Ground moves don't affect Altaria at all — that's the advantage of Dragon/Flying typing. Natural Cure clears status conditions when it switches out. Known as the Humming Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.
Bulk defines Altaria's stat line. Sp. Def and Defense anchor the defensive side, but Attack can't keep up offensively. Tough to catch and worth 2 Sp. Def EVs.
It hums in a beautiful soprano voice. It flies among white clouds in the blue sky. It launches intensely hot fireballs from its mouth.
Altaria Weakness
GoodType-wise, Altaria takes extra damage from Ice, Rock, and Dragon. Watch out for Ice attacks, those deal 4x damage. Ground moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. With 75 HP and balanced defenses, Altaria can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Evolved from Swablu. Altaria is the final form in this two-stage line. A decent partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. HP grew the most through evolution (+30 over Swablu), and Altaria peaks at 490 total stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Altaria to get Swablu eggs easily using 27 partners from the Dragon and Flying egg groups. Notable egg moves include Agility, Haze, Pursuit and 1 more.
The special wall spread is where Altaria earns its spot. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, Calm nature for the right lean, and Rest handles sustain. Natural Cure does the rest without needing a move slot.
Best Build
Best Altaria Moveset
- Rest
- Perish Song
- Fire Blast
- Heal Bell
Recommended Teammates
Stall teams hate this. Altaria can spread damage across 10 types, with Ghost and Normal punishing common defensive pivots. STAB from Sky Attack and Fly keeps the pressure honest on everything else.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
You'll want late-game access before hunting Altaria. Moderate rates across 1 encounter spots means the location matters. Sort by Best below and target the top-rated area first.
Where To Catch Altaria in Emerald
The path to Altaria starts with Swablu at Lv. 15-39 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch SwabluEFFORTLESSRoute 114GrassLv.15-17CommonEarlyRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 115GrassLv.23-25CommonMidRoute- Step 2Altaria ✓CHALLENGINGSky Pillar - 5FGrassLv.38-39RareLateBuildingor evolve from Swablu (Step 1)
Natural Cure changes the entire equation for Altaria. The 490 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a support.
Altaria's biggest threats include Cloyster (Ice), Aerodactyl (Rock), and Salamence (Dragon), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Cloyster is the most dangerous since Ice moves deal 4x damage.
Swablu evolves into Altaria at level 35. Altaria is the fully evolved form. At 490 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
Natural Cure is what you want on Altaria. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Cloud Nine) work on paper but Natural Cure is what makes Altaria worth using.
Base 80 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Altaria is leaning toward the physical side (base 70 Attack). Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a support.
Altaria appears in 16 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Available in 16 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Altaria spans 7 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in most mainline games.
- 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