Pokemon players discover great way to use Ditto in a playthrough: “It just works”
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon Scarlet and Violet fans have shared a brilliant way of utilizing Ditto during their playthroughs giving the Transform Pokémon a purpose beyond breeding.
Pokemon fans will be familiar with Ditto with the Generation 1 Transform Pokémon being a mainstay in the series. It has appeared in every mainline entry largely thanks to its role in Pokemon breeding and shiny hunting.
When it was introduced in Pokemon Red & Blue, breeding wasn’t even a mechanic letting Ditto shine in battle instead. That hasn’t been the case for years now though with it being rarely used either during playthroughs or in competitive play.
However, players are now discovering an interesting method to not only make Ditto viable in regular playthroughs, but even one of the strongest choices for every matchup.
Ditto is viable in Pokemon playthroughs after all
Curious as to how Ditto is meant to be used on player asked on Reddit: “Has anyone ever tried using Ditto in a playthrough? How’d you find it?”
“I’ve always thought about trying it out but I’m not sure if it’d be useful at all. Has anyone else ever tried using Ditto as part of your team? How was it?” Usually I just keep Ditto for breeding as I’m sure most people do,” OP continued hoping others had figured out Ditto’s true calling.
It turns out an established strategy is already known and one fan was keen to share it: “Choice Scarf Imposter Ditto -> Your Ditto comes out, copies the enemy’s stat boosts and is then faster than them. It just works.”
Choice Scarf is a held item that increases a Pokemon’s speed by 50% but locks it into the first move selected. Since Ditto’s signature ability, Imposter lets it copy an opposing Pokemon’s stats, it will always be stronger with a Choice Scarf equipped thanks to its boosted speed.
A big reason why Imposter Ditto works so well in single-player playthroughs is that Pokemon’s AI isn’t that smart. Just about any capable player will be able to use a given Pokemon’s moveset more effectively than the AI can.
Looking to build the strongest team possible for an upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet playthrough? Check out our breakdown of the Paldea region’s top 10 strongest Pokemon to join Ditto.