Season M-5 Week 3 Meta Report: Raichu-Mega-Y climbs into S as Garchomp drops out
By ChampTeams Editorial
Season M-5 continues on Reg M-B, reading the last two weeks of results across 31 tournaments and 1,491 player entries. Reg M-C is still expected with Season M-6 in September, so Reg M-B is the format to build for. The change this week is Raichu-Mega-Y, which appeared on four of the seven recent event winners and climbs into S, while Garchomp drops out to A. Kingambit holds number one, Basculegion moves up to second, and Sylveon reaches fourth. Here is the current tier list, what moved, and the teams winning events.
The tier list is recency-weighted and reads the last 14 days of Reg M-B results from every 30+ player Limitless tournament. A short window keeps the board close to what you are queueing into, and it means a strong week or a quiet one moves a Pokémon right away.
Meta score is a results-led composite from every 30+ player Champions Reg M-B tournament on Limitless in the window. It blends tournament usage, win rate (shrunk toward the mean so small samples are not over-rewarded), top-cut conversion, and event wins, each weighted by how large the event was. Tiers come from the natural gaps in score.
The Season M-5 Week 3 tier list
| Pokémon | Tier | Win rate | Meta score |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kingambit | S | 51.7% | 165.3 |
 Basculegion | S | 51.9% | 158.2 |
 Charizard-Mega-Y | S | 52.1% | 155.0 |
 Sylveon | S | 52.1% | 154.7 |
 Raichu-Mega-Y | S | 50.8% | 147.5 |
 Pelipper | S | 54.0% | 147.0 |
 Farigiraf | S | 49.9% | 146.3 |
 Staraptor-Mega | S | 51.4% | 145.8 |
What moved in S
Kingambit is the number one Pokémon at 165.3 on a 51.7% win rate and has held the top spot all season. Below it the order shuffled. Basculegion moves up to second at 158.2, Charizard-Mega-Y slips to third, and Sylveon climbs three places to fourth. Raichu-Mega-Y enters S at fifth, and Garchomp drops out to the top of A. Pelipper holds sixth with the best win rate in the tier at 54.0%, so rain has not gone anywhere after last week. Farigiraf and Staraptor-Mega round out S, both a little lower than last week.
Raichu-Mega-Y is the riser
Raichu-Mega-Y was on four of the seven recent event winners, which is what moved it into S. Kardeas won the 132-player Sitrus-Series with it alongside Whimsicott, Garchomp, Basculegion, Kingambit and Sylveon; ReadyKnow won Imperium Champions #3, Bebzun won Amyverse VGC Arena #6, and QueerCrocodile won Talon's Fight Club #97, all with Raichu-Mega-Y on board. It is doing support work rather than raw damage: Lightning Rod pulls Electric moves away from its partner and gives it a free Special Attack boost, Fake Out buys a turn, and Zap Cannon threatens a full paralyse when it connects. Sylveon rose alongside it, appearing on three of the same winning teams.
S · 50.8% WRRaichu-Mega-Y
Lightning RodThe new face in S. Lightning Rod draws Electric moves off its partner and turns them into a Special Attack boost, Fake Out buys a turn for the team, and Zap Cannon threatens paralysis. It appeared on four of the seven recent event winners, which is what carried it into S at a 50.8% win rate.
S · 51.9% WRBasculegion
AdaptabilityThe most common piece in the format right now, on six of the seven recent winners, and up to second on the board. Choice Scarf plus Adaptability Last Respects gives it a fast attack that grows as the game goes on, and Aqua Jet covers the priority slot when it needs to close.
What is winning tournaments
No single archetype swept this window. The winners split between balanced teams built on Kingambit and Basculegion, the Raichu-Mega-Y support builds, and one rain team. Read the list below as the recent results the board is weighing.
| Player | Event | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Kardeas | Sitrus-Series (132p) | Raichu-Mega-YSylveon Whimsicott GarchompBasculegionKingambit |
| 德尼特粉 1 | Alpensee x Smogon VGC Tour (103p) | Charizard-Mega-YWhimsicottBasculegion Floette-MegaGarchomp Incineroar |
| AngryPnuts | Tenki's Cart Weekly #113 (86p) |  Gardevoir-Mega MausholdKingambit TalonflameBasculegionGarchomp |
| ReadyKnow | Imperium Champions #3 (73p) | Raichu-Mega-YSylveonIncineroar Sinistcha Metagross-Mega Hydreigon |
| OrangeSteve | Wide League #89 (70p) | Charizard-Mega-Y GrimmsnarlPelipper ArchaludonBasculegion Venusaur-Mega |
Movers in A
Garchomp sits at the top of A after leaving S. It is still on plenty of teams, including four of the recent winners, but its 48.3% win rate across the whole field is what pulled it under the line. Aerodactyl-Mega posts the best win rate outside S at 55.6%, and Swampert-Mega (53.6%), Arcanine-Hisui (53.5%) and Froslass-Mega (53.2%) all sit high in the tier. The rain support pieces hold their places, with Archaludon at 52.4% and Grimmsnarl at 52.6%. Incineroar (47.6%) and Sinistcha (48.4%) are the ones drifting.
Cores that showed up
- Floette-Mega + Kingambit: the most-used pair by a wide margin, the backbone of the balanced teams.
- Basculegion + Charizard-Mega-Y: a 59.4% win rate together, on the most-played full team in the format.
- Grimmsnarl + Pelipper: the rain opener, screens plus Drizzle, at 58.1%.
- Archaludon + Grimmsnarl: the rest of the rain shell, at 57.5%.
- Froslass-Mega + Palafin: the snow pairing at 58.3%, still converting in the background.
What to expect next
The top of the format is stable and the middle is where the movement is. Kingambit and Basculegion are the two safest picks, and both fit almost any shell. Raichu-Mega-Y is the one to try if you want what just won: Lightning Rod support with Fake Out pressure, usually beside Sylveon. Rain is still strong on win rate through Pelipper, so keep Wide Guard and redirection in mind. Garchomp leaving S is about its win rate, not its usage, so it is still a reasonable pick if your build wants it.
This week's board sits at 8 S, 30 A, 21 B, 22 C and 21 D across 102 ranked Pokémon. The live tier list keeps rolling forward as results land. Season M-5 runs on Reg M-B, and with Reg M-C not expected until Season M-6 in September, this is the format to keep building for.