The Pokemon series has developed a reputation for inconsistency over the years. However, one aspect of the game where fans have come to expect consistency is within the rosters of new Pokemon introduced in each generation. Game Freak always does a tremendous job of offering new and exciting creatures for players to catch and train. That's not to say that there are never any duds. Every rule has its exceptions. But overall, the Regional Dex of each generation is one of the highlights of the game.

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When Gen 3 was introduced on Game Boy Advance in 2002, it was through Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, and the Regional Pokédex did not disappoint. Gen 3 gave us some fantastic new Pokemon and brought back some of the strongest creatures from past generations. However, some are stronger than others. Here are the strongest Pokemon in the Ruby and Sapphire games, according to their stats.

Updated September 14, 2023, by Ben Painter: Ruby & Sapphire will go down as some of the best Pokemon games in the whole franchise. The GameBoy Advance titles were groundbreaking at the time, bringing some much-loved features that have remained a staple in Pokemon. What has held a place in the hearts of many are the Pokemon of the games, Rayquaza, Milotic, and Salamence have remained favorites for years since their debuts. Ruby & Sapphire has a host of the strongest Pokemon and this list is updated to show some more.

15 Altaria - Dragon/Flying & Exploud - Normal - 490

Each of these Pokemon has a base stat total of 490.

Altaria is a Dragon/Flying-type with a defensive focus in its stats. Dragon/Flying offers a healthy amount of resistance at a total of 5 with immunity to Ground, but the combination does come with a scary 4x Ice weakness. Altaria's Abilities aren't particularly amazing, Natural Cure gets rid of status conditions when it's switched out, and Cloud Nine removes the effects of Weather Conditions, although the actual weather still stays. Altaria's pre-evolution, Swablu, can be found on Routes 114 and 115.

Exploud is a pure Normal-type Pokemon. Exploud is a mixed attacker with high HP. As is the tradition of a Normal-type, Exploud has a very wide movepool. It learns good attacking moves from the Normal, Fire, Ice, Electric, Fighting, Ground, Ghost, and Psychic-types respectively.

As for the Abilities, they are again not outstanding. Soundproof makes Exploud immune to any sound-based attacks. Can be helpful, but not to an extreme degree. Scrappy allows Exploud to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Normal moves. This effect is actually not bad, so this is definitely the better of the 2 Abilities. Exploud's base form of Whismur can be found at Route 116 or the Rusturf Tunnel.

Altaria Stats:

Exploud Stats:

14 Armaldo Rock/Bug Type & Cradily Rock/Grass Type - 495

Both of these Pokemon share a base stat total of 495.

Armaldo and Cradily are the Fossil Pokemon of Generation 3. Armaldo is the more offensively focused one, as it has very high Attack and Defense with poor Speed. Its type combination of Rock/Bug gives it only 2 resistances to Normal and Poison, but only 3 weaknesses to Rock, Steel, and Water. It gets Battle Armor and Swift Swim at its Abilities. Battle Armor blocks all Critical Hits and Swift Swim doubles Armaldo's Speed stat in the Rain.

Cradily is one of the best examples of a "difficult to KO" Pokemon. It has middling attacking stats, but good HP, Defense, and Special Defense, at the cost of being very slow. Its unique type combination of Rock/Grass gives it an odd mixture of weaknesses to Ice, Fighting, Steel, and Bug, with 2 resistances to Normal and Electric. Cradily also learns several moves to increase its lasting power, such as Leech Seed, Ingrain, Giga Drain, and Stockpile.

Finally, Cradily's Abilities are Suction Cups and Storm Drain. Suction Cups prevent Cradily from being switched out for any reason. Useful for keeping your stat changes. Storm Drain not only gives Cradily immunity from Water moves, but it also redirects them in Double Battles and gives it a Special Attack boost whenever it's hit by one.

In Ruby and Sapphire, only 1 of either Cradily or Armaldo can be picked from on Route 111. It is possible to get both in Emerald, but the game must be beaten first.

Armaldo Stats:

Cradily Stats:

13 Claydol - Ground/Psychic Type & Wailord - Water Type - 500

Both of these Pokemon share a base stat total of 500.

Claydol is a Ground/Psychic-type Pokemon with very high defensive stats and average offensive ones. Ground/Psychic is very a "give and take" combination, as it comes with 6 resistances, but with 4 resistances and an immunity. In addition, Claydol's only ability is Levitate, giving it another immunity to Ground. Claydol makes for a good Reflect and Light Screen setter thanks to its defenses, not only increasing the survivability of itself but its combat partners also. Claydol's first form of Baltoy can be found on Route 111.

Wailord is a pure Water-type Pokemon. It has tremendous HP, and solid attacking stats, but poor defenses and Speed. Pure Water is a very good type, as it comes with only 2 weaknesses and 4 resistances. Wailord has 3 Abilities, Water Veil, Oblivious, and Pressure.

To start off, Pressure isn't very helpful. All it does is make its opponent use 2 Power Points (PP) instead of one when they attack. Water Veil prevents Wailord from getting a Burn, useful for allowing it to keep using its Physical moves at full power. Oblivious blocks Infatuation, Intimidate, and Taunt, which are all useful effects to avoid. Wild Wailmer can be found just about anywhere there is water via Fishing.

Claydol Stats:

Wailord Stats:

12 Tentacruel - Poison/Water Type - 515

Created in Gen 1, Tentacruel is a Water/Poison-type Pokemon that has a base stat total of 515. It has exceptionally high Speed and Special Defense stats, which complement its amazing defensive-type combination. This combines to make Tentacruel a tough opponent, as it can take a ton of Special Attack hits with little to no issues. Tentacruel is very a strong Pokemon despite how common it is and makes a great addition to almost any lineup.

Tentacruel can be found by surfing or using the Super Rod in the Abandoned Ship, but its pre-evolution Tentacool can be found basically anywhere there's water, using surfing or fishing.

Tentacruel Stats:

11 Gardevoir - Psychic/Fairy Type - 518

Introduced in Generation 3, Gardevoir is a pure Psychic-type Pokemon with a base stat total of 518. It is decently fast with amazing Special Attack and Defense, making it quite the heavy hitter. It is a very difficult Pokemon to use in Ruby and Sapphire, as it can only be found on one route as its earliest evolution, and its encounter rate is very low. On top of that, the line is incredibly weak until it hits the Gardevoir evolution at level 30. Your time is far from wasted though, as Gardevoir is a solid Pokemon.

The only way to get a Gardevoir is to fully evolve its base form, Ralts, which only shows up on Route 102 in the grass. It only spawns 4% of the time, making catching one quite the hunt.

Gardevoir Stats:

10 Flygon - Ground/Dragon Type - 520

Introduced in Generation 3, Flygon is a Ground/Dragon-type Pokemon with a base stat total of 520. The stats are balanced overall, excluding its physical Attack and Speed, which is a lot higher than the rest. Ground/Dragon is an excellent type combination offensively, but this does come at the cost of Flygon not being the easiest Pokemon to use.

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It doesn't become Flygon until level 45, and the second evolution of this line, Vibrava, is middling compared to the base and final forms, so it is a hurdle you have to surmount. Flygon is only usable by fully evolving a Trapinch, which can be found on Route 111 35% of the time. If playing the Emerald version specifically, it can also show up in the Mirage Tower with a 50% spawn rate.

Flygon Stats:

9 Aggron - Steel/Rock Type & Walrein - Ice/Water Type - 530

Both being introduced in Generation 3, Aggron is a Steel/Rock-type Pokemon, while Walrein is an Ice/Water-type Pokemon, and they both have a base stat total of 530. Both of these Pokemon have a defensive focus, Aggron being better on the physical side with Walrein being more all-around. Walrein is noteworthy for being an Ice-type, as Ice is very rare in Gen 3, although its base evolution cannot be obtained until very late in the game.

Both pre-evolutions of Aggron can be found at Victory Road, although it's not recommended to catch them there due to how late in the game that location is. It's better to catch an Aron at the Granite Cave and evolve it from there. Something similar can be said for Walrein, but unfortunately, Shoal Cave is the only place its base form shows up, and that location is also inaccessible until very late in the trainer's journey.

Aggron Stats:

Walrein Stats:

8 Sceptile - Grass Type & Blaziken - Fire/Fighting - 530

Tied with Walrein and Aggron are the two final forms of the starter Pokemon, Sceptile, and Blaziken. Both Pokemon have amazing designs, and they have the stats in battle to back this up. Sceptile has a focus on its speed at 120 and special attack at 105, chances are this Pokemon will strike first with a massive powered Leaf Blade (which is special in Generation 3) that will leave opponents quaking.

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Blaziken's standouts are its 120 attack and 110 special attack, an offensive beast that can strike opponents with its mixed attacks so Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut are the moves to use. Both Pokemon can be found as the starting Pokemon in the game, but of course, gamers can only choose one or the other.

Sceptile Stats:

Blaziken Stats:

7 Crobat - Poison/Flying Type & Swampert - Water/Ground - 535

Crobat was introduced in Generation 2 as a new evolution for the Zubat family, while Swampert is the final form of Hoenn's Water-type starter, Mudkip. Crobat is a Poison/Flying-type and Swampert is a Water/Ground-type, and both share the same base stat total of 535. Crobat is one of the fastest regular Pokemon ever and it has a decent Attack stat as well. Swampert has a phenomenal type combination that gives it only one weakness in Grass, making it a valuable team member just for that alone.

Swampert is one of Hoenn's starters, so players get just 1 and it's right at the start of the game. The only way to get multiple is to trade in more from another game. Both Zubat and Golbat can be found in basically any cave in the game, although Golbat will not evolve until it's leveled up with a high Friendship stat.

Crobat Stats:

Swampert Stats:

6 Gyarados - Water/Flying Type, Kingdra - Dragon/Water Type & Milotic - Water Type - 540

This trio of Water-types all have the same base stat total of 540, and each specializes in different battling capabilities. Gyarados is a Water/Flying-type Pokemon with a very high Attack Stat, meaning it can tear through teams under the right circumstances. Kingdra is a Water/Dragon-type Pokemon that has very good all-around stats in general, but it puts them to some very good use, with the type combination helping it out a ton. Milotic is a pure Water-type Pokemon that can be seen as the Special counterpart to Gyarados, although it is more defensively focused.

Kingdra Stats:

Wild Gyarados can be found by using the Super Rod in Sootopolis City, but this is not recommended as it's the last gym town. It is much more advisable to capture a Magikarp and raise it at that point. Magikarp can be found basically anywhere there is water, using any kind of rod or surfing. Kingdra's base form, Horsea, is located on routes 132, 133, and 134, using the Super Rod. Keep in mind that a Dragon Scale and trading access are needed to fully evolve it.

Gyarados Stats:

Milotic is an absolutely painful Pokemon to acquire. Its first form, Feebas, only appears on 6 specific fishing spots on Route 119 50% of the time, and nowhere else. On top of that, there's no way to know what fishing spots it's in, and nothing ever explains this either. Players have to painstakingly check every available fishing spot on Route 119 twice to eventually encounter one and catch it. But guess what? It's not over yet.

To actually evolve Feebas, players need to give it a very high Beauty stat, which can only be accomplished by making a lot of dry Pokéblocks and feeding them to it. After that, it must be leveled up at least once. Players have to work incredibly hard to get this Pokemon, so don't be surprised if it takes a while.

Milotic Stats:

5 The Legendary Titans - Rock, Ice, & Steel Types, Respectively - 580

This group is a trio of Legendary Pokemon that consists of Regirock, Regice, and Registeel as its members. They all have a base stat total of 580, and each one has its stats oriented to fit a specific role. Regirock is very physically focused, Regice is very specially focused and Registeel is a mix of both. Registeel definitely fills its role the best of the trio, as Steel is an amazing type, and having the best of both worlds makes it very flexible.

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There is just 1 catchable opportunity for each member of this trio, only accessible by finishing a rather long side quest. To start, go to Route 134 and dive into the diving spot, taking you underground.

Trainers need to have a Relicanth in the first slot of their team and a Wailord in the sixth (if playing Emerald, this order is reversed), as well as a Pokemon in the party with Dig in its moveset. Go to the far back of the first room and use Dig, then go to the far back of the second room with the Relicanth and Wailord in the necessary positions. This will begin the quest to catch The Legendary Titans.

Regirock Stats:

Regice Stats:

Registeel Stats:

4 Articuno - Ice/Flying Type, Zapdos - Electric/Flying Type, Moltres - Fire/Flying Type - 580

Although there are many Pokemon found in Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, with a base stat of 580, the Legendary Bird trio stands out as some of the most beloved Legendary Pokemon seen in the original 151. They make an appearance in Generation III and remain fairly unchanged compared to their original counterparts. Players that need a dedicated Fire, Electric, or Ice-type can snag one of these high-flying beasts, which all come with their own set of strengths and weaknesses depending on what the player is looking for.

Articuno Stats:

Zapdos Stats:

Moltres Stats:

3 Salamence - Dragon/Flying Type, Metagross - Steel/Psychic Type, Latias & Latios - Dragon/Psychic Type, Jirachi - Steel/Psychic Type, & Deoxys - Psychic Type - 600

This impressive six-way tie is all from Pokemon that have 600 as their base stat total. Salamence and Metagross are Gen 3's pseudo-legendary Pokemon, making it the only gen to make more than 1 pseudo-legendary at a time. Latios, Latias, Jirachi, and Deoxys are all Legendary Pokemon, Deoxys being the most notable of the 4 with its power to change into 4 different forms that each fit a different niche.

Salamence is only obtainable by evolving Bagon, its first form. Bagon can only be found at Meteor Falls, exclusively in the room where the Dragon Claw TM is found. It then needs to be trained to level 50. There is only a single obtainable Metagross in all of Hoenn, only found by going to Steven's house in Mossdeep's City, where a Poké Ball containing its base form, Beldum, is sitting on a table. It must then be taken to level 45 to evolve.

Players also need to beat the game first to get the Poké Ball to even show up. Latios and Latias are interesting cases. In Ruby in Sapphire, the Lati that matches your version's color (Sapphire for Latios, Ruby for Latias) will roam the Hoenn region after beating the game, where they can be caught with enough effort. Both Jirachi and Deoxys are exclusively event-only Pokemon and as such, cannot be obtained outside of hacking.

Salamence Stats:

Metagross Stats:

Latias Stats:

Latios Stats:

Jirachi Stats:

Deoxys Stats:

Normal Forme/Attack Forme/Defense Forme/Speed Forme

2 Slaking - Normal Type, Kyogre - Water Type, & Groudon - Ground Type - 670

Slaking is a very interesting Pokemon as its stats are equal to that of Legendaries, but its only Ability is Truant, meaning it can only move every other turn. It shares the staggering base stat total of 670 with the Weather Duo. Even with this massive handicap though, Slaking is an absolute beast of a Pokemon, being able to KO opponents that are 20+ levels higher than it with minimal effort. Kyogre and Groudon are the mascot Legendary Pokemon of Ruby and Sapphire, and are extremely powerful as such, being able to summon their respective weather on switch-in and having very high stats.

The first form for Slaking (Slackoth) can be found in the grass at Petalburg Woods 5% of the time. Kyogre and Groudon are the mascot Legendaries of their respective games, meaning players are guaranteed 1 opportunity to capture them each playthrough. In Emerald, Kyogre can be found at the Marine Cave and Groudon can be found at the Terra Cave. The locations of both caves can be tracked at the weather institute.

Slaking Stats:

Kyogre Stats:

Groudon Stats:

1 Rayquaza - Dragon/Flying Type - 680

Rayquaza is a Dragon/Flying Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation 3. It is the strongest Pokemon in the entire Hoenn Pokédex, having a massive base stat total of 680. There is nothing to complain about with these stats. The attack stats and HP are ludicrously high, and everything else is above average. Also, its Ability Air Lock turns off the effects of weather conditions, making it the perfect counter to weather-reliant teams.

Rayquaza can be found at the Sky Pillar on Route 131. It can only be accessed after beating the game. In Emerald, players only need to end the battle against Kyogre and Groudon for Rayquaza to become accessible.

Rayquaza Stats:

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are available on Game Boy Advanced.

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