Mid-stage Pokemon like Poliwhirl rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Poliwrath, which is where the real potential kicks in. An original Gen 1 pick. Sits at a decent but contested Speed tier.
Speed and HP carry most of Poliwhirl's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 2 Speed EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Its two legs are well developed. Even though it can live on the ground, it prefers living in water.
It can live in or out of water. When out of water, it constantly sweats to keep its body slimy.
Poliwhirl Weakness
GoodElectric and Grass-type moves hit Poliwhirl for super-effective damage. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
From here, Poliwhirl's line branches into Poliwrath and Politoed. That's 2 possible evolutions, each with its own method. So far, HP got the biggest boost (+25 from Poliwag). The final form adds another 125 stats on top.
How to Evolve
Breed with Poliwhirl to get Poliwag eggs easily using 58 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Haze, Ice Ball and 4 more.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Without breeding, Poliwhirl misses out on Bubble Beam and Haze. That's 7 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Surf, with Normal and Ice coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Easy grab on Poliwhirl with high spawn rates across 22 locations in mid-game fishing spots. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Where To Catch Poliwhirl in FireRed & LeafGreen
The path to Poliwhirl starts with Poliwag at Lv. 5-30 via fishing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PoliwagEASYCape BrinkLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyEASYCape BrinkFireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyEASYCerulean Cave - 1FLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - 1FFireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FFireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCaveEASYFour IslandFireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyWaterEASYFour IslandLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyWaterEASYFuchsia CityFireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCityEASYFuchsia CityLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCityEASYIcefall Cave - 1F Room 1FireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCaveEASYIcefall Cave - 1F Room 1LeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCaveEASYRoute 22LeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 22FireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 23LeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 23FireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 25FireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 25LeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 6FireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 6LeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRuin ValleyFireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyEASYRuin ValleyLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyEASYViridian CityFireRedGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCityEASYViridian CityLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15CommonEarlyCityEASYCape BrinkFireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyEASYCape BrinkLeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyEASYCerulean Cave - 1FLeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - 1FFireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FLeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FFireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCaveEASYFour IslandFireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyWaterEASYFour IslandLeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyWaterEASYIcefall Cave - 1F Room 1FireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCaveEASYIcefall Cave - 1F Room 1LeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCaveEASYRoute 22LeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 22FireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 23LeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 23FireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 25FireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 25LeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 6FireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 6LeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyRouteEASYRuin ValleyFireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyEASYRuin ValleyLeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyEASYViridian CityLeafGreenSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCityEASYViridian CityFireRedSuper RodLv.15-25CommonEarlyCityMODERATEBerry ForestFireRedGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyForestMODERATEBerry ForestLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyForestMODERATESafari Zone - CenterFireRedGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacilityMODERATESafari Zone - CenterLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacilityMODERATESafari Zone - EastLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacilityMODERATESafari Zone - EastFireRedGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacilityMODERATESafari Zone - NorthLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacilityMODERATESafari Zone - NorthFireRedGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacilityMODERATESafari Zone - WestLeafGreenGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacilityMODERATESafari Zone - WestFireRedGood RodLv.5-15UncommonEarlyFacility
Step 2Poliwhirl ✓EASYCape BrinkLeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidEASYCape BrinkFireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidEASYCerulean Cave - 1FFireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCaveEASYCerulean Cave - 1FLeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FLeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FFireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCaveEASYFour IslandLeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidWaterEASYFour IslandFireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidWaterEASYIcefall Cave - 1F Room 1LeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCaveEASYIcefall Cave - 1F Room 1FireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCaveEASYRoute 22LeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 22FireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 23LeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 23FireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 25LeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 25FireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 6LeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 6FireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidRouteEASYRuin ValleyLeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidEASYRuin ValleyFireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidEASYViridian CityLeafGreenSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCityEASYViridian CityFireRedSuper RodLv.20-30CommonMidCityor evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Poliwhirl is meant to evolve into Poliwrath. At 385 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Swift Swim is what you want on Poliwhirl. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Water Absorb, Damp) work on paper but Swift Swim is what makes Poliwhirl worth using.
Base 90 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Poliwhirl is leaning toward the physical side (base 65 Attack).
Poliwhirl appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
One of the original 151, Poliwhirl has appeared in 20 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
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