Slowking Best Moveset
AbilityRegenerator heals a third of max HP every switch-out, and 110 Sp. Def at 100 Sp. Atk on Water/Psychic creates a special tank that fires back. Held ItemHeavy Duty Boots blocks TermEntry Hazards. NatureSassy maximizes Sp. Def. The moveset pivots in and out absorbing special damage, and Regenerator means it never stays hurt. A-Tier for the sustained durability.
Water/Psychic with 110 Sp. Def in Gen II (Gold & Silver). Slowbro but on the special side. Pick your wall based on what you needed to tank.
Best Moves
Best Build
Support Moveset
- Surf
- Thunder Wave
- Earthquake
- Rest
Recommended Teammates
Oblivious prevented Taunt, meaning Slowking could always get its moves off in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Calm Mind sets slowly became unkillable on the special side.
Special Tank Moveset
- Psychic
- Surf
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Slowbro was generally preferred in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Physical attackers were more common than special ones, so Slowbro's 110 Defense mattered more.
Wall Moveset
- Surf
- Slack Off
- Ice Beam
- Thunder Wave
Recommended Teammates
Regenerator arrived and fit perfectly in Gen V (Black & White). Switch out, heal a third, switch back. Same ability that made Slowbro great, now on the special defense side.
Special Tank Moveset
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
Recommended Teammates
Assault Vest gave Slowking even more special bulk in Gen VI (X & Y). Regenerator plus Vest meant it could pivot repeatedly while tanking special hits.
Special Tank Moveset
- Scald
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam
- Slack Off
Recommended Teammates
Dropped in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Physical threats still exploited its 80 Defense, and Toxapex did the bulky Water pivot job with better defensive typing.
Special Tank Moveset
- Scald
- Surf
- Trick Room
- Flamethrower
Recommended Teammates
Teleport pivoting revived Slowking in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Slow Teleport into a teammate, absorb a hit, Regenerator heals on switch. Clean gameplay loop.
Special Tank Moveset
- Scald
- Teleport
- Future Sight
- Slack Off
Recommended Teammates
Same Teleport plus Regenerator formula in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Two gens of renewed relevance built on one move and one ability working together.
Wall Moveset
- Chilly Reception
- Scald
- Future Sight
- Thunder Wave
Recommended Teammates
Slowking Weakness
Slowking's Water/Psychic typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric, Grass, Bug, Ghost, and Dark. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Slowking's special bulk (base 110 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Bug, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Fighting, Psychic, Steel |
What is Slowking Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Slowking
Cinderace's U-turn hits Slowking for 43-51%.
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityLibero ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Slowking View Cinderace builds →U Turn 2x43-51% Sucker Punch 2x43-51% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Slowking View Moltres builds →Flamethrower7-8% U Turn 2x28-33% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves View Heatran builds →
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C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDrought ItemHeatrock NatureTimid Moves View Ninetales builds →
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Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves View Landorus-Therian builds →
| ||
Evolution
Out of 2 evolutions from Slowpoke, Slowking comes from the trade route. The method you use determines which form you end up with. Breed through Slowpoke to get eggs. Both Slowking and Slowbro hit 490 total stats from Slowpoke. The difference is how those stats are split. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Galar
Galar
How to Get Slowking
A trade step sits in Slowking's 2-stage line from Slowpoke. The step cards below map each stage with catch locations and evolution methods. Slowpoke shows up at solid rates, so the starting catch is the easy part.
How to Obtain Slowking in SV
The path to Slowking starts with Slowpoke at Lv. 23-80 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch SlowpokeCasseroya Lake - LakeLv.23-56OverworldRate 36%South Province (Area Five) - LakeLv.23-56OverworldRate 36%Casseroya Lake - BeachLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%Casseroya Lake - RiverLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%East Province (Area One) - BeachLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%East Province (Area One) - RiverLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%East Province (Area Two) - BeachLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%East Province (Area Two) - RiverLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%South Province (Area Five) - BeachLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%South Province (Area Five) - RiverLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%West Province (Area Two) - BeachLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%West Province (Area Two) - RiverLv.23-56OverworldRate 18%Coastal BiomeLv.50-80OverworldCoastal BiomeLv.62Overworld
Step 2Slowking ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Slowking egg.
Slowking's 2-stage line starts with Slowpoke, which appears at moderate rates in the locations below. Level through 2 stages while you find a trade partner. Everything except the trade step is solo.
How to Obtain Slowking in LZA
- Step 1Catch SlowpokeWild Zone 10Lv.30-32OverworldLegends: Z-AWild Zone 11Lv.30-31OverworldLegends: Z-A
- Step 2Slowking ✓
A trade step sits in Slowking's 2-stage line from Slowpoke. The step cards below map each stage with catch locations and evolution methods. Slowpoke shows up at decent rates, so the starting catch is the easy part.
How to Obtain Slowking in BDSP
The path to Slowking starts with Slowpoke at Lv. 11-63 via walking and special encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch SlowpokeRoute 205 - NorthLv.11-12Using PokeRadarShining PearlRate 22%Dazzling CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameFountainspring CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameGrassland CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameRiverbank CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameSpacious CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameStargleam CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameStill-Water CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-game
Step 2Slowking ✓
Slowking's 2-stage line starts with Slowpoke, which appears at solid rates in the locations below. Level through 2 stages while you find a trade partner. Everything except the trade step is solo.
How to Obtain Slowking in SwSh
Step 1Catch SlowpokeFields of Honor - BeachLv.10-15OverworldRate 100%All Weather
Step 2Slowking ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Slowking egg.
Base Stats
Sp. Def leads and Speed gets almost nothing. That's Slowking's stat line in a nutshell. 4 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Sp. Def EVs.
When its head was bitten, toxins entered Slowpoke’s head and unlocked an extraordinary power.
Slowking Guide
Regenerator changes the entire equation for Slowking. The 490 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a tank.
Watch for Raikou (Electric), Venusaur (Grass), and Pinsir (Bug) when using Slowking. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 30 Speed, Slowking won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
No. Slowking is not catchable in the wild. It only comes from trade-evolving Slowpoke. Trade needs a Game Boy Advance link cable and a second GBA running another Gen 3 game (FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald). Trade Slowpoke to a friend, then have them trade it back. The 2026 Switch re-release supports the same trade through local wireless on the Pokemon Center 2F Wireless Club, with no cables required. The Kings Rock must be held during the trade. Bring one over from a sibling Gen 3 game if needed.
Regenerator is what you want on Slowking. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Oblivious, Own Tempo) work on paper but Regenerator is what makes Slowking worth using.
Base 30 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Slowking is a special attacker with base 100 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits. Best used as a tank.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Gold & Silver, Slowking has appeared in 18 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Galarian form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
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 7LGPE
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