Mega evolution isn't a trick, Michael. A trick is something a Jynx does for money... or rare candy!
/
So Mega Alakazam is a pokemon that I've seen maybe one other person use on the ladder. When the competitive community first got an in-depth look at the new Mega Evolutions, the consensus on some of the weirder megas like Heracross, Venusaur and Gyarados was that they were a downgrade from their base forms before their potential was realized. Mega Alakazam is interesting in that as the metagame has developed it's still often thought of as strictly worse, or at least much harder to use effectively, than regular Alakazam due his mega evolution depriving him of one of the best abilities in the game in favor of an ability that won't benefit him at all 90% of the time.
However, mega 'Zam is pretty underground and has a fantastic beard, so in an effort to actually learn how to build teams (until recently I would basically just play on the ladder with some bullshit I made in five minutes until stealing a team from the eventual 1800+ player I'd run into) I decided to build a team around facilitating a late-game Alakazam sweep. So far it's worked at way better than I expected it to (so, at all, really).
_____________________________________________
(http://cryptid-creations.deviantart.com/)
GOB (Alakazam) (M) @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power [Ice]
A magician named Gob, the centerpiece of the team. Although Alakazam never regained the dominance it had in Gen 1 after the Psychic-type nerf, it could find solace in the fact that its mustache was at least solid as a rock, making it the undisputed king of pokemon facial hair. However, the continent of Unova would introduce challengers in the form of Stoutland and Jellicent, and it would seem that Alakazam would have to acquiesce and concede even this title. That was until the final countdown to X and Y, when it was revealed that Gamefreak had blessed Alakazam with a mega evolution, a new form which would confer upon Alakazam the most magnificent, super-wizard beard he could have asked for. Unfortunately, this mega evolution carried with it few other benefits compared to those his pokemon hermanos were blessed with. While Mega Mawile's Huge Power grants it the strength of a sword of destiny, and Mega Gengar has Shadow Tag to prevent its opponents from fleeing in fear like chickens, Mega Alakazam made a huge mistake in adopting Trace, an ability which doesn't obfuscate its low BP moves unless it can snag something like Sheer Force or Protean.
However, disregard all that. Take a forget-me-now if you have to. Mega Alakazam has the speed of a thousand segways, outrunning just about any choice scarfer you're likely to come across, and 175 special attack is nuclear, especially considering he doesn't have to worry about LO recoil. Obviously Psyshock is mandatory STAB, and it helps him get past those damn Eggs, Chansey and Blissey. It ain't easy being Psychic when Aegislash is everywhere, so Shadow Ball lets Alakazam peg it on the predicted switch for like 65%. Signal Beam is pretty much entirely for Greninja and because Focus Blast is the worst move in the game, come on. If Landorus-T and Garchomp think they can deal with the guy with the $3000 mega stone, they'll find it was just an illusion when they're annihilated by a Hidden Power Ice.
(http://thepokeymansproject.tumblr.com/)
Jet Jaguar (Bisharp) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
Bisharp was one of my favorite pokemon to use in Gen 5 UU, and in X and Y it really took advantage of the way the metagame developed around it and the buffs to the Dark-type to become a top tier threat in OU. Jet Jaguar is here primarily to deal with Aegislash, a pokemon that needs to be taken care of for Gob to clean up. Assault Vest is used so it is a more reliable answer to Latias and Latios, neither of which Gob can OHKO with Shadow Ball, and both of whom can Defog away the rocks he needs to boost his damage. Sucker Punch and Knock Off are obviously mandatory on any Bisharp because of their huge power and utility. Pursuit makes sure that Latios and Aegislash won't be around for long, and Iron Head makes sure I can hit Mandibuzz neutrally and destroy Clefable, both of whom also present roadblocks for Gob. I totally forget what the EV spread accomplishes, but whoever I stole it from seemed like they knew what they were doing.
Alan Tudyk (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Rotom wash is a pokemon that you can fit onto nearly any team and be better for it, but he's here to fill a few really important roles. Mega Alakazam is supremely weak to almost every form of priority, so having a sturdy way to deal with it is mandatory. Wash can switch into Azumarill Aqua Jets, (Mega) Scizor Bullet Punches and Talonflame Brave Birds for days. The moves are standard fare: Hydro Pump for decent damage off of Rotom's above average special attack, Will-o-Wisp cripples physical attackers and Pain Split makes sure Wash stays around for a while. Wash's Volt Switch preserves momentum but also has the benefit of bringing in Gob after Wash has taken a hit because of his speed.
dick nose (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
Nicknames are hard. Landorus-T is a lot like Rotom-W in that its typing, ability and movepool are so good that it can fit easily onto most teams. dick nose is here mostly as a reliable SR setter, but he also has the benefit of being able to deal with pokemon like Diggersby and Mawile who threaten Alakazam and are too powerful to directly switch Rotom in on. Earthquake and Stealth Rock are on every Landorus for obvious reasons. I generally run Knock Off instead of a Rock move, but since I already have two other pokemon on this team with Knock Off I found it to be unnecessary. U-turn forms a nice VoltTurn core with Rotom and can sometimes bring Gob in unharmed.
Eddie Murphy (Keldeo) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Scald
This donkey is on here for a few reasons. First, it's monstrously powerful, opening up huge holes in the enemy team to allow Gob to clean up later. However, Keldeo specifically is my most reliable way of dealing with Charizard-Y, who otherwise is a huge threat to this team. Its typing also lets it reliably deal with Bisharp, who is possibly the singly most threatening pokemon to Mega 'Zam. Hydro Pump is powerful enough to kill Charizard-Y through sun, and Scald is more accurate and spammable since it has that dank burn chance. It's not like Keldo is starved for moveslots, anyway. Sacred Sword deals with the blobs and Kyurem, and Hidden Power Flying can 2-shot Mega Venusaur after rocks, who Gob can't kill with Psyshock and no one else on this team can really touch.
me irl (Conkeldurr) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
IVs: 30 Spd
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
Bisharp is so scary that I decided I needed another reliable way of dealing with it if Keldeo is out of the game. It also handles Heatran admirably who is impassable for Mega 'Zam. Conkeldurr also ensures that Diggersby won't be a problem by threatening it with Mach Punch. All of its moves are bog standard; Drain Punch providing reliable recovery to make its Assault-Vest boosted bulk really shine, Knock Off being the most spammable move in the game and dealing with Aegislash, and Ice Punch piercing Landorus-T.
Shameless self promotion: The crew in action
So yeah, the team still has some problems but it's really fun to use, and the entire Abra family has always been one of my favorites so it's been nice to try and make them succeed. There are a few pokemon that are extremely difficult for this team to deal with, so I'm open to any suggestions.
So Mega Alakazam is a pokemon that I've seen maybe one other person use on the ladder. When the competitive community first got an in-depth look at the new Mega Evolutions, the consensus on some of the weirder megas like Heracross, Venusaur and Gyarados was that they were a downgrade from their base forms before their potential was realized. Mega Alakazam is interesting in that as the metagame has developed it's still often thought of as strictly worse, or at least much harder to use effectively, than regular Alakazam due his mega evolution depriving him of one of the best abilities in the game in favor of an ability that won't benefit him at all 90% of the time.
However, mega 'Zam is pretty underground and has a fantastic beard, so in an effort to actually learn how to build teams (until recently I would basically just play on the ladder with some bullshit I made in five minutes until stealing a team from the eventual 1800+ player I'd run into) I decided to build a team around facilitating a late-game Alakazam sweep. So far it's worked at way better than I expected it to (so, at all, really).
_____________________________________________
(http://cryptid-creations.deviantart.com/)
GOB (Alakazam) (M) @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power [Ice]
A magician named Gob, the centerpiece of the team. Although Alakazam never regained the dominance it had in Gen 1 after the Psychic-type nerf, it could find solace in the fact that its mustache was at least solid as a rock, making it the undisputed king of pokemon facial hair. However, the continent of Unova would introduce challengers in the form of Stoutland and Jellicent, and it would seem that Alakazam would have to acquiesce and concede even this title. That was until the final countdown to X and Y, when it was revealed that Gamefreak had blessed Alakazam with a mega evolution, a new form which would confer upon Alakazam the most magnificent, super-wizard beard he could have asked for. Unfortunately, this mega evolution carried with it few other benefits compared to those his pokemon hermanos were blessed with. While Mega Mawile's Huge Power grants it the strength of a sword of destiny, and Mega Gengar has Shadow Tag to prevent its opponents from fleeing in fear like chickens, Mega Alakazam made a huge mistake in adopting Trace, an ability which doesn't obfuscate its low BP moves unless it can snag something like Sheer Force or Protean.
However, disregard all that. Take a forget-me-now if you have to. Mega Alakazam has the speed of a thousand segways, outrunning just about any choice scarfer you're likely to come across, and 175 special attack is nuclear, especially considering he doesn't have to worry about LO recoil. Obviously Psyshock is mandatory STAB, and it helps him get past those damn Eggs, Chansey and Blissey. It ain't easy being Psychic when Aegislash is everywhere, so Shadow Ball lets Alakazam peg it on the predicted switch for like 65%. Signal Beam is pretty much entirely for Greninja and because Focus Blast is the worst move in the game, come on. If Landorus-T and Garchomp think they can deal with the guy with the $3000 mega stone, they'll find it was just an illusion when they're annihilated by a Hidden Power Ice.
(http://thepokeymansproject.tumblr.com/)
Jet Jaguar (Bisharp) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
Bisharp was one of my favorite pokemon to use in Gen 5 UU, and in X and Y it really took advantage of the way the metagame developed around it and the buffs to the Dark-type to become a top tier threat in OU. Jet Jaguar is here primarily to deal with Aegislash, a pokemon that needs to be taken care of for Gob to clean up. Assault Vest is used so it is a more reliable answer to Latias and Latios, neither of which Gob can OHKO with Shadow Ball, and both of whom can Defog away the rocks he needs to boost his damage. Sucker Punch and Knock Off are obviously mandatory on any Bisharp because of their huge power and utility. Pursuit makes sure that Latios and Aegislash won't be around for long, and Iron Head makes sure I can hit Mandibuzz neutrally and destroy Clefable, both of whom also present roadblocks for Gob. I totally forget what the EV spread accomplishes, but whoever I stole it from seemed like they knew what they were doing.
Alan Tudyk (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Rotom wash is a pokemon that you can fit onto nearly any team and be better for it, but he's here to fill a few really important roles. Mega Alakazam is supremely weak to almost every form of priority, so having a sturdy way to deal with it is mandatory. Wash can switch into Azumarill Aqua Jets, (Mega) Scizor Bullet Punches and Talonflame Brave Birds for days. The moves are standard fare: Hydro Pump for decent damage off of Rotom's above average special attack, Will-o-Wisp cripples physical attackers and Pain Split makes sure Wash stays around for a while. Wash's Volt Switch preserves momentum but also has the benefit of bringing in Gob after Wash has taken a hit because of his speed.
dick nose (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
Nicknames are hard. Landorus-T is a lot like Rotom-W in that its typing, ability and movepool are so good that it can fit easily onto most teams. dick nose is here mostly as a reliable SR setter, but he also has the benefit of being able to deal with pokemon like Diggersby and Mawile who threaten Alakazam and are too powerful to directly switch Rotom in on. Earthquake and Stealth Rock are on every Landorus for obvious reasons. I generally run Knock Off instead of a Rock move, but since I already have two other pokemon on this team with Knock Off I found it to be unnecessary. U-turn forms a nice VoltTurn core with Rotom and can sometimes bring Gob in unharmed.
Eddie Murphy (Keldeo) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Scald
This donkey is on here for a few reasons. First, it's monstrously powerful, opening up huge holes in the enemy team to allow Gob to clean up later. However, Keldeo specifically is my most reliable way of dealing with Charizard-Y, who otherwise is a huge threat to this team. Its typing also lets it reliably deal with Bisharp, who is possibly the singly most threatening pokemon to Mega 'Zam. Hydro Pump is powerful enough to kill Charizard-Y through sun, and Scald is more accurate and spammable since it has that dank burn chance. It's not like Keldo is starved for moveslots, anyway. Sacred Sword deals with the blobs and Kyurem, and Hidden Power Flying can 2-shot Mega Venusaur after rocks, who Gob can't kill with Psyshock and no one else on this team can really touch.
me irl (Conkeldurr) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
IVs: 30 Spd
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
Bisharp is so scary that I decided I needed another reliable way of dealing with it if Keldeo is out of the game. It also handles Heatran admirably who is impassable for Mega 'Zam. Conkeldurr also ensures that Diggersby won't be a problem by threatening it with Mach Punch. All of its moves are bog standard; Drain Punch providing reliable recovery to make its Assault-Vest boosted bulk really shine, Knock Off being the most spammable move in the game and dealing with Aegislash, and Ice Punch piercing Landorus-T.
GOB (Alakazam) (M) @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Alan Tudyk (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Jet Jaguar (Bisharp) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
dick nose (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
me irl (Conkeldurr) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
IVs: 30 Spd
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
Eddie Murphy (Keldeo) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Scald
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Alan Tudyk (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Jet Jaguar (Bisharp) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
dick nose (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
me irl (Conkeldurr) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Adamant Nature
IVs: 30 Spd
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
Eddie Murphy (Keldeo) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Scald
Shameless self promotion: The crew in action
So yeah, the team still has some problems but it's really fun to use, and the entire Abra family has always been one of my favorites so it's been nice to try and make them succeed. There are a few pokemon that are extremely difficult for this team to deal with, so I'm open to any suggestions.
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