This is The Ultimate Team For Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, From Badges to Endgame

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It’s been nearly 25 years since Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were released, and many fans still consider them to be among the best games in the series. Whether you remember the tough decision of choosing your first Pokémon – Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip – or spending hours searching for the elusive Mirage Island, these games offered a unique and memorable experience when they first came out. With the recent release of remakes for FireRed and LeafGreen, a remake of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for the Switch or Switch 2 seems increasingly likely.

With the inability to fully complete the National Pokédex in FireRed and LeafGreen without access to Pokémon from later generations, and the recent leak of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for the Switch, it seems likely these games will be officially re-released. While it’s uncertain if Emerald will also be included, it offers a noticeably different gameplay experience compared to Ruby and Sapphire – especially in terms of Pokémon encounters and battles. Therefore, if you’re planning a team for Ruby and Sapphire, remember that strategies effective in Emerald might not work as well.

There is a powerful team you can build in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire on Switch that’s designed to help you win from the very beginning, all the way through the final battles with the Elite Four and Champion. While you can beat the game with any starter Pokemon, this team focuses on being as strong as possible, and it starts with choosing Mudkip.

Swampert: The Best Starter in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

When considering just how useful a starter Pokemon is throughout the game, Swampert is the best choice in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. It’s consistently effective against all the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four in the Hoenn region. While it’s particularly vulnerable to Grass-type attacks, taking four times the normal damage, that’s its only weakness. With a strong moveset including Surf, Earthquake, Ice Beam, and Brick Break, Swampert is powerful enough to beat the entire game by itself – you might not even need to train other Pokemon! Ice Beam specifically handles its one weakness, as it’s super effective against Grass, and also proves valuable in battles against trainers like Winona and Drake.

How to Get Swampert Early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

  • Evolve Mudkip into Marshtomp at level 16, and then into Swampert at level 36.

Gardevoir: A Special Sweeper That Carries You From Route 102 to Endgame

As a Pokémon fan, I always loved exploring the Hoenn region! One of the coolest things is that you can find Ralts pretty early on, though it’s a bit rare – only about a 4% chance of running into one. But it’s totally worth it because Ralts eventually evolves into Gardevoir, and Gardevoir is powerful. You can teach it amazing moves like Psychic and Thunderbolt, but my favorite is Calm Mind. That move boosts its Special Attack and Defense, making it a real powerhouse in longer battles. Plus, if you want a little extra help, you can even teach it Thief to snag items as you play!

How to Get Gardevoir Early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

  • Catch Ralts on Route 102, evolve it into Kirlia at level 20, and into Gardevoir at level 30

Swellow: A Powerful Carry With One-Shot Options

You can get a powerful Pokémon very early in Ruby and Sapphire – even before challenging the first Gym! Taillow, a small bird Pokémon, evolves into Swellow, which can become your go-to Pokémon for flying around the map and winning battles. With the right combination of its Guts ability and the Facade move, Swellow can be incredibly strong. Guts boosts Swellow’s attack when it has a status condition like poison or paralysis, and Facade becomes even more powerful under those conditions. While it takes some effort, you can strategically inflict status conditions on Swellow and then repeatedly use Facade to defeat opponents, even the toughest ones in the Elite Four (though Phoebe might be a challenge).

While Salamence is a strong option later in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, you don’t actually need to replace Swellow. Swellow is still quite powerful and can deal a lot of damage by itself.

How to Get Swellow Early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

  • Catch Taillow on Route 104 or in Petalburg Woods, then evolve it into Swellow at level 22.

Breloom: One of The Best Grass-Type Pokemon Ever, and It Packs a Punch

Breloom is widely considered one of the best Grass-type Pokémon due to its speed and strong attack power. It can hit hard with Fighting-type moves and has access to the incredibly useful move, Spore. However, this isn’t quite true in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire; Breloom itself can’t learn Spore in those games. You can only teach Spore to its earlier form at level 54 if you don’t let it evolve. While this is usually not a worthwhile strategy in a standard game, Breloom remains a powerful Pokémon. With moves like Leech Seed to keep it healthy, Bulk Up to boost its strength, and Mach Punch for a quick attack, it’s always a great pick for your team.

How to Get Breloom Early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

  • Catch Shroomish in Petalburg Woods, then evolve it into Breloom at level 23.

Torkoal: An Endgame Powerhouse With Amazing Stats

Torkoal is a surprisingly strong Pokémon, even early in the game, and gets even better the more you train it. It boasts naturally good stats – 70 HP, 85 Attack, 140 Defense, 85 Special Attack, 70 Special Defense, and 20 Speed – meaning you don’t even need to focus on maximizing its stats through training. While it’s quite slow, especially when compared to faster teammates like Breloom or Swellow, Torkoal is incredibly durable and versatile. It can be a powerful Fire-type attacker, learning moves like Flamethrower, Heat Wave, and Overheat, but also has the potential to deal physical damage with moves like Body Slam and Sludge Bomb. Because its Attack and Special Attack are both 85, giving Torkoal a nature that lowers Speed and boosts other stats is a great way to make it even more effective.

How to Get Torkoal Early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

  • Catch Torkoal on Fiery Path, after Route 111.

Absol: A Physical Sweeper That Solos The Elite Four

Absol is a powerful Pokémon you can add to your team around the middle of the game. While its Dark typing and low Special Attack might not seem ideal in FireRed and LeafGreen (the same type matchups apply to Ruby and Sapphire), Absol excels as a physical attacker. It has naturally high Attack and learns the move Swords Dance, which significantly boosts its attack power. This allows it to sweep through opponents with moves like Shadow Ball, Return, and Aerial Ace. Even its weakness to Fighting-type Pokémon isn’t a major issue if you teach it Aerial Ace, as it can often defeat them in one hit. After using Swords Dance, Shadow Ball can easily defeat Phoebe, one of the Elite Four, and Return is effective against many Pokémon that don’t resist Normal-type attacks. Just be warned: catching Absol can be challenging, as it’s quite strong and could defeat your entire team!

How to Get Absol Early in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

  • Catch Absol on Route 120.

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2026-04-05 02:10