#0089 · Kanto · Generation 1

Muk

Sludge Pokémon · Poison-type

Muk is a Poison-type Pokémon, the Sludge Pokémon, number 89 (#0089) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 30 kg.

Muk is the Sludge Pokémon, a walking toxic spill so poisonous that its footprints can kill plants. Its stench can make people faint, though the Pokédex says some Muk fans think that is a good thing.

How to pronounce Muk

Muk is pronounced MUK. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Muk said out loud:

In Japanese it is ベトベトン (Betbeton).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Muk is a big, sticky mound of purple sludge with two small eyes, a huge mouth strung with ooze and two three-fingered arms. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 30 kg. The Pokédex says one drop of its fluid can turn a whole pool stagnant, and touching it can cause a fever. Poison leaking from it can leave the ground barren for three years.

Behaviour

Muk gathers wherever litter piles up in the streets, and the Pokédex says its poisons grow stronger in summer. Over time its own nose has degenerated until it cannot smell. Environmental improvements have made it rare, and sludge ponds have been built to keep it from dying out.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat list puts Muk in urban areas, and Bulbapedia adds heavily polluted water. In Scarlet and Violet it evolves from Grimer or appears in Tera Raids, and the Alolan form lives in The Indigo Disk's Coastal Biome and Torchlit Labyrinth.

Diet

It eats nearly any rubbish or waste, and the Pokédex says its favourite food is anything repugnantly filthy.

Powers

Its Abilities are Stench and Sticky Hold, with Poison Touch hidden. Muk fights with Gunk Shot, Sludge Wave and Poison Jab. Alolan Muk is Poison and Dark, with crystal 'fangs' of solid poison; the Pokédex says it holds over a hundred kinds of poison, and it is quiet and friendly until it goes hungry, then wrecks its Trainer's furniture to eat. With 105 HP, 105 Attack and 100 Special Defense it is a hardy, hard-hitting tank.

Name origin

Muk is a corruption of 'muck', meaning something filthy. The Japanese name is Betbeton (ベトベトン), from betobeto (sticky) plus a suffix.

Design inspiration

Bulbapedia reads Muk, like Grimer, as a heap of living sludge, and may also play on a fear that heavy pollution could give rise to new and unwelcome life. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Muk evolves from Grimer at level 38, and Alolan Muk comes from Alolan Grimer at the same level.

In the games

Muk has no notable Trainer or story role in the core games; it is a Generation I original and is not available in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Muk debuted in 'Sparks Fly for Magnemite' as leader of the Grimer clogging a power plant, and was caught by Ash. It now lives at Professor Oak's lab, where it smothers him with affection.

Fun facts

• Muk and Mew are tied for the shortest English Pokémon names, at three letters.
• According to Bulbapedia, Alolan Grimer and Alolan Muk are the only Pokémon known to be able to have the Ability Power of Alchemy.
• In Horizons, the Rising Volt Tacklers' Alolan Muk eats their airship's rubbish.

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

Base stats

• HP: 105
• Attack: 105
• Defense: 75
• Sp. Atk: 65
• Sp. Def: 100
• Speed: 50

Muk’s base stat total is 500. Its highest stat is HP and Attack.

Type matchups

What is Muk weak to?

Muk takes extra damage from Ground (2×), Psychic (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (½×), Fighting (½×), Poison (½×), Bug (½×), Fairy (½×).

Evolution

What does Muk evolve from?

Muk evolves from Grimer (Level 38; Alolan Grimer: Level 38).

Muk is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Grimer, Muk.

Forms

• Alolan Muk (Alolan form): Poison/Dark-type, base stat total 500 (HP 105, Attack 105, Defense 75, Sp. Atk 65, Sp. Def 100, Speed 50). Abilities: Poison Touch, Gluttony, Power of Alchemy (hidden).

Abilities

• Stench: Has a 10% chance of making target Pokémon flinch with each hit.
• Sticky Hold: Prevents a held item from being removed by other Pokémon.
• Poison Touch (hidden ability): Has a 30% chance of poisoning target Pokémon upon contact.

Moves

Moves Muk learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (59)

Muk can learn 59 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Acid Spray, Confuse Ray, Thief, Facade, Hex, Swift, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Fling, Venoshock, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Dig, Brick Break, Zen Headbutt, Body Slam, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Drain Punch, Metronome, Poison Jab, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Toxic Spikes, Imprison, Dark Pulse, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Giga Drain, Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Helping Hand, Fire Blast, Sludge Bomb, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Tera Blast, Haze, Toxic, Spite, Knock Off, Lunge, Focus Punch, Lash Out, Pain Split, Sludge Wave, Curse.

Egg moves (9), which Grimer can hatch knowing:Acid Spray, Curse, Haze, Mean Look, Shadow Punch, Shadow Sneak, Spit Up, Stockpile, Swallow.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Amorphous.
• 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 1 HP and 1 Attack effort values.
• Base experience yield: 175.

Pokédex entries

Smells so awful, it can cause fainting. Through degeneration of its nose, it lost its sense of smell. (Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

Because they scatter germs everywhere, they've long been targeted for extermination, leading to a steep decline in their population. (Ultra Moon)

Their food sources have decreased, and their numbers have declined sharply. Sludge ponds are being built to prevent their extinction. (Ultra Sun)

After recent environmental improvements, this Pokémon is now hardly seen at all. People speculate that it may go extinct at some point. (Moon)

The stench it gives off will make your nose scrunch up. Still, there are Muk fans who think that's a good thing. (Sun)

This Pokémon's favorite food is anything that is repugnantly filthy. In dirty towns where people think nothing of throwing away litter on the streets, Muk are certain to gather. (Sapphire, Alpha Sapphire)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest HP among Poison types in Gen 1: 105.
• Highest Attack among Poison types in Gen 1: 105, shared with 1 other.
• Taller than 58% of all Pokémon (1.2 m).
• Heavier than 52% of all Pokémon (30 kg).
• Base stat total 500, ranked #278 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is HP, ranked #79 of 1,025.
• One of 83 Poison-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 87 purple Pokémon.
• Number 89 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 75 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 75: about 9.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 16 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: Muk (Pokémon), Serebii: Muk (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (MUK): 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

Poison-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Stench ability · Sticky Hold ability · Poison Touch ability · Compare Muk · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Purple Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with M

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