Pokemon Scarlet And Violetfeature a Pokedex comprised of 400 total Pokemon, several of which are returning favorites from previous generations.Game Freakheld nothing back in bringing several of the best Pokemon of all time into Scarlet and Violet. From some clear fan service choices to the top dogs of the competitive metagame, there is a variety of top-tier returning Pokemon.
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Whether you are putting together a team designed to reach the top of the online Master Ball Tier or needthe best Pokemon for Tera Raids, there are plenty of fantastic choices. Remember that not every powerful returning Pokemon is a Swiss Army Knife, so the best returnees are judged based on both their versatility and highest peaks.
10Murkrow
Murkrow is an exemplary disruptor in the competitive scene, often preferred over its evolved form, Honchkrow, due to its access to the Prankster ability. Prankster gives a plus-one priority to any status moves, which is convenient considering Murkrow’s primary function is to make life difficult for its opponents.
Popular online sets usually include Tailwind for Speed support, Taunt to force your foes into attacking, or Haze, which completely nullifies any buffs that your competitor was able to stack. Foul Play usually rounds out the set, giving Murkrow the option to deal surprising damage to unsuspecting Pokemon. Use an Eviolite to help Murkrow with its low Base Stat Total (BST) and ensure it survives long enough to be a threat.
9Azumarill
Azumarill, like Murkrow, won’t be influential in your standard playthrough. However, unlike Murkrow, this innocent-looking blue egg dominates in the Tera Raid scene, emerging as thebest counter for Charizard, Scarlet and Violet’s first seven-star raid boss.
In addition, Azumarill provides enough power via its deadly Belly Drum set up to one-shot knockout (OHKO) several five-star raid bosses who are weak to Water or Fairy. Be warned that Play Rough frequently will cause a glitch that gives a raid boss HP back despite indicating that its HP was at zero after your attack. Luckily, Liquidation doesn’t suffer from this bizarre setback, so Water-weak opponents will actually stay down.
8Gyarados
Gyarados is a great generalist pick, reaching its most notable heights in casual playthroughs or online play. Unfortunately, you cannot take advantage of its Moxie ability in Tera Raids as it requires you to KO an opponent to gain an Attack boost.
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That being said, Gyarados is capable of wreaking havoc against several teams and is amongthe best Physical Attackersin Generation Nine. While its quadruple Electric weakness and lack of access to its Mega Evolution are disappointing, Gyarados perseveres by utilizing a Water Tera type that allows it to maintain its Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) for Waterfall without fear of an OHKO from any Electric attack.
7Garchomp
From its debut, Garchomp has been a permanent presence in competitive Pokemon tournaments, but this Ground and Dragon-type menace can be used in any setting. Scarlet and Violet lack manystrong Ground-type Pokemon, but Garchomp helps fill that void in your casual team while even maintaining usability in Tera Raids.
Garchomp will need to land at least three attacks to Terastallize in raids, so never deploy this beast against Pokemon that may have access to an Ice-type move. It may sound like common sense, but you would be surprised how many times a Garchomp comes out against raid bosses that can easily OHKO it. Looking at you, Tera Raid teammates.
6Dragapult
Dragapult finds itself amongthe best Ghost-type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violetand is arguably the most powerful all-around pick alongside Gholdengo. Dragapult can even fit into any niche in online matches.
It functions as a support Pokemon with access to Light Screen and Reflect or as either a Physical or Special Attacker due to its superb 120 Attack and 100 Special Attack. Several prominent trainers like Ryme and Hassel will be easy pickings for Dragapult, and it can even do a job in Tera Raids, though you may want to use Gholdengo instead for bosses weak to Ghost.
5Tyranitar
Tyranitar’s 600 BST and incredible spread simply speak for themselves. Its HP, Attack, Defense, and Special Defense all surpass 100, highlighted by a sublime 134 Attack that rocks any foe’s world. Its Speed is severely lacking, but with access to both Dragon Dance and Rock Polish to offset this weakness, Tyranitar is prepared for anything.
For years, Tyranitar has been held back by its Rock and Dark dual typing, as the glaring quadruple Fighting weakness gave opponents a massive soft spot to exploit. However, with the option to Terastallize into a monotype, Tyranitar can cause major problems for even the most diversified teams.
4Arcanine
Much like Dragapult, Arcanine is a shining example of flexibility, boasting competitive sets that can be used both offensively and defensively. While its 555 BST doesn’t jump off the page, its well-rounded spread allows it to either attack with moves like Extreme Speed or enable teammates using Will-O-Wisp or Helping Hand.
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Arcanine’s usage is Tera Raids is definitely underappreciated, as it can deal solid damage without being a detriment that faints often. Morning Sun is a great choice to ensure you don’t deplete the raid timer with multiple faints and its healing is boosted by the Sun, which Arcanine appreciates on the offensive side as well.
3Grimmsnarl
Grimmsnarl shares a remarkable number of similarities to Dragapult in its variety of strong sets but boasts a movepool that simply blows others away. Grimmsnarl is also a master screen setter, which pairs fabulously with its Prankster ability. Thunder Wave and Trick are also excellent moves that put Prankster to perfect use.
While its BST of 510 isn’t on par with Dragapult, full immunities to both Dragon and Psychic attacks make Grimmsnarl particularly problematic to KO. In Tera Raids, you’ll be able to pivot quickly between offense and defense like Arcanine, and your Spirit Break will aid teammates by decreasing the raid boss’s Special Attack.
2Hydreigon
Hydreigon is arguably one of the best competitive Pokemon of all time, with two Pokemon World Championships under its belt. However, there is no denying its glaring quadruple weakness to Fairy-type Pokemon, making Hydreigon agreat candidate for a Tera-Steel typing.
Much like Grimmsnarl, Hydreigon also boasts two complete immunities, in this case to Ground and Psychic-type moves. It even competes with Tyranitar’s BST, also boasting 600, but with absolutely no weak stats, with a 90 in both defenses being the lowest. Hydreigon also has several viable competitive sets, highlighted by moves like Draco Meteor, Dark Pulse, and Flash Cannon if you do decide to go with Tera Steel.
1Rotom
When it comes to flexible use cases, there’s simply no better returning Pokemon than Rotom and its five appliance forms. Wash Rotom and Heat Rotom often see the most usage, with Fan Rotom lagging behind. The Frost and Mow options are definitely unusual, but that’s not to say you can’t make them work.
With defenses and Special Attack that top 100, Rotom isn’t an easy KO in online play and offers unmatched versatility for Tera Raid aficionados. This form-changing Electric-type Pokemon offers the most bang for your hard-earned Bottle Caps and Vitamins, so don’t hesitate to invest in it once you befriend your own. To top it off, Rotom’s Levitate ability completely negates the Ground weakness of its Electric typing, allowing it to benefit from its variety of secondary typings without any significant drawbacks.
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