The Indigo Disk DLC forPokemon Scarlet and Violetre-introduced several Pokemon back into the series. Some of these Pokemon have not appeared since Pokemon Sun and Moon. With this new appearance comes a chance for some updates, as Generation 9 introduced a new set of moves and the terastallize mechanic to take advantage of.
Pokemon that once performed poorly in battle or lacked move options to take advantage of their stat spread now have the opportunity to make a better impression. So, let us explore what the Blueberry Academy and this update offer these returning veteran Pokemon and see which ones gained the most.
6Weavile
How Weavile Fell, Then Rose Again
In past games, Weavile used powerful moves such as Knock Off and Triple Axel to slice through the competition, as it relied on its high physical attack and speed to check powerful threats. These moves were taken away from Weavile going into Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, causing a massive loss in power for the Pokemon, but The Indigo Disk DLC corrected this by allowing Weavile to learn these moves again.
While Triple Axel could be inaccurate, it outclasses other physical Ice-type options such as Ice Spinner or Ice Punch. Knock Off, on the other hand, relies on an effect that helps to remove crucial Held Items from opponent Pokemon, so being able to learn both moves again helps this Pokemon immensely.
5Cinccino
How Cinccino Found Strength
Cinccino has typically performed better in double battles since its debut in Pokemon Black & White, as it rarely found success on its own in competitive play, often playing as a support to a more powerful partner. Thankfully, the new additions it has received in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have given Cinccino a much-needed power boost with the move Tidy Up, an attack that boosts the Attack and Speed of the user by one stage, allowing Cinccino to take advantage of its high base speed and, with one Tidy Up, go on the offensive.
The improvements don’t stop there, though, as the Indigo Disk also gave Cinccino access to the Loaded Dice, an item that ensures multi-hit moves will deal the maximum amount of damage and allows Cinccino to take advantage of moves such as Tail Slap, Rock Blast, and Bullet Seed. Rather than having the ability Skill Link, which does the same thing as the Loaded Dice, Cinccino can have Technician, an ability that boosts the power of weaker moves, such as Tail Slap, synergizing with Cinccino perfectly.
4Electivire
Giving Electivire A Recharge
Electivire is a Pokemon that has struggled in the past, primarily due to its poor speed and lack of physical attacking options, as physical Electric-types generally stumble due to Wild Charge being their only option. However, it has received some new tools from the Indigo Disk that will hopefully change that.
Electivire now has access to Supercell Slam, a 100-power physical attack that gives it the massive electric damage it lacked with moves like Thunder Punch. Accompanying that move also comes Trailblaze, which grants Electivire a strong option against Ground-types while increasing its subpar speed, and Bulk Up, allowing for a boost to attack and defense.
3Serperior
The Many Skins Of Serperior
Of all the Unova starter Pokemon, Serperior has always performed the best, asits hidden ability Contrarymade it a massive threat, and the Tera mechanic in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet has only made the Pokemon stronger. Since Terastallization allows a Pokemon to change their type mid-battle, Serperior has taken full advantage of this.
Before the Indigo Disk, Serperior struggled with coverage options and had to rely on Hidden Power, but now, it has a reliable coverage option with Tera Blast. From Tera Fire for Ice or Steel threats to Tera Ground for Fire and Poison, Serperior has everything it needs to dominate.
2Bastiodon
Polishing Bastiodon
Bastiodon is a Pokemon that has struggled in past games due to a lack of offensive options, which wouldn’t be a problem since it was built to be a wall with high defenses, but its poor defensive typing hinders its overall performance. Pokemon Scarlet & Violet gave Bastiodon some new tools to play with, and Bastiodon gained one of the best moves it possibly could.
Body Press is an attack that uses your defense stat to calculate the damage rather than your attack and gives Bastiodon a solid offensive choice that can grow stronger with Iron Defense. Bastiodon’s defenses are better now, too, with the option to Terastallize and lose its old Rock and Steel typing for something else is a benefit, as Bastiodon is no longer a tank with two 4x weaknesses.
1Metagross
New Moves For Metagross
Despite its status as a Pseudo Legendary Pokemon, Metagross has fallen short in the past, failing to live up to the high standards of other Steel-type Pokemon. However, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet sought to fix this with several buffs, and Metagross received a variety of new moves to work with, such as Hard Press a Steel-type attack that does damage based on the target’s remaining HP.
Psychic Fangs replace Zen Headbutt as Metagross' psychic offense since this attack is not only more powerful but also more accurate and can destroy screens. Last, Metagross has also received a new coverage move with Trailblaze, and even though it isn’t as strong as Ice Punch, it does increase the user’s speed upon use, making up for Metagross’s poor speed stat.
