You don't have to be a Psychic-Type to be an intelligent Pokémon. There are those that can learn a human profession, build and pilot elaborate spaceships, and speak human speech. Some can do things even Psychic-Types can't, with one possessing more intelligence than all the Psychic-Types combined. Another shows proof of remarkable brainpower while also managing to appear rather stupid.
Across the anime and movies, there are all kinds of intelligence on display from non-Psychic-Type Pokémon, including tactical, emotional, and artificial, proving that it's not only the mind-twisters and spoon-benders that have high levels of intellect.
10 Porygon Consist Entirely Of Programming Code
Porygon is a man-made Pokémon that was created through computer programming. Its ability to convert its body into digital data means it can travel through cyberspace, where it goes around checking to make sure no suspicious data exists. Given its digital makeup, it doesn't require food or oxygen, freeing it from the limitations of biological species. In addition, using its Conversion move, Porygon can take on the appearance of other Pokémon.
9 Chansey Learn How To Become Nurses
Chansey is used at Pokémon Centers in most of the regions, owing to its kindhearted and caring nature. In "Ignorance Is Blissey", Episode 13 of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys, during Jessie's flashback, Chansey are seen learning how to become nurses at Nurse Joy's nursing school.
The ability to study the nursing profession and then become a nurse and attend to the varying needs of injured Pokémon requires a high level of intelligence.
8 Lucario Can Read Minds By Sensing Auras
All Pokémon can understand humans to an extent, but few can understand them at the level of Lucario, which can even communicate with humans telepathically through its ability to sense auras. This also allows it to predict opponents' movements, giving it a big advantage in battle. A highly capable Pokémon with a strong sense of justice, Lucario's monastic nature makes it seem like a Pokémon that is capable of speaking but simply chooses not to.
7 Ditto Are Mysterious And Highly Intelligent Beings
Ditto's Transform ability means it can take on the appearance and type of other Pokémon, as well as any physical object it chooses. To prevent being attacked, it transforms into a rock when it wants to sleep. Given its similarities to Mew, it is considered to be a failed clone of the Mythical Psychic-Type Pokémon.
Although this has been alluded to in the games, it has never been officially confirmed in the anime. If this were true, it would mean Ditto possesses a semblance of Mew's intelligence, if not just as much. In any case, for a Normal-Type, Ditto is remarkably intelligent.
6 Clefairy Build And Pilot Their Own Spacecrafts
Clefairy may look like an unassuming Fairy-Type Pokémon, but as seen in "Clefairy Tales", Episode 62 of the anime, Clefairy are capable of building and piloting their own spaceships. When their craft crash-lands near Viridian City, the Clefairy steal household items, including Jigglypuff's marker microphone,in order to repair it. After capturing Pikachu and putting him in a glass prison that's hooked up to the craft, the Clefairy utilize his Thundershock ability to get the ship moving. Using a skyscraper as a ramp, the ship blasts off into space.
5 Lapras Are A Lot More Than Just Pokémon Ferries
Based on the Loch Ness monster, Lapras is able to understand human speech beyond instructions during battle, unlike most Pokémon. Some Lapras are even able to communicate with humans using Telepathy.
While some see it as nothing more than a means of transportation to get across the sea, Lapras is an intelligent creature in its own right that just happens to enjoy ferrying people across bodies of water on its back.
4 Dragonite Are Multifaceted Pokémon With Complex Emotions
Dragonite is a complex Pokémon. While kindhearted and altruistic, it can go into a violent rampage if its environment is threatened. There is no question that the Dragon-Type Pokémon is intelligent. It has shown on numerous occasions in the anime and movies, even taking on the role of a mail carrier in Mewtwo Strikes Back, that it has a level of intelligence beyond that of most Pokémon even though it's not a Psychic-Type.
3 Darkrai Is A Fascinating, Misunderstood, and Intelligent Pokémon
Darkrai's appearance and the fact that it causes people to have nightmares make it seem sinister and malicious, but this is done purely out of self-defense. Darkrai can also become a shadow to escape danger, take the form of any human being, and is capable of human speech, as seen in Pokémon: The Rise Of Darkrai, when it tells everyone to get away from Alamos Town, which the misunderstood Pokémon tries to protect.
2 Arceus Possesses Otherworldly Knowledge
As a Pokémon god, Arceus possesses a higher intelligence, the all-encompassing knowledge required to create worlds and possibly the entire Pokémon universe. Although it is capable of using Psychic-Type moves by holding a Mind Plate, it is fundamentally a Normal-Type. Known as "The Original One", Arceus is purported to be the creator of all Pokémon, which in essence means it bears the intelligence of Mew, Mewtwo, Alakazam, the creation trio, the lake guardians, and every other Pokémon in existence.
1 Meowth Taught Himself To Walk and Talk Like A Human
Given his attraction to shiny, round objects, and the fact that he's a member of the ever-blundering Team Rocket, Meowth isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. It is still capable of using human language and walking upright, portraying a high level of intelligence.
Wanting to become more human-like to impress a female Meowth, Meowth snuck into a speech class and studied a children's picture book to learn how to talk. When he went back to her after his transformation, however, she rejected him, prompting Meowth to join Team Rocket with the hopes of becoming rich and famous and getting revenge for having his heart broken.