Today, we’re giving you our list of the best Pokemon in Pokemon Violet and Scarlet. While some Pokemon offer strength and unique move sets, others offer versatility and engagement. The best Pokemon can vary depending on your team, objectives, and playstyles. We wanted to make the list as diverse as possible, giving a little something for everyone. Let’s jump right in to see which Pokemon will help you on your next Tera Raid or just to catch ’em all.
Palafin
While Water-Types didn’t get many new Pokemon in Scarlet/Violet, they did receive one of the most interesting. Paladin has a unique ability in the form of Zero to Hero, which changes its stats when swapped in and out of battle. Its Hero Form raises its base stats in attack, defense, special attack, and special defense.
These significant boosts, some going as high as a 128% increase, make Palafin one of the strongest Water-Types. Also, they are only weak against Grass and Electric-Types, meaning most matchups won’t be an issue at all. While Zero Form is less than desirable, the dynamic gameplay provides an interesting experience.
Tinkaton
Tinkaton is an unlikely entry due to her average stats. There’s not one stat that particularly stands out or is impressive. However, her Fairy/Steel-Type is one of the stronger combinations in the game. Her unique design makes her stand out from the rest of her generation. Players will need to utilize items such as leftovers, mirror herb, or rocky helmet to help make her more effective.
Tinkaton is resistant to nine types: Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dark, and Fairy. Due to her potential, design, and pure fun, she easily earns a spot as one of the best Pokemon to battle with.
Lurantis
Luranits is one of the best Grass-Types for players doing Tera Raids due to their Contrary ability. Contrary allows for reversing stat modifications in battle, so if the opponent lowers Lurantis’s stats, they will be increased instead. Lurantis does fall behind on stats compared to other Grass-types, but they are nothing to laugh at. However, they are weak to Flying, Poison, Bug, Fire, and Ice-Types, which is less than ideal. Regardless, they will always have a spot on our team in raids.
Espathra
Espathra is an interesting Pokemon due to its speed and special attack. They are insanely quick and have two moves that only they can learn: Lumina Crash and Opportunist. Lumina Crash deals damage and lowers the opponent’s special defense by two stages. Opportunist allows Espathra to mimic their opponent’s stat increase when raised.
While their health is less than optimal, these two abilities allow for interesting gameplay and engagement. It can be quite tricky to get rid of, as they also have synergy with ally Pokemon in battles.
Annihilape
If you want pure damage and scaling, Annihilape is the Pokemon for you. They have respectable stats but feature the Rage Fist ability. Rage Fist causes their power level to increase by 50 each time they are hit in battle. After being hit six times, Annihilape will reach its maximum of 350 power for colossal damage. This ability alone is enough to place them on your team for raids. The biggest downside is their weakness to Flying, Ghost, Psychic, and Fairy-Types. But they are immune to Normal and Fighting-Types.
Glimmora
One of the most interesting Pokemon in Violet and Scarlet, Glimmora is a Rock/Poison-Type. Having a naturally high defense, they are best suited for tanking damage. As their opponent attacks them, Glimmora has the chance to poison them if they land a hit, making them one of the most annoying Pokemon to fight. They are also one of the most versatile, as they can use many Tera’s effectively, including Ground, Rock, Grass, Steel, and Fairy. Along with resistance to six types, Glimmora easily earns a spot in a raiding team and our list.
Dragalge
Dragalge is versatile, fitting any situation to help defeat your opponents. With Acid Spray, Dragalge is able to lower the target’s special defense and has adaptability. Adaptability was introduced in generation IV and increased the same-attack type bonus. While he may not be the strongest overall, Dragalge, when used correctly, can be a powerhouse, especially to Fairy-Types. Moves like Draco Meter, Sludge Bomb, and Focus Blast provide a strong offensive, giving Dragalge an advantage over other Pokemon.
Gholdengo
While he may look golden, fans might be surprised to learn that Gholdengo is also a Ghost-Type along with Steel. His evolution comes after gaining 999 Gimmighoul Coins, making it one of the most bizarre evolutions. Gholdengo is one of the strongest Ghosts in the game, resistant to nine types. These include Flying, Rock, Bug, Steel, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, and Fairy.
Pairing Gholdengo with Wise Glasses, Metal Coat, or Cover Cloak makes him one of the most versatile Pokemon. They were also the 1000th Pokemon introduced to the franchise, adding to its legacy.
Kingambit
After defeating three Bisharps that hold the Leader’s Crest, players will be rewarded with their own Bisharp evolving in Kingambit. They have two unique abilities in the form of Supreme Overload and Kowtow Cleave, with no other Pokemon known to possess these. Besides the samurai design, the drawing point to Kimgambit is its level 100 stats. Players can easily achieve over 400 base health and attack, making them one of the hardest-hitting Pokemon.
Similar to Gholdengo, they are also resistant to nine types: Normal, Flying, Rock, Ghost, Steel, Grass, Ice, Dragon, and Dark. Pair this with the Expert Belt that deals 20% more damage to super-effective attacks, and you have one of the strongest Pokemon in the game.
Iron Hands
As a Paradox Pokemon, they are the futuristic relative of Hariyama and pack a punch. Iron Hands is one of the most popular choices for Tera Raids due to its staggering 252 attack damage when Terastallized with the Fighting Tera Type. This makes Iron Hands one of the most formidable Pokemon in the game, as he can easily beat raid bosses with just a few hits.
However, one drawback is that they do suffer from low speed and defense, making them vulnerable if the opponent is not defeated fast enough. They are weak to Ground, Psychic, and Fairy-Types but strong against five types. Those types include Rock, Bug, Steel, Electric, and Dark.
Conclusion
Well, that does it for our list today. While we left out notable Pokemon, this list offers an overall feeling for which types and Pokemon would be best for you. Consider your own playstyle and what you are looking for in-game. Every Pokemon is viable for beating the main campaign; it’s only until the Tera Raids that teams need to be more focused. If you are playing alone and want to explore the Paldea region, the best Pokemon will be the one that offers the most fun.