Shiny Pokemon are usually just a rare aesthetic anomaly, but they’re a novelty Pokemon scarlet And Violet can have a competitive advantage if you use a shiny variant: Tatsugiri.
The combination of Dragon and Water-type Pokémon has already made waves on the competitive scene for its compatibility with Dondozo in double battles. Tatsugiri is able to jump into Dondozo’s mouth and give him a stat boost. There aren’t many examples of specific Pokemon having contextual interactions with their battle partner, so, as a cool gimmick, Tatsugiri and Dondozo have become quite a notable competitive team since their debut Scarlet fever
Tatsugiri has three forms: its curly form, its hanging form, and its stretchy form. Each form gives Dondozo a different stat boost, and the easiest way to tell which form you’re using is by its color. Having a Shiny Tatsugiri makes things a bit trickier because not only are these colors different than their original, the Shiny Droopy shape is very close in color to the standard curl shape. Wolfey suggests that proximity in color is a fallacious advantage in and of itself, as it may make it harder for the opponent to tell one shape from the other.
The only glaring flaw in this strategy is that Shiny Pokémon have stars that appear around them when they’re sent onto the field, which would signal an opponent that they’re dealing with a Shiny variant. This can mess up strategy, although these are less noticeable in 2v2 fights when the camera isn’t focusing on Tatsugiri when sending. The strategy relies on either your opponent’s ignorance or lack of awareness, but it’s an interesting idea nonetheless.
Why using this shiny Pokemon is actually optimal
Countering Tatsugiri and Dondozo is all about knowing what reinforcements to expect and adjusting your plan accordingly. When Dondozo gains an attack boost, having a strong physical defender would be ideal. When it gets a defense boost, having a stronger special attacker that can completely bypass the surge is the way to go. Dondozo can be a powerhouse with the right composition, but preparing for what Tatsugiri boosts is how you keep it from wiping out your team. A shiny Tatsugiri might not fool every player, but it’s an interesting wrinkle in the Pokémon’s competitive career that’s been fun ever since Scarlet fever And Violet‘s launch.
