Plumber versus Rayquaza? Eh... plumber versus Piplup? A little bit more manageable.
Mario is one of the most prominent names in gaming, having saved Princess Peach's life on more than one occasion and kept the Mushroom Kingdom in order time and time again. But what if he were to go into an all-new territory, such as the world of Pokémon? Who would he defeat, and who would take him down? Let's find out.
10 Could Defeat: Rayquaza
Actually, maybe Mario would be able to take down Rayquaza. With the help of his Ice Flower, Rayquaza's strong Flying and Dragon dual-typing would soon become a massive hindrance to the Pokémon, making it incredibly easy for Mario to take him out. As both of those typings are weak to ice, Mario will make quick work of the Legendary Pokémon.
9 Couldn't: Sawk
Sawk is just a... wildly human-looking Pokémon that is going to punch Mario in the face, and there's really not much that Mario is going to be able to do about that.
There's no power-up that's going to save Mario from this attack, so his best defense for this one is to run as fast as his stubby little legs will take him, which likely isn't farther than Sawk can go.
8 Could Defeat: Groudon
Groudon is an easy match-up for Mario, as he can simply wash him away with F.L.U.D.D. Well, easy might not be the word, but Mario will be able to win this one.
It's going to take quite a bit of fire-power, or water-power in this case, to actually take Groudon down, but the Pokémon is weak against Water-types, so it will eventually work. Mario just has to put in the work and not let up on Groudon, no matter how tough it gets.
7 Couldn't: Nidoking
Nidoking is another Pokémon that Mario doesn't have a clear advantage over, which is what makes this a fight that Nidoking can win.
Sure, Nidoking isn't going to do well against F.L.U.D.D., but it is a lot faster than Groudon, meaning that it will be able to avoid a lot of what Mario is dishing out, and Mario will also have to be a lot more fluid when it comes to dodging Nidoking's attacks. Eventually, Nidoking will take Mario out.
6 Could Defeat: Corviknight
Corviknight is a Pokémon that won't put up too much of a fight against Mario. It's a Steel-type, which Fire Mario should be able to take down with ease.
Sure, it has the advantage of flight on its side, but it's a physical-attacker that has to get in close to deal any damage, and that's the point when Mario would lay in with the fire.
5 Couldn't: Dusknoir
Dusknoir is a Ghost-type Pokémon that has a ton of other-worldly powers at its disposal, meaning that Mario isn't going to be able to do much in a fight against it.
He has a few tools at his disposal that might work, with a Super Star maybe being the only thing that will come to his aid. But without that, it's unlikely that he stands a chance against Dusknoir.
4 Could Defeat: Regigigas
Regigigas might look like a strong Pokémon at first, but when it gets down to it, the creature is slow and weak. This means that Mario can topple it with a bit of work. There are a few ways that he can go about this, with a Mega Mushroom being the most reliable way to grow to Regigigas's size before taking down the Pokémon.
3 Couldn't: Salazzle
Salazzle has a few things over Mario, with the main two being that she's poisonous and she's fast. Salazzle can get in, poison Mario, and get out, all before he has any time to react. If Mario knows that Salazzle is coming, he might be able to take her down, but this seems to be a battle that he won't have much of a chance in, unless he utilizes a risky item like the Mini Mushroom to make himself hard to actually effect.
2 Could Defeat: Zamazenta
Zamazenta might be a defensive powerhouse, but, as with some other Pokémon on this list, its typing is going to be what sinks it. Zamazenta is a Steel- and Fairy-type Pokémon, meaning that Fire Mario will have an in to take it down.
It should be noted that Zamazenta is incredibly strong, and might still be able to power through and win the battle, but at the very least, Mario has a solid chance at taking this one home.
1 Couldn't: Ninetails
Ninetails is a pretty powerful Pokémon. While not mentioned too often in-game, lore-wise, Ninetails has the ability to put curses on people, and has a few other supernatural powers at its disposal. Its firey abilities are not to be trifled with, either. Ninetails might not seem like the best counter to Mario at first, but it actually will be able to put the plumber out of commission pretty quickly.