Summary
- All three starter evolutions are good, but Skeledirge is one of the strongest starter Pokémon evolutions, with high attack stats and a unique move that increases its Special Attack.
- Quaquaval has high speed and unique abilities, making it ideal for battles against both other Trainers and the type-switching Ogerpon in The Teal Mask DLC.
- Meowscarada is the fastest of the three starters, but its versatility is undermined by its many weaknesses, making it a less favorable choice.
All three of Skeledirge is one of the strongest starter Pokémon evolutions ever. But does that hold up in DLC?
The DLC greatly expands on Scarlet and Violet's Pokédex, with 200 new and returning Pokémon added to The Teal Mask, including those with multiple forms. There are also new forms of familiar faces, like Poltchageist, Sinistcha, and Dipplin, alternate versions of Polteageist, Sinistea, and Applin. The Teal Mask includes a variety of new Trainer battles and Tera Raids as well to expand on its gameplay and provide a wealth of new challenges. Therefore, it's important to have an evenly balanced and fully evolved team of powerful Pokémon, and that begins with a well-trained starter.
Pros And Cons Of Skeledirge In Pokémon's Teal Mask DLC
It bears repeating that Skeledirge is one of the best starter Pokémon out there. Fire-types usually excel in of sheer attack power, and Skeledirge is no exception. Its Special Attack is already high, but Skeledirge can bring it up further with its unique move Torch Song. This raises its Special Attack by one stage each time it's used, and even does a significant amount of Fire damage to boot. Skeledirge's one major malfunction is its Speed, which is the lowest of all three Scarlet and Violet starters.
Like all Scarlet and Violet starters, Skeledirge has access to an ability that buffs abilities of its type when it has less than half of its max HP - in this case, Blaze. It also has the Hidden Ability Unaware, which will sometimes ignore an opposing Pokémon's stat stages when calculating accuracy and damage. This doesn't trigger with every attack move, but it can sometimes provide an unexpected damage bonus at an opportune moment. Of course, that can also backfire, accidentally knocking out a Pokémon the Trainer was trying to catch.
As a Fire/Ghost-type Pokémon, Skeledirge doesn't have too many weaknesses overall. It takes extra damage from Ground, Rock, Water, Ghost, and Psychic Pokémon. The combined numbers of Pokémon using those types in the Kitakami Pokédex are relatively low, so Skeledirge is the least likely to run up against a Pokémon type that it's weak to in The Teal Mask. Since it's strong against Bug, Grass, Ice, Steel, Dark, and Ghost types, it's more likely to run into a Pokémon it can defeat quickly, but it's overshadowed by another starter.
Overall, Skeledirge's high attack stats and handy abilities can serve it well in The Teal Mask DLC. It may not be the most balanced starter Pokémon evolution, but it is a strong one.
Pros And Cons Of Quaquaval In Pokémon's Teal Mask DLC
Quaquaval's main strength is its Speed stat. Although it doesn't quite reach the level of Meowscarada's base Speed, it can be increased with its unique move Aqua Step, which also deals Water damage as Torch Song deals Fire. Speed is an important resource in The Teal Mask, as one of its most prominently featured Pokémon, the type-switching Ogerpon, is notoriously light on its feet. Quaquaval's high Speed, boosted with Aqua Step, can help it go blow-for-blow with this mysterious Legendary Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet DLC.
Quaquaval's main ability is Torrent, which works similarly to Blaze in that it bumps up the damage of Water-type moves when its HP is low. Its Hidden Ability, Moxie, is incredibly useful when battling against other Trainers, which should really come in handy during The Teal Mask's BB League battles. Moxie can increase Quaquaval's Attack stat when it causes a Pokémon to faint, which means that it'll only get stronger as a lengthy battle rages on.
As a Water/Fighting-type, Quaquaval is weak to many other Pokémon types in the Kitakami Dex, including Electric, Grass, Flying, Fairy, and Psychic. As a result, it barely edges out Meowscarada for the most likely starter to encounter a Pokémon it's weak to in The Teal Mask DLC. However, its Water/Fighting-type also gives it a stunning number of strengths: Fire, Ground, Rock, Dark, Ice, Steel, and Normal. As a result, Quaquaval is the most likely starter to encounter a Pokémon it's strong against in Kitakami, which should make catching all the new Pokédex additions a breeze.
Quaquaval's unique strengths set it apart from the flock, and make it an excellent choice for The Teal Mask. It may be more balanced than Skeledirge, but it's not the most versatile starter evolution in the game.
Pros And Cons Of Meowscarada In Pokémon's Teal Mask DLC
Meowscarada is the final evolution of Scarlet and Violet's Grass-type starter, Sprigatito. It's the fastest of the three, which could come in handy in the battle against Ogerpon. Its ability, Overgrow, works like Blaze and Torrent, but applies to Grass damage instead. Meowscarada also has access to a powerful unique move, Flower Trick, which always hits its target and almost always deals critical damage, unless the opposing Pokémon is under the protection of Battle Armor or Shell Armor. However, this move is a bit of a one-trick pony. It deals Grass damage, which many different types of Pokémon are resistant to.
Meowscarada makes up for that with its Hidden Ability, Protean. This allows it to change its type to suit a particular move, which means it can reap the benefits of same-type bonuses when it uses attacks that don't deal Grass or Dark damage. That makes it an incredibly versatile Pokémon, but this ability doesn't always activate when it uses a move outside its usual types. Therefore, Protean is a bit of a gamble.
Unfortunately, as a Grass/Dark-type, Meowscarada has a lot of weaknesses (Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison, Fairy, and Fighting) and relatively few strengths (Ground, Rock, Water, Ghost, and Psychic). That means it's the second-most likely starter evolution to run into wild Pokémon it's weak to in Kitakami, and the least likely to run into one it's strong against.
Meowscarada is a versatile Pokémon, but its many weaknesses mean it might not be the best choice for The Teal Mask DLC. It can certainly hold its own, but there are better options out there.
Quaquaval Is The Best Starter Evolution For Pokémon's Teal Mask DLC
All things considered, Quaquaval is the perfect starter evolution to take into The Teal Mask. While all three starters have high attack power, Quaquaval's unique moves, abilities, and high speed make it the best choice for catching wild Pokémon and Trainer battles alike. Also, since there are relatively few Water-type Pokémon in The Teal Mask, it's useful to have a strong, fully evolved Quaquaval going into the DLC. However, it's up for debate whether that'll hold true when part two of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's DLC, The Indigo Disk, is released.
While all the starter evolutions are good, Quaquaval just can't be beat when it comes to the DLC. Those who chose Fuecoco or Sprigatito should consider trading with friends or hunting down Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's Water-type starter (or one of its evolutions) before heading into The Teal Mask DLC.
