Mega Evolution was one of Pokemon's most interesting features and one that bled into the anime. The same few Pokemon that can Mega Evolve in the games can also do so in the anime, through the same methods of using a Mega Stone.
Naturally, that means some Pokemon will have access to extra strength when needed, and some trainers have taken advantage of that phenomenon in battle. Some of the anime universe's strongest trainers have some equally strong Mega Evolutions to flaunt, and these are the best of the best.
Updated March 15, 2023, by Kyle Laurel: Despite the phenomenon no longer being accessible in the newest games, Pokemon Journeys continued to add to the lore of Mega Evolution by introducing more Trainers with Mega Evolution. With the anime having concluded, here's a final look at its 20 best Mega-Evolved Pokemon.
Only Pokemon with Trainers will be considered, so no 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mega Rayquaza or Mewtwo X/Y.
20 Lisia's Mega Altaria
Lisia of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire fame made her first anime appearance in Pokemon Journeys as Hoenn's top Contest performer, and she has since been a regular Contest virtuoso alongside May and Serena. In her anime debut Contest in Lilycove City, she tied for first place with Serena with the help of her Mega Altaria, nicknamed Ali, and its beautiful Mist and Draco Meteor combo.
That said, Ali has to settle for last place here because it has purely been used for Contests, at least on-screen. That's all well and good for Lisia's purposes, but an attested Contest repertoire does not a strong Pokemon make.
19 Ilima's Mega Kangaskhan
One of the games' most overpowered Mega Evolutions translated to the anime for the most part. Ilima, Alola's Normal-type Trial captain, brought a Mega Kangaskhan to the Manalo Conference, using it as a trump card against Guzma.
While Ilima ultimately lost to the Team Skull Boss, Mega Kangaskhan put up quite a fight against Guzma's Scizor, showing off its unique Parental Bond ability. Unfortunately, while its moveset of Power-Up Punch, Rock Slide, and Low Kick helped put Scizor in a tight spot, Guzma found a way to use the mother's protectiveness over the child against them. Thus, Ilima became the first victim to Guzma's path to the Manalo League semifinal.
18 Misty's Mega Gyarados
Misty and Brock's demonstration to Ash's Alola friends at the Cerulean Gym came with some showing-off of their new Mega Evolutions. Misty in particular found a Mega Stone for her Gyarados, and everyone in the building witnessed its power in all its glory in a battle against Ash's Pikachu.
While it ultimately lost to the 💛Electric-type, Gyarados canceled out the type advantage by finding unique ways to deal with Pikachu, such as bringing rain with Rain Dance, Hurricane-ing away a Thunderbolt, and getting Pikachu stuck in a Hurricane and Hydro Pump vortex. It even has Crunch, taking advantage of the Dark-typing it gains upon Mega Evolving.
17 Brock's Mega Steelix
Brock's Mega Steelix had a slightly better outing than the aforementioned Gyarados during Ash and his Alolan friends' tour of the Cerulean City Gym. In its first appearance since the Diamond and Pearl anime, the Pewter native's ace showed all its chops in a battle against Kiawe's Turtonator.
As the Alolan gang's introduction to Mega Evolution, Mega Steelix showcased its power on the defensive end despite its weakness to Fire-type moves. It withstood Turtonator's Inferno Overdrive without fainting, being the first in the anime to not faint from a Z-Move. Its offensive bag was nice too, with old favorites Bind and Dig working in tandem with its newer moves Gyro Ball and Stone Edge.
16 Astrid's Mega Absol
Kalos League quarterfinalist Astrid was one of the XY anime's more overlooked characters. She was a proficient Trainer in her own right, in large part thanks to her Absol capable of Mega Evolution.
Astrid's ace was one of the few Pokemon to put up an OK fight against Alain's Mega Charizard, and had a 1-1 record against Ash's Hawlucha, beating it in a prior match before losing to it in the Kalos League. It has a type-versatile set of moves, with Dark Pulse, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Psycho Cut, Shadow Claw, and Megahorn all part of its arsenal, a🎉s well as the quickness to dodge oncoming attacks with ease.
15 Sawyer's Mega Sceptile
One of the biggest thorns on Ash's side during the Kalos leg of his journey was Sawyer, a green-haired, wide-eyed boy from Hoenn who owned a very strong Sceptile. Said Grass-type starter didn't necessarily start off as a particularly strong Pokemon, but by bonding with its trainer, it got stronger.
While Sceptile wasn't successful in pushing Sawyer to the Kalos League final -- particularly with Ash-Greninja in the way -- it gave Ash's squad a tough time in pretty much every battle it's appeared in. It was a spitting allegory of Sawyer's progress as a Trainer; both were excellent, but still had some work to do to truly overtake their idols.
14 Wulfric's Mega Abomasnow
Wulfric was one of Ash's biggest obstacles in the XY anime, and a big part of that was his Abomasnow, capable of Mega Evolution. While it didn't Mega Evolve during Ash's first go against the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ice-type Gym Leader, its Snow Warning ability proved to be a problem. It managed to even beat Ash's Talonflame, a Pokemon with a massive type advantage against it.
That said, Mega Evolution is more of a trump card for Wulfric's Abomasnow, as it tries to get the job done without Mega Evolving as much as possible. Still, with or without it, Abomasnow carries huge attack power; its Ice Punch is strong stuff.
13 Remo's Mega Garchomp
Another oft-overlooked character of the XY anime was Remo, Kalos League semifinalist and owner of a Mega Garchomp, nicknamed Garchoo. He's not the only one of his kind in Kalos, but he makes a solid case for being the best pseudo-Legendary at the Lumiose Conference.
He was another Mega to run into Alain's Mega Charizard X, doing so at said semifinal match and once before that. While he lost both times, he wasn't a pushover for Charizard to just plow through. Had it not been for Alain, Garchoo could have led Remo's team to win the entire tournament, or at least put up a good fight against Ash.
12 Professor Sycamore's Mega Garchomp
Aside from Professor Kukui, Kalos's Sycamore deserves recognition as probably the best battler among all the professors, at least in the anime, even if he doesn't participate in official battles. Case in point, him owning a Mega Garchomp.
Perhaps that's a perk of being one of the best in his field in a region radiating Mega energy, but Professor Rowan's former protégé has used this absolute weapon in key situations. Chief of which was helping out in damaging the Giant Rock during the climax of the Team Flare arc, where it proved itself as one of the strongest Pokemon on that side of the conflict.
11 Wikstrom's Mega Scizor
The other members of the Elite Four also have exceptionally strong aces that can also Mega Evolve. While it'd be safe to expect Wikstrom's ace, Mega Scizor, to be on their level, there hasn't been enough evidence to prove it. It only has one appearance, and in it, it got one-shotted by a Pokemon it has a type advantage against - Diantha's Mega Gardevoir.
That said, it wouldn't be a stretch to expect Mega Scizor to be on its game any other time; Diantha is a Champion, after all. Unless Wikstrom is some fraud that doesn't deserve his Elite Four status, there's a spot here reserved for Mega Scizor.