These are the 5 Best Pokemon Not Available in Champions Yet

Although the return of Mega Evolution to the competitive scene is a big draw for Pokemon Champions, these new Mega Evolutions are no substitute for the longtime competitive staples that have persisted throughout the Gen 9 meta. The last time that Mega Evolution existed as a mechanic in the Pokemon franchise, these critters didn’t even exist, so it’s unclear how they would stack up in the meta of Pokemon Champions. As such, these powerhouses of the Gen 9 meta deserve to join the Pokemon Champions roster sooner rather than later.

Crowned Shield Zamazenta: A Defensive Tank that Doesn’t Care About Intimidate

The box art Legendary of Pokemon Shield is one of the best Defensive Pokemon in Gen 9, largely thanks to its unique Crowned Shield Form it gets when holding the Rusted Shield item. Not only does it have an incredible 140 base Defense, but Zamazenta’s Dauntless Shield Ability boosts its Defense by one stage when it enters battle. What’s more is that this item can’t be Knocked Off of Zamazenta either, since form-changing items are immune to the effect.

Aside from its fantastic Defense, what makes Zamazenta so useful in Pokemon VGC is its access to Body Press, a move that calculates its damage based on the user’s Defense rather than their Attack. This move allows Zamazenta to deal STAB Fighting-Type damage without having to worry about Intimidate lowering its Attack.

Rapid-Strike Urshifu: A Crit Machine that Can Bypass Protect

While Urshifu comes in either Single Strike or Rapid Strike form, its stats remain the same across both. Additionally, Urshifu’s Unseen Fist Ability is also shared by both forms, allowing it to bypass moves like Protect and Detect to hit enemies even when they are trying to block an incoming attack. Coupled with Urshifu’s high Attack and Defense stats, it’s clear why this mon is such a terror in competitive Pokemon battles.

Of the two forms Urshifu can take, Rapid Strike is the preferable option for its access to the unique Surging Strikes move. This move deals STAB Water-Type damage from Rapid Strike Urshifu three times, with each hit being a guaranteed crit. Since Urshifu is the only Pokemon capable of learning Surging Strikes, the move won’t be available in Champions as long as Urshifu is missing.

Rillaboom: Terrain Setter and Turn-Priority Monster

Pokemon Champions already features the majority of starters from throughout the Pokemon franchise. However, it’s missing arguably one of the best starters for competitive battles after Incineroar. Rillaboom’s main claim to fame is its ability to set up Grassy Terrain with its Grassy Surge Hidden Ability. With Grassy Terrain active, Rillaboom not only heals every turn but also has its Grass-Type moves boosted by 50% as well.

Rillaboom can also make excellent use of Grassy Glide, a move that gives the user +1 turn priority if Grassy Terrain is active. With this increased turn priority, Rillaboom can outspeed most opponents despite having a middling Speed stat itself. The combination of being able to set up Grassy Terrain for free and immediately take advantage of it makes Rillaboom a sorely missed critter in Pokemon Champions.

Miraidon: Boosted Terrain Damage and High Speeds

Like Rillaboom, Miraidon’s utility in competitive Pokemon battles comes from its fantastic Hadron Engine Ability, which automatically sets up Electric Terrain when it enters battle. While active, Electric Terrain boosts the power of Electric-Type moves by 50%, and Miraidon’s Hadron Engine Ability further boosts this power by increasing its Special Attack by 33%. This makes Miraidon a very fast and powerful special sweeper.

To add to Miraidon’s power, its signature move, Electro Drift, gains an additional 33% power if it is super effective against its target. So, not only does Electro Drift deal STAB Electric-Type damage that is further boosted by Electric Terrain, but if Miraidon is attacking a Water or Flying-Type Pokemon, it deals even more than it typically would. Miraidon also has access to Volt Switch, allowing it to easily pivot out of battle in an unfavorable match-up.

Shadow Rider Calyrex: Insane Special Attack and Speed Stats

Perhaps the only Pokemon to come close to Incineroar in its competitive usage is Shadow Rider Calyrex, which essentially combines the best traits of Spectrier and Calyrex when the two merge into one form to create a competitive monster. Shadow Rider Calyrex has two of the highest Special Attack and Speed stats in the franchise, making it a difficult opponent to stop from sweeping a team. Plus, it can further boost its Special Attack with access to Nasty Plot.

In addition to its lightning-fast Speed and overwhelming Special Attack stats, Shadow Rider Calyrex’s As One Ability gives it access to Spectrier’s Grim Neigh Ability. This Ability raises the user’s Special Attack by one stage when it K.O.’s another Pokemon in battle, essentially creating a situation where Shadow Rider Calyrex can quickly snowball one knockout into a full team sweep. However, this also means that both Calyrex and Spectrier would need to be added to Pokemon Champions in order to create this setup.