First introduced in Gen VI, Mega Evolution is an incredibly useful mechanic that often makes already good Pokémon even better in battle. With a whopping 48 total, there’s tons of different Pokémon out there with Mega Evolution potential. Some trainers like to factor this in when raising a Pokémon, while others just go with what they feel works. If you’re one of the former, having a Mega Evolved Pokémon can really shift the tide in battle.
Of the 48 Mega Evolutions currently in the game, Gen I has the most by far. It remains one of the most popular generations and that shows in the support it constantly gets from Nintendo and Game Freak. While all their Mega Evolutions are pretty strong, though, some are better than others. The starter Pokémon's Mega Evolutions (as depicted in the above fantastic fanart by blazeking24) are particularly powerful, but let's take a closer look at them all, from weakest to strongest.
12 Mega Pinsir
Pinsir is one of the better Bug-type Pokémon you can have. Though it isn’t known to evolve into any other Pokémon, Pinsir has some pretty high base stats, particularly when it comes to Attack, Defense and Speed.
Mega Pinsir buffs all three of those considerably, making it a very effective glass cannon. With its Mega Evolution, Pinsir becomes a Bug/Flying-type. In exchange for the power boost, this gives it two more type weaknesses and allows Rock-type moves to do quadruple damage.
11 Mega Aerodactyl
Resurrected from an Old Amber, Aerodactyl is another Pokémon that doesn't evolve but still has some pretty solid base stats. Its main strengths are its Speed and Attack.
The Mega Evolved Aerodactyl gets a significant boost in these stats, while also rounding out some of its weaker base stats as well. At the end of the day, it’s a solid glass cannon but not the best of the Gen I Mega Evolutions.
10 Mega Gyarados
Gyarados was already a pretty fearsome Pokémon before it got its Mega Evolution. With its new form, though, it becomes way more of a threat and even turns one of its statistical weaknesses into a strength.
Mega Gyarados has phenomenal Attack and Special Defense. It even raises its base Defense stat from 79 to a whopping 109. While it does lose its quadruple weakness to Electric-type moves, Mega Gyrados ends up with five type weaknesses instead of two.
9 Mega Kangaskhan
Kangaskhan is a very solid Pokémon with particularly high HP; its low Special Attack being its only real statistical weak point. Even with its significant stat boost as Mega Kangaskhan, it still doesn’t fare all too well in that department.
That’s okay, though, as it’s still really solid in every other category. Its weaknesses and resistances don’t change, which works out great. Mega Kangaskhan may not be strongest Mega Evolution out there (well, not since Parental Bond was nerfed) but it gets the job done.
8 Mega Alakazam
Alakazam is one of the best Psychic-types in the games, and that’s primarily due to its high Speed and Special Attack stats. It’s gone through some stat changes throughout the different generations, but has remained a reliable choice.
Mega Alakazam has ridiculously high Speed and Special Attack to go along with some more than solid Special Defense. It’s a glass cannon, but it can also take some damage depending on what it’s hit with.
7 Mega Blastoise
Blastoise is one of the better Water-type starters in the games. It doesn’t necessarily wow you with any of its stats, but serves as a solid Water-type option with plenty of upsides.
Mega Blastoise really gets a significant boost in its Attack and Special Attack. It’s a pretty outstanding Pokémon outside of its HP and Speed stats. Though not the very best of the Gen I Mega Evolutions, it’ll win you plenty of battles.
6 Mega Venusaur
Another of the Gen I starters, Mega Venusaur gets a slight nod over its Water-type counterpart. It doesn’t really have any weak points, as all of its stats are pretty solid.
While its HP and Speed stats don’t change, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They’re pretty decent regardless. It really gets some help in the form of its Attack and Defense stats, and becomes a much more rounded-out Pokémon as a result.
5 Mega Charizard Y
Charizard is a bit of a special case among the Gen I Mega Evolved Pokémon, as it has two different forms. Both are great in their own ways and serve very different roles.
Mega Charizard Y's Special stats get a significant boost with its Mega Evolution, and the extra STAB damage from its Drought ability makes it a real powerhouse. Early in Pokémon X and Y's lifespan, this thing was almost as feared as pre-nerf Mega Kangaskhan.
4 Mega Gengar
Gengar is one of the most underrated Gen I Pokémon out there. But with its Mega Evolution, it’s hard not to notice just how useful this Ghost/Poison-type Pokémon is.
Its HP and Attack stats remain mediocre, even with the Mega Evolution. But that doesn’t matter at all. Its speed gets boosted to 130, with its Special Attack going all the way to an unbelievable 170. Chances are that Mega Gengar is one-shotting almost everything it comes into contact with.
3 Mega Charizard X
Perhaps the superior of the two Charizard Mega Evolutions (it really depends what your team is looking for), Mega Charizard X is one of the better Mega Evolutions out there. Though not the absolute best, it’s one of the better non-legendary Pokémon you can have in your party.
With both its Attack and Special Attack balanced out at 130, Mega Charizard X can make the most of the wide array of powerful Physical and Special moves in Charizard’s learnset. With the additional Dragon typing, Tough Claws ability and access to Dragon Dance, however, it's best suited as a formidable physical setup sweeper.
2 Mega Mewtwo X
Mewtwo is already a ridiculously strong Pokémon without its Mega Evolution. Much like Charizard, it gets two of them; and one is obviously better than the other.
The bulk of Mega Mewtwo X’s Mega Evolution stat boost goes into its Attack, which increases to an unbelievable 190. That’s great, but Mewtwo doesn’t learn many Physical moves by leveling up. Add in a weakness to Fairy-types and you can see why it’s the inferior Mega Evolution.
1 Mega Mewtwo Y
While its base stat total is the exact same as Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Mewtwo Y has much better stat distribution all-around. Its type resistances, weaknesses and immunities are all the same as Mewtwo’s, and that’s probably for the best.
Mega Mewtwo Y has high Attack but also has nearly 200 Special Attack, with slightly higher Speed as well. That fares much better for its mostly Special learnset. This thing can take out most Pokémon in one move.