Introduced in generation three, with Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Delcatty is a monotype normal Pokemon. It is the second stage evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves from Skitty when a Moon Stone is used. Delcatty does not evolve further. Delcatty is classified by the Pokedex as the “Prim Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Delcatty’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Delcatty.
About Delcatty
As a generation three Pokemon, Delcatty first appeared in the Ruby and Sapphire season of the anime in the episode A Date with Delcatty. In this episode, a Delcatty is stolen by Butch and Cassidy, which leaves Misty and Casey to try and save it. Delcatty is the second evolution of its two stage evolution line and will evolve from Skitty once a Moon Stone is used. The Pokedex mentions that Delcatty prefers to live alone where it can do as it pleases. As a result of this behavior, it can be difficult to catalogue what Delcatty does in a day.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire A Date with Delcatty |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Evolves from Skitty, not known to evolve into another Pokemon. |
| 1st Evo level | Evolves when a Moon Stone is used |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Delcatty sleeps anywhere it wants without keeping a permanent nest. If other Pokémon approach it as it sleeps, this Pokémon will never fight - it will just move away somewhere else. |
Delcatty Base Stats
(Generation 3-6)
| HP | 70 |
| ATTACK | 65 |
| DEFENCE | 65 |
| SP. ATTACK | 55 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 55 |
| SPEED | 70 |
| TOTAL | 380 |
(Generation 7+)
| HP | 70 |
| ATTACK | 65 |
| DEFENCE | 65 |
| SP. ATTACK | 55 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 55 |
| SPEED | 90 |
| TOTAL | 400 |
Appearance
Delcatty is a small cream and pink colored Pokemon that resembles a large cat. Most of its body is cream colored with purple accents on top of its head, around its neck, and at the tip of its tail. Around its neck are small purple circles that work as whiskers for Delcatty. It has two black eyes with white pupils. Delcatty will walk on four stubby legs with no discernable features on any foot. Delcatty is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 7 inches, or 1.1 meters, tall.
Behavior
Typically, Delcatty is happy most of the time as it can rarely be found in disputes with other Pokemon. When Delcatty is disturbed from its happy mood, it prefers to just move to another area. The Pokedex states that Delcatty prefers to do as it pleases. This makes its daily routine difficult to predict. Delcatty is common to see in Pokemon performance contests and it is popular among female trainers. In the wild, Delcatty is a nocturnal Pokemon and typically only acts during nighttime. Despite enjoying rest, it does not have a permanent nest and instead moves from one comfortable spot to another.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Delcatty is weak for a final evolution Pokemon. Its base stats are lower than average in almost every regard. While its speed is decent, it does not have a powerful stat to take advantage of. Delcatty is stronger physically than specially, but not by much. Thanks to its decent speed, Delcatty can be used as a scaling offensive Pokemon or as a supportive Pokemon. As a monotype normal Pokemon, Delcatty takes 2x damage from fighting type moves. It is immune to ghost type moves, but does not resist any other type of move.
Best Moveset
Delcatty can be considered as an offensive Pokemon in competitive play. Its Wonder Skin ability can ensure it does not suffer from status effects as often. In order to function as an aggressive Pokemon, Delcatty needs time to scale and thus Leftovers, as a held item, can help buy you some time. Consider running Substitute, Calm Mind, Hyper Voice, and Shadow Ball. This set is aimed at buying you time and setting up with Calm Mind. Set up Substitute first, heal from Leftovers, and scale with Calm Mind. Once Delcatty has absurd stat values, you can switch to damaging moves and hope that Delcatty is strong enough to sweep.
| Substitute | Calm Mind |
| Hyper Voice | Shadow Ball |
How to Catch Delcatty in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Delcatty in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Skitty and eventually evolve it into a Delcatty. Like most evolved forms, its base evolution is much easier to obtain than its evolved version. You can find Skitty spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near fields, roads, schools, and commercial areas. Skitty can also be hatched from 5 and 7km eggs but while it has not been featured as a raid boss in the past, Delcatty has been featured as a tier three raid boss at Pokemon Gyms. To evolve Skitty into Delcatty it will require 50 candies.
Trivia
- Delcatty’s EV yields of 1 health and 1 speed are unique to Delcatty.
- The inspiration for Delcatty’s design is likely based on a domestic cat.
- The name Delcatty is a combination of the words delicate and catty.
FAQ
Why is Delcatty so bad?
Delcatty suffers from low base stats. While this does not prevent it from seeing play, it does require time during battle in order to have high potential damage. Once Delcatty has sufficiently scaled with a move like Calm Mind, it has the potential to sweep enemy teams. Unfortunately, this process can take too much time and Delcatty can be taken out before it becomes too powerful.
Is Delcatty a girl?
While Delcatty is more popular among female trainers, Delcatty itself has a 25/75% male to female gender ratio. This means that any Delcatty you encounter has a 25% chance to be male and a 75% chance to be female. The odds are more likely that you find a female Delcatty, but it can still easily be a male Delcatty.
What can Delcatty learn?
Delcatty’s notable moves include Substitute, Calm Mind, Hyper Voice, and Shadow Ball. It will learn most of its moves from its pre-evolution as Delcatty evolves through an evolution stone. Because of this, any moves that Skitty knows are the moves that Delcatty ends up with. It does not learn many moves naturally. You will need to use move tutors or TMs/HMs.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Prim Pokemon”. While Delcatty is not as powerful in competitive play, it can still be considered a powerful Pokemon if it has enough time to scale. Even though this requires time to be efficient, Delcatty can deal significant damage. Reserve a slot on your team for Delcatty if you want an aggressive normal type Pokemon.
