Two Pokemon were quickly banned from competitive play following the launch of Scarlet & Violet, and now two more have been added to the list. Houndstone and Flutter Mane were both banned within a week of the games launching, and now Palafin and Iron Bundle have joined them.Smogon University's council has deemed Palafin and Iron Bundle too powerful to be used in competitive play, and that doing so takes away from the fun and fairness of its competitions, as reported by Polygon. While not officially affiliated with Pokemon, Smogon is a community of trainers who battle each other, most using its OverUsed category.It's from this category that Palafin and Iron Bundle – along with Houndstone and Flutter Mane – have been banned. Smogon's council, which is made up of nine trainers, makes these decisions, with seven of them having to vote in favor of a ban for it to be enforced. As for the reasoning behind the latest two bans, Palafin has been deemed too powerful, while Iron Bundle has an attack so strong that it is incredibly hard to defend against.
Palafin's Zero to Hero ability is what has earned the dolphin-like Pokemon its ban. While in hero form, its base stats total 650, a number higher than some legendaries, and around the same level as others that have previously been outlawed from competitive play. Iron Bundle was the only one of the four banned Pokemon not to have received a unanimous decision from the council, while other Pokemon were considered but have remained fair game for now.
The world of competitive play in Pokemon games runs incredibly deep. There's a lot to learn and a variety of paths to choose from if you are someone who races through the latest games, including completing the Pokedex, and then has nothing to do until the next one. Or, if you want something that requires a little less dedication and research, you can join the rest of us in trying to build the tallest bacon tower in Scarlet & Violet.