Hirofumi Kimura’s Rillaboom Build Guide (2025 Pokemon VGC World Championships)

Learn how to use Rillaboom in the Pokemon VGC format based on Hirofumi Kimura’s 2025 World Championship build.

Rillaboom (Image via TPC)
Rillaboom (Image via TPC)

Rillaboom is one of the best non-restricted Pokemon in the VGC format. At the 2025 Pokemon Worlds Championships, Hirofumi Kimura reached the Top 4 with a Rillaboom on his team. As this was the highest placed build of the Galarian gorilla, let’s use its build as a basis for the best way to use it in VGC.

What Is the Build of Hirofumi Kimura’s Rillaboom?

Hirofumi Kimura's 2025 VGC Worlds team (Image via TPC)
Hirofumi Kimura’s 2025 VGC Worlds team (Image via TPC)

As a fully evolved Starter Pokemon, Rillaboom has decent stats. Attack stat of 125 is its best, making it capable of holding its own as a physical attacker even in a Restricted Legendary-filled meta. But what really makes it viable is its ability Grassy Surge, which sets up Grassy Terrain upon switching in. Grassy Terrain provides passive recovery for five turns, healing all the Pokemon on the field. Hirofumi went with an Assault Vest for his Rillaboom’s item. This gave it a Special Defense boost at the cost of only using offensive moves. Finally, he went with a Water-type Terastallization to tank any Fire-type moves.

Moves Used by Hirofumi Kimura’s Rillaboom

Grassy Glide is a must on Rillaboom as the move gets +1 priority in Grassy Terrain. Hirofumi Kimura’s Rillaboom also had useful support moves like Fake Out for priority flinches and U-Turn to pivot out of the playing field. Finally, Wood Hammer was in the final spot as a powerful Grass STAB move.

Which Pokemon is Rillaboom Good Against?

The most common Water-type in the meta, Urshifu Rapid Strike, struggles against Rillaboom’s Grass-type STABs. Additionally, Miraidon dislikes Rillaboom for not only resisting its Electric-type attacks, but also removing the Electric Terrain it sets up with its ability Hadron Engine. Finally, with a Tera Water and Assault Vest, Rillaboom can take Kyogre’s Water-type attacks better and deal super effective Grass damage back to it.

Common Partners for Rillaboom

Incineroar (Image via TPC)
Incineroar (Image via TPC)
  • Incineroar: Incineroar can form a dual Fake Out combo with Rillaboom. It also benefits from the secondary effect of Grassy Terrain, the weakening of Ground-type moves like Bulldoze and Earthquake.
  • Urshifu Rapid Strike: Together with Incineroar and Rillaboom, Urshifu Rapid Strike forms a powerful Fire/Water/Grass core, which can provide neutral coverage against most threats.
  • Zamazenta: Zamazenta Crowned can take out Ice-types like Calyrex Ice Rider and Chien-Pao that Rillaboom struggles with.

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