As a Bug/Poison-type, Dustox fills a straightforward role. Only weak to Fire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock. Known as the Poison Moth Pokémon. Known as the Poison Moth Pokemon. Can go either physical or special depending on the set.
Dustox's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Special bulk with Sp. Def doing the heavy lifting. And the medium-fast 1M XP curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 3 Sp. Def EVs.
Toxic powder is scattered with each flap. At night, it is known to strip leaves off trees lining boulevards.
Dustox Weakness
AvgFire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock-type moves hit Dustox for super-effective damage. The Bug/Poison typing picks up 4 resistances to work with.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
You get Dustox from Wurmple at level 10. It's one of 2 possible evolutions in this branching family, each requiring its own method. Breed through Wurmple to get eggs. The evolution from Wurmple pushed Dustox to 385 total stats. Sp.Def saw the largest single gain at +60.
How to Evolve
Breed with Dustox to get Wurmple eggs easily from the Bug egg group.
Start with max HP and Sp. Def EVs. Calm nature gives Dustox the right special wall lean, Black Sludge adds Poison-type passive recovery, and Shielddust works in the background. Toxic is the main damage option.
Best Build
Best Dustox Moveset
- Toxic
- Giga Drain
- Hyper Beam
- Bug Buzz
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Dustox's coverage across 8 types all comes from technical machines, built on top of Bug Buzz and Sludge Bomb for same-type damage. Bug Buzz and Energy Ball are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Dustox can't be caught in Black 2 & White 2. Transfer Wurmple from Ruby, Emerald, or Diamond and evolve through the 3-stage chain to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
Dustox works as a support with 385 BST behind it. D-Tier on our list — outclassed by better options in most formats.
Shield Dust protects against incoming moves' extra effects — that's the one you want on Dustox. Compound Eyes is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Dustox is leaning toward the physical side (base 50 Attack). Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. But the speed tells the real story — at base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the support role.
Dustox appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Dustox appears in 14 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
- 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