Is Poliwrath Good in Diamond & Pearl Playthrough?
Water/Fighting is a useful combination. The physical/special split means Poliwrath's physical Fighting moves and special Water moves each pull from the right stat now. Handles Byron and Candice. Competes with Lucario for the Fighting slot, and Lucario wins that fight.
Poliwhirl resists most of Roark's coverage and hits back hard.
Poliwhirl trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Poliwhirl trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Fantina's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Poliwhirl trades roughly evenly with Volkner's team.
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Aaron:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Bertha:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Flint:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lucian:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Mars:
Poliwrath resists most of Jupiter's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Jupiter:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Saturn's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Saturn:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Cynthia:
Catch Poliwhirl
Catch Poliwhirl on Route 225 (Surf, Lv 40-50, common).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 40)
- LV 40WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Gardenia
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 216
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Veilstone Game Corner
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- After Byron
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Oreburgh Gate
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Wayward Cave (secret entrance under bike path)
- LV 48WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Poliwhirl to Poliwrath
Poliwhirl evolves into Poliwrath with a Water Stone. You can pick up the Water Stone in Route 213. Use the Water Stone in the post-game, after you beat Cynthia.
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM52FightingFocus BlastPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- TM31FightingBrick BreakPower 113Accuracy 100%PP 15Oreburgh Gate (basement)
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- After Byron
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 225Accuracy 100%PP 20Oreburgh Gate
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Wayward Cave (secret entrance under bike path)
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Poliwhirl to Politoed
Poliwhirl evolves into Politoed when traded. Trade it in the post-game, after you beat Cynthia.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 49)
- LV 49WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Gardenia
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 216
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- After Byron
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Oreburgh Gate
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Wayward Cave (secret entrance under bike path)
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Poliwrath in Diamond & Pearl
Poliwrath never spawns wild, so catch a Poliwhirl off the late-route water and use a Water Stone on it. There is also a King's Rock trade route to Politoed if you want the other branch instead.
Wild Poliwrath 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.Catch Poliwag or Poliwhirl at any of these 3 spots to eventually evolve into Poliwrath.
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, Surfing
Badge 8How to Obtain Poliwrath in DP
The path to Poliwrath starts with Poliwag at Lv. 10-30 via surfing and fishing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 2Catch or Evolve PoliwhirlRoute 225Lv.30-55Super RodRate 45%Route 227Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 70%Route 228Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 70%Route 225Lv.40-50Surfing on waterRate 30%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 Diamond & Pearl
Poliwrath grows from Poliwag, so breed that base Masuda-style at 1 in 1,638 and raise it with a Water Stone. Compare Shiny Poliwrath odds across every game
Diamond & Pearl Shiny Poliwrath 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 Poliwrath in the Diamond & Pearl 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. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Poliwrath Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Poliwrath
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Exeggutor builds →Leaf Storm 2x127-149%KO Dream Eater 2x91-107%KO | ||
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Turtwig (Lake Verity Gift) | ||
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Victreebel builds →Leaf Storm 2x104-123%KO | ||
 Azelf Psychic | A | |
Obtain MethodLake Valor Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Azelf builds →Future Sight 2x109-128%KO Thunderbolt 2x57-68% Energy Ball 2x48-57% | ||
 Mesprit Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Mesprit builds →Future Sight 2x93-110%KO Thunderbolt 2x49-58% Energy Ball 2x42-49% | ||
 Cresselia Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Cresselia builds →Future Sight 2x72-85% Solar Beam 2x48-56% Charge Beam 2x20-24% | ||
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x104-123%KO Energy Ball 2x47-56% Shock Wave 2x35-41% | ||
 Staraptor Normal | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Staraptor builds →Brave Bird 2x100-118%KO | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
 Uxie Psychic | B | |
Obtain MethodLake Acuity Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Uxie builds →Future Sight 2x72-85% Solar Beam 2x48-56% Thunderbolt 2x38-45% | ||
 Honchkrow Dark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Honchkrow builds →Fly 2x78-93% Dream Eater 2x52-62% | ||
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 69 partners from the Water 1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Endeavor, Haze and 7 more.
DP Poliwrath Best Moveset
Water/Fighting resistances and 95 in both Attack and Defense provide solid physical presence. AbilityWater Absorb heals on Water hits, and the moveset pairs physical Fighting and Water attacks with MoveBulk Up to boost both stats. 70 Speed is the drag.
Best Build
Poliwrath best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Substitute
- Ice Punch
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Bubble Beam and Endeavor give Poliwrath options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types already covers a decent range on top of Focus Punch and Focus Blast. 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. 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
39 of 41 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
With its extremely tough muscles, it can keep swimming in the Pacific Ocean without resting.
Poliwrath Diamond & Pearl Guide
Yes. Poliwrath is not available during the main story. It can only be obtained after entering the Hall of Fame. Poliwrath becomes available after the main story is complete in Diamond & Pearl.
In Diamond & Pearl, Poliwrath plays as a balanced. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully. Waterfall is the primary attack.
In Diamond & Pearl, Jolly is the go-to nature for Poliwrath. That's +Speed / -Sp. Atk. Pair it with 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe EVs. Fits the balanced role.
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 · Diamond & PearlDiamond & Pearl Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Diamond & Pearl Tier List