Pokemon Scarlet & Violet player discovers secret “nerf” for Dragapult

Dragapult appears to have been hit with a secret nerf in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The Paldea region introduced the ninth generation of Pokemon to the world on November 18, as it opened its doors for the very first time.

Trainers have been trying their best to hunt down every new Shiny Pokemon form and find the best Gym path order since then, discovering that there are so many new ways to play in Game Freak’s latest installment in the series.

Many have been left disappointed by the performance of the title, though, and the developers have had their fair share of critics where graphics are concerned.

Dragapult nerfed in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

Now, it appears one of the design elements that slipped through the net in Scarlet and Violet has nerfed the way Dragapult attacks its opponents.

One Reddit user noticed a pretty clear difference in the Dragon/Ghost pseudo-legendary after hunting it down. Our location guide shows you exactly how you can get one, as well as its smaller evolutions.

They said: “I am sad. One of my favorite Pokemon got nerfed to the ground. I hunted for this shiny right after getting the first badge. I already had my good boy shiny in SwSh, but I just had to go through a playthrough with him again.

“Five gyms later I’ve gotten him to level 60, and Dragon Darts no longer shoots baby Dreepy.”

Dragapult got nerfed massively.
byu/khangleshun inpokemon

Those who have played with Dragapult in the past will know that its Dragon Darts move usually fires out Dreepy towards opponents – a battle animation in previous titles.

However, it appears it has been left off the list for Scarlet and Violet, which many have considered to be a visual nerf. As far as we can tell, there is no performance change.

The Reddit user signed off on: “What was once a great family bonding activity has now become basic purple pew pews. Sorry my children.”

Whether or not this is the only visual change to battle animations remains to be seen. If you have noticed one, shoot us a message on Twitter @TrainerINTEL!