Use These Pokémon to Win Every Pokémon Go Gym Battle in 2023

To the uninitiated, Pokémon Go may seem like little more than people scurrying around catching virtual critters that appear on their toast or their work colleague’s shoulder. However, just like the original nineties video game, Pokémon Go is a vicious fighting game with a hierarchy of powerful Pokémon. Anyone who wants “to be the very best” must memorize this to pulverize rival teams and take control of gyms.

But what exactly is that hierarchy? How do you know which Pokémon is worth catching/hatching/evolving? Worry no longer: here is a comprehensive list of the best Pokemon to help you win the next battle.

Understanding Your Dream Team

For those new (or newer) to Pokemon Go Battle League, you should know several things before lining up your perfect Poke team. With more than 600 Pokemon available, the cute little creatures with crazy names can evolve into monstrous beasts ready to take on your friends and help you keep your dignity.

What to Look for in Pokémon

Each animal has a set of stats from Strength to Stamina, and depending on your location plus what/who you’re battling, you’ll need to know who will perform the best in those circumstances.

As you catch Pokemon, you will need to feed them candy, use them in battle, and give them boosts to help them grow to their full potential. For example, look at one of the more common Pokemon, the Pidgey. The tiny bird won’t seem like much at first, but his Attack, Defense, and skills become more assertive as he evolves. While certainly not among the best for battle, Pidgey is one of the best you’re likelier to find.

Understanding Their Strengths/Weaknesses

Each Pokemon has its own set of Strengths and Weaknesses. Back to our friend the Pidgey, he can fly. But you’re in trouble if he battles another creature with electric, ice, or rock attacks. Before choosing your Pokemon, it’s crucial to understand who you’re fighting and what your Pokemon can do.

Strongest Pokémon in Pokémon Go: Best Overall

Not surprisingly, the legendary Mewtwo, Mew, Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos are hanging around at the top of this list. We’ve chosen to omit them. Meanwhile, fan-favorite Charizard isn’t as good an all-rounder as you may have thought, while Vaporeon is easily the best Eevee evolution there is.

If you’re wondering which currently available Pokémon are the best to have in Pokémon Go, here are the top 10:

1. Blissey
2. Slaking
3. Guzzlord
4. Ursaluna
5. Nihilego
6. Garchomp
7. Snorlax
8. Tyranitar
9. Rhyperior
10. Metagross

Strongest Pokémon in Pokémon Go: Best Stamina Stat

When it comes to high-level gym battles, you want to use a Pokémon that can take a severe beating, especially if you’ll leave it behind to defend your team. It is also essential to identify whether you can take down a gym with a high-stamina Pokémon leading it.

So, excluding the unavailable legendary Pokémon that populate this list, here are the top 10 Pokémon with the highest stamina:

1. Blissey
2. Chansey
3. Guzzlord
4. Wobbuffet
5. Wailord
6. Alomomola
7. Snorlax
8. Drifblim
9. Hariyama
10. Wigglytuff

Strongest Pokémon in Pokémon Go: Best Attack Stats

If you want to have some serious power in Pokémon Go, fire Pokémon are your best bet. Attack stats are excellent for quickly taking down opponents in gym battles. Still, it’s worth noting that every Pokémon will attack at a different speed, so sometimes power alone won’t be enough.

Still, if all you care about is having the most intense attack in the bunch, these 10 Pokémon are the ones to go after.

1. Xurkitree
2. Kartana
3. Pheromosa
4. Rampardos
5. Archeops
6. Slaking
7. Haxorus
8. Salamence
9. Chandelure
10. Alakazam

Strongest Pokémon in Pokémon Go: Best Defense Stat

There’s little better than a thick skin when insults fly around during an intense Pokémon Go gym battle, and the same scenario can be said for the Pokémon you want to send into the midst of battle. Making the most of defense at the right time can turn the tide against a formidable, high-level opponent.

These ten Pokémon – excluding legendaries – are the ones with high defense levels.

1. Shuckle
2. Bastiodon
3. Probopass
4. Toxapex
5. Mega Steelix
6. Steelix
7. Mega Aggron
8. Aggron
9. Cloyster
10. Dusknoir

Strongest Pokémon in Pokémon Go: Understanding Pokémon Strength

While these Pokémon are the most powerful characters, it’s worth noting that everyone in Pokémon Go has unique attributes. Thus, some Vaporeon will be more powerful than others. Even your Arcanine might be more robust than a Lapras of the same level.

To help you figure out just where your Pokémons lie on the power spectrum, visit the Pokemon website to view the Pokedex. This system will give you the information you need to strengthen your Pokemon and win battles.

Other Tips to Win

Now that you have your perfect line-up, it’s time to prepare for the fight of a lifetime (or at least today). You’ll need to do a few things before you throw your evolved fellow into a battle.

Use Your Protect Shields Wisely

Each Pokemon gets two Protect Shields during a battle, which protects you from charged attacks. If you’re looking at a strike that won’t do much damage, wait. Use your shields when needed most to prolong the life of your Pokemon.

Use Candy Wisely

You’ll only ever have so much candy on hand. Use this to give your Pokemon a stat boost where you think it will do the best. For example, there isn’t any point in boosting your Pidgey to the max when it will never be better than another creature.

Practice Makes Perfect

The perfect line-up takes a lot of practice, trial, and error. Join more battles to see what’s working well and what isn’t. If you use the same Pokemon to take over every Gym or destroy every friend, it works great, but if not, keep trying until you find that perfect setup.