Honestly, if you’re trying to build a winning team, you can’t just ignore the letter C. It’s weirdly stacked. Think about it. Some of the most centralizing, "meta-breaking" monsters in the history of the franchise all share this initial. We aren't just talking about cute starters like Cyndaquil, though he's a legend in his own right. We’re talking about the heavy hitters that make top-tier players sweat during team preview.
Pokemon that start with C represent a massive chunk of the Pokedex, spanning from the Kanto OG days all the way to the Paldea region. But it isn’t just about the sheer number of them. It’s the quality. You’ve got Calyrex-Shadow, arguably the most broken legendary ever conceived, sitting right next to utility kings like Corviknight. If you don't have a plan for the "C" squad, you're basically asking to lose your rank on the ladder.
The Absolute Power of the Calyrex Forms
Let's just address the giant, glowing deer in the room. Calyrex. Specifically, Calyrex-Shadow Rider.
It's fast. Like, terrifyingly fast. With a base Speed of 150 and a Special Attack stat of 165, it doesn't just "hit" things; it erases them from existence. Its signature move, Astral Barrage, is a 120-base power Ghost-type move that hits both opponents in Doubles with zero drawbacks. No accuracy checks to worry about. No recharge turns. Just pure, unadulterated chaos.
Most people don't realize how much the "As One" ability changed the game. It combines Unnerve and Grim Neigh. This means your opponent can't eat their Sitrus Berry to survive a hit, and every time Calyrex gets a K.O., its Special Attack goes up. It snowballs faster than almost any other creature in Pokemon history.
Then you have the Ice Rider version. It's the complete opposite—a slow, bulky tank that thrives under Trick Room. Glacial Lance is essentially the physical, Ice-type version of Astral Barrage. If you've ever been on the receiving end of a Choice Banded Glacial Lance, you know the feeling of hopelessness that follows. These two forms alone make the "C" category a nightmare for balance.
Why Chien-Pao and Chi-Yu Changed Everything in Gen 9
The Treasures of Ruin. That's what they're called.
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When Pokemon Scarlet and Violet dropped, these two "C" names fundamentally warped the math of the game. Chien-Pao has the Sword of Ruin ability, which automatically cuts the Defense of every other Pokemon on the field by 25%. It doesn't matter how much training you put into your physical walls; Chien-Pao just deletes that progress by existing.
Chi-Yu does the same thing for Special Defense with its Beads of Ruin.
Have you ever seen a goldfish melt a Primal Kyogre? It shouldn't happen. It defies the laws of nature. But Chi-Yu’s Fire Blast, boosted by its ability and maybe a Choice Spec, hits like a literal nuclear secondary. These aren't just strong Pokemon; they are "enablers." They make their teammates better just by standing next to them. This is why you see them in almost every high-level VGC (Video Game Championships) tournament.
The Defensive Backbone: Corviknight and Clefable
It’s not all about raw damage, though. Sometimes you just need someone to take a hit.
Corviknight is the gold standard for "Steel/Flying" types. Before it arrived in Galar, Skarmory held that crown for decades. But Corviknight brought Mirror Armor to the table. If an opponent tries to lower your stats—say, with Intimidate or a Max Phantasm—Corviknight just reflects that debuff right back at them. It’s the ultimate "no u" card.
And then there's Clefable.
Clefable is the Swiss Army knife of Pokemon. Magic Guard is one of the best abilities ever programmed into the game. It makes Clefable immune to indirect damage. Life Orb recoil? Ignored. Stealth Rock? Doesn't care. Toxic poison? Just a status condition that doesn't actually hurt. You can run it as a physical wall, a special sweeper with Calm Mind, or a pure support piece with Follow Me and Helping Hand.
The Weird Mid-Tier Legends
Not every "C" Pokemon is a world-beater, but some have niches that are just too cool to ignore.
- Cloyster: The king of the Shell Smash. One turn of setup and this thing becomes a multi-hit monster with Skill Link. Icicle Spear and Rock Blast hitting five times every single time? It breaks Focus Sashes and Sturdy abilities like they’re nothing.
- Chandelure: It has one of the highest non-legendary Special Attack stats in the game. It looks like a chandelier, but it hits like a freight train made of ghost fire.
- Cinderace: The Gen 8 starter that ruined everyone's day with Libero. Changing your type every time you use a move is a mechanic that is notoriously hard to predict.
What People Get Wrong About Charizard
We have to talk about the dragon. Well, the "not-actually-a-dragon" dragon.
Charizard is the most famous Pokemon starting with C, arguably more famous than even Cinderace or Celebi. But here is the thing: Charizard has actually been pretty bad for a lot of its life. Without a Mega Evolution (Charizard X or Y) or a Gigantamax form, it struggles.
Its base stats are actually quite mediocre by modern standards.
The only reason Charizard stays relevant is through sheer "gimmick" support from Game Freak. In the Sun, with the Solar Power ability, it can be a menace. But the moment the weather changes or someone throws a Rock-type move (which deals 4x damage), Charizard is cooked. It’s the classic example of a Pokemon that relies on external factors to be "S-Tier."
The Underestimated Power of Chansey
If you played the competitive scene back in the 90s or early 2000s, you know the true meaning of frustration. That meaning is Chansey.
Even though Blissey exists as an evolution, Chansey with an Eviolite item is actually bulkier on the special side. It is a pink blob of pure annoyance. It sits there, it uses Soft-Boiled to heal, it throws out Seismic Toss for consistent damage, and it waits for you to forfeit out of pure boredom. It’s a stall tactic that has stood the test of time.
Misconceptions and Hidden Gems
Most players focus on the big names, but there are some "C" Pokemon that have weirdly specific uses that catch people off guard.
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Take Crawdaunt, for example. On paper, it looks slow and fragile. But it has the Adaptability ability, which doubles the power of its Water and Dark moves. A Crabhammer from a Choice Banded Crawdaunt is one of the hardest-hitting physical attacks in the entire game. It can knock out neutral targets that you’d think would easily survive.
Then there is Comfey. It looks like a literal lei of flowers. You’d think it’s useless. But its Triage ability gives +3 priority to healing moves. This means it can use Floral Healing or Giga Drain before almost any other move in the game, including Extreme Speed. In a doubles format, Comfey can keep a teammate alive through sheer speed of healing. It’s a niche, but it’s a terrifying one when used correctly.
The Full List of Notable "C" Names
If you're building a "Letter C" themed team (which is a fun challenge, by the way), here is the roster you should be looking at. This isn't every single one—because nobody needs a deep dive on Cascoon—but these are the ones that actually matter for your Pokedex or your battle team.
- Calyrex (Shadow and Ice) - The current kings of the Uber tier.
- Celebi - The original time-traveling mythical. Hard to use because of its seven weaknesses, but still iconic.
- Chien-Pao - The physical "Ruin" legend that makes Defense stats irrelevant.
- Chi-Yu - The special "Ruin" legend that burns through everything.
- Cinderace - High-speed, type-shifting starter.
- Clefable - The most reliable Fairy type in the game.
- Corviknight - The ultimate defensive pivot.
- Cresselia - The bulkier-than-thou lunar legendary.
- Cobalion - One of the Swords of Justice, great for its Steel/Fighting typing.
- Cyclizar - The reason Shed Tail had to be nerfed (or banned in Smogon formats).
How to Actually Use This Info
If you want to dominate with Pokemon that start with C, you need to understand synergy. You can't just slap six high-power attackers together.
- Pairing the Ruins: If you're using Chi-Yu, pair it with a fast Special Attacker like Flutter Mane. The Beads of Ruin drop the opponent's SpDef, making Flutter Mane's Moonblast an instant K.O.
- The Shed Tail Strategy: Use Cyclizar. It’s the fastest user of Shed Tail. You create a Substitute and swap out to a setup sweeper like Ceruledge or Cloyster. This gives your "C" sweeper a free turn to boost its stats without taking damage.
- Counter-Meta with Cetitan: In a Snow team (formerly Hail), Cetitan with Slush Rush becomes incredibly fast and hits like a truck. It’s an underrated physical attacker that most people forget about until they’re being swept by an Icicle Crash.
The real trick to mastering this specific slice of the Pokedex is realizing that "C" contains some of the best support moves in the game. From Clefable’s "Follow Me" to Comfey’s "Triage," you have the tools to dictate the pace of the battle.
Stop looking at them as just individual monsters. Start looking at how they interact with the current rulesets. Whether you're playing Regulation G in Scarlet and Violet or just trying to beat your friends in a casual battle, the "C" lineup offers more versatility than almost any other letter in the alphabet.
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Next time you're looking at your boxes, give that Crawdaunt or that Corviknight a second look. They might just be the missing piece to your perfect team. Go check your PC boxes right now and see which of these you’ve been sleeping on. Optimize their EVs for Speed and their primary attacking stat, and get them onto the ladder. You'll be surprised how many games you can steal just by using the raw power of the "C" category.