#0978 · Paldea · Generation 9

Tatsugiri

Mimicry Pokémon · Dragon/Water-type

Tatsugiri is a Dragon/Water-type Pokémon, the Mimicry Pokémon, number 978 (#0978) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the Paldea region. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 8 kg.

Tatsugiri is the Mimicry Pokémon, a small Dragon and Water type that looks like a piece of sushi and plays dead to lure in prey before ordering a Dondozo to attack. It comes in three forms and, in the Mega Dimension DLC of Legends: Z-A, gains a Mega Evolution.

How to pronounce Tatsugiri

Tatsugiri is pronounced tat-soo-GEER-ee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Tatsugiri said out loud:

In Japanese it is シャリタツ (Syaritatsu).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Tatsugiri has a cylinder-shaped body above a white throat sac that looks like a bed of rice when inflated, with large eyes, long pectoral fins and a wavy dorsal fin. It comes in three forms that cannot be swapped: orange Curly, magenta Droopy and yellow Stretchy. The Pokédex says the colours and patterns are apparently Tatsugiri adapting to whatever its target prey prefers. It is 0.3 m (1 ft) tall and weighs 8 kg (17.6 lb), and it blends into its surroundings by puffing up that throat sac.

Behaviour

The Pokédex calls Tatsugiri extremely cunning: it feigns weakness to trick opponents and relies on its wits to survive. It judges its chances in a battle and, if it sees no hope, flees as fast as it can. Tatsugiri will fight furiously among themselves over who gets to partner with a particular Dondozo.

Habitat

The Pokédex says it shelters in a Dondozo's mouth. In Scarlet and Violet it is found at Casseroya Lake in Paldea's North Province and in 5 star Tera Raid Battles.

Diet

The Pokédex says it mainly hunts bird Pokémon.

Powers

Its signature Ability, Commander, makes it hop into an ally Dondozo's mouth in a Double Battle, and Bulbapedia says no other Pokémon is known to have it; Storm Drain is hidden. It attacks with Muddy Water and Dragon Pulse and sharpens up with Nasty Plot. Using Tatsugirinite, each form can Mega Evolve: three Tatsugiri, one of each form, ride a platter that copies the Mega Evolution symbol, and the centre one is the original. With 120 base Special Attack (135 as a Mega) it hits hard on the special side.

Name origin

Tatsugiri may combine tatsu (Japanese for 'dragon') with nigirizushi, the hand-pressed sushi. The Japanese name is Syaritatsu (シャリタツ), possibly from shari ('sushi rice') and tatsu.

Design inspiration

James Turner designed Tatsugiri. It appears to be based on nigirizushi: Curly resembles shrimp, Droopy tuna, and Stretchy egg or herring roe. Its Dragon type may nod to the East Asian link between koi and dragons. These are fan readings.

In the games

Tatsugiri and Dondozo together make up the Titan boss known as the False Dragon Titan at Casseroya Lake in Scarlet and Violet, where Tatsugiri debuted. In Legends: Z-A it is found in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose, where Mega Tatsugiri is introduced.

In the anime

Tatsugiri's three forms debuted in 'Into a New Sky! The Brave Olivine!', which revealed that they had joined the Rising Volt Tacklers. One of each form also appears in the episode 'Breathe Together' of Pokémon: Paldean Winds.

Fun facts

• In Pokémon GO each form is tied to a region: Droopy turns up in the Americas, Stretchy in Asia-Pacific and Curly across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
• Bulbapedia says only Tatsugiri and Magearna look different as Mega Evolutions depending on their form.
• The kanji 司 in 寿司 (sushi) can also mean 'commander', which Bulbapedia notes is a possible pun on the Commander Ability.
• A Stretchy Form Tatsugiri was given out online from 7 to 31 August 2023 to mark the Pokémon World Championships.

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

Base stats

• HP: 68
• Attack: 50
• Defense: 60
• Sp. Atk: 120
• Sp. Def: 95
• Speed: 82

Tatsugiri’s base stat total is 475. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Tatsugiri weak to?

Tatsugiri takes extra damage from Dragon (2×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (¼×), Water (¼×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

Tatsugiri does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Forms

• Mega Curly Tatsugiri (Mega): Dragon/Water-type, base stat total 575 (HP 68, Attack 65, Defense 90, Sp. Atk 135, Sp. Def 125, Speed 92). Abilities: Commander, Storm Drain (hidden).
• Mega Droopy Tatsugiri (Mega): Dragon/Water-type, base stat total 575 (HP 68, Attack 65, Defense 90, Sp. Atk 135, Sp. Def 125, Speed 92). Abilities: Commander, Storm Drain (hidden).
• Mega Stretchy Tatsugiri (Mega): Dragon/Water-type, base stat total 575 (HP 68, Attack 65, Defense 90, Sp. Atk 135, Sp. Def 125, Speed 92). Abilities: Commander, Storm Drain (hidden).

Cosmetic forms with the same stats: Droopy Form Tatsugiri, Stretchy Form Tatsugiri.

Abilities

• Commander: Goes inside the mouth of an ally Dondozo if one is on the field.
• Storm Drain (hidden ability): Redirects single-target Water moves to this Pokémon where possible. Absorbs Water moves, raising Special Attack one stage.

Moves

Moves Tatsugiri learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (28)

Tatsugiri can learn 28 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Protect, Water Pulse, Chilling Water, Facade, Icy Wind, Endure, Rain Dance, Sleep Talk, Rest, Taunt, Dragon Dance, Substitute, Dragon Pulse, Surf, Helping Hand, Baton Pass, Nasty Plot, Hydro Pump, Giga Impact, Outrage, Hyper Beam, Draco Meteor, Tera Blast, Lunge, Whirlpool, Muddy Water, Dragon Cheer.

Egg moves (3):Baton Pass, Counter, Rapid Spin.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 2.
• Egg cycles: 35 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 4,480).
• Catch rate: 100 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk effort values.
• Base experience yield: 166.

Pokédex entries

Tatsugiri is an extremely cunning Pokémon. It feigns weakness to lure in prey, then orders its partner to attack. (Violet)

This is a small dragon Pokémon. It lives inside the mouth of Dondozo to protect itself from enemies on the outside. (Scarlet)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Shortest Water type in Gen 9: 0.3 m.
• Highest Sp. Def among Water types in Gen 9: 95.
• Lightest Dragon type in Gen 9: 8 kg.
• Shortest Dragon type in Gen 9: 0.3 m.
• Taller than 4% of all Pokémon (0.3 m).
• Heavier than 23% of all Pokémon (8 kg).
• Base stat total 475, ranked #431 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #76 of 1,025.
• One of 5 Pokémon that are both Dragon and Water.
• One of 60 pink Pokémon.
• Number 73 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea).
• Can learn 36 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 100: about 13.1% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 5 alternate forms.
• 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: Tatsugiri (Pokémon), Serebii: Tatsugiri (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (tat-soo-GEER-ee): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.

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

Explore

Dragon-type Pokémon · Water-type Pokémon · Dragon/Water weaknesses and matchups · Paldea region guide · Commander ability · Storm Drain ability · Compare Tatsugiri · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 9 Dragon-type Pokémon · Gen 9 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 9 Pokémon list · Pink Pokémon list · Water 2 egg group · Pokémon that start with T

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