Stats & Training
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.
The spiral pattern on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it gradually causes drowsiness.
The spiral pattern on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it gradually causes drowsiness.
Poliwhirl Weakness
Electric and Grass moves hit Poliwhirl for super-effective damage. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
 Wo-Chien DarkGrass | B | |
Obtain MethodSouth Province Area One Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Wo-Chien builds →Power Whip 2x121-144%KO Solar Beam 2x160-189%KO Seed Bomb 2x81-96% Giga Drain 2x101-120%KO | ||
 Meowscarada GrassDark | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Sprigatito (Cabo Poco Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Meowscarada builds →Leaf Storm 2x153-180%KO Solar Beam 2x141-167%KO Energy Ball 2x107-126%KO Seed Bomb 2x100-118%KO | ||
 Leafeon Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Leafeon builds →Solar Beam 2x113-133%KO Leaf Blade 2x113-133%KO Seed Bomb 2x100-118%KO Giga Drain 2x71-84% | ||
 Toedscruel GroundGrass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Toedscruel builds →Power Whip 2x104-122%KO Solar Beam 2x140-165%KO Seed Bomb 2x71-84% Giga Drain 2x89-105%KO | ||
 Gogoat Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Gogoat builds →Solar Beam 2x164-193%KO Leaf Blade 2x104-122%KO Seed Bomb 2x93-109%KO Horn Leech 2x87-103%KO | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, Jolteon can KO Poliwhirl with Thunderbolt (168-198%). Raikou threatens a KO with Thunderbolt (115-136%). Toedscool deals 43-51% with Giga Drain.
 Jolteon Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Jolteon builds →Thunderbolt 2x168-198%KO Volt Switch 2x131-154%KO Shadow Ball50-59% | ||
 Raikou Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Raikou builds →Scald17-20% Thunderbolt 2x115-136%KO Volt Switch 2x90-106%KO | ||
 Toedscool GroundGrass | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMyceliummight ItemEviolite NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Toedscool builds →Rapid Spin6-7% Knock Off7-9% Giga Drain 2x43-51% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemToxic Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Breloom builds →Mach Punch25-30% Bullet Seed 2x33-39% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Poliwhirl to get Poliwag eggs easily using 87 partners from the Water1 egg group.
Scarlet & Violet Poliwhirl Best Moveset
Eviolite makes Poliwhirl bulkier than you'd expect from something that still evolves. Max Attack and Speed EVs with Jolly nature handle the stat profile. Ground coverage keeps it from being passive.
Best Build
Poliwhirl best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Belly Drum
- Liquidation
- Earthquake
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Icy Wind
- Protect
- Encore
- Whirlpool
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Poliwhirl. TMs unlock Ground and Normal coverage and more and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Hydro Pump and Muddy Water into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Poliwhirl in Scarlet & Violet
Poliwhirl Guide
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.
In Scarlet & Violet, Poliwhirl's hidden ability is Swift Swim. Doubles Speed during rain. Better than the standard options for competitive play.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Poliwhirl has appeared in 20 games — most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves