Is Poliwrath Good in Crystal Playthrough?
Water/Fighting gives Poliwrath useful matchups against Pryce, Jasmine, and Karen at the E4. Crystal's move tutor adds MoveIce Beam for Dragon coverage, which makes Poliwrath one of the more complete team members if you invest.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Bugsy's team.
Poliwhirl trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Poliwhirl resists most of Morty's coverage and hits back hard.
Poliwhirl trades roughly evenly with Chuck's team.
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 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:
Sabrina's team hits Poliwrath's weaknesses hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Sabrina:
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 Misty's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Misty:
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 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 trades roughly evenly with 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 trades roughly evenly with 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 trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lance:
Catch Poliwhirl
Catch Poliwhirl on Route 30 (Surf, Lv 20-24, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Game Corner prize (5500 coins)
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Ecruteak City
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Ice Path
- LV 35NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- After Lt. Surge
- TUTORIceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod City
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Saffron City
- LV 51WaterHydro 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.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 30)
- LV 30FightingSubmissionPower 120Accuracy 80%PP 25
- After Bugsy
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Game Corner prize (5500 coins)
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Ecruteak City
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Ice Path
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Celadon Game Corner prize (7500 coins)
- TUTORIceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod City
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Saffron City
Evolve Poliwhirl to Politoed
Poliwhirl evolves into Politoed when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Jasmine.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Game Corner prize (5500 coins)
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Ecruteak City
- After Morty
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Olivine City
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Ice Path
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Celadon Game Corner prize (7500 coins)
- TUTORIceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod City
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Saffron City
How to Get Poliwrath in Crystal
Poliwrath never appears wild here. A Water Stone evolves Poliwhirl into it, though that same Poliwhirl can become Politoed if you trade it holding a King's Rock, so decide which form you want.
Wild Poliwrath may be holding when caught:
Kings Rock (2% chance) May make the foe flinch. (HOLD)Catch Poliwag or Poliwhirl at any of these 15 spots to eventually evolve into Poliwrath.
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, Surfing, tall grass encounters
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8How to Obtain Poliwrath in C
To get Poliwrath, start by catching Poliwag through fishing, surfing, and more encounters at Lv. 3-44. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch PoliwagRoute 22Lv.5-14Surfing on waterRate 90%Viridian CityLv.5-14Surfing on waterRate 90%Ecruteak CityLv.15-24Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 30Lv.15-24Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 31Lv.15-24Surfing on waterRate 90%Violet CityLv.15-24Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 22Lv.3-4GrassRate 40%NightRoute 31Lv.4GrassRate 30%NightRoute 30Lv.4GrassRate 20%NightBlackthorn CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Ecruteak CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Ilex ForestLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - OutsideLv.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%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%Route 44Lv.20-29Surfing on waterRate 90%Blackthorn CityLv.20Good RodRate 65%Ecruteak CityLv.20Good RodRate 65%Ilex ForestLv.20Good RodRate 65%Mt. Silver - OutsideLv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 30Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 31Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 35Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 43Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 44Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Ruins of Alph - OutsideLv.20Good RodRate 65%Violet CityLv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 22Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 28Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 6Lv.20Good RodRate 65%Viridian CityLv.20Good RodRate 65%Route 44Lv.22GrassRate 30%NightRoute 28Lv.35-44Surfing on waterRate 90%Blackthorn CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Ecruteak CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Ilex ForestLv.40Super RodRate 80%Mt. Silver - OutsideLv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 30Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 31Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 35Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 43Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 44Lv.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%Mt. Silver - OutsideLv.35-39Surfing on waterRate 10%
- Step 2Catch or Evolve PoliwhirlRoute 22Lv.10-14Surfing on waterRate 10%Viridian CityLv.10-14Surfing on waterRate 10%Ecruteak CityLv.20-24Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 30Lv.20-24Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 31Lv.20-24Surfing on waterRate 10%Violet CityLv.20-24Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 44Lv.24-26GrassRate 10%NightRoute 44Lv.25-29Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - OutsideLv.35-44Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 28Lv.40GrassRate 40%NightMt. Silver - OutsideLv.42-44CaveRate 40%NightRoute 28Lv.40-44Surfing on waterRate 10%or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
- Step 3Poliwrath ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Poliwag egg.
How to Get Shiny Poliwrath in Crystal
Poliwrath demands a Water Stone finish, so land a shiny Poliwag on a fishing rod or a shiny Poliwhirl while surfing, then evolve it to complete the set. Compare Shiny Poliwrath odds across every game
Crystal Shiny Poliwrath Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Breed w/ Shiny Parent, about 1 in 64 on each try.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
Breed w/ Shiny Parent: Eggs inherit stats from a shiny parent, so about 1 in 64 hatch shiny. A shiny Ditto helps every egg, and any other shiny parent (the red Gyarados works) helps only eggs of the opposite gender.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 7-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 19-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 45-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 147-- | -- |
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 Poliwrath in the Crystal Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Poliwrath Weakness
Type-wise, Poliwrath takes extra damage from Electric, Grass, Flying, and Psychic. It resists 7 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
- Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
What is Poliwrath Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Poliwrath
 Celebi PsychicGrass | C | |
Obtain MethodIlex Forest Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Celebi builds →Solar Beam 2x91-107%KO Future Sight 2x91-107%KO | ||
 Lugia Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodWhirl Islands Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Lugia builds →Dream Eater 2x70-83% Aeroblast 2x66-78% Thunder 2x55-65% Giga Drain 2x29-34% | ||
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Slowbro builds →Dream Eater 2x75-89% Zap Cannon 2x50-59% | ||
 Dragonite Dragon | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Dragonair (Dragons Den Super Rod) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Dragonite builds →Fly 2x65-77% Thunder 2x61-71% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x105-124%KO Thunder Punch 2x44-52% | ||
 Tangela Grass | C | |
 Sunflora Grass | C | |
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) | ||
 Jynx IcePsychic | B | |
 Raikou Electric | S | |
 Xatu Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Xatu builds →Future Sight 2x87-103%KO Solar Beam 2x58-68% Fly 2x41-49% | ||
 Ho-Oh Fire | S | |
Obtain MethodTin Tower Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Ho-Oh builds →Solar Beam 2x65-77% Fly 2x63-75% Dream Eater 2x55-64% Thunder 2x65-77% | ||
Poliwrath Evolutions
Poliwrath is one of 2 ways Poliwhirl's chain can end. This one takes the Water Stone path, while the siblings go different directions. Breed through Poliwag to get eggs. Poliwrath and Politoed share the same 500 total stats, but they're distributed differently. Check the comparison below to see where each one specializes. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Poliwrath to get Poliwag eggs easily using 37 partners from the Water 1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Haze, Mind Reader and 2 more.
C Poliwrath Best Moveset
Fighting TermStab finally has real targets with Dark types in the format. 90 Attack powers physical Fighting moves against Tyranitar and Snorlax. MoveSurf adds Water coverage from 70 Sp. Atk. MoveHypnosis for sleep. Held ItemLeftovers sustains. The matchup improvement makes Fighting viable for the first time.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Belly Drum
- Lovely Kiss
- Body Slam
- Hydro Pump
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Bubble Beam and Haze give Poliwrath options it can't learn any other way, and Normal and Ice coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Hydro Pump and Dynamic Punch. The egg moves push it further.
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.
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
25 of 31 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
It can use its well-developed arms and legs to run on the surface of the water for a split second.
Poliwrath Crystal Guide
In Crystal, Poliwrath plays as a balanced. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully.
Game Availability
Present since Red & Blue, Poliwrath appears in 20 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Poliwrath have the longest track record of availability in the series.
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
Explore
Where to go next after Poliwrath.
Keep playing · CrystalCrystal Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Crystal Tier List