There are a lot of great new Pokemon designs in Scarlet and Violet. We have Tandemaus, a pair of mice that eventually evolves into a family as Maushold. There’s a pig with the perfect name Lechonk. But of all the new Pokemon out there, few can outclass Scarlet and Violet’s Tinkaton as the best of the best. Well, and by extension Tinkatink and Tinkatuff.
First, aesthetically Tinkaton is a great new Pokemon. Each one begins as a pink, tony baby with a small hammer that looks more like a metal rattle. As she grows (and inevitably craves destruction), that begins to become a hammer. So by Tinkatuff at level 24, she starts to turn into a little pink menace. Then, by level 38, she is a full-blown problem with hammer far bigger than she is.
It’s also lovely how Tinkaton’s Pokedex entries gradually establish her as a gremlin out for revenge. She starts out industrious! You have to admire Tinkatink tooling around to create her own little hammer and getting it just right, according to the Pokemon Violet entry. Especially since, as the Scarlet one establishes, that could be stolen by other Pokemon. By the time she turns into Tinkatuff, she is terrorizing Pawniards and Bisharps to use pieces of their opponents’ bodies to make their hammers better. We also still get a sense of community out of them, as the Violet Pokedex entry says they’ll fight each other with their hammers to see if they’re good enough.
By the time one becomes Tinkaton, she is a lovable nightmare. Yes, there are no Corviknight flying taxis in Paldea because Tinkaton is set on driving them into extinction, but look at those cute pigtails! Tinkatons are waving their 220lb hammers like they’re inflatable toys as they steal anything they want. Haha! So charming! There’s the sense of personality here. This is a Pokemon that is a lovable scamp about to be dragged to court on multiple felony convictions, but at least she is on your side!
Tinkaton is also one of the most incredible new Pokemon due to its typing, which I feel helps make it the best character added in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It is both a fairy and steel-type. This grants it automatic immunity to both dragon and poison-type moves. This also removes the typical fairy weaknesses to poison and steel-type attacks. The only things it is weak against are fire and ground-based attacks. In each case, it only takes two times as much damage. Meanwhile, that dual typing means it also takes less damage than normal from bug, dark, fairy, flying, grass, ice, normal, psychic, and rock attacks. It’s like having a tiny tank on your team. Of course, Tinkatons are also known for generally having high health and special defense.
Not to mention Gigaton Hammer is just great. This is a move only Tinkaton can learn. You get it once she levels up at 38. You only get 5 uses without going to a Pokemon Center or using an Ether, unless you bolster that with an item. It also can’t be used twice in a row. However, it is a devastating 160 power hit that sees the character absolutely wallop an opponent. It’s a wonderful steel-type move that can do a lot of good.
Okay, let’s be real. There are a ton of amazing new Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and players could make a good case for any one of them being the best. But also we all know that at the award ceremony for this hypothetical Pokemon, Tinkaton would show up, steal the trophy, and make it a part of her hammer to bring it up to 225lb from 220lb. It’s an example of great character design in a pair of games filled with winners.
(All jokes aside, all new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet characters are valid and are the "best" in someone's heart. Just don't invite Tinkaton to any hypothetical award ceremonies for your favorite.)
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is available for the Nintendo Switch.
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