No. 0017 · Generation I · Bird Pokémon
ピジョンPijon · Pijon is simply the Japanese way of saying 'pigeon'.
The Bird Pokémon · Normal/Flying type · first seen in Pokémon Red & Green (1996)
01Overview
Meet Pidgeotto
Everything you need to know about the Bird Pokémon — the creature behind the number.
Somewhere between the plump little Pidgey of Route 1 and the majestic Pidgeot lies the moment a pigeon becomes a raptor. Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon, is that turning point: bigger, bolder and far less inclined to run from a fight. Where Pidgey kicks up sand and hopes for the best, Pidgeotto looks down from the sky, picks its target and dives.
It is a handsome, hawk-like bird. Brown feathers cover most of its body, while its face, belly and flight feathers are cream. A pinkish-red crest sweeps back from its head, sharp black markings frame its black eyes, and its tail is a fan of alternating red and yellow feathers with ragged tips. Its beak and legs are pink, and each foot has two toes pointing forward and one pointing back – the perfect grip for the powerful talons it uses to seize its prey.
“The claws on its feet are well developed. It can carry prey such as an Exeggcute to its nest over 60 miles away.”
Pokédex · Pokémon Red (Japan), Green (Japan), FireRed & X · 1996
Pidgeotto is fiercely territorial. It claims a patch of sky that can stretch more than 100 km (60 miles), builds its nest at the centre and spends the whole day on patrol, circling slowly as it watches for food and trespassers. Intruders get a thorough pecking or a taste of its claws. Its eyesight is outstanding – however high it flies, it can follow the smallest movement below – and it is strong enough to carry prey such as an Exeggcute all the way home. Magikarp are on the menu too, and in the anime one of the first Pidgeotto ever seen fancies a Caterpie for lunch.
Pidgeotto has been part of the Pokémon journey since Red and Green, evolving from Pidgey at level 18 and into Pidgeot at level 36. Players know it as the bird their rival Blue sends out time and again, and as the ace of Falkner, the first Gym Leader in Johto. For anime fans it will always be Ash's Pidgeotto, caught in Viridian Forest in the third episode and a loyal member of his very first team.
That mix of everyday familiarity and genuine bite is why fans love it. Pidgeotto is the bird that carries so many early teams through Kanto, the mid-stage that finally makes the Pidgey line feel dangerous – and, thanks to Ash, a reminder that the Pokémon you meet on the very first routes can turn out to be the ones you never forget.
How big is Pidgeotto?
At 1.1 m (3′07″) Pidgeotto stands about as tall as a six-year-old child, and at 30.0 kg (66.1 lb) it weighs as much as a big Labrador – around five times heavier than a real golden eagle.
Evolution
02In the Pokédex's words
Pidgeotto's Pokédex entries
13 different entries across 36 games, from 1996 to 2025. Here is how the Pokédex has described Pidgeotto over the years, in the order the games came out.
Generation I
The claws on its feet are well developed. It can carry prey such as an Exeggcute to its nest over 60 miles away.
Kanto Pokédex
Very protective of its sprawling territorial area, this Pokémon will fiercely peck at any intruder.
Kanto Pokédex
This Pokémon is full of vitality. It constantly flies around its large territory in search of prey.
Kanto Pokédex
It builds its nest in the center of its large territory. It uses its powerfully-developed talons to swiftly snatch prey.
Kanto Pokédex
Generation II
It has outstanding vision. However high it flies, it is able to distinguish the movements of its prey.
Johto Pokédex
It immobilizes its prey using well-developed claws, then carries the prey more than 60 miles to its nest.
Johto Pokédex
It slowly flies in a circular pattern, all the while keeping a sharp lookout for prey.
Johto Pokédex
It immobilizes its prey using well-developed claws, then it carries the prey more than 60 miles to its nest.
Kanto Pokédex
Generation III
Pidgeotto claims a large area as its own territory. This Pokémon flies around, patrolling its living space. If its territory is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws.
Hoenn Pokédex
This Pokémon flies around, patrolling its large territory. If its living space is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws.
Hoenn Pokédex
Generation IV
It flies over its wide territory in search of prey, downing it with its highly developed claws.
Sinnoh Pokédex
It renders its prey immobile using well-developed claws, then carries the prey more than 60 miles to its nest.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Pokédex
Generation IX
This Pokémon has a sprawling territory and will fiercely peck at any intruder.
Rotom Phone (Legends: Z-A)
03Stats, moves & where to find it
Pidgeotto in the video games
Base stat total 349 · 24 core-series games · 26 spin-offs · every move it learns, generation by generation.
Base stats
Pidgeotto's base stats have never changed: 63 HP, 60 Attack, 55 Defense, 50 Sp. Atk, 50 Sp. Def and 71 Speed, a total of 349 – a figure no other species shares. In Red, Green, Blue and Yellow it had a single Special stat of 50; when Gold and Silver split Special in two, Sp. Atk and Sp. Def were both set to 50. Speed has always been its best stat, and defeating one yields 2 Speed EVs. Base friendship was 70 in Generations II–VII and has been 50 since Generation VIII; its base experience yield was 113 in Generations I–IV and has been 122 since Generation V. It reaches level 100 at 1,059,860 Exp. (Medium Slow), and its catch rate of 120 makes it a fair bit trickier to catch than a Pidgey.
Abilities
- Keen Eyesince Gen III
Stops other Pokémon from lowering Pidgeotto's accuracy; since Sun & Moon it also ignores the target's raised evasiveness. - Tangled Feetsince Gen IV
Makes Pidgeotto harder to hit while it is confused, by raising its evasiveness. - Big PecksHidden abilitysince Gen V
Prevents other Pokémon from lowering Pidgeotto's Defense.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits a Normal/Flying Pokémon.
These matchups have stayed the same since Red and Green. Its Flying type keeps it out of reach of Ground-type moves unless something grounds it (Gravity, Smack Down, Thousand Arrows or an Iron Ball), and its Normal type makes Ghost-type moves pass straight through it unless the attacker has Scrappy or has used Foresight or Odor Sleuth.
Training & breeding
- Catch rate
- 120
- Base friendship
- 50
- Base experience
- 122
- Growth rate
- Medium Slow
- EV yield
- 2 Speed
- Egg groups
- Flying
- Egg cycles
- 15
- Colour
- Brown
- Gender ratio
- 50% male
- Body shape
- wings
Where to find Pidgeotto
| Game | Year | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Red & Green | 1996 | Wild on Routes 14, 15 and 21 |
| Blue (Japan) | 1996 | Wild on Routes 14, 15 and 21 |
| Red & Blue | 1998 | Wild on Routes 14, 15 and 21Your rival Blue battles you with a Pidgeotto three times before it finally evolves into Pidgeot. |
| Yellow | 1998 | Wild on Routes 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 24 and 25 and in Viridian ForestThe Viridian Forest Pidgeotto are unusually low-levelled – possibly a nod to Ash catching his there in the anime. |
| Gold & Silver | 1999 | Wild on Johto Routes 37 and 43; in Kanto on Routes 2, 8, 13, 14, 15 and 25Falkner, the Violet City Gym Leader, saves his Lv. 9 Pidgeotto (Tackle, Gust, Mud-Slap) for last after a Pidgey. |
| Crystal | 2000 | Wild on Johto Routes 37, 38, 39 and 43; in Kanto on Routes 2, 5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 25Falkner's Gym team is the same as in Gold & Silver. |
| Ruby & Sapphire | 2002 | Not found in Hoenn – trade only |
| FireRed & LeafGreen | 2004 | Wild on Routes 13, 14 and 15; on the Sevii Islands at Bond Bridge, Berry Forest and Five Isle MeadowBlue's Pidgeotto is back for three rival battles before evolving into Pidgeot. |
| Emerald | 2004 | Not found in Hoenn – trade only |
| Diamond & Pearl | 2006 | Not found in the wild – evolve a PidgeyOr migrate one from a Game Boy Advance game via Pal Park, where it lives in the Field area. |
| Platinum | 2008 | Not found in the wild – evolve a Pidgey |
| HeartGold & SoulSilver | 2009 | Wild on Johto Routes 37 and 43; in Kanto on Routes 2, 8, 13, 14, 15 and 25 and in Viridian ForestFalkner's ace is now a Lv. 13 Pidgeotto that can heal itself with Roost – the very move he hands over as TM51 when you win. |
| Black & White | 2010 | White: evolve a Pidgey; Black: trade or Poké Transfer only |
| Black 2 & White 2 | 2012 | Not found in the wild – trade or Poké Transfer only |
| X & Y | 2013 | Not found in the wild – evolve a Pidgey |
| Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | 2014 | Hoenn Safari Zone, found with the DexNav once you have caught or defeated Groudon (Omega Ruby) or Kyogre (Alpha Sapphire) |
| Sun & Moon | 2016 | Not found in Alola – trade or Pokémon Bank only |
| Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | 2017 | Not found in the wild – evolve a Pidgey |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Wild on Routes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11–21, 24 and 25Your friendly rival Trace battles with a Pidgeotto aboard the S.S. Anne and in Pokémon Tower before it evolves into Pidgeot. |
| Sword & Shield | 2019 | Unobtainable |
| Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl | 2021 | Not found in the wild – evolve a Pidgey |
| Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Unobtainable |
| Scarlet & Violet | 2022 | Unobtainable |
| Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Wild in Lumiose City: Vert Sector 2, Bleu Sector 7 and Wild Zone 5, Rouge Sectors 2, 3 and 5, and Jaune Sector 4The Mega Dimension expansion adds it to Hyperspace Lumiose's 3★ and 4★ Normal- and Flying-type wild zones. |
Sprites through the ages
Spin-offs & cameos
Super Smash Bros.
Pidgeotto has never made it into Super Smash Bros. in its own right – no fighter slot, no Poké Ball appearance, no trophy and no spirit. The family flag is flown by its little pre-evolution instead: a flock of Pidgey flutters through the background of the Saffron City stage, and Pidgey has a spirit of its own in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Pokémon GO
Pidgeotto has been circling Pokémon GO since launch day, 6 July 2016, both in the wild and as the reward for feeding a Pidgey 12 Candy. Another 50 Pidgey Candy turn it into Pidgeot, and as a buddy it earns a Candy every kilometre. In battle it relies on Wing Attack or Steel Wing, backed up by Twister, Aerial Ace or Air Cutter. Shiny Pidgeotto first became possible on Pokémon Day, 27 February 2019, when Shiny Pidgey arrived and could be evolved, though a Shiny Pidgeotto only started turning up in the wild on 3 March 2026. Shadow Pidgeotto come with Frustration and learn Return once purified, and the family has had a Mega since 18 September 2020, when Mega Pidgeot swooped into Mega Raids. Pidgeotto has also been a featured spawn in events such as Pokémon Day 2020 and Evolving Stars in October 2022.
Its Base Set card, complete with Whirlwind and Mirror Move, can be pulled from the game's Evolution booster packs.
Ready to battle in full 3D, with a Pokédex entry describing how it nests at the heart of its territory and snatches prey with its talons.
You can't catch one directly – evolve a Pidgey on the table to add Pidgeotto to your Pokédex.
Its Pokédex entry changes depending on which Game Boy game you plug in: Gold's eagle-eyed text or Silver's tale of prey carried 60 miles home.
Its Base Set card returns in the Japan-only Game Boy sequel.
A common piece in Secret Storage 11 and 17, Endless Level 21 and Mr. Who's Den.
Recruitable on Mt. Thunder (2F–5F) and in Oddity Cave, it settles in at Flyaway Forest and promises: 'I'll drop foes with my sharp claws!'
A Shadow Pidgeotto waits to be snagged in Cipher Key Lair.
Patrols the deep floors of Concealed Ruins (B11F–B20F) and World Abyss (B1F–B20F), waiting for a team willing to recruit it.
Back in Concealed Ruins and World Abyss for the expanded Explorers adventure.
Comes to play in the Beach Zone, and once befriended it can take to the skies in the Pelipper's Circle Circuit and Salamence's Air Ace attractions.
Obtainable by evolving a Pidgey in this Japan-only WiiWare adventure.
Swoops through the Sky and the Forest Temple; once captured it can Cut through obstacles, and its Browser entry is short and punchy: 'It launches twisters.'
Toy Pidgeotto turn up in the Meadow and on Challenger's Ground.
Appears in the Conductor Room's King of the Sky stage and in the Chill Battle The Forest of Memories.
A Flying-type piece waiting on Stage 5 of the Mountain of Order.
A Flying-type puzzle piece found on Isla Asul (Stage 44) and in Blau Salon (Stage 443), whose Flap skill delays your opponent's disruptions.
Talk to it in Sahra Town to add it to your Connection Orb – it's very proud of its eyesight: 'I have really good eyes! Respect my eyes!'
In the wild since launch day, or evolve a Pidgey with 12 Candy; another 50 Candy turns it into Pidgeot.
A real menace: in some random events a Pidgeotto snatches your Magikarp in mid-jump and carries it off, forcing it into early retirement. Others fly past in the background of jumps of 100 m or more.
Found in the Charizard, Dragonite, Snorlax, Aegislash, Lugia and Bulbasaur Seas.
A Pidgey hatched from an Egg can grow into Pidgeotto and fight alongside your own player character.
Recruitable on Mt. Thunder (6F–12F); fainted Pidgeotto also need rescuing in Murky Cave and the Far-Off Sea.
Entry #011 in the life-sim's Pokédex: its specialities are Fly and Search, it likes bright spots such as elevated tall grass and pretty flower beds, and its favourite things include nice breezes, soft stuff and watching the world go by.
Moves
Pidgeotto began life with a no-nonsense kit. In Red and Green it already flapped out a Normal-type Gust and kicked up Sand-Attack, then darted in with Quick Attack and Wing Attack before signing off with Agility and a copycat Mirror Move at level 49. Gold and Silver made it a proper bird: Gust turned Flying-type, Wing Attack grew from 35 to 60 power and the first egg moves arrived from fellow fliers such as Murkrow, Hoothoot and Spearow, while Pokémon XD slipped in a one-off Refresh for its Shadow Pidgeotto.
Diamond and Pearl stretched the level-up list to 13 different moves with Twister, Roost, Tailwind and Air Slash, and Black and White crowned it with Hurricane at level 62. Since then Pidgeotto has sat out Sword and Shield, Legends: Arceus and Scarlet and Violet, but Let's Go raced through a slimmed-down list in just 45 levels, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl traded Mirror Move for Aerial Ace, and Legends: Z-A ruffled the feathers once more, swapping Sand Attack for Growl, finishing on Brave Bird and handing out TMs such as Dual Wingbeat and Heat Wave. Not bad for the middle child of the Pidgey family.
Signature moves
The flap that started it all: Pidgeotto knows it from level 1 in every core game up to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. It was still a Normal-type move in Red and Blue and only turned Flying-type in Gold and Silver.
The cheeky face-full of grit that sends opponents' accuracy into a spin. Pidgeotto knows it from level 1 and learns it again at level 5 in every core game from Red and Blue to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (level 3 in Let's Go), until Legends: Z-A swapped it for Growl.
A priority dash that usually strikes first: level 12 in Red and Blue, 15 in Gold and Silver and 13 ever since, while Let's Go puts it in Pidgeotto's level-1 list and teaches it again at level 9.
In Red and Blue, where Gust was still Normal-type, this was Pidgeotto's only Flying-type attack learned by levelling up, a feeble 35 power at level 31. Gold and Silver beefed it up to 60, and Let's Go teaches it at just level 15.
The copycat finale of Red and Blue at level 49, pushed to 55 in Gold and Silver and settled at 52 from Ruby and Sapphire on. Let's Go moves it right down to level 11, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl swap it for Aerial Ace.
The big storm blew in with Black and White as a level-62 finale at 120 power; X and Y trimmed it to 110. Legends: Z-A teaches it at level 45 and as TM079.
A true collector's move: the only Pidgeotto that knows it is the Shadow Pidgeotto snatched in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, and it can still carry it all the way to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Complete learnsets
Generation I · Red, Green, Blue & Yellow8 level-up · 15 TM/HM
Red and Blue keep Pidgeotto on Routes 14, 15 and 21, while Yellow lets it loose on a dozen Kanto routes and even in Viridian Forest. All four games share one level-up list. Gust is still a Normal-type move, so Wing Attack, a modest 35 power at level 31, is its only Flying-type attack learned by levelling up, and Mirror Move rounds things off at level 49. Because a move's category follows its type in the first three generations, every attack it knows is physical. Its one transfer move, Tackle, belongs to a Pidgeotto that learned it in Gold, Silver or Crystal and flew back through the Time Capsule.
By level-up
| RGBY | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gust | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand-Attack | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 5 | Sand-Attack | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 12 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 21 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 20 |
| 31 | Wing Attack | Physical | 35 | 100 | 35 | |
| 40 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 49 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM02 | Razor Wind | Normal | Physical | 80 | 75 | 10 |
| TM04 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 20 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM09 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM10 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM20 | Rage | Normal | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 |
| TM31 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM33 | Reflect | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM34 | Bide | Normal | Physical | — | — | 10 |
| TM39 | Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM43 | Sky Attack | Physical | 140 | 90 | 5 | |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM50 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 70 | 95 | 15 |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Tackle | Gen II (level-up) |
Generation II · Gold, Silver & Crystal10 level-up · 20 TM/HM · 4 egg
Wild on Routes 37 and 43 in Johto and on several Kanto routes, with Crystal adding Routes 38 and 39. Violet City's Gym Leader Falkner, who flies a Pidgeotto himself, hands out TM31 Mud-Slap. Pidgeotto now starts with Tackle, Sand-Attack and Gust, Gust finally becomes a Flying-type attack and Wing Attack jumps from 35 to 60 power, while the later moves all slip back a few levels, leaving Mirror Move at 55. Breeding arrives with four egg moves borrowed from other birds; Steel Wing, passed down by Skarmory, is a Crystal-only extra. There are no tutor moves. Categories still follow type, so the Dark-type Thief, Pursuit and Faint Attack are special, and Curse carries the mysterious question-mark type. Nine old TM moves from Red, Blue and Yellow can be carried over through the Time Capsule.
By level-up
| GSC | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 35 | 95 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 9 | Gust | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 15 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 23 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 33 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 43 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 55 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM03 | Curse | ??? | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM13 | Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM20 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM31 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Physical | 20 | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM35 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM39 | Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM43 | Detect | Fighting | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 70 | 95 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faint Attack | Dark | Special | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Foresight | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
| Pursuit | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Razor Wind | Gen I (TM) |
| Reflect | Gen I (TM) |
| Sky Attack | Gen I (TM) |
| Substitute | Gen I (TM) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
Generation III · Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed & LeafGreen (plus Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)11 level-up · 16 TM/HM · 5 egg · 10 tutor · 1 event
FireRed and LeafGreen bring Pidgeotto back to Routes 13, 14 and 15, plus Bond Bridge, Berry Forest and Five Isle Meadow in the Sevii Islands. Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and Colosseum have none, but Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness hides a Shadow Pidgeotto in the Cipher Key Lair whose regular moves include Refresh, a move Pidgeotto cannot pick up any other way. One level-up list covers all five handheld games, with FeatherDance the new arrival at level 34. Tutor moves come from FireRed and LeafGreen, Emerald and XD, and XD's tutor is the only way to teach Sky Attack in this generation. Categories still follow type, so Air Cutter is physical while Thief, Faint Attack and Pursuit are special.
By level-up
| RSE/FRLG | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 35 | 95 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 9 | Gust | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 13 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 20 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 27 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 34 | FeatherDance | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| 43 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 52 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 70 | 95 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Physical | 55 | 95 | 25 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Skarmory | |
| Faint Attack | Dark | Special | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Foresight | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 40 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
| Pursuit | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Wingull |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Mimic | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Mud-Slap | Ground | Physical | 20 | 100 | 10 | Emerald |
| Sky Attack | Physical | 140 | 90 | 5 | XD | |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | Emerald |
| Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | Emerald, XD |
| Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Emerald |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Refresh | Shadow Pidgeotto in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (Cipher Key Lair) |
Generation IV · Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver15 level-up · 26 TM/HM · 8 egg · 9 tutor
In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum a Pidgeotto has to be raised from a Pidgey, while HeartGold and SoulSilver put it back on Routes 37 and 43 in Johto, a string of Kanto routes and Viridian Forest; in Pal Park it turns up in the Field area. Falkner's TM gift in HeartGold and SoulSilver is TM51 Roost. The level-up list grows to 13 different moves: Twister, Roost, Tailwind and Air Slash join, Wing Attack slides back to level 37 and Air Slash takes over the finale at 57. From this generation each move has its own physical or special category, so Gust and Air Slash are special. HM05 Defog can only be taught in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, and the tutors of Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver teach Air Cutter, Heat Wave, Twister and more, with Tailwind tutored only in HeartGold and SoulSilver. Double-Edge, Mimic and Sky Attack have to come from Generation III tutors, and Refresh from the Shadow Pidgeotto of XD.
By level-up
| DPPt/HGSS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 35 | 95 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 9 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 13 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 17 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 22 | Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 27 | FeatherDance | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| 32 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 37 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 42 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| 47 | Tailwind | Status | — | — | 30 | |
| 52 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| 57 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 | |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | ||
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | |
| TM51 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | ||
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM78 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM83 | Natural Gift | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | |
| TM88 | Pluck | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | ||
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | ||
| HM05 | Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | DPPt |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Special | 55 | 95 | 25 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Skarmory | |
| Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Skarmory and 4 more | |
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Starly, Staravia, Staraptor | |
| Faint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Foresight | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Spearow, Fearow, Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Doduo and 19 more |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 10 | Doduo, Dodrio, Chatot |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Special | 55 | 95 | 25 | Pt, HGSS | |
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 100 | 90 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Ominous Wind | Ghost | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 | Pt, HGSS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 30 | HGSS | |
| Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Pidgeotto in XD) |
| Sky Attack | Gen III (tutor) |
Generation V · Black, White, Black 2 & White 216 level-up · 20 TM/HM · 9 egg · 6 tutor
Unova has no wild Pidgeotto at all: in White it has to be raised from a Pidgey, and Black, Black 2 and White 2 offer no way to get one. Hurricane (120 power, 70% accuracy) blows in as the new level-62 finale, and Tackle rises to 50 power with 100% accuracy. Black and White have no tutor moves for Pidgeotto; Black 2 and White 2's tutors teach Heat Wave, Roost, Sleep Talk, Snore, Tailwind and Uproar. A Pidgey met in the Dream World could arrive knowing Secret Power and keep it after evolving, and Defog becomes an egg move passed down from Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet or Braviary.
By level-up
| BW/B2W2 | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 50 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sand-Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 9 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 13 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 17 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| 22 | Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 27 | FeatherDance | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| 32 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 37 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 42 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| 47 | Tailwind | Status | — | — | 30 | |
| 52 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| 57 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 20 | |
| 62 | Hurricane | Special | 120 | 70 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM83 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM88 | Pluck | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Special | 55 | 95 | 25 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Skarmory, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Woobat, Swoobat and 1 more | |
| Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Skarmory and 15 more | |
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Farfetch'd, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Faint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Foresight | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull, Pelipper |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | Doduo, Dodrio, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Chatot |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 100 | 90 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 | |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 30 | B2W2 | |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | Pidgey · Dream World |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Ominous Wind | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Pidgeotto in XD) |
| Sky Attack | Gen III (tutor) |
| Swift | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
Generation VI · X, Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire16 level-up · 23 TM/HM · 9 egg · 5 tutor
X and Y have no wild Pidgeotto, so it has to be raised from a Pidgey, while Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire hide it in the Hoenn Safari Zone, where the DexNav can sniff it out. Old move names get their modern spellings (Sand Attack, Feather Dance, Feint Attack), Hurricane drops to 110 power and Tailwind to 15 PP. Roost returns as TM19 and Steel Wing as TM51, Confide arrives as TM100, and Secret Power is TM94 only in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, whose tutors also teach Heat Wave, Sky Attack, Snore, Tailwind and Uproar; X and Y have no tutor moves for Pidgeotto.
By level-up
| XY/ORAS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 50 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 9 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 13 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 17 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 22 | Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 27 | Feather Dance | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| 32 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 37 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 42 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| 47 | Tailwind | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| 52 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| 57 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | |
| 62 | Hurricane | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 | |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM19 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | ||
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | ||
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM51 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM94 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Special | 60 | 95 | 25 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Skarmory, Wingull, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Woobat and 4 more | |
| Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Xatu and 17 more | |
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Farfetch'd, Taillow, Swellow, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary and 1 more | |
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Foresight | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory, Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | Doduo, Dodrio, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Chatot |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 95 | 90 | 10 | ORAS |
| Sky Attack | Physical | 140 | 90 | 5 | ORAS | |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 15 | ORAS | |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Ominous Wind | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Pluck | Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Pidgeotto in XD) |
| Swift | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Work Up | Gen V (TM) |
Generation VII · Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon16 level-up · 23 TM/HM · 9 egg · 6 tutor
Alola has no wild Pidgeotto: Sun and Moon offer no way to get one, and in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon it has to be raised from a Pidgey. One level-up list covers all four games, with Tackle settling at 40 power. With HMs gone, Fly becomes TM76 and Work Up TM01. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's tutors teach Defog, Heat Wave, Sky Attack, Snore, Tailwind and Uproar; Sun and Moon have none for Pidgeotto. The transfer list grows to 17 moves, reaching all the way back to Red and Blue's Bide, Rage and Take Down and taking in Refresh from the Shadow Pidgeotto of XD.
By level-up
| SM/USUM | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 9 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 13 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 17 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 22 | Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 27 | Feather Dance | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| 32 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 37 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 42 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| 47 | Tailwind | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| 52 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| 57 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | |
| 62 | Hurricane | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM19 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM51 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| TM76 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Special | 60 | 95 | 25 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Skarmory, Wingull, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Woobat and 5 more | |
| Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Xatu and 18 more | |
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Farfetch'd, Taillow, Swellow, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary and 4 more | |
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Foresight | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Hoothoot, Noctowl, Rowlet, Dartrix, Decidueye |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory, Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | Doduo, Dodrio, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Chatot |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | USUM | |
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 95 | 90 | 10 | USUM |
| Sky Attack | Physical | 140 | 90 | 5 | USUM | |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 15 | USUM | |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Curse | Gen II (TM) |
| Detect | Gen II (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Ominous Wind | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Pluck | Gen IV (TM), Gen V (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Reflect | Gen I (TM) |
| Refresh | Gen III (Shadow Pidgeotto in XD) |
| Secret Power | Gen III (TM), Gen IV (TM), Gen V (Dream World Pidgey), Gen VI (TM) |
| Swift | Gen I (TM), Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! · Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee!14 level-up · 10 TM/HM
Back on home turf: Pidgeotto soars over Route 1, Route 2 and many more Kanto routes. Let's Go packs a trimmed-down list into just 45 levels: Quick Attack sits in Pidgeotto's level-1 list and comes again at level 9, Mirror Move arrives as early as level 11 and Roost at 17, and finishes with Razor Wind at level 45, now a special move. Its ten TMs include Headbutt and Reflect. There is no breeding in these games, and Pidgeotto has no tutor moves.
By level-up
| LGPE | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 1 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 3 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 5 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 9 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 11 | Mirror Move | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| 15 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 17 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| 25 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 31 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 39 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | |
| 45 | Razor Wind | Normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM05 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM07 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM08 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM09 | Reflect | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM12 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM14 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | |
| TM18 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM50 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 |
Generation VIII · Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl16 level-up · 20 TM/HM · 4 egg
Pidgeotto is not in Sword and Shield (expansions included) or Legends: Arceus, so its only Generation VIII home is Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, where it has to be raised from a Pidgey. Mirror Move is gone: Aerial Ace takes its slot at level 52. The old HMs are TMs now, so Fly is TM94 and Defog TM97. Only four egg moves remain (Air Cutter, Air Slash, Brave Bird and Uproar), and there are no tutor moves.
By level-up
| BDSP | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| 9 | Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | |
| 13 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 17 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 22 | Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| 27 | Feather Dance | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| 32 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 37 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 42 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| 47 | Tailwind | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| 52 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| 57 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | |
| 62 | Hurricane | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM10 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| TM51 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM88 | Pluck | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM94 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | |
| TM97 | Defog | Status | — | — | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Special | 60 | 95 | 25 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Murkrow, Honchkrow | |
| Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Farfetch'd, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Xatu and 5 more | |
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Farfetch'd, Skarmory, Taillow, Swellow, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor | |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | Doduo, Dodrio, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Chatot |
Generation IX · Scarlet & Violet
Pidgeotto cannot be obtained in Scarlet and Violet, so it has no learnset there. Its Generation IX home is Legends: Z-A.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A · Legends: Z-A12 level-up · 19 TM/HM
Pidgeotto turns up all over Lumiose City in Legends: Z-A, from the Vert and Bleu Districts to Rouge and Jaune, and the Mega Dimension expansion adds it to Normal- and Flying-type wild zones in Hyperspace Lumiose. Legends: Z-A lists moves with the level they are learned at, the level at which they become Plus Moves, power and cooldown, with no accuracy or PP. Growl replaces Sand Attack, Quick Attack hits for 30, Hurricane arrives at level 45 and Brave Bird closes the list at 50. Nineteen TMs range from Dual Wingbeat and Heat Wave to the old favourites Razor Wind and Sky Attack. No breeding or tutors.
By level-up
| Learn | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | — | — |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| 9 | Gust | Special | 40 | — | — | |
| 13 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 30 | — | — |
| 17 | Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | — | — |
| 21 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | — | — | |
| 25 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| 29 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | — |
| 33 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | — | — | |
| 40 | Feather Dance | Status | — | — | — | |
| 45 | Hurricane | Special | 110 | — | — | |
| 50 | Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | — | — |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | — | — |
| TM017 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| TM022 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | — | |
| TM031 | Reflect | Psychic | Status | — | — | — |
| TM032 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| TM035 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| TM043 | Fly | Physical | 90 | — | — | |
| TM047 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | — |
| TM068 | Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 95 | — | — |
| TM079 | Hurricane | Special | 110 | — | — | |
| TM082 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | — | — |
| TM085 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| TM094 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| TM103 | Work Up | Normal | Status | — | — | — |
| TM109 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | — | — |
| TM119 | Ominous Wind | Ghost | Special | 60 | — | — |
| TM134 | Dual Wingbeat | Physical | 45 | — | — | |
| TM145 | Razor Wind | Normal | Special | 40 | — | — |
| TM153 | Sky Attack | Physical | 140 | — | — |
04Ash's Pidgeotto & friends
Pidgeotto in the anime
Debut EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon · Ash’s loyal Pidgeotto, its battle record, and 3 other trainers who raised one.
Pidgeotto has been part of the anime since the third episode, when Ash battled one in Viridian Forest and earned his first catch the hard way. For 78 episodes Ash's Pidgeotto was the team's eye in the sky: it scouted for land, towed balloons, blew Team Rocket over the horizon and gave Misty's Starmie a fright at the Cerulean Gym. Its story as a Pidgeotto ended in Pallet Party Panic. Shielding a flock of wild birds from a bullying Fearow, it evolved into Pidgeot and stayed behind as their protector. Twenty-four years later, in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys, it came back to Ash.
Other Trainers have had one too. Benji's father relies on his Pidgeotto for mountain rescues in Johto, and Vladimir's taught Ash's Swellow the secrets of Aerial Ace in Hoenn. Goh needed three goes to catch one in Pokémon Journeys. Elsewhere, Pidgeotto pop up all over the Pokémon world, from the grounds of Professor Oak's Laboratory and the Indigo Plateau to Kalos's Pokémon Sky Relay and the hidden paradise of Laqua.
Ash's Pidgeotto
Trainer profile
Ash Ketchum
- Caught in
- EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon
- First aired
- 15 April 1997 (Japan) · 10 September 1998 (US)
- Where
- Viridian Forest
- Status
- Back on Ash's team: as a Pidgeot, it rejoined him in The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! (JN147) after 1,151 episodes guarding its flock
- Japanese name
- サトシのピジョン
- Moves used
- GustQuick AttackSand AttackWhirlwindWing AttackDouble-Edge
- How it joined
- It overpowered Caterpie, then Pikachu's Thunder Shock weakened it enough for Ash's Poké Ball to hold.
Personality
Ash's Pidgeotto was the most dependable member of his first team. It is the only one of his original six that never had a falling-out with him, before or after being caught. It followed orders to the letter even when that meant flying straight at a Fearow, an Arbok or a giant Gengar. It rarely starred in its own story, and as Ash's team grew it moved from front-line battler to scout, courier, wind machine and Team Rocket balloon-buster. But its bond with Ash ran deep: after Arbok shot it down it nuzzled him rather than blame him. Its last act as a Pidgeotto showed a fiercely protective side, as it shielded a whole flock of strangers until it evolved.
Ash's first proper catch came early in his journey. Deep in Viridian Forest a Pidgeotto, busy snacking on a worm, swatted his Poké Ball aside, then made short work of his brand-new Caterpie. Ash pulled Caterpie back just as Pidgeotto's beak buried itself in a tree trunk. Pikachu's Thunder Shock finished the job, and the Poké Ball stayed shut (EP003). It was the first Pokémon Ash had won in battle, and the first he ever caught already evolved.
The honeymoon was brief. Within hours Pidgeotto was beaten by Team Rocket's Ekans and Koffing (EP003). In the next episode it bravely stood in for a dozing Pikachu to beat a wild Weedle, only to be flattened by Samurai's Pinsir with a single Tackle (EP004). At the Pewter Gym it learned a hard lesson about type matchups, as its gusts barely ruffled Brock's Geodude (EP005).
It soon found its wings. Whirlwind swept away Team Rocket's Smokescreen at Mt. Moon (EP006). At the Cerulean Gym it gave Misty's Starmie a real fight with Whirlwind, Wing Attack and a Gust that slammed Starmie into the wall. Then Team Rocket burst in and the match was never finished (EP007). Its record stayed patchy: a Rattata became Ash's proud tenth victory, but A.J.'s rolling Sandshrew bowled it over the same day (EP008).
What Pidgeotto really became was the team's air force. One giant Gust sent Team Rocket's flying stadium over the horizon at the Hidden Village (EP010). On the S.S. Anne it joined a flock of passengers' Pidgeotto in a mass Gust (EP015), and after the shipwreck it flew off to look for land, only to come back with Team Rocket instead (EP016). It dropped advertising fliers over the beach for Moe's restaurant (EP018), caught Misty's injured Horsea in mid-air in Porta Vista (EP019), blew Team Rocket away from Drowzee and Hypno (EP027) and stood lookout with Brock's Zubat at Ditto's mansion (EP037).
Gym battles stayed out of reach. At the Fuchsia Gym, Koga's Venonat evolved into Venomoth before its eyes. Stun Spore and Sleep Powder left Pidgeotto paralysed and snoozing, and Ash called on Charmander instead (EP032). Away from the Gyms it kept doing the dirty work: grounding a decoy balloon and spotting Horsea's ink trail (EP040), whipping up a cyclone to blast off Jessie's Arbok (EP041), snatching back the stolen Egg that would hatch into Togepi (EP050), sweeping Weezing away beside Brock's Onix (EP053) and bringing down Meowth's UFO (EP062).
Its finest hour in a Gym came at Viridian City, where Jessie was standing in for Giovanni. Squirtle and Bulbasaur had struggled before Pidgeotto streaked in with Quick Attack and then its first-ever Double-Edge, which left Rhydon reeling. Pikachu's Thunderbolt then finished off all three of Giovanni's Pokémon and won Ash the Earth Badge (EP063). It provided the wind machine for the film shoot in Lights, Camera, Quack-tion! (EP069), found its Gust useless against the giant Gengar of Pokémopolis (EP072) and spotted and popped Team Rocket's balloon in Bad to the Bone (EP073).
Pidgeotto was on Ash's team at the Indigo Plateau Conference, but it never fought a League match. It worked tirelessly off the field instead. It used Whirlwind like a parachute to save Ash, Pikachu and the stolen Poké Balls when Team Rocket's van went over a cliff (EP078). It lifted Pikachu up to Team Rocket's claw-armed balloon, then towed Team Rocket's balloon, with Ash aboard, all the way to the stadium so he could make his match with Ritchie (EP079). It arrived so exhausted that Ash couldn't use it, and his disobedient Charizard cost him the match. It still had the strength to blow Weezing's Smog back at Team Rocket in Friends to the End (EP080).
Its last adventure as a Pidgeotto was its bravest. Back in Pallet Town, Arbok's Poison Sting shot it down while it was rescuing Pikachu, but it only nuzzled the guilt-ridden Ash (EP081). In Viridian Forest the group met the Spearow that Ash had hit with a rock on his first day. It was now a Fearow and leading a gang that terrorised the local Pidgey and Pidgeotto. Ash's Pidgeotto led the frightened flock to safety until Fearow's beak knocked it to the ground. Struggling to its feet, it evolved into Pidgeot, carried Ash and Pikachu into the sky and, with the flock behind it, chased Fearow off. At sunset Ash let Pidgeot stay behind to protect them.
After that, Ash's old friend lived on in memories: in flashbacks in Johto (EP131, EP147) and Unova (BW116), in the Japanese opening Spurt!, and in the vision of old friends that cheered Pikachu on against Leon's Charizard (JN132). Then, 1,151 episodes after the farewell, a gust of wind and a familiar cry cut through Team Rocket's net in Viridian Forest. Pidgeot freed Pikachu with Wing Attack, and its flock, now all grown up, happily let it go. In the closing chapter of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys, Pidgeot rejoined Ash's team (JN147).
Battle record
| Episode | Opponent | Context | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon | Ash (while still wild)vs Caterpie | Capture battleOverwhelms Caterpie, which Ash recalls just as Pidgeotto's beak spears into a tree trunk. | Won |
| EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon | Ash (while still wild)vs Pikachu | Capture battlePikachu's Thunder Shock weakens it, and Ash's Poké Ball does the rest. | Lost |
| EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon | Team Rocketvs Jessie's Ekans and James's Koffing | Team RocketEkans burrows away from Quick Attack, a clap of its wings splits Koffing's Smog, but Gust misses and the trio win. | Lost |
| EP004Challenge of the Samurai | wildvs Weedle | Wild PokémonSteps in for a sleeping Pikachu and beats the Weedle – which escapes when Samurai interrupts the catch. | Won |
| EP004Challenge of the Samurai | Samuraivs Pinsir | CasualAlready tired, it throws up Sand Attack, but Pinsir charges straight through and flattens it with one Tackle. | Lost |
| EP005Showdown in Pewter City | Brockvs Geodude | Gym battle (Pewter Gym rematch)Its Normal- and Flying-type attacks can't hurt the Rock-type Geodude, and it is quickly knocked out. | Lost |
| EP006Clefairy and the Moon Stone | Team Rocketvs Ekans and Koffing | Team Rocket (Mt. Moon)Whirlwind blows away their Smokescreen, but the trio slip off with the Moon Stone. | Unknown |
| EP007The Water Flowers of Cerulean City | Mistyvs Starmie | Gym battle (Cerulean Gym)Its best Gym showing: Whirlwind, Wing Attack and a Gust that slams Starmie into the wall – until Team Rocket crash in. | Interrupted |
| EP008The Path to the Pokémon League | unnamed opponentvs Rattata | CasualThe win Ash proudly counts as his tenth victory. | Won |
| EP008The Path to the Pokémon League | A.J.vs Sandshrew | CasualSandshrew curls into a ball and rockets into it; Ash recalls Pidgeotto and tries Butterfree. | Lost |
| EP010Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village | Team Rocketvs Jessie, James and Meowth | Team RocketA tornado-sized Gust blows the trio away over the horizon. | Won |
| EP015Battle Aboard the St. Anne | Team Rocket Gruntsvs Grunts' Pokémon | Team Rocket (S.S. Anne)Joins the passengers' Pidgeotto in a mass Gust that drives the Grunts back. | Won |
| EP019Tentacool & Tentacruel | wildvs Giant Tentacruel and Tentacool | Wild Pokémon (Porta Vista)Carries Pikachu into the fray, dodges the giant's attacks and catches Misty's injured Horsea in mid-air; the rampage ends when Misty pleads with Tentacruel. | Unknown |
| EP027Hypno's Naptime | Team Rocketvs Team Rocket | Team RocketGusts the trio away after they lasso Drowzee and Hypno. | Won |
| EP032The Ninja Poké-Showdown | Kogavs Venonat → Venomoth | Gym battle (Fuchsia Gym)Venonat evolves mid-battle; Whirlwind can't clear Stun Spore, Sleep Powder follows, and Ash swaps in Charmander. | Lost |
| EP040The Battling Eevee Brothers | Team Rocketvs Getaway balloon | Team RocketGust brings the balloon down – but it is an empty decoy. Pidgeotto then tracks the real thieves by spotting Horsea's ink trail. | Unknown |
| EP041Wake Up Snorlax! | Team Rocketvs Jessie's Arbok | Team RocketA Gust that becomes a full cyclone blasts the trio off again. | Won |
| EP050Who Gets to Keep Togepi? | Team Rocketvs James's Weezing | Team RocketSnatches the stolen Egg back from their hideout and clears Weezing's Poison Gas; the scuffle ends with the Egg flying through the air. | Unknown |
| EP053The Purr-fect Hero | Team Rocketvs Weezing and Arbok | Team Rocket (with Brock's Onix)Gust blows away Weezing along with its Smog; the fight ends in a rockslide when Onix tackles Arbok. | Unknown |
| EP058Riddle Me This | Unknown attackervs Balloon attacking the Pokémon Lab | RescueAirborne on Pidgeotto, the team bring the balloon down with Pikachu's Thunderbolt. | Won |
| EP062Clefairy Tales | Team Rocketvs Meowth's crane-armed UFO | Team RocketPidgeotto brings the UFO down before the Clefairy arrive and interrupt the fight. | Interrupted |
| EP063The Battle of the Badge | Jessie (standing in for Giovanni)vs Rhydon | Gym battle (Viridian Gym)Quick Attack and its first Double-Edge badly damage Rhydon; Pikachu's Thunderbolt then finishes all three Gym Pokémon and Ash wins the Earth Badge. | Unknown |
| EP072The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis | wildvs Ancient giant Gengar | Wild Pokémon (Pokémopolis)Gust has no effect on the colossal ghost and Pidgeotto is overwhelmed; a giant Jigglypuff's song finally puts Gengar to sleep. | Lost |
| EP073Bad to the Bone | Team Rocketvs Getaway balloon | Team RocketSpots James and Meowth from the sky and pops their balloon so Otoshi can confront them. | Won |
| EP079Friend and Foe Alike | Team Rocketvs Claw-armed balloon | Team RocketFlies Pikachu up to the balloon that has grabbed Ash; one Thunderbolt and the trio tumble into the forest. | Won |
| EP080Friends to the End | Team Rocketvs James's Weezing | Team RocketGust blows Weezing's Smog straight back at the trio before the team sends them blasting off. | Won |
| EP081Pallet Party Panic | Team Rocketvs Getaway balloon and Jessie's Arbok | Team RocketQuick Attack bursts the balloon carrying Pikachu, but Arbok's Poison Sting shoots Pidgeotto out of the sky. | Lost |
| EP081Pallet Party Panic | wildvs Fearow (and its Spearow gang) | Defending a wild flockStruck down by Fearow's beak, it evolves into Pidgeot and, with Pikachu and the whole flock, drives the bully away. | Won |
Why didn’t it evolve?
Pidgeotto spent 78 episodes in its middle stage, longer than any other Pokémon Ash caught and evolved in the original series. When it finally evolved, it was for someone else. In Pallet Party Panic (EP081), knocked down by Fearow while protecting a flock of wild Pidgey and Pidgeotto, it fought back to its feet and became Pidgeot. It immediately carried Ash and Pikachu into the counter-attack. The evolution decided its future too: the flock needed a guardian, so Ash released it that evening.
Key episodes
Ash’s Pidgeotto trivia
- It was the first Normal/Flying-type owned by a main character in the anime, and the first Pokémon he ever caught that had already evolved.
- Its Double-Edge against Rhydon in The Battle of the Badge (EP063) was the first recoil move used by any of Ash's Pokémon.
- It never won a Gym battle for Ash. Its two best showings, against Misty's Starmie and Jessie's borrowed Rhydon, were cut short by Team Rocket or finished off by Pikachu.
- It was on Ash's team for the Indigo Plateau Conference but never fought a League match. It was too worn out from towing him to the stadium (EP079).
- It is the only one of Ash's original six Pokémon that has never been seen using Tackle.
- It was the first Pokémon Ash released that later rejoined him for good. The gap between Pallet Party Panic (EP081) and The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! (JN147) is 1,151 episodes.
- The very first opening seemed to predict its future: Ash throws a Poké Ball containing Pidgeot at a Fearow, long before either evolution happened in the story.
- In Japanese it is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara, who also voices Jessie and Ash's Bulbasaur.
Other trainers’ Pidgeotto
First seen: JN070Take My Thief! Please!
For a boy determined to catch every Pokémon, Goh found Pidgeotto surprisingly slippery. His first chance vanished when Scorbunny charged at it and it heard them coming and flew off (JN006). Much later another one broke straight out of his Poké Ball. Its Gust blew Ash and Goh into an Onix, which Goh then failed to catch as well (JN068). He finally got one in Vermilion City after the Morpeko mall heist, with a quick throw the moment he and Ash spotted it. It was the episode's Who's That Pokémon? too (JN070). Goh's Pidgeotto has never battled, and none of its moves are known.
First seen: EP172Mountain Time
In the mountains of Johto, Benji's father runs rescue patrols for stranded travellers with a Pidgeotto at his side. It also helped train his son Benji's Ledian for the job (EP172). Ash and his friends got a demonstration they won't forget: a full-power Gust during a training session knocked them clean off their feet. When he was called away to a village at the foot of the mountain, he left Benji in charge. At the climax of the rescue, his father arrived with Pidgeotto to face Team Rocket. Its Gust blew away Weezing's Smokescreen, and a single Gust then sent Weezing and Victreebel packing.
- EP172Mountain Time · vs Weezing and Victreebel Won
First seen: AG090Pokéblock, Stock, and Berry
When Ash and his friends reached Lilycove City, Ash and Max wanted Swellow to learn Aerial Ace. They went to Vladimir, a famous former Trainer, and his Pidgeotto showed them how it's done. The move comes in three parts: a steep dive, levelling off at the very last moment and skimming the ground to pick up speed (AG090). Vladimir then had Swellow fly under a bar that was lowered bit by bit. At about two feet, the height Aerial Ace needs, Swellow lost control and crashed. It took straight back to the sky, which impressed Vladimir.
Featured episodes
- EP015Battle Aboard the St. AnneWhen Team Rocket Grunts spring their trap aboard the S.S. Anne, several passengers' Pidgeotto join Ash's in a mass Gust that drives the attackers back.
- EP081Pallet Party PanicA flock of wild Pidgey and six Pidgeotto in Viridian Forest are terrorised by Fearow's Spearow gang. Hesitant to flee at first, they follow Ash's Pidgeotto to safety. Once it evolves, they join Pidgeot in the combined attacks that drive Fearow away.
- JN147The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!The flock Pidgeot has guarded since Pallet Party Panic returns, two Pidgeotto among them, all grown up. They give their blessing for Pidgeot to rejoin Ash.
More appearances
- EP065Showdown at the Po-ké Corral Several Pidgeotto live in the grounds of Professor Oak's Laboratory.
- EP075Round One – Begin! A Trainer's Pidgeotto competes in the Indigo Plateau Conference.
- EP080Friends to the End A Trainer's Pidgeotto attends the Conference closing ceremony.
- EP088In the Pink A pink Pidgeotto appears in a Team Rocket fantasy.
- EP122Flower Power A Pidgeotto is on show at Florando's annual Pokémon Exhibition.
- EP207Got Miltank? Two Pidgeotto live at an oasis where only Pokémon live.
- XY039Summer of Discovery! A Trainer's Pidgeotto attends Professor Sycamore's Pokémon Summer Camp (it is seen again in XY041 and XY042).
- XY077A Relay in the Sky! A Trainer's Pidgeotto flies in the Pokémon Sky Relay.
- SM042Alola, Kanto! Back in Kanto, a Pidgeotto ends up in one of Rotom Dex's photos.
- JN002Legend? Go! Friends? Go! Ten Pidgeotto appear, four of them in a video hologram.
- HZ001The Pendant That Starts It All (Part One) A student at Indigo Academy owns a Pidgeotto.
- HZ085The Pokémon Paradise of Laqua! Pidgeotto are among the Pokémon living in Laqua; one of them is seen again in One Step Closer (HZ134).
Beyond the main series
Anime gallery
Anime trivia
- Pidgeotto made its debut as a capture: the first Pidgeotto ever seen in the anime is the one Ash catches in Ash Catches a Pokémon (EP003). That episode also shows it eating a worm, a rare glimpse of a real-world animal in the Pokémon world.
- In the Japanese version of Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village (EP010), James makes a reference to baseball pitcher Hideo Nomo as Pidgeotto's Gust blows Team Rocket away.
- In Wake Up Snorlax! (EP041), Ash orders Whirlwind in Japanese, but the English dub changed it to Gust.
- Koga's Venomoth left Pidgeotto both paralysed and asleep in The Ninja Poké-Showdown (EP032). That's impossible in the games, where a Pokémon can only have one major status condition at a time.
- Pidgeotto has been the Who's That Pokémon? answer in the English dub of Beauty and the Beach (EP018) and in Take My Thief! Please! (JN070), the episode in which Goh finally catches one.
- According to the Rotom Phone (JN020), Pidgeotto gives intruders 'a thorough pecking', which is a little ironic since it can't learn Peck in the games.
- Goh needed three attempts to catch a Pidgeotto: one flew off before he could try (JN006), one broke out of his Poké Ball (JN068), and the third stayed put (JN070).
“Pidgeotto, an evolved form of the Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Approach with extreme caution.”
Ash's Pokédex (Dexter) · EP003
05On the big screen
Pidgeotto in the movies
3 films, 1 Pikachu short featuring Pidgeotto.
Ash's Pidgeotto never appeared in a feature film. Its only trip to the cinema was the short Pikachu's Vacation, shown with Mewtwo Strikes Back in 1998, and by the time The Power of One came out Ash had already left it behind as a Pidgeot. (Mewtwo Strikes Back does have a 'Pidgeotto', but only in the English dub, which calls Corey's Pidgeot by the wrong name.) Wild Pidgeotto, meanwhile, have flapped through a dozen films, notably the bird that pinches Team Rocket's fruit in Celebi – Voice of the Forest, while the 2017 retelling I Choose You! leaves Ash's Pidgeotto out of his story altogether.
Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One
M02 · 1999
Wild Pidgeotto (multiple)
Pidgeotto's first feature film casts it as part of nature's early-warning system. When the collector Lawrence III starts capturing the legendary birds and throws nature off balance, several wild Pidgeotto are among the Pokémon that sense the trouble. These are strictly wild birds: by the time of Ash's Orange Islands adventure, his own Pidgeotto had already evolved and stayed behind in Kanto.
Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi – Voice of the Forest
M04 · 2001
A wild Pidgeotto
A Pidgeotto gets one over on Team Rocket. Bored stiff aboard the Iron-Masked Marauder's giant machine, Jessie, James and Meowth reach out for a piece of fruit, fall off the machine in the process, and then lose the fruit to a Pidgeotto, before scrambling to catch up with their ride.
Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
M20 · 2017
A Trainer's Pidgeotto; wild Pidgeotto controlled by Marshadow
The 20th-anniversary retelling of Ash's journey quietly writes his Pidgeotto out of history. Across the whole film he is shown with just three Pokémon, Pikachu, Butterfree and Charizard, with no sign he ever caught one. Pidgeotto still turn up, though: one belongs to another Trainer, and others are among the Pokémon that fall under Marshadow's control.
Pikachu shorts
- PK01Pikachu's Vacation (1998) · Ash's Pidgeotto; a wild Pidgeotto
This is the only time Ash's Pidgeotto made it to the cinema: the short premiered with Mewtwo Strikes Back, and Ash's bird joins the Pokémon holiday, with a wild Pidgeotto turning up too. Watch the closing credits: the hot-spring shot puts it with Ash's Bulbasaur, Brock's Geodude and Jessie's Arbok, a hint that all four are male.
06Trading Card Game · every card
Pidgeotto in the Pokémon TCG
25 cards since 1999, oldest first. Tap any card to see it full size.
Pidgeotto has been riding the thermals of the Pokémon TCG since the very start. It flew into Japan's first Expansion Pack in October 1996 and reached English players in Base Set in January 1999: a 60 HP Stage 1 by Ken Sugimori whose Whirlwind blew opponents off the field and whose Mirror Move paid back every blow in kind. It has never had an ex, EX, GX or V card of its own, leaving the headline acts to Pidgeot, but it has collected plenty of personality along the way. Koga lent it his ninja tricks in Gym Challenge, the Holon region turned it Lightning-type in EX Holon Phantoms, and Team Up handed it its first Ability, Air Mail, which earned it a place in competitive decks. Its HP has climbed from 60 to 90, and the EX FireRed & LeafGreen card turned up in no fewer than four World Championships Decks.
Its artwork is a tour of the game's illustrators. Sugimori drew it three times, Suwama Chiaki painted it twice in a row for Triumphant and Call of Legends, and Tomokazu Komiya, Midori Harada, Atsuko Nishida, Shin Nagasawa and Mizue each added their own version. The Scarlet & Violet era brought Kariya, Oswaldo KATO, a full-art Illustration Rare by Jerky and a Shiny by Kouki Saitou. Japan kept two extras for itself: a 1998 vending machine card and Alto Mare's Pidgeotto, a Basic from a cinema-release half deck for Pokémon Heroes. In Pokémon TCG Pocket, Scav's card shares a story with Pidgey and Pidgeot, Taiga Kayama's joins a four-card scene around the Tree of Repose, and Misa Tsutsui painted a Shiny.
Cards to know
- Base Set 22/102 — Ken Sugimori's original Pidgeotto, whose Mirror Move flings the full force of the last attack it took straight back at the attacker.
- Gym Challenge 27/132 (Koga's Pidgeotto) — The ninja master's bird: a lucky Aerial Maneuvers lets it strike and then vanish from harm for a whole turn.
- EX Holon Phantoms 49/110 (Pidgeotto δ) — A Lightning-type Pidgeotto from the Holon region, and still weak to Lightning itself.
- Team Up 123/181 — After two decades of plain attacks, Pidgeotto finally got an Ability: Air Mail digs a card out of the top of your deck every turn, and competitive Blacephalon decks put it to work.
- Obsidian Flames 208/197 — Jerky's full-art Illustration Rare lets the painting spill across the whole card.
- Theater Limited VS Pack 010/018 (Alto Mare's Pidgeotto) — A Japan-only Basic Pidgeotto from a half deck released alongside Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias.
Every English-language card
Promo cards
Japan-exclusive cards
Pokémon TCG Pocket
Digital card games
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color): Pidgeotto (Base Set 22 art, Ken Sugimori), card B39, a Rare from the Evolution booster pack. Three copies each in the Flyin' Pokémon Deck (used by Joseph of the Science Club), the Reshuffle Deck (Jonathan of the Fire Club) and the Replace 'Em All Deck, and one in the Psychic Machamp Deck.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Pidgeotto (Base Set 22 art, Ken Sugimori), card F43, an Uncommon in the Sky Flying Pokémon pack. Three copies in the Heavenly Lugia Deck, two in the Practice Deck used against Tech Sam, and one in the Rage of the Heavens Deck.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Pidgeotto (vending machine Expansion Sheet 3 art, Shin-ichi Yoshida), card D39, an Uncommon in the Psychic Battle pack. Three copies in Ronald's final Ultra Deck and in Team GR member Ishii's Eye of the Storm Deck, two in Lightning Club Master Isaac's Sky Spark Deck and in the Rage of the Heavens Deck.
- Pokémon TCG Live: two copies of the 151 Pidgeotto (017/165) in the Charizard ex starter deck, available until 27 March 2025.
The artists behind the cards
- Ken Sugimori — 3 artworks (Base Set 22, Koga's Pidgeotto in Gym Challenge 27, Secret Wonders 58); his Base Set art was reprinted in Base Set 2 and Legendary Collection
- Suwama Chiaki — 2 (Triumphant 47, Call of Legends 48)
- Kouki Saitou — 2 (Alto Mare's Pidgeotto, Japan only; the Shiny Paldean Fates 197)
- One artwork each: Shin-ichi Yoshida (vending machine card, Japan only), Tomokazu Komiya, Midori Harada, Atsuko Nishida, Shin Nagasawa, Mizue, Kariya, Jerky, Oswaldo KATO
- TCG Pocket originals: Scav (Genetic Apex), Taiga Kayama (Mythical Island), Misa Tsutsui (Shiny, Extradimensional Crisis); Mizue's Team Up art returns in Mega Rising
07On the page & beyond
Pidgeotto in manga, books & other media
From the earliest manga to story books and songs.
In print, Ash's Pidgeotto barely gets started: in The Electric Tale of Pikachu it walks out on him in its very first chapter, leaving only a note. Other comics gave the species far more to do. A Pidgeotto flock kidnaps Yellow's Caterpie in Pokémon Adventures, Gold's unwanted Pidgey grows into a Pidgeotto in The Golden Boys, and Magical Pokémon Journey makes Pidgetta, a female Pidgeotto, the heroine of a love story. Scholastic's chapter books replay its anime battles from the St. Anne to Misty's Gym, Japan gave it its own Pokémon Tales picture book about a Pidgeotto who forgets its errand, and in music it's in the Pokérap's Thursday verse, the English opening titles and even the Magikarp Song, as the bird that finally carries Magikarp away. Japan's first opening went one better and showed Ash's bird already evolved into Pidgeot, 80 episodes early.
Manga
Books
Other media
More from the page
08Did you know?
Pidgeotto trivia
Name origins, design secrets and the facts that make Pidgeotto such a fan favourite.
What’s in a name?
Pidgeotto's English name starts with 'pigeon' and adds -otto, an Italian suffix that normally makes things smaller – a cheeky choice for a bird more than three times as tall as Pidgey. It also sounds almost exactly like Pijotto (ピジョット), the Japanese name of its evolution Pidgeot, so the English middle stage ended up sounding like the Japanese final stage. Its own Japanese name, Pijon (ピジョン), is simply 'pigeon'. Early in Red and Green's development its English name was 'Pidgeott', a name that ended up going to its evolution instead. Abroad, the French Roucoups mixes roucouler ('to coo') with coups ('blows'), while the German Tauboga joins Taube ('pigeon') to Bogen ('arc').
Design origins
Pidgeotto may be named after a pigeon, but its design belongs to a bird of prey. Its size and hunting habits recall an osprey or an eagle – and its taste for Magikarp suits the fish-loving osprey especially well. Smaller birds left their mark too: there are hints of sparrows, chickadees, waxwings and wrens in its plumage, while the flamboyant red crest looks borrowed from a cockatoo. The sharp black markings around its eyes echo those of Ra and Horus, the falcon-headed sun and sky gods of ancient Egypt. No individual designer has been credited for Pidgeotto; like the rest of the original 151, its official artwork is by Ken Sugimori, who also painted its Base Set card.
Names around the world
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ピジョン Pijon | From pigeon |
| French | Roucoups | From roucouler (to coo) and coups (strikes) |
| Spanish | Pidgeotto | Same as the English name |
| German | Tauboga | From Taube (pigeon) and Bogen (arc) |
| Italian | Pidgeotto | Same as the English name |
| Korean | 피죤 Pijon | From pigeon |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 比比鳥 / 比比鸟 Bǐbǐniǎo | Partial transcription of the Japanese name plus 鳥 niǎo (bird) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 比比鳥 Beihbeihníuh | Partial transcription of the Japanese name plus 鳥 níuh (bird) |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Pidgeotto | Same as the English name |
| Hebrew | פידג'יוטו Pigiyoto | Transcription of the English name |
| Hindi | पिजियोटो Pidgeotto | Transcription of the English name |
| Lithuanian | Pidžeototas | From the English name |
| Russian | Пиджеотто Pidzheotto | Transcription of the English name |
| Thai | พีเจียน Phichian | Transcription of the Japanese name |
Did you know?
- Pidgeotto is the only Pokémon with a base stat total of exactly 349.
- Several Pokédex entries say it will 'fiercely peck at any intruder' – yet Pidgeotto can't actually learn the move Peck.
- In the Red and Green beta its English name was 'Pidgeott', a name that ended up going to its evolution instead.
- Its English name sounds almost identical to Pijotto, the Japanese name of its evolution Pidgeot – while its own Japanese name, Pijon, just means 'pigeon'.
- In Generation III, Feather Dance was effectively the Pidgey family's signature move – other Pokémon could only inherit it through breeding.
- Pidgeotto has a perfect five-star Jump in the Pokéathlon of HeartGold and SoulSilver.
- In Pokémon: Magikarp Jump, a passing Pidgeotto can grab your Magikarp mid-jump and carry it away, forcing it to retire on the spot.
- Its Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs Browser entry is just three words long: 'It launches twisters.'
- Ash's Pidgeotto was the first Pokémon he caught that had already evolved, and the first of his Pokémon to use a recoil move, Double-Edge.
- For all its loyalty, Ash's Pidgeotto never won a Gym battle for him.
- Ash's Pidgeotto took 78 episodes to evolve – the longest wait of any Pokémon he caught and evolved during the original series.
- Ash released his Pidgeot to protect a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto in Pallet Party Panic; it is the only Pokémon he released that later rejoined him for good, in The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!
- In the anime, Ash's Pokédex finished its very first description of Pidgeotto with a warning: 'Approach with extreme caution.'
- In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Ash's Pidgeotto skips his battle with Misty, leaving only a note in its Poké Ball saying it has gone off for some R&R.
- Pokémon Yellow puts low-levelled Pidgeotto in Viridian Forest – possibly a nod to Ash catching his there in the anime.
- Falkner hands out TM51 Roost in HeartGold and SoulSilver – the same move his Pidgeotto uses to heal itself during the Gym battle.
- Its first card, Base Set Pidgeotto, could copy an opponent's attack back at them with Mirror Move – a move the real Pidgeotto can learn.
09Quizzes, archive & further reading
More Pidgeotto
Test yourself
Professor Oak's Kanto Quiz: BeginnerProfessor Oak has a few questions before you set foot in the tall grass. How well do you know the region where it all began?Take the quiz →
Who's That Pokémon? Kanto: BeginnerIt's the classic challenge! Can you name these original 151 Pokémon from their silhouettes alone?Take the quiz →
Indigo League Anime: IntermediateGrab your cap and set off on Ash's very first adventure. How much do you remember from the Indigo League days?Take the quiz →Ash & Pikachu Anime: BeginnerFrom his first step out of Pallet Town to the top of the world, how well do you know Ash and Pikachu's legendary journey?Take the quiz →
Pokémon Horizons Anime: BeginnerAll aboard for a brand-new adventure! See how well you know Liko, Roy and the crew of Pokémon Horizons: The Series.Take the quiz →
Pokémon Movies: IntermediateFrom a mysterious island showdown to a city where people and Pokémon live side by side, how well do you know Pokémon on the big screen?Take the quiz →From the archive: Gengar’s Online Pokédex
Before this page, Pokémon Dungeon was home to Gengar’s Online Pokédex, the classic fan Pokédex for Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver & Crystal by Curtis Alumbaugh (Gengar) with Ian Alumbaugh (Haunter). Its Pidgeotto entry is preserved in full, with its original art, moves and locations.
Further reading
Pokémon and all related names, artwork, sprites, screenshots and card images are © Nintendo, Creatures Inc., GAME FREAK inc. and The Pokémon Company, used here for fan commentary. Images via the Bulbagarden Archives. Page updated 24 October 2026.