The Pokémon League is the ultimate challenge for any would-be Trainer. It's also the last obstacle players face in every Pokémon game, and the League Champion is the final boss. So far, there have been 11 Champions in the franchise, but Cynthia and Blue are arguably the toughest of them all.
If Cynthia and Blue should ever battle against each other, who would come out on top? They both have incredible teams and considerable experience and would probably give fans one of the best matches in Pokémon history. However, only one could win it all.
Cynthia Would Defeat Blue
Cynthia Has A Diverse Team Of Pokémon
Being a type specialist holds a particular charm for many Pokémon fans, but a Champion shouldn't limit themselves to one type. Cynthia is a challenging opponent because her team strikes an excellent balance between offense and defense, Physical and Special.
All of Cynthia's teams include some massive hitters, e.g., Garchomp, Lucario, Togekiss and Milotic. She also has other Pokémon that provide further coverage, such as Spiritomb, Gastrodon and Roserade. Cynthia's Pokémon have moves to counter almost all of their weaknesses. For example, her Garchomp, one of the strongest non-Legendary Pokémon in the Sinnoh region, knows Iron Tail to counter those pesky Fairy-types, and her Milotic uses Ice Beam against Grass-types.
Cynthia Has The Highest-Level Team In The Pokémon Franchise
For years, Red, the protagonist of the original games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, was the strongest opponent in the franchise. His level 88 Pikachu ranked as the highest-leveled Pokémon in any battle. He also had the three Kanto Starters at level 84, a level 82 Snorlax, and a Lapras at level 80.
If that sounds terrifying, Cynthia's rematch team is hell itself. Her nightmarish Garchomp matches Red's Pikachu at level 88, but the rest of her team is almost there as well. She has two Pokémon at level 84, one at 85, and two at 86. In comparison, Blue's highest-level Pokémon is his level 75 Starter during his Rematch battle in FireRed and LeafGreen. Suffice it to say Cynthia has the upper hand by a considerable margin.
Cynthia Has Access To Incredible Pokémon Battle Strategies
For years, the Pokémon franchise was afraid of allowing its Champions to use items. Indeed, even the best Pokémon League Champions, the Stevens and Blues of the world, stayed away from any useful battle items. Cynthia herself only used a single Sitrus Berry on her Garchomp in the original Pokémon Diamond.
However, BDSP changes that outdated practice by equipping Cynthia's team with incredibly powerful items that complement her battle strategies perfectly. Case in point, her Milotic, which comes with a Flame Orb, an item that burns its user every turn. While that might sound bonkers, it all becomes clearer when considering Milotic has the ability Marvel Scale, which increases the Pokémon's Defense by a staggering 50% when affected by a status condition. Similarly, Cynthia's Lucario holds the Wise Glasses, which increases Special Attack by 10%, while her Roserade comes with the Expert Belt, an item that boosts Super Effective moves by 20%.
Cynthia Has A Garchomp
Every Trainer has its ace Pokémon, the most powerful member of their team who they save for last. Cynthia's ace is the terrifying Garchomp, one of the best Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon in the franchise and a Sinnoh superstar known for shattering Trainer's dreams with one swift move from its sharp claw.
Cynthia's Garchomp holds a Yache Berry, which reduces the damage of Super Effective Ice moves, and has the Rough Skin ability, which damages Pokémon that come into physical contact with it. To make things worse, Garchomp knows Swords Dance, a move that increases its Attack by two stages. There are many reasons why players hold Cynthia in such high regard, and Garchomp is one of them. This fearsome beast can single-handedly sweep through entire teams, and Blue's wouldn't be the exception. In fact, Garchomp has Super Effective moves against four of Blue's six Pokémon, making things a lot harder for the Kanto Champion.
Blue Would Defeat Cynthia
Blue Has A Diverse Team Of Pokémon
Like Cynthia, Blue also has a very diverse team. His strongest line-up, from his Champion rematch in FRLG, includes a healthy mix of types and Physical and Special attackers. Pokémon like Heracross, Alakazam, and Tyranitar add considerable prestige to his team, while Arcanine, Exeggutor, and one of the Kanto Starters provide the necessary anchor to his home region of Kanto.
Blue's team has enough heavy hitters to counter Cynthia's best and brightest. His Arcanine could OHKO her Roserade, and his Pidgeot could floor her Lucario. His Gyarados could be his best weapon against her Garchomp, considering Cynthia has never given Garchomp an Electric move before.
Blue's Pokémon Team Offers Unique Battle Strategies
Battle items can make all the difference in a Pokémon battle. Blue is at a disadvantage because he hardly ever uses them, and his team also has a somewhat limited moveset. For example, Exeggutor has two or three Psychic moves in each of its appearances.
However, Exeggutor does know Trick Room during his HGSS rematch, which considerably favors three of Blue's other Pokémon: Rhyperior, Machamp, and Tyranitar. Cynthia's team includes some very fast Pokémon such as Garchomp, Lucario, Roserade and Porygon-Z, so Blue's Trick Room strategy could give him the upper hand. Blue is aware of his team's vulnerabilities, and he finds strategies to make up for them, proving he is worthy of holding the title of Champion.
Blue Has Access To Mega Charizard Y
Blue has something that Cynthia doesn't: a Key Stone that allows him to Mega Evolve his Charizard. Mega Charizard Y might be the lesser of Charizard's two Megas, but it's still a Mega, and as such, it's a very dangerous threat in battle.
With a base stat total of 634, Mega Charizard Y is stronger than Cynthia's Garchomp. It also has massive Special Attack and Speed stats, meaning it will outspeed and possibly OHKO any foe that crosses its path. Under the right conditions, not even Cynthia's Sword-Danced Garchomp could go against Blue's Mega Charizard.
Blue Has Access To Several Kanto Superstar Pokémon
Generation I has some of the most iconic Pokémon in the franchise, and Blue has several in his team. In addition to his Charizard, Blue also has some Gen I superstars like Arcanine, Pidgeot, Gyarados, Alakazam and the two other Kanto Starters, Venosaur and Blastoise.
Knowing that he can use Mega Evolution means that Blue has seven Kanto Pokémon he can Mega Evolve at a moments' notice. His team might not have the most versatile movesets, but Mega Evolution is such a powerful weapon that he could sweep Cynthia's team with his Kantonian Pokémon.