Nuzleaf sits in the middle of its evolution line — stronger than Seedot but not yet at full power. Most trainers push through to Shiftry as fast as possible. Known as the Wily Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.
HP and Attack carry most of Nuzleaf's stat budget. Defense's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 2 Attack EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
NUZLEAF live in densely overgrown forests. They occasionally venture out of the forest to startle people. This POKéMON dislikes having its long nose pinched.
This POKéMON pulls out the leaf on its head and makes a flute with it. The sound of NUZLEAF’s flute strikes fear and uncertainty in the hearts of people lost in a forest.
Nuzleaf Weakness
VulnerableType-wise, Nuzleaf takes extra damage from Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, and Flying. Watch out for Bug attacks, those deal 4x damage. Psychic moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Sitting between Seedot and Shiftry, Nuzleaf is part of a chain that requires an evolution item. Not your typical level-up setup. HP has grown the most so far (+30), but there's still another 140 stats to gain in the final evolution.
How to Evolve
Breed with Nuzleaf to get Seedot eggs easily using 102 partners from the Ground and Plant egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, False Swipe, Leech Seed and 3 more.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.
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The egg pool carries weight here. Amnesia and False Swipe aren't available any other way for Nuzleaf, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Solar Beam and Giga Drain for solid options.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Nuzleaf appears at decent spawn rates across 1 spots in mid-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Where To Catch Nuzleaf in Ruby & Sapphire
Seedot is your first catch on the way to Nuzleaf. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 3-18 across 3 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch SeedotEFFORTLESSRoute 114GrassLv.15-16CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 102GrassLv.3-4UncommonEarlyRoute
Step 2Nuzleaf ✓EASYRoute 114GrassLv.16-18UncommonMidRouteor evolve from Seedot (Step 1)
Nuzleaf is meant to evolve into Shiftry. At 340 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Nuzleaf's biggest threats include Heracross (Bug), Arcanine (Fire), and Walrein (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Heracross is the most dangerous since Bug moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Poison, and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 6 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Chlorophyll is what you want on Nuzleaf. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Early Bird, Pickpocket) work on paper but Chlorophyll is what makes Nuzleaf worth using.
At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Nuzleaf is a special attacker with base 60 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Nuzleaf appears in 15 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Obtainable through an item-based evolution, Nuzleaf appears in 15 titles across 7 generations since Ruby & Sapphire. The evolution method adds a barrier that wild-catchable Pokemon don't have.
- 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