Pokémon Sword & Shield - Braviary in the Face of Adversity - Feb 5 22 B
12In the list of Pokémon, I have been indicating which region the Pokémon is based on, such as "Raichu (Kantonian)" versus "Raichu (Alolan)." Well, from here on out, I am going to include all species with Hisuian forms too. No one knows yet, at the time I type this, if they'll become available to use in Pokémon Sword and Shield (and some weird space-time shenanigans would have to happen, but then again, Hisui IS the region associated with Dialga and Palkia), but I'll be ready just in case.
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: おかP (Oka-P)) (012)
Stadium: Hammerlocke Stadium
Music: Leon
My Pokémon: Galvantula, Greedent, Aromatisse
Opponent's Pokémon: Swampert, Braviary (Unovan), ?
As you might have seen in preview videos, trailers, and screenshots for Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Braviary got a Hisuian Form, and so I've decided that starting here, I'll distinguish Pokémon like Braviary between their original designs and their Hisuian Forms, just as I've done with Alolan and Galarian Forms. Hisuian Braviary functions very differently from the original Unovan Braviary (namely that the Hisuian variant is a special attacker), though Unovan Braviary can still put up quite a fight! Both of them are equipped with Sheer Force, an Ability that functions equally well between the physical and special ends of attacking. (As a refresher, Sheer Force causes all moves with a chance of a beneficial effect, such as inflicting a status condition on the target or raising the user's stats, to have 30% more power at the expense of the beneficial effect not occurring.)
Arguably though, Unovan Braviary may still have the edge. Braviary's Hidden Ability is Defiant regardless of if it's Unovan or Hisuian. As the Ability boost physical Attack when any stat is lowered (including physical Attack), it's not as much use on a special attacker than a physical attacker. Granted, Hisuian Braviary's Attack of 83 is not bad, but you'll likely get more mileage out of its Sp. Attack of 112.
Still, what this means is that going forward, I don't expect to see quite as many Hisuian Braviary as I would the original Unovan kind. This match shows that just because this eagle's got a Hisuian Form, it doesn't mean the original form is irrelevant. (The Haxorus Team also happens to have a Pokémon with a Hisuian Form, which will come up in the following video. This one got an evolution too, but I think it's fine as it is.)
(Speaking of which, the two Braviary Forms represent different creatures too. Unovan Braviary is based on the Bald Eagle by virtue of Unova being the first region based on the United States. Hisuian Braviary, on the other hand, is based on the Hokkaido Snow Eagle, which is now extinct due to overhunting, hence why you could find them in the Hisui of the past but not Sinnoh of the present.)
As for the rest of this battle, this is the second time in a row I expect one of a few Pokémon on the opposing team as a front-liner, only to encounter something completely different. My opponent, instead, brought out Swampert. As this one did not deply Stealth Rock, I wasn't certain of its purpose, except possibly to use its bulkiness as a scount and the fact that Swampert is weak only to Grass, a type not immediately present on my team (but Grass-type attacks do exist on here--and it can lead to quite a surprise to some people).
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