By Emily
Being strong, fast electric types, Blitzle and Zebstrika are two top-notch Pokemon from the Unova region. Their stats and attacks give players at any level in the game a speedy edge, and the best part of these two is their relative commonness. Not to mention some recent merchandise. Zebstrika’s two best attributes are its Attack and Speed, which should be used to their full potential. With most of its moves being physical it has no problem dishing out some real damage.
With Flame Charge, it has a type advantage over many more Pokemon with the added bonus of a speed boost every time it uses the attack. Wild Charge and Thrash are two of the best attacks for this character, thanks to their high base power and Wild Charge’s Same Type Attack Bonus. Even though Thrash will eventually confuse Zebstrika, it allows the Pokemon to get some damage in for multiple turns. The recoil with Wild Charge may make it seem like a double-edge sword, it will allow Zebstrika to take down many of its opponents at a small price.
Me First and Double Kick are two good egg moves for these Pokemon. Double Kick can cover even more types, while Me First is a risky but beneficial attack, especially if the opponent was going to use a physical move. Spark and Pursuit may not deal the most damage, but are useful nonetheless, especially with Pursuit if you can correctly predict your opponent’s next move. Special attacks like Thunderbolt and Overheat are mostly wasted with these Pokemon, though for normal game play they may be just what the Pokemon need for a well-balanced and strong move pool.
Low defenses and a somewhat lackluster HP are the only downsides of these two Pokemon. They may be able to hit hard, but they can’t take many hits with ease. Hence why making the opponent faint is imperative, which is easy enough to do.
Blitzle is available very early in the game in Route 3, and is fairly common, so catching a few to get one with the right nature is easy. Thunder Wave can immensely help with the second gym, while Flame Charge will make the third gym all but beat. Such usefulness is enough of a reason to keep it on your team, and it is also very helpful later in the game when speed and strength are almost mandatory.
All three possible abilities are good options, though timing is very important. Lightningrod and Motor Drive, with Motor Drive being the better option, need the opponent to use an electric-type attack against these Pokemon, which can be rare. However, if it happens the abilities give them a free stat boost and the attack does absolutely no damage. Lightningrod is mostly useful for double or triple battles, while Motor Drive is best for single battles. Even though neither character has had a Dream World release, Sap Sipper is an immensely useful ability since it raises attack and makes your opponent’s grass-type attacks useless.
Some merchandise featuring Blitzle has been released, the best being the Blizle Pokedoll plush. During the spring, more plush of the Pokemon will be released thanks to the My Pokemon Collection series. Zebstrika has not been a part of any official
merchandise yet, though its My Pokemon Collection plush will be released at a yet-unknown time. Hit hard and hit fast; both Pokemon excel at this tactic. For whatever stage you’re at in the game, both Blitzle and Zebstrika are powerful additions in a team. While they may not have the best type coverage and are a little like glass
cannons, they are not a pair to easily forget.
Tags: Blitzle, Generation V, Nintendo DS, Pokemon Black & White, Zebstrika