Tadbulb
Tadbulb is a Electric-type Pokémon, the EleTadpole Pokémon, number 938 (#0938) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the Paldea region. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 0.4 kg.
Tadbulb is the EleTadpole Pokémon, a tiny Electric type whose glowing head works like a light bulb: it blinks to warn its friends of danger and floats higher when thunderclouds gather.
How to pronounce Tadbulb
Tadbulb is pronounced TAD-bulb. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Tadbulb said out loud:
In Japanese it is ズピカ (Zupika).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Tadbulb is a tiny tadpole, 0.3 m (1'00") tall and just 0.4 kg (0.9 lbs). Its round yellow head takes up most of its body, with two white spots on top, and below it sit a black face with beady yellow eyes, orange lips and yellow cheek circles. Copper-coloured discs separate the head from a black tail with a U-shaped copper tip. The Pokédex says it shakes its tail to generate electricity and stays in the air on the charge stored in its body.
Behaviour
If Tadbulb senses danger, the Pokédex says it makes its head glow and fade to warn its allies. When thunderclouds gather it drifts higher above the ground.
Habitat
Bulbapedia says it lives in wetlands and riverbanks, and Serebii lists swamp and river biomes. In Scarlet and Violet it is found across Paldea, including Glaseado Mountain and the South Province.
Powers
Tadbulb can have Own Tempo or Static, with Damp hidden. It attacks with Thunder Shock, Spark, Discharge and Zap Cannon, boosts with Charge, and sets Electric Terrain. Its base stats total only 272, so it is a small stepping stone to Bellibolt.
Name origin
Tadbulb combines tadpole and light bulb. The Japanese name is Zupika (ズピカ), which may combine zu (head) and pikapika, the sound of sparkling.
Design inspiration
Atsuko Nishida designed Tadbulb and Bellibolt, according to Bulbapedia. Tadbulb looks like a tadpole crossed with a light bulb.
Evolution notes
Tadbulb evolves into Bellibolt when a Thunder Stone is used on it.
In the games
Tadbulb is a 1-star Tera Raid Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet, where it debuted. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.
In the anime
Tadbulb debuted in 'Transform! Hero of the Seas, Palafin' under a Trainer. In 'Dot and Nidothing', Iono used several to light up a battle between Dot and Roy, and they returned in the next episode to light Dot's Tera Training battle against Iono.
Fun facts
- At 0.4 kg it is the lightest Electric type introduced in Generation IX, yet Bellibolt weighs 113 kg, roughly 280 times more.
- It learns Water Gun at level 11 and Mud Shot at level 24, moves that suit a pond tadpole better than a pure Electric type.
- Bulbapedia claims, without giving a source, that one Tadbulb holds enough charge to light a city like Levincia.
Base stats
- HP: 61
- Attack: 31
- Defense: 41
- Sp. Atk: 59
- Sp. Def: 35
- Speed: 45
Tadbulb’s base stat total is 272. Its highest stat is HP.
Type matchups
What is Tadbulb weak to?
Tadbulb takes extra damage from Ground (2×) moves.
It resists Electric (½×), Flying (½×), Steel (½×).
Evolution
How does Tadbulb evolve?
Tadbulb evolves into Bellibolt (Thunder Stone).
The whole family: Tadbulb, Bellibolt.
Abilities
- Own Tempo: Prevents confusion.
- Static: Has a 30% chance of paralyzing attacking Pokémon on contact.
- Damp (hidden ability): Prevents Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Aftermath from working while the Pokémon is in battle.
Moves
Moves Tadbulb learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 |
| 7 | Thunder Shock | Electric | Special | 40 |
| 11 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 |
| 17 | Charge | Electric | Status | — |
| 21 | Spark | Electric | Physical | 65 |
| 24 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 |
| 25 | Flail | Normal | Physical | — |
| 32 | Discharge | Electric | Special | 80 |
| 36 | Weather Ball | Normal | Special | 50 |
| 40 | Electric Terrain | Electric | Status | — |
| 45 | Sucker Punch | Dark | Physical | 70 |
| 50 | Zap Cannon | Electric | Special | 120 |
TM moves (30)
Tadbulb can learn 30 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Mud-Slap, Protect, Water Pulse, Acid Spray, Confuse Ray, Chilling Water, Charge Beam, Swift, Mud Shot, Endure, Volt Switch, Rain Dance, Sleep Talk, Electro Ball, Reflect, Light Screen, Thunder Wave, Rest, Eerie Impulse, Substitute, Hyper Voice, Thunderbolt, Electric Terrain, Wild Charge, Thunder, Tera Blast, Charge, Weather Ball, Muddy Water, Electroweb.
Egg moves (3):Muddy Water, Parabolic Charge, Soak.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Water 1.
- 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 HP effort value.
- Base experience yield: 54.
Pokédex entries
It floats using the electricity stored in its body. When thunderclouds are around, Tadbulb will float higher off the ground. (Violet)
Tadbulb shakes its tail to generate electricity. If it senses danger, it will make its head blink on and off to alert its allies. (Scarlet)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ズピカ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Zupika |
| French | Têtampoule |
| German | Blipp |
| Spanish | Tadbulb |
| Italian | Tadbulb |
| Korean | 빈나두 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 光蚪仔 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 光蚪仔 |
Trivia
- Lightest Electric type in Gen 9: 0.4 kg.
- Shortest Electric type in Gen 9: 0.3 m, shared with 1 other.
- Slowest Electric type in Gen 9: 45 Speed, shared with 1 other.
- Taller than 4% of all Pokémon (0.3 m).
- Heavier than 2% of all Pokémon (0.4 kg).
- Base stat total 272, ranked #934 of 1,025.
- One of 69 Electric-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
- Number 33 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 40 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 2 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: Tadbulb (Pokémon), Serebii: Tadbulb (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (TAD-bulb): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Electric-type Pokémon · Paldea region guide · Own Tempo ability · Static ability · Damp ability · Compare Tadbulb · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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