Summary
Pokemon Legends: Arceusis an incredibly unique entry in the franchise, as it’s the first game in the series that’s a prequel. Taking place in the Sinnoh region of old, Hisui, its old-fashioned motifs brought along tons of new Pokemon and variants of existing ones that also made their way intoPokemon Scarlet and Violet.Hisuian forms of Lilligant, Goodra, and Arcanine have already made a huge impact competitively since they became legal in Regulation D. There’s a variant of an iconic starter Pokemon that has not lived up to its expectations, however.
Typhlosion, the Fire-type starter Pokemon fromGold and Silver,has never been viable in competitive play due to its mediocre offensive and defensive capabilities. InLegends: Arceus,Typhlosion received a Hisuian variant with a secondary Ghost-typing and reworked stats. Its base Special Attack jumped from 109 to 119 at the cost of five base Speed points, and it got a new signature move in Infernal Parade. Furthermore, it kept Eruption from its original moveset, a Fire-type attack with 150 base power that hits both opponents. The starter Pokemon was looking a lot more competitively viable than ever. Yet, it has seen almost no use inPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Hisuian Typhlosion’s Ability Does It No Favors
Like the Typhlosion from Johto, its Hisuian counterpart has an Ability that is far too circumstantial. The Fire and Ghost-type from Hisui has Frisk as its Hidden Ability, which reveals both opponents’ held items upon entering the field. This can be game-changing in a closed team-sheet format,such as theScarlet and Violetonline ranked ladder. Oftentimes, a Pokemon’s held item can reveal a lot about the kind of sets that are being utilized. For example, if Typhlosion were to Frisk a pair of Choice Specs on an opposing Flutter Mane, its trainer would know that it will be locked to the first move it uses.
This ability is essentially useless inPokemon’s official video game tournaments, however. VGC tournaments all utilize an open team-sheet format, which allows competitors to see each other’s moves, Tera Types, abilities, and Held Items. In previous formats, this Ability would be quite valuable, but it falls short inScarlet and Violet.
Who Hisuian Typhlosion Struggles Against In The Current Meta
While a Fire and Ghost dual-typing is a really powerful offensive combination, it’s defensively lacking. Some of the most powerful threats in the current meta are Ghost, Water, and Dark types.
The Ghost and Fairy-type Paradox Pokemon, Flutter Mane
Flutter Mane, the Special Attacking Ghost and Fairy-typemakes Hisuian Typhlosion’s life extremely difficult. For starters, it outspeeds the Fire-type by a whopping 40 base points, meaning it can knock it out with Shadow Ball before Typhlosion even makes a move. Furthermore, Flutter Mane has a base Special Defense stat of 135, meaning it can easily survive an Eruption.
The Ghost and Ice-type Legendary Pokemon, Chien-Pao
In theory, Typhlosion’s Fire-typing should give it an advantage against the Treasure of Ruin. In practice, however, Chien-Pao is a hard counter to the Hisuian variant. Sucker Punch is a Dark-type physical move that always goes first if the opponent selects an attacking move, which makes Typhlosion almost immobile against Chien-Pao even if it’s running the Choice Scarf item.
The Water and Fighting-type Legendary Pokemon, Rapid-Strike Urshifu
Hisuian Typhlosion struggles againstRapid-Strike Urshifu, another staple ofScarlet and Violet. Urshifu’s priority move, Aqua Jet, is enough to make the Fire-type’s life difficult. Furthermore, even if Typhlosion runs a Focus Sash, Urshifu’s signature move Surging Strikes hits three times, which would render the item useless.
How Hisuian Typhlosion Could Be Improved
Hisuian Typhlosion has a lot of tools that could make it viable, yet it’s simply in a rough place in the current meta. There are a few ways developer Game Freak could buff it to make it more viable competitively.
The first update thePokemon needs is a new ability. Drought, the ability that summons harsh sunlight upon switching in, would be perfect for Typhlosion. The Gen 3 Pokemon Torkoal uses Drought to place immense offensive pressure under Trick Room, which reverses Speed stats for five turns. Typhlosion could fulfill this role in a speedy Tailwind team with Tornadus or Whimsicott. Furthermore, Hisuian Typhlosion’s base attack stat is 84, which is quite high for a Pokemon that rarely uses Physical moves. If 10 base stat points were moved from its Attack to its Special Attack or Speed, it could better function as a sweeper.
The Ideal Hisuian Typhlosion Set In Regulation F
To use Hisuian Typhlosion successfully, trainers will need to utilize specific sets and partner Pokemon.
Choice Scarf is theperfect item for Hisuian Typhlosion, as it allows it to outspeed almost every other unboosted Pokemon in the format. Eruption, Heat Wave, Infernal Parade, and Shadow Ball are all optimal STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) attacks for it, as they deal massive damage with Typhlosion’s respectable 119 base Special Attack. A Fire Tera-Type ensures that Eruption deals as much damage as it possibly can.
The best partner Pokemon for Hisuian Typhlosion are Farigiraf and Torkoal. Farigiraf’s ability, Armor Tail, protects itself and its teammates from priority attacks such as Sucker Punch and Aqua Jet. Torkoal’s ability, Drought, sets up the harsh sunlight to maximize Typhlosion’s Fire-type attacks.
