[OVERVIEW]
With a fantastic HP stat, good Special Defense, access to a sizable support movepool including moves like Wish and Heal Bell, and a pure Water typing leaving it with few exploitable weaknesses, Vaporeon is one of the best defensive Pokemon in the tier. Thanks to its natural bulk, Vaporeon can distinguish itself as a premier Wish user, providing great support to a lot of teams. Vaporeon can also run a more offensive set thanks to its appreciable Special Attack stat, and with Normalium Z, Vaporeon can boost all of its stats by one stage, making it a force to be reckoned with. Although it does have great HP, a low Defense stat makes it susceptible to a lot of powerful physical attackers in the tier such as Virizion.
[SET]
name: Wish Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Wish
move 3: Protect
move 4: Toxic / Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Vaporeon's most spammable attack due to it having a good chance to burn a foe, potentially crippling it whilst whittling it down, and being a reliable STAB attack. Wish is Vaporeon's main source of recovery and can provide support to weakened teammates, sometimes allowing free switches. Protect stalls the turn waiting for Wish recovery, making Protect alongside Wish a great technique for Vaporeon to regain health. Protect can also let Vaporeon scout for moves and regain more health from Leftovers. Toxic combined with Wish and Protect can make a good stalling method, and it can be used to cripple or put opposing switch-ins on a timer. Alternatively, Heal Bell heals Vaporeon and all of its teammates of any status ailments, which is especially good for the bulky offense or stall teams that Vaporeon tends to find itself on.
Set Details
========
248 HP EVs are in place to maximize Vaporeon's already amazing HP stat, while 252 Defense EVs are implemented to mitigate its low Defense stat. A Bold nature lets it take on Pokemon like Sneasel and Emboar more efficiently while adding to it its lackluster Defense stat. Leftovers are for passive, consistent recovery. Water Absorb is used to make Vaporeon immune to all Water-type attacks while regaining its health if it's hit by one.
Usage Tips
========
Vaporeon can switch in against walls or Pokemon that can't do too much damage to it and either recover health, pass a Wish to partners, or heal any teammates of status ailments thanks to Heal Bell. Vaporeon can also be used as a switch-in to common Fire-types such as Delphox, Emboar, and Choice Scarf Houndoom. Likewise, it can pivot into Water-types such as Slowbro, Seismitoad, and Slowking in order to cripple them with Toxic. Scald can be used to fish for burns against physical attackers or just any attacker if Vaporeon has a lot of health left while dealing decent damage due to Vaporeon's adequate Special Attack stat.
Team Options
=========
This set works best on balance or stall teams, which usually value its ability to heal teammates. Bulky Grass-types like Vileplume resist both of Vaporeon's weaknesses and can take on other Grass-types, while Vaporeon can pressure the common Fire-types that threaten Vileplume. Garbodor and Weezing can make good partners, taking on Grass-types like Virizion that Vaporeon falls to while also providing entry hazard support for the team. Additionally, Toxic Spikes can save Vaporeon from running Toxic while still allowing it to stall out Pokemon using Wish and Protect. Certain offensive Pokemon that appreciate Vaporeon's Wishes also make good partners, such as Emboar, Vanilluxe, Delphox, and Magmortar, which all also synergize well with Vaporeon offensively and typingwise.
[SET]
name: Z-Celebrate
move 1: Celebrate
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Shadow Ball / Hidden Power Grass
item: Normalium Z
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Celebrate alongside Normalium Z boosts all of Vaporeon's stats by one stage, making it an offensive threat that shouldn't be underestimated. Hydro Pump is Vaporeon's strongest reliable STAB attack, dealing generous damage to any unresistant foe when Vaporeon is at +1 Special Attack. Ice Beam is used to hit Grass-types super effectively, OHKOing a lot of offensive Grass-types at +1 like Rotom-C, Whimsicott, and Sceptile. Ice Beam also hits Dragon-types such as Guzzlord, Alolan Exeggutor, and Druddigon, which could otherwise potentially wall Vaporeon. Shadow Ball is an efficient way to hit some of the prominent Water-types in the tier, such as Slowbro, Slowking, and Jellicent, for super effective damage. Alternatively, Hidden Power Grass hits other Water-types like Seismitoad and Lanturn harder, but it's generally a waste in comparison to Shadow Ball.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment combined with a Timid nature ensures that Vaporeon will outspeed the majority of the metagame, including Pokemon that would've threatened it before a Speed boost, such as Virizion, Sceptile, Rotom-C, Whimsicott, and Rotom. 252 EVs invested into Special Attack maximize Vaporeon's offensive potential. Normalium Z is used to utilize Z-Celebrate, which boosts all of the user's stats by one stage.
Usage Tips
========
Vaporeon can be brought in against weak foes such as Skuntank and Xatu to get off a Z-Celebrate, or Z-Celebrate can be used on a foe switching out expecting Vaporeon to do near to nothing to an incoming foe, which Vaporeon might actually be able to deal with boosted stats. Even when Vaporeon is at +1, some Pokemon like Seismitoad and Slowking, depending on Vaporeon's moveset, can tank hits and either put Vaporeon on a timer with Toxic or start setting up themselves; therefore, you should wait until Pokemon that Vaporeon struggles against have been eliminated or weakened before you use your Z-Move.
Team Options
========
Fire / Water / Grass cores can cover Vaporeon's weaknesses pretty efficiently. Pokemon like Whimsicott provide amazing support for Vaporeon, resisting Electric-type attacks, dealing with other Water-types, and having access to Memento to give Vaporeon an opportunity to set up. Vileplume may opt for Aromatherapy to relieve Vaporeon of Heal Bell duties, while the likes of Whimsicott and Rotom-C appreciate Wish support. Sceptile, Rotom-C, and Virizion can all eliminate Water-types to give Vaporeon an easier time in sweeping. Fire-types that can overwhelm Grass-types, like Emboar, Houndoom, and Delphox, make good partners for Vaporeon, making it easier for it to set up. Certain offensive Pokemon that appreciate Vaporeon's Wishes also make good partners, such as Emboar, Vanilluxe, Delphox, and Magmortar, which all also synergize well with Vaporeon offensively and typingwise.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Roar can be used to phaze foes, preventing Vaporeon from becoming setup bait or letting it force out incoming checks or counters, potentially wearing them down with hazards. Choice Specs can be utilized to make use of its underappreciated base 110 Special Attack stat for immediate power, but it's outclassed by Normalium Z because whether or not foes will switch out causes a lot of mind games. Haze is another option to deter setup sweepers because Roar's has negative priority can leave Vaporeon open to an attack, although Roar's utility is usually more valuable compared to Haze. Surf or Scald can be run over Hydro Pump for more accurate moves but lack the sheer power that Vaporeon desires when it has set up. A more specially defensive set can be tailored to take on Fire-types like Houndoom and Delphox better.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Strong Physical Attackers**: While Vaporeon has great HP, its lackluster Defense doesn't go unnoticed. Vaporeon is susceptible to some of the best physical attackers in the tier like Toxicroak, which can come in and hard wall Vaporeon's Wish set thanks to Dry Skin and start setting up, and Hariyama, which can also overwhelm Vaporeon with its strong STAB attacks, doesn't care about Scald burns thanks to Guts, and runs Assault Vest to take attacks from Vaporeon better. Virizion can threaten Vaporeon with its super effective STAB moves or, like Toxicroak, can set up with Swords Dance. It is worth noting that some physical attackers need to be wary of potential Scald burns, whereas some like Hariyama don't.
**Grass-types**: A number of Grass-types can prove troublesome to Vaporeon. Virizion can muscle through it by setting up and KOing it with its super effective STAB attacks, Choice Specs Sceptile can easily break through Vaporeon even with its amazing HP and good Special Defense, and Whimsicott can shut down its Wish set with either Taunt or Encore, rendering Vaporeon useless. Lilligant can also come in and set up with Quiver Dance due to Vaporeon's passiveness.
**Electric-types**: Although the tier doesn't have a lot of Electric-types, they can still threaten Vaporeon. Rotom-C and Rotom can both use Trick on Vaporeon to Choice-lock it into one of its support moves and cripple it or hit it with super effective Electric-type STAB moves. Lanturn can come in freely if Vaporeon isn't running Toxic and utilize its Electric-type STAB attacks. Powerful attackers like Vikavolt can overpower Vaporeon by brute strength.
**Bulky Water-types**: Defensive Water-types like Seismitoad, Slowbro, Slowking, and Lanturn can usually come in pretty freely and either set up, cripple Vaporeon with status infliction, PP stall it, or just attack it for super effective damage.
Last edited: