With the debut of the Adventures Abound Season, we’ve seen a clear shift to the Pokémon that first appeared in the Paldea region. With every generation comes new Legendary Pokémon, and along with it the potential for new Raid Bosses in Pokémon GO! Today I’ll be going over the Legendary Pokémon featured in the Scarlet and Violet games, as well as what their impact could be in Pokémon GO. With that being said, lets start off by taking a jump through time!
Warning: this article will contain spoilers for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and the Teal Mask DLC
The Paradox Duo
The mascot Legendaries from Scarlet and Violet are first up on our list. These games took a unique approach in that you receive these Pokémon in their respective games almost immediately after starting the game, not long after receiving your starter! The caveat is that they cannot be used in battle. They are your means of transportation until later in the game, when you eventually can partner with them in battle.
Koraidon
Type: Fighting / Dragon
Weaknesses: , Psychic, Ice, Dragon, 2x Fairy
Resistances:Rock, Bug, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Dark
Koraidon is the mascot of Pokémon Scarlet. It is a Pokémon that was brought to Paldea by Professor Sada from the past through the time machine in Area Zero. Its signature move, Collision Course, is an extremely powerful Fighting move that increases in power if the hit is Super-Effective.
Koraidon’s 4x weakness to Fairy moves means that it will likely be a pretty straightforward Raid Boss to counter. Based on its main series learneset, Koraidon has access to all the tools it needs for both of its typings. It gains Counter and Close Combat for its Fighting typing and Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw, Outrage, and Draco Meteor for its Dragon typing. It would likely get access to Collision Course upon its second or third feature in raids, which could boost its viability even further. It will definitely find a place amongst the top non-mega, non-shadow Fighting type Pokémon, with or without its signature move.
Miraidon
Type: Electric / Dragon
Weaknesses: Ground, Ice, Dragon, Fairy
Resistances: , Steel, Fire, Water, Grass, 2x Electric
Miraidon is the Violet counterpart to Koraidon. It was brought to Paldea by Professor Turo from the future through a similar time machine. Its signature move, Electro Drift, is a move that works similarly to Collision Course. However, it is even more powerful thanks to Miraidon’s ability. While Koraidon’s summons Harsh Sunlight, which boosts Fire moves, Miraidon’s summons Electric Terrain, which boosts Electric moves, including Electro Drift!
Miraidon shares its typing with Zekrom, meaning that it retains every individual weakness from both of its typings. Ground types will likely be the best counter, especially against a Miraidon Raid Boss using Electric attacks. In terms of moves, Miraidon is set as well, receiving the same Dragon moves as Koraidon plus Dragon Breath, which could help its performance in PVP. Its Electric movepool is great too, with access to Thunder Shock, Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, and Wild Charge. When compared to Zekrom, a Pokémon with similar stats, it has the advantage due to Zekrom being limited to Charge Beam as a fast move, especially once Miraidon gets access to Electro Drift. It will definitely rank as one of the strongest Electric type attackers in the meta!
The Treasures of Ruin
Every region has its batch of sub-legendary Pokémon in addition to the mascots of the game. In the Paldea region, these Pokémon are known as the Treasures of Ruin.
Their origin dates back to ancient times. It is said that four treasures, a set of wooden tablets, a sword, a vessel, and a set of beads, were corrupted by negative human emotions to become Pokémon. These treasures were obtained by a greedy ancient king of Paldea, which caused these Pokémon to go berserk and terrorize the region. As a result, these four Pokémon were sealed away in tombs to contain their power. These tombs were sealed by a set of mystical stakes scattered across the region.
In Scarlet and Violet, trainers could encounter the Treasures of Ruin by finding the stakes hidden across Paldea. Hopefully we won’t have to hunt down these stakes when these Pokémon make their debut in Pokémon GO!
Wo-Chien
Type: Dark / Grass
Weaknesses: Fighting, , Poison, 2x Bug, Fire, Ice, Fairy
Resistances: Ground, Ghost, Water, Grass, Electric, Dark
The first of the Ruin Legendaries is one of the two more defensively orientated of the group, and also the one that has the least viability in the main series games. Wo-Chien has an above average defense stat and average attack and HP. Wo-Chien’s weakness comes in its typing. It has a whopping 7 weaknesses, one of which is a 4x weakness to Bug. It has some good resistances, but being weak to Fighting and Fairy means that it will likely struggle in PVP. The good news is that Wo-Chien gets access to all the moves it would need to be usable, with Bullet Seed, Magical Leaf, Seed Bomb, and Power Whip for Grass moves and Snarl, Dark Pulse, Foul Play, and Payback for Dark. At least it will be pretty to simple to take down in Raids.
Chien-Pao
Type: Dark / Ice
Weaknesses: 2x Fighting, Rock, Bug, Steel, Fire, Fairy
Resistances: Ghost, Ice, Dark
Chien-Pao is the first of the more offense oriented Treasures of Ruin. While it has almost as many weaknesses as Wo-Chien, including a devastating 4x weakness to Fighting, Chien-Pao isn’t designed to stick around. It has a staggering attack stat and good offensive typing. It will surely make a good glass cannon attacker, with good STAB movesets in Ice Fang and Avalanche as well as Snarl and Dark Pulse. Additionally, the aforementioned Fighting weakness will make it an even easier Raid Boss to take down.
Ting-Lu
Type: Dark / Ground
Weaknesses: Fighting, Bug, Water, Grass, Ice, Fairy
Resistances: Poison, Rock, Ghost, Dark
While Ting-Lu was designed to be a defensive Pokémon, it actually has the stats to fill the role as a bulky attacker thanks to a decent attack stat and an astounding HP stat. It has a distinct lack of resistances and exploitable weaknesses, but its stats do lend itself to PVP. It gets access to Snarl, Dark Pulse, Payback, Sand Tomb, and Earthquake, plus coverage moves such as Heavy Slam and Rock Tomb. It could also make for a decent budget attacker if your roster is missing staples such as Groudon and Darkrai. This will likely be one of the tougher to take down in Raids, but at least it has some common weaknesses that could be exploited.
Chi-Yu
Type: Dark / Fire
Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Rock, Water
Resistances: Ghost, Steel, Fire, Grass, Ice, Dark
The last of the Treasures of Ruin may look like a harmless little goldfish, but it has the highest attack stat out of all the Ruin Legends. Additionally, its four weaknesses seem like nothing compared to its friends. Its resistances, while numerous, are largely irrelevant due to it also being better suited as a glass cannon. It gains access to Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Overheat, Snarl, and Dark Pulse, so both of its STAB typings will be useable. It again has many common weaknesses and poor defenses, meaning it should be a simple Raid Boss to defeat.
The Teal Mask
The first part of the Scarlet and Violet DLC allows you to travel to the Land of Kitakami, outside of the Paldea Region. Here you can find Pokémon not usually found in Paldea, as well as some species that cannot be discovered anywhere else. Included amongst these Pokémon are a few new Legendary faces (haha funny mask pun). Let’s take a look at the one you’re all probably the most familiar with.
Reminder: some spoilers ahead!
Ogerpon
Type: Grass
Weaknesses: , Poison, Bug, Fire, Ice
Resistances: Ground, Water, Grass, Electric
Ogerpon is the mascot of the Teal Mask DLC, and if you’ve played through the story, then you’re aware that this “evil ogre” is actually anything but. Ogerpon was falsely labeled as the villain in a story, and the real evil Pokémon were heralded as heroes (but we’ll get to them in a bit). Ogerpon’s name is eventually cleared, and it chooses to join you on your adventure.
The Terastal Phenomenon that allows Pokémon to change their typing in Paldea is also present in Kitakami. The Terastal Crystals that empower this phenomenon are the same crystals that adorn Ogerpon’s mask, thus giving it unique powers when Terastalizing. While its Teal Mask is the one it is most often depicted with, it actually has three others that it can swap between, known as the Wellspring, Hearthflame, and Cornerstone Masks. When wearing them, it becomes a Grass / Water, Grass / Fire, or Grass / Rock type, respectively.
Its ability changes based on its form, and it Terastalizes into a pure Water, Fire, or Rock type corresponding to its mask. Its signature move, Ivy Cudgel, which is normally a Grass type move, changes to match the mask as well.
Ogerpon has already proved itself a dominant threat in Scarlet and Violet’s newest VGC format, since, on top of its already incredible stats, it can either hold an Item in its base Teal Mask form, or it gets a 20% boost to the damage of all its moves when holding one of the other 3 Masks. It will likely be viable in Pokémon GO as well, as its different forms boast unique dual typings not often seen. Combine that with its powerful attack stat and the fact that signature moves are usually extremely powerful in Pokémon GO and we will have some interesting additions to the Pokémon GO roster.
Ogerpon is the most recent Legendary Pokémon to be featured in a DLC, following Urshifu in the Isle of Armor and Calyrex in the Crown Tundra in Sword and Shield. We have yet to see these Pokémon make their way to Pokémon GO, although Regieleki and Regidrago were DLC exclusive and were featured in raids. These Pokémon are special enough to where they could receive their own Special Research storylines. I would like to see Ogerpon be able to change between forms similarly to Hoopa and Shaymin, rather than receiving the Genesect treatment. Only time will tell!
The Loyal Three
The aforementioned “heroes” of the Land of Kitakami are known as the Loyal Three. The stories passed down through Kitakami legends state that these three Pokémon defended the village from the ogre’s rampage, giving their lives in sacrifice. In reality, these three fed off of negative emotion, and their greed led them to attempting to steal Ogerpon’s masks from it and its original Trainer. They are resurrected in the events of the DLC’s story, empowered by the negative emotions of your rival Kieran. Their true nature is eventually revealed, and upon defeat, you are able to catch them and add them to your team.
In the main series, the Loyal Three all share a special ability called Toxic Chain, which gives them a chance to poison their target with any attack they used. Oddly enough, they all share the exact same HP stat, something that will translate to Pokémon GO. Their names are also some of the most apparent puns in Pokémon history, much to my delight. Let’s see how they’ll measure up in Pokémon GO!
Okidogi
Type: Poison / Fighting
Weaknesses: , Ground, 2x Psychic
Resistances: Fighting, Poison, Rock, 2x Bug, Grass, Dark
The first of the Loyal Three is Okidogi, and he is the stuff of nightmares. It’s hard to imagine how this guy could have been seen as a legendary hero. All this aside, Okidogi actually has great typing, shared only with the Toxicroak and Sneasler lines. It does have a significant weakness to Psychic attacks, which will make countering it in Raids much simpler.
In the stat department, Okidogi has the most balanced stats of the three. It has decent bulk and a good attack stat. In terms of moves, it gets access to some of the best moves of its typing in Poison Jab, Sludge Bomb, Close Combat, and the ever dominant Counter. Additionally, it has incredible coverage moves, with the likes of High Horsepower, the elemental punches, Iron Head, Brutal Swing, and more. Paired with its typing, I can see it having some impact in both PVP and PVE.
Munkidori
Type: Poison / Psychic
Weaknesses: Ground, Ghost, Dark
Resistances: 2x Fighting, Poison, Grass, Fairy
The next in the two is arguably even uglier than the first. Something about that forehead and sly gaze just gives me the creeps. As far as typing goes, it has a rather unique combination shared only with Galarian Slowbro and Slowking. Having a resistance to Fighting and Fairy is worth noting.
As mentioned before, the Loyal Three all share the same HP stat. In comparison to Okidogi, Munkidori trades some of its defense for more points in attack. This turns it into much more of a glass cannon. While this is helpful for PVE, it unfortunately squashes its PVP viability. Fortunately, it gets the moves it needs for PVE, with Confusion and Psychic as well as Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb. Hopefully its unique typing will help it find a niche in the Raid counter pool.
Fezandipiti
Type: Poison / Fairy
Weaknesses: Ground, Steel, Psychic
Resistances: 2x Fighting, 2x Bug, Grass, Dark, Fairy
The final of the Loyal Three is Fezandipiti, my personal favorite of the three. It doesn’t appear inherently evil compared to the other two, but it looks just as dangerous. It is also the only Pokémon to sport the dual Poison and Fairy typing. I remember being particularly excited upon registering it in the Pokédex, as it can simultaneously counter Fairy and Dragon types. This was possible before with the Fairy / Steel typing, but its always nice to have a new type combination to play around with.
Unfortunately, Fezandipiti’s stats do not translate to Pokémon GO as well as the others. It sacrifices its attack for more defense, but its bulk isn’t anything to write home about. As a result, it ends up falling short, as it won’t be putting out insane damage and also won’t be sticking around for too long. It relies heavily on its typing to carry its viability. In terms of moves, Fezandipiti again falls short, receiving no STAB fast moves as of now. It does get access to Wing Attack, which could make it interesting in PVP, but its movepool unfortunately solidifies the fact that Fezandipiti will not find a place as a Raid counter. Steel types will be the go-to for countering Fezandipiti as a Raid Boss.
The Indigo Disc
The second DLC has yet to be released, but we know it will feature a Pokémon known as Terapagos. Not much is known about it, but we do know that it is integral to the Terastal Phenomenon. Obviously we cannot speculate on its role in Pokémon GO until we see how it fits in the main series. It appears to take on a unique form when it Terastalizes. Some speculate that it can turn into any of the 18 different types at will, or even that it could introduce a new type. It is sure to be an exciting addition!
Conclusion
And there we have it! These are the Pokémon that make up the Legends of Paldea and beyond. Of course, all of this is just speculation, but given the fact that we have seen a shift to the Paldea region, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see some of these Pokémon making their debut some time soon. If they do, we’ll be sure to keep you all updated!
