Porygon-Z's built around special offense. Sp. Atk leads the charge, Defense pays for it. Tough to catch, worth 3 Sp. Atk EVs. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
A curious item induced this evolution. The Pokémon’s offensive capabilities have greatly increased, but the strangeness of its behavior has magnified in equal measure. This worries me.
Type-wise, Porygon Z takes extra damage from Fighting. Ghost moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 85 HP and balanced defenses, Porygon Z can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ghost |
Hydrapple's Giga Drain hits Porygon Z for 52-61%. Pelipper deals 59-69% with Hurricane.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Porygon Z View Hydrapple builds →Giga Drain52-61% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityOvercoat ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Porygon Z View Mandibuzz builds →U Turn15-18% | ||
 Pelipper Water | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Porygon Z View Pelipper builds →Hurricane59-69% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Porygon Z View Moltres builds →Flamethrower48-56% U Turn20-23% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Porygon Z View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake51-61% | ||
Porygon Z doesn't evolve through normal leveling. You'll need a trade to get here from Porygon's line. Breed this form to get Porygon eggs (average hatch time). Evolving from Porygon gave Porygon Z the biggest boost in Sp.Atk (+50), bringing the total to 535 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Porygon-Z is genderless — breed with Ditto to produce Porygon eggs. Part of the Mineral egg group.
Ditto onlythe remaining moves gives Porygon Z answers even while choice-locked. Choice Scarf provides speed patching through item lock, and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs with Download mean every prediction that lands hits hard.
Best Build
Porygon-Z best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Revenge Killer Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Tera Blast
- Tri Attack
Recommended Teammates
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Tri Attack
- Tera Blast
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Tri Attack
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Nasty Plot
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Special Sweeper Moveset
- Tri Attack
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
Recommended Teammates
Special Revenge Killer Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Tera Blast
- Tri Attack
Recommended Teammates
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Tri Attack
- Tera Blast
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Tri Attack
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Nasty Plot
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Special Sweeper Moveset
- Tri Attack
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
Recommended Teammates
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Special Revenge Killer Moveset
- Tri Attack
- Thunderbolt
- Teleport
- Trick
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Special Tank Moveset
- Tri Attack
- Shadow Ball
- Protect
- Thunderbolt
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Tri Attack
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
Recommended Teammates
Moves
TMs define Porygon Z's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Hyper Beam and Giga Impact, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Electric and Psychic coverage and more. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
TMs define Porygon Z's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Self-Destruct and Hyper Beam, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it coverage across 7 types. That's where the options open up.
Porygon Z's movepool balances level-up moves with TM options. Consistent STAB comes from Hyper Beam and Giga Impact, and coverage across 7 types keeps opponents from switching in for free. No major gaps here.
Porygon Z develops a solid moveset just through leveling. Zap Cannon and Hyper Beam show up naturally, and the progression handles both STAB and utility without leaning on TMs for the core attacks.
Porygon-Z isn't available in the wild in Scarlet & Violet. Start by transferring Porygon from Red, Yellow, or Legends: Arceus. The evolution path from Porygon to Porygon-Z is covered in the steps below.
Porygon-Z isn't available in the wild in Legends: Z-A. Start by transferring Porygon from Red, Yellow, or Legends: Arceus. The evolution path from Porygon to Porygon-Z is covered in the steps below.
Porygon-Z's 3-stage chain starts with Porygon, which appears at decent rates in the locations below. Level through 3 stages while you find a trade partner. Everything except the trade step is solo.
Where To Catch Porygon-Z in Legends: Arceus
Porygon is your first catch on the way to Porygon-Z. You'll find walking encounters from walking across 3 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch PorygonSpace-Time Distortion - Crimson MirelandsGrass DistortionUncommon
Step 2Catch or Evolve Porygon2Space-Time Distortion - Crimson MirelandsGrass DistortionUncommonor evolve from Porygon (Step 1)
Step 3Porygon-Z ✓Space-Time Distortion - Crimson MirelandsGrass DistortionRareor evolve from Porygon2 (Step 2)
Porygon-Z can't be caught in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Transfer Porygon from Red, Yellow, or Legends: Arceus and evolve through the 3-stage chain to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Porygon-Z in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Step 3Porygon-Z ✓
Don't let Porygon-Z's 535 base stat total fool you. Adaptability is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it B-Tier as a pivot.
Porygon-Z's biggest threats include Blaziken (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Run Adaptability on Porygon-Z. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Porygon-Z also gets Download and Analytic, but they don't compare.
Porygon-Z fills the pivot role. It's leaning toward the special side (base 135 Sp. Atk). Base 90 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
The core moveset is Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Terablast, and Triattack. Ice Beam leads at 19% usage. This set covers the pivot role with a mix of damage and utility.
Porygon Z has been available in 14 games since Diamond & Pearl, though obtaining it requires a trade evolution. This extra step makes it less common than Pokemon found through standard wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
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 4DPDebut
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