Overview
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Alakazam is one of the most reliable revenge killers in UU, with access to great coverage moves such as Dazzling Gleam, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, and Energy Ball. Thanks to its amazing ability, Magic Guard, it doesn't have to worry about switching into entry hazards or being worn down by status not named paralysis, sleep, and freeze. Focus Sash guarantees it can survive any hit, complementing its perfect coverage, decent base 120 Speed, and base 135 Special Attack, meaning Alakazam can naturally outspeed all but two Pokemon in UU, Noivern and Crobat, and reliably revenge kill them all.
However, Alakazam's pitiful bulk means it has to rely on OHKOing the Pokemon it is trying to revenge kill or its Sash will be broken, and although it is an amazing revenge killer, it cannot reliably revenge kill Noivern, Crobat, and Choice Scarf users as they all outspeed Alakazam. It also tends to require that a teammate to be sacrificed so that it can get a free switch in.
Revenge Killer
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name: Revenge Killer
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast / Energy Ball
move 4: Dazzling Gleam
ability: Magic Guard
item: Focus Sash
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Psyshock is an amazing STAB move that allows Alakazam to get around common special walls such as Florges, though Psychic may be an option if special walls are not a problem for your team. Shadow Ball allows Alakazam to hit opposing Psychic- and Ghost-types hard, and Focus Blast is a great move to hit Steel- and Dark-types, although its accuracy is a bit below par. Energy Ball can be a possible replacement if bulky Water-types pose a problem to the team. Dazzling Gleam allows Alakazam to hit Dark-types more reliably than Focus Blast.
Set Details
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Focus Sash is used to ensure that Alakazam can take a hit before it proceeds to OHKO the Pokemon in front of it, as the combination of Focus Sash and Magic Guard means Alakazam is guaranteed to get a hit in. Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs are used to allow Alakazam to hit as hard and as fast as it can. A Timid nature allows Alakazam to outspeed positive-natured, fully invested base 115 Speed Pokemon, such as Azelf, and allows Alakazam to Speed tie with other Alakazam.
Usage Tips
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This set should be used on an offensive team, as it is too frail to take hits and should only be coming in after a teammate faints. Alakazam has amazing coverage and this set capitalizes on it, allowing it to run four moves that, with correct prediction, can hurt switch-ins for a lot of damage. Focus Sash guarantees that Alakazam can get a hit off no matter what as long as it is brought in safely, as Magic Guard allows it to not be affected by entry hazards.
Team Options
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Wallbreakers, such as Choice Band Entei or Life Orb Darmanitan, love having Alakazam as a "cleaner" of sorts, as they can reliably wear down walls to the point that Alakazam can reliably revenge kill them. Entry hazard setters, such as Forretress or Froslass, are really helpful for Alakazam, as they can secure some OHKOs for Alakazam with Stealth Rock or Spikes and generally wear down the opponent's team to allow Alakazam to finish them off cleanly. A VoltTurn strategy is a great way to keep the momentum on your side while also wearing down the opponent's Pokemon, allowing Alakazam to come in and KO them. A good partner for this can be Mega Ampharos, as its slow Volt Switch can bring in Alakazam safely and hits hard coming off of Mega Ampharos's base 165 Special Attack.
Life Orb Attacker
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name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Focus Blast / Calm Mind
ability: Magic Guard
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Psyshock is an overall great STAB move, allowing Alakazam to get around special walls not named Umbreon. Shadow Ball allows Alakazam to hit Ghost-types and opposing Psychic-types. Dazzling Gleam allows Alakazam to hit Dark-types with reliable accuracy. Focus Blast allows Alakazam to deal with the Steel-types that otherwise wall it, but Calm Mind can be used instead to boost Alakazam's power, allowing it to hit hard at the cost of losing out on coverage for Steel-types.
Set Details
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Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs are used to allow Alakazam to Speed tie with other Alakazam and outspeed a decent portion of the the metagame while hitting hard. A Timid nature is used to outspeed some Pokemon such as Infernape and Froslass. Life Orb boosts Alakazam's power and thanks to Magic Guard, Alakazam isn't worn down by Life Orb recoil. This set can be used as more of a wallbreaker, as it can hit a lot harder than the Focus Sash set with little drawback.
Usage Tips
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This set is more geared towards wallbreaking, hitting a lot harder at the cost of not being able to reliably revenge kill. The Life Orb increases Alakazam's power significantly and is complemented by Alakazam's naturally high Speed.
Team Options
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Life Orb Alakazam appreciates Choice Scarf teammates, as this set is more geared to wallbreaking. Pokemon such as Darmanitan and Mienshao are great partners, revenge killing with ease while also being able to wear down the opponent's team with U-turn. Alakazam forces a lot of switches, so Spikes setters, such as Forretress and Roserade, are really good teammates, as many of the Pokemon that tend to switch into Alakazam are bulky Steel-types. Healing Wish users, such as Shaymin, are much appreciated teammates, giving Alakazam a second chance in the game.
Other Options
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Encore is an amazing option, allowing Alakazam to lock Pokemon into a status move or an entry hazard move, forcing easy switches and allowing Alakazam to set up. Substitute is another option, allowing Alakazam to play mind games with Sucker Punch users such as Mega Absol. Thunder Wave is another great option, letting Alakazam cripple Pokemon that it cannot OHKO with its coverage moves. Calm Mind + Recover Alakazam sets up on stall Pokemon that rely on status moves to do damage and relatively weak special attackers.
Checks & Counters
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**Choice Scarf Users**: Choice Scarf users, such as Mienshao, Darmanitan, and Hydreigon, all outspeed Alakazam and can proceed to break Alakazam's Focus Sash or OHKO it while grabbing momentum.
**Special Walls**: Although Alakazam has Psyshock, most special walls have ways to recover the damage and can easily cripple Alakazam in return via paralysis.
**Assault Vest Users**: Assault Vest Meloetta and Drapion can take many of Alakazam's hits, as they either resist or are immune to its STAB attacks and are hit neutrally by its coverage moves.
**Priority Users**: Priority attackers, such as Mega Absol and mixed Nidoking, are a thorn in Alakazam's side, as they can easily revenge kill Alakazam if its Focus Sash is broken or if it is holding a Life Orb.
**Other Physical Attackers**: Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Absol can easily outspeed Alakazam in Mega Aerodactyl's case, or revenge kill it with Sucker Punch in Mega Absol's case.
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