Why Incineroar is suddenly dropping Pokemon Champions

When Pokemon champion was first announced, and then with subsequent trailers it was clear that it was built as the ultimate battle hub with access to some of the strongest Pokémon ever in the VGC. Its launch disappointed fans in terms of available Pokemon and items, mainly because some iconic animals showcased in trailers failed to make the release. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, as it means the ceiling is lower when it comes to the overall power level i Pokemon championand so more Pokemons that don't normally see much play can shine.

It also means that the usual suspects, the Pokemon that normally dominate the competitive scene and that are currently available, end up being some of the best Pokemon in Pokemon champion by a significant margin. For example, Basculegion is one of the most used Pokémon in the format because it can dish out incredible damage and has one of two kits that make it very strong on rain teams or on balance teams. Another Pokémon dominating the charts is Incineroar. It has a very good type combo, access to Fake Out and Parting Shot, and can deal significant damage with moves like Throat Chop and Flare Blitz. But now it's suddenly declining in use, and there's a very specific reason for that.

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Missing from Pokemon Champion's limited roster of creatures are some competitive staples that have dominated the Gen 9 meta up to this point.

Incineroar's best counter in Pokemon Champions explained

One of the most important things to know to counter Incineroar i Pokemon champion is that it not only has access to Fake Out and Parting Shot, but also to Intimidate, which allows it to swing in and out of combat to apply Intimidate multiple times in a single match. This is especially good now that the most used and strongest Pokémon in the format are physical attackers, but there is a caveat. One of the most used Pokemon right now is Kingambit, which has Defiant as its ability, allowing it to gain a 2-stage Attack boost when its stats are reduced. This isn't enough to counter Incineroar on its own, and that's where Milotic comes into play.

According to pokebase.app, Milotic currently has a usage rate of 10.6%. This is not as high as Incineroar's 42.9%, but it has risen steadily over the past two weeks as players start using Milotic with its competitive ability to gain a 2-stage Special Attack boost whenever its stats are lowered, essentially making Incineroar very dangerous to use. This is because Milotic is very bulky, and it gains access to self-polishing and healing moves that make it extremely difficult to remove. There are a few reasons for this:

• Milotic has 95 base HP, 60 base attack, 79 base defense, 100 base special attack, 125 base special defense, and 81 base speed, making it quite sensible to invest in HP and defense.

• Milotic learns Coil to increase his defense and recover to heal himself.

• With a single proc of Competitive, its damage with watercourses can be quite large even if it is not used on rain teams i Pokemon championoften OHKOing Incineroar with Scald, depending on SP distribution.

• Milotic works with Trick Room teams in Pokemon champion as well as balance teams and most other teams, and it can also work well under Tailwind.

• With moves like Protect, Coil, Recover and Life Dew, it can stay alive very effectively if paired with Leftovers.

• It can use offensive moves like Scald to deal STAB water damage with a chance to burn, Icy Wind for speed control, Ice Beam to counter Garchomp in Pokemon championand Muddy Water for having a spread move that can reduce the accuracy of opponents' Pokémon.

• Last but not least, Milotic also learns Hypnosis, which allows it to put Pokemon to sleep while restoring HP, buffing itself, and/or dealing damage.

How Pokemon Champions' Most Used Pokemon Counter Incineroar

Image via OLM

Given how strong Milotic is against Incineroar and its increasing usage, combined with how popular and powerful Kingambit is in Pokemon champion it's only natural that Incineroar's lead begins to diminish. On top of that, Incineroar's Fire/Dark type means it takes a lot of damage from Sneasler with Close Combat, and since Sneasler is the most used Pokemon in Pokemon championthat could be a problem.

If that wasn't enough, Incineroar is often used with strong Dark-type moves like Darkest Lariat to deal as much damage as possible to Farigiraf on turn one to prevent the opponent from setting up Trick Room. However, Farigiraf is extremely bulky, and if it survives, it can bring up Trick Room anyway and then punish Incineroar for staying in. In fact, Farigiraf is more and more used with a speed reduction character and Low Kick to deal fighting type damage even without investment.

Between this, Sneasler's Domain, Kingambit's Defiant, and Milotic's Competitive, using Incineroar can be much less of a crutch for newcomers now, and instead requires careful planning. It's still unclear how the meta will change as more Pokemon and items are added, but for now, don't be surprised to see fewer Incineroar users in Pokemon champion' double fighting teams.