What is a good moveset for Palkia?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Palkia, post an answer below and upvote the best ones.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Palkia Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Gen V

Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Fire Blast
- Thunder
- Spacial Rend

Answer 2

Probably the coolest mascot to exist. The GIF below really shows it.

Personal Space Please! (Palkia) @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Liquidation
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Dragon Claw: STAB + Item Boost
Liquidation: STAB + Item Boost
Earthquake: I guess abuse other's weaknesses?
Stone Edge: Flat out great move.

Comments

Physical Palkia? I mean, it has good physical attack, but his sp. attack is 30 points higher. Also, I now realize this is from 6 years ago, lol.

Answer 3

Palkia @ Expert Belt
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Draco Meteor
- Aqua Tail

SubPunch mixed set. Substitute to avoid status and give opportunities for Focus Punch. Focus Punch is a very powerful move that can take out steels that resist Draco Meteor. Draco Meteor is a strong STAB move that can take out physical walls. Aqua Tail is a strong STAB water move.

Answer 4

Doubles Ubers

Palkia @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Protect
- Hydro Pump
- Spacial Rend

Specially defensive Palkia is able to pretty easily set up Trick Room for it's team against the strongest special attackers in the tier (Choice Specs Calyrex-Shadow rarely 2HKOs it), even if the opponent decides to double team it. Protect allows Palkia to stay safe from non-Dynamax attacks for a turn, most notably Fake Out (although watch out for Urshifu on the rare occasion it's used). Hydro Pump and Spacial Rend are STAB. Roseli Berry is the item of choice to allow Palkia to survive a Play Rough from Zacian-Crowned and a Moonblast / Dazzling Gleam from +2 Xerneas.

Answer 5

This set is amazing and proven to work.

Palkia @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Spacial Rend
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam / Flamethrower

Spacial Rend is powerful STAB and neutral coverage combined with Choice Scarf speed. Surf is secondary STAB and punishes rain teams. Thunderbolt is always good coverage and power. Ice Beam is always nice with BoltBeam coverage. Flamethrower also works. Scarf assures nice speed with moves covering the Uber tier nicely combined with modest nature and a great Special Attack stat.

Comments

Nice set, now it outspeeds many threats

Answer 6

Palkia @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 SpA / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Spacial Rend
- Surf
- Aura Sphere
- Earth Power

Answer 7

For the Pokémon of Space, I'm extremely upset to see that there’s not a single Gravity set being run here. Does no one know that Gravity boosts all Pokemon on the field’s accuracy by 5/3? With that in mind its time to throw around those base 70 accuracy moves to great effect, this thing is literally only a step down from god and it should be played like so.

Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure / Telepathy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Modest Nature
- Gravity
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder / Fire Blast / Blizzard / Focus Blast

Here’s the gist of the set:

Gravity for the accuracy boost.

Spacial Rend because if I don't include it I’ll get yelled at in the comments for it and it happens to be both its signature move and its best move without drawbacks (Draco Meteor belongs on Choice Specs sets and that's it) and gets Lustrous Orb AND STAB boost.

Hydro Pump for the Lustrous Orb + STAB + Gravity boost.

Thunder / Fire Blast / Blizzard / Focus Blast slap on one of these powerful puppies and watch it shred through your opponents with ease.

As for the investments, this thing has base 100 Speed. It outspeeds a large portion of the Ubers’ tier thanks to the base 90 Speed war. Investing largely in Special Attack and defenses makes this thing bulkier than it already is and gives it absolutely phenomenal offenses. Spend the rest on HP and you’ve got a solid Pokémon that fits onto any team.

Answer 8

Dynamax Palkia

Palkia @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Dual Wingbeat
- Dragon Claw
- Liquidation
- Earthquake / Brick Break

Dual Wingbeat is the star of this set, functioning as Max Airstream. Dragon Claw and Liquidation are STAB, and rain setter Max Geyser. Earthquake is coverage while Brick Break gets you Max Knuckle.

An alternative would be to run this:

Palkia @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Dual Wingbeat
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Spacial Rend
- Earth Power / Thunder / Ice Beam

A special set only making use of Max Airstream.
I prefer the first set due to the higher unpredictability to catch the opponent off guard while being able to do more damage with Max Airstream.

Answer 9

Gen 8 AG

Palkia @ Leftovers / Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor / Spacial Rend
- Thunder / Surf
- Rest
- Toxic / Roar

Specially Defensive Palkia is a niche choice in Balance and bulky offense teams where it can fit as a Eternatus-lite, a more reliable Kyogre counter because of its unique typing that gives it a 4x resistance to Kyogre's Water-type moves and neutrality to Thunder and Ice Beam. Spacial Rend is STAB, has high damage and threatens damage to Eternatus and Kyurem-W. Draco Meteor is an alternative option for picking OHKO on Kyurem-W and Eternatus after some chip, having more power at the cost of SpA drop. Thunder allows it to reliably damage opposing Kyogre and 2HKO it, also dealing nice damage to Yveltal and Ho-Oh. Surf is another option for hitting Necrozma Dusk Mane and Pokemon that resist its Dragon STAB better. Rest is Palkia's only form of recovery, aside from passive recovery from Leftovers. Toxic cripples things like SpD Yveltal, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, etc. that are too bulky for Palkia to break easily. Roar, is to rack up chip damage using hazards and beats CM Ogre more reliably. Lustrous Orb boosts your Dragon-type and Water-type move without having any recoil unlike Life Orb. Leftovers as the other option can give a more steady recovery and decrease multiple uses of Rest.

Answer 10

Palkia @ Muscle Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 6 HP
Jolly Nature
Dragon Claw
Stone Edge
Shadow Claw
Bulk Up / Earthquake

Dragon Claw is STAB. Stone Edge is coverage. Shadow Claw is for coverage. Bulk Up is boosting while Earthquake is coverage.

Comments

WHERE DID SPACIAL REND GO!!??

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Note: PHYSICAL set.

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A few creative things to mess with on this set if you want to ( Just alts I like xD )

Lustrous orb and Waterfall instead of Muscle Band and Stone Edge.
Outrage instead of Dragon Claw ( But I DO like risks with those kinds of things.. xD )
When using Earthquake instead of Bulk up, using Life Orb as an item.

Just for those who like to tweak.

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it has 2 extra evs on hp. lol

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Outrage over dragon claw

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btw you can run 6 extra evs

Answer 11

As you have seen in a lot of my posts, I love Choice items.

Palkia @ Choice Specs
Ability: Telepathy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 HP / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump
- Aura Sphere
- Earth Power

Spacial Rend is a strong Dragon type STAB move that severely dents anything that doesn’t resist it. Hydro Pump is a very strong STAB move that destroys just about anything. Aura Sphere and Earth Power are for coverage.

This moveset is sure to threaten and shred through the opponent’s team!

Answer 12

Palkia @ Psychium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Block
- Hydro Pump
- Spacial Rend
- Thunderbolt

I use this moveset especially against Primal Kyogre and Yveltal. Palkia has good Special Defense and HP, and a Speed of 328 to outspeed the Primals. Z-Heal Block will boost Special Attack by 2 stages. This will be particularly useful against Yveltal and its Oblivion Wing because it will be blocked, Thunderbolt will OHKO Yveltal, and Spacial Rend (which also has a high crit ratio) hits like a truck on Primal Groudon (OHKOs most times after Z-Heal Block). Hydro Pump for that STAB.

Hope you have fun using this set.

Answer 13

Palkia @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor
- Thunder
- Fire Blast

Answer 14

Trick Room!

Palkia @ Room Service
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Trick Room
- Spacial Rend
- Surf
- Earth Power

Comments

You want 0 speed IVs

Answer 15

Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Spacial Rend
- Surf / Aqua Tail
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam

Spacial Rend: High power, crit chance, deals with Dragon types, STAB.
Surf / Aqua Tail: High power, STAB, hits for neutral on Fairy types. Use Surf in singles and Aqua Tail in doubles since Surf hits your ally as well as both of your opponents, while Aqua Tail simply hits one.
Earth Power: High power, hits neutral on Fairies, has a chance to lower Sp. Def, and covers Dialga since Spacial Rend hits for neutral damage on him.
Ice Beam: Hits neutral on Fairies, and also covers other Dragon types).

Answer 16

Palkia @ Waterium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Spacial Rend
- Rain Dance
- Thunder

Use Z-Rain Dance for a speed boost, a 50% boost to Hydro Pump, and perfect accuracy on Thunder.

Answer 17

Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Spacial Rend
- Thunder
- Fire Blast

BTW: You can swap Spacial Rend for Draco Meteor. I prefer Spacial Rend (which is why it made the move list) because it can potentially deal more damage than Draco Meteor with the increased crit ratio, it being more accurate (Spacial Rend is 95% while Draco Meteor is 90%.) and it not having any bad effects. You can swap Spacial Rend for Draco Meteor if you prefer that.

Answer 18

Palkia National Dex AG

Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Spacial Rend
- Fire Blast
- Thunder / Thunderbolt

- Hydro Pump STAB plus base power 110 and boosted by Lustrous Orb giving it even more power however beware of the accuracy of Hydro Pump.
- Spacial Rend STAB plus base power 100 and also boosted by Lustrous Orb and has an accuracy of 95 so it can miss from time to time.
- Fire Blast Coverage against Grass, Steel, and sometimes Ice types and its boosted by sun.
- Thunder / Thunderbolt Thunderbolt has a lower power than Thunder but can work and any weather condition and has good accuracy while Thunder has a high power but has a 70% accuracy so it will miss a lot and in sun its accuracy drops even more but its accuracy is raised in rain but the power it provides is great against the opponents it will be facing making Thunder a good option despite its low accuracy.

Good teammates for this set are Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM because they can cover Palkia's Fairy-type weakness and Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support as well.

Comments

Weather archetypes aren't good in NatDex AG as perma-weather is pretty common in the tier. Also, Thunderbolt is usually an inferior option to Thunder because in higher tiers, you need the extra power and the gamble is worth it.

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Ok, made some edits