From Orlando Regionals to Europe Internationals, the dolphin hero Palafin seemed like the Pokémon to beat at every major Scarlet and Violet tournament.
It even became the leader of the famous “Palafin balance” core with Flutter Mane, Amoonguss, and Arcanine. That core completely dominated EUIC with champion Paul Chua demonstrating just how strong Palafin can be, hero or not. At Portland Regionals, however, the poor dolphin started to show signs of weakness.
Palafin’s usage dropped from 36.8 percent at EUIC to 22.8 percent in Portland on day one of both tournaments. Its stats for day two were even worse—Palafin went from being the third most-used Pokémon at EUIC to being completely kicked out of the top 12 Pokémon in Portland in a short timeframe. Two players still managed to take Palafin to the top 8, but they both got cut just before the semifinals.
This sudden decline comes after players expressed concerns about Palafin’s dominance. Back at EUIC, Pokémon experts discussed how hard it was to find a counter for the Palafin core, but it seems they came to Portland with answers for the dolphin and its friends.
For example, more players like Joseph Ugarte and Nick Navarre opted to use weather teams. Sun teams, such as Joseph’s winning Jumpluff team, are perfect for weakening Palafin’s Water-type attacks. Meanwhile, Nick ran a snow team with Abomasnow and Iron Bundle. Abomasnow could quickly set up the snow and Aurora Veil to beef up defenses, while Iron Bundle could hit Palafin with Freeze-Dry for super-effective damage.
Another player who made it to day two, Randy Kwa, revealed all six of his Pokémon had the Water Tera Type. Randy said it started out as “a joke,” but it ended up working out well for him through the tournament. After all, the Water Tera Type allows Pokémon to resist Palafin’s powerful Water attacks, Wave Crash and Jet Punch.
With Palafin’s drop in usage, we’re seeing other Water-type Pokémon reemerge from the shadows to replace it. Iron Bundle, who’s had its ups and downs throughout the season, is making a huge comeback with 53.7 percent of players bringing it on day two in Portland. The infamous Dondozo and Tatsugiri duo is also starting to see more play again.
If anything, Palafin’s fall from grace is a sign the meta is still changing despite initial concerns. Who knows; the dolphin might rise again at the next big tournament. But for now, players can develop new strategies and teams to get one step ahead of the meta.
