#0694 · Kalos · Generation 6

Helioptile

Generator Pokémon · Electric/Normal-type

Helioptile is a Electric/Normal-type Pokémon, the Generator Pokémon, number 694 (#0694) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 6 and comes from the Kalos region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 6 kg.

Helioptile is the Generator Pokémon, a small Electric and Normal type that runs on sunlight. The frills flanking its head act as solar panels, so it needs no food in its desert home, and if the sun is blocked it grows weak.

How to pronounce Helioptile

Helioptile is pronounced hee-lee-OP-tile. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Helioptile said out loud:

In Japanese it is エリキテル (Erikiteru).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Helioptile is a pale-yellow, lizard-like biped, 0.5 m tall and 6 kg, with black feet, a black-tipped tail and blue eyes. Pointed extensions flanking its head can stiffen and spread into frills, and cells in them make electricity from sunlight. The Pokédex says this powers its electric moves.

Behaviour

Helioptile basks with its frills spread, since sunlight is its only power source. The Pokédex says that if the process is interrupted it becomes stressed to the point of weakness. Bulbapedia quotes a Super Smash Bros. trophy that calls it very timid.

Habitat

The Pokédex says it makes its home in deserts. It is wild in Galar and, in Legends: Z-A, in the Magenta District's Wild Zone 14 and in Hyperspace Lumiose in the Mega Dimension DLC.

Powers

Its Abilities are Dry Skin and Sand Veil, with Solar Power hidden. It learns Thunder Shock, Charge, Parabolic Charge, Volt Switch and, at level 36, Thunderbolt. Speed is its best base stat at 70, so it is a light, quick Electric attacker.

Name origin

Helioptile may combine the Ancient Greek hḗlios ('sun') with 'reptile', and could also nod to the sun god Helios. The Japanese name is Erikiteru (エリキテル), perhaps from elekiter, blended with erimaki tokage ('frilled lizard') and teru (shine).

Design inspiration

Helioptile most likely draws on the frilled lizard, though its frills also resemble those of the secret toadhead agama. Bulbapedia suggests the spotted salamander, which can photosynthesise, may be an influence too, and that its ability to learn Surf may reference the water-running common basilisk. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Helioptile evolves into Heliolisk when a Sun Stone is used on it, which makes it the only Pokémon outside the Grass type to evolve that way.

In the games

In X and Y, its first games, Helioptile lives on Route 9 and in the Electric Friend Safari. Legends: Z-A brings it back as a wild Pokémon, and it is not available in Scarlet and Violet.

In the anime

Alexa's Helioptile travels with her as her companion and is often seen scrambling up her back. A Helioptile was also one of the Pokémon that helped make friends with a Shiny Phantump in 'Making Friends and Influencing Villains!'.

Fun facts

• Alongside Gogoat, it was the first Generation VI Pokémon seen in the anime, in 'The Journalist from Another Region!'.
• Before Generation VIII, Bulbapedia says, Electrify was known to be learnable only by Helioptile and Heliolisk.
• Helioptile and Heliolisk are the sole Electric types that breed in the Dragon Egg Group.
• In Super Mystery Dungeon, a recruited Helioptile explains that it generates electricity while sunbathing and calls this 'photovoltaic generation'.

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

Base stats

• HP: 44
• Attack: 38
• Defense: 33
• Sp. Atk: 61
• Sp. Def: 43
• Speed: 70

Helioptile’s base stat total is 289. Its highest stat is Speed.

Type matchups

What is Helioptile weak to?

Helioptile takes extra damage from Fighting (2×), Ground (2×) moves.

It resists Electric (½×), Flying (½×), Steel (½×).

It is immune to Ghost moves.

Evolution

How does Helioptile evolve?

Helioptile evolves into Heliolisk (Sun Stone).

The whole family: Helioptile, Heliolisk.

Abilities

• Dry Skin: Causes 1/8 max HP in damage each turn during strong sunlight, but heals for 1/8 max HP during rain. Increases damage from Fire moves to 1.25×, but absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
• Sand Veil: Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
• Solar Power (hidden ability): Increases Special Attack to 1.5× but costs 1/8 max HP after each turn during strong sunlight.

Moves

Moves Helioptile learns by level up in Sword / Shield

TM moves (33)

Helioptile can learn 33 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Thunder Wave, Dig, Light Screen, Rest, Rock Slide, Snore, Protect, Attract, Sandstorm, Rain Dance, Facade, Swift, Rock Tomb, U-turn, Low Sweep, Round, Volt Switch, Bulldoze, Electroweb, Electric Terrain, Surf, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Agility, Substitute, Endure, Sleep Talk, Iron Tail, Dark Pulse, Grass Knot, Electro Ball, Ally Switch, Wild Charge.

Egg moves (3):Dragon Rush, Dragon Tail, Glare.

Move tutor moves (2): Rising Voltage, Scale Shot.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Monster, Dragon.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
• Base experience yield: 58.

Pokédex entries

The sun powers this Pokémon's electricity generation. Interruption of that process stresses Helioptile to the point of weakness. (Shield)

When spread, the frills on its head act like solar panels, generating the power behind this Pokémon's electric moves. (Sword)

The frills on either side of its head have cells that generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. (Y, Alpha Sapphire)

They make their home in deserts. They can generate their energy from basking in the sun, so eating food is not a requirement. (X, Omega Ruby)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Slowest Electric type in Gen 6: 70 Speed.
• Lowest base stat total among Electric types in Gen 6: 289.
• Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m).
• Heavier than 18% of all Pokémon (6 kg).
• Base stat total 289, ranked #902 of 1,025.
• One of 2 Pokémon that are both Electric and Normal.
• One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
• Number 45 of 72 Pokémon introduced in Generation 6 (Kalos).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 46 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 4 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: Helioptile (Pokémon), Serebii: Helioptile (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (hee-lee-OP-tile): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Electric-type Pokémon · Normal-type Pokémon · Electric/Normal weaknesses and matchups · Kalos region guide · Dry Skin ability · Sand Veil ability · Solar Power ability · Compare Helioptile · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 6 Normal-type Pokémon · Gen 6 Pokémon list · Yellow Pokémon list · Monster egg group · Dragon egg group · Pokémon that start with H · What does the Sun Stone evolve? · Lizard Pokémon

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