I didn't claim Zapdos can take on Steel types and Togekiss cannot -my point was that Zapdos' double resistance is actually very relevant, making it easier to switch in on Pokemon that use Steel moves. Metagross is another Pokemon that Steel Togekiss doesn't like facing while Steel Zapdos is not really concerned by it, and even against Dragonite just the ability to switch in on an Iron Head, taking minimal damage, can allow Zapdos to get
in that Thunder Wave, even through Steel Rock and/or with prior damage. Then, unlike Togekiss, it can Volt Switch (Or U-Turn) out to break Multiscale and get a real threat to Dragonite in, where Togekiss basically has to either manually switch out or be a Nasty Plot set intent on murdering Dragonite itself, which is moving away from the defensive utility we're discussing here.
A stronger point is that Steel is an uncommon coverage move -there are Pokemon that get Iron Head or Flash Cannon without being natively Steel typed, but not too many of them and they often have better things to be doing with their movepool, (eg Tyranitar) or it's ill-suited to their statline/the rest of their movepool (Raikou gets Iron Head, huzzah), or they're just plain meh Pokemon. (Chesnaught, Rhyperior...) As such the Steel coverage issue
is focused more on actual Steel types than you might think.
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I did not claim that. My point here is Togekiss gets everything Zapdos does and more (Also, these moves are better on Togekiss since their secondary effects are considerably buffed)
I think I was thinking of prior claims from other people. Regardless, my point was that Zapdos isn't as limited as people present it as being, which has been one of the arguments for why it's not so great.
The thunder wave issue isn't that big of a deal either. I've personally seen burn a lot more on high ladder than paralysis, and Togekiss doesn't necessarily mind the paralysis that much either. Neither Togekiss or Zapdos are frequently switching in on things with Thunder Wave anyway.
What, they aren't switching in on a Lati? Nor Serperior? (Glare) Chansey? (Yes I realize Togekiss and Zapdos are both bad at hurting Chansey, but they're both good Defoggers and switching in on Chansey can be a free opportunity to clear hazards -not so free for Togekiss if it switches into a Thunder Wave) Klefki? Azelf? Celebi? Porygon2/-Z?
Really, a ludicrous number of things get Thunder Wave and just
usually don't run it, including the likes of Gyarados (??), Honchkrow, Gardevoir, Clefable...
... and any variant of Togekiss that's hoping to fish for flinches hates being Paralyzed and in general it creates the risk that you'll become Fully Paralyzed one too many times and die to something that you should've Roosted right through.
I'm also talking Paralysis
in general, not just Thunder Wave in specific -paraflinchax Jirachi, for instance, which can tear down Togekiss more reliably than it can tear down Zapdos.