Sun & Moon — Competitive Reference
Generation 7 introduced Z-Moves, the open-region Alola, Ultra Beasts, and the Tapu legendary quartet. Z-Moves overshadowed the returning Mega Evolution mechanic but did not replace it — both coexisted competitively for the entire generation.
Released
Nov 2016
Region
Alola
Mechanic
Z-Moves
Sequel
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Z-Moves were never about winning a single turn. They were about denying the opponent the information they needed to play around your team.
At a glance
Gen 7 layered Z-Moves on top of the Gen 6 Mega Evolution mechanic and produced the only generation in the franchise where two distinct once-per-battle gimmicks were legal simultaneously.
Strategically, that overlap forced a choice: a Pokémon could either Mega Evolve (fixed type-or-form change for the rest of the match) or hold a Z-Crystal (one-shot Z-Move on the same Pokémon). Few teams could afford both, so the era settled into a Z-Move-dominant offensive meta with select Mega cores carrying the defensive role.
- ReleasedNovember 2016 (Sun & Moon)
- SequelUltra Sun & Ultra Moon (Nov 2017)
- RegionAlola
- Signature mechanicZ-Moves (one per team, once per battle)
- Returning gimmickMega Evolution (from Gen 6)
- Notable additionsAlolan forms, Ultra Beasts, the Tapu quartet, Totem boss mechanic
- Singles tiersUbers, OU, UU, RU, NU, PU, LC
- Doubles formatsDoubles OU, VGC 2017, VGC 2018, VGC 2019 (Series rotation)
Z-Moves
One Pokémon per team, once per battle, channels its held Z-Crystal to unleash a Z-Move. Status moves used with a Z-Crystal trigger an additional stat boost; damage moves transform into high-power Z-Moves with fixed BP.
How activation works
- Cost — instantaneous, takes the same turn as a regular move.
- Requirement — the Pokémon must hold a Z-Crystal AND know a move compatible with that crystal.
- Limit — one Z-Move per team, per battle. The Z-Crystal is consumed on use.
- Visibility — the player chooses the Z-Move at the move-selection screen; the opponent sees it the moment it activates.
- Untouchable — Z-Crystals cannot be removed by Knock Off, swapped via Trick, or stolen by Thief.
Damage Z-Moves
Each of the eighteen types has a corresponding Z-Crystal that transforms any move of that type into the matching Z-Move. The Z-Move's BP is fixed by the source move's BP — the higher the source, the higher the Z output, capped per type.
1×
Per battle
One Pokémon, one Z-Move, no exception
18
Type Z-Crystals
One per type, universal access
200
BP cap
Most type-Z-Moves cap at 200 BP
∞
Z-Crystal duration
Never decays in inventory
Type Z-Moves vs Pokémon-specific Z-Moves
Beyond the eighteen type Z-Crystals, Game Freak introduced a curated set of Pokémon-specific Z-Crystals — each requires a particular Pokémon AND a particular source move, in exchange for unique mechanical effects.
Universal — one per type
Eligibility
Any Pokémon holding a type Z-Crystal can use the matching Z-Move with any move of that type.
Power
BP scaled from the source move. Most cap at 200 BP for offensive, 175 BP for status's priority effects.
Status variant
Status moves used with a type Z-Crystal grant a stat boost in addition to the move's effect — Z-Sleep Talk gives +1 SpA, Z-Toxic gives +1 SpD.
Designed for
Universal access — every team can build a Z-Move slot from this pool.
Curated, signature transformations
Eligibility
Specific Pokémon + specific source move (e.g. Marshadium Z + Spectral Thief on Marshadow).
Effect
Each has a unique mechanic — bypassing Substitute, ignoring Disguise, doubling crit chance, or one-shot stat boosts.
Notable examples
Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike (Marshadium Z), Searing Sunraze Smash (Solganium Z), 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt (Pikashunium Z), Extreme Evoboost (Eevium Z, +2 to all stats).
Designed for
Signature mechanics that single Pokémon out as competitive uniques.
The three strategic uses of Z-Moves
Setup denial
Bypass defensive triggers
Z-Moves bypass Sturdy, hit through Substitute, and break Disguise in one strike. Used as a reliable answer to setup Pokémon that would otherwise wall a team.
Burst damage
One-shot the uncatchable
When a standard move can't OHKO a key threat, the Z-Move guarantees the kill. Often spent on setup sweepers (Z-Calm Mind boost + sweeping move) or revenge-killing fast wallbreakers.
Status boost
Free stat boost on status
A Z-Status move grants its move's effect AND a stat boost (Z-Curse: +1 Atk/Def, Z-Memento: +2 to all). Niche but unique — the only mechanic in the franchise that combines status and stat boosts in one turn.
The cost of activation
- One Pokémon commits the slot — that Pokémon gives up holding any other item (Choice Specs, Leftovers, Life Orb).
- Read once, played once — once activated, the opponent knows the Z slot is spent and adapts accordingly.
- Mega vs Z conflict — a Mega-Evolved Pokémon cannot also use a Z-Move. Teams choose one slot type per Pokémon.
Type chart and Alolan forms
The 18-type chart is unchanged from Gen 6. Alolan forms — regional variants for a curated list of Pokémon — added new typing combinations to existing species, often with significant competitive implications.
- Alolan forms reshape competitive expectations for their Kanto base species. Alolan Marowak (Fire/Ghost) becomes a defensive Will-O-Wisp pivot; Alolan Ninetales (Ice/Fairy) sets Aurora Veil with Snow Warning; Alolan Muk (Poison/Dark) gains Knock Off and absorbs status.
- Tapus all share the Fairy typing introduced in Gen 6, paired with a secondary type matching their terrain — Tapu Lele (Psychic Terrain), Tapu Koko (Electric Terrain), Tapu Bulu (Grassy Terrain), Tapu Fini (Misty Terrain).
- Ultra Beasts introduce unusual stat distributions — Pheromosa with 137 Speed and 137 SpA on a frail frame, Kartana with 181 Attack, Naganadel (USUM addition) with mixed Dragon/Poison offensive presence.
Battle mechanics baseline
Gen 7 changed three core values that have stayed in every generation since: critical-hit rate, paralysis Speed reduction, and burn damage-over-time.
1/24
Crit rate
Down from 1/16 in Gen 6
50%
Paralysis Speed
Up from 25% in Gens 1–6
1/16
Burn DoT
Halved from 1/8 in earlier gens
5 / 8
Weather turns
Default / with rock item
Status conditions
| Status | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paralysis | Speed × 0.5 + 25% chance to fail acting | Halved Speed instead of quartered — major buff to fast paralysis spreaders. |
| Burn | Physical Attack × 0.5 + 1/16 max HP per turn | DoT halved from 1/8 — burns are now manageable on bulky physical attackers. |
| Freeze | Cannot act until thawed | 20% thaw per turn at start of user's turn. |
| 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. |
Field effects
| Effect | Default duration | With rock / extender | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun / Rain / Sand / Hail | 5 turns | 8 turns | Inherits Gen 6 weather durations — no permaweather. |
| Electric / Grassy / Misty / Psychic Terrain | 5 turns | 8 turns ( Terrain Extender) | Terrain Extender introduced in Gen 7 — boosts terrain duration for terrain-reliant teams. |
| Trick Room | 5 turns | — | Reverses action order; not item-extended. |
| Tailwind | 4 turns | — | Doubles team Speed in Doubles formats. |
Abilities introduced
Gen 7 introduced abilities that paired tightly with the new Pokémon — Battle Bond for Greninja, Disguise for Mimikyu, Beast Boost for Ultra Beasts, Soul-Heart for Magearna.
Knocking out an opposing Pokémon transforms Greninja into Ash-Greninja, with substantially boosted Atk/SpA/Spe and a 20% chance for Water Shuriken to hit five times. Banned from OU mid-generation for the resulting offensive ceiling.
The first hit Mimikyu takes does no damage; instead, it loses its disguise and takes 1/8 max HP. Effectively a free turn against any wallbreaker — defining engine for Will-O-Wisp + Play Rough sets.
On knocking out an opposing Pokémon, the user's highest stat is raised by one stage. Carried by the entire Ultra Beast line. Combined with Pheromosa's 137 Speed, frequently produced unanswerable late-game cleaning patterns.
Raises the user's Special Attack by one stage whenever any Pokémon faints on the field. Stacks across multiple kills — a Calm Mind Magearna can climb to +6 SpA without using a single setup move.
Raises the user's Defense by one stage when hit. Mudsdale with Body Press functioned as a passive setup wall that gained boosts simply by switching in.
When Zygarde's HP drops below half, it transforms into Complete Forme with massively boosted HP. The entry that earned Zygarde a permanent Ubers ban.
Healing moves used by the holder gain +3 priority. Comfey with Draining Kiss became a niche but unique offensive cleric in Doubles.
Wishiwashiat level 20+ with HP > 25% transforms into School Form, gaining drastically improved stats. Reverts when HP drops below 25%.
On contact, lowers the attacker's Speed by one stage. Functions as a passive speed-control trigger for slow defensive cores.
Doubles the holder's Speed in Electric Terrain. Combined with Tapu Koko's automatic Electric Terrain, gives Alolan Raichu 200+ Speed effectively.
Items introduced
Beyond the 35+ Z-Crystals, Gen 7 introduced terrain-supporting items, an Intimidate response, and contact-trigger protection.
Z-CrystalsOne-time channel18 type Z-Crystals + ~13 Pokémon-specific Z-Crystals. Required to use any Z-Move. Cannot be removed mid-battle. The defining held-item category of the generation.
Adrenaline OrbIntimidate responseSingle-use. Raises the holder's Speed by one stage when the holder is intimidated. The first item-level answer to Intimidate spam in Doubles.
Terrain ExtenderField-state extensionExtends the duration of any terrain set by the holder from 5 turns to 8 turns. Carried by Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko, and other terrain setters on dedicated terrain teams.
Electric / Grassy / Misty / Psychic SeedTerrain triggersOn entering the matching terrain, raises the holder's Defense (Electric, Grassy) or Special Defense (Misty, Psychic) by one stage. Single-use. Defining boost item for terrain-team setup wallbreakers.
Protective PadsContact-effect blockerNegates contact-based effects of opposing abilities and items — Static paralysis, Flame Body burn, 
Rocky Helmet recoil. Used on physical attackers that frequently contact-trigger.
Roseli BerryType-resist berryHalves the damage from a single super-effective Fairy-type attack. Single-use. Carried by Dragon-type sweepers needing one extra turn against Fairy answers.
Signature moves introduced
Gen 7 introduced moves tied tightly to specific legendaries (Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma) and the Tapu quartet, plus a small set of universal additions.
Steel100-BP physical attack that ignores the target's ability. Counter-design to defensive abilities like Water Absorb, Magic Bounce, and Levitate.
Ghost100-BP special attack that ignores the target's ability. Special analogue to Sunsteel Strike on the Moon side of the box-legend pair.
Psychic100-BP attack that uses the higher of Attack or Special Attack and ignores the target's ability. Functions identically to Sunsteel Strike / Moongeist Beam but adapts to mixed offensive Necrozma sets.
Ghost 80-BP physical attack that prevents the target from switching out for the rest of the battle. Trapping move on a typing pair (Grass/Ghost) with no traditional trapping options.
Electric 100-BP physical attack that turns Normal-type moves used by allies into Electric-type for the rest of the turn. Niche but unique field-state effect.
Fire150-BP special attack that costs the user 50% of its maximum HP. The franchise's most extreme power-for-cost trade.
Steel 80-BP physical attack that prevents the target from switching out. Steel-typed trapping option on a Grass/Ghost frame.
Fairystatus move that halves the target's current HP. Distributed to all four Tapus — guaranteed chip damage that ignores defensive walls.
Grassstatus move that lowers the target's Attack by one stage and heals the user by an amount equal to the target's Attack stat. Uniquely scales with the target's power.
Flying 100-BP physical attack with a one-turn charge that burns any Pokémon making contact during the charge. Functions as a one-turn counter-trap.
Competitive formats
Gen 7 hosted the standard Smogon tier hierarchy and a multi-rotation VGC schedule across the generation's lifespan.
Smogon Singles & Doubles
Tier 1
OU — OverUsed
6v6 Singles. Z-Moves and Mega Evolution both legal. Banlist included Battle Bond Greninja, Pheromosa, Kartana (briefly), Marshadow, and select Mega forms (Mega Mawile, Mega Lucario in earlier suspect cycles).
Restricted
Ubers
Hosted box legendaries, Ultra Beasts banned from OU, Mega Mewtwo X/Y, Mega Rayquaza, and the Greninja-Ash form post-ban.
Tier ladder
UU / RU / NU / PU
Lower Singles tiers populated by usage drops. Each had its own banlist and meta — Gen 7 UU became known for its bulky offense around Mega Aerodactyl and Krookodile.
Specialty
LC — Little Cup
6v6 Singles restricted to unevolved Pokémon at level 5. Diglett (banned for trapping) and Sneasel were defining threats.
Doubles
Doubles OU
Smogon's 4v4 Doubles, distinct from VGC. Banned Mega Rayquaza and Z-Moves on certain Pokémon.
Specialty
Monotype, AAA, BH
Long-running unofficial metagames with their own ban-by-rule logic.
VGC — by year
2017
VGC 2017 — Sun Series
4v4 Doubles, Alola dex only, no restricted legendaries, no Mega Stones, no Z-Crystals (initially). Dominated by Tapu Lele + Tapu Fini setups and Trick Room cores.
2018
VGC 2018 — Moon Series
Full national dex + restricted legendaries permitted (Solgaleo, Lunala, Mega Rayquaza, Primal pair). Z-Moves and Mega Evolution both legal. The most powerful VGC ruleset to that point.
2019
VGC 2019
Three sub-series across the year (Sun, Moon, Ultra). Each rotated which restricted Pokémon were legal and which gimmicks were allowed — VGC's first Series-rotation experiment.
Defining bans
Gen 7 OU's banlist was driven primarily by Ultra Beasts and signature-move legendaries. Mega forms also accumulated bans, though most happened early in the cycle and stayed stable.
Several Pokémon banned in Gen 7 returned to lower tiers in Gen 8 and Gen 9 with adjusted distributions or nerfed abilities — Battle Bond Greninja remained Ubers; Marshadow remained Ubers; Pheromosa and Kartana shifted between OU and Ubers across suspect cycles.
Notable Gen 7 OU bans
| Pokémon | Why it was banned |
|---|---|
| Greninja-Ash | Battle Bond + Spikes lead + Hydro Pump / Ice Beam coverage. Outsped most of the format with no reliable check. |
| Marshadow | Spectral Thief + Z-Move + Technician + 125 Spe. Stole boosts AND broke through the Pokémon it stole from. |
| Pheromosa | 137 SpA / 137 Spe + Beast Boost. Outsped the entire unboosted format and snowballed kills into +1 Speed boosts. |
| Kartana | 181 base Attack + Beast Boost. One missed answer turned a single KO into a sweep. |
| Blacephalon | USUM addition. 151 SpA + Mind Blown + Z-Move support. Broke OU on launch; banned shortly after the suspect. |
| Naganadel | USUM addition. 121 Spe + Beast Boost + Choice Specs Draco Meteor. Outsped most of the format and earned a quick ban. |
| Zygarde | Power Construct earned a permanent Ubers ban — 50% form transforms into Complete Forme below half HP. |
| Cresselia | Briefly suspect-tested for Lunar Dance / Calm Mind support patterns; eventually allowed back in OU. |
| Lucario | Mega Lucario remained Ubers from Gen 6 on — Adaptability + Close Combat + Bullet Punch + Swords Dance. |
| Garchomp | Mega Garchomp legal in OU but rarely used; non-Mega Garchomp dominated. |
| Salamence | Mega Salamence — Aerilate + 145 Atk after Mega — banned to Ubers from Gen 6 onward. |
| Mewtwo | Mega Mewtwo X and Y both Ubers (130/180 Atk for X, 154 SpA for Y after Mega). |
Iconic Pokémon of the era
The Pokémon below shaped competitive Gen 7 across formats. Curated by competitive impact rather than usage percentage.
Singles — Gen 7 OU
Tapu Lele
Specs wallbreakerPsychic Surge — Choice Specs — Psyshock
Auto-set Psychic Terrain blocked priority and boosted Psychic moves by 50%. Specs Psyshock + Moonblast + Focus Blast coverage broke nearly any defensive core not running a Dark-type.
Tapu Koko
Pivot · Speed controlElectric Surge — Choice Specs — U-turn
Auto-set Electric Terrain prevented sleep and boosted Electric moves. Choice Specs Thunderbolt + Volt Switch + Hidden Power Ice — the era's archetypal Electric pivot.
Magearna
Setup winconSoul-Heart — Calm Mind — Z-Move
Calm Mind + Stored Power + Z-Move late-game cleaner. Soul-Heart let it stack SpA boosts passively as opponents fainted.
Mega Mawile
WallbreakerHuge Power — Play Rough — Sucker Punch
Huge Power on a Steel/Fairy frame produced effective Attack of 678 base after Mega — one of the highest in OU history. Play Rough + Sucker Punch + Iron Head + Swords Dance.
Landorus-Therian
Stealth Rock pivotIntimidate — Earthquake — Stealth Rock
The most-used Pokémon in Gen 7 OU. Intimidate + Stealth Rock + Earthquake + U-turn — fills four roles simultaneously.
Toxapex
Defensive wallRegenerator — Scald — Recover
Regenerator + Recover + Scald + Toxic Spikes. Counter to most physical wallbreakers; required specific answers (Choice Specs special attackers, Trick).
Heatran
Specs trapperFlash Fire — Magma Storm — Taunt
Magma Storm + Taunt trap-and-kill pattern. Choice Specs sets ran Magma Storm + Earth Power + Stealth Rock setter teammate.
Mimikyu
Setup winconDisguise — Will-O-Wisp — Play Rough
Disguise gave a free turn against any non-priority threat. Will-O-Wisp + Play Rough + Shadow Sneak + Swords Dance — one of the format's most reliable cleaners.
Mega Scizor
Bullet Punch pivotTechnician — Bullet Punch — Swords Dance
Mega Scizor with Bullet Punch + Swords Dance + Roost + U-turn. The Steel/Bug frame walled half the format and revenge-killed faster Fairy and Psychic threats.
Manaphy
Setup winconHydration — Tail Glow — Scald
Tail Glow + Scald + Ice Beam + Energy Ball. Hydration in Rain healed status mid-setup. One of the format's most powerful setup sweepers.
VGC — by year
- VGC 2017 — defined by Tapu Lele + Tapu Fini, Arcanine Intimidate support, and Trick Room cores using Snorlax or Mudsdale.
- VGC 2018 — full restricted format. Mega Rayquaza, Groudon Primal, Kyogre Primal, Solgaleo, Lunala all legal — peak power VGC.
- VGC 2019 — Series rotation experiment with Incineroar introduced as a centralising support presence. Tapu Lele + Charizard-Y sun cores defined the late-Series meta.
Where to go from here
The above is the static reference for Gen 7. The current state of any of its formats lives in the rest of Pokékipe.
- Live meta data — Pokémon stats for usage and matchups, Team Builder for assembling a team in any Gen 7 format.
- Terminology — every term used above is defined in the Competitive Glossary.
- Workflow — the VGC Teambuilding guide walks through the actual build process; the Core Mechanics guide covers the underlying systems (EVs, IVs, natures, speed tiers).
- Adjacent eras — Gen 8 — Sword & Shield covers Dynamax, the Galar dex, and the metagame that followed Gen 7. Gen 6 — X & Y covers Mega Evolution, the Fairy type addition, and the era that introduced the Mega mechanic Z-Moves later coexisted with.