ThePokemonfranchise has always been marketed toward the younger gaming audience, meaning the game series aren’t meant to be overly complicated. But, in reality, the main bulk of the community are older gamers that enjoy catching and battling Pokemon. Of course, most of thesePokemonfans want to spice up the difficulty bycreating self-imposed challenges.
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Scarlet & Violetis the perfect Pokemon game to try out these challenges. So, whether players are looking to complete a challenge or simply want to breeze through the game, they’ll want to have the right Pokemon on their team. Furthermore, some of these must-have Pokemon are quite easy to obtain inPokemon Scarlet & Violet, meaning building the right team has never been easier.
Of course, not all of these monsters listed will be able to fit one’s team at once, but it’s a good idea to have the unused Pokemon on standby to swap out at a moment’s notice.
Updated June 17, 2025 by Stephen LaGioia:Pokemon Violet & Scarlet has continued to draw players, spurred in part byperformance-smoothing patches and updates. The anticipated DLC TheTeal Maskhas also restored some hype.
The RPG’s deep, open-world gameplay makes it hard to put down, even after several months and despite some spotty gameplay. And with such a vast lineup of diverse Pokemon, with a handful of new ones coming, it’s time to revisit this list of can’t-miss Pokemon for one’s team.
10Walking Wake
Released in early 2023, Walking Wake has fast becomea major draw for Waterand Dragon-type aficionados. It boasts a very highSpecial Attack of 125,setting the stage for some devastating special moves that can wipe out foes quickly. It can also maintain the upper hand in battle with a potentSpeedability coupled withNoble Roar; an Attack-lowering move that can wear down opponents.
Thus far, this Pokemon has only been available through timed events, where players can join the Poke Portal to partake in a Walking Wake Raid. Both types are well represented with moves likeOutrage and Hydro Pump,which are both hugely powerful.
9Iron Leaves
This glamorous new addition toScarlet & Violetbears the unique Grass-Psychic-type, covering ample ground in terms of elemental strengths. Iron Leaves bears a number of moves whose power crosses triple digits, includingClose Combat, Megahorn, and Solar Blade.It’s also capable of learninga vast list of great TMs. This surge in power can further be boosted bySwords Dance.
Three of its base stats also surpass three digits, with the highlight being its whopping130 Attack.Iron Leaves was recently available through a Raid event, and many fans are hoping it makes an emphatic return soon.
8Gholdengo
Sporting the awesome, tough-to-break Steel-Ghost hybrid, Gholdengo is simply a tough matchup for most other Pokemon in one way or another. It can withstand many attacks fairly well while counterpunching with a massive133 Special Attack.
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Gholdengo learns a few offensive moves, though most of them are quite strong, especiallyMake It Rain.Various moves allow gamers to buff and debuff during the match, shifting things in their favor efficiently. Players will need to undergo the tough task of gathering999 Gimmighoul coins,but it’s well worth the investment.
7Flutter Mane
Flutter Mane is a uniquely effective Ghost-Fairy-type, whose power is amplified even further with theTimid Nature.This elusive monster can utterly dominate the pace of a battle, overwhelming foes with itssuper-fast Speed of 135.
It also thrives in the area of Specials, with Special Attack and Special Defense both being135as well. It can simply pummel targets with the usefulPhantom Force or Moonblast.Players will just need to look out for its low HP, but given its strength in so many other areas, this likely won’t matter. Flutter Mane can be seen floating about in thecaverns of Area Zero.
6Iron Bundle (Paradox Delibird)
Paradox(potent antagonists traced to the far past or future) DelibirdA.K.A Iron Bundleis aPokemon Violetexclusive that players should consider adding to their team. While Iron Bundle isn’t a Pokemon that will OHKO (One Hit Knockout) Pokemon, it does serve a unique purpose: quicklydecreasing a Pokemon’s HP.And that’s because Paradox Delibird’sBase Speed is 136,making it one of the fastest Pokemon inPokemon Violet.
But, players can further exploit that Base Speed with Iron Bundle’s Secret Ability"Quark Drive.“This Secret Ability boosts Paradox Delibird’s most powerful stat (in this case Speed) while being on an Electric Terrain or holding Booster Energy. This massive Speed boost can be particularly effective whileattempting the Nuzlocke Challenge, as it’ll allow players to strike more often.
Players can find this rare monsterwithin Area Zero inside the Great Crater.
5Goodra
Goodra is often dubbed aPseudo-LegendaryPokemon because ofits Dragon monotypeand S-Tier Moves, like Draco Meteor and Outrage. So, it’s no surprise that Goodra is a must-have Pokemon inPokemon Scarlet & Violet. But, the main strength of Goodra comes from its abilities, mostlyHydration and Gooey.
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If a player’s Goodra has the Hydration ability, it’llcure itself of any status conditions during rain,which can be forced by using Rain Dance (TM18). While Gooey (Hidden ability) lowers the attacker’s Speed stat every time Goodra comes in contact with them. And the best part is that Goomy (the first evolution of Goodra)can be caught earlyin aPokemon Violet & Scarletplaythrough.
4Dondozo
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetarechock-full of powerful Water-type Pokemon, and among them is the False Dragon Dondozo. What makes Dondozo a remarkable (and must-have) Pokemon is itssky-high Base Defense stat, 115.So, players considering adding Dondozo to their team must keep in mind that it’s more of a swimming tank than OHKO Pokemon. Players can push Dondozo’s Defense further by changing its Nature toRelaxedsince it increases Defense by ten percent.
But, Dondozo has another unique trick up its sleeve which is the ability to combine itself with theTatsugiri,the Pokemon of many Shiny forms. Once combined, Dondozo gains +2 Overall Stats and a specific stat boost, depending on Tatsugiri (Curly - Defense, Droopy - Attack, and Stretchy - Speed). This monster can be found roamingCasseroya Lake.
3Wo-Chien
Wo-Chien isone of the many Legendary Pokemon players can catch by activating Stakesscattered around Paldea. And while Wo-Chien is a Legendary Pokemon, it’s not its Legendary status that makes it a must-have Pokemon on any team, but rather its abilities.Tablets of Ruinis a rare Hidden ability Wo-Chien can have when caught, and this abilitysignificantly lowers the attackof all Pokemon.
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Additionally, Wo-Chien is50 percent Resistant to Ghost-, Dark-, Ground-, Water-, Grass-, and Electric-type moves.Even though Wo-Chien is a dual-type Pokemon (Dark- and Grass-type), players should focus on teaching itGrass-type moves, likeLeaf Storm or Solar Beam.As for Nature, the best one isSassysince it boostsSpecial Defense by ten percent.
Wo-Chien is lurkingbehind thePurple Shrine in South Province (Area One).
2Roaring Moon (Paradox Salamence)
Yet another Paradox Pokemon that deserves a spot on any Pokemon team is Roaring Moon, the Paradox version of the Pseudo-Legendary Salamence. One reason it’s a must-have Pokemon is its Hidden ability “Protosynthesis,” which isamong the best abilities inPokemon Scarlet & Violet.Protosynthesisboosts a Pokemon’s strongest stat in harsh sunlight or while holdingBooster Energy.
And since Paradox Salamence has a naturallyhigh base Attack stat,players can further boost it thanks to Protosynthesis. On top of that, if Roaring Moon has Adamant Nature, it’llboost its Attack by ten percent,essentially becoming an OHKO Pokemon. Unfortunately,Roaring Moon is exclusive toPokemon Scarlet, so players that want to add this behemoth of the skies will have to find someone willing to trade for it.
Players can find this rare monster withinArea Zero inside a large cavein the area. It’ll make an appearance only after beating the final boss.
1Arcanine
Pokemon Scarlet and Violethave several decent options when it comes toGeneration 9 Fire-type Pokemon, but most pale in comparison with the OG fire dog, Arcanine. And that’s because this Generation 1 Pokemon has lots to bring to the Pokemon battle scene, from pure Attack to potent Fire-type moves. For starters, Arcanine has aBase Attack of 110(which can be increased with the Lonely Nature) while itsBase Special Attack is 100.
As for Moves, Arcanine can learnOverheat, which is undoubtedly the strongest Fire-type move inPokemon Scarlet and Violet.The best part is that Growlithe is a Very Common Pokemon to find inScarlet & Violet, so players can add this must-have Pokemon fairly early in the playthrough. But, players will need to ensure they have aFire Stonesince Growlithe can only evolve by means of it.
