The Best Pokemon Emerald Team is Not The Same As Ruby and Sapphire

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With the 30th anniversary of Pokemon this year, or the 25th anniversary of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire next year, it seems likely that the Generation 3 games will be released on Nintendo Switch. Recent data suggests Pokemon Emerald might be included, completing the Gen 3 lineup with Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald all together. While Emerald doesn’t change the core games as much as Pokemon Platinum, it does introduce enough new features to affect which Pokemon are the most effective.

When playing Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Swampert is often considered the best starter Pokemon because its type is very effective throughout the Hoenn region. However, this isn’t always true in Pokemon Emerald. While many Pokemon encounters are the same as in the original games, with similar appearance rates, there are also some key differences between the versions.

The Main Differences Between Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire and Pokemon Emerald Explained

Okay, so I’m really excited to start a new Pokemon Emerald playthrough on my Switch, but I’ve been reading up on it and a few things are going to be different than I remember. Here’s what I’ve gathered is going to change:

  • You fight both Team Aqua and Team Magma, instead of just one. This means no starter is always effective against these teams, as they sometimes use Water or Fire Pokemon, respectively.
  • Gym Leaders have different teams with fewer or more Pokemon compared to base Gen 3 games.
  • The Elite Four have slightly better teams, especially in the case of Sidney and Drake. Sidney gains Crawdaunt (Water/Dark), and Drake gains Kingdra (Water/Dragon).
  • The final Gym Leader is no longer Wallace, but Juan, who uses a similar team to Wallace’s in Ruby and Sapphire.
  • Steven is no longer the Champion, and instead, it’s Wallace. This means there are two Water-type Pokemon specialists in Emerald, and no Steel/Rock Champion.

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Pokemon Emerald’s Best Team, From Badges to Endgame

Though many things are different – for example, the Battle Frontier replaces the Battle Tower – Pokemon Emerald sparks debate about which starter Pokemon is best. While Swampert is usually considered the strongest in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, the changes in Pokemon Emerald make Sceptile a more reliable and effective choice.

Pokemon like Swellow, Gardevoir, and Torkoal are still strong choices from the original games. Breloom is a great addition to teams built around Swampert, but doesn’t fit as well with Sceptile. Instead, Hariyama provides excellent physical attack coverage, learning moves like Earthquake, Fake Out, and Rock Slide. Hariyama can even learn Belly Drum, a move that drastically boosts its Attack power, making it a top physical attacker – though it does sacrifice half of its health in the process.

Using a Water-type Pokémon can be really helpful in certain battles, and having Ice Beam as a move is a great option. Starmie is one of the best choices from Generation 3 for this strategy. It’s incredibly fast and has a diverse movepool, making it a powerful Pokémon to use throughout the game.

As such, the best team for Pokemon Emerald is:

  • Sceptile
    • Leaf Blade
    • Dragon Claw
    • Thunder Punch
    • Giga Drain
  • Gardevoir
    • Psychic
    • Calm Mind
    • Thunderbolt
    • Thief
  • Swellow
    • Fly
    • Aerial Ace
    • Return
    • Facade or Steel Wing
  • Torkoal
    • Flamethrower
    • Overheat or Heat Wave
    • Body Slam or Curse
    • Sludge Bomb
  • Hariyama
    • Brick Break
    • Fake Out or Belly Drum
    • Earthquake
    • Rock Slide
  • Starmie
    • Surf
    • Ice Beam
    • Psychic
    • Recover

This team offers excellent overall coverage, handling 14 out of 17 damage types effectively. Plus, having both Fly (with Swellow) and Surf (with Starmie) gives you great mobility options. You’ll find defeating Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion much easier with this setup.

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2026-04-05 21:35