When you first start your journey through Lumiose City, you’ll probably lean heavily on your starter Pokémon and whatever you can catch early on. But as you push deeper into the main story—especially when those brutal Rogue Mega Evolution battles start appearing—you’ll need to upgrade your team with the absolute strongest Pokémon available.
What makes Pokémon Legends: Z-A unique is how Mega Evolution shakes up the traditional power rankings. Sure, Legendaries and Pseudo-Legendaries still dominate the top spots, but some unexpected contenders climb the ranks thanks to their incredible Mega forms. Let’s break down the ten most powerful Pokémon you can add to your roster, along with exactly how to catch or evolve them.
10. Gyarados – The Early-Game Powerhouse
Mega Gyarados Base Stat Total: 640
While Florges technically has slightly higher base stats, Gyarados takes this spot thanks to its absolutely monstrous Mega Evolution. Mega Gyarados boasts an incredible Attack stat that pairs perfectly with devastating physical moves like Crunch and Waterfall.
The real advantage here? Accessibility. You can snag a Magikarp as early as Wild Zone 2, making this one of the first powerhouse Pokémon you can realistically obtain.
How to Get Gyarados:
- Catch it directly in Wild Zone 11
- Find Alpha Gyarados in Wild Zone 20
- Evolve Magikarp at Level 20 (recommended for early game)
- Mega Evolution: Purchase Gyaradosite from Quasartico Mega Shard Exchange for 240 Mega Shards
Pro tip: If you’re building your team from scratch, check out our guide on the best early Pokémon to catch to complement Gyarados.
9. Starmie – The Stat-Boosted Surprise
Mega Starmie Base Stat Total: 660
Mega Starmie has gotten some flak for its unconventional design, but the stats don’t lie—this thing is a beast. Here’s what’s wild: most Pokémon gain 100 base stat points when they Mega Evolve. Starmie? It gains 140 points for some reason, catapulting it into elite territory.
This makes Mega Starmie one of the best Water-types in the entire game, capable of dishing out serious damage with both physical and special attacks. The versatility is unmatched.
How to Get Starmie:
- Catch it in Wild Zone 16
- Find Alpha Starmie in Wild Zone 20
- Use a Water Stone on Staryu
- Mega Evolution: Complete Main Mission 34 to receive Starminite
8. Metagross – The Steel Wall
Mega Metagross Base Stat Total: 700
Metagross has been a fan favorite Pseudo-Legendary for years, and Mega Evolution only makes it better. With a jaw-dropping 150 Defense stat and incredible bulk, Mega Metagross can absorb punishment while dealing massive damage right back.
The Steel/Psychic typing grants it a ton of useful resistances and immunities, making it incredibly difficult to take down. Its Attack stat is nothing to sneeze at either—Metagross hits as hard as it tanks.
How to Get Metagross:
- Find Alpha Metagross in Wild Zone 20
- Evolve Metang at Level 45
- Mega Evolution: Purchase Metagrossite from Quasartico Mega Shard Exchange for 360 Mega Shards (available after Main Mission 31)
For more on hunting powerful variants, check our Alpha Pokémon guide.
7. Salamence – The Balanced Dragon
Mega Salamence Base Stat Total: 700
Salamence might not have Metagross’s defensive prowess, but it matches it blow-for-blow in raw offensive power. This Dragon/Flying-type excels as a physical attacker, though it can pivot to special moves when needed.
What’s clever about Salamence is its ability to learn Flamethrower, giving it a counter to its 4x Ice-type weakness. Smart players can use this to bait out Ice-type attacks and retaliate with fire. Mega Salamence takes an already great Pokémon and elevates it to elite status.
How to Get Salamence:
- Find Alpha Salamence in Wild Zone 20
- Evolve Shelgon at Level 50
- Mega Evolution: Purchase Salamencite from Quasartico Mega Shard Exchange for 360 Mega Shards (available after Main Mission 31)
6. Tyranitar – The Glass Cannon Tank
Mega Tyranitar Base Stat Total: 700
Yes, Tyranitar has a lot of weaknesses—that 4x vulnerability to Fighting-type moves can hurt. But when you’re packing a 134 Attack stat (only two other non-Mega Pokémon surpass it), you can afford to take some hits.
Tyranitar is also completely immune to Psychic-type moves, which comes in handy more often than you’d think. When you Mega Evolve it, that 150 Defense makes it incredibly tanky, turning this aggressive attacker into a genuine wall.
How to Get Tyranitar:
- Find Alpha Tyranitar in Wild Zone 20
- Evolve Pupitar at Level 55
- Mega Evolution: Complete Main Mission 33 to receive Tyranitarite
Want to see how Tyranitar compares to other Mega options? Check out our Mega Evolution tier list.
5. Dragonite – The Gen 1 Special Attacker
Mega Dragonite Base Stat Total: 700
Dragonite getting a Mega Evolution in Pokémon Legends: Z-A was a pleasant surprise for longtime fans. Mega Dragonite focuses on Special Attack and Special Defense, creating a devastating special sweeper.
The massive boost to Special Attack lets Mega Dragonite hit ridiculously hard with Blizzard, making it the perfect counter to other Mega Dragon-types like Salamence and Garchomp. If you’re looking to dominate Dragon-heavy battles, this is your Pokémon.
How to Get Dragonite:
- Find Alpha Dragonite in Wild Zone 20
- Evolve Dragonair at Level 55
- Mega Evolution: Complete Main Mission 32 to receive Dragoninite
4. Garchomp – The Physical/Special Hybrid
Mega Garchomp Base Stat Total: 700
The final Pseudo-Legendary on our list, and it’s a doozy. Mega Garchomp has the second-highest Attack stat in the entire game, losing only to Mega Heracross. But here’s where it gets interesting—unlike Heracross, Mega Garchomp is also a competent special attacker.
This versatility lets Garchomp run moves like:
- Draco Meteor for Dragon-type coverage
- Fire Blast for Steel and Ice-types
- Powerful physical moves for everything else
That flexibility makes Garchomp incredibly unpredictable and hard to counter.
How to Get Garchomp:
- Find Alpha Garchomp in Wild Zone 20
- Evolve Gabite at Level 48
- Mega Evolution: Purchase Garchompite from Stone Emporium for ₽70,000 (available after Main Mission 10)
Fun fact: Garchomp is the earliest Mega Evolution you can obtain from this list, since it’s available right after Mission 10. For comparison, Goodra has a similar 600 base stat total but lacks a Mega Evolution.
3. Xerneas – The Fairy Legendary
Xerneas Base Stat Total: 680
More than a decade after debuting as the box Legendary for Pokémon X, Xerneas returns with the same incredible 680 base stat total that made it a competitive powerhouse. Those 131 Attack and Special Attack stats mean Xerneas doesn’t need Mega Evolution to dominate—it’s already a monster.
The Fairy-type gives Xerneas complete immunity to Dragon-type attacks, making it an excellent counter to most of the Pseudo-Legendaries on this list. It’s versatile, powerful, and available relatively early in the post-game.
How to Get Xerneas:
- Catch it during Main Mission 40 (available after completing the main story)
2. Yveltal – The Dark/Flying Destroyer
Yveltal Base Stat Total: 680
Like Xerneas, Yveltal rocks those impressive 131 Attack and Special Attack stats, offering incredible versatility between physical and special movesets. The Dark/Flying typing grants immunity to both Ground and Psychic-type attacks, plus resistance to Ghost, Grass, and Dark.
This defensive profile is perfect for chasing down Alpha Pokémon in the post-game. When it comes to offense, special moves like Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, and Hurricane make Yveltal an absolute nightmare to face.
How to Get Yveltal:
- Catch it during Main Mission 41 (available after completing the main story)
1. Zygarde – The Undisputed Champion
Mega Zygarde Base Stat Total: 778
We all knew Zygarde would top this list—it’s the title Legendary, after all. But nobody expected it to be this dominant.
Mega Zygarde boasts a staggering 778 base stat total, which is 78 points clear of the second-best Pokémon at launch. Most of those points go into its absolutely absurd 216 Special Attack stat—the highest in the entire history of the Pokémon series, beating the previous record holder (Mega Mewtwo Y) by 22 points.
To put that in perspective: Mega Zygarde can one-shot most Pokémon with its special attacks. It’s not just the best Pokémon in Legends: Z-A—it’s potentially the most overpowered Legendary we’ve seen in any Pokémon game.
How to Get Zygarde:
- Catch it during Main Mission 42 (available after completing the main story)
- Mega Evolution: Receive Zygardite during Main Mission 37
Building Your Dream Team
While these are the ten strongest Pokémon by raw stats, remember that team composition matters. You’ll want type coverage, and sometimes a slightly weaker Pokémon with the right moves can outperform a stronger one.
Key considerations:
- Balance physical and special attackers
- Cover major type weaknesses
- Include at least one Mega Evolution-capable Pokémon
- Consider special evolutions for unique team options
For tackling the toughest challenges like Rogue Mega battles, having 2-3 Pokémon from this list will make your life significantly easier. And if you’re still building out your Pokédex, our guides on Wild Zone locations will help you track down everything you need.
For more information about Pokémon Legends: Z-A, visit the official Pokémon Legends website or grab your copy from the Nintendo Store.
Now get out there and start building the ultimate team!
