Even those who have never played the Pokemon games know the basics. The protagonist sets off on a journey around the region, with their friendly new starter Pokemon in tow. They catch other critters and train them up to make them stronger, with the goal of beating the Gym Leaders and becoming the region's champion.
A key component of making Pokemon stronger is evolution, the process through which said creature will take on a more powerful form. Not all of the creatures in Pokemon can do this, however, and while some really, really wished they had an evolved form, others definitely don’t need it. Here are some of the strongest (non-Legendary) Pokemon without an evolution.
Updated August 31, 2021 by Tom Bowen: Though the idea of Pokemon being able to evolve at a moment's notice may seem a little ridiculous to some, evolution is and has always been a key part of the franchise. Generally, the very best Pokemon in the series can be found at the end of evolutionary chains, but that's not to say that there aren't exceptions to this rule. Legendary Pokemon are the most obvious of these, although they are far from the only ones. Since Gen I, players have been treated to some exceptional non-Legendary Pokemon that don't evolve, many of which can be incredibly useful in battle.
14 Aerodactyl
Speed, power, and versatility make Aerodactly one of the deadliest Pokemon in competitive play. This is especially true while it's in its Mega Evolution form, where its base Speed stat climbs to an incredible 150, making it one of the fastest Pokemon in existence.
Stone Edge can dish out an insane amount of damage when not resisted, while Earthquake provides a solid option when up against neutral opposition. When these moves are combined with Roost and Pursuit, it becomes very difficult to counter, though bulky steel-types or those with priority moves can still one-hit KO the Pokemon in certain situations.
13 Dhelmise
Dhelmise is a great Utility Pokemon, though can also dish out some decent damage thanks to its 131 base Attack stat. This is helped by its great learn-set, which includes moves like Power Whip, Heavy Slam, and Earthquake. It does have its weaknesses though.
The chief among them is its ridiculously low Speed stat. At just 40 base, Dhelmise will be attacking second most of the time. Its Steelworker Ability does make up for this somewhat though, as it increases the Pokemon's attack power by 1.5 when using Steel-type moves, meaning that if it can survive the first turn, there's unlikely to be a second.
12 Rotom
With six different forms to choose from, Rotom offers the kind of versatility traditionally reserved for Legendary Pokemon like Arceus and Deoxys. To be clear, it's nowhere near as powerful as the aforementioned Pokemon, but, when combined with moves like Trick and Defog, it does make for a great Utility Pokemon.
Stat-wise, Rotom excels in the Physical Defense and both Special categories, though its low HP can sometimes cause problems. Its Wash form is probably the most useful, but the ability to switch things up does provide some additional options and can make it difficult for rival trainers to plan ahead for.
11 Duraludon
Duraludon is another Pokemon that provides players with plenty of options and has a lot more damage potential than Rotom when used correctly. The Gen VIII Steel/Dragon-type can deal with most Fairy and Ice-types and allow it to hold its own against other Dragon-types.
Moves like Draco Meteor and Flash Cannon can be used in order to make the most of Duraludon's impressive 120 base Special Attack stat, while its solid Physical Defense provides a level of durability that few other Dragon-types possess. Granted, there are better options out there, but there are plenty that are far, far worse.
10 Skarmory
Skarmory is a Gen II Steel/Flying type that has most certainly made its mark in competitive play since its introduction in Pokemon Gold & Silver. The Pokemon was one of the very first Steel-types and defines everything that Steel has come to be: a defensive powerhouse to be reckoned with.
While this battling bird doesn’t have the most offensive might (its Attack is only average), it shines as a physical wall. It’s most notorious as part of the dreaded SkarmBliss combo, a team composition in which Skarmory took the physical hits and Blissey took the special ones. It wasn’t fun for anyone concerned but was more than capable of getting the job done.
9 Mimikyu
Mimikyu is one of the more unconventional additions to the recent Pokemon roster. As of the time of writing, it remains the only Ghost/Fairy-type in existence, and it boasts an entirely unique Ability to go along with its exclusive type combination: Disguise, which all but guarantees it at least a little survivability.
Several Pokemon have access to Sturdy, an Ability that acts like a Focus Sash. Disguise is a little different though. On taking a hit, Mimikyu’s Disguise will be broken and the attack absorbed (it now takes a little damage when this happens). This buys it a precious turn or two in which to boost with Swords Dance, set up Trick Room, or anything else that will benefit it and its team. Again, its base stats are quite modest, but its Ability and wide learn set make it a huge threat that remains very popular.
8 Wishiwashi
Wishiwashi, the Small Fry Pokemon, definitely doesn’t look like much at a glance. In fact, it looks about as threatening as a happily sleeping kitten emitting adorable little purr-snores. Still, they say that a book should never be judged by its cover, and, in much the same way, Wishiwashi's viability definitely shouldn't be measured by its tiny Solo form.
A healthy Wishiwashi (above 25% of its max HP) switches to Schooling form (Totem Wishiwashi is pictured above), represented by an angry band of these little fish in a school together. In this form, it has low HP and Speed, but its offenses and defenses are base 130-140, which is really darn strong. It can be a little awkward to use though, which does hold it back a little.
7 Heracross
Like Skarmory, Heracross is another Pokemon that debuted in Gen II and went on to make a huge impression on competitive play. Essentially, Heracross is what Pinsir wished it could be; a furious Bug/Fighting Pokemon that can sweep through an opposing team in moments if it can get some momentum on its side.
Granted, Pinsir can do that too, but the secondary Fighting STAB really helps Heracross. As did the addition of Bug moves that are actually worth using, of course. Heracross is held back by its average Speed (which is even worse while in its monstrous Mega Heracross form), but it has great Abilities, coverage, and power in either of its forms.
6 Torkoal
It might not look like it, but Torkoal can be an incredibly effective Pokemon if the conditions are right. The tiny tortoise is a big player in competitive doubles matches right now and is capable of tearing through rival teams thanks to its unique qualities.
Torkoal has two major assets on its side: the Drought Ability (which automatically sets the sun) and Eruption. This Fire-type attack deals stunning damage when Torkoal is at high/full health, and its hilariously low Speed means that the opponent is in some major trouble while Trick Room is in effect.
5 Dracovish
Those who have tried their hand at competitive play in Pokemon Sword & Shield will have almost certainly run across Dracovish. By far the most popular of this generation’s bizarre faces-only-Frankenstein’s-Monster’s-mother-could-love Fossil Pokemon, this Water/Dragon critter is a real menace in battle.
Dracovish is a simple Pokemon with simple tastes. All it wants to do is spam its formidable Fishious Rend attack in the rain. Boosted by Strong Jaw, an item, the rain, and the doubled damage it deals when it goes first, this move can break through almost anything. It’s a bit of a one-trick pony, but it's one heck of a trick.
4 Shuckle
The Bug/Rock Pokemon Shuckle has one of the strangest stat spreads in the history of the series. Its base HP, Attack, and Special Attack are pitifully low, while its base Speed makes Snorlax look like Usain Bolt. However, its base Defense and Special Defense are both an absurd 230.
In addition, Shuckle learns the devious move Power Trick, which swaps its Defense stat with its Attack stat. Under certain, very unlikely conditions, when it’s been able to set itself up properly, Shuckle is capable of delivering some of the strongest attacks in all of Pokemon. The chances of ever seeing this happen are fairly slim though.
3 Mawile
Mawile was added to the roster in Gen III, although didn’t really bring much of anything to the table until it was retconned to Steel/Fairy in Gen VI. Suddenly, this otherwise-forgettable Steel-type Pokemon went into overdrive in a glorious example of Mega Evolution done right.
Mega Mawile’s average stats don’t tell the full story, as its Huge Power Ability doubles its Attack stat. It was tanky, it was darn strong, it had great dual STAB, solid coverage, priority… one of the best Mega Evolutions in the series. That's not to say that it can't be beaten, however.
2 Kangaskhan
When it comes to underappreciated non-evolving Pokemon with fantastic Mega Evolutions, Kangaskhan definitely takes the crown. In the days of Pokemon X & Y, Mega Kangaskhan was the metagame menace to be feared. As is the way with competitive Pokemon, players quickly identified it as a huge powerhouse and flocked to it.
Every competitive team had to have an answer to this thing or risk falling to its Power-Up Punch shenanigans. Thankfully, Parental Bond has since been nerfed (and Mega Pokemon may be gone for good), but so many players still remember Mega Kangaskhan’s reign of terror.
1 Ditto
Ditto is quite possibly the least threatening-looking Pokemon in existence. Despite looking like it should be served with ice cream at a children’s birthday party though, Ditto is so much more than just a tool for Pokemon breeding and a solid option for competitive battles.
Ditto can transform into an exact copy of its opponent (bar its HP, which remains the same). What some might not realize, however, is that it also copies every stat boost said opponent has accrued and often rocks a Choice Scarf to get the jump on them. Now that its transformation is automatic, it’s much more practical to use and can act as an immediate full stop to almost any powerful threat.