#0498 · Unova · Generation 5 · starter

Tepig

Fire Pig Pokémon · Fire-type

Tepig is a Fire-type Pokémon, the Fire Pig Pokémon, number 498 (#0498) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 9.9 kg.

Tepig is the Fire Pig Pokémon, a starter whose nose-fire turns into pitch-black smoke whenever it catches a cold. It is also a ravenous glutton that cooks the food it finds to a crisp.

How to pronounce Tepig

Tepig is pronounced TEP-ig. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Tepig said out loud:

In Japanese it is ポカブ (Pokabu).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Tepig is a small orange piglet, 0.5 m tall and 9.9 kg, with a red snout crossed by a yellow stripe, a dark brown band over its back and a curly tail tipped with a red ball. It shoots fire from its nose, and the Pokédex says it can launch fireballs from both nostrils in rapid succession.

Behaviour

Tepig is more nimble than it looks, using its speed to dodge attacks and confuse enemies before it strikes. The Pokédex says its excellent sense of smell helps it find food.

Habitat

The Pokédex names no wild habitat, but Bulbapedia says Tepig was recently spotted in the Blueberry Academy Terarium. In The Indigo Disk it appears in the Terarium's Canyon Biome.

Diet

Berries, which it roasts before eating and sometimes burns when it gets too excited.

Powers

Its Abilities are Blaze, which powers up its Fire moves when it is badly hurt, and the hidden Thick Fat. In Scarlet and Violet it learns Ember at level 7, Flame Charge at 15, Flamethrower at 33 and Flare Blitz at 43. Base HP of 65 is its best stat, and the rest sit between 45 and 63.

Name origin

Tepig may combine 'tepid' (lukewarm) and 'pig'. The Japanese name is Pokabu (ポカブ), which may come from pokapoka (warm) plus buta (pig) or bū (an oink).

Design inspiration

Lee HyunJung designed Tepig, the first Generation V partner Pokémon to be created, and its fire-breathing nose reportedly comes from the fact that pigs often struggle to regulate their body temperature. It appears to be a piglet, and Ken Sugimori has said the whole line was designed in a Chinese style, so it may nod to Zhu Bajie, the pig demon of Journey to the West.

Evolution notes

Tepig evolves into Pignite at level 17, and Pignite becomes Emboar at level 36.

In the games

Tepig is one of Unova's three starters in Black and White, where Professor Juniper hands it out in Nuvema Town, and in Black 2 and White 2, where Bianca gives it out in Aspertia City. In Legends: Z-A it is again a starter choice in Lumiose City, offered with Chikorita and Totodile, and it appears wild there and in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose.

In the anime

Tepig debuted in 'In the Shadow of Zekrom!' among the starters in Professor Juniper's lab. Ash's Tepig first appears in 'The Battle Club and Tepig's Choice!', released by a proud Trainer named Shamus after it lost a battle; Ash won its trust and caught it.

Fun facts

• Before Generation VIII, Tepig's line had Heat Crash to itself, Bulbapedia notes.
• White's Tepig in Pokémon Adventures, Gigi, works as an actress at the BW Agency.
• McDonald's 2011 Pokémon toy line included a Tepig with a light-up tail.

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

Base stats

• HP: 65
• Attack: 63
• Defense: 45
• Sp. Atk: 45
• Sp. Def: 45
• Speed: 45

Tepig’s base stat total is 308. Its highest stat is HP.

Type matchups

What is Tepig weak to?

Tepig 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 Tepig evolve?

Tepig evolves into Pignite at level 17.

The whole family: Tepig, Pignite, Emboar.

• Pignite evolves into Emboar at level 36.

Abilities

• Blaze: Strengthens Fire moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
• Thick Fat (hidden ability): Halves damage from Fire and Ice moves.

Moves

Moves Tepig learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (39)

Tepig can learn 39 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Protect, Trailblaze, Fire Spin, Facade, Rock Tomb, Flame Charge, Endure, Sunny Day, Dig, Zen Headbutt, Body Slam, Fire Punch, Sleep Talk, Grass Knot, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Taunt, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Heat Wave, Heavy Slam, Flamethrower, Helping Hand, Fire Blast, Fire Pledge, Wild Charge, Overheat, Flare Blitz, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Roar, Gyro Ball, Heat Crash, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Temper Flare, Curse.

Egg moves (4):Sucker Punch, Superpower, Thrash, Yawn.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 87.5% male, 12.5% female.
• Egg groups: Field.
• 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 Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 HP effort value.
• Base experience yield: 62.

Pokédex entries

It loves to eat roasted berries, but sometimes it gets too excited and burns them to a crisp. (Black 2, White 2, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

It can deftly dodge its foe's attacks while shooting fireballs from its nose. It roasts berries before it eats them. (Black, X, Omega Ruby)

It blows fire through its nose. When it catches a cold, the fire becomes pitch-black smoke instead. (White)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m).
• Heavier than 27% of all Pokémon (9.9 kg).
• Base stat total 308, ranked #825 of 1,025.
• One of 81 Fire-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 97 red Pokémon.
• Number 5 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 51 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 3 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: Tepig (Pokémon), Serebii: Tepig (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (TEP-ig): 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 · Tepig vs Snivy · Tepig vs Oshawott · Unova region guide · Blaze ability · Thick Fat ability · Compare Tepig · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 5 Fire-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with T · Pig and Boar Pokémon

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