GamesAdventurePokemonPokemon Scarlet and Violet18 years after Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, everyone is still adding Lucario and Garchomp to their parties as Scarlet and Violet player stats reveal the most popular team membersWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAdventurePokemonPokemon Scarlet and Violet18 years after Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, everyone is still adding Lucario and Garchomp to their parties as Scarlet and Violet player stats reveal the most popular team membersWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Two years on from their release,The Pokemon Companyhas released some fun stats aboutPokemon Scarlet and Violetand their most popular ‘mons, and two of them don’t seem to have changed at all in the last 18 years.
Open world RPGs Scarlet and Violet were unique games, as players were given more freedom than ever to explore the Paldea region in any order they wanted, so it was easier to build your perfect team right away. With over 100 totally new Pokemon added to the mix, you might expect most teams to be made up of the Paldean newbies, but according to these stats, lots of people were falling back on old favorites.
Let’s take ourselves back to the 2006/2007 Diamond and Pearl era. A simpler time for Pokemon, with 493 critters to catch, Wi-Fi battles and trading introduced, and the best part of all, the Poffin-making mini game (I jest, but it was very fun). A new generation meant lots of new Pokemon, but I’m confident that most teams from this era looked about the same. Take your starter Pokemon, a Luxray, Staraptor, Lucario, Garchomp, and maybe the mascot Legendary for good measure, and you’ve crafted yourself a fine party. I’d beamazedif any Sinnoh fans have ever made their way through the region without using at least a few of those at least once.
pic.twitter.com/VDNRiPLWPwNovember 18, 2024
pic.twitter.com/VDNRiPLWPwNovember 18, 2024
Then again, the same could be said about Gyarados, who’s also made the list. Not only has this big ol’ fella been around since the first generation, but it’s also been available in every single mainline game from then on, although admittedly not until the postgame in Black, White and their sequels. That’s over28 yearsof opportunities to use one. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I guess.
Of course, the main thing about any Pokemon team should be using your favorites, so it’s no crime to fall back on the old reliable ones. And to be honest, as someone who’ll never accept that any region has ever bested Sinnoh, I can wholeheartedly respect it.
Be sure to check out our ranking of thebest Pokemon games, or find even more to play in our roundup ofgames like Pokemon.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”