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.
Tends to be drawn to bonfires on dark nights. Difficult to chase away from settlements because of the way it scatters highly toxic scales.
Dustox Weakness
AvgFire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock-type moves hit Dustox for super-effective damage. The Bug/Poison typing picks up 5 resistances to work with.
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.
Shielddust helps Dustox stick around while dealing real damage. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, Defense and Sp. Def investment EVs for the right balance, and Venoshock as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Best Dustox Moveset
- Toxic
- Venoshock
- Moonlight
- Harden
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
No wild encounters for Dustox in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Bring Wurmple over from Ruby, Emerald, or Diamond, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
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