Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald gave the Pokémon world many new powerful creatures. Some of these rise above the rest and are still meta-relevant now.
The Generation 3 Pokémon games Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald take place in the Hoenn region, which features a wide variety of strong Pokémon to fight, capture, and train. These games are beloved for their rich storylines, updated graphics, and the new Pokémon they introduced. Some of the best Pokémon in Pokémon Emerald and the other Hoenn games are still titans among the Pokédex's roster today.
Narrowing down the best Hoenn Pokémon is no small task, as Gen 3 added well over 100 new Pokémon of varying abilities to the Pokédex. Legendaries and Mythicals are among the strongest in the region, joining the ranks of the most overpowered Pokémon from every generation. If players are looking for more accessible creatures, however, these rare categories should be excluded from consideration. Certain Pokémon are more powerful than the rest, and they are part of why so many fans love the Hoenn region.
10 Slaking
Slaking's base stat total is higher than that of pseudo-Legendaries and even some Legendaries and Mythicals. The one drawback is its ability Truant, which lets it move only every other turn. Slaking isn't one of the best non-legendary Pokémon thanks to this ability, but still, Slaking can be a beast in combat. It has an extremely high HP stat, so it can take an immense amount of damage before going down. It also has an incredible Attack stat, so when it can move, it can devastate opponents. As Norman's ace, Slaking is one of the most feared members of any gym leader's team in the Hoenn region.
9 Swampert
Swampert has several features that make it very viable. For one, the typing of Water/Ground leaves it weak only to Grass, even if it is extremely vulnerable to that type. It also has great HP and Attack stats. The biggest downside to using Swampert is that it has only a decent Special Attack stat, and all the Water moves it learns from leveling up are Special. Swampert is bulky, though, so even if it takes an extra turn to knock out an opponent with a Water move, it should be able to handle the task. It is considered one of the best dual-type Ground Pokémon in the Hoenn region, and this reputation is well-earned.
8 Salamence
As one of two pseudo-Legendary Pokémon from Hoenn, Salamence has an extremely high base stat total. Its stat spread prioritizes its offensive stats, making it swift and deadly. Even though its defensive stats are lower, these are still not bad by any means. As long as Ice is not used against Salamence, it is often capable of taking decent damage. It also benefits from being a part of the frequently overpowered Dragon-type, giving it access to some terrifying moves. Its secondary type of Flying does not have as many move options, but it completely nullifies Ground attacks, which can be helpful.
7 Walrein
As Elite Four member Glacia's ace Pokémon in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, Walrein is an intimidating creature to fight. Although it is slow, it does not need a high Speed stat to be competitive. Its high HP and relatively high defensive stats make it quite bulky, often taking several hits to knock out. It also has decent offensive stats, letting it use the great moves it can access to defeat opponents. Facing Walrein makes for one of the hardest Elite Four battles in the Pokémon series because it can withstand many attacks and retaliate forcefully.
6 Blaziken
The Fire/Fighting Blaziken was the first Pokémon to combine these two types, and this set a trend that future generations would continue. As the original Fire/Fighting-type, Blaziken plays into the combination incredibly well. Its high Attack stat allows it to use powerful Physical Fire and Fighting attacks. It also has a great Special Attack stat, and, while this is not as useful for Fighting-type moves, it fills in some gaps for Fire-type moves, giving Blaziken more options to use in battle. This dual-type creature deserves its status as one of the best Pokémon the Hoenn region has to offer.
5 Flygon
This Ground/Dragon Flygon is one of the Pokémon most deserving of a Mega Evolution, but it is also powerful as it currently is. Its stat spread is fairly even, with higher values put into its Attack and Speed. With access to several powerful Physical Ground and Dragon attacks, Flygon can use its strengths to defeat its enemies. Its biggest weakness is Ice, to which it has an extreme vulnerability. As long as it avoids Ice-types, Flygon stands confident in battle. This popular Pocket Monster not only can hold its own but also dominate in many cases.
4 Aggron
With great Attack and absurdly high Defense, Aggron is one of the most reliable Physical Pokémon in the Hoenn region. The downside is that its Special stats are somewhat lacking, and unfortunately, Aggron has two extreme vulnerabilities. It can deal with these, however, if it has the ability Sturdy, which keeps it from getting knocked out by one attack when it is at full HP., and allows Aggron the chance to strike back with destructive force. Its weaknesses can be intimidating, but as long as Aggron starts the battle at full HP, it can handle many situations.
3 Milotic
Generation 3's Feebas functions like a complicated Hoenn version of Magikarp. It is extremely weak, but it evolves into a powerful Pokémon and gets a significant buff as the majestic Milotic. Relatively bulky, Milotic can withstand decent damage, and with its fairly high Special Attack, it can use some great Special Water-type moves like Surf and Hydro Pump. It also has two great ability options with Marvel Scale, which increases Defense when Milotic receives a status condition, and Competitive, which raises Special Attack when a stat is lowered. This Pokémon can be an imposing foe to face.
2 Sceptile
Sceptile is a fan-favorite Grass-type Hoenn Pokémon for several reasons. One of these is its prominent role in the anime, in which it is perhaps Ash's best Pokémon from the Hoenn region. Another reason is its strength in battle, as although Sceptile's HP and defensive stats leave it vulnerable, its Speed and Special Attack help to make it viable. Attacking quickly is Sceptile's specialty, and with exceptional Special Grass moves like Energy Ball, Giga Drain, and Leaf Storm at its disposal, this Pokémon rarely has to fear opponents retaliating.
As a powerful pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, Metagross has an incredibly high base stat total. It is relatively slow, but it makes up for it with its stellar Physical stats. Its Special stats, which are lower than its Physical ones, are still quite high, giving it more options for attacks and more defensive assurance. Its most well-known moves, Meteor Mash and Zen Headbutt, are both Physical moves, which can destroy opposing teams using Metagross' extremely high Attack stat. Being the ace Pokémon of the Ruby and Sapphire champion Steven's team, Metagross lives up to its important status in the Pokémon games and makes for the best Hoenn Pokémon.
