Regulation D Double Battles can be quite challenging for some Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Trainers. If one wishes to improve, they might as well look at the most popular Pokemon around. Pikalytics is a terrific resource that documents several statistics tied to various competitive scenes, which will be used for this article. More specifically, let's look at the VGC 2023 Regulation D Switch Ranked category.
Flutter Mane is still as omnipresent as ever, but some new additions in the top five were recently made legal in Regulation D. This article will cover everything that a new or otherwise inexperienced competitive battler may wish to know about the most popular Pokemon for Double Battles right now.
Flutter Mane and other most popular Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet's Regulation D Double Battles
5) Dragonite
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A fantastic Base Stat Total of 600 coupled with a high Base 134 Attack, good Abilities, and Extreme Speed makes Dragonite quite a formidable threat. It's rare to recommend something to Terastallize into a Normal-type, yet that's the most popular option for Dragonite.
A STAB Extreme Speed is incredibly valuable in a metagame full of moves that can affect Speed. According to Pikalytics, ~99.6% of all Dragonite run Extreme Speed in this format. A powerful priority move is always valuable, especially since not many other Pokemon learn Extreme Speed in Scarlet and Violet.
Multiscale is always valuable to lessen incoming damage when Dragonite is at full HP. However, Inner Focus can block the common Fake Out's Flinching.
4) Chien-Pao
Fast powerful Ice-types can be a menace, as evident with Chien-Pao's recent success. Its unique Sword of Ruin Ability decreases other Pokemon's Defense stat by 25% in Scarlet and Violet. Remember, Chien-Pao has a high Base Attack stat of 120, coupled with a Base Speed stat of 135.
Most Chien-Paos tend to run Sucker Punch, Protect, Ice Spinner, and Sacred Sword, making its set rather predictable most of the time. That's not much of an issue when it hits as hard as it does, especially when other popular threats such as Dragonite, Tornadus, Ursaluna, Landorus, and Amoonguss are all weak to Ice.
3) Tornadus
Nearly all Tornadus run Tailwind. Regular Tornadus has the Prankster Ability, which guarantees its Tailwind will always move first. As a reminder, Tailwind buffs all allies' Speed by 2x for four turns and affects turn order once used.
Tornadus also has the unique move known as Bleakwind Storm, which hits multiple foes in a Double Battle and lowers their Speed by a single stage. Such traits are amazing in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Don't forget that Prankster can also set up other good status moves like Sunny Day or Rain Dance with +1 Priority.
2) Urshifu (Rapid Strike Style)
Both forms of Urshifu see a good amount of play, but Rapid Strike Style is by far the more popular option. Surging Strikes and Close Combat are phenomenal STAB options that complement a high Base Attack of 130. Protect is a popular move in Double Battles, yet it can't protect its user against Urshifu thanks to its Unseen Fist Ability.
Surging Strike also hits three times in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, meaning Focus Sash or Sturdy isn't going to stop it from potentially OHKOing some foes. Unsurprisingly, Terastallizing into a Water-type makes its Surging Strikes even more devastating in the current Regulation D format.
1) Flutter Mane
Flutter Mane has been extremely consistent in its usage throughout the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Double Battle metagame. Base 135 in Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, and Speed are phenomenal. A top-tier Ghost/Fairy typing is even better, especially with a great moveset for what Flutter Mane needs to do. Shadow Ball and Dazzling Gleam hit hard, with the latter move hitting both foes in a Double Battle.
Being predictable isn't bad when Flutter Mane hits as hard as it does with such high Speed. Booster Energy and Choice Specs are Flutter Mane's most popular items, which can combo nicely with a potential Fairy Terrastallize in the current Regulation D rules.
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