Best Dragon Pokémon in Ruby & Sapphire
Drake, the fourth Elite Four member, uses Shelgon, Altaria, Flygon and Salamence, and Bagon lives only behind the Meteor Falls waterfall, after badge 8. We graded 10 Dragon Pokémon you can get in Ruby & Sapphire, S to D, for beating the game. Rayquaza, Latios and Latias lead.
- Trade-in
- Trade or Eon Ticket
- Post-game
- Trade to evolve
RayquazaPost-game
LatiosTrade or Eon Ticket · Post-game
LatiasTrade or Eon Ticket · Post-game
DragoniteTrade-in only
Salamence
Altaria
Flygon
Shelgon
DragonairTrade-in only
DratiniTrade-in only
KingdraTrade to evolve
Bagon
VibravaWhat each tier means
- STop Carries a Ruby & Sapphire run against most of the bosses
- AStrong A strong pick for most of the game
- BSolid Does the job with some help
- CSituational Struggles against several bosses
- DBottom Hard to use for beating the game
Board breakdown
Here each Dragon Pokémon you can get meets the 13 Ruby & Sapphire gym leader, Elite Four and Champion fights in order, Roxanne to Steven. Flygon does well in 5 of them, 7 fights have no Dragon answer, and both versions play out the same.
Take Flygon, which handles 5 of 13 fights, starting with Wallace.
Salamence has the higher grade, but Flygon helps in 2 more fights and is yours 4 badges earlier.
Each row is one Dragon pick and its 13 boxes are the fights in order. A filled box means it does well there: Flygon has 5, first at Wallace.
Gym 1, Roxanne
Gym 2, Brawly
Gym 3, Wattson
Gym 4, Flannery
Gym 5, Norman
Gym 6, Winona
Gym 7, Tate & Liza
Gym 8, Wallace
Elite Four, Sidney
Elite Four, Phoebe
Elite Four, Glacia
Elite Four, Drake
Champion, StevenGym 1 RoxanneGym 2 BrawlyGym 3 WattsonGym 4 FlanneryGym 5 NormanGym 6 WinonaGym 7 Tate & LizaGym 8 WallaceElite Four SidneyElite Four PhoebeElite Four GlaciaElite Four DrakeChampion Steven- FlygonGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: no clear edgeGym 6 Winona: has troubleGym 7 Tate & Liza: no clear edgeGym 8 Wallace: does wellSidney: does wellPhoebe: does wellGlacia: no clear edgeDrake: does wellSteven: does wellAfter badge 4TrapinchRoute 111 desert35% of encounters
#116TrapinchLevel 35
#117VibravaLevel 45
#118Flygonfinal form by SidneyDragon moves use Sp. Atk 80, not Attack 100Not yet: Roxanne to FlanneryDoes wellWallaceSidneyPhoebeDrakeStevenHas troubleWinonaNo clear edgeNorman, Tate & Liza, Glacia - AltariaGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: no clear edgeGym 5 Norman: has troubleGym 6 Winona: no clear edgeGym 7 Tate & Liza: no clear edgeGym 8 Wallace: does wellSidney: does wellPhoebe: does wellGlacia: no clear edgeDrake: does wellSteven: no clear edgeAfter badge 3SwabluRoute 11440% of encounters
#121SwabluLevel 35
#122Altariafinal form by Tate & LizaNot yet: Roxanne to WattsonDoes wellWallaceSidneyPhoebeDrakeHas troubleNormanNo clear edgeFlannery, Winona, Tate & Liza, Glacia, Steven - SalamenceGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: not on your team yetGym 6 Winona: not on your team yetGym 7 Tate & Liza: not on your team yetGym 8 Wallace: not on your team yetSidney: does wellPhoebe: no clear edgeGlacia: does wellDrake: does wellSteven: no clear edgeAfter badge 8BagonMeteor Falls B1F25% of encounters
#187BagonLevel 30
#188ShelgonLevel 50
#189Salamencefinal form by GlaciaSp. Atk 110, not Attack 135Not yet: Roxanne to WallaceDoes wellSidneyGlaciaDrakeNo clear edgePhoebe, Steven - KingdraGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: not on your team yetGym 6 Winona: not on your team yetGym 7 Tate & Liza: not on your team yetGym 8 Wallace: not on your team yetSidney: no clear edgePhoebe: no clear edgeGlacia: no clear edgeDrake: does wellSteven: does wellAfter badge 8HorseaRoute 132Super Rod15% of encounters
#184HorseaLevel 32
#185SeadraTrade + Dragon Scale
#186KingdraNot yet: Roxanne to WallaceDoes wellDrakeStevenNo clear edgeSidney, Phoebe, Glacia
Best pair
After the creditsOnly after you beat StevenCounted in no fight
- RayquazaAfter the Hall of Fame
- LatiosRuby: roams after the creditsSapphire: trade from Ruby
- LatiasSapphire: roams after the creditsRuby: trade from Sapphire
Every gym from Roxanne to Tate & Liza, with no break.
One row per fight, Roxanne to Steven, with the best Dragon pick you can have by then. Tap a fight for its team and every pick. First with none: Roxanne.
Only partly: it fills Tate & Liza, 1 of the 7 gaps.
Of the 13 fights, Dragon picks found in Ruby & Sapphire cover 6, trade-ins raise that to 7, and 6 stay open. Dragonite fills the most.
- DragoniteFireRed or LeafGreenNational DexCelio's Network Machine fixedRaise a DratiniLv 55 to 70Obeys from badge 6FillsTate & LizaYour team then: about Lv 40 to 41Won't obey: Roxanne to WinonaDoes wellTate & LizaWallaceSidneyPhoebeGlaciaDrakeSteven
What each trade needs
- From FireRed or LeafGreenIts National DexCelio's Network Machine fixedRuby and Sapphire gems found
- Your Ruby or SapphireA PokedexOne other Pokemon in party