Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen's best Pokemon is one of the worst in Legends: ZA

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen is very unlike anything else in the modern era of the franchise. This is not a nostalgia-driven statement, although I played the original 2004 games when they came out (I had Leafy greenso I got it on Switch too), but rather because Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are very old games with a completely different structure. For example, there is no Masuda method for eggs, there is no Shiny Charm or other modern features like sandwiches and donuts – not only that, but shiny odds are 1/8,192 rather than 1/4,096 in the base. As such, the best Pokemon to use in these games aren't necessarily the best elsewhere and vice versa.

An obvious example is how Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen's Gyarados is weak compared to past generations, as water is exclusively a special type and the iconic beast has no flying type moves at all. This might surprise you if you've only been playing recently Pokémon game, because it is a great choice Pokemon Legends: ZAand it was used in Gen 8 and 9 of the VGC. Yet, Pokemon Legends: ZA has a completely different ecosystem for battles, which is why Alakazam was one of the worst mons you could use there, but it's the best in Fire red and leaf green.

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Best Pokemon to catch early in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen

If you want to know which Pokemon are best to catch early in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, this guide provides tons of information on must-have party members.

Why Alakazam is the best Pokemon in FireRed and LeafGreen

If you want the best team in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreenthings can vary depending on the starter you choose, but certain animals are almost always the best. A good example is Jynx, who is very fast and has high Sp. Attack with good Ice and Psychic moves, as well as a sleep move in Lovely Kiss. Another is Nidoking, possibly one of the single best mons in the entire game due to its type combo, move coverage, and stats. But for pure speed and damage, the best choice is Alakazam. It has:

55 hp
50 Attack
45 Defense
135 Sp. Attack
80 Sp. Defense
120 speed

Jynx is a close comparison, as it has 65 HP, 50 Attack, 35 Defense, 115 Sp. Attack, 95 Sp. Defense and 95 Speed. While it has some extra HP and Sp. Defense, its defense is even lower, and its main stats are 20 and 25 points lower than Alakazam's respectively. On top of that, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreenThe type chart includes Dark and Steel, but these types are mostly absent from the main game and only appear occasionally in post-game trainer battles. This means Alakazam's dark weakness won't show up very often, and even then Dark is a special type in Gen 3, so it's covered by Alakazam's high special defense and use of Calm Mind.

Calm Mind is one of the tools that makes Alakazam's kit so good, as it increases both its Sp. Attack and Sp. Defend at once, while still having access to Recover to heal itself. It is fragile on the physical side, but you can also account for it with Reflect, if you wish. And if you're worried about Ghost-type Pokemon in Fire red and leaf greenas you should since they deal physical damage, Alakazam will always be faster than either of them. In fact, only four Pokemon have higher speed than Alakazam, and only one has the same level:

Electrode (150 speeds)
Jolteon, Aerodactyland Mewtwo (130 speeds)
Dug trio (120 speeds)

Training your Alakazam's Speed EVs means it will outrun everything in the game, no matter what. Then it can have a good nature like Timid to further increase its speed, if needed.

Why Pokemon Legends: ZA Makes Alakazam Obsolete

Alakazam's Speed is also why it was terrible in Pokemon Legends: ZAhowever. In this game, Speed does not address how fast a Pokémon acts, but rather the cooldown of its moves. With a hard cap on how low certain cooldowns could go, Speed immediately became less valuable overall, and Alakazam with it. Even Mega Alakazam couldn't really compete with Mega Evolutions i Pokemon Legends: ZA despite its 150 base speed, because it's still too weak physically, and those stat points are arguably “wasted”.

Instead, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreenGym Leaders and Elite Four offer a more balanced challenge where higher speed is rewarded with higher survivability, provided you can land KOs or prevent the opponent from doing much. This is exactly what Alakazam does, and its ability to not only learn Thief as a counter to Ghost-types, but also Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, and Knock Off (all of which are special moves) gives it an incredible lingering presence.

As silly as it sounds, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and Thunder Punch are special moves in FireRed and LeafGreen due to the type split.