I mean, the name really does say it all. Despite Game Freak’s outstanding lack of creativity here, it’s the type of move that makes or breaks a team. And while many can learn it, there’s just a handful of Pokémon worthy of using the move. Let’s have a look at some of the best ‘mons to use Psychic across all games.
10. Magmar
Magmar is a bit of an unusual choice to teach Psychic to. You wouldn’t expect a fire type to be all that useful with a psychic type move, but hear me out. There are fighting Pokémon, namely Hariyama, that you might come up against when playing with Magmar. Hariyama has the ability Thick Fat(like me) that halves the damage it takes from fire damage. Needless to say, this makes Magmar useless in this matchup. If you spec Psychic, though, you have an easy KO on the psychic-weak Pokémon. It’s a niche matchup. And honestly a bit of a weak reason to include Magmar on this list, but it’s a good reason all the same.
9. Gallade
This is the last personal entry on this list, I promise. Gallade is my favorite Pokémon of all time. And it’s rare that I ever get a chance to include it on a list. There’s no good Gallade-based TCG decks, and it’s not powerful in the VGC. It does learn Psychic, though. So I’m putting it here and maybe you’ll give it a try? Gallade does have particular use as a False Swiper, so if you wanted to run a False Swipe, Psychic, and Hypnosis Gallade, you’ve got yourself a pretty powerful catcher.
8. Gardevoir
Gallade’s wonderfully beautiful female alter ego is so much more useful than the male counterpart, and that’s a massive shame. Gardevoir does see some competitive play, but it’s fallen off since the end of mega evolutions. That being said, it is still a great option for your main game playthrough. And some of that is thanks to STAB Psychic. Gardevoir has a great base special attack stat. Combine that with one of the most powerful Psychic moves in the game, and this baby turns into a powerhouse to be feared. The fairy weakness is annoying, but easy to avoid if you play your cards right.
7. Slowbro
Slowbro is a Pokémon that’s very much close to my own heart. The ignorant bliss this guy lives through should have us all envious, especially these days. It also bears a striking resemblance to me, so take from that what you will. Slowbro is an incredibly powerful tank that gets access to a good roster of recovery moves. If you spec Psychic as your only attacking move, you’ve got yourself a deceptively bulky Pokémon that can lull your opponent into a frustrating state of indifference.
6. Lapras
Lapras is on this list for one reason, and one reason only. Typing. Lapras is a decent Pokémon overall. You’re not going to see it at the Championships any time soon, but there’s nothing wrong with using it in ranked play. It’s an ice type, though, which has a very exploitable weakness to fighting. Fighting is weak to psychic. There we go.
5. Exeggutor
Exeggutor, for me, is the type of Pokémon that you’d design when you’re still on a comedown from a four-day weekend bender. Specifically this thing’s Alolan form. I know it’s meant to be a palm tree. But the resemblance to a derpy giraffe is too strong for me to ignore. In terms of battle capabilities, Exeggutor is an annoying stall that gets access to status moves, as well as Explosion. If you’ve ever been hit by an Explosion strategy in ranked, then you know how frustrating it is. Being able to use a STAB Psychic while you wait for your opponent to whittle you down into Explosion range is a powerful tool that allows Exeggutor to take most of its foes down with it. It’s an incredibly spiteful build that, honestly, I can get on board with.
4. Starmie
Starmie is a deceptively powerful Pokémon that gets access to a move pool that makes it a nightmare to deal with. The combination or Recover, Surf, and Thunderbolt give it the kind of coverage few Pokémon can match. And Psychic is just another notch on that belt. It’s Misty’s staple Pokémon. So if you stan Misty that’s just another reason to run one of these on your team. And if you strictly care about battle capability, then you’re not going to be disappointed either.
3. Alakazam
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the grandfather of psychic types appears on this list. Not only is it still one of the best sweepers in the game, but it’s the most powerful Pokémon in the original games, full stop. Psychic is the best psychic type attack. That, combined with Alakazam’s massive special attack and access to Calm Mind, turns it into a world-beater. It would take the number one spot here, but these next two have it beat by just a margin, yet on a technicality.
2. Mewtwo
You can probably see where I’m going with this. Mewtwo is one of the strongest Pokémon in the game thanks in no small part to its unbelievable stats. That being said, it’s banned in a lot of different formats. It’s a stronger psychic attacker than Alakazam. But whether or not you ever get to use it is another matter entirely. Plus you need to get your hands on one, which hasn’t been possible in a mainline game for quite some time now.
1. Mew
If Mewtwo is hard to obtain, then Mew is like the nonexistent pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (I’m Irish, so I would know). Like Mewtwo, it has the types of stats that would make most Pokémon blush. On top of that, Mew can learn pretty much any move in the game. Those two facts alone are more than enough justification to give it the number one spot. Again, though, it’s unlikely you’re ever going to use this guy in an actual battle. Even in the mainline games it’s really tough to get one without cheating (well, maybe a bit easier in Sw/Sh). But that doesn’t take away from just how powerful it is.
