Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have seen massive success in such a short amount of time, selling an impressive ten million units in just three days on the weekend of release (per Business Wire). This success is due in large part to the exciting new ventures and directions the series has taken for Generation IX, adopting a lot of the mechanics from Pokémon Legends Arceus to create a unique new RPG.
This includes a huge amount of new moves for Pokémon of all kinds to try and flex their battle prowess with, and the game also introduces a wide array of signature moves for brand-new Pokémon to enhance their appeal and make them viable options in a competitive space as well, changing the entire landscape of strategies within Pokémon battles.
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10 Salt Cure
Salt Cure is a brand-new move introduced in Generation IX and acts as a signature move for both Naclstack and Garganacl. Salt Cure may not prove to be much on the surface with only a power of 40, but it’s the long-lasting effects of the move that make it an absolutely worthwhile move that every Naclstack and Garganacl should hold on to.
With 100% accuracy, Salt Cure chips away at the target’s health every turn for a total of 1/8th of its maximum health indefinitely, and if the target is a Water or Steel-type Pokémon, the damage is doubled. This move becomes excruciating long-term for the target, standing up there with the greats like Toxic and Will-O-Wisp.
9 Lumina Crash
Psychic-type Pokémon are well represented in Generation IX, and one of the standouts is Espathra. One of its signature moves is Lumina Crash, learned upon evolution, and is a must-have for any trainer looking to do both damage and stat weakening.
Lumina Crash has a solid power of 80 that will leave a statement on most Pokémon it hits, and as an added bonus it lowers the target’s Special Defense stat by two stages, so even Pokémon that aren’t very hurt by Lumina Crash will still receive some level of damage after repeated uses.
8 Aqua Step
Every starter for the last few generations has come with a special move exclusive to them, and Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly continue this tradition. Aqua Step is one such move, acting as the signature move for Quaquaval, utilizing its dance techniques to deal damage and buff itself in battle.
Aqua Step is a physical-based attack with a power of 80 and accuracy of 100%, so unless the target’s evasion is extremely high, chances are Aqua Step will make contact. As Quaquaval performs quick dance steps to hit its target with, it’ll boost its Speed stat with each use, making Quaquaval an increasingly speedy dancing bullet with each consecutive attack.
7 Expanding Force
Charcadet is a specialty Pokémon introduced in Generation IX – as well as one of the best new Fire-type Pokémon – that has two separate forms depending on the version a player has. Those that have Scarlet can be expected to receive Armarouge, and after reaching level 56, it’ll learn Expanding Force as one of its two signature moves, followed by Armor Cannon.
Expanding Force is a multilayered situational move. Using it normally, it will target a single Pokémon with a power of 80, but if Psychic Terrain is set on the field, Expanding Force gets a 1.5x bump in power further amplified by the default 1.3x increase the terrain already gives to Psychic-type moves. Expanding Force has flexibility to it that can adapt to a wide range of strategies, and in Psychic Terrain it can also target two Pokémon in double battles.
6 Flower Trick
Attacks like Swift are few and far between, but Meowscarada’s signature move, Flower Trick, takes the idea of having an unmissable attack and adds a large layer of power behind it, granting a power of 70 on top of the fact that the move always guarantees a critical hit on top of it.
Flower Trick is a move that can be easily feared, especially when super effective towards the target. As a signature move of Meowscarada, it’s not only a must-have move for trainers that have it in their party, but as a physical attack, it can also run through those with low defense.
5 Electro Drift
Electric types found themselves getting a lot of love in Generation IX, but one of the most electrifying moves from everything introduced is Electro Drift. This special attack move is the pride and joy of Miraidon when it reaches level 56, and it’s a powerhouse attack that even does lethal damage to those that may be resistant.
Predictably, however, its most beneficial uses would be when Electro Drift is up against those that it’s super effective against. What makes Electro Drift different, however, is that the move increases its damage output by 30% when it’s super effective, so what would already double in damage gets even more of an increase. Having a power of 100 and 100% accuracy makes Electro Drift a vicious move for a legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet that is already intimidating by presence alone.
4 Glaive Rush
There are a lot of high-risk, high-reward moments in Pokémon that trainers find themselves in while battling – choosing when to or not to use an item, taking a chance of attacking rather than swapping, and more – but Glaive Rush takes the concept and turns it into a brutal attack that is best used when confident in wiping out a Pokémon on contact.
Glaive Rush has a gargantuan power of 120 and an accuracy of 100%, though any Pokémon on the receiving end of it that manages to still be standing after the attack can get a bit of payback as their counter-attack will not miss and deal double damage on top of it. Glaive Rush is risky, but smart trainers can use the move as a finishing attack, though it’s ill-advised against some of the new Gen 9 Fairy-types.
3 Gigaton Hammer
Quite a few moves have had the word hammer in them, and more often than not they’ve been brutal physical attacks usually popularized by fighting types. In Generation IX, however, a brand-new move, Gigaton Hammer, enters the fray as one of the most powerful moves in Pokémon history. It’s so powerful, in fact, that it can’t be used twice in a row.
Gigaton Hammer has a massive power of 160 (and a frightening 100% accuracy to boot) and is a physical, Steel-based move that pulverizes the target. As a signature move of Tinkaton, it’s a move that acts similarly to the likes of Hyper Beam, though the user can still attack afterward rather than recharge, allowing for a strategic follow up if any Pokémon is still left standing afterward.
2 Comeuppance
It can be daunting as a trainer when an allied Pokémon is hit with an attack that makes it almost faint, but thankfully Comeuppance returns the favor to the opposing Pokémon, hitting them with an attack that is not only just as powerful but amplifying the attack by 1.5 times the damage dealt.
Comeuppance doesn’t have a set power as the move is based on the damage received before using the move, but it has 100% accuracy, so trainers can dish out a bit of revenge a healthy number of times. Comeuppance may sound similar to moves like Counter, but it doesn’t require any special circumstances for usage. This makes it a nice safety net when facing Pokémon that hit particularly hard no matter what, especially when changing types with the new Terastal forms.
1 Hyper Drill
Protect and Detect, among a few others, have been lifesavers for trainers and the Pokémon that use them. They’re reliant moves that tend to save the day more often than not, but Generation IX introduced what is effectively its equivalent to the speaker used on blue shells in Mario Kart: Hyper Drill.
With 100 power and 100% accuracy, Hyper Drill walks right through any protective move that would otherwise neglect an attack. As a move, this is a great alternative to Pokémon that act more defensive, and trainers can use it to their advantage when wanting to pierce any defenses.