The competitive meta for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has already had its share of ups and downs over the course VGC Series 1 and Series 2. The introduction of Paradox Pokemon in Series 2 saw a drastic shift in the most commonly used mons, and the patch to fix a bug with Scarlet and Violet's Dondozo is likely to change the way players use that mon as well. More shake-ups could be on the way now that DLC has been confirmed, potentially bringing a bevy of monsters from previous generations with meta-changing potential.
Gen 9 holds a lot of potential for mons currently unobtainable in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet thanks to the addition of the Terastal phenomenon's type-changing ability. Creatures that did not see much use in previous generations have gotten a chance to shine thanks to this mechanic and mons who had a major presence in prior generations could become even more powerful when taking advantage of this gimmick. With a potential meta shift as DLC looms on the horizon after the latest announcement from the recent Pokemon Presents, several creatures could make a comeback in a big way.
Metagross
As one of the few pseudo-legendary Pokemon not available in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Metagross confirmed to be returning via DLC should be a game changer. Having a powerful Steel type with the Ability Clear Body, which prevents opponents from lowering its stats, would be a great way to deal with some of the most commonly used mons like Flutter Mane and Iron Bundle. Metagross has been a staple in the meta of generations past, and with its addition to the game as part of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC, it will likely find a home within the Gen 9 meta.
Whimsicott
.jpg)
The popularity of Murkrow in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's meta demonstrates just how necessary a monster like Whimsicott is to the competitive series. As one of the few mons with the Ability Prankster and access to the move Tailwind, Whimsicott has been a fantastic support mon for teams in the past, and it seems like Gen 9's DLC will bring it back. With players wanting to use the same strategy but being currently stuck with Murkrow, the return of Whimsicott should give it sold utility within the Gen 9 meta and likely diversify the pool of Tailwind users. Whimsicott also gets the advantage over Murkrow in the stat department, giving it some offensive utility on top of its great support capabilities.
Porygon2
The current meta for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is full of bulky mons like Dondozo, Iron Hands, and Amoonguss who can take hits while also dishing out damage or supporting teammates. Porygon2 could add to this group when given the Eviolite item to boost its Defense and Special Defense as a mon that can still evolve. Aside from having great bulk when holding the Eviolite, Porygon2's high Special Attack and access to a wide pool of offensive moves like Thunderbolt, Psychic, Ice Beam, and Shadow Ball mean players could keep opponents guessing by utilizing a variety of Tera Types.
Togekiss
Togekiss could be another strong contender for a must-use mon if added via DLC due to its beneficial stat spread and favorable typing within the current meta. Fairy and Flying are two common Tera Types in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet due to their immunities to Dragon and Ground types respectively, giving Togekiss an advantage by having both as its base types. With access to several strong Fire-type moves like Flamethrower and Heat Wave, Togekiss could make a great Fire Tera type to turn its weakness to Steel into an advantage. Togekiss could even function as a bulky support mon with access to moves like Wish, Follow Me, and Life Dew.
Chandelure
Chandelure could be a hidden threat with its Hidden Ability Infiltrator allowing it to bypass moves like Reflect, Light Screen, and Substitute. With an already high Special Attack and a diverse move pool to choose from, Chandelure provides great type coverage with the potential to sweep opposing teams if given support from Tailwind or other Speed-boosting moves. If added to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, Chandelure would have a lot of options for its Tera Type thanks to its access to moves like Energy Ball, Psychic, and Dark Pulse. A Grass Tera Type could catch opponents off guard and eliminate its weakness to Water.
Aegislash
Aegislash has always been a tricky mon to deal with in competitive battles due to its unique Ability Stance Change allowing it to swap between offense-oriented and defense-oriented forms. In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Aegislash could find usage in a variety of ways as both a support mon with access to Wide Guard, while also having great offensive potential with a priority move like Shadow Sneak used when Terastallized into a Ghost Tera Type to deal additional STAB damage. Its Steel/Ghost typing also makes it a solid defensive type in the current meta, and its ability to switch between offensive and defensive forms would make it difficult for opponents to deal with.
Incineroar
Within the Gen 8 meta, Incineroar was one of the most used creatures due to its unique combination of access to Fake Out, Parting Shot, and the Hidden Ability Intimidate. This made it a great partner for a variety of mons since it could lower the attack of opponents with Intimidate, use Fake Out to scout their move sets, and then switch to another team member while lowering the target's Attack and Special Attack using Parting Shot. This strategy could be even more effective in Gen 9 given how useful switching between team members has become with mons like Palafin and Perish Song users like Scream Tail being a threat in the current meta.
Dracovish
Players who remember the meta for Gen 8 will know how much of a powerhouse Dracovish can be. With the combination of Strong Jaw for an Ability, which powers up biting moves like Fishious Rend by 50%, Dracovish became a terrifying physical sweeper. Although it is unlikely to return in DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet due to its status as a Fossil Pokemon with a bizarre gimmick unique to Gen 8, it could be more powerful than ever thanks to the additional STAB damage Fishious Rend would get if Dracovish was Terastallized into a Water Tera Type.
