Is Politoed Good in FireRed & LeafGreen Playthrough?
Poliwhirl trade evolution with King's Rock, blocked until the National Dex. AbilityWater Absorb gives Water immunity. Politoed is bulkier than Poliwrath but loses the Fighting coverage. Postgame-only evolution that most players never trigger.
Poliwag resists most of Brock's coverage and hits back hard.
Misty's typing presses Poliwag's defenses.
Poliwag trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Erika's team hits Poliwag's weaknesses hard.
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Koga:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Poliwhirl trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Sabrina:
Poliwrath resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Poliwhirl resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Blaine:
Poliwrath resists most of Giovanni's coverage and hits back hard.
Poliwhirl resists most of Giovanni's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Giovanni:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Lorelei's team.
Politoed trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lorelei:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Politoed has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Bruno:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.
Politoed has the type edge here and should clean up Agatha's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Agatha:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Politoed trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lance:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Terry's team.
Politoed trades roughly evenly with Terry's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Terry:
Catch Poliwhirl on Viridian City (Super Rod fishing, Lv 20-30, common).
- After Brock
- TUTORNormalMega Kick12075%5
- After Erika
- TM13IceIce Beam90100%10
- After Koga
- HM03WaterSurf135100%15
- TM01FightingFocus Punch150100%20
- After Giovanni
- TUTORNormalDouble-Edge120100%15
- TM26GroundEarthquake100100%10
- LV 51WaterHydro Pump16580%5
- Post-Game
- HM07WaterWaterfall120100%15
- TM42NormalFacade70100%20
Most players are ready to trade before reaching Koga.
- STARTING (Lv 29)
- LV 29PsychicHypnosis—60%20
- After Erika
- TM15NormalHyper Beam15090%5
- TM13IceIce Beam90100%10
- After Koga
- HM03WaterSurf135100%15
- TM01FightingFocus Punch150100%20
- After Giovanni
- TUTORNormalDouble-Edge120100%15
- TM26GroundEarthquake100100%10
- Post-Game
- HM07WaterWaterfall120100%15
- TUTORNormalBody Slam85100%15
- TM42NormalFacade70100%20
You can buy the Water Stone at the Celadon Department Store on the 4th floor (₽2,100). 1 other location is also available.
- STARTING (Lv 29)
- LV 29FightingSubmission12080%20
- After Lt. Surge
- TM31FightingBrick Break113100%15
- After Erika
- TM15NormalHyper Beam15090%5
- After Koga
- TM01FightingFocus Punch225100%20
- HM03WaterSurf135100%15
- After Giovanni
- TUTORNormalDouble-Edge120100%15
- TM26GroundEarthquake100100%10
- Post-Game
- HM07WaterWaterfall120100%15
- TUTORNormalBody Slam85100%15
- TM42NormalFacade70100%20
How to Get Politoed in FireRed & LeafGreen
Politoed needs a player trade. Catch a Poliwhirl in FRLG (fishing or evolving Poliwag), hold it a King's Rock, then trade it to another player. Solo play can't complete this one. On original GBA cartridges the trade uses a Link Cable or the Wireless Adapter. On the 2026 Nintendo Switch re-release, two Switch consoles trade over Switch local wireless — no accessory required.
Wild Politoed may be holding when caught:
Kings Rock (5% chance) An item to be held by a Pokemon. It may cause the foe to flinch upon taking damage.Catch Poliwag or Poliwhirl at any of these 13 spots to eventually evolve into Politoed.
Encountered via fishing with a Rod
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Badge 8How to Obtain Politoed in FRLG
Poliwag is your first catch on the way to Politoed. You'll find fishing encounters from Lv. 5-30 across 78 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch PoliwagCerulean Cave - 1FLv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Route 22Lv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Route 23Lv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Route 25Lv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Route 6Lv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Viridian CityLv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Cape BrinkLv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Four IslandLv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Ruin ValleyLv.5-15Good RodRate 60%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Route 22Lv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Route 23Lv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Route 25Lv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Route 6Lv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Viridian CityLv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Cape BrinkLv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Four IslandLv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Ruin ValleyLv.15-25Super RodRate 40%Icefall Cave - 1F Room 1Lv.5-15Good RodIcefall Cave - 1F Room 1Lv.15-25Super RodFuchsia CityLv.5-15Good RodRate 20%Safari Zone - CenterLv.5-15Good RodRate 20%Safari Zone - EastLv.5-15Good RodRate 20%Safari Zone - NorthLv.5-15Good RodRate 20%Safari Zone - WestLv.5-15Good RodRate 20%Berry ForestLv.5-15Good RodRate 20%
Step 2Catch or Evolve PoliwhirlCerulean Cave - 1FLv.20-30Super RodRate 40%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.20-30Super RodRate 40%Route 22Lv.20-30Super RodRate 40%Route 23Lv.20-30Super RodRate 40%or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Step 3Politoed ✓
Politoed Weakness
Type-wise, Politoed takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Politoed's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
What is Politoed Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Politoed
In FireRed & LeafGreen, Camerupt can KO Politoed with Explosion (93-110%). Torkoal's Explosion hits Politoed for 62-73%.
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityMagmaarmor ItemLeftovers NatureBrave Moves
Damage vs Politoed View Camerupt builds →Earthquake37-44% Explosion93-110%KO Fire Blast15-17% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWhitesmoke ItemLeftovers NatureQuiet Moves
Damage vs Politoed View Torkoal builds →Flamethrower12-15% Explosion62-73% Overheat18-21% Body Slam21-25% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Politoed View Flareon builds →Shadow Ball28-34% Overheat14-16% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Politoed View Ninetales builds →Flamethrower12-14% Overheat17-21% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySuctioncups ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Politoed View Octillery builds →Surf14-17% Ice Beam14-17% Flamethrower14-17% | ||
Politoed Evolutions
Politoed is one of 2 ways Poliwhirl's chain can end. This one takes the trade route, while the siblings go different directions. Breed through Poliwag to get eggs. Poliwrath has 10 more total stats, but Politoed makes up for it with a stronger Sp.Def gain (+60 from Poliwag). View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Politoed to get Poliwag eggs easily using 58 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Haze, Ice Ball and 4 more.
FRLG Politoed Best Moveset
90 Sp. Atk with 100 Sp. Def and AbilityWater Absorb healing from Water moves. Pure Water with good special bulk. The moveset plays defensive Water with MoveSurf for TermStab and MoveIce Beam for coverage, plus MoveHypnosis for sleep support. Outclassed by Vaporeon for raw bulk but brings Hypnosis.
Best Build
Politoed best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Hypnosis
- Thief
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The egg pool carries weight here. Bubble Beam and Haze aren't available any other way for Politoed, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Hydro Pump and Surf for solid options.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
Whenever three or more of these get together, they sing in a loud voice that sounds like bellowing.
If POLIWAG and POLIWHIRL hear its echoing cry, they respond by gathering from far and wide.
Politoed FireRed & LeafGreen Guide
Politoed is obtained by trade-evolving Poliwhirl. Catch or evolve a Poliwhirl first, then trade. Trade needs a Game Boy Advance link cable and a second GBA running another Gen 3 game (FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald). Trade Poliwhirl to a friend, then have them trade it back. The 2026 Switch re-release supports the same trade through local wireless on the Pokemon Center 2F Wireless Club, with no cables required. The Kings Rock must be held during the trade. In FireRed and LeafGreen, Kings Rock is post-game only. Pick it up at Sevault Canyon on Seven Island or win it as a prize for clearing Mixed Mode in Trainer Tower. Both spots unlock after entering the Hall of Fame and getting the Rainbow Pass from Celio on One Island. You can also bring one over from Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald.
Game Availability
Politoed has been available in 17 games since Gold & Silver, though obtaining it requires a trade evolution. This extra step makes it less common than Pokemon found through standard wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves