20 Best-Performing Pokemon In Competitive Play - Game Rant

While the world of Pokemon is full of many different things trainers can do with their pocket monsters, the main (and most fun) activity is battling. Putting teams up against each other to determine the best trainer is a thrill like no other. Battling through the single-player campaign to become champion is all well and good, but some seek to go further.

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Players worldwide look to compete with each other, pushing their teams to the limits to call themselves world champions. Over the past decade or so, when Pokemon VGC has been officially recognized, some Pokemon have risen to the top. While different meta-games come and go, some Pokemon always find a way to be useful and have helped win multiple world championships.

Updated June 24, 2024 by Stephen LaGioia: The realm of Ranked Battles and competitive Pokemon is exciting, in-depth, and challenging. Battles can seem simple on the surface, but there are many subtle nuances that expert players can exploit when it comes to the vast range of match-ups and counters. This is partly because of a growing number of features introduced in more recent Generations, such as abilities and Terastallizing.

To stand up against skilled opponents, players should get their hands on the strongest, most effective Pokemon to fight in competitive matches. To better showcase the best competitive Pokemon, the following guide has been updated and includes even more entries for competition-viable creatures.

27 Dragonite

A Dragon Juggernaut

HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
91	134	95	100	100	80	600

Aside from just having impressive stats across the board, Dragonite is a tried-and-true option to hold out for a while in heated battles because of its Miultiscale ability, which mitigates enemy damage by half when at maximum HP. This gives the already potent Pokemon a clear advantage from the get-go. Its bulk allows it to absorb ample damage, and it's also versatile in terms of the moves it can learn, especially physical ones.

It's fairly quick for its size, with moves like Extreme Speed and Quick Attack further boosting this area. Moves like Outrage and Superpower can also be exploited to wipe out most or all of a foe's HP rather quickly.

26 Flutter Mane

A Deceptive Disruptor

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
55	55	55	135	135	135	570

While a bit vulnerable when it comes to raw power and defense, players delving into more involved battles — which usually involve special moves — will notice a nice advantage with this Ghost-Fairy hybrid. It excels when it comes to STAB (same-type attack bonus) and coverage moves, making it a good match-up for many opponents.

Since it's quite versatile in its movesets, there are plenty of decent counters for Pokemon types that hold an advantage over it. Shadow Ball and Moonblast can be exploited in particular, ensuring ample damage to a wide range of targets.

Players will want to use Flutter Mane as a quick disruptor — getting in attacks swiftly and effectively — as it's not great for wars of attrition. However, for practiced fighters, Flutter Mane can be a deceptively effective option.

25 Koraidon

Magic And Muscle

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
100	135	115	85	100	135	670

With its Orichalcum Pulse ability alone, which shifts the weather to Harsh Sunlight — boosting its Attack by 30% for the five turns this chance occurs — Koraidon is hard to contend with. The Fighting-Dragon-type is bred for dishing out plenty of pain on its targets, especially with physical attacks.

There is quite a long list of moves this Pokemon can learn whose power goes well into the triple digits, including Outrage, Close Combat, and Giga Impact. It's also handy that there are few elementals the monster is vulnerable against, while Koraidon is resistant to quite a few, including Rock, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, and Dark.

With its raw power and bulkiness, Koraidon can usually withstand a lot, while putting a nice dent in the HP of various lineups.

24 Donphan

A Force To Be Reckoned With

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
90	120	120	60	60	50	500

While there aren't a ton of nuances or fancy bells and whistles with Donphan, this big-tusked monster is just straight-up powerful. The Pokemon serves as a good tank option, as well as an offensive threat, making it a tough out in battle. It helps that its ability Sturdy ensures it won't be knocked out with a single hit — even one-hit-KO moves.

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It can use several disruptive moves to throw opponents off-balance, such as Encore, Rapid Spin, and Knock Off — the latter of which wipes out a target's held item.This beast is simply a sturdy, reliable utility choice for experts and less-practiced players alike. And given all the nuances that can arise in battle, this is a welcome trait.

23 Meowscarada

A Quick And Versatile Feline

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
76	110	70	81	70	123	530

Meowscarada is the final form of the Grass-type starter from Generation 9, bringing the unique supplement of the Dark elemental. While not having the massive firepower of some competitive favorites, this humanoid feline is subtly useful in a few areas.

This begins with the handy move Flower Trick — which only Meowscarada is capable of learning as of now. Flower Trick is a great option in a heated match, as it's fairly powerful, and always hits for criticals. The move boasts a base power of 70, which, coupled with a fairly high Attack stat, can chip away at opponents' HP quite quickly.

Added to this is the cat's immense speed, which allows players to get a jump on opponents, making it more likely for them to have to play catch-up. Finally, its Hidden Ability called Protean allows it to transform into a single type (taking the form of the move it used last). This whittles down the number of elemental types that are strong against this Pokemon.

22 Yveltal

Fiery Death From Above

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
126	131	95	131	98	99	680

This already potent Dark/Flying-type's power is amped up even more with its Dark Aura ability, which bumps up Dark-type move strengths by about 33%, and this applies to all Pokemon on the field. However, it should be noted that this effect doesn't stack if there is more than one Pokemon with this ability.

This also yields a 30% chance of causing flinching, keeping targets on their heels for much of the match. On top of this, Yveltal is the only Pokemon currently able to learn the nifty move Oblivion Wing. This acts as a secondary STAB, which inflicts loads of damage and even restores 75% of the damage dealt.

Heat Wave is an excellent coverage move that wallops various Pokemon types. Put simply — this draconian Flying Pokemon is pretty much stacked across the board, and has several tricks up its sleeve.

21 Ho-Oh

An Avian Legend

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
106	130	90	110	154	90	680

The Pokemon that spurred the imagination and wonder of Ash Ketchum (and viewers) in the Pokemon anime's pilot episode is also a great option for competitive matches.

This Fire/Flying-type can turn up the heat with its Special Attack power and ability to weather moves from opponents' Special moves. Players can enjoy the benefits of a strong, well-rounded moveset with Earthquake, Sacred Fire, Extrasensory, and the healing move Recover.

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These all cover a range of elementals and move types, while helping ensure the Pokemon can win a war of attrition. Its survivability is further strengthened by its hidden ability Regenerator, which, as its name implies, restores a decent chunk of HP (specifically 33%) after switching it out. This majestic bird can help players soar to victory in battle.

20 Zapdos

Truly Electrifying

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
90	90	85	125	90	100	580

Players were elated to see the original Legendary Bird Trio get their own unique redesigns with Galarian forms in Generation 8 but Zapdos retains most of its competitive viability when in its Generation 1 form. The high-flying Electric-type can be devastating thanks to its array of powerful moves, high Special Attack stat (125) and solid Speed (100). This combination has seen many players use it well in Sword & Shield Ranked Battles.

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Those looking to get the most out of their Zapdos should find one with a Timid nature, as it will boost its Speed in favor of Attack. This isn't a huge deal as Zapdos is a Special Attacker, so it will benefit from the speed boost without losing its edge. Players can dominate the competition with moves like Hurricane, Heat Wave, and Rising Voltage. Zapdos also has some staying power thanks to Roost.

19 Dragapult

The Living Missile Launcher

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
90	90	85	125	90	100	580

Those looking for a unique and competitively viable Dragon-type should check out Dragapult. The living missile launcher is a mixed attacker with a ton of speed, giving it the ability to out-maneuver its opponents. It's very capable of sweeping a team and its Clear Body ability will keep it safe from any negative stat-affecting moves. It also comes with the Cursed Body hidden ability which can outright disable an opponent's move (30 percent chance) if it hits Dragapult.

Players can push Dragapult's already impressive Speed stat (142) even further by snagging one with the Naive nature, which will also leave its Attack (120) and Special Attack (100) intact. Its unique typing of Dragon/Ghost can go a long way in battle and it will benefit from STAB on moves like Dragon Darts and Phantom Force.

18 Mimikyu

A Surprisingly Effective Counter

HP	Attack	Defense	S. Attack	S. Defense	Speed	Total
55	90	80	50	105	96	476

One of the most entertaining things about competitive Pokemon play is that dedicated trainers often find ways to introduce some truly unique Pokemon into the meta. Mimikyu is an example of a competitively viable Pokemon that doesn't look like it belongs with the powerhouses present in most battles. Looks can be very deceiving, however, as this pint-sized cosplaying Pokemon is capable of taking a hit and dishing out serious damage if used correctly.

Its Disguise ability allows it to tank one hit per battle, giving smart players a chance to set up Swords Dance and punish their opponents with an array of Ghost or Fairy-type moves. Players can help Mimikyu out-speed the competition by finding one with a Jolly stat, which will give it a better chance of tanking a hit and then getting the jump on the opponent.