-(1).jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are polarizing games that are already dividing fans based on their performance issues that may occasionally drop frames or show clunky animations in the background for moving objects. Still, Gen 9 remains groundbreaking in many ways, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Pokedex is filled with interesting designs and new critters, with version exclusives and Paradox Pokemon admittedly taking a lot of that space. There are also two new evolution lines that leakers called "regional fakes" before launch, and they are based on existing Gen 1 pocket monsters, but they are also completely different species with their own types and gimmicks.
There are also several cross-gen evolutions in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, with one of them being Farigiraf, which was revealed in an official trailer in October. Another one is Kingambit, which is the evolution of Bisharp, and it carries on its evolution line's puns and themes related to chess. Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated cross-gen evolutions in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is that of Dunsparce, which has been considered a meme Pokemon for years on end, as the base form is a regular Normal-type with low stats and no redeeming qualities. Its evolution, called Dudunsparce, fixes all that to a degree but falls flat when it comes to its Hidden Ability.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Dudunsparce is No Longer a Meme
Dudunsparce remains a pure Normal-type Pokemon despite the potential changes that Gen 9 could have brought to its evolution line, maybe delving deeper into Dragon-type themes or making it Ground critter, instead. Despite all this, Dudunspurace has a great base stat total of 520, which is almost the same that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's starter evolutions got, and the critter does get a good chunk of HP, defenses, and a respectable Attack stat. Not only that, but Dudunsparce actually learns multiple moves that are quite powerful or useful.
In fact, Dudunsparce's type coverage is really good, and even though it doesn't get bonus STAB damage on moves like Stone Edge, Air Slash, or Bulldoze, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Terastallization can help in that department by changing its type. This cross-gen evolution is not a fast one, but that can generally be ok because it has a decent bulk that allows it to take a few hits and then hit back when it can. As such, there doesn't seem to be much of an issue with Dudunsparce as a whole, at least at first glance.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Dudunsparce Needed Better Abilities
The main problem Dudunsparce faces is that its Abilities are not great, as one of them is Runaway, which offers a solution to a problem that most of the time isn't one, especially in endgame content or even worse, in competitive battles. The other Ability Dudunsparce has is Serene Grace, which is quite good on some Pokemon, but in this case, it hardly shines due to the critter not learning many moves with secondary effects that are applied randomly. Lastly, Dudunsparce's Hidden Ability is the same as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Gimmighoul - Rattled.
The reason why Rattled is a useless Ability for Dudunsparce is that it increases the user's Speed stat when it's hit by Dark, Ghost, or Bug-type moves, but this falls flat for two major reasons. The first is that Dudunsparce getting a boost to its lowest stat is probably not ideal anyway, especially because it has to be hit by a damaging move first, and the second is that Normal-types are immune to Ghost-type moves - one type out of three. What follows is that one of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's most interesting new critters is left with no great options for its Ability slot despite having three of them, and ultimately makes Dudunsparce yet another subpar Pokemon.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.