Earlier this week, the Pokémon Unite Twitter account revealed that storied tank Blissey would be the next playable Pokémon added to the game. Since launch, the developers have already released Gardevoir and offered Zeraora as a redeemable freebie in addition to the game’s launch roster of heavy hitters.
Despite all of the game’s famous faces and powerful ‘mons like Pikachu, Charizard, and Gengar, Unite still feels like it’s missing a little something. Here are five Pokémon we think would be great additions to this MOBA’s lineup.
Aggron
As it stands now, the Unite roster has no Steel types. It also has only one Pokémon that originated in Generation 3: Absol. As representative of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald the Disaster-type Pokémon is, the roster could stand to gain a few more Pokémon from Hoenn.
Aggron, a Rock- and Steel-type ‘mon from Ruby and Sapphire, would be excellent as a melee Defender, as Steel types are generally tanky powerhouses with few weaknesses. (The game needs more Defenders, too.) It also has a big, imposing model that would almost certainly strike fear into the hearts of the opposing team. Aggron’s move set could include attacks like Iron Tail, Protect, and Iron Defense, all of which would allow it to take a few hits on the frontline and protect faster, less-bulky Pokémon like Gengar and Cinderace.
Scizor
In a similar vein to Steel types, Unite is suffering from a distinct lack of Bug types. Scizor, a Bug- and Steel-type, is one of the fastest Pokémon in the base games and has a nasty attack stat to go with it, making it a great choice for a future Speedster Pokémon. With moves like X-Scissor and Slash, Scizor could pack a punch and get out fast.
Scizor evolves from Scyther, a slightly slower but no less imposing Bug -type from Generation 1. Scizor has appeared in other Pokémon spinoff games before, like Pokkén Tournament, so it would make sense for it to appear in another fighting-focused title.
Eevee
One of Unite‘s coolest mechanics is the ability to evolve midbattle. Evolution grants your Pokémon more power and lets you style on the opposing team even more. Who would be more suited to that than Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon? Eevee was the headliner in Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee! and the starter Pokémon in Pokémon XD, so it’s arguably almost as much a figurehead of the franchise as Pikachu is.
While its stats and moves aren’t much to look at initially, the ability to choose to evolve into one of several different Pokémon based on the way a Unite Battle is going would introduce a lot of strategy to the game. (Other Pokémon that have more than one possible evolution could also take advantage of this.) Even letting Eevee evolve into a random form in the middle of battle would be a lot of fun: You’d never know what to expect!
Ditto
Similar to Eevee, Ditto’s stats and moves aren’t worth anything on their own. Its unique quality is that it can transform into an opposing Pokémon on the battlefield, copying its health, type, and moves. Being able to transform into a Pokémon that’s within a given range to Ditto would be a fun, dynamic way to engage in team fights. This ability would likely only last for a certain amount of time, after which Ditto would need to retreat and protect itself from more powerful Pokémon. Beyond the strategy it would add to the game, playing Ditto would also be a great way for new players to learn the moves and abilities of the game’s roster.
Mewtwo
This one might be cheating a little bit, because I don’t think Mewtwo should be a playable character. Instead, Mewtwo would be a great choice for the next nonplayable legendary that appears on the battlefield near the end of a match, like Zapdos does now. Like Scizor, Mewtwo has appeared in Pokkén Tournament as well as Super Smash Bros., meaning that Nintendo knows its power and status as a legendary fighter. Mewtwo’s strong Psychic-type moves would make it a tough foe to face at the end of a match and a powerful ally if you win it over. Unlike most Pokémon, Mewtwo also has a little bit of a backstory as a failed clone of Mew. An event or other special occasion would be a great way to show off Mewtwo’s power.
Based on the rate that Nintendo has been revealing new Pokémon, it’s likely that Unite‘s roster will grow exponentially in the next few months, especially considering the game’s impending mobile release in September. While it’s unlikely that established mechanics will be upended by something like Eevee’s multiple evolutions or Ditto’s transformational abilities, it’s still fun to consider the potential across the seemingly endless number of Pokémon.
