The Dominance of Dialga and Palkia Origin Formes in Master League

The hallowed halls of the Master League house some of the strongest monsters in Pokémon GO. However, very few define this challenging PvP format and Dialga has always been a mainstay in the GBL throne.

Naturally, power creep is an unavoidable factor in any Pokémon game, and today, some of the scariest threats happen to be Necrozma’s Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings forms, Zygarde Complete, and the Origin Formes of, you guessed it, Dialga and Palkia.

While seasoned and battle-tested Master League players found Zygarde Complete and the Necrozma duo to be entirely new Pokémon, if you will, the Origin Formes felt like upgraded, stronger versions of the classic Dialga and Palkia.

It was familiar, yet sinister… like déjà vu but awareness of the fact that the abominations were something different entirely. 

With these two OP Legendaries in November 2024 Raids, it’s fitting to have a look at how they have taken a firm grasp over the Master League meta, and the nature of improvements they have over regular D&P.

Dialga Origin in the Master League

Dialga (Origin)

Dialga Origin sacrifices some ATK for a substantial increase in DEF, making it a bulkier version. Their Steel/Dragon combo is undoubtedly a major USP, not being weak to usual weaknesses of Dragon types such as Dragon, Fairy and Ice.

Flavor-wise, they are more or less the same and not as contrasting as Palkia. Let’s check out Dialga and its Origin Forme’s performance in detail.

(1-1) shield scenario

Here, they are more or less the same, with the same wins all across the board. These Ws include Palkia and Palkia Origin, Kyogre, Mewtwo, Zygarde Complete, Dragonite, Giratina Origin and Altered, Togekiss, and Zacian Hero. 

The only difference? Dialga Origin beats regular Dialga! 😀 

(2-2) shield scenario

Not surprisingly, it’s again more or less the same with full shields up and running. With Iron Head getting shielded, Fairy types take the cue and beat both Dialga forms without much effort. In fact, (2-2) is a perfect farm for Togekiss who can gun down either Pokémon with a barrage of Charm. 🙄 

By trading away Fairy types, Dialga co. beat Mamoswine, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh. The variation comes with regular Dialga taking advantage of better offense to barely beat the Origin Forme.

(0-0) shield scenario

When there are no shields around, you’d expect the Origin Forme to be better. Roar of Time has the exact same stats as Draco Meteor… they’re literally clones other than the fact the RoT doesn’t have an ATK debuff like DM. 

But here’s the thing. With both moves having the same power (a whopping 150 DMG at 65 energy), hardly anything that doesn’t resist Draco Meteor survives. Even Steel types take heavy damage. Moreover, regular Dialga with a higher ATK dishes out more damage!

So, in (0-0), where there’s usually room for only one Draco Meteor or Roar of Time, Dialga beats its Origin Forme!

The Origin Forme is obviously able to take hits better and beats targets like Mamoswine and Palkia Origin, which regular Dialga cannot.

Otherwise, common wins are Landorus Therian, Yveltal, Kyogre, Mewtwo, Rhyperior, Dragonite, Giratina Origin and Altered, Zygarde Complete, and Primarina.

Dialga Origin: Master League takeaway

Dialga Origin is a beast but just a slight upgrade over Dialga honestly. They aren’t too different, and even though Origin gets an edge in some matchups, it’s nowhere a drastic or substantial change. 

Thanks to its lack of weakness to Dragon types, it is pretty good in PvE as well although there’s a slew of better options.

Palkia Origin in the Master League

Palkia (Origin)

Unlike the Dialga duo, where the regular form had better ATK to boot, Palkia Origin is literally Palkia on steroids! 😯 

286 ATK is tremendous, and Palkia has a more diverse and functional moveset to back it up. For starters, it packs both Dragon Tail and Dragon Breath. Then, Aqua Tail gains STAB and is super cheap at only 35 energy. Finally, its signature Spacial Rend costs only 50 energy and is 15 energy cheaper than Draco Meteor/Roar of Time.

With Spacial Rend boasting 95 DMG, complemented by low energy cost, and Palkia Origin’s insane ATK, you can see where this is heading. Palkia Origin is a significant improvement over an already amazing Palkia, and has deadly prospects in the Master League.

But, just how good it is?! 😕 

(1-1) shield scenario

Palkia Origin is incredible in (1-1), having the ability to defeat a large section of the Master League meta. Both forms beat the likes of Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Mamoswine, Groudon, Excadrill, Landorus Therian, Giratina Origin, Solgaleo, Rhyperior, Mewtwo, Metagross, Primarina, Melmetal, and Zarude.

Phew, that’s a lot of Pokémon!   Palkia is very underrated, isn’t it?! 

But, this is where the similarities end as the Origin form overpowers more powerhouses, including Dawn Wings Necrozma, Dragonite, Zygarde Complete, and Palkia.

(2-2) shield scenario

The Palkia co rampage continues in the (2-2) shield scenario, where the duo grabs victories against another long list comprising Ho-Oh, Primarina, Giratina Origin and Altered, Metagross, Kyogre, Groudon, Mamoswine, Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma, Zarude, Excadrill, Yveltal, Landorus Therian, and Mewtwo. Wow, both Palkia are amazing!

Palkia Origin then gains extra wins such as Dragonite, Solgaleo, Melmetal, and Palkia. Keep in mind that this powerful Pokémon actually fares better in (1-1) than (2-2) courtesy of the fact that it is able to use Spacial Rend more consistently.

(0-0) shield scenario

Finally, the (0-0) scenario lets Palkia Origin flex its Spacial Rend-ing muscles fully, letting it dominate the Master League meta. 

Common wins between the two Water/Dragon sleuths include Rhyperior, Kyogre, Giratina Origin and Altered, Excadrill, Metagross, Melmetal, Landorus Therian, Yveltal, Primarina, Ho-Oh, and Dusk Mane Necrozma, Palkia Origin cranks it up by eliminating threats including Mewtwo, Dialga, Groudon, Solgaleo, and of course, Palkia.

Basically, Palkia Origin needs freedom to express its 286-ATK-led Spacial Rend, and no wonder it is such a strong closer. That said, Palkia Origin works beautifully in any situation, be it lead, closer, or even switch-in.

Conclusion

The Origin Formes of Dialga and Palkia are two of the biggest pillars in the Master League format. While Dialga Origin is a neat improvement overall, Palkia Origin is a vast upgrade and one of the deadliest in the game.

Try getting yourselves a 100 IV Dialga and Palkia Origin, hopefully with their signature moves in tow. All the best, trainers!

By the way, if you’re curious about why Dialga Origin and Palkia Origin look so weird and what the jaw-dropping inspirations behind their designs are, then be sure to check out the Dialga & Palkia design and lore article!

Dracarys.