Once upon a time, Psychic-type Pokémon were the strongest. They dominated in Generation I and II, and although things have been balanced since, they still pack a mighty punch.
They can use moves like Future Sight, Dream Eater, and Psychic to rain terror on opponents, or Calm Mind, Light Screen, and Reflect to boost or protect themselves and allies.
That being said, not all Psychic-type Pokémon are even. Some are better than others—particularly in terms of their base stats, which means their maximum potential in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is higher. Let’s take a look at what they are, starting with the tenth best as we work our way down to the best one.
10. Oranguru
In tenth place, we have Oranguru. The odd-looking Normal and Psychic-type Pokémon bears a close resemblance to an orangutan. But don’t let its Karen-like haircut fool you. Oranguru is a mighty Pokémon.
Not only does it have 110 Special Defense, 90 HP, and 80 Defense, making it extremely tanky by default, but it also has 90 Special Attack, which means it’s quite strong, especially with a bit of training.
Overall, it has a total of 490 base stats distributed among all six—the tenth highest of any Psychic-type Pokémon in Generation IX.
9. Gothitelle
Next, we have Gothitelle—the pure Psychic-type Pokémon introduced in Generation V.
Gothitelle has a total of 490 base stats, similar to Oranguru. It also has 110 Special Defense, which is its strongest stat. The biggest difference, though, is that it hits harder with 95 Special Attack and is also quicker with 65 Speed. It has less health, but it makes up for it by having 95 Defense.
8. Bronzong
The eighth strongest Psychic-type Pokémon is none other than Bronzong.
It has an interesting design that ties into its Steel and Psychic-type aesthetic, but the area it shines is in its Defense.
Bronzong has a total of 500 base stats—116 of which are in Special Defense and another 116 in Defense. It has 89 Attack and 79 Special Attack too, so it’s not lacking in the offensive department, either. The area it falters is Speed, but that isn’t a huge issue considering how tanky it is.
7. Hatterene
Hatterene has been a popular choice since the Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon was first introduced in Generation VIII, and for a good reason: its Special Attack is insane. In fact, it’s the highest on this list.
It has 510 base points in total, 136 of which are Special Attack, followed by 103 in Special Defense, 95 in Defense, 90 in Attack, 57 in HP, and 29 in Speed.
This means Hatterene is a glass cannon of sorts, and it’s slow. But when it does hit, it hits hard and scales well with some EV training and Hyper Training.
6. Gallade
The sixth-best Psychic-type Pokémon is none other than Gallade, who also has Fighting-type moves in its repertoire.
It has 518 base points, with its strongest stat being 125 in Attack, followed by 115 in Special Defense. That alone makes it quite balanced offensively and defensively, and it’s pretty quick with 80 Speed to boot.
5. Gardevoir
If Gallade is on the list, then it only makes sense to include Gardevoir.
Its base stats are identical to Gallade’s, with the only difference being it has 125 Special Attack rather than Attack, meaning it’s a better fit for those who use Special Attack Psychic moves like Future Sight, Dream Eater, Moonblast, and Psychic.
4. Farigiraf
Farigiraf is the fourth best Psychic-type Pokémon, and deservingly so. It has a total of 520 base stats, with 120 in HP and 110 in Special Attack, meaning it’s a heavy-weight brawler who likes trading attack for attack and will usually come out on top. It’s also pretty well-rounded across the board too, with 90 Attack, 70 Defense, 70 Special Defense, and 60 Speed.
3. Armarouge
Alright, now we’re breaking into the top three Psychic-type Pokémon. We’re talking about the cream of the crop—and who better to make the cut than Armarouge, which is exclusive to Pokémon Scarlet?
It has 125 Special Attack, 100 Defense, 85 HP, 80 Special Defense, 75 Speed, and 60 Attack, rounding off its total to 525 base stats.
Not only is that the equal-second highest number, but it also has the added benefit of throwing Fire-type moves into the mix, which is a pretty rare (and at times, extremely handy) combination to have in battle.
2. Espeon
You’ve probably been wondering why Espeon hasn’t been mentioned yet, and that’s because it’s so good, it’s the second-best Psychic-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in terms of base stats.
Espeon has 525 base stats, the same as Armarouge, but it has 130 Special Attack (a bit more) and 110 Speed (a lot more). This comes with a bit of sacrifice in the HP and Defense department, but it makes up for it by having more Special Defense.
In other words, it hits harder, moves faster, and absorbs big blows better, but won’t last as long in battle.
1. Scream Tail
The number one Psychic-type Pokémon is Scream Tail, the Paradox Pokémon exclusive to Pokemon Scarlet, and in terms of base stats, it’s not even close.
Scream Tail has a whopping 570 base stats in total, 45 more than Espeon and Armarouge, and they’re spread nicely with 115 HP, 115 Special Defense, 111 Speed, 99 Defense, 65 Attack, and 65 Special Attack.
It doesn’t hit as hard as others on the list, but it will outlast them due to its sheer tanginess and elusiveness, and in time, it will deal more damage by staying alive and throwing out attacks constantly.
So there you have it—from Oranguru down to Scream Tail, we have the ten best Psychic-type Pokémon in Generation IX.
There’s an objective truth to this list based on the numbers, but in the end, you can make others work depending on your strategy.
Find out what works for you and see how you go!
Published: Dec 4, 2022 10:12 pm