#0994 · Paldea · Generation 9 · paradox

Iron Moth

Paradox Pokémon · Fire/Poison-type

Iron Moth is a Fire/Poison-type Pokémon, the Paradox Pokémon, number 994 (#0994) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the Paldea region. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 36 kg.

Iron Moth is a Fire and Poison Paradox Pokémon that looks like a robotic Volcarona, and the Scarlet Pokédex says it resembles an unknown object that a paranormal magazine called a UFO, sent here to observe humanity. The Violet Pokédex adds that no one has ever recorded catching one.

How to pronounce Iron Moth

Iron Moth is pronounced EYE-ern MOTH. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Iron Moth said out loud:

In Japanese it is テツノドクガ (Tetsunodokuga).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Iron Moth is 1.2 m tall and weighs 36 kg. It is a robotic moth with red compound eyes, red horns, white armour on its thorax, a black and light blue abdomen and four small feet. Six diamond-shaped orange wings float just clear of its body. The Violet Pokédex admits data is lacking but says its traits match an object in an old book.

Behaviour

An in-game magazine says it descends from the sky, follows people and sometimes attacks them, and that this aggression has led some to claim an alien controls it as a scout for an invasion. Bulbapedia notes that this is only speculation. It has been seen firing its feet like bullets and reloading from inside its body, and firing from its wings like a cannon.

Habitat

The Pokédex gives no habitat. In Violet it is found in Area Zero, and Scarlet players can only get one by trade.

Powers

Its Ability Quark Drive raises its highest battle stat, Special Attack, on Electric Terrain or when it holds Booster Energy. It learns Fiery Dance, Overheat, Sludge Wave, Discharge, Hurricane and Morning Sun, and only Iron Moth and Volcarona can learn Fiery Dance. Bulbapedia says its 140 Special Attack is the highest of any Paradox Pokémon, and with 110 Speed it is a fast special attacker.

Name origin

The English name simply means an iron moth. The Japanese name is Tetsunodokuga (テツノドクガ), 'iron venomous moth'; dokuga also names the tussock moth subfamily in Japanese, named for the stinging hairs of many of their caterpillars, which are not actually venomous.

Design inspiration

Bulbapedia says Iron Moth is based on Volcarona. The Pokédex and the in-game magazine point to a UFO, and its look may also draw on satellites and space telescopes, with wings that resemble solar panels or heat radiators. No designer is credited, and these are fan readings.

In the games

Iron Moth shared a Tera Raid event with Slither Wing, its ancient counterpart, after debuting in Scarlet and Violet. It is not available in Legends: Z-A.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia says Iron Moth may be modelled on the foo fighter, a UFO report typically pictured as a fireball, a name that may come from the French word feu, 'fire'.
• It shares one type with Volcarona (Fire) and its counterpart Slither Wing shares the other (Bug), and the two never share a type with each other.
• It is not a Bug type, but it learns Bug moves including Struggle Bug, Lunge and Bug Buzz.

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

Base stats

• HP: 80
• Attack: 70
• Defense: 60
• Sp. Atk: 140
• Sp. Def: 110
• Speed: 110

Iron Moth’s base stat total is 570. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Iron Moth weak to?

Iron Moth takes extra damage from Ground (4×), Water (2×), Psychic (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (¼×), Bug (¼×), Fairy (¼×), Fire (½×), Ice (½×), Fighting (½×), Poison (½×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

Iron Moth does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Abilities

• Quark Drive: Raises highest stat on Electric Terrain, or if holding Booster Energy.

Moves

Moves Iron Moth learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (45)

Iron Moth can learn 45 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Agility, Protect, Acid Spray, Acrobatics, Struggle Bug, Confuse Ray, Pounce, Charge Beam, Fire Spin, Facade, Swift, Flame Charge, Venoshock, Endure, Sunny Day, U-turn, Air Slash, Sleep Talk, Light Screen, Dazzling Gleam, Rest, Toxic Spikes, Flash Cannon, Substitute, Heat Wave, Energy Ball, Psychic, Flamethrower, Helping Hand, Electric Terrain, Fire Blast, Giga Impact, Overheat, Hurricane, Bug Buzz, Hyper Beam, Flare Blitz, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Toxic, Lunge, Sludge Wave, Meteor Beam, Metal Sound.

Egg moves (1):Electric Terrain.

Breeding & training

• Gender: genderless.
• Egg groups: Undiscovered.
• Egg cycles: 50 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 6,400).
• Catch rate: 30 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 0.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 3 Sp. Atk effort values.
• Base experience yield: 285.

Pokédex entries

No records exist of this species being caught. Data is lacking, but the Pokémon's traits match up with an object described in an old book. (Violet)

This Pokémon resembles an unknown object described in a paranormal magazine as a UFO sent to observe humanity. (Scarlet)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Sp. Atk among Gen 9 Pokémon: 140.
• Fastest Fire type in Gen 9: 110 Speed.
• Highest Sp. Atk among Fire types in Gen 9: 140.
• Fastest Poison type in Gen 9: 110 Speed, shared with 1 other.
• Highest Sp. Atk among Poison types in Gen 9: 140.
• Taller than 58% of all Pokémon (1.2 m).
• Heavier than 58% of all Pokémon (36 kg).
• Base stat total 570, ranked #93 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #16 of 1,025.
• One of 3 Pokémon that are both Fire and Poison.
• One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
• Number 89 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea).
• Can learn 52 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 30: about 3.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 2 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: Iron Moth (Pokémon), Serebii: Iron Moth (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (EYE-ern MOTH): 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

Fire-type Pokémon · Poison-type Pokémon · Fire/Poison weaknesses and matchups · Iron Moth vs Volcarona · Paldea region guide · Quark Drive ability · Compare Iron Moth · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 9 Fire-type Pokémon · Gen 9 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 9 Pokémon list · Yellow Pokémon list · No Eggs Discovered egg group · Pokémon that start with I · Bug Pokémon · Butterfly and Moth Pokémon

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