Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced a host of new critters, including the mighty Paradox Pokemon. Although players have been enjoying getting familiar with the latest creatures, many also want to see their favorites from past generations make it to Paldea. This will be possible when Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are linked to Pokemon Home, though the 7-Star Tera Raids have also been slowly introducing past beloved creatures such as Charizard and Cinderace. While it may be exciting to see past Pokemon in Paldea, some creatures from Legends: Arceus have the potential to completely upturn the metagame.
Some Pokemon from Legends: Arceus have ridiculously high Attack stats, while others have useful Abilities that add a new twist to battles. Pokemon coming to Paldea could also gain access to new moves, which allows players to get more out of their team members. There is also Terastallization to take into account, as it could make past Pokemon with poor typing suddenly very viable.
Ursaluna
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Hisui is large, but players luckily have a few Pokemon that can help them traverse the landscape. Ursaluna is a new Pokemon introduced in Legends: Arceus and players can ride this big bear. It has a keen sense of smell, and this comes in handy when players need to find a missing person or sniff out some treasure. It is the final evolutionary stage of the Teddiursa line, and players can get a battle-ready Ursaluna by exposing an Ursaring to a Peat Block during a full moon.
Ursaluna benefits greatly from being a Ground/Normal dual-type creature. Ground is one of the best offensive types, and it gives the Pokemon immunity to Electric-type moves. Having Normal as a secondary typing is also useful, as it gives the bear immunity to Ghost-type moves as well. Ursaluna's stats help it to be a devastatingly effective team member. It has a terrifying base Attack stat of 140, allowing it to easily destroy its competitors. As if this wasn't enough, it also gains access to the Ability called Guts which raises its Attack stat by 50% if it has a status condition, which players can easily trigger by giving it a Toxic Orb or Flame Orb.
Its high base HP of 130 and base Defense of 105 also ensure it is not easily taken off the battlefield. Ursaluna's weaknesses mainly lie with its low base Speed stat of 50 and base Special Attack stat of 45. Terastallizing Ursaluna into a Ground-type could make it even more of a powerhouse, although players may also consider choosing a Type to offset its weaknesses to Grass-type, Water-type, and Ice-type moves. Leaks suggest Ursaluna may be coming to Scarlet and Violet, so players should get ready for this beast.
Hisuian Zoroark
Zoroark is already quite the special Pokemon. Its evolutionary line has the signature Ability called Illusion that allows it to take the form of the last Pokemon in a player's team. When used correctly, it's possible to leave opponents confused as moves they expect to be super-effective hardly leave a dent. According to the Pokedex, the fox-inspired Pokemon is a trickster that uses its shape-shifting abilities to fool people.
Zorua and Zoroark receive Hisuian variants in Legends: Arceus. Hisuian Zoroark is white with pink streaks in its wild, bushy fur. It is a notable Pokemon because it is the first example of a Normal/Ghost dual-type creature. This proves to be a stellar combination, as it means that Hisuian Zoroark has three immunities (Ghost, Fighting, and Normal). It is only weak to Dark-type moves. Although none of its stats stand out, it is a fast Pokemon, with a base Speed stat of 110, which allows it to strike first in most scenarios.
Hisuian Goodra
Many players feel like their team is incomplete without a strong Dragon-type, and Hisuian Goodra fits the bill quite well. Goodra is the final form of the Goomy evolutionary line, and it was introduced in Pokemon X and Y. Fans of the anime series will be familiar with it, as Ash travels with his own Goodra during Pokemon the Series: XY. The Hisuian version of Goodra doesn't look too different, although its tail is much larger.
Hisuian Goodra is great Pokemon to have on one's team because of its complementary typing. It is a Steel/Dragon dual-type, which is beneficial, as Dragon-types are usually very weak against Fairy-types. This weakness is offset by Hisuian Goodra's Steel typing, which Fairy-type Pokemon are weak to. Being Steel-type also makes it immune to Poison-type attacks, which is another appreciable bonus. Hisuian Goodra also has access to the powerful Hidden Ability called Gooey. When an opponent's attack makes contact, the opponent's Speed stat is decreased by one stage.
Basculegion
Basculegion is a Water/Ghost dual-type Pokemon that evolves from a white-Striped Basculin after it loses at least 294 HP from recoil damage without fainting. It is one of the ridable Pokemon in Legends: Arceus, and it helps players get across large bodies of water. It has impressive stats, with a base Attack of 112 and a base HP of 120 for the male Basculegion, and a base Special Attack of 100 for the female version. Its typing also grants it immunity to Normal-type and Fighting-type moves. Unfortunately, Basculegion is let down by its shallow move pool which doesn't have any physical Ghost-type moves to take advantage of its high Attack stat. However, that could change if it is introduced to Scarlet and Violet, and it gains access to strong Ghost-type moves such as Poltergeist.
As players brace themselves for the mighty Pokemon of Hisui to finally make their way to Paldea, they should not forget that there may also be more Paradox Pokemon awaiting. Leaks suggest that Scarlet and Violet DLC is on the way, and it could introduce more critters from the past and future, including Paradox forms of Suicune and Virizion. They may prove to be as troublesome as Hisuian Pokemon like Ursaluna.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.
