Poliwrath looks superficially similar to Poliwhirl. However, it has gained more muscle, especially around its arms, which are now quite thick. Its eyes have changed from having wide pupils to small ones. It also appears to have a scowl.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
In addition to the Template:Type2 abilities it had as Poliwag and Poliwhirl, Poliwrath has now gained the powers of a Template:Type2. It can swim for vast distances without tiring, swimming far and fast with minimal breathing, and is adept at such swimming styles as the front crawl and butterfly. With its increased arm and leg strength it also has the ability to run on the surface of water for a short amount of time. Like Machop, Poliwrath's muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises.
Behavior
With its newly-gained fighting abilities, Poliwrath is more aggressive than its pre-evolutions, and is more willing to pick fights with others.
Poliwrath, despite being excellent swimmers, usually live on dry land near the water's edge. They can be found within the range that Poliwag and Poliwhirl can be found.
Poliwrath's first non-cameo appearance was in Charizard Chills. An expert trainer named Tad had one and it defeated Ash's Charizard easily when Ash challenged him. Charizard managed to defeat the Poliwrath in a rematch.
In Outrageous Fortunes, Misty challenged another trainer named Delaney whose main Pokémon was Poliwrath. After seeing it in action, Team Rocket tricked Delaney into giving his Poliwrath to them.
Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokémon. Poliwrath is an excellent swimmer and its powerful muscles make its attacks extremely effective.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Poliwrath debuts in Buzz Off, Electabuzz! when Red's Poli evolves into one to save its trainer from drowning. It's a muscular Pokémon who sends its enemies flying with Seismic Toss. Gold also sees the same Poliwrath in a "Book of Champions", and then tells his Poliwag that it'll also become a Poliwrath.
Poliwrath's highly developed, brawny muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises. It is so tirelessly strong, this Pokémon can swim back and forth across the Pacific Ocean without effort.
Its highly developed muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises. This Pokémon can swim back and forth across the Pacific Ocean without effort.
Despite being classified as a tadpole Pokémon, its form resembles a froglet's and is presumably full grown.
The spiral on its abdomen was different in each generation. In Generation II, the spiral ended on the upper half of its abdomen. In Generation III, as shown in Pokémon Emerald, the spiral ends at the rightmost side while in Generation IV, the spiral ends at the lower half of its abdomen.
Its spiral in Generation IV ends at almost the same position with Generation I.
Poliwrath, alongside Smeargle and Articuno, is one of the few Pokémon that can learn an accuracy-focusing move and a OHKO move, learning Fissure by TM27 in Generation I and Mind Reader at level 51 in Generation II. It no longer has the ability to learn both moves, however.
In HeartGold and SoulSilver a man in Celadon City has a Poliwrath and say he hopes it will evolve into a frog Pokémon one day. This Pokémon is most likely Politoed. This is incorrect as it is Poliwhirl that evolves into Politoed when holding a King's Rock, not Poliwrath.
Poliwrath is based on a tadpole. The spiral pattern on its belly is supposed to represent how the organs of tadpoles can sometimes be seen through their transparent skin. It may also be based on amphibian neoteny, as it stays in tadpole form and does not metamorphose into a frog.
Name origin
Poliwrath's name appears to be a combination of polliwog and wrath, meaning anger. Its Japanese name may come in part from ニョロニョロ nyoronyoro, the sound of slithering, and an alternate reading of the Japanese word for deluge or flood, 洪 kō, is hon (in this case, bon).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Poliwrath images on Bulbagarden Archives.
