Here is my report for the June 2023 Pokémon usage numbers for Ranked Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, single battles. This was the last month of Regulation C, which allowed only Pokémon with a Paldea Pokédex entry, with the exceptions of Koraidon and Miraidon. Hence, they'd be the same as the April and May groups of eligible Pokémon. I expect things will change once I look at the numbers next month, when I'll see Regulation D results. But for now, here's how things went last month for single battling:
1. Dragonite (±0)
2. Flutter Mane (+1)
3. Gholdengo (-1)
4. Chien-Pao (±0)
5. Ting-Lu (±0)
6. Chi-Yu (+4)
7. Iron Bundle (±0)
8. Mimikyu (-2)
9. Rotom (W) (±0)
10. Dondozo (+2)
11. Iron Moth (-3)
12. Scizor (+2)
13. Baxcalibur (-2)
14. Garganacl (+1)
15. Annihilape (-2)
16. Garchomp (+2)
17. Volcarona (±0)
18. Breloom (+4)
19. Meowscarada (+2)
20. Iron Hands (±0)
21. Wo-Chien (-5)
22. Azumarill (-3)
23. Great Tusk (±0)
24. Corviknight (+1)
25. Glimmora (+1)
26. Magnezone (+1)
27. Palafin (+1)
28. Dragapult (+1)
29. Clodsire (-5)
30. Kingambit (±0)
31. Amoonguss (+9)
32. Skeledirge (±0)
33. Ceruledge (+1)
34. Hippowdon (-3)
35. Sylveon (-2)
36. Toxapex (+2)
37. Iron Valiant (-1)
38. Tinkaton (-1)
39. Arcanine (-4)
40. Roaring Moon (-1)
41. Quaquaval (+2)
42. Gyarados (+4)
43. Gardevoir (-1)
44. Hydreigon (±0)
45. Tyranitar (+4)
46. Arboliva (+1)
47. Gallade (-8)
48. Espathra (±0)
49. Grimmsnarl (+1)
50. Cloyster (-5)
For the first time since I started keeping track, there are no Pokémon in the top 50 who weren't there the previous month, making these 50 Pokémon the official games' counterpart to Pokémon Showdown's OU tier. you'll see also that, with the exceptions of Amoonguss (+9) and Gallade (-8), none of the Pokémon in this list moved more than five spots. It looks like we're starting to see signs of the Pokémon settling into their spots...which is just in time for Regulation D to come in and introduce a bunch more Pokémon into the Generation IX metagame, and I guarantee there will be major movement when I report the July 2023 numbers for both single and double battling, not just from the newly allowed Pokémon, but from pre-existing Pokémon that either make for good counters or fall far behind. But I'll get more into detail with that next month.
Type: Single Battle
Opponent: りゅうと (Ryuuto)
Battle Court: Mesagoza (Central Plaza)
Music: Eastern Pokémon
My Pokémon: Atlas (Slither Wing), Inés (Lumineon), Eugene (Klawf)
Opponent's Pokémon: ミュウツー (Mewtwo), ハッサム (Scizor), テツノツツミ (Iron Bundle)
In my previous battles, I kind of made Iron Bundle look like almost as much of a joke as Delibird itself. But that was because I brought in exactly the right Pokémon, and I had a counter already standing there as Iron Bundle appeared. Here, you'll see why Iron Bundle has never left the top 10 in those single battling lists: my Slither Wing took out both Scizor and Mewtwo without much effort, but I needed all three Pokémon of mine to coordinate together to defeat Iron Bundle, with this one boosting Speed further using Booster Energy. There are very few Pokémon who can easily counter Iron Bundle (Electrode being one of them, if you ask me, and is why I ultimately chose Kantonian Electrode for my fourth team), though Iron Bundle has never quite been able to take the top spot in those usage charts.
Probably also says something that I disposed of Mewtwo, once the king of all Pokémon when it comes to battling, with a lot less effort than I needed for Iron Bundle. Also forgot that Freeze-Dry can, well, inflict Freeze. That's no good for me.
