so cute[OVERVIEW]
Jolteon is defined by its fantastic Speed stat, which allows it to outrun the vast majority of the metagame without even needing a boosting nature. This enables it to not only deal comparable damage to Zapdos with its own deadly STAB-boosted Thunderbolt, but also to act as a premier revenge killer for fast threats such as Starmie, Gengar, Zapdos, Mew, and even weakened Alolan Dugtrio. Jolteon's great neutral coverage between Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball allows it to pack a variety of potent support options that complement its offense, such as Reflect to bolster itself and its team, and Yawn to force switches and disrupt setup. Additionally, Jolteon's pure Electric typing is quite defensively adept, letting it act as a check to Zapdos in a pinch and switch into a Double Iron Bash if necessary in spite of its mediocre bulk. Unfortunately, Jolteon's Shadow Ball only providing neutral coverage versus Grass and Ground-type Pokemon means Jolteon can often struggle to make progress against the likes of both Venusaur formes, Alolan Exeggutor, Rhydon, and Alolan Dugtrio, all of which can threaten Jolteon heavily in return. As such, Jolteon mandates support from its teammates to help wear down or remove these threats before it can truly shine. Additionally, while Jolteon is fast, it's not the fastest thing around&emdash;Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Beedrill are popular Pokemon that outspeed and threaten Jolteon heavily, reducing its capabilities as a catch-all revenge killer.
[SET]
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Yawn
move 4: Reflect / Substitute
nature: Modest
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Information
========
Shadow Ball is Jolteon's best coverage option, providing meaningful neutral damage versus Grass and Ground-type Pokemon and usually 2HKOing Mew after Stealth Rock. Yawn is an extremely potent tool, forcing switches and allowing Jolteon to punish otherwise safe switchins with Sleep unless they immediately switch back out. Reflect provides valuable team-wide support that can especially shine lategame, while Substitute allows Jolteon to more effectively capitalize on the many switches it forces and bypass revenge killing attempts from Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Beedrill. A Modest nature is generally preferred, as Jolteon greatly appreciates the power boost and there are very few relevant Speed benchmarks that only a Timid Jolteon would reach.
Usage Tips
========
While Jolteon can occasionally have a meaningful impact in the early stages of battles, it truly excels in the later stages of battles once its checks have been softened up, enabling it to put its great power and Speed to full use. Jolteon can be switched in directly versus certain foes, especially Zapdos, but it usually finds its entry points at this stage of the game after a teammate faints, giving it a safe opportunity to revenge kill while also threatening much of the metagame with a 2HKO on switch-in. With this level of power in mind, players using Jolteon should aim to weaken as many opposing Pokemon to around 50% HP as possible, even sacrificing less important teammates to do so if necessary. When facing teams including Mega Aerodactyl or Mega Beedrill, Jolteon is often less capable of cleaning up in the lategame&emdash;as such, Jolteon may be better utilized earlier in these matchups in order to force damage onto the opposing team, though it can potentially prevent the speedy Mega Evolutions revenge killing it with smart usage of Reflect or Substitute. Jolteon can also be used to halt healthy setup Mew variants with Yawn if necessary, sacrificing itself to prevent a sweep. As with any offensive Pokemon in the format, Jolteon greatly appreciates the extra damage provided by Stealth Rock that enables it to secure many 2HKOs&emdash;however, Jolteon gets more value than most Pokemon out of the pebbles thanks to Yawn forcing many switches. As such, setting up Stealth Rock early in the battle should always be prioritized when using Jolteon. Reflect is most notably utilized in lategame situations where Jolteon is likely to go down and its teammates will soon need help with warding off the remaining physical threats, though it can be used at any stage of a battle in order to cover an ambiguous switch or when expecting a desperation priority move that provides a safe setup opportunity.
Team Options
========
Drill Peck Zapdos is Jolteon's greatest ally, as it is fantastic at both directly pressuring Grass-types and luring and whittling Alolan Dugtrio into range of Shadow Ball. This duo has great synergy with strong Water-type Pokemon that can help check Ground-type Pokemon defensively and wear down Grass-type Pokemon. Mega Blastoise is standout among the available options thanks to its incredible bulk, unrivaled wallbreaking capabilities that help weaken foes into Jolteon KO range, and Aqua Jet enabling it to pick off weakened Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Beedrill, two Pokemon that would otherwise present serious threats to both Zapdos and Jolteon. Additionally, Mega Blastoise's Aqua Jet puts Alolan Dugtrio in range of a guaranteed KO from Jolteon's Shadow Ball. Alolan Dugtrio is another fantastic partner for Jolteon, boasting a great matchup against Toxic Zapdos that could otherwise outlast Jolteon and working with it to create a fast offensive pairing that soften up each other's checks effectively.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Jolteon can drop Yawn in order to run Light Screen and Reflect on the same set, but Light Screen is generally far less useful than Yawn's disruptive capabilities. Toxic is another reasonable status option for Jolteon, letting it more directly break through Mew and Zapdos and punish Rhydon and Alolan Exeggutor on switch-in, but Yawn can usually achieve similar or better results in these scenarios.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Venusaur, Mega Venusaur, and Alolan Exeggutor can comfortably tank Shadow Ball and threaten to heal the damage off with Mega Drain.
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Rhydon avoids a 2HKO from Shadow Ball and threatens to easily OHKO Jolteon in return. Alolan Dugtrio is similarly problematic, although there is a decent chance that Shadow Ball 2HKOs it on switch-in due to its worse special bulk.
**Specially bulky Pokemon**: Alolan Muk, Snorlax, and the rare Chansey handle Jolteon's attacks quite well, either dealing more damage in return or healing them off with Soft-Boiled.
**Faster Pokemon**: Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Beedrill both outspeed and threaten to OHKO Jolteon, though this can potentially be circumvented with Reflect or Substitute. Regular Aerodactyl and the rare Alakazam both also outspeed Jolteon, with the former usually OHKOing Jolteon after Stealth Rock, though it is rare to see regular Aerodactyl survive beyond the start of a battle.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
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