People should come around to recognizing Generation Seven as one of the best generations in the Pokemon series, if they haven't already. Games like Sun and Moon, as well as its Ultra sequels, brought the series a huge step forward with its improved storytelling and inventive battle mechanics, and even the Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee games deserve recognition for priming the series' full transition to the Switch.
What might be the generation's biggest contribution, though, is the region it represented and the Pokemon that came with it. Alola is not only home to already some of the most popular Pokemon in the world, but some of the competitive meta's strongest staples, too. You could make a case for the 'mons listed below being truly elite, as they all offer a lot to high-level competitive teams.
This list will include Alolan regional variants of non-Alolan Pokemon, but will not include Pokemon banned to Ubers or other regions' variants of Alolan Pokemon (e.g. Hisuian Decidueye).
15 Nihilego
Be prepared to see several Ultra Beasts on this list. Most of them have such unique makeups and ride that thin line between excellent competitive viability and overpowered, almost ban-worthy strength.
The most multifaceted of which might be the Rock/Poison-type Nihilego. It's got great special stats and decent Speed, and it can work as either an offensively capable Stealth Rock setter or a wonky Meteor Beam and Beast Boost sweeper. That said, it has a horrible 47 Defense, and the one move that's guaranteed to knock it out cold, Earthquake, is a really popular move.
14 Primarina
Despite Incineroar's benevolent dominance in VGC, Primarina takes the cake as the best Alolan starter for Singles. It's a prototypical two-way threat on the special side, packing high Special Attack and Special Defense, alongside strong attacking moves and a great defensive typing.
Its biggest asset on a battlefield might be its access to tons of great coverage moves. Alongside Moonblast and your Water-type move of choice, Psychic, Energy Ball, Shadow Ball, and Ice Beam are all available for it to use. As is the case with most special tanks, its biggest weaknesses are its bad Defense and worse Speed.
13 Lycanroc Dusk Forme
It's a bit of work getting this forme of Lycanroc organically, but it's absolutely worth it. It's head-and-shoulders above its other formes in terms of viability, mainly thanks to its excellent Tough Claws ability. It gets a lot of the benefits Lycanroc's other formes get, including access to the signature Accelerock, arguably the best Rock-type attack out there.
It also gets some fantastic coverage moves in Close Combat, Psychic Fangs, and Crunch, as well as Stone Edge for more damage when Accelerock's priority isn't needed. It'll need some pivoting help to enter battle though, as it's very bad defensively.
12 Celesteela
You could call Celesteela the weird, traveled cousin of Corviknight and Skarmory. It's a Steel/Flying-type that follows a similar defensive mold to that of the two birds, but it has a few more uncanny skills up its sleeve.
It can play a very good wear-you-down utility role; nowhere else will you find Heavy Slam, Flamethrower, and frickin’ Leech Seed in one moveset. It can also turn into an unexpected sweeper with Autotomize and Power Herb Meteor Beam. Either way, though, its bane is the same as that of other Steel/Flying-types: Fire-type and Electric-type offense.
11 Kommo-o
Of the pseudo-Legendaries, Kommo-o might be the best defensively. If not that, it's surely the one called upon most for defensive purposes, with moves like a Defense-stat-based attack in Body Press, and support moves like Stealth Rock, Toxic, Taunt, and Dragon Tail being most commonly used.
That said, it's more than capable of going offensive, speaking to the multifaceted capabilities expected from a pseudo-Legendary. Its signature moves, Clangorous Soul and Clanging Scales, are always on the radar, as are moves like Close Combat and Earthquake. No matter what you do, though, do not put it anywhere near an opposing Fairy-type.
10 Alolan Ninetales
All hail (pun very much intended) the GOAT of hail-setters. No other Ice-type with Snow Warning is in the same ballpark as Alolan Ninetales, for one very simple reason: it also has access to Aurora Veil.
While hail teams haven't really come around to viability, bringing out hail can cancel out weather for other weather-based teams, and other offensively oriented Pokemon will appreciate the support Aurora Veil provides. On its own, though, it's not expected to do much, as it doesn't have good attacking stats nor a sufficiently wide support movepool. Never mind. Aurora Veil's enough.
9 Blacephalon
While it's not the strongest special attacker among Ultra Beasts on paper - Xurkitree beats it out with its 173 Special Attack - Blacephalon is much more equipped to deal that damage thanks to its better Speed and typing, while packing a Special Attack stat that's otherworldly in its own right at 151.
It's especially good with a Choice item, with either the Specs or the Scarf working in its favor to maximize its wall-breaking potential. Shadow Ball and your Fire-type move of choice will deal gigantic damage, under those circumstances, so long as it avoids physical damage (53 Defense).
8 Tapu Lele
Much like the Ultra Beasts, the Legendary Guardians of Alola draw the line between extremely viable and banworthy, combining their Terrain-setting abilities with excellent stats. Tapu Lele might be the most equipped to wall break, boasting the best Special Attack stat and attacking movepool of the four.
While you could run a Calm Mind set, it's more often seen wearing a Choice item, making it immediately dangerous and giving room for coverage. Moonblast and either Psyshock or Psychic will do the trick for STAB attacks, and coverage moves like Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, and Energy Ball are also on the table.
7 Tapu Koko
Tapu Koko has just about everything you'd want from an elite competitive Pokemon. It's one of the best offensive pivots in the meta, with lightning Speed, Electric Terrain support, great defensive typing, and versatility from a moveset standpoint. Alongside that designated role it plays on a team, it can provide just about anything in a pinch.
Of course, with a jack-of-all-trades build comes the typical jack-of-all-trades crux: it's a master of none. It's not a big power hitter, nor is it immensely unkillable. Still, its pivoting ability can make it the premier glue guy on an offensively-focused team.
6 Tapu Fini
Rounding off the trio of Guardians that made the list (sorry, Tapu Bulu) is probably the group's most defensively capable. Alongside its elite Defense and Special Defense, Tapu Fini is one of the best utility Pokemon in the meta, providing fantastic Defog support and either Toxic or Taunt on the side.
While not an overwhelming attacker, it can deal sneaky good damage to the right opponents. In particular, it matches up positively against some of the meta's strongest such as Landorus, Heatran, and Urshifu, and it has access to Scald and Moonblast and even good chip damage with Whirlpool.
5 Zeraora
Rivaling Tapu Koko for the title of best offensive pivot in the meta, let alone the best one from Alola, is Zeraora. The pure Electric-type Mythical certainly packs a stronger punch, literally; Plasma Fists is the best physical Electric-type attack ever, bar none.
Of course, Zeraora is also blazing fast. It helps that it can threaten a lot of Pokemon thanks to its wide coverage, with Close Combat, Knock Off, Play Rough, and Blaze Kick recurring in its competitive movesets. Despite how elite it is, though, its defensive shortcomings mean it just scrapes into top five on this list.
4 Melmetal
It's not Alolan in origin, but Melmetal is officially classified as a Generation Seven Pokemon, so it gets its shine here. No Pokemon plays the tank role better, having the offensive and defensive stats necessary. It's so tanky, in fact, that its ridiculously low Speed doesn't hurt it that bad.
Its biggest asset is its Iron Fist ability powering up its punching moves, of which there are many in its movepool, including two elemental punches and, of course, its signature Double Iron Bash. Earthquake and Superpower are nice to have in its movepool as well, further widening its coverage.
3 Kartana
181 Attack stat. Enough said. It's an understatement to say not many Pokemon can stop that.
Kartana, of course, is much more than its Attack stat, boasting a very good Speed stat and a movepool equipped to kill. Sacred Sword and Leaf Blade fit like a glove in its moveset. It can boost its Attack stat to godly levels with Swords Dance, and if you don't stop it, it can snowball even further thanks to Beast Boost. Its one Achilles heel is its putrid 31 Special Defense, so at least there's a way to halt the snowball’s roll downhill.
2 Buzzwole
Another tank in the same tier as Melmetal, though Buzzwole leans more towards the defensive side. The Bug/Fighting-type isn't great on paper, but with its stats and overall makeup, it can be nigh-unkillable if your team doesn't have a check for it (read: Flying-types).
Still, those guns aren't just for show. It packs a big boomstick in battle with moves like Hammer Arm, Drain Punch, and Earthquake in its arsenal. It breaks all-brawn, no-brain stereotypes by providing some utility as well, with moves like Toxic and Taunt to pester opponents and even Roost for longevity and stalling.
1 Toxapex
You'd be hard-pressed to find a wall more difficult to break. Toxapex is the master of staying alive, and it can constitute a team's entire defensive core.
It has otherworldly defensive stats at 152 Defense and 142 Special Defense, and even if you put a dent in it, it'll just get its HP back on the switch with Regenerator. What it can do on the field further amplifies its reputation as a pest: it can burn you with Scald, delete your set-up with Haze, and inflict poison with either Toxic or Toxic Spikes. Good luck trying to kill it.