Mid-stage Pokemon like Dratini rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Dragonite, which is where the real potential kicks in. Only weak to Ice and Dragon. Known as the Dragon Pokemon.
Dratini'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, slow 1.25M XP grind to max.
The existence of this mythical POKéMON was only recently confirmed by a fisherman who caught one.
Dratini Weakness
AvgDratini's Dragon typing leaves it vulnerable to Ice and Dragon moves. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Only 2 weaknesses makes it relatively easy to build around defensively.
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
A Dragon type with 300 stats, Dratini has a chain leading to Dragonite. Breeding won't work. The evolved forms gain up to 300 total stats over Dratini.
How to Evolve
Best Build
Gen 1 build content has limited support (no abilities, held items, or natures).
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Without TMs, Dratini's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get Normal and Ice coverage and more on top of Dragon Rage for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Dratini is available from early-game fishing spots onward at high spawn rates. 4 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations
Catching Dratini here means fishing. All 4 encounters require Super Rod at Lv. 10-15, and there aren't any overworld spawns in this game.
Dratini isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Dragonair to unlock its full potential. At 300 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Dratini evolves into Dragonair at level 30. Dratini is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Dratini fills the balanced role. It's leaning toward the physical side (base 64 Attack). Base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Dratini appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Dratini has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 21 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
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 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