Pokemon Let's Go was designed with the casual player in mind. That being said, there's nothing the competitive Pokemon scene won't get their hands on, and Let's Go is no different! There's a booming metagame forming in Let's Go, one dominated by a few key threats. Some aren't too new for veteran competitive Pokemon players, but some may just surprise you. 

Differences Between Let's Go and RBY

Let's Go is a re-imagining of the original Red, Blue and Yellow games, but there are some differences between the two. For one, types introduced since Generation 1 are in the game, so Dark, Steel, and Fairy-type moves and Pokemon make their appearance here. Alolan types (introduced in Gen 7) and Mega Evolutions (introduced in Gen 6) are also part of the game. There are also no Effort Values (EVs) in the game, meaning Trainers can only rely on Individual Values (IVs) and Natures to receive stat boosts. Candies were introduced in Let's Go to act as a more casual way to address this, but they are not used within most competitive Let's Go brackets. Held items are also not a factor, so no relying on Leftovers and Life Orbs here.  

Stealth Rock Runs Rampant

Stealth Rock is more dangerous than ever thanks to some of Let's Go's mechanics (or lack thereof, really.) While the Rock-type hazard made it into the game, none of the removal moves, like Defog and Rapid Spin, did. This means that the only way to deal with Stealth Rock is to to Taunt the Stealth Rock user before they can use the move. Preventing Stealth Rock from going up is key to ensure the survivability of certain Pokemon, specifically ones that counter the newest Pokemon. 

Melmetal Packs a Serious Punch

The newest Pokemon in the game, Melmetal, finds an incredibly useful niche as the only pure Steel-type in the game. It is also a complete monster due to its signature move, Double Iron Bash. Due to the abundance of Stealth Rock, Fire types are nary seen, meaning this guy can wreck havoc throughout the metagame. 

Mega Mixups 

Since Trainers don't have to make their Pokemon hold a Mega Stone, there's no way to tell which Pokemon will be the one to Mega Evolve. This means you can bring multiple Pokemon capable of Mega Evolving and activate based on the situation. Speaking of Mega Evolving....

Bring your Aerodactyls and Alakazams

The two strongest Mega Pokemon in the metagame have to be Aerodactyl and Alakazam. Mega Aerodactyl is the fastest Stealth Rock user, meaning unless you're facing off against another Aerodactyl, you'll be sure to set the rocks and be in a very adventageous position throughout the course of the match. Mega Alakazam offers a powerful late-game sweeper, but don't fear if you already Mega Evolved your Aerodactyl - Alakazam in its regular form is nothing to mess with, either. 

Your Starters Are...Useful? 

In the original set of games, your starters weren't anything special. Blastoise, Charizard, and Venusaur all were eschewed for other Pokemon once you could catch them. While Eevee and Pikachu aren't worldbreakers by any means, they are actually useful. Starter Eevee is the only "cleric" in the game through its Sylveon-inspired move Sparkly Swirl. Combined with Sizzly Slide and Sappy Seed, you've got a very helpful utility Pokemon on your team. Starter Pikachu isn't quite as good, but is still good in the right circumstances. Zippy Zapp is an Electric-type version of Extremespeed, meaning that it will always hit first. This can allow you to pick off weakened threats. Pikachu's biggest fault is that it can't be used on the same team as the Starter Eevee, since you can't trade your starter Pokemon. This means that you're trading the best utility Pokemon in the metagame for a frail, situational revenge killer.

Have you been playing high-level Pokemon Let's Go? What does your team composition look like? If you are interested in starting, you're going to need an Aerodactyl to be competitive. Here's how to reanimate this prehistoric beast and add it to your team!