In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there are many wild Pokémon for trainers to collect throughout the game. It can be hard to narrow down what Pokémon out of all of them to keep on a small team of six. Trainers will not usually get access to any legendary or special Pokémon early in the game, so trainers will want to find the strongest wild Pokémon they can to fill their teams.

With over 400 entries in the Pokédex for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, trainers face a tough decision for narrowing down their team to only six. One of those will likely be a starter, particularly as Gen 9’s starters have proven quite strong themselves. That leaves five slots to fill up the rest of the team, keeping in mind that trainers will need to consider various strengths and weaknesses and design a team that can take on all three main quests in the game. That being said, there’s no perfect team. But if trainers are looking for inspiration, there are a few wild Pokémon proving stronger than their peers.

Related: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Starter Evolutions: Pros & Cons of Skeledirge

Pawmi & Evolutions

The first Pokémon that can make a strong team member is the Pawmi evolution line, a new addition to the roster in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Available early in the game, Pawmi starts as an Electric-type and later gains the Fighting-type. Fighting-types are the only super-effective moves against Normal-types, which already gives Pawmo and Pawmot an advantage. Pawmi alone makes an effective early Pokémon to take on the Water and Flying Gyms. Next in the line is the pure Psychic-type Spoink and its evolution Grumpig.

Psychic-types are not inherently immune to anything and have less resistances, but they are only weak to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-types. Moreover, due to some of the moves Spoink and Grumpig can take, that can offset some of their weaknesses. The Power Gem move is a Rock-type that is super effective against Fire-types, making Grumpig less weak to something like Skeledirge. This can make Grumpig a tough opponent, especially with Psychic-moves that affect the opponent’s abilities and reduce damage.

Gible, Gabite, & Garchomp

Gible and its evolutions, Gabite and Garchomp, can be found in multiple forms throughout Paldea. Gible and every evolution are all dual-typed Dragon- and Ground-type. This makes Gible automatically immune to any Electric-type, and this Pokémon has strong defenses. Gible is a strong team member to have, especially if a trainer plans to put Gible in the lead position to attack other wild Pokémon. On the other hand, without a Fairy-type, trainers will need to plan ahead for what Pokêmon to send against a wild version of this Pokémon.

Bronzor & Bronzong

Bronzor and Bronzong are a Steel- and Psychic-type Pokémon that can be tough opponents to face in the wild. Bronzer has a high number of defenses. If a trainer picked Fuecoco and has evolved it into Skeledirge, Bronzer might be less scary to fight, but otherwise, it is smarter to have one rather than fight one. Bronzor’s high defense stats and access to Psychic-moves make it a powerful match for many battles.

Wattrel & Kilowattrel

Wattrel is an Electric- and Flying- type that later evolves into Kilowattrel. Another new entry to the Paldean Pokédex, Wattrels dual-type cancels out Electric-type’s normal weakness to Ground-types and makes Wattrel immune to them. This can make Wattrel very strong where other Electric-types might not be. Wattrel is only weak to Rock- and Ice-types, making it more effective as a fighter than it might otherwise appear.

Wattrel is a strong member of any team, particularly if the trainer wants to be able to avoid Ground-type moves. Wattrel’s Wind Power and Volt Absorb abilities allow it to absorb the power of moves used against it to boost its own stats. This can make Wattrel quite powerful, able to hit other Pokémon for a large amount of damage.

Stunky & Skuntank

As a Poison- and Dark-type, Stunky and its evolution, Skuntank, is an effective team member. Stunky is a super effective fighter against Ghost- and Psychic-types, being one of the few types able to take on Ghost-types. Moreover, Stinky is able to access Poison effects, which allow it to have extra damage every turn off of those effects. Defensively, Stunky is one of the few Pokémon with only one weakness. Ground moves are the only moves that are super effective against Stunky, making this Pokémon a valuable team member for conquering Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Tinkatink

As a Fairy- and Steel-type Pokémon, the new Pokémon Tinkatink is a powerhouse in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Its weaknesses are limited, only weak to Ground- and Fire- types. On the other hand, Tinkatink is immune to Poison- and Dragon-type moves, and resistant to nine other types. These types are: Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dark, and Fairy. This can make Tinkatink a valuable team member.

Tinkatink can have the Mold Breaker or Own Tempo abilities, further adding to Tinkatink’s strengths. Mold Breaker can allow Tinkatink to prevent other Pokémon from ignoring its effects, while Own Tempo can prevent Tinkatink from being confused. Mold Breaker is the more powerful of the two, but Own Tempo can also be a strong defensive ability. Either way, Tinkatink is a powerful wild Pokémon if encountered and a valuable part of any team.

Many of the new entries in the Pokémon roster have become some of the strongest in the wild, as they are often able to counter otherwise devastating types or moves. There are a lot of Pokémon in Paldea, and the trainer’s preferences and team composition will affect how strong each individual Pokémon is. However, these particular Pokémon boast a strong capacity for battle, and so far they have proven themselves to be some of the strongest wild Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

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  Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

  Released:

  2022-11-18

  Developer:

  Game Freak

  Franchise:

  Pokemon

  Genre:

  RPG, Adventure, Action

  Platform:

  Nintendo Switch

  Publisher:

  Nintendo, The Pokemon Company

  ESRB:

  E

  Summary:

  Pokémon returns in its next installment series: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Set in a fictional town near Mediterranean Spain, gamers will explore Paldea, catching new and classic Pokémon. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is the first ever open-world game in the series and features new Pokémon that can transform into vehicles. Pokémon staples like gym battles are still present, but co-op exploration and Terastallize battles are also introduced.

  Multiplayer:

  Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer

  Prequel:

  Pokémon Sword and Shield

  Mode:

  Single Player, Multiplayer

  How Long To Beat:

  31 Hours