#0163 · Johto · Generation 2

Hoothoot

Owl Pokémon · Normal/Flying-type

Hoothoot is a Normal/Flying-type Pokémon, the Owl Pokémon, number 163 (#0163) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 0.7 m tall and weighs 21.2 kg.

Hoothoot hoots at exactly the same time every day, and the Pokédex says some Trainers use it in place of a clock. An organ inside it is said to track the rotation of the Earth.

How to pronounce Hoothoot

Hoothoot is pronounced HOOT-hoot. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Hoothoot said out loud:

In Japanese it is ホーホー (Hoho).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Hoothoot is a round brown owl with a cream belly, large red eyes and a fan-shaped tail of three feathers. It is 0.7 m tall and weighs 21.2 kg. It has five-toed pink feet but usually stands on just one, swapping so quickly that the change is rarely seen.

Behaviour

The Pokédex says people once cherished it as a divine messenger that told the time, and that some countries consider it a wise friend. Bulbapedia says it is nocturnal and sleeps by day in holes carved into tree trunks.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat is forest, and Bulbapedia says it nests in trees in temperate and boreal forests. In Scarlet and Violet it is wild only in Kitakami.

Powers

Its Abilities are Insomnia and Keen Eye, with Tinted Lens hidden. It strikes with Peck and Air Slash, mixes in Psychic moves such as Confusion and Extrasensory, and can follow Hypnosis with Dream Eater. With base 60 HP and 56 Special Defense it is a modest first stage, mainly valued for what it becomes.

Name origin

Hoothoot comes from 'hoot', the call of an owl, and may also nod to the cuckoo clock. The Japanese name is Hoho (ホーホー), from hō, the sound an owl makes.

Design inspiration

Ken Sugimori designed Hoothoot and said in an interview in Nintendo Power Vol. 134 that it is his favourite Pokémon, because a pet bird he had as a child stood on one foot. Bulbapedia reads it as a young horned owl crossed with a clock: the round body is the face, the crest prongs are the hands and the eye markings are gears. That part is a fan reading.

Evolution notes

Hoothoot evolves into Noctowl at level 20.

In the games

Hoothoot lives on the routes of Johto and Kanto in Gold and Silver. In Scarlet and Violet it also shows up in 1-star Tera Raid Battles in The Teal Mask. It is not available in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Hagatha and Nagatha's Hoothoot made their series debut in 'Illusion Confusion!', where the sisters rent them out to Trainers crossing a haunted forest. In Pokémon Journeys, Jaye often has a Hoothoot resting on his shoulder, as in 'Finding a Legend!'.

Fun facts

• In the Spaceworld '97 demo, Bulbapedia says, Hoothoot appears to have had freckle-like facial markings and a lone tail feather shaped like a pendulum.
• In the anime episode 'Fighting Flyer with Fire', Falkner's Hoothoot is shown on both legs, although the Pokédex says it only ever stands on one.
• Gold and Silver contain a fade-in animation made just for Hoothoot, but the games never use it.

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

Base stats

• HP: 60
• Attack: 30
• Defense: 30
• Sp. Atk: 36
• Sp. Def: 56
• Speed: 50

Hoothoot’s base stat total is 262. Its highest stat is HP.

Type matchups

What is Hoothoot weak to?

Hoothoot takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Ice (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (½×), Bug (½×).

It is immune to Ground, Ghost moves.

Evolution

How does Hoothoot evolve?

Hoothoot evolves into Noctowl at level 20.

The whole family: Hoothoot, Noctowl.

Abilities

• Insomnia: Prevents sleep.
• Keen Eye: Prevents accuracy from being lowered.
• Tinted Lens (hidden ability): Doubles damage inflicted with not-very-effective moves.

Moves

Moves Hoothoot learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (42)

Hoothoot can learn 42 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Agility, Protect, Acrobatics, Psybeam, Confuse Ray, Thief, Facade, Aerial Ace, Swift, Air Cutter, Stored Power, Night Shade, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Zen Headbutt, Air Slash, Sleep Talk, Reflect, Rest, Imprison, Fly, Skill Swap, Substitute, Tailwind, Shadow Ball, Hyper Voice, Heat Wave, Psychic, Amnesia, Calm Mind, Nasty Plot, Hurricane, Brave Bird, Tera Blast, Haze, Spite, Uproar, Dual Wingbeat, Psych Up, Feather Dance.

Egg moves (5):Feather Dance, Night Shade, Supersonic, Whirlwind, Wing Attack.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Flying.
• Egg cycles: 15 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,920).
• Catch rate: 255 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 HP effort value.
• Base experience yield: 52.

Pokédex entries

It begins to hoot at the same time every day. Some trainers use them in place of clocks. (Crystal, Shield)

It always stands on one foot. It changes feet so fast, the movement can rarely be seen. (Gold, LeafGreen, HeartGold, Y, Sword)

It cries out at the same time every day. A long time ago, people cherished it and considered it a divine messenger sent to tell the time. (Ultra Moon)

Every day, it tilts its head in the same rhythm. A long time ago, people raised these Pokémon to serve as clocks. (Ultra Sun)

Hoothoot has an internal organ that senses and tracks the earth's rotation. Using this special organ, this Pokémon begins hooting at precisely the same time every day. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

It has a perfect sense of time. Whatever happens, it keeps rhythm by precisely tilting its head in time. (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver, X)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 34% of all Pokémon (0.7 m).
• Heavier than 44% of all Pokémon (21.2 kg).
• Base stat total 262, ranked #953 of 1,025.
• One of 27 Pokémon that are both Normal and Flying.
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 12 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 56 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 10 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: Hoothoot (Pokémon), Serebii: Hoothoot (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (HOOT-hoot): 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

Normal-type Pokémon · Flying-type Pokémon · Normal/Flying weaknesses and matchups · Johto region guide · Insomnia ability · Keen Eye ability · Tinted Lens ability · Compare Hoothoot · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 2 Normal-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Flying-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Flying egg group · Pokémon that start with H · Bird Pokémon · Owl Pokémon

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