Pokémon Azelf

[War Incarnate]

Azelf

Psychic
Base Stats - 75 HP / 125 Atk / 70 Def / 125 SpA / 70 SpD / 115 Spe
Levitate - Takes no damage from Ground-type moves. Cannot be trapped by Arena Trap. Takes no damage from Spikes.

Moveset - Level Up, TM, TR, Egg Move, Move Tutor, Pre-Evolution Exclusive, Transfer Only

Moveset

Level Up movepool

Level 00 - Confusion
Level 00 - Rest
Level 07 - Swift
Level 14 - Detect
Level 21 - Psybeam
Level 28 - Imprison
Level 35 - Extrasensory
Level 42 - Nasty Plot
Level 49 - Psychic
Level 56 - Uproar
Level 63 - Future Sight
Level 70 - Last Resort
Level 77 - Explosion

TM Learnset

TM03 - Fire Punch
TM04 - Ice Punch
TM05 - Thunder Punch
TM08 - Hyper Beam
TM09 - Giga Impact
TM14 - Thunder Wave
TM17 - Light Screen
TM18 - Reflect
TM19 - Safeguard
TM20 - Self-Destruct
TM21 - Rest
TM24 - Snore
TM25 - Protect
TM32 - Sandstorm
TM33 - Rain Dance
TM34 - Sunny Day
TM39 - Facade
TM40 - Swift
TM41 - Helping Hand
TM44 - Imprison
TM56 - U-turn
TM57 - Payback
TM58 - Assurance
TM59 - Fling
TM63 - Drain Punch
TM69 - Psycho Cut
TM70 - Trick Room
TM71 - Wonder Room
TM72 - Magic Room
TM76 - Round
TM78 - Acrobatics
TM87 - Draining Kiss

TR Learnset

TR02 - Flamethrower
TR08 - Thunderbolt
TR09 - Thunder
TR11 - Psychic
TR14 - Metronome
TR15 - Fire Blast
TR19 - Tri Attack
TR20 - Substitute
TR25 - Psyshock
TR26 - Endure
TR27 - Sleep Talk
TR29 - Baton Pass
TR30 - Encore
TR31 - Iron Tail
TR33 - Shadow Ball
TR34 - Future Sight
TR35 - Uproar
TR37 - Taunt
TR38 - Trick
TR40 - Skill Swap
TR49 - Calm Mind
TR65 - Energy Ball
TR68 - Nasty Plot
TR69 - Zen Headbutt
TR76 - Stealth Rock
TR77 - Grass Knot
TR82 - Stored Power
TR83 - Ally Switch
TR90 - Play Rough
TR92 - Dazzling Gleam

IoA Tutor Moves

Expanding Force

Transfer-only Moves

Toxic
Torment
Charge Beam
Double Team
Psych Up
Dream Eater
Swagger
Confide
Magic Coat
Knock Off
Role Play
Shock Wave
Water Pulse
Recycle
Laser Focus
Incinerate
Power-Up-Punch
Mud-slap
Headbutt

Newly Obtainable Moves (if any): Assurance, Drain Punch, Play Rough, Psycho Cut, Self-Destruct, Draining Kiss, Expanding Force, Psybeam, Stored Power, Tri Attack, Baton Pass, Encore, Metronome
Notable Moves:
Nasty Plot
Stealth Rock
Explosion
Psychic
Fire Blast
Psyshock
Dazzling Gleam
Taunt
Knock Off
U-turn
Reflect
Light Screen

Positives:
- Great offensive stats on both sides of the spectrum; while 125 for both attacking stats isn't too spectacular, it's still very powerful unboosted.
- Access to Nasty Plot to bolster that already great special attack even further.
- Very versatile, can run quite a bit of viable sets - a NP sweeper, a suicide lead, and even a Dual Screens setter if you're feeling cheesy.
- 115 base speed is incredibly powerful and enables it to outrun a good portion of the tier.
- Also carries a wide pool of coverage, so that NP sets aren't walled by Steel-types due to Fire Blast, while Dark-types must be wary about switching in due to Dazzling Gleam.
Negatives:
- 75/70/70 defenses aren't the best out there, meaning that Azelf may have some trouble attempting to set up.
- 115 speed, while great, is still outsped by threats like Cinderace and Spectrier.
- Does face some competition for some of the roles that it wants to serve - Spectrier hits way harder and is faster as an NP sweeper, though it suffers from even worse physical bulk and lack of coverage; as a suicide lead, while Landorus-Therian is usually going to be better due to better bulk and the ability to perform far more than Azelf could, though it's not nearly as fast.

Final thoughts on this mon?:
Honestly, Azelf probably isn't going to do too good in OU even when the much more broken threats do get banished to Ubers, but its versatility cannot be underestimated - this thing can do quite a bit and it's quite competent at what it does too - Nasty Plot, Suicide Lead, hell, even Dual Screens if you're really feeling cheesy, it's going to be surprisingly good. That being said though it still faces quite a bit of competition for what it does, so it likely isn't going to be top tier OU anytime soon. But who knows, this might bring its versatile ways of terror-inducing or support down to UU.

Potential Sets:
Azelf @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Psyshock / Psychic
- Fire Blast
- Dazzling Gleam
While this likely isn't going to be its best set, this doesn't mean it doesn't have potential. Azelf's decent amount of coverage means that a Nasty Plot set can be used without the fear of being walled by Steel-types or Dark-types. TL;DR: 125 special attack + Nasty Plot = boom

Azelf @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Taunt
- Knock Off
Suicide lead. Honestly I feel like this doesn't really need any explanation for what it does lol.

Other movesets:
Dual Screens setter for those times when you really do feel cheesy. Otherwise though these 2 sets are likely going to be the ones you're likely going to want to run.

 

[Finchinator]

It hates the abundance of fast pokemon that make it seem less quick relatively, but overall Azelf has potential to rival Mew as a Psychic type lead on HO.

I think NP sets are fringe at best, but the lack of Pursuit may keep the door on them just a crack open once some of the faster things are banned or settle down