Roaring Moon

Using Roaring Moon in a Playthrough

Roaring Moon is a standalone Dragon/Dark Paradox Pokémon found naturally only in Pokémon Scarlet's Area Zero, with its principal wild habitat being a hidden cave in the research-station region; Violet players normally require trade, event, or Union Circle access. Its 590 BST is unusually high even among non-Legendary Paradox Pokémon, with base 139 Attack, 119 Speed, 105 HP, and 101 Special Defense creating a fast physical attacker that is much bulkier on the special side than most sweepers. Dragon Dance is its defining setup move because one use raises both Attack and Speed, while Knock Off, Crunch, Dragon Claw, Outrage, Earthquake, Acrobatics, and later move additions such as Scale Shot provide several different offensive routes. Booster Energy activates Protosynthesis and is especially synergistic with Acrobatics because the consumed item leaves Roaring Moon itemless, doubling Acrobatics to 110 base power; Tera Flying can then turn that coverage attack into powerful STAB while removing the native 4× Fairy weakness. Its natural Dragon/Dark typing provides a Psychic immunity and six useful resistances but is weak to Bug, Dragon, Fighting, and Ice and takes 4× damage from Fairy, so an unexpected Moonblast or Play Rough can end a sweep immediately. Roost gives it genuine longevity when available, while Taunt can prevent defensive opponents from recovering or inflicting status. Jolly is ideal when maximizing the already excellent Speed matters, while Adamant pushes Dragon Dance and Protosynthesis damage even higher.

Roaring Moon in Competitive Pokémon

Roaring Moon is currently Uber in SV after one of the generation's most complicated OU tiering histories. It was banned from OU by suspect test in October 2023, returned when The Indigo Disk reset portions of the tier in December 2023, remained a major offensive presence for more than a year, and was banned again on April 1, 2025 after a second suspect reached 66.07% support for removal. Its defining sets combine Dragon Dance with Booster Energy, Protosynthesis, Knock Off, Earthquake, and Acrobatics or another coverage move; when Booster Energy is consumed, Acrobatics doubles in power, and Tera Flying can simultaneously provide STAB and remove the 4× Fairy weakness that would normally be its clearest defensive flaw. Knock Off's return through The Teal Mask gave Roaring Moon a strong, low-drawback Dark STAB that also strips Heavy-Duty Boots and defensive items, making long-term counterplay substantially harder than during its earliest SV phase. Base 139 Attack and 119 Speed mean it threatens teams even before setup, while 105 HP and 101 Special Defense give it enough bulk to find Dragon Dance opportunities that many comparably fast sweepers cannot safely attempt. Roaring Moon also developed legitimate doubles utility rather than being restricted to singles offense; current Doubles analyses document Booster Energy sets using Tailwind, Breaking Swipe, Knock Off, and Protect to combine speed control, physical damage reduction, and disruption. Its repeated bans reflect the way Terastallization, Booster Energy consumption, Knock Off, and Dragon Dance made defensive counterplay too inconsistent in standard OU rather than a simple claim that its raw base stats alone were excessive.

Roaring Moon in Nuzlockes

Roaring Moon is an extremely powerful late-game Scarlet Nuzlocke attacker, but its Area Zero availability means it normally contributes only to the final story stretch and postgame. Base 119 Speed and 139 Attack reduce exposure by allowing immediate knockouts, while its high HP and Special Defense give it a greater chance to survive neutral special attacks than many fast physical sweepers. Dragon Dance can create decisive sweeps when opposing coverage is known, but the 4× Fairy weakness means setting up blindly against anything capable of Moonblast, Play Rough, Dazzling Gleam, or Fairy Tera Blast is particularly dangerous. Knock Off is a safe, perfectly accurate routine Dark attack with valuable item removal, while Outrage is much riskier because it locks Roaring Moon into repeated attacks and can leave it confused afterward. Acrobatics becomes especially useful after Booster Energy is consumed, offering strong perfect-accuracy coverage without recoil, although the one-use nature of Booster Energy should be accounted for during an ordinary run. Roost provides reliable recovery when available and Taunt can shut down known status or setup users before they create additional risk. A Jolly build that prioritizes moving first is generally the safest approach, while Adamant is worthwhile when additional power clearly changes knockout ranges.

Roaring Moon is a large feathered, quadrupedal dragon whose crescent-shaped wings closely resemble those of Mega Salamence, although the games never confirm a direct connection between that Mega Evolution and the Paradox species. It flies at high speed while scattering feathers and actively searches for prey, and Occulture describes it as more savage than ordinary Salamence and dangerous enough that people should avoid approaching it. Its body combines draconic scales, feather-like wing structures, large claws, and a long tail suited to an active aerial predator rather than the compact body plan of modern Salamence. Its origin remains deliberately unresolved: AI Sada describes it as an ancient ancestor of Salamence, while the Professor encountered at the Crystal Pool calls it a Salamence counterpart from another timeline, and Heath recorded the creature about 200 years before Sada's time machine existed.