Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Regulation H has turned a competitive page

Key points

• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced Regulation H, banning legendaries and updating the competitive meta.
• Regulation H allows for healthier competitive play by emphasizing non-legendary creatures and benefiting newcomers.
• Gen 9 Regulation H offers a fresh start to balanced competitive gameplay, pushing unique strategies.

Pokemon Scarlet and Purple it fundamentally reshaped the landscape of the series in terms of what modern games can entail and what is expected of them, both in terms of new concepts for additional creatures and gameplay features. While it's not guaranteed that all the new ideas from Gen 9 will make it back into Gen 10, Pokemon Scarlet and Purple he made revolutionary changes to the formula that shouldn't go to waste. From converging Pokemon lines to an open world full of creatures and secrets, Pokemon Scarlet and Purple did very well, but a change to compete with the so-called Regulation H should become a staple of the series.

Competitive Pokemon has arguably never been better, with a thriving community heralded by high-profile content creators and players, like Wolfe Glick, and live events with hundreds of participants and thousands of viewers online. Not only that, but the overall balance of the game is in a good place, except for a few problematic Pokemon like Incineroar that dominate the meta. However, Pokemon Scarlet and Purple managed to breathe new life into the competition after a season full of legendaries by introducing Regulation H, which bans a small but significant portion of creatures, including all legendaries.

The list of legal Pokemon in Regulation H includes:

• Pokemon Paldea from numbers 001 to 375 and from 388 to 392 (and all their respective regional forms or cross-gen evolutions)
• Pokemon Kitakami 001 to 196 (and all respective regional forms or cross-gen evolutions)
• Pokemon Blueberry from 001 to 235 (and all respective regional forms or cross-gen evolutions)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Regulation H Explained

What Regulation H does is ban all Pokemon and Paradox Legendaries, including Pokemon Scarlet and PurpleThe treasures of ruin. This may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but legendaries tend to play a huge role in competitive teambuilding when they're legal. Some legendaries are even limited for being too powerful, limiting players to 1 of them per team.

Regulation H will last until January 5, 2025.

Legendaries like Zacian or even Chien-Pao can quickly become a central piece of the puzzle in competitive matches, not to mention a win condition. While this is something normally seen in teambuilding revolving around Legendary Pokemon, it is often the culmination of a new one Pokemon game length, while Gen 9 introduced Regulation H soon after. Having Regulation H ban a good portion of the format's most powerful Pokemon was essentially a fresh start for the meta – and that's not something that happens frequently.

Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Regulation H is a game changer

Most Pokemon games tend to go through different metas over the course of their lifespan, typically starting with the game's Pokedex and then bringing back some other creatures Pokémon House or with DLC, gradually making legendaries legal. Regulation H is not much different from Regulation A in terms of concept, which was in the beginning Pokemon Scarlet and Purple', except that most of the creatures from The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk are now available.

Considering this Pokemon Scarlet and PurpleBlueberry Academy added all the starters to the game, Regulation H was unique in this regard and allowed players to explore the potential of each first partner Pokemon in a meta devoid of legendaries. This goes for many other creatures that wouldn't normally find their place in the meta, while Gen 9 allowed them to shine. Some great OGs Pokemon Scarlet and Purple combos also returned in full force, such as Annihilape and Tandemaus.

Because Regulation H is a great competitive meta

With a meta that isn't strictly about using a limited legendary and as many OP Pokemon as possible, the competitive scene has arguably been healthier than ever. This is also a great ruleset for beginners, as newcomers may not have every Legendary Pokemon in the series, thus being inherently limited in team building. Instead, Regulation H allows you to use all the other creatures available in the Gen 9 Pokedex, giving new players the perfect excuse to start their competitive journey from scratch.