Over the years, the Pokemon franchise has significantly changed its games by introducing new features that affect its core gameplay. Pokemon Silver introduced players to the egg hatching mechanic, which allowed players to breed the perfect Pokemon. And Pokemon Legends: Arceus presented Pokemon fans with Alpha Pokemon, which are stronger than normal Pokemon. But, the most notable change in the Pokemon franchise was Mega Pokemon, which debuted in Pokemon X & Y.
Mega Pokemon are temporary evolutions trainers that can be activated (if the Pokemon has a Mega Stone) during a trainer battle. These Pokemon are larger and stronger than their counterparts, making them essential for competitive trainer battles. In Pokemon GO, Mega Pokemon are also important, especially for 5-Star and Mega Raids. But, not all Mega Pokemon are worth the investment, so players must carefully pick the ones that will help them clear difficult Raids with ease.
Updated December 13, 2022, by Daniel Dilena: With over 1,000 Pokemon, the Pokemon franchise seems like it'll never stop growing. That number doesn't even include Mega, Ultra Beasts, or Terastal (the latest Pokemon form in the franchise) Pokemon either, meaning the total number of Pokemon is far higher. Despite the constant flow of new Pokemon though, Mega Pokemon continue to reign dominate in Pokemon GO as the go-to Raid Attacker, even with the release of Ultra Beasts. With the Something Extraordinary Special Research Event, several Mega Pokemon were added to the Pokemon GO Mega pool, and while some of them are lackluster, others have earned the right to be called the best Mega Evolutions in Pokemon GO.
13 Mega Banette
Banette is already a force to be reckoned with before Mega Evolution is taken into account. That's because Banette has a 218 Attack stat, which can wreak havoc on Psychic and Dark-type Pokemon. Once Mega Evolved, Banette transforms into one of the strongest Mega Evolutions in Pokemon GO. It has a Base Attack of 312 and a max CP of 3,590, making it a decent counter Terrakion.
The most optimal moves Mega Banette can have are Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball. Shadow Claw (Quick Move) may have low damage, but it also has one of the fastest attack animations in Pokemon GO. Shadow Ball (Charge Move) has an overall damage output of 100, which is quite decent for a Dark-type move.
12 Mega Blaziken
Despite being vulnerable to Flying, Ground, Water, and Psychic-type attacks, Mega Blaziken is a top-tier pick in Pokemon GO. Mega Blaziken has one of the highest base Attack stats of all Mega Pokemon: a jaw-dropping 329. Of course, due to Blaziken's many type weaknesses, it can't be said that it's the best Mega Pokemon in Pokemon GO.
Mega Blaziken's best moveset includes Counter (Quick Move) and Blast Burn (Elite Charge Move). The main reason why Counter is the best Fast Move for Mega Blaziken is that it fills up the Charge Move significantly faster than other Quick Moves (8 per second).
11 Mega Latios/Latias
As players can imagine, the Mega versions of Latios and Latias are among the best Mega Pokemon in Pokemon GO, but not because of their super high CP (max of 5,000). It's because they're Dragon and Psychic-type Pokemon. Being this dual-type Pokemon, they're more resistant to Fighting, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, and Psyhic-type attacks and are thus the perfect counter for many of Sierra's Pokemon.
For Mega Latios and Latias, the best Quick Move they can learn is Dragon Breath since it offers a decent amount of damage. As for Charge Moves, players should teach Mega Latios Psychic and Mega Latias Outrage. Players should keep in mind though that Mega evolving both Pokemon can be quite expensive the first time (300 Mega Energy), so players will have to save up before adding them to their Raid team.
10 Mega Swampert
At first glance, Mega Swampert may seem like an average Mega Pokemon since its base stats are quite balanced (Attack: 283, Defense: 218, and Stamina: 225). The reason why Mega Swampert is among the best Mega Evolutions in Pokemon GO is that its only weakness is Grass. In sharp contrast, Mega Swampert is resistant to Electric, Poison, Rock, Steel, and Fire-type Pokemon.
Mega Swampert's best moves are Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon (Elite TM). If players don't have access to an Elite TM, they can swap Hydro Cannon for Surf or Earthquake. So, as long as the Raid Pokemon isn't mainly a Grass-type (like the legendary Pokemon Virizion), players should have no issues taking down a 3 and 4-star Raid.
9 Mega Sceptile
Mega Sceptile is yet another Hoenn Pokemon that earns a spot among the best Mega Evolutions in Pokemon GO. It does have some drawbacks, namely type weaknesses, but it still can pack a punch in the right Raid. That's because this Mega Pokemon has a fairly decent Base Attack (320) and a total HP of 147, more than other Mega Pokemon.
When it comes to moves, Mega Sceptile performs well with Fury Cutter (Quick Move) and Frenzy Plant (Charge Move). Alternatively, players can use Bullet Seed (Quick Move) and Earthquake (Charge Move), but that moveset isn't as powerful as the other one.
8 Mega Blastoise
One of the first water-type Pokemon to receive the "Mega" treatment in Pokemon GO, Blastoise is a must-have Pokemon for trainers that want to build an excellent Raiding Team. Once Mega evolved, a fully maxed-out Blastoise will have 264 Attack, 237 Defense, and 188 Stamina. And while its Attack stat isn't the highest among Mega Pokemon, its high Defense makes it a sturdy tank that can soak up a massive amount of damage.
As for its moveset, the most optimal build players can have with Mega Blastoise is Bite (Fast Move) and Hydro Cannon (Charged Move). Due to Bite's quick attack, players can charge Mega Blastoise's Charged Move rather quickly. If a player has Squirtle Candies to spare, they can teach Blastoise Ice Beam as a second Charged Move.
7 Mega Pidgeot
Undoubtedly, Pidgey and Zubat rank high as some of the most annoying Pokemon to encounter in the wild, not because they're strong but because they frequently appear in a player's playthrough. And while Pidgey and all its evolution aren't anything to brag about, its Mega evolution is a powerful contender in the Raid scene. Mega Pidgeot boasts 280 Attack, the same attack stat that Mega Rayquaza and Shadow Moltres have at max level.
Players will want to teach Pidgeot Wing Attack (Fast Move) and Brave Bird (Charged Move), two of the strongest Fly-type moves in Pokemon GO. It's also easy to obtain Pidgey Candies since players gain 1 Candy per 1 KM they walk, making them the ideal Buddy Pokemon.
6 Mega Venusaur
Mega Venusaur made its debut on August 27, 2020, and since then has been a worthy Mega evolution to include in a Pokemon team. This Mega evolution stats are 241 Attack, 246 Defense, and 190 Stamina, making it a well-balanced Raid Pokemon. But, players should be wary of fighting Fire-type Raid Pokemon as it's highly susceptible to Fire damage due to its Grass and Poison typing.
The moves to teach Venusaur are Vine Whip (Fast Move) and Frenzy Plant (Charged Move). Frenzy Plant is one of the strongest Grass-type moves in Pokemon GO, especially since it's a 2-bar charge move. Solar Beam (Charged Move) is a decent alternative if a player doesn't have any Charged TMs to use on Venusaur.
5 Mega Houndoom
Mega Houndoom is one of the best dual-type Mega Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Being a Dark- and Fire-type, Houndoom is the perfect counter for Ghost, Psychic, Bug, Grass, Ice, and Steel Raid Pokemon. Moreover, Mega Houndoom can learn one of the strongest DPS attacks in Pokemon GO (Snarl), melting Legendary Pokemon like Deoxy with relative ease.
However, for Mega Houndoom to be a Dark-type powerhouse Pokemon, players will want to teach it Snarl (Fast Move) and Foul Play (Charged Move). Alternatively, if a trainer already has a solid Mega Absol build, then players can use Fire Fang (Fast Move) and Fire Blast (Charged Move) to make Mega Houndoom more focused on Fire-type damage.
4 Mega Ampharos
Mega Ampharos is among the least popular Mega evolution in Pokemon GO since it's relatively squishy in terms of Defense. But, aside from the weak Defense, Mega Ampharos has a base Attack of 294, higher than most of the other Mega evolution mentioned previously.
The only real threat against Mega Ampharos is a Ground-type Pokemon since it's an Electric-type Pokemon. Fortunately, there are very few Ground-type Raid Pokemon, so players won't have to worry too much. Players should teach Ampharos Volt Switch or Charge Beam (Fast Moves) and Zap Cannon (Charged Move) for the most optimal damage.
3 Mega Aerodactyl
Despite being a Flying-type Pokemon, Aerodactyl can't learn any Flying-type move, meaning players are mostly limited to Rock-type moves. Fortunately, nearly all Rock-type moves Aerodactyl can learn are quite powerful against any Raid Pokemon. For its Fast Move, players can teach Aerodactyl Rock Throw, and for the Charged Move, players can choose either Ancient Power or Rock Slide.
The only downside of using Mega Aerodactyl as the go-to Raid Pokemon is that obtaining Mega Aerodactyl Energy isn't easy, mainly because Aerodactyl isn't a common Pokemon to find in the wild. But, some Special Research Tasks reward players will Mega Aerodactyl Energy, but the best way to obtain it is by hatching eggs.
2 Mega Charizard Y
Without any doubt, Mega Charizard Y is the best Fire-type Mega evolution in Pokemon GO. On top of that, Mega Charizard Y can reach a maximum CP level of 5,037 (one of the highest in the game). In terms of power, Mega Charizard Y has an Attack power of 319 and a Defense capability of 212.
As for moves, players have several choices for Fast Moves, all of which work effectively against Raid Pokemon. The first option for players to use for their Mega Charizard Y is Fire Spin (Fast Move) and Blast Burn (Charged Move). The other options are Air Slash and Wing Attack (Fast Move), but they are less popular among players.
1 Mega Gengar
Undoubtedly, Mega Gengar is the top gun of all Mega evolutions in Pokemon GO and must be in any player's Raid team. And while it doesn't have the highest CP, Mega Gengar has the best Attack stat in the entire game, 349. But, what makes Mega Gengar stand out is that almost any of the Fast Moves it can learn are viable for Raids.
These are some of the top picks for Fast Moves: Lick, Shadow Claw, Hex, and Sucker Punch. As for Charged Moves, Shadow Ball is by far the most effective one, but Focus Blast can also be used but is more of a niche Charged Move. Overall, Mega Gengar is the best Mega investment players can make while they play Pokemon GO.
Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android.