5 most picked Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet's NA International Championships VGC

The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's NA International Championships for VGC ended on July 2, 2023. This article will offer a look at some of the most picked Pocket Monsters from that tournament. More specifically, it'll mention the top choices of that event's best-ranking teams from the top 16. Any lineup made using these picks is bound to be good since the creatures involved are among the best in their class.

Some popular Pokemon are predictable, especially in this current metagame. However, there might be some surprises that casuals might be unaware of when looking at what's currently working in this title's competitive scene. Note that this information is solely based on what happened during Scarlet and Violet's NA International Championships VGC in 2023.

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Five of the most picked Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet's NA International Championships VGC

5) Ting-Lu

The first option on this list is infamously annoying for some Trainers to deal with (Image via Game Freak)

Usage in Top 16: 5/16

Ting-Lu was in five of the top 16 teams used in this title's NA International Championships VCG. It's a defensive behemoth with the following qualities:

• Base 165 HP
• Base 130 Defense
• Base 80 Sp. Def
• Vessel of Ruin, which lowers other Pokemon's Sp. Atk by 25%

Readers should know that four of the top five most used Pokemon in this tournament were on its first-place squad; Ting-Lu was one of them. It's also worth mentioning that Kingambit was used in five of the top 16 sides.

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4) Chien-Pao

It's nice when Game Freak makes quick and powerful Ice-types (Image via Game Freak)

Usage in Top 16: 6/16

A fast Ice-type is quite deadly. Scarlet and Violet's Chien-Pao boasts a strong 120 Attack and 135 Speed. While that might seem simple at first glance, this creature's ability — Sword of Ruin — puts it over the edge. Basically, Chien-Pao's opponent will have 25% less Defense than usual when it's in use.

This threatening combination of advantages saw this Legendary be used in six of the top 16 teams in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's NA International Championships VCG.

Before moving on to the next entry, it's worth mentioning that Amoonguss and Chien-Pao's positions on this list are interchangeable.

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3) Amoonguss

A good typing, Regenerator, great defensive stats, and top-tier utility moves are an amazing combination (Image via Game Freak)

Usage in Top 16: 6/16

Many teams used Amoonguss in the NA International Championships VGC for its defensive qualities. For those who don't know, Amoonguss has three top-tier moves fitting for a bulky tank:

• Spore: a 100% accurate Sleep move
• Rage Powder: A redirection move
• Pollen Puff: Normally does damage to enemies but heals allies by 50% of their HP if they're targeted

All three moves are staples among virtually every competitive Amoonguss in Scarlet and Violet. Many Trainers used this entity to protect and disrupt their enemies' plays, which isn't surprising since this Pokemon doesn't have much competition for its highly unique role.

Amoonguss was the only one among the top five most used Pokemon in this event that weren't on the winning squad of Alex Gómez.

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2) Iron Hands

Iron Hands is a phenomenal Fake Out user (Image via Game Freak)

Usage in Top 16: 9/16

Good Fake Out users are always welcome in VGC, and Iron Hands is no exception. This creature was used in nine of the top 16 teams in Scarlet and Violet's 2023 NA International Championships. That includes three of the top four lineups.

It's easy to see why Iron Hands is a popular Fake Out user in the current meta. A behemoth HP stat of 154 coupled with a decent 108 Defense makes it quite bulky. Its base 68 Sp. Def isn't even bad with such a high HP stat shoring it up.

Don't forget its base 140 Attack that makes Iron Hands hit incredibly hard.

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1) Flutter Mane

It's was the most used option in the NA International Championships VGC by a huge margin (Image via Game Freak)

Usage in Top 16: 14/16

Out of the top 16 teams in the NA International Championships VGC, 14 of them employed Flutter Mane. That's extremely oppressive in terms of usage. Even something great like Iron Hands was just utilized in nine of the top 16 teams in this tourney.

An 87.5% usage rate in the top 16 is not too surprising when one looks at Flutter Mane's attributes in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet:

• Ghost and Fairy is one of the best typings offensively and defensively
• 135 Sp. Atk hits incredibly hard
• 135 Sp. Def helps make Flutter Mane deceptively durable on the special side
• 135 Speed outspeeds most threats
• Great moveset

Flutter Mane has consistently been one of Scarlet and Violet's best Pokemon when it comes to the metagame ever since it was made legal in the VGC. Its reign of dominance is unlikely to end anytime soon. That is, however, only unless a more threatening Ghost type becomes legal.