By the third generation of Pokémon, things were really kicking into high gear for the franchise. The original games were probably the biggest phenomenon of the 90s (except perhaps Friends), while Pokémon Gold and Silver expanded the scope by adding a whole array of crucial new mechanics like held items and breeding.
What did Gen III bring to the table? Further mechanics to deepen the gameplay, for one thing, including abilities and natures that effect stat growth. Most importantly, a ton of new powerhouse Pokémon was added to the mix, some boasting unique new type combinations. Here are our picks for the strongest.
10 Ludicolo: Water/Grass
Now, granted, Ludicolo doesn’t look like much of a threat at all. In fact, it looks like the happiest and most harmless Pokémon of all time, a dancing pineapple-duck that just wants to spread its joy to everyone it meets. What’s not to like?
You might be surprised to learn, however, that Ludicolo can be one heck of a beast to deal with. It’s still the only Water/Grass Pokémon, and it puts this trait to excellent use on a rain team. With its Swift Swim ability and excellent coverage, you’d be amazed just how much havoc this thing can wreak. Having said that, though, its stats are rather average and it’s very reliant on the rain to cause the most damage.
9 Swampert: Water/Ground
As experienced players will know, Swampert has always been a solid pick in the so-called ‘bulky water’ area. It may not be consistent high-tier material, but it has great HP and the all-around defenses it needs to function as a solid tank.
Its Attack is above average too, meaning that it’s no passive damage-sponge. Similarly to Ludicolo, Mega Swampert also boasted the Swift Swim ability and could muscle its way through foes in a trice if conditions were right, but Mega Evolution seems to be a thing of the past now and regular Swampert isn’t usually seen as a standard attacker.
8 Salamence: Dragon/Flying
The Pokémon franchise has always had a thing about Dragon-type pseudo-legendaries, hasn’t it? Dragonite was the first, and it’s been given all kinds of tasty buffs since. Extreme Speed? Dragon Dance? The Multiscale ability? It sure as heck doesn’t mind if it does.
For some years after its introduction, Bagon and its evolutionary family ruled that roost. Salamence is a fearsome threat that has some freedom over which sets it runs; able to pull off physical, special and mixed movesets depending on its team’s needs. We couldn’t rate it any higher, though, because Mega Salamence seems to have disappeared forever and its standard form has been rendered obsolete by the likes of Garchomp.
7 Breloom: Grass/Fighting
It’s a funny thing, going into a new Pokémon generation without having seen leaks and details about most of the new roster. With every new critter you encounter, you wonder: is it worth adding to my team? It looks a little weak now, but what if it evolves into something amazing?
Shroomish, the humble little Grass-type, is a Pokémon that many fans may have simply passed over. This was a bit of a mistake, as it does indeed evolve into something amazing. Breloom doesn’t look like much either, but it’s darn strong (base 130 Attack) and has access to everything a Grass/Fighting Pokémon could want, including Mach Punch, the Technician ability and even the deadly Spore (a 100% accurate sleep-inducing move). It’s really let down by its middling Speed and feeble defenses, however.
6 Shedinja: Bug/Ghost
Could there possibly be a better candidate for a middle spot on our list than Shedinja? This terrifying little creature is probably the biggest mixed bag the franchise has ever seen.
You probably know the deal with Shedinja: it’s a Bug/Ghost Pokémon with a fantastic ability: Wonder Guard. This renders it immune to all direct attacks, except for those it’s weak to. In return, though, it has a maximum HP of a single point, meaning that damaging status, weather, and hazards will immediately K.O it. As a result, it’ll either perform super well or just instantly keel over, depending on the battle situation at hand.
5 Metagross: Steel/Psychic
Here’s another Gen III pseudo-legendary that has been a metagame mainstay for some time over its career. Does Metagross look like a creature you want to mess with? That’s because it darn well isn’t.
This thing is 5’ 03”, 1212.5 lb’s worth of pure metallic fury. Even stronger than Breloom at base 135 Attack and with all-round high defenses, Metagross has very strong STAB moves (including priority) and useful ability in Clear Body. Intimidate? You’re not intimidating this thing, buddy. The trouble is, its average Speed and a recent influx of other super-powerful Pokémon has taken Metagross down a peg or two. It doesn’t have a creepy spider-ish leg to stand on.
4 Mawile: Steel/Fairy
Now, granted, this entry might be a bit of a cheat. After all, Mawile was a humble pure Steel Pokémon in Gen III itself. Not to mention the fact that it’s only here because of its Mega Evolution. Still, we’ve just got to give a shout out to one of the greatest Pokémon glow-ups of all dang time.
This is what Mega Evolution always should have been about: elevating a Pokémon absolutely nobody used or cared about to new heights of power. Mega Mawile shares the newly-retconned (and great) Steel-Fairy typing of its standard form, but throws boosted defenses and the Pure Power ability into the mix. It was reliant on this ability and pretty slow, but it was also one of the strongest Mega Evolutions out there.
3 Latios: Dragon/Psychic
The eon duo, Latios and Latias, are some of the most iconic Gen III Pokémon of all. While they look super similar, their base stats are just a little different. As a result, Latias is more defensively inclined, while Latios is more of a special sweeper (this fact is reflected in their mega forms too).
With 110 base Speed and 130 base Special Attack, Latios has always been a huge threat. Couple this fact with the excellent coverage it gets and your opponents can be put into a real checkmate position by it. Having said that, Dragon/Psychic is far from the best combination either offensively or defensively, and Latios can be a little one-dimensional.
2 Blaziken: Fire/Fighting
That’s right, friends. Which starter Pokémon kicked off the whole Fire/Fighting meme? We’ll tell you which: this monstrous, terrifying doom-chicken, that’s which. Still, we’re not about to complain to its face about that.
The thing about Blaziken is, it’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Its strength and powerful STAB moves alone would be fine, what with its frailty and totally average Speed. What really pushed Blaziken over the edge was its Hidden Ability (boasted by its Mega Evolution by default): Speed Boost. With this, it overcame its only real weakness in a nanosecond and could snowball through a team before you could say, Colonel Sanders.
1 Rayquaza: Dragon/Flying
If you’ve felt its true wrath, you’ll know that there are few Pokémon more terrifying than a rampaging Blaziken with momentum on its side. One critter that definitely is at least 25% wrath-ier, however, is the green serpentine Arnold Schwarzenegger they call Rayquaza.
Apparently, someone at Game Freak thought it’d be a good idea to give this thing a Mega Evolution. Not only that but the only Mega Evolution that didn’t require a Mega Stone. As a result, you could actually give something with base 180 Attack/Special Attack a boosting item like a Life Orb or Choice Band. That’s every possible kind of uncool.
NEXT: The 10 Best Legendary Pokémon Designs & Looks, Ranked
