Utility
Balanced
348Low
70Moderate
CTier

While most trainers evolve Drifloon into Drifblim immediately, the unevolved form has a niche with Eviolite boosting its defenses. Normal, Fighting, and Ground moves can't touch it, which offsets the 5 weaknesses somewhat. Can go either physical or special depending on the set.

Nothing fancy in Drifloon's spread. It leans mixed with HP out front. And you'll get 1 HP EV per KO for it. Follows a standard growth curve.

Base Stats
348Avg
HP90
B
Attack50
D
Defense34
F
Sp. Atk60
C
Sp. Def44
D
Speed70
C
Total348
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Drifloon yields +1 HP
HP+1AtkDefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch125ModerateFluctuating1.64M XP0.4m / 1'04"1.2kg / 2.6 lbs70Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It is whispered that any child who mistakes Drifloon for a balloon and holds on to it could wind up missing.

Scarlet

Because of the way it floats aimlessly, an old folktale calls it a “signpost for wandering spirits.”

Violet

Drifloon Weakness

Excellent

Electric, Ice, Rock, Ghost, and Dark-type moves hit Drifloon for super-effective damage. The upside? Normal, Fighting, and Ground-type moves can't touch it at all.

4xCriticali
None
½xResisti
¼xResisti
5Weak
3Resist
3Immune
Scorei+3
Stealth Rock25% on switch
Abilities
AftermathDamages the attacker for 1/4 its max HP when knocked out by a contact move.
UnburdenDoubles Speed upon using or losing a held item.
Flare BoostHAIncreases Special Attack to 1.5× when burned.

Drifloon is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Drifblim. Check the evolution method below. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are slow to hatch. The evolved forms gain up to 150 total stats over Drifloon.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Drifloon
GhostFlying
Drifblim
GhostFlying
HP
90
150+60
ATK
50
80+30
DEF
34
44+10
SP.ATK
60
90+30
SP.DEF
44
54+10
SPE
70
80+10
BST
348C-Tier
498B-Tier+150
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Utility
Mixed
Breeding
Easy

Breed Drifloon easily with 52 breeding partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Pass egg moves like Clear Smog, Defog, Disable and 3 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Indeterminate
Gender
50.0%50.0%
Hatch Time
30 cycles·7,710 steps
Moderate~8 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
6moves
Breed With (best first)
gardevoirgalladepolteageistalcremiegastrodontrevenantpincurchinshellosphantumpsinisteakirliamilcery

The recommended build leans into Drifloon's strengths as a special attacker. Grassyseed provides extra utility, and a spread EV build EVs back that up. Unburden rounds out the package.

Best Build

Utility
Ability
Unburden
Item
Grassyseed
Nature
Mild+SPA
EVs

Best Drifloon Moveset

  • Shadow BallSTAB
  • AcrobaticsSTAB
  • ThunderboltCoverage
  • Will O Wisp

Recommended Teammates

Don't skip the egg moves. Drifloon picks up Clear Smog and Defog only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Fly and Phantom Force while coverage across 8 types adds range.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Astonish
3010015Ghost
Lv 1
Minimize
10Normal
Lv 4
Gust
4010035Flying
Lv 8
Focus Energy
30Normal
Lv 12
Payback
5010010Dark
Lv 16
Hex
6510010Ghost
Lv 20
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
Lv 24
Spit Up
10010Normal
Lv 24
Stockpile
20Normal
Lv 24
Swallow
10Normal
Lv 29
Self-Destruct
2001005Normal
Lv 32
Destiny Bond
5Ghost
Lv 36
Baton Pass
40Normal
Lv 40
Tailwind
15Flying
Lv 44
Explosion
2501005Normal

TM Moves

Src
TM14
Acrobatics
5510015Flying
TM27
Aerial Ace
6020Flying
TM40
Air Cutter
609525Flying
TM128
Amnesia
20Psychic
TM132
Baton Pass
40Normal
TM129
Calm Mind
20Psychic
TM224
Curse
10Ghost
TM47
Endure+4
10Normal
TM25
Facade
7010020Normal
TM97
Fly
909515Flying
TM180
Gyro Ball
1005Steel
TM174
Haze
30Ice
TM130
Helping Hand+5
20Normal
TM29
Hex
6510010Ghost
TM34
Icy Wind
559515Ice
TM92
Imprison
10Psychic
TM181
Knock Off
6510020Dark
TM42
Night Shade
10015Ghost
TM202
Pain Split
20Normal
TM151
Phantom Force
9010010Ghost
TM07
Protect+4
10Normal
TM16
Psybeam
6510020Psychic
TM120
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM50
Rain Dance
5Water
TM85
Rest
5Psychic
TM114
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
TM98
Skill Swap
10Psychic
TM70
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM177
Spite
10010Ghost
TM41
Stored Power
2010010Psychic
TM103
Substitute
10Normal
TM49
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM32
Swift
6020Normal
TM113
Tailwind
15Flying
TM207
Temper Flare
7510010Fire
TM171
Tera Blast
8010010Normal
TM18
Thief
6010025Dark
TM166
Thunder
1107010Electric
TM82
Thunder Wave
9020Electric
TM126
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
TM109
Trick
10010Psychic
TM161
Trick Room-7
5Psychic
TM193
Weather Ball
5010010Normal
TM107
Will-O-Wisp
8515Fire

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Clear Smog
5015Poison
Egg
Defog
15Flying
Egg
Disable
10020Normal
Egg
Haze
30Ice
Egg
Hypnosis
6020Psychic
Egg
Memento
10010Dark

Tutor Moves

Drifloon can't learn any Tutor moves

A solid number of locations for Drifloon with decent spawn rates across early-game 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

Drifloon shows up in 20 walking spots from Lv. 14-32. Plenty of options, and the list is sorted so the highest-rate locations at each progression stage come first.

East Province (Area One) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
East Province (Area Three) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
East Province (Area Two) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
Glaseado Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyCaveNight
EASY
South Province (Area One) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
South Province (Area Six) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
South Province (Area Three) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
South Province (Area Two) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
The Pokémon League - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyNight
EASY
West Province (Area Three) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
West Province (Area Two) - Near Town
OverworldLv.14-3224%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
East Province (Area One) - Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
Glaseado Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyCaveNight
EASY
Glaseado Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyCaveNight
EASY
North Province (Area One) - Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
South Province (Area Five) - Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
South Province (Area Four) - Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
South Province (Area Six) - Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
South Province (Area Two) - Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
West Province (Area One) - Mountain
OverworldLv.14-3218%EarlyRouteNight
EASY
  • At 348 BST, Drifloon is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Drifblim before bringing it to any serious fight.

  • Watch for Raikou (Electric), Walrein (Ice), and Rhyperior (Rock) when using Drifloon. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.

  • Drifloon evolves into Drifblim at level 28. Drifloon is the base form of this evolutionary line.

  • Aftermath damages the attacker for 1/4 its max HP when knocked out by a contact move — that's the one you want on Drifloon. Flare Boost is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Unburden works too if your team needs something different.

  • Drifloon is leaning toward the special side (base 60 Sp. Atk). Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 70 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.

  • Drifloon appears in 13 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.

Debuting in Diamond & Pearl, Drifloon appears in 13 games across 6 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through catching or hatching as a base form.