Say Goodbye to 5 of the Best Pokemon Ever in Pokemon Champions

With the recent update to Pokemon Home connecting Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Pokemon Champions, alongside the confirmation that Gen 9 games will no longer receive updates to online support for Ranked Battles, the new competitive era for the series is just starting. As~~~~much as this could be amazing news for VGC fans due to the vast support that Pokemon Champions is supposedly getting, considering that the Omni Ring is made to host all battle gimmicks from past and present games, there are some limitations. For example, Pokemon Champions‘ VP system is already being called predatory by fans because virtually any action in the game that is not battling will cost you VPs. More importantly, Pokemon Champions is a work in progress.

If you’re expecting Pokemon Champions to have everything from the get-go, it’s very clear that this will take time. The Omni Ring only features Mega Evolution for the time being, and not all battle-legal Pokemon will be immediately accessible. It’s unclear what the cadence for future updates and roster additions will be, as it’s unclear if the goal is to eventually add all Pokemon and gimmicks ever. However, a recent official statement makes it clear that five of the best competitive Pokemon in recent years will not be available on launch, if at all.

The Best Pokemon Champions Team Core is Already Clear

Pokemon Champions is officially releasing in just under 10 days, and the best Pokemon to use are already clear even without the full roster.

Unevolved Pokemon Are Officially Out in Pokemon Champions

While Pikachu is in the game, Pokemon Champions doesn’t have Porygon2, Dusclops, Electabuzz, Magmar, and Clefairy, despite them being consistently used in tournaments and online play. This is because these Pokemon cater to specific needs and niches, and the reason they are competitively viable in the first place, despite not being fully evolved, lies in the existence of Eviolite, or the fact that some of these Pokemon can make the most out of it. Eviolite is an item that boosts the Defense and Special Defense by 50% of any Pokemon holding it that are not fully evolved, meaning that one can increase EVs accordingly and still have powerful offensive or defensive Pokemon.

What’s That Weapon?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

What’s That Weapon?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Pokemon Champions producer Masaaki Hoshino confirmed that not fully evolved Pokemon won’t be available on launch and that there are currently no plans for them in an interview with HypeBeast.

Dusclops as a Reliable Trick Room Setter

With very low Speed and already high bulk, coming in at 130 Defense and Special Defense, Dusclops was always a good Pokemon for Trick Room teams. Since Dusclops can normally evolve into Dusknoir, it is eligible for Eviolite if not fully evolved, which further boosts its incredible defensive stats by another 50%. Since it’s a Ghost-type Pokemon, it’s immune to Fake Out, and with great bulk coming from Eviolite, it’s a fantastic Trick Room setter that won’t be viable in Pokemon Champions.

Electabuzz and Magmar as Powerful Redirection Tools

Another fantastic use for Eviolite is to make Electabuzz and Magmar usable with Follow Me and decent bulk, all while having their own benefits. Electabuzz is faster, which is a huge advantage over Magmar, but it has Static as an ability. This makes Pokemon that make contact with Electabuzz become paralyzed, and that’s still great for Follow Me strategies. Magmar is arguably better at this, though, because it has Flame Body. This ability burns opponents who make direct contact, which not only deals damage at the end of the turn, but also reduces their Attack stat. Both Pokemon have their merits, and where Magmar would probably have been better in Pokemon Champions, Electabuzz in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen has the upper hand — even if it doesn’t have Follow Me.

Clefairy as an OP Pokemon in Double Battles

Clefairy is even better than Electabuzz and Magmar. While it does the same thing and serves the same purpose as them when using Follow Me, Clefairy’s ability is Friend Guard, which reduces the damage dealt to its allies by 25%. This is an incredible tool in double battles, as Follow Me itself forces opponents to attack Clefairy instead of their intended target, and if they used a move that hits both of your Pokemon, the second takes 25% reduced damage thanks to Friend Guard.

Porygon2 as The Best Unevolved Pokemon Ever

Last but not least is Porygon2, which has been used far and wide in competitive Pokemon over the years. Not only does Porygon2 have very good bulk and offensive stats, but it also has an amazing range of moves for coverage. It can be built with low Speed for Trick Room teams in Pokemon games, it can be built as a wall, it can be built as an offensive menace with bulk, and it can even be built as a support. Porygon2 has it all, and it’s typically considered one of the best staples in VGC when paired with Eviolite. Unfortunately, Pokemon Champions cuts it entirely.