Pokémon is a simple game, you catch Pokémon, you train them up and you battle various trainers. You fight an evil team, go through the gym leaders and eventually work your way to the Elite Four where you have to go through four straight battles and then face the champion.
If you’re a good trainer and work with each of your Pokémons, none of these trainers should really give you a hard time. But there are some trainers that are so tough, they’ll give you nightmares of the damage they can do. (I’ve taken out postgame teams because those teams are designed to be a lot more difficult and I wanted to go with the teams you’d meet on your journey).
10. Sabrina (Gen 1 Red and Blue)
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Sabrina and her Alakazam. photo drawn by Luis-Adolfo-The-Wolf
Team. Lv. 38 Kadabra, Lv. 37 Mr. Mine, Lv. 38 Venomoth, Lv. 43 Alakazam
For a list of overpowered teams, Gen 1 had to be where we started off. Gen 1 is notorious for the glitches it possess and game mechanics like Special Attack and Defense being one stat. Psychic types were broken in Gen 1 with no real counters other than special sponges like Chansey but even that pokemon was tough to get by this point in the game. Sabrina makes this list being the supreme leader of Psychic types in the generation where the type was at its peak.
Kadabra as the lead was there to put some pain down first with some STAB Psybeam and Psychic. Venomoth and Mr. Mine both serve a support role on this team with Mr. Mime laying down Barrier and Light Screen while Venomoth hit the opponent with Stun Spore and Poison Powder to either slow you down or wither your HP down.
All their work is basically a lead up for Alakazam who would just blow holes through your team with its Psybeam. Alakazam is quite possibly the best non-legendary pokemon in Gen 1 just due to its high special stat, high speed and its Psychic typing. Bug moves were the only moves that hurt them and most bug moves in Gen 1 weren’t good.
A good physical attacker could take out the first three Pokemon but unless its Special stat is decent, Alakazam could just run through your entire team with no hesitation and that is a sign of an overpowered team.
Diantha is the champion of the Kalos region and her team is filled with strong Pokemon which complements her team nicely. While her Pokemons don’t have the star power as say Garchomp or Metagross, high levels and a mega stone are all that’s needed to make this list.
Hawlucha is the lead on her team and it could easily take out a bunch of your team if you’re not careful. Swords Dance is what makes this Pokemon so dangerous, Flying Press, X-Scissor and Poison Jab are great but giving a Pokemon with 118 speed a chance to double its 92 attack stat might be the end of the line for you.
Tyrantrum and Aurorus are two side of the same coin, Aurorus being the special side while Tyrantrum being on the physical side, although Aurorus serves a bit of a cleric with Reflect and Light Screen . Both of which are there to help put your team through Hell. Gourgeist and Goodra are another coin with Goodra covering the team with special attacks on the water and fire side while Gourgeist hits hard physically with ghost and grass attacks.
Finally, we have Gardevoir. This Pokemon put this team over the top for one reason and that’s because it’s a Mega-Pokemon. 100 base speed and 165 special attack makes Mega-Gardevoir a true nightmare to deal with and its STAB (Same type attack bonus) attacks are some of the best in the game with Moonblast and Psychic.
It’s not impossible to get through Diantha but she does make it tough for you to pick up a win here without losing a couple Pokemon.
Balanced team, check. Unfair boost to their team, check. Crazy anime transformation, check. Yeah, Lusamine fits on this list. After losing to the main protagonist the first time, Lusamine travels with the Ultra Beast into the Ultra Space and when you find her, she’s merged with the Pokemon and become an enhanced version of herself along with her Pokemon. Lusamine is out for blood and won’t stop until she crushes you for changing her girl.
Each of her Pokemon’s will have a boost to its stats and are tough to bring down. Clefable has Cosmic Power and Moonlight so it’s tough to just blow right through it, meaning you’re gonna eat some STAB Moonblast from her. Lilligant is the support on her team with Leech Seed, Stun Spore and Teeter Dance, making it tough to even do anything, let alone hit it. Milotic serves a wall with Hydro Pump to do damage while Recover makes it tough to crack through but the last two Pokemon are the true threats of the team.
Bewear is the physical threat with Hammer Arm and Take Down, both STAB and both painful for any pokemon. You’d probably think a ghost type would be great here since both moves can’t hit them but Mismagius will outspeed you with its plus one Speed and blow you back with a Shadow Ball. Mismagius also possesses Power Gem and Mystical Fire to blow anything back on the special side.
This team is bulky with some hard hitters and honestly, it’s the toughest story battle in the game . The team isn’t impossible to beat but because of the stat changes, that’s what makes them overpowered.
7. Drake (Gen 3 Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire)
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Drake and his Salamence photo drawn by Beverii
Team. Altaria Lv. 53, Two Flygons LV. 53, Kingdra LV. 53, Salamence LV. 55
First off, just look at Drake, that man looks like badass and his team represents that.. His team is filled with dragons and though that means ice attacks will blow right through them, these dragons are still some of the most powerful Pokemon in the game.
Altaria is a mix attacker and is the weakest threat on the team but is still a threat with Dragon Pulse and Moonblast. Next up are the two Flygons with one being a physical attacker while the other hits from the special side. With moves like Earthquake, Rock Slide, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse and Boomburst, it’ll hit a lot of different Pokemon hard and leave your team hurting if you take care of it quick.
The last two Pokemon are what really stand out in the terms of overpowered. Kingdra is a water-dragon type which means if you want to do super-effective damage to it, you’d need to hit it with a dragon or Fairy move. Kingdra has in its arsenal Dragon Pulse, Surf and Ice Beam, all moves that hit hard whether it’s neutral or super-effective. Drake’s ace is Salamence and oh boy, is that one hell of an ace. All of it’s moves are physical and with base 100 speed and 135 attack, it could be game over if he outspeeds you. Dragon Rush for STAB, Zen Headbutt, Crunch and Thunder Fang wrap up great coverage for those pesky water types that have ice moves.
Obviously Drake’s team has a glaring ice weakness but they have the weapons needed to take care of those weak points.
Ghesitis comes into our lives looking like he’s an anime villain but pulls it off in ways I could only dream of. After being revealed to be the actual leader of Team Plasma, Ghesitis challenges you to a battle and it’s quite the challenge. His team is filled with powerful, unique Pokemon who will stop at nothing to finish the job N started.
The first Pokemon he’ll send out is Cofagrigous which serves as a wall who thanks to its ability Mummy will replace your ability with it when you make physical contact with it. Toxic serves as a way to cripple your Pokemon while Protect keeps the timer rolling on you while the ghost shoots out Shadow Balls. Bouffalant and Bisharp are physical nightmares that can blow holes through teams with their STAB moves.
Seismitoad is a mix attacker with Rain Dance who with its ability Swift Swim, can break through your team. Muddy Water and Sludge Wave make up the rest of its moveset to deal with threats and any pesky grass type that would try and take it out. Eelektross has no weakness thanks to its ability Levitate so while its hitting you with Wild Charge and Acrobatics, you can’t hit it with any ground attacks.
Ghesitis’ ace is his Hydreigon which is one of the best pseudo-Pokemon ever. It’s a special sweeper with moves like Surf, Focus Blast, Fire Blast and Dragon Pulse, each of them taking care of a potential weakness other than fighting. It doesn’t have to be fearful of ground moves either as its ability is Levitate too.
Ghesitis is a tough challenge and one that usually takes a lot of planning to deal with but he is beatable, just to be smart with what you’re doing.
5. Steven (Gen 3 Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire)
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Steven and his Mega-Metagross. photo found on Sufficient Velocity
One of best champions of all time, Steven Stone has been with you from nearly the beginning of the story and helped you out as the world was ending due to the Weather Trio but now you must face him and his team of steel and rock types, all are which are bulky and have defense for days.
Skarmory is his lead and like the physical wall it is, its moves are designed to stall you out. Spikes and Toxic wither away your team while Aerial Ace and Steel Wing gives it STAB attacks to finish the job. Claydol serves as a special wall who’ll set up Reflect and Light Screen to protect its teammates. Aggron is there as an all-out physical attacker with Iron Tail, Earthquake, Stone Edge and Dragon Claw giving it some great coverage.
Much like their Gen 6 counterparts, Cradily and Armaldo are the special and physical fossil pokemon on Steven’s team. While Armaldo is going more for straight power in its moves, Cradily has some variety in its moveset with Sludge Bomb and Confuse Ray to pull a trick out of its sleeve.
Finally, there’s the big, bad, Metagross, armed with a mega stone. Regular Metagross was a nightmare before that but now, it’s got 110 Speed to go with its 145 Attack. Zen Headbutt and Meteor Mash are great but the last two moves make up for a frightening moveset with Bullet Punch to finish off those low-health Pokemon and Giga Impact for a chance to take you down with one blow.
Steven’s team has a major ground and water weakness but it isn’t as exposable as one would imagine, especially with Aggron and Skarmory having Sturdy for an ability so they’ll get one hit off.
4. N (Gen 5 Black and White)
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N and his team. photo drawn by Yuri Lowell
Team. Zekrom or Reshiram LV. 52, Carracosta LV. 50, Archeops LV. 50, Zoroark LV. 50, Vanilluxe LV. 50, Klinklang
In Pokemon Black and White, just as you finish the Elite Four and finish your long and painful journey, you find N had defeated the champion. After a little bit of an adventure through his castle, you challenge N not just to become champion, but to put an end to his plan to force trainers to let go of their Pokemons.
The main reason N is on this list is because for the first time in Pokemon, you’re fighting a character in the story with a legendary Pokemon. And this legend isn’t Articuno or Registeel, it’s one of the Titans of the Unova region, Zekrom or Reshiram. Leading off for N, Zekrom is a physical monster while Reshiram is a special freak, both could easily sweep your team if you aren't careful.
The rest of N’s team is very similar to most of this list, a team of strong Pokemon that can blow holes through your team if left to its own devices. Carracosta and Archeops are the physical threats on his team with Archeops more dangerous than the other just due to its coverage moves in Crunch and Acrobatics. Vanilluxe and Klinklang are the special threats with dangerous moves like Flash Cannon, Blizzard in the Hail, Hyper Beam and more.
Finally, Zoroark is the mix attacker on this team and with its ability Illusion, it can take the form of another Pokemon on N’s team until it’s hit. This forces you to play predictions on whoever comes until you find out who’s who.
N is tough and having a legendary Pokemon makes him even more overpowered but a strong fighting type can really do a number on the team.
3. Blue (Gen 1 LeafGreen and FireRed)
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Red and Blue facing off. photo drawn by SomeNorthernGuy
Team. Pidgeot LV. 59, Alakazam LV. 57, Rhydon LV. 59, Exeggutor LV. 59 or 61, Gyarados LV. 59 or 61, Arcanine LV. 59 or 61, Blastoise, Charizard or Venusaur LV. 63
We all knew this creep would be on the list at some point. Blue or our rival from Gen 1 is a constant thorn in your side since the beginning, picking the better starter over yours and constantly battling you. Now, after you went through the Elite Four, he stands before you as the Champion of the Kanto League. No time to talk, no time rub it in your face, the only thing there’s time for is the final fight of the game.
Blue’s team will change given which starter you go with but his first three Pokemon will be the same no matter what. Pidgeot, Alakazam and Rhydon all fill their holes nicely with Pidgeot serving as a support with Featherdance to lower your attack by two stages, Sand Attack to lower accuracy and Aerial Ace to put the hurt on you. Rhydon is the physical tank of the team and can leave holes in your team with STAB Earthquake and Rock Tomb coming off 130 Attack.
Alakazam is there to do only one thing, blast Psychic moves in your face. Psychic and Future Sight can and will blow dents into any Pokemon standing in front of him and with Recover and Reflect, it’s tough to bring him down.
The last three Pokemon will round up this balanced team with a fire-water-grass core, all of which will change depending on your starter Pokemon. Arcanine and Gyarados are special attackers with some physical attacks to take advantage of their strong base attack stat. Exeggutor serves as another support Pokemon on this team with Sleep Powder and Light Screen to protect its teammates while Giga Drain gives it recovery.
Finally, the starter Pokemon. Charizard is a mix attacker with Fire Blast, Slash, Aerial Ace and Fire Spin. Blastoise is a Rain Dance sweeper with Hydro Pump to blow right through your Pokemons. Venusaur is similar with Sunny Day and Solar Beam but also possess Growth to double its special attack and make it possible to sweep you.
Blue has one of the most balanced teams in Pokemon and filled with badass Pokemon. It’ll take another balance team to take care of
I think the last two are going to be the most obvious answers for a question like this. Champion of the Sinnoh region, Cynthia has been in your journey a few times now but at this point, it’s time for you to see what she can really do and oh boy, is her team overpowered.
Her first Pokemon is a perfect sign of a busted team as Spiritomb in this generation has no weakness thanks to its Dark Ghost typing. A special attacker, Spiritomb is a bulky threat and will take plenty of hits for it to go down, meaning it’ll have plenty of attacks to hit you. Roserade is another special attacker with a diverse moveset that can help its team out, whether its from Sludge Bomb, Shadow Ball or Extrasensory, Roserade hits hard.
A mixed attacker, Gastrodon has an obvious weakness to grass but with Sludge Bomb, you can’t just throw a grass type out and expect it to just run away scared. Lucario is a special attacker but also has Earthquake to put the hurt on anyone whose special defense is a bit too high. Milotic is a wall just due to its stats but is an aggressive special wall with Ice Beam and Surf to do damage. Aqua Ring and Mirror Coat are there to help it outlash you in fight.
Finally, there’s Garchomp and folks, this guy is the definition of badass while also the definition of overpowered. It’s straight physical but with Brick Break to crush ice types, Dragon Rush to take care of Dragons and with Earthquake and Giga Impact to just wreck everything else, you’re in for a world of pain and misery.
We all knew Red was gonna take this position. Red is without a doubt the toughest trainer in the entire series, carrying an overlevel team that’s well balanced and loaded with power. Unless you spent hours grinding up, he’ll have higher levels than you, fun fact, Red actually has the highest leveled Pokemon in the history of the games.
He’s packing a team of the three Kanto starters, Pikachu, Snorlax and Espeon. Each of those pokemon have a moveset designed to deal with its weak points and take care of your team.
Pikachu as the lead is fast and deals a lot of damage with Thunder and Thunderbolt. Snorlax is a wall with Rest, Snore and Body Slam to bring the pain to you and rest off the damage it took. Espeon has one move that uses its special attack but it’s STAB and it does what it needs to, clear the field of those pesky fighting types with Psychic. Reflect, Swift and Mud Slap are just utility moves for it.
The three Kanto starters all use weather to help boost their attacks to monsterous levels. Blastoise with Rain Dance can push right through so many Pokemon with its STAB Surf and with Blizzard, it can take out those pesky grass types. Charizard and Venasaur both abuse the Sun with Sunny Day with Flamethrower, Synthesis and Solar Beam. Venusaur has Giga Drain to help get health back and Charizard is carrying Wing Attack to add another weapon to its arsenal.
In the Heartgold and SoulSilver remake, his team is higher level but the subtraction of Espeon and addition of Lapras makes it easier for a fighting type to switch in and do damage. But even that team is extremely tough and overpowered just due to the changed mechanics of the game and the advancement of moves for his Pokemon. Each of those Pokemon has something to take care of their weaknesses.
Good Pokémon, great move-set and high levels, this is the definition of an overpowered Pokémon team and it’s the best team you’ll face in the games.
