There was a lot riding on Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal. Generation one quickly proved to be a world-conquering smash hit, after all, and the follow-up had to prove that this success wasn’t just a flash in the pan. A tall order whichever way you slice it.
How did Gold and Silver accomplish this? By rejigging some of the original’s questionable mechanics and adding in so much more of its own. Baby Pokémon, breeding, the Steel and Dark types, held items… all of these mechanics and more were added in Gen II. So too, of course, were many all-new Pokémon, but which were the best? Here are our picks for the strongest Johto dual types.
10 Shuckle: Bug/Rock
Now, we know what you’re thinking. Shuckle is the last Pokémon you’d expect to be voted the strongest… anything, really. As far as appearances go, it’s probably as formidable-looking as a sleepy, contented Magikarp being read a bedtime story by papa Gyarados. Don’t be fooled by that, though, because this thing is not to be messed with.
Yes, you might sneer at its stats (huge defenses of base 230 apiece, let down by pitiful offenses, HP and Speed), but it has a secret weapon: Power Trick, a move that switches its Defense and Attack stats. In a very obscure and unlikely situation, Shuckle is capable of delivering perhaps the strongest attack in Pokémon history, but it’s so tough to pull off that we had to rate it last.
9 Kingdra: Water/Dragon
Several generation one Pokémon just seemed as though they had one more evolution in them. The Horsea line was one of them, and Game Freak delivered for Gold and Silver. Statistically, Kingdra doesn’t impress (it’s very average across the board), but again, you’ve got to look at the big picture here.
Kingdra has been cutting swathes through opposing teams for generations. It’s usually seen on rain teams, which utilize its Swift Swim Ability and the boost to its Water STAB (backed up by Dragon Meteor) to great effect. Boosting sets with the Sniper Ability have been effective too. The trouble is, though, Kingdra’s quite one-dimensional in that sense, and is heavily reliant on setup or weather effects to perform at its best.
8 Skarmory: Steel/Flying
Skarmory is a simple Pokémon with simple tastes. It wants to hover there in front of physical attackers, shrug off the damage like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator movies, and… well, that’s it. Outside of some hazard-spreading, that’s really all there is to Skarmory’s gameplan.
When you’re just so darn good at what you do, though, there’s no need to try and pull anything fancy. Long-time battlers surely remember the dreaded SkarmBliss combo, a defensive core of Skarmory and Blissey (which handled the special attacks that Skarmory can’t really deal with) that could be darn tough to dismantle. It’s not a powerhouse in the conventional sense, but it’s a defensive force to be reckoned with.
7 Houndoom: Dark/Fire
We’ve already seen one of Gen II’s newfangled Steel-types, now for a Dark-type! Houndoom is interesting and sometimes underrated pick that brings a lot to the table.
It has solid mixed offenses (though its Special Attack is higher), STAB Sucker Punch and tricky moves like Destiny Bond. If it manages to get a Nast Plot in, you’d be surprised by the carnage this thing can leave in its wake. Mega Houndoom dials all of these traits up a notch, with a very welcome dose of increased Speed and great damage potential with the Solar Power Ability. The trouble is, Mega Evolution seems to be a thing of the past now, and Houndoom’s frailty really holds it back from rising any higher.
6 Lugia: Psychic/Flying
If you’ve ventured into the Ubers metagame during your Pokémon career, you’ve probably felt the wrath of Lugia more than your share of times. Along with Giratina, this formidable creature is well-known for simply refusing to faint, regardless of the absurdly high-powered attacks you unload into it.
With 106 base HP, 130 base Defense and 154 base Special Defense, it’s no surprise that Lugia’s such a handful. Throw in its Hidden Ability, Multiscale (which halves the damage of any regular attack it takes while at full health), and you’ve got a real nightmare on your hands. Its offenses aren’t bad, but they’re definitely not where Luigi excels. A great pick for the middle spot on our list.
5 Azumarill: Water/Fairy
Now, if we’re being persnickety here, there’s something we’ve got to point out: Azumarill is a Gen II dual type that wasn’t actually a dual-type in Gen II itself. Instead, it was retconned from pure Water to Water/Fairy when the latter typing was introduced in Pokémon X and Y.
Here’s the thing about this, though: we’re going to count it. After all, when Azumarill manages to get off a Belly Drum, heal up that lost health with a berry and start charging at you with its +6, Pure Power-boosted strength, you’re not going to argue with it. You’ll let it go ahead and feature in any list it wants. Having said all of that, this sort of set is very predictable and is super reliant on its Ability most of the time, so we can’t rate it any higher.
4 Scizor: Bug/Steel
Scizor’s in a similar situation to Azumarill. In Generation II itself, Scyther’s new evolved form really wasn’t anything special at all. As the years have gone by, though, Game Freak have blessed it with some wonderful buffs.
The key to Scizor’s success is simple: Bullet Punch. STAB priority on a very powerful Pokémon with the Technician Ability (which powers up its attacks with low base power) is a heck of an asset. With its great defensive typing, the threat of Swords Dance and its solid defensive stats, it’s a Pokémon that will never hesitate to claim a scalp or two. Bug-types can be strong, you know!
3 Heracross: Bug/Fighting
It’s almost as though Game Freak saw the error of their ways, vis a vis Gen I Bug Pokémon (nice Twineedle you have there), and started trying to redress the balance as soon as possible. Generation II brought a couple of excellent Bug-types to the table. Our old friend Heracross, for instance.
Essentially, Heracross is everything Pinsir wishes it could’ve been. That additional Fighting typing offers excellent STAB, while the Moxie Ability allows it to easily snowball its way through a team. Heracross is lacking a little in Speed, but it has all the coverage and power it needs to excel. Like Scizor, it has a mighty Mega Evolution too.
2 Ho-Oh: Fire/Flying
You’ve met Lugia, now here comes its counterpart Ho-Oh. This glorious phoenix-esque Pokémon also has Uber written all over its feathered face. Let’s take a look at why.
As with several Pokémon in the Ubers tier, Ho-Oh just seems to have a bit of everything. Base 106 HP and 154 Special Defense is more than enough as it is, but it also has high Attack at base 130, above average Special Attack and typical Speed of the tier at 90. It can sponge a lot of special attacks and has reliable healing to sustain itself, but it can also go purely offensive and melt its foes with the fantastic Sacred Fire. We can only think of one second gen dual-type we’d rate higher.
1 Tyranitar: Rock/Dark
Well, which other furious mountain on legs was going to take our number one spot? Tyranitar is a Pokémon that needs no introduction, having terrorized the competitive scene with its raw power and sandstorm shenanigans for years.
Whether it’s running a sneaky special set, flinching its foes in doubles with powerful Rock Slides or just allowing its buddy Excadrill to tear things up (via Sand Rush), Tyranitar has all kinds of ways to ruin its opponent’s day. As has been a theme of this list, it didn’t gain access to some of its tools until after Gen II, but nobody’s ever wanted to mess with Tyranitar.
NEXT: Pokémon: The 10 Best Gen II Pokémon In Sword & Shield
