Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s leak season is in full swing, and we’re starting off strong with a full list of Paradox Pokémon included in the game — including ones that haven’t been previously revealed. Credible leakers have referred to Paradox Pokémon several times in the past. Essentially, these are new forms of existing Pokémon from the past and future. Pokémon from the past only appear in Scarlet, and Pokémon from the future only appear in Violet. Here’s a first look at every single one included in the base game!
Ancient Forms (Scarlet)
Ancient forms in this game all share the Ability Protosynthesis, and each one is referred to by a code name of sorts. As mentioned before, these are all exclusive to Pokémon Scarlet! Pokédex images of each form in one image above, so take a look. We’ll cover them from left to right.
- Paradox Donphan. Its real name is Great Tusk, and it’s a Ground/Fighting-type. In this form, its Attack and Defense stats are fairly high at 131 each, while its speed raises to a modest 87. Remember, paradox Pokémon don’t evolve; this means there’s no paradox Phanpy.
- Paradox Volcarona. Its true name is Slither Wing even though it doesn’t seem to be capable of flying. It’s a Bug/Fighting-type. Compared to a regular Volcarona, Slither Wing loses out on Special Attack and Speed in exchange for a base 135 Attack stat. There’s a high chance this form of Volcarona winds up weaker than its other forms.
- Paradox Amoonguss. Its real name is Brute Bonnet, and it’s a Grass/Dark-type just like Meowscarada. Compared to a normal Amoonguss, Brute Bonnet has a much higher Attack stat (127) and slightly higher defenses and Speed. It does lose out on three points in HP, but almost all of its other stats are higher!
- Paradox Jigglypuff. Its code name is Scream Tail. It’s a Fairy/Psychic-type, and its base stats are actually really high for being a Jigglypuff and all. With base 115 HP, base 115 Sp. Defense, and base 111 Speed, Scream Tail looks to be a decent defensive Pokémon. Its offensive stats are still rather low, however.
- Paradox Misdreavus. It’s called Flutter Mane, and it’s a Ghost/Fairy-type Pokémon. Its base stats are significantly higher than Mismagius, too; it’s got base 55 in HP, Attack, and Defense, and then base 135 for the rest. Not too shabby, considering its solid typing!
- Paradox Magneton. Why do its magnets have hair?! Its real name is Sandy Shocks, and as you might expect, it’s an Electric/Ground-type. It’s a bit stronger than a normal Magneton, with base 121 Special Attack and base 101 Speed, but without Magnet Pull it won’t share the same niche.
- Paradox Salamence. Give this thing Dragon Dance and you’ve got an excellent setup sweeper on your hands. Say hello to Roaring Moon, a Dragon/Dark-type Pokémon. With base 105 HP, 139 Attack, and 119 Speed, Roaring Moon is nothing to laugh at.
It’s important to note that the term “Paradox Pokémon” is not an official one. That is to say, they’re never referred to as such in-game. They’re simply referred to under the code names we provided for each one. For example, Great Tusk isn’t called “Paradox Donphan” in the story, it’s simply called Great Tusk.
Future Forms (Violet)
Future forms of Pokémon that appear in Violet are all called “Iron something“, as you’ll soon learn. Those are their real names, much like the ones we listed for the ancient forms in the previous section. Here’s everything you can expect to see if you choose to play Violet. Same as before, we’ll cover each Paradox form from left to right according to the image above. By the way, all of these Pokémon share an Ability called Quark Drive.
- Paradox Donphan. That’s right — Donphan has two Paradox forms, for some reason. One per game. This one is Iron Treads, and it’s a Ground/Steel-type. A fast one at that, too! With 106 Speed and a decent 112 base Attack, Iron Treads might make itself out to be a decent threat in lower tiers.
- Paradox Volcarona. It’s called Iron Moth, and it’s a Fire/Poison-type. The typing will likely hold it back a bit thanks to its numerous weaknesses, but it does have base 140 Special Attack and base 110 Speed to take the sting out of things. As long as this still has Quiver Dance, it’ll be a fine Pokémon.
- Paradox Gardevoir / Gallade. If you look closely, you’ll see Gallade’s legs and then Gardevoir’s dress covering them. It looks to be a mix of both, and takes on a Fairy/Fighting-typing! Its real name is Iron Valiant, and it has excellent offensive stats. 130 Attack, 120 Special Attack, and 116 Speed? That’s comparable to Mega Gallade!
- Paradox Hariyama. This one’s code name is Iron Hands, and it’s a Fighting/Electric-type. It’s got a huge HP stat of 154, as well as a solid base 140 Attack. The rest of its stats are nothing special, but maybe you could use it on Trick Room or something?
- Paradox Delibird. This thing has no right to have the stat spread it does. 124 Special Attack and 136 Speed is not what you’d expect a Delibird to have. It’s Ice/Water-type, and its real name is Iron Bundle.
- Paradox Hydreigon. This one is Iron Jugulis, and becomes a Dark/Flying-type. Its base stats are slightly lower than what you’d expect, with only a good 122 Special Attack and a respectable base 108 Speed. It’s slightly faster than a normal Hydreigon and has very slightly more bulk, but it’s also a bit weaker.
- Paradox Tyranitar. Unfortunately, the only shot available right now is from the back. But you can tell it looks kind of like the Mecha Tyranitar from Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. How neat! It’s called Iron Thorns and becomes a Rock/Electric-type. No more quadruple weakness to Fighting! Its stats resemble a normal Tyranitar’s, but with slightly less Special Defense and slightly more Speed.
That’s about all we’ve got, then! Leakers have stated that Paradox forms of Virizion and Suicune are coming via DLC (not announced at the time of writing, but it’s safe to assume it’ll be coming sooner or later). Our coverage of Scarlet and Violet is just beginning, and all of it will be accessible via our Pokémon guides section (linked below) and on our Discord server. See you there!
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