This cuddly lad is dominating Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Charizard raid

Concerns over this weekend's Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Charizard raid might have been unfounded, as one cute and cuddly Water-type is proving an early necessity.

Azumarill is a Gen 2 Water-type that took on a secondary Fairy typing when the new type was introduced in Gen 6. That typing is crucial to this raid - the Charizard you'll be fighting against is using Scarlet and Violet's Tera mechanic to make it a Dragon-type Pokemon, but it also comes with a powerful Fire move befitting its original type. 

That makes Azumarill one of the very few Pokemon well-equipped to take it on. Its Water type means it can tank up that Fire Blast, while its Fairy type means it's immune Charizard's Dragon-type Tera Blast too. Its generally tanky stats mean it should withstand Charizard's other attacks, but then it's time to hit back.

For that, you'll want to make sure your Azumarill is rocking Belly Drum, which cuts its health but massively boosts its Attack stat, and Play Rough, a strong physical, Fairy-type attack that will mess Charizard up. Rain Dance is another good option, as it counters Charizard' Sunny Day, and Light Screen will boost all of your allies' Special Defense, countering the raid boss' multiple Special attacks.

It's a collection of moves powerful enough that Azumarill is proving central to players' success in the raid. It's so strong, in fact, that some players are managing to use it to solo the raid, with only bots to help out.

Azumarill is, of course, not your only option, but players have been discussing it as a raid leader for a while already. Daschbun, another Fairy-type but with an ability that boosts its Defense when hit with Fire moves, is another front-runner, but there are plenty of other solid options if you're planning to take on the raid this weekend.

If you need a refresher on raids, our guide to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Tera types and Terastallizing will help you out.