Pokemon Scarlet and Violet bring a new region for players to explore, and they also mark the beginning of a new era for Pokemon VGC. Since the launch of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Paradox Pokemon have been understandably banned from the VGC. However, this is about to change, as players will be able to use their past and future creatures in their Ranked Battles during Series 2 of the VGC. This will have a massive impact on how competitors craft their teams, and how gamers strategize against these strong creatures.
With Pokemon Scarlet, players encounter the Paradox creatures of the past which includes past versions of Jigglypuff and Amoonguss, to name a few. In Violet, players encounter future forms of Pokemon like Tyranitar, Delibird, and Hydreigon. Players have to travel into Area Zero to find these Pokemon, and while it might not be easy to catch them, it's worth it, as they strengthen any team they're on - especially in VGC.
Paradox Pokemon Join Pokemon VGC
Series 1 of Pokemon VGC has been underway since December 2, 2022, and it will run until the end of January. This event allows players from around the world to participate in Ranked Battles to prove their skills, though there are bans on certain creatures, including Paradox Pokemon. As has been revealed, Paradox Pokemon will no longer be banned in Series 2, which runs from the beginning of February until the end of March. This will have a huge impact on the game, as Paradox Pokemon are significantly powerful creatures with high stats. Having Pokemon like Iron Thorns, Scream Tail, and Iron Hands brings new dangers to competitive battles, and gamers will have to adjust to compensate for the new threats.
Why Scarlet and Violet Players Should Expect to See Flutter Mane and Roaring Moon a Lot
Regardless of whether they are from the past or future, Scarlet and Violet's Paradox Pokemon are considerably stronger than the average creature players find in the wild. Among the Paradox Pokemon, a few critters manage to stand out. This is especially true for Flutter Mane and Roaring Moon, which will probably find the most use now that they can be legally added to teams. Any players hoping to score a high ranking should already be thinking of ways to counter these formidable beasts.
Flutter Mane is a Paradox Pokemon from the past that strongly resembles Misdreavus. It benefits greatly from being a Ghost/Fairy dual-type, as this results in it being immune to a whopping three types of moves - Normal, Fighting, and Dragon. Although it has weak Attack and Defense stats, its high Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defense make up for it. With access to powerful moves like Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, and Phantom Force, it is an asset to any team as an effective dragon-slayer, and its power can be further increased with Terastallization.
Roaring Moon is the past form of Salamence, and will also likely be finding a lot of play. It is a Dragon/Dark dual-type Pokemon, and although it has quite a few weaknesses, its high Attack and Speed stats more than make up for it. Furthermore, with Terastallization, it is possible to turn into a better type, such as Steel to defend itself against its Fairy-type foes, or Flying to take advantage of the Flying-type moves it has access to.
Other Paradox Pokemon to watch out for include Iron Bundle, which is the future form of Delibird and the fastest Gen 9 Pokemon. Having high Speed is a huge advantage, but Iron Bundle is let down by its weak Attack and Special Defense stats. Iron Treads is also one to worry about. It is the future form of Donphan, and its Ground/Steel typing is extremely beneficial. Not only is it immune to Poison and Electric attacks, but it also has eight resistances. Although it has high Defense stats, the rest of its stats are relatively low which makes it a difficult paradox Pokemon to work with.
Terastallization Will Be More Important Than Ever
With Terastallization as Gen 9's new gimmick, gamers are still coming to grips with how to get the most out of it. There are plenty of bonuses that come with Terastallization, and they will be more important than ever when dealing with the mighty Paradox Pokemon. When a Pokemon Terastallizes, it turns into a monotype of whatever Tera type it is, granting the creature a 50% boost on moves of the same type. Furthermore, the Pokemon retains any STABs (Same Type Attack Bonuses) it had before Terastallizing. Hence, if a player Terastallizes into the same type it previously was, it will gain a 100% boost on moves of the same type.
Players will have to make careful choices regarding whether they want to Terastallize into the same type and become an unstoppable offensive force, or whether they want to change their Pokemon to a different Tera type to make a defensive play and gain a more favorable type matchup. Although most Pokemon caught in the wild have the same Tera type as their ordinary type, glowing Pokemon found in the wild have a different Tera type. Players can also visit the Treasure Eatery in Medali to change a Pokemon's Tera type, though it costs 50 Tera shards of the type one wishes their Pokemon to change into.
The chance to battle it out with Paradox Pokemon isn't the only thing fans have to look forward to. Leaks and rumors suggest Scarlet and Violet will be receiving DLC soon. Though nothing has been officially confirmed, there has been speculation that the DLC might make a connection between Area Zero and the Kalos region of Pokemon X and Y. This would be a good move for Game Freak, as gamers expected a third entry to round out Generation 6, and it never came. The upcoming DLC could finally give fans closure, while also introducing even more Paradox Pokemon.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.
