Now with kick ass sprite!
Caelum Edit: Also agreeing at how kick ass this sprite is.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker (Rain)
move 1: Surf
move 2: Spacial Rend
move 3: Aqua Tail / Outrage
move 4: Thunder
item: Lustrous Orb / Life Orb
nature: Hasty
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Palkia is an absolute terror with Kyogre support, and this set is no exception. In fact, rain is the crux for this type of Palkia, thus allowing Surf and Aqua Tail to receive a boost in power while giving an accuracy boost to Thunder.
(Since this will be listed as the first set, saying "and this set is no exception" sounds awkward. I like "Palkia is an absolute terror with Kyogre support. In the rain, Surf and Aqua Tail receive a significant boost in power and Thunder becomes 100% accurate." better.) Spacial Rend is a powerful STAB that 2HKO (I rarely see an "e" between O and s - not sure on this one; might be up to preference) Giratina, bulky Dialga, and Latias. Aqua Tail is important for 2HKOing 4 HP / 252 Def Bold Blissey in the rain, who otherwise walls this set.
(Most Blissey run Calm; I'd change this to "Aqua Tail is important for 2HKOing max defense Blissey" or something along those lines) Outrage works well over Aqua Tail as it isn't reliant on weather and hits many Pokemon in Ubers for either neutral or super effective damage. Thunder severely damages Kyogre and Lugia; it not only has 100% accuracy with the rain, but also sports 30% chance to paralyze the opponent.) not only having 100% accuracy with the rain, but also a 30% chance of paralysis to be inflicted on them.
(You typo'd here when you made your fix - you forgot to erase your original comments. Also, remove mention of Thunder's accuracy - you've already stated it's more accurate in the rain in the beginning; saying it again is redundant. Try "... damages Kyogre and Lugia and has a 30% chance of paralyzing them.")</p>
<p>In Ubers, Surf and Aqua Tail do not hit many Pokemon for super effective damage. Indubitably, many Dragon and Water-types reside in Ubers and can easily absorb the boosted Water-type attacks.This does not make Water-types horrible in Ubers though, as Pokemon that take neutral Surf or Aqua Tail is bound to be 2HKOed at the very least. Despite that, Thunder and Spacial Rend will hit the Pokemon that attempt to sponge the attack, hopefully leaving Palkia’s path unblocked. By removing the Pokemon resistant to Water, Palkia can abuse Surf in the rain.
(In Ubers, many Pokemon are neutral to or resist Water-type attacks. Super effective damage, however, is not necessary. In the rain, even Pokemon that take neutral damage from Water-type attacks are at the very least 2HKOed by Surf or Aqua Tail, and the many Dragon and Water-type Pokemon that attempt to sponge your Water-type attacks are easily dispatched of by Spacial Rend and Thunder, respectively." I kinda ran away with this one, but I tried to retain the basic structure and the message you wanted to get across.)</p>
<p>Lustrous Orb is Palkia’s best item for this set. It gives Palkia’s
Water and
Dragon-type moves a x1.2 boost. With Life Orb, it's Dragon and Water-type moves receive an
extra 10% boost in power as compared to Lustrous Orb, while Thunder receives a 30% boost,
but at the cost of 10% life per attack
.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker (Sun)
move 1: Spacial Rend
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Thunder
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Palkia is an acceptable Pokemon under the sun. Thanks to Spacial Rend and Fire Blast having excellent coverage, the absence of Surf is barely noticeable. The sunlight makes Fire Blast a pseudo-STAB that shuts down Steel-types; even max HP / min SpD Groudon suffers a 2HKO from the impact. Spacial Rend is Palkia’s most consistent attack on the set as it is unaffected by the weather. Outrage is to offer Palkia a powerful physical attack to 2HKO Blissey. Thunder is an unusual option; however, it is to prevent Kyogre from shutting down the strategy.
("Thunder may seem an unusual option, but it prevents Kyogre from stopping you." Also, Outrage alone already stops Kyogre, even without any EV investment. Saying that "Thunder is what stops it" isn't accurate. You note this is in the set below too, actually, so I don't know why there's no mention here)</p>
<p>Life Orb is the best item for this set, as it boosts both Fire Blast and Spacial Rend at the same time, while Lustrous Orb only boosts Spacial Rend and Outrage. Expert Belt is an item to consider, but it loses the guaranteed 2HKO against Blissey as well as reliant on hitting super effective to receive the boost.
("as well as reliant on ..." isn't correct; also, I'm not sure how I like Expert Belt period. Most of the things Palkia is hitting for SE are OHKOed anyway, except for Thunder against Kyogre. I might drop it.)</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Weather
move 1: Spacial Rend
move 2: Surf
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Outrage / Thunder
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty / Timid
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Both Kyogre and Groudon are commonly used in the Uber environment. Because Palkia is a Pokemon that works under both rain and sunlight, this set reflects on either situation. This type of Palkia isn’t punished in either type of weather; while one move’s power is decreased, another attack receives a boost. Spacial Rend is Palkia’s best attack in either of the weather conditions. Surf should be used in the rain, while Fire Blast should be used in sunlight. Thunder is usually used against Kyogre while working well under rain conditions. Outrage, on the other hand, 2HKOes both Blissey and max HP / min Def Kyogre with Stealth Rock support.</p>
(Having three separate sets for rain, sun, and dual doesn't seem necessary. If possible, simplifying them into one set would be best, but I don't believe that's possible. The first rain set should probably stay its own, as it presupposes rain, but it may be possible to merge the latter two sets. As they stand now, the first set is designed for the sun but can survive in the rain. The second set is designed for switches between both. But their spreads, natures, items, and many of their moves are all identical, and the difference in moves and the logic behind them (and how you should play the set as a result) can be explained in set comments.)
I haven't put too much thought into "how", so please tell me what you think and ask any questions you might have. I'd have thought and posted more here and now about it, but I felt it was more important to get this whole thing up before I went to bed.
[SET]
name: Choice (Special)
move 1: Spacial Rend / Draco Meteor
move 2: Surf / Fire Blast
move 3: Thunder
move 4: Outrage / Aura Sphere
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Hasty / Timid
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The devastation brought by this set is all due to Palkia’s 150 Special Attack stat and it’s comfortable 100 Speed stat. By removing the ability to switch attacks, Palkia can gain a boost in either its Special Attack (Choice Specs) or it’s Speed (Choice Scarf).
(switch "Special Attack (Choice Specs)" and "Speed (Choice Scarf)" in the last sentence to be consistent with the order of item suggestion)</p>
<p>With Choice Scarf, Palkia obtains 492 Speed, outpacing Scarf Kyogre and Dialga as well as
once Dragon Dance
d Rayquaza. It makes Palkia an excellent revenge killer, and the lack of power isn't as noticeable when it is destroying many Pokemon slower than it. Choice Specs offers a massive power boost and allows Palkia to 2HKO many Pokemon in Ubers with its STABs alone.</p>
<p>The choice among Spacial Rend and Draco Meteor is consistency versus raw power. Draco Meteor is acceptable on the Scarf set in particular to OHKO max HP / min SpD Giratina with Stealth Rock. Because Palkia is adaptable to both rain and sun, Surf or Fire Blast work with the respective weather. The rain gives Surf a form of double STAB while offering an accuracy boost to Thunder, which smashes Kyogre and Lugia. In sunlight, Fire Blast can replace Surf for a pseudo-STAB that hurts Bronzong, Scizor, and Groudon. Thunder receives an accuracy cut, but is necessary to keep Kyogre switch-ins out of the picture. With Stealth Rock, Outrage can 2HKO min HP / max Def Blissey 87% of the time; however, max HP / max Def Bold Blissey only has a 7% chance of being 2HKOed.</p>
(I don't like Aura Sphere much on the last slot, honestly. You're only hitting Dialga with it any harder than your alternatives and only by 10 base power compared to Spacial Rend, and I don't think Pressure makes a big enough difference to matter. Unless that 10 power really matters, it's better relegated to set comments. I like Fire Blast and Draco Meteor slashed over that last slot much more honestly. That prevents you from getting walled by Scizor and, for that matter, in the sun, hits Dialga even harder than Aura Sphere. As for Draco Meteor, it's a good all-purpose alternative for "I need to kill this now" if Spacial Rend just won't do the trick. Also, tbh, I'm kinda wary of choiced fighting attacks with giratina-o around, but that's a secondary concern and not really any bigger than a concern over choiced electric attacks because of Groudon.)
<p>A pure special variant is acceptable on this set. Aura Sphere is the best attack in slot four to harm Bulk Up Dialga. Draco Meteor can also work in slot four to give Palkia a powerful move to use while maintaining Spacial Rend for consistency.
(already commented on Aura Sphere vs. Dialga earlier)</p>
[SET]
name: Choice (Physical)
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Aqua Tail
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Dragon Claw
item: Choice Band
/ Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Because many of Palkia’s counters invest heavily in their Special Defensive stats, very few suspect this set. Instead of using Palkia’s massive Special Attack stat, it takes advantage of Palkia’s modest 120 Attack stat. Aqua Tail and Outrage make Palkia difficult for the opponent to handle. Double STAB in the rain allows Aqua Tail to 2HKO any unsuspecting Lugia while diminishing
("decimating") everything
("anything") else that attempts to switch in. Outrage gives Palkia the ability to hit Aqua Tail-resistant Pokemon for a 2HKO. Earthquake shuts down Metagross and Dialga, while Stone Edge gives Palkia an attack to 2HKO Lugia if the rain is absent.
("while Stone Edge enables Palkia to 2HKO Lugia should the rain be absent") It also prevents Shedinja from safely switching into Palkia and burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Dragon Claw gives Palkia a consistent STAB that doesn’t force it to use Outrage early in the game.
(I like "... that doesn't lock it into Outrage early in the game" better)</p>
<p>Choice Scarf is an acceptable item on this set. It makes Palkia weaker; however, outpacing many threats makes the drop in power less noticable.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Focus Punch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Spacial Rend
move 4: Thunder
item: Expert Belt / Leftovers
nature: Hasty
EVs: 100 Atk / 156 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Palkia can easily take advantage of Substitute with a metagame that is thriving with status-inflicting moves. The combination of Substitute and Focus Punch help Palkia to beat some of its counters including the number one threat: Blissey. With Expert Belt and the given EVs, Focus Punch OHKOs 651 HP / 119 Def Blissey with no problems whatsoever. On top of that, Dialga and Kyogre can be 2HKOed if they don’t invest heavily in their Defense stat.
(Only +nature max/max Dialga has a chance of not being 2HKOed, and this also assumes Leftovers, no SR, and minimum damage; this is technically accurate, but not a realistic concern for the user of the set) Thunder works best in slot four to prevent Kyogre from setting up on Palkia while offering good coverage with Spacial Rend.</p>
<p>While Thunder is the best option, optional weather support offers Palkia Surf and Fire Blast as other options. With the rain, it allows Palkia to abuse both of its STABs.
("In the rain, Palkia can abuse both of its STABs") In the sun, Fire Blast should be used over Surf to give perfect coverage with Spacial Rend.</p>
<p>Expert Belt is good for guar
anteeing the
(a) OHKO on Blissey with Focus Punch. Leftovers can maintain Substitute and make Palkia survive a little longer.
(The item Leftovers cannot maintain Substitutes - I know what you mean, but that can be worded better) With Stealth Rock, Focus Punch followed by Spacial Rend OHKOes Blissey most of the time.</p>
[SET]
name: SubSalac
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Aqua Tail / Earthquake
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
IVs: 30 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Bulk Up Dialga has the upper hand on Palkia when it comes to using Bulk Up with Rest and Sleep Talk; however, Palkia has a superior Speed stat to take advantage of Salac Berry. The premise is simple: simply use Substitute while your opponent switches a Pokemon to counter Palkia
("to a Palkia counter") and then follow up with Bulk Up. After 3 uses of Substitute, Salac Berry will activate, making Palkia obtain a Speed stat of 492.
("boosting Palkia's speed stat to 492") Aqua Tail is a good STAB that pairs well with its Dragon STAB counterpart. It can, however, be a major drawback if the sun is present. Earthquake is a safer option if weather is something that can’t be handled very well.
("... if weather cannot be reliably controlled")</p>
<p>The consistency versus raw power debate returns with this set; this time it is with Dragon Claw and Outrage.
("The consistency versus power debate returns in this set - this time between Dragon Claw and Outrage.") With the
(a) Substitute intact, Palkia should be able to use Outrage with little problems. Palkia isn’t weak to any priority move (though Rayquaza's
(and Deoxys-A's) ExtremeSpeed
(s) hurt), and the only things that are faster than +1 Speed Palkia
are Deoxys-S and Choice Scarf users such as Darkrai . Also, because this set is more of a suicidal type of set-up, Outrage is more appealing. With these factors in mind, Dragon Claw is inferior to Outrage in almost every way on this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Aqua Tail
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Earthquake / Dragon Claw
item: Lustrous Orb / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Palkia’s
(higher) Speed stat and STAB Aqua Tail are major differences in comparison to Bulk Up Dialga.
("set it apart from Bulk Up Dialga") Kyogre support is highly recommended for this set because sunlight ruins the use of Palkia’s primary attack: Aqua Tail. After a Bulk Up, Palkia’s Attack and Defense stat
s become 508 and 354 respectively. Outrage is the secondary attack for this set. With Lustrous Orb and one Bulk Up, Outrage is doing
("will inflict") massive damage to anything that switches in regardless of weather. Aqua Tail boosted by rain is devastating for the opponent to handle. With Stealth Rock and Lustrous Orb, Lugia suffers
(even if it's plainer, I like "Lugia is 2HKOed if it ..." better than "suffers" here; I can't think of a better substitute for "suffers".) a 2HKO if it attempts to switch in. Before Reflect, a +1 Aqua Tail in the rain does 61% damage minimum and 30% damage minimum after Reflect is set up. Earthquake is mostly filler, but it harms Metagross and Dialga, allowing a little more freedom for using Outrage. Dragon Claw is a fine option over Earthquake to prevent temptation of using Outrage early in the match.
(do you mean temptation of "Outrage or switch out?")</p>
<p>Lustrous Orb boosts Palkia’s main attacks. Life Orb gives a 30% boost in power at the cost of 10% health per use. Lustrous Orb is highly recommended to maintain Palkia’s bulk, as Life Orb Rayquaza can’t 2HKO Palkia with ExtremeSpeed after one Bulk Up.
(Rayquaza only switches into Palkia if it has to or if it's safe (choiced Palkia) Are you referring to simultaneous deaths here as a result of LO recoil for Palkia?)</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rest in conjunction with Sleep Talk makes Palkia a good status absorber. It’s typing, Bulk Up, and useful STABs make it a good mono-attacker. In comparison, Dialga has better defenses and isn’t weak to Dragon-type attacks, which are very common in the Uber environment. Roar makes Palkia a good phazer, though it is only useful for threats such as Calm Mind Kyogre. Speaking of Calm Mind Kyogre, Psych Up is a cool option to counter it.
(sounds colloquial; "Psych Up is another interesting alternative for countering Calm Mind Kyogre") Psych Up copies the Special Attack and Special Defense boosts from Kyogre and makes Palkia even more of a powerful special sweeper. Ice Beam is Palkia’s best weapon against Grass-types and Groudon (barring Draco Meteor); however, the coverage overlaps with Surf and Spacial Rend most of the time. Flamethrower is an option over Fire Blast with its better accuracy, but the power drop is quickly noticeable. Finally, Substitute and a Salac Berry can be applied on either a mixed sweeper in or a pure special sweeper.</p>
[EVs]
<p>The Mixed Sweeper should have 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Hasty nature produce 277 Attack / 399 SpA / 328 Spe. With a Hasty nature, Palkia outpaces non-Scarf Kyogre, Groudon, and most Lugia. The same EVs and nature should be applied on the Choice sets. With a Choice Scarf and a Hasty nature, Palkia outpaces Timid Scarf Kyogre
(and Dialga/base 90s), Dragon Danced Rayquaza, and Deoxys-A. All Physical Sweeping sets should use 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe and a Jolly nature. Any set with Substitute and a pinch berry should use a 30 HP IV to have an HP stat divisible by 4.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Palkia is an absolute menace in the Uber environment. Its dual STABs have great coverage alongside its excellent Special Attack, Attack, and Speed stats backing them up. Palkia is a type of Pokemon that works in either rain or shine
(drop "either"), and that alone makes handling Palkia difficult. Defensively, Palkia is one of the very few Pokemon that can take a Specs Water Spout from Kyogre; pronounced as the most powerful special attack in Ubers. The typing gives Palkia resistances to Water, Fire, and Steel while only having Dragon as its weakness.
("while leaving Dragon as its lone weakness") Overall, Palkia is a powerful Pokemon in the Uber environment, and to say that it has counters is difficult to say as it easily 2HKOes many Pokemon that attempt to switch into it.
(Palkia's 100 base speed gives it a significant edge against many of its opponents. You make note of its speed stat but don't emphasize that its somewhat unique speed distinguishes it from many of its peers.)</p>
[Counters]
<p>Blissey can switch into every special attack Palkia attempts to throw at her, but Outrage, rain-boosted Aqua Tail, and Focus Punch make Blissey think twice before receiving the impact.
("... make Blissey think twice about switching in"; at the same time, change "switch in" at the beginning to "take"; also, "attempts to throw" to "throws") Lugia can switch into Palkia and threaten it off with Roost, Reflect, or Toxic. Physical Palkia and Stealth Rock make Lugia’s life miserable however. Rayquaza can step into many of Palkia’s attacks, barring its Dragon-type attacks, thanks to Air Lock. A Life Orb ExtremeSpeed will shut down Palkia if said Palkia is under 50% of health.
(emphasize that Ray can only stop Palkia if it has low HP; it should/will never switch in otherwise, unless the Palkia's choiced) Latias survives most of Palkia’s attacks, is faster, and OHKOes with Dragon Pulse. As seen, Palkia doesn’t have a true counter. If you ignore Palkia, prepare yourself against a powerful assault that could send you into space.
(That sounds kinda cheesy ;) I don't like it tbh but w/e man)</p>
