Pokemon have lots of different abilities, and Psychic-types are one of the smartest varieties around. Their powerful mental abilities help them grow smarter than the average Pokemon and most of them aren't easy to defeat in battle. Psychic abilities are fearsome to most people and Pokemon because of what they can do to a creature's mental state.
This list will go over the most intelligent Pokemon of the Psychic-typing that fans have adored for decades. From Mr. Mime to Espeon, here are some smart Psychic-type Pokemon. Many of the following Pokemon are even smarter than humans, and possess powerful psychic abilities that help with communication.
Updated August 15, 2022 by Michael Caruso: Pokemon is full of mysterious creatures. There are Pokemon that are small, large, weak, and strong. However, there are also a selection of very intelligent Pokemon, most of which are Psychic-types. This type includes some of the most interesting Pokemon in the series, so it's not too surprising to learn that they're also quite smart. There are a few notable Psychic-types that we didn't cover originally, but we're back to tell you about some of the Pokemon that are at or above a human level of intelligence.
15 Latios
Latios is said to understand human languages, meaning it can converse with humans — like many of the other Psychic-type Pokemon in the series. Few can grasp human languages fully, though, which is the first sign that Latios is particularly unique in its intelligence.
Additionally, Latios can force a trainer to see any image they imagine, which is a miraculous ability that requires an advanced intelligence. Overall, Latios is one of the smartest legendaries in the Pokemon series, especially if you love Dragon-types.
14 Latias
Like Latios, Latias understands humans better than most other creatures in the Pokemon world. However, it's also emotionally intelligent, and capable of reading a human's emotions with ease. Not all Pokemon possess this level of self-awareness, making Latias a rare pocket monster in many ways.
According to the Pokedex, Latias can communicate with humans telepathically as well. Although this ability isn't particularly rare for Psychic-types, Latias's unique understanding of human language makes it one of the smartest Pokemon that can directly communicate with humans.
13 Reuniclus
Reuniclus may be a strange Pokemon at first glance, but its Pokedex entry states that it's remarkably intelligent — which is more than most Pokedex entries offer about intelligence for even legendary Psychic-types. Unlike other Pokemon, Reuniclus requires the use of its psychic powers to control its body.
Any Pokemon that the Pokedex would describe as intelligent directly must be one of the smartest creatures in the Pokemon world, which is why Reuniclus is the perfect companion for scholars. Additionally, multiple Reuniclus can even link with each others' brains, which is an ability unique to this species.
12 Victini
Victini is intelligent because it knows how to win in any fight or situation. In the Pokedex, it's stated that Victini always brings victory, and although on the surface it may simply seem lucky, it's more plausible that it's smart enough to find a strategy to become victorious at anything it does.
As Victini is a Psychic-type, it can also send visions directly to a person's brain — which means that its psychic powers are particularly advanced. Overall, Victini has powerful psychic abilities that require a sharp mind, in addition to being smart enough to claim victory in all situations.
11 Xatu
Xatu is a very unique Pokemon, both because of its abilities and its appearance. The most notable ability that Xatu has is the power to see far into the future, which allows it to accurately predict what's going to happen and adjust its actions accordingly.
Some Pokedex entries even suggest that Xatu may be capable of seeing the past as well, which makes it even more powerful. Only a very strong and intelligent Pokemon can see into the future, which is the reason that more trainers should consider adding a Xatu to their team.
10 Mr. Mime
This mime is incredibly powerful during Pokmon battles but it is also very smart. Its intelligence knows no bounds and this is evident within the anime where Ash's mom has had one for years and he is capable of completing tasks fit for a human. It also uses its brain to get out of tough situations.
It's easy to see that Mr. Mime acts almost human-like, which proves that it has a brain that is very similar to a person. This concept also makes sense because it is very humanoid looking. Fans love Mr. Mime because of its cool appearance and the fact that it's intelligent doesn't hurt its popularity.
9 Oranguru
Oranguru is one of the many primate Pokemon within the series, and fans absolutely adored it when the developers introduced it in generation seven. The fanbase have always loved Pokemon based on primates because they have interesting move sets and very unique designs.
One extra bonus for this ape creature is that it's very smart and emotionally invested in humans. Mallow was friends with one of these creatures in the anime and they shared a bond that only two intelligent creatures could share.
8 Espeon
A lot of Pokemon fans might not think that Espeon is one of the most intelligent creatures in the series, but they would be wrong. Although it may just be an evolution of Eevee, it has powerful psychic abilities that can take down any Pokemon creature.
It's also known to bond well with humans and become easy friends with its trainer, which takes an intelligent mind. Espeon is so intelligent that it can teach itself to read air currents and use them to predict attacks before they happen and even the weather, according to the Pokedex.
7 Gardevoir
Gardevoir has intense bonds with both Pokemon and humans. Its unique emotional state is rare within Pokemon and its psychic abilities are quite powerful. According to Pokedex entries, Gardevoir can read the future, which is a rare ability reserved for only the smartest Pokemon.
Gardevoir is one of the strongest in the series because of its large move set and interesting stats. It is also very intelligent and is seen as a Pokemon who understands human concepts better than most other creatures.
6 Mew
Mew is loved by all because of its adorable appearance and fan-favorite status. It was the first mythical Pokemon introduced into the series and fans have loved it ever since, despite the fact that it's quite difficult to catch.
Mew has a powerful move set but one of the reasons fans love it so much is because of its self-awareness and intelligence. It can even transform into other Pokemon which just expands on the idea that this is one of the best creatures that trainers can capture. Since Mew shares DNA with all other Pokemon and can transform into them, it should also share the high intelligence of other creatures, such as Alakazam.
5 Delphox
Delphox is a powerful Pokemon from Kalos. Before the introduction of this creature, the series had never seen a starter Pokemon that was of the Psychic-type, so it was a great new addition in Generation Six.
This fox is very intelligent and it can use its mental abilities to manipulate other creatures into doing its bidding. Delphox is also another Pokemon capable of seeing visions of the future due to its trained psychic mind. There's no doubt that Delphox is worth having on your team if you like Pokemon with a strong mental ability and psychic powers.
4 Beheeyem
Beheeyem is from space, which is why it's considered an alien in the Pokemon world. As such, Beheeyem possesses a surprising intelligence that can rival many other Psychic-types in the series. One of Beheeyem's most notable ability is the power to manipulate a person's memories, which requires great mental aptitude to complete.
Beheeyem is a fan-favorite Pokemon and it's no surprise why with its cool design and incredible wit. Although most Pokemon fans don't realize it, this creature is actually one the most intelligent Psychic-types ever seen in the series.
3 Mewtwo
Mewtwo is a clone of the mythical creature mew and fans both love and fear it. It's very powerful and most Pokemon fans don't want to go anywhere near it because of how terrifying it can be when it's in a bad mood.
Mewtwo is also quite smart and it's even seen talking telepathically within the anime. Most Pokemon can't understand human language to the extent that Mewtwo can, which is why it's one of the smartest Psychic-types, and Pokemon in general.
2 Tapu Lele
Tapu Lele is one of the smartest Pokemon in the Alola region. Like other Psychic-types, it possesses the abilities that allow it to manipulate the battlefield in various ways. However, Tapu Lele is actually fantastic at strategy, as shown when it participated in the war between the Alolan islands. However, Tapu Lele is said to be cruel, which is one of its negative attributes.
Tapu Lele is also thought to be a very old Pokemon, meaning that it has collected lots of knowledge throughout its long life. Any intelligent Pokemon trainer should capture this creature because it will fit their personality type perfectly. Tapu Lele should be feared because of its high intelligence when compared to other creatures within the Pokemon world.
1 Alakazam
The reason that Alakazam deserves the top spot is because one of its Pokedex entries states that it has an IQ of over 5000. People can't reach nearly that high in intelligence so a Pokemon doing so is incredibly impressive. Alakazam is easily one of the smartest creatures in the Pokemon world.
Alakazam is one of the most interesting Pokemon ever introduced in the series, and its intelligence only adds to its favorable traits. This is one Pokemon that intelligent scientists won't want to pass up.