Today, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire celebrate their 18th anniversary of releasing in the west. To celebrate the occasion we figured it would be best to rank the top ten Pokemon from the generation. Of course, this list is definitive and completely accurate so no need to argue.
So with that let’s get started.
Top Ten Pokemon From Ruby and Sapphire Ranked
10. Crawdaunt
Let’s be real, Crawdaunt has always gotten the short end of the straw when we talk about water Pokemon. It’s time we give it the love it deserves. It’s a giant Crawdad with a star on its forehead for seemingly no reason. You throw this thing out at me and I immediately know you’re not playing around and you have excellent taste.
9. Chimecho
Chimecho is an excellent Psychic-type Pokemon. First of all, is the long dangling banner underneath it something it holds or is it some sort of flesh ribbon? Who’s to say, but we love that it always has that dumb smile on its face. It’s a truly unique design and never receives love or an evolution. It deserved more, we need to be better to Chimecho.
8. Wailord
There simply isn’t a Pokemon bigger than Waillord. It’s the giant whale we’ve always wanted. It makes the best plushie, couch, bean bag chair. Also not to mention Waillord is a sack of HP that can tank any situation you’re in. Waillord is the silent hero of most team compositions when going through the game. It’s there to take the hits and dish them back. A Wailord will never let you down.
7. Swellow
When it comes to early bird Pokemon Swellow is top tier. It’s a natural design evolution from Pidgey and Hoothoot. Swellow is a cool bird and a speed demon. Combined with its stellar moveset it makes for an excellent addition to your team and an all-around easy choice for this list.
6. Exploud
Talk about evolution. From Whismur to Exploud is some of the craziest design decisions in the generation. Exploud is who I want to go see at a rock concert. This thing has pipes for sound all over its body, including its knees. One look at this thing and you know you’re in for a good time.
5. Ludicolo
When it comes to design none are weirder and more stylized than Ludicolo. What a truly absurd Pokemon that we can’t help but love. Also, who doesn’t love a grass/water type to really throw off your competition from figuring out their type advantages? Ludicolo’s appearance in Detective Pikachu is also a true highlight in that movie and scored Ludicolo some extra points.
4. Shedinja
Shedinja is what I love most about Pokemon. It’s the weird evolutions, the hidden secrets. In order to catch Shedinja, you need to evolve its previous form Nincada into Ninjask while having an empty slot in your party to catch the empty husk of the Pokemon when it evolves. Shedinja only has one hp, but only things that are super-effective against it will damage it.
It’s an incredibly strange Pokemon and I applaud Game Freak for being bold, I wish they would do more of this.
3. Cradily
Fossil Pokemon are usually pretty hit or miss, but in Gen 3, Cradily does not miss. This giant goofy Pokemon is one of the creepier designs in the game. This dead-eyed two tooth smiling Pokemon will give you nightmares. Not to mention its color scheme of green and Pink make it stick out like a sore thumb. We love Cradily and its absurd moveset being a rock/grass type.
2. Mudkip
As far as starting Pokemon go, Mudkip is easily one of the best, if not the best starter Pokemon. It’s cute and eventually evolves into Swampert who is a powerhouse. Muddy Water is still one of the best Pokemon moves to this day. It’s a stacked roster of starting Pokemon against Treecko and Torchic, but Mudkip takes the cake on this one.
1. Spoink
Now I know what you’re thinking, Spoink? Seriously? Let me leave you with the Pokedex entry from Ruby for Spoink and then you tell me what you think.
“Spoink bounces around on its tail. The shock of its bouncing makes its heart pump. As a result, this Pokémon cannot afford to stop bouncing – if it stops, its heart will stop.”
Well, that’s our list of the best Pokemon of Generation 3. Be sure to let us know what you think on the official Prima Games Twitter and Facebook pages.
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