WIP
Note: This is my first shot at conciseness. Please bear with me, as I'm traditionally accustomed to writing lengthy analyses and all of this is new to me! Therefore, please criticize me until I get this right. That said, here we go...
<p>Thunderbolt OHKOes Gyarados and Skarmory, something that ThunderPunch might fail to accomplish. Furthermore, Thunderbolt hits Suicune (before a Calm Mind) and Vaporeon harder than ThunderPunch would. Next is the choice of Hidden Power. While Hidden Power Ice brings down the likes of Gliscor, Salamence, and Dragonite, Hidden Power Grass is used to eliminate Swampert, who would otherwise completely wall Electivire. The next move to use is Cross Chop - employing it, Electivire can hit bulkier specially defensive opponents such as Tyranitar, Snorlax, and Blissey. Finally, Flamethrower barbecues Bronzong, Forretress, Celebi, Scizor, and Metagross. Earthquake, while a less favorable option, can be used to strike Heatran and Magnezone for more damage.</p>
<p>To maximize Electivire's potential, one must ensure that it gains a Motor Drive boost. The key to attracting this boost is to use Water- and Flying-type lures. The legendary GyaraVire combo comes to mind, but other options, including Vaporeon, Starmie, and Togekiss, are fantastic lures as well.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Electivire sometimes lacks the raw power to scratch foes like the Rotom appliances, Cresselia, and Latias. Without Hidden Power Grass, Swampert has a field day with Electivire. Next, Heatran can absorb Flamethrower, survive a Cross Chop, and retaliate with Earth Power. Flygon resists Thunderbolt and Flamethrower and can play mind games with Electivire, forcing it to switch out in fear of a Choice Scarfed Earthquake.</p>
<p>To aid Electivire, Scizor can either trap or use U-turn against Cresselia, reducing its health either way. The same applies to Latias and Rotom appliances locked onto Shadow Ball or Hidden Power Ice. Bullet Punch can finish off other opponents that give Electivire trouble, like Mamoswine, Flygon, and Salamence. Gyarados can come in and set up on Heatran, and it does fine against Swampert as well. Finally, a Heatran of your own can absorb Will-o-Wisps coming from the Rotom appliances and potentially attempt a sweep.</p>
<p>Electivire's ThunderPunch demolishes Water-types and earns STAB, while Ice Punch hits the Ground-types immune to Electric-type moves. Cross Chop hits Blissey, Tyranitar, and Snorlax. Earthquake helps Electivire hit Metagross, Heatran, Jirachi, and other Steel-types. However, Fire Punch can be used in order to hit Scizor, Bronzong, and Forretress harder.</p>
<p>This version of Electivire is usually unable to deal heavy damage to neither Swampert nor Hippowdon. Without Fire Punch, Forretress shrugs off most of Electivire's attacks as well. The fact that all three of these Pokemon usually possess Earthquake does not help either! Defensive Celebi is never 2HKOed by a Life Orb Ice Punch, and it can use Earth Power and Recover to eventually defeat Electivire.</p>
<p>Togekiss is an excellent lure and partner for Electivire, handling Celebi with Air Slash and Forretress with Flamethrower. Ninjask is also a fine option; not only can it lure Electric-type attacks, but it can also Baton Pass Attack and Speed boosts. To trap Skarmory, Forretress, and other bulky Steel-types, Magnezone can be used; watch out for Electivire and Magnezone's mutual Ground-type weakness, though.</p>
<p>ThunderPunch and Ice Punch provide excellent coverage that few in OU resist. Between Meditate and Cross Chop, Meditate is the preferred choice, but Cross Chop allows Electivire to hit Heatran and Magnezone for super effective damage. Earthquake can also be used, as it hits Jirachi and Metagross for the most damage. Last but not least, Substitute is necessary on this set to ensure that Electivire gains its Liechi Berry boost, although Endure is a viable but risky alternative.</p>
<p>Because this Electivire is often a one-trick-pony set, make its Motor Drive boost count. As always, Gyarados, Ninjask, Starmie, Togekiss, and Vaporeon shine as partners; Ninjask has the added bonus of being able to Baton Pass both Attack and Speed boosts as well.</p>
<p>Anything that can break Electivire's Substitutes and take a boosted hit or two is generally problematic. Examples include Forretress, Cresselia, Lanturn, and Magnezone, the latter two of which resist the BoltBeam combo. Priority users should be closely monitored, as they often end an Electivire sweep. As a final note, make sure to keep Electivire's HP stat divisible by four so that Liechi Berry activates when 25% of Electivire's health remains (this can be achieved by exactly three uses of Substitute).</p>
<p>The ThunderPunch and Ice Punch combo is nothing new, and Earthquake completes your type coverage. Low Kick, however, can be used to 2HKO Blissey and OHKO Snorlax, Mamoswine, Registeel, Regirock, and Steelix, if you ever run into them.</p>
<p>With Life Orb and Stealth Rock in play, Electivire can 2HKO Celebi, OHKO Zapdos, Metagross, Latias, Suicune, and even Skarmory with the appropriate moves. Opponents that Electivire runs into trouble against include Hippowdon, Rotom-A, and Swampert. Taunt Gyarados is a solid choice to tackle Hippowdon, Donphan, and Swampert, while also functioning as an Electric move lure. Togekiss, Suicune, and Vaporeon also fare well against bulky Ground-types. Defensive Rotom-A can be dealt with a Wish Blissey, who can spread status effects around and use Wish to heal Electivire up. To further aid Electivire's sweeping process, other entry hazards in the form of Spikes and Toxic Spikes can be used. Essential choices for these include Skarmory and Forretress, who can redirect Thunderbolts aimed at them to Electivire.</p>
<p>When using Electivire, Stealth Rock is a must. Other entry hazards, particularly Spikes, are especially useful for the Meditate and Substitute + Liechi Berry sets. The reason for such heavy entry hazard support is that Electivire needs its 3HKOs to become 2HKOs and 2HKOs to become OHKOs. Electivire is far from bulky, and it cannot afford to have its health reduced considerably. A fantastic Spikes user that works well with Electivire is Skarmory, as it is part Flying-type.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon like Cresselia, Rotom-A, and Latias are Electivire's most problematic enemies. Scizor can check all three with U-turn or Pursuit. Azelf can help Electivire deal with its physically defensive counters, like Forretress, Weezing, and Celebi. It can also explode right in Cresselia's and Latias' faces. Arguably Electivire's most effective partner, however, seems to be Life Orb Starmie. Their united presence on offensive teams make a Starmie + Electivire alliance ideal; Life Orb Starmie can either 2HKO or OHKO Rotom-A, Latias, Swampert, and other common Electivire counters as well.</p>
<p>The reason that Choice items aren't recommended for Electivire is because Electivire is a surprise, and upon realizing an Electivire is in your team, intelligent foes will want to check it if it switches two times in one match. It definitely won't help to be locked onto a move with your Choice item.</p>
<p>Electivire can also set up Rain Dance and use Thunder, but is outclassed by Jolteon, Lanturn, and many others.</p>
Finally, I believe that the EVs, Opinion, and Other Options sections are fine as they currently are. Feel free to argue about this, though!
Note: This is my first shot at conciseness. Please bear with me, as I'm traditionally accustomed to writing lengthy analyses and all of this is new to me! Therefore, please criticize me until I get this right. That said, here we go...
- Mixed Attacker
<p>Thunderbolt OHKOes Gyarados and Skarmory, something that ThunderPunch might fail to accomplish. Furthermore, Thunderbolt hits Suicune (before a Calm Mind) and Vaporeon harder than ThunderPunch would. Next is the choice of Hidden Power. While Hidden Power Ice brings down the likes of Gliscor, Salamence, and Dragonite, Hidden Power Grass is used to eliminate Swampert, who would otherwise completely wall Electivire. The next move to use is Cross Chop - employing it, Electivire can hit bulkier specially defensive opponents such as Tyranitar, Snorlax, and Blissey. Finally, Flamethrower barbecues Bronzong, Forretress, Celebi, Scizor, and Metagross. Earthquake, while a less favorable option, can be used to strike Heatran and Magnezone for more damage.</p>
<p>To maximize Electivire's potential, one must ensure that it gains a Motor Drive boost. The key to attracting this boost is to use Water- and Flying-type lures. The legendary GyaraVire combo comes to mind, but other options, including Vaporeon, Starmie, and Togekiss, are fantastic lures as well.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Electivire sometimes lacks the raw power to scratch foes like the Rotom appliances, Cresselia, and Latias. Without Hidden Power Grass, Swampert has a field day with Electivire. Next, Heatran can absorb Flamethrower, survive a Cross Chop, and retaliate with Earth Power. Flygon resists Thunderbolt and Flamethrower and can play mind games with Electivire, forcing it to switch out in fear of a Choice Scarfed Earthquake.</p>
<p>To aid Electivire, Scizor can either trap or use U-turn against Cresselia, reducing its health either way. The same applies to Latias and Rotom appliances locked onto Shadow Ball or Hidden Power Ice. Bullet Punch can finish off other opponents that give Electivire trouble, like Mamoswine, Flygon, and Salamence. Gyarados can come in and set up on Heatran, and it does fine against Swampert as well. Finally, a Heatran of your own can absorb Will-o-Wisps coming from the Rotom appliances and potentially attempt a sweep.</p>
- Physical Attacker
<p>Electivire's ThunderPunch demolishes Water-types and earns STAB, while Ice Punch hits the Ground-types immune to Electric-type moves. Cross Chop hits Blissey, Tyranitar, and Snorlax. Earthquake helps Electivire hit Metagross, Heatran, Jirachi, and other Steel-types. However, Fire Punch can be used in order to hit Scizor, Bronzong, and Forretress harder.</p>
<p>This version of Electivire is usually unable to deal heavy damage to neither Swampert nor Hippowdon. Without Fire Punch, Forretress shrugs off most of Electivire's attacks as well. The fact that all three of these Pokemon usually possess Earthquake does not help either! Defensive Celebi is never 2HKOed by a Life Orb Ice Punch, and it can use Earth Power and Recover to eventually defeat Electivire.</p>
<p>Togekiss is an excellent lure and partner for Electivire, handling Celebi with Air Slash and Forretress with Flamethrower. Ninjask is also a fine option; not only can it lure Electric-type attacks, but it can also Baton Pass Attack and Speed boosts. To trap Skarmory, Forretress, and other bulky Steel-types, Magnezone can be used; watch out for Electivire and Magnezone's mutual Ground-type weakness, though.</p>
- Substitute + Liechi Berry
<p>ThunderPunch and Ice Punch provide excellent coverage that few in OU resist. Between Meditate and Cross Chop, Meditate is the preferred choice, but Cross Chop allows Electivire to hit Heatran and Magnezone for super effective damage. Earthquake can also be used, as it hits Jirachi and Metagross for the most damage. Last but not least, Substitute is necessary on this set to ensure that Electivire gains its Liechi Berry boost, although Endure is a viable but risky alternative.</p>
<p>Because this Electivire is often a one-trick-pony set, make its Motor Drive boost count. As always, Gyarados, Ninjask, Starmie, Togekiss, and Vaporeon shine as partners; Ninjask has the added bonus of being able to Baton Pass both Attack and Speed boosts as well.</p>
<p>Anything that can break Electivire's Substitutes and take a boosted hit or two is generally problematic. Examples include Forretress, Cresselia, Lanturn, and Magnezone, the latter two of which resist the BoltBeam combo. Priority users should be closely monitored, as they often end an Electivire sweep. As a final note, make sure to keep Electivire's HP stat divisible by four so that Liechi Berry activates when 25% of Electivire's health remains (this can be achieved by exactly three uses of Substitute).</p>
- Meditate
<p>The ThunderPunch and Ice Punch combo is nothing new, and Earthquake completes your type coverage. Low Kick, however, can be used to 2HKO Blissey and OHKO Snorlax, Mamoswine, Registeel, Regirock, and Steelix, if you ever run into them.</p>
<p>With Life Orb and Stealth Rock in play, Electivire can 2HKO Celebi, OHKO Zapdos, Metagross, Latias, Suicune, and even Skarmory with the appropriate moves. Opponents that Electivire runs into trouble against include Hippowdon, Rotom-A, and Swampert. Taunt Gyarados is a solid choice to tackle Hippowdon, Donphan, and Swampert, while also functioning as an Electric move lure. Togekiss, Suicune, and Vaporeon also fare well against bulky Ground-types. Defensive Rotom-A can be dealt with a Wish Blissey, who can spread status effects around and use Wish to heal Electivire up. To further aid Electivire's sweeping process, other entry hazards in the form of Spikes and Toxic Spikes can be used. Essential choices for these include Skarmory and Forretress, who can redirect Thunderbolts aimed at them to Electivire.</p>
- Team Options
<p>When using Electivire, Stealth Rock is a must. Other entry hazards, particularly Spikes, are especially useful for the Meditate and Substitute + Liechi Berry sets. The reason for such heavy entry hazard support is that Electivire needs its 3HKOs to become 2HKOs and 2HKOs to become OHKOs. Electivire is far from bulky, and it cannot afford to have its health reduced considerably. A fantastic Spikes user that works well with Electivire is Skarmory, as it is part Flying-type.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon like Cresselia, Rotom-A, and Latias are Electivire's most problematic enemies. Scizor can check all three with U-turn or Pursuit. Azelf can help Electivire deal with its physically defensive counters, like Forretress, Weezing, and Celebi. It can also explode right in Cresselia's and Latias' faces. Arguably Electivire's most effective partner, however, seems to be Life Orb Starmie. Their united presence on offensive teams make a Starmie + Electivire alliance ideal; Life Orb Starmie can either 2HKO or OHKO Rotom-A, Latias, Swampert, and other common Electivire counters as well.</p>
- Other Options
<p>The reason that Choice items aren't recommended for Electivire is because Electivire is a surprise, and upon realizing an Electivire is in your team, intelligent foes will want to check it if it switches two times in one match. It definitely won't help to be locked onto a move with your Choice item.</p>
<p>Electivire can also set up Rain Dance and use Thunder, but is outclassed by Jolteon, Lanturn, and many others.</p>
Finally, I believe that the EVs, Opinion, and Other Options sections are fine as they currently are. Feel free to argue about this, though!
