OU Alakazam

name: Mega Alakazam
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Encore / Substitute
ability: Magic Guard
item: Alakazite
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

sorry, completely forgot about this but here's your rate. this is how the megazam analysis should look like. last slot is really team dependent, but encore and sub has the most utility for megazam. however, be sure to mention taunt, hp fire, calm mind, and dazzling gleam in moves section as each of them have their separate uses. put the life orb set before the sash set, since it has much more viability than it. sash set is fine as it is from what henry explained. be sure to mention sub in the moves section for lo atker. mention torn-t and mandibuzz in checks and counters. everything else looks solid tho, 3/3
 

Psywaves

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Overview
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With the advent of ORAS and the power and speed creep in general, Alakazam has risen to become quite an underrated Pokemon. Alakazam and its Mega Evolution both have an excellent Special Attack stat, (RC) coupled with a fantastic Speed tier, (AC) which both for Alakazam's non-Mega and Mega form allows it to function effectively as a wallbreaker, revenge killer, (AC) and late-game sweeper. In addition, both formes have access to stellar abilities in Magic Guard and Trace, (AC) respectively; Magic Guard allows the base form Alakazam to be an excellent revenge killer, (AC) as a Focus Sash will stay intact regardless of entry hazards and damaging status,(RC) as well as neutralising negating Life Orb recoil, and Trace enables Mega Alakazam to copy the opponent's foe's ability, (AC) and thus it can revenge kill weather sweepers such as Mega Swampert, Kingdra, (AC) and Excadrill. Last but not least, Alakazam has a wide array of utility options in its arsenal such as Thunder Wave, Encore, (AC) and Taunt, letting it function well against both offensive and defensive builds teams.

However, Alakazam possesses a mediocre Psychic-(remove hyphen)typing, leaving it vulnerable to the omnipresent Knock Off, as well as Pursuit and U-turn users such as Bisharp and Scizor. To add insult to injury, Alakazam has paper-thin defenses on both sides of the spectrum (there's no spectrum since there's not anything in between Defense and Special Defense) due to its low HP and Defense stats, rendering it extremely susceptible to numerous priority attacks as well as reducing Alakazam's switch-in opportunities to switch in. In addition Finally (changed because "in addition" has already been used in the overview), Alakazam is also extremely reliant on entry hazard damage to nab some KOs. Nonetheless, Alakazam is quite an effective Pokemon in the metagame right now.


Mega Alakazam
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name: Mega Alakazam
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Encore / Substitute
ability: Magic Guard
item: Alakazite
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========

Psychic is Mega Alakazam's obligatory STAB move, and it is chosen to hit physically defensive foes such as Landorus-Therian and Mega Venusaur harder than Psyshock as well as the increased amount of Base Power; however, (AC) Psyshock is an option to deal with specially defensive foes such as Chansey or Blissey. Focus Blast provides good coverage with Psychic and deals with Dark- and Steel-types that resist Psychic. Shadow Ball hits other Psychic-types, which Psychic and Focus Blast fail to hit, such as Celebi and Jirachi. The last slot is really team dependent. Encore provides great utility by shutting down Pokemon such as Bisharp and Ferrothorn by locking them into only move; meanwhile, Substitute evades status and Sucker Punch and allows Mega Alakazam to scout.
Dazzling Gleam is also an option to prevent Mega Alakazam from being hopelessly walled by Mega Sableye as well as dealing decent damage to Dark- and Dragon-types such as Latios and Tyranitar. Taunt shuts down defensive Pokemon such as Chansey, Alomomola, (AC) and Slowbro by denying their recovery and preventing them from inflicting status on Mega Alakazam. Hidden Power Fire is also an option over the former two, allowings Mega Alakazam to reliably 2HKO Scizor and Ferrothorn on the switch, as well as having more accuracy than Focus Blast to deal with Steel-types. Calm Mind allows Mega Alakazam to potentially sweep, especially against balanced or stall builds teams; however, (AC) due to its lackluster defenses, (AC) Mega Alakazam does not find many opportunities to set up.


Set Details
========

The EVs on the set are quite straightforward; maximum Special Attack and Speed so that Mega Alakazam can be as powerful and as fast as possible, Speed tying with opposing Mega Alakazam and Aerodactyl. A Timid nature is preferred so that Mega Alakazam can revenge kill Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny, Mega Manectric, Mega Beedrill and Mega Sceptile, which Mega Alakazam misses out on if running a Modest nature. Magic Guard is the chosen ability before Mega Evolving to not get worn down by entry hazards and non-volatile status, and Trace is the only ability Mega Alakazam has and gives it the unique ability to revenge kill weather sweepers as well as potentially getting stellar abilities such as Adaptability or Prankster.


Usage Tips
========

Because of Mega Alakazam's near non-existent defenses, it is unable to switch-(RH)in against on even resisted physical hits such as Close Combat and Zen Headbutt, so Mega Alakazam is best swapped switched in after a teammate has fainted, by Volt Switch or U-turn (VoltTurn is the core rather than a term to refer to either move as far as I'm aware) support, (AC) or by extremely weak special attacks such as Alomomola's Scald. Mega Alakazam should be used as a late-game cleaner and/or revenge killer by virtue of it'(remove apostrophe)s stellar offensive stats when the opposition is weakened, and it should use utility moves to cripple defensive foes such as Chansey and Clefable, plus it feels is great to Encore Bisharp into Sucker Punch.


Team Options
========

Since Because Mega Alakazam struggles with Steel- and Dark- types the most, (AC) as it has to rely on an inaccurate Focus Blast to damage them, Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Terrakion are great partners for Mega Alakazam, (AC) as they can easily deal with Steel- and Dark-types. Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon are also good partners, and that can also eliminate Dark-types such as Sableye and Tyranitar, (AC) which Mega Alakazam struggles with; they can also weaken Steel-types so that Alakazam can break through them easier more easily. Mega Alakazam also appreciates strong wallbreakers such as Landorus-Incarnate and Crawdaunt, (AC) whoich can wear down foes for a potential late-game sweep from Alakazam. Entry hazard support is mandatory for Alakazam to get crucial KOs, particularly Latios after Stealth Rock with Shadow Ball, so Stealth Rock setters such as Ferrothorn and Heatran are greatly appreciated for their ability to do so. Heatran in particular is a great partner since because it can deals with Scizor and Sableye as well as checking most Talonflame. In addition, Pursuit support coming from Bisharp, Tyranitar, (AC) or Scizor is great as well because Alakazam struggles with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon that who can shrug off Shadow Ball easily, (AC) such as Jirachi and Reuniclus. Finally, because Mega Alakazam struggles to manually switch-(RH)in due to abysmal bulk, pivots such as Scizor, Rotom-W, (AC) and Landorus-Therian can patch up this weakness by providing easy switch-in opportunities free switches.

Offensive Zam
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name: Offensive Zam
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Encore
ability: Magic Guard
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========

Psychic is the main STAB move here, and it is chosen over Psyshock for the increased damage output as well as the ability to hit physically defensive foes such as bulky Garchomp and Landorus-Therian much harder. Focus Blast deals with Dark- and Steel-types, (AC) that which Psychic misses out on, such as Tyranitar and Bisharp. ("that" implied that there are certain Dark- and Steel-types that Psychic misses out on, but it always misses out on Dark-types) Shadow Ball provides great all-around coverage with Psychic and Focus Blast and hits bulky Psychic- and Ghost- types that the aforementioned two moves cannot deal with. Hidden Power Ice is the main candidate for the last slot, boastings the ability to OHKO both Landorus formes, specially defensive Gliscor, as well as Garchomp and Multiscale-broken Dragonite after Multiscale has been broken. Encore has a secondary slash, and shuts down defensive cores such as Alomomola +and Heatran effectively by locking them into only one move. Substitute can also be used, and as it allows Alakazam to evade Sucker Punch, status, (AC) and scout the opponent's foe's moves.

Set Details
========

Maximum Special Attack and Speed with a Timid nature is used so that Alakazam can be as fast and hit as hard as possible, as well as tying with opposing Alakazam and Dugtrio and outspeeding Pokemon that hit base 110-115 Speed, (AC) such as Latios, Gengar, (AC) and Starmie. Magic Guard is the superior ability here so that Alakazam is not worn down by repeated switches into hazard and status. A Life Orb takes advantage of Magic Guard to have a recoil-less boost to its offensives, making Alakazam a terrifying wallbreaker and late-game cleaner.

Usage Tips
========

Because of Alakazam's frailty, it should only be brought in on extremely weak special attacks, by Volt Switch or U-turn support, (AC) or after a teammate has fainted. As This set excels against stall archetypes because of Magic Guard preventing status, (AC) and also, (AC) during the late-game, Alakazam should take advantage of this and switch in when available possible and start dealing damage. Don't be afraid of using Encore to break stall-oriented archetypes as well as locking setup sweepers into one move, allowing for easy switches and predictions.

Team Options
========

Because of Alakazam's frailty, Volt Switch or U-turn support is really appreciated so that Alakazam can switch in safely and grab free momentum. Said Users of said support include Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Landorus-Therian; they can also lure in and pivot out of Pokemon that Alakazam can beat easily, (AC) such as Chansey and Alomomola. Moreover, Pursuit support is really appreciated to weaken bulkier Psychic-types such as Metagross and Latias so that Alakazam can have an easier time dealing with them. As this set does great against stall-oriented Pokemon such as Chansey and Clefable, Pokemon that generally struggle against them are ideal partners. Examples include Mega Manetric and Latios, whoich struggle against stall in general.

Revenge Killer
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name: Revenge Killer
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Grass Knot / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Thunder Wave
ability: Magic Guard
item: Focus Sash
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========

Psychic has a higher Base Power than Psyshock and can break through physically defensive foes such as Mega Venusaur, Landorus-Therian and Rotom-W much easier more easily. Focus Blast is mandatory and is a great coverage move, (AC) as it deals with Dark- and Steel-types such as Bisharp, Tyranitar,(AC) and Ferrothorn, (AC) that which Psychic cannot hit for much damage (or any at all in the case of Dark-types); however, (AC) the its accuracy is a minor drawback. Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Garchomp and Landorus-Therian as well as 2HKOing specially defensive Gliscor, and with the Focus Sash, (AC) Alakazam is a great revenge killer to these Pokemon aforementioned. Grass Knot is slashed secondly as it deals with bulky Ground-, Rock-types, (AC) and Water-types such as Hippowdon, Tyranitar, (AC) and Mega Gyarados, (RC) and is chosen over Energy Ball for the increased damage output against them above. Energy Ball is an option to hit Manaphy and Rotom-W much harder, (AC) but they do not appreciate a Psychic anyway, so Grass Knot is generally preferred in general. Hidden Power Fire is an option as well to 2HKO Ferrothorn and (Mega) Scizor, and it is a more reliable tool than Focus Blast to hit Steel-types bar Heatran with. Thunder Wave is a great utility option in general for the last slot, allowing Alakazam to cripple threats that Alakazam it may not outright KO such as Mega Charizard X and Altaria, and it is also a great option to avoid Sucker Punch from Bisharp whilst crippling it in the process, (RC) and thus is a great fail-(hyphen)safe. Though it may sound like a gimmick, Psych Up is a decent option to copy the stat boosts of the foe, such as Calm Mind boosts Landorus and Keldeo have obtained, revenge kill it after taking a hit with the Focus Sash and proceed to sweep the opposing team unless they have priority moves. Lastly, Shadow Ball can also be used to hit bulkier Psychic-types, (AC) but without its Mega Alakazite, Alakazam is relatively weak and does not 2HKO its Shadow Ball's main targets, (AC) such as Celebi, Jirachi, (AC) and Cresselia.

Set Details
========

Because this set focuses on Alakazam's fantastic ability to revenge kill, a Focus Sash is subsequently used to capitalisze on such as stellar ability in as Magic Guard, which will keep the Focus Sash intact regardless of entry hazards or status, allowing Alakazam to reliably take any one hit and retaliate back. Maximum investment in Speed and Special Attack is for Alakazam to be as fast and hit as hard as possible, and with a Timid nature, (AC) Alakazam outspeeds most of the metagame and thus can revenge kill more effectively. It is to be noted that because of its occupancy of a great Speed tier, Alakazam can usually get more than one hit off of the opponent on the foe.

Usage Tips
========

Since this set is, (RC) primarily, (RC) a revenge killing set, Alakazam should only be switched in after a teammate faints or by the use of Volt Switch or U-turn to deal damage to the opponent foe. Because of Alakazam's frailty in general, it cannot take even resisted physical hits such as Close Combat very well, so it is advised to not manually switch Alakazam aimlessly into such hits. Preserve the Focus Sash so that Alakazam can still revenge kill Pokemon later on. Alakazam can act as a good emergency check to Pokemon such as Rock Polish Landorus and Substitute + Calm Mind Keldeo if the team doesn't have checks for those available. When facing a Pokemon that outspeeds Alakazam and cannot be OHKOed by it, or when Alakazam is at low health and cannot do much to the opponent foe, Thunder Wave can be used to cripple them foe, allowing a teammate to finish it off easier more easily or leaving it near-useless for the rest of the match.

Team Options
========

Because without its Mega form Without Alakazite, Alakazam struggles to break through bulkier Pokemon such as Chansey, so Pokemon that can take it out is a are good partners to Alakazam; Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Mega Lopunny can all achieve this, and trappers such as Gothitelle and Wobbuffet can also do so as well. Entry hazards and some prior damage on the foe are important to score some crucial OHKOs, (AC) such as Hidden Power Fire on Scizor, (AC) to which make Alakazam's late-game sweeping or revenge killing much easier; thus, (AC) Stealth Rock from the likes of Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, (AC) and Garchomp are is really beneficial to Alakazam. Pursuit support from Bisharp, Tyranitar, (AC) and Scizor are is also recommended since Alakazam struggles with bulkier Psychic-types such as Slowbro, Reuniclus, (AC) and Latias because Alakazam it is relatively weak, especially when using a non-STAB Ghost-type move. Last but not least, Volt Switch or U-turn support is almost mandatory because of the near zero chances that Alakazam can come into battle; pivots such as Scizor and Rotom-W can score free momentum for Alakazam.

Other Options
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Energy Ball is an option on Mega Alakazam to hit bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Quagsire, Seismitoad and Rotom-W, as well as outspeeding and OHKOing rain sweepers such as Kabutops, Omastar and Mega Swampert due to Trace, but loses quite a bit of coverage compared to other options that Mega Alakazam can potentially use. (EBall is already mentioned on a set; if it's significant enough, you can always put in under "Moves" for the Mega Zam set) A dedicated stallbreaker set with Taunt + Encore is great for shutting down defensive and balanced cores as well as having decent offensive presence, however but the rise in usage of Mega Sableye really is a thorn in its side, (AC) and Mega Alakazam is best used as a late-game cleaner anyway. Disable is an option as well to shut down defensive Pokemon such as Chansey and Alomomola. Additionally, Calm Mind is an option too, albeit sub-par, and allows Alakazam to break through defensive and balanced cores easier with greater ease, but against more offensive builds teams, Alakazam will really struggle to set-(remove hyphen but keep a space) up due to its lack of bulk. Recover can help Alakazam regain health, (AC) especially for the Focus Sash set so that it can revenge kill even more foes later on, however but its poor bulk and typing means that Alakazam will be hard-pressed to find opportunities to recover. Dazzling Gleam also works, as it enables Alakazam to get past Sableye who otherwise hard-walls Mega Alakazam, as well as hitting Dragon- and Dark-types such as Latios and Tyranitar for decent damage. (already mentioned on the Mega set) Taunt on the Life Orb Alakazam set is also an option to deny bulky Pokemon such as Clefable and Chansey their recovery. (Taunt is already mentioned on the Mega set; put it under moves for LO if it's good enough) Protect allows Alakazam to safely Mega Evolve, but is strongly discouraged, (AC) as it has many more useful utility or attacking moves for the fourth moveslot. Lastly, Signal Beam is an option to hit Celebi harder than Shadow Ball does, as well as dealing with Psychic-types such as Slowbro; however, (AC) it misses out on Jirachi, Bronzong, (AC) and Victini.

Checks & Counters
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**Dark-types**: Because Alakazam typically relies on Focus Blast, a move with shaky accuracy, to actually damage Dark-types, they are one of the top checks to Alakazam, capable of OHKOing it with their respective STAB moves. Tyranitar's good special bulk coupled with sand allow it to take Focus Blast quite well and can proceed to trap Alakazam with Pursuit, Sableye is immune to Psychic and Focus Blast, is not 2HKOed by Shadow Ball, (AC) and can KO back with a Knock Off, and Mandibuzz resists both Psychic and Shadow Ball, is not 2HKOed by Focus Blast even after Stealth Rock, and can deal heavy damage with Foul Play or Knock Off.

**Pursuit**: Pokemon such as Scizor and Bisharp can easily Pursuit-(RH)trap Alakazam, (AC) as Alakazam it will normally switch-(RH)out of them in these scenarios. Scizor is not really damaged by any of Alakazam's moves bar Hidden Power Fire, (AC) and Bisharp can play mind-(RH)games with Alakazam with Sucker Punch and Pursuit.

**Priority**: Powerful priority users such as Azumarill, Bisharp, Scizor, (AC) and Talonflame can all come in on Alakazam and easily OHKO it with their respective priority moves due to Alakazam's frail defenses.

**Psychic-types**: Many Psychic-types such as Latios, Starmie, (AC) and Reuniclus can easily deal with Alakazam as well, resisting the Psychic-/ (hyphen -> slash) Fighting coverage that Alakazam most commonly uses. Shadow Ball is quite weak, (AC) as it is not STAB-boosted and barely 2HKOes offensive Latios and Starmie whilst missing out on (I assume they miss out on 2HKOing?) Reuniclus, Cresselia, (AC) and Slowking entirely.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Latios and Landorus-Therian can also revenge kill Mega Alakazam due to its dismal bulk, with Latios 2HKOing with Draco Meteor and Landorus-Therian grabbing an easy OHKO with Earthquake. Pokemon such as Tornadus-T and Mega Lopunny, (AC) whoich naturally outspeed Alakazam's non-Mega form also can also score easy KOs with Knock Off and Return, (AC) respectively.


GP 1/2 :)
 
**Priority**: Powerful Priority users such as Azumarill, Bisharp, Scizor and Talonflame can all come in on Alakazam and easily OHKO it with their respective Priority moves due to Alakazam's frail defenses.

Even with Choice Band, Azumarill still has difficulties OHKOing Alakazam. While it does have a chance of OHKOing it, a 31.3% chance to OHKO is not an example of easily OHKOing a target.

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Alakazam: 222-262 (88.4 - 104.3%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
 

GatoDelFuego

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Overview
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Alakazam and its Mega Evolution both have an excellent Special Attack stat, coupled with a fantastic Speed tier, which allows it to function effectively as a wallbreaker, revenge killer, and late-game sweeper. In addition, both formes Alakazam and Mega Alakazam have access to stellar abilities in Magic Guard and Trace, respectively; Magic Guard allows Alakazam to be an excellent revenge killer, as a Focus Sash will stay intact regardless of entry hazards and damaging status, as well as negating Life Orb recoil, and Trace enables Mega Alakazam to copy the foe's ability, and thus it can revenge kill weather sweepers such as Mega Swampert, Kingdra, and Excadrill. Last but not least, Alakazam has a wide array of utility options in its arsenal such as Thunder Wave, Encore, and Taunt, letting it function well against both offensive and defensive teams.

However, Alakazam possesses a mediocre Psychic typing, leaving it vulnerable to the omnipresent Knock Off, (RC) as well as Pursuit and U-turn users such as Bisharp and Scizor. To add insult to injury, Alakazam has paper-thin defenses due to its low HP and Defense stats, rendering it extremely susceptible to numerous priority attacks as well as reducing Alakazam's opportunities to switch in. Finally, Alakazam is also extremely reliant on entry hazard damage to nab some KOs.

Mega Alakazam
########
name: Mega Alakazam
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Encore / Substitute
ability: Magic Guard
item: Alakazite
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========

Psychic is Mega Alakazam's obligatory STAB move, and it is chosen to hit physically defensive foes such as Landorus-T and Mega Venusaur harder than Psyshock as well as the increased amount of Base Power; however, Psyshock is an option to deal with specially defensive foes such as Chansey or Blissey. Focus Blast provides good coverage with Psychic and deals with Dark- and Steel-types that resist Psychic. Shadow Ball hits other Psychic-types, which Psychic and Focus Blast fail to hit, such as Celebi and Jirachi. The last slot is really team-dependent. Encore provides great utility by shutting down Pokemon such as Bisharp and Ferrothorn by locking them into only move; meanwhile, Substitute evades status and Sucker Punch and allows Mega Alakazam to scout.
Dazzling Gleam is also an option to prevent Mega Alakazam from being hopelessly walled by Mega Sableye as well as dealing decent damage to Dark- and Dragon-types such as Latios and Tyranitar. Taunt shuts down defensive Pokemon such as Chansey, Alomomola, and Slowbro by denying their recovery and preventing them from inflicting status on Mega Alakazam. Hidden Power Fire allows Mega Alakazam to reliably 2HKO Scizor and Ferrothorn on the switch, as well as having more accuracy than Focus Blast to deal with Steel-types. Calm Mind allows Mega Alakazam to potentially sweep, especially against balanced or stall teams; however, due to its lackluster defenses, Mega Alakazam does not find many opportunities to set up.


Set Details
========

The EVs on the set are quite straightforward; maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs are so that Mega Alakazam can be as powerful and as fast as possible, Speed tying with opposing Mega Alakazam and Aerodactyl. A Timid nature is preferred so that Mega Alakazam can revenge kill Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny, Mega Manectric, Mega Beedrill, (AC) and Mega Sceptile, which Mega Alakazam misses out on if running a Modest nature. Magic Guard is the chosen ability before Mega Evolving to not get worn down by entry hazards and non-volatile status, and Trace is the only ability Mega Alakazam has and gives it the unique ability to revenge kill weather sweepers as well as potentially getting great abilities such as Adaptability or Prankster.


Usage Tips
========

Because of Mega Alakazam's near non-existent defenses, it is unable to switch in on even resisted physical hits such as Close Combat and Zen Headbutt, so Mega Alakazam is best switched in after a teammate has fainted, by Volt Switch or U-turn support, or by against extremely weak special attacks such as Alomomola's Scald. Mega Alakazam should be used as a late-game cleaner and/or revenge killer by virtue of its stellar offensive stats when the opposition is weakened, and it should use utility moves to cripple defensive foes such as Chansey and Clefable, plus it is great to Encore Bisharp into Sucker Punch.


Team Options
========

Because Mega Alakazam struggles with Steel- and Dark- types the most, as it has to rely on an inaccurate Focus Blast to damage them, Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Terrakion are great partners for Mega Alakazam, as they can easily deal with Steel- and Dark-types. Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon are also good partners that can also eliminate Dark-types such as Sableye and Tyranitar, which Mega Alakazam struggles with; they can also weaken Steel-types so that Alakazam can break through them more easily. Mega Alakazam also appreciates strong wallbreakers such as Landorus and Crawdaunt, which can wear down foes for a potential late-game sweep from Mega Alakazam. Entry hazard support is mandatory for Alakazam to get crucial KOs, particularly Latios after Stealth Rock with Shadow Ball, so Stealth Rock setters such as Ferrothorn and Heatran are greatly appreciated. spacing Heatran in particular is a great partner because it deals with Scizor and Mega Sableye I'm assuming Mega? as well as checking most Talonflame. In addition, Pursuit support coming from Bisharp, Tyranitar, or Scizor is great as well because Mega Alakazam struggles with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon that can shrug off Shadow Ball easily, such as Jirachi and Reuniclus. Finally, because Mega Alakazam struggles to manually switch in due to abysmal bulk, pivots such as Scizor, Rotom-W, and Landorus-T can patch up this weakness by providing free switches.

Offensive Zam
########
name: Offensive Zam
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Encore
ability: Magic Guard
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========

Psychic is the main STAB move here, and it is chosen over Psyshock for the increased damage output as well as the ability to hit physically defensive foes such as bulky Garchomp and Landorus-T much harder. Focus Blast deals with Dark- and Steel-types, which Psychic misses out on, such as Tyranitar and Bisharp. Shadow Ball provides great all-around coverage with Psychic and Focus Blast and hits bulky Psychic- and Ghost- types that the aforementioned two moves cannot deal with. Hidden Power Ice boasts the ability to OHKO both Landorus formes, specially defensive Gliscor, as well as Garchomp and Dragonite after Multiscale has been broken. Encore shuts down defensive cores such as Alomomola and Heatran effectively by locking them into only one move. Substitute can also be used, as it allows Alakazam to evade Sucker Punch, status, and scout the foe's moves.

Set Details
========

Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs with a Timid nature is are used so that Alakazam can be as fast and hit as hard as possible, as well as tying with opposing Alakazam and Dugtrio and outspeeding Pokemon that hit base 110-115 Speed, such as Latios, Gengar, and Starmie. Magic Guard is the superior ability here so that Alakazam is not worn down by repeated switches into entry hazards and status. A Life Orb takes advantage of Magic Guard to have give a recoil-less boost to its Alakazam's offensives, making Alakazam a terrifying wallbreaker and late-game cleaner.

Usage Tips
========

Because of Alakazam's frailty, it should only be brought in on extremely weak special attacks, by Volt Switch or U-turn support, or after a teammate has fainted. This set excels against stall archetypes because of Magic Guard preventing status, and also, during the late-game, Alakazam should take advantage of this and switch in when possible and start dealing damage. Don't be afraid of using Encore to break stall-oriented archetypes as well as locking setup sweepers into one move, allowing for easy switches and predictions.

Team Options
========

Because of Alakazam's frailty, Volt Switch or U-turn support is really appreciated so that Alakazam can switch in safely and grab free momentum. Users of said support include Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Landorus-T; they can also lure in and pivot out of Pokemon that Alakazam can beat easily, such as Chansey and Alomomola. Moreover, Pursuit support is really appreciated to weaken bulkier Psychic-types such as Metagross and Latias so that Alakazam can have an easier time dealing with them. As this set does great against stall-oriented Pokemon such as Chansey and Clefable, Pokemon that generally struggle against them are ideal partners. Examples include Mega Manetric and Latios, which struggle against stall in general.

Revenge Killer
########
name: Revenge Killer
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Grass Knot / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Thunder Wave
ability: Magic Guard
item: Focus Sash
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========

Psychic has a higher Base Power than Psyshock and can break through physically defensive foes such as Mega Venusaur, Landorus-T, (AC) and Rotom-W much more easily. Focus Blast is mandatory and is a great mandatory or if you want to stay 'great', just take out mandatory coverage move, as it deals with Dark- and Steel-types such as Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Ferrothorn, which Psychic cannot hit for much damage, or any at all in the case of Dark-types; however, its accuracy is a minor drawback. Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Garchomp and Landorus-Therian as well as 2HKOing and 2HKOes specially defensive Gliscor. (period) and With a Focus Sash, Alakazam is a great revenge killer to these Pokemon. Grass Knot deals with bulky Ground-, Rock-types, and Water-types such as Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Mega Gyarados and is chosen over Energy Ball for the increased damage output against them. Energy Ball is an option to hit Manaphy and Rotom-W much harder, but they do not appreciate a Psychic anyway, so Grass Knot is generally preferred. Hidden Power Fire is an option as well to 2HKO Ferrothorn and (Mega) Scizor, and it is a more reliable tool than Focus Blast to hit Steel-types bar Heatran with. Thunder Wave is a great utility option in general for the last slot, allowing Alakazam to cripple threats that it may might not outright KO such as Mega Charizard X and Altaria, and it is also a great option to avoid Sucker Punch from Bisharp whilst crippling it in the process and thus is a great fail-safe. Though it may might sound like a gimmick, Psych Up is a decent option to copy the stat boosts of the foe, such as Calm Mind boosts Landorus and Keldeo have obtained, revenge kill it the foe after taking a hit with Focus Sash and proceed to sweep the opposing team unless they have priority moves. Lastly, Shadow Ball can also be used to hit bulkier Psychic-types, but without its Alakazite or Life Orb, Alakazam is relatively weak and does not 2HKO Shadow Ball's main targets, such as Celebi, Jirachi, and Cresselia.

Set Details
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Because this set focuses on Alakazam's fantastic ability to revenge kill, Focus Sash is subsequently used to capitalize on such as stellar ability as Magic Guard, which will keep Focus Sash intact regardless of entry hazards or status, allowing Alakazam to reliably take any one hit and retaliate back. Maximum investment in Speed and Special Attack is for Alakazam to be as fast and hit as hard as possible, and with a Timid nature, (RC) Alakazam outspeeds most of the metagame and thus can revenge kill more effectively. It is to be noted that because of its occupancy of a great Speed tier, Alakazam can usually get more than one hit on the foe.

Usage Tips
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Since Because this set is primarily a revenge killing set, Alakazam should only be switched in after a teammate faints or by the use of Volt Switch or U-turn to deal damage to the foe. Because of Alakazam's frailty in general, it cannot take even resisted physical hits such as Close Combat very well, so it is advised to not manually switch Alakazam aimlessly into such hits. Preserve Focus Sash so that Alakazam can still revenge kill Pokemon later on. Alakazam can act as a good emergency check to Pokemon such as Rock Polish Landorus and Substitute + Calm Mind Keldeo if the team doesn't have checks for those available. When facing a Pokemon that outspeeds Alakazam and cannot be OHKOed by it, or when Alakazam is at low health and cannot do much to the foe, Thunder Wave can be used to cripple the foe, allowing a teammate to finish it off more easily or leaving it near-useless for the rest of the match.

Team Options
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Without Alakazite, Alakazam struggles to break through bulkier Pokemon such as Chansey, so Pokemon that can take it out are good partners to Alakazam; Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Mega Lopunny can achieve this, and trappers such as Gothitelle and Wobbuffet can also do so as well. Entry hazards and some prior damage on the foe are important to score some crucial OHKOs, such as Hidden Power Fire on Scizor, which make Alakazam's late-game sweeping or revenge killing much easier; thus, Stealth Rock from the likes of Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Garchomp is really beneficial to Alakazam. Pursuit support from Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Scizor is also recommended since because Alakazam struggles with bulkier Psychic-types such as Slowbro, Reuniclus, and Latias because it is relatively weak, especially when using a non-STAB Ghost-type move. Last but not least, Volt Switch or U-turn support is almost mandatory because of the near zero chances that Alakazam can has to come into battle; pivots such as Scizor and Rotom-W can score free momentum for Alakazam.

Other Options
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A dedicated stallbreaker set with Taunt + Encore is great for shutting down defensive and balanced cores as well as having decent offensive presence, but the rise in usage of Mega Sableye really is a thorn in its side, and Mega Alakazam is best used as a late-game cleaner anyway. Disable is an option as well to shut down defensive Pokemon such as Chansey and Alomomola. Additionally, Calm Mind is an option too, albeit sub-par, and allows Alakazam to break through defensive and balanced cores with greater ease, but against more offensive teams, Alakazam will really struggle to set up due to its lack of bulk. Recover can help Alakazam regain health especially for the Focus Sash set so that it can revenge kill more foes later on, but its poor bulk and typing means that Alakazam will be hard-pressed to find opportunities to recover. Protect allows Alakazam to safely Mega Evolve, but is strongly discouraged, as it Mega Alakazam has many more useful utility or attacking moves for the fourth moveslot. Lastly, Signal Beam is an option to hit Celebi harder than Shadow Ball does, as well as dealing with Psychic-types such as Slowbro; however, it misses out on Jirachi, Bronzong, and Victini.

Checks & Counters
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**Dark-types**: Because Alakazam typically relies on Focus Blast, a move with shaky accuracy, to actually damage Dark-types, they are one of the top checks to Alakazam, capable of OHKOing it with their respective STAB moves. Tyranitar's good special bulk coupled with sand allow it to take Focus Blast quite well and can proceed to trap Alakazam with Pursuit; (SC) Sableye is immune to Psychic and Focus Blast, is not 2HKOed by Shadow Ball, and can KO back with a Knock Off; (SC) and Mandibuzz resists both Psychic and Shadow Ball, is not 2HKOed by Focus Blast even after Stealth Rock, and can deal heavy damage with Foul Play or Knock Off.

**Pursuit**: Pokemon such as Scizor and Bisharp can easily Pursuit trap Alakazam, as it will normally switch out of them in these scenarios. Scizor is not really damaged by any of Alakazam's moves bar Hidden Power Fire, and Bisharp can play mind games with Alakazam with Sucker Punch and Pursuit.

**Priority**: Powerful priority users such as Bisharp, Scizor, and Talonflame can all come in on Alakazam and easily OHKO it with their respective priority moves due to Alakazam's frail defenses.

**Psychic-types**: Many Psychic-types such as Latios, Starmie, and Reuniclus can easily deal with Alakazam as well, resisting the Psychic/Fighting coverage that Alakazam most commonly uses. Shadow Ball is quite weak, as it is not STAB-boosted and fails to 2HKO Reuniclus, Cresselia, and Slowking.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Latios and Landorus-T can also revenge kill Mega Alakazam due to its dismal bulk, with Latios 2HKOing with Draco Meteor and Landorus-T grabbing an easy OHKO with Earthquake. Pokemon such as Tornadus-T and Mega Lopunny, which naturally outspeed Alakazam, can also score easy KOs with Knock Off and Return, respectively.

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