Xerneas

Xerneas graces the battlefield as one of the most devastating setup sweepers ever to be allowed in VGC. Geomancy is Xerneas's signature move and its most formidable set, as Xerneas is more than capable of sweeping through a team after the boosts. Not only does Xerneas sport a solid base 131 Special Attack, but it also possesses respectable HP and defensive stats that allow it to take most hits very well. Base 99 Speed is also a handy in a format where the majority of the restricted Pokemon are sitting between base 90 and 95 Speed. Furthermore, Xerneas's ability, Fairy Aura, grants it decent offensive pressure, which is especially handy when you find yourself not able to set up a Geomancy. Unfortunately, while it possesses a number of strengths, it also has to deal with a number of flaws. Xerneas doesn't have many viable options against Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types besides throwing boosted Fairy-type moves at them. While base 99 Speed is nice, Xerneas can still be outsped by faster Pokemon such as Mega Kangaskhan. Also, the threat of Geomancy makes it very vulnerable to countermeasures such as Taunt, Encore, Gyro Ball, Thunder Wave, and Trick Room. While Xerneas isn't a deciding factor for using these moves, their existence makes Geomancy a bit less effective. Despite these flaws, Xerneas remains as a top threat in the VGC '16 format and should be respected as such.