#0211 · Johto · Generation 2

Qwilfish

Balloon Pokémon · Water/Poison-type

Qwilfish is a Water/Poison-type Pokémon, the Balloon Pokémon, number 211 (#0211) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 3.9 kg.

Qwilfish is the Balloon Pokémon, a spiky Water and Poison type that gulps down water until it is a ball, then fires poisonous quills in every direction. The Violet Pokédex says experienced fishers try to catch one in the brief moment just after it has fired.

How to pronounce Qwilfish

Qwilfish is pronounced KWIL-fish. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Qwilfish said out loud:

In Japanese it is ハリーセン (Harysen).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Qwilfish is a round fish, 0.5 m (1'08") tall and 3.9 kg (8.6 lbs), with a dark teal back, a pale greenish-yellow belly, puffy pink lips and a permanent scowl. The spikes over its body grew from scales. To attack, it swallows about 10 litres of water (over 2.6 gallons) and uses the pressure to fire its quills all at once.

Behaviour

Qwilfish is a poor swimmer, and a belly full of water makes it worse. Facing something larger, it puffs itself up with water to draw level with it. If something startles it while inflated, it spits the water out and shoots away.

Habitat

A sea dweller, fished up around Kanto and Johto in Gold and Silver. In Scarlet and Violet it swims the Paldean seas and appears in 3-star Tera Raids; in Legends: Z-A it is Mega Dimension DLC only.

Diet

Hisuian Qwilfish take in poison from what they eat, which the Pokédex says includes toxic minerals.

Powers

Its Abilities are Poison Point and Swift Swim, with Intimidate hidden. It learns Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Pin Missile and, at level 56, Destiny Bond. With 95 base Attack and 85 base Speed it is a quick physical attacker. Hisuian Qwilfish is Dark and Poison with a black back; the Pokédex says its jab means three days and nights of misery.

Name origin

Qwilfish may combine 'quill' and 'fish'. The Japanese name is Harysen (ハリーセン), which may come from harisenbon (針千本), the Japanese word for a porcupinefish, literally 'a thousand needles'.

Design inspiration

Qwilfish seems to be based on a pufferfish or porcupinefish, which swell when threatened, with venom-injecting spines closer to a lionfish's. Bulbapedia suggests Hisuian Qwilfish's Dark type may nod to historical bans on the toxic fugu dish; that is a fan reading.

Evolution notes

Only Hisuian Qwilfish evolves, into Overqwil, when it levels up while knowing Barb Barrage. The regular Johtonian Qwilfish cannot evolve.

In the games

Qwilfish's Hisuian form arrived in Legends: Arceus, where the Pokédex says fishers detest it, and in The Indigo Disk that form lives in the Terarium's Polar Biome. The ordinary Qwilfish debuted in Gold and Silver.

In the anime

Harrison's Qwilfish lost easily to Misty's Corsola in the Whirl Cup in 'Dueling Heroes'. In 'Just Add Water', Dorian's Qwilfish beat Misty's Goldeen underwater.

Fun facts

• In the Spaceworld '97 demo, Qwilfish appears to have been a Pokémon called Pukū, with a bigger spiny pufferfish evolution, Shibirefugu, that had a thunder bolt on its forehead.
• Qwilfish and Overqwil are the only two Pokémon with a Q in their names that is not followed by a U.
• In Black 2 and White 2, several Team Plasma Grunts say the rival Hugh's hairstyle looks like a Qwilfish.

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

Base stats

• HP: 65
• Attack: 95
• Defense: 85
• Sp. Atk: 55
• Sp. Def: 55
• Speed: 85

Qwilfish’s base stat total is 440. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Qwilfish weak to?

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

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

Evolution

How does Qwilfish evolve?

Qwilfish evolves into Overqwil (Hisuian Qwilfish: Level up, knowing Barb Barrage). In Legends: Arceus, Hisuian Qwilfish must use Barb Barrage 20 times in Strong Style instead.

The whole family: Qwilfish, Overqwil.

Forms

• Hisuian Qwilfish (Hisuian form): Dark/Poison-type, base stat total 440 (HP 65, Attack 95, Defense 85, Sp. Atk 55, Sp. Def 55, Speed 85). Abilities: Poison Point, Swift Swim, Intimidate (hidden).

Abilities

• Poison Point: Has a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact.
• Swift Swim: Doubles Speed during rain.
• Intimidate (hidden ability): Lowers opponents' Attack one stage upon entering battle.

Moves

Moves Qwilfish learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (50)

Qwilfish can learn 50 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Agility, Scary Face, Protect, Water Pulse, Acid Spray, Chilling Water, Facade, Poison Tail, Hex, Swift, Icy Wind, Mud Shot, Venoshock, Endure, Rain Dance, Sleep Talk, Waterfall, Thunder Wave, Poison Jab, Rest, Taunt, Swords Dance, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Crunch, Liquidation, Shadow Ball, Surf, Reversal, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Giga Impact, Tera Blast, Haze, Toxic, Spite, Gyro Ball, Flip Turn, Scale Shot, Pain Split, Double-Edge, Whirlpool, Sludge Wave, Throat Chop, Curse.

Egg moves (10):Acid Spray, Aqua Jet, Astonish, Barb Barrage, Bubble Beam, Flail, Haze, Self-Destruct, Supersonic, Water Pulse.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 2.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 45 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 Attack effort value.
• Base experience yield: 88.

Pokédex entries

Fishers detest this troublesome Pokémon because it sprays poison from its spines, getting it everywhere. A different form of Qwilfish lives in other regions. (Legends: Arceus)

The small spikes covering its body developed from scales. They inject a toxin that causes fainting. (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver, Y, Shield)

When faced with a larger opponent, it swallows as much water as it can to match the opponent's size. (Crystal, Sword)

Qwilfish sucks in water, inflating itself. This Pokémon uses the pressure of the water it swallowed to shoot toxic quills all at once from all over its body. It finds swimming somewhat challenging. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

To fire its poison spikes, it must inflate its body by drinking over 2.6 gallons of water all at once. (Gold, LeafGreen, HeartGold, X)

It shoots the poison spines on its body in all directions. Its round form makes it a poor swimmer. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Water type in Gen 2: 3.9 kg.
• Fastest Water type in Gen 2: 85 Speed, shared with 2 others.
• Lightest Poison type in Gen 2: 3.9 kg.
• Shortest Poison type in Gen 2: 0.5 m, shared with 1 other.
• Highest Attack among Poison types in Gen 2: 95.
• Highest Defense among Poison types in Gen 2: 85.
• Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m).
• Heavier than 12% of all Pokémon (3.9 kg).
• Base stat total 440, ranked #527 of 1,025.
• One of 6 Pokémon that are both Water and Poison.
• One of 107 gray Pokémon.
• Number 60 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 70 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 7 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: Qwilfish (Pokémon), Serebii: Qwilfish (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (KWIL-fish): 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 · Poison-type Pokémon · Water/Poison weaknesses and matchups · Johto region guide · Poison Point ability · Swift Swim ability · Intimidate ability · Compare Qwilfish · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 2 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Gray Pokémon list · Water 2 egg group · Pokémon that start with Q · Fish Pokémon

← Granbull | Scizor →