Tail Whip (move)

Tail Whip
しっぽをふる Tail Wag

Battles

Type	Normal
Category	Status
PP	30 (max. 48)
Power	—
Accuracy	100%
Priority	0
Does not make contact Affected by Protect Affected by Magic Coat and Magic Bounce Not affected by Snatch Affected by Mirror Move Not affected by King's Rock

Range

Opponent	Opponent	Opponent
Self	Ally	Ally
Many Others: Affects all adjacent opponents, but not allies

Availability

Introduced	Generation I
Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

Contests

Condition	Cute
Appeal	2 ♥♥
Jam	0
The appeal works great if performed last.

Super Contests

Condition	Cute
Appeal	2 ♥♥
Prevents the Voltage from going down in the same turn.

Contest Spectaculars

Condition	Cute
Appeal	2 ♥♥
Jamming	0
Works great if the user goes last this turn.

On Smogon's Movedex:

Tail Whip (Japanese: しっぽをふる Tail Wag) is a non-damaging Normal-type move introduced in Generation I.

Effect

Tail Whip decreases the Defense stat of all adjacent opponents by one stage.

Generations I to II

In the Generation I and II core series games, when an in-game opponent outside of the Battle Tower uses Tail Whip, the move has a 25% chance to fail.

Generation III onwards

Tail Whip can be used as the second move of a Pokémon Contest combination, with the user gaining 2 bonus appeal points if Charm was used in the previous turn.

If powered up by a Normalium Z into Z-Tail Whip, the user's Attack stat rises one stage.

Description

Games	Description
StadStad2	A move that lower the target's Defense. Useful against tough, armored Pokémon.
GS C	Lowers the foe's Defense.
RS EColoXD	Wags the tail to lower the foe's Defense.
FRLG	The user wags its tail cutely, making the foe lower its Defense stat.
DP Pt HGSSPBR	The user wags its tail cutely, making the foe less wary. The target's Defense stat is lowered.
BW B2W2 XY ORAS SM USUM PE	The user wags its tail cutely, making opposing Pokémon less wary and lowering their Defense stat.
SwSh BDSP LA	The user wags its tail cutely, making opposing Pokémon less wary and lowering their Defense stats.
SV	The user wags its tail cutely, making opposing Pokémon less wary. This lowers their Defense stats.

Learnset

By leveling up

#		Egg Groups		Level
				I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII		VIII		IX
										SM USUM	PE	SwSh	BDSP	SV
0007	Squirtle	Monster	Water 1	1	4	4	4	4	4	4	5	1	1	1
0008	Wartortle	Monster	Water 1	1	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 5	1	1	1
0009	Blastoise	Monster	Water 1	1	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1, 5	1	1	1
0019	Rattata	Field		Field	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	3		1
0019	Rattata Alolan Form	Field		Field							1	3
0020	Raticate	Field		Field	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1, 3		1
0020	Raticate Alolan Form	Field		Field							1	1, 3
0025	Pikachu	Field	Fairy	6^Y	6	6	5	5	1	1	3	1	1	1
0026	Raichu	Field	Fairy	−	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
0026	Raichu Alolan Form	Field	Fairy							1	1	1		1
0029	Nidoran♀	Monster	Field	21^RGB 23^Y	23	8	7	7	7	7	3	10	10
0030	Nidorina	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered	23^RGB 27^Y	27	8	7	7	7	7	1, 3	1	1
0031	Nidoqueen	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
0037	Vulpix	Field		Field	1	1	5	4	4	4	4	3	1	1	1
0037	Vulpix Alolan Form	Field		Field							4	3	1		1
0038	Ninetales	Field		Field	1	−	−	−	−	−	−	1	1	1	1
0038	Ninetales Alolan Form	Field		Field							−	1	1		1
0054	Psyduck	Water 1	Field	28	5	5	5	5^BW 4^B2W2	4	4	5	1	1	1
0055	Golduck	Water 1	Field	1, 28	1, 5	1, 5	1, 5	1, 5^BW 1, 4^B2W2	1, 4	1, 4	1, 5	1	1	1
0077	Ponyta	Field		Field	30	8	9	10^DP 6^PtHGSS	4	4	4	1	5	5
0077	Ponyta Galarian Form	Field		Field									5
0078	Rapidash	Field		Field	1, 30	1, 8	1, 9	1, 10^DP 1, 6^PtHGSS	1, 4	1, 4	1, 4	1	1	1
0078	Rapidash Galarian Form	Field		Field									1
0104	Cubone	Monster		Monster	13^Y	5	5	3	3	3	3	2	4	4
0105	Marowak	Monster		Monster	1, 13^Y	1, 5	1, 5	1, 3	1, 3	1, 3	1, 3	1, 2	1	1
0105	Marowak Alolan Form	Monster		Monster							1, 3	1, 2	1
0111	Rhyhorn	Monster	Field	35	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
0112	Rhydon	Monster	Field	1, 35	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
0113	Chansey	Fairy		Fairy	1^Y	9	5	5	5	5	5	8	4	4	4
0115	Kangaskhan	Monster		Monster	31	19	13	10	10	10	10	11	1	1
0118	Goldeen	Water 2		Water 2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
0119	Seaking	Water 2		Water 2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
0128	Tauros	Field		Field	28	4	4^RSE 1^FRLG	3	3	3	3	6	1	1	1
0128	Tauros Paldean Form (Combat Breed)	Field		Field											1
0128	Tauros Paldean Form (Blaze Breed)	Field		Field											1
0128	Tauros Paldean Form (Aqua Breed)	Field		Field											1
0133	Eevee	Field		Field	31^RGB 1^Y	1	1	1	1	1	1	3	1	1	1
0134	Vaporeon	Field		Field	37^RGB 1^Y	1	1	1	1	1	1	1, 3	1	1	1
0135	Jolteon	Field		Field	37^RGB 1^Y	1	1	1	1	1	1	1, 3	1	1	1
0136	Flareon	Field		Field	37^RGB 1^Y	1	1	1	1	1	1	1, 3	1	1	1
0172	Pichu	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered		6	6	5	5	5	5		1	1	1
0183	Marill	Water 1	Fairy		6	6	7	7^BW 2^B2W2	2	2		1	1	1
0184	Azumarill	Water 1	Fairy		1, 6	1, 6	1, 7	1, 7^BW 1, 2^B2W2	1, 2	1, 2		1	1	1
0187	Hoppip	Fairy	Grass		5	5	7	7	6	6			6	4
0188	Skiploom	Fairy	Grass		1, 5	1, 5	1, 7	1, 7	1, 6	1, 6			1, 6	1
0189	Jumpluff	Fairy	Grass		1, 5	1, 5	1, 7	1, 7	1, 6	1, 6			1, 6	1
0190	Aipom	Field		Field		1	1	1	1	1	1			1	1
0194	Wooper	Water 1	Field		1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1
0194	Wooper Paldean Form	Water 1	Field											1
0195	Quagsire	Water 1	Field		1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1
0196	Espeon	Field		Field		1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1
0197	Umbreon	Field		Field		1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1
0209	Snubbull	Field	Fairy		4	4	1	1	1	1			1	1
0210	Granbull	Field	Fairy		4	4	1	1	1	1			1	1
0242	Blissey	Fairy		Fairy		7	4	5	5	5	5		4	4	4
0263	Zigzagoon	Field		Field			5	5	5	5	5		6	6
0264	Linoone	Field		Field			1, 5	1, 5	1, 5	1, 5	1, 5		1	1
0298	Azurill	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered			6	7	7^BW 2^B2W2	2	2		1	1	1
0300	Skitty	Field	Fairy			3	1	1	1	1			1
0301	Delcatty	Field	Fairy			−	−	−	−	−			1
0352	Kecleon	Field		Field			1	1	1	1	1			1
0418	Buizel	Water 1	Field				−	−	−	−			7	−
0419	Floatzel	Water 1	Field				−	−	−	−			7	−
0424	Ambipom	Field		Field				1	1	1	1			1	1
0464	Rhyperior	Monster	Field				1	1	1	1		1	1	1
0470	Leafeon	Field		Field				1	1	1	1		1	1	1
0471	Glaceon	Field		Field				1	1	1	1		1	1	1
0498	Tepig	Field		Field					3	3	3				3
0499	Pignite	Field		Field					1, 3	1, 3	1, 3				1
0500	Emboar	Field		Field					1, 3	1, 3	1, 3				1
0501	Oshawott	Field		Field					5	5	5				5
0502	Dewott	Field		Field					1, 5	1, 5	1, 5				1
0503	Samurott	Field		Field					1, 5	1, 5	1, 5				1
0503	Samurott Hisuian Form	Field		Field											1
0522	Blitzle	Field		Field					4	4	4				4
0523	Zebstrika	Field		Field					1, 4	1, 4	1, 4				1
0550	Basculin Red- and Blue-Striped Forms	Water 2		Water 2					−	1	1		1		1
0550	Basculin White-Striped Form	Water 2		Water 2											1
0587	Emolga	Field		Field					7	7	7		1
0653	Fennekin	Field		Field						1	1				1
0654	Braixen	Field		Field						1	1				1
0655	Delphox	Field		Field						1	1				1
0672	Skiddo	Field		Field						9	9				9
0673	Gogoat	Field		Field						9	1, 9				1
0676	Furfrou All forms	Field		Field						15	15
0690	Skrelp	Water 1	Dragon						9	9		15		15
0691	Dragalge	Water 1	Dragon						9	9		15		15
0694	Helioptile	Monster	Dragon						1	1		1
0695	Heliolisk	Monster	Dragon						−	−		1
0696	Tyrunt	Monster	Dragon						1	1		1
0697	Tyrantrum	Monster	Dragon						1	1		1
0700	Sylveon	Field		Field						1	1		1		1
0702	Dedenne	Field	Fairy						1	1		1		1
0808	Meltan	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered								9	8
0809	Melmetal	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered								1, 9	1
0819	Skwovet	Field		Field									1		1
0820	Greedent	Field		Field									1		1
0827	Nickit	Field		Field									1
0828	Thievul	Field		Field									1
0835	Yamper	Field		Field									1
0836	Boltund	Field		Field									1
0877	Morpeko	Field	Fairy									1		1
0896	Glastrier	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered									1		1
0897	Spectrier	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered									1		1
0898	Calyrex Ice Rider	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered									1		1
0898	Calyrex Shadow Rider	No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered									1		1
0902	Basculegion All forms	Water 2		Water 2											1
0906	Sprigatito	Field	Grass											1
0907	Floragato	Field	Grass											1
0908	Meowscarada	Field	Grass											1
0915	Lechonk	Field		Field											1
0916	Oinkologne All forms	Field		Field											1
0926	Fidough	Field	Mineral											6
0927	Dachsbun	Field	Mineral											6
0971	Greavard	Field		Field											6
0972	Houndstone	Field		Field											6
0980	Clodsire	Water 1	Field											1
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By breeding

#		Egg Groups		Egg Move
				IV	V	VI	VII	VIII		IX
							SM USUM	SwSh	BDSP	SV
0052	Meowth	Field		Field	✔^HGSS	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
0417	Pachirisu	Field	Fairy	−	✔	✔	✔		✔	✔
0431	Glameow	Field		Field	✔	✔	✔	✔		✔
0572	Minccino	Field		Field		✔	✔	✔	✔		✔
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Tail Whip lowers the enemy's Defense by one stage. This move is affected by Magic Coat.

Game	Base Power	Max Power	Base PP	Max PP	Base Accuracy	Max Accuracy	Range	Target	Cuts corners
MDRB	-	-	22	-	100%	-	Front	Enemy	No
MDTD S	-	-	22	-	100%	-	Front	Enemy	No
BSL	-	-	22	-	100%	-	Front	Enemy	No
MDGtI	-	-	20	99	100%	-	Front	Enemy	No
SMD	-	-	20	99	100%	-	Front	Enemy	No
With some exceptions, Pokémon learnsets match those from the core series games: MD Rescue Team = Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. MD Time and Darkness = Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. MD Sky = Pokémon Platinum. MD Adventure Squad = ??. MD Gates to Infinity = Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Super Mystery Dungeon = Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. MD Rescue Team DX = Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

In Pokémon Rumble Rush, all status moves including Tail Whip could only be used by opposing Pokémon and could not be obtained on any caught Pokémon. Tail Whip could be seen as a move used by Boss Pikachu, Vulpix and Ponyta.

Tail Whip

Charge time	1.96 seconds
Range type	Circular (self)
Target	Enemy
Additional effect	Lowers the foe's Defense

Description

Games	Description
MDRB	Lowers the target's Defense by one level.
MDTD S	Reduces the target's Defense by 1 level.
BSL	てきポケモンのぼうぎょを１だんかいさげる
MDGtI SMD MDRTDX	It lowers the enemy's Defense.

In the anime

Pokémon	Method
Psyduck Marill Alolan Raticate
The user wags its tail cutely.
User	First Used In	Notes
	Psyduck wags its tail back and forth at the opponent.
Misty's Psyduck	The Ninja Poké-Showdown	Debut
	Marill jumps into the air above the opponent and hits its face lightly with the orb on the end of its tail once or repeatedly.
Marill (Pikachu shorts)	Pikachu's Exploration Club	None
	Alolan Raticate hits the opponent with its tail.
Totem Raticate	A Team-on-Team Tussle!	None

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon	Method
Vulpix Golduck Rhyhorn Blitzle
The user wags its tail.
User	First Chapter Used In	Notes
	Rhyhorn whips its backside around and hits the opponent with its small tail.
Giovanni's Rhyhorn	Long Live the Nidoqueen!?	Debut
	Golducks wags its tail back and forth and repeatedly hits the opponent with it.
Blue's Golduck	Lapras Lazily	None
	Vulpix turns around and waves its six tails back and forth in the air.
Courtney's Vulpix	It All Ends Now III	None
	Blitzle turns its back to the opponent and waves its tail back and forth.
Andy's Blitzle	Black's First Trainer Battle	None

In Wartortle Wars, Green's Blastoise, Blasty, was revealed to know Tail Whip as a Wartortle by Red's Pokédex.
Joey's Rattata was revealed to know Tail Whip on the official website, but he was never shown using the move.
A conman's Wooper were revealed to know Tail Whip on the official website, but they were never shown using the move.

Pokémon Battrio: Aim to be Battrio Master!

Pokémon	Method
Wooper
The user wags its tail.
User	First Chapter Used In	Notes
	Wooper wags its tail.
Kakuzō's Wooper	ABM06	Debut

In other generations

Core series games

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Side series games

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Spin-off series games

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

Multiple Pokémon (e.g., Flareon, Marowak and Tauros) have been capable of learning both this move and Leer at the same time in the past, despite them being functionally the same move. With the exception of Morpeko, all of these Pokémon would eventually only learn Tail Whip, even if they only had a very short tail (such as Rhyhorn) or no tail at all (such as Snubbull).

In other languages

Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	搖尾巴 Yìuh Méihbā * 揮舞尾巴 Fāimóuh Méihbā *
Chinese	Mandarin	搖尾巴 / 摇尾巴 Yáo Wěiba
Czech		Šlehnutí ocasem
Danish		Halepisk
Dutch		Staart Zweep (EP032) Kwispel
Finnish		Pyrstölyönti
French		Mimi-Queue
German		Rutenschlag
Greek		Λίκνισμα Ουράς Líkvisma Ourás
Italian		Colpocoda^III+ Colpo-Coda^I–II
Korean		꼬리흔들기 Kkoriheundeulgi
Norwegian		Halepisk
Brazilian Portuguese		Chicote de Cauda (anime, The Official Pokémon Handbook) Cauda Chicote (TCG, manga, The Official Pokémon Handbook)
Serbian		Bičevanje repom
Spanish	Latin America	Golpe de Cola
Spanish	Spain	Látigo
Swedish		Svanspiska
Turkish		Kuyruk Sallama
Vietnamese		Vẫy Đuôi

Variations of the move Leer

Leer • Tail Whip

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.

Tail Whip (move)

Contents

Effect

Generations I to II

Generation III onwards

Description

Learnset

By leveling up

By breeding

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Pokémon Rumble Rush

Description

In the anime

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Battrio: Aim to be Battrio Master!

In other generations

Core series games

Side series games

Spin-off series games

Trivia

In other languages

Navigation menu

Page actions

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In other languages