Abilities have been an important part of team building since they were introduced in Ruby and Sapphire. Some offer stat buffs and debuffs at the beginning of a battle, while others help take advantage of hold items — or avoid certain moves altogether. One of the biggest problems plaguing the series have been a lack of quality abilities. If there’s one thing Scarlet and Violet do right, it’s avoid this long-standing concern.
With over 30 new abilities added to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it’s also important to know which are the most viable. While every ability featured on this list are well above average, there are definitely a few that are a head above the rest.
11/11 Toxic Debris
Toxic debris is the signature ability of the Glimmet line. When hit by a physical move, it will automatically use Toxic Spikes, which poisons any Pokemon that switches in. Normally, this would be a stellar ability, and while it’s one of the better ones added to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, there are a handful of meta-relevant new Pokemon that outright negate status moves, which means Glimmet’s evolution, Glimmora, will likely not see much competitive usage.
That being said, Glimmora’s great Special Attack (130) and unusual Rock/Poison typing — which is only shared with the Sun and Moon legendary Nihilego — offer it enough uniqueness to warrant consideration for your team.
10/11 Electromorphosis
The signature ability of Bellibolt, it receives a charge and boost to its next Electric-type move every time it takes damage. Bellibolt’s decent bulk combined with decent defenses should allow it to take some hits. Bellibolt’s 45 base Speed can also work to its advantage with this ability, as most Pokemon will outspeed it and do damage before using an Electric-type move.
Bellibolt basically has a free boost to all of its Electric attacks in any context, which makes it one of the more viable Electric types in the game.
9/11 Anger Shell
The signature ability of Klawf, Anger Shell activates when Klawf drops below half health. With a middling 70 base health stat, this should happen somewhat frequently. When Anger Shell is activated, Klawf lowers its own Defense and Special Defense, but also boosts its own Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. Klawf has a beefy 100 Attack and 115 Defense, but also a lowly Special Attack stat at just 35, so it is reduced to purely physical attacks.
Klawf itself has decent stats and an okay physical Rock movepool with attacks like Rock Slide and TMs like Stone Edge. Klawf should serve you well in your story run-through and potentially competitive formats.
8/11 Ruin Abilities
The Ruin abilities are exclusive to the Dark type ‘treasures of ruin’ legendaries new to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. In addition to stellar stats, they all have comparable abilities. These ruin abilities lower a particular stat of every other Pokemon on the field but themselves — including your own partner during double battles.
All four abilities lower a key stat aside from Speed. Having a free stat lowering without needing to use a move is an incredible advantage and should assist you no matter what way you play the game.
7/11 Purifying Salt
Purifying Salt is the signature ability of the Nacli line, which ends with Garganacl. Purifying Salt protects their line from status conditions and also halves the damage of all Ghost-type moves. While not quite as effective as Gholdengo’s ability to prevent status inflicting and stat changing moves, halving Ghost-type damage is a solid bonus. None of the line as pure Rock types are weak to Ghost, but it adds to a nice defensive typing by basically giving it another resistance.
Garganacl is a powerhouse, boasting a good health pool, physical attack and rock solid defenses. Its only downsides are Special Attack, which Rock types don’t rely on as much and its Speed. With signature Rock moves like Rock Slide and Stone Edge, Garganacl will be a fearsome matchup in any situation.
6/11 Opportunist
The signature ability of Espathra, Opportunist will see a boost to its abilities whenever the opponent uses a boost move. While not being a powerhouse, Espathra is surprisingly solid for a non-meta pick. Despite its weak defenses, Espathra has HP, Special Attack, and Speed all hovering around 100. Being a pure Psychic type, Espathra has access to great special Psychic moves like Psychic, as well as good setup moves of its own like Reflect and Light Screen.
The ability to match your opponents setup moves can either negate the need to use move slots on them or outright deter your opponent from using them. Espathra should be a solid off-meta pick for the coming generation.
5/11 Zero To Hero
The signature ability of Palafin, Zero to Hero, has a strange activation requirement. Palafin needs to have switched out of the battle. When switched back in, Palafin will switch over to its hero form, which sees major boosts to its stats. Most notably, Palafin gets a huge boost to both of its attack stats, with a +53 to Special Attack, making it a mixed attacker, and a whopping +90 to Attack. With a respectable HP and Speed of 100, Palafin becomes a scary heavy hitter using STAB Water moves such as Dive, Aqua Tail, and Hydro Pump.
The biggest feather in Palafin’s cap is that even with an obtuse set-up method, Palafin is squarely placed in the uber tier in competitive right now alongside legendary pokemon.
4/11 Hadron Engine & Quark Drive
Hadron Engine is the signature ability of Miraidon, the box art legendary for Pokemon Violet. Miraidon, with the stats expected of a legendary in addition to its great Electric/Dragon typing, would make it a threat alone. With the Hadron Engine ability, Miraidon activates an electric terrain that boosts its already scary 135 Special Attack.
This ability also pairs perfectly with some of the new forms in the game, such as Iron Treads Donphan and Iron Hands Hariyama. These new form Pokemon have the ability Quark Drive, which boosts their best stat in the electric terrain when they are holding the Booster Energy hold item. Because of electric terrains’ slightly less ubiquitous usage compared to sunlight, both of these abilities are at a slight disadvantage compared to Koraidon’s ability.
3/11 Orichalcum Pulse & Photosynthesis
Orichalcum Pulse is the signature ability of Koraidon, the box art legendary for Pokemon Scarlet. Koraidon’s ability activates a harsh sunlight whenever it enters the battle. While active, Koraidon gets a boost to its 135 Physical Attack, which pairs well with its Fighting/Dragon typing. The benefit Orichalcum Pulse has over Hadron Engine is sunlight as a weather effect.
The new forms in Pokemon Scarlet can boost their best stat with the booster energy item, but also regular Fire and even Grass types benefit from sunlight. Fire-type moves see a boost under sunlight, and the powerful Grass-type moves Solar Beam and Solar Blade can be activated without the usual one turn setup.
2/11 Supreme Overlord
The signature ability of Kingambit, Supreme Overlord, ups its Attack and Special Attack one stage for every Pokemon in your party that has been knocked out. This takes Kingambit from being an already incredibly feared tank into the perfect late-game sweeper. Its Dark/Steel typing sees only 3 weaknesses along with 11 resistances. While it would normally only be a physical attacker with 135 base Attack and just 60 Special Attack, its ability now gives it mixed attacking capabilities — although it will excel as a physical attacker even more now.
Kingambit’s one downside is a lack of real overwhelming STAB physical attacking moves, but all the aforementioned positives help outweigh that, and with a potential +5 boost to its physical attack mean this might not even matter.
1/11 Good As Gold
When a single ability can be enough to potentially remove you from OU into the Uber tier list in the competitive metagame, it’s probably pretty good. Gholdengo’s signature ability to outright negate the opponents status moves is in contention for one of the best abilities of all time. Gholdengo itself has a nice 133 base Special Attack while being well-rounded everywhere else except physical Attack. Its Steel/Ghost typing also gives Gholdengo a whopping 12 resistances.
Aside from its subpar learnset, Gholdengo is also a colossal pain to acquire, as players need to acquire 999 ‘Gimmighoul’ coins from the overworld. These obstacles aside, Gholdengo has the stuff to carry your team regardless of the situation.
