[OVERVIEW]
Flareon makes its name as by far the best Pokemon that learns both Growth and Baton Pass in NU, becoming a powerful support piece for facilitating strong special attackers. Flareon also has incredible attacking stats itself, allowing it to function as a powerful wallbreaker, whether it be with Growth sets or mixed sets. Flareon also has an amazing Special Defense stat and a resistance to Fire, allowing it to check Pokemon such as Xatu, Magnemite, and Ninetales when using a RestTalk set. However, Flareon is very frail physically and is weak to Rock, Ground, and Water, all very common attacking types; strong STAB-boosted Normal attacks and Weezing's Sludge Bomb also deal significant damage. Flareon is also quite slow, sitting at only base 65 Speed, leaving it susceptible to being revenge killed by a variety of threats like Stantler, Dugtrio, and Dewgong. Flareon can also be difficult to justify putting on teams, as Pokemon like Magmar, Weezing, and Stantler often tend to be better choices for the purpose of wallbreaking without dedicated team support, while Ninetales and Rapidash are usually preferred as RestTalk Fire-types for their much higher Speed stat and better physical bulk allowing them to check threats like Weezing.
[SET]
name: Growth Pass
move 1: Growth
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Double-Edge
move 4: Baton Pass
Item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Fire Blast is chosen over Flamethrower to give Flareon more use mid-game when it cannot set up a Growth safely, since Fire Blast can 2HKO important targets, such as Xatu and Stantler, that Flamethrower cannot. Hidden Power Grass targets Octillery and Rock-types such as Sudowoodo and Graveler, but Double-Edge allows Flareon to threaten Ninetales—which uses Roar sometimes to counter Baton Pass—and also out-damages Hidden Power Grass against Octillery and Chinchou before a Growth boost. It also does not significantly lower Flareon's DVs like Hidden Power Grass does. However, it comes at the cost of not being able to significantly damage Rock-types like Graveler in the short term. Flareon should aim to use Baton Pass after using Growth once or twice and give those boosts to powerful special attackers early-game to break holes, then re-entering the battle again later on to launch powerful Fire Blasts or even execute a second Growth Pass.
Team Options
========
The prime candidate for receiving a Growth Pass from Flareon is Dewgong, specifically the 3 attacks + Protect variant. This set is extremely efficient at shredding through multiple pokemon on the opponent’s team, as it has perfect coverage, and Dewgong is difficult to take down quickly due to it being so bulky and having Protect to gain extra recovery from Leftovers. However, it lacks the damage to be able to function effectively without a Growth Pass from Flareon. Dual screens Dragonair is another valuable partner, facilitating a much easier setup early-game while preventing the common Pineco lead from safely using Spikes. Xatu is also an amazing Growth recipient, gaining the power it needs to 2HKO targets such as Octillery and 3HKO bulkier walls like Wigglytuff while also not being vulnerable to Fighting-types like Dewgong is. Hidden Power Electric Octillery also makes for a fantastic Growth recipient, as Octillery is able to grab many 2HKOs when at +1, and it can even 3HKO Dewgong. Magmar can also work as a solid Growth recipient with its incredibly powerful Fire Blasts and superb coverage, though it can be difficult to successfully pass to, as it shares the same weaknesses as Flareon. Wigglytuff can even be a fine Growth recipient due to its great bulk and incredible array of coverage, including Ice Beam, Thunder, and Fire Blast.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
Item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Fire Blast is essential over Flamethrower, as this set wants all the power it can get without Growth. Double-Edge is Flareon's strongest neutral physical move, primarily being able to 3HKO Octillery and Ninetales. RestTalk grants Flareon great longevity, making it a solid check to Xatu and letting it counter Ninetales, other Flareon that lack a physical attack, Magnemite, and Magmar without Hidden Power Ground, letting Flareon effortlessly use them to fire off attacks. RestTalk also significantly reduces Flareon's vulnerability to status, no longer being afraid of paralysis from Magnemite's Thunder, Gloom's Stun Spore, or Toxic poison from Ninetales and Pineco. RestTalk also allows Flareon to fully utilize the high power of Double-Edge without fearing its recoil damage.
Team Options
========
Pineco is RestTalk Flareon's favorite partner, setting Spikes to wear down Rock-types like Sudowoodo and giving threats like Octillery, Dewgong, and Stantler a much more difficult time switching into Flareon. Octillery is another very important partner, taking on the Sudowoodo, Dugtrio, and Graveler that would otherwise use Flareon to their advantage, as well as being able to duel other Octillery if it has Hidden Power Electric. Curse Porygon can accomplish similar feats as Octillery, switching into Sudowoodo and Graveler and appreciating Flareon's ability to handle Ninetales, Magnemite, and Gloom. Dugtrio assists with Sudowoodo and enjoys RestTalk Flareon's pairing with Pineco and efficiency at chipping Octillery and Dewgong. Xatu and Fearow can switch into Dugtrio's Earthquake and are good teammates of Flareon's for similar reasons to Dugtrio; Fearow, especially when paired with Toxic Pineco, makes for a great core with Flareon that repeatedly forces Sudowoodo and Graveler in and wears them down with repeated hits and Spikes or poison, respectively. Flareon can also be a decent switch-in to opposing Magnemite for Xatu and Fearow. Sudowoodo makes for a solid combo with Flareon, as it tends to use Self-Destruct on Octillery, Dewgong, or some other bulky wall like Wigglytuff, eliminating a potential stopgap to Flareon so that it can cause havoc easier; Sudowoodo also prevents Fearow and Persian from revenge killing Flareon and can Self-Destruct on Dugtrio. Weezing can accomplish similar feats, and Flareon can check Xatu and Ninetales for Weezing.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An All-Out Attacking set with Fire Blast, Double-Edge, either Hidden Power Ground or Hidden Power Water, and of Baton Pass or Protect can be used to give Flareon maximum immediate coverage and additional utility for pivoting or additional Leftovers recovery. However, RestTalk tends to outclass this set, because, while it cannot immediately force significant damage unto Rock-types like Graveler and Sudowoodo, it is significantly sturdier in the long term and is much more resilient to status. Substitute can be used on the Growth Pass set to block status and give a temporary wall to whatever Flareon chooses to Baton Pass to, but it comes at the cost of coverage and can be difficult to pull off successfully.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Octillery takes little damage from Fire Blast and has a chance to dodge a 3HKO from both Double-Edge and Hidden Power Grass, especially if it has Ice Beam rather than Hidden Power Electric, always uses RestTalk to significantly improve its longevity, and hits back hard with an incredibly powerful 105 base Special Attack STAB Surf. However, it is slower than Flareon and is 3HKOed by Double-Edge while not OHKOing in return with Surf, even after Flareon takes recoil damage, so it is very quickly forced to use Rest if switching into Double-Edge; it also means that if Flareon uses Growth as Octillery switches in, it can safely Baton Pass the Growth boost out to something not weak to Water, such as Dewgong. Dewgong itself outspeeds and can either 2HKO Flareon with Surf or use Encore on Flareon's use of Growth, forcing it to switch out, though it takes significantly more damage from Fire Blast due to its part Ice typing. Chinchou also outspeeds Flareon and hits it hard, but its Special Attack stat is so low that Surf cannot 2HKO even Hidden Power Grass variants of Flareon from full health, and Chinchou takes massive damage from all of Double-Edge, Hidden Power Ground, and Hidden Power Grass.
**Dugtrio**: Dugtrio is much faster than Flareon and can hit it with Earthquake for upwards of 90% of its health or use Flareon switching out of battle to set up a Substitute. However, Dugtrio is slammed by Flareon, being 2HKOed by most of its moves, and thus cannot switch directly into it more than once unless on a predicted use of Growth or Protect. The Reflect that Growth Pass Flareon is often paired with also prevents Dugtrio from beating it, though Dugtrio can still use Screech, which will even carry over when Flareon uses Baton Pass.
**Rock-types**: Sudowoodo resists both Fire and Normal and is bulky enough both physically and specially to where the occasional Hidden Power Ground cannot 3HKO without Spikes, and Flareon needs to use Growth to 2HKO with Hidden Power Grass. Sudowoodo meanwhile can boost up with Curse, hit Flareon hard with either Rock Slide or Earthquake, and even use Self-Destruct, preventing any safe usage of Baton Pass. Graveler and Pupitar are much rarer and take signficantly more damage from Hidden Power Grass, with Graveler even being OHKOed without any boosts, but they are sufficient answers to Flareon sets without Hidden Power Grass, especially since Graveler has Explosion, and Pupitar has Screech to disrupt any Growth Pass antics.
**Faster Physical Attackers**: Stantler, Fearow, Persian, Primeape, Hitmonlee, and Kingler all outspeed and hit Flareon incredibly hard with their STAB moves or super effective coverage. Rapidash uses Double-Edge and Magmar occasionally uses Hidden Power Ground, both of which also deal significant damage to Flareon. However, none of these Pokemon want to switch into Flareon in fear of Fire Blast or Double-Edge, and Flareon can also use Baton Pass as they switch in.
**Status**: If not running RestTalk, poison is quite harmful, as Flareon wants to preserve its health as much as possible to be able to come into battle multiple times and take hits from faster Pokemon before attacking. Paralysis is also ruinous, as Flareon needs to be able to outspeed as much as possible, and any full paralysis is extremely detrimental, as Flareon needs to be spending the turns it gets doing something productive, especially if attempting to execute a Growth Pass. Sleep, while much rarer, flat out puts Flareon out of commission. All three status effects are also often dished out by prime targets for Flareon's entry, such as Ninetales's Toxic, Gloom's Stun Spore, Sludge Bomb, or even Sleep Powder, and Magnemite's Thunder, making it risky to try to switch into them when not running RestTalk.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beeorsomething.583728/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mrsoup.375193/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/juoean.486979/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Flareon makes its name as by far the best Pokemon that learns both Growth and Baton Pass in NU, becoming a powerful support piece for facilitating strong special attackers. Flareon also has incredible attacking stats itself, allowing it to function as a powerful wallbreaker, whether it be with Growth sets or mixed sets. Flareon also has an amazing Special Defense stat and a resistance to Fire, allowing it to check Pokemon such as Xatu, Magnemite, and Ninetales when using a RestTalk set. However, Flareon is very frail physically and is weak to Rock, Ground, and Water, all very common attacking types; strong STAB-boosted Normal attacks and Weezing's Sludge Bomb also deal significant damage. Flareon is also quite slow, sitting at only base 65 Speed, leaving it susceptible to being revenge killed by a variety of threats like Stantler, Dugtrio, and Dewgong. Flareon can also be difficult to justify putting on teams, as Pokemon like Magmar, Weezing, and Stantler often tend to be better choices for the purpose of wallbreaking without dedicated team support, while Ninetales and Rapidash are usually preferred as RestTalk Fire-types for their much higher Speed stat and better physical bulk allowing them to check threats like Weezing.
[SET]
name: Growth Pass
move 1: Growth
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Double-Edge
move 4: Baton Pass
Item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Fire Blast is chosen over Flamethrower to give Flareon more use mid-game when it cannot set up a Growth safely, since Fire Blast can 2HKO important targets, such as Xatu and Stantler, that Flamethrower cannot. Hidden Power Grass targets Octillery and Rock-types such as Sudowoodo and Graveler, but Double-Edge allows Flareon to threaten Ninetales—which uses Roar sometimes to counter Baton Pass—and also out-damages Hidden Power Grass against Octillery and Chinchou before a Growth boost. It also does not significantly lower Flareon's DVs like Hidden Power Grass does. However, it comes at the cost of not being able to significantly damage Rock-types like Graveler in the short term. Flareon should aim to use Baton Pass after using Growth once or twice and give those boosts to powerful special attackers early-game to break holes, then re-entering the battle again later on to launch powerful Fire Blasts or even execute a second Growth Pass.
Team Options
========
The prime candidate for receiving a Growth Pass from Flareon is Dewgong, specifically the 3 attacks + Protect variant. This set is extremely efficient at shredding through multiple pokemon on the opponent’s team, as it has perfect coverage, and Dewgong is difficult to take down quickly due to it being so bulky and having Protect to gain extra recovery from Leftovers. However, it lacks the damage to be able to function effectively without a Growth Pass from Flareon. Dual screens Dragonair is another valuable partner, facilitating a much easier setup early-game while preventing the common Pineco lead from safely using Spikes. Xatu is also an amazing Growth recipient, gaining the power it needs to 2HKO targets such as Octillery and 3HKO bulkier walls like Wigglytuff while also not being vulnerable to Fighting-types like Dewgong is. Hidden Power Electric Octillery also makes for a fantastic Growth recipient, as Octillery is able to grab many 2HKOs when at +1, and it can even 3HKO Dewgong. Magmar can also work as a solid Growth recipient with its incredibly powerful Fire Blasts and superb coverage, though it can be difficult to successfully pass to, as it shares the same weaknesses as Flareon. Wigglytuff can even be a fine Growth recipient due to its great bulk and incredible array of coverage, including Ice Beam, Thunder, and Fire Blast.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
Item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Fire Blast is essential over Flamethrower, as this set wants all the power it can get without Growth. Double-Edge is Flareon's strongest neutral physical move, primarily being able to 3HKO Octillery and Ninetales. RestTalk grants Flareon great longevity, making it a solid check to Xatu and letting it counter Ninetales, other Flareon that lack a physical attack, Magnemite, and Magmar without Hidden Power Ground, letting Flareon effortlessly use them to fire off attacks. RestTalk also significantly reduces Flareon's vulnerability to status, no longer being afraid of paralysis from Magnemite's Thunder, Gloom's Stun Spore, or Toxic poison from Ninetales and Pineco. RestTalk also allows Flareon to fully utilize the high power of Double-Edge without fearing its recoil damage.
Team Options
========
Pineco is RestTalk Flareon's favorite partner, setting Spikes to wear down Rock-types like Sudowoodo and giving threats like Octillery, Dewgong, and Stantler a much more difficult time switching into Flareon. Octillery is another very important partner, taking on the Sudowoodo, Dugtrio, and Graveler that would otherwise use Flareon to their advantage, as well as being able to duel other Octillery if it has Hidden Power Electric. Curse Porygon can accomplish similar feats as Octillery, switching into Sudowoodo and Graveler and appreciating Flareon's ability to handle Ninetales, Magnemite, and Gloom. Dugtrio assists with Sudowoodo and enjoys RestTalk Flareon's pairing with Pineco and efficiency at chipping Octillery and Dewgong. Xatu and Fearow can switch into Dugtrio's Earthquake and are good teammates of Flareon's for similar reasons to Dugtrio; Fearow, especially when paired with Toxic Pineco, makes for a great core with Flareon that repeatedly forces Sudowoodo and Graveler in and wears them down with repeated hits and Spikes or poison, respectively. Flareon can also be a decent switch-in to opposing Magnemite for Xatu and Fearow. Sudowoodo makes for a solid combo with Flareon, as it tends to use Self-Destruct on Octillery, Dewgong, or some other bulky wall like Wigglytuff, eliminating a potential stopgap to Flareon so that it can cause havoc easier; Sudowoodo also prevents Fearow and Persian from revenge killing Flareon and can Self-Destruct on Dugtrio. Weezing can accomplish similar feats, and Flareon can check Xatu and Ninetales for Weezing.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An All-Out Attacking set with Fire Blast, Double-Edge, either Hidden Power Ground or Hidden Power Water, and of Baton Pass or Protect can be used to give Flareon maximum immediate coverage and additional utility for pivoting or additional Leftovers recovery. However, RestTalk tends to outclass this set, because, while it cannot immediately force significant damage unto Rock-types like Graveler and Sudowoodo, it is significantly sturdier in the long term and is much more resilient to status. Substitute can be used on the Growth Pass set to block status and give a temporary wall to whatever Flareon chooses to Baton Pass to, but it comes at the cost of coverage and can be difficult to pull off successfully.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Octillery takes little damage from Fire Blast and has a chance to dodge a 3HKO from both Double-Edge and Hidden Power Grass, especially if it has Ice Beam rather than Hidden Power Electric, always uses RestTalk to significantly improve its longevity, and hits back hard with an incredibly powerful 105 base Special Attack STAB Surf. However, it is slower than Flareon and is 3HKOed by Double-Edge while not OHKOing in return with Surf, even after Flareon takes recoil damage, so it is very quickly forced to use Rest if switching into Double-Edge; it also means that if Flareon uses Growth as Octillery switches in, it can safely Baton Pass the Growth boost out to something not weak to Water, such as Dewgong. Dewgong itself outspeeds and can either 2HKO Flareon with Surf or use Encore on Flareon's use of Growth, forcing it to switch out, though it takes significantly more damage from Fire Blast due to its part Ice typing. Chinchou also outspeeds Flareon and hits it hard, but its Special Attack stat is so low that Surf cannot 2HKO even Hidden Power Grass variants of Flareon from full health, and Chinchou takes massive damage from all of Double-Edge, Hidden Power Ground, and Hidden Power Grass.
**Dugtrio**: Dugtrio is much faster than Flareon and can hit it with Earthquake for upwards of 90% of its health or use Flareon switching out of battle to set up a Substitute. However, Dugtrio is slammed by Flareon, being 2HKOed by most of its moves, and thus cannot switch directly into it more than once unless on a predicted use of Growth or Protect. The Reflect that Growth Pass Flareon is often paired with also prevents Dugtrio from beating it, though Dugtrio can still use Screech, which will even carry over when Flareon uses Baton Pass.
**Rock-types**: Sudowoodo resists both Fire and Normal and is bulky enough both physically and specially to where the occasional Hidden Power Ground cannot 3HKO without Spikes, and Flareon needs to use Growth to 2HKO with Hidden Power Grass. Sudowoodo meanwhile can boost up with Curse, hit Flareon hard with either Rock Slide or Earthquake, and even use Self-Destruct, preventing any safe usage of Baton Pass. Graveler and Pupitar are much rarer and take signficantly more damage from Hidden Power Grass, with Graveler even being OHKOed without any boosts, but they are sufficient answers to Flareon sets without Hidden Power Grass, especially since Graveler has Explosion, and Pupitar has Screech to disrupt any Growth Pass antics.
**Faster Physical Attackers**: Stantler, Fearow, Persian, Primeape, Hitmonlee, and Kingler all outspeed and hit Flareon incredibly hard with their STAB moves or super effective coverage. Rapidash uses Double-Edge and Magmar occasionally uses Hidden Power Ground, both of which also deal significant damage to Flareon. However, none of these Pokemon want to switch into Flareon in fear of Fire Blast or Double-Edge, and Flareon can also use Baton Pass as they switch in.
**Status**: If not running RestTalk, poison is quite harmful, as Flareon wants to preserve its health as much as possible to be able to come into battle multiple times and take hits from faster Pokemon before attacking. Paralysis is also ruinous, as Flareon needs to be able to outspeed as much as possible, and any full paralysis is extremely detrimental, as Flareon needs to be spending the turns it gets doing something productive, especially if attempting to execute a Growth Pass. Sleep, while much rarer, flat out puts Flareon out of commission. All three status effects are also often dished out by prime targets for Flareon's entry, such as Ninetales's Toxic, Gloom's Stun Spore, Sludge Bomb, or even Sleep Powder, and Magnemite's Thunder, making it risky to try to switch into them when not running RestTalk.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beeorsomething.583728/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mrsoup.375193/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/juoean.486979/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited:
