The best Normal-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, ranked

The Normal type in the Pokémon franchise is meant to represent Pokémon that are, well, normal.

These Pokémon don’t really do anything in specific and aren’t associated with characteristics that the other types possess (unless they are dual-type), but that doesn’t mean that they are subpar in any way. While Normal-type moves are not super effective against anything, Normal types only have one weakness in Fighting while being immune to Ghost-type moves. Normal types have a lot of flexibility and can fill unique niches in a player’s team.

For this list, we will be talking about the 10 best Normal-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, on the basis of their design, lore, and competitive viability.

The 10 best Normal-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, ranked

10) Dudunsparce

We did it, guys. We finally got a Dunsparce evolution. And it looks, um—exactly like Dunsparce.

Oh wait, it’s like, longer. Like a Dunsparce Pro Max. A Dudunsparce, if you will.

Honestly, we’re left speechless by its design. Gamefreak really heard our cries for a Dunsparce evolution and said “make it long,” and then moved on with the rest of the game. Well, they sure have their priorities. 

It is still an evolution, which finally gives it usable stats in battle and a useful signature move in Hyper Drill, so it’s kind of a win in the end.

9) Arboliva

To think the tiny, meek Smoliv evolves into this grand, majestic olive tree—now that’s an amazing character arc.

Arboliva has actually proven itself to be pretty decent in the competitive scene. Yes, its typing is pretty bad, leaving it with five weaknesses, but we always have Terrastalization to fix that issue. Its damage output is actually quite solid, and with a STAB Hyper Voice hitting both the opposing targets, Aboliva can be quite threatening under Trick Room. Terrastalize it into the Normal type to take away weaknesses and boost your spread damage even further.

Arboliva also has some great supportive options such as Encore, Pollen Puff, and Strength Sap, making it quite flexible and unpredictable in battles.

8) Farigiraf

A Girafarig evolution was on the minds of Pokémon fans for a while, and a lot of the concepts that fans and artists had in mind were pretty similar to what the devs ended up with in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and it’s safe to say the design and concept for Farigiraf gets a hell yes from us.

Farigiraf also makes its presence known as a unique Trick Room setter in Gen IX with the ability to stop priority—like Fake Out—and easily set up Trick Room with its good bulk and impressive typing from a defensive standpoint.

7) Indeedee: Female

With the dawn of Generation VIII came Indeedee: Female, the premier Psychic Terrain setter for most of Pokémon Sword and Shield’s metagame, and this trend will most likely continue into Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

That’s because not only is Indeedee-F a Psychic Terrain setter, she also acts as a fantastic support ‘mon, especially for Trick Room teams. The combination of Psychic Terrain blocking Fake Out along with Indeedee’s ability to use Follow Me and let her partner set up Trick Room to snowball the game from there is near unparalleled.

She can even be amazing support for non-Trick Room teams, redirecting attacks to herself to let her teammates set up without fear, and also having the ability to heal her teammate up with Heal Pulse. While she was nerfed in Gen IX by taking away her access to Expanding Force, Indeedee-F was never really used for offensive pressure, so it doesn’t make too much of a difference

6) Ditto

Ditto is probably one of the most unique Pokémon to ever exist, let alone Normal types. Mew has the ability to transform into other Pokémon as well, but it has to click a move for that. 

Ditto is the only Pokémon to get the ability Impostor, letting it transform into the Pokémon opposite it on the battlefield while copying all its moves and stats and stat changes, apart from HP. 

This means that you can use Ditto to copy and punish opponents that decide to set up on you, turning the tides of the game unexpectedly in your favor.

5) Lechonk

Lechonk. That’s it. Do we need to say more?

We don’t, but this little rapscallion deserves celebration.

With a name like Lechonk and a design just as goofy, it has the potential to rival Bidoof in terms of achieving god status in the PokéMeme (yes, we coined that) community. The Pokémon franchise is evolving with the times and this Generation has been filled with a lot more silly and ‘memeable’ Pokémon, which is a welcomed change.

Lechonk is said to have a super strong sense of smell but only uses it to forage for food, which often leads it to feed on the sweet nectar found on Appletun’s back. Well, as long as you’re taking Appletun’s consent, little buddy.

4) Staraptor

Is there an early-game bird Pokémon that’s more epic than Staraptor? Arguably not, it’s too damn badass.

With a daunting glare that can bring opponents to their knees, Staraptor very appropriately carries the ability Intimidate, an amazing ability for competitive VGC that drops both opponents’ Attack by one stage. Couple that with Staraptor’s decent Attack stat, solid Speed, and access to Tailwind to make Staraptor a threat everyone should respect in team preview.

Staraptor also gets access to the move Final Gambit. With a maxed-out HP stat and Speed stat complemented with a Choice Scarf, it can outspeed and take out a lot of the metagame in one hit while sacrificing itself, if its other utilities aren’t needed for the rest of the battle.

3) Cyclizar

At first glance, Cyclizar may seem pretty plain and just a watered-down version of its past and future forms—the mascot Legendaries—but if you take a closer look, it has more depth than you think.

The combination of its ability Regenerator along with Cyclizar’s fast base Speed turns it into an amazing user of the move Shed Tail, being only one of the two Pokémon that get it currently. Shed Tail takes away half of its user’s health to make a half-health substitute pass it on to a partner Pokémon while bringing it in place of Cyclizar on the field, letting it set up without fear or spread immediate damage with a safety net before it.

Cyclizar’s ability Regenerator lets it heal one-third of its health every time it hits the field, which makes it able to use Shed Tail multiple times per battle. Cyclizar fills a unique niche and has a brilliant use case, giving it a top-three spot on this list.

2) Eevee

Eevee is right up there with Pikachu in terms of how iconic it is. It’s incredibly recognizable and one of the most beloved Pokémon to come into the franchise all the way back in Generation I.

Eevee is so popular it got a whole game named after it in Let’s Go, Eevee!—along with Let’s Go, Pikachu!—the second Generation I remakes after Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

In Pokémon Red and Blue, Eevee had three branched evolutions in Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon, which are now commonly dubbed as its Eeveelutions. After the original ones, Eevee continued to get more Eeveelutions as new games came out, with a roster of eight different Eeveelutions currently.

We wouldn’t blame you if you decided to not evolve your Eevee at all, however. It’s adorable enough to warrant keeping it as it is.

1) Maushold

The whole Maushold line is a supremely amusing concept. Its first stage, Tandemaus, begins as two mice that are inseparable besties, who then evolve into Maushold, which is a Pokémon that consists of four mice—two new tiny ones adding to the existing duo. There is a one in 100 chance that your Maushold will end up evolving into a family with only one kid mouse instead of two, however.

The funny part here is Maushold’s PokéDex entry. Whether you got Family of Four or Family of Three, the Dex says that the little one/s “just appeared one day,” and that they all live together like a family, but the relationship between them is still unclear.

Imagine the little mice just walking up to the older pair one day randomly and they all decide to be a family, just like that. Pretty darn funny.

Maushold has also proven itself to be a threatening pick in competitive battles, as either an offensive or support ‘mon. With the combination of Population Bomb, its signature move that can hit up to 10 times, and its ability Technician that boosts Population Bomb’s damage by 50 percent, Maushold can pick up one-hit knockouts with its surprisingly high damage output.

Maushold can also opt to run the Friend Guard ability, turning into an amazing support ‘mon as it reduces the damage its partners take while it’s on the field and can further redirect hits towards itself with the move Follow me. Apart from this, it gets an array of other supportive options like Taunt, Thunder Wave, Charm, Encore, Fake Tears, and so on.

To top it all off, Maushold, as a name, is a top-tier pun. Mixing creativity and functionality, Maushold easily sits at the No. 1 spot on our list.