In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, players can add several new creatures to their party. There’s even a new subset of Pokemon to discover this time around. Paradox Pokemon appear for the first time in Gen IX and resemble the past and present of Pokemon. Sandy Shocks is a prehistoric version of Magneton with a new type and look. Find out the best natures for this new partner Pokemon before settling on one for your party.
Related: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Best Natures for Iron Thorns
Best Natures for Sandy Shocks
Like many other Paradox Pokemon, Sandy Shocks can assume several roles in your party. You can add this ally as an attacker or defender. How you forge it is up to you. See what natures work for each build below.
Offensive Build
| Nature | Effects |
|---|---|
| Modest | +Special Attack/-Attack |
| Timid | +Speed/-Attack |
Because Sandy Shocks is a Special Attacker, Attack builds focus on keeping that stat intact. You have two options when building the Electric/Ground hybrid. Those who want to make the most of their Special Attack power would do well to invest in the Modest nature. Modest adds to the Special Attack stat for this Pokemon but lowers Attack power. Since Sandy Shocks doesn’t need the Attack stat, there is no harm in putting points into the Modest nature.
Those who would rather add to the Speed stat for this Pokemon should look for the Timid nature. Timid adds to the Speed stat at the cost of Attack stats but is well worth the tradeoff. During our playthrough of Scarlet and Violet, we went with the Timid nature, as the Special Attack stat for Sandy Shocks is far higher than its Speed. The faster you are, the more fighters you can outpace, which can make or break any battle.
Defensive Build
| Nature | Effects |
|---|---|
| Bold | +Defense/-Attack |
| Calm | +Special Defense/-Attack |
If you’d rather put points into defensive natures, there are two options you can choose from. If you want to raise Defense, the Bold nature is your best bet. Like the offensive natures, you’ll lose Attack stats, which won’t matter in the long run. Calm nature, on the other hand, prioritizes Special Defense. It has the same tradeoff, so no worries about what you’ll lose out on. We’d suggest choosing the Bold nature, as Defense is just a hair lower than Special Defense for this fighter. Selecting this option will give you a balanced defensive palette.
Worst Natures for Sandy Shocks
You’ll want to avoid a few natures when building any Sandy Shocks. Destructive natures can make using Sandy Shocks a nightmare, so take care to avoid the options we’ve listed below. If you have a Sandy Shocks with any of the choices here, you can find another or swap its nature with a mint. Mints are available at the Chansey Supply shop in Montenevera for $20,000 a piece.
Offensive Build
| Nature | Effects |
|---|---|
| Adamant | +Attack/-Special Attack |
| Brave | +Attack/-Speed |
Because Sandy Shocks is a Special Attack Pokemon, you won’t want a nature that boosts its Attack stat. Any nature that focuses on boosts there is less than ideal. Options like Adamant and Brave, however, are the worst-case scenario. These natures lower key stats like Special Attack and Speed for a boon that won’t aid Sandy Shocks in battle.
Defensive Build
| Nature | Effects |
|---|---|
| Lonely | +Attack/-Defense |
| Naughty | +Attack/-Special Defense |
If you’re making a Defense build, natures that take away from Defense and Special Defense are the worst choices. The worst prospects here are Lonely and Naughty, which boost Attack at the cost of these instrumental stats.
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