Best team composition for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

When building the best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, you'd want to include traded Pocket Monsters and OG favorites of the game's long-time fans. In today’s glorious time, where we cherish games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, we shouldn't forget the brilliance of this Generation 3 game.

If you've just begun Ruby/Sapphire or are returning after a long hiatus and want to have the best possible start, we have devised the best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, with beasts that perform exceptionally well throughout the game.

Best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

Swampert

The best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire kicks off with Swampert in the lead. This is everyone’s favorite “mud boi,” and while you could go with Graveller (since you need a Ground-type to defeat the first gym), Swampert will be more useful, given its dual typing and moveset.

Stats of Swampert in this best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

HP: 100
Base attack: 110
Base defense: 90
Special Attack: 85
Special Defense: 90
Speed: 60

Swampert can learn the following moves:

Earthquake
Waterfall
Surf
Ice Beam

This mixed attacking moveset will have you covered for the most part.

Earthquake: This move can be found in the late game. Till then, you can use Mud Shot on Swampert, which is available at Level 16.

Waterfall: This move can be found in the Cave of Origin.

Surf: You can get HM03 after defeating Norman in Petalburg Gym.

Ice Beam: You can get TM13 inside an abandoned ship on Route 108.

With this moveset, Swampert can perform well against:

Wally’s Altaria, Roselia, and Magneton
Steven’s entire team, except for Skarmory

Crobat

Crobat plays the role of a flier in this best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. Zubat is not very hard to find in this game, as you can find it inside Granite Cave.

Zubat evolves into Golbat at Level 22, which then evolves into Crobat through friendship.

Stats of Crobat

HP: 85
Base attack: 90
Base defense: 80
Special Attack: 70
Special Defense: 80
Speed: 130

Crobat can learn the following moves:

Fly
Wing Attack
Sludge Bomb
Steel Wing

Fly: This move is given to you by your rival on your way to Fortree City.

Wing Attack: This move can be learned at Level 21.

Sludge Bomb: To get this move, you must return to Dewford after defeating Norman. You will encounter someone who will hand you the Sludge Bomb TM.

Steel Wing: This move will give you good coverage against Rock-type attackers. You can get this TM upon your initial visit to Granite Cave.

These moves will make Crobat effective against:

Wally’s Roselia
Steven’s Cradily and Armaldo

Flygon

We will wrap up the first half of the best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire with our beloved Flygon. You can get a Flygon by catching a Trapinch in the desert region. At Level 35, it will evolve into Vibrava, which will then evolve into Flygon at Level 45.

Stats of Flygon

HP: 80
Base attack: 100
Base defense: 80
Special attack: 80
Special defense: 80
Speed: 100

Flygon can learn the following moves:

Flamethrower
Dragon Claw
Crunch
Dig

Flamethrower: This will give you the much-needed Fire-type coverage. You can get this TM in the Mauville Game Corner.

Dragon Claw: This is a special move, and thanks to Flygon’s 80 Special attack stat, we can make good use of it. You can get this TM at Meteor Falls.

Crunch: This is another special move, and Flygon can learn this move at Level 33 as Trapinch.

Dig: Flygon can get a slight immunity by digging underground with this move, and you can get this move on Route 114.

With this moveset, Flygon can perform well against:

Wally’s Altaria, Roselia, Magneton, and Gardevoir
Steven’s Skarmory, Claydol, Aggron, and Metagross

Cradily

You can add this monster to this best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire after defeating Flannery. You must find the root fossil in the desert. After that, take the fossil to Devon Corporation at Rustboro City.

Stats of Cradily

HP: 86
Base attack: 81
Base defense: 97
Special attack: 81
Special defense: 107
Speed: 43

Cradily can learn the following moves:

Giga Drain
Toxic
Ancient Power
Confuse Ray

Giga Drain: You can find this TM on Route 123. Here, you need to show a Grass-type Pokemon to a girl whom you will encounter on this route.

Toxic: You can find this TM in the Fiery Path, which is an underground road that travels through Mount Chimney.

Ancient Power: Cradily can learn this move at Level 48 in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.

Confuse Ray: This will frustrate the NPCs a lot, and Cradily can learn this move at Level 29.

With this moveset, Cradily will be effective against:

Wallace’s entire team
Wally’s Altaria
Steven's Skarmory, Claydol, and Armaldo

Alakazam

This monster is a brilliant addition to this best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire and is one of the best Pokemon to use for a casual playthrough.

You can easily encounter Abra in Granite Cave and evolve it into Kadabra at Level 16, which then evolves via trade into Alakazam. Trade evolutions are special game mechanics.

Stats of Alakazam

HP: 55
Base attack: 50
Base defense: 45
Special attack: 135
Special defense: 95
Speed: 120

Alakazam can learn the following moves:

Calm Mind
Psychic
Thief
Shock Wave

Calm Mind: This move can be learned at Level 33, and it is a solid move to have on this monster for late-game fights.

Psychic: This move can be learned at Level 36, and it is the best move that this monster has in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.

Thief: You can get this from the museum when you go to deliver ship parts. It provides good elemental typing coverage against Ghost and Psychic-type monsters.

Shock Wave: You can get this move by defeating Watson.

With this moveset, Alakazam can do well against:

Wallace’s entire team, besides Whiscash
Wally’s Roselia and Gardevoir
Steven’s Skarmory, Claydol, and Metagross

Machamp

Machamp is Alakazam’s contemporary and another monster that evolves via trading. If you want to get the perks of a strong Fighting-type attacker, you can have it delivered without fail from Machamp. Hence, we have added it to this best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.

You can catch Machop on Route 112 on your way to Fallarbor Town. Machop evolves into Machoke at Level 28, which then evolves into Machamp via trade.

Stats of Machamp in this best team for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

HP: 90
Base attack: 130
Base defense: 80
Special attack: 65
Special defense: 85
Speed: 55

Machamp can learn the following moves:

Brick Break
Strength
Rock Tomb
Return

With these in its move pool, Machamp will be really effective against:

Wallace’s Sealeo
Wally’s Altaria, Delcatty, and Magneton
Steven’s Aggron, Cradily, and Armaldo

Check out the best team compositions for other Pokemon games: