Though Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are strong games in many ways, players were particularly disappointed with the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Elite Four and Top Champion, who many argue don’t pose the same challenge as previous iterations. One particular letdown is Top Champion Geeta who, in what should have been a barn burner of a battle, leaves many fans feeling frustrated due to her weak team and questionable strategies.
RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Players Have Idea to Improve Storage Boxes
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Top Champion Geeta’s team consists chronologically of Espathra, Gogoat, Veluza, Avalugg, Kingambit, and her ace, a Glimmora which can terastalize into a pure rock-type. The ordering of Geeta’s team is immediately questionable - Glimmora is an incredible lead due to its ability, Toxic Debris, which scatters toxic spikes on the field when Glimmora is hit with a physical move - so it is odd that Geeta saves it for last. What makes the decision to use Glimmora as an ace even more questionable is the presence of Kingambit on Geeta’s team, which has an incredible ability in Supreme Overlord, which gives it a 10% damage boost to each attacking move for every fainted member of its team and thus a 50% boost when used as an ace. There are several other glaring issues with Geeta’s team, which Reddit user JumblyPloppers addresses.
In addition to making Glimmora a lead and Kimgambit an ace, JumblyPloppers also proposes replacing Gogoat with Arboliva, Veluza with Gholdengo, and Avalugg with Dondozo, which would make Geeta’s team entirely consist of Generation nine Pokemon. While Geeta using older Pokemon is not innately an issue, her choices in Gogoat and Avalugg pose no real threat to the player.
Arboliva and Dondozo are definitely upgrades due to their supportive moves and bulk, and the introduction of Gholdengo, who currently isn’t seen anywhere else in the game, would add a much-needed synergy through it being able to block attempted removals of Glimmora’s Toxic Debris with one of the best abilities in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. While Veluza can be a threat if allowed to use Fillet Away, which raises its Attack, Speed, and Special Attack by two stages, Geeta’s own Veluza does not have this move and is thus neutered as an attacking threat, with Gholdengo being a significantly stronger offensive option.
Through these changes, Geeta’s team would not only make more sense from a design perspective, actually utilizing the signature abilities of Glimmora and Kimgambit, but would also make for a much more difficult boss battle due to her team having better coverage and stats. Though defeating Geeta’s ace, a Rock-Tera Glimmora, is currently a formality, the same would likely not be true for a Tera-Dark Kimgambit with an additional 50% power boost to all moves. With Kimgambit boasting one of the coolest designs in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the games are ultimately doing themselves a disservice by not utilizing it as Geeta’s ace.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE: Why Larry is Subtly The Best Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader
