Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Leavanny is a dual type bug and grass Pokemon. It is the final stage evolution of its three stage evolution line and evolves from Swadloon when it levels up with high friendship. Its base evolution Sewaddle evolves into Swadloon once it reaches the level threshold. Leavanny is classified by the Pokedex as the “Nurturing Pokemon” which indicates its general behavior. This guide will showcase Leavanny’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Leavanny.
About Leavanny
As a generation five Pokemon, Leavanny first appeared in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode Battling the Leaf Thieves!. In this episode, Ash’s Swadloon evolves into a Leavanny during a battle against Iris’s Emolga. The Pokedex mentions that Leavanny is a caring Pokemon and it will stitch clothing for small Pokemon on occasion.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White Battling the Leaf Thieves! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Sewaddle, evolves from Swadloon with high friendship |
| 1st Evo level | 20 |
| 2nd Evo level | Evolves when leveled with high friendship |
| Pokedex Entry | Upon finding a small Pokémon, it weaves clothing for it from leaves, using the cutters on its arms and sticky silk. |
Leavanny Base Stats
(Generation Five)
| HP | 75 |
| ATTACK | 103 |
| DEFENCE | 80 |
| SP. ATTACK | 70 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 70 |
| SPEED | 92 |
| TOTAL | 490 |
(Generation Six+)
| HP | 75 |
| ATTACK | 103 |
| DEFENCE | 80 |
| SP. ATTACK | 70 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 80 |
| SPEED | 92 |
| TOTAL | 500 |
Appearance
Leavanny is a bipedal, insect-like Pokemon that resembles a praying mantis. Most of its body is different shades of green and its two arms end in two leaf blades. There is a large split leaf around Leavanny’s head, and there are two antennas on top of its head. It has two thin legs that are covered by a small leaf-like dress. On each of its upper legs, are some ruffles that make Leaffanny appear to be armored. Leavanny is an average sized pokemon at 3 feet and 11 inches, or 1.2 meters, tall.
Behavior
Leavanny can be commonly found in forest areas. It is a deeply caring Pokemon and it will stop to help the smaller Pokemon it encounters. While on its travels, it uses its cutters and sticky silk to weave clothing made of small leaves to keep other Pokemon warm. It acts as a parent to its pre-evolution forms and will wrap Sewaddle up with leaves while also using fermenting leaves to keep its eggs warm. The Pokedex mentions how comfortable and warm Leavanny’s wrappings are for other Pokemon.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Leavanny has the makings of a decent offensive Pokemon as it has a high physical attack stat and a good speed stat to go along with it. Its total base stats are actually well balanced, however, its special attack is significantly weaker than its physical attack. Both its health pool and defensive stats are respectable but it is best used as a supportive Pokemon. As a dual type bug and grass Pokemon, Leavanny takes 4x damage from flying and fire type moves, and 2x damage from poison, rock, bug, and ice type moves. It has no immunities but is resistant to fighting, ground, water, grass, and electric type moves.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Leavanny does not have many practical uses. It is typically used as a support Pokemon that can slow down opposing teams while also doing significant damage. With Focus Sash, as a held item, and the Chlorophyll ability, Leavanny can prove to be a dangerous Pokemon. Consider running Sticky Web, Leaf Storm, Knock Off and Electroweb/Magic Coat. Sticky Web can ensure that your opponent gets off to a slow start, Leaf Storm will weaken your opponents’ Pokemon while Knock Off can deal with problematic held items. Finally, Electroweb/Magic Coat are interchangeable as a type coverage option or as a defensive option respectively.
| Sticky Web | Leaf Storm |
| Knock Off | Electroweb/Magic Coat |
How to Catch Leavanny in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Leavanny in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Sewaddle and eventually evolve it into Leavanny. Like most final evolutions, the base evolution spawns more often in the wild as compared to its final evolution. You can find Sewaddle in the wild, at a boosted rate, near farms, parks, forests, hiking trails, gardens, and other grassy areas. It can also be hatched from 5 and 7 km eggs but unfortunately, none of the three stage evolutions in its line have appeared as raid bosses in the past. To evolve into Swadloon you will need 25 candies and another 100 to evolve into Leavanny.
Trivia
- The inspiration for Leavanny’s design seems to be based on a species of weaver or leafcutter ants. It also shares some similarities with a praying mantis.
- The name Leavanny is a combination of the words leaves and nanny.
FAQ
Is Leavanny a good Pokemon?
Leavanny is not a particularly weak Pokemon but it suffers from a weak defensive typing. A lot of types in the game are super effective against Leavanny and despite it having some resilience, it often gets beat out by a majority of types in the franchise. In a good matchup, Leavanny is more than capable of holding its own.
What is Leavanny based on?
While it resembles praying mantises in real life, it seems that Leavanny is likely based on leaf cutter ants. It could also be referencing leaf cutter bees as they will wrap themselves in leaf wrappings for warmth or comfort. It is likely meant to be a combination of many different bugs and presented in a unique universe.
What level do Leavanny evolve at?
Leavanny is the final evolution of its three stage evolution line and it evolves from Swadloon once it is leveled with a high enough friendship value. You can raise friendship by keeping the Pokemon in your party and battling against other Pokemon. Sewaddle will evolve into Swadloon once it reaches level 20.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Nurturing Pokemon”. While Leavanny has not made the biggest impact in competitive play, it is easy to underestimate Leavanny in battle. In a good match up for Leavanny, it is capable of being a near unbeatable Pokemon. Although it can be difficult setting up the perfect environment for Leavanny. Reserve a slot on your team for Leavanny if you want a supportive/offensive bug and grass type Pokemon.
