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 would claim another Pokémon’s nest as its own if it finds a nest sufficiently comfortable.
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.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
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 using 131 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Assurance, Bite, Fake Tears and 4 more.
Purugly keeps momentum with U-turn, switching out after dealing damage or scouting. Life Orb gives it extra damage on every hit for a health trade, 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
- U Turn
- Shadow Claw
- Fake Out
- Return
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
Reminder Moves
Purugly can't be caught in HeartGold & SoulSilver. Transfer Glameow from Pearl, Omega Ruby, or Legends: Arceus and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Purugly in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Step 1Obtain GlameowCatch in the wild in:
Then trade to HeartGold & SoulSilver to continue the evolution chain.
Also found in:
Step 2Purugly ✓
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