Raikou vs. Zapdos

[Tazzler]

This seems fitting enough. The two legendary electrics and the most used competitively.

Anyway, I chose raikou. First, it looks much more cooler and it is a feline, which is awesome in my book. It is the reason why blissey became overused. It will tear any team to shreds that lack snorlax, blissey, regice, steelix, or celebi with Calm Minded thunderbolts. Calm Mind is a great move for it making its thunderbolts and hidden powers/crunches do more damage in the long run than zapdos. Zapdos is by no means shabby and its bulkyness and immunity to arena trap and spikes can make it the better choice. I use raikou on my main team and zapdos on my extra teams.

 

[Sk@rmory288]

Raikou of course.

It's nice, fast, and can use Calm Mind. I murder teams with this cat. It's hard for me to have a team without this guy.

 

[Anikin]

Raikou. He is much better than Zapdos could ever be.

 

[≈*Virulent Tsunami*≈]

Raikou easily. Apart from being cooler, Raikou is helpfully fast and can use Calm Mind and Substitute well together. I love owning Dugtrios when they switch in on the Sub, seeing as Dugtrio is commonly used Raikou counter. Unless the Dugtrio has HP/Sp. Defense EVs(rare, to my knowledge, but my Raikou was destroyed by a Dugtrio like that), Raikou just HP Ice/Grasses the Dugtrio and gets it out of the way for the rest of the Team. Apart from Dugtrio, there's not a lot that can defeat Raikou. Switches in to Milotic brilliantly, defeats non-Psych Up Regice one-on-one, and defeats a ton of other common things. Snorlax, Steelix, and Blissey ruin Raikou's fun, but that's why it's a late-game Sweeper. It's meant to come in and finish off all the other Pokémon after those three are down.

Zapdos is good in it's own right; I used it for a long while before using Raikou. But in the end, Raikou is a lot more useful to me, and I can't imagine having a Team without it.

~*CB*~
The 8th Champion​

 

[AJ Flibble]

Both. Zapdos can do so much, it's amazing. It can even Drill Peck and attack physically if you want it to - max 308 IIRC Attack is pretty impressive.

Raikou is cooler IMO, and is more focused in it's strengths - setting up and sweeping. In the end I cannot choose.

I find it very strange that Raikou is getting all the votes when Zapdos seems to be more widely used.

 

[Shiny_Latias]

Raikou ftw.

 

[Freakshow]

Zapdos gets my vote because he's my favorite non-uber. It reminds me (it actually is the thing) of a Native American Thunderbird. Competetively, Zapdos still gets my vote because he's flying and not trapped to be doomed by Dugtrio, and that he can learn a variety of team based moves namely Baton Pass. Raikou may be "cooler"(IMO he isn't any cooler), and gets a move we all know of named Calm Mind, Zapdos's Flying + Ground resistance is too cool to be passed off. It can outstall Blissey if it doesn't have Ice Beam witth Rest. Even if it has Ice Beam, Zapdos can outstall that with Light Screen on its side. Raikou can do that too, but who uses STalk Raikou anyway?

Raikou may have the ability to sweep like no one else, so there isn't really a better choice. I just prefer Zappy for many reasons. And IMO its design is much better. A Legendary Native American Thunderbird > An Electric Feline. And unlike Raikou, Zapdos can attack physically.

This time, I'm not going with the crowd

 

[Ajox]

Zapdos, Kanto Rules

 

[FDT Emperor]

I like Zapdos because of Drill Peck to take care of Fighters and stuff like Celebi, and it can't get hit by Earthquake.
But I think Raikou looks cooler, and I like Calm Minding with 361 speed.

 

[Tazzler]

Zapdos gets my vote because he's my favorite non-uber. It reminds me (it actually is the thing) of a Native American Thunderbird. Competetively, Zapdos still gets my vote because he's flying and not trapped to be doomed by Dugtrio, and that he can learn a variety of team based moves namely Baton Pass. Raikou may be "cooler"(IMO he isn't any cooler), and gets a move we all know of named Calm Mind, Zapdos's Flying + Ground resistance is too cool to be passed off. It can outstall Blissey if it doesn't have Ice Beam witth Rest. Even if it has Ice Beam, Zapdos can outstall that with Light Screen on its side. Raikou can do that too, but who uses STalk Raikou anyway?

Raikou may have the ability to sweep like no one else, so there isn't really a better choice. I just prefer Zappy for many reasons. And IMO its design is much better. A Legendary Native American Thunderbird > An Electric Feline. And unlike Raikou, Zapdos can attack physically.

This time, I'm not going with the crowd

GSCers?

Zapdos's ability to switch from dugtrio and take no damage from spikes is great. But raikou is cooler. It has the better design with details rather than just having point wings. Raikou is more fearful-I rather be trapped with zapdos since raikou can shock you and crush you with its sharp teeth. Zapdos does what, stab you with its beak. Zapdos also has an Ice weakness and a rock due to its flying typing. It has electric neutarlity meaning it will los to other electrics. Raikou can use rest too, but it is not used while raikou is more sweeper orientated rather than zapdos' defensiveness.

 

[Volteon]

Jolteon

OK, I´ll choose it´s relative Raikou.

Looks awesome (coolest looking legendary IMO), has Calm Mind, Rest, Crunch, is fast, it´s the only Legendary with just one weakness, and... it´s a feline =D

 

[Atoyont]

Certainly, both Pokémon have their uses. Zapdos is better as a leader and, as has been stated, has an immunity to Ground attacks. Raikou, on the other hand, is used as a late game sweeper. Tazzler swept me with a Raikou last night, preaching its power to me. I voted for both, since one can do something or two that the other can't.

 

[Horn Drill]

This is kinda hard for me to choose, since I use Zapdos a lot on NB and one of my best level 100s on Emerald is my precious Timid Zapdos. I once used that Zapdos to sweep my own Mewtwo and Lugia while practicing for JAA (it was my sister using them, but meh). Zapdos can certainly survive more than Raikou can. I haven't really used Raikou much competitively yet, so I can't really vote right now.

I did get a Modest and Timid Raikou from JAA though. I've been waiting for those for a looooooong time. I've been trying to get a good-Natured Raikou for months.

 

[Golden_Latias]

Let's see, battlewise, Raikou is the best Special sweeper in the game, and it pretty much forces people to use the Standards.

Zapdos is the best legendary bird of the trio and has the highest Special Attack of all the legendaries, along with Moltres. If paired with a Special Sponge, it can rip apart through entire teams. Not to mention, it can very easily take down Gyarados and Metagross, if given the Defense EVs to do so.

I vote Raikou, though. Best Special sweeper in the game is NOTHING to mess with, and not as many Pokemon can beat it. Plus, I like its design more.

 

[AngelLatias]

Raikou. I prefer beasts over birds and Raikou looks cooler.

 

[Pure]

Raikou, for me. It's much faster than Zapdos, and a calm minded thunderbolt and crunch are more effective on my teams.

 

[Kecleon Freak]

Zapdos needs some love, so I'll give this one to the underdog. Plus, he has the novelty value of being on my team waaay back in the days of RBY. And you gotta love an electric type that can't be 'quaked.

 

[Ludicolo von Nosepass]

Raikou i havent mentioned thats one of my absolute favorites?

 

[intergalactic platypus]

Raikou is cool, I don't like Zapados. Its my least favorite legendary bird. I like the dogs better anyway

 

[Orion-Sama]

Trios are meh, but I am rather fond of Raikou. Always liked tigers, and Raikou is the closest thing to one. It's also a very powerful beast, what with through-the-roof Speed and Special Attack, and coupled with both pretty good HP and half-decent Defenses for an Electric Type. Calm Mind makes it even better as well, but not downright broken as its blue brother... >__>

Zapdos is cool, though. Unique Type Combo, OK Stats and the best of the 3 Birds, definitely. Not that I like them much anyway...