Without Thick Fat, Purugly wouldn't see any competitive play. With it? It halves incoming Fire and Ice damage, turning modest base stats into a real offensive threat. Normal is solid coverage on top of that. It clears the crowded base-100 Speed benchmark.
Purugly's built around mixed offense. Speed leads the charge, Sp. Def pays for it. Moderately hard to find, worth 2 Speed EVs. Follows a fast 800K XP curve.
It is a brazen brute that barges its way into another Pokémon’s nest and claims it as its own.
To make itself appear intimidatingly beefy, it tightly cinches its waist with its split tail.
Purugly Weakness
GoodPurugly is weak to Fighting-type moves. On the flip side, it's immune to Ghost-type moves entirely. Thick Fat reduces Fire/Ice damage, further improving the defensive spread. At base 112 Speed, Purugly outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
Purugly is the evolved form of Glameow. Breeding produces Glameow eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Glameow gave Purugly the biggest boost in Attack (+27), bringing the total to 452 stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Purugly to get Glameow eggs easily from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Assurance, Bite, Fake Tears and 5 more.
Purugly keeps momentum with U-turn, switching out after dealing damage or scouting. Muscleband gives it extra utility, max Attack and Speed EVs let it hit hard on the way out, and the remaining moves prevents dead turns.
Best Build
Best Purugly Moveset
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Play Rough
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 10 types means almost nothing walls Purugly cleanly, with Giga Impact and Hyper Beam anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
decent spawn rates across 7 locations for Purugly 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 Purugly in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
The path to Purugly starts with Glameow at Lv. 25-50 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch GlameowEASYRoute 218GrassLv.29-3015%MidRouteEASYRoute 222GrassLv.4020%LateRouteGrassland CaveGrassLv.42-46LateCaveRequires Icicle BadgeRiverbank CaveGrassLv.42-46LateCaveRequires Icicle BadgeSpacious CaveGrassLv.42-46LateCaveRequires Icicle BadgeStill-Water CavernGrassLv.42-46LateCaveRequires Icicle BadgeSunlit CavernGrassLv.42-46LateCaveRequires Icicle Badge
Step 2Purugly ✓Grassland CaveGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires DefogRiverbank CaveGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires DefogSpacious CaveGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires DefogStill-Water CavernGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires DefogSunlit CavernGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires DefogEASYRoute 222GrassLv.41-4215%LateRouteMODERATERoute 229GrassLv.5010%PostRouteor evolve from Glameow (Step 1)
Don't let Purugly's 452 base stat total fool you. Thick Fat is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier as a pivot.
Purugly's biggest threats include Machamp (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. Purugly's base 112 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Glameow evolves into Purugly at level 38. Purugly is the fully evolved form. It sits at 452 BST in its evolved form.
Run Thick Fat on Purugly. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Purugly also gets Own Tempo and Defiant, but they don't compare.
Purugly fills the pivot role. It's a physical attacker with base 82 Attack. Base 112 Speed lets it outrun most of the field.
Purugly appears in 11 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.
Purugly first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 11 games across 6 generations. Obtainable through wild encounters in most titles where it appears.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB

Red & Blue - Gen IIGS

Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS

Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG

FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS

HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDPDebut

Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW

Black & White - Gen VB2W2

Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY

X & Y - Gen VIORAS

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM

Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM

Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE

Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh

Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV

Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A