Grotle
Grotle is a Grass-type Pokémon, the Grove Pokémon, number 388 (#0388) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 4 and comes from the Sinnoh region. It is 1.1 m tall and weighs 97 kg.
Grotle is the Grove Pokémon, a Grass-type turtle with small shrubs growing on its shell. The Pokédex says it can sense where pure water wells up and will carry other Pokémon there on its back.
How to pronounce Grotle
Grotle is pronounced GROT-ul. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Grotle said out loud:
In Japanese it is ハヤシガメ (Hayashigame).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Grotle is a four-legged turtle, 1.1 m tall and 97 kg, with light green skin and a yellow, hook-tipped jaw. Its yellow shell is hardened soil running from forehead to tail, with three brown ridges and two bush-like trees growing along the outer ones. The Legends: Arceus entry says the fruit on those shrubs is sweet, nutritious and truly delicious.
Behaviour
Every Grotle is said to keep a private spot for fetching clean spring water, and the Pokédex says it carries other Pokémon there on its back. By day it leaves the forest so that the trees on its shell can soak up sunlight. Berries growing on the shrubs attract other Pokémon, and the Pearl entry says some come to peck them.
Habitat
The Pokédex says it lives in forests and along water, and the Legends: Arceus entry says it turns up wherever clean spring water is found.
Powers
Grotle shares Turtwig's Abilities, Overgrow and the hidden Shell Armor. It learns Razor Leaf at level 13 and Leech Seed at 32, and its Scarlet and Violet moves run through Synthesis, Crunch and Giga Drain to Leaf Storm at level 52. Its 89 Attack and 85 Defense make it a sturdy attacker, but with 36 base Speed it is very slow.
Name origin
Grotle may combine 'grove', 'grow' and 'turtle'. The Japanese name is Hayashigame (ハヤシガメ), probably from hayashi ('grove') and kame ('turtle').
Design inspiration
Grotle looks like a snapping turtle, and Bulbapedia notes it also has features of the armoured ankylosaur dinosaurs. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Grotle evolves from Turtwig at level 18 and becomes Torterra at level 32.
In the games
Grotle is the middle stage of the Sinnoh starter line, which first appeared in Diamond and Pearl. It appears in Legends: Arceus, in the Crimson Mirelands near Droning Meadow. In Scarlet and Violet it is obtained by evolving Turtwig in The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, and Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.
In the anime
Ash's Turtwig evolved into Grotle in 'Aiding the Enemy!', which was also the species' anime debut. It became a Torterra in 'The Fleeing Tower of Sunyshore!'.
Fun facts
- At 97 kg, Grotle is the heaviest second-stage starter, heavier than many fully evolved ones such as Sceptile.
- When Grotle becomes Torterra, every one of its six base stats rises by exactly 20 points.
- Of the three second-stage Sinnoh starters, Bulbapedia says only Grotle evolves at level 32; Monferno and Prinplup both wait until 36.
- In Pokémon Sleep, Bulbapedia says, Grotle sometimes sleepwalks, stomping its feet, as though it were dreaming of carrying its friends around.
- In the anime episode 'The Lonely Snover!' a Grotle grows acorn-like nuts instead of berries.
Base stats
- HP: 75
- Attack: 89
- Defense: 85
- Sp. Atk: 55
- Sp. Def: 65
- Speed: 36
Grotle’s base stat total is 405. Its highest stat is Attack.
Type matchups
What is Grotle weak to?
Grotle takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Ice (2×), Poison (2×), Flying (2×), Bug (2×) moves.
It resists Water (½×), Electric (½×), Grass (½×), Ground (½×).
Evolution
What does Grotle evolve from?
Grotle evolves from Turtwig at level 18.
How does Grotle evolve?
Grotle evolves into Torterra at level 32.
The whole family: Turtwig, Grotle, Torterra.
Abilities
- Overgrow: Strengthens Grass moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
- Shell Armor (hidden ability): Protects against critical hits.
Moves
Moves Grotle learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 |
| 1 | Withdraw | Water | Status | — |
| 13 | Razor Leaf | Grass | Physical | 55 |
| 17 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — |
| 22 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 |
| 27 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 40 |
| 32 | Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — |
| 37 | Synthesis | Grass | Status | — |
| 42 | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 |
| 47 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 |
| 52 | Leaf Storm | Grass | Special | 130 |
TM moves (40)
Grotle can learn 40 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Protect, Trailblaze, Facade, Bulldoze, Magical Leaf, Mud Shot, Endure, Sunny Day, Bullet Seed, Zen Headbutt, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Reflect, Light Screen, Grass Knot, Rest, Swords Dance, Iron Head, Substitute, Crunch, Giga Drain, Stealth Rock, Energy Ball, Heavy Slam, Amnesia, Earth Power, Grassy Terrain, Grass Pledge, Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Roar, Sand Tomb, Smack Down, Grassy Glide, Double-Edge, Curse.
Egg moves (11):Double-Edge, Growth, Shell Smash, Spit Up, Stockpile, Superpower, Swallow, Thrash, Tickle, Wide Guard, Worry Seed.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 87.5% male, 12.5% female.
- Egg groups: Monster, Grass.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Attack and 1 Defense effort values.
- Base experience yield: 142.
Pokédex entries
Appears where there is clean spring water. The fruit that grows on the shrubs on its shell is sweet, nutritious, and truly delicious. (Legends: Arceus)
It knows where pure water wells up. It carries fellow Pokémon there on its back. (Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
It lives along water in forests. In the daytime, it leaves the forest to sunbathe its treed shell. (Diamond, X, Omega Ruby)
A Grotle that lives in the forest is said to have its own secret springwater. (HeartGold, SoulSilver)
The shell is hardened soil. Some Pokémon come to peck the berries growing on the trees on its back. (Pearl)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ハヤシガメ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Hayashigame |
| French | Boskara |
| German | Chelcarain |
| Spanish | Grotle |
| Italian | Grotle |
| Korean | 수풀부기 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 树林龟 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 樹林龜 |
Trivia
- Taller than 54% of all Pokémon (1.1 m).
- Heavier than 82% of all Pokémon (97 kg).
- Base stat total 405, ranked #605 of 1,025.
- One of 127 Grass-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 130 green Pokémon.
- Number 2 of 107 Pokémon introduced in Generation 4 (Sinnoh).
- Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
- Can learn 58 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 5 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: Grotle (Pokémon), Serebii: Grotle (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (GROT-ul): 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
Grass-type Pokémon · Sinnoh region guide · Overgrow ability · Shell Armor ability · Compare Grotle · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
Browse similar Pokémon
Gen 4 Grass-type Pokémon · Gen 4 Pokémon list · Green Pokémon list · Monster egg group · Grass egg group · Pokémon that start with G · Turtle Pokémon