The Pokémon franchise is well-known for its collection of powerful creatures, but strength alone is not always the best solution. Speed is often just as important as Attack or Defense, with Pokémon acting faster and having a huge advantage in battle. A truly fast Pokémon can be an invaluable team member, moving first to outspeed even the strongest opponents you go up against.

Among the large conglomerate of quick and agile Pokémon are some that can move at outrageously high speeds. These creatures can move so fast, that some don’t even need stat-boosting moves like Agility to always go first. The pocket monsters with the highest base Speed stats in the games are a fine mix of regular creatures, notable Legendaries, and some of the best Mega Evolutions in Pokémon.

Koraidon/Miraidon

Base Speed: 135

The box art Legendary Pokémon for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are quite fast, with both Koraidon and Miraidon boasting the same 135 Speed stat. However, both have some key differences that make them strong in unique ways, giving unique pros and cons depending on which version of Gen 9 games you’re playing. The biggest contrast is in their typings, with Koraidon being a Pokémon with the Fighting/Dragon-type, while Miraidon is an Electric/Dragon-type Pokemon.

The abilities of these Pokémon are individual too, with Koraidon boasting Orichalcum Pulse and Miradion using Hadron Engine. Orichalcum Pulse works similarly to Groudon’s Drought, using the weather to turn sunny as soon as it is thrown into battle. Alternatively, Miradion’s Hadron Enginge generates an Electric Terrain for the Pokemon, giving it a 33% boost in its Special Attack to compliment its Speed.

Chien-Pao

Base Speed: 135

Chien-Pao is a Dark/Ice-type Legendary Pokémon from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, representing the four Treasures of Ruin creatures in those games. Without a doubt, Chien-Pao is the fastest of these Ruinous Pokémon, even more than small Chi-Yu. Based on its Pokédex entries, Chien-Pao is capable of controlling up to 100 tons of snow, effortlessly moving through avalanches using its swift acrobatics.

Also known as the Sword of Ruin, Chien-Pao has strong physical Attack that lives up to its moniker, with a rare ability to match. Unlike the other Ruinous Pokémon, Chien-Pao’s Sword of Ruin ability decreases the Defense stat of all Pokémon on the battlefield other than itself by 25%. When combined with its already high Speed, this makes Chien-Pao extremely deadly, capable of one-shotting rival Pokémon fast through its swift power.

Flutter Mane

Base Speed: 135

Flutter Mane is one of the most recently introduced Pokémon as part of Generation 9. The Ghost and Fairy type creature is believed to be a distant ancestor of Misdreavus, and it’s very easy to see why, as the two Pokémon are nearly indistinguishable. Flutter Mane is one of the Paradox Pokémon introduced in Scarlet & Violet, so its name doesn’t follow modern naming conventions for mons.

Considering that it’s a floating ghost head, it’s no wonder that Flutter Mane is one of the fastest Pokémon in the dex, with a base Speed stat of 135. Although its other stats are fairly low, Flutter Mane also has the highest Special Defense of the Paradox Pokémon, a combination that makes it particularly difficult to land a hit on.

Iron Bundle

Base Speed: 136

Coming in from the future, this oddly familiar Paradox Pokémon was also introduced in Gen 9. This robotic penguin-like creature is said to be a future version of Delibird, and it moves like a mechanical bird on skiis. The blue ball on its back is thought to be a bag of some sort, and it’s attached to the bird’s body by an extendable black wire.

As a bird that can skii at high speeds, it’s no wonder that Iron Bundle’s base Speed stat is a fairly high 136. In fact, the Pokémon is tied with the Barraskewda as having the highest Speed stat of all Water types. Not much else is known about Iron Bundle at the moment, but rumors from the Scarlet Pokédex state that it was created by an ancient civilization, putting in question whether the Pokémon came from the past, the future, or perhaps some altogether different timeline.

Barraskewda

Base Speed: 136

Introduced in Gen 9, the Barraskewda is one of the fastest Water-types in the entire dex at a base Speed of 136, tied for first place with the futuristic Iron Bundle. As the name implies, the creature’s design resembles the real-world barracuda, with the long and slim body of a fish and the addition of a mischievous smile on its toothy face.

This Pokémon evolves from Arrokuda, and the two are the only creatures across all the games who can use the Propeller Tail ability. In addition to ignoring targeting effects from attacks and abilities like Follow Me and Storm Drain, the Barraskewda can use this ability in a more literal sense. The Pokémon is known for spinning its tail like a propeller to move it quickly though the water, which is likely why its Speed stat is so impressively high.

Zamazenta

Base Speed: 138

Zamazenta is the legendary cover Pokémon of Pokémon Shield, along with its counterpart from Sword, Zacian. Unlike the offensive Zacian, Zamazenta takes a more defensive stance in battle, quite fittingly considering that it’s associated with the shield. And, though it’s not as fast as Zacian, the Pokémon’s base Speed stat of 138 is high enough to place it in the list of the fastest Pokémon in the franchise.

Conversely, powering up the Pokémon with a Rusted Shield turns it into the Crowned Shield, which drops its Speed stat drastically, to 128. The Crowned Shield does have impressively high Defense and Special Defense stats, though, so the Speed drop is a tradeoff players will need to consider.

Mega Greninja

Base Speed: 142

Some new starter evolutions gained new Mega forms in Legends: Z-A, including the Water/Dark-type that evolves from Gen 6’s Froakie. Mega Greninja sports a strong 142 Speed, making it one of the faster starting evolutions among the Water-type ever made. Although only slightly slower than Mega Sceptile, Mega Greninja is better for how it utilizes the overhauled combat systems of Legends: Z-A, which differ from the mainline turn-based Pokémon games.

Mega Greninja also sports a healthy 125 Attack and 135 Special Attack, making it a great offensive Pokémon through its Speed. When acting first, Mega Greninja can easily exploit the weaknesses of rival Pokémon, without even needing an ability.

Dragapult

Base Speed: 142

The Dragon and Ghost-type Dragapult is a strange combination of spirit on the bottom and armed missile launcher on top. The pseudo-legendary was introduced in Gen 8 and is a final evolution of Drakloak and Dreepy. Its base Speed state of 142 makes it a speedy contender for the fastest Pokémon in the series.

While the Dragapult’s base Speed stat is impressive, it has an even faster tool up its metaphorical sleeve. The Pokémon always travels with two unevolved Dreepy hiding in its horns, which are launched as weapons in battle. Various Pokédex entries describe these Dreepy as being able to travel at “match” and “sonic” speeds, giving a swift Pokémon an even faster attack. The Dragapult has even been known to use itself as a weapon, firing its body like an arrow at enemies at high speeds.

Zeraora

Base Speed: 143

The popular Mythical creature from Generation 7 games, Zeraora is one of the Pokémon with the highest base Speed stat among the over 1,000 monsters currently available. In fact, Zeraora is well-known for its swiftness, with that being mentioned in its Pokédex entries. In Ultra Moon, Zeraora is said to approach its opponents at the speed of lightning.

Getting hold of Zeraora in games is quite difficult, however, as this swift creature has only ever been made available through special and limited-time events. Despite its rarity, Zeraora is a fan-favorite Mythical creature and has even starred in its own film, called Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us. The Electric-type pocket monster is not usable in Gen 9 games, but it remains one of the quickest creatures around.

Accelgor

Base Speed: 145

Living up to its reputation as a ninja-like creature, Accelgor is one of the fastest Pokémon available right now. The Gen 5 Bug-type creature has an impressive base Speed stat of 145, which can be enhanced even further with proper training. Even with its other stats faltering a bit in potential, Accelgor is highly used in matches due to its swiftness on the field, often allowing it to strike first and grant the Trainer the upper hand.

Its status as a regular Pokémon is also beneficial to some competitive modes that do not permit rare creatures like Legendaries or Mythicals. Accelgor is unobtainable in the Scarlet and Violet games, though its future in Gen 9 is uncertain as a few more titles have yet to be released. If Accelgor is featured in upcoming releases, then it is very likely it will return to the competitive scenario once again.