A debate as old as time among the Pokemon community centers on which generation of starters is the best in the series. Pokemon Champions may be an unlikely entry to supply fans with a definitive answer, as the competitive battle simulator lacks a single-player component that could give players time to grow and bond with any one generation of starters. However, what Pokemon Champions lacks in single-player content, it makes up for in multiplayer battles, where one generation of starter Pokemon shines above all others.
Although Pokemon Champions is still missing some of the best critters from the past few seasons of Pokemon VGC tournaments, there is still a clear meta evolving around those that are present in the game. While popular team archetypes in Pokemon Champions include Sun teams, Rain teams, and Trick Room teams, there are two mons that appear on the majority of teams in Pokemon Champions‘s Double Battle format. Both Incineroar and Primarina are meta picks for Pokemon Champions, solidifying Gen 7 as having the best starters in the franchise.
Pokemon Champions’ Most Used Pokemon May Be One of the Most Broken Ever (Without Legendaries)
Most of the best teams in Pokemon Champions all use a specific Pokemon, which is so strong that it’s affecting how teams should be built to succeed.
Why Gen 7 Has the Best Starters in All of Pokemon, According to Pokemon Champions
Gen 7’s Pokemon Sun and Moon took players to the Alola Region, removing the traditional Gym Challenge for the first time in the mainline series and introducing Island Trials in its place. Despite this controversial move at the time, the starter trio for Pokemon Sun and Moon, which consisted of Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio, quickly became a fan-favorite for the cute designs of these critters. Now, two generations later, these starters are still a relevant part of the Pokemon franchise, and it’s largely due to their competitive prowess, as demonstrated by Pokemon Champions.
Incineroar is a Meta Staple for Pokemon VGC Players
- Intimidate user
- Access to Fake Out, Parting Shot, and Flare Blitz
- The single most-used Pokemon in Champions
Pokemon fans who have followed the competitive scene in any capacity are likely familiar with just how massive a role Incineroar plays in these battles. Incineroar can be hard to counter, and is considered by competitive players to be the single best non-Legendary Pokemon of all time due to its wide range of utility in battle. Not only can Incineroar use its Intimidate Ability to lower the Attack stats of both opposing mons in the Doubles format when it enters battle, but it can help set up a favorable battlefield for the player with Fake Out to prevent opponents from attacking on turn-one, Parting Shot to give players a free switch-in while further lowering the opponent’s Attack and Special Attack Stats, and still providing great offensive coverage with powerful attacks like Flare Blitz or Darkest Lariat.
Primarina is a Popular Bulky Meta Counter
- Very high Special Attack and Special Defense stats
- Liquid Voice Ability + Hyper Voice deals STAB Water damage to both opponents
- Water/Fairy is a very good typing
Although it’s not quite as widely used by players as Incineroar, Primarina has quickly risen to the top of the Pokemon Champions Double Battles meta as the perfect counter to a lot of other meta threats. Primarina is a fantastic Pokemon defensively, with great bulk from its 116 base Special Defense, and Water/Fairy typing that resists common offensive types like Fighting, Fire, and Dark. Offensively, Primarina can deal powerful blasts of Water STAB damage to both opposing Pokemon via Hyper Voice, which becomes a Water-Type move thanks to the Liquid Voice Ability. As a result, Primarina can quickly dispatch opposing Garchomp, Charizard, and Aerodactyl that would threaten its teammates.
Decidueye is the Odd One Out of the Gen 7 Starters
The only Pokemon of the Gen 7 starter trio that doesn’t fit into the Pokemon Champions meta is Decidueye. While Decidueye isn’t a bad Pokemon, it doesn’t have particularly good stats for competitive battles, and its only real utility is access to Knock Off. However, Hisuian Decidueye offers a somewhat better competitive option to its Alolan counterpart, giving players access to the Triple Arrows move, which increases its Critical Hit Ratio while lowering the target’s defense. This setup gives Hisuian Decidueye the minor niche of being a crit-dealing threat, especially in Trick Room due to its slower Speed stat.
New Questions Added!
GameRant Quiz
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)Permadeath (5s)
Despite Decidueye not making a dent in the Pokemon Champions meta, Incineroar and Primarina’s dominance far outweighs this starter trio’s drawbacks. Since Decidueye is still usable in Pokemon Champions, it’s clear that this generation of starters is incredibly strong overall, and the meta powerhouses of Incineroar and Primarina support the idea that Gen 7 has the best Pokemon starters.
