The Pokemon series has had many competitive formats both in the trading card game and video game scenes, both of which are immensely popular with fans. These competitions are live-streamed, commentated over, and awarded with prizes ranging from $10K-$25K for first place. The format for which The Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC) are played is Double Battles, a 2v2 game mode in which players choose four Pokémon to send into battle out of the six they have in their party.
There are some rules regarding "legal" Pokémon as well as Pokémon that are banned from use in the competition. For Series 9 bans for 2021, there are a total of 38 Pokémon banned from the format. Throughout the years there have been many Pokémon changed for the following Generation because of how unfairly powerful they were in VGC. While not every exploit was caught, there were a number of Pokémon that were put on the bench for being overpowered in some way.
10 Blaziken Was Too Strong Even Without Its Mega
As far as Hidden Abilities go, there are many Pokémon whose hidden abilities fit them well, giving them an edge in battles. Some abilities aren't worth spending the time to get them, but Blaziken's HA is very sought after. Speed Boost increases the Pokémon's speed by one stage every turn, making it very good to close the gap with fast Pokémon.
So long as the Pokémon isn't switched out, this effect stacks until maxed out. In the VGC scene, both regular and Mega-Blaziken were banned because of this ability. Using Protect, Blaziken can safely get a turn-1 speed increase that, with proper investment, can out-speed the opposing Pokémon and raise its attack to be a fast sweeper.
9 Mewtwo Is Simply Too Strong For Competitive Pokémon Play
Boasting a massive 700 Base Stat total, Mewtwo is rightly banned from competitive play unless the format includes Legendary Pokémon. Mewtwo has a diverse move pool, capable of carrying super-effective moves for anything that can touch it.
It can be both a physical or special attacker as well with its stats or opting for both for coverage. To top it off, Mewtwo is bulky enough on its own to use moves like Barrier and Calm Mind, effectively making it stronger and more tank-like until it can OHKO everything on the opposing trainer's team.
8 Aegislash's Two Forms Are The Best Of Both Worlds
Usually, Pokémon are either bulky or offensive, with minor mixes between the two. In competitive Pokémon play it's important to have a bulky Pokémon to be able to switch into attacks or handle an opposing Pokémon by whittling it down without taking much damage in return. Aegislash combines these two types of Pokémon into one with the ability Stance Change.
Aegislash automatically turns back into its Shield form when using King's Shield, a move that will lower any physical attacking Pokémon's Attack by 1 stage while negating any damage done to Aegislash. When switched into Sword form, Aegislash gets its stats reversed, making it a threat at any moment.
7 Ash-Greninja Has Sky-High Attack & Priority
Battle Bond is a devastating ability that turns Greninja into Ash-Greninja after it defeats a Pokémon in battle. This new form increases its Attack, Sp. Attack, and Speed as well as increases the damage of Water Shuriken.
With a Base Stat total of 640, it makes perfect sense why this Pokémon is banned. Even just leaving an opposing Pokémon at low HP just to have Greninja come in to finish it off and become this powerful is absurd in the VGC scene.
6 Togekiss Can Make A Pokémon Unable To Do Anything
The ban to Togekiss hasn't been in many official tournaments but there were a few instances where it was too popular or too powerful for the meta. It's a reliable support Pokémon with decent Special Attack. The most frustrating part of dealing with this Pokémon happens to rely on its ability, Serene Grace.
Doubling the chance for secondary effects to occur, Togekiss can Thunder Wave a Pokémon and use Air Slash or Rock Slide to try to cause it to flinch. On the chance that it doesn't flinch, the Pokémon still has to overcome its paralysis as well.
5 Porygon 2 Is Simply Too Bulky
Similar to Togekiss, this Pokémon was banned because of its popularity in the meta. It's not currently banned, but during the time it was, it absolutely deserved it. Holding the item Eviolite, Porygon 2's Defense and Sp. Defense increases by 50% each.
This makes the Pokémon unnecessarily bulky. It has access to Recovery moves as well as Toxic, making any battle with it a war of attrition. Even a STAB Close Combat isn't enough to take it out without some seriously high Attack.
4 Mega-Gengar Can Win In Three Turns
Gengar was nerfed in Gen VII with its ability change to Cursed Body, effectively removing its ground immunity. Because of it, Gengar wasn't seen as a very optimal ghost-type to be used in competitive play. Its saving grace is its mega-evolution, replacing its ability with Shadow Tag which disables the opposing Pokémon's ability to switch out.
This wouldn't be the biggest deal in the world if it weren't for Gengar's access to an egg move called Perish Song. Once used, every Pokémon that heard the tune faints after 3 turns. Once the turn comes around, Gengar can switch out, forcing the enemy to stay put and instantly faint.
3 Mega-Khangaskhan Can Power Itself Up Quickly
Nerfed in Gen VII, this Pokemon was banned for a handful of tournaments and Battle Spots during Gen VI because of its high damage potential. Its ability, Parental Bond, lets it attack twice, with a damage reduction of the second hit. Using Power-Up Punch it could increase its attack by two stages while dealing damage.
Its natural bulk allowed it to get buffed fast and then immediately start dealing out Returns or Double Edges. This is one Pokémon that really turned the meta on its head.
2 Arceus Has Higher Base Stats Than Any Other Pokémon
Tied with Zacian and Zamazenta, Arceus has a Base Stat total of 720. The Base Stats are even across the board and they can be fit into any team with the use of plates that can turn it into different types. Its signature move, Judgement also changes when used with different plates, becoming the corresponding type to do STAB to the attack.
Arceus is banned because of its versatility as well as its high stats that can be EV trained to be anything it wants to be. A fast sweeper, a bulky staller, a revenge killer, or a combination of all of them.
1 Caterpie Had Access To A Game-Breaking Move
Caterpie normally wouldn't be a threat to anyone as it's a base Pokémon with some of the lowest stats in the game. There may have been only one time it was banned, but the reason for it is quite peculiar. For VGC 18 a number of issues concerning exploits to freeze the game started popping up. This would force a restart for battles that seemed to be on the losing front, and a player could intentionally use the glitch to do so.
The glitch was mostly used by Curse using Pokémon, able to increase their Attack and Defense while lowering Speed with the move normally, but under the right circumstance, the move started glitching the game. A number of these moves were tested and it was discovered that the move String Shot as well as a few others, had this effect. To make sure no one fought unfairly or forced a restart of the game, Pokémon with access to String Shot were banned, including the aforementioned Caterpie.
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