The best secondary typings for Psychic types

Psychics have long been considered one of the most powerful types around Pokemon. In the first generation it was almost unstoppable and had few weaknesses. Over the years this has changed significantly and they are now not quite as overpowering. However, they still have a lot to offer.

A significant portion of supporting moves are Psychic-type, and most Psychic-type Pokémon have a large movepool of non-psychic moves, making them perfect for both cover and support. One of the most important factors that determines what they have access to is their secondary type, and some are much better than others.

Updated on December 4, 2024 by Hamza Haq: The Psychic typing has lost momentum in the Pokémon scene over the years due to a lack of variety in both the Pokémon and the attacks assigned to them. Fortunately, this is a problem that can be solved by mixing and adding other excellent typings into the mix to give Psychic the push it needs to become mainstream again. The most recent generations of Pokémon have gradually introduced new, unused dual typings for Psychics and other Pokémon types, slowly closing the gaps.

9 Psychic/Normal

Pokémon with this typing: 6

Normal is undoubtedly the most versatile input there is Pokemonwith an absolutely massive move pool that gives Pokémon with this typing a hard-to-achieve advantage. A clear disadvantage, however, is that no Pokémon is weak to a normal attack. Combined with the fact that Psychic doesn't really shine as an offensive-type, Pokémon in this category often have to rely on defense to maintain the upper hand. Luckily, Psychic/Normal is great for defense since it only has 2 weaknesses and none of them are 4x.

Meloetta is by far the strongest Pokémon with this typing, although that's not because of the typing itself, but rather because of her ability to come out of it on command. Still, even in her base form (Aria), Meleotta is not a threat to be taken lightly, as she has excellent special attacks and access to moves like Psychic and Hyper Voice. Wyrdeer and Oranguru are other examples of Pokémon with the Psychic/Normal typing. Both are useful in certain scenarios, but nothing really out of the ordinary.

8 Psychic/Dragon

Pokémon with this typing: 3

Similar to the clairvoyant, the dragon has long been considered a very powerful type. In fact, it was so powerful that the Fairy type was added in Generation 6 to balance it out somewhat. Combining the two of course makes for a powerful combination, and in fact, Psychic/Dragon-type Pokémon have access to some powerful attacks.

However, they come with some disadvantages. Although they have a solid 6 resistances, they also have 6 weaknesses, meaning they can't do much without getting hit by something unfriendly. However, the only Pokémon that currently have this type are Latios and Latias, which have a great combination of speed and mass.

7 Psychic/Fighting

Pokémon with this typing: 4

The combination of traditionally opposite types often leads to exciting results. Fire/water, for example, is a fantastic combination. However, the same cannot be said for psychic/combat. Pokémon that have it often look pretty cool, like Gallade, but don't have much to offer functionally.

The problem is that most psychic attacks are special attacks, while combat attacks are physical in nature. This means that most Pokemon won't be able to invest in both stats effectively unless players are willing to use low-quality moves like Psycho Cut or Aura Sphere.

6 Psychic/Fire

Pokémon with this typing: 4

For players looking for an offensive-oriented Psychic-type Pokémon, Fire is a good place to look for secondary types. Fire is traditionally a very aggressive type, with little to no interest in non-attacking moves. In addition, the Burn status condition halves the opponent's attack, so it also works defensively.

Fire performs slightly better than dragons when it comes to type composition. This guy only has 5 weaknesses, which is still quite a lot, but he does have 7 resistances. It's still likely to get into trouble with a well-rounded team, but the chances of coming out unscathed are slightly greater.

5 Psychic/Flying

Pokémon with this typing: 9

Flying is generally a fairly balanced species. Because there are so many flying Pokémon, they can be both aggressive and defensive, and even have some support abilities. They are also traditionally a very fast guy, which is always a plus regardless of whether players want attack or support.

Unfortunately, it doesn't perform particularly well in type matches. 5 weaknesses are difficult to combat, especially when there are only 3 resistances to back it up. One of them is a four-fold resistance, which is nice, although no trainer is going to put a Fighting-type Pokémon against a Psychic Pokémon anyway.

4 Psychic/Dark

Pokémon with this typing: 3

Similar to Fighting, Psychic and Dark are two types that seem diametrically opposed to each other. In this case, however, this combination of types creates an interesting scenario. For one, Dark is another guy with a pretty big movepool full of aggressive and defensive moves.

The type matches are pretty weird too. On the surface, two weaknesses and no resistances sound like a bad thing, especially when one of them is a fourfold weakness. However, it also enjoys immunity to the dark type. It's a strange situation and one of the few combinations in the franchise that is immune to itself.

3 Psychic/Fairy

Pokémon with this typing: 9

Since the introduction of the Fairy-type in Generation 6, one of its most popular pairings has been with Psychic-types. The visual style of the two types often matches, making it easy to retroactively assign the Fairy type to many ancient Psychic-type Pokémon.

It performs fairly well on the battlefield, being neutral to the vast majority of attacks. It only has 3 weaknesses, which is a manageable number. It has 2 resistors, one of which is a 4x resistor. This means players will have to deal with neutral attacks most of the time, making things far more predictable.

2 Psychic/Poison

Pokémon with this typing: 3

Poison is not a type that has received much attention in the Pokémon scene over the years, but with the introduction of the incredibly powerful Fairy typing, which Poison is extremely effective against, the typing has become more important than ever. Psychic/Poison Pokémon only have three weaknesses and resist four types, making them one of the most balanced dual-types in the game.

Only three Pokémon have the Psychic/Poison typing: Galarian Slowbro, Galarian Slowking, and Monkidori. All are viable in the competitive scene, albeit for different reasons. Monkidori is by far the most offensively capable of the three, relying on special moves like Psychic and Mud Bomb to prevail. Galarian Slowking is one of the best defensive Pokémon in certain situations, thanks to its excellent defense stats, immunity to poison, and extremely useful Regenerator ability.

1 Psychic/Steel

Pokémon with this typing: 9

By far one of the best type combinations in the entire franchise. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Psychic/Steel-type Pokémon almost impenetrable walls. Psychics can be used very effectively as a defensive type, pairing well with the best defensive type in the game.

With only 2 weaknesses and a whopping 9 resistances, opponents will have very few options to easily get rid of it. A Pokemon like Bronzong is guaranteed to enjoy extreme longevity in the competitive battle scene. They may not hit as hard as other combos, but that doesn't matter when they can stay on the battlefield forever.