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ohthehypocrisy · 2 months

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Dusknoir for Pokemon Unite!

Season 1

Season 2

The envoy of the dead, the ferryman of the underworld river, what many would call the Grim Reaper himself. Dusknoir has arrived on Aeos Island, but for what purpose? Has he come to reap the souls of the living, or are his motives far more sinister?

Whatever the reason may be, we must be prepared to shake hands with Death itself. It's time to look into what this begrudged boogeyman is capable of.

With massive stats in both defenses, Dusknoir seems like it was made for the role of a Defender. That would be true, but due to its Ghost typing, it suffers a bit from 'big boned' syndrome, where it isn't as fat as you would think. A low HP stat of 45 averages out those huge Defender numbers into what's essentially average bulk, but at least it has a decent Attack stat. In actuality, Ghost types like Dusknoir get most of their value from playing trick or treat with their enemies, using moves like Will-o-wisp, Confuse Ray, Curse, Pain Split, all of which can enfeeble opposing pokemon while empowering the user and their allies.

As such, for being well suited to the hybrid role of a Defender and a Supporter, I designate Dusknoir with the role of an...

All-Rounder

Basic Attack - Melee/Atttack

Becomes a boosted attack after 4 hits. Each hit marks an enemy with an eye icon. When the boosted attack is used, a shadow explosion deals damage to the enemy regardless of where they are, damaging any nearby enemies as well. The boosted attack ignores shields when damaging an enemy with a wide open eye mark.

Each hit of the basic attack marks the affected enemy with an eye shaped icon. The first hit marks them with a closed eye icon, which progressively opens as more hits land. The boosted basic attack has the pokemon attack all around itself with ghostly energy and affects all marked opposing pokemon.

When the pokemon uses its boosted basic attack, all pokemon marked by the basic attack will be attacked by a ghostly explosion that affects nearby pokemon in a small area.

The more the eye mark progressed, the more damage dealt. The first mark, the closed eye mark, deals 100% of the boosted basic attack damage. The second mark, the tired eye icon, deals 120% damage. The third mark, the open eye icon, deals 140% damage. The fourth mark, the wide open eye icon, deals 160% piercing damage.

With the big hands of Dusknoir and Dusclops, you can bet they know how to throw them. Duskull less so, but it's learning.

Those big hands also have a habit of cursing all who are touched, so when it hits something in Pokémon Unite, it marks them with a weird eye symbol. The more hits this basic attack deals, the wider the eye opens. And when the boosted basic attack comes out, all who are marked are seen by the user and attacked all at once with powerful curse energy.

Now, the basic attack will become boosted after 4 hits, but the eye mark isn't guaranteed to be opened all the way when this happens. In the heat of battle, you'll land one or two hits on an opposing pokemon, marking them with a weak eye icon. That's good enough, as the eye icon is the multiplier for the boosted basic attack. Now, it would be nice to hit an enemy all 4 times, but just once is good enough, as the boosted attack will deal damage regardless of where they are when it comes out.

It's also hard to actually land all 4 hits of the basic attack, as the basic attack doesn't ever reset. You could KO a wild pokemon while at 3 basic attacks, then throw your 4th attack at an opposing pokemon 30 seconds later, marking them one time before the boosted basic attack comes out. It'd be nice if there was a way to increase your basic attack speed outside of X Attack, that way it'd be possible to cycle through your basic attacks at least once.

As it just so happens, there is. It's Dusknoir's powerful aura called Pressure, and it's much more impressive than it seems.

Ability: Levitate/Pressure

Levitate (Duskull)

The pokemon’s Movement Speed increases relative to the Unite Move Meter.

Pressure (Dusclops/Dusknoir)

The pokemon’s Movement Speed and basic attack speed increase relative to the Unite Move Meter. Reduces the damage of all opposing Unite Moves.

Both Levitate and Pressure increase the user's Movement Speed relative to the user's Unite Move Charge Meter. For example, 50% Unite Move charge equates to 50% increased Movement Speed.

Both Levitate and Pressure are in effect even when the Unite Move is locked by the Level or by other effects.

In addition, the user's basic attack speed also increases relative to the Unite Move Charge Meter, following the same formula.

Pressure reduces the damage of opposing Unite Moves by 40%.

Did you know that when a round starts, your Unite Move Meter is locked? Obviously, yeah, you aren't at a high enough level to use it, but even so, it continues to charge while locked. This can come into play during certain Quick Battle modes where you level up so quickly, you can unlock your Unite Move before its finished charging. Now, this will never happen in a real match, but for the most part, Duskull's Levitate Ability gives it a slowly increasing Movement Speed boost when the game starts.

It helps that Duskull and Dusclops are bulky enough that they can defend an area, and then use that speed to retreat or rotate lanes when necessary. However, they don't quite have the attack power of a Defender to make use of their defenses just yet. This can make it difficult for Duskull in the beginning, but if you can evolve soon enough, Levitate will become Pressure, giving Dusclops some much needed firepower for the mid game.

Pressure not only increases your Movement Speed, it will also increase your basic attack speed, letting you hit fast enough to mark enemies with the watchful eyes of the underworld. Oh, and it improves your ability to defend by spreading basic attacks around much faster.

Speaking of defense, Pressure also reduces the damage received from opposing Unite Moves if you get hit by them. It may not help much if you're behind in EXP, especially when you're stuck as a Dusclops, but if you've evolved into a Dusknoir, it can give you some much needed bulk. Most opposing pokemon will pop their Unite Move to win a 1-v-1 or to make a power play, but Dusknoir's Pressure takes that option away from the enemy, especially when you're at equal Level.

It's a carnal type of fear when you're backed into a corner, and your Unite Move isn't guaranteed to work against the slowly approaching Ghost Type pokemon that's the personification of death itself. Spooky.

At the start of the game, Dusknoir will start out as Duskull. You can choose between Astonish and Leer as your first move. By Level 3, you will have learned both.

Move 1: Astonish (Melee)

The pokemon disappears into the shadows, becoming invisible to enemies. When the move is used again, the pokemon reappears and Stuns and damages any enemy nearby. 9s cooldown.

Astonish makes the user invisible for 5 seconds or until the attack is used. You cannot use any other attack or move until then.

Astonish damages all nearby enemies and Stuns them for 0.75 seconds.

Invisibility effects are annoying and difficult to scale to the player's skills, so there are loads of things to consider when giving such an effect to a pokemon. Is it fair when a Duskull uses it to help it launch a sneak attack? Maybe not, but it is in character for a mischievous little skull creature like itself.

The move Astonish is balanced out by two things. Firstly, it has a lengthy cooldown of 9 seconds and only runs for 5 seconds. This makes it difficult not only to lead an attack or an ambush with, but also deprives the user of an escape plan should the frontal attack backfire. Basically, if you open with Astonish, Stun and hit an enemy, what are you to do if this move fails to KO or deal significant damage to the enemy? Probably perish.

The second thing is that Astonish has short range and doesn't augment Duskull in any way beyond granting invisibility. Wherever you go with Astonish, you have to understand that you're committing to it. Remember, your Attack stat isn't all that impressive until you evolve into a Dusknoir, so make sure that this surprise attack counts.

The easiest way to do that? Play as a Supporter with Astonish and your other move.

Move 2: Leer (Debuff/Hindrance)

A bright flash of light is emitted from the pokemon’s eye, briefly blinding the enemy and reducing their defense. 7.5s cooldown.

Leer obscures the vision of enemies for 2 seconds and reduces their Defense by 30% for 4 seconds.

There are more pokemon out there with multiple heads than there are pokemon with single eyes, and that's one of the weirder things about pokemon in general. Being a Ghost type, Duskull doesn't have much need for physical senses, so it can afford to lose some depth perception. Of course, there is such a thing as equivalent exchange, so by losing one eye, it gained some special powers for using the remaining eye.

Leer flashes a debilitating light from its eye, blinding affected pokemon briefly and reducing their defenses afterwards. It helps Duskull soften up opposing pokemon to make up for its low attack power, but it also really helps out allies deal even more damage, especially if they can deal ranged physical damage like Raboot or Decidueye.

The blinding effect is also interesting. It only lasts for 2 seconds, but if Astonish is ready to go, you can follow up with that attack and go invisible, completely escaping the opposing team's vision! It's up to you on what happens next, as you can escape to safety or try and go for a KO on a weakened opponent. Remember, you're a hybrid Defender and Supporter, so whatever you do is supposed to benefit you and your teammate.

Coordination is the key here. You get a lot of EXP for KO'ing opposing pokemon, which is helpful for you as Duskull needs quite a bit of EXP to evolve. If you can manage that, you'll be one step closer to unleashing your full power.

At Level 6, Duskull will evolve into Dusclops. At the same time, Astonish will become either Shadow Punch or Night Shade.

Move 1a: Shadow Punch (Ranged)

The pokemon becomes cloaked in shadow, disappearing from the enemy’s sight. When the move is used again, a projectile fist is launched, dealing damage to any enemy struck. The fists can be used repeatedly until the move ends, but the fists will be visible to enemies. Each hit restores the user’s HP. 9s cooldown.

At Level 11, Shadow Punch becomes Shadow Punch+.

Increases damage dealt gradually while invisible.

Shadow Punch makes the user invisible for 7 seconds. During this time, using Shadow Punch again sends a shadowy fist out as a projectile. This move can be used repeatedly in this way with a 0.5 second delay in between punches. Shadow Punch goes on cooldown when the invisibility effect wears off.

The projectile fists are visible to opposing pokemon, revealing to enemies where you are hiding. Each hit of Shadow Punch restores your HP by 50% of the damage dealt.

The user will be forced to become visible if damaged by an opposing move. Shadow Punch+ has the projectile fists deal increasing damage the longer you manage to stay invisible, up to as much as 250%.

Similar to Astonish, Shadow Punch turns you invisible. However, Shadow Punch also turns your ghastly fists into straight slinging knuckle sandwiches made of phantom energy. I guess all you need to box like a pro is a good ol' pair of hands, and not necessarily a set of arms or elbows, or shoulders for that matter. Seriously, why does it just have hands?

Well, with a new evolution comes some improved stats, which makes it more feasible for Dusclops to go on the offensive with Shadow Punch. The invisibility effect hides you very well without any tell that you're nearby. Enemies will only know you're in the area if they see the ghost fists flying out of nowhere, but the invisibility will protect you from Sure-Hit moves like Glaceon's Icicle Spear.

But if something else hits you, Shadow Punch and the invisibility effect ends, forcing you to come out of hiding. This is different from Astonish, which kept you hidden even if you got tagged by a lucky shot. While Shadow Punch gives you range and invisibility, the move must be used carefully for the full effect.

As a reward for playing well with Shadow Punch, each hit restores some of your HP when they deal damage. This is useful for recovering from a fight or when a scuffle with the opposing team has worn you down a little too much. If you manage to safely use Shadow Punch to escape the opposing team, any potshots you take will serve to restore your HP and keep you in the fight for a little longer. The longer you manage to stay hidden, the more HP you can restore, putting you back in the fight.

Shadow Punch+ improves the damage these ranged punches can deal the longer the invisibility effect remains for, which helps you deal plenty of damage, especially as you'll have evolved into Dusknoir by now. It becomes easier to pick off weakened opposing pokemon with Shadow Punch while your own offensive presence is enough to ward off the enemy team.

Speaking of which, if you want to talk about offensive presence, consider Night Shade as an alternative.

Move 1b: Night Shade (Area)

The pokemon creates a shadow copy at the designated area while becoming invisible in turn. The shadow copy can be directed but cannot attack. When the move is used again, the copy explodes, dealing damage to all enemies in range and deals extra damage for each hit the copy took. 10s cooldown.

At Level 11, Night Shade becomes Night Shade+.

Resets the cooldown of this move when an opposing pokemon is KO'd.

Night Shade creates a clone of the user in the designated area while also turning you invisible. This effect lasts for 7.5 seconds, until Night Shade is activated.

The created clone shares your name and HP bar at the time of creation, but will not take damage or be affected by hindrances. It can still be targeted and attacked by opposing pokemon and moves.

The clone can be 'directed' by your own movement. You are essentially controlling two characters at the same time, but one is a decoy.

Night Shade can be used again to cause the clone to explode in a wave of ghost energy, dealing damage to all enemies nearby. Each hit of damage the clone received increases the damage dealt by this explosion by an additional 7.5%, maxing out to 150%.

Night Shade+ has its cooldown reset when an opposing pokemon is KO'd by this explosion.

Most, if not all, of the cloning moves in Pokémon Unite puts a computer in charge of the copy. The most you can do when using Double Team with either Greninja or Meowscarada is pick the best direction and hope for the best. But Dusclops has big hands and is surprisingly adept at pulling puppet strings in order to control Night Shade. As such, the ability to confuse and confound opposing pokemon depends on your own misdirection and sleight of hand.

The copy made by Night Shade shares your name and HP, which is good enough to convince nearby enemies that you're the real deal. The jig is up once the copy is attacked, as Night Shade prevents the clone from receiving damage or hindrances. It will also tell enemies that you are nearby, as Night Shade requires you, the puppet master, to be close by to control it.

If you are in danger of being revealed to the opposing team, you can trigger Night Shade to self destruct, dealing damage to all enemies near the copy. It will deal even more damage the more hits it received, returning the enemy's aggression back to them.

Of course, this only works on opponents that aren't paying attention. Smart players will back away from the copy when they see it isn't responding to damage or crowd control, as they know it will eventually explode. They'll start attacking blindly around the area itself, hoping to fish you out. You can do something sneaky and use Night Shade behind you, tricking the opposing team to overextend or waste their own Unite Move.

Keep in mind that this trickery is in service to the team. You're playing as a hybrid Defender slash Supporter, so your crafty Night Shade plays must be used to draw enemy fire safely away from teammates. You can afford to go on the offensive with Night Shade+, as not only can you reset the cooldown of the move with a successful KO, you'll also have evolved into the more powerful Dusknoir by then.

Speaking of which, Dusknoir requires quite a bit of EXP to reach its full potential, and for good reason.

At Level 9, Dusclops evolves into Dusknoir. At the same time, Leer becomes either Shadow Ball or Destiny Bond.

Move 2a: Shadow Ball (Debuff/Hindrance)

The pokemon launches a ball of darkness, sticking to all enemies in range, obscuring their sight, and increasing the damage they receive for a short while. The affected pokemon have their Unite Move charge rate decreased for a few seconds afterwards. 10s cooldown.

At Level 13, Shadow Ball becomes Shadow Ball+.

Further decreases the opposing pokemon's Unite Move charge rate.

Shadow Ball launches from Dusknoir's mouth and takes 0.75 seconds to come out, giving opposing pokemon a brief moment to escape from the move's range.

If Shadow Ball hits an opposing pokemon, it will 'attach' to them by covering up their heads, obscuring their vision for 3 seconds. When this effect wears off, the Shadow Ball will clear away, though the move's other effects are still active.

Shadow Ball will also increase the damage received from all pokemon by 35% for 6 seconds.

In addition, affected pokemon have their Unite Move Meter fill at a reduced rate for 10 seconds. Unite Move charge will be reduced by 50%, whether it be passively, from KO'ing pokemon, or from scoring goals. Shadow Ball+ reduces this even further by 65%.

Because of Dusknoir's reputation of 'stealing' souls and taking them to the other world, it is a pokemon that many would approach with caution. The truth is, it's not actually taking souls. Rather, it's taking away and inhibiting one's life force in order to weaken them, which seems much worse.

Shadow Ball affects not only the pokemon it hits but also their life force as well. In addition to obscuring their vision, it enfeebles them and makes them more susceptible to damage from you and your allies.

But that's not the worst of it. Shadow Ball will also inhibit the generation of opposing pokemon’s Unite Move Meter, extending the time it takes for opposing pokemon to receive their ace in the hole, so to speak. This gravely affects pokemon with slow Unite Move Meter generation, but it can also inhibit those with fast meter gain, like Blaziken or Dragapult, making their high powered moves less reliable.

Shadow Ball does have a bit of a windup to it, though, so if an enemy sees it coming, they'll either move out of the way or retreat. Their best option is the latter, as the blinding effect and the defense reduction make them vulnerable to follow up attacks from you and your allies. The upgraded version also reduces the charge time even more, though this will be difficult to take advantage of in the late game.

Instead of inhibiting the Unite Move Meter, Dusknoir may instead opt to steal it.

Move 2b: Destiny Bond (Debuff)

Casts a curse on all enemies in range. While active, the affected pokemon have their Unite Move charge rate transferred to yours. If an enemy is KOd while cursed, gain more Unite Move Charge. 15s cooldown.

At Level 13, Destiny Bond becomes Destiny Bond+.

Expands the area of effect.

Destiny Bond affects all pokemon within close range to Dusknoir. Affected pokemon have their Unite Move Meter transfer any charge amount to your own Unite Move Meter. This has no effect on wild pokemon.

If an affected opposing pokemon is KO'd while cursed by Destiny Bond, you gain an additional 10% Unite Move charge.

Destiny Bond+ expands the area of effect by 25%.

A fellow traveler is a stranger you'll know for a long time. Maybe they'll tell you their life story, or teach you a really good recipe for dinner. For Dusknoir, its travelling companions are often the dearly departed, so what it hears from these strangers are tales lost forever, known only to the pokemon itself.

Now, because of that, Dusknoir doesn't have a lot of experience handling company with the living, so when it uses Destiny Bond, it ends up taking the energy of their souls forcefully. You and me both, big guy.

Destiny Bond does only one thing, but it is powerful in its effect. By taking the Aeos Energy away from opposing pokemon, it prevents their Unite Move Meter from charging for 5 seconds. Any Meter that would be charged are transferred to Dusknoir instead, which is great, because its Unite Move is also pretty powerful, but more on that later.

By preventing opposing Unite Moves from being charged, you stall their generation for 5 seconds, meaning you have 5 extra seconds before the enemy can use their trump cards. Unfortunately, this doesn't have any effect on opposing pokemon that already have their Unite Mvoe fully charged, so Dusknoir will be in a bit of trouble if it tries to use Destiny Bond on such pokemon. Well, it would be, but its Pressure Ability reduces damage received from these Unite Moves, so it'll be fine for the most part.

The hard part is actually using Destiny Bond. For such a powerful effect, Destiny Bond suffers from a whopping 15 second cooldown, which can be argued to be way too much. If the opposing team knows you are running Destiny Bond, they'll be more wary of being near you, or they'll become a bit more trigger happy with their Unite Moves.

Crazy as it sounds, this is exactly what you want. You're an All-Rounder with the rare hybrid role of a Defender and a Supporter, so it's your job not only to distract the opposing team, but also to draw their fire. That's why its Pressure Ability works the way it does, and how Shadow Punch and Night Shade are designed to confound the opposing team. By influencing their decisions in when and where to use their Unite Moves, you've already done half of your job as an All-Rounder. Every second's worth of hesitation is extremely valuable to you and your team, you just gotta know how to spend it.

Because Destiny Bond transfers the Meter gain from opposing pokemon directly to you, you can expect to get your Unite Move often, especially if you make good use of the move in spite of its high cooldown. But just so you know, Dusknoir's devilish delights do not end with Destiny Bond, dare I say. Its devious diversions devour and distract the dull witted deviants of the day with its dynamic destabilization and dramatic draining.

Dang, I depleted my deck of D words. Dusknoir's Unite Move, everybody.

Unite Move: Soul Steal/Soul Banish

Soul Steal (Recovery)

Absorbs the target's life force, stealing some HP and Unite Move Meter and adding it to your own. 20s cooldown.

Soul Banish (Sure Hit)

Grabs an enemy and drags them into your mouth, forcefully returning them to their base. If the target is at a low enough HP percentage, instantly KO them instead.

Dusknoir has two Unite Moves it can use, depending on the amount of Unite Move Meter it has. If the Unite Move Meter is anything less than 100%, it will be able to use Soul Steal. Both Unite Moves are available as soon as Dusknoir evolves.

Soul Steal takes 15% of the opposing pokemon's HP, dealing piercing damage, and restores its own HP equal to the amount. It will also take 15% of the opposing pokemon's Unite Move Meter, or whatever is available, and adds it to your own Meter.

Soul Steal will go on cooldown for 20 seconds after it is used, though this doesn't affect the Unite Move Charge itself or stop you from using Soul Banish when it becomes available.

At 100% Unite Move Meter, Dusknoir's Unite Move becomes Soul Banish. It will grab an opposing pokemon and forcefully returns them to their base. If the opposing pokemon is at 15% HP or less, it will instantly KO them instead. You will see opposing pokemon who are at 15% HP or less highlighted on their HP bar when Soul Banish is available to you.

Soul Steal is unaffected by the use of Soul Banish and is also unaffected by cooldown reducing items and emblems.

Neither Soul Steal nor Soul Banish have any effects on Wild Pokemon.

Because of Dusknoir's ability to influence the Unite Move Meter of itself and opposing pokemon, it has to be balanced out by having a very late evolution, similar to Tyranitar and Metagross. It also gets its Unite Move at this Level, and it can use two different kinds depending on the meter available to you.

Starting off, by the time you manage to fully evolve into Dusknoir, your Unite Move will be fully charged, becoming Soul Banish. It is a Sure-Hit move that summons a large phantom arm from Dusknoir's belly, grabs an enemy, and sends them straight to the afterlife. OK, not really, it actually forces them to return back to base. It's like a reverse Hoopa Hyperspace Hole, where you point at an enemy and send them away for a short while.

The attack CAN instantly KO an enemy if you grab them while they're at 15% HP or less. In that case, yeah, they get dragged into the void, never to be seen again...or for a couple of seconds, depending on their respawn timer. You do have to be within attacking range to grab them, though, and most competent opponents will back off when their HP gets too low. Your best bet would be to coordinate some burst damage from your team to reduce their HP and then grab the victim before they have a chance to get away.

While the Unite Move itself is on cooldown, you'll have access to a separate move called Soul Steal. Where Shadow Ball and Destiny Bond operate by inhibiting Unite Move Meter gain, Soul Steal outright takes it from the enemy, along with some HP for good measure. This not only sets the opposing pokemon back in terms of burst damage potential, it can shut out their Unite Move if it gets taken while at 100%.

This is really debilitating for the hapless victim, as most players rely on their Unite Move to win difficult 1-v-1 fights or to make a big enough splash that they can turn the tables in a team fight or to retreat from an ambush. By taking away that ace from up their sleeves, you drastically reduce an enemy's potential impact on the flow of battle.

The 20 seconds of cooldown is quite frustrating to deal with, though. You can't even affect it with cooldown reducing items and emblems, since it's neither a move nor a Unite Move, more like a 'pseudo-Unite Move'. Also, the amount of Unite Move Meter you stole will most likely be restored, with interest, by the time Soul Steal comes off of cooldown. It depends on what Unite Move the enemy has and how long it lasts for. You also won't get a lot of meter from select targets like Blaziken or Dragapult, and you have no idea how much Unite Move Meter an opposing pokemon has.

The point isn't to hinder the enemy by removing all of their Meter, though. By using Soul Steal whenever you can, you'll quickly gain enough Unite Move Meter to use Soul Banish, which you can then use strategically against troublesome opponents during Objective fights. It also combos well with either Shadow Ball or Destiny Bond, as the longer you can delay the opposing pokemon's Unite Move, the less damage they can deal to you and your team.

You don't just take their souls, you take away their hopes and dreams and spirits and will to fight.

Achievements

Use Soul Steal a total of 10 times in one battle.

Sometimes an achievement isn't about difficulty. Sometimes it's about teaching the player how to optimally use the pokemon in the most indirect way possible. I know that that's how I've been constructing these achievements this whole time, but it's important to remember when it's something simple like 'use this effect a couple of times in a fight'.

Of course, there's always a catch to these sorts of achievements, or some nuance that makes them harder than they seem. For Dusknoir, it has to do with the fact that Soul Steal is only available to you when you are fully evolved and have access to your Unite Move. You will eventually gain enough EXP to evolve into Dusknoir, but if it happens late enough, you may not be able to use Soul Steal 10 times before time runs out.

There's also the fact that, when you do evolve, your Unite Move Meter will be full, meaning it will become Soul Banish instead. It's a great move, don't get it twisted, but if for some reason you really need to use Soul Steal, you'll have to use Soul Banish first. You cannot decrease your own Unite Move Meter to use Soul Steal unless you are up against an opposing Dusknoir.

Using Soul Steal many times eventually means you'll take enough Unite Move Meter to fully charge up Soul Banish, so if you want to go back to Soul Steal, you'll need to target a high-priority enemy like an over-leveled opposing All-Rounder if you want Soul Banish to be worth its usage. And then you'll have to do this repeatedly throughout the match.

And that's how they get ya. In optimizing your gameplay to get this achievement, you learn not only how the move works, but also the nuances around it. If you're going to be spamming Soul Steal and Soul Banish as often as possible in a match, you might as well figure out who to target with these moves in order to improve your odds of winning the battle.

When you ask a ghost to put a little soul into it, they do what they have to do to make do.

Holowear

Unlike most other pokemon, Dusknoir is perfectly suited for many kinds of holowear, even with that big mouth it has for a stomach. It's human-like shape gives us plenty of creativity in coming up with a fashionable set of expensive digital clothing.

Starting things off, Phantom Thief Style Holowear gives Dusknoir a fancy top hat with stylish brooches and clips and feathers, as well as a big stylish cape that flutters in the wind as it makes a grand escape. Ninja Style Holowear gives Dusknoir a shaggy hood and cowl and a headband on its forehead, as well as a vest loaded with ninja tools like kunai and smoke bombs. Although, with Magical Style Holowear, it becomes rather flashy with an oversized witch hat, a cloak tailored to expose its belly, and a satchel of books containing mysterious spells strapped to its side. Speaking of mystical, Guardian Style Holowear decorates Dusknoir with strangely shaped pieces of armor, giving it the appearance of a warrior from the days of old. And finally, it would behoove me to include the Spooky Style Holowear to Dusknoir's holo-wardrobe, giving it a black and orange scarf wrapped around its head, a top styled after a carved pumpkin, and bat wings and skulls plastered onto its arms and body.

Strategy

When Dusknoir has fully evolved and chosen both of its moves, their function can be separated into two different utilities; the first option changes how you become invisible, whereas the second option sabotages the opposing team's Unite Move Meter generation. This is very strange for what's supposed to be a bulky All-Rounder, until you realize that it's meant to be a hybrid Defender and Supporter, in the sense that it defends and supports the team by hindering the enemy and messing with their Unite Moves.

Of course, half of the battle is actually reaching that pinnacle of power, so you have to optimize the first 5 minutes of the game to Level Up as much as possible. You aren't strong or fast enough to reliably clear the Central Area, so leave it for an ally to take. Instead, you should be focused on supporting an ally on their way to the middle of Top or Bottom Lane. To that end, EXP. Share is actually a very solid item choice for squeezing some extra EXP out of wild pokemon while also increasing your passive Movement Speed, especially when combined with Levitate and Pressure.

Wild Pokemon aren't going to give you enough EXP to evolve, though, even with the EXP. Share working for you. Most of the extra EXP you'll be getting in the early game will be from coordinating KO's against the opposing team, and Duskull is perfectly suited to help an ally get that head start. With Astonish turning you invisible, Stunning enemies with the sneak attack, and Leer to blind and debuff the opposing team, you can KO any enemy you manage to ambush.

That's the idea, at least. If anything goes even slightly wrong, you'll find yourself suffering from an EXP deficiency while the opposing team is running away with points. It'll be tough, but if you manage to eke out some Levels, you'll evolve into the much more capable Dusclops, and use Levitate's evolved ability, Pressure, to your advantage. By this point, your Unite Move is fully charged, even while it's locked by the Level count, so your Movement Speed and basic attack speed are very high. Use these passive boosts to your advantage to put pressure, so to speak, on the opposing team.

But just having increased Movement Speed and basic attack speed won't be enough to turn the tables for you. You do need an ally to take advantage of the opening you provide, which is difficult enough for most Defenders and Supporters to deal with when playing alone. If you're by yourself, you'll have to make do with some dirty tricks, so don't be afraid to deceive the enemy with either Shadow Punch or Night Shade.

Between these two options, Shadow Punch is slightly safer, as it offers you a ranged attack that comes with invisibility and HP drain, but one hit will cancel the move, making it a poor choice against anti-stealth opposing pokemon like Shadow Sneak Decidueye or Fire Spin Delphox. Night Shade, on the other hand, requires some clever thinking to fully abuse, as it requires not just crafty plays like deceiving the enemy with obvious ploys, but also unpredictable gambits. By that I mean, you can use Night Shade to make a clone to your left or right, but expert players may know your game and suspect you are somewhere close by. You can trick these foolproof fools by placing Night Shade right next to you, confounding them by thinking 4 steps ahead. I can't guarantee this won't work against less intelligent players, but to each their own.

As long as you are playing well with a teammate, you'll get most of your EXP from securing the KO on the opposing pokemon. Do this enough times, and you'll evolve into Dusknoir. With the extra Attack power, you can play the Defender part of your All-Rounder role much more easily, and you can continue to hinder the enemy by depleting their Unite Move Meter with either Shadow Ball or Destiny Bond.

Shadow Ball is a direct upgrade to Leer in almost every way, with the downside of being able to affect only one pokemon at a time. It also has a windup to it, allowing opposing pokemon to move out of the way if they see the move being charged in Dusknoir's mouth. But if it does manage to hit, not only will it blind the enemy and increase the damage they receive for a short while, it will also hinder Unite Move Meter generation for 10 seconds. This can be debilitating for those with fast Unite Move charge times, as well as those with slow charge times. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter who it hits, unless the Unite Move is already fully charged, no opponent will want to get caught by Shadow Ball.

Destiny Bond is a riskier move compared to Shadow Ball, but it has a much higher reward. By bonding and cursing nearby enemies, it transfers all Unite Move Meter gain to Dusknoir, effectively siphoning it from affected enemies. This works in Dusknoir's favor, as its own Unite Move Meter generation is very slow, so it has to take it from opposing pokemon using Destiny Bond or Soul Steal, but more on that in a bit. It can affect multiple enemies at once, drastically increasing the charge rate of your Unite Move. If it hits an enemy at 99% Unite Move Meter, it basically prevents the meter from increasing any further until the curse wears off after 5 seconds, or if Dusknoir is KO'd first. 5 seconds isn't a lot of time, but it doesn't need a lot of time to shut out one of the most powerful options an enemy can use. If an enemy gets KO'd while cursed by Destiny Bond, Dusknoir will get extra Unite Move Meter, whether it directly KO'd the enemy or not.

At the same time you evolve into Dusknoir and upgrade Leer into either Shadow Ball or Destiny Bond, you'll have access to your Unite Move, Soul Steal and Soul Banish. It's unheard of for a pokemon to have two different Unite Moves, one of which functions independently from the meter, but it plays into your extremely slow Unite Move Meter generation.

Soul Steal takes HP and Unite Move Meter from a targeted enemy, giving Dusknoir not just reliable recovery but also reliable Unite Move Meter gain by taking it from an enemy. If you steal meter from an enemy that had their Unite Move ready to go, you'll effectively have stalled their Unite Move from being used for a little while. Now, the game is optimized enough to the point where most players run items and emblems to shorten the cooldown for their Unite Moves, but even without these effects, Soul Steal takes 20 seconds to come off of cooldown, which is more than enough time for the stolen Unite Move Meter to be regained. It's great if you take meter from an enemy that's nearly fully charged, but they'll get it all back later eventually.

Stealing Unite Move Meter helps out the team by delaying burst damage, but it's mostly for Dusknoir's own benefit that the meter gets taken. Like I said before, Dusknoir's true Unite Move, Soul Banish, requires a lot of time to fill all by itself, so it augments this wait time by taking the meter from the opposing pokemon instead with either Soul Steal or Destiny Bond. For all of its effort, Soul Banish will simply grab an enemy and forcefully return them back to their base. It's like Sableye's Phantom Ambush, but faster and you can only grab one enemy. If you grab a problematic opponent like a Decidueye or Cinderace hoping to snipe the kill off of Rayquaza, Soul Banish sends them back to where they came from and gives you a good 7 or 8 seconds before they can return.

If Soul Banish grabs a weakened enemy instead, it will instantly KO them. You will see nearby enemies susceptible to Soul Banish and the instant KO effect if the Unite Move is ready to go and their HP is low enough by their HP bar highlighted, similar to how other instant KO effects like Lapras's Perish Song show that these enemies will be KO'd by the attack if hit. If one of these susceptible pokemon is a frail Attacker or Speedster, you could use Soul Banish to get the KO, but it's not really worth spending the Unite Move Meter on such an easy target. If it was an opposing Defender or All-Rounder that have a habit of restoring their HP back full when in a pinch, like say Goodra and Buzzwole, then Soul Banish will be worth the attempt.

Ghosts are mysterious as they are fantastical, but the dangerous ones are those that wander between the realms of the living and the dead. When Dusknoir is on the field, you better make sure your soul isn't snatched by its big burly hands.

And this has been Dusknoir for Pokemon Unite. I have a habit of turning less popular pokemon into potential players for Pokemon Unite, and I won't apologize for that. But of the popular pokemon that I do like, Dusknoir is one of them, and I would love to see everyone's favorite fat phantom join the fray one day.

That'll be it from me for this week. See ya!

#Dusknoir #Dusclops #Duskull #Pokemon Unite

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hoopa-and-others-writings · 8 months

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He had arrived. Him and the 4 mons he had hired with the money he had brought with him. They all had arrived at crystal lake.

In the blue lake surrounded by blue crystals was them. Azelf. Small,blue with yellow eyes, a red gem on their head and two more on their two tails.The legendary looked at him and his adventure partners before saying in a serious tone.

"The popplio may speak to me. You four have done your job and may go."

"H-how did you know we were hired by him!? Did you read our minds!?" One of the four asked in surprise.

"No. I just guessed from what I know about this Popplio. Wich to be fair is not much but enought to know he would not have friends in this continent."

The four Pokemon he had hired made a noise before they all left the dungeon. Two via badges and two via going to the exit that existed here on the last floor.

"So I'm sure you have many questions. And are here to have them awnsered yes? Like why are you here?" Azelf asked altought by their tone they already knew the awnser. Or at least tought so.

"Actually altought I'm curious about that I'm not here to ask that. Heck didn't even know you were the reason behind me ending up here with full certaintyuntil you just basically confirmed it right now" Jayden said while doing a exasperated motion with one of his flippers. "Uh sorry if offended, mx Azelf."

Azelf didn't seem offended tought. If anything they seemed... flabbergasted.

"You... Didn't even know for sure... Then...WHY DID YOU DELVED DEEP IN A DANGEROUS MYSTERY DUNGEON WHEN YOU ARENT GOOD AR FIGHING!?" Azelf asked not in anger but shock.

"I... uh recently acquired a way to contact the human world you see? It's a tablet altought a odd one. And well I want to be able to visit friends of mine that are in the human world." He explained.

"I'm sorry but I can't return you as a human to the human world permanently. Me and mesprit summoned you here in a way that you would only be able to go home permanently when you finished your task. But said task never became necessary because others managed to prevent the problem from actually becominf a problem. So as you can see... Unless somehow that problem finally becomes real and you solve it. You can't go back."

What Azelf had said awnsered many questions he had while also making new ones. And for that he was wass grateful.But it seemed Azelf had done one major mistake when interpreting his words. A mistake that needed correction.

"Uh I think you misunderstood me mx Azelf,by the way uh wich pronouns you use? I don't want to go back to the human world permanently! I just want to be able to visit it from time to time so I can see my friends! Isn't there anything you can do?"

Once again Azelf looked shocked. After more than the seconds of silence Jayden asked.

"Uh are you okay Azelf?"

"Y-yes. Just... Wow you surprised me a second time there. You have quite a talent for that."

Jayden blushed a bit at the compliment he had been given by a legendary altought thankfully the fur on his face made the blushing hard to see.

Azelf continued to speak.

"To be able to temporarily visit the Human world when you want to... well I'm afraid that unlike some other beings I cannot give you that ability. But I can give you a item that would allow you to do that." Azelf smiles "And I use he/she/they."

jayden couldn't believe it. It was really happening. He was getting a way to visit his friends!

"Thank you so much Azelf!"

"It is no problem. Honestly you should consider this more of a apology gift for sending you to this world when you ended up not being necessary."

Azelf teleported away and then teleported back with what seemed to be some sort of pocket watch but made of crystal with odd engravings in it.

"Here. Just click on the button at the top of the watch bridge while thinking of your friend and you shall end up in the region they are then click again the button on the watch to come back to this world. And let me make this clear. It takes two days for the watch to recharge so you cannot just keep going back and forth between the worlds. Understood?" Said Azelf.

Jayden nodded and Azelf psychically gave Jayden the watch.

"Once again thank you so much Azelf."

And he then clicked the button of the so called bridge watch with one of his fins. He tought of his friends. Specifically the ones in Gen's house. The watch started to glow. Brighter and brighter until... He couldn't see a single thing. And then the light started to become less bright and he could see again. He was on grass. He was still a Popplio There was trees but the most important thing? He could see a sign saying "wild pokemon. Be careful."This could only mean it had worked. He was on the human world. And then Jayden cried. Not of sadness but happyness.

"Well I should be in Johto... just need to get to Gen's house and I can them see everyone!" He smiled while still having tears in his eyes the tears going trought the fur like how water would.

#pokemon #writing #pmd #jayden

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metfell · 8 months

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alright dsmp pmd au character assignments:

player: tommy (hoenn zigzagoon) partner: tubbo (skiddo) grovyle: wilbur (umbreon) wigglytuff: technoblade (emboar) chatot: phil (corviknight) bidoof: ranboo (absol) lapras: kristin (still a lapras) uxie: eret (galarian articuno) mesprit: foolish (galarian zapdos) azelf: hannah (galarian moltres) dusknoir and darkrai: dream (hisuian zoroark) celebi: karl (still a celebi) other guild members: jack (magneton), niki(mawile), purpled (charcadet), fundy (nickit), and aimsey (sentret) kecleon shop: ponk (hisuian decidueye) and sam (nidoking) spinda: quackity (murkrow) manaphy: michael_beloved (not sure if changing or not. if so: tepig) azurill and marill: maybe michelle and/or foolish jr and finley?? we need kids and theres just not a lot. so. team skull: sapnap (charmeleon), george (hattrem), punz (still a skuntank) dialga: XD palkia: prime???????? drista????? cresselia: brother i am not sure. puffy???????? NO clue. could just reuse kristin here too tbh. not sure.

NOTES: may switch kristin to cresselia and puffy to lapras. slimecicle works in quackitys cafe and is a gulpin maybe?? a reuniclus? an alolan muk?????

#mcyt pmd au

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pandorias-box · 3 days

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My next trial will be one that tests my willpower, since the guardian I must face is Azelf and from the judging from last trial, each one of the Lake Guardians will have me prove myself in their respective aspects.

This one may be more difficult than Uxie’s trial because it is testing my fortitude directly…

#pokemon irl #pkmn irl #rotumblr #irl pokemon #pokeblogging #pokeblr #rotomblr #arc: divine decree

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shadowdarkee · 1 year

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Headcanon: Lake Spirit Characterizations

(This is the result of probably way too much overthinking and following various fridge logic rabbit holes for the purpose of a series of fics about the edges of the setting)

~~~~

Arceus spoke then and said “Humans. They are the pinnacle of all Creation.”

The Being of Willpower proclaimed: “They hold the greatest capacity for willpower of any mortal species. Their drives to succeed may allow them to overcome any obstacle.”

The Being of Emotion rejoiced: “Their range of emotions is second to none! Their ability to form many lasting bonds may allow them levels of teamwork never seen before.”

The Being of Knowledge was silent for a moment, as was its nature. Then, with calm deliberation, it articulated: They hold great ingenuity. With their intelligence, they will one day become the masters of this world.

They all looked at Uxie then, aghast. “What!?” Demanded Arceus. The master of memories replied only: “It is an observation of the range of abilities they will learn.” This mollified the Original One, who nodded in understanding.

~~~~~

As far as the lake trio is concerned, humanity (or sapient life in general for PMD settings) is collectively the crown jewel of the universe. They regard themselves as benevolent guardians and maintainers of the universe (and Sinnoh in particular). But their definition of `benevolent’ may not always line up with our definition.

The Lake Trio’s mindsets should be somewhat alien and inhuman. Aside from being Pokémon rather than humans, they are (depending on one’s interpretation) primordial spirits/deities/etc embodying and mediating (in the same way that bosonic fields mediate the fundamental forces of nature) certain facets of the mind. As such, their views on issues such as life/death and good/evil should not necessarily line up with what humans may view as sane/benevolent (no matter how benevolent the three try to be). We can go more in detail for each.

Azelf

As far as Azelf is concerned, the more willpower/determination/etc a being has, the more alive they are; Life is good thus the more willpower/determination/etc a being has, the better.

>(“What do you call a being that lacks any willpower at all? Dead. Inanimate.”)

>Regards its ability to strip someone of all willpower to be potentially the harshest ironic punishment it can give to a wrongdoer - essentially all-but dead and trapped perhaps desiring to fully die but unable to see it through

Supremely stubborn. Willpower is about sticking to a course once a decision has been made.

Generally highly favors anyone determined to achieve nigh impossible goals. Especially if it is a benevolent goal or - perhaps even better, if the only reason for trying to achieve one’s goal is to be able to say that one was determined enough to succeed at it (ex: mountain climbing, speed running, trying to become a Pokémon Master, etc). That said, Azelf does not always pay attention to what the determined person’s decisions and goals are. To paraphrase: ‘That’s not my department.’

>Also, courageous heroes in general.

>Imagine the personification of every training montage scene ever made, is the personality we're going for here. Alternatively, Kamina (See: "We brawlers are sustained by willpower! Even when mocked as reckless and crazy!"/"Kick reason to the curb and surpass the impossible!")

To extend the previous metaphor: generally of the opinion that you doing something after a training montage to prepare for it is better than not doing something after not having a training montage, whatever it is you're doing.

Accordingly, does not entirely comprehend the idea that willful (and/or premeditated) crimes can be inherently wrong/immoral - or at least more so than if the crime was accidental. (The logic roughly being that one who is determined enough to achieve a desired result is more mentally healthy -and thus alive - than they would be if they just gave up.)

>May or may not have noticed a bonfire of willpower growing up in nearby Sunnyshore, and may or may not have psychically stoked that human’s determination without bothering to find out who the person was or what he inevitability became determined to do. Oops.

Similarly, basically thoroughly subscribes to Green Lantern Theory. (If, after the events in Sinnoh with Team Galactic probably prove Azelf definitively exists and lives in its lake, then in the scenario where Azelf starts paying close attention to contemporary human culture (due to religious offerings or more frequent interaction with humans on more than an abstract level? Depends on which canon, really) and some kind of fictional ‘Green Lanturn’ comic exists which Azelf finds out about, there’s a non-insignificant chance of Azelf decorating its home with merchandise of such)

Is almost convinced that Uxie is aware of everything on a more than abstract level. Given the above, Azelf would be more pissed at Uxie than Team Galactic itself following the events at Mt Coronet.

>“Uxie almost certainly knew of Team Galactic’s plans. And it did nothing to stop them beforehand. Nothing! Did Uxie want events to play out as they did? At least Team Galactic had a goal and was determined to see it though. That my lake was bombed and we were captured and mutilated meant that their will to do so outstripped my will to stop them. And when they with their strong-willed leader were in turn defeated at Spear Pillar by mortal heroes with our assistance, they were less determined to destroy this universe than we were to preserve it. Proof that in the end, the will to help and protect will always be greater than the will to annihilate - and the end of a long and challenging journey that gave those righteous heroes the opportunity to grow in their courage and determination to succeed …..Perhaps it was good that this occurred, and Uxie acted correctly after all.”

Thinks the human profession of helping people recognize and willpower away their emotions (or pain or logic or…) is one of the greatest achievements of humanity.

Insofar as Azelf regards conflict as a test of opposing wills, regards Tapu Koko as a sort of Protégé.

>In anime canon, this is likely how Tapu Koko knew about Ash in advance. Lots of telepathic raving about this absolutely most amazing human, and how Tapu Koko would agree if it met him, followed by forewarning that he's coming to Alola.

Aside from Psychic type, thinks the best type is Fighting (or perhaps Dark?).

Mesprit

As far as Mesprit is concerned, it is the capability for emotions -the phenomenon that enables decision-making - that distinguishes between someone who is alive from one who merely exists. Generally, individuals feeling positive emotions or making decisions that lead to positive emotions is preferable to negative emotions or decisions that lead to negative emotions. Both are preferable to feeling no emotions at all.

As such, regards the act of removing this capability to be the harshest and cruelest punishment it can execute. After all, Apathy is Death.

Favors those with great empathy or compassion or who are generally strongly emotional. Those with great skill in the power of friendship are loved by Mesprit

In some sense, it is the most benevolent of the three. Mercy and compassion and the need for justice are emotions, after all, and feel good, and acting on them makes others feel good.

In a similar sense, could potentially be regarded as the cruelest/most petty of the three. Negative emotions are also strong weights in decision-making. Further, while highly personal negative actions targeting others (or at least those who aren’t currently experiencing any emotions for reasons Mesprit isn’t personally responsible for) may not make them feel good, they will instigate some emotional response.

Doesn’t fully comprehend how the phrase ‘crime of passion’ isn’t a paradox, or why acts categorized as such would be considered immoral. Passion is a net good, isn’t it? And decisions made off strong emotions mean that the decision tree is operating properly, right? Would it really be better for someone not to be capable of feeling whatever instigating emotion is responsible?

Personality-wise, think ‘faery’ from the Seelie Court, with bits of 'benevolent Disney fairy'. Generally helpful whimsical being which can be cruel when sufficiently angered. One guess which (non-Psychic?) type is its favorite.

The events in Sinnoh lead to the hero from Twinleaf Town becoming regarded by Mesprit as its favorite human.

>If Anime canon, or at least if the hero from Twinleaf doesn’t catch (or decides to release) Mesprit, the fact that Twinleaf is so close to its home means it may frequently visit the human after the latter has returned home. Those who threaten (let alone hurt) this human should be afraid of cruel and unusual punishments. Very afraid.

Thinks the human professions which involve instigating strong emotions in an audience are among the greatest achievements of humanity. Similarly, that humans have such expansive monkeyspheres makes us the most wonderful beings to ever exist.

Uxie

Uxie knows.

Uxie’s description of its guiding worldview, if asked (or perhaps one of its siblings’ answers in speaking what they believe Uxie would say), might be thus: “It is memory, the attainment and retainment of knowledge, that makes sentience, let alone sapience, possible. Without it, decisions cannot be made nor acted upon reliably, nor can the results be evaluated for future decisions to act upon. Without the capacity for it, a being can - even if technically alive - be little more than part of the landscape. It allows not just for continuity of the Individual, but for growth and change. It is the general preservation of the sense-making tool which is most important, for in a very real sense a person who loses it ceases to be.”

>If asked about its ability to make people forget things, and why it doesn't find the act morally objectionable given its worldview, it would likely respond that "There are times when forgetting is for the best."

There are few who remember how, early on, Uxie was once a smug (telepathically) talkative know-it-all. No one remembers what caused this to no longer be the case.

It is not exactly the nature of memory to take an active role in the mind like emotions and willpower do. Memory is generally a passive support structure. Uxie is no different. The Being of Knowledge is usually quiet now: it sits in the background, sharing information when and where, and how it deems necessary. To those familiar with it or simply psychic, a smug sense of “I know something you don’t” is noticeable when Uxie provides information, even to this day.

Uxie understands human notions of right and wrong, good and evil. It is the purpose of memory to understand, to know. Memory’s job is sense-making. Memory is what our reason is based upon. If you can't trust your own memory, what can you trust? As we all know, we can always 100% trust our memory not to lie to us for the greater good of preserving sanity. Uxie is the embodiment and mediator of memory and sense-making for this universe. Why should Uxie be any different?

A memory lacking in knowledge would not be good at its job as a sense-making apparatus, and with great knowledge comes great responsibility. Uxie’s personal agenda has always been to fulfill its role in the universe as best as possible. By whatever means necessary.

An odd quirk no one ever seems to notice: If Uxie's telepathic messages were written down in text form, it is almost only the case that a "?" would ever appear when quizzing another being for their own benefit. Even messages that appear to be questions would generally end with a period. Fortunately, for the sanity of others, no one has had the intuition to cross-reference the other cases to find a pattern.

Uxie Knows.

One’s sense-making apparatus occasionally supplies information (memories retained or new deductions) entirely unprompted. This is the case where Uxie is concerned too, for its peers.

>That Uxie’s observations are occasionally noted to be highly prescient in hindsight to a level that seems beyond the abstract awareness one might expect from it has long since stopped being more than barely unnerving.

>Occasions of unexpected reminders or serendipity can alter the course of lives and shape history. If asked, Uxie would state about history: “The course of history has brought this world to what is now, with few exceptions, almost utopia.”

If asked which type is it's favorite (perhaps by an interviewer following the defeat of Team Galactic?), A likely reply would be this: “You intended to mean other than Psychic. In truth, my answer would be the same either way. Every type is accompanied by some intrinsic specialty. Something specific to the type that makes it in some way supernatural. All except one. The Normal type has nothing special. No intrinsic advantage, and one intrinsic weakness. Species and moves of that type persist and thrive anyway because they are more adaptable, their techniques more advanced, and ever more innovative. The lack of any intrinsic strength has necessitated adapting to possess a more highly versatile range of extrinsic strengths and tools than any other type. It is something clearly reflected in humanity itself, the most highly innovative and successful species of them all. Of course, humanity still has supernatural powers at their command - if generally indirectly via allied Pokémon. In a fully mundane universe, one might speculate what humanity might have achieved without us. Could they even invent entire worlds? Perhaps, if Pokémon did not exist, humans would need to invent us. ”

UXIE KNOWS

#pokemon headcanons #lake trio #uxie #mesprit #azelf #long post is long

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eohpmdsteams · 1 year

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PMDS| M5 P4 | Revelations

“We Yield.”

And with those words, the madness of the fighting around them seemed to stop. Bluey was honestly shocked that these guardians appeared to give up their pursuit as quickly as they had started it. However, with them explaining their desire to keep the library from being destroyed and finally calming themselves enough to hear out the guilds it started to look like this day was taking a turn for the better.

As the leaders discussed their mission objective with the guardians Bluey turned to Bastion and frowned looking at his wounds which only made her wince at the pain from her blackened eye. Not liking the sting of her own cuts and the condition of Bastion’s own Bluey reached into her pack and pulled out 2 Oran berries, one for each of them.

“Here buddy.” Bluey smiled handing Bastion the blue fruit, “To close up those cuts. I uhm. I’m sorry I had to hit you literally below the belt. How are you holding up?” -I’ll live. But when I get you back the pain will be tenfold what you did to me. And you won't see it coming.- He signed with a frown as he popped the berry into his mouth, the medicinal properties of the fruit closing the bleeding wounds on his body. “Yeah, that's…fair I guess?” Bluey said as she ate her own berry to close her wounds, “Do you think those Guardian things will actually keep their word when we go in?”

-They’d better. I’d hate to see what else you’d do to the Blue one for its transgression. - He smirked.

“Trust me there is a lot I wanna do to that thing. None of it at all kind after what it did.”

-It was defending a sacred place. You can’t be too mad.-

“After what they made us do to each other I’ll be as angry at them as I’d like It made us turn on each other, like you and I haven't had enough of that in our lives.” She frowned as she glared Azelf down from where she stood.

After what felt like hours it appeared the guardians finally listened to reason and allowed the guilds entrance so long as they behaved themselves. As Bluey and Bastion approached the door she looked over to where her mother's unconscious body should have been laying but all that was left was the mask. “Where did she go?” Bluey said furrowing her brow and looking around the area

“She will return for it. Yamasks always return for their mask.” Jenga replied after examining it, “She must have slinked off to lick her wounds. Let’s not dwell on it too long. Now we have to chance to find a cure for her.”

Jenga then made his way inside the library with Bastion following closely behind him. However, despite her better judgment Bluey slowed and turned to face the trio as she passed them. Looking to grab Azelf’s attention.

“Hey.” She said with a flat tone loud enough to make Azelf turn and eye her.

“Hope you keep those scars to remember me by. Because I surely won’t forget what happened today.” “I suggest you proceed,” Azelf responded with a twitch of its tails before turning back to face its own subordinates.

Bluey chuffed and followed her companions into the library. And it was overwhelming with how large it was. She searched a bit aimlessly trying to see if she could find Bastion and Jenga once the guilds started to dig through the many old scrolls and books. When she had no luck finding him, she turned to a shelf beside her and began to flip through the books to see if she could find anything that may be useful. “These are medical books. Might be smart to jot down some notes from these to help Bramble with the journey back through the mountain. Let me see if I can find one about preventing and treating hypothermia in grass types.” She said to herself as she slide her new fingers gently over the books. Searching cover by cover while also being just a tad fascinated with her new digits.

Bluey spent a good forty-five minutes reading through the old medical book and scribbling down useful notes including how to treat the burn on Bastion’s back.

While she scribbled away she hardly noticed the voices talking to her. “Bluey! Yoohoo the world to Bluey!” Jenga said a little louder startling her. “Oh, there you are Jenga! Where did you guys wander off to?” She said as she finished writing down the last little bit of this passage.

“We're in the section of books detailing the lives of each individual of the Painted Sands.”

“The what?” She said looking up from her book. “Yeah, the Library has scrolls that detail your life. Bastion has been reading into our family's scrolls. For closure I suppose or maybe to see if all those stories Parapet used to tell him were true.”

Bluey sat there thinking for a moment “you said Pappy was still alive but left, right? Do you think if he is still alive the scrolls would tell me where he is?” “I believe they would yes. Did you want me to show you where it is?”

“If you could please.” She smiled standing up and following the old Sableye.

After about 15 minutes Jenga brought Bluey to a small outcrop of book and scroll shelves that had a short table with pillows around it and sitting at the table with a scroll rolled out across it, was Bastion reading away.

“I’ll let you kids do what you gotta do. I am going to go help the other ghosts tidy up the place a bit after all the fighting. If you need me just call.” Jenga smiled and scurried off to help put books back in their respective places.

Bluey turned to Bastion and sat next to him looking over the scrolls, “Find anything good?” -Currently reading over my grandmother’s scroll and I always thought she may have over-exaggerated some things. But from what I’ve been reading it seems this little psycho really did do all of the things she claimed she did. No wonder Grandfather, Rampart said she was the only Pokémon he felt intimidated by.-

Bluey chuckled and stood up walking over the scroll shelf and digging through them, “Dag….dag….dag….AHA! Daggermaw!” She chimed before sorting through the scrolls in the cubby, “Rosi, Olive, Emerald, Blanc, Magenta, Scar-” She paused looking at the scroll with her mother’s name on it. She hesitated but pulled it out and held it in her left hand while she continued to dig before finding her grandfather’s scroll. Once she had both of those, she snooped through the B column until she located the Bonozo family and pulled out her own scroll as well as her father’s.

She made her way back over to the table and set the scrolls down before curiosity made her snoop over Bastion’s shoulder reading over his family history with him. However, there was something she spotted further down the scroll that caught her attention. “By the great father, Bastion look!” She exclaimed while pointing to two names written on the scroll, “Your Sisters Barbican and Palisade are alive!”

Bastion stopped what he was reading and snapped his focus over to the part of the scroll Bluey was reading and gestured for her to read it aloud, to which she complied.

“Barbican Alora Cavalier was declared official sheriff of Painted Sands after serving as a temporary sheriff in her grandmother's place after the events that transpired on the 3rd of Summer. Her sister Palisade Gala Cavalier’s name has been changed to Palisade Gala Moor following her marriage to Brono Emmit Moor.”

Bluey then gasped before jabbing the scroll with her finger, “And that's not all! Bastion look, you’re an uncle!” He stared at the area Bluey pointed at in shock as she continued to read, “Palisade and Brono currently have 3 eggs incubating with 5 already hatched offspring Durin, Roseli, Razz, Leppa, and Oran. Oran is now the second recorded blue Pawniard birth in Painted Sands, since the birth of Blue Bella Bono- Your nephews just like me! Bastion that's amazing you have nieces and Nephews! Oh, we gotta go back to Painted Sands at some point!” Bluey then started to dig through her family's scrolls while blabbering on about her excitement over Bastion’s family as his shocked face melted into one of excitement as he looked down at the names.

-I can’t believe it. Lisa’s a mom…and- he paused what he was signing before shouting, “BARBI’S A KINGAMBIT?! THAT'S BULLSHIT!” “Oh, I didn’t even read that part! Y’know Barbi always did come off as the kind of girl who’d look great with that mustache, I could never pull it off. By the gods, she must be HUGE! She was always really tall even as Pawniards.” Bastion grumbled a bit about how now he had to play catch up with his older sister as Bluey chuckled and began reading through her family's scrolls. Starting with her grandfather. Reading through his life she smiled reliving all the stories he used to tell her about when she was little. Though he seemed to have left out how much of an obnoxious man he was in his youth with what he told her. As she continued to read she smiled reading over a line of text about the current year. “Bastion look! My Pappy is alive! And look at this it says he’s living in the remains of an ancient alpha Wailord skeleton. That's what that crazy Zoroark meant when she told me to go to where a giant once fell! She must have been talking about my Pappy! And look at the coordinates, he’s only a two-day journey from here! Bastion, we have to go!” Bastion was caught a little off guard by her excitement but smiled with a nod of agreement.

-We can do that so long as we go to Painted Sand’s at some point. This scroll says my Grandfather Rampart and Grandmother Parapet are making their way back to Sands and the surviving members will all be in the same place in a few months.-

“Oh yeah, we have to go to back Sands at some point. I can’t believe we still have families out there.” Bluey said getting a little misty-eyed as she read through her mother’s scroll.

Bastion quickly noticed Bluey's dip in mood as she read the scroll and he reached out and set his hand over hers in an attempt to comfort her.

“Sorry man I didn’t mean to bring the excitement down I just got to the part of my mom’s scroll about what happened the day she turned. Though the scroll is just incoherent nonsense really afterward. It doesn’t give me much to work with and even confirm if she even had slivers of memory left. I was hopping it might tell me.” she said wiping her face before opening her father’s scroll. -Should you be reading these ones Bluey? They only seem to be upsetting you.- “I want to. While I don’t like thinking of the sad bit it makes me feel better to read about them…and how much they loved each other and how much they loved me. It’s nice to read about them outside that day y’know?”

Bastion nodded and wen’ back to reading over his family's scrolls and getting to learn a little bit more about his nieces and nephews and what they are like. He’d smile hearing Bluey’s occasional giggles while reading over her father’s scroll or giving the occasional awe. “Look at how much of a love-sick fool my dad was for my mom when they were kids. He really was just smitten with her out the gate.”

-Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree considering how you view Percy.-

“I wish. Seems my parents had a lot easier of a time communicating and expressing their feelings despite the fact dad was deaf.”

Bastion shook his head and continued to read. The two sat there for another 15 minutes reading in silence before Bastion’s attention was snapped from his scroll by Bluey’s voice.

“Bastion?” Bastion tilted his head at Bluey hearing a tremble in her voice as she looked up at him. “My dad’s alive.” She said pointing to the page, “He’s a Drifloon! Traveling with Pappy. All this time My dad’s been alive as a ghost! I-I can’t believe it.” She said getting water eyed as she gripped the scroll tighter. Bastion reached out and gripped her shoulder to comfort her before furrowing his brow at the scroll and pointing at the passage at the end of the scroll.

-What’s that say?-

Bluey looked up at him before moving the scroll over so she could read. She then stared at the scroll in complete shock as if she couldn’t believe what she was reading.

“I have a little sister.”

#blueythepawniard #blueythebisharp #bastionthebisharp #bastionthepawniard #group related #group entry #group mission entry #loreforthelorewhores #and with that Bluey and bastion have fully completed Mission 5 #long post #plot #tw injury #tw blood

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beanofjudgement · 6 months

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I've heard that a Zygarde, Giratina, and Mesprit on this site have taken to calling each other siblings. I just thought it was interesting given your dynamics

Hmm! How curious indeed! If I may add a... the word I'm looking for is 'disclaimer', correct? I've stated that my universe is separate from your own and even their own. As such, relationships can and will change based on how events play out.

It is very possible that even the formation of the other mythical beings would have been similar to my own. In my realm, I directly created Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf as a way to supplement what Xerneas was doing in applying life to the world. It is possible this was a different occurrence altogether in other universes, which can and will lead to differing relations. In fact, even similar origins can still lead to vastly differing outcomes if events play out with even the slightest of differences.

#Anonymous #pokemon roleplay #pokemon rp #pokemon irl #rotomblr #rotumblr #arceus says hello

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dawnedon · 6 months

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Public Knowledge:

Dawn’s status as Sinnoh’s Champion, as well as Cynthia’s involvement training/mentoring her on how to handle her duties. The length of time Dawn has held her position for is also public knowledge. Her continued mentorship under Cynthia is also known.

Her heroics against Team Galactic, including her leap into the Distortion World with Cynthia in order to chase after Cyrus after his deeds atop Spear Pillar.

That Ayako Hara, one of Sinnoh’s best, if not the best, coordinators before she retired, is Dawn’s mother. As well as the disappearance of her father - that ordeal spurred an entire search and rescue team for the researcher’s disappearance that lasted several months, along with the crew that also vanished mysteriously.

Akari Hara, heroine of Hisui, being Dawn’s ancestor is also public knowledge.

The fact that no true photographs exist of her in any shape/form. It’s become a point of contention among the media, and it’s spurred a lot of rumors.

Her long, month stay in the hospital after leaving the Distortion World with Cynthia.

Dawn’s affinity and natural knack for bonding with ghost-types, and to a lesser extent, dark and dragon-types.

Semi-Public Knowledge (things known among people she's close to):

Her decade long undefeated streak being ended by none other than May Birch.

Dawn's relationship with the aforementioned May, that the two live together in her villa, and that they're dating one another.

Her renovation/repair project with Eterna Forest's Old Chateau, an idea she spearheaded after gaining approval from not just Gardenia, but from the spirits within the mansion as well.

That she has captured both Azelf and Darkrai, on mutual terms.

The gnarly scar that cuts across from a few inches beneath her shoulder, all the way to her hip. Along with the scarring on the back of her hand that she suffered from her mother's wrath.

The deep troubles Dawn has with sleeping, dealing with long bouts of insomnia, nightmares, and crippling sleep paralysis - the Lunar Wing she keeps on hand still not being enough, somehow.

Not Public Knowledge (things people wouldn’t know unless she explicitly talks about it):

Her connection to Giratina, one of the eldritch gods of creation, goddess of distortion and chaos, and everything their bond entails.

What really happened in the Distortion World, with her death, Emperor’s near death experience, and leaving Cyrus behind. The effects of Dawn dying and coming back to life are also not known publicly.

Her debilitating and crippling fear of heights, along with the intense, random bouts of vertigo she experiences.

Dawn’s ability to see ghosts beyond ghost-type pokemon, able to see spirits of deceased people and pokemon as well as communicate with them, an ability she’s had for as long as she can remember.

The nuclear falling out Dawn and Ayako had, ending their relationship. Dawn effectively disowned herself from her mother, and wants nothing to do with her anymore, period. In the same vein, the emotional abuse Ayako subject her to is not publicly known either.

That the Distortion World reacts to Dawn personally, mirrors and still surfaces of water rippling in her presence and seemingly reaching out towards her to try and pull her in.

How much she’s truly changed after entering the Distortion World in general. It can easily be masked with a facade, but no one knows how deep the realm afflicted her.

Her real birth name being Hikari, and Dawn merely being a nickname she latched onto in part from her father. Though she legally changed her name the moment she was able to, she was not born as 'Dawn'.

#👻 headcanon.#death tw #abuse tw #ask to tag #i had one of these but i wanted to add some more things to it #thinking abt how dawn and may ended each other's undefeated streaks. it makes me so gay every time and i love them for it

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blackthorn-legion-irl · 7 months

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[Video post and all reblogs are blocked from Fuchsia, Cerulean, and Den.]

[Saffron is standing with a tall man in a striped shirt - the Anguished One - outside the house, out of earshot of even Fuchsia's ridiculous hearing.]

Saffron: ...so, what you're telling me is - that after that whole thing about communication - you want me to keep a secret from the others?

AO: Regrettably, yes. For their own safety. If they knew---

Saffron: Let me get this straight, then. Sprite has run away, you aren't telling me anything more than that for my own good, sure. But you want me to not tell the others, because Fuchsia and Cerulean would spiral out of control and it would tear us apart. To aid in this, you will be adding hidden clauses to the firewall to make them think that everything is okay. And if---when. It has to be when. When Sprite is back okay, you'll catch them up gently with an apology. ...logically, I understand. It just hurts. The one person it's worst to lie to is yourself, I believe - and even being separate like this for now, I'm... as Saffron, I'm not, but as a part of Blackthorn, I am lying to myself here. Even though I know the alternative---

AO: What do you know about the Sinnoh lake guardians?

Saffron: I would ask why this is relevant, but I know we have... what's the word. Similarities. Okay. Uxie is knowledge, that's me. Mesprit is emotion, that's Fuchsia, though Cerulean has aspects of that too. Azelf is willpower, that's Cerulean - though that seems to be a weaker link for them. The three pixies can balance out one of the legendary dragons Dialga or Palkia, but not both. In the theoretical situation where both were summoned, Giratina may emerge to help balance the scales. All three have similar movesets, as normal for a trio, with some moves differing. They have the same abilities, typing, and base stat total, although in a competitive sense they aren't equally used due to playing different roles that may or may not be obsoleted by others.

AO: One relevant point you missed - as part of the moveset, each of them has a self-destructive move. I'll be explaining this next bit to the others as well, so don't worry about them not having the same self-insight, but you'll see how it's relevant to this particular situation.

You, Saffron, are as you said, most similar to Uxie. Your relevant self-destructive move is Memento---

Saffron: ---which sucks---

AO: ---which is generally less effective as the affected can just switch out. But in the same way, it means you have less of an incentive to use that move, which fits with both Uxie's more defensive nature, and you being the most stable of you three.

Fuchsia is most similar to Mesprit. You're right in that Cerulean also embodies some emotion, but their emotion is more passive, while Fuchsia's is more active, and so more fitting for Mesprit. Her self-destructive move is Healing Wish, which I'm sure you can see how it's relevant.

Saffron: ...yeah. Fainting oneself to heal another - I absolutely see it.

AO: And you know that she'd do that just trying to help even if there's nothing she can do. Like in this situation.

As for Cerulean - while they might feel like the weak link here, think about it. They are pain, and fear, and cowardice - and yet they, yet you all succeed anyway. They are the willpower to push you through it. Their move is Explosion. One that's born of so much pain could become desensitised and cause it without meaning to. Or could lash out.

Saffron: ...the cornered rat will bite the cat.

AO: Exactly. So, you see, if any of you get fully separated from the whole, you're all at risk. Saffron, you balance out the other two with working on logic rather than emotion, and they vice versa for you. They balance each other out with active vs passive. If any of you were lost, the imbalance would cause the others to spiral out of control. As for Den - while in theory she could survive without you three, she would be much less of a person. You're essential to her function, and she's essential to your existences, being the origin. And as you three balance with her...

Saffron: In this analogy she's one of the dragons... That has to be Giratina.

AO: She doesn't see herself as such, so this is more supporting evidence, but - yes, she is effectively Giratina in this situation. You three take over subconsciously a lot more often than you think, and she's banished to the other side of her own mind - which is, of course, torn and distorted. If her mind splintered, it would damage both sides. Any of you three separated or lost to the void, and none of you would be able to function properly. This is also why we can't just, 'layer merge' I believe was an analogy used - data would be lost in the process.

Saffron: ...so, to sum it up. We have certain traits due to an analogy that works out too well to be a coincidence, and those traits mean that I have to keep a secret from my... ah, what is a good name for us, anyway? Siblings? Doesn't matter. What you're saying is I'm the only one stable enough at present to be able to handle this... barely. And that I have to pretend that everything is okay over there? It makes sense. But it doesn't mean I like it. And what if, if---WHEN things work out okay and you tell them, they're distrusting of me as a result? I'm worried Cerulean will internalise it... like so much else...

AO: ...that we will have to work out at the time. I'll take the blame though, of course - none of this was your idea. And though you'll have to jump through a few hoops - if you think it's best you do have the means to check on the situation.

Saffron: ...okay. It'll hurt---it already hurts. But I'll do what I have to. Fuchsia would burn out trying ineffectually to help. Cerulean would be eaten by self-loathing. And Den would shatter beyond recognition.

I know that all I can do is look after the others, and hope. So that's... what I have to do.

...

...please. Whatever poke-gods are out there listening, who can hear me. Keep it safe.

#soul heckers #saffron posts #//this is referencing sprite's runaway arc but knowing more than the name isn't necessary information #//it's both a lore dump and an IC reason why i'm not helping out there (the OOC is because mental health lol)#//also i am still mad that that analogy works out so well for the irl versions lol. i am not cool enough to be giratina---

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peachypede · 11 months

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✈️ 💔🍸 for Pecha andddd 💯🐉 🎮 for Aman?

Ask meme is here!

✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person?

Traveling is very nostalgic for Pecha. Most of her childhood consisted of going on research trips with her dad and camping out in the wilderness to study bugs. Name a forest in any region and she’s probably been there. In her recent years she’s become more of a homebody, but she still very much enjoys traveling when the opportunity comes up.

Plus she didn’t get to go to many cities during her travels with her dad, so she loves being able to check out shops.

💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits?

Anxious - Pecha has an anxiety disorder. She worries about almost anything and everything, especislly social interactions.

Obsessive - Her adhd brings hyper-fixation, which sometimes centers around people. With how romantic minded she is, it can become accidentally overbearing.

Pessimistic - Pecha fears about the worst case scenarios that she often perceives them to be the only scenario that can happen. Someone gave her a funny look? They probably hate her, she must have done something to upset them, etc.

🍸 COCKTAIL GLASS — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink?

Since her anxiety gives her IBS, she tries to keep her drinks mild. Beer, red/white wine, whiskey, vodka, and gin tend to be low-FODMAP (aka the carbohydrates in alchohol that can trigger digestive symptoms) so she tends to stick with them. She’s also a lightweight so…she tries to limit things to one drink only.

Gin and tonic is her go to drink usually at bars, despite being teased occasionally that it’s an old man drink. It’s really the best thing for her stomach. Since beer is usually the casual party drink, it’s easier for her to fit in there. Rarely does she go for anything stronger though.

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

- Aman was the son of a crime lord in Sinnoh before the accident that left left him orphaned and without his right limbs. If that accident hadnt happened, Aman probably would have grown up in a gang. (And this is why he was sent out of country to be adopted in order to make sure he was safe from rival gang members)

- The carefree attitude he has is really a front. He harbors a lot of anger inside that he releases during his job. He hates people he loves seeing that part of himself.

- He actually wants to have a family someday. He’s a sentimental guy deep down and there’s nothing that tugs his heart strings more than thinking of settling down someday with someone and having kids.

🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature?

Since this is the pokemon world, I’m guessing this applies to mythical/legendary pokemon.

Aman’s favorite is Arceus but also that’s funny because he’s religious so he’s basically saying “God is my favorite”.

After Arceus, it’s probably Azelf. Aman just felt like he had a personal connect with it when he was a child.

🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

- Reading is a big favorite, especially classics. Also just reading anything absurd or crazy. He finds weird books funny. (Badly written romance novels are good)

- Painting/drawing. He was raised by artists and they would consider it a tragedy if Aman didnt know how to paint and draw as well. He’s not good at drawing humans or pokemon, so he sticks with plants and humans objects.

- Hanging out with people that aren’t related to his assignments. It’s nice to not have to worry about every single thing he’s saying. (Although he keeps the whole being an Interpol Agent thing quiet still of course)

#oc aman #oc pecha #emoji ask meme

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ohthehypocrisy · 3 days

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Palafin for Pokemon Unite!

Season 1

Season 2

Prev: Cradily - Hatterene - Tropius - Cacturne - Ditto - Weavile - Ogerpon - Coalossal - Gogoat - Galarian Slowbro - Luxray - Breloom - Uxie, Mesprit, & Azelf - Wobbuffet - Obstagoon - Lanturn - Castform - Dusknoir - Persian - Tatsugiri & Dondozo - Magnezone - Sirfetch'd - Exploud - Smeargle

When it became apparent that Pokemon was going to be a long-running franchise, most of us realized that we were going to see nearly all real world animals turned into pokemon at some point. We all had our ideas and high hopes for some of our favorite animals, but no vision was more grandiose than what a dolphin pokemon would look like.

And then, 8 generations later, we finally got one, and a Superman allegory was far from what most of us were expecting, but certainly very welcoming. It's a well designed pokemon and makes it more amicable, especially considering what real dolphins are known for. You know, for their 'pranks', if you can call them that.

But never mind all that, there's trouble on Aeos Island! Can Palafin answer the call? Tune in to find out!

With average HP and average Speed, Palafin struggles a bit in bringing justice to the ne'er-do-wells it may encounter. It lacks the Attack and Defense needed to last long in a fight, and its Sp. Attack and Sp. Defense is wholly unreliable.

While Palafin is a fully evolved pokemon, this isn't actually its full power.

When Zero to Hero activates, Palafin shifts from its Zero form into its Hero form, a process no one has ever seen. This form change not only alters Palafin's appearance, but also its stats, granting it a massive boost to its Attack, as well as major boosts to its other stats. The high Attack power is nothing to sneeze at, but this form lacks a bit in its defenses. Bulk and durability aren't as important when you need to be more streamlined to make it just in time to save the day. For that reason, Palafin is supercharged for the role of a...

Speedster

Basic Attack - Melee/Attack

Finizen/Palafin

The user blows ring bubbles at nearby targets. These bubbles reduce the Movement Speed of opposing pokemon for a short while.

Palafin-Hero

Becomes a boosted attack after 3 hits. The user fires a ring bubble that Immobilizes enemies. If a nearby enemy is caught, the next basic attack deals a mighty punch that Shoves them away, damaging all enemies along the way.

The ring bubbles comes out of Finizen's and Palafin's little blowhole and are very tiny. They come out as a spray, which makes it close range as an attack. A hit will reduce the Movement Speed of opposing pokemon by 2 seconds, resetting the debuff duration with each additional attack.

Palafin-Hero has a very fast basic attack speed, but it winds up a bit to launch its boosted attack, making it just as fast as other pokemon. All three forms can move while attacking.

The boosted attack of Palafin-Hero comes out as a ranged projectile. While it is a sure-hit attack like other ranged basic attacks, it will snag onto the first enemy it crosses paths with, not necessarily the original target.

Opposing pokemon hit by Palafin-Hero's boosted attack will be Immobilized for 1.5 seconds. While Immobilized, the pokemon can still attack and use moves and items, with the exception of Dash moves.

If Palafin-Hero is nearby any opposing pokemon ensnared by its boosted basic attack, the next basic attack will be a mighty punch that Shoves enemies away in the opposite direction. This Shove damages other pokemon as well. Note that this punch will not increase the basic attack meter nor will it expend the boosted basic attack if you have one.

The first tool in a superhero's toolkit is a weapon or skill that aids in immobilizing criminals trying to escape justice. For Palafin, that would be a sticky film of ring bubbles that cling to the enemy and binds their limbs in place, preventing their movement.

Of course, this is for the Hero form. Both the Zero form and its preevolution spray a series of bubbles out from its blowhole in an attempt to hinder the bad guys. It's a noble effort, but not all that effective as the pokemon needs to be close by to hit the enemy with these ring bubbles.

When Palafin shifts into its Hero form, though, the basic attack becomes a very reliable method of incapacitating the enemy team. Just by mashing the basic attack button, you'l be able to ensnare the enemy in a ring bubble, which both hinders the enemy and prevents them from using Dash moves. It won't stop them from casting ranged attacks, but you can with a followup punch.

Standing next to an immobilized enemy will change the basic attack used when it comes out. When the opportunity presents itself, Palafin will instead deliver a high pressure punch that blows enemies away, sending them flying and damaging other enemies caught in the path of the flying fiend. It's great for destabilizing the opposing team's offensive structure as it separates players from their teammates, but you only have 1.5 seconds to use this followup attack, so get your hits in while you can.

Ah, but what exactly is a hero? I can't answer that for you, but I can describe how Palafin does it.

Ability: Water Veil/Zero to Hero

Water Veil (Finizen)

The user's Defense and Sp. Defense increases and becomes resistant to hindrances after 5 seconds of battle with the opposing team.

Zero to Hero (Palafin)

This ability activates after 7.5 seconds of battle with the opposing team. The user's Defense and Sp. Defense increases and the user becomes resistant to hindrances. Using moves and dealing damage to the opposing team reduces this timer. After activating, Palafin changes to its Hero Form while using Dive or when it retreats to base manually. The user stays in this form until it is KO'd.

When Water Veil and Zero to Hero activate, both Finizen and Palafin become resistant to hindrances. Water Veil increases Finizen's Defense and Sp. Defense by 20% whereas Zero to Hero increases them by 35% instead.

The timing activation works like the Leftovers and Float Stone items but in reverse. The battle has to start when the user takes or deals damage to an opposing pokemon. Likewise, the ability buff deactivates after 5 seconds out of combat.

Damaging pokemon on the opposing team with your moves reduces the cooldown of Zero to Hero by 0.5 seconds each time.

When activated, Palafin will change into its Hero Form while submerged during Dive or when it reappears at the home base after retreating manually. The Hero Form will be maintained permanently until you are KO'd.

The defense buffs and hindrance resistance boons still have to be activated through combat, even while the user is in Hero Form.

First off, Finizen's Water Veil is a pragmatic ability that triggers during fights, but it's worth the effort. Getting a defense boost and a hindrance resistance is a powerful boon, but you are still a Speedster, so don't overestimate its effects.

I bring up Water Veil because Zero to Hero has a similar activation requirement. It takes a little longer to activate, but the boost is stronger and the activation timing can be reduced by using your moves as normal. However, once activated, Zero to Hero requires two specific conditions to be met before Palafin can transform. Well, there is a third way to transform, but this is the most common way you'll get it done in the heat of battle.

If Zero to Hero is activated, you'll change into your Hero form when you retreat to base manually. When you pop back in at the main base, you'll automatically have changed into your Hero form, and you can rush back to the fight by using the jump pad, if it happens to have been set up. Alternatively, you'll change form automatically while using Dive, so you won't need to take a long detour to return to the fight.

But why Dive? That's a starting move, isn't it? Well, superheroes are very good at keeping secret identities, pretending to be weaker, plain old civilians in broad daylight. Think you can commit crimes while this cute little dolphin is nearby? Think again.

At the beginning of the game, Palafin will start out as Finizen. You can choose between Aqua Jet and Dive as your first move. By Level 3, you'll have learned both.

Move 1: Aqua Jet (Dash)

A mighty water tackle that travels a fair distance. Each hit reduces the cooldown of Dive. The cooldown of this move is reduced each time you damage an enemy on the opposing team. 3.5s cooldown.

Aqua Jet reduces the cooldown of Dive by 2 seconds each time it hits an opposing pokemon.

Additionally, each time you damage an enemy on the opposing team, the cooldown of Aqua Jet is reduced by 2 seconds.

Dolphins are known for their fancy water tricks and they're intelligent disposition. Yep, just those things, nothing else.

For that reason, Finizen and Palafin are both expert users of Aqua Jet. A fast cooldown of 3.5 seconds means that this portly porpoise has an easy time rushing around the map. The move gets even faster when used in combat, as the move gets its own cooldown reduced when dealing damage to enemies on the opposing team. A little splash of water can actually hurt if you splash hard enough.

Not only that, Aqua Jet also reduces the cooldown of Dive, which it needs since the move is part of its transformation plan.

Move 2: Dive (Dash)

The user jumps and splashes into a puddle, damaging nearby enemies. The user then jumps out towards the designated direction, splashing water everywhere and Shoving nearby enemies. The button can be held to delay the resurface attack. 9s cooldown.

When the user dives into the puddle, it becomes unreachable and cannot be targeted by any attack or ability. This works just like Talonflame's Fly.

Upon resurfacing, the water splash Shoves away nearby enemies.

The attack button can be held to delay the resurfacing attack by up to 3 seconds. The user will be forced to reemerge after 3 seconds.

Where did all of this water come from? And how is it that you can hide in a puddle of water like this? Listen, we're 9 generations into pokemon. The time to ask these kinds of questions was 8 Gens ago. It's best not to think about how pokemon physics work.

Like how Finizen doesn't have to worry about diving into extremely shallow water when it uses Dive. No, it hits the water with enough power to hurt nearby enemies, but that's not all. When Finizen resurfaces, the power of its propelled push repels potential opponents in proximity, Shoving them away slightly.

Now, if there's one thing dolphins are known for, it's the fact that they're actually mammals, and that they are able to live in the water thanks to being able to hold their breath for a really long time. Holding the attack button during the dive has Finizen hold its breath, delaying the second attack for a short while. Now, I say short, because Finizen and Palafin aren't allowed to stay underwater for the whole game, so they have to pop out after 3 seconds at most. You can aim where your jump leads to in the meantime, but if you want to also hit your enemies, you better aim quick, since they'll likely retreat away from the attack while you're aiming.

Now, I briefly mentioned that both Finizen and Palafin can use this move and Aqua Jet, even though this is a beginner move. Why is that? Also, how is Dive supposed to activate Zero to Hero if that ability is exclusive to the evolved form? All will be explained in due time.

Which is now. Pay attention.

At Level 7, Finizen evolves into Palafin. At the same time, you will be asked to choose between Flip Turn and Jet Punch for Move Slot 1, and Focus Punch and Wave Crash for Move Slot 2.

These moves will replace Aqua Jet and Dive respectively when Palafin shifts from Zero to Hero.

Move 1a: Flip Turn (Dash)

A water dive straight forward that Shoves enemies. On hit with an enemy or a wall, the user dives in the opposite direction and dashes a much greater distance, damaging enemies. The user's Movement Speed increases for a short while afterwards. 5s cooldown.

At Level 12, Flip Turn becomes Flip Turn+.

The return dive deals increased damage and resets the cooldown of the move if it KO's an opposing pokemon.

Flip Turn will send the user dashing in the opposite direction after hitting a wall or opposing pokemon. The user's Movement Speed increases by 50% for 4 seconds afterwards.

The return dive of Flip Turn+ deals 2.5x more damage.

First off, the reason why Palafin is able to use Aqua Jet and Dive is because it is assuming the identity of a plain old Finizen. Secondly, much of Palafin's high powered moves are only effective when used during its supercharged Hero form transformation. As such, when you evolve from Finizen to Palafin, the moves you choose to upgrade to will replace Aqua Jet and Dive respectively when Palafin successfully changes forms.

Between Flip Turn and Jet Punch, this move makes Palafin rather speedy. With a graceful kick, Flip Turn sends Palafin forward and then back, warping the water around itself so that it may reduce drag while swimming. It's the definition of a hit-and-run attack, so it's useful for diving in to get the enemy's attention.

Of course, you don't actually need to hit anyone. If you're in the middle of grinding for EXP, and you hear a call for help on the other side of the map, Flip Turn can be used against a wall to give you a burst of speed. A 1.5x boost for 4 seconds is a lot of time to cover a lot of ground, but you aren't likely to make it in time. Thankfully, Flip Turn has very low cooldown, so you can refresh the boost on another wall or wild pokemon if necessary.

Also, Palafin can move continuously while using its basic attack, making it very fleet-footed in combat combined with that boosted Movement Speed. Using the boost in tandem with the Shove effect makes Palafin very effective at either disrupting the enemy team or picking off stragglers.

However, because the move pushes against walls, Flip Turn cannot be used to jump over them, or obstacles for that matter. Also, the pokemon you hit with Flip Turn will be pushed the furthest away from you. Depending on the pokemon, they can safely retaliate with long range moves, like Delphox and Dragapult. Also, speedy enemies that can use Dash moves are likely to either reenter the fight or make a run for it. Either make sure that Flip Turn secures the KO, or that you hit an opposing bulky All-Rounder or Defender with this move to better destabilize the attacking front.

If you want a better move built for diving into fights, Jet Punch is the preferred option. Aside from Dive, all things considered, but that move is exclusive to the Zero Form, and Finizen. Ahem.

Move 1b: Jet Punch (Ranged/Dash)

The user launches a jet of water from its fist, damaging all enemies in the way. Afterwards, the move can be used again to deliver a flying punch at the area where the attack landed. Any enemy hit by both moves receives extra damage. 7.5s cooldown.

At Level 12, Jet Punch becomes Jet Punch+.

Reduced cooldown.

Jet Punch is a ranged attack that comes out at a fixed distance. After the move is launched, Jet Punch can be used again to send the user flying with another punch, landing at the fixed point of the ranged attack. You have 3 seconds to use the attack again before the move goes on cooldown.

If the fixed point is within a wall or obstacle or otherwise out of bounds, the user will land as close as possible to the fixed point.

The flying punch deals 3.5x more damage to all opposing pokemon damaged by the ranged attack initially.

Jet Punch+ reduces the cooldown of the move to 6 seconds.

In game, Palafin is able to use these punch attacks before changing into its Hero form, which I think is cute and silly. However, in Pokemon Unite, it's much easier to animate by making these attacks exclusive to the supercharged form. It also looks much more heroic this way.

Jet Punch is a flying water punch ejected from Palafin's fist shaped fins, dealing pretty decent damage. However, the attack has a followup combo, which sends the aquatic superhero flying towards the impact point of the ranged wave. This second strike deals multiplied damage against enemies that got splashed by the initial shot, making it a very powerful attack to dive into fights with.

The followup strike will send you flying towards the spot where Jet Punch landed, which is a fixed distance. It reaches very far, but things can get weird if it happens to land within a wall or out of bounds. Don't worry, the attack won't send you flying into oblivion, but it becomes difficult to accurately use the followup strike if you don't know which side of the wall you'll land on.

Also, the followup strike had to be used manually. You can delay it a bit to deliver a series of basic attack strings, but it is nearly impossible to combine it with your other move due to the strict timing.

Speaking of which, let's take a look at the rest of this superheros skill set.

Move 2a: Focus Punch (Melee/Dash)

The user flies at the designated area and lands with a quaking punch. The user then charges its fist and dashes towards the designated direction, dealing great damage and Throwing all enemies hit. 9.5s cooldown.

At Level 13, Focus Punch becomes Focus Punch+.

Deals increased damage and charges faster.

Focus Punch has the user jump a short distance and crack the ground with its fist. This quake attack Stuns opposing pokemon briefly for 0.5 seconds and reduces their Movement Speed by 30% for 1 second.

After landing, the user focuses and charges the attack for 3 seconds. The flying fist attack reaches far, damage all enemies along the way and Throwing them. Focus Punch+ reduces the charge time to 2 seconds and increases the overall damage of the move by 3x.

You ever see those superhero landings where the hero hits the ground, cracking it, landing on their fist and knee? It turns out that that pose is terrible for your back and legs, so you'll never see it done in real life. Not only is Palafin not real, it doesn't have knees, so it can get away with doing the superhero landing.

Focus Punch sends you flying at the designated area with a mighty punch, covering a lot of ground with a single jump. The landing quake Stuns nearby enemies for a brief second and reduces their movement speed for a short while. This is all so that the enemy can't easily escape the following charge punch coming up. After landing, Palafin focuses power for 3 seconds before it charges fist first in the designated direction.

This second punch deals heavy damage and can easily KO most Attackers and Speedsters, but 3 seconds of focus is very demanding in the heat of battle. It's not unlikely you'll get stifled by a hindrance before the attack comes out, even with the Stun effect taking the enemy by surprise. The power is worth it, though, as it can put a huge dent in Defenders and All-Rounders. You might even consider running Full Heal just for the insurance.

The upgrade shortens the charge time of Focus Punch from 3 seconds to 2, making it faster and more reliable to hit. It also drastically increases the overall damage output, greatly rewarding you for successfully landing the attack. You still have to watch out for hindrances, so maybe you should wait until the enemy team has exhausted all of their stunning attacks or have Zero to Hero actively boosting your defenses and granting you hindrance resistance. Heroes are always fashionably late, you know.

They're also famous for crashing the party. For Palafin, it brings with it a wave of justice.

Move 2b: Wave Crash (Ranged)

The user dives into a large pool of sea water, then reappears while launching a large wave in the designated direction, Shoving enemies away. The attack can be held to remain underwater for a short while longer, while also increasing the size and damage of the wave attack when the user resurfaces. 9s cooldown.

At Level 13, Wave Crash becomes Wave Crash+.

Increases the Shove power of the wave.

The user dives into a pool of water and comes back out 1 second later, launching a large wave in the designated direction. This wave Shoves enemies away, though not the whole length of the attack.

Like with Dive, Wave Crash can be delayed by holding the attack button for up to 2.5 seconds. However, holding the attack causes the resulting wave to increase in size and power proportional to the charge time.

Wave Crash+ increases the Shove distance by 50%.

What do heroes like Palafin use to clean the city of crime? Why, with a big wave of pure seawater, of course. A salty splash of saline sanitizes the streets of sin, saving the citizens with satisfying succor.

Back when you were a Finizen, Dive was useful in providing a moment of invulnerability in the heat of battle. As Palafin Zero, it was the most effective way at damaging multiple enemies in order to trigger Zero to Hero multiple times in one attack. Having changed into Hero form, the only way to retain this momentary immunity is to learn Wave Crash over Focus Punch.

The tradeoff is subjective. Wave Crash casts a big projectile that can Shove enemies, which is useful for a Speedster that is prone to being taken by surprise. Blowing away foul fiends from your helpless teammates is a surefire way to save the day. Some players would prefer the ability to dive into the fight recklessly, but they're usually overconfident about their ability to deal burst damage as a Speedster.

Just like with Dive, you can hold the attack button to delay resurfacing. While you have slightly less time to hide, holding the attack button will charge the power and size of the wave that comes out. A bigger wave means you can catch more opponents in the wash, blowing them back with the might of the sea.

Now, holding the attack can make the wave projectile a bit predictable. Any enemy packing hindrance resistance or immunity like Full Heal will know the attack is coming and can react to it when the wave appears. Also, 2.5 seconds is plenty of time for the enemy to dash over and reach the objective you're trying to block, so try to settle for just long enough to charge up Wave Crash.

Though, if you really wanted to demonstrate the full might of the sea, no other power will compare to Palafin's Unite Move.

Unite Move: Palafin To The Rescue! (Area)

The user dives into the water before reappearing at the designated area with a sunken ship pulled straight from the seafloor. The user then throws the sunken ship in the designated direction, Shoving all enemies hit by the attack and Stunning them for a while.

This Unite Move is functionally similar to Dragonite's Unite Move, Draco Impact, in that an area has to be designated and selected, and the reach of the attack is considerably far. Although compared to Dragonite's Unite Move, Palafin to the Rescue can cover a little over half the distance. An area cannot be selected if Palafin cannot be within it, such as within a wall or out of bounds.

After diving down, Palafin reappears with a huge wooden ship that had sunk to the seafloor. Palafin will then chuck the entire thing in the designated direction, damaging all enemies along the way, Shoving them the entire length of the attack, and Stunning them for 1.75 seconds. Palafin is Invincible during the attack.

If Palafin-Zero uses this Unite Move, it will reappear as Palafin-Hero at the designated area. Like with Zero to Hero, Palafin will stay in this Hero Form for the rest of the battle or until it is KO'd.

When you really need a hero, one will pop up out of nowhere. It doesn't matter when or where, just call for help, and Palafin will appear, never fear.

When you need to use Palafin to the Rescue, the target range and distance is pretty far for a Unite Move. It's comparable to Dragonite's Draco Impact, though it doesn't reach quite as far. Still, being able to cover a lot of ground really quickly is vital to saving the day, even if you're crashing the party with a last minute present.

When Palafin appears out of the water, it comes out holding an old, wooden ship that sank to the seafloor years ago, probably over a decade ago. I don't know what that flotsam is doing in Theia Ruins or why there are so many of them around Aeos Island, but to Palafin it doesn't matter. The enemy team will be taking a very close look at its hull when the entire thing is thrown at them.

The old ship may be rickety and waterlogged, but it still packs a punch when Palafin throws it at the enemy team. It's such a big projectile too, which makes it difficult to avoid. Those unlucky enough to get hit will be Shoved away the whole distance of the attack. Afterwards, they'll be Stunned in place for a while, allowing you and your team to finish them off or safely secure the objective.

Palafin to the Rescue is a powerful Unite Move in its effect and execution, but perhaps its most significant boon is that it allows Palafin Zero to change into Hero immediately. This makes it ideal for jumping back into a fight after an unfortunate KO, skipping the wait time for Zero to Hero to activate, and starting the battle with the HP advantage, especially if you manage to hit most of the opposing team with the flying ship.

The only downside to the Unite Move is its long charge time. The power to push away an entire team with a huge projectile, and being Invincible the whole time, is an overpowered effect that has to be used sparingly. As such, Palafin to the Rescue must be used at crucial times, you shouldn't expend all of your power for minor disturbances. No, when there's evil afoot, you must be prepared to quash the worst of them with your overwhelming strength.

It's a fish, it's a boat, no, it's Palafin!

Achievement

Have your allies Assist you and KO opposing pokemon while in Hero Form.

The whole point of being a hero is to save defenseless people from fiends who would use their powers maliciously, but that's kind of hard to do when your peers are equal to you in strength. Therefore, as part of a team, you must back your teammates up when their strength fails them, whether they were caught by surprise or they have been weakened considerably from a fight. Why, you could call yourselves a league of justice, or something to that effect.

As such, this achievement requires you to KO pokemon on the opposing team while in Hero form, but you must also have an ally Assist you with it as well. It's strangely worded, but basically, you and an ally must be fighting together to secure a KO. Now, it doesn't have to be a 2-v-1 fight. It could be you and a friend versus 3 or even 4 opposing pokemon. As long as you get the last hit, it'll count for the achievement.

However, keep in mind that Palafin is a Speedster, so starting the fight on equal footing is not likely to work out for you. Even with an ally Comfey attached to you, I don't think the fight will end well, as it's difficult for a Speedster to stay alive against multiple opposing pokemon (not counting the current meta of Zoroark and Comfey duos, those two are insane...). I mean, maybe if the whole team was weakened, but at that point you could handle things yourself, missing the whole point of the achievement.

The best way to fill out this achievement would be to come to the rescue of your allies, after they have taken the brunt of the damage from the fight. It may be poor form to wait for your teammates to soften up the enemy, but if they are able to hold out and keep up the pace, they'll be just as capable of finishing the fight themselves. If not, you can come down to help and finish the job for them. Sometimes the opposing side will get backup, at that point you can crash the party to even the odds, taking control of the lane for you and your team.

Never fear, Palafin is here.

Holowear

Unlike most pokemon, Palafin shifts between two forms during battle, so our Holowear choices must give some attention to both the Zero and Hero form. Since the Zero form uses anonymity to blend in and pretend to be weak, we can make the Hero form look more grandiose than it already is.

First, up, Pirate Style Holowear gives the Zero form a blue and white striped bandanna on its head, whereas the Hero form is fully decked out in a tricorn hat, eyepatch, captains coat slung over its shoulders like a cape, and a belt strapped with a toy sword and toy gun. On the opposite side of the morality spectrum, Navy Style Holowear gives little Palafin a cadet's cap, and the big Palafin wears a sea captian's hat, a large coat shirt slung over its shoulders, also worn like a cape, and an ascot around its neck. In Masquerade Style Holowear, the little dolphin gets a quaint eye mask to cover its face, but the big dolphin gets a bigger, fancier mask, a top hat with some fluff and wiry decor, and a short cape flowing from its back. In true heroic fashion, Lifeguard Style Holowear gives Palafin Zero a little outdoorsy hat and whistle, whereas the Hero form retains all of these things as well as a flotation board strapped to its back along with a utility belt full of medicinal supplies. And finally, Orange and Grape Style Holowear is very special, as it puts little Palafin in a polo shirt along with a scarlet and violet pair of shorts and tie; I call this Holowear special, because it pays homage to the classic superhero trope of keeping a secret identity, making Palafin appear to be a regular student at Naranja/Uva Academy from Pokemon Scarlet/Violet. What about Palafin Hero? Well, it wears a scarlet and violet themed mask and superhero cape, along with a fashionable belt around its waist.

Justice is served, and served while serving looks, of course.

Strategy

All heroes come from somewhere, but superheroes can come from out of nowhere, saving the day with blinding speed. Of course, you have to build up to that power and potential, so let's discuss what you need to do to become a superhero.

Firstly, taking the Central Area is the easiest and safest way of getting enough EXP to get to Level 5, but your moves are better suited for direct combat with opposing pokemon. Yes, you're a Speedster, but running into Top or Bottom Lane may not be such a bad idea, especially if an ally Attacker may need the EXP more than you.

However it goes, sooner or later you will run into opposition, and hopefully you'll have learned both Aqua Jet and Dive. It's important to master these moves early because Palafin Zero uses these attacks to help shift into Palafin Hero much more easily. While Dive is a great jumping attack, it's also a fantastic retreat option as well. You can jump in, jump out and fly back in the direction you came from, all the while distracting the enemy with waterworks.

Aqua Jet can be used to be more direct with the enemy team. Since the move lowers the cooldown of itself and Dive when fighting the enemy, you can splash about like a happy dolphin ignorant to the damage you're causing to the enemy team. It makes you harder to hit, yes, but ranged basic attacks will still hit their mark due to how the game works. There are also plenty of Sure-Hit moves to watch out for in the early game, like Scorbunny's Ember or Pikachu's Thunder Shock.

Assuming you've gotten good at playing with water, you'll also have gotten the hang of fighting as Finizen. The little dolphin is a bit needy when it comes to EXP, so you're gonna need to keep up the pace up until Level 7. When you hit Level 7, Finizen evolves into Palafin, but instead of replacing moves, you're picking out the moveset for Palafin Hero for when you transform. When you make your choice, you'll be stuck in Zero form for a while, still stuck with Aqua Jet and Dive. If you want to shift into Hero form, you'll have to pick a fight with some ruffians.

Fighting as Palafin Zero, your base stats are slightly improved from what they were as a Finizen, but you're still a bit flimsy for a Speedster. Even so, you do need to engage in fights if you want to activate Zero to Hero. You will be rewarded for your bravery, of course, as the defense boosts are pretty great, but the hindrance resistance will be a lifesaver in any and all situations. You just have to pick your battles carefully, as you only need to be in the fight just enough that Zero to Hero activates. Remember, Aqua Jet and Dive both reduce the cooldown of Zero to Hero each time you hit an enemy with these moves.

When you do manage to activate Zero to Hero, you have two different options to change your form. The quickest way would be to use Dive and resurface as a completely different pokemon, primed and ready to save the day. The other, more boring method is to manually recall to base. There are only two situations where you would manually recall to base over using Dive to cover your transformation. The first would be to restore your lost HP, as the Hero transformation is permanent until you are KO'd. Nothing feels worse than letting all of that hard work go down the drain.

The second situation is more uncommon but still feasible. Say you help an ally wipe out the team in Top or Bottom Lane. They're all gone, but there's an important objective on the other side of the map. If you were to walk the whole way, Zero to Hero would deactivate, and you'd have to get into another fight to reignite that heroic spark. However, if you just manually recalled, not only will you guarantee the transformation, but you can use the springboard to more quickly reach your destination. You'll have your HP topped off too, so you can start the next fight fit as a fiddle.

You can't afford to be KO'd, though, as Zero to Hero will then have to be reactivated after you respawn. Luckily, Zero to Hero still retains its boon of granting boosted defenses and hindrance resistance, so you can get a defensive buffer midway through the fight. The defense boosts may not help out much, considering you are only slightly bulkier than a normal Speedster, but the hindrance resistance is the most important boon to have in your fight.

For example, you'll be able to use both hits of Jet Punch freely without getting interrupted, and your Focus Punch hits will never be stifled by hindrances. The speed boost of Flip Turn means that you can move and attack freely while it's active, since Palafin can use its basic attacks freely while moving. Wave Crash is mostly unaffected by the hindrance resistance, since you go into hiding for a second or two, depending on your charge time. Overall, it's important to have the hindrance resistance boon activated during Zero to Hero, and to do that, you'll need to be careful on how you handle the fight until it's powered up.

Palafin's most powerful moves, Focus Punch and Wave Crash, suffer from high cooldown, so these moves must be used either at the beginning of a fight or reserved until the opposing team has exhausted all of their defensive abilities. The awesome power of Focus Punch and Wave Crash can be mitigated by a well timed shield provided by Blissey's Safeguard or Hoopa's Trick. Not only that, any pokemon with a Dash move can and will use them to run away, so it's best to immobilize them with your boosted basic attack first.

Lastly, we need to go over the applications of your Unite Move, Palafin to the Rescue! Not only is it powerful, it also covers a lot of space, making it nearly impossible to miss against the enemy team. That said, there's a good 1.5 seconds of showboating on Palafin's part when it comes out of the water with a massive lunker on its shoulders. The ship will always be thrown at the same time and speed, so experienced players can time their Dash moves just right to avoid the attack. Be that as it may, the most important power up provided by your Unite Move is that fact that it lets Palafin Zero change to Hero when it's used. Hit or miss, you'll start the fight powered up with super strength, super speed, and super swimming skills.

Faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive.

And that's Palafin for Pokemon Unite! I love the superhero idea for this dauntless dolphin and figured that if it got into Pokemon Unite, it would look something like this. After a difficult fight, you get rewarded with a massive power boost, rushing in to save the day like the hero you truly are.

Alright everyone, there's only one more post left in Season 3. Hold on to something, because the very earth itself will shake when this pokemon gets here. Until then, maintain order.

See ya next week for the Season finale!

#Palafin #Finizen #Pokemon Unite

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