Stats & Training
The stat budget goes to damage. Attack and Sp. Atk carry the offense, Defense doesn't even come close. A Puppy Pokemon on a slow 1.25M XP grind, worth 1 Attack EV per KO.
It has a brave and trustworthy nature. It fearlessly stands up to bigger and stronger foes.
It’s very friendly and faithful to people. It will try to repel enemies by barking and biting.
Growlithe Weakness
Type-wise, Growlithe takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
 Gyarados Water | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Gyarados builds →Hydro Pump 2x112-132%KO Aqua Tail 2x176-208%KO Surf 2x92-108%KO Waterfall 2x157-185%KO | ||
 Glimmora RockPoison | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Glimmora builds →Power Gem 2x151-178%KO Rock Slide 2x78-92% Ancient Power 2x113-134%KO Rock Throw 2x52-62% | ||
 Quaquaval WaterFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Quaxly (Cabo Poco Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Quaquaval builds →Wave Crash 2x225-265%KO Surf 2x119-141%KO Liquidation 2x161-189%KO Aqua Cutter 2x133-157%KO | ||
 Cloyster WaterIce | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Cloyster builds →Hydro Pump 2x145-171%KO Surf 2x119-141%KO Razor Shell 2x118-138%KO Water Gun 2x55-65% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Vaporeon builds →Hydro Pump 2x178-210%KO Muddy Water 2x147-173%KO Surf 2x147-173%KO Water Pulse 2x100-118%KO | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, Greninja can KO Growlithe with Surf (125-147%). Excadrill threatens a KO with Earthquake (104-123%).
 Greninja WaterDark | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityBattlebond ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Greninja builds →Dark Pulse55-65% Ice Beam21-24% Surf 2x125-147%KO U Turn9-10% | ||
 Excadrill GroundSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x104-123%KO Rapid Spin18-21% | ||
 Dondozo Water | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Dondozo builds →
| ||
Glimmora RockPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityToxicdebris ItemRed Card NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Glimmora builds →Power Gem 2x83-98% | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Krookodile builds →Earthquake 2x95-112%KO Knock Off31-36% Close Combat38-45% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
Growlithe doesn't evolve by leveling. You'll need an evolution item to push it forward to Arcanine. Evolving adds up to 205 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Growlithe easily with 206 breeding partners from the Ground egg group. Pass egg moves like Covet, Double Kick, Double-Edge and 3 more to offspring.
Scarlet & Violet Growlithe Best Moveset
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Growlithe with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. Spread EVs and Bold nature maximize that, and Intimidate handles the rest.
Best Build
Growlithe best EVs are Defense and Sp. Def
Bulky Support Moveset
- Morning Sun
- Will O Wisp
- Wild Charge
- Flare Blitz
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Morning Sun
- Roar
- Heat Wave
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The egg pool carries weight here. Covet and Double Kick aren't available any other way for Growlithe, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Overheat and Flare Blitz for solid options.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Scarlet & Violet Growlithe Locations
moderate rates across 10 locations for Growlithe in mid-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations to Catch Growlithe in Scarlet & Violet
Growlithe appears in 10 walking locations at Lv. 17-65 across Scarlet and Violet. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Growlithe Guide
Growlithe is meant to evolve into Arcanine. At 350 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Intimidate is what you want on Growlithe. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Flash Fire, Justified) work on paper but Intimidate is what makes Growlithe worth using.
At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Growlithe is leaning toward the physical side (base 70 Attack). Defensively? Fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
For Scarlet & Violet, you can run Growlithe through the first few routes without issues. 350 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Arcanine as fast as you can.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Growlithe has appeared in 21 titles over 10 generations. Along the way, it received a Hisuian form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLAHisuian
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves