Don't let the raw stats fool you. Lightning Rod redirects Electric moves and boosts its Sp. Atk, and that completely changes the math for Plusle. Only weak to Ground. Part of the Gen 3 roster. Sits at a decent but contested Speed tier.
Everything pushes toward special damage here. Plusle's Speed does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 1 Speed EV per KO. Easy to catch, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It cheers on friends with pom-poms made of sparks. It drains power from telephone poles.
Plusle Weakness
GoodPlusle's Electric typing leaves it vulnerable to Ground moves. Not many exploitable gaps in the Electric typing defensive chart. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Plusle's special bulk (base 75 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
No evolution chain to worry about here. Plusle is a standalone Pokemon with plenty of partners for breeding through one egg group. Eggs come out average hatch time.
How to Evolve
Breed Plusle easily with 66 breeding partners from the Fairy egg group.
You commit to a move every time Plusle comes in. Choice Scarf gives speed patching through item lock, and Lightningrod adds to that. Max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs make sure the locked move actually hurts. Double STAB covers the rest.
Best Build
Best Plusle Moveset
- Discharge
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power Ice
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Plusle's Normal and Fairy coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Thunder and Thunderbolt for same-type damage. Last Resort and Thunder are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
The natural movepool does the job, but Charm and Discharge from the egg pool give Plusle something extra. Pair those with Thunder and Thunderbolt for STAB and Normal and Dark coverage and more for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
The natural movepool does the job, but Charm and Discharge from the egg pool give Plusle something extra. Pair those with Thunder and Thunderbolt for STAB and coverage across 8 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
The natural movepool does the job, but Charm and Discharge from the egg pool give Plusle something extra. Pair those with Thunder and Thunderbolt for STAB and Normal and Dark coverage and more for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
No wild encounters for Plusle in Scarlet & Violet. It's available in Ruby, Emerald, or HeartGold and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
No wild encounters for Plusle in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. It's available in Ruby, Emerald, or HeartGold and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Plusle can't be caught in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Bring it over from Ruby, Emerald, or HeartGold instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Plusle looks average on paper at 405 BST. But Lightning Rod is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Watch for Swampert (Ground) when using Plusle. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Plusle doesn't evolve and has no evolutionary line. It's a Electric-type Pokemon with a 405 base stat total.
Plusle gets Lightning Rod and Plus. But Lightning Rod is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Plusle is a special attacker with base 85 Sp. Atk. But the speed tells the real story — base 95 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.
Plusle appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Plusle appears in 14 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
- 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