Garchomp stays on top at 36% but the field is catching up — Gyarados leads a late-week surge of targeted counterplay against the format's core

The 2000+ bracket looks markedly different from the ladder at large. Garchomp anchors it at 42%, but the supporting cast diverges sharply: Gengar, Snorlax, Vanilluxe, Scizor, Mimikyu, and Charizard all sit at 25%. Vanilluxe stands out as a deliberate Garchomp-hunter, directly targeting its x4 Ice weakness, while Snorlax brings the kind of passive bulk that enables slower, grindier win conditions. Notably, none of Hippowdon, Primarina, or Archaludon — mainstays of the 1000-1999 bracket — appear at the elite level, suggesting those picks struggle to convert against optimized teams.

The 1000-1999 range tracks the overall numbers closely: Garchomp 40%, Mimikyu 26%, Hippowdon 23%, Charizard 22%, Meowscarada 21%. Aegislash holds a solid 14% here but vanishes from the 2000+ bracket entirely, marking it as a pick that underperforms at the top. The starkest skill-skewed gap belongs to Gengar — 25% at 2000+ against no top-ten presence below — while Hippowdon shows the opposite tilt, thriving on the main ladder at 23% but absent from the elite bracket.

The biggest within-week story is Gyarados, which rocketed from 12% to 28% usage in the second half and appeared on myu's 2017-rated team. Waterfall lets it threaten Hippowdon cleanly, and Intimidate cycling adds defensive value on top of the offensive pressure. Starmie followed a similar path, climbing from 3% to 10% with Aqua Jet to keep Hippowdon honest. Meowscarada ticked up from 16% to 22% within the week, adding Flower Trick as yet another angle against the hippo. The pattern is unmistakable — the field is zeroing in on Hippowdon as the exploitable pillar in Garchomp-centric structures.

Dragonite's rise from 12% to 18% in the back half targets a different matchup entirely: Draco Meteor lets it threaten Garchomp head-on in the Dragon mirror. Corviknight's quieter climb from 6% to 10% fills a structural gap, with Iron Head giving it a reliable answer to Mimikyu that punishes Disguise and keeps the pressure on through the follow-up. On the flip side, the week's drops tell a coherent story — Clefable (9% to 3%), Venusaur (9% to 4%), and Lopunny (10% to 5%) all cratered, suggesting the meta is shedding generalist options in favor of picks with sharper, more targeted matchups against the established top.

Garchomp's x4 Ice weakness looms over all of this. Vanilluxe sitting at 25% in the 2000+ bracket — a pick barely visible on the wider ladder — signals that top players have already identified the exploit. Whether dedicated Ice coverage trickles down to the broader field is worth watching over the coming weeks.

Water leads the type chart at 77%, fueled by Gyarados, Primarina, and Greninja converging across teamsheets. Gyarados's late-week surge has only reinforced Water's hold on the top spot. Steel sits second at 73%, carried by Archaludon, Metagross, and Scizor — essential for checking Fairy and providing structural resistances. Ghost and Flying tie at 69%, reflecting Mimikyu's near-universal presence alongside the Gyarados-Charizard-Dragonite Flying trio.

Dragon (66%) and Ground (65%) owe most of their share to Garchomp's dual typing, with Archaludon and Dragonite bolstering Dragon and Hippowdon and Swampert rounding out Ground. Fairy holds at 64% — anchored by Mimikyu, Primarina, and Sylveon — providing the format's core Dragon check, while Dark at 63% confirms Meowscarada and Greninja as offensive cornerstones.