Mixed
Balanced
CTier
70Speed · Below Avg

Stats & Training

Poliwrath's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with Defense doing the heavy lifting. And the 1.06M XP medium-slow curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 3 Defense stat exp.

Base Stats
High
HP90
B
Attack85
C
Defense95
B
Sp. Atk70
C
Sp. Def90
B
Speed70
C
Total500
Details
Catch Rate
Challenging45 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Slow1.06M XP
Height1.3 m
4'03"Average
Weight54.0 kg
119.0 lbsStandard
Base XP230
High Yield
Abilities
Abilities were introduced in Generation III. Shown below for reference.
Water Absorb
Absorbs water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
Damp
Prevents self destruct, explosion, and aftermath from working while the Pokémon is in battle.
Swift SwimHA
Doubles Speed during rain.
Water Absorb grants Water immunity
EV Yield
HPAtkDef+3SpASpDSpe
Strong Defense training target
Pokedex Entries

It can use its well-developed arms and legs to run on the surface of the water for a split second.

Crystal

Poliwrath Weakness

Type-wise, Poliwrath takes extra damage from Electric, Grass, Flying, and Psychic. It resists 7 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely.

Poliwrath Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic
0.5x (Resist)Fire, Water, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel
Type ChartAvg
4Weak
7Resist
0Immune
Score-1
Gen II Type Chart
  • Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
  • Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
  • Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
4xCritical
None
2xWeak
ElectricGrassFlyingPsychic
½xResist
FireWaterIceBugRockDarkSteel
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None
STAB (7)
FireGroundRockNormalIceDarkSteel
How to Beat Poliwrath in Crystal (Best Counters)

In Crystal, Skarmory's Drill Peck hits Poliwrath for 48-56%. Jolteon's Thunderbolt hits Poliwrath for 72-85%. Jynx deals 75-89% with Psychic.

Skarmory
Skarmory
SteelFlying
A
Recommended Build
ItemLeftovers
Moves
  • Drill Peck
  • RestRecovery
  • CurseSetup
  • WhirlwindUtility
Damage vs Poliwrath
Drill Peck 2x
48-56%
View Skarmory builds →

Crystal Evolution

Poliwrath is one of 2 ways Poliwhirl's chain can end. This one takes the item path, while the siblings go different directions. Breed through Poliwag to get eggs. Poliwrath and Politoed share the same 500 total stats, but they're distributed differently. Check the comparison below to see where each one specializes. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

4 Forms
Poliwag
#060Poliwag
25
Level 25
Poliwhirl
#061Poliwhirl
Poliwrath
#062PoliwrathWater Stone
Politoed
#186PolitoedTrade + Kings Rock
Stat Comparison 4 Stages
Poliwag
Water
Poliwhirl
Water
Poliwrath
WaterFighting
Politoed
Water
HP
40
65+25
90+25
90+25
ATK
50
65+15
95+30
75+10
DEF
40
65+25
95+30
75+10
SP.ATK
40
50+10
70+20
90+40
SP.DEF
40
50+10
90+40
100+50
SPE
90
90
70-20
70-20
BST
300D-Tier
385D-Tier+85
510C-Tier+125
500B-Tier+115
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Utility
Utility
Physical
Mixed

Breeding

Very Easy

Breed with Poliwrath to get Poliwag eggs easily using 37 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Haze, Mind Reader and 2 more.

Egg Groups
Water1
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
5moves
Breed With (best first)
azumarillblastoisegolduckferaligatrkingdraslowbroslowkingoctillerydewgongseadramarillquagsire
12 of 37·

Crystal Poliwrath Best Moveset

Best Build

Experimental
Utility
Ability
Not in Gen 2
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Nature
Not in Gen 2

Utility Moveset

  • Belly Drum
  • Lovely Kiss
  • Body Slam
  • Hydro PumpSTAB

Recommended Teammates

Snorlax
SnorlaxGood
Jolteon
JolteonDecent
Smeargle
SmeargleDecent

Moves

Breeding's the move. Bubble Beam and Haze give Poliwrath options it can't learn any other way, and Normal and Ice coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Hydro Pump and Dynamic Punch. The egg moves push it further.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Double Slap
—158510Normal
Lv 1
Hypnosis
C—6020Psychic
Lv 1
Submission
B808025Fighting
Lv 1
Water Gun
D4010025Water
Lv 35
Submission
B808025Fighting
Lv 51
Mind Reader
——1005Normal

TM Moves

TM
TM45
Attract
D—10015Normal
TM14
Blizzard
D120705Ice
TM03
Curse
C——10Ghost
TM40
Defense Curl
D——40Normal
TM43
Detect+4
D——5Fighting
TM32
Double Team
———15Normal
TM01
Dynamic Punch
C100505Fighting
TM26
Earthquake
A10010010Ground
TM20
Endure+4
D——10Normal
TM21
Frustration
D—10020Normal
TM02
Headbutt
D7010015Normal
TM10
Hidden Power
—6010015Normal
TM15
Hyper Beam
C150905Normal
TM33
Ice Punch
C7510015Ice
TM16
Icy Wind
D559515Ice
TM31
Mud-Slap
D2010010Ground
TM17
Protect+4
C——10Normal
TM29
Psychic
C9010010Psychic
TM18
Rain Dance
C——5Water
TM44
Rest
C——10Psychic
TM27
Return
D—10020Normal
TM08
Rock Smash
—2010015Fighting
TM35
Sleep Talk
C——10Normal
TM13
Snore
—4010015Normal
HM04
Strength
C8010015Normal
HM03
Surf
C9510015Water
TM34
Swagger
C—8515Normal
TM46
Thief
D6010025Dark
TM06
Toxic
C—8510Poison
HM07
Waterfall
—8010015Water
HM06
Whirlpool
D358515Water

Egg Moves

Egg
Egg
Bubble Beam
—6510020Water
Egg
Haze
C——30Ice
Egg
Mind Reader
——1005Normal
Egg
Mist
———30Ice
Egg
Splash
———40Normal

Tutor Moves

Tut
Tutor
Ice Beam
C9510010Ice

Reminder Moves

Rem
Rem
Belly Drum
S——10Normal
Rem
Body Slam
S8510015Normal
Rem
Bubble
—2010030Water
Rem
Hydro Pump
A120805Water
Rem
Rain Dance
C——5Water

How to Get Poliwrath in Crystal

No wild encounters for Poliwrath. The 3-stage chain runs through Poliwag, which you can catch at solid rates from the locations below. Evolve through a special method once you've got the levels.

How to Obtain Poliwrath in Crystal

To get Poliwrath, start by catching Poliwag through fishing, surfing, and more encounters at Lv. 3-44. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Poliwag
    Step 1Catch Poliwag
    Route 22
    Surfing on water Lv.5-14 Route
    90%Early
    Viridian City
    Surfing on water Lv.5-14 City
    90%Early
    Ecruteak City
    Surfing on water Lv.15-24 City
    90%Early
    Route 30
    Surfing on water Lv.15-24 Route
    90%Early
    Route 31
    Surfing on water Lv.15-24 Route
    90%Early
    Route 44
    Surfing on water Lv.15-24 Route
    90%Early
    Violet City
    Surfing on water Lv.15-24 City
    90%Early
    Route 22
    Grass Lv.3-4 Route
    40%Early
    Night
    Route 31
    Grass Lv.4 Route
    30%Early
    Night
    Route 30
    Grass Lv.4 Route
    20%Early
    Night
    Blackthorn City
    Old Rod Lv.10 City
    15%Early
    Ecruteak City
    Old Rod Lv.10 City
    15%Early
    Ilex Forest
    Old Rod Lv.10 Forest
    15%Early
    Mt. Silver - Outside
    Old Rod Lv.10 Cave
    15%Early
    Route 30
    Old Rod Lv.10 Route
    15%Early
    Route 31
    Old Rod Lv.10 Route
    15%Early
    Route 35
    Old Rod Lv.10 Route
    15%Early
    Route 44
    Old Rod Lv.10 Route
    15%Early
    Ruins of Alph - Outside
    Old Rod Lv.10 Ruins
    15%Early
    Violet City
    Old Rod Lv.10 City
    15%Early
    Route 22
    Old Rod Lv.10 Route
    15%Early
    Route 28
    Old Rod Lv.10 Route
    15%Early
    Route 6
    Old Rod Lv.10 Route
    15%Early
    Viridian City
    Old Rod Lv.10 City
    15%Early
    Blackthorn City
    Good Rod Lv.20 City
    65%Mid
    Ecruteak City
    Good Rod Lv.20 City
    65%Mid
    Ilex Forest
    Good Rod Lv.20 Forest
    65%Mid
    Mt. Silver - Outside
    Good Rod Lv.20 Cave
    65%Mid
    Route 30
    Good Rod Lv.20 Route
    65%Mid
    Route 31
    Good Rod Lv.20 Route
    65%Mid
    Route 35
    Good Rod Lv.20 Route
    65%Mid
    Route 44
    Good Rod Lv.20 Route
    65%Mid
    Ruins of Alph - Outside
    Good Rod Lv.20 Ruins
    65%Mid
    Violet City
    Good Rod Lv.20 City
    65%Mid
    Route 22
    Good Rod Lv.20 Route
    65%Mid
    Route 28
    Good Rod Lv.20 Route
    65%Mid
    Route 6
    Good Rod Lv.20 Route
    65%Mid
    Viridian City
    Good Rod Lv.20 City
    65%Mid
    Route 44
    Grass Lv.22 Route
    30%Mid
    Night
    Route 28
    Surfing on water Lv.35-44 Route
    90%Late
    Blackthorn City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    80%Late
    Ecruteak City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    80%Late
    Ilex Forest
    Super Rod Lv.40 Forest
    80%Late
    Mt. Silver - Outside
    Super Rod Lv.40 Cave
    80%Late
    Route 30
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    80%Late
    Route 31
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    80%Late
    Route 35
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    80%Late
    Ruins of Alph - Outside
    Super Rod Lv.40 Ruins
    80%Late
    Violet City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    80%Late
    Route 28
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    80%Late
    Viridian City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    80%Late
    Route 44
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    70%Late
    Route 22
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    50%Late
    Route 6
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    50%Late
    Mt. Silver - Outside
    Surfing on water Lv.35-39 Cave
    10%Late
  2. Poliwhirl
    Step 2Catch or Evolve Poliwhirl
    Route 22
    Surfing on water Lv.10-14 Route
    10%Early
    Viridian City
    Surfing on water Lv.10-14 City
    10%Early
    Ecruteak City
    Surfing on water Lv.20-24 City
    10%Mid
    Route 30
    Surfing on water Lv.20-24 Route
    10%Mid
    Route 31
    Surfing on water Lv.20-24 Route
    10%Mid
    Route 44
    Surfing on water Lv.20-24 Route
    10%Mid
    Violet City
    Surfing on water Lv.20-24 City
    10%Mid
    Route 44
    Grass Lv.24-26 Route
    10%Mid
    Night
    Mt. Silver - Outside
    Surfing on water Lv.35-44 Cave
    90%Late
    Route 28
    Grass Lv.40 Route
    40%Late
    Night
    Mt. Silver - Outside
    Grass Lv.42-44 Cave
    40%Late
    Night
    Blackthorn City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    30%Late
    Ecruteak City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    30%Late
    Ilex Forest
    Super Rod Lv.40 Forest
    30%Late
    Route 30
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    30%Late
    Route 31
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    30%Late
    Route 35
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    30%Late
    Ruins of Alph - Outside
    Super Rod Lv.40 Ruins
    30%Late
    Violet City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    30%Late
    Route 22
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    30%Late
    Route 28
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    30%Late
    Route 6
    Super Rod Lv.40 Route
    30%Late
    Viridian City
    Super Rod Lv.40 City
    30%Late
    Route 28
    Surfing on water Lv.40-44 Route
    10%Late
    or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
  3. Poliwrath
    Step 3Poliwrath ✓

Poliwrath Guide

  • In Crystal, Poliwrath brings 500 BST to the table. C-Tier on our list: a niche pick in Crystal's meta. Bellydrum with Leftovers is the standard set.

  • In Crystal, Poliwrath's biggest threats include Jolteon (Electric), Exeggutor (Grass), and Dodrio (Flying), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Psychic-type attackers are also a problem.

  • Poliwrath is a mixed attacker with base 85 Attack and 70 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 70 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many.

  • For Crystal, the core moveset is Bellydrum, Lovely Kiss, Body Slam, and Hydro Pump. Bellydrum leads at 23% usage. This set covers the balanced role with a mix of damage and utility.

  • In Crystal, the best way to handle Poliwrath: Super-effective STAB from faster Pokemon is the simplest answer. Electric, Grass, and Flying-type attackers hit hardest.

Game Availability

Present since Red & Blue, Poliwrath appears in 20 games spanning 10 generations. Gen 1 originals like Poliwrath have the longest track record of availability in the series.

Click a game to view version-specific details

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