Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Carvanha is a dual type dark and water Pokemon. It is the base evolution of Sharpedo and will evolve once it reaches the level threshold. Carvanha is classified by the Pokedex as the “Savage Pokemon” as its inspiration likely comes from real life piranha. This guide will showcase Carvanha’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime and other general facts about Carvanha.
About Carvanha
Carvanha first made an appearance in the anime during the Ruby and Sapphire season in the episode A Corphish out of Water. In the anime it is often depicted chewing away at the hulls of boats. The Pokedex states that Carvanha are very social and territorial, however, when they are alone they become very timid. Carvanha will evolve into Sharpedo upon reaching level 30 and this is a two stage evolution, which means that there is no other Pokemon that Sharpedo can evolve into. In generation six, Sharpedo received a mega evolution but it is still technically a Sharpedo.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire A Corphish out of Water |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Evolves into Sharpedo |
| 1st Evo level | 30 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Carvanha's strongly developed jaws and its sharply pointed fangs pack the destructive power to rip out boat hulls. Many boats have been attacked and sunk by this Pokémon. |
Carvanha Base Stats
| HP | 45 |
| ATTACK | 90 |
| DEFENCE | 20 |
| SP. ATTACK | 65 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 20 |
| SPEED | 65 |
| TOTAL | 305 |
Appearance
Carvanha is a fish with pointed and jagged fins on a red and blue body. The fins on Carvanha’s body are almost all yellow, with a red underbelly while the top half of its spherical body is blue. It has a sharp jagged jaw that is capable of tearing apart boats while the two fins on Carvanha’s head resemble pointed and angry eyebrows. It is a relatively small fish at only 2 feet and 7 inches, or 0.8 meters, tall.
Behavior
Most of Carvanha’s depictions in the anime are a fish out of water or something like an obstacle. It will tear through boats and make any passage over water difficult. The Pokedex reveals that they swim in schools and will become very timid if they find themselves alone. It also states that Carvanha are territorial, as they will swarm and tear at any intruder with their pointed fangs. This Pokemon is much closer to a wild animal than a tameable friend.
Strengths and Weaknesses
For a base evolution Pokemon, Carvanha has a decent physical attack and an okay speed stat. However, it is incredibly frail and will likely be knocked out by any high power attack. As a dual type dark and water Pokemon, Carvanha is 2x weak to fighting, bug, grass, electric, and fairy type moves. It will resist ghost, steel, fire, water, ice, and dark type moves and is also immune to psychic type moves.
Best Moveset
Since Carvanha is the base evolution of the line, it will only typically see play in LC (Little Cup) brackets as in this bracket, it will only face Pokemon that are also base evolutions. With the Speed Boost ability and a Life Orb, as a held item, Carvanha can function as a fast offensive sweeper. Run Waterfall, Crunch, Aqua Jet/Zen Headbutt, and Protect to have the best chances of success. Waterfall and Crunch benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and function as Carvanha’s main damaging moves. Aqua Jet can give you priority while Zen Headbutt can flinch your target. Finally, Protect can give your Carvanha another turn to raise its speed and hopefully outspeed any Pokemon your opponent uses.
| Waterfall | Crunch |
| Aqua Jet/Zen Headbutt | Protect |
How to Catch Carvanha in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Carvanha in Pokemon Go, you can easily find one in the wild. You will want to check areas with boosted water spawns and during the rain to make the spawn chance much higher. Look near harbors, docks, lakes, rivers, and other watery areas to have the best odds of finding a Carvanha. It will cost 50 Carvanha candies to evolve it into Sharpedo but if you want to try and guarantee an encounter, Carvanha has appeared as a tier one and tier two raid boss in Pokemon Gyms. Keep your eyes peeled for a wild Carvanha or on nearby gyms to obtain this Pokemon.
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Trivia
- Of all the dark type Pokemon in the franchise, Carvanha has the lowest base defense stat.
- The inspiration for Carvanha’s design likely comes from real life piranhas.
- The name Carvanha is likely a combination of the words carve, carnivore, and piranha.
FAQ
Are Carvanha Rare?
You can typically find Carvanha throughout the games by fishing with a rod that is better than the Old Rod. The Good Rod and the Super Rod give you the best chance at finding a Carvanha. While its spawn rate is typically lower than other fish found through fishing, it is not particularly rare and should not take too many different casts to find.
Where can I find Carvanha?
In Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire you can find Carvanha by fishing at route 118 or 119 with a Good Rod or better. In Diamond and Pearl, you can find Carvanha by fishing at the Great Marsh with a Super Rod. In Black and White, Carvanha can be found in Village Bridge by fishing. In X and Y, you can find Carvanha by fishing with a Good Rod on route 22. Finally, the newer generations require you to transfer Pokemon or breed a Sharpedo.
What beats Carvanha?
As a dual type water and dark Pokemon, you will want to use fighting, bug, grass, electric, or fairy type moves to beat Carvanha. Its bulkiness is very weak so as long as you can connect with an attack, Carvanha should not present too much of a problem.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Savage Pokemon”. Carvanha is the piranha of the Pokemon universe. While its impact on competitive battling is almost exclusively limited to LC brackets, Carvanha gives you access to the much faster and powerful Sharpedo. Reserve a slot on your team for a Carvanha to have an offensive water and dark type Pokemon on your team.
