"Pokémon Scarlet" and "Violet" introduced a whopping 107 new Pokémon, but there are a dozen that stand out among the crowd — and not always for a good reason. Here's the worst and best of the bunch.
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00:00Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduced a whopping 107 new Pokémon, but there are a dozen that
00:06stand out among the crowd, and not always for a good reason.
00:11This ninth-generation Fire-type Pokémon can be found throughout Paldeia, although it's
00:15a rare creature that you'll likely not encounter all that often.
00:19Considering its scarcity, you might think that Charged Cadet is a powerful Pokémon
00:23to have on your team, but this little fiery humanoid has pretty low base stats of just
00:27255.
00:29Charged Cadet is also especially slow, making it more vulnerable to being hit first if the
00:33opposing Pokémon is faster.
00:35With just 10 moves available to learn as it levels up, Charged Cadet mostly utilizes Fire-type
00:40attacks, and thus is a bit one-dimensional when it comes to battles as well.
00:45While some players online have pointed out that certain versions of Charged Cadet have
00:49some use, others have pointed out how weak the Pokémon is, and how easily it can be
00:53defeated by even much lower-level creatures.
00:56Charged Cadet can also be tricky to evolve, as it doesn't transform in the traditional
01:00way by leveling up, but rather by using a specific item.
01:04Depending on whether you're playing Scarlet or Violet, it can either evolve into Armorouge
01:08or Cerulesh by being exposed to a certain type of armor that you can purchase from an
01:13NPC.
01:15Despite its status as a newcomer to the series, Garganacal has already developed a reputation
01:19as one of the best Rock-type Pokémon available to players.
01:23In fact, some fans even think it comes close to stellar Pokémon such as Tyranitar, and
01:28others believe that it is an ideal choice for players to include in their teams, especially
01:32early on in the game.
01:34The final stage of Knuckley's Tree, Garganacal evolves from Knucklestack, and can act as
01:38an effective tank thanks to its large HP and defense stats.
01:42In total, the Pokémon has base stats of 500, making it an effective and well-rounded addition.
01:48But it isn't just the stats that make Garganacal a powerful creature.
01:52Its moves — um, Rock, including new moves Salt Cure, which causes damage every turn
01:57— deals extra damage to both Water and Steel types, and is regarded as one of the strongest
02:03moves included in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
02:07Of all the Pokémon in Violet and Scarlet, Wigglet may have attracted the most attention.
02:11"...Diglett!"
02:13"...Pika!"
02:15Resembling Diglett from the Generation 1 titles, it isn't a variation of that creature but
02:19rather a distinct species of its own.
02:22The Water type evolves into the imaginatively-named Wugtrio, much like Diglett transforms into
02:27Dugtrio.
02:28Unfortunately, this particular creature doesn't have much going for it in terms of battling,
02:33and doesn't even have the benefit of evolving into an impressive Pokémon, as Wugtrio is
02:37not all that much better than its predecessor.
02:40The main issue for Wigglet is its incredibly low base stats, with its HP being a standout
02:45for all the wrong reasons at a score of just 10.
02:48That means that Wigglet is practically a sitting duck, and any major hit could take it out
02:52of a battle before it has even really begun.
02:55Throw in its poor defense, special attack, and special defense, and Wigglet won't cause
02:59too much concern to opponents, even if it does have quite a high speed value of 95.
03:05Baxcalibur is a dual Ice and Dragon type Pokémon that is part of the evolutionary tree of Frigidbax,
03:11and evolves from R to Bax at the relatively high level of 54.
03:16Considered a pseudo-legendary Pokémon due to its high stats and strength, it has quickly
03:20established itself as one of the best new additions in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
03:25With base stats of 600, it has great HP and exceptional attacking ability.
03:30This has led to Baxcalibur being considered a wall-breaker, as it can pack a strong punch
03:34and defeat Pokémon that would otherwise pose major problems to a player.
03:38Also adding to its potential for causing massive amounts of damage is its Thermal Exchange
03:42ability, as it leaves the Pokémon immune to fire status effects and can boost its attack
03:47when hit with fire attacks.
03:49Ice Body gives it the opportunity to heal after every turn, while the newly introduced
03:53move Glaive Rush is as powerful as Outrage with a power level of 120.
03:58Combined with the fact that Baxcalibur can learn a wide array of moves thanks to its
04:02dual typing and boosted stats with the move Dragon Dance, the Pokémon is an excellent
04:07choice as a sweeper that can wipe out entire teams by itself.
04:11There's no denying that Pormi is a cute Pokémon.
04:13In fact, the little critter has already attracted a legion of fans who find it completely adorable,
04:19and has become a popular source of fan art.
04:21As a Pikachu clone, that's to be expected, and the little critter certainly delivers
04:25in terms of looks.
04:27The electric type can evolve into Pormo, and is essentially a rodent that can shoot electricity
04:34out of its front paws.
04:36Unlike Pikachu, though, Pormi has very low base stats, a full 60 points lower than its
04:41inspiration with a rating of 240.
04:45That makes it one of the weakest Pokémon in the Generation 9 titles.
04:49With a move pool made up of almost exclusively electric and normal type attacks, it is further
04:53limited in its effectiveness.
04:55It can use its nuzzle move to paralyze Pokémon to make them easier to catch, however.
05:00Pormi does have a useful ability in the form of Natural Cure, which can heal any status
05:04effects when a battle ends or when it is switched out.
05:07This can prove an effective tool in matches where status effects can play a big part in
05:11the overall strategy.
05:13However, this doesn't make up for its other weaknesses, and Pormi is unlikely to figure
05:17much into the competitive scene.
05:20Part of the additional group classification known as Paradox Pokémon introduced in Pokémon
05:25Scarlet and Violet, Roaring Moon is a dual dragon and dark type that bears a resemblance
05:30to Salamence.
05:31It has become a firm fan favorite and is arguably the strongest of the Paradox Pokémon, thanks
05:36in large part to its high base stats of 590.
05:39Of course, its dual typing also means that it is resistant to a lot of different types,
05:44including Ghost, Fire, Water, and Grass, as well as possessing complete immunity to Psychic-type
05:51attacks.
05:52With a deep move pool, Roaring Moon can also learn more than 70 different attacks, allowing
05:56for a lot of versatility so that players can adapt the Pokémon to suit their own teams
06:01and strategies.
06:02It has lots of attacking potential and access to Dragon Dance, further boosting its stats
06:07to make it more formidable.
06:08This makes it a suitable Pokémon to act as a sweeper that can quickly dispatch multiple
06:13enemies in a row.
06:14No wonder it had fans excited about using it when the game launched and the full stats
06:18were revealed.
06:19Flittle is a Psychic-type Pokémon that floats along the ground and appears to be a little
06:24yellow ball.
06:25It can evolve into the more powerful Espathra when it reaches level 35, although if you
06:30aren't interested in that Pokémon, then it might be better to ignore Flittle altogether,
06:34as it doesn't offer much as a fighter.
06:36With base stats of 255, it isn't quite as weak as some of the others on this list, but
06:42don't let that fool you.
06:43The Pokémon only has an impressive speed rating, with its HP, Attack, and Defense all
06:48at very low levels.
06:50It does have a slightly higher Special Attack stat, but that is wasted, as almost half of
06:55its attacking moves are physical.
06:57Flittle can learn a total of 10 different moves as it levels up, and among them, only
07:01Psybeam and Uproar are powerful attacks that can deal significant damage.
07:05More importantly, only Confusion and Psybeam get the same type attack bonus when used in
07:10battle, restricting how effective Flittle can be in a fight.
07:14Flemora is a Pokémon introduced in Scarlet and Violet that has drawn in a steady number
07:18of fans, thanks to its versatility and unique abilities.
07:22A Rock-and-Poison-type Pokémon, it evolves from Glimmit, and has base stats of 525, with
07:28a Special Attack of 130.
07:31It can operate as a lead Pokémon to set up a battle by applying the hazard Stealth Rock,
07:36or put its Special Attack stat to good use as an offensive part of a team.
07:40All of that makes Glimmora a frustrating challenge to play against.
07:43Glimmora also has access to two important abilities that further increase its usefulness
07:48in competitive battles.
07:49Its hidden ability is Corrosion, allowing the Pokémon to poison Steel and Poison-types
07:54that would usually be immune to such damage.
07:57That combines well with its signature move, Mortal Spin, as it is guaranteed to poison
08:02the opposing Pokémon if it hits.
08:04Meanwhile, the Toxic Debris ability will shoot out toxic spikes when it is struck with a
08:08physical attack, essentially damaging opponents with a free extra hit.
08:14Bug-types have developed a reputation over the years as belonging to one of the weakest
08:17groups of Pokémon, despite the fact that they can have some useful moves and abilities
08:21for competitive play.
08:23This may have something to do with the fact that they often have low base stats and are
08:27used by low-level trainers early on in games, when they are not at their full potential.
08:31Nimble is the latest Bug-type Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and unfortunately,
08:37it doesn't do much to dispel that reputation.
08:39Weighing in with base stats of just 210, Nimble is among the lowest-rated Pokémon in the
08:51series.
08:52It has particularly bad special attack and special defense levels, and is thus susceptible
08:57to those types of moves.
08:59This coupled with its low HP ensures that Nimble can be dispatched quite quickly in
09:03battles.
09:04The Pokémon also has a small move pool that contains a little over 30 options in total,
09:09meaning that there are far better choices out there for players when it comes to filling
09:13out their team, even in the early portions of the game.
09:17Iron Moth is another Paradox Pokémon.
09:19While it isn't quite as powerful as Roaring Moon, it still stands out as an impressive
09:24battler.
09:25One of the major advantages of Iron Moth is that it is a dual-type Fire and Poison Pokémon.
09:29This makes it effective against a wide range of opponents, as these attacks both have good
09:34coverage against many other types.
09:36Add in the fact that it is resistant to eight types, including Bug, Ice, Steel, and Fairy,
09:42and it is a Pokémon that will work well in many situations.
09:45With a 140 rating, Iron Moth's special attack category stands out among its high base stats
09:51of 570.
09:53This combines well with the moves it can learn from gaining experience, almost all of which
09:57are special attacks.
09:58Players have also been impressed by Iron Moth's high speed, along with its signature move,
10:04which has a good chance of boosting its special attack even further.
10:07As an offensive Pokémon, it can play an important role on a roster and prove capable of devastating
10:12teams with Grass-, Fairy-, and Ice-type Pokémon.
10:16A Bug-type Pokémon that can be found quite early in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Tarantula
10:21will likely be one of the first wild creatures that players encounter.
10:25That might be why it isn't a particularly powerful Pokémon in the games.
10:29It has one of the lowest base stats, with a rating of just 210, and possesses unimpressive
10:34speed and HP.
10:36These facts alone would make it a Pokémon that most players would do well to avoid,
10:40but it also struggles in other areas.
10:42Tarantula is only resistant to three types, Fighting-, Ground-, and Grass-, and has no
10:48immunities.
10:49Its move pool is also quite small, restricting the number of moves it can learn, lowering
10:54its versatility, and cementing Tarantula's place among the bottom rung of fighters.
10:59Tarantula does have one positive aspect, in that it can learn the move Silk Trap when
11:03it evolves into Spide-Ops.
11:05This is a move similar to Protect, but with the added advantage of also lowering the speed
11:10of the opponent, which could make it useful in competitive play.
11:14One of the legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Chien-Pao is arguably
11:18a vital member of any competitive player's team.
11:21The Dark- and Ice-type Pokémon has already been touted as being possibly banned from
11:25tournaments due to its overpowered kit.
11:28After all, the Sword of Ruin ability can lower the defense of every other active Pokémon
11:33in a battle by a quarter, and it can learn Dragon Dance to boost both its attack and
11:37speed.
11:38This can help it overcome its low HP and defense.
11:41Even those Pokémon that might be more agile are not safe, as Chien-Pao can also learn
11:46Ice Shard, which gets priority in battle, ensuring it will hit first.
11:50It can be sent out in competitive contests to immediately put opposing Pokémon at a
11:54disadvantage, and then strike with devastating attacks.
11:58Basically, it more than earns the Pao in its name.