No single Pokémon is the best in Pokémon X and Y, but one story team carries the whole game: Greninja from your Froakie, Talonflame from a Route 2 Fletchling, Charizard from Professor Sycamore, Lucario from Korrina after the third Gym, Aegislash from a Route 6 Honedge, and Xerneas (X) or Yveltal (Y) near the end. All six are on your team in time for the Gyms they beat. Your Froakie has Torrent, not Protean, and your Talonflame has Flame Body, not Gale Wings. Mewtwo and most of the Pokémon with the highest base stats only turn up after the credits. This page covers the 3DS games, not Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Best Pokémon in X and Y at a glance
| Pick | How you get it | When | Why it’s on the team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greninja (Water/Dark) | Pick Froakie in Aquacorde Town. Frogadier at Lv 16, Greninja at Lv 36 | Start of the game | 122 base Speed, the fastest Kalos starter, with good Attack and Sp. Atk |
| Talonflame (Fire/Flying) | Fletchling on Route 2 or Route 3 (20%). Fletchinder at 17, Talonflame at 35 | Before the first Gym | Beats Viola, Korrina and Ramos. 126 base Speed |
 Charizard | Charmander from Professor Sycamore in Lumiose City, Lv 10, with your version’s Charizardite | After the first Gym | A second Mega Evolution once you have the Mega Ring |
 Lucario (Fighting/Steel) | Korrina gives it at the Tower of Mastery, Lv 32, holding Lucarionite | After the third Gym | Your first Mega. Hits Wulfric’s Ice types and Wikstrom’s Probopass hard |
 Aegislash (Steel/Ghost) | Honedge in the Route 6 tall grass (15%). Doublade at Lv 35, Aegislash with a Dusk Stone | Honedge before Gym 2. Dusk Stone on the ground before Gym 8 | Doublade can already take hits from most of the mid-game |
| Xerneas (X) / Yveltal (Y) | Story encounter in Team Flare’s Secret HQ, Lv 50 | Between Gyms 7 and 8 | Joins at Lv 50, higher than most of your team at that point |
What “best” means on this page
Ranking by base stats puts Mewtwo and Garchomp at the top, and Greninja with Protean is a competitive pick. In a story run the first thing to ask is whether a Pokémon is on your team in time to help. One that joins after the eighth Gym only helps with Victory Road and the League. Every pick here was checked against three things:
- When it joins. Gift Pokémon and early wild catches count for more than late ones.
- What it beats. The table further down lists each Gym leader’s team and levels.
- Whether you can get it on one cartridge today. Hidden Abilities from the Friend Safari and trades with strangers don’t count.
X and Y are easy games, and with the Exp. Share on, almost any six Pokémon you like will get through. The team below is strong, easy to get, and on hand early.
Why your “best Pokémon” isn’t working
My Greninja doesn’t have Protean
It can’t. Greninja’s two normal ability slots are both Torrent. Protean is its Hidden Ability, and the Froakie from Aquacorde Town never has a Hidden Ability. Torrent powers up Water moves only when Greninja is at a third of its HP or less. Your Greninja is still fast and strong, but it doesn’t change type with every move the way a Protean Greninja does.
In X and Y, a Frogadier with its Hidden Ability only appears in slot 3 of a Water-type Friend Safari, after the Hall of Fame. Slot 3 stays locked until that friend has entered the Hall of Fame and your game has seen them in the PSS. Nintendo shut down 3DS online play on April 8, 2024, so a new slot 3 now needs the two of you together in person, over local wireless. A slot 3 that was already open on your save stays open.
My Talonflame doesn’t have Gale Wings
Same reason. Fletchling has Big Pecks, and Talonflame’s two normal ability slots are both Flame Body. Gale Wings is the Hidden Ability. It comes from a Fletchinder in slot 3 of a Fire-type or Flying-type Friend Safari, with the same local-wireless limit. In X and Y, Gale Wings gives Flying moves priority at any HP. The full-HP condition was added in Sun and Moon. A Flame Body Talonflame is still one of the fastest Pokémon in Kalos, so it keeps its place on the team.
Doublade won’t evolve into Aegislash
Doublade needs a Dusk Stone, and no shop in Kalos sells one. The one on the ground is on Terminus Cave B2F, off Route 18. Route 18 opens after you beat Team Flare in Geosenge Town, before the eighth Gym. You can get one sooner from Secret Super Training: the “Watch Out! That’s One Tricky Second Half!” regimen can reward a Dusk Stone, but it needs a fully trained Pokémon and the prize is random. Until then, a Lv 35 or higher Doublade can already take more hits than almost anything else on your team. Every source is on the Dusk Stone page.
Aegislash learns King’s Shield as a level 1 move, so a Doublade evolved with a stone doesn’t know it. Madam Reminder in Dendemille Town teaches it for one Heart Scale. You reach Dendemille after the sixth Gym.
I can’t Mega Evolve yet
Sycamore gives you your Kanto starter’s Mega Stone in Lumiose City, but you can’t use it until you have the Mega Ring. Korrina gives you the Ring at the top of the Tower of Mastery in Shalour City, after you beat her at the third Gym. She then lends you a Lucario for a Mega Evolution battle, and afterwards you can keep that Lucario. Charizard also has to be fully evolved (Lv 36) before Charizardite does anything. Only one Pokémon can Mega Evolve per battle. More on the Mega Stones page.
The best Pokémon in X and Y, one by one
Greninja: the best starter for a first run
Froakie evolves at 16 and 36, like all three Kalos starters. Greninja’s base stats are 72 HP, 95 Attack, 67 Defense, 103 Sp. Atk, 71 Sp. Def and 122 Speed. It outspeeds nearly everything in the story, and as a Water/Dark type it is only weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves. It learns Water Shuriken when it evolves at Lv 36. Its weak spot is Gym 1: Froakie has no good moves against Viola’s Bug types, so catch a Fletchling first.
Talonflame: catch it before Viola
Fletchling makes up 20% of Route 2’s grass at Lv 2–3, and 20% of Route 3 at Lv 3–5. It’s Flying-type from the start and learns Peck at Lv 10, which makes it your best answer to Viola. It becomes Fletchinder at 17 (and learns Ember there), then Talonflame at 35. Fire/Flying with 126 base Speed covers Korrina’s Fighting team and Ramos’s Grass team. Watch out for Korrina’s Machoke: its Rock Tomb does 4× damage to Fletchinder. Brave Bird and Flare Blitz are level 1 moves for Talonflame, so Madam Reminder teaches them for one Heart Scale each once you reach Dendemille Town.
Charizard: the Sycamore gift
After the first Gym you reach Lumiose City. Professor Sycamore battles you, then lets you pick Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle at Lv 10. You also get its Mega Stone: Venusaurite, Blastoisinite, or Charizardite X in Pokémon X and Charizardite Y in Pokémon Y. Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at 16 and Charizard at 36. Mega Charizard X is Fire/Dragon with Tough Claws, and Mega Charizard Y stays Fire/Flying with Drought. Pick the Kanto starter that covers your Kalos starter’s weaknesses (see the teams below).
Lucario: your first Mega Evolution
Korrina’s Lucario joins at Lv 32 holding Lucarionite. It has a Hasty nature and the Steadfast ability. Its base stats are 70 HP, 110 Attack, 70 Defense, 115 Sp. Atk, 70 Sp. Def and 90 Speed, so it works with physical or special moves. Fighting/Steel hits Wulfric’s Ice types, Wikstrom’s Probopass (4× from Fighting) and Diantha’s Aurorus hard. It is less useful against Valerie. Its Fighting type cancels out the Fairy resistance from Steel, so Fairy moves hit it for normal damage, and it arrives without a damaging Steel move. Bone Rush, one of the moves it comes with, does hit Valerie’s Mawile for double damage. Because it is a gift and not a trade, it always obeys you.
You can also get one sooner. Riolu is a 5% catch in Route 22’s grass at Lv 6–7, before the first Gym, and it evolves through high friendship during the day.
Aegislash: Route 6 before Gym 2
Honedge lives in the tall grass on Route 6, the tree-lined road to Parfum Palace. The grass is behind the trees on both sides of the path, and you get into it from the palace grounds. Honedge is 15% of encounters there, at Lv 11–12. It is Steel/Ghost, so Normal and Fighting moves can’t touch it. It becomes Doublade at Lv 35 with 150 base Defense. Aegislash switches forms in battle with Stance Change: Shield Forme has 150 Defense and 150 Sp. Def, and Blade Forme has 150 Attack and 150 Sp. Atk.
Xerneas or Yveltal: the late-story legendary
You meet your version’s legendary in Team Flare’s Secret HQ under Geosenge Town at Lv 50, between the seventh and eighth Gyms. Xerneas (Fairy) is in Pokémon X, and Yveltal (Dark/Flying) is in Pokémon Y. Both have a 680 base stat total. Lv 50 is higher than most teams are at that point, so it is worth a slot for the League. Xerneas is the better pick for Wulfric, since Yveltal is weak to his Ice moves.
Gym leaders and who beats them
Each Gym leader’s last Pokémon is their highest level. These are the in-game levels, and the picks from this page that are on your team by then.
| Gym | Leader (type) | Team | Bring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Santalune | Viola (Bug) | Surskit 10, Vivillon 12 | Fletchling once it knows Peck (Lv 10). Fennekin for Vivillon (Surskit is Bug/Water) |
| 2 Cyllage | Grant (Rock) | Amaura 25, Tyrunt 25 | Frogadier, Quilladin, Squirtle or Bulbasaur for Amaura. Tyrunt is Rock/Dragon, so Water and Grass only do normal damage to it. Use Fighting, Ground or Steel moves |
| 3 Shalour | Korrina (Fighting) | Mienfoo 29, Machoke 28, Hawlucha 32 | Honedge (immune to Fighting), Kirlia, Fletchinder (watch out for Machoke’s Rock Tomb) |
| 4 Coumarine | Ramos (Grass) | Jumpluff 30, Weepinbell 31, Gogoat 34 | Fletchinder or Talonflame, Charmeleon. Keep Lucario back from Gogoat, which has Bulldoze |
| 5 Lumiose | Clemont (Electric) | Emolga 35, Magneton 35, Heliolisk 37 | Gible or Gabite from Route 13, immune to Electric. Emolga is Flying, so use a non-Ground move on it |
| 6 Laverre | Valerie (Fairy) | Mawile 38, Mr. Mime 39, Sylveon 42 | Doublade, which resists Fairy moves (it learns Iron Head at Lv 45). Lucario’s Bone Rush for Mawile. Mawile’s Crunch hits Doublade hard |
| 7 Anistar | Olympia (Psychic) | Sigilyph 44, Slowking 45, Meowstic 48 | Doublade, Greninja |
| 8 Snowbelle | Wulfric (Ice) | Abomasnow 56, Cryogonal 55, Avalugg 59 | Lucario, Charizard, Aegislash, Xerneas |
Story team for each starter
All three teams share Lucario and Aegislash. The Kanto starter and the last slots change with your Kalos starter. Before the Hall of Fame you get one Kalos starter and one Kanto starter. Shauna trades you a second Kalos starter after you become Champion.
Froakie team
| Slot | Pokémon | Joins |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Greninja | Aquacorde Town |
| Kanto starter | Charizard (Charmander) | Lumiose City, after Gym 1 |
| Flyer | Talonflame (Fletchling) | Route 2 or 3 |
| Mega | Lucario | Tower of Mastery, after Gym 3 |
| Steel/Ghost | Aegislash (Honedge) | Route 6 |
| Legendary | Xerneas or Yveltal | Team Flare Secret HQ |
Charizard and Talonflame are both Fire/Flying (Mega Charizard X turns Fire/Dragon), so they share the same weaknesses to Rock, Electric and Water moves. Later on you can swap Talonflame for Gible or Garchomp, which is immune to Electric. Talonflame still earns its place for the first four Gyms.
Fennekin team
| Slot | Pokémon | Joins |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Delphox (Fire/Psychic) | Aquacorde Town |
| Kanto starter | Blastoise (Squirtle) with Blastoisinite | Lumiose City |
| Flyer | Talonflame, or Hawlucha from Route 10 (20%, Lv 19–20) | Route 2 / Route 10 |
| Mega | Lucario | After Gym 3 |
| Steel/Ghost | Aegislash | Route 6 |
| Ground | Garchomp (Gible) | Route 13, after Gym 4 |
Squirtle covers Fennekin’s trouble with Grant’s Amaura (Tyrunt still takes normal damage from Water). Braixen learns Psybeam at Lv 18, a Psychic move that also helps against Korrina.
Chespin team
| Slot | Pokémon | Joins |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Chesnaught (Grass/Fighting) | Aquacorde Town |
| Kanto starter | Charizard (Charmander) | Lumiose City |
| Flyer | Talonflame | Route 2 or 3 |
| Mega | Lucario | After Gym 3 |
| Steel/Ghost | Aegislash | Route 6 |
| Water/Ice | Lapras (gift, Lv 30) | Route 12, after Gym 3 |
Chesnaught is slower than the other two starters but has 122 base Defense. The Route 12 Lapras gift adds Water and Ice moves, which this team otherwise lacks.
Best starter in X and Y (short version)
Froakie for speed, Fennekin with the Squirtle gift for the easiest early Gyms, and Chespin if you want a tank. All three evolve at 16 and 36, and none of them has a Mega Evolution in X and Y. Whichever you pick, the Sycamore gift can cover its weak spot.
Best early Pokémon, before Lucario
| Pokémon | Where | Rate | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fletchling | Route 2 grass / Route 3 grass | 20% / 20% | 2–3 / 3–5 |
| Riolu | Route 22 grass | 5% | 6–7 |
| Azurill | Route 22 grass | 20% | 6–7 |
| Ralts | Route 4 flower beds | 5% | 8 |
| Honedge | Route 6 tall grass | 15% | 11–12 |
| Tyrunt or Amaura | Fossil from Glittering Cave, revived in Ambrette Town | Gift | 20 |
| Hawlucha | Route 10 grass | 20% | 19–20 |
Huge Power is one of the two normal abilities for Azurill and Marill, so about half of them have it. Check the summary screen before you commit. Azurill evolves through friendship, and Marill becomes Azumarill at 18. The fossil choice is covered on the fossils page: Tyrunt evolves at 39 during the day, Amaura at 39 at night.
X vs Y: what actually changes the team
Almost nothing on this team depends on the version. These are the differences:
- Legendary: Xerneas in X, Yveltal in Y. Both are Lv 50.
- Charizardite: X in Pokémon X, Y in Pokémon Y. The other version’s Charizardite isn’t sold anywhere, so you need a trade. The Stone Emporium sells the stones of the Kanto starters you didn’t pick.
- Mewtwonite: X or Y to match the version, after the credits.
- A few wild Pokémon: Swirlix (X) or Spritzee (Y) on Route 7, Houndour (X) or Electrike (Y) on Route 10, and Pinsir (X) or Heracross (Y) on Route 12.
Garchomp, Mewtwo and the base-stat lists
Gible lives in Route 13’s rough terrain (the Lumiose Badlands), where it is 20% of encounters at Lv 26–28. You get there after the fourth Gym, on the way to Lumiose’s Gym. It evolves into Gabite at Lv 24, so a fresh catch evolves the next time it levels up, but Garchomp only comes at Lv 48, around the eighth Gym. It is worth it if you have the patience, and Gabite is a good Ground type for Clemont in the meantime.
Mewtwo is Lv 70, in the Unknown Dungeon after you become Champion. Its Mega forms have the highest base stats in the game, but none of that helps your story run.
Elite Four and Diantha
The Elite Four use Lv 63–65 teams, and you can fight them in any order.
| Trainer | Team | Bring |
|---|---|---|
| Malva (Fire) | Pyroar, Torkoal, Chandelure 63, Talonflame 65 | Greninja, Blastoise |
| Siebold (Water) | Clawitzer, Gyarados, Starmie 63, Barbaracle 65 | Electric moves for Gyarados. Chesnaught or Venusaur for Clawitzer and Barbaracle (Starmie has Psychic and Dazzling Gleam) |
| Wikstrom (Steel) | Klefki, Probopass, Scizor 63, Aegislash 65 | Charizard, Talonflame, Greninja |
| Drasna (Dragon) | Dragalge, Druddigon, Altaria 63, Noivern 65 | Lapras or Aurorus for Ice moves. Xerneas, but Dragalge is Poison/Dragon and has Sludge Bomb |
| Diantha (Champion) | Hawlucha 64, Tyrantrum 65, Aurorus 65, Gourgeist 65, Goodra 66, Gardevoir 68 (Mega) | Aegislash or a Steel move for Gardevoir, Lucario for Aurorus, Ice or Fighting moves for Tyrantrum |
Nuzlocke and gift-only teams
X and Y give you a lot for free: your starter (Lv 5), the Kanto starter (Lv 10), a fossil (Lv 20), Lapras (Lv 30) and Lucario (Lv 32, with its Mega Stone). That’s five strong Pokémon before you catch anything. For a Nuzlocke, take the guaranteed gifts over a 5% Riolu, and give Doublade an Eviolite while you wait for the Dusk Stone.
After the League
- Mewtwo (Lv 70) and the Mewtwonite for your version.
- Hidden Mega Stones appear from 8:00 to 8:59 PM once your Mega Ring is upgraded.
- The Friend Safari in Kiloude City has Hidden Abilities. Once they are unlocked, Pokémon in all three slots of a safari can have them. Slot 3 and Hidden Abilities now only open over local wireless; the Friend Safari guide has the details.
- Competitive play has its own rules. Xerneas, for example, is banned from the Battle Maison. Build your story team from the tables on this page, not from competitive lists.
FAQ
What is the best Pokémon in Pokémon X and Y?
For the story, Lucario. It joins at Lv 32 after the third Gym with its Mega Stone, early enough to help for the rest of the game. Greninja, Talonflame and Aegislash are close behind.
What is the best starter in X and Y?
Froakie, for a first run. Greninja is the fastest Kalos starter. Fennekin and Chespin are both fine, especially with the right Kanto starter alongside them.
Does Froakie have Protean in X and Y?
Not the one from Aquacorde Town, which has Torrent. Protean only comes from slot 3 of a Water-type Friend Safari, and after that it can be passed on by breeding.
When do you get Lucario in X and Y?
After you beat Korrina at the Shalour Gym. Go to the top of the Tower of Mastery, take the Mega Ring and win the Mega Evolution battle, then keep the Lucario.
Why won’t Doublade evolve into Aegislash?
It needs a Dusk Stone. Pick one up on Terminus Cave B2F once Route 18 opens, or win one from Secret Super Training earlier.
Is Garchomp good for the X and Y story?
Yes, but it arrives late. Gible is on Route 13 after the fourth Gym, and Gabite only evolves into Garchomp at Lv 48.
Which version has the better Pokémon, X or Y?
Neither. The story team is the same in both. You get Xerneas and Charizardite X in X, and Yveltal and Charizardite Y in Y.
Is this for Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
No. This page covers Pokémon X and Y on Nintendo 3DS. Legends: Z-A has a different Pokédex and different rules for Mega Stones.