Pokémon X and Y Walkthrough, Pokémon Move Sets: Leafeon

(Please note that the recommendations below are largely made for in-game play. A Leafeon in a competitive environment will likely make use of different moves to accommodate for smarter, more adaptive opponents. If you have an alternative moveset for your own Leafeon, drop it in the comments for all to see.)

A strange, almost impish creature of the forest, Leafeon has power that belies its poor typesetting as a pure grass-type. Where its weaknesses are myriad its strengths are too, and used properly this strange quasi-canine can tidily sweep up the competition.

Type: Grass

Evolution

Leafeon begins as an Eevee, one of its many evolutions. In order to get a Leafeon you'll have to level your Eevee near a mossy rock, which, in Pokémon X and Y, is found just south of Snowbelle City on Route 20. Enter the Route and you'll find it on the very first screen. Get into a fight here and your Eevee will transform.

Resistances

Electric, Grass, Ground, Water.

Weaknesses

Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison.

Stats

Like the other Eeveevolutions, Leafeon is a lot tougher than it looks, particularly on the physical side. Its top strength is its Defense, weighing in at a mighty 130. Attack comes second at a hefty 110; Speed comes in a respectable third. Everything else is a little below average, which, in the case of Special Defense, can be a trifle troubling.

Ability

Leaf Guard: The pokémon cannot be harmed by status ailments in sunny weather. This is really handy if your Leafeon uses a build centering around Sunny Day and Solar Beam; otherwise, it's not that amazing.

Chlorophyll: During sunny weather, the pokemon's Speed is doubled. Leafeon is already pretty fast, and this ability can really give Leafeon the boost it needs to move into sweeping status. Leaf Guard is good, but I prefer Chlorophyll. This is a hidden ability.

Moves

Leafeon has the makings of an excellent physical sweeper or wall, though its Special Defense and meh HP can really let it down. Your typical Leafeon will utilize a variety of powerful physical attacks that will wipe out opponents before they can take advantage of its weaknesses. Leaf Blade is the obvious STAB choice; Aerial Ace is great for wiping out bug-types that might trouble Leafeon; X-Scissor is a surprise psychic-, grass- and dark-type killer; Return is always a favourite. Given Leafeon's high Speed Giga Impact is also a possibility, though a riskier one given its lower accuracy. You may also want to toss Swords Dance in there to replace one of the non-STAB moves (I suggest X-Scissor).

If you want to run a riskier game, you can also swap out one of these moves in exchange for Sunny Day. A Chlorohyll Leafeon can outrun almost anything. Include Swords Dance for extra punch, as well as two high-power attack moves. Leaf Blade is a must-use; Return is a nice neutral choice. This Leafeon is more effective if you have another pokémon with the Drought ability or Sunny Day come out first.

Last, Leafeon has the capacity to work as a Toxic-slinger. Swap up your moveset and replace offense with defense. Synthesis is number one on the list to boost your Leafeon's survivability. Beyond that you'll want the typical moves to keep Leafeon alive, namely Protect, Substitute, and Dig. Leaf Blade is advisable as a backup STAB move.

EV / Super Training

Training, as always, depends on the route you take. A sweeping Leafeon will make good use of Attack and Speed, where a Toxic / defensive pokémon will benefit from concentrating on Defense and Special Defense.

Catching a Leafeon

Want Leafeon? Get Eevee. Eevee aren't too difficult to find in Pokémon X and Y, appearing on Route 10, north of Cyllage City. Hunt through the yellow flowers to find yourself an Eevee in a reasonable amount of time.