Almost nobody uses Poochyena in battle. It exists to evolve into Mightyena, which is a completely different story. Get it there and you won't regret it. Been around since Gen 3. Psychic moves can't touch it, and only 3 types hit it super-effectively.
Poochyena's stats barely vary. 0 sit in respectable range with no real gaps. It's a blank slate for EV investment. Worth 1 Attack EV, medium-fast 1M XP curve to max.
A Pokémon with a persistent nature, it chases its chosen prey until the prey becomes exhausted.
Poochyena Weakness
AvgFighting, Bug, and Fairy-type moves hit Poochyena for super-effective damage. The upside? Psychic-type moves can't touch it at all. 3 weaknesses is about average, nothing too hard to play around.
Poochyena evolves into Mightyena. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. The evolved forms gain up to 200 total stats over Poochyena.
How to Evolve
Breed Poochyena easily with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
The game plan is straightforward: click Nasty Plot, then sweep. Flame Orb and Quickfeet support the setup turn. EVs go into a spread EV build so Poochyena hits hard once it's boosted.
Best Build
Best Poochyena Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Mud Slap
Recommended Teammates
Without TMs, Poochyena's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 9 types on top of Foul Play and Crunch for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Without breeding, Poochyena misses out on Astonish and Covet. That's 10 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Crunch and Dark Pulse, with coverage across 10 types rounding things out.
Need something that threatens multiple types? Poochyena's movepool delivers. Coverage across 10 types plus STAB from Foul Play and Crunch gives it answers for most defensive cores you'll run into.
Without breeding, Poochyena misses out on Astonish and Covet. That's 13 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Crunch and Dark Pulse, with coverage across 9 types rounding things out.
Poochyena can't be caught in Scarlet & Violet. Bring it over from Ruby, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
A solid number of locations for Poochyena with moderate rates across endgame routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations
10 walking encounters at Lv. 58-63 for Poochyena across Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Poochyena can't be caught in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Bring it over from Ruby, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Poochyena isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Mightyena to unlock its full potential. At 220 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Poochyena evolves into Mightyena at level 18. Poochyena is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Run Away ensures success fleeing from wild battles — that's the one you want on Poochyena. Rattled is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Quick Feet works too if your team needs something different.
Poochyena fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 55 Attack. Base 35 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Poochyena appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Poochyena first appeared in Ruby & Sapphire and has been available in 14 games across 7 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
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