Slow is good when Trick Room is up, and Vespiquen is about as slow as they come. Bug/Flying typing gives it a defined role on the team. Ground moves can't touch it, which offsets the 5 weaknesses somewhat. Part of the Gen 4 roster.
Vespiquen's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with Defense doing the heavy lifting. And the 1.06M XP medium-slow curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 2 Defense and Sp. Def EVs.
Its abdomen is a honeycomb for grubs. It raises its grubs on honey collected by COMBEE.
When endangered, grubs from its six-cell honeycomb strike back. There is only one in a colony.
Vespiquen Weakness
VulnerableVespiquen is weak to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying-type moves. Watch out for Rock attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Ground-type moves entirely.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Vespiquen is what Combee becomes. Breed it for Combee eggs (quick to hatch). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. The evolution from Combee pushed Vespiquen to 474 total stats. Defense saw the largest single gain at +60.
How to Evolve
This is a pure walling set. Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn so Vespiquen sticks around, and the Careful nature reinforces special wall. Roost handles sustain while Pressure does work passively.
Best Build
Best Vespiquen Moveset
- Toxic
- Roost
- Attack Order
- Heal Order
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool tells the story here. Vespiquen learns Attack Order and Giga Impact naturally, plus enough variety that TMs feel like bonuses. Poison and Dark coverage and more extends the reach beyond that.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Can't catch Vespiquen directly. Start with Combee at decent rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 21. The 2-stage line from Combee to Vespiquen is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Vespiquen in Diamond & Pearl
To get Vespiquen, start by catching Combee through headbutt encounters at Lv. 5-15. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch CombeeCHALLENGINGEterna ForestDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyForestCHALLENGINGEterna ForestPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyForestCHALLENGINGFloaroma MeadowDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyCHALLENGINGFloaroma MeadowPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyCHALLENGINGFuego IronworksDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyPower-plantCHALLENGINGFuego IronworksPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyPower-plantCHALLENGINGRoute 205 - NorthDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 205 - NorthPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 205 - SouthDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 205 - SouthPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 206DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 206PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 207DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 207PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 208DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 208PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 209DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 209PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 210 - NorthDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 210 - NorthPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 210 - SouthDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 210 - SouthPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 211 - EastDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 211 - EastPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 212 - NorthPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 212 - NorthDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 212 - SouthDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 212 - SouthPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 213DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 213PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 214DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 214PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 215DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 215PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 218DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 218PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 221DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 221PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 222DiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 222PearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyRouteCHALLENGINGValley WindworksDiamondHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyPower-plantCHALLENGINGValley WindworksPearlHoney tree encounterLv.5-15UncommonEarlyPower-plant
Step 2Vespiquen ✓
Vespiquen works as a support with 474 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list — a situational pick that fills a niche. That 102 base Defense does the heavy lifting.
Vespiquen's biggest threats include Golem (Rock), Charizard (Fire), and Raikou (Electric), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Golem is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ice and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 40 Speed, Vespiquen won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Combee evolves into Vespiquen at level 21. Vespiquen is the fully evolved form. It sits at 474 BST in its evolved form.
Pressure is the go-to ability for Vespiquen. It increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one. Its hidden ability Unnerve can work in specific setups.
Vespiquen is leaning toward the physical side (base 80 Attack). Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. Fits the support role.
Vespiquen appears in 13 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.
Debuting in Diamond & Pearl, Vespiquen appears in 13 games across 6 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
- 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 IVDPDebut

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