Summary
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetplayers are in for a treat in the coming months thanks to the release of two DLCs, with The Teal Mask coming as early as September 13, and The Indigo Disk being scheduled for sometime this winter. AlthoughPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Mew and Mewtwo eventis finally shaking up the otherwise stale endgame of grinding Tera raid bosses over and over, the hope is that at least one DLC will introduce a meaningful endgame grind to obtain either unique critters or useful items. Luckily, the latest Pokemon Presents confirmed a few details for the expansions and their content, and it’s apparent that The Teal Mask will include one critter capable of completely shattering the current meta in competitive battles.
While it’s likely that most of the creatures introduced with the DLC expansions will be good, especially ifPokemon Sword and Shield’s Island of Armor and Crown Tundra are anything to go by, little is known about most of them. The new Paradox Pokemon Raging Bolt and Iron Crown were teased in the trailer, but players are still in the dark about their battle capabilities, whereas critters like thenewPokemon Scarlet and VioletDuraludon evolution, Archaludon, already have their kit revealed.
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Why Dipplin Could Reshape Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Competitive Meta
Perhaps coming as a surprise for many,The Teal Mask DLC for Gen 9will have a new evolution for Applin, a critter introduced inPokemon Sword and Shield. This caramel apple-like monster is called Dipplin, and while it may not look like much compared to some of the more popular Pokemon in the series, this Grass/Dragon creature is shaping up to be one of the very best added with Gen 9 games.Pokemon Scarlet and Violetadded plenty of broken pocket monsters, with the likes of Flutter Mane and Iron Hands dominating the current competitive meta due to their incredible stats and coverage.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Dipplinis not one of those Pokemon that one can expect to have incredible stats, but the official website for Gen 9 games shares details about its signature move and Ability, and both look incredibly strong for different reasons. For starters, Dipplin’s signature move, called Syrup Bomb, is described as decreasing the Speed of its target at the end of the turn for three consecutive turns. This is particularly powerful because Speed control can often make all the difference when it comes to competitive matches, and Syrup Bomb targets will either have to stay in not to lose momentum (at the cost of their Speed) or swap out to prevent their stat from dropping.
On top of that, Dipplin’s Ability is what truly makes this little Pokemon a menace. Called Supersweet Syrup, Dipplin will lower the opponent’s evasion whenever it enters the battlefield, which will also apply to double battles inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, working on both of the opposing monsters. Lowering evasion can be extremely rewarding for aptly built teams, as there are some Pokemon moves that will hit the 100% chance-to-hit threshold or be very close to it.
Likewise, there are very powerful moves whose base accuracy is quite low to compensate for their raw damage potential - or even the ability to KO a Pokemon on the spot, with moves like Fissure and Sheer Cold. A great partner for Dipplin could be a Pokemon that’s no stranger to the competitive format, and that’s Groudon. With moves like Precipice Blades and Stone Edge, whose accuracy is normally on the lower end, a Pokemon like Groudon can immensely benefit from Dipplin’s Ability. Overall, if Dipplin comes with good base stats or more good supporting moves, it could very well reshapePokemon Scarlet and Violet’s competitive meta.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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