Introduction
Thanks to the PokeMiners, we’ve now got potential numbers for Victini’s signature move, V-Create! Given how close we are to GoFest, it’s safe to assume that these will be the final numbers. So, how’s it look?
The Move
V-Create: 95 Power, 40 Energy, 100% chance of -3 Defense
So, basically, take Close Combat, make it 5 energy cheaper and 5 power weaker, and then amp up the defense decrease from -2 to -3. That’s….pretty good. Incredibly good, actually. Better DPE (damage per energy) than Overheat (which currently has the best DPE in the game).
Like with Close Combat (and its zappier clone, Wild Charge), the optimal strategy is likely to be “build up enough energy to land 2, fire them both off, and switch”. This allows you to make full use of the move’s stats, without having to deal with the -defense downside.
So, the move itself is good. But how is it in the context of Victini, where it actually matters?
The Mon
Victini isn’t super bulky, but it’s not exactly squishy either. In general, it’s about as bulky as Venusuar, which means it can reasonably take one solid neutral hit.
Odds are, Victini will end up running a set of Confusion + V-Create and Psychic. Confusion’s just overall better than Quick Attack, and Focus Blast is too expensive. V-Create/Psychic, then, gives a solid double-STAB set with reasonable baiting power and one fantastically hard-hitting nuke.
Notably, if you don’t want to go for the back-to-back V-Creates, V-Create as a 40 energy move is a significant improvement over the prior Overheat/Psychic set. To reach the first Psychic to bait, you need 5 Confusions, and then to reach Overheat after that is another 5 Confusions. That’s a total of 40 turns, or 20 seconds. Switching Overheat out to V-Create, though, you get a really solid boost! Getting to V-Create after a Psychic bait only takes 3 Confusions, a solid 8 turn/4 second speed-up!
In terms of the back-to-back V-Create playstyle instead, it’s...interesting. Victini isn’t exactly bulky, and Confusion’s 3 Energy Per Turn isn’t exactly fast. This means reaching the requisite 80 energy consistently won’t be easy, and that might be a bit tough for Victini.
That said, having Confusion is often good enough on its own. The move basically gives free wins against Toxicroak, Venusaur, and Haunter, all pretty relevant Pokémon! That’s not unique to Victini, it’s just nice in general.
The Meta
How does Victini fit into the current meta, with its Confusion + V-Create and Psychic moveset? Let’s take a look!
Great League
Victini is probably a perfectly fine pick for Great League. Grass is relatively common, as is Steel, so being able to effectively answer them is pretty nice. However, there are a lot of very common Pokémon that will make Victini’s life difficult. Azumarill, Altaria, Umbreon, Alolan Marowak, Deoxys-Defense, Bastiodon, Sableye, Whiscash, and Swampert all have pretty safe wins against the Victory Pokémon. That’s a lot of things you’ll have to cover if you want to include Victini on your team, and that’s kinda scary.
Ultra League
As a very effective check to Charmers, Poliwrath, Venusaur, Gengar, and Registeel, Victini’s pretty happy in Ultra League. However, there are a few common Pokémon that Victini struggles against as well. Much like in Great League, Victini can’t handle Water-types or Dark-types, so Alolan Muk, Obstagoon, Empoleon, Swampert, and Lapras are all big problems. Giratina-Altered is a real threat as well, getting shredded by both Shadow Claw and Dragon Breath variants. Of course, as a Psychic-type, you’re not happy to run into Giratina-Origin either, who wins easily just going straight Ominous Wind!
Master League
This ain’t it, dude. Victini maxes out at 3,265 CP, which is already not ideal for Master League. But beyond that, Victini’s got some pretty rough meta issues as well. In a format defined so heavily by dragons, and especially the Dialga/Kyogre core, it’s hard out here for a Fire-type, or a mon dealing Fire-type damage. Sure, you beat Conkeldurr, Machamp, and Togekiss, but...that’s kinda it? You lose to the Giratinas, Dialga, Palkia, Zekrom, Groudon, Garchomp…it’s just not worth it.
Conclusion
V-Create: is it good? Yes! Is it busted? Nah. Is it busted enough to make Victini overpowered? Definitely not.
Victini: is it good? Eh. Is it usable? Probably! On a scale of the basic Mythicals, it’s probably better than Celebi, but worse than Mew and Jirachi. I don’t think it’s worth rushing to use your Rare Candy on this one, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Just limited.
Super cute, though.
