Physical
Sweeper
500High
105Fast
CTier

Rapidash's stats are solid on their own, but Flash Fire is what pushes it over the line. It absorbs Fire moves and powers up its own. Only weak to Water, Ground, and Rock. Known as the Fire Horse Pokemon.

Rapidash's built around mixed offense. Speed leads the charge, HP pays for it. Moderately hard to find, worth 2 Speed EVs. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
500High
HP65
C
Attack100
B
Defense70
C
Sp. Atk80
C
Sp. Def80
C
Speed105
B
Total500
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Rapidash yields +2 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+2
Details
Catch60Challenging•Medium Fast1M XP•1.7m / 5'07"•95kg / 209.4 lbs•175Base XP
Pokedex Entries

At full gallop, its four hooves barely touch the ground because it moves so incredibly fast.

Heart Gold

With incredible acceleration, it reaches its top speed of 150 mph after running just 10 steps.

Soul Silver

Rapidash Weakness

Avg

Type-wise, Rapidash takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Rapidash leans offensive (base 100 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.

Gen IV Type Chart
  • Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
  • Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
WaterGroundRock
½xResisti
FireGrassIceBugSteel
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
Fire
STAB (4)i
GrassIceBugSteel
3Weak
5Resist
1Immune
Scorei-1
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Run AwayEnsures success fleeing from wild battles.
Flash FireProtects against fire moves. Once one has been blocked, the Pokémon's own Fire moves inflict 1.5× damage until it leaves battle.
Flame BodyHAHas a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact.
Flash Fire grants Fire immunity

Rapidash is the evolved form of Ponyta. Breeding produces Ponyta eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Ponyta gave Rapidash the biggest boost in HP (+15), bringing the total to 500 stats.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Ponyta
#077Ponyta
40
Level 40
Rapidash
#078Rapidash
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Ponyta
Fire
Rapidash
Fire
HP
50
65+15
ATK
85
100+15
DEF
55
70+15
SP.ATK
65
80+15
SP.DEF
65
80+15
SPE
90
105+15
BST
410D-Tier
500C-Tier+90
ROLE
Balanced
Sweeper
TYPE
Physical
Physical
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed with Rapidash to get Ponyta eggs easily using 131 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Charm, Double Kick, Double-Edge and 5 more.

Egg Groups
Ground
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
8moves
Breed With (best first)
raichupikachunidokinggolduckampharosrhydondewgongarbokquagsirenidorinofarfetchdflaaffy
12 of 131·

Bug coverage keeps opponents guessing about Rapidash's real targets. Life Orb provides extra damage on every hit for a health trade while max Attack and Speed EVs and Jolly nature handle the stat profile. Flashfire ties it together.

Best Build

Physical Attacker
Ability
Flashfire
Item
Life OrbPOWER
Nature
Jolly+SPE
EVs

Best Rapidash Moveset

  • Flare BlitzSTAB
  • MegahornCoverage
  • Morning Sun
  • Sunny DaySTAB

Recommended Teammates

Roserade
RoseradeDecent
Weavile
WeavileDecent
Empoleon
EmpoleonDecent

Breeding's the move. Charm and Double Kick give Rapidash options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types already covers a decent range on top of Overheat and Flare Blitz. The egg moves push it further.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Ember
4010025Fire
Lv 1
Growl
—10040Normal
Lv 1
Megahorn
1208510Bug
Lv 1
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
Lv 1
Quick Attack+1
4010030Normal
Lv 1
Tail Whip
—10030Normal
Lv 6
Tail Whip
—10030Normal
Lv 10
Ember
4010025Fire
Lv 15
Flame Wheel
6010025Fire
Lv 19
Stomp
6510020Normal
Lv 24
Fire Spin
357015Fire
Lv 28
Take Down
908520Normal
Lv 33
Agility
——30Psychic
Lv 37
Fire Blast
120855Fire
Lv 40
Fury Attack
158520Normal
Lv 47
Bounce
85855Flying
Lv 56
Flare Blitz
12010015Fire

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
—10015Normal
TM78
Captivate
—10020Normal
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM58
Endure+4
——10Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM38
Fire Blast
120855Fire
TM35
Flamethrower
9510015Fire
TM21
Frustration
—10020Normal
TM68
Giga Impact
150905Normal
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM15
Hyper Beam
150905Normal
TM23
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
TM83
Natural Gift
—10015Normal
TM50
Overheat
140905Fire
TM84
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM17
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM27
Return
—10020Normal
TM43
Secret Power
7010020Normal
TM82
Sleep Talk
——10Normal
TM22
Solar Beam
12010010Grass
HM04
Strength
8010015Normal
TM90
Substitute
——10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
——5Fire
TM87
Swagger
—9015Normal
TM06
Toxic
—8510Poison
TM61
Will-O-Wisp
—7515Fire

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Charm
—10020Normal
Egg
Double Kick
3010030Fighting
Egg
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Egg
Flame Wheel
6010025Fire
Egg
Horn Drill
—305Normal
Egg
Hypnosis
—7020Psychic
Egg
Morning Sun
——5Normal
Egg
Thrash
12010020Normal

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Bounce
85855Flying
Tutor
Headbutt
7010015Normal
Tutor
Heat Wave
1009010Fire
Tutor
Snore
4010015Normal
Tutor
Swift
60—20Normal

Reminder Moves

Src
Rem
Tackle
3510035Normal

Transfer Moves

Src
Gen 3
Body Slam
8510015Normal
Gen 3
Mimic
——10Normal

decent spawn rates for Rapidash across 6 locations in late-game routes. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.

Where To Catch Rapidash in HeartGold & SoulSilver

The path to Rapidash starts with Ponyta at Lv. 6-44 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.

  1. Ponyta
    Step 1Catch Ponyta
    Route 22
    HeartGoldGrassLv.6RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
    Route 22
    SoulSilverGrassLv.6RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
    Route 28
    SoulSilverGrassLv.40CommonLateRoute
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 28
    HeartGoldGrassLv.40CommonLateRoute
    EFFORTLESS
    Mt. Silver - Base
    SoulSilverGrassLv.42CommonLateCave
    EFFORTLESS
    Mt. Silver - Base
    HeartGoldGrassLv.42CommonLateCave
    EFFORTLESS
    Route 26
    HeartGoldGrassLv.32UncommonLateRoute
    EASY
    Route 26
    SoulSilverGrassLv.32UncommonLateRoute
    EASY
    Route 27
    SoulSilverGrassLv.32RareLateRoute
    CHALLENGING
    Route 27
    HeartGoldGrassLv.32RareLateRoute
    CHALLENGING
  2. Rapidash
    Step 2Rapidash ✓
    Route 28
    HeartGoldGrassLv.41-43UncommonLateRouteNight
    EASY
    Route 28
    SoulSilverGrassLv.41-43UncommonLateRouteNight
    EASY
    Route 28
    HeartGoldGrassLv.42UncommonLateRouteMorning/day
    EASY
    Route 28
    SoulSilverGrassLv.42UncommonLateRouteMorning/day
    EASY
    Mt. Silver - Base
    SoulSilverGrassLv.44UncommonLateCave
    EASY
    Mt. Silver - Base
    HeartGoldGrassLv.44UncommonLateCave
    EASY
    or evolve from Ponyta (Step 1)

  • Don't let Rapidash's 500 base stat total fool you. Flash Fire is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier as a sweeper.

  • Rapidash's biggest threats include Gyarados (Water), Rhydon (Ground), and Golem (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Rapidash's base 105 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.

  • Ponyta evolves into Rapidash at level 40. Rapidash is the final evolution in a 3-stage line starting from Ponyta. At 500 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.

  • Run Flash Fire on Rapidash. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Rapidash also gets Run Away and Flame Body, but they don't compare. With base 105 Speed, Flash Fire gives Rapidash an edge before opponents can react.

  • Rapidash fills the sweeper role. It's a physical attacker with base 100 Attack. Base 105 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.

  • Rapidash appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Rapidash first appeared in Red & Blue and spans 20 games across 9 generations. It later gained a Galarian form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.