Pokemon Scarlet and Violetmay be done with new content ahead ofPokemonGen 10’s release, which according to rumors may occur in 2026 for the franchise’s 30th anniversary, but Gen 9 did showcase what the series needs in terms of new and existing critters. Some Pokemon from older generations were reintroduced in Gen 9 and found their time in the limelight thanks to changes to their move pools, for the most part, with new moves being added to their kits to make them more viable. Yet, there are other critters that are now mostly overshadowed by others thanks to their Abilities and overall kits, and aGen 1Pokemonmove in particular stands out as outdated.
Not every single Pokemon needs to be competitively viable, and the same holds true for moves and Abilities, but some of them may need a little help to see regular play usage in the first place. For example,Pokemon Scarlet and Violetgave Sceptile Shed Tail, the signature move of Cyclizar, and that alone made for much more interesting gameplay for the Gen 3 starter. Still, the bigger issue is that there are somePokemonmoves that would need to be updated to current standards, and that includes Gen 1’s Hyper Beam and all of its “clones.”
How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Broke a Big Tradition With Two Moves
Why Pokemon’s Hyper Beam is One of The Worst Moves in The Game
Back in Gen 1 games, Hyper Beam was one of thestrongestPokemonmovesthanks to its whopping 150 BP (or Base Power), which was capable of dishing out incredible damage. It does have drawbacks, though, namely the fact that it has 90% base accuracy and that the Pokemon using it can’t perform any actions on the next turn. The drawbacks are pretty severe, but it made sense to have some given the sheer power of the move and its clones, which include:
The main problem with Hyper Beam in its current form is thatPokemon Scarlet and Violetintroduced new moves that make it even more outdated than it already was. In the past, other moves came out with high Base Power and less severe drawbacks compared to Hyper Beam, but Gen 9 added Pokemon like Tinkaton and thenBloodmoon Ursaluna in The Teal Maskthat each have a very powerful move that’s not as punishing as Hyper Beam. Namely, these moves are Tinkaton’s Gigaton Hammer and Bloodmoon Ursaluna’s Blood Moon.
How Pokemon Gen 10 Should Buff or Change Hyper Beam
As it stands, these are the signature moves of these two pocket monsters, but they set a precedent forPokemon’s Hyper Beamand its clones to be reworked. This is because both Gigaton Hammer and Blood Moon have minimal drawbacks compared to Hyper Beam, as they have 100% base accuracy and 160 BP or 140 BP respectively. More importantly, they don’t require the attacking Pokemon to miss a turn after the attack, but rather these two moves cannot be used two times in a row. This is arguably a much less imposing disadvantage, as the Pokemon can simply use a different move, be it a supporting move, a defensive move, or even an attack.
Fun facts: In Generations 1 through 3, Hyper Beam was a physical move, but it was later changed to special. More importantly, in Gen 1 Pokemon games, Hyper Beam didn’t require the user to wait a turn to recharge if it knocked out an opposing critter, making it much stronger than it is now.
What follows is thatPokemonGen 10 gamesshould improve Hyper Beam and similar moves to finally stop requiring the attacker to miss a turn, especially since their Base Power is no longer incredibly high, and they can even fail with 90% base accuracy. Bringing these moves in line with Gigaton Hammer and Blood Moon would only be fair, and it’s something Gen 10 should at least address with a buff or a tweak. Hyper Beam and similar moves may even remain in their current state, but if that is the case, their Base Power should be even higher and they shouldn’t be able to miss. Better yet, they could be made another form of “unavoidable” damage by making them bypass Protect.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
WHERE TO PLAY
The school that you’ve enrolled in as you playPokémon ScarletandPokémon Violethosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is “A Treasure Hunt.” Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.
