With over 56 playable Pokémon in Pokémon UNITE in 2023, WonderChef believes he knows the secret sauce for who are going to be the biggest threats at the World Championships.

Every Pokémon in Pokémon UNITE is strong in their own unique way. Some thrive in solo ranked matchmaking whilst others are staples in coordinated lobby matches. Regional playstyles can also play a role in how effective certain Pokémon can be. However, with the Pokémon UNITE World Championships fast approaching, which Pokémon will take center stage?

In an exclusive interview with Evan “WonderChef” Hashimoto, one of the casters for the World Championships 2023 in Yokohama, find out which Pokémon he believes will make the most impact at the World Championships.

It out secures, it crits for days, it’s Inteleon

One of the most hyped Pokémon entering the competitive scene is none other than Inteleon, the newest addition to the Attacker type role.

“It’s such a strong Pokémon right now. Its damage is incredible, and its early game is one of the strongest. Its move Water Gun is extremely strong for securing early neutral Pokémon.”

WonderChef thinks teams will be fighting to draft Inteleon onto their teams due to its stable early game and great late-game scaling. Its damage scales massively into the late game, and it can out-secure objectives over the likes of Mew and Alolan Ninetales.

It won’t be easy for teams to catch this slippery Pokémon either, thanks to the latest buffs to Fell Stinger. “The buffs to Fell Stinger make it so mobile too. Most of the Pokémon in the Attacker role don’t have that level of mobility which is a pretty big deal.”

Big bad Buzzwole is here to play

Showing flashes of brilliance following a number of buffs, WonderChef believes now might be the time Buzzwole gets the attention it deserves.

“Anytime someone who specializes in Buzzwole plays it, it really pops off! It’s really good against a lot of the current Speedsters, it feels really good in the current meta. It got buffs a few patches ago and it’s still done really well. We’re gonna see someone pop off with it at Worlds.”

For the longest time, this Ultra Beast has often been overshadowed by Urshifu. Though it’s a great early-game harasser, this Pokémon leaned quite heavily on its allies going into the late game. After receiving numerous buffs, a few competitive teams have shown how strong his Pokémon has become considering its relatively low pick rate.

Having flown under the radar for so long, is it time we see this Pokémon truly shine at the World Championships?

Watch out for Ice Fang Mamoswine!

It’s the year of Defenders and Mamoswine is long overdue to awaken from his long hiatus.

A unique Defender-type Pokémon that excels at dishing out damage and trapping its opponents in prisons of ice, this Pokémon could be the answer teams are looking for this year to shut down those pesky backline divers.

“From my heart, I love Ice Fang Mamoswine. You can pick people up out of a lineup if you get close to them, and they are just done. I feel the damage is kind of ridiculous right now, even though people aren’t playing it as much.”

The latest damage buff to Ice Fang has made this move one of the most lethal in Pokémon UNITE for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught by it. All but the tankiest Pokémon can survive an Ice Fang combo.

Though competing alongside other popular Defenders such as Lapras, Slowbro, and Umbreon, WonderChef thinks a surprise Mamoswine pick may be a match-winning pick when the time is right.

The Pokémon World Championships will be the culminating event for all competitive Pokémon series, including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the trading card game, Pokémon GO, and of course, Pokémon UNITE.

It will be held August 11 to 13 in Yokohama, Japan, the first time the World Championships will be held in the country.

Make sure to catch all the games live August 11 and 12 on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch.

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