Poliwag (Pokémon)

Poliwag ニョロモ Nyoromo

Artwork from FR/LG

Type Species  Water  Tadpole Pokémon Abilities Exp. at 100 Water Absorb or Damp 1,059,860 Pokédex Kanto #060 Johto #072 Hoenn #247* Sinnoh #— Browser Fiore R-052 Almia R— Height Weight 2'00" 27.3 lbs. Pokédex color Body style Footprint Catch rate Blue 255 Gender ratio   50% male   50% female Egg groups Egg cycles Water 1 21 (5355 steps*) EV yield HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 0 Speed 1 Exp. 77 External links On Legendary Pokémon Pokédex: Generation III Generation IV On Pokémon Palace Network Pokédex (Gen. I-III) On Smogon Pokédex: Generation I Generation II Generation III Generation IV On Eevee's Pokédex (Gen. I-IV) On Psypoke Pokédex On Pokecharms Pokédex (Gen. III-IV) On Marriland Pokédex (Gen. IV) On Serebii's Pokédex: Generation I/II Generation III (Spin-Off games) Generation IV (Spin-Off games) On Azure Heights Pokédex (Gen. I) On Pokémon Dungeon Pokédex (Gen. I-II) On Ultimate Pokémon Center Pokédex (Gen. I-IV) Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Poliwag (Japanese: ニョロモ Nyoromo) is a Water-type Pokémon.

It evolves into Poliwhirl starting at level 25, who evolves into Poliwrath via Water Stone, or into Politoed via trade with King's Rock.

Biology

Physiology

Poliwag resembles a blue, spherical tadpole. It has large eyes, a pink mouth, and a long, mostly transparent tail. It has newly developed legs that still are not used to walking. Poliwag's most famous feature is the black and white swirl on its abdomen, which is actually its innards showing through its semitransparent skin. This skin is also very elastic so that it won't break if the Pokémon is bitten.

Gender differences

None.

Special abilities

Along with the standard Water-related abilities, it is capable of making its opponent drowsy with Hypnosis. It is also much more at home in the water, as it can be healed by water using Water Absorb. Its skin is also very Damp, making it very slippery and therefore difficult to get hold of. Their Speed stat is above average, allowing them to evade shots of electricity quickly.

Behavior

They are most likely found swimming than on dry land. If they are startled, they immediately run away.

Habitat

Water's-edge Pokémon

Poliwag can be found in small freshwater ponds and lakes that have an abundance of lily pads, as well as along the banks of tropical rivers.

Diet

Main article: Pokémon food

In the anime, Poliwag feed on salveyo weed, which can only be found on clear lake bottoms.

In the anime

Misty with her Poliwag

Misty had a Poliwag that eventually evolved into a Poliwhirl and then a Politoed.

One of the Pokémon used at the Pokémon Trainer's School in Gonna Rule The School was a Poliwag. Max used it in a battle but lost to a Magby. However, it did help defeat Team Rocket.

A Poliwag appeared in Up Close and Personable!.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Special manga

Poliwag makes a cameo in Bulbasaur, Come Home! as one of the Pokémon that escapes from Professor Oak's Laboratory and in Danger: High Voltorb in a Red's flashback remembering his journey with his Poliwhirl.

Gold has a Poliwag as of Volume 8. It was lost when Team Rocket stole Gold's backpack and its Poké Ball fell into the water. Gold eventually retrieved Poliwag at the Famous Fishing Zone. It evolved into Poliwhirl in Volume 9.

In the TCG

Main article: Poliwag (TCG)

Game data

Pokédex entries

Game locations

In side games

Held items

Base stats

Type effectiveness

Learnset

Poliwag is capable of learning the following moves in Generation IV.

• Moves in bold are damaging moves to which STAB applies.

Moves in Italics aren't STAB for Poliwag, but are for some/all evolutions.

By leveling up

By TM/HM

By breeding

By tutoring

TCG-only Moves

• Rollout
• Tackle

Side game data

Pokémon Pinball
	Acquisition: Catch
Pokémon Trozei!
	Rarity: Common
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team
Body size: 1	Recruit Rate: 8.1%	Friend Area: Tadpole Pond
Phrases
51%-100% HP	It's easier for me in the water!
26%-50% HP	I only have half my HP left...
1%-25% HP	No more, please... I'm nearly fainting... Help...
Level Up	Yippee! I leveled up! I'm so happy!
Pokémon Ranger
Group:  Water	Loops: 4	Minimum Experience: 20
Poké Assist: ( Water )	Field Move: (Soak ×1)	Maximum Experience: 30
"If Poliwag spots a Ranger, it becomes startled and dives underwater."
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
Body size: 1	Recruit Rate: 6.4%	IQ Group: F

Evolution

	Unevolved → Level 25 First evolution Poliwag  Water  Poliwhirl  Water	→ Water Stone	Second evolution
			Poliwrath  Water  Fighting
		→ Trade holding King's Rock	Second evolution
			Politoed  Water

Sprites

Gen	Game
I	Red	Blue	Yellow	Red (Ja)	Green	Back
II	Gold	Silver	Crystal			Back
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald	FireRed	LeafGreen	Back
			File:Spr 3e 060 s.gif
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum	HeartGold	SoulSilver	Back
				NO SPRITES AVAILABLE

For other sprites and images, please see Poliwag images on Bulbagarden Archives.

Trivia

• Curiously, the swirl on Poliwag's stomach is in the opposite direction to Poliwhirl's and Poliwrath's, but in the same direction of the light green swirl on the stomach of Politoed.
• In its FireRed Pokédex entry, it is stated Poliwag has black skin. The Ruby and Sapphire Pokédex entry for Poliwhirl states that Poliwhirl's skin is covered in oily fluid - if the same applies to Poliwag, it might be a case similar to common bilberry: the berry itself is black but covered in a wax-like coating that makes it look blue.
• Despite having a visible tail, it cannot learn any moves that require a tail.
• Poliwag's eyes, nose and the swirl on its stomach are visible in Generation I and IV's backsprites, but the tail is not. The opposite is true for the Generation II and III backsprites.
• In The Official Pokémon Handbook, published by Scholastic Corporation, the back cover says "Did you know that the swirls on Poliwhirl's stomach changes direction when it evolves into Poliwag?" However, Poliwhirl evolves from, not into, Poliwag.

Origin

Poliwag has the appearance of a tadpole. The spiral pattern on its belly is supposed to represent how the intestines of tadpoles are sometimes seen through their transparent skin.

Name origin

Poliwag appears to be a misspelling of polliwog, outdated English for tadpole. The wag may refer to its tail, although it is worth noting that polliwog literally means head-wiggle. Its Japanese name may come in part from ニョロニョロ nyoronyoro, the sound of slithering, and 子供 kodomo, child.

In other languages

• German: Quapsel - From Kaulquappe (tadpole).
• French: Ptitard - From petit (small) and têtard (tadpole).
• Korean: 발챙이 Balchaengi
• Chinese (Taiwan and Hong Kong): 蚊香蝌蚪 - 蚊香 is a kind of mosquito repellent used in China that is shaped like a spiral (like Poliwag's belly). Literally "mosquito repellent tadpole".

Related articles

• Misty's Poliwag

External links

Notes

This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species.