New Pokémon in Pokémon Champions: Regulation M-B

Twenty-Two New Species Enter the Format

Regulation M-B launched on June 18, 2026, and its single most impactful change over Regulation M-A is the expanded species roster. Where M-A launched with 262 legal base-form species, M-B brings that total to 284 — an addition of 22 new base forms, 13 new Mega Evolution options, and two brand-new Mega forms exclusive to Pokémon Champions: Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y.

This article covers every new arrival in full: what they bring to the competitive table, which Mega forms are legal alongside them, and which are most likely to shape the early M-B meta. If you are looking for a full list of what changed beyond the species roster — new items, format rules, and the broader meta picture — see the Regulation M-B overview guide.

All 22 new base-form species are broken out by generation below. Their associated Mega forms are covered in-line alongside the base species that gains them. Every Pokémon that was legal in M-A remains legal in M-B: the additions are purely additive.

The 22 New Base-Form Species

The new arrivals span Generation III through Generation IX, with the heaviest representation coming from the third and sixth generations. Here is the full list, grouped by generation:

Generation III (6 species): Vileplume, Sceptile, Blaziken, Swampert, Mawile, Metagross

Generation IV (1 species): Staraptor

Generation V (4 species): Musharna, Scolipede, Scrafty, Eelektross

Generation VI (4 species): Pyroar, Malamar, Barbaracle, Dragalge

Generation VIII (2 species): Grimmsnarl, Falinks

Generation IX (5 species): Overqwil, Houndstone, Annihilape, Gholdengo, Qwilfish

Of these 22 base species, eleven gain access to Mega Evolution in M-B: Sceptile, Blaziken, Swampert, Mawile, Metagross (all standard Generation VI Mega forms), plus five Champions-original Mega forms for Staraptor, Scolipede, Scrafty, Eelektross, Pyroar, Malamar, Barbaracle, Dragalge, and Falinks. Additionally, Raichu — which was already legal in M-A without a Mega — gains its two Champions-exclusive Mega Evolution forms: Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y.

Generation III: The Mega Evolution Powerhouses

The six Generation III additions are the most competitively significant of the M-B arrivals, and they arrive with some of the strongest Mega Evolution forms in the entire Champions format.

Blaziken and Mega Blaziken

Mega Blaziken is the Pokémon most people are talking about heading into M-B, and for good reason. Its hidden ability, Speed Boost, stacks a permanent +1 Speed at the end of each turn, turning Mega Blaziken from a respectable base 100 Speed attacker into one of the fastest Pokémon on the field by turn two. Combined with 160 base Attack and access to Flare Blitz and Close Combat, Mega Blaziken hits with a ferocity that very few M-A Pokémon were built to handle.

The Speed Boost mechanic interacts unusually with the doubles format: because Speed Boost triggers at the end of each turn, a Mega Blaziken that survives a full turn comes out faster the next. Fake Out support from Incineroar or a dedicated partner creates a window for Mega Blaziken to get its first Speed Boost safely, at which point priority moves are the primary answer — and Mega Blaziken has Mach Punch to pre-empt those in return. Life Orb is the expected item choice, making Flare Blitz damage output staggering on the first contact.

Sceptile and Mega Sceptile

Mega Sceptile gains the Dragon typing alongside its Grass base, giving it a rare Grass/Dragon combination with the Lightning Rod ability. Its base 145 Special Attack makes it a genuine special threat, and the combination of Leaf Storm and Dragon Pulse gives it two reliable high-power options. Lightning Rod is a significant doubles utility ability, redirecting Electric-type moves away from partners and absorbing Thunder Wave. Rain teams that run Mega Swampert in particular appreciate having a Lightning Rod Pokémon absorb Thunderbolts aimed at water-type teammates.

Swampert and Mega Swampert

Mega Swampert is the enabler of rain teams. Its Swift Swim ability doubles its Speed in rain, and with base 110 Attack and access to Waterfall and Earthquake, it threatens most of the field under rain. The standard core is Pelipper (which sets Drizzle automatically on entry) plus Mega Swampert: Pelipper holds a Damp Rock for 8-turn rain, Mega Swampert fires off boosted Waterfalls. This core was theoretical in M-A (where Damp Rock was unavailable) but is fully functional in M-B.

Mawile and Mega Mawile

Mega Mawile brings Huge Power to a Steel/Fairy type, which is an exceptional defensive combination in the M-B metagame. Huge Power doubles the Attack stat, giving Mega Mawile an effective Attack stat of around 590 — one of the highest in the entire format. Play Rough from Mega Mawile is a genuine OHKO threat against a wide pool of Pokémon. Steel/Fairy resists many of the common attacking types in M-B and is immune to Poison and Dragon, making Mega Mawile both an offensive powerhouse and a surprisingly capable defensive pivot.

Metagross and Mega Metagross

Mega Metagross is the physical steel tank that M-B was missing. Its Clear Body ability blocks all stat reductions from opposing moves and abilities — Intimidate, Charm, and Feather Dance all fail against it. With base 145 Attack, access to Bullet Punch for priority, and Zen Headbutt for Fighting coverage, Mega Metagross is a reliable attacker that respects nothing. Its Steel/Psychic typing gives it useful resistances to Fairy, Flying, and Normal attacks while being cleanly weak to Fire, Ground, Ghost, and Dark.

The New Support Layer: Grimmsnarl, Gholdengo, and More

Beyond the Generation III powerhouses, M-B introduces several Pokémon that fill support and anti-meta roles that were either unavailable or underserved in M-A.

Grimmsnarl

Grimmsnarl is the most significant support Pokémon entering the format. Its Prankster ability gives +1 priority to all status moves, which in a doubles context means priority Thunder Wave, priority Light Screen, and priority Reflect. Grimmsnarl competes directly with Whimsicott for the Prankster support role but brings a meaningfully different defensive typing — Dark/Fairy versus Grass/Fairy. Grimmsnarl's Dark typing gives it immunity to Prankster moves from opposing Grimmsnarl or Whimsicott (Dark types are immune to Prankster-boosted moves), which is a significant in-mirror interaction. Its offensive presence is not negligible either: Spirit Break is a reliable STAB move that drops the target's Special Attack, layering chip and debuff simultaneously. With Light Clay in the item slot, Grimmsnarl's screens extend to 8 turns, making it the screen setter of choice on screen-based team structures.

Gholdengo

Gholdengo's Good as Gold ability makes it immune to all status moves, which in M-B is particularly relevant given the prevalence of Thunder Wave, Spore, and priority Will-O-Wisp. Its Steel/Ghost typing is excellent defensively, with only Fire, Ghost, Ground, and Dark hitting it for super-effective damage. Make It Rain is its signature move: 120 base power Steel-type Special damage that reduces Gholdengo's own Special Attack by one stage after use, which can be cycled with Nasty Plot to reset the stat loss. Expect Gholdengo to be a constant presence in teams that want a passive immunity to status-move strategies.

Annihilape

Annihilape is a Fighting/Ghost type with Vital Spirit (immune to sleep) and access to two powerful escalating moves: Rage Fist, which gains 50 additional base power for each time Annihilape has been hit (max 350 BP), and Final Gambit, a sacrifice move that deals damage equal to Annihilape's current HP. In doubles, Annihilape sitting in the back while a partner takes hits can result in a Rage Fist with terrifying base power in later turns. Its Ghost/Fighting coverage is nearly unresisted by most of the M-B field.

Mega Scrafty

Mega Scrafty is a Dark/Fighting wall with the Moxie ability (Champions-original), which raises its Attack by one stage with each KO. Alternatively it can run Intimidate, giving team building flexibility between offensive snowballing and defensive utility. Drain Punch gives it sustainable recovery in longer matches.

The Rest of the New Roster

Beyond the headliners, M-B introduces twelve more base-form species that fill specific niches across the competitive landscape.

Staraptor and Mega Staraptor

Staraptor's Reckless ability boosts recoil moves by 20%, and it hits hard with Double-Edge and Brave Bird. Its Champions-original Mega Evolution amplifies this offensive pressure further. Staraptor fills the role of a fast, hard-hitting Normal/Flying attacker that pressures the many Grass and Fighting types in the format.

Musharna

Musharna is a bulky Psychic-type Trick Room setter with Synchronize or Forewarn as ability options. Its high Special Defense and access to Trick Room, Helping Hand, and Yawn make it a legitimate Trick Room setter alternative to the M-A staples. Its low Speed makes it naturally suited to Trick Room itself.

Scolipede

Scolipede is the second Speed Boost Pokémon in M-B after Blaziken, but on a Poison/Bug type with base 112 Speed before any boosts. It functions as a fast offensive pivot rather than a Blaziken-style accumulating attacker, and its Champions-original Mega form is expected to have a more immediately threatening Speed stat.

Eelektross

Eelektross has the unique combination of Levitate (making it immune to Ground, including Earthquake from partner Mega Swampert) on an Electric-type with strong mixed attacking stats and wide coverage. It can run Thunderbolt, Dragon Claw, and Flamethrower from the same set, making it genuinely hard to prepare for defensively.

Pyroar and Vileplume

Pyroar brings Intimidate to a Fire/Normal type — an unusual combination that gives it Normal-type STAB and Fire STAB simultaneously with the defensive utility of the most common doubles support ability. Vileplume is a Grass/Poison type with access to Petal Blizzard for spread damage and Effect Spore for passive chip damage on contact.

Malamar, Barbaracle, Dragalge

Malamar's Contrary ability turns stat-lowering moves into boosts: Superpower becomes a +1/+1 Attack and Defense buff on a strong 120 BP move. Barbaracle carries Tough Claws, boosting all contact moves by 30%. Dragalge has Adaptability, which doubles the power bonus for same-type moves — effectively making its Poison and Dragon STAB moves 2× instead of 1.5×.

Falinks, Overqwil, Houndstone, Qwilfish

Falinks and its Champions-original Mega provide a No Retreat-based Fighting-type attacker. Overqwil is a Poison/Dark type with Poison Point and Intimidate options. Houndstone is a Ghost-type with Last Respects, a move whose power increases by 50 for each fainted team member — making it a late-game threat on attrition teams. Qwilfish brings Intimidate on a Water/Poison type with priority Aqua Jet.

Early Meta Outlook

Every regulation shift creates a period of exploration before the meta stabilizes, and M-B is no different. Based on the tool sets of the new arrivals and the existing M-A meta framework, here is what to expect in the early weeks.

Mega Blaziken Is the First Benchmark

Mega Blaziken will almost certainly define the early meta. Speed Boost on a 160 Attack base with Fire/Fighting STAB, access to Mach Punch priority, and the ability to pair with Life Orb in M-B makes it a unique threat that no M-A team was specifically built to handle. Expect teams to include explicit Mega Blaziken checks — fast Rock-type attackers, Water-types that can survive a Flare Blitz, or Pokémon with Intimidate to lower its Attack before it gets going. Ghost types avoid Close Combat entirely and represent a safe switch-in.

Grimmsnarl Challenges Whimsicott

Whimsicott was the dominant Prankster support in M-A. Grimmsnarl does not replace it — their typings and move pools are sufficiently different that teams will choose based on which weaknesses they need to cover. However, the Dark/Fairy typing on Grimmsnarl means Whimsicott's own Prankster Thunder Wave cannot hit it, which is a relevant in-mirror distinction. Expect both to see play in early M-B, with tier lists and usage data clarifying their relative standing over time.

Rain Teams Become a Real Archetype

Pelipper, Damp Rock, and Mega Swampert form a coherent rain core that was explicitly impossible in M-A. Eight-turn Drizzle with a Swift Swim attacker at base 110 Attack is a genuine win condition, and rain teams will force opponents to pack either their own weather override or a dedicated rain answer. Expect some early tournament success for rain before teams adapt.

Mega Metagross as a Defensive Glue

Mega Metagross's Clear Body makes it the premier Intimidate-immune physical attacker in M-B. Any team that struggled with Intimidate spam in M-A gains a new answer. Its Steel typing also gives teams a Fairy resist that operates as an offensive threat rather than a pure wall — a combination that was less accessible before M-B.

Track the live usage statistics as M-B matures. The meta will shift rapidly in the first two weeks as players test the new additions, and the first tournament results will crystallise which of the new Pokémon overperform or underperform their preview-season projections.