Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are set to receive a major update later this month that will introduce a number of bug fixes and new functionality. As part of this update 1.2.0, one of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC's most powerful monsters will have a bug fixed that made it even more powerful than it was intended to be. Dondozo has been a threat in the competitive meta since VGC Series 1, but part of what made it so strong might have been the result of a bug, leaving its post-update usage up in the air.
Dondozo has made a name for itself in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's competitive scene due to the stat bonuses it gains when paired with Tatsugiri in Double Battles. Tatsugiri's Commander Ability allows it to go inside Dondozo's mouth when on the field together, boosting all of Dondozo's stats by 2 stages but leaving it unable to switch out. Dondozo also gets a bonus to its Order Up move when Tatsugiri is in its mouth by further boosting one of its stats depending on the form of Tatsugiri when the move is used. As powerful as Order Up is, the patch notes for update 1.2.0 suggest this move has been bugged to be more powerful than it should have been.
How Upcoming Bug Fixes Could Affect Tatsugiri and Dondozo's Usage in Scarlet and Violet
Prior to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's update 1.2.0, Dondozo's Order Up had allowed the beast to get a stat boost while Tatsugiri is in its mouth regardless of whether the move makes contact or fails. This meant that opposing mons attempting to use Protect to try and prevent incoming damage couldn't prevent Dondozo from getting the stat boost from Order Up. However, the latest revelation that this effect has been a bug and Order Up was never intended to give Dondozo a stat increase if it misses or fails has turned the competitive community for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on its head.
Even without the benefits of this bug, Dondozo already has a number of other tricks up its sleeve to make it a fearsome opponent. However, there have been competitive matches within VGC tournaments that have been drastically affected by this bug giving Dondozo users an advantage over their opponents. As such, the validity of Dondozo's use in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC has been called into question with many players celebrating this upcoming patch.
Although this bug fix will significantly change the way Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Dondozo is played, it's unlikely to affect the mon's usage all that much. Dondozo and Tatsugiri still have the synergy, stats, and move pool to make them a viable duo regardless of this change to the way Order Up interacts with opposing monsters. The main way this update will affect the competitive meta is the ability of opponents to utilize moves like Protect to predict when Order Up will be used and try to prevent Dondozo from getting that additional stat buff.
Ultimately, this bug fix will likely have a positive effect on the VGC meta for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet since it will make setting up counters to Dondozo easier and likely closer to how Game Freak originally intended. However, it is a bit concerning how long this bug went unpatched and was allowed to shape the outcomes of many VGC matches before finally being addressed. Although there hasn't been any other meta-defining duo quite like Dondozo and Tatsugiri in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as of yet, squashing the bug that made them more overpowered than they should have been could give other mons the chance to shine.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
