No. 0061 · Generation I · Tadpole Pokémon
ニョロゾNyorozo · Thought to come from nyoronyoro, the Japanese sound for something wriggling, possibly with kozō (youngster).
The Tadpole Pokémon · Water type · first seen in Pokémon Red & Green (1996)
01Overview
Meet Poliwhirl
Everything you need to know about the Tadpole Pokémon — the creature behind the number.
Poliwhirl is the Tadpole Pokémon caught right in the middle of growing up. Where Poliwag still swishes a tadpole's tail, Poliwhirl has lost the tail and gained a pair of sturdy, well-developed legs ending in round, toeless feet. Its big, bulging eyes sit right on top of its head, its hands look like a pair of white gloves, and across its blue belly turns that unmistakable black-and-white spiral.
That spiral is no painted-on marking. Poliwhirl's skin is so thin that you are looking straight at its insides – the same trick real tadpoles and glass frogs pull off. The swirl slowly undulates, and anyone who stares at it for long may feel themselves nodding off. Poliwhirl knows exactly how to use this: under attack, it lulls its foe to sleep and then makes its escape, and the effect has even been used in place of lullabies to get children off to sleep.
“Its two legs are well developed. Even though it can live on the ground, it prefers living in water.”
Pokédex · Pokémon Red (Japan), Green (Japan), FireRed, Y, Scarlet & Pokopia · 1996
Its skin is a whole survival kit. Out of the water, Poliwhirl sweats constantly to keep its body slimy, and that sweat is a slick, oily mucus – so anything that grabs it finds Poliwhirl slipping and sliding straight out of its clutches. Curiously, the belly spiral itself feels smooth. Staying moist really matters: its health suffers if its skin dries out, so a good Trainer moisturises it diligently.
Poliwhirl can live on land, but it would much rather not. It prefers freshwater ponds and lakes, where it has fewer natural enemies and its prey – fish Pokémon – is plentiful. When it does venture ashore, it's on a hunt: it marches over the land in search of bug Pokémon, then carries them back underwater to eat in safety.
Then comes the big decision. Expose Poliwhirl to a Water Stone and it becomes the Water/Fighting-type Poliwrath; trade it while it holds a King's Rock – possible since Gold and Silver – and it becomes the curl-topped Politoed. Along the way, this swirl-bellied amphibian has enjoyed a surprisingly high profile: it was the face of the original Tokyo Pokémon Center logo until Piplup took over in 2007, and in the anime Misty's own Poliwhirl went on to become a Politoed.
How big is Poliwhirl?
Standing 1 m tall and weighing 20 kg, Poliwhirl is about the height of a four-year-old and roughly as heavy as a well-packed holiday suitcase – though a lot harder to keep hold of.
02In the Pokédex's words
Poliwhirl's Pokédex entries
19 different entries across 41 games, from 1996 to 2022. Here is how the Pokédex has described Poliwhirl over the years, in the order the games came out.
Generation I
Its two legs are well developed. Even though it can live on the ground, it prefers living in water.
Kanto Pokédex
Capable of living in or out of water. When out of water, it sweats to keep its body slimy.
Kanto Pokédex
Under attack, it uses its belly spiral to put the foe to sleep. It then makes its escape.
Kanto Pokédex
Capable of living on land, but prefers to stay in water. If it is out of water, it sweats to keep its skin moist.
Kanto Pokédex
Generation II
The swirl on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it may gradually cause drowsiness.
Johto Pokédex
The skin on most of its body is moist. However, the skin on its belly spiral feels smooth.
Johto Pokédex
Though it is skilled at walking, it prefers to live underwater where there is less danger.
Johto Pokédex
Generation III
The surface of Poliwhirl's body is always wet and slick with an oily fluid. Because of this greasy covering, it can easily slip and slide out of the clutches of any enemy in battle.
Hoenn Pokédex
It can live in or out of water. When out of water, it constantly sweats to keep its body slimy.
FireRed & LeafGreen Pokédex
Its body surface is always wet and slick with an oily fluid. Because of this greasy covering, it can easily slip and slide out of the clutches of any enemy in battle.
Hoenn Pokédex
Generation IV
The spiral pattern on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it gradually causes drowsiness.
Sinnoh Pokédex
Generation VI
The surface of Poliwhirl's body is always wet and slick with a slimy fluid. Because of this slippery covering, it can easily slip and slide out of the clutches of any enemy in battle.
Hoenn Pokédex
Generation VII
Although it can live on land, it prefers to stay in the water, where it has fewer natural enemies.
Rotom Pokédex
It marches over the land in search of bug Pokémon to eat. Then it takes them underwater so it can dine on them where it's safe.
Rotom Pokédex
Although it has become capable of living on land, it spends its time in the water, where its prey, fish Pokémon, are plentiful.
Rotom Pokédex
Its health suffers when its skin dries out, so be sure to moisturize it diligently.
Rotom Pokédex
Generation VIII
Staring at the swirl on its belly causes drowsiness. This trait of Poliwhirl's has been used in place of lullabies to get children to go to sleep.
Rotom Phone (Sword & Shield)
This Pokémon's sweat is a slimy mucus. When captured, Poliwhirl can slither from its enemies' grasp and escape.
Rotom Phone (Sword & Shield)
Generation IX
Its skin is moist all over its body. The skin on its belly spiral also feels smooth.
Rotom Phone (Scarlet & Violet)
03Stats, moves & where to find it
Poliwhirl in the video games
Base stat total 385 · 26 core-series games · 26 spin-offs · every move it learns, generation by generation.
Base stats
Base stats total 385, and Speed (90) is its highest stat. In Generation I Poliwhirl had a single Special stat of 50; when Gold and Silver split Special in two, Sp. Atk and Sp. Def both kept that 50, and its stats have stayed the same ever since. Base experience was 131 in Generations I–IV and has been 135 since; base friendship was 70 in Generations II–VII and is 50 from Sword & Shield onwards. In the Pokéathlon of HeartGold and SoulSilver it rates Speed 2–3, Power 2–3, Technique 3–4, Stamina 3–4 and Jump 3–4 stars.
Abilities
- Water Absorbsince Gen III
Water-type moves can't hurt Poliwhirl – being hit by one restores some of its HP instead. - Dampsince Gen III
Stops every Pokémon on the field from using explosive moves such as Self-Destruct and Explosion. - Swift SwimHidden abilitysince Gen V
Doubles Poliwhirl's Speed while it's raining.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits a Water Pokémon.
With Water Absorb, Water-type moves restore its HP instead of damaging it. Generation I had no Steel type, so back then Poliwhirl resisted only Fire, Water and Ice.
Training & breeding
- Catch rate
- 120
- Base friendship
- 50
- Base experience
- 135
- Growth rate
- Medium Slow
- EV yield
- 2 Speed
- Egg groups
- Water 1
- Egg cycles
- 20
- Colour
- Blue
- Gender ratio
- 50% male
- Body shape
- bipedal, tailless
Where to find Poliwhirl
| Game | Year | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Red & Green | 1996 | Fish with the Super Rod, or evolve Poliwag (Lv. 25)A man in Cerulean City trades his Jynx for a Poliwhirl. A Water Stone turns it into Poliwrath. |
| Blue (Japan) | 1996 | Fish with the Super Rod on Route 10 and in Celadon City, or evolve Poliwag (Lv. 25) |
| Red & Blue | 1998 | Fish with the Super Rod on Route 10 and in Celadon City, or evolve Poliwag (Lv. 25)In a house west of Cerulean City's Pokémon Center, an older man trades his Jynx, Lola, for your Poliwhirl. |
| Yellow | 1998 | Fish with the Super Rod on Routes 22 and 23, or evolve Poliwag (Lv. 25) |
| Gold & Silver | 1999 | Surf on Routes 30, 31 and 44 and in Violet City and Ecruteak City, on Routes 22 and 28 and in Viridian City, and at Mt. SilverWild ones have a 2% chance of holding a King's Rock – and trading Poliwhirl while it holds one now evolves it into Politoed. |
| Crystal | 2000 | Surf in the same places as Gold & Silver; it also lurks in the tall grass of Routes 28 and 44 and Mt. Silver |
| Ruby & Sapphire | 2002 | Trade only |
| Colosseum | 2003 | Trade only |
| FireRed & LeafGreen | 2004 | Fish with the Super Rod on Routes 6, 22, 23 and 25, in Viridian City and Cerulean Cave, and on the Sevii Islands (Four Island, Cape Brink, Icefall Cave and Ruin Valley)Cerulean City's in-game trade swaps a Jynx called Zynx for your Poliwhirl. It can't evolve into Politoed until you have the National Pokédex. |
| Emerald | 2004 | Trade only |
| XD: Gale of Darkness | 2005 | Trade only |
| Diamond & Pearl | 2006 | Fish with the Super Rod on Route 225, or Surf on Routes 227 and 228A Poliwhirl brought over from a Game Boy Advance game turns up in the Pond area of Pal Park. |
| Platinum | 2008 | Surf on Routes 227 and 228 |
| HeartGold & SoulSilver | 2009 | Surf on Routes 30, 31 and 44, in Violet City and Ecruteak City, on Routes 22 and 28, in Viridian City and at Mt. Silver; fish with the Super Rod in Cerulean Cave; also in the Johto Safari ZoneThe Pokéwalker's Sightseeing course can also turn one up. |
| Black & White | 2010 | Fish on Route 6 and in Wellspring Cave, Challenger's Cave, Victory Road and Giant Chasm |
| Black 2 & White 2 | 2012 | Fish on Routes 6, 19, 20 and 23 and at Floccesy Ranch, Relic Passage, Wellspring Cave, Clay Tunnel, Lostlorn Forest, Giant Chasm and Victory RoadA Hidden Grotto outside Pinwheel Forest, near Challenge Rock, can also hold one. |
| X & Y | 2013 | Fish with the Good or Super Rod on Routes 14, 15, 16, 19 and 21, in Laverre City and Couriway Town, and in Frost Cavern, Pokémon Village and Victory Road; Surf in Pokémon Village, Frost Cavern and Victory RoadWater-type Friend Safaris can feature it too. |
| Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | 2014 | Trade only |
| Sun & Moon | 2016 | Trade a Zubat for one in Konikoni City, or meet it in SOS Battles in Malie Garden when it rainsThe traded Poliwhirl arrives holding a Waterium Z. |
| Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | 2017 | Malie Garden |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Sea Skim on Routes 22, 23 and 25 and in Cerulean CavePolitoed isn't in these games, so Poliwhirl can only become Poliwrath. |
| Sword & Shield | 2019 | Trade it in (Version 1.2.0 onwards). The Isle of Armor: wandering the Soothing Wetlands, and in Max Raid Battles at the Fields of Honor, Soothing Wetlands and Courageous CavernA Wild Area News event from 4 to 6 June 2021 also featured a level 30 Poliwhirl. |
| Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl | 2021 | Fish with the Super Rod on Route 225, or Surf on Routes 225, 227 and 228After you have the National Pokédex it also appears in the Grand Underground's Grassland, Sunlit, Fountainspring, Riverbank and Still-Water Caverns. |
| Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Unobtainable |
| Scarlet & Violet | 2022 | The Teal Mask (2023): wild at Mossfell Confluence and Fellhorn Gorge in Kitakami, and in 3★ Tera Raid BattlesCan be traded in from Version 2.0.1. |
| Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Unobtainable |
Sprites through the ages
Spin-offs & cameos
Super Smash Bros.
Poliwhirl has a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Trophy #248 is a random find that represents Pokémon Red & Blue, and its text neatly sums up the Tadpole Pokémon: happy on land or in water, constantly sweating to keep its skin nice and slimy, and able to spin the whirlpool marking on its stomach to put enemies into a deep sleep before running away.
Pokémon GO
Poliwhirl has been in Pokémon GO since launch day on 6 July 2016. Evolving a Poliwag takes 25 Poliwag Candy, and then comes the familiar choice: 100 Candy for Poliwrath, or 100 Candy plus a King's Rock for Politoed. As a buddy it earns Candy every 3 km. Shadow Poliwhirl arrived on 1 August 2019 – with Frustration, swapped for Return once it's purified – and Shiny Poliwhirl followed on 6 August 2019, when Shiny Poliwag could be caught and evolved at Pokémon GO Fest 2019 in Yokohama. The family took centre stage on Poliwag Community Day on 30 July 2023, when Poliwhirl also appeared as a 4-star raid boss, and it returned as a 1-star raid boss from 1 to 9 December 2023. It battles with Bubble or Mud Shot plus Water Pulse, Mud Bomb or Bubble Beam; Scald, one of its original moves, was dropped on 16 February 2017 and now survives only as an Elite move.
In the 'Little Lost Poliwag' missions at Olivine Lake, you and Pikachu round up five lost Poliwag – and the second time, you're bringing them home to their mother, a Poliwhirl.
Poliwhirl's Base Set card can be pulled from the Laboratory booster pack and slotted into your digital deck.
Poliwhirl can't be caught on the tables – catch a Poliwag and evolve it to fill in its Pokédex page.
Battles in full 3D with its own Stadium Pokédex entry, is on hand as a rental Pokémon, and a Fisher in the Cerulean Gym sends one out in Round 2 of the Gym Leader Castle.
Lorelei, part of the game's own Elite Four, brings Cloyster, Poliwhirl and Dewgong to the puzzle battles.
Its Pokédex page changes with the cartridge you plug in, and Misty's Round 1 rain team in the Kanto Gym Leader Castle includes a Focus Band-holding Poliwhirl.
The Base Set Poliwhirl card returns in the Sky Flying Pokémon booster pack of this Japan-only sequel.
Trophy #248 is a random find, and its text recalls how Poliwhirl spins the whirlpool on its stomach to put enemies into a deep sleep before running away.
Recruit one in Northwind Field (10F–16F) or Waterfall Pond (B9F–B13F) and it settles in Tadpole Pond, with the cheerful boast: 'Ground or water, I'm good for both!'
Fiore Browser #053 lives in Krokka Tunnel, Panula Cave and the Sekra Range; it 'attacks with jets of water' – repeatedly – and once befriended its field move is Soak.
Can be recruited at Lake Afar (B1F–B12F).
Still waiting to be recruited at Lake Afar (B1F–B12F).
Waiting in Stage 2 of the Safari Jungle – but only on Saturdays.
Battle it on Stage 447 in Blau Salon; once on your side, its Sleep Combo skill boosts combo damage when the foe is asleep.
Found in the Purifying Pond on Gold Plateau and the Misty Moor on Plasma Tundra.
Complete Poliwhirl's Connection Orb mission to recruit it – and it can't wait to show off: 'Look at the spiral pattern on my belly!'
In the game since launch day; feed it Poliwag Candy and it becomes Poliwrath – or, with a King's Rock, Politoed.
Sails into the Charizard, Castform, Lugia and Bulbasaur Seas.
Back in Northwind Field (14F–19F) and Waterfall Pond (9F–13F), and also found in Murky Cave (9F–13F).
Brush well and Poliwhirl is one of the Pokémon you can rescue from the cavity-causing germs.
No. 210 in Pokopia's Pokédex, which repeats that its two legs are well developed – though it still prefers living in water.
Moves
Red and Blue gave Poliwhirl a short, sleepy toolkit: Bubble, Hypnosis and Water Gun from the start (with Hypnosis and Water Gun popping up again at 16 and 19), then DoubleSlap, Body Slam, Amnesia and a level-49 Hydro Pump. Gold and Silver swapped Amnesia for Rain Dance and a very on-brand Belly Drum, and opened up breeding, with Mind Reader handed down only by Poliwrath. Diamond and Pearl then muddied the waters with Mud Shot, Mud Bomb and the Fighting-type Wake-Up Slap, a hint of the brawler Poliwhirl can become.
Sword and Shield tore the list up and started again: Pound and Mud Shot from level 1, Earth Power at 40 and a level-66 Double-Edge to finish, while Bubble, Double Slap, Wake-Up Slap and Mud Bomb were dropped. Scarlet and Violet kept that list and stretched the TM count to 45, up from 27 TMs and HMs in Red and Blue, adding Liquidation, Chilling Water and Tera Blast. Along the way a few rarities slipped in from Poliwag events, such as Lovely Kiss and Sweet Kiss, and two trading cards even give Poliwhirl attacks it never learns in the games: Double Kick and Energy Ball.
Signature moves
The family party trick, fitting for a Pokémon with a spiral on its belly. It is in Poliwhirl's level-up list in every game from Red and Blue to Scarlet and Violet, and until Sword and Shield it even appeared twice.
Poliwhirl's trusty heavyweight hit: level 33 in Red and Blue, as early as 21 from Diamond and Pearl to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and 32 today.
What else would a Pokémon that is mostly belly learn? It arrived at level 43 in Gold and Silver, trading half of Poliwhirl's HP for maximum Attack, and now comes at 56.
The big splash: level 49 in Red and Blue, 51 in Gold and Silver and 48 ever since Diamond and Pearl, though it has hit for 110 rather than 120 since X and Y.
A Fighting-type slap that hits a sleeping target harder and wakes it up, a cheeky follow-up to Hypnosis. It was a level-43 move from Diamond and Pearl to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon before Sword and Shield dropped it.
The newest twist: Sword and Shield slotted this Ground-type special attack in at level 40, and it is still there in Scarlet and Violet.
A family heirloom: from Gold and Silver to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Poliwrath is the only parent that can pass this lock-on move down. Scarlet and Violet left it out.
Complete learnsets
Generation I · Red, Green, Blue & Yellow9 level-up · 27 TM/HM
In Red and Blue, Poliwhirl bites on the Super Rod on Route 10 and in Celadon City; in Yellow it is fished up on Routes 22 and 23. One level-up list covers all four games, and it is a curious one: Poliwhirl starts with Bubble, Hypnosis and Water Gun, then learns Hypnosis and Water Gun all over again at levels 16 and 19 before DoubleSlap, Body Slam, Amnesia and a level-49 Hydro Pump. In Generations I to III a move's type decides whether it is physical or special, so Water, Ice and Psychic attacks are special here. Moves keep their original spellings (DoubleSlap, BubbleBeam). Submission only gets the same-type bonus once Poliwhirl evolves into Water/Fighting Poliwrath. The transfer list shows moves learned in Gold, Silver or Crystal that can travel back through the Time Capsule, including Growth and Lovely Kiss from the special Poliwag handed out at the Pokémon Center New York.
By level-up
| RGBY | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bubble | Water | Special | 20 | 100 | 30 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 16 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 19 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 26 | DoubleSlap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 33 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 41 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 49 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 120 | 80 | 5 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Mega Punch | Normal | Physical | 80 | 85 | 20 |
| TM05 | Mega Kick | Normal | Physical | 120 | 75 | 5 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM08 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TM09 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM10 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| TM12 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| TM13 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 95 | 100 | 10 |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 120 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Submission | Fighting | Physical | 80 | 80 | 25 |
| TM18 | Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM19 | Seismic Toss | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM20 | Rage | Normal | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Fissure | Ground | Physical | — | 30 | 5 |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Bide | Normal | Physical | — | — | 10 |
| TM35 | Metronome | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM40 | Skull Bash | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM46 | Psywave | Psychic | Special | — | 80 | 15 |
| TM50 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM03 | Surf | Water | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| HM04 | Strength | Normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Defense Curl | Gen II (TM) |
| Growth | Gen II (Poliwag event) |
| Haze | Gen II (breeding) |
| Headbutt | Gen II (TM) |
| Ice Punch | Gen II (TM) |
| Lovely Kiss | Gen II (Poliwag event) |
| Mist | Gen II (breeding) |
| Splash | Gen II (breeding) |
| Waterfall | Gen II (HM) |
Generation II · Gold, Silver & Crystal10 level-up · 29 TM/HM · 5 egg · 1 tutor
Poliwhirl is found by Surfing on Routes 22, 28, 30, 31 and 44, in Violet City, Ecruteak City and Viridian City, and on Mt. Silver; Crystal also hides it in the tall grass of Routes 28 and 44 and Mt. Silver. Amnesia leaves the level-up list, while Rain Dance (27) and Belly Drum (43) join it. Breeding arrives: BubbleBeam, Haze, Mist, Mind Reader (passed down only by Poliwrath) and Splash, which can only come through chain breeding with the Horsea family. Crystal's move tutor teaches Ice Beam. A Poliwhirl evolved from one of the special Poliwag given out at the Pokémon Center New York can know Growth, Sweet Kiss or Lovely Kiss. Categories still follow the move's type, Hidden Power's depends on the type it rolls, and Curse is the mysterious ???-type.
By level-up
| GSC | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bubble | Water | Special | 20 | 100 | 30 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 7 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 13 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 19 | DoubleSlap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 27 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 35 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 43 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 51 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 120 | 80 | 5 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM02 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM03 | Curse | ??? | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM08 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM13 | Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 120 | 70 | 5 |
| TM16 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM20 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Physical | 20 | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM33 | Ice Punch | Ice | Special | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM34 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM35 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM40 | Defense Curl | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| TM43 | Detect | Fighting | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| HM03 | Surf | Water | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| HM04 | Strength | Normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| HM06 | Whirlpool | Water | Special | 15 | 70 | 15 |
| HM07 | Waterfall | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Wooper, Quagsire |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra (chain breeding needed: the father must itself have inherited the move) |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 95 | 100 | 10 | Crystal |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Poliwag (event) |
| Sweet Kiss | Normal | Status | — | 75 | 10 | Poliwag (event) |
| Lovely Kiss | Normal | Status | — | 75 | 10 | Poliwag (event) |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Amnesia | Gen I (level-up) |
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Counter | Gen I (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM) |
| Fissure | Gen I (TM) |
| Mega Kick | Gen I (TM) |
| Mega Punch | Gen I (TM) |
| Metronome | Gen I (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM) |
| Psywave | Gen I (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Seismic Toss | Gen I (TM) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| Submission | Gen I (TM) |
| Substitute | Gen I (TM) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
Generation III · Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed & LeafGreen (tutor moves also cover XD)10 level-up · 26 TM/HM · 7 egg · 17 tutor
Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald have no wild Poliwhirl, so it has to be traded in; FireRed and LeafGreen have it on the Super Rod on Routes 6, 22, 23 and 25, in Viridian City, on Four Island, at Cape Brink and in Icefall Cave, Ruin Valley and Cerulean Cave. It can't be caught in Colosseum or XD, but one traded into XD can still use that game's move tutors. The level-up list matches Gold and Silver, and Ice Ball and Water Sport join the egg moves. Tutor games are FireRed/LeafGreen, Emerald and XD. Sweet Kiss is only possible on a Poliwhirl evolved from the Egg Pokémon Present Poliwag handed out in Japan. Categories still follow type, and moves from Generations I and II cannot be carried into these games.
By level-up
| RSE/FRLG | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bubble | Water | Special | 20 | 100 | 30 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 7 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 13 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 19 | DoubleSlap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 27 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 35 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 43 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 51 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 120 | 80 | 5 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Focus Punch | Fighting | Physical | 150 | 100 | 20 |
| TM03 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM07 | Hail | Ice | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM13 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 95 | 100 | 10 |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 120 | 70 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 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 |
| HM03 | Surf | Water | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| HM04 | Strength | Normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| HM06 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| HM07 | Waterfall | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| HM08 | Dive | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 10 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Surskit, Corphish, Crawdaunt |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Wooper, Quagsire, Surskit |
| Ice Ball | Ice | Special | 30 | 90 | 20 | Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Feebas, Milotic |
| Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 | Psyduck, Golduck, Lombre, Surskit, Masquerain, Milotic |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | FRLG, Emerald |
| Defense Curl | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Emerald |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Ice Punch | Ice | Special | 75 | 100 | 15 | Emerald |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Emerald, XD |
| Mega Kick | Normal | Physical | 120 | 75 | 5 | FRLG, Emerald |
| Mega Punch | Normal | Physical | 80 | 85 | 20 | FRLG, Emerald |
| Metronome | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald |
| Mimic | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Mud-Slap | Ground | Physical | 20 | 100 | 10 | Emerald |
| Seismic Toss | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | FRLG, Emerald, 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 |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Kiss | Normal | Status | — | 75 | 10 | Poliwag (event) |
Generation IV · Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver15 level-up · 33 TM/HM · 11 egg · 7 tutor
Diamond and Pearl have Poliwhirl on the Super Rod at Route 225 and by Surfing on Routes 227 and 228, and Platinum keeps the last two. HeartGold and SoulSilver bring back the Johto and Kanto waters plus Cerulean Cave (Super Rod) and the Safari Zone, and it also turns up in Pal Park and on the Pokéwalker's Sightseeing course. Every move now has its own physical or special category. The level-up list is rebuilt: Water Sport becomes a starting move, Bubble returns at 5 and Water Gun at 11, and BubbleBeam (27), Mud Shot (32), Wake-Up Slap (43) and Mud Bomb (53) join. Wake-Up Slap is a Fighting move, so it only gets the same-type bonus once Poliwhirl becomes Poliwrath. Hypnosis is 70% accurate in Diamond and Pearl but 60% elsewhere. Whirlpool (HM05) and the Encore egg move are HeartGold/SoulSilver only, and move tutors are in Platinum and HeartGold/SoulSilver. The transfer list includes Sweet Kiss from the Japanese event Poliwag.
By level-up
| DPPt/HGSS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 1 | Bubble | Water | Special | 20 | 100 | 30 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 5 | Bubble | Water | Special | 20 | 100 | 30 |
| 8 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 11 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 15 | DoubleSlap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 21 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 27 | BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| 32 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| 37 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 43 | Wake-Up Slap | Fighting | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 120 | 80 | 5 |
| 53 | Mud Bomb | Ground | Special | 65 | 85 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Focus Punch | Fighting | Physical | 150 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM03 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 | |
| TM07 | Hail | Ice | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM13 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 95 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 120 | 70 | 5 | |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| 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 | |
| TM56 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 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 | |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| HM03 | Surf | Water | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 | |
| HM04 | Strength | Normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| HM05 | Whirlpool | Water | Special | 15 | 70 | 15 | HGSS |
| HM06 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | |
| HM07 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Surskit, Masquerain, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon |
| Encore | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | Seel, Dewgong, Slakoth, Vigoroth, Slaking, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Corphish, Crawdaunt |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite, Wooper, Quagsire, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit, Masquerain, Feebas, Milotic |
| Ice Ball | Ice | Physical | 30 | 90 | 20 | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Wingull, Pelipper, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon |
| Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert |
| Refresh | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Psyduck, Golduck, Corsola, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Milotic |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Magikarp, Gyarados, Marill, Azumarill, Mantine, Feebas, Milotic |
| Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 | Psyduck, Golduck, Seel, Dewgong, Totodile, Croconaw, Feraligatr, Mantine, Lombre, Ludicolo, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit, Masquerain, Milotic, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon, Bidoof, Bibarel, Buizel, Floatzel |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dive | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 | HGSS |
| Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Ice Punch | Ice | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Counter | Gen III (tutor) |
| Defense Curl | Gen III (tutor) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mega Kick | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mega Punch | Gen III (tutor) |
| Metronome | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Seismic Toss | Gen III (tutor) |
| Sweet Kiss | Gen III (Poliwag event) |
Generation V · Black, White, Black 2 & White 215 level-up · 29 TM/HM · 13 egg · 6 tutor · 2 event
Black and White: fish on Route 6 and in Wellspring Cave, Challenger's Cave, Victory Road and the Giant Chasm. Black 2 and White 2 add Routes 19, 20 and 23, Floccesy Ranch, Relic Passage, Clay Tunnel and Lostlorn Forest, plus a Hidden Grotto in Pinwheel Forest. One level-up list covers all four games, unchanged from Generation IV. Scald (TM55) is new, Toxic is now 90% accurate, and move tutors are Black 2/White 2 only. In the Pokémon Dream World, Poliwhirl from the Pokémon Café Forest could know Haze or Water Pulse, and Sleep Talk could come from a Dream World Poliwag in Black and White.
By level-up
| BW/B2W2 | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 1 | Bubble | Water | Special | 20 | 100 | 30 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 5 | Bubble | Water | Special | 20 | 100 | 30 |
| 8 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 11 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 15 | DoubleSlap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 21 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 27 | BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| 32 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| 37 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 43 | Wake-Up Slap | Fighting | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 120 | 80 | 5 |
| 53 | Mud Bomb | Ground | Special | 65 | 85 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM07 | Hail | Ice | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM13 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 95 | 100 | 10 |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 120 | 70 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 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 |
| TM55 | Scald | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM56 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM78 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM94 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| HM03 | Surf | Water | Special | 95 | 100 | 15 |
| HM04 | Strength | Normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| HM05 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| HM06 | Dive | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BubbleBeam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Lotad, Lombre, Surskit, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Ducklett, Swanna |
| Encore | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | Seel, Dewgong, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Kabuto, Kabutops, Corsola, Stunfisk |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Wooper, Quagsire, Surskit |
| Ice Ball | Ice | Physical | 30 | 90 | 20 | Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit, Masquerain, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon |
| Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Stunfisk |
| Refresh | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Corsola, Milotic |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Feebas |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Psyduck, Golduck, Slowpoke, Slowbro, Slowking, Lapras, Remoraid, Mantine, Wingull, Pelipper, Milotic, Huntail, Gorebyss, Shellos, Gastrodon, Ducklett, Swanna, Alomomola |
| Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 | Psyduck, Golduck, Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Seel, Lombre, Surskit, Masquerain, Milotic, Piplup, Prinplup, Buizel, Floatzel, Ducklett, Swanna, Alomomola |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | B2W2 |
| Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | B2W2 |
| Ice Punch | Ice | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Haze | Pokémon Dream World: Pokémon Café Forest |
| Water Pulse | Pokémon Dream World: Pokémon Café Forest |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Poliwag (Dream World) · BW |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Counter | Gen III (tutor) |
| Defense Curl | Gen III (tutor) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Focus Punch | Gen III–IV (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Mega Kick | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mega Punch | Gen III (tutor) |
| Metronome | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen III–IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV (TM) |
| Seismic Toss | Gen III (tutor) |
| Sweet Kiss | Gen III (Poliwag event) |
| Whirlpool | Gen IV (HM) |
Generation VI · X, Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire15 level-up · 34 TM/HM · 13 egg · 7 tutor
X and Y: fish with the Good Rod or Super Rod on Routes 14, 15, 16, 19 and 21, at Laverre City, Couriway Town, Frost Cavern, Pokémon Village and Victory Road, surf in Pokémon Village, Frost Cavern and Victory Road, or meet it in Water-type Friend Safaris. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire: trade only. Bubble doubles to 40 power and swaps places with Water Gun, Wake-Up Slap rises to 70 power and Hydro Pump drops to 110. TM94 is Rock Smash in X and Y but Secret Power in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, where Rock Smash (HM06) and Dive (HM07) are HMs, and Power-Up Punch (TM98) is new. Move tutors are Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire only. Sweet Kiss is now Fairy-type.
By level-up
| XY/ORAS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 5 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 8 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 11 | Bubble | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 15 | Double Slap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 21 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 27 | Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| 32 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| 37 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 43 | Wake-Up Slap | Fighting | Physical | 70 | 100 | 10 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
| 53 | Mud Bomb | Ground | Special | 65 | 85 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 | |
| TM07 | Hail | Ice | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM13 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 | |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| 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 | |
| TM55 | Scald | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM56 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 | |
| TM78 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM94 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | XY |
| TM94 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| TM98 | Power-Up Punch | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | |
| HM03 | Surf | Water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 | |
| HM04 | Strength | Normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| HM05 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| HM06 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| HM07 | Dive | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Lotad, Lombre, Surskit, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Ducklett, Swanna, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Encore | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | Seel, Dewgong, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Kabuto, Kabutops, Corsola, Stunfisk |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Wooper, Quagsire, Surskit, Greninja |
| Ice Ball | Ice | Physical | 30 | 90 | 20 | Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit, Masquerain, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon |
| Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Stunfisk |
| Refresh | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Corsola, Milotic |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Feebas, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Psyduck, Golduck, Slowpoke, Slowbro, Slowking, Lapras, Remoraid, Mantine, Wingull, Pelipper, Milotic, Huntail, Gorebyss, Shellos, Gastrodon, Ducklett, Swanna, Alomomola, Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja, Skrelp, Dragalge, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 | Psyduck, Golduck, Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Seel, Marill, Azumarill, Lombre, Pelipper, Surskit, Masquerain, Milotic, Piplup, Prinplup, Buizel, Floatzel, Ducklett, Swanna, Alomomola, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | ORAS |
| Focus Punch | Fighting | Physical | 150 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | ORAS |
| Ice Punch | Ice | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | ORAS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Counter | Gen III (tutor) |
| Defense Curl | Gen III (tutor) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Headbutt | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Mega Kick | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mega Punch | Gen III (tutor) |
| Metronome | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen III–IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Seismic Toss | Gen III (tutor) |
| Sweet Kiss | Gen III (Poliwag event) |
| Whirlpool | Gen IV (HM) |
Generation VII · Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon15 level-up · 27 TM/HM · 13 egg · 7 tutor
Sun and Moon: get one in an in-game trade in Konikoni City, or meet it as an SOS ally at Malie Garden when it rains. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon: Malie Garden. One level-up list covers all four games, unchanged from X and Y. With HMs gone, Surf (TM94) and Waterfall (TM98) are ordinary TMs, while Dig and Dive now have to come from an older game. Move tutors are Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon only.
By level-up
| SM/USUM | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 5 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 8 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 11 | Bubble | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 15 | Double Slap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 21 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 27 | Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| 32 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| 37 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 43 | Wake-Up Slap | Fighting | Physical | 70 | 100 | 10 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
| 53 | Mud Bomb | Ground | Special | 65 | 85 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM07 | Hail | Ice | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM13 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 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 |
| TM55 | Scald | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM56 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM78 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM94 | Surf | Water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM98 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Lotad, Lombre, Surskit, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Ducklett, Swanna, Clauncher, Clawitzer, Popplio, Brionne, Primarina, Dewpider, Araquanid |
| Encore | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | Seel, Dewgong, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein, Popplio, Brionne, Primarina |
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Kabuto, Kabutops, Corsola, Stunfisk |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Wooper, Quagsire, Surskit, Greninja |
| Ice Ball | Ice | Physical | 30 | 90 | 20 | Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon |
| Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Stunfisk |
| Refresh | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Corsola, Milotic |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Feebas, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Psyduck, Golduck, Slowpoke, Slowbro, Slowking, Lapras, Remoraid, Mantine, Wingull, Pelipper, Milotic, Huntail, Gorebyss, Shellos, Gastrodon, Ducklett, Swanna, Alomomola, Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja, Skrelp, Dragalge, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Water Sport | Water | Status | — | — | 15 | Psyduck, Golduck, Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Seel, Marill, Azumarill, Lombre, Pelipper, Surskit, Masquerain, Milotic, Gorebyss, Piplup, Prinplup, Buizel, Floatzel, Ducklett, Swanna, Alomomola, Clauncher, Clawitzer, Dewpider, Pyukumuku |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | USUM |
| Focus Punch | Fighting | Physical | 150 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
| Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | USUM |
| Ice Punch | Ice | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | USUM |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Amnesia | Gen I (level-up) |
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Counter | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Curse | Gen II (TM) |
| Defense Curl | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Detect | Gen II (TM) |
| Dig | Gen III–VI (TM) |
| Dive | Gen III (HM), Gen IV (tutor), Gen V–VI (HM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Fissure | Gen I (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen II (TM), Gen IV (tutor) |
| Mega Kick | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Mega Punch | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Metronome | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen II (TM), Gen III–IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Power-Up Punch | Gen VI (TM) |
| Psywave | Gen I (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Rock Smash | Gen II (TM), Gen V (TM), Gen VI (TM/HM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Seismic Toss | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| Strength | Gen I–II (HM), Gen V–VI (HM) |
| Submission | Gen I (TM) |
| Sweet Kiss | Gen III (Poliwag event) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
| Whirlpool | Gen II (HM), Gen IV (HM) |
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!12 level-up · 18 TM/HM
Poliwhirl is found out on the water on Routes 22, 23 and 25 and in Cerulean Cave. Let's Go has its own, shorter learnset: Pound joins the starting moves, Bubble Beam arrives at 21, Low Kick at 30 (with the same-type bonus only for Poliwrath), and Body Slam (39) and Hydro Pump (48) close the list. There is no breeding and there are no move tutors in these games.
By level-up
| LGPE | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bubble | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 1 | Pound | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 4 | Pound | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 8 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 12 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 16 | Double Slap | Normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 10 |
| 21 | Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| 30 | Low Kick | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| 39 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM03 | Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM05 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM07 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM08 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM10 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM12 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM13 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM15 | Seismic Toss | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM25 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM27 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM29 | Scald | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM35 | Ice Punch | Ice | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM40 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM41 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM47 | Surf | Water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM51 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 |
| TM55 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
Generation VIII · Sword & Shield (Version 1.2.0+ and the Expansion Pass), Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl11 level-up · 64 TM/HM · 14 egg
Poliwhirl isn't in the Galar Pokédex: in Sword and Shield it arrives by trade from Version 1.2.0, and the Isle of Armor has a wandering one in the Soothing Wetlands, with Max Raid Battles at the Fields of Honor, the Soothing Wetlands and Courageous Cavern. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have it on Route 225 (Super Rod), surfing on Routes 225, 227 and 228, and in Grand Underground caves once you have the National Pokédex. One level-up list covers both pairs of games, and it is a big shake-up: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Pound and Mud Shot from the start, then Bubble Beam (18), Rain Dance (24), Body Slam (32), the new Earth Power (40), Hydro Pump (48), Belly Drum (56) and Double-Edge (66). Bubble, Double Slap, Wake-Up Slap and Mud Bomb are gone. TMs, TRs and egg moves are marked SwSh or BDSP (TRs are Sword and Shield's single-use Technical Records), and there are no move tutor moves. Transfer moves flagged as unusable can be brought along but not used in Sword and Shield; a few others are ordinary TMs in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Poliwhirl can't be found in Legends: Arceus, so it has no Legends: Arceus learnset.
By level-up
| SwSh/BDSP | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 1 | Pound | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| 18 | Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 32 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 40 | Earth Power | Ground | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
| 56 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 66 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM00 | Mega Punch | Normal | Physical | 80 | 85 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM01 | Mega Kick | Normal | Physical | 120 | 75 | 5 | SwSh |
| TM04 | Ice Punch | Ice | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM15 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM21 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TM23 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | SwSh |
| TM24 | Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM25 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TM27 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM31 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM33 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | SwSh |
| TM35 | Hail | Ice | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TM36 | Whirlpool | Water | Special | 35 | 85 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM39 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM41 | Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | SwSh |
| TM43 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM45 | Dive | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM53 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM59 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM76 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM81 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TR01 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR03 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 | SwSh |
| TR04 | Surf | Water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR05 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR06 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 | SwSh |
| TR10 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR11 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR14 | Metronome | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR16 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR20 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR26 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR27 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR30 | Encore | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | SwSh |
| TR45 | Muddy Water | Water | Special | 90 | 85 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR67 | Earth Power | Ground | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR84 | Scald | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM01 | Focus Punch | Fighting | Physical | 150 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM03 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM07 | Hail | Ice | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM13 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM14 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 | BDSP |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | BDSP |
| TM26 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM28 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM29 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM31 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | BDSP |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | BDSP |
| TM49 | Scald | Water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM56 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM83 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM95 | Surf | Water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM96 | Strength | Normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM98 | Rock Smash | Fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM99 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | SwSh | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Corphish, Crawdaunt |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | SwSh | Wooper, Quagsire |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 | SwSh | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | SwSh | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Wingull, Pelipper, Eiscue |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | SwSh | Feebas, Milotic, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | SwSh | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Psyduck, Golduck, Slowpoke, Galarian Slowpoke, Slowbro, Galarian Slowbro, Slowking, Galarian Slowking, Lapras, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Wingull, Pelipper, Milotic, Shellos, Gastrodon, Skrelp, Dragalge, Clauncher, Clawitzer, Sobble, Drizzile, Inteleon |
| Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 | BDSP | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Surskit, Masquerain, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon |
| Encore | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 | BDSP | Seel, Dewgong, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein |
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | BDSP | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Corphish, Crawdaunt |
| Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | BDSP | Wooper, Quagsire, Surskit, Masquerain |
| Mind Reader | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 | BDSP | Poliwrath |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | BDSP | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit, Masquerain, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon |
| Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | BDSP | Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | BDSP | Marill, Azumarill, Feebas, Milotic |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Amnesia | Gen I (level-up) |
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Bubble | Gen I–VII (level-up) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Confide | Gen VI–VII (TM) |
| Counter | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Curse | Gen II (TM) |
| Defense Curl | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Detect | Gen II (TM) |
| Double Slap | Gen I–VII (level-up) |
| Fissure | Gen I (TM) |
| Frustration | Gen II–VII (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen II (TM), Gen IV (tutor), Gen VII (TM in Let's Go) |
| Hidden Power | Gen II–VII (TM) |
| Ice Ball | Gen III–VII (breeding) |
| Low Kick | Gen VII (level-up in Let's Go) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Mud Bomb | Gen IV–VII (level-up) |
| Mud-Slap | Gen II (TM), Gen III–IV (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Power-Up Punch | Gen VI (TM) |
| Psywave | Gen I (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Refresh | Gen IV–VII (breeding) |
| Return | Gen II–VII (TM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Seismic Toss | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen VII (TM in Let's Go) |
| Skull Bash | Gen I (TM) |
| Submission | Gen I (TM) |
| Sweet Kiss | Gen III (Poliwag event) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
| Toxic | Gen I–VII (TM) |
| Wake-Up Slap | Gen IV–VII (level-up) |
| Water Sport | Gen III (breeding), Gen IV–VII (level-up, breeding) |
Generation IX · Scarlet & Violet (Version 2.0.1+ and The Teal Mask)11 level-up · 45 TM/HM · 5 egg · 2 event
Scarlet and Violet: trade it in from Version 2.0.1, or catch it in Kitakami in The Teal Mask (Mossfell Confluence and Fellhorn Gorge) and in Kitakami's 3★ Tera Raid Battles. The level-up list is identical to Sword and Shield's, while the TM list grows to 45 moves, including Chilling Water, Liquidation, Low Sweep and Tera Blast. A wild Tera Poliwhirl at Mossfell Confluence has Brick Break and Liquidation among its moves. Rest has just 5 PP in these games. Poliwhirl doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A, so there is no Z-A learnset.
By level-up
| SV | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| 1 | Pound | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| 18 | Bubble Beam | Water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| 24 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 32 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| 40 | Earth Power | Ground | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
| 56 | Belly Drum | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 66 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM001 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM005 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 | 100 | 10 |
| TM007 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM011 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| TM012 | Low Kick | Fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM018 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM022 | Chilling Water | Water | Special | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| TM025 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM028 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| TM032 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM034 | Icy Wind | Ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM035 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| TM039 | Low Sweep | Fighting | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| TM043 | Fling | Dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM047 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM050 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM055 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM058 | Brick Break | Fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM066 | Body Slam | Normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| TM069 | Ice Punch | Ice | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| TM070 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM077 | Waterfall | Water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM080 | Metronome | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM085 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM103 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM110 | Liquidation | Water | Physical | 85 | 100 | 10 |
| TM120 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM122 | Encore | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 |
| TM123 | Surf | Water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| TM128 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM130 | Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| TM133 | Earth Power | Ground | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM135 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM142 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
| TM143 | Blizzard | Ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 |
| TM149 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| TM171 | Tera Blast | Normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM174 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| TM192 | Focus Punch | Fighting | Physical | 150 | 100 | 20 |
| TM193 | Weather Ball | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM203 | Psych Up | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM204 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| TM205 | Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 |
| TM208 | Whirlpool | Water | Special | 35 | 85 | 15 |
| TM209 | Muddy Water | Water | Special | 90 | 85 | 10 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 5 | Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Corphish, Crawdaunt |
| Mist | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 | Lapras, Wooper, Quagsire, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Wingull, Pelipper, Surskit, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon, Eiscue |
| Muddy Water | Water | Special | 90 | 85 | 10 | Wooper, Quagsire, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Shellos, Gastrodon, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Splash | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 | Feebas, Milotic, Clauncher, Clawitzer |
| Water Pulse | Water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 | Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Psyduck, Golduck, Slowpoke, Galarian Slowpoke, Slowbro, Galarian Slowbro, Slowking, Galarian Slowking, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Lapras, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Wingull, Pelipper, Milotic, Shellos, Gastrodon, Ducklett, Swanna, Alomomola, Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja, Skrelp, Dragalge, Clauncher, Clawitzer, Sobble, Drizzile, Inteleon, Quaxwell, Quaquaval |
Event moves
| Move | Event |
|---|---|
| Brick Break | Wild Tera Poliwhirl at Mossfell Confluence (Kitakami) |
| Liquidation | Wild Tera Poliwhirl at Mossfell Confluence (Kitakami) |
04On screen
Poliwhirl in the anime
Debut EP025Primeape Goes Bananas · First major role EP151The Totodile Duel · Its appearances on screen, and 2 other trainers who raised one.
Poliwhirl has been splashing around the anime since the first season, but its signature role belongs to Misty. Her bubbly Poliwag evolved in the middle of a battle with Ash's Bulbasaur in The Totodile Duel, and the shy, swirl-bellied Poliwhirl that emerged spent the Johto journey proving itself: hooking a giant Seaking and a fishing trophy, helping Misty catch Corsola and knocking out Ash's Totodile in the Whirl Cup. Then it picked up Ash's King's Rock, and a transfer between Pokémon Centers turned it into a clapping Politoed in Outrageous Fortunes.
Away from Misty, Poliwhirl is a familiar face in the crowd – lounging at Professor Oak's Laboratory, competing in the Whirl Cup, the Pokémon Pancake Race and Alola's ping-pong tournament, and swimming in the Marina Group's underwater shows in Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. Jackson's Poliwhirl had the type advantage over Macy's Quilava at the Silver Conference but never got a move in after its Trainer tripped over his own cape, while in Pokémon Journeys a Poliwag evolved into one right in front of Chloe and Eevee.
Other trainers’ Poliwhirl
First seen: EP110The Stun Spore Detour
Evolved: EP151The Totodile Duel
Now: Now a Politoed, still with Misty – it beat Ash's Corphish when they battled again in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys (JN138)
Misty's Poliwhirl began as the friendly wild Poliwag that helped her gather Salveyo weed in the Orange Islands and then refused to be left behind (EP110).
In Johto, Ash's and Misty's Lure Balls hit a wild Totodile at the same moment, and with no way to tell whose had caught it, Brock refereed a three-on-three battle. At one round each, Bulbasaur had Poliwag on the ropes with a flurry of Razor Leaf – and then Poliwag glowed white and evolved. The brand-new Poliwhirl hit back with a crunching Body Slam, but a fully charged Solar Beam settled the match in Ash's favour. Misty lost Totodile, yet said she would rather have a Pokémon that evolved to help her than one that did as it pleased (EP151).
Poliwhirl's big day came at the Seaking Catching Competition. Andreas's Poliwrath had already smacked it out of a mountain stream, and its Trainer had sneered at Misty's team, so it was personal when Poliwhirl helped Misty land a giant Seaking that tied his at exactly 55 kg. In the tiebreak battle, Poliwrath's Submission sent it flying and it lost its nerve – until Psyduck, Staryu and Goldeen popped out of their Poké Balls to cheer it on. Poliwhirl went back in, beat Poliwrath and won Misty a trophy and a year's supply of chocolate bars, which she shared with her friends and family (EP168).
It went on to help Misty catch her Corsola (EP213), Double Slapped a Magikarp out of the Whirl Cup preliminaries (EP215) and then helped her beat Ash in the second round, diving underwater to dodge Totodile's Water Gun, dazing it with Bubble and finishing it with Double Slap (EP217). Kingler's whirlpool-making Crabhammer knocked it out soon after, and in the next round Trinity's Gyarados blasted straight through its Bubble with Hyper Beam. In between, it was a handy Team Rocket deterrent, from the Water Gun that sent them flying in Type Casting (EP162) to the 'Flaming Water Gun' it whipped up with Egan's Magcargo (EP240).
On the road to Blackthorn City, Delaney's Poliwrath beat it with Double Slap and Submission, and Misty started dreaming of a Poliwrath of her own. Fate had other ideas. When Ash slipped on a Pokémon Center's wet floor and his backpack spilled everywhere, Poliwhirl picked up his King's Rock – his prize for winning the Sumo Conference (EP194) – and was recalled still holding it. After the group's Pokémon were transferred to them at another Pokémon Center, Misty sent Poliwhirl out against Team Rocket; it appeared with the King's Rock on its head and evolved into Politoed on the spot (EP247).
It wasn't the Poliwrath she had wanted, but Misty was thrilled all the same with her clapping Politoed, which was still at her side to beat Ash's Corphish when they battled again in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys (JN138).
Personality
As a Poliwag it was a cheerful, helpful little soul that nuzzled Misty before she had even caught it. Evolving made it steadier on land, but not braver: Poliwhirl had a real confidence problem and would duck behind Misty's legs when a fight looked scary. Its friends' cheering at the Seaking Catching Competition changed that, and by the Whirl Cup and its clash with Delaney it was charging into battle with real determination.
Key battles
- EP151The Totodile Duel · vs Bulbasaur Lost
- EP157The Fortune Hunters · vs Raticate and Primeape Won
- EP168Hook, Line, and Stinker · vs Poliwrath Won
- EP183Trouble's Brewing · vs Vaporeon Lost
- EP213A Corsola Caper! · vs Corsola Won
- EP215Octillery the Outcast · vs Magikarp Won
- EP217The Perfect Match! · vs Totodile Won
- EP217The Perfect Match! · vs Kingler Lost
- EP217The Perfect Match! · vs Gyarados Lost
- EP221A Parent Trapped! · vs Hitmontop Lost
- EP240Some Like It Hot · vs Magcargo Lost
- EP247Outrageous Fortunes · vs Poliwrath Lost
First seen: EP268Tie One On!
Jackson – a cape-wearing Trainer from New Bark Town – sent Poliwhirl out as the last of his three Pokémon against Macy in the Silver Conference preliminaries. Water should have beaten Fire, but Jackson tripped over his own cape while calling an attack, and Poliwhirl was left standing still as Macy's Quilava knocked it out with Flamethrower. The win kept Macy level with Ash at the top of their group, although it was Ash who went through to the Victory Tournament after his own match with Jackson ended in a draw.
- EP268Tie One On! · vs Quilava Lost
Ash & Poliwhirl
Ash has never owned a Poliwhirl, but he has battled one twice. In The Totodile Duel his Bulbasaur needed a fully charged Solar Beam to beat Misty's freshly evolved Poliwhirl and win Totodile (EP151); in the Whirl Cup the same Poliwhirl knocked out Totodile before Kingler's Crabhammer took it down, and Misty went on to win the match (EP217). It was also Ash's King's Rock, his prize from the Sumo Conference (EP194), that Poliwhirl was holding when it evolved into Politoed (EP247).
Featured episodes
- EP040The Battling Eevee BrothersAt a garden party in Stone Town for Pokémon that evolve with Evolution stones, a Trainer's Poliwhirl evolves into Poliwrath.
- DP139A Faux Oak Finish!Wandering through a marsh to look at the Pokémon, Professor Oak spots a Poliwhirl – just before a group of Quagsire pick him up and run off after a Politoed.
- JN120Infinite Possibilities!Chloe and Eevee follow a Poliwag to a pond, where Eevee tumbles into the water and is fished out by an old man named Grover – and the Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl.
More appearances
- EP058Riddle Me This A Poliwhirl is at the Pokémon Lab when Team Rocket's balloon attacks it.
- EP108Pokémon Double Trouble A Poliwhirl works out at the Kumquat Gym.
- EP122Flower Power Two Poliwhirl take part in Florando's annual Pokémon Exhibition.
- EP147The Fire-ing Squad! Five Poliwhirl are at the Fire and Rescue Grand Prix.
- EP169Beauty and the Breeder A Pokémon Breeder's Poliwhirl takes part in the Pokémon Beauty Contest.
- EP210Around the Whirlpool A Poliwhirl is among the Pokémon Team Rocket snatch from the Blue Point Isle Pokémon Center.
- EP215Octillery the Outcast Besides Misty's, another Trainer's Poliwhirl is entered in the Whirl Cup.
- EP225Bulbasaur… the Ambassador! Several Poliwhirl are among the squabbling Pokémon at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
- AG015Gonna Rule the School! The Pokémon Trainers' School keeps a Poliwhirl for its younger pupils' lessons.
- SM013Racing to a Big Event! A Trainer's Poliwhirl competes in the Pokémon Pancake Race.
- SM066Smashing with Sketch! A Trainer's Poliwhirl competes in the Pokémon Ping-Pong tournament.
- SM090Securing the Future! A Poliwhirl joins the Pokémon of Alola in shining light on Necrozma so that it can return to its normal form.
- JN021Caring for a Mystery! Four Poliwhirl share a pond with Poliwag and Poliwrath when a wild Riolu comes looking for a fight.
Beyond the main series
Anime gallery
Anime trivia
- Andreas sneers in Hook, Line, and Stinker (EP168) that a strong Poliwhirl would have evolved by now – but Poliwhirl never evolves by levelling up. It needs a Water Stone to become Poliwrath, or a King's Rock and a trade to become Politoed.
- Straight after Poliwhirl wins her the Seaking Catching Competition, Misty accidentally calls it a Poliwrath (EP168).
- The Japanese title of Outrageous Fortunes (EP247) is ニョロゾのしんか！ – 'Nyorozo's Evolution!' – Nyorozo being Poliwhirl's Japanese name.
- No trade is shown in Outrageous Fortunes: Poliwhirl evolves after being transferred between Pokémon Centers while holding the King's Rock, which seems to do the job of a trade. Team Rocket greet the evolution with a cry of 'Shazam!'
- In A Crowning Achievement (EP260), Ash and Misty seem puzzled by a King's Rock – even though Misty's Poliwhirl had evolved with Ash's own King's Rock in Outrageous Fortunes.
- Poliwhirl is the odd one out among the Fighting-type Pokémon at the Pokémon Lab in Riddle Me This (EP058) – though it can evolve into one, Poliwrath.
- Poliwhirl was the dub's Who's That Pokémon? in Houndoom's Special Delivery (EP180), an episode in which no Poliwhirl actually appears.
“Poliwhirl, the Tadpole Pokémon. Its highly developed muscles allow Poliwhirl to move efficiently on land, but it is even more agile in water.”
Ash's Pokédex · EP151
05On the big screen
Poliwhirl in the movies
1 film, 1 Pikachu short and 1 special featuring Poliwhirl.
Poliwhirl has never headlined a Pokémon film, but it has had its moments. In Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, it is Meredith's partner in the Marina Group's travelling water show and helps welcome Pikachu with a spray of water that Meditite and Medicham sculpt into a Pikachu. On TV, Misty's Poliwhirl joins the battle to keep Mewtwo out of Team Rocket's hands in the special Mewtwo Returns. In the Pikachu short Pikachu's Rescue Adventure, a group of Poliwhirl get their names muddled and cry 'Poliwrath!' instead.
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
M09 · 2006
Meredith's Poliwhirl (Meredith is Lizabeth's mother in the Marina Group)
Poliwhirl finally gets a proper film part as a performer. It belongs to Meredith, who travels with her husband Kyle and daughter Lizabeth in the Marina Group, a troupe of entertainers descended from the People of the Water who put on underwater Pokémon shows, and Poliwhirl is part of the act. When Pikachu wanders off, he finds a Meditite and a Medicham with a couple of Poliwag and a Poliwhirl. The water Pokémon greet him with a spray of water, which Meditite and Medicham shape into a Pikachu with Psychic. Later Meredith calls on her Poliwhirl to help her reach an ancient ruin.
Pikachu shorts
- PK04Pikachu's Rescue Adventure (1999) · Several Poliwhirl
Poliwhirl's part in this Pikachu short comes with a voice mix-up: several Poliwhirl cry out 'Poliwrath!' instead of their own name, while a Poliwag gets its big brother's line and calls out 'Poliwhirl'.
TV specials
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns (2000)
Misty's Poliwhirl is on duty when Giovanni and Team Rocket come to Mount Quena to recapture Mewtwo. Misty and Brock let out all their Pokémon, Poliwhirl among them, to hold Team Rocket back, and the diversion lets Ash get Mewtwo away to safety.
06Trading Card Game · every card
Poliwhirl in the Pokémon TCG
28 cards since 1999, oldest first. Tap any card to see it full size.
Poliwhirl has been dealt into the game since day one. It arrived in Japan's very first Expansion Pack in October 1996 and reached English players in Base Set in January 1999, a Stage 1 Water Pokémon with 60 HP and Ken Sugimori's art. It has kept that job ever since: the bridge between Poliwag and the big finishers, Poliwrath and Politoed. It has never had an ex, a V or any other special card of its own. Instead it has turned up in almost every era: Misty's Poliwhirl in Gym Heroes, two e-Reader cards in the e-Card years, a Bell Tower scene in Unleashed, a 20th-anniversary remake in Evolutions and a beginners' kit card in My First Battle. Along the way its HP has climbed from 60 to 100, and its attacks keep coming back to the same tricks: hypnotic sleep, a sly Amnesia and plenty of Double Slaps.
Its art tells the story of the card game itself. The early cards share Sugimori's clean official style, with Atsuko Nishida's Japan-only vending-machine card and Kagemaru Himeno's Neo Discovery card alongside. The e-Card and EX years brought in Yuka Morii, Hisao Nakamura and Miki Tanaka, and the modern sets added Kanako Eo, Yukiko Baba, Scav and OKACHEKE. The big moment came in 2023, when Gemi's Illustration Rare in 151 gave Poliwhirl a full-art card. In Pokémon TCG Pocket, four of its five Poliwhirl cards reuse paper-card art, alongside MAHOU's Shiny Poliwhirl in Mega Rising.
Cards to know
- Base Set 38/102 — Ken Sugimori's original: Amnesia locks away one of your opponent's attacks, and Doubleslap gambles two coins on up to 60 damage. For the 20th anniversary, Evolutions brought the same art back.
- Gym Heroes 53/132 (Misty's Poliwhirl) — Misty's own Poliwhirl. Rapids can wash an Energy off the Defending Pokémon, and Water Punch hits harder with every Water Energy.
- Expansion Sheet 1 (Japan) — Atsuko Nishida's glossy vending-machine card never got an English print, but it lives on in Pokémon Card GB2, where Team Great Rocket plays it.
- Expedition Base Set 89/165 — Swipe it through an e-Reader and it unlocks part of a 'GO, Poliwrath!' mini-game. Yuka Morii's art later returned in TCG Pocket.
- 151 176/165 — Gemi's Illustration Rare: a full-art Poliwhirl in the set that celebrated the original 151 Pokémon.
- TCG Pocket Mega Rising 296/226 — MAHOU's Shiny Poliwhirl shows off its Shiny colours.
Every English-language card
Promo cards
Japan-exclusive cards
Pokémon TCG Pocket
Digital card games
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color): Poliwhirl (Base Set 38 art, Ken Sugimori), card D17, from the Laboratory booster pack. It is in several of the game's decks, including Sara's Waterfront Pokémon deck in the Water Club and the Auto Deck Machine's Water Beetle, Blue Water and Energy Removal decks.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Poliwhirl (Base Set 38 art, Ken Sugimori), card F13, in the Sky Flying Pokémon pack; it appears in the Brick Walk, Insulation and Super Soaker decks.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Poliwhirl (Expansion Sheet 1 art, Atsuko Nishida), card C23, in the Island of Fossil pack. Team Great Rocket's Senta (Paralyzed! Paralyzed! deck) and Yūta (Great Rocket 1 deck) both play it.
The artists behind the cards
- Ken Sugimori — 3 artworks (Base Set, Misty's Poliwhirl in Gym Heroes, EX FireRed & LeafGreen), with the Base Set art reused in Evolutions
- Atsuko Nishida — 2 (Vending Expansion Sheet 1, Sun & Moon), with the Sun & Moon art reused in TCG Pocket's Pulsing Aura
- Yuka Morii — 1 (Expedition), reused in TCG Pocket's Genetic Apex
- Kanako Eo — 1 (Furious Fists), reused in TCG Pocket's Secluded Springs
- Scav — 1 (Lost Origin), reused in TCG Pocket's Wisdom of Sea and Sky
- One artwork each: Kagemaru Himeno, Hisao Nakamura, Miki Tanaka, Sumiyoshi Kizuki, Naoyo Kimura, Yukiko Baba, Kurata So, Gemi, Mizue, OKACHEKE; TCG Pocket original by MAHOU
07On the page & beyond
Poliwhirl in manga, books & other media
From the earliest manga to story books and songs.
Poliwhirl has a long history in print. In Kosaku Anakubo's Pocket Monsters, Lt. Surge's Poliwhirl laughs at Red's Clefairy, and Giovanni later has two of his own. In Pokémon Adventures it is Poli, the Poliwhirl Red has from the very first chapter, which saves him on the S.S. Anne adventure and evolves into Poliwrath in the sea. Later, Gold's Polibo goes through the Poliwhirl stage in a single chapter on its way to Politoed, and in The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Misty wants a Water Stone for hers but can't afford one. Japan's Pokémon Tales picture books use it a lot: it plays a doctor, wants to go fishing with Farfetch'd's leek, serves as Machop's pizza oven and gets a whole book of its own, Lots of Nyorozo!. Poliwhirl was also one of the faces of the early craze. It was in the logo of the first Pokémon Center in Tokyo from 1998 to 2007, and it was in the middle of Time magazine's Pokémon cover in November 1999.
Manga
Books
Other media
More from the page
08Did you know?
Poliwhirl trivia
Name origins, design secrets and the facts that make Poliwhirl such a fan favourite.
What’s in a name?
Poliwhirl's English name joins 'polliwog' – an old-fashioned word for a tadpole – with 'whirl', for the spiral turning on its belly, as Nintendo of America's Gail Tilden explained in an interview; earlier English names tried for it were Aquanau and Polihirl. Its Japanese name, Nyorozo (ニョロゾ), is thought to come from nyoronyoro, the Japanese sound for something wriggling, perhaps with kozō, a word for a youngster – a fitting name for the in-between stage of the family. Other languages chase the tadpole too: the French Têtarte crosses têtard (tadpole) with tarte (a slap), the German Quaputzi mixes Kaulquappe (tadpole) with putzig (peculiar), Korean's Syuryukchaengi means an amphibious tadpole, and the Chinese 蚊香君 Wénxiāngjūn names it after a coiled mosquito-repellent incense – that spiral again.
Design origins
Poliwhirl is a tadpole halfway to becoming a frog: it has sprouted two well-developed legs but still prefers the water, and the whole Poliwag family's evolution mirrors a real tadpole's metamorphosis. Its famous belly spiral shows its internal organs through thin, see-through skin – just as you can glimpse the insides of real tadpoles and of most glass frog genera – and its concept art goes further, revealing part of its internal anatomy and a mouth sitting just above the belly, like Poliwag's. The swirl doubles as a hypnotic spiral, the likely reason it learns Hypnosis. Its white hands look like gloves, and since Poliwrath becomes a Fighting type, they may well be boxing gloves. Early artwork – including its Red and Blue illustration and many early sprites – sometimes gave it separate fingers, but since FireRed and LeafGreen its hands have always been mitten-like.
Names around the world
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ニョロゾ Nyorozo | From ニョロニョロ nyoronyoro (onomatopoeia for wriggling) and possibly 小僧 kozō (youngster) |
| French | Têtarte | From têtard (tadpole) and tarte (slap) |
| German | Quaputzi | From Kaulquappe (tadpole) and putzig (peculiar) |
| Spanish | Poliwhirl | Same as the English name |
| Italian | Poliwhirl | Same as the English name |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Poliwhirl | Same as the English name |
| Korean | 슈륙챙이 Syuryukchaengi | From 수륙 suryuk (amphibious) and 올챙이 olchaeng-i (tadpole); spelt 수륙챙이 Suryukchaengi in Generation I–II games, TCG and anime |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 蚊香君 Wénxiāngjūn | From 蚊香 wénxiāng (mosquito coil) and 君 jūn (monarch); before Sun and Moon it was 蚊香蛙 Wénxiāngwā, with 蛙 wā (frog) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 蚊香君 Mānhēunggwān | As the Mandarin name; before Sun and Moon it was 蚊香蛙 Mānhēungwā (mosquito-coil frog) |
| Hindi | बैंगचिबिग Bangchibig | From बैंग/बेंग bang (an uncommon word for frog) and 'big' |
| Icelandic | Fjölreiði | From the English name and reiði (rage); used in the subtitles of Pikachu's Rescue Adventure |
| Lithuanian | Polivirlas | From the English name |
| Russian | Поливрил Polivirl | Transcription of the English name |
| Thai | เนียวโรโซ Niaoroso | Transcription of the Japanese name |
Did you know?
- Poliwhirl shares its official category, the Tadpole Pokémon, with Poliwag, Poliwrath and Unova's Tympole.
- Poliwhirl was the face of the original Tokyo Pokémon Center logo, until Piplup took its place in July 2007.
- It also took a prominent, central spot on the 22 November 1999 issue of Time magazine.
- In Red and Blue, an older man in Cerulean City trades his Jynx, Lola, for your Poliwhirl – and later claims it 'went and evolved'. That was impossible at the time: Poliwhirl had no way to evolve by trade until Gold and Silver introduced Politoed.
- Wild Poliwhirl can be found holding a King's Rock – the very item they need to become Politoed – with a 2% chance in Gold, Silver and Crystal and 5% from Diamond and Pearl onwards.
- The Poliwhirl you receive in Sun and Moon by trading a Zubat in Konikoni City arrives holding a Waterium Z.
- In FireRed and LeafGreen, Poliwhirl can't evolve into Politoed until you've obtained the National Pokédex – and Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! leave Politoed out entirely, so there it can only become Poliwrath.
- Concept art for Poliwhirl reveals part of its internal anatomy – and a mouth just above its belly, much like Poliwag's.
- Early artwork, including its Red and Blue illustration, sometimes gave Poliwhirl separate fingers; since FireRed and LeafGreen its hands have always been mitten-like gloves.
- Its hypnotic belly spiral is the likely reason Poliwhirl learns Hypnosis.
- Before it was Poliwhirl in English, it went by the working names Aquanau and Polihirl.
- Pokémon Stadium 2 shows Poliwhirl's Gold entry or its Silver entry, depending on which Game Boy cartridge is inserted.
- In Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, recruited Poliwhirl make their home in a Friend Area called Tadpole Pond.
- In the anime, a Poliwhirl evolves into Poliwrath at the Stone Town evolution party in The Battling Eevee Brothers, and Misty's own Poliwhirl becomes a Politoed in Outrageous Fortunes.
- In Pokémon Adventures, Gold's Poliwhirl, Polibo, evolves into Politoed when Gold trades it to Silver through their Pokédexes while it holds a King's Rock.
- In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga, Electric-type Gym Leader Lt. Surge owns a Poliwhirl – and Giovanni's Poliwhirl evolves into Poliwrath to throw Red, Clefairy and Pikachu out of the amusement park he built.
09Quizzes, archive & further reading
More Poliwhirl
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 →
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 →
Pokémon TCG: IntermediateShuffle up and draw! From the very first booster packs to the digital age, how well do you know the Pokémon Trading Card Game?Take the quiz →Pokémon General Knowledge: IntermediateReady to dig deeper? Test what you know about where Pokémon came from, the people behind it and its many spin-offs.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 Poliwhirl 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 29 October 2026.