[OVERVIEW]
Fairy
======
* Gardevoir is a great revenge killer and late-game cleaner because of its decent Special Attack and Speed that make it a successful Choice Scarf user.
* Gardevoir's Psychic-type STAB attacks allow it to hit Poison-types that would otherwise wall its teammates, especifically Mega Venusaur.
* Good coverage moves such as Focus Blast and Shadow Ball along with its expansive movepool including Trick and Healing Wish allows it to both hit more foes and support the team.
* Trace lets Gardevoir check Terrain and weather sweepers such as Alolan Raichu and Excadrill by copying their ability.
* Gardevoir lacks physical bulk and cannot take attacks well, making it hard for Gardevoir to switch into attacks. The fragility of Gardevoir also makes it vulnerable to priority moves such as Bullet Punch and Extreme Speed, which means it can be easily revenge killed.
* It doesn't have amazing Speed, making it unable to outspeed other common Choice Scarf users such as Victini and Jirachi.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Healing Wish / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Trace
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Moonblast has good coverage and hits hard even on neutral targets, making it a great answer to sweepers.
* Psychic is used as a second STAB attack that hits Poison-types such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex for super effective damage.
* Psyshock is used over Psychic to hit Pokemon with high Special Defense such as Chansey, Volcarona, and Zapdos for more damage than Psychic and OHKO Nihilego.
* Focus Blast is used to hit most Steel-types such as Heatran and Magnezone for super effective damage.
* Healing Wish sacrifices Gardevior to the health of a weakened teammate such as Tapu Koko or Azumarill and cure them of status, giving them a second chance to wallbreak or sweep.
* Trick can be used to cripple defensive Pokemon that are hard for Fairy teams to beat such as Mew and Chansey by forcing them to be locked into one move every time they are switched in.
Set Details
========
* Full Special Attack investment maximizes its damage output, granting it the ability to OHKO Volcarona with Psyshock after Stealth Rock damage, OHKO Excadrill with Focus Blast, and 2HKO Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Skarmory.
* Maximum Speed investment with a Choice Scarf and a Timid nature lets it outspeed threats such as Tapu Koko and Greninja.
* Trace allows Gardevoir to check weather sweepers and Alolan Raichu by copying their abilities, check Landorus by threatening to OHKO it after tracing Sheer Force, threaten to sweep by tracing Beast Boost, and take advantage of defensive abilities such as Intimidate from Landorus-T, Regenerator from Toxapex and Slowbro, and Volt Absorb from Lanturn.
Usage Tips
========
* Being one of the only revenge killers for Fairy teams, Gardevoir should mostly be brought in when a teammate has fainted or through a pivoting move, as it is not bulky enough to switch into attacks easily.
* It is best to save Gardevoir until mid- or late-game where threats are weakened so that it can function effectively as a cleaner.
* When using Psyshock, it must be made sure that it's a 2HKO against bulky threats such as Mega Venusaur. Gardevoir also has to be aware of Dark-types, especially those on Poison teams, that are immune to its Psychic-type STAB moves, neutral to its Moonblast, and capable of using Pursuit to wear it down.
* Gardevoir should use Healing Wish to save an important teammate so that it can do its job. It is important that its recipient can successfully deal massive damage to opponent team as Gardevoir is usually very important pokemon in its team.
* Gardevoir is weak against physical moves even if they aren't super effective and is easily revenge killed by physical priority moves other bar Mach Punch. However, its massive special bulk allows it to take hits when needed, such as from Choice Scarf Nihilego locked into Power Gem after a +1 boost.
* Trick must be used only on walls the team cannot break and only when the wall is for sure going to receive the Choice Scarf in order to prevent turning a threat such as Bisharp into a threatening sweeper. Furthermore, Gardevoir should target walls that lacks offense presence such as Chansey and Lanturn that would not be a threat even with a Choice Scarf. Gardevoir itself also dislikes losing its Choice Scarf, as it hinders its ability to be a revenge killer; thus, it should be used when no threatening sweepers remaining in the opponent team.
* Trace can be used to bring Gardevoir into against certain types of attacks such as switching in Lanturn's Volt Switch by tracing Volt Absorb or into Heatran's Lava Plume by tracing Flash Fire.
* Gardevoir should avoid being paralyzed because it relies on its Speed. Therefore, it should be careful about Whimiscott's Stun Spore and Klefki's Thunder Wave. It is also best to have a teammate remove Sticky Web off the field when using Gardevoir.
* Gardevoir should be wary of using Focus Blast and its Psychic-type attacks when there's a Ghost- or Dark-types on the opponent's team.
Team Options
========
* Azumarill appreciates almost all sets that Gardevoir runs, as Healing Wish restores Azumarill's health back to 100% HP after it has lost some HP so that it can use Belly Drum again, while Trick gives it a free turn to set up on walls. In return, Azumarill can take on some Steel-type attackers that threaten Gardevoir, such as Choice Scarf Excadrill, Heatran, and weakened Mega Scizor. At +6 after setting up a Belly Drum, Azumarill can also OHKO Ferrothorn and Doublade while severely weakening Mega Scizor and Skarmory.
* Magearna is another Pokemon that appreciates Gardevoir's ability to let it set up Shift Gear by crippling an foe using Trick Choice Scarf or healing it back to 100% HP. In return, Magearna can take some Steel-type attacks as well as Poison-type attacks for Gardevoir. It can also bring Gardevoir in easily by using a slow Volt Switch.
* Togekiss appreciate the ability Gardevoir has to heal it back to 100%. In return, it can provide Fire Blast to KO Doublade and Scizor that Gardevoir cannot deal with, spread paralysis, and clean the entry hazards.
* Klefki can provide entry hazard support that helps Gardevoir successfully revenge kill a threat without needing to consider Sturdy and Focus Sash as well as providing dual screens to make Gardevoir able to take more hits. It can also take Poison-type attacks and spread paralysis to further improve Gardevoir's ability as a revenge killer against extremely fast targets such as Mega Aerodactyl. It can also take poison attacks for Gardevoir.
* With its powerful physical attacks, Tapu Bulu threatens special walls that Gardevoir cannot beat. In return, Gardevoir can target Poison-type attackers that can easily KO Tapu Bulu.
* Clefable can provide Stealth Rock support and can support Gardevoir by using Wish and Heal Bell.
* Tapu Koko can effectively use U-turn and Volt Switch to bring in Gardevoir safely.
* Tapu Fini can provide Defog and Misty Terrain to prevent Gardevoir from being slowed by Sticky Web or paralysis. It can also run Nature's Madness to weaken special walls such as Celesteela that Gardevoir struggles against.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fairy
--------
* Shadow Ball targets Doublade, a huge threat to Fairy teams that can wall Gardevoir otherwise, and also deals decent damage against Psychic-types.
* Memento gives one of its teammate, especially Azumarill and Magearna, a free turn to set up. It can also help Trick Room setters do their job without taking too much damage. However, it is generally worse than Healing Wish.
* Thunderbolt and Energy Ball can also be used to KO Mantine and Gastrodon, which would otherwise wall it. However, these moves do not have great coverage and do not usually help Gardevoir revenge kill its targets.
* A utility set with Will-O-Wisp, Wish, Protect, and Moonblast can be an alternative option for Gardevoir to stall out enemies; however, it is not recommended due to Gardevoir's poor physical bulk and low HP.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fairy
--------
**Steel-types**: Most Steel-type Pokemon such as Heatran, Magearna, Celesteela, and Magnezone can take most of Gardevoir's attacks and hit back with their super effective STAB moves. However, they have to be wary of switching into a Focus Blast. Scizor can use Bullet Punch and KO Gardevoir while being able to take any attack Gardevoir can launch at it. Doublade can take any attack from Gardevoir bar Shadow Ball and set up Sword Dance.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users such as Excadrill, Victini, Nihilego, and faster attackers such as Mega Aerodactyl can force Gardevoir out due to its poor defensive typing and underwhelming Defense.
**Psychic-types**: Most Psychic-types like Jirachi, Celebi, and Meloetta, can resist Gardevoir's Psychic-type STAB attacks while also being able to take Moonblast due to their great bulk.
**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Chansey, Jirachi, and Mew can wall Gardevoir's attacks fairly easily and hit back or inflict status. However, all of them apart from Jirachi have have to beware of Trick.
**Paralysis**: Paralysis halves the speed of Gardevoir, severely hurting its ability to revenge kill.
Fairy
======
* Gardevoir is a great revenge killer and late-game cleaner because of its decent Special Attack and Speed that make it a successful Choice Scarf user.
* Gardevoir's Psychic-type STAB attacks allow it to hit Poison-types that would otherwise wall its teammates, especifically Mega Venusaur.
* Good coverage moves such as Focus Blast and Shadow Ball along with its expansive movepool including Trick and Healing Wish allows it to both hit more foes and support the team.
* Trace lets Gardevoir check Terrain and weather sweepers such as Alolan Raichu and Excadrill by copying their ability.
* Gardevoir lacks physical bulk and cannot take attacks well, making it hard for Gardevoir to switch into attacks. The fragility of Gardevoir also makes it vulnerable to priority moves such as Bullet Punch and Extreme Speed, which means it can be easily revenge killed.
* It doesn't have amazing Speed, making it unable to outspeed other common Choice Scarf users such as Victini and Jirachi.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Healing Wish / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Trace
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Moonblast has good coverage and hits hard even on neutral targets, making it a great answer to sweepers.
* Psychic is used as a second STAB attack that hits Poison-types such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex for super effective damage.
* Psyshock is used over Psychic to hit Pokemon with high Special Defense such as Chansey, Volcarona, and Zapdos for more damage than Psychic and OHKO Nihilego.
* Focus Blast is used to hit most Steel-types such as Heatran and Magnezone for super effective damage.
* Healing Wish sacrifices Gardevior to the health of a weakened teammate such as Tapu Koko or Azumarill and cure them of status, giving them a second chance to wallbreak or sweep.
* Trick can be used to cripple defensive Pokemon that are hard for Fairy teams to beat such as Mew and Chansey by forcing them to be locked into one move every time they are switched in.
Set Details
========
* Full Special Attack investment maximizes its damage output, granting it the ability to OHKO Volcarona with Psyshock after Stealth Rock damage, OHKO Excadrill with Focus Blast, and 2HKO Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Skarmory.
* Maximum Speed investment with a Choice Scarf and a Timid nature lets it outspeed threats such as Tapu Koko and Greninja.
* Trace allows Gardevoir to check weather sweepers and Alolan Raichu by copying their abilities, check Landorus by threatening to OHKO it after tracing Sheer Force, threaten to sweep by tracing Beast Boost, and take advantage of defensive abilities such as Intimidate from Landorus-T, Regenerator from Toxapex and Slowbro, and Volt Absorb from Lanturn.
Usage Tips
========
* Being one of the only revenge killers for Fairy teams, Gardevoir should mostly be brought in when a teammate has fainted or through a pivoting move, as it is not bulky enough to switch into attacks easily.
* It is best to save Gardevoir until mid- or late-game where threats are weakened so that it can function effectively as a cleaner.
* When using Psyshock, it must be made sure that it's a 2HKO against bulky threats such as Mega Venusaur. Gardevoir also has to be aware of Dark-types, especially those on Poison teams, that are immune to its Psychic-type STAB moves, neutral to its Moonblast, and capable of using Pursuit to wear it down.
* Gardevoir should use Healing Wish to save an important teammate so that it can do its job. It is important that its recipient can successfully deal massive damage to opponent team as Gardevoir is usually very important pokemon in its team.
* Gardevoir is weak against physical moves even if they aren't super effective and is easily revenge killed by physical priority moves other bar Mach Punch. However, its massive special bulk allows it to take hits when needed, such as from Choice Scarf Nihilego locked into Power Gem after a +1 boost.
* Trick must be used only on walls the team cannot break and only when the wall is for sure going to receive the Choice Scarf in order to prevent turning a threat such as Bisharp into a threatening sweeper. Furthermore, Gardevoir should target walls that lacks offense presence such as Chansey and Lanturn that would not be a threat even with a Choice Scarf. Gardevoir itself also dislikes losing its Choice Scarf, as it hinders its ability to be a revenge killer; thus, it should be used when no threatening sweepers remaining in the opponent team.
* Trace can be used to bring Gardevoir into against certain types of attacks such as switching in Lanturn's Volt Switch by tracing Volt Absorb or into Heatran's Lava Plume by tracing Flash Fire.
* Gardevoir should avoid being paralyzed because it relies on its Speed. Therefore, it should be careful about Whimiscott's Stun Spore and Klefki's Thunder Wave. It is also best to have a teammate remove Sticky Web off the field when using Gardevoir.
* Gardevoir should be wary of using Focus Blast and its Psychic-type attacks when there's a Ghost- or Dark-types on the opponent's team.
Team Options
========
* Azumarill appreciates almost all sets that Gardevoir runs, as Healing Wish restores Azumarill's health back to 100% HP after it has lost some HP so that it can use Belly Drum again, while Trick gives it a free turn to set up on walls. In return, Azumarill can take on some Steel-type attackers that threaten Gardevoir, such as Choice Scarf Excadrill, Heatran, and weakened Mega Scizor. At +6 after setting up a Belly Drum, Azumarill can also OHKO Ferrothorn and Doublade while severely weakening Mega Scizor and Skarmory.
* Magearna is another Pokemon that appreciates Gardevoir's ability to let it set up Shift Gear by crippling an foe using Trick Choice Scarf or healing it back to 100% HP. In return, Magearna can take some Steel-type attacks as well as Poison-type attacks for Gardevoir. It can also bring Gardevoir in easily by using a slow Volt Switch.
* Togekiss appreciate the ability Gardevoir has to heal it back to 100%. In return, it can provide Fire Blast to KO Doublade and Scizor that Gardevoir cannot deal with, spread paralysis, and clean the entry hazards.
* Klefki can provide entry hazard support that helps Gardevoir successfully revenge kill a threat without needing to consider Sturdy and Focus Sash as well as providing dual screens to make Gardevoir able to take more hits. It can also take Poison-type attacks and spread paralysis to further improve Gardevoir's ability as a revenge killer against extremely fast targets such as Mega Aerodactyl. It can also take poison attacks for Gardevoir.
* With its powerful physical attacks, Tapu Bulu threatens special walls that Gardevoir cannot beat. In return, Gardevoir can target Poison-type attackers that can easily KO Tapu Bulu.
* Clefable can provide Stealth Rock support and can support Gardevoir by using Wish and Heal Bell.
* Tapu Koko can effectively use U-turn and Volt Switch to bring in Gardevoir safely.
* Tapu Fini can provide Defog and Misty Terrain to prevent Gardevoir from being slowed by Sticky Web or paralysis. It can also run Nature's Madness to weaken special walls such as Celesteela that Gardevoir struggles against.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fairy
--------
* Shadow Ball targets Doublade, a huge threat to Fairy teams that can wall Gardevoir otherwise, and also deals decent damage against Psychic-types.
* Memento gives one of its teammate, especially Azumarill and Magearna, a free turn to set up. It can also help Trick Room setters do their job without taking too much damage. However, it is generally worse than Healing Wish.
* Thunderbolt and Energy Ball can also be used to KO Mantine and Gastrodon, which would otherwise wall it. However, these moves do not have great coverage and do not usually help Gardevoir revenge kill its targets.
* A utility set with Will-O-Wisp, Wish, Protect, and Moonblast can be an alternative option for Gardevoir to stall out enemies; however, it is not recommended due to Gardevoir's poor physical bulk and low HP.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fairy
--------
**Steel-types**: Most Steel-type Pokemon such as Heatran, Magearna, Celesteela, and Magnezone can take most of Gardevoir's attacks and hit back with their super effective STAB moves. However, they have to be wary of switching into a Focus Blast. Scizor can use Bullet Punch and KO Gardevoir while being able to take any attack Gardevoir can launch at it. Doublade can take any attack from Gardevoir bar Shadow Ball and set up Sword Dance.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users such as Excadrill, Victini, Nihilego, and faster attackers such as Mega Aerodactyl can force Gardevoir out due to its poor defensive typing and underwhelming Defense.
**Psychic-types**: Most Psychic-types like Jirachi, Celebi, and Meloetta, can resist Gardevoir's Psychic-type STAB attacks while also being able to take Moonblast due to their great bulk.
**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Chansey, Jirachi, and Mew can wall Gardevoir's attacks fairly easily and hit back or inflict status. However, all of them apart from Jirachi have have to beware of Trick.
**Paralysis**: Paralysis halves the speed of Gardevoir, severely hurting its ability to revenge kill.
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