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.
Capable of living in or out of water. When out of water, it sweats to keep its body slimy.
Poliwhirl Weakness
AvgElectric and Grass-type moves hit Poliwhirl for super-effective damage. Few weaknesses and 3 resistances make the typing clean. Just 2 weak spots to worry about, which keeps teambuilding straightforward.
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
Partway through Poliwag's chain, Poliwhirl is a Water type pushing toward Politoed. No breeding at this stage. So far, HP got the biggest boost (+25 from Poliwag). The final form adds another 125 stats on top.
How to Evolve
Start with flexible EVs EVs. A nature nature gives Poliwhirl the right balanced lean, an item adds extra utility, and an ability works in the background. Surf is the main damage option.
Best Build
Best Poliwhirl Moveset
- Amnesia
- Hypnosis
- Blizzard
- Surf
Recommended Teammates
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Poliwhirl. TMs unlock Normal and Ice coverage and more and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Hydro Pump and Surf into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
high spawn rates for Poliwhirl across 4 locations in mid-game fishing spots. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Where To Catch Poliwhirl in Red & Blue
The path to Poliwhirl starts with Poliwag at Lv. 10-23 via fishing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PoliwagEASYCeladon CityBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYCeladon CityRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYCerulean Cave - 1FBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - 1FRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCaveEASYCerulean Cave - B1FBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCaveEASYFuchsia CityBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYFuchsia CityRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYPallet TownBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYPallet TownRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYRoute 10BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 10RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 11BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 11RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 12BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 12RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 13BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 13RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 17BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 17RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 18BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 18RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 19RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 19BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 20BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 20RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 21BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 21RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 22BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 22RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 23BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 23RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 24BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 24RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 25BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 25RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 6BlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 6RedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyRouteEASYSafari Zone - CenterBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSafari Zone - CenterRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSafari Zone - EastBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSafari Zone - EastRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSafari Zone - NorthRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSafari Zone - NorthBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSafari Zone - WestBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSafari Zone - WestRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityEASYSeafoam Islands - B4FBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyWaterEASYSeafoam Islands - B4FRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyWaterEASYSeafoam Islands - B3FBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyWaterEASYSeafoam Islands - B3FRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyWaterEASYVermilion City - CityBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYVermilion City - CityRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYVermilion City - HarborBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYVermilion City - HarborRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYViridian CityBlueGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYViridian CityRedGood RodLv.10CommonEarlyCityEASYPallet TownBlueSuper RodLv.15CommonEarlyCityEASYPallet TownRedSuper RodLv.15CommonEarlyCityEASYRoute 22BlueSuper RodLv.15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 22RedSuper RodLv.15CommonEarlyRouteEASYViridian CityBlueSuper RodLv.15CommonEarlyCityEASYViridian CityRedSuper RodLv.15CommonEarlyCity
Step 2Poliwhirl ✓EASYCeladon CityBlueSuper RodLv.23CommonMidCityEASYCeladon CityRedSuper RodLv.23CommonMidCityEASYRoute 10BlueSuper RodLv.23CommonMidRouteEASYRoute 10RedSuper RodLv.23CommonMidRouteor 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.
Base 90 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Poliwhirl is a special attacker with base 50 Sp. Atk. Best used as a pivot.
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