The competitive scene in Pokémon is huge. Players spend hours investing time into creating the best possible Pokémon to battle with. From breeding the right IV’s*, training EV’s**, levelling up and picking the best moveset, players don’t just create the strongest Pokémon, they analyse statistics and alter Pokémon just to be able to survive a specific attack from a specific Pokémon. This may seem like a complicated mess to some, but in order to get anywhere competitively with Pokémon these days, you need to know this stuff. My problem with the competitive scene nowadays is the overuse of Legendary Pokémon. They’re Legendary for a reason, they’re ridiculously overpowered! Nearly every team in the world championships used as many as three legendary Pokémon on their teams, and many of them were the same! I find this a problem, as there are so many more viable Pokémon out there! So, I present to you the top five Non-Legendary Pokémon for competitive play.
*IV’s are a Pokémon’s inherited hidden stats. They are randomly determined through breeding but can be influenced in certain ways.
**EV’s are another hidden stat but are raised through battle. Depending on what Pokémon you battle, you will gain different EV’s.
Toxapex
Toxapex is amazing. Debuting in Generation 7, the typing of Water and Poison with its huge defensive bulk makes it an absolute powerhouse! Its signature move, Baneful Bunker is also great, protecting itself from attacks and poisoning anything that contacts it.
Moveset: Scald, Recover, Toxic Spikes, Baneful Bunker
Item: Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
Nature: Bold
EV’s: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
IV’s: 31 in everything
Greninja
Greninja is unique in that it has the ability Protean. The once Water/Dark type changes its typing depending on the type of move it uses, keeping opponents on their toes and constantly changing its weaknesses and adapting to its enemies.
Moveset: Rock Slide, U-Turn, Ice Beam, Low Kick
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
Nature: Naive
EV’s: 176 Atk / 80 SpA / 252 Spe
IV’s: 31 in everything
Clefable
The once forgotten about Generation 1 Pokémon has reached a new height in the current Generation of competitive Pokémon. Its new Fairy typing gives it a fresh coat of paint, and its bulk, coupled with the Ability Magic Guard, that prevents indirect damage such as poison and burns, makes it truly a force to be reckoned with. Use Stealth Rock to set up traps for the opponent, Knock Off for removing enemy held items, and Moonblast for damage dealing. Soft-Boiled and Leftovers are for HP recovery that ensure Clefable’s longevity.
Moveset: Moonblast, Soft-Boiled, Stealth Rock, Knock Off
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Bold
EV’s: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
IV’s: 31 in everything
Gengar
Ah Gengar. It’s always been a fan favourite, and a personal favourite of mine. This Generation wasn’t overly kind to it, losing the Ability Levitate took away Gengar’s resistance to Ground type attacks, but it didn’t stop this truly tough Pokémon from staying in the spotlight. In a lot of formats, it’s currently banned, due to how strong it is, but it would be a disservice to a deserving competitive Pokémon to leave it off of this list. Have it Mega Evolve to bring out its full power.
Moveset: Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Hex, Sludge Wave
Item: Gengarite
Ability: Cursed Body
Nature: Timid
EV’s: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IV’s: 31 in everything
Kangaskhan
You might think I’m being a bit too kind to Generation One, but really, it’s just that these old favourites get new life in the form of Mega Evolutions or tough Abilities. This Pokémon gets the advantage of both here. Mega Evolve Kangaskhan and its little baby hops out of the pouch to help fight! All attacks that Kangaskhan uses are used twice, once by the parent and once by the child. The child’s attacks do half of the damage, but there are ways to exploit this to your advantage. Fake Out does a surprising amount of damage with two Pokémon and ensures a flinch on your opponent. Seismic Toss does a straight 100 damage twice, dealing 200 damage to any Pokémon that isn’t Ghost type, and effectively nearly taking out every Pokémon in just one turn. Body Slam increases the chances of Paralysis to 51%, making the likelihood of Paralyzing a Pokémon that much more certain, and Crunch is for coverage against those pesky Ghost types.
Moveset: Fake Out, Seismic Toss, Body Slam, Crunch
Item: Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Nature: Jolly
EV’s: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
IV’s: 31 in everything
So, there you have it. All of these Pokémon are viable in their own ways, and all of them have their own niche, but hopefully this article will help you on your way to developing the ultimate competitive teams. If you like what you see, let me know in the comments below and maybe this will become a regular feature!
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