Some time after launch, two extra Paradox Pomeon were added to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. These time-displaced legends include Suicune's ancient ancestor, Walking Wake, and Iron Leaves, a robotic reinvention of Virizion. This mechanized menace is an incredibly powerful Psychic physical attacker with a move pool that accounts for its Dark type weakness.
Like their present-day counterparts, these mythical paradoxes can only be captured once, but luckily you can find them in raids as low as five stars, making them much easier to attain than previous seven-star raids. There are more than a few options for taking on Iron Leaves, but a few stand out as the top picks to take on this titanium titan.
6 Honchkrow
One Pokemon who commands respect in Iron Leaves raids is Honchcrow. Its typing and movepool give it both offensive and supportive utility, making it one of the best Pokemon to take down the machine.
This boss bird is immune to Psyblade, which deals extra damage on Electric terrains like the one Iron Leaves can set up. It also resists Leaf Blade, and, since it's a Flying type, it only takes neutral damage from Megahorn, allowing it to set Tailwind for its teammates and fire off Night Slashes.
This hits incredibly hard, especially after a Dark Type terastallization. Plus, its ability Super Luck increases its critical hit chance, allowing it to land devastating blows. With recovery Items like Leftovers and EV investment in bulk, it can take hit after hit while still firing back, making it the godfather of Iron Leave's counters.
5 Kingambit
Another Pokemon that leads the pack when it comes to Iron Leaves counters is the Kingambit. This metallic monarch is one of the hardest-hitting Dark-type Pokemon in Paldea, and its additional Steel typing eliminates the threat that Megahorn presents to others.
Its damage output is matched by its solid base 120 Defense stat. It can easily set itself up with Swords Dance and can even boost its defenses further with Iron Defense, allowing it to stay in the fight for the long hall. All it needs is a few chances to land a Kowtow Cleave, Sucker Punch, or Assurance to put Iron Leaves in check, making it one of the top picks to take it on.
4 Gholdengo
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Since Iron Leave's has a particularly high special defense, it is typically best to leave special attackers behind. But Gholdengo is one that breaks this golden rule, as it's one of the strongest special attackers, and with Proper EV investment can be quite bulky, allowing it to take powerful resisted hits from Iron Leaves.
Through the combination of Metal Sound, Nasty Plot, Shadow Ball and Recover, Gholdengo can quickly snowball its attack potential and help other special attackers on its team do the same. In a fight with Iron Leaves, Gholdengo spares no expense, which makes it a valued commodity on any raid squad.
3 Iron Jugulis
If you're looking for a bot battle, look no further than Iron Jugulis. This High tech Hydreigon has the same typing as Honchcrow, meaning it only takes neutral damage from Iron Leave's most prominent Dark-type counter, but it also brings its own unique advantages through Quark Drive.
Since Iron Leaves sets Electric Terrain on turn one, Iron Jugulis is in a rare situation where Quark Drive can be activated without Booster Energy. This means that not only is its massive base 133 special attack automatically increased, but also that it can bring a more useful item to the fight. With powerful Quark Drive-boosted Dark Pulses, Jugulis is an ideal pick for taking on Iron Leaves.
2 Skeledirge
One Pokemon that will have you singing a victory song against Iron Leaves is Skeledirge. Its unique move Torch Song allows it to constantly increase its special attack stat while doing damage. This allows it to chip away at Iron Leaves until its stats max out, and it can fire away with STAB-boosted Shadow Balls.
The drastic increase in damage combined with Shadow Balls' ability to occasionally drop Special Defense allows this ardent alligator to break through Iron Leaves strong special defense. It can heal itself with Slack Off, and its hefty HP stats allow it plenty of opportunity to do so. It's a hostile combination of bulk and firepower that makes this croc a hot pick against Iron Leaves.
1 Grimmsnarl
The best Pokemon to take on Iron leaves has to be Galar's favorite goblin. Grimmsnarl's typing and ability provide the best defensive support, while his stats and moveset provide strong offensive utility as well. As a Prankster Pokemon with access to Misty Terrain, it's one of the few Pokemon that can actually remove the Electric Terrain.
It also allows it to set up a Reflect for the entire team, and can extend that to eight turns by simply holding a Light Clay. Its Fairy Typing means Megahorn isn't hitting it for super-effective damage, and its Dark-typing makes it completely immune to Psychic attacks.
Combine this with the fact that Its base 120 Attack stat allows it to fire off a plethora of Dark moves for devastating damage, and it's easy to understand why Grimmsnarl is the greatest Iron Leaves counter.