One change could take Scarlet and Violet’s Paradox Pokémon to a whole new level

The Paradox Pokémon of Scarlet and Violet are already strong by default, and fans believe a few of them could have been even bigger threats if they were given the same abilities as the original Pokémon they resemble.

As Scarlet and Violet players already know, every Paradox Pokémon is stuck with Protosynthesis or Quark Drive as their ability. Both abilities boost the Paradox Pokémon’s highest stat with the Booster Energy item or under certain battle conditions—harsh sunlight for Protosynthesis or Electric Terrain for Quark Drive.

Some of the best Pokémon in the competitive meta—Flutter Mane, Iron Bundle, and Great Tusk—are commonly seen taking advantage of their ability boosts. Whether it boosts their speed or offense, that can often be the difference between getting the KO or not.

Others, however, would be better off with different abilities. To narrow down the ability pool, one player suggested giving each Paradox Pokémon the abilities of the original ‘mon they’re based on.

For example, Sandy Shocks is clearly related to Magneton, who has access to the abilities Sturdy, Analytic, or Magnet Pull. If Sandy Shocks had Magnet Pull, players argue it would become one of the best Pokémon. Magnet Pull not only prevents popular Steel types like Kingambit from switching out but also any Pokémon that might Terastallize into the Steel Tera Type. With Steel being a very strong and common defensive Tera Type, Sandy Shocks would be able to trap a lot of foes in and hit them with Earth Power for super-effective damage.

Related: All Paradox Pokémon locations, types, and more in Scarlet and Violet

Likewise, Iron Thorns would benefit from Tyranitar’s Sand Stream ability. In the sand, Iron Thorns would get a 50 percent Special Defense boost to make it bulkier while slowly chipping away at the HP of non-Rock-type foes. It would also give you some form of weather control against sun, rain, or snow teams. Iron Thorns isn’t a particularly popular Pokémon, but Sand Stream would make it a lot more viable for anyone looking to run a sand team.

On the other hand, a few Paradox Pokémon would really hate to swap out their ability for something else. The best examples are Iron Jugulis and Walking Wake. As a relative of Hydreigon, Iron Jugulis would be forced to have Levitate, making it immune to Ground attacks. This would be great, but Iron Jugulis is a Flying type that already can’t be touched by Ground moves. Meanwhile, Walking Wake would be stuck with Suicine’s Pressure, a very underwhelming ability that pales in comparison to Protosynthesis.

While it’s possible Paradox Pokémon may gain alternative abilities in the future, they’re stuck with Protosynthesis and Quark Drive for now whether they like it or not.