Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Regulation H Turned Over New Competitive Leaf

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 2, 2024 2 Views 7 Min Read
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Regulation H Turned Over New Competitive Leaf



Key Takeaways

  • Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced Regulation H, banning Legendaries, and refreshing the competitive meta.
  • Regulation H allows for healthier competitive play by emphasizing non-Legendary critters and benefits newcomers.
  • Gen 9’s Regulation H offers a fresh start for competitive with balanced gameplay, pushing unique strategies.



Pokemon Scarlet and Violet dramatically reshaped the series’ landscape in terms of what modern games can entail and what is expected of them, both in terms of new concepts for additional critters and gameplay features. While all the new ideas from Gen 9 are not guaranteed to return in Gen 10, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet made groundbreaking changes to the formula that shouldn’t go to waste. From the convergent Pokemon lines to an open world rich in critters and secrets, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet did a lot right – but one change to competitive with the so-called Regulation H should become a series staple.

Competitive Pokemon has arguably never been better, with a flourishing community heralded by content creators and high-profile players, like Wolfe Glick, and live events with hundreds of participants as well as thousands of viewers online. Not only that, but the overall balance of the game is in a good spot, save for a few problematic Pokemon like Incineroar dominating the meta. However, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet managed to breathe new life into competitive after a Legendary-heavy season by introducing Regulation H, which bans a small but significant portion of critters, including all Legendaries.


The list of legal Pokemon in Regulation H includes:

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

pokemon scarlet and violet, female character

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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Regulation H Explained

What Regulation H does is ban all Paradox Pokemon and Legendaries, including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s Treasures of Ruin. This may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but Legendaries tend to play a massive role in competitive teambuilding when legal. Some Legendaries are even restricted for being too powerful, limiting players to 1 of them per team.

Regulation H will run until January 5, 2025.


Legendaries like Zacian or even Chien-Pao can rapidly become a core piece of the puzzle in competitive matches, let alone a win condition. While this is something that is normally seen with teambuilding revolving around Legendary Pokemon, it is often at the culmination of a new Pokemon game’s lifespan, whereas Gen 9 introduced Regulation H soon after that. Making Regulation H ban a good chunk of the most powerful Pokemon in the format was essentially a fresh start for the meta – and that’s not something that happens frequently.

Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Regulation H is a Game-Changer


Most Pokemon games tend to go through different metas in their lifespans, typically starting with the game’s Pokedex and then bringing back a few more critters from Pokemon Home or with DLC, gradually making Legendaries legal. Regulation H is not too different from Regulation A in terms of concept, which was at the very beginning of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s competitive season, with the difference that now most of the critters from The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk are available.

Considering that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s Blueberry Academy added all starters to the game, Regulation H has been unique in this regard, and it allowed players to explore each first-partner Pokemon’s potential in a Legendary-deprived meta. This goes for a lot of other critters that would normally not find their spot in the meta, whereas Gen 9 allowed them to shine. Some great OG Pokemon Scarlet and Violet combos also came back in full force, such as Annihilape and Tandemaus.

Why Regulation H is a Great Competitive Meta

With a meta that is not strictly tied to using one restricted 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 all the Legendary Pokemon in the series, thus being inherently limited in building teams. Instead, Regulation H allows every other critter available in Gen 9’s Pokedex to be used, giving new players the perfect excuse to start their competitive journey from scratch.


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