Is Rapidash Good in Red & Blue Playthrough?
Rapidash has the speed and power to compete for the Fire-type slot, but the competition is steep. Arcanine outclasses it in Red, and Charizard covers the role if you picked the Fire starter. Best fit is a Blue version run where Ninetales doesn't suit your team. Solid Pokemon, crowded niche.
Ponyta trades roughly evenly with Brock's team.
Misty's team hits Ponyta's weaknesses hard.
Ponyta has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Ponyta has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.
Ponyta trades roughly evenly with Koga's team.
Ponyta trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Giovanni's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Bruno's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.
Lance's team hits Rapidash's weaknesses hard.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Catch Ponyta
Catch Ponyta in the Pokémon Mansion (walking, Lv 28-32, common).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 28)
- LV 28FireEmberPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15S.S. Anne
- TM39NormalSwiftPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Route 12 Gate 2F
- After Lt. Surge
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- LV 32NormalStompPower 65Accuracy 100%PP 20
- LV 43NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20
- After Blaine
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Prize for defeating Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine
Evolve Ponyta to Rapidash
Ponyta evolves into Rapidash at Level 40. Your Ponyta should hit Level 40 before you reach Blaine, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 40)
- LV 40FireEmberPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- LV 40NormalStompPower 65Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15S.S. Anne
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Rocket Game Corner
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- LV 47NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20
- After Blaine
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Prize for defeating Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine
How to Get Rapidash in Red & Blue
Rapidash comes from leveling a Ponyta to 40, with no wild ones to find. That means a trip into the Pokemon Mansion first, since the Ponyta line has just that one haunt.
Catch Ponyta at any of these 1 spot to eventually evolve into Rapidash.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
- 1Catch Ponyta
- 2Evolve Rapidashat Lv.40
Badge 7How to Obtain Rapidash in RB
The path to Rapidash starts with Ponyta at Lv. 28-36 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 2Rapidash ✓
Rapidash Weakness
Type-wise, Rapidash takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. Rapidash leans offensive (base 100 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Bug |
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
What is Rapidash Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Rapidash
 Omastar RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Omanyte (Cinnabar Island Gift) | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Celadon City Gift) | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Rhydon builds →Earthquake 2x131-155%KO Rock Slide 2x98-116%KO Surf 2x33-39% | ||
 Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) | ||
 Kabutops RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Kabuto (Cinnabar Island Gift) | ||
 Starmie WaterPsychic | S | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Staryu (Cinnabar Island Super Rod) | ||
 Dewgong WaterIce | C | |
 Lapras WaterIce | B | |
Obtain MethodSilph Co Gift | ||
 Seadra Water | C | |
 Blastoise Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Squirtle (Pallet Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Blastoise builds →Surf 2x81-95% Earthquake 2x60-71% | ||
 Nidoking PoisonGround | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Nidorino (Celadon City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Nidoking builds →Earthquake 2x108-127%KO Surf 2x54-64% Rock Slide 2x54-64% | ||
 Golduck Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Golduck builds →Surf 2x86-102%KO Dig 2x60-71% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Slowbro builds →Surf 2x90-107%KO Earthquake 2x56-67% | ||
 Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Graveler builds →Earthquake 2x100-118%KO Rock Slide 2x77-91% | ||
Rapidash Evolutions
Ponyta's chain leads to Rapidash (at level 40). A Fire type at 500 stats, sitting in the Undiscovered group. Evolving from Ponyta gave Rapidash the biggest boost in HP (+15), bringing the total to 500 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
RB Rapidash Best Moveset
105 Speed outspeeds most of the format, but 80 Special limits MoveFire Blast output. MoveBody Slam and MoveHyper Beam use the 100 Attack more effectively than Fire moves use the Special. The Speed compensates by moving first, even when the Fire damage doesn't quite close.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Fire Spin
- Body Slam
- Stomp
- Fire Blast
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
TMs define Rapidash's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Fire Blast and Ember, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Normal coverage. That's where the options open up.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- 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.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM 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 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
All 16 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Very competitive, this POKéMON will chase anything that moves fast in the hopes of racing it.
Rapidash Red & Blue Guide
In Red & Blue, Rapidash plays as a setup sweeper. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move.
Yes. Galarian Rapidash is a regional variant with different typing and a reworked stat spread. Introduced in Gen 8. Plays completely differently from the original.
Game Availability
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.
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 8SwShGalarian
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 Rapidash.
Keep playing · Red & BlueRed & Blue Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Red & Blue Tier List