Poliwag

The Tadpole Pokémon
#060 - Poliwag
Evolve	Poliwhirl
Debut	Pokémon: Red Version Pokémon: Green Version
Species Info
Type	+
Height	0.6 m (2'00")
Weight	12.4 kg (27.3 lbs.)
Color	Blue
Gender Ratio	1♂ : 1♀
Ability	Damp / Water Absorb
Hidden Ability
Egg Group	Water 1
Icon		Sprite
		File:060sprite.png
Footprint
30px
Base Statistics
Hit Points	40	Speed	90
Attack	50	Sp. Attack	40
Defense	40	Sp. Defense	40
Training Info
Catch Rate	{{{cat}}}	Hatch Steps	{{{hat}}}
Base Exp.	{{{exp}}}	Effort Points	{{{e1}}}
Happiness	{{{hap}}}
To Lv.100	{{{100}}}

Kanto #	Johto #	Hoenn #	Sinnoh #
< 060 >	< 072 >
Unova #	Johto (IV) #

Poliwag is a tadpole-like Pokémon that was introduced in the first generation games. It is the first in its evolutionary line, with its evolved forms being Poliwhirl and either Poliwrath or, starting in the second generation, Politoed.

Information

Poliwag is a very small Pokémon with newly grown legs that prevent it from walking well. Because of this, they usually prefer to swim. Their most notable feature is the spiral on its belly. The spiral's direction differs depending on the area, which is believed to be related to the equator. Its skin is damp and thin to the point where it is possible to see through the swirl on its stomach to its innards. This looks clearer after it eats. To compensate, its skin is also flexible enough to make enemy fangs bounce off of it.

Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl at Level 25.

Appearances

Mainstream Games

Poliwag can usually be caught by casting the Old Rod, but they will sometimes be reeled in by Good Rods. In Pokémon: Red, Blue and Yellow Poliwag can be found by fishing at Routes 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 as well as Pallet Town, Viridian City, Cerulean City, Vermilion City, Celadon City, Fuschia City, Seafoam Islands and Cinnabar Islands. In FireRed and LeafGreen, the only appeared at Routes 6, 22, 23 and 25 as well as Viridian City, Cerulean City, Fuschia City, Safari Zone, Four Island, Berry Forest, Cape Brink, Icefall Cave, Ruin Valley and Cerulean Cave.

In Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver, Poliwag could be caught at Routes 16 (or instead Routes 6 in HeartGold/SoulSilver), 22, 28, 30, 31, 35, 43 and 44, Violet City, Ruins of Alph, Ilex Forest, Ecruteak City, Blackthorn City, Viridian City and Mt. Silver. In HeartGold/SoulSilver, Poliwag also showed up at the Cliff Cave, Cerulean Cave, Route 45 and the Safari Zone's Meadow, Marshland, Rocky Beach and Wetland areas. Poliwag could also be caught at the Beautiful Beach and Blue Lake courses of the Pokéwalker, from which they could be transferred to HeartGold/SoulSilver.

In Diamond, Pearl and Pokémon: Platinum Version, Poliwag could be found by surfing at Routes 227 and 228. In Diamond/Pearl, Poliwag also could be found by fishing with the Good Rod at Route 225.

Other Games

In Pokémon Snap, Poliwag could be photgraphed at the River area. In Pokémon Pinball, it could be caught at Pallet Town and Viridian City in addition to being part of the Blue Table. Hey You, Pikachu! contained Little Poliwag Lost missions in which Pikachu had to find five missing Poliwag for their Poliwhirl mother. Among the Pokémon line of e-Reader games, Poliwag was featured in the "Wooper's Juggling Game" minigame in which it was one of the falling Pokémon that Wooper had to keep in the air using its Water Gun. In Pokémon Channel, they appear in the Secret Cove regardless of the time of day. Poliwag also appear in Pokémon Trozei!, where they are found at Phobos Sub, Endless Level 22, Pair Trozei and Mr. Who's Den.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Teams, Poliwag appeared at the fifth through ninth floors of Silent Chasm, the first four floors of Nortwind Field and the first five floors of Waterfall Pond. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness, they appeared at the first eight basement floors of Waterfall Cave and the first seven basement floors of Serenity River. It appeared in Pokémon Ranger at Krokka Tunnel. Poliwag also appeared in Pokémon Rumble at Bright Beach.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Within the Pokémon anime, Poliwag have had a mostly minor presence. One Poliwag helped Misty during an episode of the Orange Islands season and wound up joining her as one of her Pokémon. It evolved into a Poliwhirl during the Johto series (and later a Politoed). During one Hoenn season episode, Max borrowed a Poliwag at the Pokémon Trainer's School and wound up using it to help defeat Team Rocket.
• A Poliwag appeared in the first chapter of the Pokémon Adventures manga as one of the Pokémon escaping Professor Oak's lab. One flashback chapter also showed Red's Poliwhirl when it was a Poliwag. During the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc, Gold also owns a Poliwag that he winds up losing in the river. He was eventually reunited with it at the Famous Fishing Zone, and it wound up evolving into a Poliwhirl followed by Politoed.

Trivia

• Its name is a simple play on "polliwog", a word used to refer to a tadpole.