Top 4 Pokemon teams used by pros at the first Scarlet and Violet Regional

A screenshot of the final battle of this tournament
A screenshot of the final battle of this tournament (Image via Game Freak)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet held an exciting series of competitive double battles at the San Diego Regional 2023. Many pros entered, but only one could win the whole thing.

The winner of this prestigious tournament was Jiseok Lee. His team and some of the other top-ranking pro's Pocket Monsters might interest curious trainers seeking to become better at battling.

This short listicle will feature all six Pokemon from these teams, along with their abilities, items, Tera Type, and moveset. No IVs or EVs are readily available, but this information should suffice for those interested.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer


Ranking the best four Pokemon Scarlet and Violet teams used by pros at the San Diego Regional

4) Aaron Brok's team

Name

Ability

Item

Tera Type

Move

#1

Move

#2

Move

#3

Move

#4

FarigirafArmor TailSafety GogglesFairyPsychicDazzling GleamTrick RoomHelping Hand
MeowscaradaOvergrowFocus SashGrassProtectFlower TrickKnock OffU-Turn
KinggambitDefiantAssault VestFlyingKowtow CleaveIron HeadSucker PunchBrick Break
DrednawSwift SwimLife OrbGrassProtectLiquidationRock SlideTera Blast
Pelipper
Drizzle
Sitrus BerryGrassHurricaneTailwindWide GuardHydro Pump
HariyamaGutsFlame OrbSteelClose CombatFake OutKnock OffBullet Punch

This Pokemon Scarlet and Violet team was the highest-ranked roster not to use Gholdengo in any capacity. Keep in mind that Gholdengo appeared in more than half of the top 32 teams, which is a testament to the Ghost/Steel-type creature's immense competitive success.

Much of Aaron Brok's team is pretty self-explanatory. For example, Drednaw would synergize with Pelipper. Meowscarada and Kingambit would also appreciate Fire-type moves being weaker, thanks to rain being set up.

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Hairyama was a rarely seen choice in this Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Regional, but Aaron Brok's success with the team proves that it has some good competitive viability.

Much of the top-ranked pros and their strategies can be seen in the above video, which features the 2023 San Diego Regional.


3) Jeudy Azzarelli's team

The next Pokemon Scarlet and Violet team to discuss is that of Jeudy Azzarelli, who was ranked third in this San Diego Regional.

This pro took advantage of Pelipper's Drizzle ability, as everything on his team benefits from rain. Examples include:

  • Salamence's Hurricane becomes 100% accurate
  • Palafin's Water STAB becomes even more devastating
  • Amoonguss, Kinggambit, and Gholdengo's Fire weakness being less exploitable
  • Pelipper's 100% accurate Hurricanes and boosted Water STAB

This whole team is pretty competitively sound at first glance and shouldn't need much explanation. The main thing worth noting here is that Gholdengo's moveset is identical to the next person's Gholdengo's. However, their items are different.


2) Chuppa Cross' team

Name

Ability

Item

Tera Type

Move

#1

Move

#2

Move

#3

Move

#4

Tatsugiri-StretchyCommanderChoice ScarfWaterMuddy WaterDraco MeteorSoakIcy Wind
DondozoUnawareChesto BerryDragonWave CrashOrder UpEarthquakeRest
PawmotNature CureFocus SashElectricDouble ShockClose CombatRevival BlessingFake Out
MeowscaradaProteanChoice BandGrassFlower TrickKnock OffU-TurnSucker Punch
ArcanineIntimidateAssault VestFairyFlare BlitzExtreme SpeedSnarlPlay Rough
GholdengoGood as GoldLife OrbSteelMake It RainShadow BallNasty PlotProtect

Chuppa Cross held second place in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet San Diego Regional. The table that players see above is all of his Pocket Monsters and important details pertaining to them.

Tatsugiri has an ability known as Commander, which only works alongside Dodonzo. Securing second place with this team proves this gimmick is viable in a doubles metagame. For reference, the next highest-ranked person who used these two Pocket Monsters together was Wolfe Glick, who was 11th.

Second place is Pawmot's highest ranking. This Electric/Fighting-type has Revival Blessing, a move that revives one teammate. Otherwise, the rest of this team is pretty self-explanatory.


1) Jiseok Lee's team

An image of his team (Image via Victory Road VGC)
An image of his team (Image via Victory Road VGC)

The first place that won $3,000 was Jiseok Lee. Many common staples in the metagame, such as Gholdengo, Garganacl, and Meowscarada, were present on this team. Baxcalibur, Mimukyu, and Tauros-Paldea-Water also had good representation in this tournament.

The winner of the San Diego Regional even posted a tweet about their victory, which is shown above. He defeated Chuppa Cross in the finals 2-1 with his Baxcalibur, Tauros-Paldea-Water, and Meowscarada still being up.

The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet metagame is still in its infancy, but trainers should now have a clear idea of who the best Pocket Monsters are in the current competitive scene.

Different regionals are expected to hold different results. Pros in this scene will adapt to the shifts in the current metagame when that happens.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
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