Special
Pivot
330Low
100Fast
DTier

Voltorb sits at the start of its evolution line — not yet at full power, but that changes fast. Most trainers push through to Electrode as fast as possible. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets. An original Gen 1 pick.

Speed and Sp. Atk carry most of Voltorb's stat budget. Attack's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 Speed EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
330Avg
HP40
D
Attack30
F
Defense50
D
Sp. Atk55
D
Sp. Def55
D
Speed100
B
Total330
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Voltorb yields +1 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Details
Catch190EasyMedium Fast1M XP0.5m / 1'08"10.4kg / 22.9 lbs66Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It rolls to move. If the ground is uneven, a sudden jolt from hitting a bump can cause it to explode.

Gold

It was discovered when POKé BALLS were introduced. It is said that there is some connection.

Silver

Voltorb Weakness

Good

Voltorb is weak to Ground-type moves. Few weaknesses and 3 resistances make the typing clean. At base 100 Speed, Voltorb outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.

Gen II Type Chart
  • Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
  • Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
  • Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (2)i
1Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Scorei+1
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
SoundproofProtects against sound-based moves.
StaticHas a 30% chance of paralyzing attacking Pokémon on contact.
AftermathHADamages the attacker for 1/4 its max HP when knocked out by a contact move.

One evolution ahead. Voltorb grows into Electrode through a straightforward two-stage chain. A small partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 160 stat points total.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Voltorb
Electric
Electrode
Electric
HP
40
60+20
ATK
30
50+20
DEF
50
70+20
SP.ATK
55
80+25
SP.DEF
55
80+25
SPE
100
150+50
BST
330C-Tier
490C-Tier+160
ROLE
Pivot
Pivot
TYPE
Special
Special
Breeding
Challenging

Breed Voltorb (with patience) with 12 breeding partners from the Mineral egg group.

Egg Groups
Mineral
Gender
GenderlessDittoDitto only
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
porygon2golemelectrodemagnetonsudowoodogravelerporygonmagnemitevoltorbgeodudesteelixonix

Best Build

Gen 2 build content has limited support (no abilities).

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

TMs carry this one. Voltorb learns Zap Cannon and Thunder naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Normal and Rock and beyond give it real matchup play.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Tackle
3510035Normal
Lv 9
Screech
8540Normal
Lv 17
Sonic Boom
9020Normal
Lv 23
Self-Destruct
2001005Normal
Lv 29
Rollout
309020Rock
Lv 33
Light Screen
30Psychic
Lv 37
Swift
6020Normal
Lv 39
Explosion
2501005Normal
Lv 41
Mirror Coat-5
10020Psychic

TM Moves

Src
TM03
Curse
10Ghost
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM20
Endure+4
10Normal
HM05
Flash
7020Normal
TM21
Frustration
10020Normal
TM02
Headbutt
7010015Normal
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM18
Rain Dance
5Water
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM27
Return
10020Normal
TM04
Rollout
309020Rock
TM35
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM13
Snore
4010015Normal
TM34
Swagger
8515Normal
TM39
Swift
6020Normal
TM25
Thunder
1207010Electric
TM06
Toxic
8510Poison
TM07
Zap Cannon
100505Electric

Egg Moves

Voltorb doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Voltorb can't learn any Tutor moves

high spawn rates in mid-game routes across 6 locations. Voltorb's one of the easier catches on the list. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.

Best Locations

6 spots to find Voltorb at Lv. 17-23 via fixed and walking. Not all of them exist in both Gold and Silver versions, so filter by your copy below.

Route 10
GoldGrassLv.17CommonMidRoute
EFFORTLESS
Route 10
SilverGrassLv.17CommonMidRoute
EFFORTLESS
Team Rocket HQ - B1F
SilverInteract with PokemonLv.23LimitedMid
HARD
Team Rocket HQ - B1F
GoldInteract with PokemonLv.23LimitedMid
HARD
Olivine City
GoldIn-game tradeLimitedCityTrade for (give Krabby)
LEGENDARY
Olivine City
SilverIn-game tradeLimitedCityTrade for (give Krabby)
LEGENDARY
  • Voltorb is meant to evolve into Electrode. At 330 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.

  • Voltorb's biggest threats include Golem (Ground), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. Voltorb's base 100 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.

  • Voltorb can evolve into Electrode and Hisuian Electrode depending on the method. Voltorb is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.

  • Base 100 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Voltorb is a special attacker with base 55 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits. Best used as a pivot.

  • Voltorb appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Since debuting in Red & Blue, Voltorb has appeared in 20 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Hisuian form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.