Genesect
Genesect is a Bug/Steel-type Pokémon, the Paleozoic Pokémon, number 649 (#0649) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 1.5 m tall and weighs 82.5 kg.
Genesect is the Paleozoic Pokémon, an insect that lived over 300 million years ago and was revived by Team Plasma with a cannon fitted to its back. Slot a Drive into that cannon and its signature attack changes element.
How to pronounce Genesect
Genesect is pronounced JEN-uh-sekt. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Genesect said out loud:
In Japanese it is ゲノセクト.
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Genesect is a purple, bipedal, insect-like Pokémon, 1.5 m tall and 82.5 kg, with a metal body, a saucer-shaped head and two red eyes that can glow. Its arms end in sharp steel claws, and Bulbapedia says it can spin a sticky silk from them. It has no gender. By folding up its limbs and linking its head to the cannon, Genesect forms a disk shape that Bulbapedia calls its high-speed flight configuration.
Behaviour
The Pokédex says it was once dreaded as the mightiest of hunters. Bulbapedia notes the film Genesect and the Legend Awakened shows Genesect leading others of its kind, and calls it completely devoid of mercy, a phrase the Legends: Z-A Pokédex shares.
Habitat
The Pokédex says it lived over 300 million years ago, in the Paleozoic era. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet. In Legends: Z-A one appears in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose, during a side mission about collecting four Drives.
Powers
Its Ability Download raises Attack or Special Attack, whichever suits the opponent's weaker defence. Its signature move is Techno Blast, which Bulbapedia says only Genesect learns, and in Legends: Z-A it knows the move from level 1. A Drive inserted into the cannon turns it into a new form and changes the move's type: Douse Drive for Water, Shock Drive for Electric, Burn Drive for Fire and Chill Drive for Ice, with no Drive meaning Normal. With balanced base stats of 120 Attack and 120 Special Attack it hits hard from either side.
Name origin
Genesect may combine 'gene', 'genetics' or 'genesis' with 'insect'. The Japanese name is Genesect (ゲノセクト).
Design inspiration
Bulbapedia suggests the base design may come from the oversized insects of the Paleozoic, perhaps as old as the cockroach, with treehoppers as another possible source. Its steel armour and cannon are in the story the work of Team Plasma, and may echo cyborgs or mecha. These are fan readings.
In the games
Genesect closes both Unova Pokédexes as their final entry, and one Pokédex entry blames Team Plasma for modifying it. It first appeared in the Unova games.
In the anime
The Genesect Army, five Genesect led by a Shiny, first appeared in 'Meowth, Colress and Team Rivalry!'. They star in the film Genesect and the Legend Awakened, where they rampage through New Tork City while searching for their ancient home and clash with Mewtwo.
Fun facts
- Bulbapedia points out that Genesect gets no same-type bonus from Techno Blast unless something first changes Genesect's own type.
- Legends: Z-A's Pokédex entries call the Drives cassettes.
- Genesect is the only Bug-type Mythical Pokémon, if you do not count Arceus holding an Insect Plate.
- In the film, a Genesect can breathe in outer space.
Base stats
- HP: 71
- Attack: 120
- Defense: 95
- Sp. Atk: 120
- Sp. Def: 95
- Speed: 99
Genesect’s base stat total is 600. Its highest stat is Attack and Sp. Atk.
Type matchups
What is Genesect weak to?
Genesect takes extra damage from Fire (4×) moves.
It resists Grass (¼×), Normal (½×), Ice (½×), Psychic (½×), Bug (½×), Dragon (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).
It is immune to Poison moves.
Evolution
Genesect does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.
Abilities
- Download: Raises the attack stat corresponding to the opponents' weaker defense one stage upon entering battle.
Moves
Moves Genesect learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 7 | Screech | Normal | Status | — |
| 14 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 |
| 21 | Fell Stinger | Bug | Physical | 50 |
| 28 | Flame Charge | Fire | Physical | 50 |
| 35 | Metal Sound | Steel | Status | — |
| 42 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 |
| 49 | Magnet Rise | Electric | Status | — |
| 56 | Bug Buzz | Bug | Special | 90 |
| 63 | Simple Beam | Normal | Status | — |
| 70 | Zap Cannon | Electric | Special | 120 |
| 77 | Lock-On | Normal | Status | — |
| 84 | Techno Blast | Normal | Special | 120 |
| 91 | Self-Destruct | Normal | Physical | 200 |
TM moves (42)
Genesect can learn 42 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Fly, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Solar Beam, Thunder Wave, Screech, Light Screen, Reflect, Self-Destruct, Rest, Snore, Protect, Giga Drain, Facade, Swift, U-turn, Assurance, Shadow Claw, Round, Electroweb, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Psychic, Leech Life, Tri Attack, Substitute, Endure, Sleep Talk, Blaze Kick, Iron Defense, Dark Pulse, X-Scissor, Bug Buzz, Energy Ball, Zen Headbutt, Flash Cannon, Gunk Shot, Iron Head, Ally Switch.
Move tutor moves (1): Steel Beam.
Breeding & training
- Gender: genderless.
- Egg groups: Undiscovered.
- Egg cycles: 120 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 15,360).
- Catch rate: 3 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 0.
- Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Attack and 1 Sp. Atk and 1 Speed effort values.
- Base experience yield: 270.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon existed 300 million years ago. Team Plasma altered it and attached a cannon to its back. (Black 2, White 2, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
This ancient bug Pokémon was altered by Team Plasma. They upgraded the cannon on its back. (White, X, Omega Ruby)
Over 300 million years ago, it was feared as the strongest of hunters. It has been modified by Team Plasma. (Black)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ゲノセクト |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Genesect |
| French | Genesect |
| German | Genesect |
| Spanish | Genesect |
| Italian | Genesect |
| Korean | 게노세크트 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 盖诺赛克特 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 蓋諾賽克特 |
Trivia
- Highest base stat total among Bug types: 600.
- Highest base stat total among Bug types in Gen 5: 600.
- Highest Sp. Atk among Steel types in Gen 5: 120.
- Highest base stat total among Steel types in Gen 5: 600.
- Taller than 72% of all Pokémon (1.5 m).
- Heavier than 79% of all Pokémon (82.5 kg).
- Base stat total 600, ranked #25 of 1,025.
- Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #76 of 1,025.
- One of 5 Pokémon that are both Bug and Steel.
- One of 87 purple Pokémon.
- Number 156 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
- Can learn 54 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 3: about 0.4% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 3 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: Genesect (Pokémon), Serebii: Genesect (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (JEN-uh-sekt): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Bug-type Pokémon · Steel-type Pokémon · Bug/Steel weaknesses and matchups · Unova region guide · Download ability · Compare Genesect · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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