Trainers! The Pokémon GO 7th Anniversary art has been all over the internet because of its many interesting exhibits. There are loads to behold, from the Paldean starter Pokémon to some much-awaited Gen 8 Pokémon!
But one simply cannot miss some really exciting dragons out there! A regional pseudo legendary, an Ultra Beast, a box legendary known for its multiple forms, and the almighty Mega itself… Dragon types truly take the spotlight.
So let’s take a dive into how these Dragon types are going to fit into the meta and what to expect from them.
Mega Rayquaza
Rayquaza (Mega)
Dragon
|
|||||
| Max CP at lvl 40 5066 | Max CP at lvl 50 5728 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATK 354 | DEF 197 | HP 213 | |||
| Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
| Ice Dragon Fairy Rock | Dragon Bug Fighting Grass | ||||
Mega Ray is the Dragon supremo and an exceptional type. It is among THE Pokémon to have in the game due to its sky-high ATK stat and excellent moves like Breaking Swipe and Dragon Ascent in its arsenal.
It is a leader in the DPS department but can lose a bit of an edge to Mega Garchomp in some situations due to the latter’s bulk. There’s not much to say about this beast as it’s already confirmed for GO Fest 2023 and we all know how good it can be!
This Pokémon will redefine the meta and showcase why it belongs to a tier of its own.
Potential meta rating for Mega Rayquaza: 5/5
Hisuian Goodra
Goomy usually maintains its pure Dragon typing throughout its evolution (why not Dragon/Poison or Dragon/Fairy??!!) and this has been a huge miss for so many Pokémon trainers from all around the world.
But in Hisui, Goomy goes half-metal alchemist mode as it gains the very coveted Dragon/Steel typing as a Sliggoo and Goodra! This is an absolutely amazing type combination and it presents an exciting prospect for these dragons in PvP. It does… it should, right? Right?
Well, let’s do the tale of the tape between the two different forms.
| Goodra | Hisuian Goodra | |
| Typing | Dragon | Dragon/Steel |
| ATK | 220 | 211 |
| DEF | 242 | 255 |
| HP | 207 | 190 |
| Max CP @ lvl 40 | 3505 | 3320 |
| Max CP @ lvl 50 | 3963 | 3754 |
It goes without saying that Goodra has better stats than its Hisuian variant, having more offensive and defensive prowess to its credit. But H. Goodra has a trump card up its sleeve: the Steel sub-typing!
The Dragon/Steel combo gives a large number of resistances that include: Grass, Poison, Bug, Electric, , Normal, Psychic, Rock, Steel and Water.
This is undoubtedly a mighty impressive set of resistances! While Goodra has a tad better stats, H. Goodra is no slouch either. It is still a bulkier mon than Dialga and can put in quite a weight around the PvP meta.
In Legends Arceus, H.Goodra’s movepool was rather underwhelming, with no access to current Dragon type fast moves in Pokémon Go and a lack of viable Steel moves.
However, with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Hisuian Goodra finally has access to some really good moves to salvage: Dragon Tail, Dragon Breath, Counter, the elemental punches, and Dragon Claw. Imagine a Dragon/Steel mon with Dragon Breath/Dragon Tail/Counter with Dragon Claw and any of the other moves! This would definitely help Hisuian Goodra make a mark in PvP.
Potential meta rating for Hisuian Goodra: 4/5
Naganadel
Naganadel is an Ultra Beast that is hugely popular with Pokémon fans due to it being a part of Ash’s team in the Sun & Moon anime. With a fantastic Poison/Dragon typing, it is not weak to Fairy Pokémon and can, in fact, deal STAB super-effective damage against them.
But does it have the stats to boot? Let’s check them out:
| ATK | 263 |
| DEF | 159 |
| HP | 177 |
| Max CP @ lvl 40 | 3173 |
| Max CP @ lvl 50 | 3587 |
To put it into perspective, it has Dragonite’s ATK stat but lacks in bulk to a considerable degree. Nonetheless, its good ATK is complemented by its access to moves like Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw, Outrage, Poison Jab, and Sludge Bomb.
So Naganadel will still be able to carve a decent place for itself in the Dragon and/or Poison type meta provided it is able to get the right moveset in Pokémon Go.
Potential meta rating for Naganadel: 4/5
Zygarde
Now, now… I know that this doggo above is not the first image in your mind when you read ‘Zygarde’. You may possibly think of the 100% forme that looks like a Transformer robot… or the iconic 50% forme that resembles a snake, or maybe even the Zygarde cells made popular by the anime. But I bet the 10% forme is the last one you tend to imagine. It’s literally a dog that’s a dragon. Even Altaria or Turtonator as a Dragon type makes more sense now, eh?
Anyway, Niantic has unfortunately never been good with releasing different forms of Pokémon in one go. So we have to stick to what’s shown in the poster: Zygarde 10% forme.
Because whoz a good boi, whoz a good boi???
Zygarde 10% forme, 100% doggo, and 100% dragon is!
But when you check out this legendary mon’s stats:
| ATK | 205 |
| DEF | 173 |
| HP | 144 |
| Max CP @ lvl 40 | 2685 |
| Max CP @ lvl 50 | 2375 |
It’s no longer a good boi, right? Bad doggo!
I’m not even going to take the effort to list down its Dragon and Ground moves. It’s not good.
PS: The 50% and Complete forme will have use in PvP. But we’ll save that for when they’re confirmed.
Potential meta rating for Zygarde 10%: 1/5
Parting words
Mega Rayquaza is on another level altogether. It’s literally the GOAT.
Hisuian Goodra and Naganadel may end up being exciting additions to the meta if treated with a good movepool. And Fairy types don’t like either of them.
Zygarde 10% is just not it. Maybe take the doggo for a walk in the park (map) and that’s about it. The other forms have more potential.
Here’s wishing you a Happy Pokémon Go 7th Anniversary, trainers!
Dracarys.
