#0078 · Kanto · Generation 1

Rapidash

Fire Horse Pokémon · Fire-type

Rapidash is a Fire-type Pokémon, the Fire Horse Pokémon, number 78 (#0078) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.7 m tall and weighs 95 kg.

Rapidash is the Fire Horse Pokémon, a unicorn-like racer that the Pokédex says reaches 240 km/h (150 mph) after just ten strides. A Legends: Arceus entry claims it could cross the whole Hisui region in a day and a half.

How to pronounce Rapidash

Rapidash is pronounced RAP-ih-dash. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Rapidash said out loud:

In Japanese it is ギャロップ (Gallop).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Rapidash is 1.7 m tall and 95 kg, with cream fur, a pointed horn, small red eyes, black hooves and a mane of yellow and reddish-orange flame streaming from the back of its head. The faster it gallops, the longer its mane grows, and at full speed its hooves barely touch the ground.

Behaviour

Rapidash is competitive and simply loves to run, chasing anything fast in the hope of a race. The Shield Pokédex says the fastest runner in a herd becomes leader and sets its pace and direction, and Ruby's entry says it usually canters casually and only blazes up when it turns serious.

Habitat

Bulbapedia says Rapidash lives in grasslands. It is not available in Scarlet, Violet or Legends: Z-A.

Powers

It shares Ponyta's Abilities: Run Away and Flash Fire, with Flame Body hidden. It attacks with Flare Blitz, Fire Blast and Megahorn. Galarian Rapidash is a Psychic and Fairy type that Bulbapedia calls brave and prideful, living in forests, with fetlock fur that stores psychic energy. The Sword Pokédex says its Psycho Cut can punch through thick sheet metal. With base Speed 105 and Attack 100 it is a fast physical attacker.

Name origin

Rapidash may combine 'rapid' and 'dash', or 'ash' for its Fire type. The Japanese name is Gallop (ギャロップ), a running gait of hooved animals.

Design inspiration

Atsuko Nishida designed Rapidash. Its horn suggests a unicorn, though it resembles a regular horse, and it may also nod to the Qilin, a Chinese hooved creature sometimes shown with flames on its body. Galarian Rapidash appears to follow modern pictures of unicorns, perhaps tying to Scotland, where the unicorn is the national animal and which inspired the Crown Tundra. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Rapidash evolves from Ponyta at level 40, and Galarian Rapidash from Galarian Ponyta at the same level.

In the games

Rapidash is the Kanto Pokémon Fan Club Chairman's favourite, and he raves about it at length; it first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan). In Legends: Arceus an Alpha Rapidash roams Horseshoe Plains.

In the anime

In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mewtwo cloned Neesha's captured Rapidash. Jon Dickson's Rapidash clinched the Silver Conference title in 'Johto Photo Finish'.

Fun facts

• FireRed's Pokédex likens a flaming Rapidash at full gallop to a bullet train.
• Its speed of 105 makes it the fastest Fire type of Generation 1.
• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Blaine uses a Rapidash as his steed.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Rapidash (Pokémon) · Serebii: Rapidash (Sword/Shield Pokédex; page not found in the Scarlet and Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 65
• Attack: 100
• Defense: 70
• Sp. Atk: 80
• Sp. Def: 80
• Speed: 105

Rapidash’s base stat total is 500. Its highest stat is Speed.

Type matchups

What is Rapidash weak to?

Rapidash takes extra damage from Water (2×), Ground (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Grass (½×), Ice (½×), Bug (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).

Evolution

What does Rapidash evolve from?

Rapidash evolves from Ponyta (Level 40; Galarian Ponyta: Level 40).

Rapidash is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Ponyta, Rapidash.

Forms

• Galarian Rapidash (Galarian form): Psychic/Fairy-type, base stat total 500 (HP 65, Attack 100, Defense 70, Sp. Atk 80, Sp. Def 80, Speed 105). Abilities: Run Away, Pastel Veil, Anticipation (hidden).

Abilities

• Run Away: Ensures success fleeing from wild battles.
• Flash Fire: Protects against Fire moves. Once one has been blocked, the Pokémon's own Fire moves inflict 1.5× damage until it leaves battle.
• Flame Body (hidden ability): Has a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact.

Moves

Moves Rapidash learns by level up in Sword / Shield

“Evo” means Rapidash learns the move the moment it evolves: Smart Strike.

TM moves (41)

Rapidash can learn 41 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Pay Day, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Solar Beam, Solar Blade, Fire Spin, Rest, Snore, Protect, Charm, Attract, Sunny Day, Will-O-Wisp, Facade, Swift, Bounce, Round, Mystical Fire, Smart Strike, Swords Dance, Body Slam, Flamethrower, Low Kick, Agility, Fire Blast, Substitute, Endure, Sleep Talk, Megahorn, Baton Pass, Iron Tail, Heat Wave, Overheat, Flare Blitz, Poison Jab, Ally Switch, Wild Charge, Drill Run, Play Rough, High Horsepower, Throat Chop.

Egg moves (6), which Ponyta can hatch knowing:Double Kick, Double-Edge, Horn Drill, Hypnosis, Morning Sun, Thrash.

Move tutor moves (1): Scorching Sands.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 60 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Speed effort values.
• Base experience yield: 175.

Pokédex entries

Fiery mane aglow, Rapidash darts like an arrow across the land. This prodigiously swift creature can traverse the vast region of Hisui in a day and a half. (Legends: Arceus)

The fastest runner becomes the leader, and it decides the herd's pace and direction of travel. (Shield)

This Pokémon can be seen galloping through fields at speeds of up to 150 mph, its fiery mane fluttering in the wind. (Sword)

Just loves to run. If it sees something faster than itself, it will give chase at top speed. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

Rapidash usually can be seen casually cantering in the fields and plains. However, when this Pokémon turns serious, its fiery manes flare and blaze as it gallops its way up to 150 mph. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

It gallops at nearly 150 mph. With its mane blazing ferociously, it races as if it were an arrow. (Diamond, Y)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Fastest Fire type in Gen 1: 105 Speed.
• Taller than 80% of all Pokémon (1.7 m).
• Heavier than 82% of all Pokémon (95 kg).
• Base stat total 500, ranked #278 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Speed, ranked #100 of 1,025.
• One of 81 Fire-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
• Number 78 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 58 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 15 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: Rapidash (Pokémon), Serebii: Rapidash (Sword/Shield Pokédex; page not found in the Scarlet and Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (RAP-ih-dash): 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

Fire-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Run Away ability · Flash Fire ability · Flame Body ability · Compare Rapidash · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Fire-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Yellow Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with R · Horse Pokémon

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