Sp. Atk leads and Defense gets almost nothing. That's Iron Moth's stat line in a nutshell. 4 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 3 Sp. Atk EVs.
Type-wise, Iron Moth takes extra damage from Ground, Water, Psychic, and Rock. Watch out for Ground attacks, those deal 4x damage. With 8 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Iron Moth's special bulk (base 110 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Ground |
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Psychic, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Bug, Fairy |
Iron Moth resists or is immune to these Pokemon in competitive.
 Arceus Normal | S |
 Eternatus PoisonDragon | S |
 Miraidon ElectricDragon | S |
 Mienfoo Fighting | A |
 Incineroar FireDark | S |
Iron Moth resists or is immune to these Pokemon.
Mienfoo Fighting | A |
Incineroar FireDark | S |
 Flutter Mane GhostFairy | S |
 Rillaboom Grass | S |
 Gholdengo SteelGhost | S |
No chain, no eggs. Iron Moth is a standalone Fire/Poison type with 570 stats that falls outside normal breeding mechanics. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Nothing fancy here. Iron Moth builds around Booster Energy for a one-time stat boost from its ability, Timid nature for the right stat lean, and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs. Quarkdrive does its job quietly.
Best Build
Iron Moth best EVs are Speed and Sp. Atk
Utility Moveset
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Dazzling Gleam
- Energy Ball
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Special Sweeper Moveset
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Energy Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Utility Moveset
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Dazzling Gleam
- Energy Ball
Recommended Teammates
Moves
TMs carry this one. Iron Moth learns Overheat and Flare Blitz naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Flying and Bug and beyond give it real matchup play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Iron Moth appears at moderate rates across 2 spots in endgame routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations to Catch Iron Moth in Scarlet & Violet
We rate Iron Moth A-Tier: a strong competitive pick. At 570 BST, it fits the sweeper role. Base 140 Sp. Atk stands out.
Quark Drive is the go-to ability for Iron Moth. It raises highest stat on Electric Terrain, or if holding Booster Energy. It's Iron Moth's only ability.
Base 110 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Iron Moth is a special attacker with base 140 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.
Best way to handle Iron Moth: Priority moves (Mach Punch, Aqua Jet, Ice Shard) bypass its speed. Bulky walls that resist its STAB also shut it down.
Iron Moth joined the series in Scarlet & Violet and has been available in 1 titles so far. With 2 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SVDebut
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves