How good is Gallade in HG/SS?

Question

I own a Gallade in HeartGold and I've used it to get all 8 Kanto badges. (Coincidentally, it's only Lv. 46.) However, I fear that it might be an issue against Red. So exactly how good is Gallade in HeartGold?

Answer 1

Gallade isn't that good. I would suggest using this instead.

Breloom @ toxic orb
Ability: poison heal
EVs: 252 Spe
- spore
- focus punch
- filler, probably rock slide
- filler, probably seed bomb or substitute

Basically, this thing is good because it can learn a 100% accurate sleep move and use that sleep move to make focus punch more reliable. Gallade relies on close combat, which is weaker, lowers Gallade's stats, and tastes much worse when served to party guests. Even when the opponent resists fighting, Breloom can still use spore to weaken it and help teammates finish it off. Just make sure your Shroomish knows spore before you evolve it.

Answer 2

Hi RobloxWhix,

The first thing I’ll tell you is, Gallade is a good Pokémon, but level 46 is way too low to fight Red’s Pokémons, who are around level 80.

Anyway, here’s a nice move set you can use against Red.

NOTE :- The moveset that I’m going to give you is exclusively against Red, as the moves will have low PPs and are adapted only against his Pokémons.

Gallade
Physical Sweeper

Level :- anything but around 80
Held item :- Expert Belt

Close Combat - Red has 2 Pokémon against which fighting moves are super-effective, Lapras and Snorlax . With Gallade’s high attack, you’ll take both of them easily, but be careful of Snorlax’s Shadow ball and Crunch, which might cause harm to Gallade.

Psycho Cut - Psycho Cut will help you take out Venusaur, and hopefully you’ll land a critical hit :)

Stone Edge - With Stone Edge and Charizard’s great vulnerability to Rock-type moves, you’ll be able to take him out at one hit, if it hits.

Earthquake/Swords Dance - Earthquake will take out Pikachu easily, since light ball only improves his attack and Special attack, but not defense or Special Defense.

On the other hand, you might want to use Swords Dance on the turn Red sends Pikachu, so you can sweep the 4 other Pokémons he will send (Lapras, Snorlax, Venusaur and Charizard).

All the best to you!

Comments

How is this better than Breloom?

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Well, higher Special Defense, higher speed, better movepool, less weaknesses and they’re basically similar in attack. The only thing breloom has better than Gallade is his defense.

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How is Breloom's spore movepool better than Gallade's no-spore movepool? Why do HP, special defense, and weaknesses matter when the opponent is asleep? How is focus punch not stronger than close combat?

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But, what if when Breloom uses spore on, let’s say Lapras, Red uses total heal or full restore, but breloom is still on the first turn of Focus Punch. Since Lapras’ speed is higher than Breloom, he can OHKO him with an Ice Beam, which is super effective on Breloom.

So yeah, even if focus punch can OHKO Lapras, there is still this risk. And also, Gallade can potentially take out 4 of Red’s Pokémons, while Breloom can potentially sweep only 3 (Lapras, Snorlax, And Blastoise maybe)

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First, how strong a Pokemon is and how many of Red's Pokemon it can sweep depends on its level. Second, focus punch has negative priority, but it still only takes 1 turn to work. Third, Red doesn't use EVs. A 16/252 speed Breloom with a neutral nature can outspeed Red's Larpas starting level 56 and Venusaur starting level 74. With no EVs and 16 IVs in all stats, it can survive Pokemon #025's iron tail starting level 65.

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No problem, I just thought it would be easier for the player to just level up his Gallade rather than catching a Shroomish, evolving it, grinding it up to level 60s and getting the right EVs so as not to get swept by one of Red’s Pokémon, since, as specified in the question, he already has a Gallade.
Personnally, I don’t play competitively, but I don’t like Breloom Ingame, just because it has a lot of weaknesses and doesn’t cover much. Anyways, I still prefer Gallade. But I guess you are used with Breloom, so you can find nice strategies with it, but I’m more acquainted to Gallade.

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Breloom is slightly better than Gallade, so I just thought a newly caught Shroomish might actually take less experience to beat Red than a level 46 Gallade would.