Stats & Training
The stat budget goes to damage. Speed and Attack carry the offense, Sp. Def doesn't even come close. A Swallow Pokemon on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve, worth 2 Speed EVs per KO.
If its two tail feathers are standing at attention, it is proof of good health. It soars elegantly in the sky.
If its two tail feathers are standing at attention, it is proof of good health. It soars elegantly in the sky.
Swellow Weakness
Electric, Ice, and Rock moves hit Swellow for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground and Ghost-type moves can't touch it at all. At base 125 Speed, Swellow outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground, Ghost |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
In FireRed & LeafGreen, Magneton can KO Swellow with Thunderbolt (202-238%). Breloom's Mach Punch hits Swellow for 38-45%. Regice's Ice Beam also KOs at 164-194%.
 Magneton ElectricSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemMagnet NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Swellow View Magneton builds →Thunderbolt 2x202-238%KO | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityEffect Spore ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Swellow View Breloom builds →Mach Punch38-45% | ||
 Regice Ice | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityClearbody ItemLeftovers NatureQuiet Moves
Damage vs Swellow View Regice builds →Ice Beam 2x164-194%KO Thunderbolt 2x110-129%KO Explosion71-84% | ||
 Raikou Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Swellow View Raikou builds →Thunderbolt 2x179-211%KO | ||
 | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityPure Power ItemSalacberry NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Swellow View Medicham builds →Rock Slide 2x58-69% | ||
FireRed & LeafGreen Evolution
Evolved from Taillow. Swellow is the final form in this two-stage line. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. Sp.Atk grew the most through evolution (+45 over Taillow), and Swellow peaks at 455 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Swellow to get Taillow eggs easily using 25 partners from the Flying egg group. Notable egg moves include Mirror Move, Pursuit, Rage and 3 more.
FireRed & LeafGreen Swellow Best Moveset
Prediction matters here. Choice Band means Swellow can't change moves after clicking, but the payoff is raw power at the cost of move flexibility. Max Attack and Speed EVs with Guts back that up. Double STAB prevents free switches.
Best Build
Swellow best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Aerial Ace
- Facade
- Baton Pass
- Endeavor
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Swellow misses out on Mirror Move and Pursuit. That's 6 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hyper Beam and Sky Attack, with Steel and Dark coverage rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Swellow in FireRed & LeafGreen
Swellow can't be caught in FireRed & LeafGreen. Transfer Taillow from Ruby, Emerald, or Omega Ruby and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Swellow in FireRed & LeafGreen
Step 1Obtain TaillowCatch in the wild in:
Then trade to FireRed & LeafGreen to continue the evolution chain.
Also found in:
Step 2Swellow ✓
Swellow Guide
For FireRed & LeafGreen, we rate Swellow C-Tier: a niche pick in FireRed & LeafGreen's meta. At 455 BST, it fits the pivot role. Aerialace with Choice Band is the standard set.
Guts increases Attack to 1.5× with a major status ailment. That's the one you want on Swellow. Scrappy is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Base 125 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Swellow is a physical attacker with base 85 Attack. Best used as a pivot.
In FireRed & LeafGreen, run Aerialace, Facade, Baton Pass, and Endeavor on Swellow. Aerialace is the most common pick at 16% usage. Facade provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Available in 14 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Swellow spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in a solid number of games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
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 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves