Larvesta Best Moveset
Bug/Fire at 85 Attack and 60 Speed with AbilityFlame Body burning on contact. The Attack is impressive for a pre-evolution but the special side at 50 Sp. Atk trails everything. Evolve to Volcarona for 135 Sp. Atk and the MoveQuiver Dance engine that dominates at S-Tier.
Larvesta saw minimal competitive use in Gen V (Black & White / B2W2). This was Larvesta's competitive peak. Its most popular set ran Flame Body with Eviolite, favoring a Impish nature.
Best Moves
Best Build
Larvesta best EVs are Defense and Sp. Def
Wall Moveset
- Morning Sun
- U Turn
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Larvesta saw minimal competitive use in Gen VI (X & Y / ORAS). Larvesta maintained its position from the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Flame Body with Eviolite, favoring a Impish nature.
Wall Moveset
- Morning Sun
- U Turn
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Larvesta saw minimal competitive use in Gen VII (Sun & Moon / USUM). Larvesta maintained its position from the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Flame Body with Eviolite, favoring a Careful nature.
Pivot Moveset
- Leech Life
- Flare Blitz
- U Turn
- Wild Charge
Recommended Teammates
Larvesta saw minimal competitive use in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield / BDSP). Larvesta maintained its position from the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Flame Body with Eviolite, favoring a Impish nature.
Wall Moveset
- U Turn
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
- Morning Sun
Recommended Teammates
Larvesta saw minimal competitive use in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet / Legends Z-A). Larvesta maintained its position from the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Flame Body with Eviolite, favoring a Jolly nature.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Flame Charge
- Leech Life
- Will O Wisp
- Body Slam
Recommended Teammates
Larvesta Weakness
Larvesta is weak to Rock, Water, and Flying. Watch out for Rock attacks, those deal 4x damage. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Ice, Fighting, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass |
What is Larvesta Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Larvesta
Tyranitar can KO Larvesta with Stone Edge (473-557%). Starmie threatens a KO with Hydro Pump (129-152%). Salamence deals 53-63% with Earthquake.
 Tyranitar RockDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Larvesta View Tyranitar builds →Knock Off77-91% Stone Edge 4x473-557%KO | ||
 Starmie WaterPsychic | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityAnalytic ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Larvesta View Starmie builds →Ice Beam18-21% Hydro Pump 2x129-152%KO Rapid Spin11-14% Psychic53-62% | ||
 Salamence Dragon | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Larvesta View Salamence builds →Earthquake53-63% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemEviolite NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Larvesta View Mienfoo builds →Knock Off25-30% U Turn14-16% High Jump Kick25-29% | ||
Evolution
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Larvesta with 91 breeding partners from the Bug egg group.
How to Get Larvesta
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.
Where To Catch Larvesta in SV
The path to Larvesta starts with Larvesta at Lv. 24-65 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Larvesta ✓Asado Desert - DesertLv.24-63OverworldRate 1%West Province (Area Two) - DesertLv.24-63OverworldRate 1%
Step 2Catch or Evolve into VolcaronaThe Great Crater of PaldeaLv.59-65OverworldRate 1%or evolve from Larvesta (Step 1)
Larvesta isn't available in the wild in Sword & Shield. Start by transferring Larvesta from Black & White, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, or Scarlet & Violet. The evolution path from Larvesta to Larvesta is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Larvesta in SwSh
Step 1Larvesta ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave Volcarona with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Larvesta egg.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Black & WhiteNot TradeableAppears in Black & White via Gift · Route 18 · Gift. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire via Walking · Mirage Spots. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon via Walking · Lush Jungle. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Scarlet & VioletNot TradeableAppears in Scarlet & Violet via Overworld · Asado Desert. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Evolve into Volcarona
Finding Larvesta at low spawn rates takes patience. 2 spots are available in late-game routes, but the rate difference between them matters. Lock in the top one from the sorted list below.
Where To Catch Larvesta in USUM
Larvesta is your first catch on the way to Larvesta. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 41-44 across 4 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Larvesta ✓Lush Jungle - East CaveLv.41-44GrassRate 1%
Step 2Catch or Evolve into VolcaronaLush Jungle - East CaveLv.41-44GrassSOS from Larvestaor evolve from Larvesta (Step 1)
Larvesta isn't available in the wild in Sun & Moon. Start by transferring Larvesta from Black & White, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, or Scarlet & Violet. The evolution path from Larvesta to Larvesta is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Larvesta in SM
- Step 1Larvesta ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave Volcarona with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Larvesta egg.CARTRIDGE TRADEAvailableCatch in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon via Walking · Lush Jungle, then trade to the current game via link cable.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Black & WhiteNot TradeableAppears in Black & White via Gift · Route 18 · Gift. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire via Walking · Mirage Spots. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Scarlet & VioletNot TradeableAppears in Scarlet & Violet via Overworld · Asado Desert. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Evolve into Volcarona
Base Stats
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.
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.
Larvesta Guide
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.
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 does the job early-game if you need a Bug/Fire type on your team. Evolve it into Volcarona before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Game Availability
Introduced in Black & White, Larvesta has appeared in 8 games across 6 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
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 5BWDebut
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 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves