Mid-stage Pokemon like Rookidee rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Corviknight, which is where the real potential kicks in. Part of the Gen 8 roster. Ground moves can't touch it, and only 3 types hit it super-effectively.
You won't find a real weakness in Rookidee's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Tiny Bird Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 1 Speed EV, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
This Pokémon is brave and reckless. The white markings around a Rookidee’s eyes intimidate fainthearted Pokémon.
The females are fussier than the males. If another creature dirties a female Rookidee’s wings, it’ll peck the offender relentlessly in a burning rage.
Rookidee Weakness
GoodElectric, Ice, and Rock-type moves hit Rookidee for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. Not too many gaps in the chart, 3 weaknesses to account for.
Rookidee kicks off a three-stage evolution line through Corvisquire all the way to Corviknight. For breeding, quick to hatch with plenty of partners via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 250 total stats over Rookidee.
How to Evolve
Breed Rookidee easily with 73 breeding partners from the Flying egg group.
The build revolves around U-turn for safe pivoting. Keeneye and Heavy-Duty Boots support Rookidee's hit-and-run approach, with max HP and Attack EVs making sure each pivot actually threatens. Utility options adds versatility.
Best Build
Best Rookidee Moveset
- Tailwind
- Hone Claws
- Drill Peck
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Rookidee's Dark and Normal coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Brave Bird and Fly for same-type damage. Brave Bird and Fly are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
The level-up pool tells the story here. Rookidee learns Take Down and Brave Bird naturally, plus enough variety that TMs feel like bonuses. Normal and Fighting coverage extends the reach beyond that.
Without breeding, Rookidee misses out on Defog and Rock Smash. That's 7 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Sky Attack and Brave Bird, with Dark and Normal coverage and more rounding things out.
Rookidee appears at decent spawn rates across 32 spots in early-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations
Rookidee appears in 32 walking locations at Lv. 5-29 across Scarlet and Violet. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Rookidee doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A. Transfer it from Sword or Scarlet to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Rookidee is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Catch in the wild in:
Then trade to Legends: Z-A.
Also found in:
high spawn rates in early-game routes across 14 locations. Rookidee's one of the easier catches on the list. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.
Best Locations
14 spots to find Rookidee at Lv. 2-30 via walking. Not all of them exist in both Sword and Shield versions, so filter by your copy below.
At 245 BST, Rookidee is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Corvisquire before bringing it to any serious fight.
Watch for Raikou (Electric), Walrein (Ice), and Aerodactyl (Rock) when using Rookidee. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB.
Rookidee evolves into Corvisquire at level 18. Rookidee is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Keen Eye prevents accuracy from being lowered — that's the one you want on Rookidee. Big Pecks is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Unnerve works too if your team needs something different.
Rookidee is leaning toward the physical side (base 47 Attack). Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — at base 57 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
Rookidee can be found in Legends: Z-A, Scarlet & Violet, and Sword & Shield.
Since Sword & Shield, Rookidee has been obtainable in 3 games. A Generation 8 debut means a shorter history, but Rookidee has appeared steadily across every generation since.
- 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 IVDP
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 VIIISwShDebut
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A