--- title: "Tympole (#0535): Stats, Weaknesses, Moves & Lore | pokee.si" url: "https://pokee.si/pokemon/tympole" description: "Tympole (#0535): Water-type Tadpole Pokémon from Unova. Base stat total 294. Stats, matchups, evolutions, moves, every Pokédex entry and lore on pokee.si." last_updated: "2026-10-21" publisher: "pokee.si: a Pokédex for families (unofficial fan site)" last_checked: "2026-10-20" --- #0535 · Unova · Generation 5 # Tympole Tadpole Pokémon · Water-type ![Tympole official artwork](https://pokee.si/img/art/535.webp) Tympole is a [Water](https://pokee.si/types/water)-type Pokémon, the Tadpole Pokémon, number 535 (#0535) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the [Unova](https://pokee.si/guide/regions/unova) region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 4.5 kg. Tympole sings in a pitch that humans and other Pokémon cannot hear, vibrating its cheeks to send warnings and messages to its own kind. The only sign of the chorus is graceful ripples across the water. ## How to pronounce Tympole Tympole is pronounced **TIM-pohl**. The capital letters show the stressed syllable. Listen to Tympole said out loud: [Listen](https://pokee.si/audio/names/535.mp3) In Japanese it is オタマロ (Otamaro). Hear every other name on the [Pokémon pronunciation guide](https://pokee.si/pronounce). ## Lore ### Biology Tympole is a round black tadpole, 0.5 m tall and 4.5 kg, with a tan circular face, big black eyes and eyebrows shaped like quarter notes. It has no visible limbs, just two black-and-blue ringed bumps on its cheeks and a long, fan-shaped blue tail. ### Behaviour Tympole vibrates its cheeks to make sound waves, and uses the rhythm of the sounds to talk to others of its kind. Its calls are particularly used to warn of danger, according to Bulbapedia. ### Habitat The Pokédex has it singing underwater. In Unova it lives outside Pinwheel Forest in Black and White, and in Galar it is found around West Lake Axewell and the Miloch lakes. ### Powers Its Abilities are Swift Swim and Hydration, with Water Absorb hidden. It learns sound and water moves such as Echoed Voice, Supersonic, Bubble Beam, Hyper Voice and Muddy Water. Base Speed of 64 is its best stat, and it is a small first stage. ### Name origin Tympole may combine 'tympanum' (a frog's hearing organ, or a drum), 'tympanic membrane' or 'timpani' with 'tadpole'. The Japanese name is Otamaro (オタマロ), possibly from otamajakushi (tadpole, and also a musical note) plus maro, an affectionate suffix. ### Design inspiration Tympole appears to combine a toad tadpole with a loudspeaker, and its round bumps resemble headphones. They were probably inspired by toads' warts, called parotoid glands, or by the tympanum, an eardrum-like organ in the same place. ### Evolution notes Evolves into Palpitoad at level 25, which evolves into Seismitoad at level 36. ### In the games In Black 2 and White 2, one of N's Pokémon is a Tympole found outside Pinwheel Forest, two games after its debut in Black and White. It is wild in Sword and Shield, and Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet and in Legends: Z-A. ### In the anime Many Tympole debuted in 'Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open!', attacking Ash's Oshawott under a wild Palpitoad's command while he fetched Remeyo weed to cure poisoned friends. They fled when Oshawott used Razor Shell. ### Fun facts - Bulbapedia says Seismitoad's design came first, and Tympole's and Palpitoad's were derived by working backwards from it. - Although Tympole swims in Pokédex 3D, it lacks the bubble effect that other aquatic Pokémon show there, and Bulbapedia says the reason is unknown. - Its base stat total of 294 is the lowest of any Water type introduced in Generation V, according to the poke.si game data. Sources: [Bulbapedia: Tympole (Pokémon)](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Tympole_(Pok%C3%A9mon)) · [Serebii: Tympole (Sword/Shield Pokédex)](https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/tympole/) ## Base stats - HP: **50** - Attack: **50** - Defense: **40** - Sp. Atk: **50** - Sp. Def: **40** - Speed: **64** Tympole’s base stat total is **294**. Its highest stat is Speed. ## Type matchups ### What is Tympole weak to? Tympole takes extra damage from [Electric](https://pokee.si/types/electric) (2×), [Grass](https://pokee.si/types/grass) (2×) moves. It resists [Fire](https://pokee.si/types/fire) (½×), [Water](https://pokee.si/types/water) (½×), [Ice](https://pokee.si/types/ice) (½×), [Steel](https://pokee.si/types/steel) (½×). ## Evolution ### How does Tympole evolve? Tympole evolves into [Palpitoad](https://pokee.si/pokemon/palpitoad) at level 25. The whole family: **Tympole**, [Palpitoad](https://pokee.si/pokemon/palpitoad), [Seismitoad](https://pokee.si/pokemon/seismitoad). - [Palpitoad](https://pokee.si/pokemon/palpitoad) evolves into [Seismitoad](https://pokee.si/pokemon/seismitoad) at level 36. ## Abilities - [Swift Swim](https://pokee.si/abilities/swift-swim): Doubles Speed during rain. - [Hydration](https://pokee.si/abilities/hydration): Cures any major status ailment after each turn during rain. - [Water Absorb](https://pokee.si/abilities/water-absorb) (hidden ability): Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP. ## Moves ### Moves Tympole learns by level up in Sword / Shield | Level | Move | Type | Category | Power | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [Echoed Voice](https://pokee.si/moves/echoed-voice) | Normal | Special | 40 | | 1 | [Growl](https://pokee.si/moves/growl) | Normal | Status | — | | 4 | [Acid](https://pokee.si/moves/acid) | Poison | Special | 40 | | 8 | [Supersonic](https://pokee.si/moves/supersonic) | Normal | Status | — | | 12 | [Mud Shot](https://pokee.si/moves/mud-shot) | Ground | Special | 55 | | 16 | [Round](https://pokee.si/moves/round) | Normal | Special | 60 | | 20 | [Bubble Beam](https://pokee.si/moves/bubble-beam) | Water | Special | 65 | | 24 | [Flail](https://pokee.si/moves/flail) | Normal | Physical | — | | 28 | [Uproar](https://pokee.si/moves/uproar) | Normal | Special | 90 | | 32 | [Aqua Ring](https://pokee.si/moves/aqua-ring) | Water | Status | — | | 36 | [Hyper Voice](https://pokee.si/moves/hyper-voice) | Normal | Special | 90 | | 40 | [Muddy Water](https://pokee.si/moves/muddy-water) | Water | Special | 90 | | 44 | [Rain Dance](https://pokee.si/moves/rain-dance) | Water | Status | — | | 48 | [Hydro Pump](https://pokee.si/moves/hydro-pump) | Water | Special | 110 | ### TM moves (26) Tympole can learn 26 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: [Screech](https://pokee.si/moves/screech), [Rest](https://pokee.si/moves/rest), [Snore](https://pokee.si/moves/snore), [Protect](https://pokee.si/moves/protect), [Icy Wind](https://pokee.si/moves/icy-wind), [Attract](https://pokee.si/moves/attract), [Rain Dance](https://pokee.si/moves/rain-dance), [Hail](https://pokee.si/moves/hail), [Facade](https://pokee.si/moves/facade), [Weather Ball](https://pokee.si/moves/weather-ball), [Bounce](https://pokee.si/moves/bounce), [Mud Shot](https://pokee.si/moves/mud-shot), [Round](https://pokee.si/moves/round), [Hydro Pump](https://pokee.si/moves/hydro-pump), [Surf](https://pokee.si/moves/surf), [Substitute](https://pokee.si/moves/substitute), [Sludge Bomb](https://pokee.si/moves/sludge-bomb), [Endure](https://pokee.si/moves/endure), [Sleep Talk](https://pokee.si/moves/sleep-talk), [Uproar](https://pokee.si/moves/uproar), [Hyper Voice](https://pokee.si/moves/hyper-voice), [Muddy Water](https://pokee.si/moves/muddy-water), [Earth Power](https://pokee.si/moves/earth-power), [Sludge Wave](https://pokee.si/moves/sludge-wave), [Scald](https://pokee.si/moves/scald), [Venom Drench](https://pokee.si/moves/venom-drench). Egg moves (4):[Mist](https://pokee.si/moves/mist), [Mud-Slap](https://pokee.si/moves/mud-slap), [Toxic](https://pokee.si/moves/toxic), [Water Pulse](https://pokee.si/moves/water-pulse). ## Breeding & training - Gender: 50% male, 50% female. - Egg groups: Water 1. - Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560). - Catch rate: 255 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 Speed effort value. - Base experience yield: 59. ## Pokédex entries It uses sound waves to communicate with others of its kind. People and other Pokémon species can't hear its cries of warning. *(Shield)* Graceful ripples running across the water's surface are a sure sign that Tympole are singing in high-pitched voices below. *(Sword)* By vibrating its cheeks, it emits sound waves imperceptible to humans. It uses the rhythm of these sounds to talk. *(White, Y, Alpha Sapphire)* By vibrating its cheeks, it emits sound waves imperceptible to humans and warns others of danger. *(Black 2, White 2, X, Omega Ruby)* They warn others of danger by vibrating their cheeks to create a high-pitched sound. *(Black)* ## Names around the world - **Japanese**: オタマロ - **Romaji**: Otamaro - **French**: Tritonde - **German**: Schallquap - **Spanish**: Tympole - **Italian**: Tympole - **Korean**: 동챙이 - **Chinese (Simplified)**: 圆蝌蚪 - **Chinese (Traditional)**: 圓蝌蚪 ## Trivia - Lightest Water type in Gen 5: 4.5 kg. - Shortest Water type in Gen 5: 0.5 m, shared with 2 others. - Lowest base stat total among Water types in Gen 5: 294. - Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m). - Heavier than 14% of all Pokémon (4.5 kg). - Base stat total 294, ranked #888 of 1,025. - One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types). - One of 170 blue Pokémon. - Number 42 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova). - Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon. - Can learn 37 different moves in Sword / Shield. - Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health. - Appears in 5 distinct Pokédex entries. ## Sources and fact-checking - Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: [PokéAPI](https://pokeapi.co) open game data. - Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from [Bulbapedia: Tympole (Pokémon)](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Tympole_(Pok%C3%A9mon)), [Serebii: Tympole (Sword/Shield Pokédex)](https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/tympole/). - Pronunciation (TIM-pohl): 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 [Water-type Pokémon](https://pokee.si/types/water) · [Unova region guide](https://pokee.si/guide/regions/unova) · [Swift Swim ability](https://pokee.si/abilities/swift-swim) · [Hydration ability](https://pokee.si/abilities/hydration) · [Water Absorb ability](https://pokee.si/abilities/water-absorb) · [Compare Tympole](https://pokee.si/compare?ids=535) · [Full Pokédex](https://pokee.si/pokedex) · [Type chart](https://pokee.si/types) · [All moves](https://pokee.si/moves) ## Browse similar Pokémon [Gen 5 Water-type Pokémon](https://pokee.si/types/water/gen-5) · [Gen 5 Pokémon list](https://pokee.si/pokedex/gen-5) · [Blue Pokémon list](https://pokee.si/colours/blue) · [Water 1 egg group](https://pokee.si/egg-groups/water-1) · [Pokémon that start with T](https://pokee.si/pokemon-names/t) · [Frog Pokémon](https://pokee.si/animals/frog) ← [Conkeldurr](https://pokee.si/pokemon/conkeldurr) | [Palpitoad](https://pokee.si/pokemon/palpitoad) → --- Source: https://pokee.si/pokemon/tympole (HTML page). pokee.si is an unofficial fan site and is not affiliated with Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK or The Pokémon Company. Pokémon and all related names and images are © their respective owners.