Summary
- Archaludon is a unique and strong Pokémon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, with incredible stats, powerful moves, and abilities.
- It breaks the tradition of pseudo-Legendary Pokémon by not meeting all the criteria but still having a base stat total of 600.
- Pokemon Gen 10 could clarify Archaludon's status by adding a pre-evolution for Duraludon or by redefining the criteria for pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced plenty of new critters that became quite popular within the community for different reasons, but there were also a few Gen 9 pocket monsters that stirred controversies, especially when it comes to competitive VGC. Counting the new Pokemon from The Indigo Disk and The Teal Mask DLCs, Gen 9 introduced a total of 120 new species, including multiple cross-gen evolutions that range from the long-rumored Farigiraf to the unexpected Dipplin and Hydrapplin. One of the most interesting for various reasons is Archaludon, the evolution of Gen 8's Duraludon, both because it embodies a lot of Unovan themes and because it breaks away from the standards of its kind.
One of the reasons why Archaludon is such a strong Pokemon is that it gains access to incredible stats as well as some very powerful moves and Abilities. Archaludon's signature move in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is Electro Shot, which powers the user up for a turn, increasing its Special Attack by one stage, and then firing a strong electric bolt at the target on the following turn - something that can be skipped in rain teams. However, what makes Archaludon truly special is that it blurs the thin line that separates pseudo-Legendary Pokemon from other critters, and it's something Gen 10 should follow up on.
Why Pokemon Gen 10 Should Go All In or Go Home With Archaludon
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Archaludon breaks a massive tradition for pseudo-Legendary Pokemon, as it could fit some of the criteria to be considered a pseudo-Legendary, but also doesn't meet others. Namely, Archaludon has a base stat total (BST) of 600, which is a common factor for every existing pseudo-Legendary Pokemon in the series, but it also doesn't belong to the Slow experience group and, more importantly, is not a three-stage Pokemon.
How Pokemon Gen 10 Could Make Archaludon's Status Clearer
Pokemon Gen 10 could address some of this to make Archaludon's status clearer and either redefine what it means to be a pseudo-Legendary Pokemon or leave this specific critter as an exception. A good way to change Archaludon's standing after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet would be to give Duraludon a pre-evolution, which would then complete the evolutionary line by adding a third stage. This would make a lot of sense when it comes to pseudo-Legendary Pokemon's rules in the series, and the only criterion left out to consider Archaludon as such would be its experience group - which could also be changed to Slow if Game Freak wanted.
A Duraludon pre-evolution would also make the Gen 8 pocket monster less weird, in the sense that it already had high stats when it was first introduced and was generally available much later in the game, whereas a baby form for it could be added sooner but have stricter evolution criteria. There are several creatures that had a similar treatment at some point, such as Budew evolving into Roselia or Magby and Elekid into Magmar and Electabuzz. Either way, Pokemon Gen 10 games could make Archaludon's line more interesting with a baby form, and there are already clear design themes to pull from for this.
Duraludon and Archaludon's Baby Form is Already Clear
Duraludon and Archaludon both resemble buildings, with Duraludon's GMax form in Pokemon Sword and Shield even being a full-fledged condo, whereas its evolution is a bridge that heavily resembles Unova's Skyarrow Bridge. As such, a Duraludon pre-evolution could be a sort of construction site Pokemon, or maybe resemble the foundations of a building, but not have its Dragon type just yet and be exclusively a Steel-type critter. Still, Gen 10 addressing the Archaludon controversy is something that should happen one way or another, and perhaps a simpler way to do it would be to leave things as they are for this particular Pokemon, but still make Gen 10's own pseudo-Legendaries follow the typical rules.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 48%
- Released
- November 18, 2022
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
WHERE TO PLAY
The school that you’ve enrolled in as you play Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet hosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is "A Treasure Hunt." Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!
Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.
These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.
