#0055 · Kanto · Generation 1

Golduck

Duck Pokémon · Water-type

Golduck is a Water-type Pokémon, the Duck Pokémon, number 55 (#0055) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.7 m tall and weighs 76.6 kg.

Golduck is the Duck Pokémon, a long-limbed blue swimmer with a gem on its forehead that glows when it uses psychic power. Old tales say it drags people who foul its river into the water and carries them off.

How to pronounce Golduck

Golduck is pronounced GOL-duk. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Golduck said out loud:

In Japanese it is ゴルダック.

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Golduck is a blue, duck-billed, bipedal Pokémon, 1.7 m tall and 76.6 kg, with red eyes, a red gem on its forehead and four horns at the back of its skull. Webbed, clawed hands and feet and a long rudder-like tail make it a streamlined swimmer. The Pokédex says it can rescue people from shipwrecks and swim for two days straight.

Behaviour

Golduck swims elegantly along lake shores and quiet rivers, and one Pokédex entry says it sometimes trains alongside human competitive swimmers. The Pokédex says it was once over-hunted because people believed the gem granted supernatural powers.

Habitat

Bulbapedia lists it as a water's-edge Pokémon of lakes. In Scarlet and Violet it is found around Paldea's lakes and rivers.

Diet

Fish Pokémon: the Pokédex says it disables even fast swimmers, takes them to the bank and eats them quietly.

Powers

Its Abilities are Damp, Cloud Nine and the hidden Swift Swim. It uses Aqua Jet, Water Pulse, Hydro Pump and Aqua Tail, and its psychic side shows in Confusion, Zen Headbutt and Psychic. With base Special Attack 95 and the rest of its stats around 80, it is a solid special attacker.

Name origin

Golduck is probably 'gold' plus 'duck'. Bulbapedia notes that gold often stands for psychic ability in Pokémon, as in the Gold Gummi and the Marsh Badge, which is the 'Gold Badge' in Japan. The Japanese name is Golduck (ゴルダック).

Design inspiration

Golduck looks like a duck with some platypus traits, but its Red and Blue Pokédex says people mistake it for the kappa, the Japanese water creature that drags people into rivers. Its blue skin may recall diving wetsuits, and the gem may nod to the shirikodama, a ball said to hold a soul that kappa steal. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Golduck evolves from Psyduck at level 33.

In the games

Golduck first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), and in Legends: Arceus it lives in the Crimson Mirelands, the Cobalt Coastlands and other parts of Hisui. In Scarlet and Violet it is catchable in Paldea and Tera Raid Battles, but not in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Golduck debuted in the film Mewtwo Strikes Back, where Fergus's Golduck was captured and cloned by Mewtwo. In the series, Misty thought her Psyduck had evolved in 'Bye Bye Psyduck', but the Golduck was a wild one showing off to girls.

Fun facts

• The Sapphire Pokédex claims no Pokémon swims faster than Golduck, yet its base Speed of 85 is only 264th highest in poke.si's rankings.
• Bulbapedia says that before Generation V, Golduck and Psyduck were the only Pokémon known to be able to have Cloud Nine.
• The French name Akwakwak comes from aquatique (aquatic) and couac (quack).

Sources: Bulbapedia: Golduck (Pokémon) · Serebii: Golduck (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 80
• Attack: 82
• Defense: 78
• Sp. Atk: 95
• Sp. Def: 80
• Speed: 85

Golduck’s base stat total is 500. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Golduck weak to?

Golduck takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

What does Golduck evolve from?

Golduck evolves from Psyduck at level 33.

Golduck is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Psyduck, Golduck.

Abilities

• Damp: Prevents Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Aftermath from working while the Pokémon is in battle.
• Cloud Nine: Negates all effects of weather, but does not prevent the weather itself.
• Swift Swim (hidden ability): Doubles Speed during rain.

Moves

Moves Golduck learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (61)

Golduck can learn 61 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Protect, Water Pulse, Low Kick, Psybeam, Confuse Ray, Thief, Trailblaze, Chilling Water, Facade, Swift, Icy Wind, Mud Shot, Low Sweep, Fling, Endure, Rain Dance, Psyshock, Dig, Brick Break, Zen Headbutt, Shadow Claw, Body Slam, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Light Screen, Waterfall, Metronome, Grass Knot, Rest, Taunt, Skill Swap, Power Gem, Substitute, Liquidation, Psychic, Encore, Surf, Amnesia, Calm Mind, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Nasty Plot, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Haze, Knock Off, Vacuum Wave, Focus Punch, Flip Turn, Psych Up, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Whirlpool, Muddy Water, Future Sight, Psychic Noise.

Egg moves (7), which Psyduck can hatch knowing:Clear Smog, Confuse Ray, Cross Chop, Hypnosis, Psybeam, Simple Beam, Yawn.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 1, Field.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 75 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk effort values.
• Base experience yield: 175.

Pokédex entries

Its body is strong, and it has webbing on its hands and feet. Golduck can swim easily through rough seas, clawing its way through the high waves. (Legends: Arceus)

Old tales tell of Golduck punishing those that defiled its river. The guilty were dragged into the water and taken away. (Shield)

This Pokémon lives in gently flowing rivers. It paddles through the water with its long limbs, putting its graceful swimming skills on display. (Sword)

Its long, slim limbs end in broad flippers. They are used for swimming gracefully in lakes. (Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

A professional swimmer, it can continue swimming for two days straight by waving its long tail skillfully. (Ultra Moon)

Even fast-swimming fish Pokémon can be disabled by Golduck. It brings them to a standstill and seizes them. (Ultra Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 80% of all Pokémon (1.7 m).
• Heavier than 76% of all Pokémon (76.6 kg).
• Base stat total 500, ranked #278 of 1,025.
• One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 55 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 77 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 75: about 9.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 21 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: Golduck (Pokémon), Serebii: Golduck (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (GOL-duk): 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

Water-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Damp ability · Cloud Nine ability · Swift Swim ability · Compare Golduck · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Water 1 egg group · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with G · Bird Pokémon · Duck Pokémon

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