
Is Machamp Good in Yellow Playthrough?
Needs a trade to evolve, same as Red and Blue. Machamp hits harder than almost anything else in the physical department. If you have a trade partner, it handles Brock, Giovanni, and chunks through the E4. Worth the trade if you can make it happen.
Machoke has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Misty's typing presses Machoke's defenses.
Machoke trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Erika's typing presses Machoke's defenses.
Machamp trades roughly evenly with Koga's team.
Sabrina's team hits Machamp's weaknesses hard.
Machamp has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Machamp has the type edge here and should clean up Giovanni's team.
Machamp trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.
Machamp has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Machamp trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.
Machamp trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Machamp trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Trade Machoke
Machoke can be received through an in-game trade on Underground Path 5-6. Trade Cubone. Trade a Cubone to the girl at the Route 5 end of the Underground Path to get a Machoke nicknamed RICKY; it evolves into Machamp right away.
Recommended Moves
- 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
- TM05NormalMega KickPower 120Accuracy 75%PP 5Celadon Department Store
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- After Koga
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Silph Co.
- LV 52FightingSubmissionPower 120Accuracy 80%PP 25
- After Blaine
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 5Prize for defeating Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine
Evolve Machoke to Machamp
Machoke evolves into Machamp when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Koga.
Recommended Moves
- After Brock
- TM28GroundDigPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Returned by the Team Rocket Grunt in Cerulean City after you defeat him
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Rocket Game Corner
- TM05NormalMega KickPower 120Accuracy 75%PP 5Celadon Department Store
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- After Koga
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Silph Co.
- LV 52FightingSubmissionPower 120Accuracy 80%PP 25
- After Blaine
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 5Prize for defeating Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine
How to Get Machamp in Yellow
Machamp never shows up in a solo playthrough. You have to hand a Machoke to a friend over a link cable, and the trade itself triggers the evolution.
Catch Machop or Machoke at any of these 4 spots to eventually evolve into Machamp.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
How to Obtain Machamp in Y
To get Machamp, start by catching Machop through walking encounters at Lv. 16-21. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 2Catch or Evolve MachokeVictory Road - 3FLv.42-45CaveRate 10%Victory Road - 2FLv.39-42CaveRate 5%Underground Path 5-6In-game tradeRate 100%Trade for (give Cubone)or evolve from Machop (Step 1)
Step 3Machamp ✓
Machamp Weakness
Machamp is weak to Flying and Psychic. Not many exploitable gaps in the Fighting typing defensive chart. With 90 HP and balanced defenses, Machamp can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Flying, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug, Rock |
- 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 Machamp Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Machamp
Mewtwo Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodCerulean Cave Interact Encounter | ||
Moltres Fire | B | |
Obtain MethodVictory Road Interact Encounter | ||
Zapdos Electric | A | |
Obtain MethodPower Plant Interact Encounter | ||
Exeggutor GrassPsychic | S | |
Dodrio Normal | B | |
Aerodactyl Rock | B | |
Obtain MethodCinnabar Island Gift | ||
Hypno Psychic | C | |
Articuno Ice | B | |
Obtain MethodSeafoam Islands Interact Encounter | ||
Fearow Normal | C | |
Slowbro WaterPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodRoute 12 Surfing | ||
Scyther Bug | C | |
Obtain MethodCeladon City Gift | ||
Pidgeot Normal | C | |
Charizard Fire | B | |
Kadabra Psychic | B | |
Machamp Evolutions
Machamp is the evolved form of Machop, reached by trading. A Fighting type at 485 stats that still can't breed. The evolution from Machop pushed Machamp to 485 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +50. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Y Machamp Best Moveset
Highest Attack in the format at 130, completely neutralized by Psychic-type dominance at the top. MoveEarthquake and MoveBody Slam often hit harder than any Fighting move because the matchups are all wrong. Massive physical power that the competitive landscape doesn't let it use.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Submission
- Low Kick
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Most of Machamp's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Submission and Karate Chop, but Normal and Ground and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
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 24 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
One arm alone can move mountains. Using all four arms, this POKéMON fires off awesome punches.
Machamp Yellow Guide
Machamp is obtained by trade-evolving Machoke. Catch or evolve a Machoke first, then trade.
In Yellow, Machamp plays as a wallbreaker. Not the fastest, so pick your spots carefully. Submission is the primary attack.
Gigantamax Machamp is exclusive to Sword & Shield, so it's not usable in Yellow. The form has a unique appearance and a signature G-Max move.
Game Availability
Available since Red & Blue, Machamp appears in 21 games spanning 9 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Gigantamax form in Generation 8.
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 8SwShGigantamax

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
Explore
Where to go next after Machamp.