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.
PLUSLE always acts as a cheerleader for its partners. Whenever a teammate puts out a good effort in battle, this POKéMON shorts out its body to create the crackling noises of sparks to show its joy.
When PLUSLE is cheering on its partner, it flashes with electric sparks from all over its body. If its partner loses, this POKéMON cries loudly.
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.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
No evolution chain to worry about here. Plusle is a standalone Pokemon with a decent partner pool for breeding through one egg group. Eggs come out average hatch time.
How to Evolve
Breed Plusle easily with 27 breeding partners from the Fairy egg group. Pass egg moves like Substitute, Wish to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Plusle's Normal and Steel coverage all comes from technical machines, built on top of Thunder and Thunderbolt for same-type damage. Thunder and Iron Tail are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Plusle starts showing up in early-game routes at decent spawn rates across 4 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations
Which version you're playing matters for Plusle. 4 walking and trade spots at Lv. 12-13 spread across Sapphire and Ruby, and some routes only appear in one cartridge. Check the version badges below.
Plusle looks average on paper at 405 BST. But Lightning Rod is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. D-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