Swift Swim doubles its Speed in rain, adding real value on top of Ludicolo's already solid stats. Water/Grass typing means only weak to Poison, Flying, and Bug. Known as the Carefree Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.
Nothing fancy in Ludicolo's spread. It leans mixed with Sp. Def out front. And you'll get 3 Sp. Def EVs per KO for it. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
If it hears festive music, all its muscles fill with energy. It can’t help breaking out into a dance.
The rhythm of bright, festive music activates Ludicolo’s cells, making it more powerful.
Ludicolo Weakness
AvgLudicolo is weak to Poison, Flying, and Bug-type moves. Ludicolo's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
Ludicolo evolved from Lotad's chain using an evolution item. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Lotad eggs (quick to hatch). The evolution from Lotad pushed Ludicolo to 480 total stats. Sp.Atk saw the largest single gain at +50.
How to Evolve
Breed with Ludicolo to get Lotad eggs easily from the Plant and Water1 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Counter, Flail, Giga Drain and 7 more.
Bulk and offense in one package. Ludicolo runs Rocky Helmet for chip damage on every physical hit received with a Modest nature, so it survives long enough to threaten with Fakeout. Max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs and the remaining moves make it hard to safely switch into.
Best Build
Best Ludicolo Moveset
- Fake Out
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Energy Ball
Recommended Teammates
Breeding opens up real options for Ludicolo. Counter and Flail come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Solar Beam and Hydro Pump and coverage across 7 types.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Can't catch Ludicolo directly. Start with Lotad in the wild from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Lotad to Ludicolo is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Ludicolo in X & Y
To get Ludicolo, start by catching Lotad through surfing and walking encounters at Lv. 25-59. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Obtain Lotad
Step 2Catch or Evolve LombreCHALLENGINGPokémon VillageXGrassLv.25RareMidHorde battleCHALLENGINGPokémon VillageYGrassLv.25RareMidHorde battleEASYRoute 15YSurfing on waterLv.34-36CommonLateRouteEASYRoute 15XSurfing on waterLv.34-36CommonLateRouteEASYPokémon VillageYSurfing on waterLv.48-50CommonPostEASYPokémon VillageXSurfing on waterLv.48-50CommonPostEASYRoute 21XSurfing on waterLv.50-52CommonPostRouteEASYRoute 21YSurfing on waterLv.50-52CommonPostRouteEASYCouriway TownXSurfing on waterLv.57-59CommonPostCityEASYCouriway TownYSurfing on waterLv.57-59CommonPostCityEASYRoute 16YSurfing on waterLv.57-59CommonPostRouteEASYRoute 16XSurfing on waterLv.57-59CommonPostRouteEASYVictory Road - Outside Section 3XSurfing on waterLv.57-59CommonPostCaveEASYVictory Road - Outside Section 3YSurfing on waterLv.57-59CommonPostCaveor evolve from Lotad (Step 1)
Step 3Ludicolo ✓
Ludicolo looks average on paper at 480 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Ludicolo gets Swift Swim, Rain Dish, and Own Tempo. But Swift Swim is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Ludicolo is a special attacker with base 90 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 70 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.
Ludicolo appears in 15 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Since Ruby & Sapphire, Ludicolo has been in 15 games. Requiring an item-based evolution to obtain means it's consistently available but requires more effort than simply catching it in the wild.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A