Delibird, the mascot of the Delibird Presents shops in the Paldea region, has gained popularity in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. However, despite its cute and generous nature, Delibird lacks viability on the battlefield. With weak stats and undesirable Abilities, Delibird's signature move, Present, is its biggest drawback.
Present is an RNG-based move that can either heal or damage the target. In a battle where the goal is to knock out opponents, using a move that could potentially heal them is counterproductive. Additionally, Present's base power is also dependent on RNG, with the highest chance of having a low base power of 40. This makes Present an ineffective move overall.
Interestingly, Delibird shares the ability to heal or deal damage with Pollen Puff, a move that is highly effective in competitive play. Unlike Present, Pollen Puff always heals allies and damages opponents with a base power of 90. This rework suggestion by AndyLaVGC on X (formerly Twitter) proposes that Delibird's Present should function similarly to Pollen Puff.
If Present were reworked to heal allies, Delibird could become a valuable support Pokémon. Combined with other moves like Icy Wind, Tailwind, Fake Out, and Haze, Delibird could excel in supporting its team rather than being an offensive force. However, its poor defensive stats would still limit its potential. Delibird could find a place on a snow-themed team with Aurora Veil or potentially benefit from an evolution and the use of Eviolite.
The proposed rework of Present aligns with the concept of giving good presents to allies and less desirable presents to enemies. This logic should have been implemented when double battles were introduced in Gen III. Unfortunately, Delibird is still burdened with a subpar signature move, undesirable Abilities, and weak stats. It is hoped that Delibird will receive buffs in the future to improve its viability and usefulness.
