This is the ultimate team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, from badges to endgame

It has been almost 25 years since its release Pokemon Ruby and Sapphireand after all this time, Gen 3 is still one of the most loved and iconic for millions of fans. Whether you grew up with the difficult choice of choosing Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip as a starter, or maybe you spent weeks looking for Mirage Island hoping it would show up for you, the Gen 3 games had a lot to offer and were very unique when they came out. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire on Switch and Switch 2 may be more than a pipe dream now Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen ports received, so there is a very good chance these games will return.

Between National Dex i Fire red and leaf green is impossible to complete without Gen 3 ports and the fact that Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire leaked for the switch it all seems to be a matter of when rather than if. It's unclear if Emerald will return as well, but it's a bit of a different experience from the base Gen 3 titles in terms of encounters, main battles, and more. As such, if you are looking for the best team to use in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphireremember it won't be the same as Emerald.

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This is the ultimate team for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, from badges to endgame

If you are wondering what the best team in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen is, these 6 Pokemon are the ultimate choice.

But yes, there is an ultimate team you can use in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire on Switch, and it's all about maximizing your lineup from early game all the way to the showdown with the Elite Four and Champion. While this ride can be completed with any beginner, this team is all about optimization, and the first choice is Mudkip.

Swampert: The best starter in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

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Swampert is the best beginner in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire purely from an encounter point of view, as it is never a bad choice against Gym Leaders and the Elite Four in Hoenn. There are a few trainers with Grass-type Pokemon, and while Swampert takes four times the damage of Grass, that's the only weakness it has. With moves like Surf, Earthquake, Ice Beam, and Brick Break, Swampert can single-handedly clear the entire game, and you might not even need other Pokemon to do it. Ice Beam covers Swampert's only weakness, as Ice is super effective against Grass, and it's also good against trainers like Winona and Drake.

How to get Swampert early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

Evolve Mudkip into Marshtomp at level 16, then into Swampert at level 36.

Gardevoir: A Special Sweeper that takes you from Route 102 to Endgame

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Pokémon's Hoenn region offers the opportunity to catch many of its native Pokemon in the first areas, and such is the case for Ralts, which can be found very early in the game, although it is rarer than the other animals with a spawn rate of 4%. Ralts can then evolve into Gardevoir over time, and you can teach it incredibly powerful moves like Psychic, Thunderbolt, and Calm Mind. With the latter, it gets a boost to both its Special Attack and Special Defense, quickly becoming a sweeper in longer, high-stakes battles. You can also teach it Thief for cover and to collect items for free during your playthrough.

How to get Gardevoir early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

Catch Ralts on route 102, evolve it into Kirlia at level 20 and into Gardevoir at level 30

Swallow: A powerful portable with One-Shot options

Even before you get to the first gym in the game, you can get one of the best Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire in the form of Taillow. This little bird Pokemon can evolve into Swellow, become your main Fly user for both convenience and combat purposes, and carry you through the toughest battles in the game with the incredible combination of Guts plus Facade. Guts is an ability that allows Swellow to dish out more damage if affected by a status condition, and Facade is a move that does the same, essentially allowing you to target Swellow with status conditions and then spam Facade to win every fight. This is easier said than done sometimes, but it can be your secret weapon through the Elite Four (minus Phoebe).

How to get swallow early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

Catch Taillow on Route 104 or in Petalburg Woods, then evolve it into Swellow at level 22.

Breloom: One of the best Grass-Type Pokémon ever, and it packs a power

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Breloom is arguably one of the best Grass-type Pokémon ever, as it's fairly fast, has good offensive stats, can take serious damage with its Fighting-type moves, and it has access to Spore. This is only partially true in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphirehowever, since Breloom never learns Spore, you can teach it to its pre-evolution at level 54 if you never evolved it before. This is a huge problem and something that is almost never worth doing in a normal playthrough, but Breloom is very strong regardless. With moves like Leech Seed for sustain, Bulk Up for sweeping potential, and Mach Punch for priority, it's always a great choice.

How to get Breloom early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

Capture Shroomish in Petalburg Woods and then evolve it into Breloom at level 23.

Torkoal: An Endgame Powerhouse with Amazing Stats

Even if you get Torkoal relatively early, it shines the more you train it. Even if you don't spend time training EVs, it comes with very good stats from the start, with 70 HP, 85 Attack, 140 Defense, 85 Special Attack, 70 Special Defense and 20 Speed. It is very slow, especially compared to other Pokémon on the team, such as Breloom and Swellow, but it has a lot of bulk and options to become a hybrid attacker even if its primary use would be as a Fire-type Pokémon. It can learn awesome moves like Flamethrower, Heat Wave, and Overheat for Fire cover, and then Body Slam and Sludge Bomb on the physical side. With 85 in both attack stats, a speed reducing nature would be best for this animal to give it higher stats in other areas.

How to get Torkoal early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

Capture Torkoal on the Fiery Path, following route 111.

Absol: A Physical Sweeper That Solos The Elite Four

The last Pokemon in the team is Absol, and you can get it towards the middle of the game. It might not seem like a good choice when you consider it Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreens type diagram and type division apply to Ruby and Sapphire likewise, since Dark is a special type and Absol's Special Attack is very low. But of course it has very high Attack, and it learns Swords Dance. This makes it a great physical sweeper that can then destroy the game with moves like Shadow Ball, Return and Aerial Ace. Even its Fighting weakness isn't a big deal if you teach it Aerial Ace, as it will most likely counter Fighting-type Pokémon in one battle. Shadow Ball also one-shots Phoebe's entire team after Swords Dance, and Return can one-shot many mons that don't resist Normal. Just be careful when trying to catch one, as it can wipe out your entire team.