Gardevoir

xzern

for sure
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taken from shaian,

[OVERVIEW]

Mega Gardevoir establishes itself as one of the more flexible Mega options in the DOU metagame. A sky-high Special Attack, decent Speed tier, and excellent offensive typing paired with a powerful STAB move in Hyper Voice make Mega Gardevoir a very good pick for late-game clean-ups that is just as good early on in order to soften up opposing teams for its partners. On top of its excellent offensive prowess, Mega Gardevoir also possesses a wide array of support options, being a great pick for an Encore user as well as for speed control through Trick Room. This allows Mega Gardevoir to pair quite well with redirection moves, speed control, and Intimidate users, meaning it can be an excellent pick on several kinds of team archetypes.

However, Gardevoir is held back due to its mediocre pre-Mega base 80 Speed, which often forces it to waste a turn using Protect to safely Mega Evolve. It is also ailed by its terrible base 68 HP and 65 Defense, which allow almost every common physical attacker to 2HKO it at worst and readily OHKO it at best, not to mention that it is vulnerable to every common priority attack in the game. Its terrible HP stat also offsets its excellent base 135 Special Defense, which limits how often it can switch in, even against resisted attacks. Gardevoir is also hindered by the frequency of Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, which means that, depending on its coverage, it can become Substitute-bait for Heatran or Aegislash.

Mega Gardevoir is still a very good choice in the DOU metagame, as very few Pokemon can provide the offensive presence and flexibility that Mega Gardevoir can. However, despite the ease with which its weaknesses can be mitigated, they still necessitate support.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Trick Room
move 4: Protect
item: Gardevoirite
ability: Trace
nature: Quiet
evs: 228 HP / 136 Def / 144 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Both Hyper Voice and Psychic are powerful STAB attack options, the former being Mega Gardevoir's primary form of offense due to its incredibly powerful spread damage that allows Mega Gardevoir to deal significant damage to anything that does not resist it. Psychic is used in order to bypass Wide Guard and deal with Poison-type Pokemon that resist Hyper Voice, most notably Amoonguss, though Psyshock can be used as an alternative in order to do more damage to Sylveon. Trick Room is used in order to support slower teammates by reversing the conventional turn order, allowing slower Pokemon to attack before faster ones. Protect lets Mega Gardevoir shield itself from attacks while a partner takes out a threat, stall out opposing field conditions, and punish double targets.

Set Details
========

The EVs on this set allow Gardevoir to always survive a Hasty Life Orb Hoopa-U's Hyperspace Fury, which facilitates setting up Trick Room. With the Special Attack investment and a Quiet nature, Mega Gardevoir can 2HKO non-bulky Mega Kangaskhan with Hyper Voice. Quiet is used over Modest for the drop in Speed, which makes Gardevoir faster in Trick Room. Similarly, 0 Speed IVs should also be used on this set to ensure that Gardevoir can take the most advantage out of Trick Room. Gardevoir's ability pre-Mega isn't really important, as none of them are particularly beneficial, but Trace is sometimes useful for being able to copy a foe's Intimidate.

Usage Tips
========

When using Trick Room Gardevoir, the key is to make sure Trick Room goes up as soon as possible, as this supports not only Gardevoir, but Gardevoir's whole team as well. Once Trick Room has been set up, Gardevoir plays quite similarly to a fast variant, with Hyper Voice now being used as often as possible. However, this set does not have any form of tertiary coverage, meaning it is a lot more dependent on its teammates to cover its weaknesses. One common mistake made when using Trick Room is the assumption that it needs to be set at all times; however, that is not the case, so it is best to remain cognizant of when to set Trick Room and when not to.

Team Options
========

Trick Room Gardevoir works brilliantly because it can supplement speed control for itself. Intimidate support can be fulfilled by the likes of Landorus-T, as it can run sets to work on both fast and slow teams, and Scrafty is a very useful partner as well because its Fake Out allows Gardevoir to set Trick Room with greater confidence and it is also a capable check to Steel-type Pokemon. Redirection users also make for some viable team options, particularly Amoonguss, which becomes notably potent by gaining a fast Spore under Trick Room. Trick Room also allows Pokemon such as Hariyama and Rhyperior to become more threatening options for dealing with Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, with Hariyama also providing Fake Out support. Lastly, Mega Gardevoir also benefits greatly from another form of speed control, with full Trick Room teams preferring another setter such as Hoopa-U or Cresselia and balanced teams preferring an alternate form such as a Tailwind setter like Suicune, as Gardevoir can still outrun a large portion of the metagame if it's using a Modest spread.

[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ground / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Gardevoirite
ability: Trace
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Fast Mega Gardevoir relies heavily on Hyper Voice as its primary mode of offense, with Psychic or Psyshock being used as a secondary STAB move to deal with Amoonguss. Protect is used in order to safely Mega Evolve, stall out opposing field conditions, and scout and punish double targets. Focus Blast is one of Gardevoir's primary coverage options, allowing it to deal significant damage to Kangaskhan, with a 30% chance to OHKO standard set when using a Timid nature and just shy of a 90% chance when using a Modest nature. Hidden Power Ground is another option that grants Mega Gardevoir a more secure method of dealing with Heatran than Focus Blast and can punish opposing Aegislash that try to set up a Substitute on Gardevoir. Encore provides an excellent support option when used in conjunction with a Fake Out user, being able to lock opposing Pokemon into Protect or Substitute.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Mega Gardevoir outrun as much as possible, with the 8 HP EVs allowing it to survive a Sludge Bomb from Landorus and the rest of the EVs invested in Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. If outrunning neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon is not a major concern, a Modest nature can be used instead. A bulkier spread of 72 HP / 108 Def / 220 SpA / 108 Spe with a Modest nature can also be used in order to always survive a Brave Bird from standard Talonflame, as well as a Shadow Ball or Flash Cannon from standard Aegislash, and outrun Jolly Breloom.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Gardevoir is a formidable threat in all moments of the game; however, it is at its best when outrunning and cleaning up worn-down threats with the help of some form of speed control. Typically, when using Mega Gardevoir, the goal is to spam Hyper Voice to take out large chunks of both of the opposing Pokemon's HP until it is forced out or is otherwise incapable of freely using Hyper Voice. Early-game, Hyper Voice can quickly break down the opposing team for Gardevoir's teammates to deal with more easily later on, and late-game, Gardevoir can clean up weakened threats two at a time with ease. Gardevoir's coverage options should only be used if absolutely needed; however, depending on what coverage is being used, Gardevoir is afforded different degrees of freedom. If Gardevoir is using Focus Blast, it may not have to always switch out if an opposing Kangaskhan is on the field if the Gardevoir user is aware of the Speed of both of the Pokemon. Focus Blast and Hidden Power Ground prevent Heatran from safely switching in on Gardevoir and using it as setup bait. Hidden Power Ground and Encore also allow Gardevoir to pressure Aegislash by punishing the Substitute and Wide Guard variants, though these options have to carefully weighed, as Aegislash can punish a bad read much more heavily than Heatran. As already mentioned, Gardevoir benefits greatly from speed control; however, this is especially true because a lot of the key threats it deals with typically outrun it and do significant damage before Gardevoir gets the chance to deal with them, such as Keldeo and Terrakion, which is why Gardevoir works so well with Tailwind to outrun and deal with them effortlessly.

Team Options
========

This Gardevoir set appreciates the presence of an Intimidate user on its team in order to alleviate its bad physical bulk, in particular the likes of Landorus-T and Salamence. Landorus-T is able to quickly beat down bulky Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, which Gardevoir has trouble with, and Salamence is capable of using its mixed offensive coverage to help tackle some of Gardevoir's weak areas and can also offer speed control through Tailwind, which is a major boon for Gardevoir. Due to its middling Speed tier, Gardevoir likes to lean on the use of speed control options, such as Tailwind and Icy Wind, in order to outrun the opposing team and go to work. Notable options for speed control include Hydreigon, Talonflame, Gengar, and Jirachi, the former two setting up Tailwind and the latter two providing Icy Wind support. Each of those also provide some other area of support such as the ability to to beat Steel-types, cripple physical attackers, or provide redirection. The last key element, redirection, is an essential element of any Gardevoir team, as it provides room for Gardevoir to breathe and get into its offense. Jirachi and Amoonguss are the two most prominent options when looking for a redirector, as the former also has access to speed control and Helping Hand, whereas the latter has a sleep-inducing move with Spore. Gardevoir's team should place emphasis in being able to tackle Fire- and Steel-type Pokemon in particular, so options such as Terrakion, Landorus-T, Keldeo, Volcanion, and Heatran are all good picks.

Some other options that Gardevoir teams can make great use of include Fake Out support, as that eases prediction when Mega Evolving and becomes a very disruptive option when used in conjunction with Encore. Infernape works well in this way, as it provides a Fake Out that outspeeds most common Quick Guard users and can deal with other foes that threaten Gardevoir such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn. Quick Guard is another option that Gardevoir greatly benefits from, as it keeps it safe from priority moves such as Talonflame's Brave Bird and Bisharp's Sucker Punch, both of which OHKO it with ease, as well as priority Taunts and Thunder Waves.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Will-O-Wisp is an option that allows Gardevoir to slow down physical attackers, though this move is best employed through teammates because Gardevoir's frailty means that it will still take significant damage from burned foes. Gardevoir can also make great use of a Substitute to mitigate its lack of bulk, becoming a threatening presence once behind one, though this further increases the need for a redirection partner. Taunt is a viable pick as well, allowing Gardevoir to stop opposing Trick Room setters from setting up, as well as preventing other support moves such as Wide Guard, Tailwind, and Follow Me. Though very niche, Gardevoir can use Imprison, Memento, and Helping Hand to further support its teammates, though the latter two are best used on bulkier Pokemon, and Imprison only really aids against Sylveon. Lastly, Gardevoir can use Telepathy in its base forme in order to come in safely on a partner's spread move such as Earthquake or Explosion and then Mega Evolve safely the next turn, though it doesn't have use outside of that.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-type Pokemon**: Steel-type Pokemon such as Aegislash and Mega Metagross can easily come in on Gardevoir and proceed to KO it. Heatran can also switch in on Gardevoir's STAB moves with ease, but it has to scout for Focus Blast and Hidden Power Ground beforehand.

**Fire-type Pokemon**: Gardevoir has no means of dealing with Fire-type Pokemon outside of a neutral Psychic, so they typically force it out. Charizard and Talonflame also beat Gardevoir one-on-one and can switch in on Hyper Voice fairly easily.

**Faster Pokemon**: Choice Scarf Landorus-T can outrun and do heavy damage to Gardevoir, with U-turn 2HKOing and Earthquake OHKOing it in one-on-one situations. Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Gengar also outrun it and do significant damage. Though not conventionally counters, Pokemon such as Keldeo and Terrakion can outrun and pick off weakened Gardevoir with ease if Gardevoir does not have a form of speed control in play.

**Priority Attacks**: Priority attacks nullify any form of speed advantage Gardevoir may have, and due to its general frailty, all common priority moves deal significant amounts of damage to Gardevoir. In particular, Brave Bird from Talonflame and Sucker Punch from Bisharp both OHKO Gardevoir, with Gardevoir having little in the way of a play around aside from switching out or relying on a partner to deal with it. Kangaskhan also can do significant damage through Sucker Punch pick off a weakened Gardevoir.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Gardevoir's terrible Defense means that even weaker physical attacks will do heavy damage, and strong physical attackers such as Kangaskhan and Mega Diancie will quickly tear through it.

**Thunder Wave, Tailwind, and Trick Room**: Due to being reliant on any one form of Speed control, an opposing form can be costly for Gardevoir. Though annoying for all variants, faster Gardevoir in particular should avoid being paralyzed at all costs, as that greatly diminishes their impact on the game. Faster variants are also very ineffective against Trick Room teams due to the low bulk meaning that they can not just take a hit and retaliate. Slower Gardevoir also have a tough time against faster teams without Trick Room being up due to even the bulk investment not granting significant durability. Gardevoir used with Tailwind also dislike opposing Tailwind, as that voids any speed advantage that might be gained by Gardevoir's own team's Tailwind.

**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard prevents Mega Gardevoir from using Hyper Voice freely.
 
Last edited:

talkingtree

large if factual
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A couple updates:

Move the TR set to first, it's been showing consistent success in tours and was the main reason for its recent rise to Tier 1.
Give it a spread of 228 HP / 136 Def / 144 SpA and a Quiet Nature, which lives 192 Atk Life Orb Hoopa-U's Hyperspace Fury and 2HKOs 0/4 Kang with Hyper Voice.
 
Last edited:

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
also many of these Gardevoirs should be Mega Gardevoir (if you're strictly referring to the Mega), cannot always tell for which ones that's the case but do go through this and change those as well please

remove
add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Gardevoir establishes itself as one of the more flexible Mega options in the DOU metagame. A sky-high (AH) Special Attack, decent Speed tier, and an excellent offensive typing paired with a powerful STAB move in Hyper Voice makes make Gardevoir a very good pick for late-game clean-ups, as well as being that is just as good early on in order to soften up opposing teams for its partners. On top of its excellent offensive prowess, Gardevoir also possesses an excellent wide (repetition) array of support options, being a great pick for an Encore user (RC) as well as for speed control through Trick Room, allows (something brutally went wrong here) Gardevoir to pair quite well with most common forms of redirection, speed control, and Intimidate users, meaning it can be an excellent pick on various different kinds of team archetypes.

However, Gardevoir is held back due to its mediocre pre-Mega base 80 Speed, (AC) in its pre-mega form which often forces it to waste a turn using Protect to safely Mega Evolve. It is also ailed by its terrible base 68 HP and 65 Def Defense, (AC) which allows allow almost every common physical attacker to 2HKO it at worst (RC) and readily OHKO at best, and also gives it not to mention it has a weakness to every common priority attack in the game. Its terrible HP stat also works to mitigate offsets its excellent base 135 Special Defense, (AC) which limits how often it can switch in, even against resisted attacks. Gardevoir is also hindered by the frequency of Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, (AC) which means that depending on its coverage it becomes Substitute-bait for Heatran or Aegislash.

All that aside, Gardevoir is still a very good choice in the DOU metagame, (AC) as its short-comings shortcomings are really easy to account for in teambuilding, and very few Pokemon can provide the offensive presence and flexibility that Gardevoir can. However, that being said, Gardevoir should be used very carefully as well, as despite the ease in with which its weaknesses can be accounted for, they are still quite common.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Trick Room
move 4: Protect
item: Gardevoirite
ability: Trace
nature: Quiet
evs: 228 HP / 136 Def / 144 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Both Hyper Voice and Psychic are powerful STAB attack options, the former being Mega Gardevoir's primary form of offense due to its incredibly powerful spread damage that allows Gardevoir to deal significant damage to anything which that does not resist it. Psychic is used in order to bypass Wide Guard and deal with Poison-type Pokemon which that resist Hyper Voice, most notably Amoonguss, though Psyshock can be used as an alternative in order to due do more damage to Sylveon. Trick Room is used in order to support slower teammates by reversing the conventional turn order, allowing slower Pokemon to attack before faster ones. Protect lets Mega Gardevoir shield itself from attacks while a partner takes out a threat, stall out opposing field conditions, and punish double targets.

Set Details
========

The EVs on this set allow Gardevoir to always survive a Hasty Life Orb Hoopa-U's Hyperspace Fury, which facilitates setting up Trick Room. With the SpA Special Attack investment and a Quiet nature, Gardevoir can 2HKO non-bulky Mega Kangaskhan with Hyper Voice. Quiet is used over Modest for the drop in Speed, which makes Gardevoir faster in Trick Room. That being said Similarly, 0 Speed IVs should also be used on this set to ensure that Gardevoir can take the most advantage out of Trick Room. Gardevoir's ability pre-Mega isn't really important, (AC) and none of them are particularly beneficial, but Trace is sometimes useful for being able to copy an opponent's a foe's Intimidate.

Usage Tips
========

When using Trick Room Gardevoir, the key is to make sure Trick Room goes up as soon as possible, as this supports not only Gardevoir, but Gardevoir's (apo) whole team as well. Once Trick Room has been established set up, Gardevoir now plays quite similarly to the a (to eliminate cross-set referncing) fast variant, (AC) with Hyper Voice now being used as often as possible. However, this set does not have any form of tertiary coverage meaning it is a lot more dependent on its teammates to cover its weaknesses. One common mistake made when using Trick Room is the assumption that it needs to be set at all times; (SC) however, (AC) that is not the case, (AC) so it is best to remain cognizant of when to set Trick Room and when not to.

Team Options
========

Trick Room Gardevoir works brilliantly as because it can supplement speed control for itself. Intimidate can be fulfilled from the likes of Landorus-T as it can run sets to work on both fast and slow teams, as well and Scrafty is a very useful partner as well because its Fake Out allows Gardevoir to set Trick Room with greater confidence and it is also a capable check to Steel-type Pokemon. Redirectors Redirection users also hold make for some viable team options, particularly Amoonguss, (AC) as it which becomes notably potent as it gains by gaining a fast Spore under Trick Room due to its low base Speed. Trick Room also allows Pokemon such as Hariyama and Rhyperior to become more threatening options for dealing with Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, with Hariyama also providing Fake Out support and Rhyperior being able to deal with both Fire- and Steel-types with ease. Lastly, Gardevoir also benefits greatly with another form of speed control, with Full-room full Trick Room teams preferring another Trick Room setter such as Hoopa-U and or Cresselia (RC) and balanced teams preferring an alternate form such as a Tailwind setter (RC) like Suicune, as Gardevoir can still outrun a large portion of the metagame if it's using a Modest spread.

[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ground / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Gardevoirite
ability: Trace
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Much like the Trick Room variant, Fast Mega Gardevoir relies heavily on Hyper Voice as its primary mode of offense, with Psychic or Psyshock being used as a secondary STAB move to deal with Amoonguss. Protect is, once again, used in order to safely Mega Evolve, stall out opposing field conditions, and to scout and punish double targets. Focus Blast is one of Gardevoir's (apo) primary coverage options, allowing it to deal significant damage to Kangaskhan, with a 30% chance to OHKO standard Kangaskhan set when using a Timid nature and just shy of a 90% chance when using a Modest nature. Hidden Power Ground is another option that allows grants Gardevoir a more secure method of dealing with Heatran than Focus Blast, as well, it and can be used punish opposing Aegislash that try and to set(space)up a Substitute on Gardevoir. Encore provides an excellent support option when used in conjunction with a Fake Out user, being able to lock opposing Pokemon in to into Protect, and can be used against Substitute users as well.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Mega Gardevoir outrun as much as possible, with the 8 HP EV's EVs allowing it to allows live survive a Sludge Bomb from Landorus-I, with Landorus and the rest of the EVs invested in to Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. If outrunning neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon is not a major concern, (AC) a Modest nature can be used instead. A bulkier spread of 72 HP / 108 Def / 220 SpA / 108 Spe and with a Modest nature can also be used with Gardevoir in order to always survive a Brave Bird from standard Talonflame, as well as a Shadow Ball or Flash Cannon from standard Aegislash, and outrun Jolly Breloom.

Usage Tips
========

Gardevoir is a formidable threat in all moments of the game; (SC) however, (AC) it is at its best when outrunning and cleaning up worn-down (AH) threats with the help of some form of speed control. Typically, (AC) when using Gardevoir, (AC) the goal is to spam Hyper Voice to take out large chunks of both the opposing Pokemon's HP until Gardevoir is forced out (RC) or is otherwise incapable of freely using Hyper Voice. In the Early-game, (AH) Hyper Voice can quickly break down the opposing team for Gardevoir's (apo) teammates to deal with easier more easily later on, and in the late-game, (AH, AC) Gardevoir can clean up weakened threats two at a time with ease. Gardevoir's coverage options should only be used if absolutely needed; (SC) however, depending on what coverage is being used, Gardevoir is afforded different degrees of freedom. If Gardevoir is using Focus Blast, it may not have to always switch out if an opposing Kangaskhan is on the field if the Gardevoir user is aware of the speed of both the Pokemon. Focus Blast and Hidden Power Ground also means that prevent Heatran can no longer from safely switching in on Gardevoir (RC) and that Gardevoir is no longer set-up using it as setup bait for it. Hidden Power Ground and Encore also allows allow Gardevoir to pressure Aegislash by punishing the Substitute and Wide Guard variants, though these options have to carefully weighed, (AC) as Aegislash can punish a misread much more heavily than Heatran. As already mentioned, Gardevoir benefits greatly from speed control; (SC) however, (AC) this is especially true specifically as because a lot of the key threats (RH) it deals with typically outrun it and do significant damage before Gardevoir gets the chance to deal with them, such as Keldeo and Terrakion, which is why Gardevoir works so well with Tailwind as it now to outruns and deals with them effortlessly.

Team Options
========

Similar to the Trick Room set, This Gardevoir set appreciates the presence of an Intimidate user on its team in order to alleviate its frail bad physical defense bulk, in particular the likes of Landorus-T and Salamence. Landorus-T is able to quickly beat down bulky Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, (AC) which Gardevoir has trouble with, and Salamence is capable of using its mixed offensive coverage to help tackle some of Gardevoirs weak areas and can also offer speed control through Tailwind, which is a major boon for Gardevoir. Due to its middling Speed tier, (AC) Gardevoir likes to lean on the use of speed control options, such as Tailwind and Icy Wind, in order to outrun the opposing team and go to work. Notable options for speed control include Hydreigon, Talonflame, Gengar, (AC) and Jirachi, (AC) the former two which use setting up Tailwind for the former two and the latter two providing Icy Wind for the latter. Each of those also provide some other area of support such as being able the ability to to beat Steel-types, cripple physical attackers, or provide redirection. The last key element, redirection, is an essential element of any Gardevoir team, (AC) as it provides room for Gardevoir to breathe and get into its offense. Jirachi and Amoonguss are the two most prominent options when looking for a redirector, (AC) as the former also has access to speed control and Helping Hand, whereas the latter has a sleep option with Spore. Gardevoir's (apo) team should place emphasis in being able to tackle Fire- and Steel-type Pokemon in particular, so options such as Terrakion, Landorus-T, Keldeo, Volcanion, or and Heatran are all good picks.

Some other options that Gardevoir teams can make great use of include Fake Out support, as that eases prediction when Mega Evolving (RC) and becomes a very disruptive option when used in conjunction with Encore. Infernape works well in this way, (AC) as they both (who's the other one?) provide a Fake Out that outspeed outspeeds most common Quick Guard users (RC) and can deal with other things which foes that threaten Gardevoir such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn. Quick Guard is another option that Gardevoir greatly benefits from, as it keeps it safe from priority moves such as Talonflame's (apo) Brave Bird and Bisharp's (apo) Sucker Punch, both of which OHKO it with ease, and it also protects it from as well as priority Taunts and Thunder Waves.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Will-O-Wisp is another option, allowing that allows Gardevoir to slow down physical attackers, though this option move is best explored employed through teammates as because Gardevoirs frailty means that it will still take significant damage from burned opponents foes. Gardevoir can also make great use of a Substitute to mitigate its lack of bulk, becoming a threatening presence once behind one, though this further increases the need for a redirection partner. Taunt is a viable pick as well, allowing Gardevoir to stop opposing Trick Room setters from setting up, as well as preventing other support moves such as Wide Guard, Tailwind, and Follow Me. Though very niche, Gardevoir can use Imprison, Memento, and Helping Hand to further support its teammates, though the latter to two are best used on bulkier Pokemon, and Imprison only really aids against Sylveon. Lastly, Gardevoir can use Telepathy in its base form forme in order to come in safely on a partner's (apo) spread move such as Earthquake and or Explosion and then Mega Evolve safely the next turn, though it doesn't have use outside of that.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-type Pokemon**: Steel-type Pokemon such as Aegislash and Mega Metagross can easily come in on Gardevoir and proceed to KO it. Heatran can also switch in on Gardevoirs STAB moves with ease, but it has to scout for Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ground beforehand.

**Fire-type Pokemon**: Gardevoir has no means of dealing with Fire-type Pokemon outside of a neutral Psychic, and they typically force it out. Charizard and Talonflame also beat Gardevoir 1-on-1 one-on-one and can switch in on Hyper Voice fairly easily.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T can outrun and do heavy damage to Gardevoir, with U-turn 2HKOing and Earthquake OHKOing it in 1-on-1 one-on-one situations. Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Gengar also outrun it and do significant damage. Though not conventionally counters, Pokemon such as Keldeo and Terrakion can outrun and pick off weakened Gardevoirs with ease if Gardevoir does not have a form of speed control in play.

**Priority Attacks**: Priority attacks nullify any form of speed advantage Gardevoir may have, and due to its general frailty, all common forms of priority moves deal significant amounts of damage to Gardevoir. In particular, Brave Bird from Talonflame and Sucker Punch from Bisharp both OHKO Gardevoir, with Gardevoir having little in the way of a play around aside from switching out or relying on a partner to deal with it. Kangaskhan also does significant damage through Sucker Punch to pick off a weakened Gardevoir.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Gardevoirs terrible physical Defense means that even weaker physical attacks will do heavy damage, and strong physical attackers such as Kangaskhan and Mega Diancie will quickly tear through it.

**Thunder Wave, Tailwind, and Trick Room**: Due to being reliant on any one form of Speed control, an opposing form can be costly for Gardevoir. Though annoying for all variants, faster Gardevoirs in particular should avoid being paralyzed at all costs, (AC) as that greatly diminishes its their impact on the game. Faster variants are also very ineffective against Trick Room teams due to the low bulk meaning that it they can not just take a hit and retaliate. Slower Gardevoirs also have a tough time against faster teams without Trick Room being up due to even the bulk invested investment Gardevoirs not having granting significant durability. Gardevoirs used with Tailwind also dislike opposing Tailwind, (AC) teams as that voids any speed advantage that might be gained by Gardevoir's own team's Tailwind.

**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard prevents Gardevoir from using Hyper Voice freely.
 
Last edited:

Mr. Uncompetitive

Ugh Cough! Cough! Splutter!
is a Contributor Alumnus
GP 2/2

Additions, (AC) = add comma
Removals, (RC) = remove comma
Comments


[OVERVIEW]

Mega Gardevoir establishes itself as one of the more flexible Mega options in the DOU metagame. A sky-high Special Attack, decent Speed tier, and excellent offensive typing paired with a powerful STAB move in Hyper Voice make Mega Gardevoir a very good pick for late-game clean-ups that is just as good early on in order to soften up opposing teams for its partners. On top of its excellent offensive prowess, Mega Gardevoir also possesses a wide array of support options, being a great pick for an Encore user as well as for speed control through Trick Room. This allows Mega Gardevoir to pair quite well with most common forms of redirection moves, speed control, and Intimidate users, meaning it can be an excellent pick on various different several kinds of team archetypes.

However, Gardevoir is held back due to its mediocre pre-Mega base 80 Speed, which often forces it to waste a turn using Protect to safely Mega Evolve. It is also ailed by its terrible base 68 HP and 65 Defense, which allow almost every common physical attacker to 2HKO it at worst and readily OHKO it at best, not to mention that it has a weakness is vulnerable to every common priority attack in the game (Wait what? It's only weak to Bullet Punch. It resists Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch and is neutral to everything else). Its terrible HP stat also offsets its excellent base 135 Special Defense, which limits how often it can switch in, even against resisted attacks. Gardevoir is also hindered by the frequency of Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, which means that, (AC) depending on its coverage, (AC) it becomes can become Substitute-bait for Heatran or Aegislash.

All that aside, Mega Gardevoir is still a very good choice in the DOU metagame, as its shortcomings are really easy to account for in teambuilding, and very few Pokemon can provide the offensive presence and flexibility that Mega Gardevoir can. However, that being said, Gardevoir should be used very carefully as well, as despite the ease with which its weaknesses can be accounted for, they are still quite common.

Mega Gardevoir is still a very good choice in the DOU metagame, as very few Pokemon can provide the offensive presence and flexibility that Mega Gardevoir can. However, despite the ease with which its weaknesses can be mitigated, they still necessitate support. (yo shoutouts to Gato for coming up with this)



[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Trick Room
move 4: Protect
item: Gardevoirite
ability: Trace
nature: Quiet
evs: 228 HP / 136 Def / 144 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Both Hyper Voice and Psychic are powerful STAB attack options, the former being Mega Gardevoir's primary form of offense due to its incredibly powerful spread damage that allows Mega Gardevoir to deal significant damage to anything that does not resist it. Psychic is used in order to bypass Wide Guard and deal with Poison-type Pokemon that resist Hyper Voice, most notably Amoonguss, though Psyshock can be used as an alternative in order to do more damage to Sylveon. Trick Room is used in order to support slower teammates by reversing the conventional turn order, allowing slower Pokemon to attack before faster ones. Protect lets Mega Gardevoir shield itself from attacks while a partner takes out a threat, stall out opposing field conditions, and punish double targets.

Set Details
========

The EVs on this set allow Gardevoir to always survive a Hasty Life Orb Hoopa-U's Hyperspace Fury, which facilitates setting up Trick Room. With the Special Attack investment and a Quiet nature, Mega Gardevoir can 2HKO non-bulky Mega Kangaskhan with Hyper Voice. Quiet is used over Modest for the drop in Speed, which makes Gardevoir faster in Trick Room. Similarly, 0 Speed IVs should also be used on this set to ensure that Gardevoir can take the most advantage out of Trick Room. Gardevoir's ability pre-Mega isn't really important, and as none of them are particularly beneficial, but Trace is sometimes useful for being able to copy a foe's Intimidate.

Usage Tips
========

When using Trick Room Gardevoir, the key is to make sure Trick Room goes up as soon as possible, as this supports not only Gardevoir, but Gardevoir's whole team as well. Once Trick Room has been set up, Gardevoir plays quite similarly to a fast variant, with Hyper Voice now being used as often as possible. However, this set does not have any form of tertiary coverage, (AC) meaning it is a lot more dependent on its teammates to cover its weaknesses. One common mistake made when using Trick Room is the assumption that it needs to be set at all times; however, that is not the case, so it is best to remain cognizant of when to set Trick Room and when not to.

Team Options
========

Trick Room Gardevoir works brilliantly because it can supplement speed control for itself. Intimidate support can be fulfilled from by the likes of Landorus-T, (AC) as it can run sets to work on both fast and slow teams, and Scrafty is a very useful partner as well because its Fake Out allows Gardevoir to set Trick Room with greater confidence and it is also a capable check to Steel-type Pokemon. Redirection users also make for some viable team options, particularly Amoonguss, which becomes notably potent by gaining a fast Spore under Trick Room. Trick Room also allows Pokemon such as Hariyama and Rhyperior to become more threatening options for dealing with Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, with Hariyama also providing Fake Out support and Rhyperior being able to deal with both Fire- and Steel-types with ease (yeah this is pretty repetitive :/ ). Lastly, Mega Gardevoir also benefits greatly with from another form of speed control, with full Trick Room teams preferring another setter such as Hoopa-U or Cresselia and balanced teams preferring an alternate form such as a Tailwind setter like Suicune, as Gardevoir can still outrun a large portion of the metagame if it's using a Modest spread.

[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ground / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Gardevoirite
ability: Trace
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Fast Mega Gardevoir relies heavily on Hyper Voice as its primary mode of offense, with Psychic or Psyshock being used as a secondary STAB move to deal with Amoonguss. Protect is used in order to safely Mega Evolve, stall out opposing field conditions, and scout and punish double targets. Focus Blast is one of Gardevoir's primary coverage options, allowing it to deal significant damage to Kangaskhan, with a 30% chance to OHKO standard set when using a Timid nature and just shy of a 90% chance when using a Modest nature. Hidden Power Ground is another option that grants Mega Gardevoir a more secure method of dealing with Heatran than Focus Blast and can punish opposing Aegislash that try to set up a Substitute on Gardevoir. Encore provides an excellent support option when used in conjunction with a Fake Out user, being able to lock opposing Pokemon into Protect, (RC) and can be used against Substitute users as well or Substitute.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Mega Gardevoir outrun as much as possible, with the 8 HP EVs allowing it to survive a Sludge Bomb from Landorus and the rest of the EVs invested in to Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. If outrunning neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon is not a major concern, a Modest nature can be used instead. A bulkier spread of 72 HP / 108 Def / 220 SpA / 108 Spe with a Modest nature can also be used in order to always survive a Brave Bird from standard Talonflame, as well as a Shadow Ball or Flash Cannon from standard Aegislash, and outrun Jolly Breloom.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Gardevoir is a formidable threat in all moments of the game; however, it is at its best when outrunning and cleaning up worn-down threats with the help of some form of speed control. Typically, when using Mega Gardevoir, the goal is to spam Hyper Voice to take out large chunks of both of the opposing Pokemon's HP until it is forced out or is otherwise incapable of freely using Hyper Voice. Early-game, Hyper Voice can quickly break down the opposing team for Gardevoir's teammates to deal with more easily later on, and late-game, Gardevoir can clean up weakened threats two at a time with ease. Gardevoir's coverage options should only be used if absolutely needed; however, depending on what coverage is being used, Gardevoir is afforded different degrees of freedom. If Gardevoir is using Focus Blast, it may not have to always switch out if an opposing Kangaskhan is on the field if the Gardevoir user is aware of the speed Speed of both of the Pokemon. Focus Blast and Hidden Power Ground prevent Heatran from safely switching in on Gardevoir and using it as setup bait. Hidden Power Ground and Encore also allow Gardevoir to pressure Aegislash by punishing the Substitute and Wide Guard variants, though these options have to carefully weighed, as Aegislash can punish a misread bad read much more heavily than Heatran. As already mentioned, Gardevoir benefits greatly from speed control; however, this is especially true because a lot of the key threats it deals with typically outrun it and do significant damage before Gardevoir gets the chance to deal with them, such as Keldeo and Terrakion, which is why Gardevoir works so well with Tailwind to outrun and deal with them effortlessly.

Team Options
========

This Gardevoir set appreciates the presence of an Intimidate user on its team in order to alleviate its bad physical bulk, in particular the likes of Landorus-T and Salamence. Landorus-T is able to quickly beat down bulky Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, which Gardevoir has trouble with, and Salamence is capable of using its mixed offensive coverage to help tackle some of Gardevoir's (add apostrophe) weak areas and can also offer speed control through Tailwind, which is a major boon for Gardevoir. Due to its middling Speed tier, Gardevoir likes to lean on the use of speed control options, such as Tailwind and Icy Wind, in order to outrun the opposing team and go to work. Notable options for speed control include Hydreigon, Talonflame, Gengar, and Jirachi, the former two setting up Tailwind and the latter two providing Icy Wind support. Each of those also provide some other area of support such as the ability to to beat Steel-types, cripple physical attackers, or provide redirection. The last key element, redirection, is an essential element of any Gardevoir team, as it provides room for Gardevoir to breathe and get into its offense. Jirachi and Amoonguss are the two most prominent options when looking for a redirector, as the former also has access to speed control and Helping Hand, whereas the latter has a sleep option sleep-inducing move with Spore. Gardevoir's team should place emphasis in being able to tackle Fire- and Steel-type Pokemon in particular, so options such as Terrakion, Landorus-T, Keldeo, Volcanion, and Heatran are all good picks.

Some other options that Gardevoir teams can make great use of include Fake Out support, as that eases prediction when Mega Evolving and becomes a very disruptive option when used in conjunction with Encore. Infernape works well in this way, as it provides a Fake Out that outspeeds most common Quick Guard users and can deal with other foes that threaten Gardevoir such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn. Quick Guard is another option that Gardevoir greatly benefits from, as it keeps it safe from priority moves such as Talonflame's Brave Bird and Bisharp's Sucker Punch, both of which OHKO it with ease, as well as priority Taunts and Thunder Waves.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Will-O-Wisp is an option that allows Gardevoir to slow down physical attackers, though this move is best employed through teammates because Gardevoir's (add apostrophe) frailty means that it will still take significant damage from burned foes. Gardevoir can also make great use of a Substitute to mitigate its lack of bulk, becoming a threatening presence once behind one, though this further increases the need for a redirection partner. Taunt is a viable pick as well, allowing Gardevoir to stop opposing Trick Room setters from setting up, as well as preventing other support moves such as Wide Guard, Tailwind, and Follow Me. Though very niche, Gardevoir can use Imprison, Memento, and Helping Hand to further support its teammates, though the latter two are best used on bulkier Pokemon, and Imprison only really aids against Sylveon. Lastly, Gardevoir can use Telepathy in its base forme in order to come in safely on a partner's spread move such as Earthquake or Explosion and then Mega Evolve safely the next turn, though it doesn't have use outside of that.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-type Pokemon**: Steel-type Pokemon such as Aegislash and Mega Metagross can easily come in on Gardevoir and proceed to KO it. Heatran can also switch in on Gardevoir's (add apostrophe) STAB moves with ease, but it has to scout for Focus Blast or and Hidden Power Ground beforehand.

**Fire-type Pokemon**: Gardevoir has no means of dealing with Fire-type Pokemon outside of a neutral Psychic, and so they typically force it out. Charizard and Talonflame also beat Gardevoir one-on-one and can switch in on Hyper Voice fairly easily.

**Faster Pokemon**: Choice Scarf Landorus-T can outrun and do heavy damage to Gardevoir, with U-turn 2HKOing and Earthquake OHKOing it in one-on-one situations. Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Gengar also outrun it and do significant damage. Though not conventionally counters, Pokemon such as Keldeo and Terrakion can outrun and pick off weakened Gardevoir with ease if Gardevoir does not have a form of speed control in play.

**Priority Attacks**: Priority attacks nullify any form of speed advantage Gardevoir may have, and due to its general frailty, all common priority moves deal significant amounts of damage to Gardevoir. In particular, Brave Bird from Talonflame and Sucker Punch from Bisharp both OHKO Gardevoir, with Gardevoir having little in the way of a play around aside from switching out or relying on a partner to deal with it. Kangaskhan also does can do significant damage through Sucker Punch to and pick off a weakened Gardevoir.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Gardevoir's (add apostrophe) terrible Defense means that even weaker physical attacks will do heavy damage, and strong physical attackers such as Kangaskhan and Mega Diancie will quickly tear through it.

**Thunder Wave, Tailwind, and Trick Room**: Due to being reliant on any one form of Speed control, an opposing form can be costly for Gardevoir. Though annoying for all variants, faster Gardevoir in particular should avoid being paralyzed at all costs, as that greatly diminishes their impact on the game. Faster variants are also very ineffective against Trick Room teams due to the low bulk meaning that they can not just take a hit and retaliate. Slower Gardevoir also have a tough time against faster teams without Trick Room being up due to even the bulk investment not granting significant durability. Gardevoir used with Tailwind also dislike opposing Tailwind, as that voids any speed advantage that might be gained by Gardevoir's own team's Tailwind.

**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard prevents Mega Gardevoir from using Hyper Voice freely.
 
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