Alright, guys, so I’ve been messing around with Palafin in Pokemon Violet, and let me tell you, this dolphin is a beast if you build it right. I wanted to share my experience and how I got mine to be a total powerhouse.
Finding and Catching Palafin
First things first, I caught a Finizen. That’s the pre-evolution, you know, the little blue dolphin. You can find them pretty easily in the sea, just swimming around. I spent a good hour just surfing around the coastal areas until I found one with a decent nature. I was aiming for Adamant, which boosts Attack, but anything that doesn’t lower Attack or Speed is fine, really.
Evolving Finizen into Palafin
Now, this is the tricky part. You can’t just level Finizen up the normal way. I learned this the hard way after grinding for like, two hours and wondering why nothing was happening. You gotta use the Union Circle feature. I joined a friend’s group (you can find people online, too, if you don’t have buddies playing). Then, I leveled Finizen up while in the Union Circle. Boom! It evolved into Palafin. Seriously, it’s that simple, but also super easy to miss.
Building Palafin for Battle
Once I had my Palafin, it was time to make it a monster. Here’s what I did:
- Ability: Zero to Hero. This is Palafin’s signature ability, and it’s amazing. You switch it out, and it comes back in as Hero Form, which is ridiculously strong.
- Nature: Adamant. Like I said before, this boosts Attack, which is what we want.
- EV Training: I focused on maxing out Attack and Speed. You can do this through battling specific Pokemon or using those vitamin items. It takes a bit of time, but it’s worth it. I did some battling, but I am too lazy for it.
- Moveset:
- Jet Punch: This is Palafin’s signature move in Hero Form. It’s Water-type, priority (meaning it usually goes first), and super strong.
- Wave Crash: Another powerful Water-type move. It does recoil damage, but Palafin can usually take it.
- Flip Turn: This is a U-Turn, good for scouting the situation.
- Drain Punch: Good for sustaining.
- Held Item: I went with Choice Band. This boosts Attack even further, but it locks Palafin into one move until it switches out. Since we’re using Zero to Hero, this isn’t a big deal. You could also use Mystic Water or the Shell Bell.
I tried out a few different combinations, but this one has been working the best for me. Jet Punch just obliterates most things, and Wave Crash takes care of anything that resists Water.
Putting it All Together
The strategy is pretty straightforward. I lead with Palafin in its base form. Then, I immediately switch it out. This activates Zero to Hero. Next turn, I bring Palafin back in, and it’s now in Hero Form. From there, it’s just a matter of spamming Jet Punch or Wave Crash, depending on the opponent. Flip turn it out to keep momentum!
Honestly, this Palafin build has been so much fun to use. It’s not unbeatable, of course, but it’s definitely a force to be reckoned with. I spent a few days just tweaking things and testing it out, and I’m really happy with the results. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
