
Is Primeape Good in FireRed & LeafGreen Playthrough?
Sleep can't touch Primeape thanks to AbilityVital Spirit. Fast Fighting coverage handles Brock, Giovanni, and Lorelei without worrying about being put to sleep mid-fight. The Speed means Primeape usually strikes first. Falls off against Sabrina and Agatha where Psychic and Ghost dominate. Strong through five of eight gyms.
Mankey has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Misty's typing presses Mankey's defenses.
Mankey trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Erika's typing presses Mankey's defenses.
Koga's typing presses Primeape's defenses.
Sabrina's team hits Primeape's weaknesses hard.
Primeape has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Primeape has the type edge here and should clean up Giovanni's team.
Primeape has the type edge here and should clean up Lorelei's team.
Primeape has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Agatha's team hits Primeape's weaknesses hard.
Primeape trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Primeape trades roughly evenly with Terry's team.
Catch Mankey on Route 3 (walking, Lv 7, uncommon).
- After Brock
- TUTORNormalMega Kick12075%5
- After Lt. Surge
- TM31FightingBrick Break113100%15
- LV 31FightingCross Chop15080%5
- After Koga
- TM01FightingFocus Punch225100%20
- LV 46NormalThrash120100%10
- After Giovanni
- TM50FireOverheat13090%5
- TUTORNormalDouble-Edge120100%15
- TM26GroundEarthquake100100%10
- Post-Game
- TUTORNormalBody Slam85100%15
- TM42NormalFacade70100%20
Your Mankey should hit Level 28 before you reach Koga, at typical leveling pace.
- After Lt. Surge
- TM31FightingBrick Break113100%15
- After Erika
- TM15NormalHyper Beam15090%5
- LV 35FightingCross Chop15080%5
- After Koga
- TM01FightingFocus Punch225100%20
- After Giovanni
- TM50FireOverheat13090%5
- TUTORNormalDouble-Edge120100%15
- TM26GroundEarthquake100100%10
- LV 62NormalThrash120100%10
- Post-Game
- TUTORNormalBody Slam85100%15
- TM42NormalFacade70100%20
How to Get Primeape in FireRed & LeafGreen
Six encounters for Primeape in both versions, limited to endgame caves and routes. Rare or uncommon at every spot, so don't expect easy sightings.
3 locations to catch Primeape5 locations to catch Mankey
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Catch Mankey at any of the 5 locations below, then level it up to 28 — it evolves into Primeape.
Where To Catch Primeape in FRLG
The path to Primeape starts with Mankey at Lv. 2-61 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 2Primeape ✓or evolve from Mankey (Step 1)
Primeape Weakness
Flying and Psychic moves hit Primeape for super-effective damage. Its Fighting typing keeps the defensive matchups simple. Primeape leans offensive (base 105 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Flying, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug, Rock, Dark |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
What is Primeape Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Primeape
Pidgey Normal | D | |
Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Butterfree Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Butterfree builds →Aerial Ace 2x43-53% Confusion 2x35-43% | ||
Spearow Normal | C | |
Zubat Poison | D | |
Pidgey Normal | D | |
Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Butterfree Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Butterfree builds →Aerial Ace 2x43-53% Confusion 2x35-43% | ||
Spearow Normal | C | |
Zubat Poison | D | |
Pidgey Normal | D | |
Golbat Poison | C | |
Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Hypno Psychic | C | |
Fearow Normal | C | |
Butterfree Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Butterfree builds →Aerial Ace 2x45-53% Confusion 2x33-40% | ||
Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x151-178%KO | ||
Exeggutor GrassPsychic | B | |
Golbat Poison | C | |
Hypno Psychic | C | |
Butterfree Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Butterfree builds →Psychic 2x59-71% Aerial Ace 2x42-50% | ||
Deoxys Psychic | A | |
Obtain MethodBirth Island Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Deoxys builds →Psycho Boost 2x214-252%KO Aerial Ace 2x70-82% | ||
Lugia Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodNavel Rock Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Lugia builds →Psychic 2x90-106%KO Fly 2x80-94% | ||
Mewtwo Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodCerulean Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Mewtwo builds →Psychic 2x142-167%KO Aerial Ace 2x53-63% | ||
Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x151-178%KO | ||
Xatu Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Xatu builds →Future Sight 2x124-147%KO Fly 2x69-81% | ||
In FireRed & LeafGreen, Blissey's Ice Beam hits Primeape for 37-44%. Tyranitar's Earthquake hits Primeape for 69-81%. Metagross's Explosion also KOs at 171-202%.
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Blissey builds →Ice Beam37-44% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Tyranitar builds →Rock Slide25-30% Earthquake69-81% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityClearbody ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Metagross builds →Explosion171-202%KO Earthquake69-81% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Primeape View Gengar builds →Thunderbolt48-57% Explosion63-75% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityKeeneye ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
Primeape Evolutions
Primeape is the evolved form of Mankey. Breeding produces Mankey eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Mankey gave Primeape the biggest boost in HP (+25), bringing the total to 455 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Primeape to get Mankey eggs easily using 102 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Beat Up, Counter, Foresight and 5 more.
FRLG Primeape Best Moveset
105 Attack at 95 Speed makes Primeape one of the faster physical Fighting types. AbilityVital Spirit blocks sleep, shutting down status strategies. The moveset fires MoveCross Chop for Fighting TermStab from the physical side with MoveRock Slide and MoveEarthquake covering the rest.
Best Build
Primeape best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Aerial Ace
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Don't skip the egg moves. Primeape picks up Beat Up and Counter only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Focus Punch and Cross Chop while coverage across 8 types adds range.
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
Base Stats
It is always outrageously furious. If it gives chase, it will tenaciously track the target no matter how far.
Always furious and tenacious to boot. It will not abandon chasing its quarry until it catches up.
Primeape FireRed & LeafGreen Guide
Primeape can be caught in the wild at Route 23, Victory Road, and Cerulean Cave in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen.
Game Availability
Primeape has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 20 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut

Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS

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