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ohthehypocrisy · 4 months

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Palafin for Pokemon Unite!

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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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