Politoed's stats are solid on their own, but Drizzle is what pushes it over the line. It sets rain on switch-in. Only weak to Electric and Grass. A competitive option since Gen 2. It needs some investment to avoid getting outsped.
Politoed's spread isn't flashy. Sp. Def leads, Speed trails, 3 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 3 Sp. Def EVs, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
A group of Poliwag and Poliwhirl will form with a Politoed as the leader. Politoed’s cries make the Pokémon of the group obey.
Politoed Weakness
GoodType-wise, Politoed takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Politoed's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
Politoed is one of 2 ways Poliwhirl's chain can end. This one takes the trade route, while the siblings go different directions. Breed through Poliwag to get eggs. Poliwrath has 10 more total stats, but Politoed makes up for it with a stronger Sp.Def gain (+60 from Poliwag).
How to Evolve
Breed with Politoed to get Poliwag eggs easily using 84 partners from the Water1 egg group.
Nothing fancy here. Politoed builds around Damprock for extra utility, Calm nature for the right stat lean, and max HP and Sp. Def EVs. Drizzle does its job quietly.
Best Build
Best Politoed Moveset
- Protect
- Weather Ball
- Helping Hand
- Icy Wind
Recommended Teammates
TMs define Politoed's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Hydro Pump and Muddy Water, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Normal and Ice coverage and more. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Politoed isn't available in the wild in Scarlet & Violet. Start by transferring Poliwag from Red. The evolution path from Poliwag to Politoed is covered in the steps below.
Don't let Politoed's 500 base stat total fool you. Drizzle is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it B-Tier.
Run Drizzle on Politoed. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Politoed also gets Water Absorb and Damp, but they don't compare.
Politoed fills the balanced role. It's leaning toward the special side (base 90 Sp. Atk). Base 70 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Politoed appears in 17 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.
Politoed has been available in 17 games since Gold & Silver, though obtaining it requires a trade evolution. This extra step makes it less common than Pokemon found through standard wild encounters.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
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