What Does Hydro Steam Do in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? — Answered

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are introducing a new challenger to the arena with its latest update. It’s not unusual to drop a new Pokemon in the new generations and leave them a cool signature move, but the fans are clamoring to know more about Walking Wake and its respective attack. The move, called Hydro Steam in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, sounds an awful lot like a blend between Hydro Pump and Scald, but what does it do that’s different?

What Makes Hydro Steam Different from Scald and Hydro Pump in Scarlet and Violet?

Hydro Steam is the signature Water Type move of Walking Wake in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, with 100% Accuracy and 80 Base Power. Its effect is that its Base Power increases to 120 in harsh sunlight (Sunny Day, Drought, etc.) instead of decreasing like with other Water moves under sunlight. It is a Special Attack and enjoys Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) benefits when used by Walking Wake, along with its excellent Sp. Atk stats.

Related: What Does Psyblade Do in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet? – Answered

Hydro Steam becomes a viable alternative to Hydro Pump (80% Acc., 110 BP) and Scald while having more reliability (100% Acc., 80 BP, chance of inflicting Burn) is still unavailable in Scarlet and Violet. This move serves as an interesting blend of the two, minus the status effect.

How Does Hydro Steam Affect the Game?

Aside from standing in for Scald which seems persistently absent from Gen IX, it shakes up the competition. It makes Sun team players trying to hamper Walking Wake warier of their next move, or can increase your options if you’re looking to incorporate this attack into your own Sun team. Walking Wake is already quite a powerful Pokemon and will need to be addressed with care if you’re looking to take it down, especially with a move this powerful.