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Pokemon VGC is the official competitive metagame for the popular video game franchise. While there are over 1000 Pocket Monsters right now, only a handful of them have survived the test of time and maintained a serious presence in the VGC meta. These include Pokemon that have been around from the start of the series all the way back in Generation I to more recent critters introduced in Generation IX.
In this article, we will go over the best Pokemon VGC picks by each region introduced in the world of Pokemon so far. The main criterion involved in picking these mons is that they must have won Worlds at least once.
Which are the best Pokemon VGC picks from each region?
1) Kanto region (Generation I): Snorlax
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Snorlax is an odd choice on the surface, but considering it has received little love from Game Freak (as opposed to, say, Charizard, who has received two Mega Evolutions and a Gigantamax form), Snorlax's longevity is remarkable. Just by relying on its admittedly decent bulk (160/65/110) and physical attack (110), Snorlax has lifted the trophy nine years apart in completely different metas.
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Number of World Championship wins: 2 (2009 and 2018)
2) Johto region (Generation II): Tyranitar
Tyranitar is the undisputed best Pokemon VGC pick from Johto. The pseudo legendary of the generation with 600 BST, this Kaiju has remained a staple on VGC teams and has performed decently when called upon by players.
Number of World Championship wins: 1 (2012)
3) Hoenn region (Generation III): Salamence
Salamence manages to beat out severe competition from Legendaries like Kyogre and Groudon, as well as its fellow Generation III pseudo, to be the best Pokemon VGC from Hoenn. Besides its 600 BST, it also has the ability, Intimidate, to lower opposing the Pokemon's attack. It even has Mega Evolution in Generation VI to further boost its viability.
Number of World Championship wins: 3 (2009, 2018, and 2019)
4) Sinnoh region (Generation IV): Cresselia
Cresselia is a staple in Pokemon VGC since its existence. While other Sinnoh mons like Heatran and Gastrodon are also good, they pale in comparison to the Lunar Pokemon. What makes Cresselia great is its vast support movepool, able to provide its team utility in the form of speed control, healing, weather support, Trick Room support, and so on.
Number of World Championship wins: 3 (2010, 2012, and 2015)
Also read: Is Cresselia broken in Pokemon VGC?
5) Unova region (Generation V): Amoonguss
Amoonguss faces tough competition from the Generation V Legendary Thundurus Therian as both have won Worlds three times each. However, the mushroom's gameplay has changed little over the years, doing the same things it has done since its inception. It uses Rage Powder to redirect moves, Spore to put mons to sleep, and heals itself by switching out, owing to its Regenerator ability.
Number of World Championship wins: 3 (2013, 2015, and 2023)
Also read: Is Amoonguss broken in Pokemon VGC?
6) Kalos region (Generation VI): Talonflame
In a generation that has focused on buffing older mons with new typings and Mega Evolutions, Talonflame managing to win Worlds is noteworthy. The reason behind the Kalos regional bird's success comes from its ability, Gale Wings, which gave +1 priority to Flying-type attacks. This let Talonflame not only fire off powerful priority Brave Birds, but also set up priority Tailwind to make its side faster.
Number of World Championship wins: 1 (2014)
7) Alola region (Generation VII): Incineroar
Incineroar is one of the best Pokemon to ever be a part of the VGC meta. Decent stats, Intimidate, great support movepool, and useful typing, all these elements came together to make this Alolan cat win three out of the four Worlds it has been legal in.
Number of World Championship wins: 3 (2018, 2019, and 2022)
Also read: The most successful Pokemon in VGC is not one you'd expect
8) Galar region (Generation VIII): Urshifu Rapid Strike
Urshifu Rapid Strike became a Pokemon VGC World Champion back to back. What makes this Urshifu variant good is its signature move, Surging Strikes, a Water-type move that strikes its target three times, with each hit also being a critical hit. This is further helped by its ability Unseen Fist, which lets it bypass moves like Protect if it uses contact moves, like Surging Strikes.
Number of World Championship wins: 2 (2023 and 2024)
9) Paldea region (Generation IX): Iron Hands
Even though it is part of the current generation, Iron Hands has already quite the Pokemon VGC resume. It has access to Fake Out to flinch opponents, Volt Switch to pivot on and off the field, and STAB Wild Charge and Drain Punch off an impressive base 140 attack stat. The last one is noteworthy owing to its massive HP stat of 154, letting it spam recoil moves while also healing itself.
Number of World Championship wins: 2 (2023 and 2024)
