Is Zubat Good in Crystal Playthrough?
Every Crystal cave is full of Zubat, and the whole line is really about reaching Crobat. The friendship evolution can happen before Whitney if you pick one up early and keep it in the lead. That's one of the fastest routes to an E4-caliber Pokemon in any Gen 2 game.
Falkner's typing presses Zubat's defenses.
Zubat trades roughly evenly with Bugsy's team.
Whitney's team hits Zubat's weaknesses hard.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Morty's team.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Chuck's team.
Jasmine's team hits Golbat's weaknesses hard.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Crobat trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Lt. Surge's team hits Crobat's weaknesses hard.
Crobat trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Crobat resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Crobat trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Crobat has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Crobat trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Catchable
Catch Zubat on Route 30 (walking, Lv 3, rare).
Recommended Moves
- After Falkner
- TM39NormalSwiftPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Union Cave
- LV 12DarkBitePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- After Whitney
- TM13NormalSnorePower 40Accuracy 100%PP 15Moomoo Farm
- LV 27FlyingWing AttackPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 35
- After Jasmine
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a fisherman in a house at Lake of Rage
- TM46DarkThiefPower 40Accuracy 100%PP 10Team Rocket HQ (Mahogany Town)
- After Lt. Surge
- TM47SteelSteel WingPower 70Accuracy 90%PP 25Route 28
- TM19GrassGiga DrainPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 5Prize for defeating Erika
Evolve Zubat to Golbat
Zubat evolves into Golbat at Level 22. Your Zubat should hit Level 22 before you reach Morty, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 22)
- LV 22DarkBitePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- After Falkner
- TM39NormalSwiftPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Union Cave
- LV 30FlyingWing AttackPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 35
- After Jasmine
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a fisherman in a house at Lake of Rage
- After Lt. Surge
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Prize for defeating Janine
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Celadon Game Corner prize (7500 coins)
- TM47SteelSteel WingPower 70Accuracy 90%PP 25Route 28
- TM19GrassGiga DrainPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 5Prize for defeating Erika
Evolve Golbat to Crobat
Golbat evolves into Crobat with high friendship. Friendship is usually high enough before you reach Clair.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 31)
- LV 31FlyingWing AttackPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 35
- LV 31DarkBitePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- LV 31GhostConfuse RayPower —Accuracy 100%PP 10
- After Chuck
- HM02FlyingFlyPower 105Accuracy 95%PP 15Cianwood City
- After Lt. Surge
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Prize for defeating Janine
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Celadon Game Corner prize (7500 coins)
- TM47SteelSteel WingPower 70Accuracy 90%PP 25Route 28
- TM19GrassGiga DrainPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 5Prize for defeating Erika
How to Get Zubat in Crystal
Nearly every cave in Crystal hides Zubat, 40 encounters spanning Union Cave, the Whirl Islands, and Mt. Silver. Step into any dark passage and you'll be swatting these away.
19 locations to catch Zubat
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Where To Catch Zubat in C
The line opens with Zubat at Lv. 2-26 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 1Zubat ✓Slowpoke Well - B1FLv.5-8CaveRate 85%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.15-17CaveRate 60%Union Cave - B1FLv.6-8CaveRate 50%Morning/dayRoute 33Lv.6GrassRate 40%NightRock Tunnel - 1FLv.12-15CaveRate 40%NightRock Tunnel - B1FLv.12-15CaveRate 40%NightDark Cave - WestLv.2-4CaveRate 39%Dark Cave - WestLv.2-4CaveRate 34%MorningUnion Cave - B1FLv.6CaveRate 30%NightMt. Moon - 1FLv.6CaveRate 30%Mt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.13CaveRate 30%Route 42Lv.14GrassRate 30%NightUnion Cave - 1FLv.5-7CaveRate 25%Morning/dayDark Cave - WestLv.2CaveRate 20%the Dunsparce swarm that Hiker Anthony reports byRoute 32Lv.6GrassRate 10%NightRoute 3Lv.6GrassRate 10%NightRoute 4Lv.6GrassRate 10%NightRock Tunnel - 1FLv.12CaveRate 10%Morning/dayRock Tunnel - B1FLv.12CaveRate 10%Morning/dayBurned Tower - 1FLv.14FloorRate 10%Mt. Mortar - 1F BackLv.14CaveRate 10%NightBurned Tower - B1FLv.15FloorRate 10%Route 30Lv.3GrassRate 5%NightRoute 31Lv.4GrassRate 5%NightUnion Cave - 1FLv.7CaveRate 5%NightMt. Mortar - 1F BackLv.15CaveRate 5%Morning/dayRoute 10Lv.15GrassRate 5%NightRoute 9Lv.15GrassRate 5%NightSlowpoke Well - B2FLv.19-23CaveRate 80%Union Cave - B2FLv.22CaveRate 50%Morning/dayIce Path - 1FLv.22CaveRate 30%Union Cave - B2FLv.22CaveRate 30%NightTohjo FallsLv.22GrassRate 30%Dark Cave - EastLv.23CaveRate 30%Ice Path - B1FLv.23CaveRate 30%Whirl Islands - CaveLv.23GrassRate 30%Whirl Islands - NELv.23GrassRate 30%Whirl Islands - NWLv.23GrassRate 30%Whirl Islands - SELv.23GrassRate 30%Whirl Islands - SWLv.23GrassRate 30%Ice Path - B2FLv.24CaveRate 30%Whirl Islands - B1FLv.24GrassRate 30%Ice Path - B3FLv.25CaveRate 30%Whirl Islands - B2FLv.25GrassRate 30%Whirl Islands - B2F Inner CaveLv.26GrassRate 30%
- Step 2Catch or Evolve into GolbatMt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.13CaveRate 10%Mt. Mortar - 1F BackLv.15CaveRate 5%Rock Tunnel - B1FLv.15CaveRate 5%NightIce Path - 1FLv.22-24CaveRate 30%Union Cave - B2FLv.22CaveRate 30%Ice Path - B1FLv.23-25CaveRate 29%Ice Path - B2FLv.24-26CaveRate 25%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.17CaveRate 20%Tohjo FallsLv.24GrassRate 20%Ice Path - B3FLv.25CaveRate 20%Route 42Lv.16GrassRate 15%NightMt. Mortar - 2FLv.30-32CaveRate 15%NightWhirl Islands - CaveLv.24-25GrassRate 10%NightWhirl Islands - NELv.24-25GrassRate 10%NightWhirl Islands - NWLv.24-25GrassRate 10%NightWhirl Islands - SELv.24-25GrassRate 10%NightWhirl Islands - SWLv.24-25GrassRate 10%NightWhirl Islands - B1FLv.25-26GrassRate 10%NightWhirl Islands - B2FLv.26-27GrassRate 10%NightWhirl Islands - B2F Inner CaveLv.27-28GrassRate 10%NightDark Cave - EastLv.23CaveRate 5%Slowpoke Well - B2FLv.23CaveRate 5%Whirl Islands - CaveLv.25GrassRate 5%Morning/dayWhirl Islands - NELv.25GrassRate 5%Morning/dayWhirl Islands - NWLv.25GrassRate 5%Morning/dayWhirl Islands - SELv.25GrassRate 5%Morning/dayWhirl Islands - SWLv.25GrassRate 5%Morning/dayWhirl Islands - B1FLv.26GrassRate 5%Morning/dayWhirl Islands - B2FLv.27GrassRate 5%Morning/dayWhirl Islands - B2F Inner CaveLv.28GrassRate 5%Morning/dayMt. Mortar - 2FLv.30CaveRate 5%Morning/dayMt. Silver - 1FLv.42-46CaveRate 45%NightVictory Road - 1FLv.34CaveRate 30%NightMt. Silver - OutsideLv.40-44CaveRate 30%NightRoute 28Lv.40-42GrassRate 30%NightVictory Road - 1FLv.34CaveRate 10%Morning/dayMt. Silver - 1FLv.45CaveRate 5%Morning/dayMt. Silver - Side chambersLv.46-50CaveRate 80%Morning/dayMt. Silver - 2FLv.46-48CaveRate 50%NightMt. Silver - Side chambersLv.48-50CaveRate 50%NightMt. Silver - SummitLv.49-53CaveRate 45%NightMt. Silver - 2FLv.48CaveRate 30%Morning/dayMt. Silver - SummitLv.51CaveRate 30%Morning/dayor evolve from Zubat (Step 1)
- Step 3Evolve into CrobatBREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Zubat egg.
Bring the right balls: check Zubat catch odds in the Crystal Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
How to Get Shiny Zubat in Crystal
Zubat swarms every dark space you enter, from Dark Cave to the Ice Path and the Burned Tower, so encounters come nonstop even at the classic 1 in 8,192 rate. Compare Shiny Zubat odds across every game
Crystal Shiny Zubat Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Breed w/ Shiny Parent, about 1 in 64 on each try.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
Breed w/ Shiny Parent: Eggs inherit stats from a shiny parent, so about 1 in 64 hatch shiny. A shiny Ditto helps every egg, and any other shiny parent (the red Gyarados works) helps only eggs of the opposite gender.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 7-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 19-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 45-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 147-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
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.
Planning a longer hunt? Set up Zubat in the Crystal Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Zubat Weakness
Electric, Ice, Psychic, and Rock moves hit Zubat for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. The Poison/Flying typing picks up 4 resistances to work with.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
- 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
What is Zubat Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Zubat
 Jolteon Electric | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Lapras builds →Blizzard 2x210-247%KO Thunder 2x139-165%KO | ||
 Magnemite ElectricSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Magnemite builds →Thunder 2x229-271%KO Rollout 2x24-29% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Kadabra builds →Psybeam 2x152-179%KO Ice Punch 2x115-135%KO Thunder Punch 2x115-135%KO | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Obtain MethodRoute 36 Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Sudowoodo builds →Rock Throw 2x106-126%KO Ice Punch 2x45-55% Thunder Punch 2x45-55% | ||
 Smoochum IcePsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodRoute 34 Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Smoochum builds →Blizzard 2x210-247%KO Confusion 2x90-106%KO | ||
 Elekid Electric | A | |
Obtain MethodRoute 34 Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Elekid builds →Thunder 2x173-203%KO Ice Punch 2x73-87% | ||
 Onix RockGround | C | |
 Geodude RockGround | C | |
 Natu Psychic | C | |
 Slowpoke WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Slowpoke builds →Blizzard 2x82-97% Confusion 2x56-68% | ||
 Pichu Electric | D | |
Obtain MethodRoute 34 Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Pichu builds →Thunder 2x118-140%KO Rollout 2x24-29% | ||
 Drowzee Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zubat View Drowzee builds →Confusion 2x56-68% Ice Punch 2x56-68% Thunder Punch 2x56-68% | ||
Zubat Evolutions
Zubat kicks off a three-stage evolution line through Golbat all the way to Crobat. For breeding, quick to hatch with a decent partner pool via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 290 total stats over Zubat. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Zubat easily with 19 breeding partners from the Flying egg group. Pass egg moves like Feint Attack, Gust, Pursuit and 2 more to offspring.
C Zubat Best Moveset
Poison/Flying pre-evolution two stages from Crobat, where 130 Speed and actual offensive options create competitive value. Nothing at this level.
Best Build
Support Moveset
- Wing Attack
- Whirlwind
- Toxic
- Giga Drain
Moves List
Don't skip the egg moves. Zubat picks up Feint Attack and Gust only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Wing Attack and Gust while Bug and Dark coverage and more adds range.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
13 of 19 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
During the day, it gathers with others and hangs from the ceilings of old buildings and caves.
Zubat Crystal Guide
In Crystal, for a casual playthrough, Zubat works as a placeholder. Poison/Flying coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Golbat. That's where the stats start mattering.
Game Availability
Present since Red & Blue, Zubat appears in 21 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Zubat have the longest track record of availability in the series.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
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 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
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
Explore
Where to go next after Zubat.
Keep playing · CrystalCrystal Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Crystal Tier List