#0060 · Kanto · Generation 1

Poliwag

Tadpole Pokémon · Water-type

Poliwag is a Water-type Pokémon, the Tadpole Pokémon, number 60 (#0060) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.6 m tall and weighs 12.4 kg.

Poliwag is the Tadpole Pokémon, a round blue Water type whose belly swirl is its insides showing through thin skin. It would rather swim than walk, because its newly grown legs are not much use yet.

How to pronounce Poliwag

Poliwag is pronounced POL-ee-wag. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Poliwag said out loud:

In Japanese it is ニョロモ (Nyoromo).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Poliwag is 0.6 m tall and weighs 12.4 kg: a blue, round tadpole with large eyes, pink lips that grip rocks like suction cups, a thin tail edged with a pale fin and no arms. Its skin is so flexible that sharp fangs bounce off, and the swirl on its belly looks clearer after a meal, turns white-tinged if it is ill, and spins in different directions in different regions.

Behaviour

Poliwag is clumsy on land and needs daily walking practice, yet it keeps waddling ashore despite the danger and dashes back to the water when an enemy spots it. In fast rivers it clings to rocks with its thick lips.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat is the water's edge, and Bulbapedia says its clumsiness on land makes small freshwater ponds and lakes the likeliest place to find it. In Scarlet and Violet it is wild only in Kitakami, through The Teal Mask, and it is unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Its Abilities are Water Absorb and Damp, with Swift Swim hidden. It uses Water Gun and Bubble Beam, slows foes with Mud Shot and puts them to sleep with Hypnosis, which suits its hypnotic spiral. With 90 base Speed but only 40 in HP and each defence stat, it is quick and fragile.

Name origin

Poliwag may come from 'polliwog', an old word for a tadpole, and may also involve 'wag' (to swing side to side). Its Japanese name, Nyoromo (ニョロモ), may blend nyoronyoro (a wriggling sound) with kodomo ('child').

Design inspiration

Poliwag is a tadpole. The belly spiral appears to refer to how the organs of tadpoles, and of most glass frogs, show through transparent skin, and the pattern also looks hypnotic, which probably explains Hypnosis. Its Silver Pokédex remark about regional spin directions may allude to the Coriolis effect.

Evolution notes

Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl at level 25, and Poliwhirl then branches into Poliwrath or Politoed.

In the games

Poliwag bounces around the Blue Table of Pokémon Pinball, scoring points for the player when it is hit. It first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), and in Scarlet and Violet it appears in 1-star Tera Raid Battles.

In the anime

Misty caught a Poliwag in 'The Stun Spore Detour', an episode in which one is shown eating salveyo weed. In 'Gonna Rule the School' Max borrowed a Poliwag owned by his Trainers' School for a battle against Tommy.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia says Poliwag is Satoshi Tajiri's favourite Pokémon.
• Its base Experience yield of 60 matches its Pokédex number, 060, and poke.si's data finds that match for no other Pokémon.
• Before Generation VI, Poliwag's cry was identical to Ditto's.
• The FireRed and LeafGreen Pokédex entry calls Poliwag's skin black, even though the Pokémon is blue.

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

Base stats

• HP: 40
• Attack: 50
• Defense: 40
• Sp. Atk: 40
• Sp. Def: 40
• Speed: 90

Poliwag’s base stat total is 300. Its highest stat is Speed.

Type matchups

What is Poliwag weak to?

Poliwag takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

How does Poliwag evolve?

Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl at level 25.

The whole family: Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed.

• Poliwhirl evolves into Poliwrath (Water Stone).
• Poliwhirl evolves into Politoed (Trade holding King’s Rock).

Abilities

• Water Absorb: Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
• Damp: Prevents Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Aftermath from working while the Pokémon is in battle.
• Swift Swim (hidden ability): Doubles Speed during rain.

Moves

Moves Poliwag learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (38)

Poliwag can learn 38 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Protect, Water Pulse, Low Kick, Thief, Chilling Water, Facade, Bulldoze, Swift, Icy Wind, Mud Shot, Endure, Rain Dance, Dig, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Waterfall, Rest, Substitute, Liquidation, Psychic, Encore, Surf, Amnesia, Helping Hand, Earth Power, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Tera Blast, Haze, Focus Punch, Weather Ball, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Whirlpool, Muddy Water.

Egg moves (5):Endeavor, Mist, Muddy Water, Splash, Water Pulse.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 1.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
• Base experience yield: 60.

Pokédex entries

In rivers with fast-flowing water, this Pokémon will cling to a rock by using its thick lips, which act like a suction cup. (Shield)

For Poliwag, swimming is easier than walking. The swirl pattern on its belly is actually part of the Pokémon's innards showing through the skin. (Sword)

The direction of the spiral on the belly differs by area. It is more adept at swimming than walking. (Yellow, Y, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

The direction of the swirl on their stomachs differs depending on where they live. Poliwag aficionados can tell them apart at a glance. (Ultra Moon)

Despite the danger, it wants to come up on land. So it does its best to waddle along, but when an enemy finds it, it rushes back to the water. (Ultra Sun)

It's still not very good at walking. Its Trainers should train this Pokémon to walk every day. (Moon)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 25% of all Pokémon (0.6 m).
• Heavier than 32% of all Pokémon (12.4 kg).
• Base stat total 300, ranked #856 of 1,025.
• One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 60 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 4 Pokémon.
• Can learn 45 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
• 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: Poliwag (Pokémon), Serebii: Poliwag (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (POL-ee-wag): 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

Water-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Water Absorb ability · Damp ability · Swift Swim ability · Compare Poliwag · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Water 1 egg group · Pokémon that start with P · Frog Pokémon

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