Rockruff's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Attack EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
This Pokémon is very friendly when it’s young. Its disposition becomes vicious once it matures, but it never forgets the kindness of its master.
This Pokémon travels in a pack with others until it grows up. When its mood turns sour, it starts striking the ground with the rocks on its neck.
Rockruff is weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. That's a lot of weak spots to cover so team support is important.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Poison, Flying |
Duraludon can KO Rockruff with Flash Cannon (197-232%). Sinistcha's Shadow Ball hits Rockruff for 83-98%. Hippowdon's Earthquake also KOs at 195-230%.
 Duraludon SteelDragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLightmetal ItemEviolite NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Duraludon builds →Flash Cannon 2x197-232%KO Draco Meteor160-188%KO | ||
 Sinistcha GrassGhost | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityHospitality ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Sinistcha builds →Shadow Ball83-98% | ||
 Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x195-230%KO | ||
 Toxapex PoisonWater | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Toxapex builds →
| ||
 Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySharpness ItemLum Berry NatureJolly Moves View Gallade builds →
| ||
What you see is what you get. Rockruff sits outside any evolution chain, so focus on the egg moves and a massive partner pool from one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Rockruff easily with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
Rockruff runs a standard hazard lead set. Jolly nature with spread EVs shapes the build, while Custapberry brings extra utility. Vitalspirit supports the kit from the background.
Best Build
Rockruff best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Slide
- Endeavor
- Endure
Recommended Teammates
Physical Stallbreaker Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- Endeavor
- Taunt
Recommended Teammates
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
TMs define Rockruff's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Stone Edge and Rock Slide, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it coverage across 9 types. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Breeding opens up real options for Rockruff. Endeavor and Last Resort come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Stone Edge and Rock Slide and coverage across 8 types.
Breeding opens up real options for Rockruff. Crush Claw and Fire Fang come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Stone Edge and Rock Slide and coverage across 7 types.
Breeding opens up real options for Rockruff. Crush Claw and Fire Fang come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Stone Edge and Rock Slide and Normal and Dark coverage and more.
36 encounter spots for Rockruff at decent spawn rates starting from early-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Best Locations to Catch Rockruff in Scarlet & Violet
Before you go hunting for Rockruff, check which of the 36 spots belong to your version. Scarlet and Violet each have different walking encounters at Lv. 6-17.
moderate rates across 18 encounter spots for Rockruff. That's the kind of hunt where you pick one location and settle in. Sort by Best below to see where the odds are highest.
Best Locations to Catch Rockruff in Sword & Shield
Before you go hunting for Rockruff, check which of the 18 spots belong to your version. Shield and Sword each have different walking encounters at Lv. 10-21.
A handful of locations for Rockruff with decent spawn rates across early-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations to Catch Rockruff in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
4 walking encounters at Lv. 11-14 for Rockruff across Ultra Moon and Ultra Sun. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Rockruff starts showing up in early-game routes at decent spawn rates across 2 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations to Catch Rockruff in Sun & Moon
Rockruff has 3 evolution paths: Lycanroc Midday at level 25, Lycanroc Midnight at level 25, and Lycanroc Dusk at level 25. Different conditions, different results.
Rockruff has 3 evolution paths: Lycanroc Midday at level 25, Lycanroc Midnight at level 25, and Lycanroc Dusk at level 25. Different method for each one.
Rockruff does the job early-game if you need a Rock type on your team. Evolve it into lycanroc-midday before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Rockruff only appears in 4 games. Currently catchable in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon and Sun & Moon. First available in Scarlet & Violet.
Introduced in Sun & Moon, Rockruff has appeared in 4 games across 4 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
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 4DP
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 7SMDebut
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