Orthworm
Orthworm is a Steel-type Pokémon, the Earthworm Pokémon, number 968 (#0968) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the Paldea region. It is 2.5 m tall and weighs 310 kg.
Orthworm is a giant steel earthworm that eats iron from desert soil to keep its metal body in shape. In Scarlet and Violet an Orthworm grown huge on Herba Mystica guards its stash as the Lurking Steel Titan.
How to pronounce Orthworm
Orthworm is pronounced ORTH-wurm. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Orthworm said out loud:
In Japanese it is ミミズズ (Mimizuzu).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Orthworm is 2.5 m long and weighs 310 kg. Its body has six metal segments, red on top and light orange underneath, with a steel-coloured second segment. The head has tiny pale blue eyes and a wide mouth with no teeth, and tendrils that look like fists can extend from the second segment. It is sometimes seen buried with only its head showing.
Behaviour
According to the Pokédex, an attacked Orthworm uses the fist-like tendrils along its body to throw a flurry of punches.
Habitat
The Pokédex says it lives in arid deserts. In Scarlet and Violet it is found in Asado Desert and East Province (Area Three), across Kitakami in The Teal Mask, and in 5-star and 6-star Tera Raid Battles.
Diet
The Pokédex says it feeds on iron in the soil, which keeps its metal body in good order.
Powers
Earth Eater restores its HP when a Ground-type move hits it, and Bulbapedia says no other Pokémon is known to have it; its hidden Ability is Sand Veil. It fights with Iron Head, Dig and Earthquake, can set up with Iron Defense and Sandstorm, and learns Shed Tail at level 52. Its base Defense of 145 makes it a wall.
Name origin
Orthworm may combine 'ore', 'ortho-' (meaning 'straight'), orthoclase (a mineral) and 'earthworm'. The Japanese name is Mimizuzu (ミミズズ), which may join mimizu ('earthworm') and zuzuzu (the sound of burrowing).
Design inspiration
Orthworm seems modelled on an earthworm, with segments whose cyan ovals look like the windows of a subway train. The tendrils may come from the bristly parapodia of marine worms. Bulbapedia also suggests the Iberian worm lizard, which lives in Spain and Portugal, the real-world area behind Paldea. These are fan readings.
In the games
The Lurking Steel Titan, a giant Orthworm in East Province (Area Three), is a boss of the Path of Legends story in Scarlet and Violet, where the species debuted. Once its Herba Mystica is taken it shrinks back to normal size, and you can rematch the former Titan in the same spot. It is not available in Legends: Z-A.
In the anime
Debuted in Pokémon Horizons in 'Tinkatink's Ideal Hammer', where it caused trouble on the Brave Olivine until Dot beat it with the help of her Quaxly and Tinkatink.
Fun facts
- Although its Pokédex entry says it pelts foes with punches, Bulbapedia notes it cannot learn any punching move.
- Of the Steel types introduced in Generation IX it is the heaviest, the tallest and has the highest base Defense, according to poke.si's records.
- Catch the former Titan in the rematch and you get an Orthworm with the Titan Mark.
Base stats
- HP: 70
- Attack: 85
- Defense: 145
- Sp. Atk: 60
- Sp. Def: 55
- Speed: 65
Orthworm’s base stat total is 480. Its highest stat is Defense.
Type matchups
What is Orthworm weak to?
Orthworm takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Fighting (2×), Ground (2×) moves.
It resists Normal (½×), Grass (½×), Ice (½×), Flying (½×), Psychic (½×), Bug (½×), Rock (½×), Dragon (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).
It is immune to Poison moves.
Evolution
Orthworm does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.
Abilities
- Earth Eater: Restores HP when hit by a Ground-type move.
- Sand Veil (hidden ability): Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
Moves
Moves Orthworm learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Wrap | Normal | Physical | 15 |
| 1 | Harden | Normal | Status | — |
| 7 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 |
| 12 | Smack Down | Rock | Physical | 50 |
| 16 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 |
| 21 | Iron Head | Steel | Physical | 80 |
| 26 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 |
| 30 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 |
| 34 | Sandstorm | Rock | Status | — |
| 38 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — |
| 43 | Iron Tail | Steel | Physical | 100 |
| 47 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 |
| 52 | Shed Tail | Normal | Status | 0 |
TM moves (37)
Orthworm can learn 37 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Protect, Facade, Bulldoze, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Endure, Sandstorm, Dig, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Rock Blast, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Rock Slide, Body Press, Spikes, Flash Cannon, Iron Head, Substitute, Iron Defense, Stealth Rock, Heavy Slam, Helping Hand, Earth Power, Earthquake, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Steel Beam, Tera Blast, Sand Tomb, Smack Down, High Horsepower, Double-Edge, Metal Sound, Curse.
Egg moves (3):Coil, Curse, Metal Burst.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Field.
- Egg cycles: 35 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 4,480).
- Catch rate: 25 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 2 Defense effort values.
- Base experience yield: 240.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon lives in arid deserts. It maintains its metal body by consuming iron from the soil. (Violet)
When attacked, this Pokémon will wield the tendrils on its body like fists and pelt the opponent with a storm of punches. (Scarlet)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ミミズズ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Mimizuzu |
| French | Ferdeter |
| German | Schlurm |
| Spanish | Orthworm |
| Italian | Orthworm |
| Korean | 꿈트렁 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 拖拖蚓 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 拖拖蚓 |
Trivia
- Heaviest Steel type in Gen 9: 310 kg.
- Tallest Steel type in Gen 9: 2.5 m.
- Highest Defense among Steel types in Gen 9: 145.
- Taller than 93% of all Pokémon (2.5 m).
- Heavier than 96% of all Pokémon (310 kg).
- Base stat total 480, ranked #405 of 1,025.
- Its best stat is Defense, ranked #16 of 1,025.
- One of 65 Steel-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 60 pink Pokémon.
- Number 63 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea).
- Can learn 44 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 25: about 3.3% 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: Orthworm (Pokémon), Serebii: Orthworm (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (ORTH-wurm): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Steel-type Pokémon · Paldea region guide · Earth Eater ability · Sand Veil ability · Compare Orthworm · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 9 Steel-type Pokémon · Gen 9 Pokémon list · Pink Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with O