Physical
Trick Room
325Low
25Very Slow
DTier

Grimer sits at the start of its evolution line — not yet at full power, but that changes fast. Most trainers push through to Muk as fast as possible. Only weak to Ground and Psychic. Known as the Sludge Pokemon.

HP and Attack carry most of Grimer's stat budget. Speed's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 HP EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
325Avg
HP80
C
Attack80
C
Defense50
D
Sp. Atk40
D
Sp. Def50
D
Speed25
F
Total325
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Grimer yields +1 HP
HP+1AtkDefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch190EasyMedium Fast1M XP0.9m / 2'11"30kg / 66.1 lbs65Base XP
Pokedex Entries

GRIMER’s sludgy and rubbery body can be forced through any opening, however small it may be. This POKéMON enters sewer pipes to drink filthy wastewater.

Ruby

GRIMER emerged from the sludge that settled on a polluted seabed. This POKéMON loves anything filthy. It constantly leaks a horribly germ-infested fluid from all over its body.

Sapphire

Grimer Weakness

Avg

Grimer is weak to Ground and Psychic-type moves. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Just 2 weak spots to worry about, which keeps teambuilding straightforward.

Gen III Type Chart
  • Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
  • Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (1)i
2Weak
4Resist
0Immune
Scorei0
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesAbsorbs on switch
Abilities
StenchHas a 10% chance of making target Pokémon flinch with each hit.
Sticky HoldPrevents a held item from being removed by other Pokémon.
Poison TouchHAHas a 30% chance of poisoning target Pokémon upon contact.

One evolution ahead. Grimer grows into Muk through a straightforward two-stage chain. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 175 stat points total.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Grimer
Poison
Muk
Poison
HP
80
105+25
ATK
80
105+25
DEF
50
75+25
SP.ATK
40
65+25
SP.DEF
50
100+50
SPE
25
50+25
BST
325C-Tier
500B-Tier+175
ROLE
Trick Room
Tank
TYPE
Physical
Physical
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed Grimer easily with 22 breeding partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Pass egg moves like Curse, Explosion, Haze and 4 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Indeterminate
Gender
50.0%50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
7moves
Breed With (best first)
gardevoirkirliacastformraltsmukgengarweezingswalotmagcargohaunterwobbuffetkoffing

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

Breeding opens up real options for Grimer. Curse and Explosion come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Sludge Bomb and Sludge and coverage across 8 types.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Poison Gas
5540Poison
Lv 1
Pound
4010035Normal
Lv 4
Harden
30Normal
Lv 8
Disable
5520Normal
Lv 13
Sludge
6510020Poison
Lv 19
Minimize
20Normal
Lv 26
Screech
8540Normal
Lv 34
Acid Armor
40Poison
Lv 43
Sludge Bomb
9010010Poison
Lv 53
Memento
10010Dark

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM28
Dig
6010010Ground
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM38
Fire Blast
120855Fire
TM35
Flamethrower
9510015Fire
TM21
Frustration
10020Normal
TM19
Giga Drain
751005Grass
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM18
Rain Dance
5Water
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM27
Return
10020Normal
TM39
Rock Tomb
609510Rock
TM43
Secret Power
7010020Normal
TM34
Shock Wave
6020Electric
TM36
Sludge Bomb
9010010Poison
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM12
Taunt
10020Dark
TM46
Thief
6010025Dark
TM25
Thunder
1207010Electric
TM24
Thunderbolt
9510015Electric
TM41
Torment
10015Dark
TM06
Toxic
8510Poison

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Curse
10Ghost
Egg
Explosion
2501005Normal
Egg
Haze
30Ice
Egg
Imprison
10Psychic
Egg
Lick
2010030Ghost
Egg
Mean Look
5Normal
Egg
Shadow Punch
6020Ghost

Tutor Moves

Grimer can't learn any Tutor moves

Grimer is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 2 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.

Best Locations

Fiery Path
SapphireGrassLv.15-16CommonEarlyVolcano
EFFORTLESS
Fiery Path
RubyGrassLv.14RareEarlyVolcano
CHALLENGING
  • Grimer is meant to evolve into Muk. At 325 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.

  • Grimer's biggest threats include Golem (Ground) and Starmie (Psychic), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 2 weaknesses means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. At base 25 Speed, Grimer won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.

  • Grimer can evolve into Muk and Alolan Muk depending on the method. Grimer is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.

  • Stench is the go-to ability for Grimer. It has a 10% chance of making target Pokémon flinch with each hit. Its hidden ability Poison Touch can work in specific setups. Sticky Hold is the other option — pick based on what your team needs.

  • Base 25 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Grimer is a physical attacker with base 80 Attack. Best used as a trick room.

  • Grimer appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Since debuting in Red & Blue, Grimer has appeared in 19 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received an Alolan form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.