Gardevoir (Update) [QC 3/3] (GP 2/2) ~DONE~

Perfexionist said:

I spent a lot of time on an un-official edit of this article; I hope it helps.

I currently have a Word document in which all of the deletions are slashed and all of the insertions are underlined, but, as those formatting setting do not copy and paste into the reply box, I'm not sure how I want to get them across here. I'll just provide the edited version for now, and do my best to get the version with the visible corrections here soon.

Edited Analysis

[Overview]

<p>Gardevoir is the embodiment of class; just look at that dress and hairstyle! Due to Mesprit saying its farewells from NU, Gardevoir has the opportunity to be in the spotlight as a Psychic-type supporter, filling in the hole that Mesprit left in our hearts. Don't let that pretty face fool you; Gardevoir is not a Pokemon to be messed with. Equipped with an incredibly high base 125 Special Attack stat, the ever so useful Trace ability, a splendid base 115 Special Defense stat, and versatility that extends even farther than the length of her gown, Gardevoir will keep you guessing her next move. Even in a tier where the most dangerous threats include Dark-type Pokemon and weather abusers such as Absol, Charizard, Exeggutor, Gorebyss, and Ludicolo, Gardevoir can find a way to deal with them in her purse of tricks. Sadly, not everything is sunshine and rainbows for our dainty little dancer. Her HP, Defense, and Speed stats are a little disappointing, and allow faster physical attackers to prey on her. However, her positive traits are so great that they usually overshadow her negatives, and, if played right, she will provide irreplaceable support to her trainer. Overall, Gardevoir is a solid choice for any team, who many will consider for her unique qualities that no other Pokemon in NU possesses.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Signal Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
ability: Trace
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With an incredible base 125 Special Attack stat, decent base 80 Speed, and the amazing Trace ability, Gardevoir has everything she needs to succeed with a Choice set. Trace allows Gardevoir to copy Tangela's Regenerator, a Flareon or Rapidash's Flash Fire, a Raichu's Lightningrod, or even a weather abuser's Swift Swim or Chlorophyll and use it against them. Gardevoir also has a base 115 Special Defense that can, alongside trace, be used to get many free switch ins and wreak havoc on an enemy team. What's more fun than to switch your bulky Gardevoir into a weak Tangela's attack, force it out and get a free hit on something, then switch Gardevoir out, healing 33% of her health in the process, and then doing it again? If Gardevoir happens to switch into a Thunder Wave, it can Trace an Altaria's Natural Cure and get rid of it, fearing nothing but the uncommon Specs Draco Meteor. Trace has many uses, but the most prominent would be using it to check the horde of weather teams that Ludicolo, Charizard, and Sawsbuck have popularized. By using Trace copy their weather-based ability, Gardevoir can outspeed and take out dangerous opponents such as Victreebel, Sawsbuck, Charizard, Ludicolo, Shiftry, Gorebyss, and Exeggutor.</p>

<p>Gardevoir has a massive movepool and many ways for her to achieve desirable coverage. Together, Psychic and Focus Blast provide excellent coverage. They are only walled by Psychic-type Pokemon, and hit many of the weather sweepers hard. The only weather sweeper not hit super effectively by Psychic and Focus Blast is Exeggutor, which can easily be taken down regardless of investment with Signal Beam, something Shadow Ball cannot do against even an Exeggutor with no investment in HP or defenses. Signal Beam also provides good coverage against both Psychic- and Dark-type foes should you need a more reliable move to hit Absol on the switch than Focus Blast. With such fantastic coverage, Gardevoir is given a free choice for her last move: Trick or Thunderbolt. Trick allows Gardevoir to dump her Choice item on troublesome special walls such as Lickilicky or Flareon, who can status and take advantage of her. On the other hand, Thunderbolt gives Choice Scarf Gardevoir a weapon against Gorebyss and Huntail. While Choice Scarf is the recommended item, Choice Specs is also viable and can check the slower weather sweepers such as Victreebel, Shiftry, Seismitoad, Armaldo, Carracosta, Gorebyss, and Exeggutor. </p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As with any offensive Pokemon, Gardevoir highly appreciates entry hazard support as the extra damage can allow a Choice Scarf set to OHKO Gorebyss, Ludicolo, or Huntail without using Thunderbolt. The Choice Specs set appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes, which give it the ability to 2HKO even defensive behemoths such as Hypno, Altaria, and Flareon. Psychic-, Bug-, and Fighting-type attacks achieve perfect coverage in NU—barring the uncommon Shedinja—but if you feel that it’s a huge threat to your team or are using Choice Specs, Shadow Ball is a perfect alternative to Signal Beam, as Gardevoir retains the awesome coverage while hitting Shedinja and OHKOing Exeggutor. Thunderbolt should only be considered on sets using Choice Scarf, because it is only used to take down Gorebyss and Huntail in one hit without prior damage. Choice Specs sets, on the other hand, have the ability to OHKO those threats cleanly with just Psychic. Most Pokemon under base 80
Speed that use Choice Scarf do not run Speed boosting natures, so Modest is the way to go, but Timid can be used to ensure that Gardevoir always outpaces these foes, and is the preferred nature for Choice Specs sets. Like any other Psychic-type Pokemon in NU, Gardevoir absolutely hates Dark-type Pokemon, and nothing sucks more than to have Skuntank switching into your Psychic and trapping Gardevoir with pursuit. Fighting-type Pokemon such as Sawk, Throh, or Gurdurr make quick work of both Absol and Skuntank, and have good offensive synergy with Gardevoir, as they can remove each other's counters.</p>

[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Memento / Psychic
move 4: Taunt / Psychic
item: Light Clay
ability: Trace
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>By utilizing Gardevoir's superb defenses, good Speed, and awesome movepool consisting of rare moves such as Memento, you get the best offensive supporter NU has to offer. With this set's EV spread, Gardevoir can utilize her great base 80 Speed to quickly set up Reflect and Light Screen to further augment her already sturdy defenses, and to support her teammates by giving them an much easier time setting up. As the best Pokemon with access to Reflect, Light Screen, and Memento in NU, Gardevoir doesn't have to 'Wish' to get chosen for a team slot. She only faces competition from Jumpluff, who has more potential running other sets. This is because Gardevoir’s set can support teams of any kind. It gives offensive teams a cushion against attacks allowing for a swiftly executed Swords Dance from the likes of Samurott to finish off a game, and gives balanced teams the extra bulk needed to counter threats and still have the power to hit back hard. Memento can not only act as a bulletproof vest augmenting the effects of Dual Screens, but because it sharply decreases an enemy's Defense and Special Defense it essentially acts as a one turn Reflect and Light Screen, possibly giving a teammate the chance to set up. Taunt allows Gardevoir to prevent Pokemon such as Regirock, Probopass, and Musharna from setting up, all of whom could otherwise use moves such as Thunder Wave, Stealth Rock, or Calm Mind, respectively. Gardevoir's Trace ability comes into play when using this set as well, giving her Regenerator from Tangela or Flash Fire from Flareon, which can aid her in setting up Reflect and Light Screen.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As with any Dual Screen user, Gardevoir seeks only to help her teammates, and without a proper offense she fails as a support Pokemon. Pairing her up with Pokemon such as Samurott, Absol, Drifblim, Altaria, Linoone, Charizard, Gorebyss, Carracosta, Huntail, Zangoose, Sawsbuck, or Raichu that can boost their own stats, but otherwise would not be able to set up at any time they are needed, will make the most out of Gardevoir's screens. While the last two choices seem redundant because Psychic is slashed twice, this set can run a myriad of move combinations effectively. Memento should be used with either Taunt or Psychic, but can also be replaced with a plain Psychic and Taunt combination. Gardevoir appreciates help from Alomomola to take on physical hits and provide Wish support to Gardevoir, and her partners to allow you to keep a dual screens offense for much longer. This set can also run Thunder Wave or Focus Blast for additional support, as Thunder Wave can cripple any powerful attackers attempting to freely switch in as Gardevoir sets up a Reflect or Light Screen, and Focus Blast cleanly OHKOes Absol on the switch.</p>

[SET]
name: Weather Support
move 1: Sunny Day / Rain Dance
move 2: Healing Wish
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Taunt
item: Heat Rock / Damp Rock
ability: Trace
nature: Calm
evs: 240 HP / 184 SpD / 84 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Gardevoir is the best weather supporter in NU, and while Volbeat has access to priority weather, Gardevoir has many more options to support weather teams than just setting up eight turns of blistering sun or drenching rain, such as the coveted Healing Wish, the amazing Trace ability, great Psychic typing that allows her to set up on many Pokemon, and Taunt to prevent slower Pokemon from stopping Gardevoir from doing her job. Psychic, Gardevoir’s main STAB move,allows her to deal heavy damage to Fighting-type Pokemon such as Sawk and Gurdurr, and generally hits things very hard. Taunt allows Gardevoir to prevent other Pokemon from setting up, or even from taunting her. Her excellent ability, Trace, lets her set up weather against Pokemon such as Raichu, Flareon, or Tangela with ease by copying their abilities and shutting them down. To top it all off, Healing Wish is the icing on the cake, capable of completely healing one of your weather sweepers, such as Charizard or Gorebyss, from the face of death and bringing forth the opportunity to bring your opponent to their inevitable demise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>84 Speed EVs allow Gardevoir to outspeed uninvested base 90 Speed Pokemon, such as Vigoroth or Golbat, whoich are commonly used to Taunt and stallbreak. Investing in 240 HP EVs and 184 Special Defense EVs gives Gardevoir higher specially defensive bulk than 252 HP and 196 Special Defense EVs, allowings her to survive an extra turn of Toxic or burn damage, due to hitting the 337 HP value. As this set aims to support a team with weather, Pokemon who can capitalize on said weather are recommended. Since Gardevoir and her gorgeous figure attract creepy Dark-type Pokemon, such as Skuntank and Absol, that like to stalk and Pursuit her to the depths of hell, an overprotective Fighting-type Pokemon such as Sawk or Gurdurr is recommended to teach those creeps a lesson. Gardevoir can even do some rejection of her own by luring in Absol and OHKOing it with Focus Blast, though this doesn't work against Skuntank, who isn't weak to Focus Blast and is bulky enough to take the hit.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Trace
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With Jynx being banned from NU, nobody 'shed a manly tear', but instead looked for the most suitable replacement, and this is what they found. Gardevoir is a powerful Pokemon with her base 125 Special Attack stat, good base 80 Speed, great coverage, bulk perfectly fitting for Calm Mind, and the right ability to abuse these traits with Trace. With an excellent base 115 Special Defense stat and Trace ability, Gardevoir can find many opportunities to set up a Calm Mind on weaker special attackers or attackers whose own abilities can be used against them, such as Amoonguss, Vileplume, Raichu, Altaria, or Flareon. From there Gardevoir can use her amazing coverage to sweep the opponent's team. To illustrate the power behind this set, +1 Gardevoir is capable of OHKOing both specially defensive Lickilicky and Cryogonal with Focus Blast. (Stealth Rock is needed to guarantee the KO on Cryogonal). Another extremely specially defensive Pokemon, Hypno, is forced to either get a Wish or status off on Gardevoir before being 2HKOed.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set appreciates entry hazard support to help take down Flareon, Cryogonal, and Hypno much easier, as it provides much more trouble and devastation than all of Team Rocket combined. Unfortunately, Gardevoir has enormous trouble dealing with Dark-type Pokemon such as Absol and Skuntank, which can force her into in a checkmate position, so good teammates include Fighting-type Pokemon such as Sawk, Emboar, or Gurdurr to dispose of them and provide Gardevoir a free window to set up and sweep. Unlike the Choice Scarf set, this Gardevoir runs Timid because the amount of base 80 Speed Pokemon and lower running a positive Speed nature is higher than those that use Choice Scarf. Pairing Gardevoir with special attackers that generally get walled by Gardevoir's traditional counters, such as Magmortar, Gorebyss, Altaria, or Serperior, appreciate her ability to lure in traditional counters and take them down. Although these are the best moves for the job, Gardevoir can still mix and match some of them with other moves. Signal Beam is just as usable on this set, but because Gardevoir is boosting her damage output, a Shadow Ball will take down Exeggutor regardless. Psyshock is also an option over Psychic to take down specially defensive Altaria with Stealth Rock on the field.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute / Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Stored Power / Psychic
move 4: Signal Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Trace
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When one first looks at Gardevoir's stats, the ones that stand out are her outstanding Special Attack and Special Defense, and by augmenting them with Calm Mind and Trace, Gardevoir becomes very hard to stop. This set takes a more defensive approach towards Calm Mind and uses Gardevoir’s bestowed Psychic-typing, Trace, and good bulk to set up on Pokemon such as Alomomola or Sawk. Substitute allows Gardevoir to block status while setting up, and it provides a safeguard against physical attackers who might to switch into Gardevoir before they become too troublesome. On the other hand, Will-O-Wisp forgoes the ability to block status for the option of crippling physical attackers to give Gardevoir a much easier time setting up Calm Mind (I’d review this sentence and make it clearer and more structurally sound). Psychic- and Bug-type attacks are the best two coverage moves Gardevoir can get, as Thunderbolt is unwanted because Exeggutor can wall it, and they deal much more damage to opposing Psychic- and Dark-type Pokemon. Since this set utilizes a bulkier spread, Gardevoir's excellent ability, and good typing, being able to set up at least two Calm Minds is easy. For this reason Stored Power gets the nod over Psychic; with the +4 total stat boost from two Calm Minds, Stored Power does more damage than Psychic, and anything beyond that is pure overkill.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While the omnipresent Probopass resists both Psychic and Signal Beam, it poses absolutely no threat to Gardevoir. Gardevoir can utilize the beautiful Substitute and Calm Mind strategy to set up on Probopass, eventually winning the fight against Probopass one on one. Thanks to the use of Stored Power, Gardevoir is capable of even taking down Unaware Quagsire as Stored Power, unlike Unaware, does not ignore Calm Mind's boost. However, Stored Power is not the only option, as Psychic is still a very valuable and reliable STAB move that works in any situation when you need to attack and cannot set up. Shadow Ball can be used over Signal Beam to hit most Psychic- or Ghost-type Pokemon harder, at the cost of losing coverage against Dark-type Pokemon. The chosen EVs give Gardevoir good physical bulk and the ability to outspeed standard Misdreavus, who Gardevoir can set up on at +1 and cleanly OHKO at +3 thanks to Stored Power. Gardevoir requires support by removing extremely powerful physical attackers so that it can set up on weaker physical attackers or on the remaining specially orientated enemies. Tangela, Vileplume, or Amoonguss make excellent partners by walling most physical attackers in NU and slowly weakening them with Leech Seed and Sleep Powder, strong STAB attacks, or Spore respectively. Physical attacking Pokemon that cannot be handled by the above, such as Emboar or Rapidash, can be taken care of by Alomomola who also supports Gardevoir by providing Wish support.</p>

[SET]
name: SubWisp
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Focus Blast / Signal Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Trace
nature(s): Modest
evs: 40 HP / 252 SAtk / 216 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Who said that Gardevoir was restricted to either offense or support? This set combines both of her great attributes and mixes them together to create a dangerous Pokemon who supports her team along the way. This set aims not only to support Gardevoir's team with Will-O-Wisp, but also have her take advantage of the burns by using Substitute and striking opposing Pokemon down with her powerful attacks, which come off her amazing base 125 Special Attack stat. Psychic and Focus Blast provide excellent coverage, hitting Dark- and Steel-type Pokemon who are likely to switch in to Gardevoir to force it out. However, the combination of Psychic- and Fighting-type moves are walled by the multitude of Psychic-type Pokemon in NU, such as Exeggutor, Musharna, and opposing Gardevoir. For this reason Signal Beam is a very reasonable replacement for hitting both Dark- and Psychic-type Pokemon, in exchange for losing coverage against Steel-type Pokemon such as Probopass and Bastiodon. As with any Gardevoir set, Trace is her gift from Arceus and allows her to function as well as she does. She can come in and set up on Tangela and copy its Regenerator and other neat abilities, giving her a better chance of keeping her Substitute and causing as much damage to the enemy team as possible.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This EV spread maximizes Gardevoir's Special Attack, and gives it enough speed to outspeed Adamant Absol, allowing Gardevoir to scout it before using Will-O-Wisp, and preventing Absol from Night Slashing before you can get a Will-O-Wisp off. You can come in on Tangela, or any other Pokemon with good abilities to take advantage of, and freely set up Substitute to take down Pokemon commonly used in defensive cores such as Tangela, Amoonguss, Probopass, and Quagsire. Shadow Ball can be used as well to hit Psychic-type Pokemon, excluding Exeggutor, harder than with Signal Beam, and is capable of hitting Ghost-type Pokemon such as Drifblim, Haunter, or Misdreavus super effectively. The fact that Shadow Ball is not capable of hitting Absol super effectively is partially remedied by Will-O-Wisp. Extremely bulky Psychic-type Pokemon, such as Musharna, can take Signal Beams, or just wall Gardevoir completely if it is using Focus Blast, and is able to set up as many Calm Minds as it pleases. To prevent this from happening, Skuntank is an excellent partner to get rid of the Psychic- or Ghost-type which stands in Gardevoir's way. This set cripples physical attacking walls, and Gardevoir can take advantage of this by using Substitute and wearing them down with her great special attack. Pokemon such as Swellow, Braviary, or Gorebyss appreciate Gardevoir's ability to cripple Regirock, Golem, Probopass, or Lickilicky, as they have less to worry about when they attempt to sweep.</p>

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Heal Bell
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
move 4: Psychic
item: Leftovers
ability: Trace
nature(s): Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>In a world where Mesprit has left the NU tier, one Pokemon now holds the key to tier supremacy. Gardevoir stars in "Rise to the Top", and plays the important role of the protagonist, capable of taking a multitude of special attacks from the likes of Magmortar, Samurott, Rotom-S, or Altaria, and passing on her 'Wishful' sentiments to her friends in need. While the NU tier is not the stage for a Hollywood movie, all of Gardevoir's mentioned qualities are absolute fact. With an amazing base 115 Special Defense backed by a decent base 68 HP stat, Gardevoir is more than capable of taking hits from some of NU's scariest special attackers, while being able to heal herself and her teammates with Wish. There are two main things that differentiate Gardevoir from its only remaining competitor, Hypno. First, Gardevoir sports a much higher Special Attack stat, and can deal significant damage to anything that doesn't resist Psychic. Second, she holds access to Will-O-Wisp, a move Hypno could not get in its dreams. Regardless of the amount of Inner Focus, Hypno just cannot prevent this fact from denting its pride. Even though she is backed up by Will-O-Wisp, Gardevoir's Defense is not the greatest. Physically defensive partners, such as Tangela who can take on the physical attackers in NU and can provide Sleep Power and Leech Seed support, are recommended; Gardevoir can return the favor with Heal Bell.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With Gardevoir's excellent Special Attack, she can take advantage of moves such as Psyshock to combat Special Walls like Cryogonal, Cryogonal, or Flareon much better than Psychic. Thunder Wave is useful, because with good bulk and Wish Gardevoir will last a long time. She can spread paralysis against your opponent's team allowing for slow, but powerful, Pokemon such as Marowak or Golem to have an easier time breaking down teams. Providing a secondary Heal Bell user is recommended, as Gardevoir prefers to use Protect for scouting enemy movesets, which guarantees Gardevoir will heals herself from Wish. For this reason, partners such as Lickilicky, Flareon, or Audino are recommended, as they have generally good type synergy with Gardevoir and provide enormous amounts of support with Wish and Heal Bell. While far from being set up fodder, defensive Gardevoir tends to attract offensive Ghost- and Dark-types towards it. For this reason, partners such as Skuntank and Sawk can do a number on those types of Pokemon, respectively, while any injuries they suffer as a result can be healed by Gardevoir's Wish. You can use a mixed spread such as 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SpD and a Bold nature to handle Fighting-type Pokemon, such as Gurdurr, Throh, or Sawk, much better, while still retaining good special defense.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Gardevoir can utilize a neat Synchronize and Heal Bell set, but as long as you don't bring your Gardevoir in on a Regigigas or Slaking, Trace is the much better ability, as it gives Gardevoir many more options with which to operate. With access to Encore and Destiny Bond, it would seem as though they would be used on some of her sets, but Gardevoir needs all the moveslots she has for necessary coverage moves. Regardless, Encore and Destiny Bond are a good combo, but Gardevoir can achieve much more by using other sets. Gardevoir can use Substitute, with either Pain Split or Disable, to disrupt the opponent. While both are very usable -- SubSplit focuses on beating special walls, and SubDisable prevents the opponent from using a move to break Gardevoir's Substitute -- those sets’ main objectives are done better by other sets. Defensive and Offensive Calm Mind sets outclass SubSplit, beating the special walls of the tier, and the SubWisp set not only keeps its Substitute, but also Burns the opponent.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p> Gardevoir is very hard to counter outright, as you never know what set she is running. Skuntank is the key exception to this, and can take anything any Gardevoir set throws at it, bar Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit, which trap her. Scraggy can come in on Support or Defensive Calm Mind sets and set up freely with Bulk Up freely, as it doesn’t mind Will-O-Wisp because of its access to Rest and Shed Skin. Absol severely threatens Gardevoir with Sucker Punch, although sets with Substitute can occasionally get around it. Potent special walls such as Lickilicky, Flareon, and Cryogonal fear nothing from Choice sets except for Trick, and can cripple Gardevoir with Toxic. Cryogonal is especially good at beating Support and Defensive Calm Mind sets with its access to Haze and Toxic. Musharna can come in on Gardevoir and take advantage of her Support, Choice, or SubWisp sets to freely set up on her, but it has to watch out for Trick, Taunt, or a boosted Signal Beam.</p>

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