All you need to know before going into the Crown Tundra for VGC 2021!

New features

  • Introduction of the Ability Patch, an item that allows any Pokémon to change to its Hidden Ability.
  • New two Regis, Regieleki (Electric) and Regidrago (Dragon), with new abilities and signature moves each.
  • New Galarian forms for Articuno (Psychic/Flying), Zapdos (Fighting/Flying) and Moltres (Dark/Flying), each with competitive-focused abilities and signature moves.
  • Return of some all-time VGC favorites, like Nidoking & Nidoqueen, Salamence, Metagross and Garchomp!
  • Return of all legendary Pokémon, including:
    • The Johto Legendary beasts, Raikou, Entei and Suicune
    • The Eon duo, Latias and Latios
    • The Lake guardians, Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf
    • Other Sinnoh legendaries, Heatran, Regigigas and Cresselia
    • The Forces of Nature, Tornadus, Thundurus and Landorus
    • The Guardian Deities, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini
    • The Ultra Beasts, Nihilego, Buzzwole, Pheromosa, Xurkitree, Celesteela, Kartana, Guzzlord, Naganadel, Stakataka and Blacephalon

Competitive Highlights

PokémonNew competitive features
zapdos ZapdosAbility Patch: unlocks HA Static.
New moves
: Hurricane (TR89), Rising Voltage (Tutor)
entei EnteiAbility Patch: unlocks HA Inner Focus.
New moves: Helping Hand (TM41), Flare Blitz (TR55)
raikou RaikouAbility Patch: unlocks HA Inner Focus.
New moves: Helping Hand (TM41), Aura Sphere (TR56), Scald (TR84)
suicune SuicuneAbility Patch: unlocks HA Inner Focus.
New moves: Helping Hand (TM41)
cresselia CresseliaNew moves: Cosmic Power (TR44), Stored Power (TR82), Expanding Force (Tutor)
tornadus TornadusAbility Patch: unlocks HA Defiant.
New moves
: Nasty Plot (TR68)
thundurus ThundurusAbility Patch: unlocks HA Defiant.
New moves
: Rising Voltage (Tutor)
tapu-koko Tapu KokoNew moves: Close Combat (TR53), Play Rough (TR90), Rising Voltage (Tutor)
tapu-lele Tapu LeleNew moves: Stored Power (TR82), Expanding Force (Tutor)
tapu-bulu Tapu BuluNew moves: Close Combat (TR53), Play Rough (TR90), High Horsepower (TR94), Grassy Glide (Tutor)
tapu-fini Tapu FiniNew moves: Draining Kiss (TM87), Flip Turn (Tutor), Misty Explosion (Tutor)
nihilego NihilegoNew moves: Meteor Beam (Tutor)
buzzwole BuzzwoleNew moves: Close Combat (TR53), Darkest Lariat (TR93)
pheromosa PheromosaNew moves: Close Combat (TR53)
xurkitree XurkitreeNew moves: Rising Voltage (Tutor)
celesteela CelesteelaNew moves: Cosmic Power (TR44)
kartana KartanaNew moves: Grassy Glide (Tutor)
stakataka StakatakaNew moves: Heavy Slam (TR79), Heat Crash (TR88), Body Press (TR99)

The Ability Patch

A new item introduced in the Crown Tundra and similar to the Ability Capsule, the Ability Patch allows potentially any Pokémon to change to its Hidden Ability.

Once this change is made, the Hidden Ability can be passed down through breeding, assuming the species can breed (source).

Assuming it works on Legendary Pokémon, this opens up lots of new threats, such as Flash Fire Heatran or Defiant Tornadus and Thundurus. If we get a new GS Cup format, others like Regenerator Ho-Oh, Multiscale Lugia or Telepathy Dialga will join the fun as well.

New Pokémon

Regieleki
Regieleki

Base Stats: Unknown

Ability: Transistor (unknown)

Signature Move: Thunder Cage (Electric-type attack that damages with unknown BP and causes residual damage every turn for 4 to 5 turns. It also prevents the opponents from escaping)

Regidrago
Regidrago

Base Stats: Unknown

Ability: Dragon’s Maw (unknown)

Signature Move: Dragon Energy (Dragon-Type attack with variable BP depending on the user’s HP stat)

Calyrex
Calyrex

Base Stats: Unknown

Ability: Unnerve (Denies the opponents from consuming their berries)

Others: Legendary Pokémon (allowed only in GS Cup rulesets)

New Regional Forms

Galarian Slowking
Galarian Slowking

Ability: Curious Medicine (Resets the allies’ stat changes upon switching in)

 

Signature Move: Eerie Spell (Psychic-type special move that reduces the target’s last used move’s PP by 3)
Galarian Articuno
Galarian Articuno

Ability: Competitive (Raises the users’s Special Attack by two stages when any of its stats are dropped by an opponent)

Signature Move: Freezing Glare (Psychic-type special move that has a freeze chance)

Galarian Zapdos
Galarian Zapdos

Ability: Defiant (Raises the users’s Attack by two stages when any of its stats are dropped by an opponent)

Signature Move: Thunderous Kick (Fighting-type physical move that drops the target’s Defense by one stage)

Galarian Moltres
Galarian Moltres

Ability: Berserk (Raises the users’s Special Attack by one stage every time its HP drops below 50%)

Signature Move: Fiery Wrath (Dark -type special move that has a flinch chance)

Returning Pokémon

For the sake of convenience, only final evolutions have been listed.

  • On Regular Pokémon, all normal Pokémon and sub-legendaries (those permitted in VGC outside of GS Cup formats) are listed.
  • On GS Cup Pokémon, the Legendary Pokémon only allowed in GS Cup formats are listed.
  • Some legendary Pokémon, like Cobalion or Mewtwo, are already technically obtainable, and thus are not listed below.

Movepool additions

The Pokémon list below is not comprehensive and represents the new moves available to the most common Pokémon in competitive VGC use, with the most relevant ones bolded. For the full list of TM/TR learnsets, please check Serebii.

PokémonNew moves
nidoqueen NidoqueenTM/TR: Sand Tomb, Mud Shot, Rock Blast, Hex, High Horsepower, Body Press
Tutor: Scorching Sands
nidoking NidokingTM/TR: Sand Tomb, Mud Shot, Rock Blast, Hex, High Horsepower, Body Press
Tutor: Scorching Sands
articuno ArticunoTM/TR: Weather Ball, Icicle Spear, Air Slash, Brave Bird
Tutor: Triple Axel, Dual Wingbeat
zapdos ZapdosTM/TR: Hail, Weather Ball, Eerie Impulse, Air Slash, Brave Bird, Hurricane
Tutor: Rising Voltage, Dual Wingbeat
moltres MoltresTM/TR: Hail, Weather Ball, Mystical Fire, Flare Blitz, Brave Bird
Tutor: Burning Jealously, Scorching Sands, Dual Wingbeat
dragonite DragoniteTM/TR: Fire Spin, Breaking Swipe, Hydro Pump, Mega Punch, Mega Kick, Air Slash, Body Press
Tutor: Dual Wingbeat, Scale Shot
entei EnteiTM/TR: Helping Hand, Weather Ball, Agility, Flare Blitz
Tutor: Scorching Sands
raikou RaikouTM/TR: Helping Hand, Electric Terrain, Eerie Impulse, Agility, Scald, Aura Sphere, Weather Ball
Tutor: Scorching Sands
suicune SuicuneTM/TR: Helping Hand, Weather Ball, Agility, Liquidation, Air Slash
Tutor: –
blaziken BlazikenTM/TR: Assurance, Revenge, U-Turn, Close Combat, Aura Sphere, Heat Crash
Tutor: Coaching, Scorching Sands
salamence SalamenceTM/TR: Air Slash, Breaking Swipe, Hurricane
Tutor: Dual Wingbeat, Scale Shot
metagross MetagrossTM/TR: Psycho Cut, Cosmic Power, Brutal Swing
Tutor: Expanding Force, Steel Roller, Meteor Beam
latias LatiasTM/TR: Psycho Cut, Mystical Fire, Air Slash, Breaking Swipe, Agility, Tri Attack, Baton Pass, Future Sight, Dragon Dance, Aura Sphere
Tutor: Dual Wingbeat, Scale Shot
latios LatiosTM/TR: Psycho Cut, Mystical Fire, Air Slash, Breaking Swipe, Agility, Tri Attack, Baton Pass, Future Sight, Dragon Dance, Aura Sphere
Tutor: Dual Wingbeat, Scale Shot
garchomp GarchompTM/TR: Breaking Swipe
Tutor: Scorching Sands, Scale Shot
heatran HeatranTM/TR: Self-Destruct, Body Slam, Heavy Slam, Heat Crash, Body Press
Tutor: Burning Jealousy, Scorching Sands, Steel Roller
cresselia CresseliaTM/TR: Power Swap, Guard Swap, Body Slam, Cosmic Power, Stored Power
Tutor: Expanding Force
tornadus TornadusTM/TR: Scary Face, Weather Ball, Assurance, Body Slam, Endure, Nasty Plot
Tutor: Lash Out
thundurus ThundurusTM/TR: Scary Face, Weather Ball, Assurance, Eerie Impulse, Body Slam, Endure, Electro Ball
Tutor: Rising Voltage, Lash Out
landorus LandorusTM/TR: Self-Destruct, Scary Face, Weather Bal, Sand Tomb, Body Slam, Endure
Tutor: Scorching Sands
tapu-koko Tapu KokoTM/TR: Rest, Swift, Assurance, Eerie Impulse, Endure, Close Combat, Stored Power, Play Rough
Tutor: Terrain Pulse, Rising Voltage, Misty Explosion
tapu-lele Tapu LeleTM/TR: Rest, Charm, Power Swap, Guard Swap, Speed Swap, Psycho Cut, Endure, Future Sight, Stored Power, Play Rough
Tutor: Terrain Pulse, Expanding Force, Misty Explosion
tapu-bulu Tapu BuluTM/TR: Mega Punch, Rest, Revenge, Bullet Seed, Power Swap, Guard Swap, Endure, Close Combat, Stored Power, Play Rough, Darkest Lariat, High Horsepower
Tutor: Terrain Pulse, Grassy Glide, Misty Explosion
tapu-fini Tapu FiniTM/TR: Rest, Dive, Guard Swap, Draining Kiss, Endure, Stored Power, Play Rough
Tutor: Terrain Pulse, Flip Turn, Misty Explosion
nihilego NihilegoTM/TR: Rock Slide, Rock Tomb, Cross Poison, Hex, Body Slam, Endure
Tutor: Corrosive Gas, Meteor Beam
buzzwole BuzzwoleTM/TR: Revenge, Body Slam, Close Combat, Darkest Lariat, High Horsepower
Tutor: Coaching, Dual Wingbeat
pheromosa PheromosaTM/TR: Assurance, Endure, Close Combat
Tutor: Coaching, Skitter Smack
xurkitree XurkitreeTM/TR: Endure, Electro Ball
Tutor: Rising Voltage
celesteela CelesteelaTM/TR: Self-Destruct, Body Slam, Endure, Megahorn, Cosmic Power
Tutor: Grassy Glide, Steel Roller
kartana KartanaTM/TR: Solar Blade, Screech, Endure
Tutor: Grassy Glide
stakataka StakatakaTM/TR: Mega Kick, Body Slam, Endure, Heavy Slam, Heat Crash, High Horsepower, Body Press
Tutor: Meteor Beam, Steel Roller

Sources

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