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Some gimmicks don't work well, but Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Tatsugiri and Dondozo are prime examples of something that excels beyond expectations. These two Water-types have dominated VGC tournaments in a way that other double-battle gimmicks like the Abilities Plus and Minus never have.
For reference, a team using these two Pocket Monsters won the 2023 Liverpool Regional Championship and got second place in the earlier 2023 San Diego Regional Championship. Not only that, but they've been seen regularly in the competitive scene since their debut.
Here is why Tatsugiri and Dondozo are so good in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
The above video shows much of the 2023 Liverpool Regional Championship, where the winning team used:
- Pawmot
- Murkrow
- Gholdengo
- Dondozo
- Dragonite
- Tatsugiri
All six have seen regular competitive success at the start of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's VGC metagame. The interesting ones to analyze are the two almost always seen together: Tatsugiri and Dondozo.
Why are Tatsugiri and Dondozo so successful?
First off, it's worth looking at what Tatsugiri offers in this duo in the current Pokemon Scarlet and Violet metagame:
- Commander: An ability that only works with Dondozo, giving it +2 in Attack, Defense, Sp. Attack, Sp. Def, and Speed.
- Forms: Curly, Droppy, and Stretchy all have different effects when their ally uses Order Up.
- Good movepool: Muddy Water and Icy Wind are solid moves in double battles.
- Typing: Dragon/Water only has two notable weaknesses apart from the rarely seen Freeze Dry.
The most important attribute listed above is Commander since Dondozo has great stats, making the user an elusive target. An omni-boost by two stages to everything but Accuracy and Evasion is incredibly valuable for something that can happen instantly.
Here is what Dondozo offers in this duo:
- Commander only works with it: No other Pokemon gets the +2 boost to most stats.
- Order Up: A signature move that can buff the user's Attack, Defense, or Speed based on Tatsugiri's form.
- Immense bulk: 150 Base HP and 115 Base Defense is phenomenal, especially with a +2 to its Defense.
- Solid Attack: 100 Base Attack is good when you're guaranteed a +2 boost.
These two Water-types were used in 10/32 and 5/32 top teams in the 2023 Liverpool and San Diego Regionals, respectively. They might have a predictable gimmick, but it's one with excellent results thus far.
There are also a few variations of what one can do with these two Water-types in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. For example, Tatsugiri has had some success using Soak alongside Pawmot, who would then proceed to use Double Shock while Terastallized into an Electric-type.
These two Water-types will likely continue to dominate the doubles meta
There are other Pocket Monsters with immense success, like Gholdengo, yet a gimmick tailor-made to doubles being this successful can be a bit of a surprise to some.
These two Water-types' placements pre-Pokemon HOME are incredibly good, and there is a good chance that they will continue to do well even after more Pocket Monsters return to the competitive scene.
As far as new gimmicks go, this duo has one that is legitimately viable in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
