Since Pokémon are clearly smarter than your real life pet (not counting Psyduck of course), you might be wondering which ones are some of the most intelligent. Well in this list I’ll take into consideration the main games as a focal point for researching the smartest monsters you can have in your team. However other media(mainly the anime) will be noted if it shows a Pokémon that really belongs on this list. And as a disclaimer I won’t include the creator Arceus on the list, since c’mon that’s just too easy.
15. Beheeyem
Usually psychic powers are associated with some pretty high intelligence. So it’s no wonder my first pick of the list would be a Psychic type. The Pokédex entry for Beheeyem stipulates that these guys have the ability to manipulate memories and to communicate by flashing finger lights in different combinations. It’s fair to say that you’d need to be pretty smart to tamper with memories, especially if Beheeyem decides what you keep and what not. Also this Pokémon shows one sign that I’m praising highly in this list: complex communication.
14. Reuniclus
Made from different cells partially divided, Reuniclus is an amazing Pokémon. His arms are extensions of the gelatinous substance that makes up its body, and inside its arms are spherical organelles that strongly increase its psychic powers. According to several Pokédex entries from a few games, he controls and reinforces his arms with psychic abilities. And he can also form a network of brains with other Reuniclus creatures. Cool right? It seems that these organelles might be small brains or neural glands that he uses to fight. Having many brains for a body puts this guy somewhere in this list, but on the lower half because it’s limited in communicating and likely not as smart as some of the other cookies listed later.
13. Malamar
A curious entry, but a deserved one. Malamar are the evil geniuses of Pokémon. And not only because of their vile intents, but also for their smarts. One Pokédex says it possesses the most complex form of hypnosis of all monsters, which requires a high level of intelligence for sure. But also, if you take into consideration the anime series there are episodes where a Malamar had plans to take over the world. These are plans with different layers of complexity too. That’s more than I can say about some humans, to be honest.
12. Dragonite
Our beloved first pseudo-legendary fully evolved Pokémon is also the first non-Psychic entry of this list. Not only are Dragonite always shown as strong, reliable, and compassionate companions (both in games and anime, remember Lance’s Dragonite). But they’re also shown as very smart and even emotionally intelligent too. These types of complex emotions are a good indicator of intelligence for sure. But also a Pokédex entry stipulates that its intelligence is at the same level as humans, so we basically have our base line for the rest of the list.
11. Darkai
Another surprising pick because Darkrai is usually remembered as a nightmare-inducer, and not necessarily a smart Pokémon. But I will give you 2 reasons why you should reconsider this guy: First, in the anime it has been shown as both compassionate and capable of communicating with humans. Not to mention strong emotions that surely indicate intelligence. And second, for you game purists out there, in gen IV an illusion made by Darkrai in Canalave City actually speaks with the main character. I’d say you need to be smart as hell to pull that off.
10. Lapras
Considering how much importance we put into communication, it’s no wonder Lapras makes the cut on this list. Lapras is well known for understanding human speech as it is(I believe) the oldest Pokémon to have that description in the Pokédex. But besides that, Lapras are also strongly empathetic with human emotions. So we can say they also have a strong emotional intelligence level too.
9. Lucario
Maybe the most sensitive and emotionally evolved Pokémon of them all, Lucario has a strongly deserved spot sitting at number 9 here. Not only does he understand human speech perfectly, but he has the ability to sense the auras of all things. According to the original Pokédex entry for this little dude, a well-trained Lucario can identify the feelings of a creature over half a mile away. You’d have to be a smart cookie to even attempt to do that! Imagine being able to not only process other’s emotions but also interpret where they are coming from.
8. Oranguru
Our first gen VII Pokémon to make the list. Hurrah! I’m sure curious readers out there will actually complain this is too low on the list but hear me out. Our reliable little encyclopedia device thing says that Oranguru are extremely smart, and also usually compare wits Slowking (spoiler alert: that’s an even higher pick on this list). But also Oranguru are known to throw Pokéballs at other monsters and give them commands. There is nothing more terrifying that a Pokémon being its own trainer. Those of you who remember Mewtwo Strikes Back will relate.
7. Latios
So this is certainly a powerful Pokémon, but what makes it smart? Well as we’ve seen in previous Pokémon on this list, Latios can perfectly understand human language and emotions. But what carries this guy above others is the level of detail in its ability to communicate. It is capable of putting specific images into people’s minds in order to transmit a message. That is definitely amazing!
6. Latias
Not too far from its counterpart, Latias is one of the most intelligent Pokémon and right on par with Latios. Just like its partner in crime Latios, this little lady understands human speech and emotions but it takes communication a little bit further. While Latios puts images into our heads, Latias communicate through telepathy. That makes basically putting thoughts and words into our heads. And if that’s not enough for you, well you might remember Pokémon 4ever and how a Latias passed as a human being to the point that we were not sure exactly where this happened at some points. That takes some real brain power.
5. Mewtwo
Created as a clone from Mew, the Pokédex stipulates that Mewtwo is a powerful being that only thinks about vengeance and battle, incapable of compassion. However I will object to this till the end of my days since the first time I saw Mewtwo in the cinema, it taught me a strong lesson about life. This is from one of the best and most moving monologues I’d heard in my young life. And recent times seem to agree with me as Mewtwo is shown as quite compassionate in Detective Pikachu this year. Even if you agree with me or not, you have to admit Mewtwo shows a very large degree of intelligence and communication in these movies and even in the original games. He is kind of the “original legendary”, after all.
4. Slowking
Closing in on the top 5 we can start to tell these Pokémon are in a different league. One could argue Slowking is the last “down to earth” Pokémon as all the further picks on this list are just out of this stratosphere. But Slowking makes it so high on this list because the Pokedex mentions this guy’s high level of wisdom. But also because Slowking’s shell actually injects a special venom in its head every time it yawns, making him smarter. It sounds crazy but trust me just look it up. A good depiction of this creature’s intelligence is in the movie Pokemon 2000 where a Slowking was one of the wisest characters in the cast, and could speak the English language perfectly.
3. Uxie
A revered Pokémon of legend, Uxie is considered to be a “Being of Knowledge”. The Pokédex says it gave humanity its intelligence since it basically created the concept of it. Well, at least in the Pokémon world. This is why Uxie is considered to be the smartest Pokémon among many discussions. However I believe that creating intelligence does not mean overcoming its limits, since many times the student of any subject can surpass the master. And in my opinion the next two final picks have definitely done that.
2. Metagross
Talk about surpassing the limits, Metagross has four brains that give it without a doubt a spot at the top of this list. The final stage of the Beldum evolutionary line makes this creature fuse together to evolve, so two Beldum make a Metang, and two Metang make a Metagross. Once fused together, these evolved forms retain all of their brains. So if you are keeping count Metagross has 4 fully functional brains (at least according to the Pokedex entry). This makes it smarter than a modern supercomputer since it’s able to do complex calculations in seconds. However this just falls short to the domain of the final pick of this list.
1. Alakazam
The Pokédex entry of Alakazam in Pokémon Red and Blue says “Its brain can outperform a super-computer. Its intelligence quotient is said to be 5,000.” So right off the bat we can say it matches with any of Metagross’ capabilities easily. However I’d say it surpasses them as his brain is in a never-ending growth phase, allowing Alakazam to remember everything and constantly be increasing its knowledgebase. If we combine a 5000 IQ, the ability to outperform a supercomputer, and having a perfect memory, I can say for sure Alakazam is the smartest Pokémon of them all.
