Alakazam

Basic Sweeper (Metr01d, although it is generic )
Alakazam @ Expert belt / Wise Glasses / Choice Specs
Modest / Timid
252 Sp. ATK / 252 SPD / 6 HP
-Focus Blast / HP Fighting
-Shadow Ball
-Energy ball/Grass knot
-Psychic

Timid is a decent nature, sicne Alakazam hits things hard enough anyway and this set can hit a whole lot for SE. Modest is there for that extra kick if you want though. Expert Belt and Wise Glasses are decent item choices that allow you to switch attacks. Choice Specs makes him ridiculously powerful, but limits his options.

Psychic is your standard move that you will be using most of the time due it having great power and being a STAB move. Shadow ball is for Ghosts and rival Psychics. If Dark and Steel types are causing trouble, then Focus blast is useful and Energy ball is there to increase the SE range.Focus Blast hits the Dark types that love to ruin your fun, but also hits Steels hard. HP Fighting is a decent choice also there as it'll still OHKO any Weaville and 2HKO any TTar. Energy Ball does more consistent damage, but Grass Knot will hit many things, most notably Tyranitar, hader. To the best of my knowledge, this is resisted by NOTHING.

COUNTERS
The typical counter for 'Zam is Weavile. He's faster than 'Zam and by wearing a CB, can OHKO him with Pursuit even if he stays in. It's very hard for an Alakazam to get away from a Weaville. Tyranitar can do a similar job, but it risks taking a Focus Blast / HP Fighting due to its slow sped.

There is also Blissey, the nightmare of all Special Sweepers. She'll soak up the damage and wear you down with Softboiled. She won't like too many Focus Blasts though.

It's not hard to kill an Alakazam due to its weak defences, but anything coming in will take one hell of a hit.

Grass Knot > Energy Ball, IMO.

You're way more likely to finish off things like Swampert and Hippowdon with Grass Knot but you can't do diddly squat against things such as Vaporeon.

$oily wrote:

Grass Knot > Energy Ball, IMO.

You're way more likely to finish off things like Swampert and Hippowdon with Grass Knot but you can't do diddly squat against things such as Vaporeon.

Yeah, thast one problem with Grass knot. Whereas Energy ball is a constsnt 80 base power, Grass knot can be much higher, but on the other hand, much lower. May add that in to the first post

Metr01d wrote:

Basic Sweeper (Metr01d, although it is generic )
Alakazam @ Expert belt
Timid
SpAtt/Speed 252, Hp 6
-Focus Blast
-Shadow Ball
-Energy ball/Grass knot
-Psychic

Like I said, basic sweeper. Timid is used so that not much outspeeds you, although Modest can also work if you do not fear Weavile (but you are foolish if you don't). Expert belt is used over Choice Scarf/Glasses on this set for the amount it hits for SE, but again, if you fear Weavile, by all means Scarf it (although, that is really the only problem that outspeeds it)

Psychic is your standard move that you will be using most of the time due it having great power and being a STAB move. Shadow ball can destroy Ghosts such as Gengar, but also has the advantage of hitting other Psychics strongly. If Dark and Steel types are causing trouble, then Focus blast is useful and Energy ball is there to increase the SE range. If you feel heavy opponents are far more common, grass knot can replace energy ball, sacrificing consistency for the chance of more power. To the best of my knowledge, this is resisted by NOTHING.

COUNTERS
The typical counter for 'Zam is Weavile. Due to being Dark, it can severly destroy Alakazam with a STAB and as it oftem packs Focus Sash, it will survive any hit. It also outspeeds 'Zam meaning you can't KO it before it KO's you.

There is also Blissey, the nightmare of all Special Sweepers. We all know what Blissey can do, so if either of these two comes up, get 'Zam out of there.

Any other pokemon that has good defenses that can survive two hits from 'Zam can also KO it due to it's abysmal Stats.


edit: Put in $oilys suggestion.

Grass Knot is better as it'll hit TTar harder. He's much more of a threat to you than Vaporeon who will just wall you.

Shadow Ball is not for Gengar, Psychic will hit him harder. It's more for rival Psychics like Cresselia or Starmie.

I'd be tempted to put HP Fighting over Focus Blast since its more accurate and will still OHKO all Weavilles and most TTars.

He's never going to outspeed Weaville without a Scarf, since they always come Jolly. Even then you've not got high chances of killing him first. Your Counters section also begs me to ask - did you learn anything from the terrible Gengar set? Withdrawing your 'Zam against a Weaville normally means death by Pursuit, don't be so eager to advise flight.

Also, in your counters section just add that Weavile can switch in on a Psychic from 'Zam, meaning it can switch in without even needing a Focus Sash.

$oily wrote:

Also, in your counters section just add that Weavile can switch in on a Psychic from 'Zam, meaning it can switch in without even needing a Focus Sash.

Yeah, I'd add in the fact that Weavile can Pursuit you, and I think it's pretty sorted.

Cort3z wrote:

You could also go for a choice specs to really harm those pokemon switching in to counter 'zam. Obviously trick would work for a set like that, as a tricked specs on a DD'er like Tyranitar or a wall like blissey would completely muck them up.

I think the Trick actually counts as another set as it has a very different approach. I must say I'm a fan of it though, it can mess with Weavile and TTar before they take you out.