Espeon
Sun Pokémon
Its fur is so sensitive, it can sense minute shifts in the air and predict the weather.
Base Stats
Type Effectiveness
Abilities
Evolution Chain
Moves
Details
Sprites
Competitive
Strategy Overview
At first, Espeon might seem completely out of place in the Ubers metagame. Aside from its Special Attack and Speed its other stats are pitiful, as base 65 / 60 / 95 defenses make Espeon very vulnerable to the powerful attacks thrown around in the tier, especially priority ones. It also has a barren movepool, making it one-dimensional and easy to play around. Being Pursuit weak is another undesirable quality, making Espeon easy pickings for Tyranitar and Scizor. To top it all off, its only form of recovery, Morning Sun, is near useless in the rain-infested metagame.
However, it's Espeon's phenomenal ability, Magic Bounce, that makes it worth using in Ubers. This coveted ability allows it to deflect all forms of entry hazards, ensuring that dangerous sun sweepers, such as Ho-Oh and Kyurem-W, don't go down prematurely. Magic Bounce also allows Espeon to ward off other support moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Roar, and Whirlwind, giving stall team headaches, as they usually rely on these moves to stall out their opponents. Espeon also happens to be capable of stopping Forretress and Skarmory, two common hazard setters, in their tracks and KO them. When thinking of a team supporter that can perform these roles, Xatu might come to mind first due to its immunity to Earthquake, reliable recovery, and slightly higher Defense. Unlike Xatu, however, Espeon can deal a fair amount of damage, preventing it from becoming setup bait. Espeon cannot be used recklessly though; it needs a good deal of team support to get its job done. One slight misprediction could result in Espeon's demise.
Most Used Moves
Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc