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.
Although it can live on land, it prefers to stay in the water, where it has fewer natural enemies.
It marches over the land in search of bug Pokémon to eat. Then it takes them underwater so it can dine on them where it’s safe.
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 |
 Decidueye GrassGhost | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Iki Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Decidueye builds →Leaf Blade 2x111-131%KO Energy Ball 2x125-148%KO Razor Leaf 2x69-81% Leafage 2x51-60% | ||
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Meganium builds →Petal Dance 2x144-169%KO Solar Beam 2x144-169%KO Petal Blizzard 2x89-105%KO Energy Ball 2x109-129%KO | ||
 Leafeon Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Leafeon builds →Leaf Blade 2x113-133%KO Energy Ball 2x85-101%KO Giga Drain 2x71-84% Magical Leaf 2x58-69% | ||
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Victreebel builds →Leaf Storm 2x182-214%KO Leaf Blade 2x109-129%KO Energy Ball 2x125-148%KO Leaf Tornado 2x93-109%KO | ||
 Lurantis Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Lurantis builds →Solar Blade 2x149-176%KO Petal Blizzard 2x109-129%KO Leaf Blade 2x109-129%KO Energy Ball 2x105-124%KO | ||
In Sun & Moon, Zapdos can KO Poliwhirl with Thunderbolt (167-197%). Amoonguss threatens a KO with Giga Drain (91-107%). Breloom deals 48-56% with Bullet Seed.
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave29-35% Thunderbolt 2x167-197%KO | ||
 Amoonguss GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemBlack Sludge NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Amoonguss builds →Giga Drain 2x91-107%KO | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Breloom builds →Mach Punch38-45% Bullet Seed 2x48-56% | ||
 Raikou Electric | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Raikou builds →Thunderbolt 2x173-204%KO | ||
Sun & Moon 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 95 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Encore, Endeavor and 10 more.
Sun & Moon Poliwhirl Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Without breeding, Poliwhirl misses out on Bubble Beam and Encore. That's 13 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Surf, with Normal and Ground coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Poliwhirl in Sun & Moon
moderate rates across 4 locations for Poliwhirl in mid-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Where To Catch Poliwhirl in Sun & Moon
The path to Poliwhirl starts with Poliwag at Lv. 14-55 via walking, gift, and more encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PoliwagBrooklet Hill - NorthMoonSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - NorthSunSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthSunSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthMoonSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthSunGrass Lv.14-1720%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthMoonGrass Lv.14-1720%EarlyBrooklet Hill - NorthMoonGrass Lv.14-1710%EarlyBrooklet Hill - NorthSunGrass Lv.14-1710%EarlyMalie GardenMoonGrass Lv.24-27 Forest20%MidMalie GardenSunGrass Lv.24-27 Forest20%MidPoké Pelago - Ula'ula Island reachedMoonGift from NPC Lv.21-278%MidPoké Pelago - Ula'ula Island reachedSunGift from NPC Lv.21-278%MidPoké Pelago - Poni Island reachedMoonGift from NPC Lv.37-435%LatePoké Pelago - Poni Island reachedSunGift from NPC Lv.37-435%LatePoké Pelago - Elite Four defeatedMoonGift from NPC Lv.49-554%PostPoké Pelago - Elite Four defeatedSunGift from NPC Lv.49-554%Post
Step 2Poliwhirl ✓Konikoni CityMoonIn-game trade Lv.22 CityMidTrade for (give Zubat)Konikoni CitySunIn-game trade Lv.22 CityMidTrade for (give Zubat)Malie GardenMoonGrass Lv.24-27 Forest10%MidSOS chain (rain)Malie GardenSunGrass Lv.24-27 Forest10%MidSOS chain (rain)or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
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 Sun & Moon, 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