Is Poliwhirl Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Poliwag evolves at level 25. Water-type with AbilityWater Absorb. The fork between Poliwrath (Water Stone) and Politoed (King's Rock trade) defines the line. Both are solid, but Poliwrath's Fighting brings more gym coverage.
Poliwag has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Poliwag has the type edge here and should clean up Bugsy's team.
Poliwag trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Morty's team.
Chuck's typing presses Poliwhirl's defenses.
Poliwrath resists most of Jasmine's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Jasmine:
Poliwrath resists most of Pryce's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Pryce:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Clair:
Poliwrath resists most of Brock's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Brock:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Misty:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lt. Surge:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Erika:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Janine:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Sabrina:
Poliwrath resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Blaine:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Blue:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Will's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Will:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Koga:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Bruno:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Karen:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lance:
Catch Poliwag
Catch Poliwag on Route 30 (Surf, Lv 10-25, common).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- LV 21NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 25WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- LV 38WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
Evolve Poliwag to Poliwhirl
Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl at Level 25. Your Poliwag should hit Level 25 before you reach Morty, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 25)
- LV 25NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Bugsy
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- LV 27WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- LV 48WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
Evolve Poliwhirl to Poliwrath
Poliwhirl evolves into Poliwrath with a Water Stone. You can receive the Water Stone from an NPC in Route 42. 2 other locations are also available.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 31)
- LV 31FightingSubmissionPower 120Accuracy 80%PP 25
- LV 31WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM52FightingFocus BlastPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 225Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
Evolve Poliwhirl to Politoed
Poliwhirl evolves into Politoed when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Jasmine.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 31)
- LV 31WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- LV 48NormalHyper VoicePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10
How to Get Poliwhirl in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Poliwhirl bites on the better rods and surfs eleven locations, climbing into the high 40s in late water. Catch it directly or raise a Poliwag to level 25, then decide later between a Water Stone and a King's Rock trade.
Wild Poliwhirl may be holding when caught:
Kings Rock (5% chance) An item to be held by a Pokemon. It may cause the foe to flinch when the holder inflicts damage.11 locations to catch Poliwhirl20 locations to catch Poliwag
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, Surfing
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, Surfing
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Catch Poliwag at any of the 20 locations below, then level it up to 25 — it evolves into Poliwhirl.
Badge 1 Badge 2 Badge 3 Badge 4 Badge 5 Badge 6 Badge 7 Badge 8Where To Catch Poliwhirl in HGSS
Available earlier: catch Poliwag (before Badge 2) and evolve it at Lv 25. Wild Poliwhirl needs Surf (after Badge 3).
- Step 1Catch PoliwagRoute 22Lv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Viridian CityLv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Ecruteak CityLv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 30Lv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 31Lv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Violet CityLv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 44Lv.15-30Surfing on waterRate 90%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.12-15Old RodRate 40%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.12-15Old RodRate 40%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.12-15Old RodRate 40%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.15-17Surfing on waterRate 40%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.15-16Surfing on waterRate 30%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.15-16Surfing on waterRate 30%Blackthorn CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Ecruteak CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Ilex ForestLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 30Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 31Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 35Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 43Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 44Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 45Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Ruins of Alph - OutsideLv.10Old RodRate 15%Violet CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 22Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 28Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 6Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Viridian CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.22-24Good RodRate 70%Blackthorn CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Ecruteak CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Ilex ForestLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 30Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 31Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 35Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 43Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 45Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Ruins of Alph - OutsideLv.20Good RodRate 60%Violet CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 22Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 28Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 6Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Viridian CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 44Lv.20Good RodRate 55%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 55%NightCerulean Cave - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 55%NightCerulean Cave - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 55%NightCerulean Cave - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 45%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 45%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 45%Morning/daySafari Zone - MeadowLv.22-24Good RodRate 40%Mt. Moon - Mt. Moon SquareLv.20Good RodRate 30%Cliff Edge GateLv.20Good RodRate 15%Morning/dayMt. Silver - BaseLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Cliff Edge GateLv.20Good RodRate 5%NightMt. Moon - Mt. Moon SquareLv.40Super RodRate 100%Route 28Lv.35-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Blackthorn CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Ecruteak CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Ilex ForestLv.40Super RodRate 80%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 30Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 31Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 35Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 43Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 45Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Ruins of Alph - OutsideLv.40Super RodRate 80%Violet CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 22Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 28Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 6Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Viridian CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 44Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%NightCerulean Cave - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 70%NightCerulean Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%NightMt. Moon - Mt. Moon SquareLv.35Surfing on waterRate 60%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.35-37Super RodRate 50%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.35-36Super RodRate 40%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 40%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 40%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 40%Morning/dayCliff Edge GateLv.40Super RodRate 30%
- Step 2Poliwhirl ✓Route 22Lv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Viridian CityLv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Ecruteak CityLv.15-25Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 30Lv.15-32Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 31Lv.15-32Surfing on waterRate 10%Violet CityLv.15-25Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.30-48Surfing on waterRate 91%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.24-25Good RodRate 60%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.23-25Good RodRate 30%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.16-17Surfing on waterRate 20%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.24-25Good RodRate 20%Route 44Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 10%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.35-38Super RodRate 80%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.35-38Super RodRate 60%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.35-37Super RodRate 50%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 30%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 30%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 30%Morning/dayRoute 28Lv.40Surfing on waterRate 10%or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Available in-game· 2 pathsPick one
Bring the right balls: check Poliwhirl catch odds in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
How to Get Shiny Poliwhirl in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Poliwhirl surfaces around Route 22 and Viridian City, so breed it Masuda-style with a foreign-language parent at 1 in 1,638. Compare Shiny Poliwhirl odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Poliwhirl Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Planning a longer hunt? Set up Poliwhirl in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
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 |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Poliwhirl Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Poliwhirl
 Parasect BugGrass | C | |
 Tangrowth Grass | C | |
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
 Carnivine Grass | C | |
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | A | |
 Raikou Electric | B | |
 Jolteon Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
 Manectric Electric | C | |
 Ampharos Electric | C | |
Poliwhirl Evolutions
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 69 partners from the Water 1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Encore, Endeavor and 8 more.
HGSS Poliwhirl Best Moveset
Every stat between 50 and 65 with no standout anywhere. AbilityWater Absorb for Water immunity and some bulk, but the moveset is a placeholder between Poliwag and the final evolution. Evolve to Poliwrath or Politoed.
Best Build
Poliwhirl best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Belly Drum
- Protect
- Waterfall
- Encore
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Without breeding, Poliwhirl misses out on Bubble Beam and Encore. That's 11 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.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 24 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
The swirl on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it may gradually cause drowsiness.
The skin on most of its body is moist. However, the skin on its belly spiral feels smooth.
Poliwhirl HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
- Where in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Safari Zone can I find Poliwhirl?
See the Locations section above for where to find Poliwhirl in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:
- Throw bait to keep Poliwhirl from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
- Throw a rock to make Poliwhirl easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
- Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
No. Poliwhirl only evolves into Politoed through a real trade. There is no in-game alternative in HeartGold & SoulSilver. The King's Rock must be held during the trade. Bring one over from a sibling Gen 3 game if needed.
Yes. Wild Poliwhirl in HeartGold & SoulSilver can hold Kings Rock (5%). Use Thief (TM46) or Covet to swipe the held item without affecting your catch chance. Quickest way to farm rare items like Kings Rock.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, you can run Poliwhirl through the first few routes without issues. 385 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Poliwrath as fast as you can.
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 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
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