Is Dragonite Banned?
Dragonite, along with Tyranitar and Heatran, was initially banned in the 2008 Video Game Showdown due to the tournament’s rules, where Pokémon were not auto-leveled to 50, and anything above level 50 was not allowed to participate. The ban on these powerful Pokémon was a measure to ensure a more balanced and competitive environment in the tournament.
Understanding the Ban
To understand why Dragonite and other Pokémon are banned, it’s essential to delve into the world of competitive Pokémon battling, where balance and fairness are crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
- What Pokémon are banned from competitive play in Scarlet and Violet? Recent bans include Palafin, Iron Bundle, Flutter Mane, Houndstone, Miraidon, and Koraidon, which have been moved to the Ubers tier due to their overwhelming power.
- Why are some Pokémon banned? Pokémon are banned when they are considered too overpowered or can create an unfair advantage in battles, such as Mega Gengar with its ability to faint opponents within three turns while saving itself.
- Is shiny Greninja banned? Yes, shiny Greninja was banned during the OR/AS meta for being too over-centralizing and having moves that allowed it to bypass its checks.
Pokémon-Specific Questions
- Why is Togekiss banned in some tournaments? Togekiss is banned in some instances due to its reliable support capabilities and the frustration of dealing with its Serene Grace ability.
- What happened to Porygon? Porygon and its evolutions, Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, are banned from the anime due to an episode that caused epilepsy seizures in children.
- Is Deoxys banned? Deoxys is often banned due to its exceptional strength in some forms, making it difficult to manage in competitive battles.
- Why was Delibird banned? Delibird was banned because of its exceptional offensive abilities that are too hard to defend against.
Game and Tournament Questions
- Why did Pokémon Scarlet and Violet receive criticism? Pokémon Scarlet and Violet faced criticism for performance issues, rendering limitations, and some design choices that felt odd in the series’ transition to an open-world setting.
- Is Pokémon Violet more popular than Scarlet? Pokémon Violet accounted for 52% of sales, while Scarlet accounted for 42%, indicating a slight preference for Violet.
- Which is better, Sword or Violet? Scarlet & Violet are considered better than Sword & Shield due to gameplay improvements that enhance the overall enjoyability of the games.
Banning and Penalties
- What happens if a Pokémon is used illegally? Using an illegal Pokémon in matched battles or trades might result in a temporary ban, while using them in official tournaments could lead to a permanent ban.
- Is Shaymin banned? Shaymin-S was unanimously banned from the OU tier, highlighting its significant impact on competitive battles.
- Why was Misty’s Tears banned? Misty’s Tears was banned due to its depiction of Misty in a nude state in the Japanese version, which was deemed inappropriate.
- Is Milotic banned in the TCG? The Milotic card from XY was banned in the Pokémon TCG due to its Energy Grace Ability creating overpowered combinations.
- Why was Darkrai banned? Darkrai was banned because its signature move, Dark Void, is broken at a competitive level, making battles pointless and boring when Smeargle learns this move.