Physical
Balanced
360Low
60Moderate
CTier

Larvesta is technically a pre-evolution of Volcarona, but it holds its own in formats where Eviolite is allowed. Watch the Rock matchup though — quadruple damage means one hit can end it. Been around since Gen 5.

Larvesta's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 1 Attack EV, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.

Base Stats
360Avg
HP55
D
Attack85
C
Defense55
D
Sp. Atk50
D
Sp. Def55
D
Speed60
C
Total360
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Larvesta yields +1 Atk
HPAtk+1DefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch45ChallengingSlow1.25M XP1.1m / 3'07"28.8kg / 63.5 lbs72Base XP
Pokedex Entries

This Pokémon was called the Larva That Stole the Sun. The fire Larvesta spouts from its horns can cut right through a sheet of iron.

Scarlet

In ancient times, Larvesta was worshiped as the emissary of the sun. However, it was also viewed as a burden since it often caused forest fires.

Violet

Larvesta Weakness

Avg

Larvesta is weak to Rock, Water, and Flying-type moves. Watch out for Rock attacks, those deal 4x damage. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that.

4xCriticali
¼xResisti
0xImmunei
None
3Weak
6Resist
0Immune
Scorei-1
Stealth Rock50% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
4x Rock — Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Stealth Rock
Abilities
Flame BodyHas a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact.
SwarmHAStrengthens bug moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.

Larvesta evolves into Volcarona. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are takes forever to hatch. Evolving adds up to 190 stat points total.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Larvesta
BugFire
Volcarona
BugFire
HP
55
85+30
ATK
85
60-25
DEF
55
65+10
SP.ATK
50
135+85
SP.DEF
55
105+50
SPE
60
100+40
BST
360C-Tier
550A-Tier+190
ROLE
Balanced
Sweeper
TYPE
Physical
Special
Breeding
Moderate

Breed Larvesta with 91 breeding partners from the Bug egg group.

Egg Groups
Bug
Gender
50.0%50.0%
Hatch Time
40 cycles·10,280 steps
Slow~10 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
flygondrapionmasquerainvolbeatillumiseparasectvibravaskorupiparastrapinchsurskitshuckle

Still unevolved, still relevant. Larvesta's Eviolite bulk with a spread EV build EVs creates a defensive profile that punches above its stage. Flame Body adds passive value. Flare Blitz gives it offensive presence.

Best Build

Physical Attacker
Ability
Flame Body
Item
EvioliteBULK
Nature
Jolly+SPE
EVs

Best Larvesta Moveset

  • Flare BlitzSTAB
  • U TurnSTAB
  • Morning Sun
  • Will O WispSTAB
All 8 games

TMs define Larvesta's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Overheat and Flare Blitz, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Normal and Flying coverage and more. That's where the options open up.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Ember
4010025Fire
Lv 1
String Shot
9540Bug
Lv 6
Flame Charge
5010020Fire
Lv 12
Struggle Bug
5010020Bug
Lv 18
Flame Wheel
6010025Fire
Lv 24
Bug Bite
6010020Bug
Lv 30
Screech
8540Normal
Lv 36
Leech Life
8010010Bug
Lv 42
Bug Buzz
9010010Bug
Lv 48
Take Down
908520Normal
Lv 54
Amnesia
20Psychic
Lv 60
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Lv 66
Flare Blitz
12010015Fire

TM Moves

Src
TM14
Acrobatics
5510015Flying
TM128
Amnesia
20Psychic
TM66
Body Slam
8510015Normal
TM182
Bug Bite
6010020Bug
TM162
Bug Buzz
9010010Bug
TM129
Calm Mind
20Psychic
TM204
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
TM47
Endure+4
10Normal
TM25
Facade
7010020Normal
TM141
Fire Blast
110855Fire
TM24
Fire Spin
358515Fire
TM38
Flame Charge
5010020Fire
TM125
Flamethrower
9010015Fire
TM165
Flare Blitz
12010015Fire
TM111
Giga Drain
7510010Grass
TM118
Heat Wave
959010Fire
TM95
Leech Life
8010010Bug
TM75
Light Screen
30Psychic
TM185
Lunge
8010015Bug
TM157
Overheat
130905Fire
TM21
Pounce
5010020Bug
TM07
Protect+4
10Normal
TM120
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM85
Rest
5Psychic
TM219
Skitter Smack
709010Bug
TM70
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM168
Solar Beam
12010010Grass
TM15
Struggle Bug
5010020Bug
TM103
Substitute
10Normal
TM49
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM01
Take Down
908520Normal
TM171
Tera Blast
8010010Normal
TM20
Trailblaze
5010020Grass
TM60
U-turn
7010020Bug
TM147
Wild Charge
9010015Electric
TM107
Will-O-Wisp
8515Fire
TM59
Zen Headbutt
809015Psychic

Egg Moves

Larvesta doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Larvesta can't learn any Tutor moves
All 8 games

You'll want mid-game access before hunting Larvesta. Low spawn rates across 4 encounter spots means the location matters. Sort by Best below and target the top-rated area first.

Best Locations

walking encounters for Larvesta across 4 spots at Lv. 24-63. The catch is that Violet and Scarlet don't share every location, so compare what's available in your version.

Asado Desert - Desert
VioletOverworldLv.24-631%MidDesert
HARD
Asado Desert - Desert
ScarletOverworldLv.24-631%MidDesert
HARD
West Province (Area Two) - Desert
VioletOverworldLv.24-631%MidRoute
HARD
West Province (Area Two) - Desert
ScarletOverworldLv.24-631%MidRoute
HARD
  • Larvesta isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Volcarona to unlock its full potential. At 360 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.

  • Larvesta's biggest threats include Aerodactyl (Rock), Gyarados (Water), and Salamence (Flying), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Aerodactyl is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage.

  • Larvesta evolves into Volcarona at level 59. Larvesta is the base form of this evolutionary line.

  • Flame Body is the go-to ability for Larvesta. It has a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact. Its hidden ability Swarm can work in specific setups.

  • Larvesta fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 85 Attack. At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.

  • Larvesta appears in 8 games, including Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, and X & Y.

Introduced in Black & White, Larvesta has appeared in 8 games across 5 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.