Forget Amoonguss, this underrated Pokémon just won a huge Scarlet and Violet tournament

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Regulation C metagame has been dominated by a specific balance core consisting of Palafin, Arcanine, Flutter Mane, and Amoonguss, but the new Portland Regionals champion had other plans for his team. Instead of using what’s been working in the format, Joseph Ugarte piloted a strong sun team with Kingambit, Torkoal, Flutter Mane, Great Tusk, Chien-Pao, and one very unlikely star—Jumpluff.

Unlike the Treasures of Ruin and Paradox Pokémon that have been so prevalent these days, Jumpluff is a Pokémon we’ve rarely seen at major Scarlet and Violet tournaments.

Interestingly enough, Joseph and fellow veteran player Alberto Lara both acknowledged the underrated strength of the Gen II Grass/Flying Pokémon in their interviews with Dot Esports back at the Europe International Championships. One month later, Joseph won Portland Regionals with that exact Pokémon.

But what makes Jumpluff so viable now? And how does it compare to Amoonguss, the most popular Grass type in the meta?

Why Jumpluff is so good in Scarlet and Violet meta

Thanks to its Chlorophyll Ability, Jumpluff works specifically well on sun teams with Torkoal. Chlorophyll doubles the user’s Speed stat while the sun is up, making Jumpluff a much faster support ‘mon than Amoonguss. If Sleep Powder hits its target, Jumpluff can immediately shut down one of the two threats before they have a chance to attack. Sleep Powder may not be 100 percent accurate like Amoonguss’ Spore, but Jumpluff’s Speed is worth the trade. Adding Tailwind into the mix will make it one of the fastest Pokémon around.

In addition to Sleep Powder, Joseph’s Jumpluff was also running Encore, which locks the target into the last move they used for three turns. This move is extremely useful because it gives the opponent fewer options to work with. It discourages them from using Protect, it can pressure them into switching out, and it can make it easier to predict their next move.

Another perk of running Jumpluff is its typing. Being part Flying type, the Gen II ‘mon is completely immune to strong Ground-type attacks like Great Tusk’s Earthquake and Headlong Rush. This is especially important, considering Joseph was using a Great Tusk of his own. In game three of the Portland Regionals finals, Joseph led with Jumpluff and Great Tusk and was free to use Earthquake against Zishuo Ding’s Glimmora and Chi-Yu for super-effective damage. Glimmora was immediately knocked out, and Chi-Yu was brought down to its Focus Sash. Thanks to Jumpluff’s Flying typing, it didn’t have to worry about being hit by its ally’s Earthquake.

Joseph’s huge win with Jumpluff and his sun team is proof you don’t need to rely on the popular Amoonguss or Palafin to succeed in Regulation C. Pokémon experts have been concerned about the state of the game with the Palafin core dominating, but this seems to be a step in the right direction when it comes to more creative teams that can counter that core.

Meanwhile, Joseph is having a fantastic VGC season, making it to the finals of the past three regionals and winning this most recent one. His strong performance and consistency make him a top contender for the World Championships in Japan later this year.