Every generation ofPokemonhas its top contenders when it comes to competitive VGC battles, andPokemon Scarlet and Violethas seen some of the strongest competitive threats to date. Although the meta has changed as new regulations introduced new mons legal for competitive usage, there have been a few stand-outs inPokemon Scarlet and VioletVGC so far. These top threats have seen widespread usage across VGC teams and have been featured on tournament-winning teams due to a variety of factors such as excellent typing, favorable stat spreads, and even unique gimmicks.
With the upcoming Regulation D series forPokemon Scarlet and VioletVGC battles, critters newly available throughPokemon Hometransferwill get to make their debut in the competitive meta. This new series is sure to see mons previously unusable in VGC rise to the top of the competitive ladder, but in the meantime, Gen 9 VGC has already created powerhouses that will be memorable for their presence in competitive battles thus far inPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s life. If a monument were to be created dedicated to the most iconic Pokemon of Gen 9 competitive battles so far, these would be the four mons featured.
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Gholdengo
This goofy golden Pokedex #1000 mon surprised many players by becoming one of the strongest competitive behemoths in the first couple of VGC series afterPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s release. What madeGholdengosuch a powerhouse was the combination of its unique ability Good as Gold which made it immune to opponents' status moves, a solid typing as a Ghost/Steel type, favorable stats that allowed it to be a fairly bulky Special Attacker, and a signature move in Make It Rain that has a base 120 power with 100% accuracy. This set made Gholdengo a reliable Special sweeper and a fantastic doubles partner for the VGC format.
However, Gholdengo began to see diminishing returns afterParadox Pokemonbecame usable in the second series of Gen 9 VGC battles. Other mons like Flutter Mane became more viable Special Attackers and Gholdengo sets were easier to predict and counter with mons like Arcanine or Great Tusk. While Gholdengo still sees some usage today it’s not the dominant force it was in the early days of thePokemon Scarlet and VioletVGC meta, but it still deserves a spot among the best of Gen 9’s competitive battlers for how prevalent it was in those days.
Dondozo
Another Gen 9 mon that has ebbed and flowed with the changing VGC landscape inPokemon Scarlet and Violetis Dondozo, and like Gholdengo, it was a bit of a competitive surprise due to how specific its gimmick is, but it ended up being powerful enough to warrant the necessary setup. Dondozo seems like it was designed with VGC in mind as it gains its true strength when paired with another Gen 9 mon, Tatsugiri. When activated, Tatsugiri’s Commander ability turns Dondozo from a solid mon into one of the bulkiest Physical Attackers inPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Dondozo already has a great stat spread, but when on the field in a double battle with Tatsugiri as its partner, Tatsugiri’s Commander ability has it get into Dondozo’s mouth where it can’t be damaged and raises all of Dondozo’s stats by two stages. At this point, Dondozo can be tough to KO with its stats boost by Tatsugiri’s Commander and Dondozo’s move Order Up, and its Wave Crash attack is 100% accurate with dealing a base 120 STAB Water-type damage that can quickly rip through an opponent’s team. WhileDondozo has seen some nerfsover the course of the generation, it keeps coming back as a solid threat in each new regulation.
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Amoonguss
Although not new to Gen 9, Amoonguss has played a vital role in shaping thecompetitive meta forPokemon Scarlet and Violet. Amoonguss is the ultimate support mon and makes a fantastic doubles partner for a variety of VGC’s strongest sweepers due to its great bulk and access to a range of useful support moves. As the power creep of Gen 9 VGC saw the rise of stronger and stronger attackers, Amoonguss' ability to take hits while healing teammates makes it a staple on all manner of competitive teams.
Amoongusshas high HP and solid defenses, and its Grass/Poison typing makes it well-suited for defense. It has access to moves like Rage Powder to draw an opponent’s attacks towards itself, Spore to put opponents to sleep and remove them as a threat, Pollen Puff that can heal allies while damaging enemies, and Clear Smog that can remove an opponent’s stat boosts. In addition to all of these great support moves, Amoonguss also has the Regenerator ability which allows it to heal itself upon being switched out, giving Amoonguss a great survivability rate if players are consistently swapping between party members.
Flutter Mane
The most consistently used and all-around powerful creature inPokemon Scarlet and VioletVGC is Flutter Mane. This Paradox Pokemon established itself as a top-tier competitor when it first became usable in Series 2 of Gen 9 VGC, and it has remained at the top of the usage charts since. Flutter Mane has essentially replaced Gholdengo as the go-to Special Attacker for competitive players as it has the stats, typing, and move set to make it a mainstay on the majority of competitive teams.
The Ghost/Fairy typing leaves Flutter Mane with very few weaknesses while being able to deal super effective damage to many ofPokemon Scarlet and VioletVGC’s most commonly used mons. Having a base stat of 135 in Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed means Flutter Mane can consistently out-speed other mons, plus its ability Protosynthesis can boost its Speed or Special Attack even further when in harsh sun or when holding a Booster Energy.Gen 9’s Terastallization mechanicalso allows Flutter Mane to change its typing as necessary to gain STAB damage from other moves it has access to or remove the weaknesses of its typings.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare available for Nintendo Switch.
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