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Pokémon Scarlet and Violet deems Slowking the least funny Pokémon

A new move in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can summon a snowstorm by telling a terrible joke, and only one unfortunate Pokémon can learn it...

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet new moves: A blurred image of a city in Paldea, with Slowking imposed on top

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players have plenty of brand new moves to get to grips with. From high-damage offensive attacks to intriguing utility moves, your team’s arsenal is bigger than ever before. However, there’s one new move that might have the strangest in-game description in the Pokémon series’ long history, and it also lets us know which Pokémon is canonically the least funny…

So, what’s the move in question? It’s called Chilly Reception, a playfully-named new Ice-type move that allows you to switch out of battle and summon a snowstorm. We’ve seen quirky names for moves plenty of times, but rarely are they backed up with an even quirkier description.

“The user tells a chillingly bad joke before switching places with a party Pokémon in waiting. This summons a snowstorm lasting five turns,” says Chilly Reception’s in-game description, which was highlighted by Pokémon YouTuber ‘Patterz’.

What this means is that telling a stinker of a joke is now canonically something that can alter a Pokémon battle, which certainly wasn’t on our Scarlet and Violet bingo sheet.

Chilly Reception, however, is not a widely-known move by the looks of things, with only one Pokémon currently listed by Serebii as being able to learn the move: Slowking. Despite being Water/Psychic-type Pokémon, the seemingly intentional addition of this Ice move to their move pools now technically means that Slowking is the least funny Pokémon in the Pokedex. Ouch.

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While neither are anywhere near the strength of the best Pokémon Scarlet and best Pokémon Violet Pokémon, Chilly Reception could make Slowking somewhat useful. It’s one of the only moves that can summon the relatively new Snow weather effect (no, it’s not Hail), which could be very useful if you have an Ice-type in your party to switch into.

While we mourn Slowking’s fleeting stand-up comedy career, check out the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leaders.