Top 10 Pokemon that got better over time

There have been Pokemon that got better over time through the generations. Whether these Pocket Monsters received direct or indirect buffs, they found ways of being useful in their own right. Regular and Mega Evolutions are a few ways some monsters have received massive buffs that improved their relevance.

In this article, we will run you through some monsters that have improved significantly over the years.

10 Pokemon that have improved over the years

10) Pikachu

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Being the franchise's mascot, it is not surprising that this Electric-type Pocket Monster has received buffs that made it stronger over the years. New moves and better stats made this creature a lot more viable in the game's current meta.

The main buff it received was the addition of Light Ball. This Held Item increases Pikachu’s offense stat by 50%, allowing it to do a lot of damage, and with recent buffs given to Light Ball, the damage output can be doubled when used on Pikachu.

9) Dugtrio

Dugtrio was a monster that didn't receive many buffs in the franchise, but the ones it received earned it a place at ninth on this list. Arena Trap is one of the best moves in this creature’s arsenal. From the third to the sixth generation, this move had been decent, with a base attack stat of 80.

After the seventh generation, Arena Trap came with a base attack stat of 100, which made it far more potent. So, if it's used correctly, the enemy would certainly lose a monster on the battlefield.

This buff, along with its growing move pool with the likes of Sucker Punch, made Dugtrio become better over time in the Pokemon franchise.

8) Blastoise

Although debatable, this monster has received a significant amount of buffs over the years from various anime and video games in this franchise.

This Water-type Pocket Monster has access to moves like Body Press and Shell Smash, making it severely potent on the battlefield. Moreover, coverage moves like Aura Sphere and Dark Pulse give an upper hand at times when things might not look too bright for Blastoise.

This monster also got a Mega Evolution in the later generations. However, that is banned in National Dex. Mega Blastoise and Shell Smash are extremely menacing to deal with, and The Pokemon Company thought it would be best if these two weren’t allowed in the competitive scene.

7) Gallade

Sharpness is a crazy move, and its access to this makes Gallade sit seventh on this list. Sharpness boosts the effect of moves like Night Slash, Leaf Blade, Aqua Cutter, Psycho Cut, and more. This buff, along with Choice Scarf, makes Gallade a strong contender.

This Grass-type monster also received a Mega Evolution in the later years which made Gallade an even stronger creature to have in your team.

Furthermore, the nerf to Intimidate gave Mega Gallade an indirect buff, making it potent against Pokemon like Therian Landorus that rely on said move to do significant damage to enemies.

6) Gyarados

Game Freak has been slipping Gyarados buffs into the Pokemon games in one way or another. This monster was overpowered in the first generation and was promptly checked in the next generation, but Gyarados has always found a way to be relevant in one way or another in successive generations.

This beast got Dragon Dance in the third generation, followed by Water STAB in the coming generations. It got a Dark-type Mega Evolution, and while it should have been Dragon, this makes Gyarados even stronger.

As a result, Gyarados has grown significantly stronger, and it is one of the strongest Water-type beasts in the franchise, giving it a place at sixth.

5) Crawdaunt

This monster is another winner of the physical special split: Pokemon Diamond, Pokemon Pearl, and Pokemon Platinum. Water and Dark were special in the third generation, and that meant Crawdaunt would not see much before the split.

This creature has received a lot of buffs over the years. It was subpar in the fourth generation, even with access to Dragon Dance. It struggled further in generation five in a fast and offense-focused metagame.

It was in the sixth generation that Game Freak made a freak out of Crawdaunt. The buff to Knock Off was insane, and when paired with its adaptability from the previous generation, Crawdaunt was making waves in the franchise. Furthermore, the buff to Crabhammer took its base power from 90 to 100, which has earned it a place fifth on this list.

4) Porygon2

Despite being this high up on the list, talking about this Normal-type monster alone feels wrong. It is an excellent Pokemon with commendable merits; access to Trace and a more-than-decent bulk stat make Porygon2 a great beast.

In Generation Five, Porygon Z was a direct buff to Porygon II when Eviolite was introduced in the Pokemon franchise. Teleport was another buff that this monster received in Generation Eight.

This, along with Trick Room, makes this Pocket Monster extremely overpowered in the current meta of Pokemon. Melmetal and Alolan Marowak benefit greatly from this Porygon Z’s supporting ability.

3) Clefable

Game Freak has buffed Clefable for eons at a stretch. The developers have given so much to Clefable to play with that it almost feels unfair for other monsters at this point.

It got access to Magic Guard in the fourth generation, which made it one of the best monsters of that time. It was slightly overwhelmed in the next generation but quickly redeemed its status in the sixth generation.

The Fairy elemental typing greatly influenced how the games were played from generation six, and Clefable was one of the main monsters that dominated the meta in a way. Besides having phenomenal base stats, Clefable has received excellent coverage moves over the years. This has earned this Pokemon a spot in third place.

2) Volcarona

This moth has slipped under the radar many times but has always been a dominant name in the franchise in some capacity. This monster has never been subpar in any generation, with its lowest being in generation six, where it wasn't in UUBL (Underused Ban List). If UUBL is a monster’s lowest point, it speaks volumes about how amazing it is overall.

This beast was a menace in generation five, and it was not that good in the next generation due to the Mega Evolutions running wild in the meta. With Z moves in the seventh generation, Volcarona received a fresh purpose in the franchise.

Even though it wasn’t a Dynamax evolution, Heavy Duty Boots allowed Volcarona to storm through a lot of the competition in the given generation. This was also the greatest buff it received throughout the many years it has been in the game.

1) Dragonite

This Dragon-type pseudo-legendary monster has always found new and unique ways of getting buffed through the various generations. This monster has received so much love from the fans that it has been buffed in almost every generation, with the possible exception of the sixth generation.

Dragonite received Dragon STAB in the second generation, which was very necessary. It got Dragon Dance in generation three, and a physical Dragon-type STAB move in the next generation. It received Multi Scale in the fifth generation, which allowed it to take hits from enemies. Generation seven saw Dragonite abusing Z moves, and in the eighth generation, it received Heavy Duty Boots.

Finally, in the ninth generation, Terastallization gave new wings to Dragonite with extreme speed, which made it an excellent late-game sweeper. A Flying Tera Type Tera Blast is a great addition in this monster’s arsenal. As a result, this monster takes the crown in this list.

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Edited by Angad Sharma