The first-ever DLC for a Pokemon mainline game is finally here. Along with the Isle of Armor comes a list of five Pokemon that could potentially make a return to glory in competitive battles. This is merely speculation based upon viability in past games, but each one was a solid choice back in Gen VII.
Chansey
Rejoice Eviolite fans, Chansey is returning in the Isle of Armor to wall out all of your opponent’s special attackers. Sure, there are already some bulky defenders in Sword and Shield like Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Corviknight. But having extra options to switch into can help keep your opponent second-guessing their decisions.
Toxic and Soft-Boiled have been staples in Chansey’s moveset for generations. I doubt anything will change there since the whole point of this Pokemon is to just outlast your opponent while whittling down HP and occasionally healing.
And as mentioned before, you absolutely need to give Chansey an Eviolite. This will give it the Special Defense boost it needs to be competitively viable. That means you’ll need to look out for moves that will make Chansey drop Eviolite. And you’ll want to completely avoid Fighting-type physical attackers like Conkeldurr and Hawlucha.
