One of the most iconic Pokemon of all time is quietly munching on the Meta of Pokemon Champions

Pokemon Champions is in a strange place, almost three weeks after its release, and it has to do with the creatures that are currently available as well as the items that can be used. This is because the meta is full of low power options, making a few Pokemon much better than others because their power is higher. And yet, many non-meta Pokémon that would never stand a chance in regular VGCs from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet eras are now appearing and being used more as specialized main threat counters Pokemon Champions. The best Pokemon in the game include the usual suspects like Incineroar, Kingambit, Farigiraf, Whimsicott and Venusaur, but one stands out – Garchomp.

It's no secret that Garchomp is one of the most iconic Pokémon of all time, to the point that it has become a fan favorite over the years and is listed as one of the strongest aces ever, having been used on Cynthia's team in Pokemon Gen 4 games. Garchomp is also one of the best ground type pokemon ever and learns some fantastic moves like earthquake, rock slide, dragon claw, iron head, crunch, sword dance and stone edge. And yet, despite having a Mega Evolution, Garchomp is used in all kinds of teams without being the real star of the show, all while carrying a lot of games on his back.

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Why Garchomp is better than Mega Garchomp in Pokemon Champions

One of the things to consider when building a team for dual battles Pokemon Champions is that technically you can even have six Mega Evolutions, but you can only use one of them per game. It follows that all Megas on a team should have an impact, so most teams use either one or two, with the option for two being especially useful when the first Mega has a bad matchup against popular picks. Because of this, Mega Garchomp sees very little, if any, play.

Choosing Mega Evolution is a matter of opportunity cost. If using a regular Garchomp with a Strus Berry, White Herb, or Choice Scarf can lead to the same or even better results than using a Mega Garchomp, there is little reason to do so. It follows that you have to look at the current meta to see if Mega Garchomp is worth the Mega Evolution slot and if it's enough to compete with the best Pokémon in Pokemon Championsand the answer is no for several reasons.

Garchomp has a base speed of 102, which isn't enough to make it one of the fastest Pokemon ever or even in this game, but it's enough to beat some powerful creatures that Mega Garchomp wouldn't be able to with a base speed of 92:
- Mega Glimmora (base speed 101)
- Charizard, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Dragonite, Typhlosion, Mega Gardevoir and Volcarona (base speed 100)
- Hydreigon (base speed 98)
- Mimikyu (base speed 96)
- Arcanine and Hisuian Typhlosion (base speed 95)
Garchomp also has Speed tie s Pokemon ChampionsBest Mega Evolution, Floette. This allows Garchomp with Choice Scarf to always outrun Mega Floette since he can't hold an item other than Floettite, which in turn means Garchomp can attack before being damaged or KO'd by Floette.
Garchomp has a Rough Skin ability that is very good at dealing token damage to opponents who attack him and breaking their Focus Sash if they have one. For example, Pokemon ChampionsSneasler is often used with White Herb to instantly summon Unburden with Close Combat, while attacking Garchomp would break his Focus Sash without ever benefiting from Unburden.
Garchomp's other ability is Sand Veil, which is less useful in the current meta. When used in sand teams v Pokemon ChampionsSand Veil can be amazing in defense against Garchomp.
Mega Garchomp's ability is Sand Force, which increases the power of Rock, Ground, and Steel moves while the user is in a sandstorm. The problem is that the solar teams Pokemon Champions they're all over the place, using Mega Charizard Y, and the same goes for snow teams with Mega Froslas and rain teams with Pelipper. The inability to reliably control the weather means that Mega Garchomp will sometimes find itself without the ability.

For all these reasons, Garchomp is the better choice over Mega Garchomp in virtually any scenario. Sitrus Berry gives it more durability, Choice Scarf makes it superior to many strong non-scarf pokemon and even some scarf users, White Herb counters Incineroar in Pokemon Champions by not getting the Attack stat drop and his base speed of 102 is much better than Mega Garchomp's 92.

What items to use on Garchomp in Pokemon Champions

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Easy (15s) Medium (10s) Hard (5s) Permadeath (5s)

One could even give Garchomp a Roseli Berry or a Yache Berry to reduce the damage of incoming Fairy and Ice attacks, respectively, which would make the Dragon/Ground Pokémon have more stamina. Without the scarf, but with maximum investment in speed and cheerful nature, Garchomp can be one of the best partners for Aerodactyl in Pokemon Championsas the latter sets up Tailwind with ease, allowing the former to outmaneuver most threats and spam Rock Slide for massive damage and potential flinch.

Pokemon Legends: ZA Ranked Mega Garchomp

So it's probably not surprising to see Garchomp at the top of the meta, but it's interesting that in a Mega Evolution-only format, it's ultimately better without him. Things can change someday Pokemon Legends: ZAHowever, Mega Garchomp Z is added to the game as it is a pure dragon type Pokemon with 151 base speed and is a special attacker instead. Until then, however, Garchompite may be more of a collector's item Pokemon Champions than a useful thing.