You know the saying… ‘Gotta catch ‘em all’ is the calling card of Pokémon, a catchphrase and also a set of instructions telling you exactly what you need to do before you’ve even started playing the game. So what do you do once you have caught them all? Well, you make them fight to the death (or faint, whatever), and that’s where the strongest Pokémon come in.
If you have already explored every corner of Paldea and picked up every pocket monster, you are probably on the hunt for the strongest Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet so you can get battling online and sweep some noobs. So we’ve gathered the toughest of the bunch, and put together this handy dandy guide so you know exactly who to catch and train. This list will be focused on new Pokémon introduced in Scarlet and Violet, and it will also not include legendary Pokémon, as their base stat spreads mean they are all fairly viable in competitive. Once you’ve checked out the list, get battle ready with our guides to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet items and the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet TM machine.
Let’s dive into our guide to the strongest Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet.
Strongest Pokémon
Annihilape – Fighting/Ghost
Abilities
- Vital Spirit – The Pokémon cannot be asleep while having this ability
- Inner Focus – This Pokémon will not flinch. Does not prevent flinching with Focus Punch. Also prevents stats from being lowered by the ability Intimidate
- (Hidden Ability) Defiant – Attack is raised by two stages when the Pokémon has its stats lowered. Doesn’t work on self inflicted stat drops or drops from allies
It’s the year of our Arceus 2022 and yet here we are, talking about how competitively viable a Mankey evolution is. Presenting the best kind of regional evolution, Annihilape is such a great way to update the monster, as its Pokédex entry suggests that a Primeape got so angry it died, only for its rage to bring it back as a ghost. I love this one so much.
The type coverage of fighting and ghost make Annhilape a threat to several big ‘mon, including normal types like Blissey and ice types like Cetitan and Baxcalibur. It gains STAB on moves like cross chop and stomping tantrum, and its signature ghost move rage fist gets more powerful the more Annihilape gets hit. Coupled with its impressive base 115 attack stat and a couple of complimentary abilities, this monkey could really sweep through some teams.
Glimmora – rock/poison
Abilties
- Toxic debris – Scatters poison spikes at the feet of the opposing team when the Pokémon takes damage from physical moves
- (Hidden ability) Corrosion – The Pokémon can poison the target even if it’s a steel or poison type
Perhaps one of the most unassuming new Pokémon, if you race passed Glimmora in Area Zero, maybe don’t be so quick to judge it. If you’re looking for a really frustrating wall, and one that can use status effects to its advantage as well, Glimmora absolutely has you covered. First of all, yes its ability gives it free toxic spikes whenever it gets hit, and that’s absolutely incredible.
Glimmora also has an absolutely stonking 130 base special attack, one of the highest of any new Pokémon in the game. Coupled with STAB moves like power gem and sludge wave, this thing can do some serious damage. It also has respectable 86 speed, 90defence, and its typing gives it six resistances, including fairy. It also gets access to sandstorm, so Glimmora could be a great buddy in doubles in if you’re running a Garchomp and need to protect them.
Gholdengo – steel/ghost
Ability
- Good as gold – A body of pure, solid gold gives the Pokémon full immunity to other Pokémon’s status moves
Yes, you read that right. The silly golden cheese string boy is completely immune to poison, confusion, sleep, burns, paralysis, and it’s even immune to stat changes caused by things like intimidate or screech. Gholdengo is also immune to normal, fighting, and poison moves, with nine resistances on top of that, including fairy. This thing is absolutely insane, so you’d better get finding those Ghimmighoul coins!
In terms of offense, steel and ghost are great types for coverage and Gholdengo has access to flash cannon, shadow ball, and the new unique move make it rain (yes really) that lower’s the user’s special attack, but earns the trainer extra money after the battle. This is all supplemented with a healthy spread of a whopping 133 special attack, 95 defence, 91, special defence, and 84 speed. This thing is an absolute nuisance, and it has the type and move coverage to take full advantage of that.
Palafin – water
Ability
- Zero to hero – The Pokémon transforms into its hero form when it switches out
It took Pokémon so long to give us a dolphin, and I think most fans will agree that we weren’t quite expecting… this. Paladin is friend-shaped, it looks cute, and you might think it wasn’t worth your time. Well, that would be true if it wasn’t for its incredible ability and second form. In it’s zero form Palafin has a measly 70 attack, 62 special defence, and 72 defence. But things are about to CHANGE if you swaps it out and comes in.
Hero form Palafin has – wait for this – 160 attack, the same as legendary Pokémon like Unbound Hoopa or Regigas. That’s ten attack higher than Rayquaza! This thing is a beast, with its design incredibly fitting of its superhero persona, and I love it so much. It also gains access to flip turn, a water-type move that swaps place with a Pokémon in your party, so Palafin can power up and change like Clark Kent in a phonebooth.
Ceruledge – fire/ghost
Ability
- Flash Fire – This Pokémon is immune to fire-type moves, and upon being hit with one, will receive an increase in its attack stat
- Weak Armour – If a physical attack hits this Pokémon, its defence is lowered one stage, but its speed is increased by two stages
There is an argument to be made for either of Charcadet’s evolutions as both Armarouge and Ceruledge are fantastic picks. However, Ceruledge has the…edge, in our opinion, thanks to a slightly higher speed stats and that whopping 125 physical attack.
Ceruledge also has the signature move bitter blade, which recovers 50% of the damage dealt to your opponent. Fire and ghost make for great offensive typing, but we would normally stick with flash fire as an ability to gain another immunity. Of course, fire is weak to a lot of battle hazards, so Ceruledge is best paired with the heavy-duty boots in competitive. But if you’re just exploring Paldea and want to deal serious pain, use the held item life orb for extra damage, then recover the health anyway with bitter blade.
Iron Bundle – water/ice
Ability
- Quark Drive – Increases the user’s highest stat by 30% while electric terrain is activated or if the booster energy is attached
Look at this fun little guy. Of all the Pokémon, Delibird ended up getting such a significant upgrade that Iron Bundle is now in the uber category of Smogon’s competitive rankings. This little boy is banned from regular play, it’s too powerful! It’s probably something to do with it having a combination of 124 special attack, 136 speed, and the ability to improve whichever is higher with the ability quark drive.
Add on top of this great STAB moves like hydro pump, ice beam, and even the move free-dry, which is super effective against water types and can leave the target frozen. There are very few Pokémon in the game who can outright resist either STAB type moves from Iron Bundle, and that means it is a threat to any Pokémon, and it’s probably faster than them to boot. Watch out, this Robo-penguin is coming down the chimney, and he’s bringing more than just gifts.
Flutter Mane – ghost/fairy
Ability
- Protosynthesis – Increases the user’s highest stat by 30% while sunny day is activated or if the booster energy is attached
The paradox form of Misdreavus, Flutter Mane is one of the best looking Paradox Pokémon, and it just might be the most powerful. Sorry Roaring Moon fans, but this thing has some power. Flutter Mane balances a wild stat split, with 135 special attack, special defence, and speed, with 55 HP, attack, and defence. That makes this one hell of a glass cannon, but it can take some special hits at least.
Ghost and fairy are great offensive types, and Flutter Mane has access to great moves like moon blast and shadow ball that will make great use of STAB and the booster energy bonus. It also has an immunity to normal, fighting, and dragon-type moves, so Flutter Wing can switch into some huge threats and get in some hits before it’s ultimately killed. It won’t last long, but if you can focus on speed and power, Flutter mane can do some huge damage before it’s gone.
Walking Wake – water/dragon
Ability
- Protosynthesis – Increases the user’s highest stat by 30% while sunny day is activated or if the booster energy is attached
Game Freak added this beast after release, although hints within the game had players guessing. A paradox form of fan favourite Suicune, Walking Wake is a monstrous version of the legendary beast, and the changes to stats and type are a major threat.
With 125 special attack and 109 speed, Walking Wake can break down a lot of defensive Pokémon, especially when used with choice specs. Double this with a timid nature to make the most of its speed, and stab attacks like draco meteor cause havoc for major checks like Dragonite, Dragapult, and Roaring Moon. It also has access to the signature move Hyrdo Steam, making this a formidable threat.
Now obviously that isn’t all of the strong Pokémon in Paldea, so expect us to come back and update this list as we have more fun playing online and experimenting with teams. If you just want to have a look at some more fluffy pals though, be sure to check out our guide to the best gen 9 Pokémon next.
