By Joseph Ugarte, Contributing Writer

With the introduction of Regulation Set G, Pokémon Video Game Championship (VGC) Trainers are getting ready for the final leg of the 2024 Championship Series. Regulation Set G will be used for the North America International Championships (NAIC) and the Pokémon World Championships. These regulations permit each competitor to include one restricted special Pokémon on their team, forcing them to make a tough decision in which tough Legendary Pokémon they bring into the fray. The restricted Pokémon competitors choose—and the Pokémon they surround it with—will make all the difference.

In this article, we’ll count down Regulation Set G’s strongest Pokémon out the gate and explain how Trainers can use them to gain an edge over the competition. Whether you’re planning on competing or simply watching the action on Twitch.tv/Pokemon, let this be your guide for which special restricted Pokémon to watch for at upcoming competitions!

Reintroducing White Kyurem, the formidable Dragon- and Ice-type Pokémon originally discovered in Unova! Thanks to new advantages in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, such as the Terastal phenomenon and other mechanical changes, Regulation Set G makes Kyurem a more terrifying threat than ever. As an Ice type, it now gains a 1.5× Defense boost in snowy weather, synergizing well with Pokémon like Alolan Ninetales, which can set up snow and use Aurora Veil with help from its Snow Warning Ability. With both the Defense boost from snow and damage reduction from Aurora Veil, White Kyurem can absorb attacks while delivering powerful blows such as Blizzard, Earth Power, Freeze-Dry, and Fusion Flare. White Kyurem’s Turboblaze Ability also allows it to ignore other Abilities, such as Levitate and Flash Fire.

Kyurem has very powerful tools to confront popular Pokémon like Kyogre, Groudon, Incarnate Forme Landorus, Rillaboom, and Raging Bolt. Ice–Tera Type White Kyurem in particular can output even more Ice-type damage while removing its weakness to Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks, making it a greater threat to the popular Miraidon. Expect to see White Kyurem paired next to strong supportive partners like Incarnate Forme Landorus, Incineroar, and Rillaboom, as they’re able to check threats that White Kyurem is heavily threatened by, such as Zacian, Zamazenta, and Rapid Strike Style Urshifu.

Due to the power of the other contenders on the restricted special Pokémon list, White Kyurem is unlikely to be a super mainstream pick, but it will almost certainly be a relevant anti-meta pick for some competitors throughout Regulation Set G. Trainers might also look to explore White Kyurem’s strength outside of snow teams—potentially on Tailwind teams, as well!

Lunala debuted in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, making a huge splash in the metagame once it could battle in the restricted Pokémon formats of VGC 2019 and Series 12 of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. Lunala is a Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon with an incredible Ability, Shadow Shield, which halves the amount of damage Lunala takes while its HP is full. It also has very well-rounded stats, with respectable bulk paired with a very high Sp. Atk stat and a decent Speed stat, giving it flexibility on the types of teams it can be used on.

Lunala acquired a valuable new tool in Meteor Beam, giving it a reliable option to pressure opposing Incineroar, shifting their interactions in Lunala’s favor. Wide Guard enhances Lunala’s utility, allowing it to block powerful spread moves from many metagame-relevant restricted Pokémon, such as Kyogre, Groudon, Ice Rider Calyrex, Shadow Rider Calyrex, and Terapagos. Additionally, Lunala has access to a powerful Speed control option in Trick Room, which has been a staple for it in previous formats. Lunala is also a great candidate for defensive Terastallizing, using the Fairy Tera Type to resist otherwise catastrophic Dark-type moves such as Knock Off and Wicked Blow.

Lunala synergizes well with Trick Room teams, as it can easily set up Trick Room next to a partner like Amoonguss due to its immunity to Normal-type attacks, meaning it cannot be stopped by a Fake Out if it does not Terastallize. Lunala can also work well with Incineroar, who allows Lunala to maneuver and land big Meteor Beams and Moongeist Beams on its foes, with both having useful type synergy to switch in for each other. While not being a key piece in the current metagame, Lunala will have a valuable role next to slow Trick Room sweepers.

Zacian is returning to the competitive scene in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, but as a less effective version of itself than in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. Not only is Zacian’s Attack stat a little lower than the last time we saw it, its Intrepid Sword Ability has been dulled—instead of Intrepid Sword activating every time Zacian enters the field, it now activates only once per battle, making Zacian far more susceptible to Intimidate spam from Incineroar. However, even with these downsides, Zacian will still likely be a respectable threat due to its very solid Speed, allowing it to pressure most common Pokémon by moving before them.

Zacian gaining Terastallization as an option is a big deal, opening up new defensive capabilities for this Pokémon that otherwise didn’t exist before. It can Terastallize into a Water type to resist Surging Strikes from Urshifu, Water Spout from Kyogre, and Flare Blitz from Incineroar. It could alternately run with Fire as its Tera Type to avoid burns from Incineroar’s Will-O-Wisp, which has been particularly popular in this era of VGC. It might also be one of the few Pokémon who can really utilize the Stellar Tera Type, having three very strong moves of different types (Sacred Sword, Play Rough, and Behemoth Blade) that all could use a small extra boost to compensate for Zacian’s Attack drop this generation.

Zacian will fit in well with team compositions sporting Incineroar, Rillaboom, and Rapid Strike Style Urshifu as their core, as the “FWG” (Fire, Water, Grass) core usually requires the strong Flutter Mane response that Zacian now provides. Double Fake Out can also help enable Zacian to set up Swords Dance, making it a monster threat on the field.

Chien-Pao is also likely to be a phenomenal partner for Zacian, weakening the opponent’s defensive capabilities and allowing Zacian to deal even more damage with its powerful attacks. Chien-Pao exerts a ton of pressure into opposing Incarnate Forme Landorus, one of Zacian’s biggest checks. Zacian would not appreciate Intimidate from Incineroar either, so Chien-Pao’s Sword of Ruin Ability—in combination with Zacian’s own Ability—can help offset the effectiveness of an Intimidate switch-in. Zacian will definitely have a big impact in the metagame, likely being one of the best Pokémon to operate in balanced FWG compositions.

Koraidon is the first special Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet to appear on this list, so its place in regulations with restricted Pokémon is less clear. That being said, Koraidon has plenty of tools to establish its relevancy in the metagame. Its Orichalcum Pulse Ability not only summons harsh sunlight but also gives it a 1.33× Attack boost in that sunlight, much like other Paradox Pokémon that benefit from Protosynthesis.

Controlling the weather is always impactful in restricted formats. Previous formats mainly featured Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza contesting for weather control, so Koraidon’s introduction will almost certainly shift the weather balance in favor of harsh sunlight. Koraidon’s unique typing and moves will greatly differentiate it from Groudon.

Fire is a great Tera Type for Koraidon, flipping its matchups with Pokémon like Zacian and Flutter Mane from negative to positive, pressuring them with Flare Blitz attacks boosted by harsh sunlight and Terastallization. Koraidon can also run a Clear Amulet set that blocks stat drops, allowing it to use Swords Dance without its Attack being lowered by Incineroar’s Intimidate Ability. It also could run Flame Charge on this set, meaning after one Swords Dance it can attack and boost its Speed stat, allowing it to hit first and hit hard into opposing teams. Collision Course, Koraidon’s signature move, gains an extra boost when hitting a target for supereffective damage, making Clear Amulet Koraidon one of the best Incineroar checks in the game.

Koraidon will likely be used next to Flutter Mane, one of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet VGC’s biggest staples. Koraidon provides Flutter Mane with harsh sunlight to gain a Speed or Sp. Atk boost through its Protosynthesis Ability, allowing it to threaten Miraidon along with other relevant Dragon types such as Walking Wake and Raging Bolt. If it’s holding a Clear Amulet, Koraidon also matches up incredibly well into the Incineroar, Rillaboom, and Urshifu core, meaning it could potentially work very well with Pokémon vulnerable to those cores, such as Kingambit. Koraidon’s weather control will definitely make it strong, but it might see less play depending on how the metagame shifts—not only is Koraidon competing with Groudon, another sun setter, but it also needs to be built in a very specific way to maximize its potential.

Miraidon is poised to be a powerful restricted Pokémon in Regulation Set G, utilizing an Ability and signature move that operate similarly to Koraidon’s. Miraidon not only sets up Electric Terrain with its Hadron Engine Ability but also receives a 1.33× Sp. Atk boost while Electric Terrain is active. This means that Miraidon’s impact will be focused more on terrain, operating in a rather unique way compared to other restricted Pokémon. This Ability is also incredibly impactful, as previously there weren’t any good Electric Terrain setters to activate the Quark Drive Ability for other Paradox Pokémon, potentially elevating them into relevance alongside Miraidon.

One of Miraidon’s strongest attributes is its signature attack, Electro Drift, a powerful Electric-type special move that also gains a boost when hitting a target for supereffective damage. The best Miraidon setups capitalize on its powerful offense and high Speed, meaning it’s a great user of Choice Specs to stack another damage boost on top of Hadron Engine. Choice Specs Miraidon can threaten almost any Pokémon with monstrous damage output, doing significant damage even onto the bulkier threats in the metagame. It can also use Life Orb for more flexibility, leaving it capable of using Protect while also still dealing significant damage. Miraidon is an excellent user of the Fairy Tera Type, being able to Terastallize out of its Dragon-type weakness in a format where Dragon types will likely be present on almost every team. This also gives Miraidon a neutral type to withstand powerful moves from Groudon and Ice Rider Calyrex.

Miraidon works really well next to Iron Bundle, a Pokémon that has been held back due to its dependence on Booster Energy in recent regulation sets. Iron Bundle operates incredibly well against a lot of Miraidon’s biggest threats, utilizing Icy Wind to slow down opposing Pokémon so that Miraidon can dispatch them with Draco Meteor or Electro Drift before they can act. This combination helps Miraidon deal with Shadow Rider Calyrex, Chien-Pao, and Incarnate Forme Landorus. Iron Bundle is also guaranteed to outspeed these threats (outside of Tailwind) when its Speed is boosted by Quark Drive, and thanks to Miraidon’s Ability it can gain this boost and also run Focus Sash to help its longevity. Miraidon has to be careful of Pokémon like Rillaboom and Female Indeedee, since they can both make it significantly weaker by changing the terrain. Miraidon also has to watch out for Groudon, Ice Rider Calyrex, and Raging Bolt, as all three sport powerful supereffective moves that can easily remove Miraidon from the field if given an opportunity to attack. Miraidon will definitely have a strong metagame impact, being the only enabler of Paradox Pokémon with Electric Terrain control, which has only gotten more important throughout Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet formats.

Kyogre has been a consistent staple of formats permitting restricted Pokémon, and this is unlikely to change in Regulation Set G. There has been the introduction of a lot more threats to Kyogre, so it will certainly face more obstacles than usual. But the skies aren’t all cloudy for Kyogre—it has gained a lot of new partners that can support it well. Kyogre’s Ability, Drizzle, makes it the best rain setter in the format and allows it to deal big damage with its Water-type moves. Being able to set rain, combined with Kyogre’s very high Sp. Atk stat, makes it a huge force in the metagame.

Kyogre is a great candidate for Terastallizing, particularly when utilizing the Grass Tera Type. Grass–Tera Type Kyogre loses its weakness to Grass- and Electric-type moves while gaining immunity to Sleep Powder and Spore. Kyogre’s most powerful move, Water Spout, allows it to output major damage when combined with rain, pressuring both opposing slots as long as it’s healthy, since the move’s base power is determined by Kyogre’s remaining HP. Origin Pulse is also another strong spread move for Kyogre to utilize, with the drawback of less maximum power and slightly lower accuracy in exchange for working independently of Kyogre’s current HP. Ice Beam is its most popular coverage move, with Thunder sometimes being an option. Calm Mind also gives it a setup option, changing how it impacts certain matchups. The best Kyogre items are usually Mystic Water for more powerful Water-type moves, or Choice Scarf so Kyogre can move first and get a ton of damage off with Water Spout.

Kyogre is an excellent check against Incineroar, Groudon, Incarnate Forme Landorus, and Ice Rider Calyrex, being able to leverage its powerful Water-type moves to deal massive damage and remove them from the board easily. Kyogre mostly struggles with Grass types and Electric types such as Amoonguss, Rillaboom, Miraidon, Wellspring Mask Ogerpon, and Raging Bolt.

For this reason, Kyogre will work well next to Incarnate Forme Landorus and Tornadus, with Incarnate Forme Landorus being able to pressure powerful Earth Power and Sludge Bomb damage into Electric types and Grass types. Tornadus’s Prankster Ability provides excellent support for Kyogre. Prankster allows Tornadus to safely set weather with Rain Dance once Drizzle wears off, while Tailwind can be used to help Kyogre outspeed other restricted threats or help it pop off Water Spout before opponents have a chance to damage it. Kyogre’s Drizzle also guarantees that both Tornadus’s Bleakwind Storm and Incarnate Forme Landorus’s Sandsear Storm will always hit their targets, pressuring through spread move damage spam.

Kyogre is the best rain setter by far, meaning it will have a solid role that can’t be matched by any other Pokémon. You can absolutely expect to see Kyogre take multiple top placements in events, as it will likely become one of the most consistent restricted special Pokémon in the metagame.

Groudon has been a key influence in competitive Pokémon all the way back since its introduction in Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire as a powerhouse Pokémon with an incredibly useful Ability, Drought. Drought allows Groudon to set harsh sunlight when entering the battlefield, which gains even more utility when paired with the Protosynthesis Ability for Paradox Pokémon like Flutter Mane and Raging Bolt.

Groudon is a very strong restricted Pokémon, but it can struggle with a bit of inconsistency due to its primary move, Precipice Blades, having a 15% chance to miss. This drawback causes some Trainers to shy away from using it, as other restricted Pokémon have safer, more accurate spread move options. Regardless of those factors, those who choose to use Groudon are normally rewarded by a very bulky and offensive presence on the field when positioned properly.

Groudon is likely to have Fire as its Tera Type, giving it access to an incredibly powerful Heat Crash. Because of Groudon’s heavy weight, Heat Crash can threaten knockouts on Pokémon like Rillaboom and Amoonguss. Fire–Tera Type Groudon can even catch Pokémon like Incarnate Forme Landorus and Zacian off guard with a surprise knockout if an opposing Trainer switches them in expecting a different attack. Trainers might instead opt for a more defensive Water Tera Type to match up better into Kyogre and Walking Wake. Groudon can also benefit from a Clear Amulet, allowing it to freely set up Swords Dance without fear of losing its boosts to Intimidate. This makes it an even better check against Incineroar and means that Groudon cannot be ignored as much as it could in previous formats, since there is no longer the option of Intimidate and Parting Shot cycling into it.

Groudon is typically best with Pokémon that can utilize the harsh sunlight generated by its Drought Ability. That means you can expect to see Groudon next to partners like Venusaur, Flutter Mane, Walking Wake, and Raging Bolt. These partners all can utilize harsh sunlight to boost their damage and Speed, which can completely swing the course of battles in the sun team’s favor. Groudon struggles most when it’s against Kyogre, Shadow Rider Calyrex, or Ice Rider Calyrex, and can’t Terastallize to resist their primary attacks.

Groudon is a Pokémon for whom positioning is key, and if you aren’t mindful of when you’re switching it in, you can be caught in tricky positions. Groudon will be the premier harsh sunlight setter in the format, likely maintaining its influential role from past seasons. Trainers that prefer less volatility might shy away from this Pokémon, but it is sure to have a lot of usage, and everyone will need to respect it when building their teams.

Breaking into our Top 3, Terapagos was introduced in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. While the introduction of the Stellar Tera Type had very limited applications within competitive play prior to Regulation Set G, Terapagos is the best user of the mechanic by far. For this reason, Terapagos is the restricted Pokémon that is most dependent on receiving its team’s Tera Orb charge every game. Terapagos also has a total of three Abilities, changing as the Pokémon goes through its various forms. Its first Ability, Tera Shift, changes the Pokémon to its Terastal Form immediately on entry into battle. While its Terastal Form is not as adorable as its Normal Form, it does gain the Tera Shell Ability, which ensures that damage-dealing moves will be not very effective when its HP is full.

Upon Terastallizing into the Stellar Tera Type, Terapagos changes into its Stellar Form, increasing its stats to be even bulkier and immediately clearing all weather and field effects. This Ability, Teraform Zero, is extremely useful, since many Pokémon in Regulation Set G depend on their weather-setting or terrain-setting capabilities. Terastallizing also modifies Terapagos’s signature move, Tera Starstorm, so that it hits both opposing Pokémon and is always super effective on Terastallized Pokémon. This is by far one of the strongest moves ever discovered, making Terapagos the premier Stellar Tera Type user.

However, these two factors alone aren’t what make Terapagos a threat in Regulation Set G. It also gets access to Calm Mind, giving it a reliable setup option to make its Tera Starstorm even stronger, and making it harder to remove from the field. Trainers typically give Terapagos the Leftovers item for passive HP recovery that allows it to stay on the field longer. Terapagos will always pair this with Protect, giving it a chance to gain a bit more HP recovery and avoid powerful attacks. It’s last move slot typically alternates between Earth Power and Toxic. Toxic is generally more reliable, as you can utilize it in mirror matches against opposing Terapagos and other set-up Pokémon such as Calm Mind Raging Bolt, letting Toxic Terapagos eventually win the face-off.

You can expect to see Terapagos next to partners that allow it to freely set up Calm Mind, as it will be the centerpiece of its Trainer’s game plans. This makes it a perfect partner to Incineroar and Rillaboom, who in Regulation Set F were Calm Mind Raging Bolt’s best friends, giving it more passive recovery through Grassy Terrain and Fake Out cycling to keep stacking Calm Mind.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to deal with Terapagos, though. Both forms of Urshifu exert heavy pressure on Terapagos, as it is a Normal-type Pokémon. It also loses access to Tera Shell after Terastallizing, making Close Combat incredibly scary even if Terapagos is at full HP. Terapagos also has a very disadvantageous matchup with one of the more niche restricted Pokémon of this regulation set, Zamazenta. This Pokémon has a perfect move set to counter Terapagos, utilizing Wide Guard to block Tera Starstorm as well as the common combo of Iron Defense and Body Press, giving itself access to an extremely powerful damage option against Terapagos. Terapagos also has to be fearful of Mienshao, a Pokémon that hadn’t been utilized in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet prior to Regulation Set G. Mienshao is immune to Intimidate and Fake Out thanks to its Inner Focus Ability, and can run the Fighting Tera Type to power up its Close Combat and knock out Terapagos.

Ice Rider Calyrex was another Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, and it became popular on many Trick Room teams. Ice Rider Calyrex has incredible defensive stats, a good (low) Speed to take advantage of Trick Room, and an Ability that has two effects combined. As One combines Calyrex’s Unnerve Ability, which prevents Pokémon from consuming Berries, with Glastrier’s Chilling Neigh Ability, giving it an Attack boost with every knockout. When you combine these factors with its powerful signature spread move, Glacial Lance, you have a terrifying Trick Room threat that can completely flip a game on its head.

Ice Rider Calyrex is so high on this list because it has benefitted the most from the new addition of the Clear Amulet item in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, making it incredibly hard to stop while Trick Room is active. Ice Rider Calyrex still has to be careful with any Incineroar running Will-O-Wisp, however. That said, being able to freely Swords Dance and boost in front of Incineroar is a crucial change that elevates it from an average pick to a consistently strong option for lots of teams. Ice Rider Calyrex also has access to High Horsepower. With one Attack boost, it can threaten Pokémon that would normally resist its powerful Glacial Lance. As mentioned with White Kyurem, powerful Ice-type spread moves are very strong in a format like Regulation Set G, which expects to house a lot of good targets.

Ice Rider Calyrex will have a big impact, likely being at the forefront of a variety of Trick Room teams in the format. Expect to see partners like Farigiraf and Female Indeedee, which can set Trick Room for Ice Rider Calyrex, block priority moves like Fake Out with their Abilities, and give Ice Rider Calyrex a damage boost with Helping Hand. Ice Rider Calyrex players have to be most fearful of well-played Kyogre, Incineroar with Will-O-Wisp, and Zamazenta, all of whom have useful tools that can counter Ice Rider Calyrex in the right situations. Expect to see it have lots of early success, with Trainers refining it over time!

When you ask competitive Pokémon players which Pokémon will be the strongest Pokémon in Regulation Set G, you’d be hard pressed to find Trainers who won’t give the top spot to Shadow Rider Calyrex. It’s the ultimate restricted special Pokémon, offering amazing offensive and Speed stats, an awesome Ability similar to Ice Rider Calyrex (boosting Sp. Atk instead), and respectable bulk despite being a very offensive Pokémon. However, what makes this Pokémon the best option in the format by far is its no-drawback signature move, Astral Barrage. Astral Barrage is a 100% accurate spread move with a base power of 120. This is similar to Glacial Lance’s base power but is instead a Ghost-type move, making it incredibly strong in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet metagame. What truly sets Shadow Rider Calyrex apart from its counterpart is its lack of dependence on Trick Room, being the fastest meta-relevant Pokémon in Regulation Set G.

If all of these factors weren’t convincing enough as to why Shadow Rider Calyrex should be No. 1 on this list, just look at how it can use Terastallization. Terastallizing opens up a lot of options and sets for Shadow Rider Calyrex. Ghost–Tera Type Calyrex with a Focus Sash can threaten terrifying amounts of damage on the field, completely wiping the opponent’s side if put in the right situation. Typically, the Focus Sash sets will either opt for more supportive secondary moves in Will-O-Wisp and Snarl, or lean into its offensive potential with Expanding Force and Nasty Plot. Shadow Rider Calyrex can still get further boosts from Grim Neigh in combination with this, boosting its Sp. Atk even higher, creating absurd pressure on the board, and singlehandedly taking over games.

Other sets utilizing items like Choice Specs or Life Orb can raise its damage output even more. Fairy–Tera Type Shadow Rider Calyrex can use a powered-up Draining Kiss to hit Dark-type Pokémon for heavy damage after using Nasty Plot, with the added benefit of healing 75% of the damage dealt.

Shadow Rider Calyrex will by far be one of the most flexible restricted Pokémon in the metagame, with its ability to function in a variety of ways. It will likely thrive next to partners like Rapid Strike Style Urshifu and Incarnate Forme Landorus, which can dispatch opposing Dark-type Pokémon such as Incineroar. It has also been seen next to Mienshao, due to Mienshao’s ability to pressure Incineroar with Close Combat while using Inner Focus to avoid Fake Out and Intimidate. Shadow Rider Calyrex is most threatened by Terapagos, which is not only immune to Astral Barrage but can also use Calm Mind to deal with Expanding Force. Terapagos can also use its Teraform Zero Ability to clear Psychic Terrain when Shadow Rider Calyrex is paired with Female Indeedee.

Note that Shadow Rider Calyrex needs to be careful of its counterpart, Ice Rider Calyrex, as it does not have the best bulk and can easily get doubled into with Trick Room. Even so, Shadow Rider Calyrex will be the biggest threat in Regulation Set G by far, but in previous restricted formats, we have seen many talented Trainers find solid and unexplored answers to Pokémon that were incredibly dominant. Keep an eye out for this Pokémon at all the major events—and don’t be surprised if you see it winning a lot!

Keep checking Pokemon.com for information on upcoming events, including the North America International Championships and the Pokémon World Championships. And for more Pokémon VGC strategy and analysis, visit Pokemon.com/Strategy.