Physical
Pivot
440Average
115Fast
CTier

Free switch-ins on Ghost moves make Persian useful in any team that needs that coverage. Only 1 weaknesses keeps it safe in most matchups. Known as the Classy Cat Pokemon. Can go either physical or special depending on the set.

Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Persian's Speed does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 2 Speed EVs per KO. Moderately hard to find, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
440Above
HP65
C
Attack70
C
Defense60
C
Sp. Atk65
C
Sp. Def65
C
Speed115
B
Total440
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Persian yields +2 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+2
Details
Catch90Challenging•Medium Fast1M XP•1m / 3'03"•32kg / 70.5 lbs•154Base XP
Pokedex Entries

Behind its lithe, elegant appearance lies a barbaric side. It will tear apart its prey on a mere whim.

Crystal

Persian Weakness

Good

Fighting-type moves hit Persian for super-effective damage. The upside? Ghost-type moves can't touch it at all. At base 115 Speed, Persian outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.

Gen II Type Chart
  • 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
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
Fighting
½xResisti
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
Ghost
STABi
No super-effective STAB
1Weak
0Resist
1Immune
Scorei+1
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
LimberPrevents paralysis.
TechnicianStrengthens moves of 60 base power or less to 1.5× their power.
UnnerveHAPrevents opposing Pokémon from eating held Berries.

Persian is what Meowth becomes. Breed it for Meowth eggs (average hatch time). Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Meowth pushed Persian to 440 total stats. HP saw the largest single gain at +25.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Meowth
#052Meowth
High Friendship
Persian
#053Persian
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Meowth
Normal
Persian
Normal
HP
40
65+25
ATK
45
70+25
DEF
35
60+25
SP.ATK
40
65+25
SP.DEF
40
65+25
SPE
90
115+25
BST
290C-Tier
440C-Tier+150
ROLE
Balanced
Pivot
TYPE
Utility
Physical
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed with Persian to get Meowth eggs easily using 66 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Charm, Hypnosis and 1 more.

Egg Groups
Ground
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
4moves
Breed With (best first)
raichupikachunidokinggolduckampharosrhydondewgongarbokquagsirenidorinofarfetchdflaaffy
12 of 66·

Start with flexible EVs EVs. A nature nature gives Persian the right balanced lean, Leftovers adds passive recovery each turn, and an ability works in the background. Return is the main damage option.

Best Build

Utility
Ability
Not in Gen 2
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Nature
Not in Gen 2

Best Persian Moveset

  • HypnosisUtility
  • ReturnSTAB
  • CharmUtility
  • Hidden Power Fighting

Recommended Teammates

Tauros
TaurosGood
Snorlax
SnorlaxGood
Kangaskhan
KangaskhanGood

Without breeding, Persian misses out on Amnesia and Charm. That's 4 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hyper Beam and Slash, with coverage across 7 types rounding things out.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Bite
6010025Dark
Lv 1
Growl
—10040Normal
Lv 1
Scratch
4010035Normal
Lv 11
Bite
6010025Dark
Lv 20
Pay Day
4010020Normal
Lv 29
Feint Attack
60—20Dark
Lv 38
Screech
—8540Normal
Lv 46
Fury Swipes
188015Normal
Lv 53
Slash
7010020Normal

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
—10015Normal
TM03
Curse
——10Ghost
TM40
Defense Curl
——40Normal
TM43
Detect+4
——5Fighting
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM42
Dream Eater
10010015Psychic
TM20
Endure+4
——10Normal
TM21
Frustration
—10020Normal
TM02
Headbutt
7010015Normal
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM15
Hyper Beam
150905Normal
TM16
Icy Wind
559515Ice
TM23
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
TM31
Mud-Slap
2010010Ground
TM50
Nightmare
—10015Ghost
TM17
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM09
Psych Up
——10Normal
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM27
Return
—10020Normal
TM05
Roar-6
——20Normal
TM30
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
TM35
Sleep Talk
——10Normal
TM13
Snore
4010015Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
——5Fire
TM34
Swagger
—8515Normal
TM39
Swift
60—20Normal
TM46
Thief
6010025Dark
TM25
Thunder
1207010Electric
TM06
Toxic
—8510Poison
TM07
Zap Cannon
100505Electric

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Amnesia
——20Psychic
Egg
Charm
—10020Normal
Egg
Hypnosis
—6020Psychic
Egg
Spite
—10010Ghost

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Thunderbolt
9510015Electric

A few locations for Persian with decent spawn rates across mid-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.

Where To Catch Persian in Crystal

To get Persian, start by catching Meowth through walking encounters at Lv. 13-18. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Meowth
    Step 1Catch Meowth
    Route 11
    GrassLv.13CommonEarlyRouteNight
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 5
    GrassLv.13CommonEarlyRouteNight
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 6
    GrassLv.13CommonEarlyRouteNight
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 38
    GrassLv.16CommonMidRoute
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 39
    GrassLv.16CommonMidRoute
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 7
    GrassLv.17CommonMidRoute
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 8
    GrassLv.17CommonMidRoute
    EFFORTLESS
  2. Persian
    Step 2Persian ✓
    Route 7
    GrassLv.18UncommonMidRouteNight
    EASY
    or evolve from Meowth (Step 1)

  • Persian looks average on paper at 440 BST. But Technician is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier pivot on our tier list.

  • Watch for Hitmonlee (Fighting) when using Persian. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. Persian's base 115 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.

  • Meowth evolves into Persian by leveling up. Persian is the final evolution in a 4-stage line starting from Meowth. It sits at 440 BST in its evolved form.

  • Persian is a physical attacker with base 70 Attack. But the speed tells the real story — base 115 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the pivot role.

  • Persian appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Available since Red & Blue, Persian appears in 21 games spanning 9 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained an Alolan form in Generation 7.