It's time for B~T's Pokemon reviews!!!1111!!11!!
Pokemon of the day is...
GALLADE!
Type: PSYCHIC/FIGHTING
Ability: Steadfast - When this Pokemon flinches, its Speed increases by one stage.
Stats:
| HP | 68 |
| Atck | 125 |
| Def | 65 |
| Sp. Atck | 65 |
| Sp. Def | 115 |
| Speed | 80 |
Author's Opinion: This thing is one of my most favorite Pokemon. It's got 125 Attack, and fairly high Special defense. However, base 80 speed is just a tad too low for sweeper standards. And its poor defense means it's going to take a lot of damage before it has an opportunity to strike.
Recommended Movesets:Nature: Jolly/Adamant
Item: Scope Lens/Expert Belt/Life Orb
EVs: 252 ATK/252 SPD/4 DEF
~ Psycho Cut
~ Close Combat
~ Night Slash/Swords Dance
~ Leaf Blade/Thunder Wave/Toxic/
Hypnosis/Swords Dance/Will-O-Wisp/ThunderPunch/Ice PunchThis is a pretty good way to go with Gallade. First off, the 252 split between Attack and Speed compliment its Physical Sweeping capabilities, and the Jolly Nature just aids further in its Speed. The 4 Defense EVs are there to help a little in the crippled Defense of Gallade. Gallade has a really good Special Defense, but its Defense is terrible. Thus, Gallade needs to be a sweeper, in order to prevent getting destroyed before it can do anything. Psycho Cut acts as a good STAB move for Gallade, which offers CH bonus. Night Slash can also take care of pesky Psychic and Ghost-types, which would be otherwise difficult for Gallade to get rid of. It also has a CH bonus, which is helpful. As for its third move, you should choose Close Combat. Close Combat offers a bit more ensured power, and with STAB, it already has a base power of 180, which is really good. Add in a super-effective hit, and you have a base power of 360 right there, the equivalent of Explosion. However, this comes at the cost of Special Defense and, even worse, Defense. Defense is already crippled on Gallade, and the after-effects of Close Combat can turn bad things to worse. The last moveslot is more of filler. Leaf Blade adds another CH bonus move, but, even when it's super-effective on an opposing Pokemon, Close Combat can accomplish the same amount of damage even when it isn't super-effective. The other options can include status hinderences. For example, if you were to burn your opponent, they would lose HP each turn, and their Attack would be cut in half, potentially nullifying the risk for Gallade. The item can vary depending on your preference. If you want a Gallade that has almost all CH bonus moves (Psycho Cut, Night Slash, and Leaf Blade), then Scope Lens is the way to go. This can magnify the ability to perform a Critical Hit, and can really strengthen you chances of winning. If you used such a moveset, Gallade hits 11 of 17 types super-effectively, so if you want a certain bonus of power to his attacks, the Expert Belt is a good alternative. Life Orb is also a good choice, but it's risky. Gallade already has a somewhat low HP as it is, and with a terrible Defense, you really wouldn't want to risk it. It offers a good source of power, but the cons and risks seem to outweigh the pros.
He has well said the purpose of this set. Notice the moves I highlighted in green. They are also viable options. Hypnosis + Swords Dance is an annoying combination for many Pokemon, and Swords Dance alone could do heck amount of damage. Will-O-Wisp can burn attackers, which helps reduce damage done onto its paperthin defenses and HP. ThunderPunch has coverage on Bulky Waters, while Ice Punch deals with Gliscor and Dragons.
Countering Gallade:Spiritomb and Dusknoir can wall all of its attacks except Night Slash and fire back Will-O-Wisp to half its attack and throw Shadow Sneak or Shadow Ball.
Scizor can Bullet Punch it to doom, since it resists all of its attacks. Tread carefully with Close Combat though.
Cresselia's high defenses allow Night Slash to never 2HKO. If it gets hypnotized, it can Sleep Talk. Celebi also works the same way, but beware X-Scissor on some variants.
Gyarados and Slowbro fear ThunderPunch, and if Gallade doesn't, they will be Gallade's nightmares.
Gliscor and Salamence laughs at non - Ice Punch variants of Gallade. Gliscor can wall its attacks, and fire off Earthquakes for high damage. Beware Will-O-Wisp though.
Heracross's Choice Banded Megahorn can OHKO Gallade.
Focus on its weak stats: Defense and Speed. Entry hazards can lessen its longevity.
