Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen's Best Pokemon is One of the Worst in Legends: Z-A

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are very much unlike anything else in the modern era of the franchise. This is not a nostalgia-fueled statement, though I did play the original 2004 games when they came out (I had LeafGreen, so I got it on the Switch as well), but rather because Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are very old games with a completely different structure. For example, there is no Masuda Method for eggs, there is no Shiny Charm, or other modern features like sandwiches and donuts — not only that, but shiny odds are 1/8,192 rather than 1/4,096 at base. As such, the best Pokemon to use in these games are not necessarily the best elsewhere and vice versa.

A glaring example is how Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Gyarados is weak compared to recent generations, as Water is exclusively a special type, and the iconic critter doesn’t have Flying-type moves at all. This may surprise you if you’ve only played recent Pokemon games, as it’s a fantastic pick in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and it was used in Gen 8 and 9 in VGC. Yet, Pokemon Legends: Z-A has a very different ecosystem for battles, and that’s why Alakazam was one of the worst mons you could use there, but it’s the best in FireRed and LeafGreen.

Best Pokemon to Catch Early in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen

If you want to know which Pokemon are best to catch early in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, this guide offers lots of info on must-have party members.

Why Alakazam is The Best Pokemon in FireRed and LeafGreen

If you want the best team in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, things may vary based on which starter you pick, but some critters are almost always the best. A good example is Jynx, which is very speedy and has high Sp. Attack with good Ice and Psychic moves, as well as a sleep move in Lovely Kiss. Another is Nidoking, possibly one of the single best mons in the entire game due to its type combination, move coverage, and stats. Yet, for pure speed and damage, the best pick is Alakazam. It has:

55 HP
50 Attack
45 Defense
135 Sp. Attack
80 Sp. Defense
120 Speed

Jynx is a close comparison, as it has 65 HP, 50 Attack, 35 Defense, 115 Sp. Attack, 95 Sp. Defense, and 95 Speed. While it has a little extra HP and Sp. Defense, its Defense is even lower, and its main stats are 20 and 25 points lower than Alakazam’s, respectively. On top of that, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s type chart includes Dark and Steel, but these types are mostly absent from the main game, and only appear occasionally in trainer battles in the post-game. This means that Alakazam’s Dark weakness is not going to come up very often, and even then, Dark is a special type in Gen 3, so it’s covered by Alakazam’s high Special Defense and use of Calm Mind.

Calm Mind is one of the tools that make Alakazam’s kit so great, as it boosts both its Sp. Attack and Sp. Defense at once, all while having access to Recover to heal itself. It is frail on the physical side, but you can also account for that with Reflect, if you so wish. And if you’re worried about Ghost-type Pokemon in FireRed and LeafGreen, as you should because they deal physical damage, Alakazam will always be faster than any of them. In fact, only four Pokemon have higher Speed than Alakazam, and only one has the same tier:

Electrode (150 Speed)
Jolteon, Aerodactyl, and Mewtwo (130 Speed)
Dugtrio (120 Speed)

Training your Alakazam’s Speed EVs means it will outspeed anything in the game, no matter what. Then, it could have a good Nature like Timid to further boost its Speed, if needed.

Why Pokemon Legends: Z-A Makes Alakazam Obsolete

Alakazam’s Speed is also the reason why it was terrible in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, though. In this game, Speed doesn’t address how quickly a Pokemon acts, but rather the cooldown of its moves. With a hard cap on how low some cooldowns can get, Speed immediately became less valuable overall, and Alakazam with it. Even Mega Alakazam couldn’t really compete with the Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A despite its 150 base Speed, as it’s still too frail physically, and those stat points are arguably “wasted.”

Instead, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Gym Leaders and Elite Four offer a more balanced challenge where higher Speed is rewarded with higher survivability, provided you can land KOs or prevent the opponent from doing much. This is exactly what Alakazam does, and its ability to not only learn Thief as a counter to Ghost-types, but also Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, and Knock Off (which are all special moves) means that it has an incredible staying presence.

As silly as it sounds, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and Thunder Punch are special moves in FireRed and LeafGreen due to the type split.