Like many of you, I’ve been following the Pokémon series right from the outset. I have super fond memories of my first couple of years at high school, where everyone ever was totally swept up in the Pokémania craze. It was a damn crazy time, punctuated by horror stories about kids being attacked for their Charizard card.

As such, I’ve played through every generation of the games, but you never forget your first. Red and Blue were definitely my jam. The two titles were re-released on the 3DS’s virtual console fairly recently, and playing through them again was a joy (albeit a damn primitive, jingly-jangly one).

I’m no genwunner, but I can appreciate my roots. Having been introduced to Pokémon with the original 150 (Mew was lurking around under a truck, supposedly, and so was nowhere to be seen), I remember the days when Mewtwo was the undisputed king of powerhouses. This guy was the ultimate. The GOAT.

My buddy in fourth grade, Paul, tried to convince me that the classic button-mashing technique made Mewtwo easier to catch. And you know what? I believed him. Damn it, Paul, I trusted you.

Mewtwo was an a-hole when it came to catching. This rebellious Pokémon plays by its own rules. It has no bedtime, it only calls its mama five times a day, and it will not deal with anything but a Master Ball. Sadly, though, as much damage as you’ve seen this thing do in the anime, its glory days are behind it.

15 Deoxys Attack Forme

As all you seasoned Poké-veterans will know, mysterious extra-terrestrial ‘mon Deoxys comes in a range of different flavors. The super versatile alien can be switched between Normal Forme, Attack Forme, Defense Forme and Speed Forme, in a similar fashion to Rotom hopping into different household appliances.

The Normal Forme heavily favors offenses, but Attack Forme dials the idea of power up to eleven. This beast boasts bowel-loosening twin offenses of base 180, with a blistering speed of 150 to boot. Granted, it could be horribly murdered by a light breeze in return, but damn. It has some nice priority in Extreme Speed, too, which makes it a tough one to deal with indeed.

Stats like those officially make Deoxys Attack the most powerful Psychic type around, Mega Formes and such notwithstanding.

14 Aegislash

Ah, Aegislash. Instantly a top hipster pick on its release with Pokémon X and Y, thanks to its whole edgy check-me-the-eff-out-I’m -a-cursed-sentient-sword vibe it has going on. Beyond the cool factor, though, there was another reason for Aegislash’s success: It’s amazing.

Granted, statistically, Aegislash’s special attack just lags behind Mewtwo’s own. What this thing has on its side is its exclusive ability, Stance Change, which allows it to switch between its Blade and Shield Formes. The latter gives it great tanking ability, and this is something Mewtwo just does not have. Canny manipulation of the Blade and Shield Formes leaves you, effectively, with great offenses and defenses, making this thing super strong. Not to mention a real pain in the patootie to get around. Thanks to the magic of type advantage, too, this thing is Mewtwo’s personal worst nightmare.

13 Primal Kyogre/Primal Groudon

In last year’s VGC format (Video Game Championship, Nintendo’s official Pokémon tournament rules), Mewtwo was actually legal to use. For the first time in freaking ever. You’d think this would mean a whole new dawn of Mewtwo-saturated battles, as everyone and their great aunt slapped this powerhouse on their team.

Instead, though, a grand total of nobody used Mewtwo. There were a couple of snowflake Mega Mewtwo Ys doing the rounds, but otherwise, you barely saw it at all. That’s because the metagame was utterly dominated by weather again, thanks to the spangly new Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon. Games centered around huge spread damage (VGC being Doubles), and this isn’t something that Mewtwo (regular or otherwise) can provide. Being quite frail, too, it was a tough choice for one of your team’s precious restricted Pokémon slots.

12 Mega Kangaskhan

Some nights, I still wake up screaming NOT THE BABY! I DON’T WANT TO BE PUNCHED IN THE FACE BY YOUR BABY TOO! YOU AND YOUR BROKEN FAKE OUT SHENANIGANS!

If you were playing competitive Pokémon the year of X and Y’s release, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. On paper, Mega Kangaskhan wasn’t all that terrifying, stats-wise, but there’s more to the game than raw stats. Its ability gave it a free Choice Band, essentially, as the baby would hit for a second time, at half the power of the first.

Couple that with high base power moves like Return and Double Edge, and the lack of resistances to them, and you’re having a bad time. Fortunately, Game Freak saw fit to nerf this monster for generation seven, weakening that second hit.

11 Rampardos

That’s right, friends. Rampardos, of all damn things. I’ve always been a huge fan of fossil Pokémon, from the original Lord Helix to eccentric picks like Archeops and Carracosta. Much as I adore these things, I’ve struggled to ever fit them into a team, what with the craptacular burden they all have of being a Rock-type.

Still, as I say, stats aren’t everything, but they really should count for something. Let’s throw these poor buggers a bone. With that in mind, let’s remember that Rampardos has one of the highest natural base attack stats in the entire game. There’s very little that can rival base 165, after all. Never forget that, according to the Pokédex, this brutal beast of a death machine can level a skyscraper with a headbutt.

Does that sound like power to you? You’re damn right it does.

10 Regigigas

Speaking of unusual powerhouse Pokémon, meet Regigigas. This guy is the biggest, badddest, chunky-ass-iest of all the Regi, and can only be awakened when you have Regice, Regirock and Registeel in your party. None of them see any real use, being on the… questionable side, but Regigigas is probably the rarest sight of them all in battle.

Taking a look at its stats, it’s unclear why. It has a monstrous attack, and it’s darn bulky to boot. Like Slaking, though, an otherwise OP Pokémon is nerfed out the wazzoo by its ability. Regigigas’s Slow Start halves its attack and speed for five turns after it’s sent out of battle, which renders it largely useless. Stalling strategies with confusion and paralysis are this thing’s only really option, sadly.

Despite all of that, on paper at least, Regigigas is nothing to mess with.

9 Arceus

Here it is, friends. The one. The only. The freaking Alpha Pokémon. The creator of the entire Poké-verse, the stories say; everything from Snorlax to Caterpie owes their existence to this benevolent being.

Naturally, if you’re going to call something the Alpha, the god of all Pokémon, it had better be able to walk the walk. Luckily, Arceus is a darn formidable force in battle. It has super well-rounded stats, with a base 120 across the board. No one of these is all that great individually, but they combine to make a base stat total nothing but Mega forms can compete with. With its plates, too, Arceus can assume any type, making it an excellent, versatile choice for any ubers team. If you’ve only ever seen this thing crushing souls with its Swords Dance/Extreme Speed combo, you’re missing out.

8 Kyurem Black And Kyurem White

For the purposes of this countdown, I’ve tried to make reference to non-megas wherever possible (Mega Kangaskhan being the exception to this rule, because that thing always does whatever it damn well pleases). After all, you can’t compare Mewtwo to either of its Mega Evolutions, can you? That would be all kinds of uncool.

As such, this next entry is a bit of a gray area. In another dual-entry, it’s Kyurem’s two fusion forms, Kyurem Black and Kyurem White. In its vanilla form, the only Ice/Dragon in existence isn’t anything too special, but when it fuses with Zekrom or Reshiram? That’s when all kinds of number two hits the fan.

While neither can match Mewtwo’s speed, they boast attack and special attack respectively far beyond it.

7 Ash Greninja

What a wild ride Greninja’s had since its introduction in X and Y. Back when the sixth generation’s starters were first revealed, poor old Froakie had it rough. The little dude was the butt of every snarky joke and meme the community could throw at it. We changed our tunes, though, when we discovered just how powerful Greninja could be with that sweet Protean ability. STAB on everything? Yes please, grandma.

What the world did not need at this point was a more powerful version of the assassin frog. Still, when Ash caught his first Kanto Pokémon, it was time for Ash’s Greninja to be added to the game. It sports a new form with a slightly altered appearance, which kicks in (via its ability Battle Bond) when it knocks out an opposing Pokémon. In this form, its offenses and speed rocket up to uber standards.

6 Espurr

Now, when it comes to super strong Psychic types that can rival Mewtwo, Meowstic would not be one of the Pokémon you’d pick. This thing’s only real claim to fame is being a supporter/humongous pain in the cheeks with its Prankster ability. It’s passable enough as an attacker, but that’s really not what you want a Meowstic to be doing.

It follows, then, that its pre-evolved form would be even less useful. True enough, taking a quick look at its stats, Espurr looks about as frightening as a one-legged kitten in a coma. Don’t be fooled, though, as it’s hiding a horrible secret.

This little thing is a pent-up time bomb of psychic power, which is emitted by an organ in its head. Espurr has no power over this, only trying to keep it in check with its ears.

5 Dialga And Palkia

Over the years, we’ve seen more than enough of Mewtwo’s talents. They include, but are not limited to, having huge, violent, explode-y tantrums (think Final Fantasy IX’s Kuja), destroying other Pokémon’s/my eleven-year-old self’s hopes and dreams, and making surprisingly insightful comments about the nature of destiny. It’s probably a massive smartass too, just like Alakazam.

This is all well and good, but I’d say these sorts of things are trumped by the ability to manipulate time and space to your will. Step forward Dialga and Palkia. The Pokédex tells us of Dialga, “This Pokémon completely controls the flow of time. It uses its power to travel at will through the past and future.” As for Palkia, “Its total control over the boundaries of space enable it to transport itself to faraway places or even other dimensions.” Get on their level, Mewtwo.

4 Hoopa Unbound

Coming more recently to the party, it’s Hoopa. This event Pokémon was released late in generation six, following in the wake of Diancie and Magearna. It doesn’t have a mega, unlike Diancie, but it manages to find a way to unleash its FINAL FORM nonetheless. Let’s take a look at Hoopa Unbound.

The teeny, Psychic/Ghost adorable default version is Hoopa Confined. It looks like a mischievous, cute-in-a-an-ugly-sort-of-way gremlin, like one of Gizmo’s buddies, but it’s certainly no slouch even in this form. When you find yourself the Prison Bottle item, though, that’s when things really turn sour.

Hoopa Unbound is a monstrously powerful Psychic/Dark type, with excellent twin offenses, and very strong exclusive STAB moves to make use of them. It’s a little lacking in speed, but it’s a true beast if you can make it work.

3 Tapu Lele

On to the latest flavors of the month, the Tapus. This legendary quartet was introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon, the Guardians of the islands of Alola. Like a lot of the non-mascot legendary groups, they’re certainly powerful, but nothing immediately uber or too stronk nerf plz. The group is comprised of Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini, all dual Fairy types (with a dash of Psychic, Electric, Grass, and Water thrown in respectively).

They have proven super popular in VGC this year, and have added a subtle element to the game which has rarely ever been seen before: Terrain. These effects change the battlefield around them as the Pokémon enters battle. Tapu Lele, for instance, sets up Psychic Terrain when sent out, which disables priority moves. It also boosts the power of Psychic moves, and it’s exactly this that makes it so strong.

2 Xurkitree

As I say, Tapu Lele is able to boost its own power via Psychic Terrain. Its stats in and of themselves aren’t all that impressive, but this boost, coupled with a Z crystal, gives it a real nuke to use. It’s deceptively powerful, and you cannot underestimate Lele’s power.

Other new generation seven Pokémon don’t have time for artificial boosts like this. They just want to have raw, ridiculous stats, right out there for all the world to see from the get-go. The Utlra Beasts certainly do. Look at the pure Electric freakish Christmas tree that is Xurkitree. This thing’s special attack stat is base 173, much higher than most things that have ever been legal in VGC. It also learns Tail Glow, to raise said already-Chrysler-Building-high special attack three stages. That’s when it’s really time to change your undercrackers.

1 Mew

That’s right, Mewtwo. Sure, you’re cool and all. You’re the OG legendary tough-as-nails pokémon, after all, and my very first ever experience with end-game content. You’re darn powerful, there’s no denying that. The thing is, though, as we’ve seen, you just don’t have that monopoly on the market that you used to. We’re up to our eyeballs in legendary and Mythical Pokémon at this point.

Having said that, there’s another Pokémon that has been around since the Red and Blue days (well, technically) that could be seen to be stronger than you as well. Your dear old mama, Mew, with its transforming shenanigans and incredible versatility. What’s that? Learn every TM in the entire darn game? Sure, I can do that.

Raw power is one thing, but Mew is waffly versatile in a way you could only dream of.