#0218 · Johto · Generation 2

Slugma

Lava Pokémon · Fire-type

Slugma is a Fire-type Pokémon, the Lava Pokémon, number 218 (#0218) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 0.7 m tall and weighs 35 kg.

Slugma is the Lava Pokémon, a slug made entirely of molten magma that has no blood at all: the Pokédex says magma flows through it instead, carrying nutrients and oxygen. It must keep moving, because if it cools down it turns brittle and starts to crumble.

How to pronounce Slugma

Slugma is pronounced SLUG-muh. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Slugma said out loud:

In Japanese it is マグマッグ (Magmag).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Slugma is a limbless, flame-red slug with large round yellow eyes and blobs of magma hanging from its upper jaw, and a lumpy body that sometimes bubbles. It is 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 35 kg (77.2 lb). If it cools, the Pokédex says its body hardens and chunks fall off, shrinking it.

Behaviour

Slugma drifts slowly about in constant search of warmth, and gathers with others in mountains and volcanoes. When pieces chip away it takes a magma bath, which the Scarlet Pokédex says heals it right up. The Violet entry says Slugma were once far more common, back in ancient times when volcanoes erupted more often.

Habitat

The Pokédex puts it in volcanic areas, and it is listed as a Mountain Pokémon. In Scarlet and Violet it lives in Kitakami, in The Teal Mask expansion (Oni Mountain, Infernal Pass, Crystal Pool and 2-star Tera Raids), and it is not available in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Magma Armor stops Slugma being frozen, and Flame Body has a 30% chance of burning anything that touches it; Weak Armor is its hidden Ability. In Scarlet and Violet it learns Ember, Rock Throw, Lava Plume and Flamethrower, and it can heal itself with Recover. Its base Special Attack of 70 is its only good stat.

Name origin

Slugma looks like a blend of 'slug' and 'magma'. The Japanese name is Magmag (マグマッグ), which Bulbapedia reads as 'magma' plus 'slug'.

Design inspiration

Slugma looks like a slug made of lava. Bulbapedia suggests it may also draw on the Cherufe, evil magma creatures from Chilean volcano legends, and that its Shiny colouring could be cooled magma. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Slugma evolves into Magcargo at level 38.

In the games

Slugma's best-known NPC role is in Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, where Haunter summons two of them to fight a Sunflora in a Special Episode at the Spring Cave. It first appeared in Gold and Silver.

In the anime

Macy's Slugma debuted in 'Love, Pokémon Style' and fought Ash's Phanpy in the Silver Conference. In 'What You Seed is What You Get', a woman named Natasha used a Slugma, a Grovyle and an Electrode to guard her watermelon patch.

Fun facts

• Gold and Silver put wild Slugma on Kanto's Routes 16, 17 and 18, so a Johto-era Pokémon was native to Kanto, as were Murkrow and Houndour.
• Bulbapedia floats a theory that this is explained by an eruption at Cinnabar Island that threw lava and Slugma onto the nearest routes.
• Pokédex entries disagree about sleep: Gold says it never sleeps, but Emerald says it sleeps near magma so it does not cool.

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

Base stats

• HP: 40
• Attack: 40
• Defense: 40
• Sp. Atk: 70
• Sp. Def: 40
• Speed: 20

Slugma’s base stat total is 250. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Slugma weak to?

Slugma 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

How does Slugma evolve?

Slugma evolves into Magcargo at level 38.

The whole family: Slugma, Magcargo.

Abilities

• Magma Armor: Prevents freezing.
• Flame Body: Has a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact.
• Weak Armor (hidden ability): Raises Speed and lowers Defense by one stage each upon being hit by a physical move.

Moves

Moves Slugma learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (39)

Slugma can learn 39 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Protect, Fire Spin, Facade, Bulldoze, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Flame Charge, Endure, Sunny Day, Sandstorm, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Reflect, Light Screen, Rock Blast, Rest, Rock Slide, Power Gem, Substitute, Iron Defense, Will-O-Wisp, Stealth Rock, Heat Wave, Flamethrower, Amnesia, Earth Power, Fire Blast, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Overheat, Tera Blast, Smack Down, High Horsepower, Heat Crash, Pain Split, Temper Flare, Curse.

Egg moves (8):Acid Armor, Curse, Guard Swap, Inferno, Memento, Rollout, Smokescreen, Stockpile.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Amorphous.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 190 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 Sp. Atk effort value.
• Base experience yield: 50.

Pokédex entries

Molten magma courses throughout Slugma's circulatory system. If this Pokémon is chilled, the magma cools and hardens. Its body turns brittle and chunks fall off, reducing its size. (Ruby, Omega Ruby)

Slugma does not have any blood in its body. Instead, intensely hot magma circulates throughout this Pokémon's body, carrying essential nutrients and oxygen to its organs. (Sapphire, Alpha Sapphire)

Its body is made of magma. If it doesn't keep moving, its body will cool and harden. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Y)

A common sight in volcanic areas, it slowly slithers around in a constant search for warm places. (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver, X)

It never sleeps. It has to keep moving because if it stopped, its magma body would cool and harden. (Gold, LeafGreen, HeartGold)

It is a species of Pokémon that lives in volcanic areas. If its body cools, its skin hardens and immobilizes it. To avoid that, it sleeps near magma. (Emerald)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Slowest Fire type: 20 Speed, shared with 2 others.
• Lowest base stat total among Fire types: 250.
• Slowest Fire type in Gen 2: 20 Speed.
• Lowest base stat total among Fire types in Gen 2: 250.
• Taller than 34% of all Pokémon (0.7 m).
• Heavier than 57% of all Pokémon (35 kg).
• Base stat total 250, ranked #967 of 1,025.
• One of 81 Fire-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 97 red Pokémon.
• Number 67 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 56 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• 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: Slugma (Pokémon), Serebii: Slugma (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (SLUG-muh): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Fire-type Pokémon · Johto region guide · Magma Armor ability · Flame Body ability · Weak Armor ability · Compare Slugma · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 2 Fire-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with S · Snail and Slug Pokémon

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