diancie became the format's premier hazard-deniers — anything entering with Stealth Rock had it bounced back.
Protects the team from move-locking effects (Taunt, Encore, Disable, Torment, Heal Block). Niche team-support ability for stall builds.
Boosts biting moves (Crunch, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, Hyper Fang) by 50%. Defining engine for Mega Sharpedo's late-game cleaning role.
Items introduced
Gen 6's defining item category is the Mega Stone — over 40 distinct stones, each tied to one Pokémon line. Beyond Mega Stones, ORAS added Pokémon-specific items and a small set of utility introductions.
Mega Stones40+ distinct itemsEach Mega-capable Pokémon line has its own Mega Stone (Charizardite X / Y, Venusaurite, Mawilite, Lucarionite, Garchompite, etc.). Required to Mega-Evolve. Cannot be removed mid-battle.
Red / Blue OrbPrimal triggers (ORAS)
Red Orb triggers Primal Reversion in Groudon; 
Blue Orb in Kyogre. Functionally analogous to Mega Stones but bound to the legendaries.
Assault VestSpecial bulk itemBoosts the holder's Special Defense by 50% but prevents the use of status moves. A defensive item for offensive Pokémon needing to tank one extra special hit.
Weakness PolicyReactive boostOn taking a super-effective hit, raises the holder's Attack and Special Attack by two stages each. Single-use. The cleanest +2/+2 boost the franchise had introduced.
Pixie PlateFairy-type plateBoosts Fairy-type moves by 20%. Functional twin to the existing Plate items. Niche but useful on Fairy-typed sweepers.
Roseli BerryFairy-resist berryHalves the damage from a single super-effective Fairy-type attack. Single-use. Carried by Dragon-types needing one extra turn against a Fairy-type check.
Soul DewLatias / Latios buffOriginally Gen 3, but ORAS rebuffed it: 20% boost to Dragon and Psychic moves used by Latias and Latios. The change moved both Pokémon into Ubers.
Safety GogglesPowder & weather immunityNegates powder moves (Sleep Powder, Spore, Stun Spore) and weather damage from Sand or Hail. Niche but unique defensive item.
Signature moves introduced
Gen 6 introduced moves tied to Mega forms (King's Shield, Origin Pulse, Precipice Blades) and several universal additions that reshaped the meta — Knock Off was rebuffed, Sticky Web was added, and Boomburst arrived as a signature spread special move.
Dark65-BP physical attack (raised from 20 BP) that removes the target's held item. Gains a 1.5× damage boost when removing an item. Most-used move in Gen 6 OU by a wide margin.
Lowers the Speed of every grounded Pokémon switching in by one stage. Generated an entirely new hazard archetype — Speed-control teams built around Galvantula or Smeargle leads.
Normal 140-BP sound-based special attack that hits both opponents in Doubles. Distributed broadly to special attackers — defining option on Exploud and Mega Audino.
Functions like Protect; if the opponent makes contact, lowers their Attack by two stages. Aegislash's defining mechanic — the move that made Stance Change competitive.
Rock100-BP physical spread move with a 50% chance to raise the user's Defense by two stages. Defining move for Mega Diancie's offensive presence.
Water110-BP special spread attack. Primal Kyogre's primary STAB in Doubles formats and Ubers.
Ground120-BP physical spread attack. Primal Groudon's primary STAB and Doubles centerpiece.
Two-turn charge that raises Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by two stages each. One of the strongest setup moves in the franchise.
Ground90-BP physical spread move. Functioned as Zygarde's primary STAB before Power Construct redefined the Pokémon entirely.
Fairy80-BP special spread attack. Distributed widely as the franchise's standard Fairy STAB option for special attackers.
Competitive formats
Gen 6 hosted the standard Smogon tier hierarchy and a high-profile VGC rotation defined by the Mega + Primal era.
Smogon Singles & Doubles
Tier 1
OU — OverUsed
6v6 Singles. Mega Evolution legal. Several Mega forms banned to Ubers across the generation: Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Mega Mawile (initially), Mega Gengar, Mega Lucario.
Restricted
Ubers
Hosted box legendaries, Primal Groudon / Kyogre, Mega Rayquaza, Mega Mewtwo X / Y, and Mega forms banned from OU.
Tier ladder
UU / RU / NU / PU
Lower Singles tiers populated by usage drops. Gen 6 UU notably featured Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Beedrill, Mega Houndoom, and Mega Sharpedo (occasionally).
Specialty
LC — Little Cup
6v6 Singles restricted to unevolved Pokémon at level 5. Misdreavus was a defining threat; Diglett was banned for trapping.
Doubles
Doubles OU
Smogon's 4v4 Doubles, distinct from VGC. Mega Salamence and Mega Kangaskhan banned mid-generation; Mega Rayquaza permanent ban.
Specialty
Monotype, AAA, BH
Long-running unofficial metagames with their own ban-by-rule logic.
VGC — by year
2014
VGC 2014 — Kalos Dex
4v4 Doubles, Kalos dex only, no restricted legendaries, no Mega Stones. Defined by Mega-less Pokémon and weather teams under the new 5-turn duration rules.
2015
VGC 2015 — Mega Era
National dex + Mega Stones added. Pachirisu winning Worlds 2014 was Gen 5 / 6 transition; 2015 saw Mega Kangaskhan dominate the meta until its eventual ban.
2016
VGC 2016 — Restricted
Two restricted legendaries permitted per team. Defined by Xerneas + Primal pair cores, Smeargle leads, and Geomancy setup patterns.
Defining bans
Gen 6 OU's banlist was driven primarily by Mega forms whose stat redistributions outpaced the format's defensive answers, plus a handful of pre-Mega Pokémon whose stats outgrew their original tier.
Several Mega forms were banned at launch and stayed banned for the entire generation; others were tiered down in suspect cycles or kept legal with caveats.
Notable Gen 6 OU bans
| Pokémon | Why it was banned |
|---|---|
| Kangaskhan | Mega form. Parental Bond + 125 Atk + 100 Spe = effectively two consecutive STAB attacks every turn. Banned within months of XY launch. |
| Salamence | Mega form. Aerilate + 145 Atk + 120 Spe + Dragon Dance setup. ORAS arrival; banned shortly after. |
| Gengar | Mega form. Shadow Tag trap + 170 SpA + 130 Spe. Banned for trapping pattern. |
| Lucario | Mega form. Adaptability + Close Combat + Bullet Punch + Swords Dance. Banned for offensive ceiling on a 145-Atk frame. |
| Greninja | Protean + 122 Spe + Specs / Life Orb + Hydro Pump / Ice Beam coverage. Banned in Gen 7; on the line throughout Gen 6 OU. |
| Aegislash | Stance Change + King's Shield + Shadow Sneak + Sacred Sword + Substitute. The most centralising Pokémon of Gen 6 OU; banned in late ORAS. |
| Blaziken | Speed Boost + Hidden Ability distribution. Banned to Ubers across multiple gens; reaffirmed in Gen 6. |
| Hoopa-Unbound | ORAS addition. 170 SpA + 160 Atk on a Dark/Psychic frame. Banned shortly after release. |
| Deoxys-Speed | 180 Speed + Stealth Rock setup. Permanent Ubers. |
| Deoxys-Attack | 180 / 180 mixed offensive stats. Permanent Ubers. |
| Rayquaza | Mega Rayquaza — Dragon Ascent + 180 Atk / 180 SpA / 115 Spe. Permanent Ubers ban from ORAS launch. |
| Mewtwo | Mega Mewtwo X (190 Atk) and Mega Mewtwo Y (194 SpA). Both permanent Ubers. |
Mega Evolution gave Game Freak a way to revive offensive ceilings without printing new Pokémon. Smogon spent the entire generation deciding which of those ceilings the format could absorb.
Iconic Pokémon of the era
The Pokémon below shaped competitive Gen 6 across formats. Several appear in Mega form; others are pre-Mega Pokémon whose Gen 6 tier-presence defined the era.
Singles — Gen 6 OU
Aegislash
Setup winconStance Change — King's Shield — Shadow Sneak
The most centralising Pokémon of Gen 6 OU until its ORAS-late ban. Stance Change + King's Shield + Sacred Sword + Substitute set the format's pace — every team needed an Aegislash answer.
Mega Charizard X
WallbreakerTough Claws — Dragon Claw — Flare Blitz
One of the most consistent physical wallbreakers of the generation. Tough Claws + Dragon Dance setup + Flare Blitz / Dragon Claw / Earthquake coverage.
Mega Charizard Y
Special wallbreakerDrought — Fire Blast — Solar Beam
Drought + 159 SpA + Solar Beam + Roost. Sun-team centerpiece and one-shot threat against most defensive cores. Notably never banned despite the offensive ceiling.
Talonflame
Priority pivotGale Wings — Brave Bird — U-turn
Gale Wings gave Brave Bird +1 priority — a guaranteed first-strike STAB on every switch-in. Defining momentum-control Pokémon of the era; nerfed to require full HP in Gen 7.
Mega Venusaur
Defensive wallThick Fat — Synthesis — Sludge Bomb
Thick Fat halved Fire and Ice damage — the rare defensive Mega that walled the format's primary super-effective coverage. Synthesis + Leech Seed + Sludge Bomb.
Heatran
Specs trapperFlash Fire — Magma Storm — Stealth Rock
Magma Storm + Stealth Rock + Earth Power + Flash Cannon. Trap-and-kill pattern produced consistent value against the era's Steel-heavy defensive cores.
Landorus-Therian
Stealth Rock pivotIntimidate — Earthquake — Stealth Rock
Most-used Pokémon in Gen 6 OU alongside Aegislash. Intimidate + Stealth Rock + Earthquake + U-turn — all-in-one defensive utility.
Clefable
Magic Guard clericMagic Guard — Moonblast — Wish
Magic Guard ignored hazards, Toxic, and Life Orb recoil. The format's premier Wish passer and Calm Mind setup wincon. Fairy typing made it a soft check to Dragon-types.
Mega Scizor
Bullet Punch pivotTechnician — Bullet Punch — Roost
Mega Scizor + Bullet Punch + Swords Dance + Roost / U-turn. The Steel/Bug frame walled half the format and revenge-killed faster Fairy and Psychic threats.
Mega Sableye
StallbreakerMagic Bounce — Will-O-Wisp — Recover
ORAS arrival. Magic Bounce reflected hazards back at the setter; Will-O-Wisp + Recover + Foul Play turned Mega Sableye into a near-impenetrable stall member.
VGC — by year
- VGC 2014 — Kalos-dex era. Defined by Aegislash, Rotom-Wash, Talonflame, Mega Kangaskhan, and Trick Room cores using Trevenant.
- VGC 2015 — Mega Stones added to the format. Mega Kangaskhan dominated until ban; Heatran, Talonflame, and Cresselia defined balance cores.
- VGC 2016 — restricted format. Xerneas + Primal pair cores, Smeargle Dark Void leads (until banned), Mega Salamence.
Where to go from here
The above is the static reference for Gen 6. The current state of any of its formats lives in the rest of Pokékipe.
- Live meta data — Pokémon stats, Team Builder, Timeline for tier shifts and tournament results.
- Terminology — every term used above is defined in the Competitive Glossary.
- Workflow — the VGC Teambuilding and Core Mechanics guides cover the build process and underlying systems.
- Adjacent eras — Gen 7 — Sun & Moon covers Z-Moves and the Mega coexistence era. Gen 5 — Black & White covers the permaweather era that Gen 6 deliberately ended.