Is Growlithe Good in Yellow Playthrough?
Available to everyone in Yellow, not locked to Red version. Growlithe needs a Fire Stone for Arcanine, so plan around when you want to stop learning level-up moves. One of three Fire-type options alongside Charizard and Ninetales.
Growlithe trades roughly evenly with Brock's team.
Misty's team hits Growlithe's weaknesses hard.
Growlithe trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Growlithe has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.
Growlithe has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Sabrina's typing presses Growlithe's defenses.
Arcanine trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Arcanine trades roughly evenly with Giovanni's team.
Arcanine trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.
Arcanine trades roughly evenly with Bruno's team.
Arcanine has the type edge here and should clean up Agatha's team.
Lance's team hits Arcanine's weaknesses hard.
Arcanine trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Catchable
Catch Growlithe in the Pokémon Mansion (walking, Lv 26-38, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 26)
- LV 26NormalBitePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- After Brock
- TM28GroundDigPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Returned by the Team Rocket Grunt in Cerulean City after you defeat him
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15S.S. Anne
- After Lt. Surge
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- LV 30NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- LV 50FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Blaine
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Prize for defeating Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine
Evolve Growlithe to Arcanine
Growlithe evolves into Arcanine with a Fire Stone. You can buy the Fire Stone at the Celadon Department Store on the 4th floor (₽2,100).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 50)
- LV 50FireEmberPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- LV 50NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20
- After Brock
- TM28GroundDigPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Returned by the Team Rocket Grunt in Cerulean City after you defeat him
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15S.S. Anne
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Rocket Game Corner
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- After Blaine
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Prize for defeating Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine
How to Get Growlithe in Yellow
Growlithe takes Yellow's wild Fire slot, uncommon at one mid route in the mid-to-high 30s. It's the version's answer to Vulpix being a Game Corner prize.
1 location to catch Growlithe
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 6Where To Catch Growlithe in Y
- Step 1Growlithe ✓
- Step 2Evolve into Arcanine
To plan your throws, open the Yellow catch rate calculator with Growlithe preloaded.
Growlithe Weakness
Type-wise, Growlithe takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. Standard number of weaknesses for the Fire typing.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Bug |
- 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
What is Growlithe Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Growlithe
 Omastar RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Omanyte (Cinnabar Island Gift) | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Celadon City Gift) | ||
 Sandslash Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Sandslash builds →Earthquake 2x162-192%KO Rock Slide 2x81-95% | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Rhydon builds →Earthquake 2x202-238%KO Rock Slide 2x152-180%KO Surf 2x52-62% | ||
 Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) | ||
 Kabutops RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Kabuto (Cinnabar Island Gift) | ||
 Dewgong WaterIce | C | |
 Lapras WaterIce | B | |
Obtain MethodSilph Co Gift | ||
 Blastoise Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Squirtle (Vermilion City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Blastoise builds →Surf 2x125-148%KO Earthquake 2x92-109%KO | ||
 Nidoking PoisonGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Nidoking builds →Earthquake 2x165-194%KO Surf 2x83-98% Rock Slide 2x82-97% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodRoute 12 Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Slowbro builds →Surf 2x143-168%KO Earthquake 2x86-102%KO | ||
 Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Graveler builds →Earthquake 2x155-182%KO Rock Slide 2x118-138%KO | ||
 Nidoqueen PoisonGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Nidoqueen builds →Earthquake 2x151-178%KO Surf 2x75-89% Rock Slide 2x75-89% | ||
 Dugtrio Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Growlithe View Dugtrio builds →Dig 2x162-192%KO Rock Slide 2x81-95% | ||
Growlithe Evolutions
Growlithe starts a line toward Arcanine. Can't breed this Fire type (330 stats), so keep the evolution path going. Evolving adds up to 225 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Y Growlithe Best Moveset
Fire-type pre-evolution where MoveFire Blast runs off a Special stat too low to compete. Water dominance at the top and MoveEarthquake on every team make the typing a constant liability. Arcanine's stats improve the situation, if not the type matchups.
Best Build
Screens Setter Moveset
- Reflect
- Bite
- Body Slam
- Flamethrower
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
TMs carry this one. Growlithe learns Fire Blast and Flamethrower naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Dark and Normal and beyond give it real matchup play.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 16 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
A POKéMON with a friendly nature. However, it will bark fiercely at anything invading its territory.
Growlithe Yellow Guide
For Yellow, you can run Growlithe through the first few routes without issues. 330 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Arcanine as fast as you can.
Yes. Hisuian Growlithe is a regional variant with different typing and a reworked stat spread. Introduced in Gen 8. Plays completely differently from the original.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Growlithe has appeared in 21 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Hisuian form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLAHisuian
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Growlithe.
Keep playing · YellowYellow Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Yellow Tier List