When it comes to competitivePokemonbattling, not every pocket monster is created equally. Some have notably higher stats, more powerful abilities, and overall better movepools to work with. To keep things organized, the competitive Pokemon community has devised an agreed-upon tier system.
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The cream of the crop, including legendary Pokemon, usually ends up in either Uber or OverUsed tier, while less desirable combatants are designated to NeverUsed or the dreaded PU tier. Pokemon that fall short of being the very best or absolute worst are likely to end up in RarelyUsed, a middle-ground tier where more unique tactics and team compositions come into play.
10Bellibolt: Bulky Battery
Ranking high among the best Pokemon for RarelyUsed tier, Bellibolt is apure Electric typethat was introduced inPokemon Scarlet & Violetand quickly became a fan-favorite due to its cute and rotund design. Of course, there’s more to this shocking amphibian than meets the eye.
Along with decent Special Attack, Bellibolt’s HP is relatively high compared to other Electric types, affording it a bit more bulk with the proper EV investments, primarily HP and Defense. Its competitive viability is further bolstered by Electromorphosis, an ability that charges up Bellibolt’s next Electric attack after taking damage.
9Arboliva: Grassy Stall
Another Pokemon featured prominently in Scarlet & Violet is Arboliva, a dualGrass/Normal-typeresembling a small olive tree. While painfully slow, this Pokemon offers decent Defense and Special Defense stats as well as an impressive 125 base Special Attack.
This allows it to serve as either a defensive stall leveraging moves like Leech Seed, Strength Sap, and Substitute, or an all-out special attacker equipped with Choice Specs-boosted attacks like Leaf Storm, Earth Power, and Hyper Voice.
Either approach pairs nicely with Seed Sower, Arboliva’s signature ability that triggers Grassy Terrain whenever it’s hit by an attack.
8Tatsugiri: Tiny Trouble
While it may not be as powerful without Dondozo by its side, Tatsugiri is able to navigate the RarelyUsed tier with ease thanks to its 120 base Special Attack and uniqueDragon/Water typing.
With that said, it still needs a considerable investment in Special Attack and Speed EVs as well as a few turns to set up. This is where Nasty Plot comes into play, allowing Tatsugiri to raise its Special Attack even higher and potentially sweep with moves like Draco Meteor and Surf.
You’ll find it also works well as a Rapid Spinner with Heavy-Duty Boots as its held item.
7Grafaiai: Toxic Trickster
Despite having one of the moreinteresting Pokemon typings, Grafaiai is somewhat limited by its less-than-stellar stat spread and movepool. However, on the right team, this Poison/Normal type can prove useful as either an offensive pivot or stall.
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This is due to its two main abilities: Poison Touch, which applies a 30 percent chance of poisoning targets by making direct contact, and Prankster, in which Grafaiai’s status moves go first regardless of speed. Either playstyle is complemented by disrupting moves like Knock Off, Parting Shot, and Encore.
6Revavroom: Adaptive Engine
Revavroom is another Poison-type that ended up in RarelyUsed tier soon after debuting in Scarlet & Violet. Armed with a 119 base Attack, decent Defense/Speed, and a fairly wide movepool, it has the ability to fulfill several different roles on any RU team.
This includes a specially defensive tank, physical Choice Scarf-user, or potential sweeper by leveraging Shift Gear to raise its Speed and Attack in a single turn. Although its Steel/Poison-typing suffers when facing Ground-types, Revavroom’s Filter ability chips in to help mitigate damage taken from super-effective attacks.
5Cetitan: Snowy Sweeper
One of the biggest changes to Pokemon’s battle mechanics with Scarlet & Violet is Hail being replaced by Snow, a new weather condition that no longer deals damage each turn, but instead provides a 50 percent Defense bonus to all Ice-type Pokemon on the battlefield.
Among these is Cetitan, a pure Ice-type that feels specifically designed to benefit from Snow’s effects. Boasting spectacular HP and Attack stats, this Pokemon becomes an absolute monster once its ability Slush Rush is activated, doubling its speed while Snow is active.
4Weavile: Icy Glass Cannon
Throughout the years, Weavile’s positioning in the competitive scene has constantly been in flux as it’s gone from OU to UU, Uber back down to OU, and most dramatically, down to RU as of Gen IX. This is nothing new for Pokemon like Weavile, which face certain limitations in regard to typing and movepool.
Having said that, it can be a potent glass cannon attacker in RarelyUsed tier, where the competition is not as stiff. By combining Weavile’s fantastic Attack and Speed stats with either Swords Dance or an equipped Choice Band, you can easily turn stab moves like Icicle Crash and Night Slash into one-hit KOs.
3Sylveon: Pixel Power
Sylveon is another Pokemon that’s switched tiers several times since being introduced in Pokemon X & Y. At the RarelyUsed level, it’s able to position itself as a defensive special attacker with a playstyle similar to that of Vaporeon, another popular Eeveelution.
Related:Pokemon: Every Eeveelution, Ranked
However, what sets Sylveon apart is its Pixilate ability, which converts Normal-type moves into Fairy while multiplying their power by 1.2x. This allows Sylveon to get a lot of value from moves like Hyper Voice while filling out the rest of its set with a mix of Special Attacks for additional coverage, or running Wish, Protect, and Calm Mind.
2Blissey: Hard-Boiled Bulk
While some may prefer Eviolite Chansey, having to sacrifice a held item for extra defense is not always the ideal choice. This is where Blissey comes into play, as a final evolution that offers much higher HP, Special Attack, and Special Defense stats.
When it comes to playstyle, Blissey functions largely the same as its pre-evolution, focusing on defensive maneuvering, setting up entry hazards like Stealth Rocks, and spreading Paralysis throughout the enemy team with Thunder Wave.
Seismic Toss and Soft-Boiled round out her set with items like Heavy-Duty Boots and Leftovers ensuring she stays alive for as long as possible.
1Arcanine: Underrated Utility
What better Pokemon to conclude this list than Arcanine, a belovedFire-type caninewho once thrived in OU before dropping to UU, then NU, and now RarelyUsed tier. Such is the plight of a pure Fire-type that doesn’t really have any unique gimmicks or abilities going for it.
With this in mind, Arcanine still makes for a great utility Pokemon with all-around great stats, particularly Attack and Speed, allowing it to one-hit KO opponents with a well-timed Flare Blitz. Furthermore, Gen IX has provided Arcanine with a new survival tool in the form ofWater-type Terastallizationto combat hard counters.
