The Pokemon franchise has always been marketed toward the younger gaming audience, meaning the game series aren't meant to be overly complicated. But, in reality, the main bulk of the community are older gamers that enjoy catching and battling Pokemon. Of course, most of these Pokemon fans want to spice up the difficulty by creating self-imposed challenges.
Scarlet & Violet is the perfect Pokemon game to try out these challenges. So, whether players are looking to complete a challenge or simply want to breeze through the game, they'll want to have the right Pokemon on their team. Furthermore, some of these must-have Pokemon are quite easy to obtain in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, meaning building the right team has never been easier.
Of course, not all of these monsters listed will be able to fit one's team at once, but it's a good idea to have the unused Pokemon on standby to swap out at a moment's notice.
Updated June 3, 2023 by Stephen LaGioia: Pokemon Violet & Scarlet has continued to draw players, spurred in part by performance-smoothing patches and updates. The anticipated DLC The Teal Mask has also restored some hype.
The RPG's deep, open-world gameplay makes it hard to put down, even after several months and despite some spotty gameplay. And with such a vast lineup of diverse Pokemon, with a handful of new ones coming, it's time to revisit this list of can't-miss Pokemon for one's team.
10 Walking Wake
Released in early 2023, Walking Wake has fast become a major draw for Water and Dragon-type aficionados. It boasts a very high Special Attack of 125, setting the stage for some devastating special moves that can wipe out foes quickly. It can also maintain the upper hand in battle with a potent Speed ability coupled with Noble Roar; an Attack-lowering move that can wear down opponents.
Thus far, this Pokemon has only been available through timed events, where players can join the Poke Portal to partake in a Walking Wake Raid. Both types are well represented with moves like Outrage and Hydro Pump, which are both hugely powerful.
9 Iron Leaves
This glamorous new addition to Scarlet & Violet bears the unique Grass-Psychic-type, covering ample ground in terms of elemental strengths. Iron Leaves bears a number of moves whose power crosses triple digits, including Close Combat, Megahorn, and Solar Blade. It's also capable of learning a vast list of great TMs. This surge in power can further be boosted by Swords Dance.
Three of its base stats also surpass three digits, with the highlight being its whopping 130 Attack. Iron Leaves was recently available through a Raid event, and many fans are hoping it makes an emphatic return soon.
8 Gholdengo
Sporting the awesome, tough-to-break Steel-Ghost hybrid, Gholdengo is simply a tough matchup for most other Pokemon in one way or another. It can withstand many attacks fairly well while counterpunching with a massive 133 Special Attack.
Gholdengo learns a few offensive moves, though most of them are quite strong, especially Make It Rain. Various moves allow gamers to buff and debuff during the match, shifting things in their favor efficiently. Players will need to undergo the tough task of gathering 999 Gimmighoul coins, but it's well worth the investment.
7 Flutter Mane
Flutter Mane is a uniquely effective Ghost-Fairy-type, whose power is amplified even further with the Timid Nature. This elusive monster can utterly dominate the pace of a battle, overwhelming foes with its super-fast Speed of 135.
It also thrives in the area of Specials, with Special Attack and Special Defense both being 135 as well. It can simply pummel targets with the useful Phantom Force or Moonblast. Players will just need to look out for its low HP, but given its strength in so many other areas, this likely won't matter. Flutter Mane can be seen floating about in the caverns of Area Zero.
6 Iron Bundle (Paradox Delibird)
Paradox (potent antagonists traced to the far past or future) Delibird A.K.A Iron Bundle is a Pokemon Violet exclusive that players should consider adding to their team. While Iron Bundle isn't a Pokemon that will OHKO (One Hit Knockout) Pokemon, it does serve a unique purpose: quickly decreasing a Pokemon's HP. And that's because Paradox Delibird's Base Speed is 136, making it one of the fastest Pokemon in Pokemon Violet.
But, players can further exploit that Base Speed with Iron Bundle's Secret Ability "Quark Drive." This Secret Ability boosts Paradox Delibird's most powerful stat (in this case Speed) while being on an Electric Terrain or holding Booster Energy. This massive Speed boost can be particularly effective while attempting the Nuzlocke Challenge, as it'll allow players to strike more often.
Players can find this rare monster within Area Zero inside the Great Crater.
5 Goodra
Goodra is often dubbed a Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon because of its Dragon monotype and S-Tier Moves, like Draco Meteor and Outrage. So, it's no surprise that Goodra is a must-have Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. But, the main strength of Goodra comes from its abilities, mostly Hydration and Gooey.
If a player's Goodra has the Hydration ability, it'll cure itself of any status conditions during rain, which can be forced by using Rain Dance (TM18). While Gooey (Hidden ability) lowers the attacker's Speed stat every time Goodra comes in contact with them. And the best part is that Goomy (the first evolution of Goodra) can be caught early in a Pokemon Violet & Scarlet playthrough.
4 Dondozo
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are chock-full of powerful Water-type Pokemon, and among them is the False Dragon Dondozo. What makes Dondozo a remarkable (and must-have) Pokemon is its sky-high Base Defense stat, 115. So, players considering adding Dondozo to their team must keep in mind that it's more of a swimming tank than OHKO Pokemon. Players can push Dondozo's Defense further by changing its Nature to Relaxed since it increases Defense by ten percent.
But, Dondozo has another unique trick up its sleeve which is the ability to combine itself with the Tatsugiri, the Pokemon of many Shiny forms. Once combined, Dondozo gains +2 Overall Stats and a specific stat boost, depending on Tatsugiri (Curly - Defense, Droopy - Attack, and Stretchy - Speed). This monster can be found roaming Casseroya Lake.
3 Wo-Chien
Wo-Chien is one of the many Legendary Pokemon players can catch by activating Stakes scattered around Paldea. And while Wo-Chien is a Legendary Pokemon, it's not its Legendary status that makes it a must-have Pokemon on any team, but rather its abilities. Tablets of Ruin is a rare Hidden ability Wo-Chien can have when caught, and this ability significantly lowers the attack of all Pokemon.
Additionally, Wo-Chien is 50 percent Resistant to Ghost-, Dark-, Ground-, Water-, Grass-, and Electric-type moves. Even though Wo-Chien is a dual-type Pokemon (Dark- and Grass-type), players should focus on teaching it Grass-type moves, like Leaf Storm or Solar Beam. As for Nature, the best one is Sassy since it boosts Special Defense by ten percent.
Wo-Chien is lurking behind the Purple Shrine in South Province (Area One).
2 Roaring Moon (Paradox Salamence)
Yet another Paradox Pokemon that deserves a spot on any Pokemon team is Roaring Moon, the Paradox version of the Pseudo-Legendary Salamence. One reason it's a must-have Pokemon is its Hidden ability "Protosynthesis," which is among the best abilities in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Protosynthesis boosts a Pokemon's strongest stat in harsh sunlight or while holding Booster Energy.
And since Paradox Salamence has a naturally high base Attack stat, players can further boost it thanks to Protosynthesis. On top of that, if Roaring Moon has Adamant Nature, it'll boost its Attack by ten percent, essentially becoming an OHKO Pokemon. Unfortunately, Roaring Moon is exclusive to Pokemon Scarlet, so players that want to add this behemoth of the skies will have to find someone willing to trade for it.
Players can find this rare monster within Area Zero inside a large cave in the area. It'll make an appearance only after beating the final boss.
1 Arcanine
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have several decent options when it comes to Generation 9 Fire-type Pokemon, but most pale in comparison with the OG fire dog, Arcanine. And that's because this Generation 1 Pokemon has lots to bring to the Pokemon battle scene, from pure Attack to potent Fire-type moves. For starters, Arcanine has a Base Attack of 110 (which can be increased with the Lonely Nature) while its Base Special Attack is 100.
As for Moves, Arcanine can learn Overheat, which is undoubtedly the strongest Fire-type move in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The best part is that Growlithe is a Very Common Pokemon to find in Scarlet & Violet, so players can add this must-have Pokemon fairly early in the playthrough. But, players will need to ensure they have a Fire Stone since Growlithe can only evolve by means of it.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is available for the Nintendo Switch.