Pokemon Go has been around since the summer of 2016 and has been one of the most popular phone games ever. One of the more recent additions to the game allows players to face off between each other in a three on three fight.
This list, we’ll be going over the strongest Pokemon for your team should you decide to PvP.
15. Melmetal
Melmetal is here and ready to take lives! From Meltan Research Update. Introducing Melmetal!
The first of many legends on this list, Melmetal and its pre-evolution Meltan are the first Pokemon to be added from this game to the console games. The steel-type Pokemon has a mixed distribution of stats and can hit 3599 total Combat Points (or CP) according to Pokemon.gameinfo.
Melmetal is a threat because of it’s typing and coverage moves. Solo-Steel is a great defensive type, weak to only Fire, Ground and Fighting. It has Electric, Steel and Rock attacks that provide great coverage against the many Flying, Fairy and Ice types in the game.
Some of the toughest Pokemon in the game don’t like fighting Melmetal due to its coverage and bulk. Lugia, Salamence, Dragonite are just some of a few Pokemon that could potentially get walled by Melmetal if they aren’t carrying any Fire attacks.
As good as Melmetal is, it isn’t perfect. Groudon, Machamp, Blaziken and Heatran wipes the floor with the legendary Steel type. Not to mention if the attacks aren’t super-effective, it could take a while for Melmetal to take down its opponent.
You can get this legendary Pokemon by capturing a Meltan and evolving it with 400 Meltan candies.
14. Metagross
One of the most recongizable Pokemon out there, Metagross is a monster to fight against. From Bulbapedia
The first Generation Three Pokemon on this list, Metagross is a tank and has the stats and typing for that label. This Steel-Psychic type can reach a max of 3791 CP with great attack and defense backing its name.
Metagross is a great tank as it resist 10 different typings, most of which possess some of the best attackers in Pokemon GO. Metagross also possess Steel, Psychic and Ground attacks to help blow through the opposing team.
Metagross straight up beats Clefable, Gardevoir, Roserade and more with its STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) attacks and with Earthquake, it can take out other Steel types. Also with its great defense, Metagross can simply outlast its opponent one on one if neither Pokemon have a super effective STAB attack to use.
With Metagross is good against a lot of Pokemon, it can struggle with some too. Mamoswine, while weak to Steel, can still hit Metagross hard with a Bulldoze. Tyranitar can use its Dark typing to put in work. Gengar and Giratina exposes Metagross’ weakness to Ghost attacks and etc.
You can get a Metagross by evolving your Metang with 100 Beldum candies. Be careful though since Beldum is a rare Pokemon.
13. Giratina
Giratina is the wall that can't be conquered. From Forbes
The first of the three legendary Dragons from Generation Four, Giratina is a frightening Pokemon to see and even greater threat on the field. Its max CP is 3379 with high HP and Stamina stats to help it stay alive in fights.
Giratina is very much like Lugia, a big, bulky wall that can take a lot of hits and dish out pain as well. Ghost and Dragon is incredible typing offensively and with Ancient Power to take out any annoying ice types, Giratina can go through a team slowly but effectively.
There’s plenty of Pokemon that don’t want to run into Giratina. Lugia is completely walled by it unless it carries Dragon Tail, it can beat most Dragons and Ghost types straight up and can take out Psychic types like Deoxys and Mewtwo.
While Giratina is a great wall, it’s not perfect as its middling attack will only do so much. Dragon and Ghost type is great offensively but defensively, it can be blown back by it’s own typing. Ice, Fairy and Dark types and moves mess Giratina up and eventually, the wall will fall.
Giratina was available during Halloween during Legendary Raids.
12. Mamoswine
One of the best Ice Pokemon in the game, Manoswine can wrecj teams all by himself. From Bulbapedia
Mamoswine is a hard-hitting Pokemon that was introduced in the Swinub capture day. With an Ice and Ground typing, Mamoswine can reach a max of 3328 CP and has a massive attack stat which it uses to blow holes through teams.
Mamoswine is here to do one thing and one thing only, destroy everything in front of it. With Rock, Ice and ground attacks, Mamoswine can tear teams apart with with its coverage moves. With its STAB moves, a lot of the big guns like Metagross, Tyranitar, Salamence, Lugia and more don’t want to get hit by it.
While it can do a lot of damage, Manoswine isn’t as sturdy as other typings. Ice leaves it open for Fire, Steel and Fighting moves while Ground is open for Water and Grass attacks.
Kyogre completely blocks out Mamoswine, along with Palkia and Machamp. Mamoswine is great but it’s defensive deficiencies is the reason it won’t rise higher on this list.
To get a Mamoswine, you’d need to evolve your Piloswine with 100 Swinub candies and a Sinnoh Stone.
11. Ho-oh
One fo the coolest legendary Pokemons ever, Ho-oh has fire power to roll with that great design. From Gamerant
One of the legendary Pokemons in Generation Two, Ho-oh takes this spot with its great all around stats. The Fire-Flying type can hit up to 3863 CP and can be played in so many different ways.
Ho-oh has plenty of ways to hit you, whether it’s with its STAB Brave Bird, Fire Blast or with Solar Beam to threaten rock types, Ho-oh has great coverage.
This coverage allows it to completely crush the likes of Metagross, Mamoswine (so long as it doesn’t have rock moves), Machamp and so many other Pokemon. Plus, this bird has bulk for days, allowing it to live off attacks and keep pushing through the opposing team.
Sadly, Ho-oh has a massive weakness that keeps it low on this list. A four time weakness to Rocks effective buries Ho-oh since so many legendary Pokemon can learn Ancient Power and Tyranitar is running all over the place. Plus a weakness to Water and Electric types cuts its chances of survival even slimmer.
Ho-oh can be caught if you would complete your Research Task for seven days.
10. Tyranitar
One of the best Pokemon ever, Tyranitar looks like another monster that we all know and love. From VP - Pokemon
Another Generation Two Pokemon, Tyranitar is a ferocious monster with enough power to tear an entire team apart. The Dark-Rock type can reach 3834 CP and has a great Attack stat with a good Defense and Stamina stat.
Tyranitar may have a glaring quadruple Fighting weakness, but with Dark, Rock, Steel and Fire move coverage, this Pokemon is very tough to deal with. It also resist seven typings too, making it even more tough to take out.
Tyranitar can handle all the Pokemon previously mentioned in this list with the right move, though they also give it trouble too. Tyranitar can also deal with threats like Mewtwo, Gengar and it straight up walls Lugia if it isn’t carrying Hydro Pump.
Though Tyranitar can deal with a lot, it also gets bopped easily by fighting types like Machamp. Gardevoir, Groudon and Kyogre can harass and crush the big, bad Tyranitar. This pokemon actually has as many weaknesses as it has resistances, hence why it isn’t higher on this list.
You can get this behemothon by evolving your Pupitar with 100 Larvitar candies but like the Metagross, this Pokemon is extremely rare in the wild.
9. Dragonite
The first in a long line of Dragon-Flying types, Dragonite is a beast. From Attack of the Fanboy
The OG of the Dragon-Flying type, Dragonite takes its spot here and is ready to lay the pain down. Dragonite can reach 3792 CP while hosting a great Attack stat with good Defense and Stamina stats.
Dragonite can learn Dragon, Steel and Flying moves, allowing it to dish out a lot of damage to the big hitters. It can also learn Hyper Beam in case you wanted to dish out just raw neutral damage.
Dragonite, like all other Dragon types, can hit Dragons hard with STAB attacks. It can also deal with Fighting and Grass types like Machamp, Roserade and more. Steel Wing is usually switched out but if kept, you could use it to do damage to Fairy types.
Dragonite is here due to the four types weakness it has to Ice and really being outclassed by the other Dragon types. While it can take more hits than other dragons, it can’t do more damage.
You can get a Dragonite by evolving a Dragonair with 100 Dratini candies.
8. Salamence
Our second Dragon-Flying Pokemon, Salamence has the raw power to lay waste to entire teams. From Bulbapedia
Salamence takes the spot of the last non-legendary Pokemon on this list. This Dragon-Flying type can reach up to 3749 CP and has an insanely high Attack stat.
Salamence reigns over Dragonite due to the moves it can learn. It can obviously learn Dragon moves but having Fire Blast, Bite and Hydro Pump give Salamence coverage Dragonite dreams of.
Salamence beats dragons, Ho-oh and Mewtwo depending on what its trainer chooses to run on it. It also deals with the many Steel types that resist its STAB Dragon moves.
While Salamence beats Dragon types, it also loses to them badly. Not to mention it doesn’t like Fairy and Rock attack and most certainly hates Ice attacks either. As long as it’s running strictly Dragon moves, Mamoswine straight up beats this Pokemon.
You can get a Salamence by evolving a Shelgon with 100 Bagon candies. Much like Dragonite and Metagross, Bagon is rare to find in the wild.
7. Rayquaza
The first of the Weather Trio, Rayquaza is one of the premier Dragons in Pokemon. From Pokemon Go Hub
The final of the Dragon/Flying type, Rayquaza is the mascot of Pokemon Emerald and the one of the Weather Trio in Generation Three. This legendary beast can reach up to 3835 CP and has one of the highest Attack stats in the game.
Rayquaza makes it above the other Dragon-Flying Pokemon due to its ability to hit harder than them and abuse its STAB attacks. Air Slash, Aerial Ace, Dragon Tail, Outrage can be nuclear to deal with and Ancient Power give it more coverage.
Like I said in the last two entries, Dragons can hit Dragons hard. Ancient Power allows Rayquaza to hit Flying and Ice types hard and with its STAB Flying attacks, Machamp and the Grass types won’t give this legendary Pokemon any issues.
Much like the two below this Pokemon, Dragon, Fairy, Rock and especially Ice attacks and Pokemon are Rayquaza’s worst nightmare.
It isn't available.
6. Lugia
Lugia, like Giratina, is a wall that can't be broken. From Blogdot
The final legend from Generation Two, Lugia is one of the best Pokemons in the game and can outlast so many threats. It can reach a maximum of 3703 CP and has the second best Defense stat in the game when maxed out.
Lugia takes this spot not for its decent attack power but because of its incredible bulk. With the ability to take a lot of hits and dish out STAB Psychic and Flying moves, along with some Dragon and Water moves for coverage, Lugia is an incredible threat.
With its incredible coverage moves, Lugia can beat some of the biggest threats in the game. Hydro Pump takes out Tyranitar and Ho-oh, Sky Attack and Extrasensory deals with Gengar and pesky Fighting and Grass types and Dragon Tail keeps the Dragons at bay.
While Lugia has incredible bulk, it isn’t perfect. It can eventually be beaten just from all the damage it takes in battles or from STAB super-effective moves. This can come from Giratina, Tyranitar, Mamoswine and Electric types like Electrive. Lugia can deal with a lot with its coverage move but without it, it can fall victim to some of the best Pokemon available.
Lugia can be caught if you would complete your Research Task for seven days.
5. Palkia
One of two Water-Dragon types in the game, Palkia has an advantage over the other Dragons in the game. From Attack of the Fanboy
Our second legendary Dragon from Generation Four, Palkia is a devastating Pokemon that can leave teams completely destroyed. The Water-Dragon type Pokemon can hit a max of 3991 CP with one of the best Attack stats in the game
Palkia’s typing a blessing as it only takes super-effective damage from Dragon and Fairy attacks. Its has a great moveset, boasting STAB Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor or Fire Blast to apply some serious damage to major threats.
With its coverage and typing, Palkia has a great advantage over most of the top gun in the metagame. Every Pokemon listed before loses to Palkia, although the Dragons would give it some trouble.
Though Palkia is incredible, it still has weaknesses. Dragon Pokemon still do an incredible amount of damage to it. Fairy types are a great answer to it as well and with a Water typing, Palkia gets hit neutrally to Grass and Electric types.
It isn't available.
4. Dialga
An attacker and defender, Diagla is a tough Pokemon to beat. From Gaming Academics
The final Generation Four legendary Dragons, Dialga has perhaps the best typing on this list with Steel-Dragon. It can reach a max of 4038 CP and have very similar stats to Palkia, meaning it’s busted.
Dialga is weak to only two types, Ground and Fighting. Meaning, Dialga is the only Dragon type that isn’t fearful of the other dragons. With STAB Steel and Dragon moves and Thunder for coverage, Dialga can be a nightmare to deal with.
This nightmare straight up beats the other Dragon Pokemon just due to its typing and moves. It also beats Ice and Fairy types with its Steel STAB attacks. Thunder allows it to take care of the Legendary birds on this list and Kyogre.
Dialga is incredible but not unbeatable. Fighting types like Machamp and Blaziken blow right past it. Groudon and other Ground types beats it straight up with their STAB Ground attacks and though Dragon and Steel resist a lot, neutral damage from Fire, Fairy, Ice and Dragon attacks will still hurt and eventually build up.
Dialga is available for the month of March in Legendary Raid Battles.
3. Groudon
The Weather Trio in action. From Adweek
The embodiment of the Earth, Groudon is the second Generation Three Legendary Pokemon on this list and its ready to tear teams apart. The Ground Pokemon can reach a max of 4115 CP, has high attack and high defense.
Groudon has to worry about three typing that can do super-effective damage to it, Grass, Ice and Water. All of which Groudon can beat with its coverage moves. Solar Beam, Dragon Tail and Fire Blast make up for a strong core to go with STAB Earthquakes.
Groudon crushes Steel and Rock types with STAB moves and can use it’s coverage to take out other threats. Dragon Tail deals with Dragons well, Solar Beam evaporates Water types and Fire Blast deals with Grass and Ice types.
Groudon live and dies by the choice of moves you make. No Solar Beam? Kyogre destroys it. No Fire Blast? Any Grass or Ice type can take it out. Earthquake is a great move but it only does neutral damage to Dragon types.
Groudon is unavailable at the moment
2. Kyogre
The final member of the Weather Trio, Kyogre is the second best Pokemon the game has to offer. From IGN
The embodiment of the Sea, Kyogre is the final Generation Three Legendary Pokemon on this list and it can blow teams away with its STAB moves. The Water Pokemon can also reach a max of 4115 CP, and has the same high attack and defense as Groudon.
With only two weaknesses on the board, Kyogre can serve as a check for so many Pokemon just due to its bulk and typing. Blizzard, Hydro Pump, Dragon Tail and Thunder give it great coverage to take out threats your team can’t deal with.
Blizzard takes every Dragon not named Palkia and Dialga out of the picture, Hydro Pump is a great STAB move and Thunder keeps the birds and the other Water types at bay from it.
As great as it is, Kyogre still has its flaws. Electric types like Electrive and Pokemon who learn Electric attacks like Melmetal and Mewtwo can take it out easy. If it isn’t carrying Blizzard, Roserade can take it out too. Neutral attacks from the Dragons is still going to hurt as well.
Kyogre is unavailable at the moment.
1. Mewtwo
Couldn't have a list without the best taking the final spot. From Pokemon Go Hub
Can’t have a list of powerful Pokemon without the first broken Pokemon, Mewtwo. The Psychic Pokemon can reach a max CP of 4178 and has the second highest Attack stat in the game.
Mewtwo’s STAB Psychic moves may not be that great compared to the others on this list but the coverage moves it possess allows it to be the king. Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Flamethrower and Shadow Ball are all moves that can run through a team.
Effectively, Mewtwo can basically beat everyone on this list with the right move. Ice Beam beats the Dragons and Groudon, Thunderbolt deals with Kyogre and the birds, Focus Blast destroys Tyranitar and Dialga Shadow Ball takes out Metagross and Giratina. Sure Palkia doesn’t take super-effective damage from it but getting hit by Mewtwo is still a tough blow to take.
As good as Mewtwo is, it’s still beatable. It’s lack of defense makes its tough for it to completely sweep a team. Only having two moves means one Pokemon will be able to beat it. Steel resist its STAB and if it isn’t carrying Flamethrower, Metagross walls it hard. Mewtwo’s diversity makes it a massive threat but once you discover what it has, you can figure out how to deal with it.
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