Is Noctowl Good in Crystal Playthrough?
Better special bulk than Pidgeot, worse physical stats. Noctowl handles Morty's Ghost-types with MoveForesight and contributes against Chuck. Crystal's move tutor doesn't help Flying-types, so what Noctowl has by mid-game is what it keeps. An early investment that plateaus around Cianwood.
Falkner's typing presses Hoothoot's defenses.
Hoothoot has the type edge here and should clean up Bugsy's team.
Hoothoot trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Morty's team.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Chuck's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Jasmine's team.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Noctowl resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Brock's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Catch Hoothoot
Catch Hoothoot on Route 29 (walking, Lv 2-3, common).
Recommended Moves
- After Falkner
- TM39NormalSwiftPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20Union Cave
- LV 11FlyingPeckPower 53Accuracy 100%PP 35
- After Whitney
- TM13NormalSnorePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Moomoo Farm
- LV 28NormalTake DownPower 135Accuracy 85%PP 20
- After Chuck
- HM02FlyingFlyPower 105Accuracy 95%PP 15Cianwood City
- After Jasmine
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a fisherman in a house at Lake of Rage
- After Lt. Surge
- TM47SteelSteel WingPower 70Accuracy 90%PP 25Route 28
- LV 48PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
Evolve Hoothoot to Noctowl
Hoothoot evolves into Noctowl at Level 20. Your Hoothoot should hit Level 20 before you reach Morty, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Falkner
- TM39NormalSwiftPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20Union Cave
- After Whitney
- TM13NormalSnorePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Moomoo Farm
- After Chuck
- HM02FlyingFlyPower 105Accuracy 95%PP 15Cianwood City
- LV 33NormalTake DownPower 135Accuracy 85%PP 20
- After Jasmine
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a fisherman in a house at Lake of Rage
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 225Accuracy 90%PP 5Celadon Game Corner prize (7500 coins)
- TM47SteelSteel WingPower 70Accuracy 90%PP 25Route 28
- LV 57PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Noctowl in Crystal
Noctowl takes over the night skies, common across 15 mid-game routes but only after dark. A single Headbutt tree in Ilex Forest is the lone daytime option.
15 locations to catch Noctowl20 locations to catch Hoothoot
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Catch Hoothoot at any of the 20 locations below, then level it up to 20 — it evolves into Noctowl.
Badge 1 Badge 2 Badge 3 Badge 4 Badge 5 Badge 6 Badge 7 Badge 8Where To Catch Noctowl in C
Available earlier: catch Hoothoot at the very start and evolve it at Lv 20. Wild Noctowl first appears at Ilex Forest (after Badge 1).
- Step 1Catch HoothootLake of RageLv.10Headbutting treesRate 65%Route 32Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 65%Route 43Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 65%Route 26Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 65%Route 27Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 65%Ilex ForestLv.10Headbutting special treesRate 60%Route 29Lv.2-3GrassRate 55%NightRoute 2Lv.3-5GrassRate 50%NightIlex ForestLv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Lake of RageLv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 29Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 29Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 30Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 30Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 31Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 31Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 32Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 34Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 34Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 35Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 35Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 36Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 36Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 37Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 37Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 38Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 38Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 39Lv.10Headbutting treesRate 50%Route 39Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 43Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 26Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 27Lv.10Headbutting special treesRate 50%Route 1Lv.2-4GrassRate 45%NightRoute 30Lv.3-4GrassRate 45%NightRoute 36Lv.4-5GrassRate 45%NightNational ParkLv.13-15FloorRate 40%NightRoute 25Lv.10GrassRate 30%NightRoute 5Lv.13GrassRate 30%NightRoute 35Lv.14GrassRate 30%NightRoute 34Lv.12GrassRate 20%NightRoute 37Lv.15GrassRate 20%NightRoute 31Lv.5GrassRate 10%NightIlex ForestLv.7GrassRate 5%NightRoute 32Lv.7GrassRate 5%NightRoute 35Lv.14GrassRate 5%Nightthe Yanma swarm that Bug Catcher Arnie reports by
- Step 2Noctowl ✓Route 5Lv.15GrassRate 20%NightRoute 2Lv.4-7GrassRate 15%NightRoute 25Lv.12-14GrassRate 15%NightIlex ForestLv.10Headbutting treesRate 10%Route 37Lv.15GrassRate 5%NightRoute 26Lv.28-32GrassRate 50%NightRoute 27Lv.28-32GrassRate 40%NightRoute 43Lv.16GrassRate 30%NightRoute 8Lv.20GrassRate 30%NightRoute 13Lv.25GrassRate 20%NightRoute 15Lv.25GrassRate 20%NightRoute 14Lv.28GrassRate 20%NightRoute 38Lv.16GrassRate 10%NightRoute 39Lv.16GrassRate 10%NightRoute 11Lv.16GrassRate 10%Nightor evolve from Hoothoot (Step 1)
Bring the right balls: check Noctowl catch odds in the Crystal Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
How to Get Shiny Noctowl in Crystal
Noctowl flies Route 43 at night as a common level 16 encounter, with additional nighttime spawns along Kanto's Route 13 and Route 14 for variety. Compare Shiny Noctowl odds across every game
Crystal Shiny Noctowl Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Breed w/ Shiny Parent, about 1 in 64 on each try.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
Breed w/ Shiny Parent: Eggs inherit stats from a shiny parent, so about 1 in 64 hatch shiny. A shiny Ditto helps every egg, and any other shiny parent (the red Gyarados works) helps only eggs of the opposite gender.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 7-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 19-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 45-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 147-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Planning a longer hunt? Set up Noctowl in the Crystal Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Noctowl Weakness
Noctowl is weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock. On the flip side, it's immune to Ground and Ghost-type moves entirely. Noctowl's special bulk (base 96 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground, Ghost |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
- Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
What is Noctowl Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Noctowl
 Magneton ElectricSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Magneton builds →Thunder 2x98-116%KO Rollout 2x17-20% | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Obtain MethodRoute 36 Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Sudowoodo builds →Rock Slide 2x86-102%KO Ice Punch 2x17-20% Thunder Punch 2x17-20% | ||
 Jolteon Electric | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Lapras builds →Blizzard 2x74-88% Thunder 2x50-59% | ||
 Jynx IcePsychic | B | |
 Electabuzz Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Electabuzz builds →Thunder 2x82-96% Ice Punch 2x36-42% | ||
 Graveler RockGround | B | |
 Onix RockGround | C | |
 Pichu Electric | D | |
Obtain MethodRoute 34 Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Pichu builds →Thunder 2x41-50% Rollout 2x14-17% | ||
 Shuckle BugRock | B | |
Noctowl Evolutions
Noctowl is what Hoothoot becomes. Breed it for Hoothoot eggs (quick to hatch). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. The evolution from Hoothoot pushed Noctowl to 442 total stats. HP saw the largest single gain at +40. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Noctowl to get Hoothoot eggs easily using 19 partners from the Flying egg group. Notable egg moves include Feint Attack, Mirror Move, Sky Attack and 3 more.
C Noctowl Best Moveset
Decent 100 Sp. Def from the stat split but 76 Sp. Atk limits how much damage MovePsychic or coverage moves deal. MoveHypnosis for unreliable sleep. Held ItemLeftovers sustains. Tanks special hits passably but can't threaten back, reducing it to a passive presence.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Confusion
- Steel Wing
- Wing Attack
- Take Down
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Egg moves make a real difference. Noctowl gets Feint Attack and Mirror Move exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Psychic and Ground coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Hyper Beam and Sky Attack.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- 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, Egg, 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, Egg, 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
17 of 24 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Its extremely soft feathers make no sound in flight. It silently sneaks up on prey without being detected.
Noctowl Crystal Guide
Honestly, in Crystal Noctowl is a tough sell. It rates just E-Tier, and stronger Normal/Flying options exist. Fun pick, not a practical one.
In Crystal, Noctowl plays as a support. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully.
Game Availability
Debuting in Gold & Silver, Noctowl appears in 17 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
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 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
Explore
Where to go next after Noctowl.
Keep playing · CrystalCrystal Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Crystal Tier List