While most trainers evolve Natu into Xatu immediately, the unevolved form has a niche with Eviolite boosting its defenses. Ground moves can't touch it, which offsets the 5 weaknesses somewhat. Known as the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Can go either physical or special depending on the set.
Natu's spread isn't flashy. Sp. Atk leads, HP trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Sp. Atk EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It picks food from cactus plants, deftly avoiding buds and spines. It seems to skip about to move.
Natu Weakness
AvgElectric, Ice, Rock, Ghost, and Dark-type moves hit Natu for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all.
Natu evolves into Xatu. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 150 total stats over Natu.
Breed Natu easily with 73 breeding partners from the Flying egg group.
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Natu with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. Max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs and Timid nature maximize that, and Magic Bounce handles the rest. Roost patches up chip damage.
Best Build
Best Natu Moveset
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- U Turn
- Roost
Recommended Teammates
Without TMs, Natu's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 7 types on top of Future Sight and Dream Eater for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Don't skip the egg moves. Natu picks up Drill Peck and Feather Dance only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Future Sight and Psychic while coverage across 8 types adds range.
Don't skip the egg moves. Natu picks up Ally Switch and Drill Peck only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Sky Attack and Future Sight while coverage across 9 types adds range.
Don't skip the egg moves. Natu picks up Ally Switch and Drill Peck only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Future Sight and Synchronoise while coverage across 8 types adds range.
Natu appears at high spawn rates across 8 spots in endgame routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations
Natu appears in 8 walking locations at Lv. 53-63 across Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Natu's scattered across 22 spots in early-game routes with high spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.
Best Locations
walking encounters for Natu across 22 spots at Lv. 7-38. The catch is that Shield and Sword don't share every location, so compare what's available in your version.
decent spawn rates for Natu across 8 locations in mid-game routes. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Best Locations
You can catch Natu through 8 gift and walking encounters from Lv. 21-55, but availability differs between Ultra Moon and Ultra Sun. Some spots are exclusive to one version.
Natu doesn't appear in Sun & Moon. Transfer it from Gold, Crystal, or Sword to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Natu isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Xatu to unlock its full potential. At 320 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Natu evolves into Xatu at level 25. Natu is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Run Magic Bounce on Natu. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Natu also gets Synchronize and Early Bird, but they don't compare.
Natu fills the balanced role. It's a special attacker with base 70 Sp. Atk. Base 70 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Natu appears in 16 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.
Natu first appeared in Gold & Silver and has been available in 16 games across 8 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A