Summary
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetintroduced over a hundred new pocket monsters, with a lot of them being not only competitively viable, but also some of the best players have ever seen - from the likes of Gholdengo and Chien-Pao to Dondozo and Tatsugiri.The Indigo Disk’s difficultyand focus on double battles were a nice change of pace compared to the usual single-battle habits of the series, and it was a good showcase of some strategies players have been using themselves for years, this time in the hands of NPCs. With so many good creatures in Gen 9, it may seem strange that two returning Flying-type Pokemon dominated the format in its early stages all the way through Regulation F - and yet, a Gen 2 and a Gen 3 Pokemon did it.
There is no shortage of powerful returning Pokemon inScarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk, including some of the past starters, such as the competitive bane that is Incineroar, and the current format can feel a bit like a wild card given how many strong cores there are. From Sun teams with Walking Wake and Torkoal to even Electric Terrain combos with Pincurchin and future Paradox Pokemon and Raging Bolt, players have plenty to choose from. Still, among the verybest Pokemon inPokemon Scarlet and Violetremain both Murkrow and Pelipper.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Players Shouldn’t Sleep on Murkrow and Pelipper
How Murkrow Became One of the Best Scarlet and Violet Pokemon
Back when VGC tournaments for Gen 9 started, Murkrow was one of thetop 5 Pokemon inScarlet and Violetfor a very specific reason: Prankster Tailwind. In the original roster of the Paldea Pokedex, there were not many Pokemon capable of reliably going for fast Tailwind, a strategy that commonly makes it into double battles due to the Speed boost it gives to all allied critters, and Prankster allows status moves to have increased priority, thus making Murkrow a menace.
Yet, Murkrow is still finding usage now that many powerhouses have made it intoPokemon Scarlet and Violet, and the reason is that it can still use Prankster to set up Tailwind while being immune to Taunt thanks to its Dark-type and also use other status moves, like Haze and Quash. The first is one of the few big Dondozo counters, and with the huge catfish seeing a rise in usage it only makes sense to run Haze on a team. Furthermore, Murkrow can still deal a decent chunk of damage with moves like Brave Bird or Foul Play, making it an interesting pick overall.
Why Pelipper is a Competitive Threat in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
In a similar position is Pelipper, one of the only twoPokemon with Drizzle in Gen 9, the other being Politoed added with The Teal Mask. Pelipper has access to great moves that are hard counters to common strategies in competitive Pokemon, such as Wide Guard for moves like Flutter Mane’s Dazzling Gleam or Terrakion’s Rock Slide, and it can also dish out incredible damage with tools like Hurricane - getting 100% accuracy in the Rain. Outside of what Pelipper can do for itself, it’s an enabler, and it works incredibly well with some of the best Pokemon in The Indigo Disk.
Being a great partner for Urshifu Rapid-Strike or evenThe Indigo Disk’s Archaludon, pairing well with other competitive threats like Landorus and Amoonguss, Pelipper remains a very powerful addition to most teams. More importantly, like Murkrow, even when its main job is done, it’s not a sitting bird - instead, it can deal impressive damage, tank hits, or provide further utility to the team. Both of these creatures will most likely still see play asPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s VGC competitions go on, and they might have a bright future in Gen 10.
