Cottonee doesn't have much going for it on its own — the stats just aren't there. The payoff is Whimsicott, and getting there is worth the grind. Been around since Gen 5. Dragon moves can't touch it, which offsets the 5 weaknesses somewhat.
Cottonee's spread isn't flashy. Speed leads, Attack trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Speed EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
To protect itself, it shoots cotton from its body. When it gets wet in the rain, its cotton grows moist and heavy, and it can’t move as well.
When attacked, it expels cotton from its body to create a diversion. The cotton it loses grows back in quickly.
Cottonee Weakness
VulnerableType-wise, Cottonee takes extra damage from Poison, Fire, Ice, Flying, and Steel. Watch out for Poison attacks, those deal 4x damage. Dragon moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that.
Evolving Cottonee into Whimsicott takes an evolution item. It's not a simple level-up, so check the chain details below. Evolving adds up to 200 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Cottonee easily from the Fairy and Plant egg groups. Pass egg moves like Beat Up, Captivate, Encore and 8 more to offspring.
The Sash lets Cottonee ignore defensive shortcomings for one turn. Use that turn to deal early damage, and Prankster squeezes extra value from the position. Max HP and Speed EVs push damage output.
Best Build
Best Cottonee Moveset
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Endeavor
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
The egg pool carries weight here. Beat Up and Captivate aren't available any other way for Cottonee, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Solar Beam and Energy Ball for solid options.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Cottonee is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 9 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations
Walking encounters at Lv. 9-57 across 9 spots for Cottonee. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Cottonee isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Whimsicott to unlock its full potential. At 280 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Cottonee's biggest threats include Crobat (Poison), Arcanine (Fire), and Walrein (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Crobat is the most dangerous since Poison moves deal 4x damage. Flying and Steel-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Cottonee evolves into Whimsicott using a Sun Stone. Cottonee is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Run Prankster on Cottonee. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Cottonee also gets Infiltrator and Chlorophyll, but they don't compare.
Cottonee fills the balanced role. It's leaning toward the special side (base 37 Sp. Atk). At base 66 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Cottonee appears in 8 games, including Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, and X & Y.
Introduced in Black & White, Cottonee has appeared in 8 games across 5 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
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 VBWDebut
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