Drifloon (Japanese: フワンテ Fuwante) is a dual-type Ghost/Flying Pokémon introduced in Generation IV.
It evolves into Drifblim starting at level 28.
Biology
Drifloon's mouth, in the middle of the "X"
Drifloon is a Pokémon with a spherical, purple body. It has two stringy arms that have yellow, heart-shaped hands on the ends of them. At the base of its body is a frayed protrusion that resembles the tied end of a balloon. In the middle of its face is a yellow tape-like "X" mark, which contains its little mouth in the very center. Located on either side of the "X" are its small, black eyes. A white mass of fluff that resembles a cloud sits on top of Drifloon's head. Drifloon's body is filled with air, as well as the lost spirits of people and Pokémon. Its body expands as it collects more souls. If it explodes, the souls unleash with a screaming sound. It is also rumored that Drifloon itself is reincarnated from deceased humans.
This Pokémon is known as a "Signpost for Wandering Spirits" due to its aimless drifting. Desiring company, Drifloon often seeks out children and grabs their hands. However, due to how light it is, it can be resisted easily and is often pulled around. This results in Drifloon running away from any children who are rough with it. Drifloon also dislikes heavy children. There are rumors that Drifloon steals children who hold onto it, guiding them to the afterlife. Despite this reputation, as seen in the Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl episode Drifloon On the Wind!, Drifloon can be friendly and helpful. In the movie The Rise of Darkrai, Drifloon's body puffs up when it gets angry or aggressive. Drifloon sightings are typically more common at night. It prefers to reside in damp, humid locations and can expand or shrink to express its feelings.
Drifloon and its evolved form, Drifblim, are the only known Pokémon that can have Flare Boost as an Ability. Prior to Generation V, this was also true for Unburden.
Evolution
Drifloon evolves into Drifblim.
(For specifics on this Pokémon's Evolution in the games, refer to Game data→Evolution data.)
Game data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation IV.
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Generation IV
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Sinnoh #065
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Johto #—
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Diamond
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A Pokémon formed by the spirits of people and Pokémon. It loves damp, humid seasons.
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Pearl
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It tugs on the hands of children to steal them away. However, it gets pulled around instead.
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Platinum
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Because of the way it floats aimlessly, an old folktale calls it a "Signpost for Wandering Spirits."
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HeartGold
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It is whispered that any child who mistakes Drifloon for a balloon and holds on to it could wind up missing.
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SoulSilver
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Generation V
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Unova B2 W2 : #208
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Black
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Because of the way it floats aimlessly, an old folktale calls it a "Signpost for Wandering Spirits."
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White
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Black 2
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These Pokémon are called the "Signpost for Wandering Spirits." Children holding them sometimes vanish.
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White 2
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Generation VI
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Kalos Coastal #001
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Hoenn #—
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X
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A Pokémon formed by the spirits of people and Pokémon. It loves damp, humid seasons.
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Y
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These Pokémon are called the "Signpost for Wandering Spirits." Children holding them sometimes vanish.
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Omega Ruby
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A Pokémon formed by the spirits of people and Pokémon. It loves damp, humid seasons.
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Alpha Sapphire
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These Pokémon are called the "Signpost for Wandering Spirits." Children holding them sometimes vanish.
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Generation VII
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Alola S M : #064
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Alola US UM : #076
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Kanto #—
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This Pokémon has no Pokédex entries in Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
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Sun
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Stories go that it grabs the hands of small children and drags them away to the afterlife. It dislikes heavy children.
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Moon
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If for some reason its body bursts, its soul spills out with a screaming sound.
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Ultra Sun
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Its round body is stuffed with souls and expands each time it leads someone away.
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Ultra Moon
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Wandering souls gathered together to form this Pokémon. When trying to make friends with children, Drifloon grabs them by the hand.
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Generation VIII
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Galar #124
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Galar Isle of Armor #135
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Sinnoh #065
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Hisui #037
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Sword
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Perhaps seeking company, it approaches children. However, it often quickly runs away again when the children play too roughly with it.
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Shield
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The gathering of many souls gave rise to this Pokémon. During humid seasons, they seem to appear in abundance.
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Brilliant Diamond
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It is a Pokémon formed by the spirits of people and Pokémon. It loves damp, humid seasons.
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Shining Pearl
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It tugs on the hands of children to spirit them away. However, it gets pulled around instead.
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Legends: Arceus
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Said to lure away young children and carry them off to the afterlife. Some whisper that Drifloon are formed of reincarnated human souls, but these rumors are as yet unconfirmed.
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Generation IX
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Paldea #143
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Kitakami #—
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Blueberry #—
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Scarlet
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It is whispered that any child who mistakes Drifloon for a balloon and holds on to it could wind up missing.
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Violet
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Because of the way it floats aimlessly, an old folktale calls it a “signpost for wandering spirits.”
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Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation IV.
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Generation VIII
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Sword
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Shield
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Expansion Pass
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Brilliant Diamond
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Shining Pearl
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Legends: Arceus
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Obsidian Fieldlands: Aspiration HillNight, Floaro GardensNight, Horseshoe PlainsNight, near Worn BridgeNight, Deertrack PathNight, Windswept RunNight, Ramanas IslandNight, massive mass outbreaks Cobalt Coastlands: Crossing SlopeNight, Ginkgo Landing and nearbyNight, near Aipom HillNight, Bathers' Lagoon and nearbyNight, near Hideaway BayNight, Deadwood HauntNight, near Tombolo WalkNight, Sand's Reach and nearbyNight, Tranquility CoveNight, near Castaway ShoreNight, near Islespy ShoreNight (mass outbreaks nearbyDayNight), Lunker's LairNight, Seagrass HavenNight, Firespit IslandNight Alabaster Icelands: Bonechill WastesNight, Avalugg's LegacyNight, Glacier TerraceNight (also mass outbreaksDayNight), Heart's CragNight, massive mass outbreaks
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In side games
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation IV.
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Held items
Stats
Base stats
Stat
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Range
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At Lv. 50
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At Lv. 100
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90
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150 - 197
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290 - 384
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50
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49 - 112
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94 - 218
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34
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35 - 94
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65 - 183
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60
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58 - 123
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112 - 240
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44
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44 - 105
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83 - 205
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70
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67 - 134
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130 - 262
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Total: 348
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Other Pokémon with this total
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- Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and (if applicable) a hindering nature.
- Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.
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Pokéathlon stats
Type effectiveness
Under normal battle conditions in Generation IX, this Pokémon is:
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Learnset
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Drifloon
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Drifloon
- Click on the generation numbers at the top to see level-up moves from other generations
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Drifloon
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution or an alternate form of Drifloon
- Click on the generation numbers at the top to see TM moves from other generations
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- Moves marked with an asterisk (*) must be chain bred onto Drifloon
- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Drifloon
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Drifloon
- Click on the generation numbers at the top to see Egg moves from other generations
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TCG-only moves
Side game data
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Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
Group:
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Poké Assist: (present)
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Field move: (present)
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(Tackle ×1)
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Poké Assist: (past)
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Field move: (past)
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(Tackle ×1)
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Browser entry R-232/N-219
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To attack, it spits out an orb imbued with loathsome emotions that make Pokémon Tired.
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Pokémon Rumble Rush
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Walking Speed: 2.08 seconds
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Base HP: 57
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Base Attack: 71
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Base Defense: 45
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Base Speed: 60
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New Pokémon Snap
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Photodex entry #191
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It’s said that a Drifloon’s puffy body is filled with countless souls. In the cave, we saw one trying to carry a smaller Pokémon away somewhere.
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Evolution data
Sprites
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation IV.
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In animation
Main series
Major appearances
Fantina owns a Drifloon, which debuted in Playing The Leveling Field!. It evolved into a Drifblim while battling Ash's Pikachu in the same episode.
Other
Drifloon debuted in Drifloon on the Wind!. Marnie and Paige have four Drifloon they use for transport. Marnie owned three of the Drifloon, while Paige owned the fourth.
In PK18, Pikachu and his friends grabbed onto multiple Drifloon while escaping from Meowth and his cronies. Meowth's group was later forced to hold onto other Drifloon after being blasted off by a Registeel.
In A Full Course Tag Battle!, Kylie used a Drifloon alongside Roman's Girafarig in a Tag Battle against Dawn's Piplup and May's Blaziken. Drifloon was ultimately defeated by a combination of Piplup's Bubble Beam and Blaziken's Fire Spin.
In PK20, Pikachu's group grabbed onto multiple Drifloon while pursuing a Murkrow that had taken a large diamond ring piece.
In Foggy Pokémon Orienteering!, Ash used multiple Drifloon to hop across a gorge to safely reach Bonnie, who was sleeping on the other side.
Minor appearances
Multiple Drifloon appeared in The Rise of Darkrai.
In Tag! We're It...!, James's fantasy featured a Drifloon.
A Drifloon appeared in Camping It Up!.
In Coming Full-Festival Circle!, a Drifloon listened to Nando play his music.
Two Drifloon appeared in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!.
Four Trainers' Drifloon appeared in Alola to New Adventure!.
A student's Drifloon appeared in The Guardian's Challenge!. It reappeared in the banned episode SM064.
Two Trainers' Drifloon appeared in A Shocking Grocery Run!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Crystal-Clear Sleuthing!.
Two Trainers' Drifloon appeared in Balloons, Brionne, and Belligerence!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Faba's Revenge!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Getting a Jump on the Competition!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Sours for the Sweet!.
Two Trainers' Drifloon appeared in A Young Royal Flame Ignites!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Dummy, You Shrunk the Kids!.
A Drifloon appeared in Filling the Light with Darkness!, during a fantasy of a story from the past. It reappeared in a similar fashion during The Prism Between Light and Darkness!.
In Securing the Future!, a Trainer's Drifloon joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its normal form.
In A Haunted House for Everyone!, a Mismagius created illusions of multiple Drifloon.
Two Trainers' Drifloon appeared in League Offenders and Defenders!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Z-Move Showdown!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Exhibition Unmasked!.
In The Climb to Be the Very Best!, Ash's fantasy featured a Drifloon.
In A Little Rocket R & R!, a Trainer's Drifloon was captured by the Matori Matrix but later freed by Ash and his friends.
A Drifloon appeared in Secrets of the Jungle.
Multiple Drifloon appeared in Nightfall? Nightmares!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in The Gates of Warp!.
Multiple Drifloon appeared in The Spectral Express!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in The Future is Now, Thanks to Strategy!.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in Helping the Hometown Hero!.
Four Drifloon appeared in The Pendant That Starts It All (Part One), one under the ownership of a student of Indigo Academy.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in HZ050.
Two Drifloon appeared in HZ061, where they started to fly away with Terapagos.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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DP028
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Drifloon
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Dawn's Pokédex
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Drifloon, the Balloon Pokémon. Drifloon is filled with air and can either expand or shrink to express its feelings. It also likes damp weather.
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Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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JN091
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Drifloon
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Goh's Rotom Phone
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Drifloon, the Balloon Pokémon. A Ghost and Flying type. Drifloon grab children's hands as if they were going to guide them to the Ghost World. Although Drifloon tug on children's hands, they often end up getting pulled around instead.
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Pokémon: Twilight Wings
A Drifloon appeared in Moonlight.
POKÉTOON
A Drifloon appeared in Help! I've Turned into a Gengar.
Ghost Dive
Drifloon is a featured Pokémon in the music video for the song Ghost Dive, performed by Polkadot Stingray.
In the manga
Pokémon Ranger: The Comic – Shadows of Almia
A Drifloon appeared in PRV1.
Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl
A Drifloon appeared in PDP07.
Pocket Monsters DP
A Drifloon appeared in PMDP33.
Pokémon Adventures
Drifloon debuted in Honey for Combee, under the ownership of the Valley Windworks manager. Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum encountered it there.
A Drifloon appeared in Tackling Togekiss.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in The Final Dimensional Duel II.
A student's Drifloon appeared in Movie Panic.
A Trainer's Drifloon appeared in The Decision and the Tournament of Six.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!
A Drifloon appeared in a flashback in Deoxys, The Phantom Pokémon! (Part 1).
In the TCG
- Main article: Drifloon (TCG)
Other appearances
In the Pokémon Stadium 2 stage, a Drifloon can be seen floating on the Flying Terrain.
Trophy information
"A Balloon Pokémon that appears each Friday at the Valley Windworks in the Sinnoh region. It's round and cute, but it has a dreadful side too, as it attempts to drag children into the underworld by their hands. It likes damp, humid seasons. If it's on the verge of fainting in battle, it will counterattack by self-destructing. It evolves into Drifblim."
Drifloon returns in the Pokémon Stadium 2 stage.
Once again, Drifloon returns in the Pokémon Stadium 2 stage.
Trivia
- Drifloon was the first Generation IV Pokémon to be revealed in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- In the Japanese version of Pearl's Pokédex entry, Drifloon specifically takes children to the "world of the dead" (Japanese: あのよ), instead of just trying to "steal them away" as in the English version. However, in the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the United States, the description along with Drifloon's trophy still states that it is "taking children to the underworld".
- Drifloon shares its category with Igglybuff, Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff, and Qwilfish. They are all known as the Balloon Pokémon.
- Drifloon and its evolved form are the only Pokémon not introduced in Generation III to be found in the Fluctuating Experience Group.
- They are also the only Flying-type Pokémon and the only Ghost-type Pokémon in the Fluctuating Experience Group.
Origin
Drifloon appears to be based on a balloon. The yellow shape around its mouth resembles a puncture bandage (its mouth being the puncture), the white puff on its head resembles a cloud, and its heart-shaped feet resemble the weights on the strings of helium balloons. It also resembles the comb jelly, specifically the Tentaculata. It may also be based on space jellyfish (also known as atmospheric jellyfish), an atmospheric phenomenon caused by rocket launches that are often mistaken for cryptids or UFO sightings.
As a concept of a Ghost-type balloon, it may have been inspired by some Kaidan ghost stories, where ghosts and spirits have been compared to balloons.
Name origin
Drifloon may be a combination of drift and balloon.
Fuwante may be a combination of ふわふわ fuwa fuwa (soft, airy, and light; or an onomatopoeia for floating), 風船 fūsen (balloon), and 不安定 fuantei (unstable).
In other languages
Language
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Title
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Meaning
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Japanese
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フワンテ Fuwante
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From ふわふわ fuwa fuwa, 風船 fūsen, and 不安定 fuantei
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French
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Baudrive
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From ballon de baudruche and dérive
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Spanish
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Drifloon
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Same as English name
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German
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Driftlon
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From Drift and Ballon
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Italian
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Drifloon
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Same as English name
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Korean
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흔들풍손 Hundlpungson
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From 흔들다 heundeulda, 풍선 (風船) pungseon, and 손 son
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Mandarin Chinese
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飄飄球 / 飘飘球 Piāopiāoqiú
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From 飄飄 / 飘飘 piāopiāo and 氣球 / 气球 qìqiú
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Cantonese Chinese
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飄飄球 Pīupīukàuh
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From 飄飄 pīupīu and 氣球 heikàuh
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More languages
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Hindi
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गुम्बारा Goombara
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From गुम goom and ग़ुब्बारा gubbara
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Russian
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Дрифлун Driflun
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Transcription of English name
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Thai
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ฟูวันเต Fuwante
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Transcription of Japanese name
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Related articles
External links
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This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
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