Vaporeon (Update)

Setsuna

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134.png

Vaporeon

Status: COMPLETE - GP (2/2)

[OVERVIEW]
<p>Vaporeon is among the few Pokemon who can claim to be a true bulky Water-type Pokemon of DPP OU. In a metagame rife with residual damage from sandstorm, entry hazards, and more, having a bulky Water-type Pokemon with the ability to pass Wish is invaluable to any team. Within a tier of heavyweights, Vaporeon shines as one of the few Water-types that take minuscule damage from Grass Knot, making it a terrific Infernape counter. Vaporeon is also the best Water-type to switch into other Water-type Pokemon due to its ability, Water Absorb.</p>

<p>Despite its unique attributes as a Water-type, Vaporeon has serious issues with various moves and threats. Vaporeon is deathly afraid of Toxic, as unlike Suicune, it will typically be unable to Rest away the status. Additionally, Vaporeon has issues with its inability to instantly heal itself like Milotic, which can be exploited by opponents. Vaporeon is often the opponent's first target, given Vaporeon's essential support role on teams that use it; teams tend to collapse after Vaporeon has been felled. If you choose Vaporeon for your team, it's important to do so with its specialties in mind, but in any case it will perform the chosen job admirably.</p>

[SET]
name: Wish Passer
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Surf
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Ice Beam / Toxic
item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 188 HP / 252 Def / 68 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a great base 130 HP stat, decent defenses, and access to a useful move in Wish, Vaporeon becomes an incredible support member in the OU metagame. Vaporeon can heal those who lack a recovery move and generally keeps the team at a good level of health. Pokemon like Dragonite and Gyarados, who are constant victims of Stealth Rock, appreciate Wish in any case.</p>

<p>Protect is the second most important move of the set, because it allows Vaporeon to reliably heal itself and keep passing Wishes. Also, Protect is a handy move for scouting purposes and restores HP thanks to Leftovers. Surf is the obligatory STAB move, and keeps Gliscor, physically defensive Skarmory, Infernape, and Heatran at bay. The last moveslot has several notable options. With Hidden Power Electric, Vaporeon becomes one of the best counters to Gyarados, even those who carry Taunt, and can deal with other opposing Water-types. On the other hand, Ice Beam keeps Dragonite, and Grass-type Pokemon in general, in check. You can also use Toxic, which when coupled with Wish and Protect makes Vaporeon able to stall numerous Pokemon that it can't harm greatly, such as specially bulky Pokemon and Pokemon who resist Surf.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Vaporeon has two other great moves it can use to help aid its team: Roar and Heal Bell. Vaporeon makes a great user of Roar, stopping several Pokemon from setting up and sweeping. As for Heal Bell, it makes Vaporeon a very effective cleric, curing its team and itself of status ailments.</p>

<p>The reason why the EV spread makes special emphasis on Vaporeon's HP and Defense stats is to enhance its overall bulk and turn it into a more reliable Wish Passer. Making the HP stat divisible by 16 will maximize Leftovers recovery, and the 188 EVs achieve this. The 252 Defense EVs and Bold nature are used in order to improve Vaporeon's physical defense and provide it with the necessary bulk to take hits from the likes of Gyarados and Infernape better. It is worth mentioning that even using 252 HP / 252 Def EVs Vaporeon only has a 3% chance to not be 2HKOed by physically-based Infernape's Close Combat factoring in Stealth Rock and Leftovers; therefore, investing the rest of EVs in Special Defense is the advisable thing to do as this will allow Vaporeon to take special attacks slightly better.</p>

<p>Since Vaporeon is very durable, it is a good idea to couple it with offensive Pokemon who appreciate Wish, such as Dragonite and Gyarados. That way, they will have an easier time switching in and more opportunities to set up Dragon Dances. Others who concentrate on defense, such as Celebi and Gliscor, are great partners for Vaporeon too, because they can cover each other's weaknesses very well.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Wish / Signal Beam
item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 208 Def / 252 SpA / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Vaporeon is usually seen as a bulky Wish passer, but many people forget its fantastic 110 base Special Attack. With Choice Specs, Vaporeon becomes an admirable offensive Pokemon that fits very well on offensive teams that could use Wish support.</p>

<p>Surf, Vaporeon's primary attacking option, is a reliable STAB move that, when boosted by Choice Specs, becomes enormously powerful. Hydro Pump is an alternative to Surf that allows Vaporeon to hit considerably harder. For instance, with Stealth Rock in play, 0 HP Jirachi, 252 HP / 0 Special Defense Rotom-A, and even specially defensive Skarmory are OHKOed by Hydro Pump. Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric provide additional type coverage, dispatching most Grass- and Water-types who resist Surf, such as Celebi and Gyarados, respectively. Wish is the recommended option for the last slot, as it gives Vaporeon the opportunity to set up Wish against a threatened opponent and heal one of its teammates that better handles the opponent's switch-in. Wish can also be used to heal Vaporeon itself, though use it at your own risk as Vaporeon may be set up on by the opponent. Signal Beam is another move to consider, mainly in order to annihilate Celebi, although Ice Beam already does a lot of damage to it.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature are pretty straightforward. Maximizing Vaporeon's Special Attack is the first detail to consider for the set, so 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature put this stat to the highest possible level, reaching 525 Special Attack. The 48 Speed EVs allow Vaporeon to outspeed minimum Speed Skarmory. The rest of the EVs are placed into Vaporeon's Defense, thus retaining some bulk to take a few hits.</p>

<p>Most of the time, offensive teams appreciate Wish support, and Choice Specs Vaporeon is a great candidate for these this type of teams, because it doesn't slow down any offensive momentum. Pokemon such as Dragonite and Gliscor are great partners for Vaporeon, since they cover each other's weaknesses very well while maintaining a strong line of offensive power. Offensive partners who defeat Blissey are also good Pokemon to couple Vaporeon with, since she walls Vaporeon with no problems at all. Breloom and Machamp make two fine partners for Vaporeon, since they can easily get rid of Blissey with their respective STAB moves. Entry hazard support is also welcome, as it helps Vaporeon to score more OHKOs while helping its whole team in general. Skarmory and Forretress can both set up Spikes and cover Vaporeon's Grass weakness. Forretress also has access to Rapid Spin, which is useful as it prevents Vaporeon, as well as your team in general, from getting into contact with entry hazards. On top of this, Forretress has Explosion available to it, allowing it to potentially bring down a dangerous foe.</p>

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Acid Armor / Wish / Aqua Ring
move 4: Surf / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Baton Pass Vaporeon is a staple of OU Baton Pass teams for its defensive aptitude, 101+ HP Substitutes, and access to numerous support options that Baton Pass teams crave. Vaporeon's ability to heal its teammates with either Wish or Aqua Ring is fundamental to the team's ability to outlast your opponent's onslaught long enough to finish the chain.</p>

<p>Baton Pass is necessary to pass on both what is sent to Vaporeon and what it sets up. One of the biggest lures of Vaporeon on Baton Pass chains is its base 130 HP stat, which enables the passing of immensely bulky Substitutes. In the third slot, Vaporeon has many options that it can run effectively. Acid Armor buffs your team's Substitutes and your entire chain with added Defense, which will enable Pokemon like Ninjask and Smeargle to accomplish their goals even against powerful Pokemon like Metagross and Scizor. Wish provides healing the turn after use, which enables it to be Baton Passed to teammates that need the HP. Aqua Ring, unlike Wish, provides a more gradual healing effect that can be included in the Baton Pass chain and passed around to the rest of your team. For the final move, it is recommended that Vaporeon use Surf. Surf has excellent neutral coverage in one move and prevents Vaporeon from being Taunt bait. Roar is usable over Surf for the ability to phaze opposing Skarmory and Vaporeon who typically carry phazing moves of their own, although at the cost of being very vulnerable to Taunt.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 HP EVs are used to maximize Substitute HP while also buffing Vaporeon's physical and special bulkiness. 128 Defense EVs bolster Vaporeon's relatively low Defense stat, especially after an Acid Armor boost. Presumably, before Vaporeon makes a showing in the battle, some Speed has been included in the chain. With Speed, you can afford to set up a Substitute against Pokemon that can do nothing to Vaporeon and either Acid Armor or Baton Pass before the opponent's switch-in to Vaporeon can attack. This is why 128 Speed EVs are important, as they allow Vaporeon to use Baton Pass before Timid Jolteon can do it serious harm or break its Substitute with Thunderbolt at +2 Speed. These Speed EVs also ensure Roar beats opposing Skarmory and Vaporeon Roars, if applicable. A Bold nature increases Vaporeon's physical bulkiness, while Leftovers adds to its durability over time.</p>

<p>Perhaps the best partner to this Vaporeon is Baton Pass Gliscor for his ability to switch into Electric-type attacks with impunity and continue the chain. Gliscor can not only set up the Speed and Attack boosts that a chain needs, but has access to Taunt and will lure Pokemon and attacks that Vaporeon can take with ease. Baton Pass Zapdos makes an excellent partner for similar reasons with impressive bulk, Agility, and a resistance to Grass-type attacks. Typical recipients for Vaporeon's Substitutes and Defense boosts are physically frail Pokemon that are critical to the success of a Baton Pass chain, such as Smeargle or Ninjask. Vaporeon despises the presence of Toxic Spikes, as they reduce its effectiveness tremendously. This can be most easily amended by Baton Passing Vaporeon a Substitute from the likes of Zapdos or Ninjask, although other options include Rapid Spin or using a grounded Poison-type. Tragically, there are no effective Rapid Spin users or grounded Poison-type Pokemon that can keep a Baton Pass chain alive, so you would be making a sacrifice to remove Toxic Spikes from play entirely.</p>


[TEAM OPTIONS]
<p>Vaporeon is most commonly seen on stall and balance teams in conjunction with defensive Pokemon such as Gliscor and Celebi. Both supplement Vaporeon with a very welcome resistance to Electric- and Grass-type moves, respectively. In addition to this, Gliscor can set up Stealth Rock, which Vaporeon greatly benefits from due to its ability to phaze effectively and rack up residual damage. Celebi and Shaymin, on the other hand, can deal with opposing bulky Water-type Pokemon thanks to their bulk and STAB Grass-type moves. They can also check enemy Grass-type Pokemon if they run Hidden Power Fire. Vaporeon makes a great partner to Heatran in order to absorb the Water-type attacks aimed at it, while Heatran gladly intercepts any Grass-type move intended for Vaporeon. In the offensive department, Pokemon such as Dragonite and Scizor benefit greatly from Vaporeon's Wish and its overall defensive prowess. Dragonite can act as a potent wallbreaker with Wish support, which Vaporeon can easily pass thanks to the good synergy that it maintains with this Dragon-type Pokemon. Scizor's typing pairs well with Vaporeon, as it can switch in on Grass-type moves coming from the likes of Shaymin, Celebi, or Roserade, and threaten them with STAB U-turn or Bullet Punch, while Vaporeon sponges Fire-type attacks.</p>

<p>Entry hazard support isn't necessary, but it is very useful since Vaporeon can force many switches with Roar and its defensive presence. With Protect, Vaporeon also stalls well, so Toxic Spikes are worth considering. Forretress and Roserade synergize well with Vaporeon and have access to Toxic Spikes, which will help Vaporeon against Grass-types, Water-types, and Blissey. Skarmory is another solid option to consider, as it can switch in on Pokemon such as Celebi and Shaymin that threaten Vaporeon and proceed to lay down Spikes.</p>

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]
<p>Vaporeon has some interesting options that it can use in its sets, but generally what you see is what you get in the above sets. Muddy Water can be used over Surf just about anywhere for its secondary effect, but the reduced accuracy is an enormous turnoff. Haze can be useful as a means of removing stat boosts from last-Pokemon Suicune, but generally Roar is the better choice for racking up entry hazard damage in the earlier game. Heal Bell is usable for supporting the team and keeping Vaporeon safe from status, Toxic in particular, but most sets simply do not have room for it and other Pokemon function better as dedicated clerics. Fake Tears can be useful for forcing additional switches, but Vaporeon almost always has more useful things to be doing with its moveslots. A set based around Curse could work in some instances, but Umbreon does it better, and that says something because Umbreon barely does it well at all in the first place.</p>

[COUNTERS]
<p>Various Pokemon can be a menace to Vaporeon. Grass-types, such as Shaymin, Celebi, Breloom, and Roserade, can switch in with very little care if Vaporeon lacks Ice Beam. Similarly, Electric-types like Rotom-A, Jolteon, and Zapdos can get in on neutral Surf with their respectable bulk and use their STAB moves to hit Vaporeon for super effective damage, and in some cases, score the OHKO. Opposing Vaporeon make great switch-ins, since Vaporeon lacks ways to significantly damage itself without the help of Toxic. Without Hidden Power Electric, Taunt Gyarados has free reign to set up Dragon Dances, and the likes of Empoleon and Tentacruel will have no problems switching in and setting up as well. Roar helps a lot against Kingdra, who can otherwise use Dragon Dance on Vaporeon without anything to worry about; Roar is also a good option to deal with bulky Water-types such as Calm Mind Suicune and the aforementioned Empoleon. Blissey, of course, is a nightmare for Vaporeon since she can sponge all of its attacks thanks to her massive HP and Special Defense stats; however, Toxic can seriously threaten Blissey and eventually force her to switch out.</p>

---

Additional Information
  • Overview by Rising_Dusk.
  • Wish Passer set by Setsuna
  • Choice Specs set by Setsuna
  • Baton Pass set by Rising_Dusk
  • Team Options by Setsuna
  • Optional Changes by Rising_Dusk
  • Counters by Setsuna
 
Hey! I didn't read much of it (don't have a lot of time right now), but I think that Icy Wind could get a mention on the Wish Passer set. While it looks gimmicky at first, the ability to lower the opposing Pokemon's Speed can be really helpful, and is especially great when you manage to hit random Latias and Rotom-A that just love to switch in on Vaporeon. Like I don't think that it deserves its own slash or whatever, but I think that a 1-2 sentence mention of it in Additional Comments could be nice.

And I'm going on vacation from tomorrow until Wednesday as I already told you, but I'll try and get the EVs, Overview, Team Options, Optional Changes, and Counters to you by Thursday or Friday (sorry I can't get them to you sooner but my week is going to be hell).
 
I just skimmed through quickly, but no mention of Roar on the wish passer? I find it very rewarding, as the ability to get rid of Crocune and Salamence (the dragon dancing ones that dont care about an HP Electric) is invaluable.
 
I just skimmed through quickly, but no mention of Roar on the wish passer? I find it very rewarding, as the ability to get rid of Crocune and Salamence (the dragon dancing ones that dont care about an HP Electric) is invaluable.

I was looking over this and was about to say the exact same thing. Roar vappy has recently been catching on, and it is in fact very good, even somewhat handling mence and gyara due to sr damage.
 
I think Fuzznip was looking at changing the speed on the standard set, since there is little point trying to outrun Skarm any more. Any news? Also:

Metagross | Usage | 128249 | 17.1 |
| Metagross | Item | Lum Berry | 23.4 |
| Metagross | Item | Occa Berry | 21.8 |
| Metagross | Item | Leftovers | 18.6 |
| Metagross | Item | Life Orb | 17.9 |
| Metagross | Item | Other (4) | < 6.8 |

Choice band doesn't even make it, which is the current justification in the set comments. Is it worth trying to outrun the standard lead?

I think Vaporeon should be looking to outrun CB Scizor, in which case 12 EVs would be fine.

Here are a few bits that i thought sounded a little awkward:
[SET]
name: Wish Passer
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Surf
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Ice Beam / Toxic
item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 188 HP / 252 Def / 68 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With a great base 130 HP stat, decent defenses, and access to a useful move in Wish, Vaporeon becomes an incredible support member in the OU metagame. Vaporeon can heal those who lack a self-recovery move and generally keeps the team at a good level of health. Pokémon like Salamence and Gyarados who are constant victims of Stealth Rock appreciate Wish in any case.</p>

<p>Protect is the second most important move of the set, because without it, Vaporeon wouldn't be able to reliably heal itself and keep passing Wishes. Also, Protect is a handy move for scouting purposes and restores HP thanks to Leftovers. Surf is the obligatory STAB move to use, and keeps Gliscor, physically defensive Skarmory, Infernape, and Heatran at bay. The last moveslot has several notable options. With Hidden Power Electric, Vaporeon becomes one of the best counters to Gyarados, even those that carry Taunt (Roar Vaporeon does a fine job against other Gyarados), and helps it deal with opposing Water-types. On the other hand, Ice Beam keeps Salamence, Latias, and Grass-type Pokémon in general in check. You can also use Toxic, which when it's coupled with Wish and Protect, it makes Vaporeon able to Toxic stall numerous Pokémon that it can't harm greatly, such as specially bulky Pokémon and Pokémon resistant to Surf.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The reason why the EV spread makes special emphasis on Vaporeon's HP and Defense stats is to upgrade its overall bulk and turn it into a more reliable Wish Passer. Making the HP stat divisible by 16 will maximize Leftovers recovery, and the 188 EVs achieve this. The 252 Defense EVs and Bold nature are used in order to improve Vaporeon's physical defense and provide it with the necesary bulk to take hits from the likes of Gyarados and Infernape better. The 68 Speed EVs allow Vaporeon to outspeed most Choice Band Metagross and Skarmory. You can also allocate all these EVs into Special Defense if you are interested in having a more balanced defensive set.</p>

<p>Since Vaporeon is an excellent Pokémon in terms of durability, it is a good idea to couple it with offensive Pokémon that appreciate Wish, such as Salamence and Gyarados. That way, both will have an easier time switching in and more opportunities to set up Dragon Dances. Others that concentrate their strength in their defensive capabilities, such as Celebi and Gliscor, are great partners for Vaporeon too, because they can cover each other's weaknesses very well.</p>
And one typo:

<p>Surf is Vaporeon's primary attack option, a reliable STAB move that, when boosted by Choice Specs, becomes enormously powerful. Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric provide additional type coverage, dispatching most Grass- and Water-types who resist Surf, such as Celebi and Gyarados, respectively. Wish is probably the most recommended option for the last slot, giving Vaporeon the opportunity to set up Wish against a threatened opponent that will switch out and heal one of your teammates that better handles the switch-in. Wish can also be used to heal Vaporeon's own health, though use it at your own risk as Vaporeon may be set up on by the opponent. Signal Beam is also another move to consider, mainly designed to annihilate Celebi, although Ice Beam already does a lot of damage to it.</p>

Nice analysis. I am of the opinion that Roar should be slashed by the way.

 
Edited the OP.

jc104, thanks for the CB Metagros and Scizor detail. The fact is that we were aware of the 12 EVs Speed possibility, and 68 weren't that useful nowadays, so that's why we mentioned to move those EVs to the Special Defense instead. Now I edited and added those little things, so thanks again ;)
 
As usual, I'm only going to do grammar corrections.
Here goes.

red-omit
olive green[or whatever shade of green this is]-change
black and bold-add
blue-comment

Hello. First off, let me start by saying that I worked on this revamp with Fuzznip, who helped me a lot with grammar and many other things of each set. And sincerely, it's been awesome to work with him.

134.png

Vaporeon

Status: INCOMPLETE (need to finish the Baton Pass set)

[SET]
name: Wish Passer
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Surf
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Ice Beam / Toxic
item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 188 HP / 252 Def / 68 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With a great base 130 HP stat, decent defenses, and access to a useful move in [not really needed] Wish, Vaporeon becomes an incredible support member in the OU metagame. Vaporeon can heal those who lack a self-recovery move and generally keeps the team at a proper status of health [Although I said it's only a grammar check, this one is obvious. Status is only cured by Aromatherapy and Heal bell and other moves that heal status. I suggest omitting this since it is incorrect unless I misunderstood this phrase.]. Pokémon like Salamence and Gyarados who are constant victims of Stealth Rock appreciate Wish in any case.</p>

<p>Protect is the second most important move of the set, because without it, Vaporeon wouldn't be able to reliably heal itself and keep passing Wishes. Also, Protect is a handy move for scouting purposes and restores a little amount of HP thanks to Leftovers. Surf is the obligatory STAB move to use, and keeps Gliscor, Skarmory, Infernape, and Heatran at bay. The last moveslot has several notable options. With Hidden Power Electric, Vaporeon becomes one of the best counters to Gyarados and helps it deal with opposing Water-types. On the other hand, Ice Beam keeps Salamence, Latias, and Grass-type Pokémon in general in check. You can also use Toxic, and when it's coupled with Wish and Protect, it makes Vaporeon able to Toxic stall numerous Pokémon that it can't harm directly, such as specially bulky Pokémon and Pokémon who resist Surf.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The reason why the EV spread emphasizes on increasing Vaporeon's HP and Defense stats is to upgrade its overall bulk and turn it into a more reliable Wish Passer. Since making the HP divisible by 16 maximizes Leftovers recovery, 188 EVs are put into HP. The 252 Defense EVs and Bold nature are used in order to improve Vaporeon's physical defense and provide it with the necessary physical bulk to take hits from the likes of Gyarados and Infernape better. The 68 Speed EVs allow Vaporeon to outspeed most Choice Band Metagross and Skarmory. You can also allocate all these EVs into Special Defense if you want a more complemented defensive set.</p>

<p>Since Vaporeon is an excellent Pokémon in terms of durability, it is a good idea to couple it with offensive Pokémon that appreciate Wish support [you may or may not consider putting this in.], such as Salamence and Gyarados because this gives them an easier time switching in and more opportunities to set up Dragon Dances. Pairing Vaporeon up with fellow defensive Pokemon such as Celebi and Gliscor can be really helpful, too, if you need to cover Vaporeon's weaknesses.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Wish / Signal Beam
item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 176 HP / 252 SpA / 80 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Vaporeon is usually seen as a bulky Wish passer, but many people forget to consider its fantastic 110 base Special Attack. With Choice Specs, Vaporeon becomes an admirable offensive Pokémon that fits very well on offensive teams that could use Wish support.</p>

<p>Surf is Vaporeon's primary attack option. It receives STAB and when boosted by Choice Specs becomes very powerful. Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric provide additional type coverage, dispatching most Grass- and Water-types who resist Surf, such as Celebi and Gyarados, respectively. Wish is probably the most recommended option for the last slot, giving Vaporeon the opportunity to set up Wish against an opponent forced to switch out and heal one of your teammates that better handles the switch-in. Wish can also be used to heal Vaporeon's own health, though use it at your own risk as Vaporeon may get set up on by the opponent. Signal Beam is also another move to consider, mainly designed to annihilate Celebi, although Ice Beam already does a lot of damage to it.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature are pretty straightforward. Maximizing Vaporeon's Special Attack is the first detail to consider for the set, so 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature put this stat to the highest possible level, reaching 525 Special Attack. The 80 Speed EVs allow Vaporeon to outspeed most Skarmory that invest in Speed nowadays, particularly ones that use 36 Speed EVs.The rest of the EVs are placed into Vaporeon's HP to help it retain some bulk and take a few hits.</p>

<p>Most of the time, offensive teams appreciate Wish support. , and Choice Specs Vaporeon is a great candidate for these type of teams, because it doesn't slow down any offensive momentum. Pokémon such as Salamence and Gliscor are great partners for Vaporeon, since they cover each other's weaknesses very well and maintains a strong line of offensive power. Offensive partners that defeat Blissey are also good Pokémon to couple Vaporeon with, since she walls Vaporeon with no problems at all. Breloom and Machamp make two fine partners for Vaporeon, since they can easily get rid of Blissey with their respective STABed moves. Entry hazard support is also welcome, as it helps Vaporeon to score more OHKOes as well as helping its whole team in general. Skarmory and Forretress can both set up Spikes and propitiate Vaporeon an important resistance against Grass-type moves. Forretress also has access to Rapid Spin, which is useful as it prevents Vaporeon, as well as your team in general, from getting in contact with entry hazards. On top of this, Forretress has Explosion available to it, allowing it to potentially bring down a dangerous foe.</p>

That's all I can see. If above corrections have already been made, sorry for being redundant.
 
Good job bro, one main-ish thing I notice about your writing is that you often use "that" instead of "who" when referring to a Pokemon. You really need to use "who" though, because it is the new standard according to diinbong and others. Still, great job, especially seeing as English isn't your first language! ;)

[SET]
name: Wish Passer
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Surf
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Ice Beam / Toxic
item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 188 HP / 252 Def / 68 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With a great base 130 HP stat, decent defenses, and access to a useful move in Wish, Vaporeon becomes an incredible support member in the OU metagame. Vaporeon can heal those who lack a self-recovery move, and generally keeps the team at a good level of health. Pokémon like Salamence and Gyarados who are constant victims of Stealth Rock appreciate Wish in any case.</p>

<p>Protect is the second most important move of the set, because without it, Vaporeon wouldn't be able to reliably heal itself and keep passing Wishes. Also, Protect is a handy move for scouting purposes and restores HP thanks to Leftovers. Surf is the obligatory STAB move to use, and keeps Gliscor, physically defensive Skarmory, Infernape, and Heatran at bay. The last moveslot has several notable options. With Hidden Power Electric, Vaporeon becomes one of the best counters to Gyarados, even those who carry Taunt, and helps it deal with opposing Water-types. On the other hand, Ice Beam keeps Salamence, Latias, and Grass-type Pokémon in general in check. You can also use Toxic, which when coupled with Wish and Protect allows Vaporeon to Toxic stall numerous Pokémon that it can't harm greatly, such as specially bulky Pokémon and Pokémon resistant to Surf.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Vaporeon has two other great moves it can use to help aid its team: Roar and Heal Bell. Vaporeon makes a great user of Roar, stopping several Pokemon from setting up and sweeping. As for Heal Bell, it makes Vaporeon a very effective cleric, curing its team and itself of status effects.</p>

<p>The reason why the EV spread makes special emphasis on Vaporeon's HP and Defense stats is to upgrade its overall bulk and turn it into a more reliable Wish passer. Making the HP stat divisible by 16 will maximize Leftovers recovery, and the 188 EVs achieve this. The 252 Defense EVs and Bold nature are used in order to improve Vaporeon's physical defense and provide it with the necessary bulk to take hits from the likes of Gyarados and Infernape better. The 68 Speed EVs allow Vaporeon to outspeed most lead Metagross and standard 16 Speed Skarmory, but there is another option to consider. You can just use 12 Speed EVs in order to outspeed all Choice Band Scizor who invest 8 EVs into Speed, and allocate the rest into Special Defense if you are interested in having a more balanced defensive set.</p>

<p>Since Vaporeon is an excellent Pokémon in terms of durability, it is a good idea to couple it with offensive Pokémon who appreciate Wish, such as Salamence and Gyarados. That way, both will have an easier time switching in, and more opportunities to set up Dragon Dance. Others who concentrate their strength in their defensive capabilities, such as Celebi and Gliscor, are great partners for Vaporeon too, because they can cover each other's weaknesses very well.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Wish / Signal Beam
item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 176 HP / 252 SpA / 80 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Vaporeon is usually seen as a bulky Wish passer, but many people forget to consider its fantastic 110 base Special Attack. With Choice Specs, Vaporeon becomes an admirable offensive Pokémon who fits very well on offensive teams that could use Wish support.</p>

<p>Surf is Vaporeon's primary attack option, a reliable STAB move that, when boosted by Choice Specs, becomes enormously powerful. Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric provide additional type coverage, dispatching most Grass- and Water-types who resist Surf, such as Celebi and Gyarados respectively. Wish is probably the most recommended option for the last slot, giving Vaporeon the opportunity to set up Wish against a threatened opponent who will switch out and heal one of your teammates who better handles the switch-in. Wish can also be used to heal Vaporeon's own health, though use it at your own risk as Vaporeon may be set up on by the opponent. Signal Beam is also another move to consider, mainly designed to annihilate Celebi, although Ice Beam already does a lot of damage to it.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature are pretty straightforward. Maximizing Vaporeon's Special Attack is the first detail to consider for the set, so 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature put this stat to the highest possible level, reaching 525 Special Attack. The 80 Speed EVs allow Vaporeon to outspeed most Skarmory who invest in Speed nowadays, particularly ones who use 36 Speed EVs.The rest of the EVs are placed into Vaporeon's HP, thus making it able to retain some bulk to take a few hits.</p>

<p>Most of the time, offensive teams appreciate Wish support, and Choice Specs Vaporeon is a great candidate for these types of teams, because it doesn't slow down any offensive momentum. Pokémon such as Salamence and Gliscor are great partners for Vaporeon, since they cover each other's weaknesses very well while maintaining a strong line of offensive power. Offensive partners who defeat Blissey are also good Pokémon to couple Vaporeon with, since she walls Vaporeon with no problems at all. Breloom and Machamp make two fine partners for Vaporeon, since they can easily get rid of Blissey with their respective STAB moves. Entry hazard support is also welcome, as it helps Vaporeon to score more OHKOes as well as helping its whole team in general. Skarmory and Forretress can both set up Spikes and propitiate Vaporeon an important resistance against Grass-type moves. Forretress also has access to Rapid Spin, which is useful as it prevents Vaporeon, as well as your team in general, from getting in contact with entry hazards. On top of this, Forretress has Explosion available to it, allowing it to potentially bring down a dangerous foe.</p>
 
The analysis is very good, and I did not find any errors, but the EVs are outdated on the Wish passer set. I have been doing a lot of testing on the Smogon Damage Calculator, and this is the best spread:

Bold Nature
252 HP/244 Def/12 Spe

68 Speed EVs are truly unneccesary, as Skarmory these days run more special defense and speed. Maxing out Vaporeon's HP makes it even more of a pain to take down and 12 Speed EVs are used to out-speed Choice Band Scizor.
 
Great job.

I'm not trying to be super-critical or anything, but what about naming the first set "Wish Support" instead of "Wish Passer".

I also think you should remove the reference to Latias when commenting on Ice Beam's usefulness.
 
Bold Nature
192 HP/252 Def/52 SpD/12 Spe

I'm not seeing what the special defense EVs are for. you might as well throw them in HP (which helps both defenses) to give it the best chance against mixape. even max/max vaporeon has a 25.44% chance of being 2HKOed by mixape close combat after SR and sandstorm.
 
I'm not seeing what the special defense EVs are for. you might as well throw them in HP (which helps both defenses) to give it the best chance against mixape. even max/max vaporeon has a 25.44% chance of being 2HKOed by mixape close combat after SR and sandstorm.

Hm, I have done a little more testing, and it seems like this spread works even more.

Bold Nature
252 HP/244 Def/12 Spe

It does not tank special hits quite as well as my original set, but you really need all the security you can get against Mixape's close combat.
 
I'm planning on updating the OP with the Baton Pass set in a few days, and the rest of things in general (Latias, EVs, etc).
 
Hm, I have done a little more testing, and it seems like this spread works even more.

Bold Nature
252 HP/244 Def/12 Spe

It does not tank special hits quite as well as my original set, but you really need all the security you can get against Mixape's close combat.

Just posting to confirm and support this.

The insurance against LO Gyarados is great too and Tran if it gets a FF boost, especially LO variants (considering FF LO Fire Blast does like 50%~). Speaking of which, Vappy can also switch into a LO SE Hidden Power, Protect and escape the 2HKO from the following SE Hidden Power nearly all of the time factoring SR and Leftovers with Max hp.

68 Speed evs are beyond useless to beat base 70's (especially when sacrificing Vaps bulk) now Skarm runs special defense and speed evs. As for the next base 70 poke, Metagross, Vappy shouldn't be your prime Meta counter anyway due to Explosion (which you CAN Protect on) and possibly ThunderPunch too. No one uses CB Gross either which is another reason for the speed evs according to the on site analysis.
| Metagross | Item | Other (5) | < 8.7 |
Vap has no business with Agiligross which is more common. Breloom is the only other base 70 in OU which speed evs 'help' against and that wins anyway so yeah.
 
For the Choice Specs set, I strongly recommend putting those 176 EVs into physical defense. Remember that Vaporeon has base 60 defense and already mammoth HP. Adding EVs to defense will help her physical durability a lot more than just putting them into HP, especially considering you are not using a Bold nature like the other set.

So the spread should be:

176 Def / 252 SpA / 80 Spe
 
For the Choice Specs set, I strongly recommend putting those 176 EVs into physical defense. Remember that Vaporeon has base 60 defense and already mammoth HP. Adding EVs to defense will help her physical durability a lot more than just putting them into HP, especially considering you are not using a Bold nature like the other set.

So the spread should be:

176 Def / 252 SpA / 80 Spe

100 percent agree with this, when I ran specs vappy i had more success in just dumping evs in defense over hp
 
Ya, about the EV spread you updated recently...it's decent, and it's the spread I originally suggested on this thread, but Vaporeon really needs more HP to maximize the odds of surviving two close combats from 64 Atk LO Mixape. Use this spread:

Bold
252 HP/244 Def/12 Spe

The extra special bulk isn't that significant between the two spreads anyway. Here is an example:

Rotom-A 0 SpA Neutral Natured Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP/0 SpD Vaporeon: 47.8% - 56.9%
Rotom-A 0 SpA Neutral Natured Thunderbolt vs. 188 HP/56 SpD Vaporeon: 46.9% - 55.4%

The Physical Bulk is fairly significant, though:

Infernape 64 Atk Neutral Natured LO Close Combat vs. 252 HP/244 Def Vaporeon:
32.07% Chance to 2HKO with Stealth Rock, Leftovers, and Sandstorm

Infernape 64 Atk Neutral Natured LO Close Combat vs. 188 HP/252 Def Vaporeon:
69.08% chance to 2HKO with Stealth Rock, Leftovers, and Sandstorm
 
Additional Comments said:
It is worth mentioning that even using 252 HP / 252 Def EVs Vaporeon only has a 3% of chances of not being 2HKOed by physically-based Infernape's Close Combat factoring in SR + Leftovers; therefore, investing the rest of EVs in Special Defense is the advisable thing to do as it will allow Vaporeon to take special attacks slightly better.

Physically-Based MixApe's Close Combat vs. 188 HP / 252 Def Vaporeon: (47.77% - 56.47%)
Physically-Based MixApe's Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Vaporeon: (46.12% - 54.53%)

The average damage is above 50% in both cases. Vaporeon, even without switching in Stealth Rock, has a 25% and a 4% of chances of being 2HKOed, respectively. With only SS in play, Vaporeon will always be 2HKOed. Note: Protect doesn't save Vaporeon in any case.

Specially-Based MixApe's Close Combat vs. 188 HP / 252 Def Vaporeon: (40.85% - 48.21%)
Specially-Based MixApe's Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Vaporeon: (39.44% - 46.55%)

I don't see the big difference here. The first calc shows us that Vaporeon has a 4% of chances of being 2HKOed factoring in SR + Leftovers, and a 60% of chances of being 2HKOed under SS. The second calc lowers a bit the previous damages, making an impossible 2HKO factoring in SR + Leftovers, and reducing until 25 the percentage of possibilities of being 2HKOed under SS. However, it should be noted that with SR + Leftovers + SS Vaporeon will still have a chance of getting 2HKOed even when using max HP / max Def. On top of that, we are calculating things considering Vaporeon at 100% of health, which in real life is kind of an unreliable scenario. Note: with Protect + SR + Leftovers Vaporeon, in both cases, avoids the 2HKO -- SS annuls this.

On the other hand, while the Special Defense investment may not seem really relevant, it actually makes Vaporeon able to take Infernape's Grass Knot, Salamence's Draco Meteor, Rotom's Thunderbolt (and so on) slightly better. Something really important that should be noted is that by using 56 SpD EVs instead of 0, Vaporeon has more real chances of avoiding the 2HKO by Heatran's HP Grass factoring in SR + Leftovers and Protect; max HP and 0 SpD puts Vaporeon 2 points below the average damage scored by Heatran's HP Grass, making it a secure 2HKO under SS and reducing more possibilities to the SR + Leftovers scenario.

I'm still QCing Vaporeon, so this isn't my final word for the spreads.
 
therefore, investing the rest of EVs in Special Defense is the advisable as it will allow Vaporeon to take special attacks slightly better.

This should be changed. Either "the" should be removed, or it should be reworded to "the advisable thing to do" or something similar. Sorry for only a small post x.x
 
I may be missing something, but is there a reason to not have Leftovers +1 (192 HP EVs)?

Also, with Ice Beam, Vaporeon doesn't necessarily keep Grass types and Dragon types "in check", as you stated on the anaylsis. You should mention that Vaporeon can't handle Dragon Dance Salamence, as a +1 LO Outrage OHKO's it. Celebi doesn't care about unboosted ice beams and can take a huge chunk of health away from Vaporeon with STAB Leaf Storm or Energy Ball.
 
Perhaps we should remove Ice Beam as a slash? Salamence was pretty much the only reason to keeping it, and it has virtually no purpose anymore since he is now Uber. Maybe it's even counter-intuitive, considering specially defensive Dragonite may be able to set up on it. The Pokemon Ice Beam checks are few and far between.

HP Electric/Heal Bell/Roar/Toxic are MUCH more useful than Ice Beam in this metagame, and should therefore be slashed before Ice Beam.

Oh ya, and you need to eliminate any mention of Salamence throughout the analysis.
 
why would you do that? Salamence was not the sole reason for Ice Beam at all. Things like Celebi, Breloom, Flygon, and Dragonite all still exist...
 
why would you do that? Salamence was not the sole reason for Ice Beam at all. Things like Celebi, Breloom, Flygon, and Dragonite all still exist...

Vaporeon only has two free moveslots, and Ice Beam is severely outclassed by its other options. I'll go through the Pokemon you just listed:

Celebi -- It can still beat you if it has Life Orb, Leaf Storm, Calm Mind or Energy Ball. Ice Beam does not 2HKO.

Breloom -- Outspeeds you and spores you (or hits you with Seed Bomb).

Flygon -- Surf 2HKOs it, and it can't do anything back.

Dragonite -- Specially Defensive versions still beat you.


Roar deals with Celebi, Dragonite, and Breloom much more efficiently than Ice Beam, and you even get the bonus of shuffling stealth rock and spikes. It can also phaze out Offensive Suicune with little trouble, something few Pokemon can boast. Ice Beam leaves you helpless against him.

If it is kept as a slash, it should be the last slash.
 
It's called deterring the switch. It still deserves a slash because they still exist. Breloom can't come in on Ice Beam. Celebi coming in on Ice Beam has to recover (actually allowing you to switch something in). Dragonite won't all be super extra bulky Dragon Dancers. To say Ice Beam has NO use at all is just wrong. Salamence was not the only reason Vaporeon had Ice Beam (or any other pokemon for that matter).
 
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