Wide Guard
Protects both Pokemon on the field from spread moves like Rock Slide, Earthquake and Surf
Since these moves are very common in doubles, a wide guard user may help protect your weaker ally alive as it sets up.
Examples:
Hariyama (M) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Brave Nature
- Close Combat
- Wide Guard
- Earthquake
- Fake Out
Swampert @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 36 SDef / 220 Atk
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Wide Guard
- Roar
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
Fake Out
+3 Priority, causes the opponent to flinch
This move can completely disable a threatening enemy for a turn while your weaker ally does its thing.
Examples
See Hariyama above
Scrafty @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature
- Crunch
- Drain Punch
- Fake Out
- Protect
Ambipom (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk
- Fake Out
- Double Hit
- Low Sweep
- Shadow Claw
Kangaskhan (F) @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- Power-Up Punch
- Sucker Punch
Intimidate
Lowers the enemies attack one stage
Have a Pokemon with weak defense? Here's the answer
See Scrafty above
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 176 HP / 224 Atk / 56 SAtk / 52 Spd
Naive Nature
- Protect
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Sleep
Sleep can put a Pokemon out of the match entirely, assuming it does not have cleric support, safegaurd is not active, its ability/typing makes it immun or it lacks a chesto/lum berry.
Examples:
Breloom @ Focus Sash
Ability: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Mach Punch
- Bullet Seed
- Spore
- Protect
Amoonguss @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Effect Spore
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
Rage Powder/Follow Me
As explained by Mr. K, it will protect your ally from all non-spread moves for a turn
Examples:
See Amoonguss above
Volcarona @ Fire Gem
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Overheat/Heat Wave
- Rage Powder
- Bug Buzz
- Protect
Jirachi @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 148 SDef / 108 Spd
Careful Nature
- Follow Me
- Helping Hand
- Iron Head
- Icy Wind
Serene Grace Flinching
Certain Pokemon can abuse flinch inducing moves in tandem with serene grace to potentially incapacitate an opponent for a turn
Examples
See Jirachi above
Shaymin-Sky @ Focus Sash
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash
- Earth Power
- Protect
Togekiss @ Lum Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SDef / 176 Spd
Timid Nature
- Air Slash
- Safeguard
- Roost
- Follow Me
Weather
On the subject of type changes, Sun can protect you from water moves, Rain can protect you from fire moves, and Sand can augment a rock type's ability to take special hits.
Quash
Forces the target to move last that turn
This may grant your weak ally the chance to set up while quashing the threat
Examples
Murkrow @ Eviolite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Calm Nature
- Quash
- Feather Dance
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
Paralysis
Paralyzing the threat to your weak ally may be the answer you desire. This works very well with Serene Grace Flinching
Examples
See Murkrow above
Thundurus (M) @ Electric Gem
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Spd / 60 SAtk / 196 HP
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Taunt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Whimsicott @ Occa Berry
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Stun Spore
- Protect
- Leech Seed
- Taunt
Dual Screens
Reflect boosts defense, and Light Screen boosts special defense
Examples
Klefki @ Light Clay
Trait: Prankster
EV's: 252Def/252 Sp. Def/4 HP
Nature: Bold/Calm/Impish/Careful - basically raise one of the defences and lower one of the attacks
Moves:
- Thunder Wave/Foul Play
- Spikes
- Reflect
- Light Screen
Soak
Again regarding type changes, any Pokemon weak to steel/fire/ice/water can appreciate this
Storm Drain/Lightningrod
All water/electric moves are attracted towards this Pokemon
If you need a Pokemon safe from water/electric moves, run a Pokemon with these abilities. One of the most common pairings I see is Gyarados with a Lightningrod abuser like Marowok
Focus Sash
The holder is guaranteed to survive one offensive hit
Pretty self-explanatory.
Type resistant berries/air balloon
You see many Pokemon above holding type resistant berries to ensure they survive a supereffective hit, but here are a couple more examples
Garchomp @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Protect
Bisharp @ Air Balloon
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Sucker Punch
- Night Slash
- Iron Head
All the sets are of mine or smogon's creation, except for the Klefki one, made by MM and can be seen here
