Pokemon fans were treated to two major new games in 2022 with the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Both games saw drastic evolutions in the series' formula with Pokemon Legends: Arceus setting players loose to capture monsters directly from the overworld in explorable zones, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet expanding the openness of the world while retaining overworld spawns. Although they have their differences, these two Switch entries in the franchise both have certain mons hated by players due to their aggressive overworld behavior.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus players know the struggle of trying to traverse the game's world, whether shiny hunting or just trying to get from one place to the next, only to be attacked by overly aggressive Paras. While typically thought to be docile creatures, these Grass/Bug types proved to be an unexpected headache for players, as they appear as one of the most aggressive creatures in the game. When Pokemon Scarlet and Violet released, many players had flashbacks to the pain of Paras when two new mons became the bane of trainers' existence in the Paldea Region.
Lokix and Veluza are Insufferable When Exploring Paldea
Despite returning to the usual encounter method for capturing monsters, overworld spawns are still a consistent aspect across both Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It's no surprise, then, that the behavior of mons in the overworld translates similarly from one game to the others. With the emphasis on open world traversal in the Gen 9 games, it's hard enough getting around Paldea while avoiding encounters without aggressive mons like Lokix and Veluza getting in the way.
Lokix is the new Gen 9 Bug/Dark type that evolves from its base form Nymble at level 24. While players likely won't encounter Lokix until later in the game, its ubiquity and aggressiveness make it stand out as one of the most annoying obstacles when traveling in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's later hours. Since it's found across nearly half of the Paldea region, players will frequently have to deal with the Grasshopper Pokemon chasing them down for a battle. As cool as Lokix's design is, its irritating behavior drags it down among the ranks of Gen 9's mons.
A creature that is equally as bothersome as Lokix is the Water/Psychic type Veluza, who finds its home in most of Paldea's western bodies of water. Similarly to Sharpedo of Gen 8, Veluza will chase down players with speed like a torpedo if they are unfortunate enough to be spotted by this aquatic menace. Trying to avoid Veluza's gaze makes traveling across areas like Casseroya Lake a pain, and hunting for specific Water types nearly impossible to do without constantly being interrupted by a Veluza.
It seems that players are not safe on land nor the sea in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as overly aggressive mons terrorize a large swath of Paldea's map. As irritating as Paras was in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, at least it was slow enough that players riding on the back of Wyrdeer could escape its wrath. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players won't be able to hesitate for too long when around a Lokix as it's certain to seek a battle, and they can forget about outrunning a Veluza on the back of Koraidon or Miraidon. As long as the series sticks with overworld spawns for its creatures, each generation is sure to bring its own annoying mons for players to deal with.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
