I froze as the enemy’s Tailwind finished—your partner goes down, and the clock is ticking. I had one turn to flip momentum or watch a tournament run evaporate. You feel that pulse; I’ve been there, and I’ll cut straight to what wins.
In this guide I’ll show you the best Pokémon for 2v2 in Pokémon Champions, explain how to pair roles, and point to the tools players use when they test lines at home or on stream. Think of this as the playbook I would hand a trainee before a big event—concise, tactical, and practical.
At the local meet-up I saw the same five faces in winning teams: the picks below are battle-tested
Best Pokémon to use in Doubles battles in Champions
The list that follows mirrors what you’ll see in VGC, on Pokémon Showdown replays, and in ladder snapshots shared on Discord and Twitter. Each entry names the role you can lean on and the common counters to avoid.
| Name | Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingambit | Dark / Steel | Free availability from several starters makes it easy to test. Uses Defiant to punish Intimidate and attack drops. Huge physical bulk, two immunities and nine resistances; Kowtow Cleave reliably deals damage while messing with opposing shields. | Crushes Fighting types poorly (4x weakness). Low Speed and middling Special Defense — struggles when swapped into strong special attackers. |
| Garchomp | Dragon / Ground | High Attack and solid bulk make it a dependable bulky attacker. Access to spread moves that hit both opponents and pressure common doubles cores. Rough Skin provides passive chip and punishes physical contact. | 4x weakness to Ice; vulnerable to faster threats that can outpace or revenge-kill it. |
| Incineroar | Fire / Dark | A staple on the competitive scene for a reason: Intimidate flips physical momentum, and its bulk lets you redirect or stall. Excellent synergy with sweepers and status setters; six resistances and an immunity reduce matchup variance. | Needs a reliable damage partner to finish games. Gets shut down by Defiant users and heavy special offense. |
| Dragonite | Dragon / Flying | Accessible to most players and threatening in the late game. Strong Attack and bulk in non-Mega form; Intimidate support and pivot options give you control of tempo. | 4x weakness to Ice remains a constant hazard. Mega Evolution is risky when opponents can change weather or remove boosts. |
| Torkoal | Fire | Simple but effective support: Drought sets Sun for Eruption and boosts Fire damage, creating massive windows to punish opposing teams. Works well as a bulky setter and defensive anchor. | Struggles vs Water moves and other weather setters that cancel Sun. Limited speed and recovery options. |
I watched two friends argue over roles at a café; what they missed was how roles split the board
Roles and pairing: how to make these Pokémon sing together
Your pair doesn’t need both to hit hard. One slot can be the engine; the other is the support that keeps the engine alive. The lead is a compass for the rest of the game. A clutch switch is a sledgehammer that breaks tempo.
Build around complementary resistances and speed tiers. If you run Incineroar, pair it with a fast glass cannon or a weather abuser like Torkoal. If you pick Kingambit, you want a partner that covers Fighting and can pressure special attackers.
What are the best Pokémon for Doubles in Champions?
Look for Pokémon that offer synergy: a bulky pivot (Incineroar, Kingambit), a heavy hitter that benefits from support (Garchomp, Dragonite), and a setter (Torkoal). The list above reflects what shows up most in VGC events and on ladder replays on Pokémon Showdown.
How should I build a Doubles team for Champions?
Prioritize roles: lead, support/setter, and finisher. Test lines in Pokémon Showdown, then refine spreads using damage calculators from Smogon or community tools on Discord. Replicate pro teams via Replica Codes to study timing and move choices before copying the structure into Pokémon HOME for practice.
Can I use Replica Codes to copy pro teams?
Yes. Replica Codes are the fastest way to test a proven list. Import a pro team, run it on Pokémon Showdown or in private matches, then tweak EVs and moveset choices to match your playstyle.
When you study replays, watch for tempo shifts—switching two roles at the right turn wins games more often than raw power alone. Streamers and coaches on Twitch and YouTube break down these moments; follow VGC channels and creators who post annotated replays for the clearest lessons.
In Doubles, fear of loss matters: avoiding the wrong matchup is as important as picking the right Pokémon. You’ll learn faster if you test pairs on Pokémon Showdown, compare numbers with Smogon’s calculators, and copy polished teams via Replica Codes before bringing them into ranked play.
So, which pairing are you testing first—and who will you bench when the finals match demands a bold switch?