Pokémon 20th Anniversary: Top 10 Starters

With the 20th anniversary of Pokémon recent behind us and the recent reveal of Sun and Moon info, we're feeling a bit in the mood. Let's the say that we might've caught Pokérus... Anyway, we decided to take a trip (especially since we haven't done a Top 10 in almost a year...) and revisit a memorable event in any trainer's journey: getting their first Pokémon. We will only be looking at starters from the main series of games and will be grading them and their evolutions on design, stats and their usefulness in battle. We will not be incorporating at the Mega Evolutions into evaluations, as that gives an unfair advantage to the Kanto and Hoenn starters.

Honorable Mentions

Cyndaquil

Pokédex #: 155-157          First Appearance: Generation II

Evolves into: Quilava starting at Level 14 and then Typhlosion starting at Level 36

Type: Fire

Starter in: Johto region in Gold/Silver/Crystal/Heart Gold/Soul Silver

Fennekin

Pokédex #: 653-655          First Appearance: Generation VI

Evolves into: Braixen starting at Level 16 and then Delphox starting at Level 36

Type: Fire until Delphox, then it becomes Fire/Psychic

Starter in: Kalos region in X & Y

Totodile

Pokédex #: 158-160          First Appearance: Generation II

Evolves into: Croconaw starting at Level 18 and then Feraligatr starting at Level 30

Type: Water

Starter in: Johto region in Gold/Silver/Crystal/Heart Gold/Soul Silver

As much as we liked our honorable mentions, they didn't make the list. They were in the initial running and were sideswept by the competition. Now we head to the top tier.

10. Pikachu

Pokédex #: 172, 025-026          First Appearance: Generation I

Evolves from: Pichu when leveled up with high friendship

Evolves into: Raichu with a Thunderstone

Type: Electric


Starter in: Kanto region in Yellow

Pikachu is a very special Pokémon in many trainer's hearts. As the official franchise mascot, it has become as recognizable as Mickey Mouse and Mario. This Mouse Pokémon was a rare find in Viridian Forest in Red and Blue, but became the only starter in the third Yellow version thanks to its appearance as Ash Ketchum's partner in the Pokémon anime. 

There are many things that make Pikachu special. It's design is great and simplistic. It's also a very early Electric type Pokémon in the game to find (and the only Electric starter). But one of the biggest reasons Pikachu got onto this list is its stats. Pikachu is a bit fleshy and has decent attack stats but it's one of the speediest starters while being only a middle evolution. In Yellow, your Pikachu acts just like Ash's and refuses to evolve into a Raichu. And this is Generation I, where Pichu didn't exist, making Pikachu the first in its evolutionary line. Despite that at the time, Pikachu has a 90 in it's Speed Stat. This means that as a middle evolution, it can still outspeed most of the other starter's final evolutions. Pikachu can also learn a variety of special, physical and status moves via TM as well. Maybe this is the reason that Ash keeps his Pikachu with him at all times...

9. Oshawott

Pokédex #: 501-503          First Appearance: Generation V

Evolves into: Dewott starting at Level 17 and then Samurott at Level 36

Type: Water


Starter in: Unova region in Black/White/Black 2/White 2

Oshawott is the little Otter Pokémon that evolves into Dewott and then the sea lion Samurott. The tiny otter comes with a scalchop on its chest that it uses to attack and crack open berries. When it becomes Dewott, it gains another and when Samurott comes about it gains seamitars that are holstered in its front scabbards. It has been called the saving grace of the Unova starters, as Emboar and Serperior are among the lower tiers when it comes to starters.

Samurott can deal a lot of damage and take a lot of damage. Samurott can learn a lot of different attack moves and has great Attack/Special Attack. Its is very much the swiss army knife of the sea. This makes the Oshawott family a surprise when the they show up in battle, because you never know what they're going to throw at you.

8. Piplup

Pokédex #: 393-395          First Appearance: Generation IV

Evolves into: Prinplup starting at Level 16 and then Empoleon starting at Level 36

Type: Water until Empoleon, then it becomes Water/Steel

Starter in: Sinnoh region in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

Piplup is the adorable Penguin Pokémon who can get in the Sinnoh region that will one day become the emperor penguin Empoleon. Its design really does catch the eye and Piplup is just adorable, even with Prinplup being the meh middle evolution. The Piplup family has a very good role as bulky Special Attackers and there's a reason they fit the bill.

When Prinplup evolves into Empoleon, it gets the prestigious (and unique) Water/Steel typing. This allows it to cover its weaknesses and strike with a lot of moves Water types don't usually get. It gets Flying type moves naturally to counter Fighting, Water for Ground and Ground type moves by TM to easily counter Electric types. That plus its solid stats and design will make you fear these penguins at all times... Well maybe not every single time. 

7. Charmander

Pokédex #: 004-006          First Appearance: Generation I

Evolves into: Charmeleon starting at Level 16 and then Charizard starting at Level 36

Type: Fire until Charizard, then it becomes Fire/Flying

Starter in: Kanto region in Red/Blue/Fire Red/Leaf Green

Probably the most popular Pokémon starter, Charmander (like most of the Generation 1 starters) has a very simple and solid design. These guys had the distinguished pleasure of being the first and most solid Fire Type family in Generation I. This allowed it to easily infiltrate the hearts and minds of many early adopters of Pokémon.

Charizard does get the dual Fire/Flying, which is a help and a great hindrance as it makes it immune to its old Ground Type weakness and opens up the door for new vulnerabilties. To add onto that, Charizard's moveset is very bland, it mainly just involves many differnt, yet similar, Fire Type attacks. It's Charizard's expanded moveset that makes it so viable. With TMs, Charizard gets a plethora of various and unique moves. Charizard has some great stats as well. It has great Special Attack and Speed with above average Attack for mix ups and decent defensive capabilities.

6. Chimchar

Pokédex #: 390-392          First Appearance: Generation IV

Evolves into: Monferno starting at Level 14 and then Infernape starting at Level 36

Type: Fire until Monferno, then it becomes Fire/Fighting

Starter in: Sinnoh region in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

A fan favorite of ours is definitely Chimchar. Keeping with the Fire/Fighting trend from Generation III, Gen IV's starter is this fiery monkey. Chimchar and the gang got real lucky as Gen IV introduced the concept that attacks wouldn't be determined either Special or Physical by typing alone. This let Infernape, who's a mixed Sweeper shine even further. The family's design is also great as it feels much more simplistic like the old generations whilst also keeping it fresh and up to date.

Infernape's specialty as a Mixed Sweeper is great, especially with this movepool. It's Hidden Ability is Iron Fist which improves all moves with Punch in the name and has access to Grass, Dark, Poison, Bug and Flying Type moves, making Infernape hard to assess in battle right off that bat. Because Attack and Special Attack sit a a nice 104 base and Speed lying at 108, it hits hard and it hits first. There's a reason this starter is such an editor favorite.

5. Mudkip

Pokédex #: 258-260          First Appearance: Generation III

Evolves into: Marshtomp starting at Level 16 and then Swampert starting at Level 36

Type: Water until Marshtomp, then it becomes Water/Ground

Starter in: Hoenn region in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire

We heard that y'all liek Mudkipz... WELL SO DO WE. Mudkip is one of those things that looks a bit weird, but is also just too adorable as well. By the time it hits Swampert, it loses most of its cute for a more monstrous look. Swampert and co. are pretty diverse as the only Water/Ground starter, which sets them apart from the rest.

Swampert is a fairly good Sweeper, as you only need to be wary of Grass-Type moves and can absolutely absorb Electric-Type attacks that would fry other Water-Types. Outside of its ability to learn great Water and Ground moves, it was access to diverse Rock, Fighting and Ice-Type attacks to fend off combatants. Ice specifically is what this family needs to beat out its Grass opponents. While Swampert's Speed is below average, it more than makes up the difference with literally every other stat being above average or better. That's what makes it so deserving of this spot on the list.

4. Squirtle

Pokédex #: 007-009          First Appearance: Generation I

Evolves into: Wartortle starting at Level 16 and then Blastoise starting at Level 36

Type: Water

Starter in: Kanto region in Red/Blue/Fire Red/Leaf Green

Going back to Gen I we have the adorable Squirtle and Co. Squirtle is by no means a huge fan favorite (and is actually my least favorite of the Kanto starters), but Squirtle was my first ever Pokémon... I had to chose Squirtle since I had Blue version. YOU WERE A SINNER IF YOU DIDN'T! Squirtle got better with Wartortle and even better with Blastoise. Those water cannons go a long way in terms of cool.

Blastoise has access to a lot of the same variety of moves as Swampert as well. Nice Water, Fighting, Rock and Ground attacks in its movepool. The thing with Blastoise is that it goes further beyond that: it can utilize some Steel-Type moves and even Dragon Pulse. Being a great defense starter and a non-Dragon that can learn Dragon moves is very useful. Blastoise is also a tank with few weaknesses, being able to soak up a lot of damage and dish out damage just as easily, making this a real powerhouse Pokémon.

3. Bulbasaur

Pokédex #: 001-003          First Appearance: Generation I

Evolves into: Ivysaur starting at Level 16 and then Venusaur starting at Level 32

Type: Grass/Poison

Starter in: Kanto region in Red/Blue/Fire Red/Leaf Green

And wrapping up the Generation I trio is Bulbasaur. Probably the least picked by fans, Bulbasaur is actually the best Kanto starter. Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur all thrive in the more simplistic tastes of the original 151 Pokémon. It is also the only starter (so far) to have a dual type in its base form, as Grass/Poison was heavily implemented in Red/Blue/Yellow in most Grass-Types.

Unlike most of our entries thus far, Venusaur's movepool of attacks is quite limited. It has access to Grass, Poison, Normal and a few Ground-Type moves but nothing else... That's because attack moves aren't the only thing Venusaur has up its sleeves. Venusaur has access to a huge plethora of status moves too. Sleep Power to doze off opponents, Worry Seed to switch out their Ability with Insomina, Synthesis to restore HP and so much more. Venusaur also has the Hidden Ability Chlorophyll which makes it faster in sunny weather and can be easily incorporated into its skill set. It's this combined with its all around great stats that bring these Plant Pokémon to the No. 3 slot.

2. Froakie

Pokédex #: 656-658          First Appearance: Generation VI

Evolves into: Frogadier starting at Level 16 and then Greninja starting at Level 36

Type: Water until Greninja, then it becomes Water/Dark

Starter in: Kalos region in X & Y

A part of the recent Generation VI, Froakie is adorable and magnificent as it is deadly and swift. Froakie seemed to be the favorite pic when X and Y were announced and deserves that recognition. This family has a great design among the trends that Chespin and Fennekin also fall under. Each starter is based off of a standard RPG class, with these guys obviously taking inspiration from the Rogue/Ninja class.

As a Water-Type starter, Greninja can learn Hyrdro Cannon which is the best summary of this Pokémon. Greninja can dish out massive amounts of damage but is really vulnerable, a literal glass cannon. Luckily Greninja's base 122 Speed makes it the fastest Water Pokémon ever. Greninja has access to awesome attacks and can also set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes as a fast Lead as well. Even though it is super fragile, it also has access to U-Turn. This separates it from the usual slow Leads that try and U-Turn after they get hit and then try to escape with this move. Greninja's Hidden Ability is Protean, an ability that changes Greninja's type to the type of the last attack it used. Truly a sneaky one...

1. Torchic

Pokédex #: 255-257          First Appearance: Generation III

Evolves into: Combusken starting at Level 16 and then Blaziken starting at Level 36

Type: Fire until Combusken, then it becomes Fire/Fighting

Starter in: Hoenn region in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire

What can we say that hasn't been said before? Torchic, Combusken and Blaziken are the cream of the crop. Despite their rad designs, they're also some of the fiercest competition you'll ever see. Think of Blaziken and co. as a variation of Greninja. Sacrificing some of that god-tier Speed of a bigger boost for an incredible boost in Attack and Special Attack. 

Blaziken is also a handy bags of different tricks and attacks. This kickin' chicken specializes in Fire, Fighting and Flying-Type attacks while also being able to use Ground, Grass and Dark as well. What also drives Blaziken to the top of the of this list is it's amazing Hidden Ability, Speed Boost, which ups its Speed by one stage at the end of every turn. As a starter with already above average Speed and in a generation of Pokémon where stat boosting can make and break a match. Getting that free boost as long as Blaziken is standing is nasty and is what helps put this start at our top spot. Flame on friend.

Top 10 Fire Emblem Awakening Characters

With Fire Emblem Fates being announced and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem still alive, we want to take a look back at one of our favorite Fire Emblem games: 2013's Fire Emblem Awakening. We'll be grading units based on their designs, usefulness and mainly personality.

10. Gregor

"Yes! Gregor is swell-sword!" Gregor is the lovable and oafish mercenary with a laughter and wonder that hides a tragic past. Living under a harsh roof, Gregor's parents weren't easy on him and were killed by bandits before he grew up. He also made a mistake in combat alongside his older brother, which Gregor believes resulted in his brother's death. We also find out that Gregor was his brother's name and he goes by Gregor to honor his death. Despite this woe and tribulation, Gregor is one of the happiest characters you'll meet in Awakening. The Shepards encounter him turning on his employers and freeing Nowi, a manakete they had recently captured for show although Nowi doesn't see it that way when she sees Gregor's massive form. His rough and broken accent is also a delight to hear of all the proper speaking folk in the game. Gregor's starting class is the Mercenary, a swordsman who can deal damage and evade easily and take a hit. This perfectly embodies the experienced and older Gregor in many ways.

9. Lon'qu

"How well will you die?!" That's the fearsome Lon'qu for ya. A skilled swordsman hailing from Chon'sin, Lon'qu has a (yet another) tragic past. He fled the country when he was young due to the death of a close female friend. This imprinted a large phobia of women onto Lon'qu as he doesn't want to see another female close to him die. He fled to Regna Ferox, where he trained and served under West Khan Basilio. He is a gift from Basilio to the Shepards as the Khan's former champion. Lon'qu has a lot of potential and can be one of your heaviest hitters if you keep training him. He starts off as a Myrmidon, a swordsman with little defense but a lot of Skill. Skill in Fire Emblem calculates into your chance to hit and chance to crit, which is this class's specialty. Lon'qu also comes equipped with a Killing Edge which is a sword that bolsters a 30% chance of a critical hit and that's only the base. Couple that with Lon'qu's high Skill and you've got a beast that will slaughter left and right, a great unit for early on in the game.

8. Kellam

"Wait, you can see me?!" These words escape the silent knight Kellam. You would think that a tall man in a suit of armor two sizes too big would be noticeable right? Nope. Kellam's innate superpower is that he goes around relatively unnoticed by most people. From people thinking that ghosts are afoot because he moves around without being seen to everyone being startled as soon as he speaks. It wasn't always like this. In his backstory (and I'm noticing a tragic theme here...), Kellam came from a poor family of five brothers. Kellam would never share with his large family and would be a brat and they would start to ignore him, leading into his signature trait. Now he's a humble knight who serves wherever he can. Kellam is a member of Chrom's Shepards when you first meet him, but will need to be recruited on a future mission when no one realizes that he tagged along.  Kellam starts off as a Knight, a hardy unit with a lot of Defense but reduced movement. This is great early on in the game as he can take hits that would be fatal to other units, and that's useful in a game with permanent death like Fire Emblem.

7. Gerome

"Embrace your fate!" From Ylisse's desolate future comes Gerome, the potential child of Cherche and whatever guy she marries on a play through. Gerome is pretty much the Batman of Fire Emblem Awakening. Gerome was a happy, but shy child in his timeline until the death of his father and then Cherche soon afterwards. Cherche's wyvern, Minerva, came back to Gerome upon her death and Gerome became very attached to Minerva. When Lucina and the other future children decide to go into the past, the now distant Gerome only tags along because he wants to release Minerva into the wild since his future has no wyverns besides Minerva. He encounters Chrom, his army and his mother in the past before he can do this and join's Chrom's army. Gerome gets a lot of traits from his mother, so he'll always be a physical powerhouse, plus traits he gets from his father. Just like any Wyvern Rider, Gerome is handy with an axe and rides a fearsome mount so you better watch out.

6. Olivia

"Stop staring!" Olivia is a beautiful dancer and the shyest girl you'll ever meet, shy in most situations and nerve racked while dancing. Despite these traits, she's one of the most elegant dancers you'll ever feast your eyes on. Olivia is a part of traveling troupe and is so good that one onlooker planned to kidnap and marry her. This plan was stopped short by Khan Basilio himself and she's always been indebted to him. That's how she meets Chrom and the Shepards, by assisting the Khan in the war with Plegia. Olivia is a unique unit, the only Dancer in the game. She can use her action on an adjacent unit that has already acted to allow that unit to move and act again. This makes her a fragile support unit, luckily Olivia can be reclassed to make herself stronger. Allowing her to gain experience in one class before becoming a Dancer again will make Olivia one of the strongest units you'll have.

5. Cherche

"Rest in pieces!" Never thought you'd hear a house maiden say those words huh? You've obviously never met Cherche. Cherche has spent most of her life a vassal to House Virion, so she has many useful skills like cooking, sewing and mounted combat... wait, what? Cherche is also one of the fiercest wyvern riders you'll ever meet. She beat her own wyvern, Minerva, in unarmed combat to tame her. She appears in the campaign when the Valmese seek to conquer all the continents. Virion returns to Ylisse with Cherche in tow, telling of the Valm army that took Rosanne from them and joins Chrom's army. Cherche is definitely a force to be reckoned with, especially in combat. As a Wyvern Rider, Cherche has great Strength, improved Movement and mastery of the axe to back it up as well.

4. Vaike

"Teach just got tenure!" Vaike is the hot-headed and self appointed leader of the Shepards. Being Chrom's rival, he's constantly challenging him and trying to usurp him, in a friendly and simplistic way. Vaike was raised in the slums and even once led a small gang in his youth but that all changed when Chrom's older sister, the Exalt Emmeryn, came to his village and spoke to the people. Vaike then aspired to become the warrior of warriors. Vaike starts out as a Fighter, but without an axe. Someone must find and give it to him to teach the player how to trade between units. Vaike is very powerful and one of the few axe wielding characters you get early on. So if the opposing team has an abundance of lance wielders, it won't hurt you to send in good 'ol Vaike to clean 'em out.

3. Chrom/Lucina

"Anything can change!" "I challenge my fate!" Our first tie/these-characters-are-kinda-the-same-and-both-are-equally-awesome is between Chrom and his daughter Lucina, two of the three protagonists of the game. Chrom is the prince, and later Exalt, of the Haildom of Ylisse and leader of the band of vigilantes known as the Shepards. He meets your player character in a field and your long journey starts there. After the war with Plegia, he'll get married and father a daughter named Lucina. But how can that be? This Lucina is not a baby. The Lucina you use in-game is from the future, a desolate land where the Fell Dragon Grima reigns supreme and the zombie-like Risen populate most of the land. Lucina is able to utilize a spell to go back in time and brings along all the children of any of your married units. She wears a mask and masquerades as a man named Marth, as to not alert her father to her existence. These two will be your only and Lord units in Awakening. They both have access to the Falchion/Parallel Falchion sword, a sub-par weapon that has the great advantage of never wearing out. Unlike other weapons, both Falchions have unlimited uses and that means you can get good use out of these two.

2. Robin/Morgan

"Time to tip the scales!" "Time to even the odds!" I did say Chrom/Lucina was our first tie of the list. The second (and second place) goes to your player character (whose default name is Robin) and your adorable mini-tactican Morgan. Robin is left in a field and discovered by Chrom, Lissa and Frederick. With no memory and a knack for swordplay, magic and strategy; Robin finds their place within the Shepards fairly quickly. Their mysterious past is brought up form time to time, but being the Shepard's tactician throws all doubt aside from anyone. If you decide to fall in love with another unit, you'll be able to produce a little Morgan. Morgan will always be the gender opposite you and will start as the base class of your spouse. Because they are your child, they have access to your Tactician class and should be reclassed immediately after getting them or be allowed to reclass after getting to Level 20 to get even more stats. Since Morgan is your only other guaranteed Tactician, this is vital. You can have another Tactician if Robin marries a character who will have a child outside of Morgan, this means Male Robin has to marry one of the plethora of women that bear one and Female Robin only has Chrom as her option; then Morgan's sibling will be able to be a Tactician. Tactician's are super useful as they are a base class that starts with two weapon types, two diverse ones in fact. They can wield swords and tomes which is great because all other classes can only get a dual weapon opportunity upon becoming advanced units.

1. Donnel

"YEEEHAW" Sorry if you didn't see it coming, but Donny's definitely our favorite unit in Awakening. Donnel comes from a small village in the first Paralogue Quest of the game. His village is being attacked by raiders and he jumps into the fight at the last second to assist the Shepards. He can be difficult to recruit but an invaluable unit. Donny must level up with this mission to be recruited , which can prove difficult as a Level 1 Villager. Donnel spawns with the bad stats and only a Bronze Lance and he must kill 3-4 units to level up and join the Shepards. Why go through all this trouble to acquire a weak unit? As a Villager, Donnel gets the Aptitude Skill, and this is where is worth shines in spades. Aptitude adds 20% to a stat's odds of increasing upon leveling up. This means that Donny gets a huge chance of stat increases when leveling. This means the more you level him up, the stronger he gets and can become your strongest unit with enough time and patience. Reclass and level  him a few times and Donnel will become unstoppable. If that wasn't enough, his down to earth and desire to help the people attitude makes him a golden child. Donnel will always have a place in our army and in our hearts.

The Best of... Mega Evolutions

Before we can mention the best of the best, we have to talk about the worst of... Hold a sec. I've seen these walls before... That's right! We've already talked about the Worst of... Mega Evolutions (click here in case you haven't seen it) so now we're moving forward with the Best of them.

Just like its sister entry, this list features 10 (in order of Pokédex number) of the most useful Pokémon Mega Evolutions. Stat counts are displayed like the following below each entry- HP/Attack/Defense/Special Attack/Special Defense/Speed.

Mega Venusaur

Pokédex  #003 

Type: Grass/Poison

Ability: Thick Fat

Original Stats: 80/82/83/100/100/80

Mega Stats:80/100/123/122/120/100

Not only the 1st on this list, but also my 1st Mega Pokémon was Mega Venusaur. It evolved from the Bulbasaur I got from Professor Sycamore in my copy of Pokémon Y and captured my heart. Venusaur is the first Pokémon to make good use of the Thick Fat ability. It's been (unfortunately) associated with the Spheal family and has had some use on Hariyama too. Thick Fat halves damage from Fire and Ice type attacks and works perfect on Mega Venusaur, a Pokémon that is weak to Fire and Ice attacks.

I also am a fan of the design and stat improvements. Mega V gets stat increases in all of its stats, adding to its all-around nature. The design is simplicity at its best too. The visual improvements are subtle enough to be minute, but they still let you know that this is a Mega Evolution.

Usefulness: B+

Improvements: A-

Design: B+

Mega Charizard X + Mega Charizard Y

Pokédex  #006 

Type (X): Fire/Dragon
Type (Y): Fire/Flying

Ability (X): Tough Claws
Ability (Y): Drought

Original Stats: 78/84/78/109/85/100

Mega Stats (X): 78/130/110/130/85/100
Mega Stats (Y): 78/104/78/159/115/100

Charizard is one of two Pokémon that have two different Mega Evolutions (and both happen to be on this list SPOILER). Both Megas are very viable options for a competitive team. Mega Charizard X is more of a physical attacker and his Y version brethren revel in Special Attack. X has balanced Attack and Special Attack, but leans towards Attack because its Tough Claws Ability that increases the power of contact moves. Charizard Y gets Drought, making it sunny as soon as it Mega Evolves and making Fire-Type moves more effective. Both Abilities are super beneficial and work out well.

The stat distribution is used to full potential on these two, leaning more towards their recommended attacking style while still buffing defenses as well. Their designs are also great. X's design shares a beautiful resemblance to standard Charizard's shiny form and gives us the Fire/Dragon typing so many people have desired for Charizard. Y relates back to Mega Venusaur, a simplistic approach to design that still works so well.

Usefulness (X): A-

Improvements (X): A-

Design (X): A-

Usefulness (Y): A

Improvements (Y): A-

Design: B+

Mega Gengar

Pokédex  #094 

Type: Ghost/Poison

Ability: Shadow Tag

Original Stats: 60/65/60/130/75/110

Mega Stats:60/65/80/170/95/130

Take one of the best Sweepers of all time and give it a Mega Evolution, that's what happened to Gengar. The original Ghost Pokémon is fast and hits hard with Special Attacks, and Mega Gengar just improves on that basis. It's known to hit hard enough to make sure the opponent isn't around long enough to do damage to it. This works out well because of its average defenses.

Mega Gengar gets more Speed and defenses, but also invests a lot more into Special Attack. It swaps the Levitate Ability for Shadow Tag, making sure opponents cannot switch out unless using moves that allow it to like U-Turn or Volt Switch. And still, that means they have to survive at least one round with this beast before trying to get out. This does open up one of Gengar's weaknesses, now being able to be hit by Ground-Type moves. Good thing most things running Earthquake and other similar moves can't outspeed this Mega. The design is also pretty simplistic, putting Mega Gengar on all fours and a third eye. Subtle yet super... maybe even Mega.

Usefulness: A
Improvements: A
Design: A-

Mega Kangaskhan

Pokédex  #115 

Type: Normal

Ability: Parental Bond

Original Stats: 105/95/80/40/80/90

Mega Stats:105/125/100/60/100/100

Mega Mom is moving out! Mega Kangaskhan finally tells the world that no one puts baby in a corner. Kanga stays the same, but her baby goes through a growth spurt to aid Momma in battle. This unlocks the Parental Bond Ability and allows all attacks to do 1.5x normal damage. After Mega Kangaskhan attacks, her child will hit the target with the same move for half the damage Mom dealt. This is similar to Huge Power, but deals the extra damage in a separate attack instead of just increasing Attack.

This Mega's design is most minute than others, but the baby makes up for it. There's some slight shock to seeing that little thing pop out of the pouch ready to fight. The stat increase is similar to Mega Venusaur's, where everything has received a small stat boost in honor of Kangaskhan's standard all-around nature.

Usefulness: A
Improvements: A
Design: B+

Mega Mewtwo X + Mega Mewtwo Y

Pokédex  #150 

Type (X): Psychic/Fighting
Type (Y): Psychic

Ability (X): Steadfast
Ability (Y): Insomnia

Original Stats: 106/110/90/154/90/130
Mega Stats (X): 106/190/100/154/100/130

Mega Stats (Y): 106/150/70/194/120/140

The second Mega Evolution duo is the pair of Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y. Similar to Charizard X and Y, the X variant betters with physical stats and the Y version tends to favor special stats. Similar to Mega Charizard X, Mega Mewtwo X also goes through a type change and gains Fighting as a secondary typing. X also gets a buff to everything besides Special Attack, although Sp Atk is still extremely useful at 154 base stat. Mega Mewtwo Y goes all out in buffing special stats, even going so far as to be risky and lower Defense. Their designs are in between in what we've see thus far and what's to come starting with our next entry. Without drastically changing things, they are still easily identifiable as Mega Evolutions.

Usefulness (X): A
Improvements (X): A+
Design (X): A

Usefulness (Y): A
Improvements (Y): A
Design (Y): A-

Mega Blaziken

Pokédex  #257

Type: Fire/Fighting

Ability: Speed Boost

Original Stats: 80/120/70/110/70/80

Mega Stats:80/160/80/130/80/100

Look at Blaziken! THIS IS ITS FINAL FORM!!! Blaziken was one of the first few Mega Evolutions we got out eyes on after Mewtwo and the Kanto starters. This is were the designs of the Megas begin to get more extravagant in detail, like a Super Saiyan transformation. Mega Blaziken's design is amazing at best. The inclusion of black, the flames from the wrists more proficient and the hair flip just scream Mega Evolution. It also doesn't stray from basics either as it simply takes Blaziken's great Hidden Ability and takes it. It also has an all-around stat increase to make sure it's strong in every department still. Flame on!

Usefulness: A
Improvements: A+
Design: A

Mega Mawile

Pokédex  #303 

Type: Steel/Fairy

Ability: Huge Power

Original Stats: 50/85/85/55/55/50

Mega Stats:50/105/125/55/95/50

I mentioned how I like the idea of giving a Pokémon in a non-evolutionary line a Mega Evolution to make them still useful to Trainers in our Worst of Mega Evolutions with Mega Heracross. Mega Mawile is a much better embodiment of that notion though. The Pokémon got a extra type with Fairy in Generation VI and Mega Mawile retains that rare and great typing. Mega Mawile gets boosts to both defensive stats and its Attack, which it what it makes use of. The Attack gets doubled thanks to the new Ability it gets in Huge Power, giving it a massive Attack stat. This makes Mega Mawile a real treat. It's design is also great, improving on the original's with a simple concept.

Usefulness: A-
Improvements: A
Design: A-

Mega Metagross

Pokédex  #376

Type: Steel/Psychic

Ability: Tough Claws

Original Stats: 80/135/130/95/90/70

Mega Stats:80/145/150/105/110/110

I'm surprised that Mega Metagross's Ability isn't Intimidate because it sure scares the pants off of me. This beast continues the trend of giving Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon a Mega Evolution, the others being Tyranitar, Garchomp and Salamence. Mega Metagross gets a huge devotion to Speed and spreads to its other stats as well. This is rare as not many Megas give Speed a nice increase. MM's other stats also get increases and it adopts Tough Claws as its Ability, improving Physical Attacks which Metagross is known for. It's design is even more fierce than it's original form, making it the automaton you'll see in your nightmares...

Usefulness: A
Improvements: A
Design: A

Mega Rayquaza

Pokédex  #384 

Type: Dragon/Flying

Ability: Delta Stream

Original Stats: 105/150/90/150/90/95

Mega Stats:105/180/100/180/100/115


 I shouldn't have to even talk about how good Mega Rauquaza is but I'll do my best. Rayquaza was the only other Legendary Pokémon that rivaled Mewtwo and now it seems to be the only Mega Pokémon that can completely destroy anything it touches. With the right training, it can become an unstoppable force. Hell, it's been banned from the Uber tier... the tier were anything is allowed in...

Mega Rayquaza gets boosts in all of it stats, retaining its all-around style. The biggest improvement is its new Ability Delta Stream, which protects all Flying-Type Pokémon. It takes moves that are super effective against Flying-Types (Electric, Rock and Ice) and makes them do only neutral damage to anything part Flying. This makes it so only Dragon and Ice moves can make a big dent in this Pokémon (Ice still effects its Dragon type). And don't get me started on the design., it's beautiful yet menacing all at the same time. If I had to choose one Mega Evolution to rule them all, it'd be this one.

Usefulness: A+
Improvements: A+
Design: A+ 

 

Mega Garchomp

Pokédex  #445 

Type: Dragon/Ground

Ability: Sand Force

Original Stats: 108/130/95/80/85/102

Mega Stats:108/170/115/120/95/92

This is the most fearsome land shark you've ever faced... if the fear of land sharks wasn't enough to make you piss yourself already. Mega Garchomp is a powerhouse of a Pokémonster. If loses a bit of Speed to make sure all its other stats get a boost.. So while not as fast as regular Garchomp, it can take more hits and deal much more damage. It's new Ability in Sand Force which (in line with Mega Garchomp's new stat distribution) increases the strength of Ground, Steel and Rock-Type attacks in a sandstorm. I usually run Sandstorm on my Garchomp because its regular Ability is Sand Veil (increased evasion in a sandstorm), so this Ability transition works wonders. It's new design is also as brash and bold as they come in all the right places.

Usefulness: A-
Improvements: A-
Design: A

The Worst of... Mega Evolutions

Before we can mention the best of the best, we have to talk about the worst of the best. That's right. It's the appetizer before the main course. We'll just cover the least useful and design lacking Mega Evolutions here before we do the best Megas. 

For this list, we choose Mega Evolutions with the least usefulness compared to all Megas, how they differ from their base forms and a dash of design choice as well. Note: Stat counts are displayed like the following below each entry- HP/Attack/Defense/Special Attack/Special Defense/Speed.

And even though we call this the 'Worst" List, these are all still great Pokemon to use in battle. These just happen to be the Megas that got the short end of the stick.

Mega Beedrill

Pokédex  #015 

Type: Bug/Poison

Ability: Adaptability

Original Stats: 65/90/40/45/80/75

Mega Stats:65/150/40/15/80/145

Mega Beedrill was a welcome surprise to the Mega table. Unfortunately it gets all its stat boosts devoted to Attack and Speed.... Nothing else. It's understandable however. All Mega Evolutions have only a 100 base stat increase from their original forms and HP is always kept untouched. I just think only buffing Beedrill's Attack and Speed was a mistake.

Decreasing Special Attack makes sense as Beedrill knows mainly Physical moves and doesn't use that stat much. I feel that should've been devoted to increasing Defense, as it still stands at an abysmal 40. Mega Beedrill's Adaptability Ability isn't totally suited for it as well. It does give a nice boost to its Bug and Poison-Type attacks, which is great because they usually lack in power. The downside is you have to bank on Mega Beedrill's Attack stat because Bug and Poison aren't effective against mainly types and aren't great against many others actually. Mega Beedrill is a glass cannon, and there are much better glass cannons out there to use that don't require the use of Mega Evolution. That being said, I do enjoy its design a good amount.

Usefulness: C
Improvement: C+
Design: B

Mega Pidgeot

Pokédex  #018

Type: Normal/Flying

Ability: No Guard

Original Stats: 83/80/75/70/70/101

Mega Stats: 83/80/80/135/80/121

Another surprise Mega from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is Mega Pidgeot, a Mega Evolution to one of the first Pokémon you may have caught. I want to like Mega Pidgeot a lot, but I can only like it so much. You may or may not have heard me mention that Pidgeot, Noctowl and Talonflame are the only regional birds (the ones you can catch in the first routes of a game) that have usable Special Attack. Pidgeot is the one of the trio without a definite reason for Special Attack. Noctowl has it because it uses many Psychic-Type moves and Talonflame because it has access to many Fire-Type attacks. It just so happens that Mega Pidgeot's main boost is to its Special Attack stat... for some odd reason.

This doesn't work super well on this Mega. The increase in Speed is nice though. Just like Mega Beedrill however, I felt the stats could've been distributed better. Why the increase to only Special Attack when its standard Attack is better and it has access to better physical moves? That alongside the combination of the No Guard ability make it very meh. No Guard is an ability that ensures that moves used by the user and the opponent will always hit when a Pokémon that knows No Guard is in battle. This is used in tandem with low accuracy moves like Dynamic Punch and One Hit KO moves. The only move with less than perfect accuracy this guy has access to is Hurricane, which is nice because it's so strong but its the only real use No Guard has on Mega Pidgeot. Check yourself before you wreck yourself...

Usefulness: C
Improvements: C-

Design: C+

Mega Heracross

Pokédex  #214

Type: Bug/Fighting

Ability: Skill Link

Original Stats: 80/125/75/40/95/85

Mega Stats: 80/185/115/40/105/75

Mega Heracross is such an odd Mega Evolution. What I love about Mega Heracross is its philosophy per se, giving a Pokémon without any evolutionary line a Mega Evolution to give it some usability again. Unfortunately though, Mega Heracross didn't get the best design and Ability if I must say. It looks super goofy in my opinion and Skill Link doesn't benefit it too much. It does have it uses however though. Skill Link makes it so that moves that hit 2 - 5 times will always hit for 5 times.  Heracross can learn Fury Attack, Rock Blast, Arm Blast, Bullet Seed and Pin Missile so one can choose from up to 4 of those moves to get max efficiency out of Skill Link. The problem is that Mega Heracross benefits and suffers from Skill Link. These moves do great damage if you can properly exploit a Pokémon's weakness, but usually only if you can. The 5 hit moves do get a great buff because of Skill Link and Heracross's great attack but they won't tear down many Walls, which is what Heracross it meant for. They can easily shut down Sweepers, but that's about it at this point.

Usefulness: C+
Improvements: C+
Design: C-

Mega Houndoom

 

 

Pokédex  #229

Type: Dark/Fire

 Ability: Solar Power

Original Stats: 75/90/50/110/80/95

Mega Stats: 75/90/90/140/90/115

Oh Houndoom... So much potential in a mediocre shell. Mega Houndoom is a decent Mega Evolution, but unfortunately still ends up on this list however... Mega Houndoom's design is great though. As much as fan art over the internet pushes this thing as a Cerberus-like beast, its design is great when considering that Pokémon is rated E for Everyone. It's other things... lack. The 140 Special Attack stat is great but it's Attack is still average and Houndoom works best as a mixed attacker. It's Ability is also Solar Power, which increases damage dealt in Sunny weather at the cost of HP. This means that Mega Houndoom pretty much HAS to run Sunny Day, which can be a bummer. Mega Houndoom is not the worst, he just has a lot of catch up to do...

Usefulness: C
Improvements: C
Design: B

Mega Sharpedo

 

 

Pokédex  #319

Type: Water/Dark

Ability: Strong Jaw

Original Stats:70/120/40/95/40/95

Mega Stats: 70/140/70/110/65/105

Could there be any more teeth on Mega Sharpedo?! This monster of a 'Mon was a foreseeable Mega for the remake of Ruby and Sapphire. Sharpedo was one of the mixed Megas that just happened to be outclass by the others. Strong Jaw as an Ability makes design sense, but there's only so many moves Sharpedo can make use of it. The only real benefit is increasing the attack of Crunch, which gets a boost from Strong Jaw and Same Type Attack Bonus. Its stat distribution is even and good, there's just so many other Megas that work better than this one. Points for effort.

Usefulness: C+
Improvements: C+
Design: B-

Mega Banette

 

 

Pokédex  #354

Type: Ghost

Ability: Prankster

Original Stats: 64/115/65/83/63/65

Mega Stats: 64/165/75/93/83/75

Oh Mega Banette... It tries to be great in so many departments and doesn't quite make the mark. The stat distribution is all-around, which I adore. Every possible stat is upped to create a virtually better Pokémon. I can appreciate that, it's just that Mega Banette doesn't benefit much from its new form. It's Attack gets a massive boost, which is good but I think Banette could use a lot more defenses. It tends to use a mix of physical and support moves to hurt. It also gains Prankster as an Ability... Which would've been cool if Banette had a better support movepool... You can't win 'em all.

Usefulness: C
Improvements: C+
Design: C+

Mega Glalie

 

 

Pokédex  #362

Type: Ice

Ability: Refrigerate

Original Stats: 80/80/80/80/80/80

Mega Stats: 80/120/80/120/80/100

For a base stat perspective, I loved Glalie. So I adore the fact that it's Mega Evolution retains most of the even stat distributions. It allows Glalie to very rounded out, but it's just dominated by some of the other Megas too much not to be on this list. The Refrigerate Ability is somewhat useful for converting Normal Type moves into super-powered Ice ones. It's super unfortunate that Glalie's main job is to suicide with Explosion and Mega Glalie is more than guaranteed a KO with it Ice Type Explosion at about 330 base power. You really don't want to use your one Mega Evolution per battle for a suicider, which really nerfs Mega Glalie.

Usefulness: C+
Improvements: B-
Design: B

Mega Abomasnow

 

 

Pokédex  #460

Type: Grass/Ice

Ability: Snow Warning

Original Stats: 90/92/75/92/85/60

Mega Stats: 90/132/105/132/105/30

As if Abomasnow couldn't get any more fierce.. It definitely gets some style points, but that's about it. Abomasnow retains its same Ability in Snow Warning, which causes Hail when it enters battle. This could be better if this wasn't the ONLY Ability standard Abomasnow could know. If either form had a different Ability, it would make this Pokémon so much more useful. It's stat distribution makes it more of a tank, which it does need to fend of common Fire Types.

Usefulness: D+
Improvements: C-
Design: C-

Mega Gallade

 

Pokédex  #475

Type: Psychic/Fighting

Ability: Inner Focus

Original Stats: 68/125/65/65/115/80

Mega Stats: 68/165/95/65/115/110

Oh does it hurt my heart to do this to Gallade. In case you didn't know, Gallade is in my list of Top 10 Favorite Pokémon. Sadly, Mega Gallade doesn't bring ANYTHING new to the table. It gets a decent stat boost which I do enjoy though. It buffs its great Attack stat, while also giving its lacking Defense and Speed a boost too to make it much more rounded out. But that's where the usefulness of Mega Gallade ends. There's nothing new to Gallade, which is kind of the point of a Mega Evolution. It keeps its original Ability of Inner Focus (prevents flinching) and typing, so Mega Gallade just becomes a stat boost. It wish I could like its design more. I like it, I just want to like it a lot more. It does compliment Mega Gardevoir however, which is an appeal.

Usefulness: C+
Improvements: C
Design: C+

Mega Audino

 

Pokédex  #531

Type: Normal/Fairy

Ability: Healer

Original Stats: 103/60/86/60/86/50

Mega Stats: 103/60/126/80/126/50

Before anything else... Mega Audino is adorable above all else. It's stat buffs into its Defense and Special Defense allow it to last much longer now in battle. It's actually beneficial that it retains Healer as an Ability, that gives it 1/3 of a chance to heal from a status condition at the end of a turn. This coupled with self healing moves allow Mega Audino to be a pesky Pokémon. The downside is that so many other Pokémon can do this just as well without Mega Evolving. Mega Audino is one of those Pokémon that just barely made it onto this list. It's still adorable though...

Usefulness: B-
Improvements: B-
Design: B