Purugly
Purugly is a Normal-type Pokémon, the Tiger Cat Pokémon, number 432 (#0432) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 4 and comes from the Sinnoh region. It is 1 m tall and weighs 43.8 kg.
Purugly is the Tiger Cat Pokémon, a plump bully that squeezes its waist with its own tail to look beefier and then moves into other Pokémon's nests. People love it anyway: the Pokédex says its fur is lovelier than velveteen.
How to pronounce Purugly
Purugly is pronounced pur-UG-lee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Purugly said out loud:
In Japanese it is ブニャット (Bunyatto).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Purugly is 1 m tall and 43.8 kg, round and grey and white, with a crescent-shaped head, purple-tipped ears and zigzag whiskers. It cinches its waist with the forked end of its tail, which the Pokédex says makes it look intimidatingly beefy. Despite its sluggish look, Bulbapedia says it can be quite fast when angry.
Behaviour
Purugly is brazen. The Pokédex says it takes over another Pokémon's nest if it finds it comfortable, and if it locks eyes with you it glares ceaselessly. It is described as impudent and difficult to tame, yet it stays popular.
Habitat
The Pokédex gives no habitat; Bulbapedia places it in cities and thickly wooded forests. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet and in Legends: Z-A.
Powers
Its Abilities are Thick Fat and Own Tempo, with Defiant hidden. It learns Swagger as it evolves, then Fake Out, Fury Swipes, Slash and Body Slam, and Hone Claws late on. A base Speed of 112 and Attack of 82 make it fast and decent at hitting.
Name origin
Purugly may combine 'purr' and 'ugly', and also plays on 'pure ugly'. The Japanese name is Bunyatto (ブニャット), which may mix words for 'fat' and 'ugly' with nyā, a cat's mew, and 'cat'.
Design inspiration
Bulbapedia suggests Purugly may be a plump tabby cat, and perhaps the nekomata, a cat yōkai. The way its tail binds its stomach is like a corset, and its crescent-shaped head may allude to cats being most active at dusk. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Purugly evolves from Glameow at level 38.
In the games
Team Galactic Commander Mars battles with a Purugly in Diamond and Pearl, where the species first appeared. In Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity a Purugly is a chief commander in Munna's gang, and it appears wild in Legends: Arceus's Cobalt Coastlands and Alabaster Icelands.
In the anime
Mars's Purugly appeared in 'Double Team Turnover!', its debut in the TV series, and returned in 'Steeling Peace of Mind!' and 'Saving the World From Ruins!'. In the Pokémon Evolutions episode 'The Rival', Lucas's Infernape quickly beats it at Spear Pillar.
Fun facts
- Bulbapedia lists a rooftop cameo in the film 'The Rise of Darkrai' as its debut.
- Mars's Purugly cut the Valley Windworks' power to gain the upper hand in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!, until Hareta's Shinx got it running again with Spark.
- A Purugly also appears in the opening sequence of the film 'Giratina and the Sky Warrior'.
Base stats
- HP: 71
- Attack: 82
- Defense: 64
- Sp. Atk: 64
- Sp. Def: 59
- Speed: 112
Purugly’s base stat total is 452. Its highest stat is Speed.
Type matchups
What is Purugly weak to?
Purugly takes extra damage from Fighting (2×) moves.
It is immune to Ghost moves.
Evolution
What does Purugly evolve from?
Purugly evolves from Glameow at level 38.
Purugly is the final stage of its evolution family.
The whole family: Glameow, Purugly.
Abilities
- Thick Fat: Halves damage from Fire and Ice moves.
- Own Tempo: Prevents confusion.
- Defiant (hidden ability): Raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered.
Moves
Moves Purugly learns by level up in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evo | Swagger | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — |
| 5 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 8 | Growl | Normal | Status | — |
| 13 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — |
| 17 | Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 |
| 20 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 |
| 25 | Charm | Fairy | Status | — |
| 29 | Assist | Normal | Status | — |
| 32 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — |
| 37 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 |
| 45 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 |
| 52 | Attract | Normal | Status | — |
| 60 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — |
“Evo” means Purugly learns the move the moment it evolves: Swagger.
TM moves (34)
Purugly can learn 34 moves from TMs in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon: Work Up, Roar, Toxic, Hidden Power, Sunny Day, Taunt, Hyper Beam, Protect, Rain Dance, Frustration, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Return, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Aerial Ace, Torment, Facade, Rest, Attract, Thief, Round, Echoed Voice, Shadow Claw, Payback, Giga Impact, Psych Up, Bulldoze, Dream Eater, Swagger, Sleep Talk, U-turn, Substitute, Confide.
Egg moves (10), which Glameow can hatch knowing:Assurance, Bite, Fake Tears, Flail, Last Resort, Quick Attack, Sand Attack, Snatch, Tail Whip, Wake-Up Slap.
Move tutor moves (13): Covet, Foul Play, Hyper Voice, Iron Tail, Knock Off, Last Resort, Shock Wave, Snatch, Snore, Stomping Tantrum, Super Fang, Throat Chop, Water Pulse.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 25% male, 75% female.
- Egg groups: Field.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 75 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Fast (800,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 2 Speed effort values.
- Base experience yield: 158.
Pokédex entries
Though impudent and difficult to tame, Purugly enjoys great popularity due to its fur, the beauty of which surpasses even velveteen. (Legends: Arceus)
To make itself appear intimidatingly beefy, it tightly cinches its waist with its twin tails. (Pearl, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
It would claim another Pokémon's nest as its own if it finds a nest sufficiently comfortable. (HeartGold, SoulSilver, X, Omega Ruby)
It binds its body with its tails to make itself look bigger. If it locks eyes, it will glare ceaselessly. (Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)
It is a brazen brute that barges its way into another Pokémon's nest and claims it as its own. (Diamond)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ブニャット |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Bunyatto |
| French | Chaffreux |
| German | Shnurgarst |
| Spanish | Purugly |
| Italian | Purugly |
| Korean | 몬냥이 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 东施喵 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 東施喵 |
Trivia
- Taller than 47% of all Pokémon (1 m).
- Heavier than 64% of all Pokémon (43.8 kg).
- Base stat total 452, ranked #509 of 1,025.
- Its best stat is Speed, ranked #62 of 1,025.
- One of 131 Normal-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 107 gray Pokémon.
- Number 46 of 107 Pokémon introduced in Generation 4 (Sinnoh).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 67 different moves in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon.
- Catch rate 75: about 9.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 5 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: Purugly (Pokémon), Serebii: Purugly (Sword/Shield Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (pur-UG-lee): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Normal-type Pokémon · Sinnoh region guide · Thick Fat ability · Own Tempo ability · Defiant ability · Compare Purugly · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 4 Normal-type Pokémon · Gen 4 Pokémon list · Gray Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with P · Cat Pokémon