The best Pokémon in Pokémon Go will power you through trainer battles and let you take on Gyms with ease. They can help you take on a raid and they also just look cool when showing off to friends. Though Pokémon Go’s biggest mechanic is all about throwing Pokéballs, its battles can be a lot of fun if you do the necessary prep work.
However, legendary Pokémon can be hard to get a hold of, and some haven’t shown up in the game for years. Here are the best Pokémon in Pokémon Go, split up into both legendary and non-legendary choices.
Best legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go
Mewtwo (Psychic)
Mewtwo is a classic choice thanks to its iconic look and great move set. With its Psychic typing, you are better off putting the likes of Confusion and Psystrike in its moves but, in a pinch, it can learn Fire, Ice, Electric, Fighting, Ghost, and Normal moves.
Eternatus (Poison/Dragon)
With a fairly unique typing and super high CP stats, Eternatus is an excellent choice. It can learn fewer moves than Mewtwo with only Fire, Poison, and Dragon moves, but both Dragon and Poison moves get a boost thanks to its typing.
Groudon (Ground/Fire)
Groudon has good moves in its moveset, with Ground and Fire-type moves getting a boost. It also has very high stats and can be mega-evolved into Primal Groudon to dish out even more damage.
Zekrom (Dragon/Electric)
This choice is at its best when paired with Dragon and Electric moves and can do serious damage thanks to its high attack stat. For a more defensive playstyle, put Charge Beam and Outrage into its moves to offer some versatility.
Best non-legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go
Slaking (Normal)
Slaking is a bit of an anomaly, having one of the very highest max CPs in the entire game. Being a Normal type, and therefore only weak to one type and not super effective against any, it can be a bit of a shakeup in a PVP team and might take the enemy by surprise. Yawn, its quick attack, generates energy, and Hyper Beam, its heavy attack, can take out enemies in a single brutal move. Slaking can also be mega evolved for more power.
Garchomp (Dragon/Ground)
As you might expect from such a popular Pokémon, Garchomp is naturally a very good choice for any team thanks to high stats, and some great moves. It can take a while to get as it takes 125 candies and is pretty rare but it’s worth that effort for such a powerful choice.
Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)
Tyranitar is the closest you get to a Dragon-type Pokémon without actually having the Dragon typing. It looks like Godzilla, has huge stats, and can even mega evolve to do more damage. If you need Rock and Dark moves in your team, this is the best choice out there.
Metagross (Steel/Psychic)
Metagross’ unique typing gives it a nice moveset and it has both very high attack and defense stats, allowing it to stay alive for longer than most Pokémon. We recommend pairing it with Bullet Punch or Zen Headbutt, as well as Meteor Mash, though Earthquake is also a solid choice. Like some of our previous choices, this too can mega evolve.
With a grouping of these choices, you should be able to beat any raid, conquer any gym, and take on any friend.