The Tiny Swallow Pokemon. Taillow is an early-route catch in Emerald with Guts boosting Attack when statused. A-Tier Swellow is one of Hoenn's best.
Ability 1GutsAbility 1Increases Attack to 1.5× with a major status ailment.
270HP40Attack55Defense30Speed85Sp.Def30Sp.Atk30
Taillow
Swellow
Weak to
Physical
Balanced
85Speed · Above Avg

Is Taillow Good in Emerald Playthrough?

Route 104 catch. Taillow evolves into Swellow at 22 with AbilityGuts turning status conditions into power. One of Emerald's best early catches. MoveFacade under a burn deals enormous damage. Handles Brawly through Flying and contributes all the way to the Champion fight. The bird that defines Hoenn teams.

StrongGoodEvenToughBadBGEEEGEEGEEEERoxanneGym 1TaillowCatchableBrawlyGym 2SwellowEvolveWattsonGym 3FlanneryGym 4NormanGym 5WinonaGym 6Tate & LizaGym 7JuanGym 8SidneyE4PhoebeE4GlaciaE4DrakeE4WallaceChamp*
Roxanne
Gym 1
Bad

Roxanne's Pokemon outpace and outclass Taillow here.

Avoid
Geodude
Lv 12
RockGround
Rock Head
TackleDefense CurlRock ThrowRock Tomb
Avoid
Geodude
Lv 12
RockGround
Rock Head
TackleDefense CurlRock ThrowRock Tomb
Avoid
Nosepass
Lv 15
Rock
Sturdy
BlockHardenTackleRock Tomb
Brawly
Gym 2
Good

Taillow has the type edge here and should clean up Brawly's team.

You Win
Machop
Lv 16
Fighting
Guts
Karate ChopLow KickSeismic TossBulk Up
You Win
Meditite
Lv 16
FightingPsychic
Pure Power
Focus PunchLight ScreenReflectBulk Up
Easy KO
Makuhita
Lv 19
Fighting
Thick Fat
Arm ThrustVital ThrowReversalBulk Up
Wattson
Gym 3
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Wattson's team.

Even
Voltorb
Lv 20
Electric
Soundproof
RolloutSparkSelf DestructShock Wave
Even
Electrike
Lv 20
Electric
Static
Shock WaveLeerQuick AttackHowl
Avoid
Magneton
Lv 22
ElectricSteel
Magnet Pull
SupersonicShock WaveThunder WaveSonic Boom
Risky
Manectric
Lv 24
Electric
Static
Quick AttackThunder WaveShock WaveHowl
Flannery
Gym 4
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Flannery's team.

You Win
Numel
Lv 24
FireGround
Oblivious
OverheatTake DownMagnitudeSunny Day
You Win
Slugma
Lv 24
Fire
Magma Armor
OverheatSmogLight ScreenSunny Day
Even
Camerupt
Lv 26
FireGround
Magma Armor
OverheatTackleSunny DayAttract
Risky
Torkoal
Lv 29
Fire
White Smoke
OverheatSunny DayBody SlamAttract
Norman
Gym 5
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Norman's team.

You Win
Spinda
Lv 27
Normal
Own Tempo
Teeter DancePsybeamFacadeEncore
You Win
Vigoroth
Lv 27
Normal
Vital Spirit
SlashFacadeEncoreFeint Attack
You Win
Linoone
Lv 29
Normal
Pickup
SlashBelly DrumFacadeHeadbutt
Even
Slaking
Lv 31
Normal
Truant
CounterYawnFacadeFeint Attack
Winona
Gym 6
Good

Swellow has the type edge here and should clean up Winona's team.

You Win
Swablu
Lv 29
NormalFlying
Natural Cure
Perish SongMirror MoveSafeguardAerial Ace
Easy KO
Tropius
Lv 29
GrassFlying
Chlorophyll
Sunny DayAerial AceSolar BeamSynthesis
You Win
Pelipper
Lv 30
WaterFlying
Keen Eye
Water GunSupersonicProtectAerial Ace
Risky
Skarmory
Lv 31
SteelFlying
Keen Eye
Sand AttackFury AttackSteel WingAerial Ace
Even
Altaria
Lv 33
DragonFlying
Natural Cure
EarthquakeDragon BreathDragon DanceAerial Ace
Tate & Liza
Gym 7
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Tate & Liza's team.

Even
Claydol
Lv 41
GroundPsychic
Levitate
EarthquakeAncient PowerPsychicLight Screen
Even
Xatu
Lv 41
PsychicFlying
Synchronize
PsychicSunny DayConfuse RayCalm Mind
Risky
Lunatone
Lv 42
RockPsychic
Levitate
Light ScreenPsychicHypnosisCalm Mind
Risky
Solrock
Lv 42
RockPsychic
Levitate
Sunny DaySolar BeamPsychicFlamethrower
Juan
Gym 8
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Juan's team.

You Win
Luvdisc
Lv 41
Water
Swift Swim
Water PulseAttractSweet KissFlail
You Win
Whiscash
Lv 41
WaterGround
Oblivious
Rain DanceWater PulseAmnesiaEarthquake
Even
Sealeo
Lv 43
IceWater
Thick Fat
EncoreBody SlamAurora BeamWater Pulse
Even
Crawdaunt
Lv 43
WaterDark
Hyper Cutter
Water PulseCrabhammerTauntLeer
Even
Kingdra
Lv 46
WaterDragon
Swift Swim
Water PulseDouble TeamIce BeamRest
Sidney
Elite Four
Good

Swellow has the type edge here and should clean up Sidney's team.

Even
Mightyena
Lv 46
Dark
Intimidate
RoarDouble EdgeSand AttackCrunch
Easy KO
Shiftry
Lv 48
GrassDark
Chlorophyll
TormentDouble TeamSwaggerExtrasensory
Easy KO
Cacturne
Lv 46
GrassDark
Sand Veil
Leech SeedFeint AttackNeedle ArmCotton Spore
Even
Crawdaunt
Lv 48
WaterDark
Hyper Cutter
SurfSwords DanceStrengthFacade
Even
Absol
Lv 49
Dark
Pressure
Aerial AceRock SlideSwords DanceSlash
Phoebe
Elite Four
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Phoebe's team.

Even
Dusclops
Lv 48
Ghost
Pressure
Shadow PunchConfuse RayCurseProtect
Even
Banette
Lv 49
Ghost
Insomnia
Shadow BallGrudgeWill O WispFeint Attack
Even
Sableye
Lv 50
DarkGhost
Keen Eye
Shadow BallDouble TeamNight ShadeFeint Attack
Even
Banette
Lv 49
Ghost
Insomnia
Shadow BallPsychicThunderboltFacade
Risky
Dusclops
Lv 51
Ghost
Pressure
Shadow BallIce BeamRock SlideEarthquake
Glacia
Elite Four
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Glacia's team.

You Win
Sealeo
Lv 50
IceWater
Thick Fat
EncoreBody SlamHailIce Ball
Even
Glalie
Lv 50
Ice
Inner Focus
Light ScreenCrunchIcy WindIce Beam
Even
Sealeo
Lv 52
IceWater
Thick Fat
AttractDouble EdgeHailBlizzard
Even
Glalie
Lv 52
Ice
Inner Focus
Shadow BallExplosionHailIce Beam
Even
Walrein
Lv 53
IceWater
Thick Fat
SurfBody SlamIce BeamSheer Cold
Drake
Elite Four
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Drake's team.

Even
Shelgon
Lv 52
Dragon
Rock Head
Rock TombDragon ClawProtectDouble Edge
Even
Altaria
Lv 54
DragonFlying
Natural Cure
Double EdgeDragon BreathDragon DanceAerial Ace
Even
Kingdra
Lv 53
WaterDragon
Swift Swim
SmokescreenDragon DanceSurfBody Slam
Even
Flygon
Lv 53
GroundDragon
Levitate
FlamethrowerCrunchDragon BreathEarthquake
Even
Salamence
Lv 55
DragonFlying
Intimidate
FlamethrowerDragon ClawRock SlideCrunch
Wallace
Champion
Even

Swellow trades roughly evenly with Wallace's team.

Even
Wailord
Lv 57
Water
Water Veil
Rain DanceWater SpoutDouble EdgeBlizzard
Even
Tentacruel
Lv 55
WaterPoison
Clear Body
ToxicHydro PumpSludge BombIce Beam
You Win
Ludicolo
Lv 56
WaterGrass
Swift Swim
Giga DrainSurfLeech SeedDouble Team
Even
Whiscash
Lv 56
WaterGround
Oblivious
EarthquakeSurfAmnesiaHyper Beam
Even
Gyarados
Lv 56
WaterFlying
Intimidate
Dragon DanceEarthquakeHyper BeamSurf
Even
Milotic
Lv 58
Water
Marvel Scale
RecoverSurfIce BeamToxic

Catchable

Available after Badge 1
Type
NormalFlying
Tier
F

Catch Taillow on Route 104 (walking, Lv 4-5, uncommon).

View Taillow locations

Evolve Taillow to Swellow

Level 22
Type
NormalFlying
Tier
A

Taillow evolves into Swellow at Level 22. Your Taillow should hit Level 22 before you reach Wattson, at typical leveling pace.

View Swellow locations

Recommended Moves

How to Get Taillow in Emerald

Taillow flits across four early areas, common up on Route 115 and rarer down in Petalburg Woods, spanning levels 4 to 25. The wide level spread means your catch level depends heavily on which route you hit first.

4 locations to catch Taillow

Encountered via tall grass encounters

Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4

Where To Catch Taillow in E

The line opens with Taillow at Lv. 4-25 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.

  1. Swellow
    Step 2Catch or Evolve into Swellow
    or evolve from Taillow (Step 1)

Not landing the catch? Calculate Taillow catch rates for Emerald by ball, status, and HP.

How to Get Shiny Taillow in Emerald

Taillow flocks through the tall grass on Route 115, where it appears most often, making that patch the steadiest spot to grind a shiny; Route 104 and Petalburg Woods hold earlier, lower-level flocks if you prefer. Compare Shiny Taillow odds across every game

Normal vs Shiny
Normal Taillow in EmeraldNormal
Shiny Taillow in Emerald Shiny
Color ShiftBluetoGreen
Shiny TierB Tier Shiny

Shiny Taillow Evolution

2 Forms
Showing shiny artworkView Full Evolution Chart

Emerald Shiny Taillow Calculator

2 Methods
Shiny Odds

Both methods here share the same odds, about 1 in 8,192 on each try. Pick whichever fits how you play.

Step 1 · Encounter Method2 in Emerald

Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.

Breeding: Hatch eggs of this line; each egg rolls at the base shiny rate (no Masuda before Gen IV).

How many you have done, or plan to do.

120,000
Shiny Odds Per Try1 / 8,192Full Odds
Chance By Now50.0%at 5,678 encountersAbout 5 in 10 hunters have one by now
What To Expect
ChanceEncountersTime
10%lucky few864----
25%one in four2,357----
50%coin flip5,678----
90%very likely18,862----
How is this calculated?

Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.

chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N,  where  p = 1 / odds per try

Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.

The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.

These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.

Where these shiny odds come from: Read our full methodology

Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in Emerald with Taillow preloaded.

Taillow Weakness

Taillow is weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock. On the flip side, it's immune to Ground and Ghost-type moves entirely.

Taillow Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Electric, Ice, Rock
0.5x (Resist)Grass, Bug
0x (Immune)Ground, Ghost
Gen III Type Chart
  • Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
  • Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move

What is Taillow Weak Against

Good
3Weak
2Resist
2Immune
Score+2
4xCritical
None
½xResist
¼xResist
None
0xImmune

What is Taillow Strong Against

3Strong
2Resisted
0Immune
Score+1
½xResisted
0xImmune
None

Best Pokemon Against Taillow

Plusle
Plusle
Electric
C
Minun
Minun
Electric
C
Aron
Aron
SteelRock
C
Electrike
Electrike
Electric
C
Anorith
Anorith
RockBug
C

Taillow Evolutions

Taillow evolves into Swellow. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. Evolving adds up to 185 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Taillow
NormalFlying
Swellow
NormalFlying
HP
40
60+20
ATK
55
85+30
DEF
30
60+30
SP.ATK
30
75+45
SP.DEF
30
50+20
SPE
85
125+40
BST
270F-Tier
455A-Tier+185
ROLE
Balanced
Pivot
TYPE
Physical
Mixed

Breeding

Very Easy

Breed Taillow easily with 25 breeding partners from the Flying egg group. Pass egg moves like Mirror Move, Pursuit, Rage and 3 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Flying
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
15 cycles·3,855 steps
Quick~4 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
6moves
Breed With (best first)
togeticaltariapelipperfarfetchdswabluwingullcrobatpidgeotdodrioxatufearowgolbat

E Taillow Best Moveset

Status conditions activate a damage boost through AbilityGuts, but Taillow's stats are too frail to survive the status hit. The moveset should run physical Normal and Flying moves while building toward Swellow.

Best Build

Experimental
Physical Sweeper
Ability
Guts
Item
Choice BandPOWER
Best Nature for Taillow
Jolly+SPE

Taillow best EVs are Attack and Speed

EVs

Physical Sweeper Moveset

  • FacadeSTAB
  • Aerial AceSTAB
  • Double EdgeSTAB
  • Quick AttackSTAB

Recommended Teammates

Moves List

Egg moves make a real difference. Taillow gets Mirror Move and Pursuit exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Steel and Dark coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Sky Attack and Double-Edge.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Growl
D—10040Normal
Lv 1
Peck
D5210035Flying
Lv 4
Focus Energy
D——30Normal
Lv 8
Quick Attack+1
B6010030Normal
Lv 13
Wing Attack
—9010035Flying
Lv 19
Double Team
———15Normal
Lv 26
Endeavor
D—1005Normal
Lv 34
Aerial Ace
B90—20Flying
Lv 43
Agility
A——30Psychic

TM Moves

All 16 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four

TM
TM40B90—20Flying
TM45
AttractVerdanturf Townbadge 2
——10015Normal
TM32
Double TeamRoute 113badge 2
———15Normal
TM42B10510020Normal
TM21
FrustrationPacifidlog Townbadge 5
D—10020Normal
TM10
Hidden PowerFortree Citybadge 3
—9010015Normal
TM17A——10Normal
TM18
Rain DanceAbandoned Shipnot until badge 7
C——5Water
TM44
RestLilycove Citybadge 5
C——10Psychic
TM27
ReturnFallarbor Townbadge 3
D—10020Normal
TM43
Secret PowerRoute 111badge 3
—10510020Normal
TM47
Steel WingGranite Cavebadge 1
D709025Steel
TM11
Sunny DayScorched Slabbadge 5
C——5Fire
TM46
ThiefSlateport Citybadge 1
D6010025Dark
TM06
ToxicFiery Pathbadge 4
C—8510Poison

Egg Moves

Egg
Egg
Mirror Move
———20Flying
Egg
Pursuit
D4010020Dark
Egg
Rage
—3010020Normal
Egg
Refresh
D——20Normal
Egg
Sky Attack
C210905Flying
Egg
Supersonic
——5520Normal

Tutor Moves

Tut
Tutor
Counter-5
D—10020Fighting
Tutor
Double-Edge
B18010015Normal
Tutor
Endure+4
C——10Normal
Tutor
Mimic
D——10Normal
Tutor
Mud-Slap
D2010010Ground
Tutor
Sleep Talk
D——10Normal
Tutor
Snore
—6010015Normal
Tutor
Substitute
C——10Normal
Tutor
Swagger
D—9015Normal
Tutor
Swift
—90—20Normal

Base Stats

Base Stats
Below
HP40
D
Attack55
D
Defense30
F
Sp. Atk30
F
Sp. Def30
F
Speed85
C
Total270
Details
Catch Rate
Easy200 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Slow1.06M XP
Height0.3 m
Weight2.3 kg
Base XP54
Abilities
Guts
Increases Attack to 1.5× with a major status ailment.
EV Yield
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Speed training source
Pokedex Entry

Although it is small, it is very courageous. It will take on a larger SKARMORY on an equal footing. However, its will weakens if it becomes hungry.

Pokemon Emerald

Taillow Emerald Guide

  • In Emerald, Taillow does the job early-game if you need a Normal/Flying type on your team. Evolve it into Swellow before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.

Game Availability

Taillow first appeared in Ruby & Sapphire and has been available in 13 games across 7 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.

Explore

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