The Next Best Thing v2 - Latios

[gengarsnemisis]

Curtains

 

[doughboy]

curtains

sorry lavos, but your volcarona set looks like a 4x weak to SR bulky Rotom-W, with no STAB

:o

 

[HSA]

lavos spawn

 

[Jayde]

LAVOS SPAWN

 

[yee]

Lagos

 

[TheFourthChaser]

LAVOSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[soviet]

lava spawn

 

[LilOu]

If you can't against them, join them.

Lavos Spawn

 

[Vert]

Curtains

 

[phantom]

Lavos Spawn

 

[Kidogo]

Lavos Spawn
I just don't see tailwind volc being much of anything new or particularly effective (in the majority of cases, the standard QD would function better due to the additional boosts). Lavos's set is cool, seemingly effective, and most importantly very creative.

 

[Cube]

Curtains.

 

[canno]

Lavos Spawn

 

[eriados]

Lavos Spawn

 

[Farobi]

Curtains

 

[HUARGH]

Lavos

 

[stairwaytohell]

Lavos

 

[Joeyboy]

Voting is now closed and the winner is Lavos Spawn's utility Volcarona set. This set will be added in the v2 archive featured in the second post of the thread.

The next subject is the Psi Pokemon, Alakazam!

Voting will take place in 4 days!

 

[dcae]

Alakazam @Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
-Substitute
-Encore
-Psyshock
-Focus Blast

This set uses LO + Substitute, as to ease prediction and absorb priority. Psyshock and Focus Blast garner good coverage here. The odd choice here is Encore, which provides tremendous amount of utility. If your opponent chooses to set up on Alakazam, Encore locks them in and now you can set up Substitute and then tear gaps through your opponent's team, or you can allow a free turn to one of your other Pokémon.

 

[Memphis Grizzly]

Alakazam @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
-Fling
-Taunt
-Psyshock / Hidden Power Fire
-Focus Blast

This set allows you to burn to common switch ins to Alakazam: Tyranitar and Scizor. Taunt allows you to stop Stealth rocks from Tyranitar(although uncommon bc Banded) and SD from Scizor. Hidden power Fire is slashed in for a more tailored Scizor and Tyranitar coverage. Burn makes both physical pokes rather dead weight and easily catches by surprise. Fling over Trick since most Tyranitar and Scizor are choiced banded and a banded zam is useless.

 

[Dr Ciel]

Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA/ 4 SpD / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Grass Knot

This Alakazam takes on a whole different role, as with the crippling Thunder Wave, he can cripple threats that he may not be able to normally outspeed. Such Pokemon include Scarf Salamence, Scarf Landorus, and many, many others. Psychic is, obviously, the obligatory STAB move for this set. Hidden Power Fire hits Scizor, Ferrothorn and Forretress. Finally, Grass knot hits bulky waters, along with Hippowdon for super effective damage.

 

[phantom]

Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
- Calm Mind
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Taunt

Ever tried CM lead Alakazam? Normally, you switch it in at the beginning of the match and Taunt custap leads and shit. Taunt + Calm Mind lets Alakazam destroy stall teams on its own. This is also really solid against offensive teams too, at +1 Alakazam OHKOes SpD ttar after rocks. Psychic is your obligatory STAB, however Psyshock can be used to get the jump on the blobs and win CM wars.

 

[blunder]

Alakazam @Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
-Charge Beam
-Shadow Ball / Hidden Power Ice
-Psyshock
-Focus Blast

Probably my favorite zam set. Charge beam is awesome for revenge killing something as it can literally give you the ability to 6-0 stall or just annihilate bulky offense. Plus 1 LO Zam is capable of just wrecking through teams. Charge beam is the obligatory boost move. Shadow ball is there for Celebi and Latis, but you can use Hidden Power Ice which I prefer because it hits the same as shadow ball (latis+Celebi) and can also beat Lando and Dragons with no boost. Psyshock is your main STAB to abuse and Focus Blast is to rape steels.

 

[doughboy]

I don't know if this is allowed, but I would like to post two sets. First the creative set. nvm

Now the one that is down to earth, but I have much more experience with (also one of my favorite Zams): Taunt+Life Orb Zam

Alakazam (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Taunt

Life Orb attacking Alakazam with Taunt is a stall team's nightmare without a Sp. Def Jirachi. Many stall teams rely upon either Blissey or Chansey to stop Alakazam. However, Blissey and Chansey have the crippling flaw of needing to heavily rely on Softboiled to stave off Alakazam. Pack this baby with Sand and hazards, and you can be assured that both Chansey and Blissey will die a frustrated and slow death. What is great about Zam is that stall teams can't outlast him with hazards down if Zam can prevent their recovery while staving off their main form of damage against him. That fiendishly high speed too means that he will not be able to be Taunted himself and , more importantly, prevent defensive Starmie's from spinning the hazards that Alakzam can abuse to get KO's.

If you really need to, Taunt Alakazam can also act as a check to many offensive leads. While not having Focus Sash mitigates his chance against priority, Zam still remains a troubling Pokemon to offensive teams with that high speed. Basically, Taunt opens up Zam's ability against defensive teams and allows him to have a little extra utility against offensive teams, which he was already great against.

 

[Punchshroom]

You'll have to choose one of the two.