We’ve put together a list of the best gen 6 Pokémon we first found traipsing around the region of Kalos. To keep things interesting, we’ve left all the starter and legendary Pokémon available in gen six off this list – not that Chesnaught would have made it anyway – so don’t be surprised if there are a few interesting inclusions or monsters you might not expect.
For more best-of-the-generation lists, check out our picks for the best gen 1 Pokémon, gen 3 Pokémon, gen 4 Pokémon, gen 5 Pokémon, gen 7 Pokémon, gen 8 Pokémon, and gen 9 Pokémon. Or, if you’re looking for a new monster tamer in your life, see our Temtem review to see why we think it’s up to the task of challenging Game Freak’s mammoth franchise.
Let’s dive into our list of the best gen 6 Pokémon.
Florges
Florges is the first full-evolved fairy Pokémon most of those playing X and Y will come across and might also be the first ‘mon they see moonblast a dragon into early extinction. With a quant flower-inspired design, this flower Pokémon is surprisingly tough and resilient, boasting one of the highest special defense stats you can find across the entire 900+ roster of Pokémon (maybe check out our fairy Pokémon weakness guide to see how you can beat it).
In the Pokédex, Florges is number 671, evolving from Floette who clocks in at 670, though the evolution line starts with Flabebe at number 669. Florges is known to claim huge and exquisite flower gardens as its own, obtaining its power from the surrounding plants. Interestingly, history dictates that Florges used to defend a castle hundreds of years ago, even creating the gardens found within it.
We won’t mention how Flogres’ primary form Flabebe is instrumental in the plot of X and Y because, well, it’s not that interesting. Fortunately, Florges makes up for all of this, so make sure you read our Floette evolution guide to learn how to get Florges.
Aegislash
Talk about an iconic design, gen 6 Pokémon Aegislash is both visually appealing and a sure-fire way to annoy some opponents in online battles. With a unique ability to shift forms depending on whether you need to defend or attack, and a ghost Pokémon and steel Pokémon hybrid typing that allows access to an incredible movepool, it’s no wonder that Aegislash is still a relevant meta threat almost three generations later, and we can’t see that changing any time soon.
Whether it’s the ghost or steel side of Aegislash that concerns you, our ghost Pokémon weakness and steel Pokémon weakness guides can help you out against both types.
Pangoro
Who doesn’t love a panda? The size and ferociousness of Pangoro might make it a little harder to love, sure, but it’s still a panda, and one that you can’t accuse of laziness through its potent battle potential. With a hybrid dark Pokémon and fighting Pokémon typing, Pangoro is the perfect pick for facing any team that has a couple of psychic or ghost types, easily wiping the floor with any old Gengar or Alakazam. Just remember that while the likes of Gardevior are weak to Pangoro due to being part psychic, Pangoro is weak to her as she’s also a fairy-type. It’s just something to bear in mind.
Don’t forget, knowing what the dark Pokémon weakness is can help you to defeat Pangoro.
Tyrantrum
Continuing the tradition of incredibly powerful fossil Pokémon, Tyrantrum is a defensive tank with enough attacking prowess to sweep through a team after a couple of dragon dances. It is a bit of a glass cannon too, with an aversion to any water or grass-type special attackers, but providing you can manage a couple of switches to keep your enemy guessing, as one of the best rock Pokémon, Tyrantrum is worth including in any gen six team. Just remember to learn what the rock Pokémon weakness is in case you come up against one.
Sylveon
The new fairy typing arrived alongside a new Eevee evolution, with Sylveon making its debut in gen six. As is the way with cute Pokémon, countless of you fell in love with Sylveon when evolving your Eevee into it, and we can hardly blame you. Better still, with one of the highest special attack stats across the roster of gen six Pokémon, Sylveon isn’t just a pretty face, and its inclusion in Pokémon Unite goes to show how popular this pink Pokémon is.
Hawlucha
Only certain Pokémon are lucky enough to end up on Ash Ketchum’s team alongside his iconic Pikachu, and the bird Pokémon Hawlucha is one of them. This flying Pokémon and fighting-type takes influence from the colorful world of Mexican wrestling, with a mask like Rey Mysterio arching over its beak. Its typing means you can take out any other fighting-type threats easily enough, and access to tailwind in later generations made Hawlucha a speed sweeper of the highest regard.
If you need tips on how to knockout Hawlucha, make sure you consult out fighting Pokémon weakness guide. Or, if it’s the flying aspects giving you trouble, head over to our flying Pokémon weakness article.
Goodra
Ok, so some people don’t like my gooey boy, and that’s fine, but you can’t take away from the fact that Goodra is a bit of a beast in battle. This pseudo-legendary dragon Pokémon turns the classic attack-orientated formula on its head, instead making Goodra a special defense tank with access to some surprisingly potent attacks that might turn the tables of a difficult battle.
Goodra can be tricky to beat in battle, but our dragon Pokémon weakness guide can help you out.
Malamar
Pokémon isn’t scared of using some pretty convoluted methods to make you evolve your monsters, but few are more mind-bending than that of Malamar. As our how to evolve Inkay guide points out, to make a Malamar you don’t need to break a few eggs, but you do need to turn your console upside down at level 30 or higher (one of the more unusual evolution methods, we must admit). It’s worth it, though, as, despite Malamar’s average stat distribution, its dark and psychic Pokémon hybrid typing makes it difficult to take down in a battle with access to plenty of irritating special moves.
We see defeat in your future, unless you check out our psychic Pokémon weakness guide, then victory is sure to be yours.
Talonflame
The route one flying-type tradition in Pokémon goes back to the heady days of Red and Blue, but in generation six, Game Freak lit a flame underneath its early bird. The final evolution of the route one flying-type this time around is Talonflame, a flying and fire Pokémon hybrid with one of the highest speed stats across the gen 6 Pokémon roster.
Talonflame was such a monster in the online meta, with its gale wings ability prioritizing a first-turn brave bird into any unsuspecting target, that at one point, it was included in the top tier rankings for not only generation six but generation seven, too. if that doesn’t tell you how powerful this bird is, we don’t know what will.
To learn how to douse the flames, head on over to our fire Pokémon weakness guide.
There you have it, our picks for the best gen 6 Pokémon. If you’re more interested in evolutions, check out our Ralts evolution, Rockruff evolution, Scyther evolution, Gloom evolution, Shellder evolution, Snom evolution, Budew evolution, Bisharp evolution, and how to evolve Primeape guides.