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Pokemon Champions Doubles Fundamentals
Master doubles fundamentals in Pokemon Champions: when to Protect, how to chain Fake Out, the math behind Intimidate, and speed control with Tailwind and Trick Room.
Protect is the most important move in doubles. It gives you a free turn to see what the opponent does while your partner keeps pressuring. But it has hidden costs:
Fail rate increases when used consecutively (50%, 25%, 12.5%)
Lets the opponent stack boosts (Garchomp +2 Atk from Swords Dance while your partner protects)
Does not protect from Perish Song, Pursuit, or entry hazards
Rule of thumb: use Protect reactively, not as default. If the opponent has Trick Room or Tailwind, protecting costs tempo. If you have the matchup edge, attacking beats protecting.
Fake Out: The Turn 1 Edge
Fake Out is a priority +3 move that makes its target flinch, wasting their turn. It only works if the user just entered the field. It's the move that defines leads:
Incineroar: the strongest combo (Fake Out + Intimidate on entry)
Sneasler: buys tempo before revealing Dire Claw set
Rillaboom/Whimsicott: synergy with Grassy Terrain
Counters: Queenly Majesty, Dazzling, Armor Tail (abilities that block priority), Protective Pads (item blocking contact), or simply lead with a Ghost-type.
Intimidate Math
Intimidate drops the Attack of both active opposing Pokemon by -1 on entry. That's why Incineroar sits in 62% of teams.
Competitive (Kingambit) and Defiant counter with +2 SpA/Atk → instant punish
Rattled, Oblivious, Scrappy are immune
Anti-Intimidate strategy: pack a Kingambit or Milotic; lead Special attackers (Sun Charizard-Y); or use Mist/White Herb to reset the debuff.
Frequently asked questions
How many times can I Protect in a row?
Protect loses success rate on consecutive uses: 100% (turn 1), 50% (turn 2), 25% (turn 3), 12.5% (turn 4). In doubles you rarely protect 3 turns in a row with the same Pokemon.
Which Pokemon has the best Fake Out?
Incineroar is the best Fake Out user because it stacks Intimidate on entry with a strong offensive pivot kit (Parting Shot, Flare Blitz). Sneasler and Rillaboom follow.