Gen 3 Flareon (NU)

Rabia

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GP & NU Leader
[OVERVIEW]

Flareon's one of NU's best wallbreakers thanks to its combination of raw strength, good versatility, and useful defensive traits. It can run a mixed set with a very potent Double-Edge to lure in and chunk bulky Water-types and Quick Attack to pick off weakened foes like Pikachu and Huntail. Alternatively, it can go specially offensive to amp up its Fire Blast's damage and give it better odds against Sudowoodo, Relicanth, and Whiscash with Hidden Power Grass or Pelipper with Hidden Power Electric. Flareon's coverage is superb regardless of which set it uses, and teams usually must rely on smart pivoting around its attacks to prevent it from wreaking havoc. Flareon's also hard to revenge kill because most faster attackers can't reliably KO it without significant chip damage. Its defensive prowess also lets it check foes such as Haunter, Bellossom, and Torkoal. The most noticeable downside to Flareon is its reliance on Double-Edge to significantly damage Wailord and Dewgong, and depending on which Hidden Power it uses, varying foes like Pelipper, Whiscash, and Sudowoodo can pose problems. Flareon is also weak to common Water- and Ground-type attacks from Pokemon such as Wailord, Glalie, and Metang, which can make fitting it onto teams difficult.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Silk Scarf
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 228 Atk / 28 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Silk Scarf Flareon has few reliable answers because of how absurdly strong its Double-Edge is; even Water-types like Wailord and Pelipper are 2HKOed unless they run significant bulk investment. Fire Blast targets Haunter, which otherwise walls this set, as well as Metang and Mawile. On the other hand, Overheat can KO Metang with much less chip damage needed. Hidden Power Grass hits Rock-types such as Sudowoodo and Relicanth while offering more damage against Whiscash than Double-Edge. Alternatively, Hidden Power Electric is Flareon's best damaging move for defensive Pelipper. 228 Attack EVs guarantee Flareon's Quick Attack KOes bulkless Diglett after Spikes and ensure Double-Edge 2HKOes offensive Wailord.

Alternatively, Flareon can replace Double-Edge with Return or Silk Scarf with Leftovers for more longevity. Leftovers sets may invest more EVs into Special Attack to improve the Sableye matchup at the cost of damage against Wailord and Dewgong.

Team Options
========

Flareon is fantastic at luring in Water-types and severely weakening them with Double-Edge, making Huntail, Agility Pelipper and Metang, and Pupitar good teammates. Torkoal is also a common switch-in to Flareon, so damaging it supports late-game sweepers like Bellossom, Reversal Raticate, and Agility Metang. To supplement Flareon's wallbreaking prowess, Spikes from Glalie, Roselia, or Cacturne is a must; it synergizes well with Flareon's tendency to force switches and weakens grounded checks like Wailord, Torkoal, and Sableye. Other offensive teammates like Hitmonchan and Haunter are valuable too to weaken shared checks like Pelipper and Sableye, respectively.

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 3: Substitute / Toxic / Wish
move 4: Baton Pass / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest
evs: 8 HP / 84 Def / 192 SpA / 224 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Fire Blast and Hidden Power Grass give Flareon great coverage across the tier; few Pokemon consistently switch into this combination, and those that do struggle to keep up with Flareon's damage if Spikes are up. Instead of Hidden Power Grass, Flareon can run Hidden Power Electric for a better Pelipper matchup, although this compromises its overall coverage. Substitute lets Flareon take advantage of foes like Torkoal, Roselia, and Mawile that can't threaten it with their attacks, and it can use Substitute alongside Baton Pass to guarantee safe entry for its teammates. Alternatively, Toxic helps Flareon beat Fire- and Water-types like Torkoal, opposing Flareon, and Pelipper, whereas Wish helps Flareon check Pokemon such as Haunter and Bellossom throughout the game while supporting teammates like Metang and Chimecho that are prone to being worn down. Flareon can even forgo Hidden Power entirely to run Toxic alongside some combination of Substitute, Baton Pass, Wish, and Protect depending on your team's needs. Keep in mind that Protect should almost always be run alongside Wish or Toxic.

A moveset of Flamethrower / Hidden Power Grass / Overheat / Protect is also possible. Overheat does absurd damage to nonresistant targets like Hitmonchan and Vigoroth, and Protect gives Flareon extra Leftovers recovery while blocking Haunter's and Torkoal's Explosion.

8 HP and 84 Defense EVs prevent Adamant Glalie's Earthquake from OHKOing Flareon, though Soft Sand variants make this a damage roll. 224 Speed EVs let Flareon outspeed Jolly Pupitar. A Petaya or Salac Berry can be considered instead of Leftovers; Substitute makes it easier to activate, and Baton Pass lets Flareon supply a teammate with the boost.

Team Options
========

This set takes a bit more of a supportive approach, taking advantage of Flareon forcing switches to safely set Substitute and pass it to a teammate. Pikachu benefits from Flareon drawing in Water-types for it to KO, whereas Diglett enjoys being safely brought in against Fire-types to trap them. On the other hand, if Flareon has Toxic instead of Baton Pass, it can cripple Water- and Fire-types like Dewgong, Torkoal, and opposing Flareon. This helps Pokemon like Huntail and Bellossom sweep late-game. Naturally, Spikes are great in ADV NU, and Glalie is a fantastic supplier of them that also can take on bulky Water-types like Wailord and Dewgong.

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

Specially defensive EV spreads with Wish and Baton Pass make Flareon much more secure against foes such as Haunter, Bellossom, and Plusle while keeping it from being too easily trapped by Diglett, although they falter against Water-types such as Wailord and Huntail. Alternatively, physically defensive spreads are workable due to Flareon's fantastic natural special bulk, make it harder for Haunter to pick it off with Explosion, help against Flying-types such as Murkrow and Pidgeot, and ensure Diglett's Earthquake never OHKOes Flareon. A Lum or Chesto Berry makes the Bellossom and Venomoth matchups trivial by cleansing sleep, and the latter has more general use if Flareon opts for Rest. Salac Berry in conjunction with Endure and Flail makes Flareon a potent late-game sweeper if the opponent lacks a priority move user, with Fire Blast and Hidden Power Grass ensuring its coverage remains solid. Curse + Baton Pass with White Herb supports physical powerhouses like Hitmonchan and gives Flareon a way to boost its own Attack, but Curse's Speed drop means you really only have one chance to make this strategy work. Hidden Power Water or Rock offers niche coverage for opposing Fire-types in Torkoal and Flareon, with the latter also hitting Pelipper, although they're generally outclassed. Choice Band lets Flareon net higher KO thresholds than Silk Scarf against foes like Wailord, Chimecho, and Dewgong when using Double-Edge, but this set makes Flareon more trappable and easier to take advantage of.

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

**Water-types**: Defensive Wailord, Pelipper, and Whiscash all easily tank Flareon's Double-Edge, although the latter two must first scout which Hidden Power type it has. Offensive Water-types like Huntail, Octillery, and Crawdaunt take significantly more damage from Flareon's attacks, but they threaten to KO it back. Seadra and Dewgong get special mentions here for being faster than Flareon and KOing it with Hydro Pump and Surf, though the latter needs prior chip damage to do so.

**Rock-types**: Sudowoodo and Relicanth resist Flareon's strongest attacks, and the latter can EV to avoid being OHKOed by Hidden Power Grass. Pupitar can use non-Hidden Power Grass Flareon as setup fodder.

**Torkoal and Sableye**: Torkoal takes a pittance from any attack of Flareon's. If Flareon has Substitute + Toxic, though, it's wholly walled unless running a niche attack like Rock Slide. Meanwhile, Sableye can shut down mixed Flareon because it can stall Flareon out of Fire Blast PP, but it falls flat against special attacking sets.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
- Quality checked by: [[Bughouse, 52547], [ArcticBreeze, 437400]]
- Grammar checked by: [[deetah, 297659]]
 
Last edited:

Bughouse

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Really think Silk Scarf Flareon needs 228+ Atk minimum.
The whole point is to be untrappable.

228+ Atk Silk Scarf Flareon Quick Attack vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Diglett: 141-166 (87.5 - 103.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
vs
184 Atk Silk Scarf Flareon Quick Attack vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Diglett: 124-146 (77 - 90.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes

If you're not going to max out for this particular calc, then just Leftovers/Lum is likely better on most teams.
Also worth noting that the Silk Scarf attacker even with more SpA than I'd recommend (since your attack is lower than I'd recommend) fails to break Sableye. Fire Blast runs out of PP too quickly and doesn't outdamage recovery.

HP Electric probably deserves a slash, not just OO mention since Pelipper is probably as common as Whiscash/Relicanth these days.

Lum (or Chesto if running Rest as filler) deserve a mention, since they make Flareon into a fantastic one-stop-shop Bellossom counter. This is also a decent option on lead Flareon to handle cheeky Venomoth leads.
 

Bughouse

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A few additional comments and tweaks I'd recommend.

Special Attacker is missing 4 EVs.
In addition 8 HP / 84 Def also lives the EQ like 0 HP / 92 Def does, but because it has 273 HP, not 271 HP, it gains 1 extra HP from Lefties/has subs that are 1 HP bulkier. Also takes that 1 extra HP damage from 1 or 3 layers of spikes though so eh not a huge deal I guess but I'd typically go for the extra lefties.

Mention Metang and/or Mawile as Fire Blast targets on silk scarf too.

Lum/Chesto in OO need to specifically mention how this is useful for Bellossom. That's the main sleeper really.

The mention of spdef in OO should probably point out its drawbacks Current mention is a bit too positive imo. main drawbacks being that it's a wee bit passive, trapped by diglett and so not reliable for fat teams, and doesn't actually check some of the most potent special attackers like Wailord and Huntail due to type weakness.

In checks and counters, mention dewgong along seadra as being faster.

I know you put it down already lol, but this is most definitely QC 1/2 now. I cannot imagine I'll think of anything else.
 

Bughouse

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Rabia FYI:
252 SpA Dewgong Surf vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Flareon: 193-228 (71.2 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
So not a matter of OHKOing. Either just say threatening rather than OHKOing or take Dewgong back out, or mention Dewgong needs chip etc.
 

Rabia

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GP & NU Leader
Rabia FYI:
252 SpA Dewgong Surf vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Flareon: 193-228 (71.2 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
So not a matter of OHKOing. Either just say threatening rather than OHKOing or take Dewgong back out, or mention Dewgong needs chip etc.
ah thought I had fixed the phrasing to account for that already whoops
 
[OVERVIEW]

Flareon's one of NU's best wallbreakers thanks to its combination raw strength, good versatility, and useful defensive traits. It can run a mixed set with a very potent Double-Edge to lure in and chunk bulky Water-types and Quick Attack to pick off weakened foes like Pikachu and Huntail,. Alternatively, it can go specially offensive to amp up its Fire Blast's damage and give it better odds against Rock-types like Sudowoodo and Relicanth as well as Whiscash thanks to Hidden Power Grass or get a better Pelipper matchup with Hidden Power Electric. Flareon's coverage is superb (honestly i have no issue with this but i gotta say it literally does not have coverage outside of normal moves and hidden power its just a fire type. Its really just strong more than anything) regardless of which set it uses, and teams usually must rely on smart pivoting around its attacks to prevent it from wreaking havoc. Flareon's also hard to revenge kill because most faster attackers can't reliably KO it without significant chip damage., and Its defensive prowess also lets it check foes like (the likes of?? foes like just sounds weird to me) Haunter, Bellossom, and Torkoal. The most noticeable downside to Flareon is its reliance on Double-Edge to significantly damage Wailord and Dewgong, and depending on which Hidden Power it uses, varying foes like Pelipper, Whiscash, and Sudowoodo can pose problems (the most notable flaw of flareon is that its typing defensively is practically just normal with more weaknesses in this tier, but this sentence is fine i guess fitting it on a team is super annoying).

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Silk Scarf (MAYBE put lefties here, but that conflicts with the spread u gave and other shit. u can only go so in depth but smth to consider.)
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 228 Atk / 28 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Silk Scarf Flareon has few reliable answers because of how absurdly strong its Double-Edge is; even Water-types like Wailord and Pelipper are 2HKOed unless they run significant bulk investment. Fire Blast targets Haunter, which otherwise walls this Flareon, as well as Metang and Mawile. Hidden Power Grass hits Rock-types such as Sudowoodo and Relicanth while offering more damage against Whiscash than Double-Edge. Alternatively, Hidden Power Electric is Flareon's best damaging move for defensive Pelipper. 228 Attack EVs guarantee Flareon's Quick Attack KOes bulkless Diglett after Spikes (the spread is prob fine anyways but nobody should run bulkless diglet thats such a bad set) and ensure Double-Edge 2HKOes offensive Wailord.

Alternatively, Flareon can replace Double-Edge with Return and Silk Scarf with Leftovers for more longevity (idt id ever run return + lefties maybe seperate these thoughts). Such a set can also run fewer Attack EVs in favor of Special Attack EVs to have a better Sableye matchup at the cost of power against Wailord and Dewgong.

Team Options
========

Flareon is fantastic at luring in Water-types and severely weakening them with Double-Edge, making Huntail, Agility Pelipper, and Pupitar prime teammates(I dont think I agree, but they arent horrible with it and u have to put partners and there is nothing id mention in particular (besides some mons u put later on) on a broad scale so its fine). Torkoal is also a common switch-in to Flareon, so damaging it supports late-game sweepers like Bellossom, Reversal Raticate, and Agility Metang(I think metang would make a great mention for the point above). To supplement Flareon's wallbreaking prowess, Spikes from Glalie is a must; it synergizes well with Flareon's tendency to force switches and weakens grounded checks like Wailord, Torkoal, and Sableye (I mean must is a bit strong, but Glalie is used too little and it has about 50% usage so fair enough). In general, Glalie's a fantastic offensive teammate because it too draws in bulky Water-types and can potentially remove them with Explosion(I dont think I have ever switched a water-type in on glalie). Other offensive teammates like Hitmonchan and Haunter are valuable too to weaken shared checks like Pelipper and Sableye, respectively.

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower (I wouldnt use flame on timid so theres that to consider)
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric / Toxic
move 3: Substitute / Toxic / Wish
move 4: Baton Pass / Toxic Protect


item: Leftovers (Pinch berries are really good here, but thats more of a mid analysis mention than a slash here)
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest / Timid (is timid the standard? I dont know if I have ever used timid)
evs: 8 HP / 84 Def / 164 SpA / 252 Spe (this is fine I guess for timid but with modest I think ud usually wanna be a bit slower than other flareon)

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Fire Blast and Hidden Power Grass give Flareon great coverage across the tier; few Pokemon consistently switch into this combination, and those that do struggle to keep up with Flareon's damage if Spikes are up. Instead of Hidden Power Grass, Flareon can run Hidden Power Electric for a better Pelipper matchup, although this compromises its overall coverage. Substitute lets Flareon take advantage of foes like Torkoal, Roselia, and Mawile that can't threaten it with their attacks, and it can use Substitute alongside Baton Pass to guarantee safe entry for its teammates. Alternatively, Toxic helps Flareon beat opposing Fire- and Water-types like Torkoal, opposing Flareon, and Pelipper. A moveset of Fire Blast / Hidden Power Grass / Overheat / Protect is also possible(Thats cool idk if I'll play adv nu anytime soon but i gotta try that. I'd run flame tho). Overheat does absurd damage to nonresistant targets like Hitmonchan and Vigoroth, and Protect gives Flareon extra Leftovers recovery while blocking Haunter and Torkoal's Explosion. (On the fence about mentioning torkoal but when u reveal 2 fire moves and hidden power its possible itd boom) 8 HP and 84 Defense EVs prevent Adamant Glalie's Earthquake from OHKOing Flareon ("however does not safely live soft sand earthquake 100% of the time" or w/e).

Team Options
========

This Flareon takes a bit more of a supportive approach, taking advantage of Flareon forcing switches to safely set Substitute and pass it to teammates. Frail attackers like Pikachu, Diglett, and Haunter appreciate this;(diglet and flareon dont have much synergy, but its not nonexistant + I think "pikachu benefits particularly from the fire and water-types (maybe dont even include the fire type part fire types arent the best flareon switch) that switch into flareon is better than just putting a semicolon and abruptly mentioning it the way u wrote it is fine thought more just what looks prettier) Pikachu benefits from Flareon drawing in Water-types for it to KO, whereas Diglett enjoys being safely brought in against Fire-types to safely trap them. On the other hand, if Flareon has Toxic instead of Baton Pass, it can stall out Water- and Fire-types like Dewgong, Torkoal, and opposing Flareon on its own (Not really how games play out, just bping is better usually unless ur subtect toxic however is a nice midground). This helps Pokemon like Huntail and Bellossom sweep late-game. Naturally, Spikes are a must in ADV NU, and Glalie is a fantastic supplier of them that also can take on bulky Water-types like Wailord and Dewgong(again idk how i feel about must but its okay).

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

If using Flareon as a lead, a fully physically defensive EV spread prevents Diglett's Earthquake from ever KOing it (yooo man whos ur drug dealer can u pass me their info wtf, I could maybe see myself doing this but this is not analysis worthy and i def wouldnt do this for fucking diglet but for flying types while having a haunter and wanting wishpass grass type answer w/e it has great spd doesnt need max spd to be a spd wall bla bla bla. maybe u can mention it but diglet isnt the most relevant). Similarly, a Lum or Chesto Berry makes the Bellossom and Venomoth matchups trivial by cleansing sleep, and the latter has more general use if Flareon opts for Rest. Specially defensive sets with Wish are effective checks to special attackers like Haunter, Bellossom, and Plusle, but they're easily trapped by Diglett and fail to check other potent special threats such as Wailord and Huntail (id spend more time discussing how great of a pivot this mon is, its not EASY trapped by diglet BP pivoting is amazing and wish opens up so many opportunities for team styles if i was writing this id give spd flareon its own section honestly if anything u should mention spd and then mention physdef bc its a SMALL BIT better vs diglet and flareon has great natural spd and physdef can let it live boom and switch into ace/hpflying)). Salac Berry in conjunction with Endure and Flail makes Flareon a potent late-game sweeper if the opponent lacks a priority move user, with Fire Blast and Hidden Power Grass ensuring its coverage remains solid. Curse + Baton Pass with White Herb supports physical powerhouses like Hitmonchan and gives Flareon a way to boost its own Attack, but Curse's Speed drop means you really only have one chance to make this strategy work. Hidden Power Water or Rock offers niche coverage for opposing Fire-types in Torkoal and Flareon, with the latter also hitting Pelipper, although they're generally outclassed. Choice Band nets higher KO thresholds than Silk Scarf against foes like Wailord, Chimecho, and Dewgong when using Double-Edge, but this set is much more trappable and easier to take advantage of (I think more trappable give too much weight to diglet but everything else is fine up to u whether u wanna keep the trappable part or not).

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

**Water-types**: Defensive Wailord, Pelipper, and Whiscash all easily tank Flareon's Double-Edge, although the latter two must first scout which Hidden Power type it has. Offensive Water-types like Huntail, Octillery, and Crawdaunt take significantly more damage from Flareon's attacks, but they threaten to KO it back. Seadra and Dewgong get special mentions here for being faster than Flareon and KOing it with Hydro Pump and Surf, though the latter needs chip damage.

**Rock-types**: Sudowoodo and Relicanth resist Flareon's strongest attacks, and the latter can EV to avoid being OHKOed by Hidden Power Grass. Pupitar can use non-Hidden Power Grass Flareon as setup fodder.

**Torkoal and Sableye**: Torkoal takes a pittance from any attack of Flareon's. If Flareon has Substitute + Toxic, though, it's wholly walled unless running a niche attack like Rock Slide. Meanwhile, Sableye can shutdown mixed Flareon because it can stall Flareon out of Fire Blast PP, but it falls flat against special attacking sets.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
- Quality checked by: [[Bughouse, 52547], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
Last edited by a moderator:

deetah

Bright like a diamond
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GP & SocMed Lead
Add Remove Comments (RC) = Remove Comma
This is my 400th analysis GP check, what an honor for you :3

GP 1/1

Eevee_Stamp.gif


[OVERVIEW]

Flareon's one of NU's best wallbreakers thanks to its combination of raw strength, good versatility, and useful defensive traits. It can run a mixed set with a very potent Double-Edge to lure in and chunk bulky Water-types and Quick Attack to pick off weakened foes like Pikachu and Huntail, (RC). Alternatively, it can go specially offensive to amp up its Fire Blast's damage and give it better odds against Rock-types like Sudowoodo and Relicanth as well as Whiscash thanks to Hidden Power Grass or get a better Pelipper matchup with Hidden Power Electric. Flareon's coverage is superb regardless of which set it uses, and teams usually must rely on smart pivoting around its attacks to prevent it from wreaking havoc. Flareon's also hard to revenge kill because most faster attackers can't reliably KO it without significant chip damage. Its defensive prowess also lets it check foes such as Haunter, Bellossom, and Torkoal. The most noticeable downside to Flareon is its reliance on Double-Edge to significantly damage Wailord and Dewgong, and depending on which Hidden Power it uses, varying foes like Pelipper, Whiscash, and Sudowoodo can pose problems. Flareon is also weak to common Water- and Ground-type attacks from Pokemon such as Wailord, Glalie, and Metang, which can make fitting it onto teams difficult.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Silk Scarf
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 228 Atk / 28 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Silk Scarf Flareon has few reliable answers because of how absurdly strong its Double-Edge is; even Water-types like Wailord and Pelipper are 2HKOed unless they run significant bulk investment. Fire Blast targets Haunter, which otherwise walls this Flareon set, as well as Metang and Mawile. On the other hand, Overheat can KO Metang with much less chip damage needed. Hidden Power Grass hits Rock-types such as Sudowoodo and Relicanth while offering more damage against Whiscash than Double-Edge. Alternatively, Hidden Power Electric is Flareon's best damaging move for defensive Pelipper. 228 Attack EVs guarantee Flareon's Quick Attack KOes bulkless Diglett after Spikes and ensure Double-Edge 2HKOes offensive Wailord.

Alternatively, Flareon can replace Double-Edge with Return or Silk Scarf with Leftovers for more longevity. Leftovers sets may invest more EVs into Special Attack to improve the Sableye matchup at the cost of damage against Wailord and Dewgong.

Team Options
========

Flareon is fantastic at luring in Water-types and severely weakening them with Double-Edge, making Huntail, Agility Pelipper and Metang, and Pupitar good teammates. Torkoal is also a common switch-in to Flareon, so damaging it supports late-game sweepers like Bellossom, Reversal Raticate, and Agility Metang. To supplement Flareon's wallbreaking prowess, Spikes from Glalie, Roselia, or Cacturne is a must; it synergizes well with Flareon's tendency to force switches and weakens grounded checks like Wailord, Torkoal, and Sableye. Other offensive teammates like Hitmonchan and Haunter are valuable too to weaken shared checks like Pelipper and Sableye, respectively.

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 3: Substitute / Toxic / Wish
move 4: Baton Pass / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest
evs: 8 HP / 84 Def / 192 SpA / 224 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Fire Blast and Hidden Power Grass give Flareon great coverage across the tier; few Pokemon consistently switch into this combination, and those that do struggle to keep up with Flareon's damage if Spikes are up. Instead of Hidden Power Grass, Flareon can run Hidden Power Electric for a better Pelipper matchup, although this compromises its overall coverage. Substitute lets Flareon take advantage of foes like Torkoal, Roselia, and Mawile that can't threaten it with their attacks, and it can use Substitute alongside Baton Pass to guarantee safe entry for its teammates. Alternatively, Toxic helps Flareon beat opposing Fire- and Water-types like Torkoal, opposing Flareon, and Pelipper, whereas Wish helps Flareon check Pokemon such as Haunter and Bellossom throughout the game while supporting teammates like Metang and Chimecho that are prone to being worn down. Flareon can even forgo Hidden Power entirely to run Toxic alongside some combination of Substitute, Baton Pass, Wish, and Protect depending on your team's needs. Keep in mind that Protect should almost always be run alongside Wish or Toxic.

A moveset of Flamethrower / Hidden Power Grass / Overheat / Protect is also possible. Overheat does absurd damage to nonresistant targets like Hitmonchan and Vigoroth, and Protect gives Flareon extra Leftovers recovery while blocking Haunter's and Torkoal's Explosion.

8 HP and 84 Defense EVs prevent Adamant Glalie's Earthquake from OHKOing Flareon, though Soft Sand variants make this a damage roll. 224 Speed EVs let Flareon outspeed up to Jolly Pupitar. A Petaya or Salac Berry can be considered instead of Leftovers; Substitute makes it easier to activate, and Baton Pass lets Flareon supply a teammate with the boost.

Team Options
========

This Flareon set takes a bit more of a supportive approach, taking advantage of Flareon forcing switches to safely set Substitute and pass it to teammates a teammate. Pikachu benefits from Flareon drawing in Water-types for it to KO, whereas Diglett enjoys being safely brought in against Fire-types to trap them. On the other hand, if Flareon has Toxic instead of Baton Pass, it can cripple Water- and Fire-types like Dewgong, Torkoal, and opposing Flareon. This helps Pokemon like Huntail and Bellossom sweep late-game. Naturally, Spikes are great in ADV NU, and Glalie is a fantastic supplier of them that also can take on bulky Water-types like Wailord and Dewgong.

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

Specially defensive EV spreads with Wish and Baton Pass make Flareon much more secure against foes such as Haunter, Bellossom, and Plusle while keeping it from being too easily trapped by Diglett, although they falter against Water-types such as Wailord and Huntail. Alternatively, physically defensive spreads are workable due to Flareon's fantastic natural special bulk, make it harder for Haunter to pick it off with Explosion, help against Flying-types such as Murkrow and Pidgeot, and ensure Diglett's Earthquake never OHKOes Flareon. A Lum or Chesto Berry makes the Bellossom and Venomoth matchups trivial by cleansing sleep, and the latter has more general use if Flareon opts for Rest. Salac Berry in conjunction with Endure and Flail makes Flareon a potent late-game sweeper if the opponent lacks a priority move user, with Fire Blast and Hidden Power Grass ensuring its coverage remains solid. Curse + Baton Pass with White Herb supports physical powerhouses like Hitmonchan and gives Flareon a way to boost its own Attack, but Curse's Speed drop means you really only have one chance to make this strategy work. Hidden Power Water or Rock offers niche coverage for opposing Fire-types in Torkoal and Flareon, with the latter also hitting Pelipper, although they're generally outclassed. Choice Band nets lets Flareon net higher KO thresholds than Silk Scarf against foes like Wailord, Chimecho, and Dewgong when using Double-Edge, but this set is makes Flareon more trappable and easier to take advantage of.

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

**Water-types**: Defensive Wailord, Pelipper, and Whiscash all easily tank Flareon's Double-Edge, although the latter two must first scout which Hidden Power type it has. Offensive Water-types like Huntail, Octillery, and Crawdaunt take significantly more damage from Flareon's attacks, but they threaten to KO it back. Seadra and Dewgong get special mentions here for being faster than Flareon and KOing it with Hydro Pump and Surf, though the latter needs prior chip damage to do so.

**Rock-types**: Sudowoodo and Relicanth resist Flareon's strongest attacks, and the latter can EV to avoid being OHKOed by Hidden Power Grass. Pupitar can use non-Hidden Power Grass Flareon as setup fodder.

**Torkoal and Sableye**: Torkoal takes a pittance from any attack of Flareon's. If Flareon has Substitute + Toxic, though, it's wholly walled unless running a niche attack like Rock Slide. Meanwhile, Sableye can shutdown shut down mixed Flareon because it can stall Flareon out of Fire Blast PP, but it falls flat against special attacking sets.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
- Quality checked by: [[Bughouse, 52547], [ArcticBreeze, 437400]]
- Grammar checked by: [[deetah, 297659]]

GP Team Done
 
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