Gen 1 Alakazam (Stadium OU) [QC 2/2] [GP 1/1]

Sabelette

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:rb/alakazam:

[OVERVIEW]

Alakazam's great typing and stellar base stats give it the most threatening Psychic in the tier and more Speed than every viable Pokemon bar Jolteon. Even with Stadium's changes, it maintains a 19.1% critical hit rate; in conjunction with paralysis and Special drops, this allows Psychic to eventually break through even Chansey and Psychic-resistant foes. Alakazam has exceptional moves in Thunder Wave and Recover, granting it considerable utility against most threats. Alakazam can serve as a status spreader, special wall, and potential sweeper; its Speed allows it to use Substitute to block Thunder Waves and preserve its sweeping potential. It can also function well when paralyzed, as it becomes a reasonable status absorber. A paralyzed Alakazam has its limits, however—physical threats like Snorlax and Tauros can outspeed and 2HKO it or set up Substitute to thwart its Thunder Wave. Alakazam faces another obstacle in the pervasive Rest Exeggutor, which can stall out its Seismic Toss and threaten it with Stun Spore and Double-Edge. Nevertheless, Alakazam is an extremely common sight thanks to its versatility and support capability.

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Recover
move 4: Seismic Toss / Substitute

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Psychic is a threat to any non-resistant Pokemon—even Chansey cannot withstand extended exposure if it is paralyzed. Thunder Wave is irreplacable, as paralysis is what allows Alakazam to break down Chansey and opposing Psychic-types. Unlike in RBY, however, Substitute blocks Thunder Wave, making it a risky move if Alakazam is paralyzed itself—fast physical users like Tauros, Persian, and Kangaskhan become much more threatening if given the opportunity to set it up. Recover lets Alakazam heal off damage, but can invite in physical attackers if Alakazam is paralyzed. Seismic Toss is strongly recommended, as it allows Alakazam to pressure opposing Psychic-types effectively while saving Psychic PP, but Substitute can be used instead to protect Alakazam from status moves and critical hits, making it an effective late-game sweeper if opposing Psychic-types are removed. Chansey cannot break Substitute in one hit without Seismic Toss, so Alakazam can pressure BoltBeam Chansey safely. Furthermore, Substitute can help Alakazam PP stall some foes more effectively, as Alakazam won't be vulnerable to secondary effects from damaging moves when using it. Unfortunately, Substitute Alakazam itself is much easier to PP stall by switching between Psychic-types and Chansey to waste PP.

Alakazam is better used in the back, but as a lead it sports fair matchups against Chansey and the rare Jynx, as it can paralyze them with Thunder Wave and then proceed to pressure them with Psychic or Seismic Toss. Unfortunately, Exeggutor is the most common lead and fares well against it, as Exeggutor can scout for Substitute with Double-Edge and hamstring it with Stun Spore when it is forced to use Recover. Snorlax performs well against Alakazam too; Body Slam 2HKOes and threatens paralysis simultaneously. Alakazam can choose to take paralysis and become a decent status absorber, providing an avenue to protect teammates like Reflect Chansey from paralysis so it can switch into and wall Snorlax for Alakazam. However, this forfeits its excellent Speed. Unparalyzed Alakazam can revenge kill fast offensive threats like Tauros, Zapdos, and the rare Persian, threaten them with Thunder Wave, and act as a sweeper.

Psychic's ability to break past paralyzed Chansey can provide an opportunity for Alakazam to paralyze a Pokemon when Chansey switches out or use Seismic Toss to pressure paralyzed Psychic-types as they enter. In an Alakazam mirror match, the typical strategy is to paralyze the opposing Alakazam, use Seismic Toss to chip it down, and switch out to a physical attacker when it is expected to use Recover. Unlike in RBY, Special drops from Psychic no longer reapply the paralysis Speed penalty, so there is little reason to waste Psychic PP in the mirror match. The threat of Thunder Wave puts pressure on fast Pokemon, such as Starmie and Tauros, to switch out to a paralyzed teammate or Chansey to absorb it. While this means Alakazam will rarely paralyze multiple Pokemon, it can use Psychic or Seismic Toss instead to pressure and potentially overwhelm these status absorbers as they come in, or it can switch out to a physical threat that can deal significantly higher immediate damage to them, like Snorlax.

Alakazam works well with teammates that can deal with other Psychic-types and Chansey. Zapdos' STAB moves 2HKO Starmie, Slowbro, and the omnipresent Exeggutor; Zapdos also 3HKOes Chansey and opposing Alakazam. In return, Alakazam can threaten Rhydon and take Psychic and Ice-type moves for Zapdos. Tauros and Persian can threaten most of Alakazam's walls, though care must be taken with them, as they despise being paralyzed. Notably, Persian 3HKOes Exeggutor with Slash, allowing it to switch in on its Rest and KO it or force it out. Alakazam returns the favor by providing valuable paralysis support and dealing with Gengar. Alakazam also appreciates teammates that can switch into physical attackers. Cloyster walls Snorlax and Tauros lacking Thunderbolt, 2HKOes Exeggutor with Blizzard, and leaves Starmie in OHKO range with Explosion. Gengar is another excellent partner, as it can wall Snorlax and Tauros should they lack Earthquake. Offensively, it carries a strong Thunderbolt to hit Starmie and Slowbro, and its Explosion can be used to deal significant damage to Chansey.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Reflect is a shaky alternative to Substitute; its benefits are outweighed by the fact it doesn't protect Alakazam from critical hits or status. Counter theoretically allows Alakazam to surprise physical attackers, but mechanics changes in Stadium reduce its utility. Alakazam's low HP also means it will rarely OHKO attackers and risks Body Slam paralysis, neutering it.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Attackers**: Once Alakazam is paralyzed, Snorlax, Tauros, Rhydon, Persian, Kangaskhan, and other physically potent threats can switch in on Recover and threaten Alakazam. None of these like taking Psychics, though, and most despise Thunder Wave. However, attempting to paralyze physical Pokemon is risky once they are already in, as they can potentially block it with Substitute and become even more difficult to stop.

**Psychic-types**: Exeggutor and Slowbro both check Alakazam; Exeggutor can threaten it with Double-Edge and Stun Spore, while Slowbro can set up Amnesia freely. Both also carry Rest to thwart Thunder Wave and heal off Seismic Toss. Despite this, Seismic Toss will eventually force them to use Rest, providing opportunities to pressure them with other attackers. Starmie and opposing Alakazam can also hamstring Alakazam with Thunder Wave, stall it with Recover, or force it to Recover and switch to a physical attacker, potentially catching Alakazam as it fully paralyzes. However, this comes at a cost, as Starmie and Alakazam will almost certainly be paralyzed in the process.

**Chansey**: Chansey's special bulk and access to instant recovery in Soft-Boiled allows it to sponge multiple Psychics from Alakazam, giving it room to use Thunder Wave or inflict chip damage so a physical teammate can switch in on its Recover. With some luck, though, Alakazam can break through paralyzed Chansey, particularly if it is already chipped prior to switching in. Chansey especially has trouble against Substitute Alakazam if it lacks Seismic Toss, as none of its other moves are capable of breaking Substitute in one hit.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mikon, 535276], [Sabelette, 583793]]
- Quality checked by: [[Torchic, 43049], [Ctown6, 509438]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Reece, 540842], [Sabelette, 583793]]
 
Last edited:
and the risk of special drops
And the threat* of Special drops

idk risk sounds weird,I get what you’re trying to say but I think this flows better

I noticed a few grammar fixes but I’ll just let GP handle that. Also, my grammar is pretty ass so I could just be wrong.

in terms of content this is very solid, nice writing!
QC 2/2
 
And the threat* of Special drops

idk risk sounds weird,I get what you’re trying to say but I think this flows better

I noticed a few grammar fixes but I’ll just let GP handle that. Also, my grammar is pretty ass so I could just be wrong.

in terms of content this is very solid, nice writing!
QC 2/2
Implemented, pushing the analysis to GP
 
Hey, this is an am GP check, was quite a fun read!

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[OVERVIEW]

Alakazam's typing has no weaknesses worth mentioning, and its stellar base stats award it the most powerful Psychic in the tier and the ability to outspeed every other viable Pokemon except for Jolteon. Alakazam's great typing and stellar base stats give it the most threatening Psychic in the tier while outspeeding every viable Pokemon bar Jolteon. Alakazam's Its Speed additionally gifts it a 19% critical hit rate, cementing its Psychic as a threat. and, In conjunction with paralysis and special drops, allowing it to can eventually break through Pokemon that take little damage from it. Moreover, Alakazam has exceptional moves in Thunder Wave and Recover at its disposal, affording granting it considerable utility against most threats. Thanks to these traits, Alakazam can serve as a status spreader, sweeper, and to an extent, a a niche special wall. It can also function well when paralyzed, as it becomes a reasonable status absorber in the process. A paralyzed Alakazam has its limits, however, as physical threats like Snorlax and Tauros are then able to can outspeed it and 2HKO it or set up Substitute against it to thwart its Thunder Wave. Alakazam can elect to run have Substitute itself to help it to avoid paralysis moves, as it can have trouble doing so otherwise as it is crippled otherwise. but this means dropping Seismic Toss, which makes it much more difficult for it to damage the many other Psychic-types in the tier and restricts it to having Psychic as its sole attacking option, which can run out of PP quickly. As a result, Seismic Toss would be replaced, leading to Alakazam struggling to damage other Psychic-types in the tier, leaving the low-PP Psychic as its only attack. In Stadium, Alakazam faces another obstacle in the pervasive Rest Exeggutor, which can stall out its Seismic Toss and threaten it with Stun Spore and Double-Edge. Nevertheless, Alakazam's qualities earn itself a place on many teams in the metagame.

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Recover
move 4: Seismic Toss / Substitute

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Thanks to Alakazam's Special, critical hit rate, and the threat of special drops, Psychic is a threat to any Pokemon without a resistance to it—even Chansey cannot withstand extended exposure to it before being forced out if it is paralyzed. Thunder Wave inflicts paralysis, but it's important to note that Substitute blocks it in Stadium, which can be an issue if Alakazam is paralyzed itself, as it will no longer outspeed the Pokemon that run it. Thunder Wave cripples foe with paralysis; however, those that move quicker than Alakazam or are already behind a Substitute are not effected. i believe this explains what you were trying to, that if zam is para'd sub will go quicker than twave, correct me if i'm wrong otherwise. Recover lets Alakazam heal off damage, but be wary that it's often an invitation for physical attackers to switch into it if it's paralyzed. this is self explanatory Seismic Toss is strongly recommended in the last moveslot as it allows Alakazam to can pressure opposing Psychic-types more effectively while saving Psychic PP. If desired, however, Substitute can be used instead to protect Alakazam from status moves and critical hits, making it a more effective sweeper if opposing Psychic-types are removed from the picture. Aside from this, Substitute benefits its matchup against Chansey lacking Seismic Toss, as its other moves will not break its Substitutes in one hit, allowing so Alakazam to can pressure it with Psychic without fearing paralysis. Furthermore, Substitute can help Alakazam PP stall the foe more effectively, as Alakazam won't be vulnerable to secondary effects from damaging moves when using it. Unfortunately, Substitute Alakazam itself is much easier to PP stall, as it is limited to the 16 attacking PP offered by Psychic, and the opponent can switch between a Psychic-types or their Chansey to get rid of Special drops from it Alakazam's Psychic.

Alakazam is best used in the back, Alakazam is best used as a late-game sweeper, but it's not without merit as a lead—it sports fair matchups against Chansey and the sparse Jynx, as it can paralyze them with Thunder Wave and then proceed to pressure them with Psychic or Seismic Toss. Unfortunately, Exeggutor, the most common lead, fares well against it, as Exeggutor can scout for its Substitute with Double-Edge and cripple it with Stun Spore when it is forced to use Recover. Snorlax performs well against Alakazam too; SC being able to it can 2HKO it and simultaneously threaten to paralyze it with Body Slam. Alakazam can choose to take paralysis, turning it into a decent status absorber—this can be used to protect reflect Chansey from paralysis so it can switch into and wall physical attackers like Snorlax and Rhydon for Alakazam. Alakazam can chose to be a status absorber, so teammates like reflect Chansey can deal with physical attackers such as Rhydon and Snorlax in exchange. This does have its implications for Alakazam itself, as it will be markedly more vulnerable to these Pokemon. Besides, taking paralysis deprives Alakazam of its excellent Speed, so Chansey is generally preferred as a status blocker. Unparalyzed Alakazam can use its Speed to revenge kill fast offensive threats like Tauros, Zapdos, and the rare Persian, threaten them with its Thunder Wave before they can retaliate or try to block it with Substitute, or act as a sweeper.

Psychic's ability to break past paralyzed Chansey after enough Special drops mentioned this already a ton can provide an opportunity for Alakazam to paralyze a Pokemon that likes to avoid Thunder Wave—like Starmie and other opposing Alakazam—when Chansey switches out, or use Seismic Toss to pressure an already statused status-effected Psychic-types. If an Alakazam mirror arises, it's a good idea to use Thunder Wave, then use Seismic Toss to chip the enemy Alakazam down and switch out to a physical teammate when it is expected to use Recover. A point to note about this mirror is that, Unlike in RBY, special drops from Psychic no longer reapply the paralysis speed penalty, so a paralyzed Alakazam will not be able to utilize it to become faster than its foe. Thunder Wave can put pressure on fast Pokemon, like Starmie and Tauros, to switch out to a teammate that can absorb it. Though this can make it more difficult for Alakazam to spread paralysis with it, it's possible to take advantage of this by using Psychic to put pressure on the predicted switchin or by switching out to something that can threaten the switchin more effectively, like Snorlax. However, this can draw in unwanted status absorbers that Alakazam hates such as Snorlax. i think this is correct? msg me to clarify if not the case

Alakazam works well with teammates that can effectively deal with other Psychic-types and Chansey. Zapdos' STAB moves 2HKO Starmie, Slowbro, and the omnipresent Exeggutor, and 3HKO Chansey and, AC enemy opposing Alakazam. new sentence while Alakazam In return, it can threaten Rhydon and take Psychic and Ice-type moves for Zapdos. Though care must be taken with Tauros and Persian as they despise being paralyzed, they can threaten many of these Pokemon as well. this was confusing, need to mention they are teammates before detailing weaknesses Tauros and Persian are great teammates, as they threaten the aforementioned; however, they all share Alakazam's fear of paralysis. Notably, Persian 3HKOes Exeggutor with Slash, allowing it to switch in on its Rest and KO it or force it out before it can wake up. Alakazam returns the favor by providing valuable paralysis support and dealing with Gengar in the case of Persian. Alakazam has difficulties with physical attackers, particularly when it is paralyzed, so it appreciates teammates that can switch into them. Cloyster walls Snorlax and Tauros lacking Thunderbolt, and it has its uses offensively too, as while it can 2HKO Exeggutor with Blizzard and leave Starmie in range of Alakazam's Psychic with Explosion chip Starmie with Explosion for Alazakam. It benefits from Alakazam being able to spread paralysis and take on Gengar. Gengar is another partner worth considering—it stops Snorlax and Tauros sets that forgo Earthquake and Persian cold. Gengar is also a great partner as it can break through Snorlax and Tauros that lack Earthquake. Offensively, it carries a strong Thunderbolt to hit Starmie and Slowbro, and its Explosion can be used to deal significant damage to Chansey. Finally, Reflect Chansey can switch into and wall Snorlax and Rhydon. In return, Alakazam can protect it from paralysis moves.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Reflect is a debatable alternative to Substitute—it boosts Alakazam's Defense and it only needs to be used once each time it enters the field, but this benefit is ignored by critical hits and it doesn't protect Alakazam from status, so it is inferior overall.
Reflect is another option that can raise Alakazam's Defense, but this is made redundant by critical hits and status, making its utility inferior.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Attackers**: These Pokemon usually despise taking Psychics, and often Thunder Wave too, but they can come into predicted Recovers and proceed to threaten 2HKOes on Alakazam. Snorlax is the most notable of these, only occasionally being 3HKOed by Psychic and being able to Rest away Thunder Wave paralysis. Fast sweepers like Tauros and Persian can also work nicely if Alakazam is paralyzed, as they can block its Thunder Wave by setting up Substitute, and Tauros can use Stomp to further reduce the chances of Alakazam being able to hit it. Rhydon is noteworthy as well thanks to its innate Thunder Wave immunity giving it another opening to switch into Alakazam.

**Physical Attackers**: Faster threats Tauros and Persian can each switch in freely against a Recovery and threaten Alakazam; however, these must be weary of Psychic or Thunder Wave. They each can use a paralysed Alakazam to setup Substitute. Snorlax and Rhydon are both notable checks as they each can absorb Thunder Wave, while Snorlax is rarely 3HKOed by Psychic.

**Psychic-types**: Psychic-types generally perform well against Alakazam. Exeggutor can break Alakazam's Substitutes with Double-Edge and paralyze it when it is forced to recover with Stun Spore. Slowbro is another example, being able to use Alakazam as a chance to boost its Special with Amnesia. In addition, Exeggutor and Slowbro both run Rest, allowing them to stall out Alakazam. However, if they are forced out after they do so, they must be careful not to switch into Seismic Toss, as doing so will prevent them from being able to wake up on it and use Rest again. Enemy Alakazam and Starmie can threaten to paralyze Alakazam with Thunder Wave, stall it out with Recover, or force a recovery turn to give them room to switch into a physical attacker that can pressure Alakazam more effectively.

**Psychic-types**: Threats such as Exeggutor and Slowbro both check Alakazam; the prior mentioned can threaten it with Double-Edge or Stun Spore, while the latter can setup Amnesia freely. Both, however, carry Rest to thwart its Thunder Wave attempts. Despite this, they can be threatened by Alakazam's Seismic Toss, forcing them to Rest. Starmie and opposing Alakazam can cripple it with Thunder Wave, or stall it with Recover.

**Chansey**: Chansey's special bulk and access to instant recovery in Soft-Boiled allows it to sponge multiple Psychics from Alakazam, giving it room to threaten it with paralysis cripple it via Thunder Wave or chip it down. with its damage dealing moves to potentially give a physical teammate an opportunity to switch in on Alakazam's Recover. Alakazam is perfectly capable of breaking through paralyzed Chansey with critical hits, full paralyses, and Special drops, though. With some luck, Alakazam can break through paralyzed Chansey, in conjunction with critical hits and Special drops. Chansey especially has trouble against Substitute Alakazam if it lacks Seismic Toss, as none of its other viable moves are capable of bypassing its Substitutes or breaking them in one hit. breaking its Substitute in one hit.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mikon, 535276]]
- Quality checked by: [[Torchic, 43049], [Ctown6, 509438]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Tips when writing! Set names of Pokemon like 'rest Exeggutor' are not capitalised, repeating sentences prior mentioned is mostly useless if you generalise it. Make sure when you write, everything is describing a Pokemon and not randomly placed!
 
Last edited:

deetah

Bright like a diamond
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris an Artistis a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributor
GP & SocMed Lead
Hey Mikon, go ahead and implement the above amcheck and tag me once you've done so and I'd be glad to give an official check.
 

Sabelette

from the river to the sea
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
If you don’t feel like continuing I can go ahead and implement the amcheck and get this through GP, Mikon let me know
 

Sabelette

from the river to the sea
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Mikon previously implemented the amqc, I made some content edits as the new writer + Stadium QC, and I have also self-GPed this to get it through the queue. Reece I credited you because Mikon used parts of your amqc, but for future ones I recommend being careful not to rewrite and remove so much content! The purpose of GP is to fix errors and ambiguity/lack of clarity, and we have to be careful not to erase the writer's voice. You definitely should keep it up though, you did a good job cutting down extraneous words and I want to make sure that the effort is recognized since amqc often isn't.

GP Team Done, phoopes ready for upload
 

phoopes

I did it again
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Hey Sabelette, before I upload, there seem to be two paragraphs in checks and counters labeled under Psychic-types. I believe this is meant to be one paragraph, so edit that down and then I'll upload
 

Sabelette

from the river to the sea
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Hey Sabelette, before I upload, there seem to be two paragraphs in checks and counters labeled under Psychic-types. I believe this is meant to be one paragraph, so edit that down and then I'll upload
fixed, I accidentally removed formatting when comparing to the amgp instead of removing the thing outright lol. Ready for real now
 

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