Highlights

  • Pokemon Scarlet and Violet break several traditions in the series, including ditching tall grass encounters and featuring Larry as both a Gym Leader and Elite Four member.
  • Archaludon, a new Pokemon introduced in The Indigo Disk DLC, is a cross-gen evolution of Duraludon and references Skyarrow Bridge from Unova. It is a versatile threat in competitive play.
  • Archaludon is unique because it has a base stat total of 600, which is typically found in pseudo-Legendary Pokemon, but it does not belong to the Slow experience group, making it an exceptional case. Its classification as a pseudo-Legendary is debatable.

The Pokemon series has built a plethora of traditions and in-universe rules or even laws over the many years it has been around, and most likely with the intent of reshaping the classic formula that franchise fans have known for so long, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet broke many of those traditions. From Gen 9 games ditching tall grass encounters entirely to featuring Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Larry as a Gym Leader and Elite Four member at once, there are many instances where the latest titles broke some sort of established practice. The Indigo Disk DLC is not immune to this logic either, and it too broke several longstanding traditions, with Archaludon being the protagonist in one specific case.

One of the eight new Pokemon in The Indigo Disk DLC, Archaludon is the cross-gen evolution of Duraludon, and it fits in the expansion perfectly given the many Gen 5 references, with it being a direct callback to Skyarrow Bridge from Unova. Archaludon also made its debut in Pokemon VGC with the newest Regulation F ruleset, and it's quite a threat with several different sets it can run, including a Defense-boost Body Press kit or a Special Attack-invested set with Electro Shot and powerful STAB moves. What makes Archaludon special, though, is the combination of its stat and leveling-up process, making it both a pseudo-Legendary and a regular Pokemon.

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Why Archaludon is Both a Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon and it Isn't

Pseudo-Legendaries in Pokemon games are often some of the most powerful pocket monsters one can find in any given playthrough, but they are also typically rare and/or found very late in the game to compensate for their battle prowess. Another typical characteristic of pseudo-Legendaries is that they're Dragon-types, although there have been exceptions to this rule in the form of Tyranitar and Metagross. What truly makes pseudo-Legendaries as such is the fact that they are the only non-Legendary or Mythical Pokemon to have a base stat total of 600 and also belong to the "Slow experience" group.

Pokemon's Criteria for Pseudo-Legendaries Explained

There are many Pokemon outside of Legendaries, Mythicals, and pseudo-Legendaries that belong to the Slow experience group, even in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and they simply take more XP to level up compared to other critters. On the other hand, there are no Pokemon with a BST of 600 or more that don't belong to the Legendary, Mythical, or pseudo-Legendary group.

Some Mega Evolutions have a BST of 600 or more, but they don't qualify as pseudo-Legendaries or even Legendaries and Mythicals, as their stats come from a specific battle gimmick. The BST of the original Pokemon is often well below 600.

Interestingly, Archaludon has a BST of 600, but it is not part of the Slow experience group. This unique combination makes it an exceptional case because one could argue that it both belongs to the pseudo-Legendary category and it doesn't. This is all the more of a strange occurrence because pseudo-Legendaries have always been part of evolutionary lines with three stages, whereas Archaludon is the evolution of Duraludon, and no other Pokemon belongs to this line. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Baxcalibur is the Gen 9 pseudo-Legendary, in this case, but it's hard to say if it's the only one.

Why Archaludon Could Be a Pseudo-Legendary and Why It's Not

Considering that Archaludon is a Dragon-type Pokemon, that distinction is even harder to make considering that all pseudo-Legendaries since Gen 4 have always had Dragon as one of their types (or their only type). The current pseudo-Legendary Pokemon include:

  • Dragonite (Gen 1)
  • Tyranitar (Gen 2)
  • Salamence (Gen 3)
  • Metagross (Gen 3)
  • Garchomp (Gen 4)
  • Hydreigon (Gen 5)
  • Goodra (Gen 6)
  • Kommo-o (Gen 7)
  • Dragapult (Gen 8)
  • Baxcalibur (Gen 9)

It remains to be seen whether Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Archaludon will eventually be added to the pseudo-Legendary category, broadening its horizons and inclusion terms. As it stands, however, it seems unlikely that the criteria will change.