#0147 · Kanto · Generation 1

Dratini

Dragon Pokémon · Dragon-type

Dratini is a Dragon-type Pokémon, the Dragon Pokémon, number 147 (#0147) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.8 m tall and weighs 3.3 kg.

Dratini is the Dragon Pokémon, a blue sea serpent that people once thought was a myth until a fisherman landed one after a 10-hour struggle. The small lump on its forehead is a horn that is still growing.

How to pronounce Dratini

Dratini is pronounced druh-TEE-nee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Dratini said out loud:

In Japanese it is ミニリュウ (Miniryu).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Dratini is 1.8 m long and 3.3 kg. Bulbapedia describes a blue serpentine body with a white underside, a white bump on its forehead and a white, three-pointed fin on each side of its head. The Pokédex says it is so full of life energy that it keeps growing and shedding its skin.

Behaviour

Dratini lives a quiet life. The Pokédex says it hides behind a rapid waterfall while it moults, because its new skin is soft just after it is shed, and the Sun entry says its tanned moulted skin is made into luxury boots.

Habitat

The Sword Pokédex places Dratini beside rapidly flowing water, at the foot of waterfalls for example, and its habitat category is Water's Edge.

Diet

The Ultra Sun Pokédex says it lurks on the bottom and eats whatever food sinks down.

Powers

Dratini can have Shed Skin, which suits its constant moulting, or Marvel Scale hidden. It learns Twister, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush, Dragon Dance and Outrage. Base Attack 64 is its best stat, a small hint of the Dragon it will become.

Name origin

Dratini may combine 'dragon' with 'teeny', 'tiny' or 'mini'. The Japanese name is Miniryu (ミニリュウ), which may blend 'miniature' with 竜 ryū ('dragon').

Design inspiration

Atsuko Nishida designed Dratini. It looks modelled on sea serpents and on ryu, the lucky dragons of Japanese and Chinese myth, and its hidden, once-mythical nature recalls the Loch Ness Monster. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Dratini evolves into Dragonair at level 30, which evolves into Dragonite at level 55.

In the games

Dratini has been a prized rare catch since Red and Blue, where you could fish for one with the Super Rod in the Safari Zone or buy one at the Rocket Game Corner in Celadon City, for 2,800 coins in Red and 4,600 in Blue. In Scarlet and Violet it lives around Casseroya Lake and in Paldea's North and South Provinces, and in Legends: Z-A it appears in five Lumiose districts and, in the Mega Dimension DLC, Hyperspace Lumiose.

In the anime

Dratini first appeared in the banned episode EP035, where a Safari Zone warden protects one. Clair's Dratini makes its English dub debut in 'Beauty is Skin Deep', fends off a Team Rocket theft attempt and ends the episode as a Dragonair.

Fun facts

• In the Red and Green beta its English name was Dragoon, which Bulbapedia thinks combines dragon and lagoon, and Dragonair was Dragyn.
• A species of parasitic nematode, Hedruris dratini, was named after it.
• In 'Showdown at the Gates of Warp!', Dialga and Palkia's influence briefly turns Ash's Dragonite all the way back into a Dratini.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Dratini (Pokémon) · Serebii: Dratini (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex) · Bulbapedia: Pokémon Red and Green beta

Base stats

• HP: 41
• Attack: 64
• Defense: 45
• Sp. Atk: 50
• Sp. Def: 50
• Speed: 50

Dratini’s base stat total is 300. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Dratini weak to?

Dratini takes extra damage from Ice (2×), Dragon (2×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Electric (½×), Grass (½×).

Evolution

How does Dratini evolve?

Dratini evolves into Dragonair at level 30.

The whole family: Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite.

• Dragonair evolves into Dragonite at level 55.

Abilities

• Shed Skin: Has a 33% chance of curing any major status ailment after each turn.
• Marvel Scale (hidden ability): Increases Defense to 1.5× with a major status ailment.

Moves

Moves Dratini learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (41)

Dratini can learn 41 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Agility, Protect, Water Pulse, Chilling Water, Fire Spin, Facade, Swift, Icy Wind, Dragon Tail, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Light Screen, Waterfall, Thunder Wave, Rest, Iron Head, Dragon Dance, Substitute, Dragon Pulse, Surf, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Fire Blast, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Giga Impact, Outrage, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Draco Meteor, Tera Blast, Haze, Scale Shot, Breaking Swipe, Dragon Cheer.

Egg moves (6):Aqua Jet, Dragon Breath, Extreme Speed, Mist, Supersonic, Water Pulse.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 1, Dragon.
• Egg cycles: 40 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 5,120).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 35.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Attack effort value.
• Base experience yield: 60.

Pokédex entries

This Pokémon was long considered to be no more than a myth. The small lump on a Dratini's forehead is actually a horn that's still coming in. (Shield)

Dratini dwells near bodies of rapidly flowing water, such as the plunge pools of waterfalls. As it grows, Dratini will shed its skin many times. (Sword)

Long thought to be a myth, this Pokémon's existence was only recently confirmed by a fisherman who caught one. (Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

It sheds its skin—almost on a daily basis—and grows larger. Its skin is soft just after it's been shed. (Ultra Moon)

It's still weak, so it lurks on the floor of bodies of water, eating whatever food sinks down and living a quiet life. (Ultra Sun)

After a 10-hour struggle, a fisherman was able to pull one up and confirm its existence. (Moon)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Dragon type in Gen 1: 3.3 kg.
• Shortest Dragon type in Gen 1: 1.8 m.
• Slowest Dragon type in Gen 1: 50 Speed.
• Lowest base stat total among Dragon types in Gen 1: 300.
• Taller than 82% of all Pokémon (1.8 m).
• Heavier than 11% of all Pokémon (3.3 kg).
• Base stat total 300, ranked #856 of 1,025.
• One of 70 Dragon-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 147 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 53 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 16 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Dratini (Pokémon), Serebii: Dratini (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex), Bulbapedia: Pokémon Red and Green beta.
• Pronunciation (druh-TEE-nee): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Dragon-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Shed Skin ability · Marvel Scale ability · Compare Dratini · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 1 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Water 1 egg group · Dragon egg group · Pokémon that start with D · Dragon-like Pokémon

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