FAN CHOICE: POKE-FOCUS #14: ALAKAZAM

Introduction

The fans have spoken! Alakazam won by a comfortable two votes after the last Fan Choice Poke-Focus, and will be honored in style! Tropius came in second place, with a few others rounding out the remainder of the voting. Nonetheless, we at last will be featuring a Psychic-type!






Alakazam is perhaps the most powerful special attacker in the world of non-legendary Pokemon. Very few Pokemon can compete with his sheer firepower and sweeping abilities. Even with a somewhat shallow movepool, Alakazam has always been able to sweep most teams, and the addition of the special-based Focus Blast in Generation 4 removed one of Alakazam's true difficulties: fighting Dark and Steel-types.

Despite a few setbacks, Alakazam has the tools to cover them with finesse nearly unrivaled in any Pokemon.

Capture/Training

Abra is available in many of the early routes of Pokemon games, almost always after the city containing the second gym badge. In games with settings in Kanto, Kadabra can also be found in the wild in the Cerulean Cave. Abra can be a pain to capture, as the only move known is Teleport, which will be used to escape from battle and evade capture. An effective strategy to combat this is to afflict a sleep condition, or use Quick Balls.

Abra evolves into Kadabra at level 16 and gains the move Confusion, the first attack move officially learned by the evolution line. Kadabra evolves into Alakazam via trade, so it's best to trade with someone who will be willing to trade it back to you!

Statistics

55 Hp, 50 Att, 45 Def, 135 SpAtt, 85 SpDef, 120 Spd

The two immediate standouts are Special Attack and Speed, both with monstrous numbers. These immense stats allow Alakazam to attack first and attack with immense power, often knocking out several Pokemon before the opponent even has a chance to make a move.

Moves

As a whole, Alakazam doesn't have a very large or diverse movepool. Generation 4 expanded upon his move selection a little bit, but not enough to affect the way players use him.

The main improvement for Alakazam stems from the physical/special split. Shadow Ball has become a special move, which allows Alakazam to finally have a useful secondary move AND a way to cover his weakness to Ghost-types. The Fighting-type Focus Blast also has become a must-have, as it delivers massive special damage and covers Alakazam's weakness to Dark-types. Energy Ball is more of a novelty addition, but at the very least provides some much needed type coverage.

Psychic is without a doubt Alakazam's main attacking move. With Alakazam's awesome Special Attack stat, Psychic is capable of decimating teams that don't have Dark-types or quick physical attackers. Recover is almost unnecessary with Alakazam's terrible HP and defensive stats, though Reflect and Light Screen are almost imperative for the same reasons.

One final change from earlier generations allows the practical use of Hyper Beam, although Alakazam can hardly afford a turn of inactivity. Hidden Power can also be effective if given a type with a lot coverage, like Ice.

As for non-attack moves, Calm Mind is perhaps the best choice. Upping both Special stats can prove to be an invaluable asset for any Alakazam-user. Skill Swap can be used for switching abilities, which is a particularly difficult strategy to employ.

Effective Movesets

1. Hidden Powerkazam

- Hidden Power (Ice, Water, Fire)

- Psychic

- Reflect

- Calm Mind/Light Screen

2. Extra Coverage

- Psychic

- Energy Ball

- Shadow Ball

- Focus Blast

3. Protectakazam

- Reflect

- Light Screen

- Protect

- Psychic

Notes: Mainly used as a setup or lead. Can immediately setup both Light Screen and Reflect, Protect against Earthquakes and Explosions, and can attack if needed with a S.T.A.B. Psychic.


Conclusion

Alakazam is one of the fastest and most powerful special attackers in all of Pokemon, and as such has been a staple as a sweeper on teams since Generation 1. He has a few ways to work around his lack of HP and defenses, and even has some setup potential.

Overall, it's hard to find a better attacking Psychic-type, or any type for that matter.





Thank you to everyone who voted for this edition of Fan Choice! Remember to leave your vote at the bottom of this article for a chance to have your favorite Pokemon featured in the next Fan Choice Poke-Focus!  


WE ARE...CULLINATION!