An axial piston pump may comprise a valve plate assembly including a plurality of valve plates rotatably disposed adjacent to each other and configured to control the flow of fluid between a piston chamber and inlet and outlet port passages. The piston pump may also comprise a swashplate arrangement that is capable of being angled in two different directions to be used in combination with the valve plate assembly. A fixed displacement axial piston pump may also comprise the valve plate assembly disclosed herein in which pressure transitions are facilitated in the same fashion, but without the variable of changing swashplate angles which control pump flow.