Over the years, thePokémongames have done their best to produce inventive new ideas to move the series forward. And let’s just be honest, there were hits and misses along the way. But the one that absolutely got my attention and has me constantly clamoring for more is theregional variants.
SincePokémonis all about nature through a fictional lens and appreciating the beauty of that world, it makes sense that we’d see how the environment plays a role in developing unusual traits within the Pokémon themselves.
The 5 Coolest Regional Pokemon Variants
Ahead of Pokemon Arceus Legends, we’ve decided to rank the five best regional Pokemon variants that we know about so far. Let’s do it!
Now, since there’s a surprising number of regional variants, I’m going to start with thePaldea regionfeatured inPokémon ScarletandViolet.There aren’t a ton of different variants in that game, but there are some great ones to talk about nonetheless.
From here, we’ll gradually work our way through more and more regions in future articles.
5Tauros (Aqua Breed)
Slippery When Wet
First Appears In
Generation IX
Fighting / Water
Cool Level Up Move
Wave Crash
Final Move
Close Combat
Weaknesses
Lighting, Grass, Flying, Psychic, Fairy
One of the early favorite creatures from the first generation ofPokémongameswas Tauros. It’s immediately apparent what it is and how it attacks.
But over the years, fans wanted something new, either a baby form or a brand-new evolution. And thanks to Paldea, Tauros got not one, butthreedifferent variants!
Now, while I personally am very fond of the weirdness of Tauros' Aqua Breed, it suffers from the most weaknesses of the three different varieties.
It gets utterly devastated by Lightning, Grass, Flying, Psychic, and Fairy types, which can be pretty rough if you ever try to actually battle with it.
On the plus side, it can learn powerful attacks like Wave Crash, Raging Bull, and even Trailblaze, so it does have some utility if you’re careful.
4Tauros (Blaze Breed)
Flaring Temper
Fighting / Fire
Cool TM Move
Flame Charge
Water, Ground, Flying
Now, even though we’ve seen plenty of Fighting / Fire Pokémon over the years, it suits Tauros shockingly well. After all, bulls are kind of known for their short tempers and for seeing red. So why not create a hybrid Fire type for Tauros?
Blaze Breed is a step above Aqua Breed in that it only has three bad type matchups—meaning there’s a greater chance it will survive for a few turns while getting faster with Flame Charge and getting ready to OTK the opponent.
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If you really want to mess with your opponent, you can use moves like Swagger first, then transition into brutal attacks like Flare Blitz and Close Combat.
A good step up, but there are still a few more contenders on this Paldean list that are better.
Woop, There It Is!
Poison / Ground
Earthquake
Water, Ice, Ground, Psychic
When I first encountered a Paldean Wooper, I didn’t know what was happening. I kept trying to use Grass attacks, only for them to be utterly foiled.
Little did I know that this version of Wooper was a Poison / Ground type, meaning I had to approach them with a whole different strategy compared to its original iteration.
It can also learn some neat abilities, such as Poison Point and Water Absorb, the latter of which can be especially helpful.
As far as what attacks Wooper learns, it can lean into its new type with Toxic, but it can also unleash the hurt with Earthquake, Venoshock, and even Liquidation. This goofy little dude is no pushover.
Standing Is For Suckers
Poison Jab
In many ways, Clodsire is what Quagsire should have been. This Poison / Ground tank has really high HP and Special Defense and can unleash the hurt with a solid Attack stat as well.
Even though it’s overwhelmingly powerful, its tanky nature lets it be a nuisance, which is something Poison types excel in doing.
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Some of the more fun attacks Clodsire can learn include Yawn, Megahorn, and Toxic.
It can also benefit from the likes of TM moves such as Chilling Water, Iron Head, and Curse.
A very solid contender, but we saved the fiercest for Paldean variant for last!
1Tauros (Combat Breed)
Normal No Longer
Cool Egg Move
Flying, Psychic, Fairy
While Tauros’s Combat Breed might not look the sexiest on paper, it’s arguably the best of all three Paldeanvariants.
It only has three bad matchups and all the strength and speed you’d want from a rampaging bull.
As far as attacks, you’ll want to lean into the likes of Zen Headbutt and Double Edge, perhaps increasing its fury with moves like Work Up and punishing your opponents with Scary Face.
While the Paldea region might not have had the best variety of region-specific Pokémon variants, it’s still a fun group of critters that can serve you well in battle if you know how to deploy them and maximize their fighting potential.
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