Pokemon Champions is About to Be a Whole New Game on June 17

Pokemon Champions was released on April 8 of this year to a not-so-great reception due to its small Pokedex and selection of items. On launch, Pokemon Champions had fewer than 200 Pokemon species, not counting regional variants, and most of the items commonly used in Pokemon VGC were cut entirely. This led to a Pokemon Champions meta filled with Sitrus Berry and damage-reducing Berries, Focus Sash, Leftovers, White Herb (especially on Sneasler to activate Unburden with Close Combat), and Mega Stones. While limited in terms of teambuilding, this was not all bad, because it allowed players to toy with new combos, Pokemon, and items that would normally not see much play.

Things are going to change dramatically for Pokemon Champions very soon, though, as the game is about to enter its Regulation M-B on June 17. While the game already had a season shift from Season M-1 to Season M-2 on May 13, this did not bring along any changes to the roster of Pokemon or items, and mainly revolved around a new battle pass. Instead, Regulation M-B is already confirmed to be a game-changer, as an early content roadmap listed it as the time new Pokemon would be added. Not only that, but this is also confirmed by two recent announcements.

How Pokemon Champions’ Regulation M-B Will Change Everything on June 17

Pokemon Champions is launching on mobile on June 17, the same day as Regulation M-B’s release, and this alone means new content is bound to be added. Additionally, the abilities for Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y were also revealed, and since these Pokemon are not currently available, it means they are debuting in just a few days. The base game included 23 new Mega Evolutions featured in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and the two Mega Raichu will add to that list.

However, it’s safe to assume that all Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Evolutions will eventually be added, and most of them are very likely to be released with Regulation M-B. The list could include:

• Mega Raichu X
• Mega Raichu Y
• Mega Absol Z
• Mega Staraptor
• Mega Garchomp Z
• Mega Lucario Z
• Mega Scolipede
• Mega Scrafty
• Mega Eelektross
• Mega Pyroar
• Mega Malamar
• Mega Barbaracle
• Mega Dragalge
• Mega Golisopod
• Mega Falinks
• Mega Tatsugiri
• Mega Baxcalibur

Some Mega Evolutions are unlikely to debut in Regulation M-B, if ever, and they include:

• Mega Heatran
• Mega Darkrai
• Mega Zygarde
• Mega Magearna
• Mega Zeraora

This is because all Legendary Pokemon are currently excluded from the game, and the same holds for Mythical Pokemon. However, Mythical Pokemon have never been allowed in competitive VGC anyway, so there is a chance they will not be added to Pokemon Champions even further down the line. Currently, the list of Mega Evolutions from Pokemon Legends: Z-A available in the game includes:

• Clefairy
• Victreebel
• Starmie
• Dragonite
• Meganium
• Feraligatr
• Skarmory
• Chimecho
• Froslass
• Emboar
• Excadrill
• Chandelure
• Golurk
• Chesnaught
• Delphox
• Greninja
• Floette
• Meowstic
• Hawlucha
• Crabominable
• Drampa
• Scovillain
• Glimmora

Considering that Mega Raichu X and Y are being added to Pokemon Champions, it’s only logical for most of the remaining Megas from Z-A to follow suit in the same update. With that, it also means that more Pokemon not capable of Mega Evolving will be added, possibly adding between 50 and 150 Pokemon total. That may not seem much, but when counting Mega Evolutions, regional variants, and possibly new items, this changes the meta dramatically.

Pokemon Champions Players Should Keep an Eye on Mega Raichu X and Y

Even if the number of returning Pokemon is somehow smaller than expected, the meta is bound to change in many ways. For example, even if Pokemon Champions‘ Mega Evolution list only included the two Raichu Variants as additions to Regulation M-B, teambuilding would be affected tremendously:

• One of the most used Pokemon in Pokemon Champions is Charizard — specifically, Mega Charizard Y.
• The ways to counter Charizard in Pokemon Champions include Rock Slide (with Garchomp and Aerodactyl, mainly), Power Gem (with Glimmora), weather control (with Pelipper, Politoed, Tyranitar, Mega Froslass, etc.), and powerful supereffective moves.
• Both Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y in Pokemon Legends: Z-A learned multiple powerful Electric moves, which deal massive damage to Charizard. Not only that, but they are also faster than Mega Charizard Y, which means that they will go first unless Tailwind is up.
• Mega Raichu X sets Electric Terrain when it enters the field, which means it’s very likely to one-shot Charizard with some of the best Electric-type moves, and it also threatens any non-Ghost, non-priority-immune opposing Pokemon with Fake Out.
• Mega Raichu Y gets No Guard, which means it can fire 100% accurate Zap Cannon, among other moves. This move has 120 base power and always inflicts paralysis, so even if Charizard survives, it will most likely act last due to the Speed reduction from paralysis.
• Electric moves are also a great way to counter the best Basculegion builds in Pokemon Champions, as it’s a Water/Ghost Pokemon. Currently, Basculegion is the second most-used Pokemon in Pokemon Champions, and Charizard is the sixth most used, and both statistics would dramatically change even if the game only added Mega Raichu X and Y to the roster.
• Furthermore, Mega Raichu Y can fire off 100% accurate Focus Blast, which is guaranteed to OHKO Kingambit, and it can heavily counter Archaludon in Pokemon Champions due to its low Special Defense and Fighting weakness.
• With a reliably strong, fast Electric-type attacker in Mega Raichu X, Milotic would then have a hard time shining without a partner using Choice Scarf or other means to outspeed Raichu and potentially OHKO it.

These are just some examples, but they go to show that Pokemon Champions‘ meta is bound to change a lot, even if only two Mega Evolutions are added, let alone if the game, as it’s likely, adds dozens of Pokemon. On top of that, one has to consider items.

How New Items Would Change Pokemon Champions’ Meta

Pokemon Champions‘ item selection is very scarce at the moment, and any VGC staples are missing. Even if the game adds a few of them, which is currently unconfirmed, unlike the addition of Mega Raichu X and Y, things will inevitably change as a result. New items could include:

• Assault Vest: This item boosts the user’s Special Defense by 50%, but it can only use attack moves (this means no status moves are allowed, such as Will-o-Wisp or Iron Defense). Assault Vest would make Pokemon like Kingambit and Archaludon extremely tanky, thus changing the meta dramatically.
• Choice Band: This item allows the user to boost its Attack stat by 50%, but it locks itself into whichever move it selects first for as long as it’s on the field. Choice Band would allow Pokemon like Dragonite and Garchomp to deal massive damage for a fair drawback, making a big splash in the metagame.
• Choice Specs: This item works exactly like Choice Band and Choice Scarf, but it boosts the holder’s Special Attack. Notably, Choice Specs could make Trick Room teams in Pokemon Champions much more powerful because it could give Torkoal a huge damage boost.
• Life Orb: This item allows the user to deal 30% more damage with all of its moves, but take 10% of its HP as damage whenever an attack is used. Life Orb is a VGC staple and extremely strong, as virtually any Pokemon can use it to boost its damage by huge amounts.

These are just examples, again, but even if the game only added a couple of these items, it would force the meta to evolve around them. What follows is that no matter what exactly Pokemon Champions adds on June 17, the game will undergo a massive change, and this will have an impact on which Pokemon are worth using and which ones counter them. It’s a long way before Pokemon Champions will support all Pokemon and items, but Regulation M-B is another step in that direction.