Venonat is technically a pre-evolution of Venomoth, but it holds its own in formats where Eviolite is allowed. Tinted Lens makes resisted hits deal full damage, adding extra value. Only weak to Fire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock. Known as the Insect Pokemon.
Venonat's stats barely vary. 0 sit in respectable range with no real gaps. It's a blank slate for EV investment. Worth 1 Sp. Def EV, medium-fast 1M XP curve to max.
Its eyes also function as radar units. It catches and eats small bugs that hide in darkness.
Poison oozes from all over its body. It catches and eats small bugs at night that are attracted by light.
Venonat Weakness
AvgVenonat is weak to Fire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock-type moves. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. 4 weaknesses is about average, nothing too hard to play around.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Venonat evolves into Venomoth. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 145 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Venonat easily with 47 breeding partners from the Bug egg group. Pass egg moves like Agility, Baton Pass, Bug Bite and 5 more to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 4.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Breeding opens up real options for Venonat. Agility and Baton Pass come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Sludge Bomb and Leech Life and Normal and Psychic coverage and more.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Easy grab on Venonat with high spawn rates across 20 locations in early-game routes. Two different catch methods are in play here. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Best Locations
Which version you're playing matters for Venonat. 20 walking and headbutt spots at Lv. 8-32 spread across HeartGold and SoulSilver, and some routes only appear in one cartridge. Check the version badges below.
Venonat isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Venomoth to unlock its full potential. At 305 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Venonat's biggest threats include Charizard (Fire), Aerodactyl (Flying), and Alakazam (Psychic), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Rock-type attackers are also a problem.
Venonat evolves into Venomoth at level 31. Venonat is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Run Tinted Lens on Venonat. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Venonat also gets Compound Eyes and Run Away, but they don't compare.
Venonat fills the balanced role. It's leaning toward the physical side (base 55 Attack). Base 45 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Venonat appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Venonat has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 19 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
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 VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A