How to Prepare for Gen 3 in Pokemon Go

A new wave of Pokemon is coming to Pokemon Go, which means some big changes to the game. While some Pokemon will be more valuable than ever, others won’t be as important as new and more powerful Pokemon replace them in gyms and on Raid teams. And while we don’t know when Gen 3 will be added to the game, it’s never too early to get the right Pokemon powered up.

So which Pokemon should players power up to prepare for Gen 3? And what Pokemon will probably get left behind? Here’s a look at some of the Pokemon that will be most affected by the next generation of Pokemon in Pokemon Go:

Must Haves

While Gen 3 will bring over 130 new Pokemon to the game, there’s a few Pokemon that will remain pretty high in terms of the Pokemon Go hierarchy. For instance, Tyranitar will remain just as important in Pokemon Go‘s metagame. While there’s a ton of new Dark-Type Pokemon coming into the game, none have the bulk or power of Tyranitar.

Other Pokemon that will become even more valuable in Pokemon Go are Zapdos and Raikou. There are a TON of Water-Type Pokemon coming into the game, and there aren’t any Pokemon that will be more effective in stopping this flood than these two Legendary Pokemon. 

Although Mewtwo will no longer be the top attacker in Pokemon Go (that is, unless the game’s developers nerf Rayquaza and Deoxys’s stats before they become Raid Bosses,) it’ll still be an elite level attacker that you’ll want to keep powering up….if you have it, that is. 

Still Important

Some powerful Pokemon that currently rule the roost in Pokemon Go may soon have some viable Gen 3 viables. For instance, Dragonite won’t be quite as important once Salamance arrives with its superior Attack and Stamina stats. Although Dragonite has a slightly higher CP, some players might prefer Salamance as a gym attacker…especially if it has a superior moveset.

Another Pokemon that could be impacted by the upcoming wave is Machamp. Currently, Machamp is arguably the most important gym attacker in the game, as its powerful Fighting-Type moves can easily beat defenders like Blissey and Snorlax. However, two new Fighting-Type Pokemon (Breloom and Blaziken) are both coming that will have Attack stats higher than Machamp. Machamp still maintains the edge in overall CP, so some players will probably still prefer Machamp over these new Pokemon.

Sorry, Ice-Types

Ice-Type Pokemon like Lapras and Cloyster have seen their usage drop over time, especially since gyms can’t be loaded up with multiple Dragonite anymore. Although they maintained some usefulness in fighting Dragonite and Flying-Type, their remaining niche usefulness will probably be coming to an end once Gen 3 arrives. 

Pokemon Go is finally getting a viable Fairy-Type attacker (Gardevoir) that should be a real Dragon-Type killer. Plus, there’s several other new Dragon-Type Pokemon with much higher attacks that should be more effective to use against other Dragon-Types than an underpowered Ice-Type Pokemon.

So, if you’re thinking about powering up a Lapras or an Articuno, save your Stardust for another Pokemon project!