You’ve probably heard it a thousand times: just catch Rayquaza and the game is over. While that’s technically true for the Elite Four, "strongest" is a loaded word when you’re staring down the Gold Symbol requirements in the Battle Frontier. In the Hoenn region, raw power isn't just about base stats. It’s about surviving the weirdly specific AI hacks and the physical/special split—or lack thereof—that defined 2005-era gameplay.
Honestly, the strongest pokemon in pokemon emerald aren't always the ones with the flashiest designs. Sometimes it's a lazy sloth that refuses to move every other turn or a giant metal crab that explodes when things get dicey.
The Heavy Hitters: Legendaries That Break the Game
If we are talking about pure, unadulterated numbers, the conversation starts and ends with the Weather Trio. Rayquaza is the obvious king here with a massive base stat total of 680. With 150 in both Attack and Special Attack, it doesn't really matter if you’re clicking Dragon Claw or Extreme Speed. Everything dies.
But Kyogre is arguably the scarier beast in a vacuum. Thanks to its Drizzle ability, it brings permanent rain to the field. This effectively gives its Water-type moves a 1.5x boost on top of the STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus). In Emerald, Kyogre with Thunder and Surf is basically a cheat code because Thunder becomes 100% accurate in the rain.
Groudon is the "weakest" of the three only because its sunlight-boosting Drought ability doesn't help its STAB Earthquake. Still, with 140 Defense, it’s a physical wall that can Solar Beam your enemies into oblivion.
The Slaking Paradox
Let’s talk about Slaking. This thing has a base stat total of 670. To put that in perspective, that is the same as Kyogre and Groudon. It has a base Attack of 160, which is higher than almost anything else in the entire game.
So why isn't everyone using it?
Truant.
The ability forces Slaking to "loaf around" every second turn. It’s frustrating. It’s slow. But in the right hands—especially with a Choice Band—it’s the ultimate "delete" button. In Emerald, Hyper Beam was a physical move. Because of how the mechanics worked, if Slaking used Hyper Beam and knocked out the opponent, the "recharge" turn happened simultaneously with the Truant turn. Basically, you got a 150-power nuke with almost no drawback if you timed it right.
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The Battle Frontier Royalty
Once you beat the Champion, the game actually gets hard. You can't use Rayquaza in the Battle Tower. This is where the real strongest pokemon in pokemon emerald emerge.
Latios and Latias: The Eon Duo
If you picked the "Blue" option on the TV after the credits, you got Latios. He is arguably the best special sweeper in the game. With a Soul Dew (if you're lucky enough to have one from an event) or just a standard Calm Mind set, he outspeeds almost the entire Hoenn Dex.
Latias is the bulkier sister. While she doesn't hit quite as hard, her 130 base Special Defense makes her a nightmare to take down if she gets a couple of Calm Minds off. Most pros prefer Latios for the raw speed and power, but Latias is the queen of "stalling" out opponents.
Metagross: The Steel Wall
Metagross is the gold standard for the Battle Frontier. Its Steel/Psychic typing is defensively god-tier in Gen 3, resisting almost everything except Fire and Ground.
The strategy is simple:
- Meteor Mash for heavy STAB damage (and that sweet 20% chance to boost Attack).
- Earthquake for coverage.
- Explosion as a literal panic button when its health gets low.
Because it has the Clear Body ability, your opponents can't lower its stats with Intimidate or Icy Wind. That is huge when you’re 40 wins deep in the Battle Tower and the AI starts trying to cheese you.
Salamence and the Dragon Hegemony
You can’t talk about Hoenn strength without mentioning the "pseudo-legendary" dragon, Salamence. It has the Intimidate ability, which automatically cuts the opponent's Attack by one stage.
Unlike the dragons of later generations, Salamence in Emerald often had to run a mixed set. Since Dragon-type moves were always special in Gen 3, its massive base 135 Attack was actually better suited for moves like Aerial Ace or Earthquake. If you managed to breed one with Dragon Dance, it became arguably the most dangerous set-up sweeper in the game. One turn of set-up and it's basically GG.
The "Budget" Powerhouses
Not everyone wants to spend forty hours breeding for a 31 IV Bagon. Some of the strongest pokemon in pokemon emerald are available right at the start.
- Swampert: The "best" starter by a mile. Its Water/Ground typing only has one weakness (Grass). It can learn Ice Beam to deal with the late-game Dragons and Earthquake to level everything else.
- Gardevoir: If you catch a Ralts on Route 102, keep it. It’s a glass cannon, but with Calm Mind and Psychic, it can solo the majority of the Elite Four.
- Starmie: It’s fast. It’s versatile. It learns Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Surf, and Psychic. It’s the Swiss Army knife of the Hoenn region.
Practical Steps for Building Your Team
If you are looking to actually dominate the game, don't just pick six high-stat monsters. You need synergy.
First, check your natures. An Adamant Metagross is vastly stronger than a Modest one. In Emerald, the difference between a good nature and a bad one is about 10% of your total stat—which is enough to turn a one-hit KO into a loss.
Second, pay attention to the Physical/Special split of 2005.
- Physical Types: Normal, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel.
- Special Types: Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Dark.
If you give your Sceptile (a Special attacker) the move Leaf Blade, you’re winning. If you give it Dragon Claw, you’re also winning. But if you give it Hyper Beam? You're wasting its stats because Hyper Beam is physical in this generation.
Lastly, grab the Leftovers from the basement of the SS Tidal. It’s the single best held item for any "strong" Pokemon looking to survive the long haul of the Battle Frontier.
Focus on getting a solid lead like Starmie or Latios, a physical tank like Metagross, and a "revenge killer" like Salamence. That trio alone is enough to earn most of the Silver Symbols in the Frontier without breaking a sweat.