Introduced in the original generation one Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games, Dewgong is a dual type water and ice Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Seel and does not evolve any further into other Pokemon. Dewgong is classified by the Pokedex as the “Sea Lion Pokemon” which points to its general design. This guide will showcase Dewgong’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Dewgong.
About Dewgong
As one of the original 151 Pokemon, Dewgong first appeared in the original series in the episode The Misty Mermaid. It played a minor role here as the Seel in Cerulean Gym evolved into Dewgong. The Pokedex states that Dewgong was originally mistaken to be a mermaid long ago. It is capable of swimming through incredibly cold waters at a steady speed.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series The Misty Mermaid |
| First appearance in game | Red/Green (Japan) Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Seel, not known to evolve into any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 34 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Dewgong loves to snooze on bitterly cold ice. The sight of this Pokémon sleeping on a glacier was mistakenly thought to be a mermaid by a mariner long ago. |
Dewgong Base Stats
| HP | 90 |
| ATTACK | 70 |
| DEFENCE | 80 |
| SP. ATTACK | 70 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 95 |
| SPEED | 70 |
| TOTAL | 475 |
Appearance
Dewgong resembles a white sea lion as its body is shaped like a pinniped and almost the entirety of Dewgong’s body is white except for its mouth and eyes. There is a small horn on top of Dewgong's head that can launch watery or icy attacks. It has two flippers to move around and a large tail fin to support its movement in water. While it looks smooth, Dewgong’s entire body is covered in white fur and it is 5 feet and 7 inches, or 1.7 meters, tall.
Behavior
Dewgong can typically be encountered near icebergs or near frigid ocean water. It does not seem to mind the freezing temperatures as its fur keeps it warm and its body shape can keep it moving at a steady speed underwater. Dewgong spends most of its time sleeping, camouflaged by the ice and during the night, it will spend most of its time hunting for smaller Pokemon like Wishiwashi. The Pokedex also states that it enjoys sunbathing to help its digestion.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Dewgong has relatively mediocre stats all across the board although while no particular stat is incredibly strong, none of them are particularly weak either. Unfortunately, this puts Dewgong in an awkward spot as it cannot excel at any one role. As a dual type water/ice Pokemon, Dewgong takes 2x damage from fighting, rock, grass, and electric type moves. It is immune to no types but will take half damage from water type moves and a quarter damage from ice type moves.
Best Moveset
At the moment, Dewgong does not have any particular role in competitive play. The most apt role for it is a defensive role where it can buy time and also inflict powerful status moves on opposing Pokemon. None of Dewgong’s stats supports it being a good offensive option, so it is best to stick with moves that prolong the battle. Consider running Toxic, Protect, Surf/Ice Beam, and Perish Song/Encore. Toxic can ensure that you will win in the long game, Protect can buy you time while Surf/Ice Beam are interchangeable as Dewgong’s STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) move. Finally, Perish Song/Encore are interchangeable depending on if you want to one for one or disable opposing Pokemon respectively.
| Toxic | Protect |
| Surf/Ice Beam | Perish Song/Encore |
How to Catch Dewgong in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Dewgong in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so is to first obtain a Seel. Like most final evolutions, its base evolution is a more common spawn than its final evolution. Seel will spawn in the wild at a boosted rate near canals, docks, harbors, lakes, oceans, and other watery areas. You can also hatch a Seel from 5 km eggs but to evolve one into Dewgong, you will need 50 candies. If you want to skip the candy collection, you can also encounter Dewgong in tier two raid battles at Pokemon Gyms..
Trivia
- Dewgong’s original name in the Red and Blue beta was Manaty
- The inspiration for Dewgong’s design is based on a dugong, a medium-sized marine mammal that was the origin of the mythical mermaid.
- The name Dewgong is a portmanteau of the words dew and dugong.
Video
FAQ
What is Dewgong based on?
There is a marine mammal known as the dugong that is the inspiration for the Pokemon Dewgong. Even its Pokedex description states that Dewgong was thought to be a mermaid by a mariner. Not only do their names line up, but dugong was thought to be the origin of the mythical mermaid.
Is Dewgong any good?
While there is nothing explicitly wrong about Dewgong, it does not excel at any one role. This makes it difficult to succeed with Dewgong as its stat distributions do not leave it weak to anything in particular, but it does not excel at anything in particular. What Dewgong can offer a team can likely be replaced by many other Pokemon.
Is a Dewgong rare?
A Dewgong is as rare as a Seel would be. However, Seel is not the rarest Pokemon as it can typically spawn at a higher rate than the other Pokemon that are found in the same area. As Dewgong only requires you to level Seel up to 34, it is not particularly rare in any case.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Sea Lion Pokemon”. While Dewgong has not managed to make a big impact on competitive battle, it is still a remarkable Pokemon. If you are indecisive about the type of team you want to build, consider using a Dewgong to see what kind of strategies you would rather employ. If you find yourself unsure of leaning towards a defensive set or an offensive set then running Dewgong can help you strategize. Reserve a slot on your team for Dewgong if you want an all around ice and water type Pokemon.
