Physical
Balanced
DTier
15Speed · Very Slow

Stats & Training

Pineco's spread isn't flashy. Defense leads, Speed trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Defense EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
Below
HP50
D
Attack65
C
Defense90
B
Sp. Atk35
F
Sp. Def35
F
Speed15
F
Total290
Details
Catch Rate
Easy190 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Fast1M XP
Height0.6 m
2'00"Small
Weight7.2 kg
15.9 lbsFeather
Base XP58
Low Yield
Abilities
Sturdy
Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO moves regardless of HP.
OvercoatHANot in game
Protects against damage from weather.
EV Yield
HPAtkDef+1SpASpDSpe
Defense training source
Pokedex Entries

PINECO hangs from a tree branch and patiently waits for prey to come along. If the POKéMON is disturbed while eating by someone shaking its tree, it drops down to the ground and explodes with no warning.

Pineco Weakness

Pineco is weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock. Pineco's physical bulk (base 90 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.

Pineco Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Fire, Flying, Rock
0.5x (Resist)Grass, Fighting, Ground
Type ChartAvg
3Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Score-3
Gen III Type Chart
  • Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
  • Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
4xCritical
None
2xWeak
FireFlyingRock
½xResist
GrassFightingGround
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None
STAB (3)
GrassPsychicDark
How to Beat Pineco in Ruby & Sapphire (Best Counters)

In Ruby & Sapphire, Salamence's Rock Slide hits Pineco for 64-76%. Charizard threatens a KO with Fire Blast (294-346%).

Salamence
Salamence
DragonFlying
S
Recommended Build
AbilityIntimidate
ItemLeftovers
NatureRash
Moves
  • Brick Break
  • Hidden Power Flying
  • Earthquake
  • Rock Slide
Damage vs Pineco
Earthquake
21-25%
Rock Slide 2x
64-76%
View Salamence builds →

Ruby & Sapphire Evolution

Pineco evolves into Forretress. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 175 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Pineco
#204Pineco
31
Level 31
Forretress
#205Forretress
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Pineco
Bug
Forretress
BugSteel
HP
50
75+25
ATK
65
90+25
DEF
90
140+50
SP.ATK
35
60+25
SP.DEF
35
60+25
SPE
15
40+25
BST
290C-Tier
465B-Tier+175
ROLE
Balanced
Trick Room
TYPE
Physical
Physical

Breeding

Very Easy

Breed Pineco easily with 37 breeding partners from the Bug egg group. Pass egg moves like Counter, Flail, Pin Missile and 3 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Bug
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
6moves
Breed With (best first)
flygonmasquerainvolbeatillumiseparasectvibravaparastrapinchsurskitshuckleforretressvenomoth
12 of 37·

Ruby & Sapphire Pineco Best Moveset

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

Moves

Egg moves make a real difference. Pineco gets Counter and Flail exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Normal and Ground coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Pin Missile.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Protect+4
C——10Normal
Lv 1
Tackle
—3510035Normal
Lv 8
Self-Destruct
B2001005Normal
Lv 15
Take Down
D908520Normal
Lv 22
Rapid Spin
D5010040Normal
Lv 29
Bide+1
———10Normal
Lv 36
Explosion
B2501005Normal
Lv 43
Spikes
C——20Ground
Lv 50
Double-Edge
C12010015Normal

TM Moves

TM
TM45
Attract
——10015Normal
TM28
Dig
—6010010Ground
TM32
Double Team
———15Normal
TM26
Earthquake
C10010010Ground
TM42
Facade
D7010020Normal
TM21
Frustration
——10020Normal
TM19
Giga Drain
D751005Grass
TM10
Hidden Power
—6010015Normal
TM16
Light Screen
C——30Psychic
TM17
Protect+4
C——10Normal
TM33
Reflect
D——20Psychic
TM44
Rest
C——10Psychic
TM27
Return
D—10020Normal
HM06
Rock Smash
—2010015Fighting
TM37
Sandstorm
———10Rock
TM43
Secret Power
—7010020Normal
TM22
Solar Beam
D12010010Grass
HM04
Strength
—8010015Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
C——5Fire
TM06
Toxic
C—8510Poison

Egg Moves

Egg
Egg
Counter-5
D—10020Fighting
Egg
Flail
D—10015Normal
Egg
Pin Missile
—149520Bug
Egg
Reflect
D——20Psychic
Egg
Sand Tomb
—358515Ground
Egg
Swift
—60—20Normal

Tutor Moves

Pineco can't learn any Tutor moves

How to Get Pineco in Ruby & Sapphire

Pineco can't be caught in Ruby & Sapphire. Bring it over from Gold, Crystal, or Diamond instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.

Pineco is not available as a wild encounter in this game.

Catch in the wild in:

EmeraldWalking · Altering Cave

Then trade to Ruby & Sapphire.

Also found in:

GoldCrystalDiamond

Pineco Guide

  • Pineco evolves into Forretress at level 31. One evolution, no branching. Solid jump from 290 BST.

  • Pineco evolves into Forretress at level 31. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.

  • In Ruby & Sapphire, Pineco does the job early-game if you need a Bug type on your team. Evolve it into Forretress before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.

  • Pineco is catchable in Ruby & Sapphire. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 15 other games across the series.

Game Availability

Pineco first appeared in Gold & Silver and has been available in 16 games across 9 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.

Click a game to view version-specific details

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