Beauty Pokemon the battle is that if played correctly, even the weakest pokemon can get the upper hand and win. Pokemon it’s all about strategy when you’re fighting at the highest competitive level, but some Pokemon are still just objectively stronger than others.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced several brand new powerful Pokemon with unique skills to be reckoned with, though many of the classic staples are just as viable as before. Each trainer will have their own set of Pokemon that best suit their strategy, but there are a few Pokemon that are so powerful that any trainer looking to build a viable team should consider them, especially with the recently released Blue mask DLC.
10 Hound stone
Type: Ghost
There’s a reason Houndstone’s signature move, Last Respects, was banned from competitive play. When used as the last Pokemon in a Trainer’s group, Houndstone’s Last Tribute can easily be the most OP attack in the series.
The Last Tribute starts with a modest base power of 50, but with each Pokémon that faints in the player’s party, the move gains an additional 50 attack power. If five Pokémon in a player’s party are knocked unconscious, that equals 300 power: the highest of any move in the game. The main problem with Houndstone is that it’s essentially a one-trick pony, so if Last Respects is somehow disabled or Houndstone is overspeeding, that means trouble.
9 Hisuyan Samurat
Type: Water/Dark
With compatibility Pokemon house recently added to Scarlet and purple, Hisuian Samurott is finally available for trainers in Paldea. Hisuian Samurott is vastly superior to his Unovan variant, and his Sharpness ability gives an extra power boost to one of the most OP moves in competitive Pokemon.
Hisuian Samurott’s signature move, Ceaseless Edge, allows you to set up spikes and attack at the same time. While Ceaseless Edge doesn’t do much damage on its own, when paired with Samurott’s Sharpness, it suddenly becomes a powerful STAB hit that makes it much harder to switch to.
8 Ursaluna’s Blood Moon
Type: Ground/Normal
Bloodmoon Ursaluna is not only a complete tank, but Blood Moon is an incredibly powerful normal attack that retains its 100% accuracy. The only downside to Blood Moon is that it can’t be used twice in a row, but given its base attack power of 140, anything else would just be unfair.
In addition to its signature attack, Bloodmoon Ursaluna is a special attack power that also strengthens a strong physical mass. His special ability, Mind’s Eye, ensures that even Ursaluna’s ghost-type enemies can be hit by normal attacks.
7 Galdenga
Type: Steel/Ghost
Gholdengo has become a staple of many trainers’ teams in Gen 9 thanks to his broken ability and respectable stats. His signature Good as Gold ability, which basically makes moves that cause status effects like sleep and poison completely null against Gholdengo.
Not only is Gholdengo immune to status moves, but it also has a high attack special that combines with the Make it Rain attack to deal insane STAB damage. While Gholdengo is now more predictable and has lost a bit of his competitive grace, his mere presence is still a threat that coaches should always be aware of, at the very least.
6 Bashkalibur
Type: Dragon/Ice
Baxcalibur has always been a threat since it was first introduced in Scarlet and purple. Its ridiculously high attack stat has always made it viable, but Bashcalibur became even more powerful afterBlue mask DLC.
This is because he gained the move Scale Shot, which allows him to attack while increasing his speed. What originally made Baxcalibur such a problem was his access to Dragon Dance, which allowed him to increase his speed, but Scale Shot does the same thing and more, giving him an extra Dragon-type attack in the process.
5 Palafin
Type: water
Palafin is not very threatening at first glance. Its base stats are weak, and its cute appearance doesn’t necessarily add to Gyarados’ intimidation factor. However, after using his zero-to-hero ability, Palafin becomes so strong that he is said to be able to lift a cruise ship with a single flipper.
Whether or not this legend is true remains to be seen, but judging by his ridiculous 160 ATK in Hero Mode, Palafin definitely lives up to his hype. After being taken out of combat with Flip Turn, Palafin transforms from his base form into Hero form and can pretty much kill most teams in one shot with a combination of Wave Crash’s best STAB move and Water Tera form.
4 Iron beam
Type: Ice/Water
Although it ranks after its predecessor, the Delibird, the Iron Bundle is much more formidable. Iron Bundle is one of the most powerful Pokemon in Gen 9 for three reasons, namely its speed, strength, and STAB moves.
Iron Bundle is a dual water and ice type pokemon, the two main STAB attacks, Hydro Pump and Freeze-Dry, are very powerful. Add to that the fact that it is one of the fastest Pokemon in the world St meta, and suddenly the Iron Bundle is an oppressive offensive presence that no coach wants to go up against.
3 Flutter Mane
Type: Ghost/Fairy
As far as Paradox Pokémon go, Flutter Mane is often considered one of the best in the game, if not the best. This is all thanks to his incredible 135 Sp Attack, Speed and Sp Defense stats.
Combining Flutter Man’s Sp Attack with Choice specs makes him virtually unstoppable with STAB hits like Shadow Ball and Moon Blast. Supported by Koraidon, Flutter Mane’s Protosynthesis ability makes him even faster on a sunny day, allowing him to blitz most opponents without giving them a chance to attack.
2 Miraidon
Type: Electric/Dragon
While Coraidon is a powerful Pokemon in its own right, Miraidon is widely seen as the ultimate threat between the two new Boxing Legends of Gen 9. Coraidon’s 4x weakness to Fairy-types is a huge problem that Miraidon does not suffer from, and Miraidon also tends to have more options due to the special attack.
Miraidon’s ability to summon Electric Terrain when powered up is also extremely useful for helping out Paradox Pokemon like Iron Bundle. Considering its superior Sp Attack and Speed, Miraidon is easily one of the best offensive options in Scarlet and purple.
1 Ogerpon
The type depends on the mask you are holding
Ogerpon is the newest legendary Pokemon introduced in the Scarlet and purple‘s Blue mask DLC. He comes with different masks that he can hold to change his typing type, but the best one is generally accepted to be the Hearthflame mask, which turns him into a fire type.
Hearthflame’s ability automatically boosts Ogerpon’s attack stat by 1 rank upon activation, and is even stronger on sun-based teams. Ogerpon’s ability to be essentially four different Pokemon and fit the needs of any individual trainer’s team makes it the most versatile Pokemon in Scarlet and purple.
