There are many different roles that Pokemon can fill, and one of the most important, regardless of format, is a tank. Defensive Pokemon are important to any team, but with the nerfs to a lot of bulkier mons in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet there were questions from fans over what a new meta would be. A lot of the competitive staples that filled the role of defensive aces were not going to be present in the Paldea region, like Clefable and Ferrothorn, whereas others were nerfed, like Blissey not getting Toxic, Wish, or Teleport anymore, or Gastrodon not getting Scald in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Yet, a Pokemon who has staved off power-creep for many generations and is currently featured on over a quarter of teams in VGC Series 2 is Amoonguss. The mushroom Pokemon has been one of the most prevalent Pokemon, not only in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but in every mainline Pokemon game since it was introduced in Pokemon Black and White. Its excellent bulk, solid defensive typing, and access to the Regenerator Ability (an Ability that allows the user to gain 33% of its health back anytime it switches out) made it a great Pokemon to a lot of trainers when it was introduced. However, its move pool made it a must-use Pokemon for many, and its Paradox form Brute Bonnet is no exception either.
Why Spore is a Broken Move in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Amoonguss and Brute Bonnet have access to many good moves, like Rage Powder, Pollen Puff, or Protect. The true ace in the hole for both is Spore, though - a move with 100% accuracy that puts the target to sleep. Sleep is one of the most powerful status effects in the game and can severely hinder a team, allowing the user to quickly snowball and overwhelm opponents. Most moves inflicting sleep have reduced accuracy in an attempt to keep things balanced, but even then they can still be seen as a little overpowered. Spore is especially broken thanks to its perfect accuracy.
Spore allows Amoonguss and Brute Bonnet to inflict sleep on anyone their trainers see fit. Amoonguss particularly has taken over in this generation of Pokemon games as the premier tank in VGC and is still prolific in singles formats. Brute Bonnet doesn't get the Regenerator Hidden Ability, which makes Amoonguss slightly more viable for a tank role, but it is worth noting that Brute Bonnet is a better offensive threat because it has good attacking moves and stats. It may find a niche outside just a tank role, but for now, Amoonguss is seeing more usage as a whole.
Of course, there will always be pocket monsters used on a lot of teams and at least there aren't any Pokemon like Incineroar in the format yet that have sky-high usage. However, it may be worth taking a look at Spore as a move for Game Freak and rethink its accuracy as a move or make alterations to it for the 10th generation of Pokemon games. It is still important to maintain different styles of play, though, and having Pokemon like Amoonguss can be good for the meta.
There are two sides to any argument, and fans have both complained and praised GameFreak for the changes made to competitive Pokemon this generation as far as stall teams go. Whether more changes are made to Pokemon like Amoonguss and Brute Bonnet will remain to be seen, but as of now, they are great Pokemon for any trainer looking for a bulky tank that can inflict status conditions on opposing teams. They have been and will continue to be fantastic utility tanks, and they will leave their marks in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's VGC Series 2, singles formats, and likely future formats to come in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on the Nintendo Switch exclusively.
